There is no explanation

I was reading in our church devotional this morning about the life and death of William Borden. William was a young Yale graduate and the heir to the Borden family fortune. He forfeited it all to move to Egypt as a missionary. After only four months there, he became ill and died. If you travel to Cairo today and search diligently, you can find his grave. The inscription on his tombstone concludes with a summary of the seemingly "crazy" choice he made: Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life.

The choices that William Borden made with his life make no sense if you are not a follower of Jesus. In fact, many Christians find it challenging to understand such choices.

I want to live that kind of life. I want to be part of a church that lives that kind of life. Filled with generosity. Grace that defies worldly wisdom. Authenticity that captivates those around us. Love that shatters boundaries. Sacrifice that shifts the world both now and forever.

Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life. Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a church.

Adoption concerns

I'm sure that this entire adoption process I'm experiencing will be incredibly educational--at every level. Already I'm learning to deal with "concerns" that others have expressed. Though not alarming, the "concerns" have certainly caused me to stop and consider.

Concern 1: This concern is typically expressed by someone, who it would appear, is deeply committed to maintaining the status quo of life. When verbalized, it comes out something like this: "I have a friend, neighbor, co-worker, etc., who adopted a child (and here their voice drops to a whisper) and when the child became a teenager he began to act out and wreaked havoc in their household."

As I consider: Though this is certainly a possibility, how about the acting out of biological children who "wreak havoc" in their teen years? And in every case we probably need to ask some questions about the parenting skills of the adults in the household. Adoption typically does present a higher risk of family life disruption, but if I have to choose between the safe, smooth way and the risk of following Jesus . . . I'll choose Jesus every time.

Come to think of it, what about the poor kids who are not responsible for the disruption of the household? 1 in 2 marriages ends in divorce in America today. Shouldn't someone warn the children that there is a 50% chance that they are going to experience unbelievable pain and hardship if they're in any given family? Pain and hardship that will in all likelihood cause serious mental and emotional (even financial) scars for years to come.

And then there's God's point of view (at least from my limited point of view). Wouldn't it have been horrible if God would have decided not to adopt us as His children, into His family, because of the havoc we would wreak in His household? "I mean God, this is going to cost You unbelievable pain, sleepless nights, tears . . . ummm, Your Son that You love . . ."

Concern 2: This concern is typically expressed by someone, who it would appear, has my nine year old daughter's best interests in mind. When verbalized, it comes out something like this: "How is Tabitha doing? You know we're just worried about her growing up with someone so 'different' in her house."

As I consider: I love that Tabitha is growing up with someone so "different" as her brother. In fact, what I love about it is that she will quickly discover the "sameness" of us all--regardless of race, color or financial background. I love that Tabitha prays every night for the four children we sponsor with Compassion International. Children that are very "different" from her but that have the "same" need for God's love. I love that Tabs kisses Elijah goodnight . . . and that she doesn't even notice that she is kissing the cheek of a black baby . . . she's simply loving on her brother.

And then I think about God. Thank goodness (or more appropriately, thank God), that He is not a racist. The fact of the matter is that I'm not Jewish! And if God had been racist then I would never have been able to become one of His chosen people. No hope now or for all of eternity. As it is, God has chosen to place red and yellow, black and white in my family--which includes believers from all around the world. I hope God doesn't worry too much about me growing up with people who are "different" from me in the family of Jesus-followers. Ummm, I hope that He doesn't worry too much about the others in the family from whom I am so different. I'm just happy to be part of the family.

How the baby should be raised

Colorado police recently responded to a public-disturbance call. They arrived to find a couple fighting over which street gang their 4-year old son should join. (I'm not making this up.)

The father, 19-year-old Joseph Manzanares, was charged with disorderly conduct after the altercation that took place in a video store. Police said the child's teenage mother, who is black, has her heart set on the toddler joining the nationwide Crips organization. Manzanares wants his son to follow him into the largely Hispanic Westside Ballers.

"They have different ideas on how the baby should be raised," said police Sergeant Joe Sandoval.

Ummm . . . so does God.

Worth your time

Here are three more books that are worth your time.

In Praise Of Slowness by Carl Honore is not a quick read--imagine that. It is, however, worth spending the time to get through. The Japanese have coined a new word in their vocabulary--karoshi--"death by overwork." From the culture that is notorious for their work ethic. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how this word came into being.

In 2000, David Cottrell and Mark Layton published 175 Ways To Get More Done In Less Time. Tip number 141 is simply: "Do everything faster!" Can't recommend that one.

Tarzan Of The Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I picked this one up because Geraldo Rivera said that it was one of his top five books of all time. No comments about the fact that I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Geraldo has read five books!

There's a reason that Tarzan is considered a classic . . . it's a great read. An author that can concincingly pull off a story about a man being raised by apes has to be a superb writer. Burroughs does it with great success.

Plan B by Anne Lamott. I didn't find myself doing a lot of underlining but I did find myself laughing out loud. Anne writes with a candidness and authenticity that is nothing short of refreshing. In Plan B Lamott continues to record her journey of faith, warts and all. If you haven't read her bestseller, Traveling Mercies, pick that one up as well.

Elijah is home!

Elijah John Nettle is home!!!

7 lbs 5 0z. 20 days old. Great health.

Beautiful baby boy.

I walked into the agency, they handed me Elijah and I fell apart. I mean I lost it--just started weeping.

Thank you all for your prayers.

Wondrous process

This is a tough post to write--not because it's bad news but because it's hopeful news on a roller coaster ride that doesn't have a clear conclusion.

I received a call from my wife, Julie, Monday afternoon while I was in Dallas. Our caseworker called to tell us that baby Elijah's birth mom placed him in foster care four days after they came home from the hospital. Not because of abuse or neglect . . . she simply found that she could not take care of him.

Sooo, her agency wanted to know if we were still interested in adopting him. After praying (for about two seconds), we said "Yes!"

As of today, we are scheduled to bring Elijah home next Tuesday. However, birth mom won't be signing the release papers until next week. In other words, a lot could still happen.

I have deeply appreciated your sharing in this journey with us. Please pray simply that God's will be done. That birth mom makes the right decision (whatever that may be). And that Julie and I become more like Jesus through this wondrous process.

The Big D

I just returned from a quick trip out to Dallas. Other than having to spend the night in Memphis on the way home (weather delays), it was an amazing trip. Our leadership team was able to spend two days with 10 very cool churches from across the country--learning, strategizing, pushing the envelope in how to reach and develop people for Jesus.

One of the biggest discussions centered around moving from being a program driven church to become a people development church. Here are a few of the shifts that MUST take place . . .

Program driven -----------------> People development

Standardized approach --------> Individually customized

Scripted pattern -----------> Shaped (life coaching)

Participation (get more people in the programs) -----> Life transformation

Didactic (someone stands up and lectures) ------> Everyone discovers together

Delivery of information ---------> Debriefing life experiences

Curriculum guided -----------> Life-centric

Plugged in (to existing church programs) -------> Pushed out (to make a difference in the world)
Growing into service --------> Growing through service

Generationally siloed ----------> Intergenerational

Compartmentalized (in life) -------> Integrated (life and spirituality)

Artificial -------------------> Organic

Build the organization -------------> Develop people

I'm very excited about seeing these shifts implemented. In fact, I believe they are essential to the future health and success of being the church in post-Christian American culture.

Getting through a crappy week

The week after Easter was one of the worst weeks I've endured in recent history.

It actually started Easter Saturday morning. I could tell I was getting sick. Actually led to my being in bed Monday through Wednesday. I preached two services on Saturday evening. The services were great but I felt horrible. After the services, our Worship Director, my wife, had the good fortune of having to inform me that we didn't get a good audio feed to go out to our campuses for Sunday morning. I had to stay (with our amazing tech team) and preach again--to an empty auditorium--to get the message right for our multi-sites.

Ten minutes into preaching for the third time Saturday night (not in a good mood at all), God spoke into my heart. "Greg, I was willing to send my only Son that I love deeply, to give the world the Good News of Easter. My Son was willing to die on the cross . . ." Okay, I get the point! I'm willing to stay an extra hour.

To make matters worse, none of the three people that I've been praying for and had invited to our Easter services actually showed up.

After the weekend and being sick for three days, we found out that baby Elijah was not coming to our house. Emotional train wreck.

We had initially scheduled to go to Memphis for a week of vacation after Easter but canceled our plans due to the arrival of the baby. By Thursday is was too late to drive 11 hours for two days away. Sooo, we were stuck in Ohio, rainy weather, for the next four days.

How do you deal with a week like that? We all have them.

To start with, staying home forced us to embrace the pain. To talk through all that was going on. To wrestle with God. To shut up and try and understand what God is teaching us.

I also have great friends around me. Our Thrive home group called from Florida and California (where they were enjoying spring break) to make sure we were doing okay and to let us know, that even from a distance, they were walking through this with us. The Stinklings (my Pastor buddies), e-mailed and prayed with and for us. I have a great staff team, that I get to do life with, that poured out their hearts to us.

In the end, the journey with God and with others is what it's all about. We're coming out the other end of the tunnel . . . healthier and more committed than ever to follow Jesus no matter the cost.

How do you deal with a crappy (and there are other words I'll refrain from using) week?

Recommended movies

Over the past week I have watched several movies. A couple worth viewing.

August Rush. This one is good for the entire family. A story about a young music prodigy. The musical experience alone is most enjoyable. Pretty sappy ending but a great feel good movie.

Gone Baby Gone. This one is not for the faint of heart. Extremely strong language. However, I found myself pondering the ultimate question the film raises over and over again.

I watched both on pay per view. They're out on DVD now.

Any movies you recommend?