Poetry and Prayers

An elephant in the church

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I’ve been casually reading David Kinnaman’s book Unchristian in my spare moments, and have been saddened by the research shown in the latest Barna Polls.  But first the words of Jesus for contrast:  “This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

In 2007, when the Barna Research Group polled thousands of unchurched people asking them to choose from a list of positive and negative adjectives describing present day Christianity, the top three choices were:

  • Antihomosexual  (91%)
  • Judgmental  (87%)
  • Hypocritical – saying one thing and doing another.   (85%)”
  • The first “positive” impression, “has good values and principles” showed up at 76%

We obviously have an image problem, and we’ve no one to blame but ourselves.  While it’s true we should expect to be criticized by non-believers, this can’t be what Jesus had in mind.  I wonder if He must be weeping all over again?

Now that we know, (thanks to the good, insightful people at Barna), how do we go about repairing the damage?  Is it time for the church to repent to the world?  Should we invite a few of our unchurched neighbors to preach to us for a Sunday or two?  Maybe our congregations or elders could compose some well-worded apologies to be read on local radio, or published in the news?   Certainly we each need to begin by taking personal responsibility for our own actions and words.  But we can’t do nothing. Dysfunction in individuals, families, or churches, never heals itself by ignoring the problem.  We’ve got a stinking elephant parked at the front of God’s church, and it obviously can’t stay there.

Any ideas?

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Generation K

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They’ve been called “Busters”, “Boomlets”, “Gen Xers”, and “Mosaics”, but I’ve officially dubbed this amazing demographic of young people “Generation K,” the “Kingdom Generation.”  The generation who introduced us to Attention Deficit Disorder hasn’t the ability toignore their unsatisfied heart-longings.

My Generation missed it.  We faithfully sowed a half-gospel of forgiveness and reaped a church prepared for heaven but hopelessly detached from the rest of life.  Forgiveness without the kingdom left behind a heritage of decaying inner cities, broken families, staggering debt, bulging prisons, and broken communities.

These “Gen K” students will no longer settle for a half gospel.  It requires both the cross and the kingdom to answer the longings in our hearts as well as the staggering challenges of our culture.  One young Scandinavian student came up after class and said “I want to thank you for showing me that European Socialism is not the answer.  The real answer is the Kingdom of God.”  When Generation K turns its Attention Deficit eyes upon Jesus and sets it’s hope on the Kingdom there’s no telling what beauty and hope might lie ahead.

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Barak and me

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So much is happening, I’m afraid It’s gonna take a series of short entries over the next few days to catch up with myself.

This week I’m teaching in the Discipleship Training School in Kona, Hawaii.  My better judgment tells me to resist the temptation of annoying you with the details of the this little chunk of paradise.  There really is a glory here that’s unique in all the world, and I’m feeling privileged that God has brought me back to a place that’s been such a seedbed of reformation and change in my life.

Since I last wrote I’ve made peace with the elections: I’ll be a good sport, pray for our new leaders, and put my trust in God.  It came as a revelation to me just now that Barak Obama and I are in exactly the same boat:  We’re both in need of humility, wisdom and the fear of God.  If I can be as patient with him as I am with myself, I’ll be on solid footing with our next president.

Stay tuned…

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We are the problem

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The election fray has a great capacity to deaden our souls.  Yesterday I took deliberate time to pray for America and the American church because I believe we – the church – need to take responsibility for the alarming drift of our nation.

First off we need to repent of the silly idea that politics and elections can cure the cancer of our culture.  America’s disease is a spiritual malignancy, and not a political one.   And to go on believing the disease can be cured by politics is not only foolish and idolatrous, but it is diametrically opposed to the Kingdom of God.

If we honestly want to make an apologetic towards the Marxist / Socialist agenda knocking at our door, then its time we believers repented of our own love affair with comfort and ease and began living a truly Christian lifestyle of moderation, justice and compassionate involvement.

  • It’s time we stopped seeing the enemy’s face in our Liberals friends, and began looking in the mirror at our own failings.  America’s rot began when we abandoned the gospel of the Kingdom for the gospel of Heaven; when we turned away from good news for the poor, recovery of sight for the blind, and freedom for the oppressed to the the Trojan horse of the Rapture.  (Yes… I do believe Jesus is coming back.  And I look forward to it with great anticipation.  I just believe He clearly intended us to focus on the Kingdom until his return just happens in His own good time).
  • It’s time we said “Enough of the American dream!  Enough comfort and ease and three-car garages and TVs in every room.  Enough extravagant church-buildings and self-entertainment.”
  • It’s time we repented of consumerism and extricated ourselves from an ungodly economy rooted in greed, covetousness, eternal growth, and the love of money.  The system that told us on 9-12 that “we must keep shopping” is deadly to the human soul, and we simply can’t live that way anymore lest God fulfills his own oath to us:  (“Woe to you rich…”  Luke 6:24)
  • It’s time we learned to practice Biblical self-government with its generous, sacrificial love, and stopped pushing our civil servants to solve problems of poverty and immorality.  These problems are owned by the church.
  • It’s time we – the church – surrendered our self-appointed role of judging the masses and began walking in our God-given prophetic role of pointing to a glorious Kingdom of compassion, justice, mercy and grace.
  • It’s time we willingly shared our food with the hungry, our homes with the homeless, and a generous half of our wardrobes with the the world’s naked.  To continue in our ease while one billion of our worldwide neighbors have no clean water to drink is to forfeit our right to complain about the Marxists who at least have a plan to help.

I’ll be voting Republican on Tuesday primarily as a vote against the Marxist ideology of Barack Obama.  (I don’t say that lightly.  I’ve done the research).  But I don’t condemn Barack Obama.  He’s the product of a society and a church that is stump-dumb when it comes to understanding the Kingdom of God.  Unfortunately I don’t believe there’s any real hope in John McCain either.   The answers simply are not found in the political arena.  They’re found in the stunning good news of the Kingdom of God as revealed in the scriptures.

My friends, WE are the problem with America.  I am the problem with America.  Until we become the light of the world and the kingdom emerges in the practical ways of justice, simplicity and compassionate living,  the questions of Marxism and Socialism will NEVER go away.

News & Stories

Newsy stuff

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I feel stalled in the update department.  Any of you who have tried keeping a weblog probably know what I’m talking about.  Even thought there’s tons happening in my heart, I just can’t quite make it sound interesting and coherent enough to post.

The Budapest DTS, (pictured below), was a small school filled with warm, passionate people.  The joy of the week was living together in one house with a sweet community with seventeen believers from five different countries.

This week I’m in Colorado Springs with another whole group of students in the School of Strategic Missions. This class is filled with bright  students who leave me wondering if I’m actually smart enough to teach them anything.

One of God’s best gifts to me has always been the honor of working with young people.  They constantly force me reexamine my ideas, rethink the way I live, and to jump up and down on my brains when necessary.  Countless times the Holy Spirit has used young people to help me see His Kingdom with clearer vision.  And this week He’s doing it again.

The Kingdom

Repenting of political salvation

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There are mental breakdowns, and then there are political breakdowns.  I’m still in the midst of a serious political breakdown.  It’s become a clear crisis of faith in the American system that grows deeper by the day.  Or maybe it’s simply God leading me into repentance and a rethinking of my closeted and idolatrous hope of political salvation.

I feel like I’m awakening to the fact that American is NOT “the last best hope on earth.” (Barak Obama, 2007)  Nor is the American ideal “the hope of all mankind” (George Bush, 2002)  Nor is she “a shining city on a hill” (Ronald Reagan, 1989, quoting founding father John Winthrop.)  Those would decribe the Kingdom of God, and the sooner we clarify that, the better off we will all be.  Then perhaps we’ll be able to cast off the idolatry, look realistically at the United States government, and begin to pick up the pieces.

But even more importantly, we’ll be in a position to identify the True Kingdom that really IS the world’s best hope.  It’s time. No, it’s past time we become serious students of the Kingdom of God, the only kingdom that can truly deliver good news to the poor, recovery of sight to the blind, freedom to the captives, and the year of jubilee.

It’s all so new to me, this transfer of loyalty from a teetering human government to a kingdom that cannot be shaken. (Hebrews 12:27)

Tomorrow I leave for Budapest to teach in the Discipleship Training School.  Don’t know yet how this will translate into the classroom, but it must.  It’s time to raise a new flag over our hearts.

News & Stories, Poetry and Prayers

Natural therapy and the coming reign

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I’m pretty sure the high point of today will be a walk in the woods I just enjoyed with my friend, Ronnie.  Our conversation moved noticeably from preoccupation with the size of our problems to wonderment at the size of a tree.  Once again the beauty of God’s creation has been therapy to my heart.

I’m back in Maryland at my Mom’s house enjoying a few days of relaxation.  It’s been a daily challenge not to get all bogged down in the daily doses of politics being served up by the media.  As a Kingdom person I’m fascinated by all the ideas and dialogue, but I have to keep reminding myself that America, (wonderful as it is), is a fallen kingdom at best, temporal and steeped in materialism, pride, and the love of money.  It’s not the real kingdom that will smash all the others to smithereens.  (Daniel 2:35)  Any hope grounded in America itself rather than in the eternal reign of the King is both misplaced and empty.

Of course that’s not easy for me.  As someone who has grown up under the shade of American security, it’s quite alarming to see our foundations beginning to crack at breakneck speed.  And a leisurely walk through the woods can be a sweet reminder of the mustard seed kingdom that’s growing under our feet.

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Leaving Sarajevo

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I just received a note from a dear friend who asked if I’m about to pull out of Sarajevo.  I guess I haven’t been too clear about that, but I actually will be pulling up my stakes on Wednesday, day after tomorrow.

This move has been a long time coming.   And I’m not too clear about where it will lead.  What I know for now is that God spoke to me awhile back that I was to move on from Sarajevo.   This will no longer be my primary address, though I DO feel I’ll continue to play a role here in Bosnia, and will most likely be traveling in and out for years to come.  There’s just too much “home” here to leave completely, and besides that I feel in some ways that I’m just getting to the place where I can be effective.

The next few months are shaping up with travel and teaching in various YWAM bases in Europe and the US.  There’s a real expectancy in my spirit about the coming adventure of having to trust God “on the road.”  This weekend I’ll be celebrating the marriage of my nephew (Doug) in Pennsylvania, followed by a short visit with my Mom and family in Maryland.  After that, Budapest, Colorado Springs, and Kona Hawaii.

As always I value the prayers of all of you who keep up with me via this blog.  There are so many unanswered questions that have me standing on tiptoe.  The kingdom is such a vast place, and the opportunities are staggering.  Stay tuned!

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Nathaniel’s adventure

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If you’ll remember a few months ago I was talking about “Nathaniel”, whose real name is Amer, and who told me he “felt like he’d been waiting his entire life to hear about Jesus.” It’s been about a year now since we first met, and he’s been a breath of fresh air to me with his pure heart and courageous testimony. About a month ago he even made the tough choice of quitting his job rather than continuing the pattern of stealing in place among his co-workers.

Well…. today he he was granted a visa that will enable him attend the YWAM Discipleship Training School in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning September 27th. He’s had his heart set on a DTS since I first mentioned it to him last fall. And with his visa and his acceptance into the school it seems God is granting him the desire of his heart.

I got all teary-eyed when he came bouncing out of the American Embassy with the good news. He’s so excited to get some training so he can come back to Bosnia and share his faith with his friends.

Please be praying for Amer. The US will be an adjustment for him, and there’ll be new challenges every day. He’ll also need financial help for the school, the travel, and his outreach to Africa. So if you’d like to help, drop me a line at hawaiidon@aol.com and I’ll let you know how you can do that.

Until now I wanted to respect Amer’s privacy by not posting his photo.
But he’s been ready to “go public” for awhile now.

PS: I leave in the morning for five days of teaching in Bulgaria. I”ll be needing prayer, too!

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Just a note…

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Just a few lines of update until I can put together something more substantial.

Sarajevo days are getting appropriately shorter as my time here draws to a close.  With only a bit over two weeks left, I’m trying to get in as much time with friends as possible.   The time with Adam and Brian was like a cold drink on a hot day: lots of sweet encounters, stimulating conversations, and memorable experiences.  I’ll be flying to Bulgaria on Wednesday, Sept. 3rd to teach on the Kingdom at the YWAM National Staff Retreat there.  Of course I’m excited as always.  Prayers are appreciated.  The students will be full time YWAM staff and career missionaries.   So I feel appropriately humbled and needy of grace.  Thanks for reading!