Are we mothering men?

The safe route isn't always the best route that leads to God's will.

I have had to learn that the hard way and also learn to not steal such a lesson from those I lead. We can easily seek to push our path on others out of fear instead of allowing them to learn and discover their own path with all its own challenges.

Fear isn't a great motivator and people often wither under the heavy light of constant practicalities. I think God has wired especially the young, to be those who dare and leap and are the innovators for a reason. Life can sap ones idealism and turn us into safe, predictable, domesticated and civilized robots. And to be honest, I am not sure how much we want them to really choose our path.
Are we really proud of the men we have become?

Emerson said:
"Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist.
He who would gather immortal palms must not be
hindered by the name of goodness,
but must explore if it be goodness."

I think this quote nails on the head, what I have been feeling and thinking. Each of us has to determine what "goodness" is for us. Not that everything is relative but everything is not easily pigeonholed into a neat little formula. God's will isn't predictable and interpreting His will through circumstances is sure to lead one to frustration.

Circumstantial guidance seems very immature to me, or at least the lowest form of guidance. It seems to rely on outward things instead of personal convictions, solid truth and the gut. If we are always making our decisions on whether this goes this way or that goes that way; we seem like the double minded man, described as being tossed by the winds and the waves, always unstable and never receiving anything from the Lord.
I think the Lord honors and rewards the attitude of faith more than timidity masked as wisdom.

I am reminded of the parable of the talents. The one who sat on his talents and didn't risk, did not please the master and what he had was taken away. Such timid, miserly, fearful living, breeds contempt, not admiration. People want the security found in realizing dreams but the reality is, those who most often arrived there, got there through uncertainty, risk and faith not safety.

Do we want to leave a path of insecurity and Islamic-like servitude to ALLAHS WILL in everything or live out a living, dynamic and daring thing called freedom, that Jesus modeled and unleashed. You don't walk on water with cold, measured and predictable reductionism. But if we know Jesus, like Peter did, we would know that he was the kind of leader that would call us out of the boat into a wild, unsafe and potentially dangerous path...on the waves.

Can we sink? Yes, and we often do, but I would rather see young people aim at living on the edge of the unknown and learning from such attempts than always hiding in the skirts of the known. We don't need anymore breast suckers; it's time to stop coddling the young and breeding weenies instead of apostolic men. We've become a bunch of old balding birds, who instead of chasing eagles out of the nest, try to lure them into living a mundane life, a boring slavery to the nesting instinct.

We are emasculating manhood by trying to protect every young man from failing. We've become "mothering men" instead of those who lead by example in character, vision, victory and failure.

We have no stories to share because we spend lives reading other peoples stories.
We have nothing to pass on because we passed it up.
Instead of leaping we were sleeping...in our own womb of excuses.

We can't allow such a mindset to hamstring our sons or us...I won't allow it.

LOL!

How to impress a woman: compliment her, cuddle her, kiss her, caress her, love her, tease her, comfort her, protect her, hug her hold her, spend money on her, care for her, stand by her, support her, go to the ends of the earth for her. How to impress a man: show up naked. From Scott Williams

Opening gates...

Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart...(she) came out to meet him and said "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"...David said "I will celebrate before the Lord, I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes, But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor".
And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
-2 Samuel 6:12-23

Last night during Saturday night service, I felt led to have no plan for the service but worship and whatever might arise from that. It was a dare to let loose and just see if what has been happening in the youth church might spill over into the Saturday congregation.

It did, but not without a lot of resistance in the spirituals.

Afterwards I felt so drained from the push and weighed down by the religious yoke and this morning I had a heavy heart. During the meeting, a word came out of spontaneous prayer about "opening the gates" and that word was confirmed this morning. As I came to the Lord this morning with this heavy heart, I opened the scriptures to Psalms 107 and this portion of the psalm spoke to me:

Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, miserable prisoners in chains.
They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.
That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one helped them rise again.
"LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.
Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them.
For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.

I truly believe that the Lord desires to visit us with seasons of refreshing from His Presence. I know that there are those who see that with the eyes of their heart not just the knowledge of their minds. They yearn for Him and long to see His glory unleashed on the hearts of a thirsty generation. They also know that it will require sacrifice, the sacrifice of pride. A throng of dancers will prepare the way with an offering of undignified praise, a passionate display of devotion. They are a company of prophets that understand that the Lord establishes kingdoms on the footstool of worship born out of humility and unrelenting desire.

Are we willing to throw aside the critical and constipated religious attitudes of the Michal spirit? Are we done with the tired and tepid offerings of a domesticated and civilized crowd? Can we throw off the unbiblical religious garments that have strangled pure and wild joy? Are we willing to follow leaders like King David that are unafraid to publicly lead the way in undignified devotion to the Lord? Can we match his passion, his abandonment and public praise? Notice these verses and ask yourself if such outbursts of joy are able to find expression within your public worship life?


Now David was whirling with all (his) might in the presence of YHWH.
Now David danced without restraint before the Lord (NEV).
David was dancing before the Lord with all his might. (TNIV)
Then David danced and spun around with abandon before ADONAI (Complete Jewish bible).

I know there will always be Michals that cast a judgmental curse over innocent joy and sadly they will imprison themselves in a life of fruitless intimacy too. It is a shame to see such disdain in the face of such unfettered joy.

I choose to dance like David danced.

Picture by James Tissot, 1896-1900.

Power to the cookie!

Go here and save Cookie Monster from the veggie eating demigods.

I finished this book yesterday. I wept reading parts of it. A good little book filled with much wisdom. 

erotic bike parts?

OK...you know we are becoming a culture that is hormonally out of control, when we start getting aroused by bike parts...come on, do we really need a sex issue in a bike magazine? Give me a break....pun intended.

This reminds me of something C.S. Lewis wrote:

" You can get a large audience together for a strip-tease act---that is, to watch a girl undress on the stage. Now suppose you come to a country where you could fill a theater by simply bringing a covered plate on to the stage and then slowly lifting the cover so as to let every one see, just before the lights went out, that it contained a mutton chop or a bit of bacon, would you not think that in that country something had gone wrong with the appetite for food? And would not anyone who had grown up in a different world think there was something equally queer about the state of the sex instinct among us?"

Micah being goofy for grandma at the church 

Next book on my must get list.

Staying on the edge

Here is a great, short article on finding your voice by Alex Mcmanus.
I would kill, well maybe not kill, for a chance to go to the Orgins Project which is a conference hosted by Mosaic, a ministry and church that captures my imagination like no other. Led by Erwin Mcmanus, a great author and deep thinker that inspires me to believe and dream that the church can be as she is supposed to be.

A walk on the Centennial Trail

I took Alicia, Destiny, Christian, Micah and Kona for a walk on the

Letting Kona go for a swim in the Spokane River. She loves the water and was in high heaven on this walk. Jumping in the water, chasing rabbits and birds, she was loving it. Plus I got her a new chain collar with blunt prongs that prevents her from lunging forward and boy has that made taking walks a thousand times better. 

My daughter Destiny haging out in a tree on our hike. 

A look East on highway 2 coming back from Leavenworth. The sky felt soooo big on this highway with the road stretching out for miles in front of us. It felt like you could just lift off and float into the sky. It was a good drive home.  

We visited this little farm on Friday, it's right on the way into Leavenworth, you must stop there if you visit the town. 

My family had goats when I was a kid, maybe that's why I have always loved them. They are friendly, cute and have a bit of attitude. Little guys with horns and they know how to use them too, I've been the recipient of their attitude a few times. I cant stand their milk but hey, other than that, they are fun.
 

animal farm...

"Never have the animals been in greater need of human compassion."
-Chief Dan George of the Coast Salish tribe.

This is a little friend we met on our trip at a small petting zoo and fruit farm. They had all kinds of lovely little beasties that we were able to pet, feed and visit with. It was pure delight for all of us. Animals are truly a gift from the Lord that always seem to lighten the heart and bring laughter.

There were spitting lamas, racing chickens, real fat pigs, huge sheep, strutting roosters, hungry goats with huge horns, ponies, a giant turkey, a magnificent peacock, little bunnies and baby ducks. There was a litter of free roaming kittens and about 3-5 cats all lounging in the country store. A scruffy little lap dog that wandered all around making sure nobody was doing anything they weren't supposed to do and even snipped at Micah...obviously a very smart dog!

be a river...

You split the earth with rivers.
-Habakkuk 3:9

I was standing by this river and was struggling to have a quiet time before the Lord but not succeeding. My mind raced with thoughts about my life, ministry and the future. As usual I was bombarded with a thousand little paths that screamed for my feet to follow. It's always that way, it seems I fight with contentment more than anything else.

As I sat there watching the cold water pour down out of the snow capped peaks, I could feel my incessant need for answers begin to melt away like the water streaming past me. I stood there in the cool of the early morning with the sun beginning to creep over the eastern hillside, each ray a stake into the heart of those vampiric feelings.

I could feel the wrestling begin to fade and a still voice has become clearer in the echoes of the rippling waters.

"Look at the river" He said. "It has been right here for many generations, simply flowing down the mountainside into the valley. Countless people have sought rest, food, pleasure and inspiration from its melodic presence."

"It has hardly changed, a little here and there, sometimes swollen and sometime not but always there. It's not concerned about being anything else, no comparisons, no judgment...just a river, flowing."

"Be a river, that's all I ask."

"Let the heavy waters flow down from the heights and purge your streams of the stuff that has polluted your heart. Just flow freely and purely."

"Simply be present...ever flowing, that's all I ask."

"Just be here for thirsty travelers, burdened minds and restless hearts. Allow the hungry to feed from the bounty of your depths if they choose. Let Me quiet their loud hearts and untwist the knots in their souls with My soothing melodic rhythms that I desire to spill out over the riverbed of your spirit."

"Be a river...that's all I ask."

I thought this shot turned out cool for a mid day picture. I took it while we were hiking around the mountains in Leavenworth, WA. on Friday. 

I'm a rock crusher!

The barbarian is loose...mountain man Micah was letting the world know he was there to conquer the hills!

"The mountains see thee and writhe with fear...-Habakkuk 3:10

Lee and I enjoying the morning sun up in the mountains on Friday morning.  

A shot from our hotel on Thursday evening in Leavenworth, Wa.  

We got back from Leavenworth, WA today. Its a Bavarian village nestled under the mountains in central Washington about 3.5 hours from Spokane. I will be uploading all the pictures from our awesome trip at my Flickr page if you are interested.
 

Some music for the movement

OK, as requested here are a few praise and worship CD's worth checking out.
I must confess I spend a good amount of money and time finding a hand full of songs that fit the vibe we are seeking to release. That may sound a bit controlling but I am pretty clear in the sonic direction that I am looking for to manifest the sound our youth church resonates with. So on these CD's there might be one or two choice selections I use and the others lie waiting for another time or season. Often one song on a CD will be the one the Lord uses in our group. It's like a word for us and only it will have wind on it. Hard to explain but that's the way it happens here.

So here are words with wind:
* Day of Fire (rain is the song we use)
* Something like Silas
*Matt Redman (all of his CD's except the Fathers heart have been good ones for us)
*Delirious (we use a lot of their stuff but the songs: Majesty, Come like you promise, mountains tremble, Inside outside, Touch and their Rain song are the ones we use most)
*Darrell Evans
*David Ruis (songs: Wide wide world, Let the river flow, Lily of the valley, and a few others).
* Tree 63 (songs: What can I do for you, Blessed be the name and A million lights).
* Sonicflood (old stuff is good if its new to you and their new album, the song God Is Here is one that has power.)
*P40 (the u2 song 40 and we lift you up)
* Andy Hunter (this is techno but we have used it a lot for prophesy and dance intercession)
* Rita Springer, all here albums have some good ones.

Hope some of those are new for you to discover.

LeeElla and I went to see Sting in concert last night...it was great concert. A good mix of old and new music and an awesome rendition of A Day In The Life by the Beatles. A whole lot of middle age people there, made me face the fact that I am getting older. Strange indeed.

 

I think you need to have the thorns to appreciate the rose.

Even if you choose to ignore the thorns, they are still there and sooner or later you will feel them acutely.
It's been my experience that in order to have a healthy understanding of life and the bible you need to have Romans 7 in order to have Romans 8. Much of the Bible is a written account of man suffering from sin, with sin and because of sin. You cannot read the whole bible and not get a heavy dose of reality as to mans condition.
But I think the modern church has often excelled in painting a completely unrealistic picture of reality of real people's conditions. To many religious people are taking the blue pill and not enough are taking the red pill (to steal some imagery from the Matrix). I think the art of spiritual gardening is making sure there is a proper balance between providing enough fertilizer (i.e., crap) and all the other nutrients and actions needed to maintain healthy growth. You need all the elements and a knowledgeable and attentive gardener to see things grow.

It's not all fun and games, prancing through the garden with glee. It takes a lot of death in order to produce life. It takes vision and commitment to seeing that vision come about. It takes work and sacrifice in order to see something beautiful bloom. People can walk into a scrumptious little Eden in someone's backyard and say..."I want to live in this." But have no clue to the hours of life that have been poured into creating such a haven.

The reality is there is always a snake in every garden.
Face it...if you want to walk in Eden than you have to deal with the serpent too.
I think to ignore him or preach like he isn't there or pretend that he hasn't bitten anyone is being unfaithful to the true story.

The earthly garden has been shut and now we must cultivate the heavenly garden and low and behold the serpent is even there too!

Man has been trying for centuries to expunge himself of his fallen nature but to no avail.
I think we need a more honest talk about the truth of where people really are and not try to continually put on a religious pageant that hides the painful realities of living life on this planet.

This is Derek, D or D'ness as I call him.
He has been a faithful part of our youth church for years. I have watched him grow into an amazing young man. Last Wednesday night during our youth church meeting he went to a whole new level in living out God within him. We were in a prolonged time of free worship and hour and a half of praise, worship, prophetic ministry and intercession all wrapped within a moving unguided time of spontaneous expression.

As young people sang, danced and prayed for each other, I moved through the room praying for people, as I felt led. During the cd songs that were playing D grabbed his Jim bay drum and stated playing along with the music. At lulls between songs in the semi dark room he would play as he felt led and soon Ty joined him playing drum on his guitar case. It was an awesome moment of organic worship emerging out of the crowd vs. the stage.

But then Derek got up and started playing next to me as I was praying for youth. No one told him to do it, he just took his drum and started ministering to people with me. No direction, no guidance just two people moving with the wind of God, using their gifts to touch lives. No worries about, is this ok, just pure freedom. A young man with daring faith to just follow God and watch Him paint a meeting that hadn't been painted before. It made me so glad that I am a youth pastor...adults are just so cramped up and constricted that such beauty rarely can be seen because of all the restraints either within or without that come with age and domestication.

Thanks Derek for getting it...you inspire me to keep believing.

Outside time has finally arrived... 

Pig by Dave matthews Band

Come sister
My brother
Shake up your bones shake up your feet
I’m saying open up
And let the rain come pouring in
Wash out this tired notion
That the best is yet to come
But while you’re dancing on the ground
Don’t think of when you’re gone
Love! love! - what more is there?
We need the light of love in here
Don’t beat your head
Dry your eyes
Let the love in there
There are bad times
But that’s ok
Just look for love in it
Don’t burn the day away

The rest of the lyrics are here but it would be best to hear the song to truly enjoy it.
I needed to hear this song real bad today...

A few cool things....

Here is a song that made me laugh.

Here is a great tool for finding out information quick.

Here is a list of tons of hikes and places worth visiting in and around Spokane.

Here is a book I want.

Super Stupor...

I was thinking about the post on John Wesley and thought how crazy we religious people can get, even the super dudes too. John's religious oddities seem so outrageous but don't we have such religious blind spots too? It cracks me up how we can hold some things in such disdain like he did with tea but wine and beer were OK in his mind. Go figure.

I see that all the time...like:

Some people will not allow secular music but secular movies, TV and books are OK...huh?

No beer drinking but pot bellies and fat thighs are fine.

No money for the offering plate but a dinner and movies for entertainment every week.

No cigarettes but a $4 coffee drink habit is allowed even though it resembles the worst nic fit ever if they don't get their Java jump.

We preach against sex before marriage, brutality, adultery, immorality, vulgarity but we will sit in front of our TVs for house watching and listening to it.

On and on it goes...and that isn't an excuse for being so warped but the reality is, we all have holes in our holy garments and our butts are hanging out.

Music for the movement

Here is a small part of a book I am writing called: Youth church for a new generation.
It's more our story than directive, even though it has a lot of my own opinions in it.
Just thought I would throw it out there for anyone that is interested. -Eric
---
One of the main areas of impartation has been within the area of worship. For me worship is a main catalyst for spiritual transformation. We have never had a worship band, we worship to worship CDs. This has allowed us to have a cutting edge worship “band” without having to have people to rely on to produce good music. This generation is hungry for raw, powerful, energetic worship expression and frankly most praise bands just can’t play what young people like. Nothing is more painful than a lame band that is playing stuff from 20+ years ago.

There has been a massive movement of fresh, relevant, creative worship music in the last 10 years. That wave has to be caught to capture the momentum needed to break free from the powerful worldly attractions this world has to offer. The accumulation of solid old music, fresh new music and anything that has a anointing on it is essential to acquire.

I think each youth church has to discover its own vibe. Each tribe has to discover its own sound, their own music for the movement. I have been continually challenged by the Holy Spirit to explore and be prayerfully daring in pushing the envelope in this area. Flags, banners, dance, scripture reading/praying/prophesying, drums, prophesy, sound, lighting, space and visual elements are all tools in fleshing out a more creative and engaging time of worship. We keep the lights low or mostly dark to allow student to be free to focus on worship and not each other. We spread out all around the room to get away from peer distractions and encourage them to focus all their energy into this VERTICAL time. We only allow horizontal time if it is centered on ministry student to student within the praise and worship time.

But just playing music isn’t enough. In order to unleash young people into the spirit of worship they have to be led. There has to be Davidic like anointing present to raise up worshippers that are free from religious hand clapping, sit-stand-sit stuff. The claustrophobic, worship in a box model has to be broken out of. This generation longs for freedom of heart expression. They respond to fluid, creative, not just the traditional forms of worship. They are tribal by nature and when nurtured and fanned into flame, they can become the aggressive and passionate bearers of high praise.

This takes time and godly leadership and daring faith to break free, dream fresh dreams and be radical in our leaps out of the religious boat. Like Peter they want to leave the safety of the known and explore what it feels like to walk into unknown waters of worship. We use a gifted, talented and anointed band for our yearly BLAZE youth conference and our developing youth band for a once a month live worship on the first Wednesday of each month. This gives our youth band time to practice and prepare and yet feeds the young people with free form worship weekly.

We have seen most unsaved young people dramatically impacted by this part of the life of our youth church. Most end up weeping or joining in on their first night. Like Saul they end up prophesying in the presence of the prophets when the Spirit of the Lord comes on them. We are not ashamed of wild, passionate and often extremely loud encounters with God in worship. Whether it’s face time in the carpet in adoration, repentance or jumping in the house of God, worship is a mighty weapon in advancing the purposes of God in this generation.