At one point in the movie, the evil villain Megamind is distraught over not having any “good” to balance out his evil. He had defeated the Super-hero, and everything he does now feels pointless. So he devises a plan to create a new super-hero using the DNA of the previous hero. He accidentally gives super-powers to a hapless young man with no desire to use the powers for good. Megamind quickly moves from benevolent giver of powers – to unleashing his desire and need to control the forces he’s unleashed.

Some of us have the same opinion of God. We picture God looking down from above, seeing a world he created as broken and filled with sin. He needs someone to clean up the mess that’s been made, and so he offers to transform humanity, with the understanding we have a calling to play a cosmic-janitorial role.

But that’s not what we read in scripture:

Galatians 5:1 declares “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.”

There’s a popular worship song that uses this phrase, and I’ll be honest – I’ve usually thought it was a bit redundant. I figured maybe the writer of the scripture was simply emphasizing the importance of freedom by repeating the word. But in our world of manipulation by those in power – the verse hits us as a breath of fresh air. God has not acted benevolently on our behalf in order to build an army of soldiers who sing his battle hymns and march to his omnipotent drumming. God has acted on our behalf because He loves us, because we were enslaved and held captive by sin, and because He wanted us to experience true freedom.

Sure, it’s a freedom that when we actually experience it, will infinitely compel us into so many directions of response. But the words of God in Galatians 5:1 remind us – it’s not for any return performance, act of gratitude, or powerful response on his behalf that he originally moved for us. It was out of a love for us that was so strong, he could not sit and watch us remain captive. We are set free. Why? In order to live as those who have been set free!

Are we communicating His motives to a world still in bondage? Are we giving our children that message when we teach them about the God who loves us? How could we refine our message just a little bit this week, as God sets us free to live holy lives? To begin, you may want to take a moment and discover where you might still be submitting to the chains of sin…

I’ve joked before of all the many ways parenting has made me a better youth pastor.  After all, there are many similarities between a toddler and a junior high student:

1. If you meet their hunger, they’re much easier to work with.

2. Sometimes you have. to. talk. slowly. and clearly. if you want to make sure they’re going to get it.

3. One of the best ways to increase the likelihood of behavioral change, is to have them repeat the command back to you.

4. No matter how much they pretend other things are important, sometimes all they really want to do is run around a bit.

5. More girls = More drama.

And so on the list goes.  But on the flip side, I’ve been involved in youth ministry for several years before becoming a parent.  Here are  a few ways working with teenagers had been preparing me to be a father:

(for the rest of this post, check out my guest post at “Next Level Mama” today!!!)

Then they have their famous showdown. They both have an altar with sacrifice on it. The first altar to be set afire will be proven as truly divine. Elijah politely allows the prophets of Ba’al to go first.

From morning until noon, the prophets of Ba’al shout and dance, but to no response. Elijah responds with the sarcasm of a modern MAC vs. PC commercial, “Shout louder, maybe he’s gone to the bathroom!” Sure enough, the people respond by shouting louder, slashing themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed.

You can probably bet that their altar had all the right conditions for a fire to blaze. If a piece of flint had set off a spark nearby, I’m guessing their entire altar would have grown into a towering declaration for all to see. If you had a checklist of all the things that are required for a successful sacrifice by fire, every single aspect had been checked twice. Yet still – nothing.

Then comes Elijah’s turn, and he does something that doesn’t make any sense according to the ancient editions of “How to Build a Fire”. He orders 12 large jars filled with water to be poured all over the altar, to the point of soaking and filling trenches that he’d dug around the altar itself. The wood, the sacrifice, and the ground are soggy, definitely not the tinderbox of fire-to-come most of us would have thrown together.

The ministry leaders of Elijah’s day would have quickly counted him out. After all, don’t we want everything we do to set God up for success? Doesn’t he depend on us to set the stage for him well with seamless service-flow, perfect powerpoint, and pitch-perfect voices? How do we expect God to do anything incredible, if we’re not 110% on our game, devoting our every thought to how we can help God show up in a big way….whether it’s on stage in a church service, or in the midst of our every day parenting journeys.

Into the midst of the sea filled with all of these pressures and more, the story of Elijah stands as strong as Moses approaching the Red Sea. The anxieties and pressures are cast high and away, leaving dry ground for us to cross on. Ground that reminds us – God is not dependent on us “setting Him up for success”. There may be places in our lives completely soaked to the bone with something we would call “fire retardant”. But in the name of Jesus, anything can be transformed to just the right place for His Glory to be revealed in a powerfully unexpected way…will you offer Him your altar today, no matter its’ condition???

There are new posts on a regular basis by this author, or that news source, or this organization.  Many of them sounding the alarm about corruption in the adoption system.  Some saying international adoption misses the point.  Some simply trying to educate.  Others processing their own guilt publicly, after not asking questions in their own process of bringing home a child.

So much of the conversation continues to distract us from the truths.  Soooo many children are dying, and in need of being cared for.  So many women and children are being abused, forgotten about, and fought over.  The war in Eastern DRC continues to move toward the edge of who knows what, as UN Troops arrive in the next month or so for the first ever offensive action aimed at controlling the M23/rebel forces.

And in the midst of it all, it seems the brokenness of our creation offers a possible volcanic eruption.

I listen to NPR…probably too much.  It’s at the point now that when I read a book that talks about something thought provoking, I hear the voices of prominent NPR reporters reading me the text.  I hear stories from all over the world, and I realize there are so many important things happening.  But when I see or hear an extended report on something I feel like has gotten way too much media attention, I can’t help but feel the sting of injustice, when I know the current homeland of my daughter is enduring so much suffering.  I’m reminded that this…right here….this lump in my throat.  This filling of my eyes.   This emotion that rises when I read another report on the abuses against the people of the DRC….this is one of the reasons we’ve been called on this journey.  To have our hearts broken by that which breaks the heart of Christ.

Before we began traveling this road, I could hear reports from all over the world, and maintain my waffle square.  Safely compartmentalized in my Midwestern US world.  Now, my eyes and heart are being changed.  Already in the midst of wanting to “rescue” my daughter (I realize some bloggers challenging the evangelical adoption movement don’t like that word…deal with it.)…she has already begun to rescue me from what had become an all too localized world-view.

All of that to say….please continue to pray with us.  Not just for our daughter and family, but for the people and nation of the DRC.  May God come, and begin to set things right even now…

Also, we’re still raising funds for when that e-mail/call comes, and we begin the journey to actually bring her home…if you’d like to give, click here.  Thanks so much!!!

Seriously, better than we could’ve planned. (we’re not great planners, admittedly)

One of the “Group Times” involved students taking important dates from our timeline, and important aspects of what defined us as we began the FM Church – and finding unique ways to remember them.  Here are a few our group came up with:

1. BT Roberts was an MVP, or “Most Valuable Preacher”.  Michael Jordan was also an MVP, and his number was 23.  BT Roberts was born in 1823.  Boom.

2. Heinz 57 Sauce is red, like a stop sign.  It was in 1857 that BT Roberts was told by his church to STOP some of the stir he was causing toward certain freedoms he believed were vital to the life of a Christ-follower.  Just one year later, in 1858, his ordination and credentials were removed.

3. So, since his church had “86′d” his role as a minister, he began a new movement by inviting like-hearted followers of Christ.   He began “Peeking” into a NEW movement (denomination) in 1886 in Pekin, NEW York.

4. From the very beginning, this movement embraced 5 essential freedoms along with the ordination of women:

S- Slaves should be freed!

P- Pews should be free! (Many churches in those days had begun “renting/selling” pews, with more expensive seats toward the front.   So an unofficial “caste” system had developed within the churches, leaving many people without a place for worship.)

E – Freedom of Expression in worship.

W – Freedom from the trappings of the World/Wealth.  (Freedom from Sin)

S – Freedom from “secret societies”. (Much drama was being caused in the church by members uniting in a secret society, and then approaching the church with a desire and ability to control what was happening within.  BT Roberts himself was falsely accused of this.)

Yup, that’s right….just about every one of the 7 small groups of teenagers came up independently with the acronym “S-P-E-W-S” to remember the 5 freedoms we embraced from the very beginning.  There was a beautiful moment on one of our last evenings out on the town, where our teens were approached by a stranger who asked what group we were.   They told him “Free Methodist Youth”, and he was confused.  He’d heard of Methodism, but not the “Free” kind.  They proceeded to explain to him, using the very elements listed above.   The teens thought perhaps we’d planted him in the crowd to test them!  It was great confirmation of the importance of what we’d been doing all week!

Later on, we discussed the 9 points of emphasis our church is currently embracing here in the US.  Many of the teens were freakin’ out, because they’d talked earlier in the week about what they really want changed in our church, and this was almost an exact list of what they’d come up with!  Just another reminder for us not to simply give nods to our young people, but to listen to what God might be speaking through them.

Oh yes….and BT Roberts was often sporting a neck-beard.  I happened to have an NHL play-off beard that needed shaving.  It was perfect timing to illustrate what a neck-beard would look like in person…..

But I also remember the unscheduled moments. The times that may have been completely unnoticed by most of the people around. I remember walking down the hall of my elementary school, having just won a spelling bee, reward money in hand, and feeling like I’ve got a pretty good life. I remember in the midst of a VBS program, being that kid who would ask “What time is it?”, my classmates would say the time and I’d tip my chair over, feigning how tired I was. Class clown at an early age, fo’ sho.

I also remember the candid moments my youth pastor didn’t spend hours planning, that impacted me in big ways. I remember on a youth camping trip, his son Shaw was pretending to play basketball. I played with him, just for a few moments, and in that brief moment God planted seeds for when I would be a father someday.

So we plan big things for our girls, and I plan big things for my youth. I celebrate their birthdays, applaud at their ballet recitals. I write messages and speak things I hope will connect with their souls. But I’m also working to be aware of the little moments, and acknowledging that I have no idea what God might desire to use. I suppose that’s why we offer him our all, eh….?

Well, I wouldn’t have guessed it 10 years ago…but here it is: Sitting in the back of a “Kiddie Ride” while my 3 year old daughter “drives” us around with squeals of delight.

Today I’m posting over at the “World Methodist Council” Blog, just follow the link to read the rest (I promise it’s worth it….or free candy……or something….).

“Chadwick, quick…come here.  See how this leaf is holding onto a last drop of water? (I nod with a smile.)  I want to fill your life with love so much, that these drips never have time to form.  My love fills you, and drenches you to the point to where there is a neverending stream of outpouring.”

“I’d like that, because honestly sometimes I feel like this leaf…just a drip left…and holding onto it with all I can.”

“I know…(and He gives me a hug.)”

  “Hey Chadwick….just  sit down here on this bench for a sec.”

“What is it? Some awesome formation of nature??”

“Nope…just some grasses.  Different levels of growth – small, tall grasses, and trees behind.  Pretty cool, huh?”

“Reminds me of the 3-2-1 JELLO from when I was a kid.”

“That was good stuff, eh?”

“Yup.”

“Hey Chadwick, you wore the wrong shoes for a hike, didn’t you?”

(looking down at my leather shoes) “Oooops. Yeah.”

“Just take your shoes and socks off, and hide them behind that bush over there.  This walk will be better if you do.”

“Well….if God says so….”

“I do.” 

   “Wow God….it’s pretty cool that all lof this exists in the midst of what we would call an ‘Urban’ area.  It’s nice to just breathe slow, walk slow, and not have any purpose to this walk than to be with you.”

“I agree.  I just wish you saw it more often.”

“Zing.  Okay, I get it…..thanks for inviting me out today.”

“No problem…thanks for finally coming.”

“Hey Chadwick, come here and look at this.  Isn’t it beautiful??”

“Um God….it’s dirt.  Didn’t you see the flowers I took a picture of over there?”

“Well yes…I’ve noticed you really enjoy taking pictures of the flowers and plants.  But without this rich soil, you’d never get those amazing greens, yellows, and violets.  I think you’ve often had that same tendency in life as well.  You celebrate the high and beautiful moments, and then are so quick to pray for relief from the situations that lead to incredibly colorful life.  What parts of your life right now are you experiencing, that could simply be rich soil that I intend to grow beautiful new life from??”

“Well…a few at least.  There’s this reeeealllllyyyy long wait we’ve been going through to bring home our daughter from Africa.”

(smiles) “That’s definitely rich soil, and I hope you’ve noticed that I’ve already begun to grow some pretty beautiful things from within that wait.  You’re wrapping your family around something much larger, and talking to your kids and even other people about my heart for my children in Africa.  That’s something I’d snap a picture of.”

  At this point, a man rides by on a bike the opposite direction.  In a brief moment, we share eye contact, and he speaks….”Hey, how’s it going?”  I instinctively try to respond to his conversation starter, but by the time sound crosses my lips he is long gone.  I look down and see this snail crossing the path.

“We sure are in a  hurry sometimes, eh?”

“You are.  It’s sad to see how much you miss out on sometimes, simply because you prioritize ‘moving on to the next thing’ more than having an actual conversation with someone…..or me.”

“God, I’ll confess, I do that.  I don’t always have the strength or memory to slow down when I need to.  Can you help me to remember, and sometimes just mess up my schedule so that I’m required to connect with others and you on a healthier level?”

“I’ve already begun….”

“Chadwick, look over here at these rocks.  Notice how the flowers are growing up through the rocks?  Does that remind you of anything?”

“Well, you told a parable about the seed that fell among the rocky ground, and the plants withered because they had no moisture.” (Luke 8:6)

“Right, but look at what’s happening here.  It’s not a deep rocky bed.  It’s just a few surface rocks, with incredible soil underneath.  So many times, humanity feels like the current challenges and hardships, or evil on the surface of a situation means nothing can grow there.  But they don’t see what I see.  There is incredible depth of rich soil, even where many would think a seed would never grow.  Never forget the Hope of what I can see…”

  At this point, I began to regret the idea of taking off my shoes and turn to start walking back.   You see, around 9am it had rained quite a bit.  Everything began cool and wet.  But now it was about noon and the sun had been shining on the black paved walking path for quite a while.  My feet were feeling the burn…

“Hey Chadwick, remember learning when you were a kid that white reflects sunshine, and black absorbs it?  Why not try walking on this center dividing line?”

(I begin to walk on the line, and immediately my feet are cooled.  Like, almost abnormally cooled, as if I were walking on a large cold water pipe.)  “Wow, thanks for that reminder, this is much better.”

(God smiles, obviously bursting at the seems to make the cheesy illustration I assume He’s about to make.)

“I know, I know….you want to remind me that whenever life seems to be getting uncomfortable, it may just be a case of me needing to re-center my life on you….and walking the narrow path…..right?

“Um…actually, I was just about to crack up laughing.  You look funny walking like a tightrope walker in the middle of a giant forest.”  (He proceeds to belly laugh, as the trees shake in the wind…I smile, and continue walking my tight-rope until I find my shoes again.  It was a good walk….)

reflects on the Spirit that does more than quench…