Step 4: Evaluation

It seems lately that everyone posts everything everywhere. In my experience, I become more and more obsessed with posting every little tidbit of my life onto facebook or myspace for everyone to see. Then, for hours after, I wait to see who "likes" my thought or tidbit, or even who leaves a comment concerning it.

It's kind of sad.

This past week, from last Wednesday until today, I took a break from facebook. The first couple of days were actually quite hard. Checking statuses had become quite the habit. I found myself board, not being able to entertain myself.

This past week has helped me put things into perspective. I no longer desire to post and share and update everyone on everything that is happening in my life. I love the fact that I can contact people through Facebook, but in reality, I find way too much time to be logged on.

I have reached the conclusion that I no longer desire to live on facebook watching life go by status by status.

I long to be a better Father, Husband, and Follower of Christ.

In these things I find the real treasure. In these things I find my calling.

I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

STEP 3: Idle Worship

My mother, who although she would never admit it, is who I got my musical ears from. I can remember from a very young age, my mother would sing as she did things around the house. I remember fondly, my mother standing at the sink washing dishes, or sitting in the living room folding clothes, and just above a whisper, she would sing her favorite hymns and songs. My father, was a whistler. He still is. I can remember working with him on Saturdays and during the summer doing handyman work, and he would whistle so much that before the end of the day, whatever song or hymn he was whistling would be stuck in my head. To this day, I will be at a church, and I will immediately recognize the melody to a hymn, but not always the words. I usually attribute this to my Dad's whistling. Very often, while I watched my mother, there would be a bit of a crackle in her voice, and her eyes would well up with tears. she would hum a few bars, close her eyes, and continue with the song. Very alike would be my Father, who would abruptly stop whistling and say a quite "amen", or just give off a "wow, what a beautiful song". My parents, worshiped all the time, and they never switched their worship gear to neutral, or idle. Their worship engine pushed them forward, not once ever coming off as mundane or routine.

The first time I experienced idle worship was at a church my wife and I were involved with several years ago. I remember at one point, looking around at the people there, and getting a feeling that everything was almost scripted. They sang the same 4-5 songs every single week we were there, most of them not even needing to look at a hymnal. needless to say, as we experienced this church gathering week after week, it was extremely difficult to see the Spirit at work anywhere.

Most people stick with a formula that works for them. much like a favorite recipe, the ingredients stay the same, and it is satisfying for them. Some people don't even have to change, because they do have a heart of worship even when it's a song they've heard hundreds of times.

Let's get something straight. I affirm that there is a preparedness of the heart that needs to take place for worship. No song, with any arrangement accompanying it will do anything if you are not of a worshipful heart. If you do not ready yourself, and set your mind on God, it will not "feel" like worship. This is not what I'm talking about. I am speaking of when you have done the prep work. You have prayed, you have sought, you have arrived excited! But it feels as if there is a casket in the room.

The obvious answer: Change. Change can mean many different things. When I was younger, (and dumber), change for me meant louder, harder and faster! That was the only way! But as my journey continues, I realize that backwards can be just as good as forwards, and that newer is sometimes trumped by older. Imagine the first time someone put raisins into oatmeal cookies! Amazing! But sometimes, just the good old oatmeal cookies are what we crave.

People worship in many ways. Everyone seems to have a preferred setup. Most have favorite songs they sing. But here lies the question; when is the last time you took a moment of pause to wipe away tears? When is the last time you abruptly paused and said to yourself "wow".
When is the last time you raised your hands and felt the hair on the back of your neck stand up?

If it's been awhile, look down at your shifter.

Perhaps you are in neutral.

Perhaps you are practicing idle worship.

STEP 2:DIFFERENT, not wrong.

As my family was eating dinner tonight, nachos, I had some thoughts about differences. Since Shanon and I got married 9 1/2 years ago one central theme about food has remained the same. Shanon absolutely hates onions. I don't mean dislikes but will put up with, I don't even mean she just merely prefers not to have them. She despises onions. She hates the way they make her hands smell, not only that, but she usually leaves the room when I slice one because she loathes them so much.

The kids and I on the other hand, (Yes I have converted them all), love them on almost everything.

Many years ago, Shanon and I finally agreed to disagree about if onions were good or not. How useless would it be for me to constantly bug her to try them or smell them? How useless would it be for her to try to persuade me that they were bad? We would get nowhere. We simply just know that I like them and she doesn't.

My thoughts then drifted to Church, and how many differences there are between people. Not about food mind you, but about things people are really passionate about. Differences in worship styles, speaking styles, clothing, even different versions of the Bible!

So many differences, so little time.

I embrace differences. I believe that our differences are what make us each unique. Perhaps we can just agree to disagree about issues that we can't see eye to eye on?

Perhaps we can all make a vow to stop useless debate, and embrace the differences we encounter in our lives.

After all, "we are fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14)

Step 1 - Stumbling STEP BY STEP

My youngest son Cameron stumbles and falls ALL the time. He literally can not usually make it longer than a few feet without at least stumbling, taking an off balance side step, or falling flat on the floor. Sometimes it seems that his head is too big for his little body, and the weight of it just throws him off. It always takes him a longer to walk places, because he always stumbles. Sometimes he gets quite frustrated.

The other day as I was trying to study, (you know focus on something else,) when it occurred to me; Cameron's walking is SO MUCH like our walk as disciples. Truth being told, we all stumble. We all struggle with things that are too heavy to bear, and they end up throwing off our balance on the path that God has called us to follow. Sometimes we even fall flat on the ground.

Its true, but it seems to be a well kept secret.

At least, we think so.

At most Churches I have been a part of, on Sunday morning, you would never know anyone struggles with anything. Everyone is smiling, shaking hands, and acting like nothing is wrong. How does one have a REAL encounter with God while keeping up this Sunday morning character?

Lets face facts, I know several people who this probably doesn't apply to. But lets just safely say, the majority of people do in fact experience or practice this. Either they won't admit it, or they don't even realize it is happening.

This is an attempt at breaking that mold.

This is an attempt to be completely honest, about everything.

This is an attempt at something real.

This is an attempt to truly express what we go through as disciples.

This is an attempt to move forward, even if we are stumbling, step by step.