Maxie spoke last night at Crash, continuing our Fall MEGAseries “Mind the Gap”. We were in Week 3 of our mini-series, “The Character Gap: The Gap Within Us”. We have been looking at Old Testament characters who give us insight into the places within us where we can learn how God transforms our character.

This week, Maxie shared about Deborah from the book of Judges, chapter 4 and 5.

I have included some of Maxie’s notable statements and moments, but as always, if you weren’t in the room, we recommend listening to our podcast on iTunes (search from “Crash at North Phoenix”) or via our website (www.rhinocrash.org/audio/podcast/podcast.xml).

-”Scott, Scott, where are you? I need your help. I hit the wrong button or something.” (Maxie opened up a game on the iPod touch we use to control the slide, NOT the Keynote Remote. TextTwist is fun, but not relevent to Deborah or character).
-”Most of the people God uses to lead in the Bible were reluctant leaders. And the same remains true today.”
-”The Bible often confronts us with examples of leaders who were either unexpected, reluctant or both.  There are many people God chose for leadership who would never have seen themselves as leaders.” 
-”The Big Idea for tonight is – Leadership is about character, not gender, generation, skill set, or giftedness.”
-”Does God choose Deborah because there were no men available to choose from or because her character made her the best leader for Israel? ”
-”They were weenies.” (Weenies may have been Max’s favorite word last night).
-”Deborah is a unique judge – she was a prophet, she was ruling the people, settling disputes, and Barak seems to the think that he will not be successful unless she is present in the battle.”
-”You gotta watch out for the women of the Old Testament (referring to the woman Jael, who drove a tent peg through Sisera’s temple after luring him to sleep with some warm milk).”
-”What if we have been disqualified due to a character lapse, is there hope?  There is hope for both redemption and restoration, but God will always focus on restoring our character before he restores our role or our position.”
 
We wrap up The Character Gap series next Sunday, October 4th, along with celebrating communion.

-Savage

I reconnected with some friends this week who I haven’t seen since the spring. we are partnering on some upcoming projects. They asked – “so, now that you have graduated from seminary, what are you up to?”

I decided to share this in a top 10 format.

1. I am loving my new MacBook Pro (purchased with graduation money). I am trying to not become a Mac snob, but its so hard because I just love working on my Mac so much more than my HP laptop – which did serve me very well during the last 3 years.

2. I am reading a lot of books (one of which I reviewed yesterday). Expect more reviews in the weeks to come.

3. I am sleeping again. Within 4 weeks of marrying Dani, I was in class again. I crashed through 29 credits in 10 months and then helped lead a significant part of North Phoenix’s Student Camp in June 2009. With that all behind me, I have been able to go to sleep at the same time as Dani, and getting closer to 7 or 8 hours on average each night. Getting up at 6ish has been a new (and very good) experience for me.

4. I am working out again. 15 credits a semester plus working part time at church didn’t leave much time for the gym. It’s been 3-4 times a week and this has been great for me physically and mentally.

5. I am excited to read the Bible again. Confession? I struggled with my desire to read the Bible all throughout my last two years of seminary. It has new life again. I am SO grateful

6. I don’t feel guilty watching college football on Saturdays (watching Ohio St/Illinois as I write this). This is nice.

7. I can watch football on Sunday afternoon – feels like a long time since I could do this regularly.

8. I have been able to translate the focus of my discipline into other areas of my life. Such as meeting friends for coffee, cleaning the apartment, connecting with college students on campus, and dreaming about NEW and IMPROVED features of Thrive College Ministry and Crash.

9. Softball with current and former students from North Phoenix’s Thrive College Ministry. Our team moved to the Phoenix league and so the competition is MUCH tougher than the church league, but its been fun to get out there with students.

10. Crown Life Group. I have been able to participate in a Crown Life Group. Crown Financial Ministry brings together sound financial principles and Biblical study in a small group environment of 10-12 people. It’s been nice to get back into this after my small group wrapped up at the end of 2007.

There is much more, but here’s a peek into what I have been doing. I feel much healthier and hopeful than I have been in a long time (while there are always challenges and frustrations). Glad to have you following my journey on the blog and participating in the community of Crash and North Phoenix as you have the chance.

-Scott

incredible date in this video. the question is not “did you know?” because we probably didn’t. The question is “what are you going to do as a result of it?”

This is a selfish post. I work for an organization that is struggling to come to terms with this reality. In some places, we are doing well; in others, we aren’t. This video was a good reminder of the challenge before all of us regardless of where we are committed or what we are passionate about.

I just finished a great book. “The Blue Parakeet” by Scot McKnight. Released last year, this book talks about how we tame the life out of the challenging sections of the Bible and fail to acknowledge that we all adapt and apply what we read in the Scriptures. I mean, when was the last time you saw a parent bring their children to the elders of the city and have them stoned for disobedience? That’s in Deuteronomy. Seen women avoid doing their hear or wearing jewelry to a church service? Check 1 Corinthians. God commands people across both Old and New Testaments, “Do not be afraid.” Yet most of us screw that up. Jesus said, “Do not worry about what you are going to wear.” I wish the guy who I saw last week in grey dress pants with blue (not navy blue – but blue blue) socks and black dress shoes had read that one.

I think many of us treat the Bible like its something for us to rule over or master, rather than allowing it to be something that rules over or masters us. Many people who claim to follow Jesus seem to long for answers, living life terrified of unresolved questions. But life doesn’t always resolve so well. So why should the Bible be any different?

In his book, Spirituality for Ministry, Urban T. Holmes writes that “It is true that poetry raises more questions than it has answers for, but this is what we should expect from the Scriptures. Read as poetry they draw us ever deeper into the mystery of who God is.” I think we struggle with God being mysterious. Yes, I know mystery is dying in our world today. If I want to figure out who someone is, then Google, Wikipedia, Twitter and Facebook all kill the mystery before I meet the person. I have friends who routintely Google people before first dates or meetings, taking the mystery out of the process of getting to know someone. (I do think this may be a good thing for some creepsters or less than integrous characters, along with setting you up to be in the know before an interview or networking session).

But, I think we long for power and control, instead of embracing mystery and vulnerability. Most of us are terrified of the latter and feel compelled to the former in the face of our fears. As I have said repeatedly in different contexts this year, fear drives us in ways that we struggle to recognize and the Scriptures are very clear with story after story about men and women who were not used by God because they could not overcome their fear.

Henri Nouwen astutely observed, “The temptation to power is greatest when intimacy is perceived as a threat.” When we are scared of what the Bible might reveal about us or what it might allow others to see that we do not want to be known, we treat it the same as a spouse, friend, family member or co-worker; we resort to manipulating it, ruling it, and taming the life out of it to protect ourselves.

Maybe its time to stop taming and start allowing ourselves to move somewhere different and become something new.

Maxie Burch continued Crash’s first series of fall 2009 entitled “The Character Gap” on Sunday, September 20. Maxie focused on the story of Daniel in the book of Daniel, chapters 1-6 to help us wade into the idea that God is concerned and focused on shaping and transforming our character, effectively narrowing “the gap within us.”

Maxie’s Big Idea was “God can and will shape our character through people and places we do not choose.”
I will try to encapsulate some of the key ideas of his talk below…
-If Daniel’s story was a movie, he would pull some sort of coordinated rebellion, uprising, ruse or elaborate plan to overthrow the Babylonians. (in prep, Maxie said we expect Daniel to go Steve McQueen like in The Great Escape). Yet Daniel stays true to himself and serves the Babylonians.
-MPTP (Maxie’s Point to Ponder): Why is it that we recognize, value and admire true character we when see and experience it in other people’s lives, but when the experience becomes our own we tend to despise it?
-”I have the power. Whoa.” (referring to the fact that Maxie ran his own Keynote slideshow via the iPod touch on Sunday night)
-”Like Daniel, we find ourselves in the midst of difficult environments and the choices that face us define how our essential character will be shaped.”
-”Those choices look like: Humility/Anger; Courage/Fear; Wisdom/Arrogance; Integrity/Manipulation; Trust/Control; Resolve/Passivity”
-”Why would God put me or you in places and with people we would never have chosen for ourselves and then give us the skills, ability and intellect to learn from them and serve them?”
-”Am I open to what God is doing with me and in me even if it means sacrifice and loss in a place and among a people I did not choose or want?”
-”
-”When doing God’s business, be true to yourself and wait for God to vindicate you. Ultimate trust is about exercising integrity when it may cost you something, maybe everything. What is worth everything?”
-Where is your Babylon? Who are your Babylonians?
-This is not theory for me. This is my actual life today.

Great stuff from Max. Check out the podcast here if you get a chance.

I didn’t grow up thinking I was creative. I failed cutting in kindergarten and I got graded down in second grade because I sucked at coloring. Couldn’t fill in the space, couldn’t stay in the lines, didn’t read correctly and colored the wrong area with the wrong color. I never thought in a million years that I would be a “creative” or “artist”.

And now, I wonder – how is the change that has taken possible?? Did I just ignore obvious things? Was I oblivious? Because I think that I think very right-brained. I journal, I write poetry, I think non-linearly.

I have a project that I have been working on for several weeks. It is definitely something I have never done before. I have been involved in other’s projects like this. But now this was mine. It stretched me in ways I have never been pushed before. I experienced confidence, fear, frustration, isolation, connection – it was incredible.

Well this afternoon – as this project is coming to a close, I mean – maybe an hour before its done, this incredible feeling – it snuck up on me. And it blew me away. I was afraid for the project to end. I hated it. I wanted to scrap a whole portion of it. The frustration, pessimism and fear that swept over me was SO bizarre.

And then I realized – I have had this feeling before. That feeling you get when you have put so much into something that you kind of scared to let it go – the final product. When you have had something under wraps and its finally time for it to see the light of day. When its just been you and your creation and now its time for the world to meet it.

And that looming moment can TERRIFY us! It can scare us to the point that we give up when we are so close to the finish. It can scare us to the point where we shelf our project, never to let it see the light of day or the gaze of a person. We become so afraid of failure or disappointment that we just give up – within minutes or hours of the end.

I just finished reading the book of Deuteronomy now – I have read the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) in the last two weeks. Several phrases are now recurring themes, echoing in my head. But, one sticks out – “do not be afraid.” God has to continually remind Moses of this. Moses has to continually remind the people of this. Four simple words and they have to appear again and again.

So, if that moment has snuck up on you, don’t give in. You are not alone. Push through and finish the project. Bring someone in to support you and encourage you. Risk sharing it with the world. Your creation cannot become what it was meant to be if it remains attached to you – you have to let go and give it away.

That’s what I started to do tonight and what I will be doing for the rest of the week. I am gonna be repeating four little words to myself a lot.

Last night was an incredible night at Crash. We started our fall series “Mind the Gap”.

Our first conversation as a part of that series is entitled “The Character Gap: The Gap within us”.

We showed a great teaching video on “Jesus and the Kingdom”, which you can view by clicking here.

We also played two new songs – one by Kristian Stanfill called “Kingdom” and the other
by Tenth Avenue North called “By Your Side“.

I spoke about “Beginning to Live”.
My big idea was “The path to our dreams runs through fires that forge our character.”

I had three significant quotes in my message.
“The way you begin to live out your God-given dreams is to become the person God desires you to be.”
-Erwin McManus, Wide Awake
“Above all, remember that the meaning of life is to live it as if it were a work of art. You are not a machine. When you’re young, start working on this great work of art called your existence.”
-Abraham Heschel
“But no matter how much the mess and distortion make you want to despair, you can’t abandon the work because you’re chained to the bloody thing; it’s absolutely woven into your soul and you know you can never rest until you’ve brought truth out of all the distortion and beauty out of all the mess – but it’s agony, agony, agony – while simultaneously being the most wonderful and rewarding experience in the world – and that’s the creative process which so few people understand….
“It involves an indestructible sort of fidelity, an insane sort of hope, an indescribable sort of….well, it’s love, isn’t it? There’s no other word for it…And don’t throw Mozart at me…I know he claimed his creative process was no more than a form of automatic writing, but the truth was he sweated and slaved and died young giving birth to all that music. He poured himself out and suffered. That’s the way it is. That’s creation…You can’t create without waste and mess and sheer undiluted slug. You can’t create without pain. It’s all part of the process.”
-Harriet March, sculptor

I spoke out of Genesis 37-50 about the story of Joseph. I called Potiphar’s wife a “cougar” (stole that one from a Donald Miller talk). I talked about how we project the blame for gaps in our lives outside of our onto other people, the place where we are, systems we can’t change, and circumstances we can’t control.
We often become bitter, cynical, negative, and pessimistic. And as a result, we fail to pay attention to the gaps WITHIN us – our character or the lack thereof – and we miss the opportunity to become the kind of people that God wants to use to fulfill great purposes and dreams. It was a good talk for me – lots of personal application – and hopefully lots of challenges for you.

-Savage

I sat with a friend recently. He has stepped into a new leadership position. I didn’t expect this kind of move for him. From afar, I was a bit perplexed and this was our first chance to talk about it.
We rode the light rail together recently back from a meet up where he attends school. He shared with me why he took this new role, what he hoped to do, and how excited he was. The whole journey for him began when he had a powerful experience this summer. He realized that others were having an experience he had and he now had an opportunity to lead and influence so that he could change their experience. He had not forgotten what it was like, so his memory of the past was fusing with his empathy in the present.
He has a vision for the future and a clear picture of what he wants to do.
And all of that began with a burden – of what could be, of what must be. And that burden is connected to powerful memories – people, conversations, emotions.
When we begin to dream in a way that launches us into action, it almost always begins with burden. My friend has a burden and I am confident that this burden has compelled him into a place to make a difference in the lives of others.
I was proud of my friend – he is not changing global economics, educating students in africa, or bringing an end to racially-charged war. But some people will be different because of his commitment and investment. That’s BIG for me!
It all begins with a burden…

I had coffee with a friend today. He referenced a mutual friend following the path of least resistance.

Without going into details, I get it – the situation there has factors that cannot be avoided, things are outside of human control. It sucks. And so there are only so many paths one can follow.

On the other hand, we sat and talked about another situation. And I was seeking to follow the path of most resistance. To step into something that I don’t think I can fix. To talk to someone who I don’t think will hear what I am trying to say. And yet I am going to do it anyway.

I think a lot of us follow the path of least resistance. We avoid our spouses when we know we blew it. We try to fly under the radar with our bosses so that we don’t have to sit down for hard conversations. We try to accomplish our dreams without ever really investing the sweat equity that it takes. I am finding myself in my own words here.

The path of least resistance is attractive to those who value efficiency and productivity. However, sometimes the only way is through. Sometimes the only path is the one that runs straight into your elephant. Sometimes the only conversation that is going to change anything is the one that absolutely terrifies you.

There comes a point where you just have to put your cards on the table and stop running away, around, above and below. A point where you gotta run through.

Maybe its about time you, me, we, us…maybe its time the path of least resistance started collecting cobwebs and dust and the path of most resistance got dust kicked up and new trail blazed.

“The best way is always through.” -Robert Frost

-The Savage

We wrapped up our two-part series on Sabbath on Sunday night. I talked about what Jesus said about Sabbath, how we can begin keeping the Sabbath, and how Sabbath connects to Communion. You can always check out the podcast on the Crash web site or in the iTunes store. New talks are posted by the end of the day on Tuesdays.

-”I thought I was a big deal…you can ask my friends, I really thought I was a big deal.”
-”I lost my blackberry today for about an hour…it was like the world was ending…even once I found it, I was still stressed out.”
-”Do what renews you…do what humbles you.”
-”So, for me, when I see a French press full of coffee, I am reminded of Friday afternoons on my balcony with my friend Joshua – with him reminding me that I am not the creator and sustainer of life.”
-”Jesus does not support a religious observance, a worship experience that comes at the cost of people – people created in his image – suffering”
-”God did not create Sabbath and go – ‘now I need some people to enjoy this’. God created people and then went – ‘for them to live life to the full, they need Sabbath’.”
-”Sabbath was created for man; man was not created for the Sabbath.”
-”We are not infinite, unlimited creatures…this is why some of us resist Sabbath, because it bursts the bubble that is our over-inflated self-image”