Wednesday, September 22, 2004
A Shout Out to Frisbee Golf...
So it's four weeks to the day since "the surgery", which means that today was the first day that I was allowed to drive! While that's good news for me, it might be raising a question for you. "If you haven't been driving anywhere, what have you been up to?" Good one. In a sentence? Sleeping, reading, writing, preparing for travels, talking on the phone with my girlfriend, and eating great home-cooked meals with my folks. That about covers a lot of it. BUT, those of you who know me well know that something is really missing from that list...active stuff! That's where frisbee golf comes in.
For those of you that don't know it's just like golf, except with a frisbee. Instead of holes, there are targets (trees, signs, electrical boxes, big rocks, sheds, or anything you want). The beauty is that you and a friend can create a course just about ANYWHERE. I've made courses in city parks from Colorado to Michigan. Just invent nine holes and you've got a course (ie-1 Throw to the right of that tree and hit the trash can. ie-2 It has to stay in the corridor made by these trees, dogleft right and go under the bench, then hit the light pole.) For a great price on the best frisbee click HERE.
What's the rave? It both fuels and satisfies my desire for competition. It gets me outdoors and doing something with other people, all the while having great conversations. Also, when I play alone it gives me a great chance to think and reflect. Primarily because it's the only active thing I can do right now, I've been playing about 20 rounds a week with my dad!
If you aren't already a player, you're going to want to get into it.
-----------------------------------------------
From other parts of my brain:
Click HERE to read a fun and creative article on how God might view some of our misuses and abuses of the Bible.
Click HERE to read the best concise depiction of why having women in ministry rocks!
For those of you that don't know it's just like golf, except with a frisbee. Instead of holes, there are targets (trees, signs, electrical boxes, big rocks, sheds, or anything you want). The beauty is that you and a friend can create a course just about ANYWHERE. I've made courses in city parks from Colorado to Michigan. Just invent nine holes and you've got a course (ie-1 Throw to the right of that tree and hit the trash can. ie-2 It has to stay in the corridor made by these trees, dogleft right and go under the bench, then hit the light pole.) For a great price on the best frisbee click HERE.
What's the rave? It both fuels and satisfies my desire for competition. It gets me outdoors and doing something with other people, all the while having great conversations. Also, when I play alone it gives me a great chance to think and reflect. Primarily because it's the only active thing I can do right now, I've been playing about 20 rounds a week with my dad!
If you aren't already a player, you're going to want to get into it.
-----------------------------------------------
From other parts of my brain:
Click HERE to read a fun and creative article on how God might view some of our misuses and abuses of the Bible.
Click HERE to read the best concise depiction of why having women in ministry rocks!
Monday, September 20, 2004
Should the Church get rid of Spiritual Gifts?
[Unfortunately, Dr. Drury's post which sparked this thought is no longer available online.]
OK, if you want to join the conversation then start by going to Keith Drury's blog and read his Sept. 15 post on Spiritual Gifts. That's my jumping off point.
In the last year my mind has been taking me down a very similar thought line to that which Keith has articulated. I agree with a lot of what he said, and desire to take it even a step farther. Yes, there are a lot of problems with spiritual gifts test. Yes, we tend to approach the issue of spiritual gifts from a very self-absorbed angle. AND, what if the church's current understanding of and definition of spiritual gifts is altogether wrong?
Current View of Spiritual Gifts in the Church:
Spirtual gifts are seen as a possession. In other words, once you became a believer in Jesus Christ, God through His grace gave you one or more spiritual gifts. Whether you know what it is or not, it is yours. It is now a part of who you are; it comprises your Spritual DNA. Somewhere along the line after becoming a Christian you attended a discipleship class in your church that had you take a Spiritual Gifts Test. By simply filling in the bubbles and adding up your scores, you now know precisely what gift(s) God has given you. That gift that you possess is one of those listed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, or Ephesians 4 (in some cases the church has been known to add a couple of their own such as worship or technology). As a good steward of what God has entrusted to you - think parable of the talents - you are now expected to leverage your spiritual gift to the best of your ability. So if you possess the spiritual gift of serving, then by all means serve. You should be searching out opportunities to serve in your church. You should gravitate towards others who identified their spiritual gift to be serving and do it together. In fact, before long you should be heading up service ministries. Serving will certainly be your primary means of aiding the church, because you possess the spiritual gift of serving.
A Different Take on Spiritual Gifts:
Spiritual gifts are seen as the natural outworking of the supernatural - the Holy Spirit - in your life. Acts 2:38 tells us that on the day of Pentecost Peter proclaimed to the people, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." It's not about spiritual gifts; it's about The Spiritual Gift - the Holy Spirit. That is ultimately the spiritual gift that matters most. EVERY believer is to receive the presence, the leadership, and the power of the Holy Spirit in their life. The more that we walk in step with the leading of the Spirit, the more pleasing our life will be to our God. As a believer, all ministry is an outworking of The Spiritual Gift in my life and is a gift from God. 1 Corinthians 12:6 says, "There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." Spiritual gifts are not something that I possess or don't possess. As a follower of Christ, I am expected to live out The Spiritual Gift in my life as He empowers me to serve, share my faith, give wisdom, encourage others, or whatever. There is not one or a couple particular gifts that are mine. They are all of the Spirit and can all be worked out through my life at different times and in different situations. The lists in Rom 12, 1 Cor 12, and Eph 4 serve to let the believers know the variety of ways that the Spirit might choose to work through you in a given situation or a given season of life in order to build up the Church.
Implications of this view:
OK, if you want to join the conversation then start by going to Keith Drury's blog and read his Sept. 15 post on Spiritual Gifts. That's my jumping off point.
In the last year my mind has been taking me down a very similar thought line to that which Keith has articulated. I agree with a lot of what he said, and desire to take it even a step farther. Yes, there are a lot of problems with spiritual gifts test. Yes, we tend to approach the issue of spiritual gifts from a very self-absorbed angle. AND, what if the church's current understanding of and definition of spiritual gifts is altogether wrong?
Current View of Spiritual Gifts in the Church:
Spirtual gifts are seen as a possession. In other words, once you became a believer in Jesus Christ, God through His grace gave you one or more spiritual gifts. Whether you know what it is or not, it is yours. It is now a part of who you are; it comprises your Spritual DNA. Somewhere along the line after becoming a Christian you attended a discipleship class in your church that had you take a Spiritual Gifts Test. By simply filling in the bubbles and adding up your scores, you now know precisely what gift(s) God has given you. That gift that you possess is one of those listed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, or Ephesians 4 (in some cases the church has been known to add a couple of their own such as worship or technology). As a good steward of what God has entrusted to you - think parable of the talents - you are now expected to leverage your spiritual gift to the best of your ability. So if you possess the spiritual gift of serving, then by all means serve. You should be searching out opportunities to serve in your church. You should gravitate towards others who identified their spiritual gift to be serving and do it together. In fact, before long you should be heading up service ministries. Serving will certainly be your primary means of aiding the church, because you possess the spiritual gift of serving.
A Different Take on Spiritual Gifts:
Spiritual gifts are seen as the natural outworking of the supernatural - the Holy Spirit - in your life. Acts 2:38 tells us that on the day of Pentecost Peter proclaimed to the people, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." It's not about spiritual gifts; it's about The Spiritual Gift - the Holy Spirit. That is ultimately the spiritual gift that matters most. EVERY believer is to receive the presence, the leadership, and the power of the Holy Spirit in their life. The more that we walk in step with the leading of the Spirit, the more pleasing our life will be to our God. As a believer, all ministry is an outworking of The Spiritual Gift in my life and is a gift from God. 1 Corinthians 12:6 says, "There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." Spiritual gifts are not something that I possess or don't possess. As a follower of Christ, I am expected to live out The Spiritual Gift in my life as He empowers me to serve, share my faith, give wisdom, encourage others, or whatever. There is not one or a couple particular gifts that are mine. They are all of the Spirit and can all be worked out through my life at different times and in different situations. The lists in Rom 12, 1 Cor 12, and Eph 4 serve to let the believers know the variety of ways that the Spirit might choose to work through you in a given situation or a given season of life in order to build up the Church.
Implications of this view:
- Spiritual gifts are not about ME and my strengths, but are about God and building up His church.
- Spiritual gifts tests are not indicators of THE WAY that God wants to use me, but are simply indicators of my self-perceived areas of strength (Does not the record of the Bible show time and time again that His glory most often shines through when He works through our weaknesses anyway?).
- A believer is more concerned about being active in their faith and in ministry than about a particular brand or aspect of ministry.
What are your thoughts? Have we been misleading people to think that they possess one or a couple particular spiritual gifts? Should we instead be teaching people to see all ministry as a gift from God and to focus on the leading of the Spirit in each moment and decision?
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
You gotta relate...
I’ve learned that people can best understand something new when they have something that they already understand to relate it to. For example, this past winter I was planning a mountaineering trip in the Colorado Rockies. A few friends and I were slated to take this adventure in early March. So in preparation for the bitter cold conditions of high altitude Colorado, we camped outside in Indiana on what turned out to be the coldest night of the year at –11 degrees. Now you have to understand, we knew that camping in Indiana at 400+ feet of elevation within 100 yards of our car was really not a big deal, no matter what the temperature was. We had the gear to deal with the temps, and if for whatever reason we wanted to bail and go home there was nothing stopping us. On the other hand, we knew that camping in the Colorado Rockies at 10,000+ feet of elevation, miles from our vehicle, and with the added potential of horrible winter storms was potentially a huge deal.
So imagine my surprise when we came back from our practice camping excursion and people would be like, "You camped out last night! Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" I'd try to explain to them that we were gearing up for a winter trek in the Rockies, but they just couldn't get past the fact that we had slept outside in the middle of the winter.
But then it clicked for me. The majority of people from Indiana have no concept of mountaineering in the Rockies. There's a serious disconnect there. But they do have a concept of what it is like to be outside in the middle of the winter when it is freezing cold! And because they understand that, they can at least imagine what it would be like to be outside all night long when it is that cold. And to them, THAT is a big deal. Forget Rockies...forget wilderness...forget altitude...forget mountain storms...You slept out in the middle of the winter!
I'm not being patronizing here. These are not unintelligent people I'm talking about; they're very bright. The thing is, people are wired to really only understand what they have the capacity to relate to.
How then would the God of the universe choose to reveal himself to the crown of His creation: humankind. Think Incarnation. Think God with us. God revealed Himself to us through something we could certainly relate to: being human. Hebrews 2:14 puts it this way, “Because God’s children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form.” The Lord of all became a human being so that we might relate and thus know Him.
Today I’m thinking God is pretty great.
So imagine my surprise when we came back from our practice camping excursion and people would be like, "You camped out last night! Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" I'd try to explain to them that we were gearing up for a winter trek in the Rockies, but they just couldn't get past the fact that we had slept outside in the middle of the winter.
But then it clicked for me. The majority of people from Indiana have no concept of mountaineering in the Rockies. There's a serious disconnect there. But they do have a concept of what it is like to be outside in the middle of the winter when it is freezing cold! And because they understand that, they can at least imagine what it would be like to be outside all night long when it is that cold. And to them, THAT is a big deal. Forget Rockies...forget wilderness...forget altitude...forget mountain storms...You slept out in the middle of the winter!
I'm not being patronizing here. These are not unintelligent people I'm talking about; they're very bright. The thing is, people are wired to really only understand what they have the capacity to relate to.
How then would the God of the universe choose to reveal himself to the crown of His creation: humankind. Think Incarnation. Think God with us. God revealed Himself to us through something we could certainly relate to: being human. Hebrews 2:14 puts it this way, “Because God’s children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form.” The Lord of all became a human being so that we might relate and thus know Him.
Today I’m thinking God is pretty great.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Life -- It keeps on rolling
I spent the day yesterday on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University. Yesterday happened to be the Tuesday after Labor Day, which of course means the first day of classes. But, for the first time in four years I wasn't part of the gang going to class. In fact, this is the first Fall since I was age 5 that classes are not a part of my schedule! The transition away from being an IWU student really struck me hard over the weekend...when everybody else was moving back onto campus. It's as if a part of me has moved on, no, a part of me has died. I'm grieving. The joy of being in that kind of community, the opportunities for growth and learning, chances to spread new wings in ministry and leadership; those things, at least in that context, are dead to me now. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way. It simply hurts now because it was such a valuable time then.
I do a lot more than just look back though. My thoughts are often consumed by looking ahead to the upcoming travels. The long awaited adventure is right around the corner. In a little over a month I will be living the globe-trotter lifestyle. My companions, Mark and Keith, are already at it. You've got to check out their thoughts thus far at CrossingTheGlobe.com
This morning I had the opportunity to preach at the Wesleyan Headquarters chapel service. That strikes me as a pretty incredible sentence considering the surgery was two weeks ago today. It was particularly special to be able to give something, after so many have given to me. I am continually thankful for life, and breath, and opportunities to make a difference.
Speaking of making a difference, my amazing girlfriend Esther Rosentrater is going to be the Director of a Boys and Girls Club in Middlebury, Indiana this year. After what I thought was an extremely lengthy interview process, she of course was the one that they offered the job to. Her main focus will be making a positive impact in the lives of young people in that area.
I do a lot more than just look back though. My thoughts are often consumed by looking ahead to the upcoming travels. The long awaited adventure is right around the corner. In a little over a month I will be living the globe-trotter lifestyle. My companions, Mark and Keith, are already at it. You've got to check out their thoughts thus far at CrossingTheGlobe.com
This morning I had the opportunity to preach at the Wesleyan Headquarters chapel service. That strikes me as a pretty incredible sentence considering the surgery was two weeks ago today. It was particularly special to be able to give something, after so many have given to me. I am continually thankful for life, and breath, and opportunities to make a difference.
Speaking of making a difference, my amazing girlfriend Esther Rosentrater is going to be the Director of a Boys and Girls Club in Middlebury, Indiana this year. After what I thought was an extremely lengthy interview process, she of course was the one that they offered the job to. Her main focus will be making a positive impact in the lives of young people in that area.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
- - Varied fabrics - -
Believe it or not I was actually eager to drive to Rochester, Minnesota. Even though that drive meant that my heart would soon be laid open like a filleted fish. Our time in Rochester a couple weeks before had convincingly brought us to the point of realizing that surgery was in my future. That said, I’d just assume go right at it full steam and start working on the other side. I didn’t know the full range of how the procedure would impact my life, but I was happy to have my parents and Esther along with me.
The life of a heart surgery patient is absolutely eccentric. What in any other context would be crazy, becomes the norm. I began to think of it as the “wild ride”. For instance, the morning before my surgery included shoving goopy stuff up my nose, cleaning my chest with red slime, and having three quarters of my body shaved by an orderly. Nurse after nurse asked me the same questions, with a few new ones thrown in. Plastic tubes were inserted into my veins, and suddenly words such as “extubate” and “resuscitate” were good things.
The moments before surgery I was laid back, ready, and eager to “get in there”. But, it was as I was being wheeled away from my three companions on a hospital bed that my sense of cool confidence was shaken a bit. My mother was noticeably tearing up, and I couldn’t help but let the “What If’s” leak into my head. Here I was being rolled into the operating room on a hospital bed, seemingly as healthy as could be. In that moment I could jump off the bed and was capable of climbing, running, kicking, throwing, and SeaDooing with the best. Something seemed horribly wrong with voluntarily allowing myself to be rolled into a room where that would all change…at least in the short-term. I had to remind myself that this is much better in the long run.
I was there, but I wasn’t there for the surgery. Thank goodness. It turns out that repairing my malformed tricuspid valve was far from a routine procedure. The surgeon actually had to attempt three different things before the valve was adequately repaired. That included taking my heart and lungs off of life support at one point only to find that it had not been repaired. The work that those men did in those three hours will likely lead to me being able to lead a healthy and unrestricted life.
There were of course many stories in the ensuing days as I slowly recovered. Like when I was struggling with the breathing tube and spelled the word “swallow” with my finger to let her know I was ready, hanging with nurses (both male and female), leaving ICU the morning after surgery, the pain of getting tubes removed from my body, longer and longer walks, watching comedies even though it hurt so much to laugh, watching the Olympics in the middle of the night, freezing spells, enjoying eating again, when I awoke with no pain meds in my system, the first shower, or being discharged less than four days after surgery.
All in all the recovery process has been even better than I thought it would be. I am thankful for a successful surgery with no complications. It is good to be on this side where each minute that goes by is a minute where I am getting stronger and healthier. I will soon be back as strong as ever, and even stronger on the inside!
I know that this is due in large part to the many, many that prayed. Thank you. A few days ago I had a freezing spell and was shivering, convulsing, and chattering on the hospital bed. Esther was piling blankets, sheets, gowns, robes, towels, pillows, and whatever she could find on my cold body from head to toe. Those varied fabrics warmed my body and brought me back to health, just as your prayers have been doing all along. It is a picture of the body of Christ to me. Your prayers have covered me from head to toe, bringing strength back into my body.
Now I have a renewed sense of purpose in life. I have been given an extension. God’s grace alone allowed me to even be aware of my malady. He has a plan for my life, and that is why I devote my life to Him and proudly proclaim that Jesus is my Lord.
The life of a heart surgery patient is absolutely eccentric. What in any other context would be crazy, becomes the norm. I began to think of it as the “wild ride”. For instance, the morning before my surgery included shoving goopy stuff up my nose, cleaning my chest with red slime, and having three quarters of my body shaved by an orderly. Nurse after nurse asked me the same questions, with a few new ones thrown in. Plastic tubes were inserted into my veins, and suddenly words such as “extubate” and “resuscitate” were good things.
The moments before surgery I was laid back, ready, and eager to “get in there”. But, it was as I was being wheeled away from my three companions on a hospital bed that my sense of cool confidence was shaken a bit. My mother was noticeably tearing up, and I couldn’t help but let the “What If’s” leak into my head. Here I was being rolled into the operating room on a hospital bed, seemingly as healthy as could be. In that moment I could jump off the bed and was capable of climbing, running, kicking, throwing, and SeaDooing with the best. Something seemed horribly wrong with voluntarily allowing myself to be rolled into a room where that would all change…at least in the short-term. I had to remind myself that this is much better in the long run.
I was there, but I wasn’t there for the surgery. Thank goodness. It turns out that repairing my malformed tricuspid valve was far from a routine procedure. The surgeon actually had to attempt three different things before the valve was adequately repaired. That included taking my heart and lungs off of life support at one point only to find that it had not been repaired. The work that those men did in those three hours will likely lead to me being able to lead a healthy and unrestricted life.
There were of course many stories in the ensuing days as I slowly recovered. Like when I was struggling with the breathing tube and spelled the word “swallow” with my finger to let her know I was ready, hanging with nurses (both male and female), leaving ICU the morning after surgery, the pain of getting tubes removed from my body, longer and longer walks, watching comedies even though it hurt so much to laugh, watching the Olympics in the middle of the night, freezing spells, enjoying eating again, when I awoke with no pain meds in my system, the first shower, or being discharged less than four days after surgery.
All in all the recovery process has been even better than I thought it would be. I am thankful for a successful surgery with no complications. It is good to be on this side where each minute that goes by is a minute where I am getting stronger and healthier. I will soon be back as strong as ever, and even stronger on the inside!
I know that this is due in large part to the many, many that prayed. Thank you. A few days ago I had a freezing spell and was shivering, convulsing, and chattering on the hospital bed. Esther was piling blankets, sheets, gowns, robes, towels, pillows, and whatever she could find on my cold body from head to toe. Those varied fabrics warmed my body and brought me back to health, just as your prayers have been doing all along. It is a picture of the body of Christ to me. Your prayers have covered me from head to toe, bringing strength back into my body.
Now I have a renewed sense of purpose in life. I have been given an extension. God’s grace alone allowed me to even be aware of my malady. He has a plan for my life, and that is why I devote my life to Him and proudly proclaim that Jesus is my Lord.
# posted by pk : 1:27 PM
Comments:
Paul, I am sitting her scared out of my head, because everything you went through and will go through again, await me. I am wondering why you had that shivvering spell. Does not sound too good. Did anyone ever tell you why?
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# posted by 
: 11/29/2007 8:25 PM
: 11/29/2007 8:25 PM
