You have to live for something…

July 4, 2011

He we are the newbies on the parade scene, not prepared for anything. At 10am it was already hot enough to feel like the entrance to Hell and it just kept getting hotter. We rookies are parked almost a mile from the parade route and we’re walking. We have no sunscreen, umbrella, water, chairs to sit on, or cash to buy any of these items, and apparently no common sense. As we walked towards the parade route we realized how unprepared we were and that neither my wife or I could remember the last time we just watched a parade and not participated. Honestly, as a former Boy Scout who had the motto “Always be prepared” driven into him from the beginning I was frankly shamed (but I digress). After walking a mile and finally finding an open spot on the street (with absolutely no shade for our baby and toddler) we settled in and we were in for a surprise.

The parade began…

tractors, horse drawn carriages, Antique cars and trucks, local Dance studios, Girls scouts and Boy scouts (who pelted us with candy), political representatives, Renaissance Festival people and surprisingly churches (and other religious organizations). The one that left the deepest impression were the Shriners (pictured above). Despite the silliness of a grown man riding in a miniature car in a parade the Shriners actually do a lot of good things.

My daughter was standing right in front of me as they approached performing power slides and figure 8’s, a mesmerizing sight for any child. My wife looked out on the road as they went by and casually said something very profound,

“I guess you have to live for something.”

You see I run into people all of the time who look at Christians and Christianity and simply say “this doesn’t pass the smell test”. I said this when I was 8 years old. Our focus is somewhere else. Most of the people that I see or hear about attending a [Christian] church of any stripe I see them striving to be a good person. Listen, Jesus said that we will be known for our love for each other not for being a good person! Actually, being a good person is not a sign of love and in most cases is a sign of self fulfillment as a person strives to manipulate others for their or ultimate outcome.I’m not saying that what you are focused on is necessarily bad, but I am saying that it takes you and I away from what is suppossed to be the first thing in our lives. Jesus said:

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35

The love that Jesus is referring to is not casual butterflies toward Him or that special hymn or K-Love song you sings to Him as your boyfriend, but the experiential reality coming to Jesus is desirable above all things. You see to love Jesus from the Bible’s perspective means we experience Jesus as precious and perfectly satisfying in our lives. You see if you are viewing Jesus through the Gospel filter you will treasure Him for who He is, and for what He has done and is doing. That same love, once focused on Jesus, then made to permeate our community and be reflected into the world around us.

In light of this I have a few questions (surprise):

Does your faith pass the smell test?
If I asked those who truly know you what would they say that you are living for?
Is Jesus is desirable above all things in your life?

“I guess you have to live for something.”

Why can’t I see God?

One of the most common questions I get as a pastor/minister is,

“You say you see God in BLANK…or that you hear from God…why don’t I have the same things happen to me?”

My response isn’t always what people want to hear, nonetheless it remains the same,

“Maybe you just aren’t looking for Him.”

I once heard John Maxwell teach a lesson and one of His points was, “We see what we are prepared to see.” The older I get the more I am convinced that is true. In fact, I had an experience with my daughter the other day that illustrated this so clearly.

My little girl LOVES Firetrucks (trains, and all trucks for that matteer)!

So, one day we were in front of our house and I thought I heard something so I quickly glanced up to see if I could find a firetruck…but I didn’t see one. Within a matter of seconds her eyes got huge & she pointed saying emphatically, “Firetruck, Daddy look, Firetruck!”

I smiled at her “imagination” and was about to explain to her that there were no firetrucks around but before doing so I looked at the direction she was pointing and there were literally about 3 of the things with lights and sirens driving
by.

There is a reason I didn’t see them and she did, she was purposefully looking for them and I was not!

It’s the same thing with us and our relationship with God. You see, God is ALWAYS at work (John 5:17), He is ALWAYS speaking. He is ALWAYS obvious–even in the ordinary! (Seriously, the sunsets He paints every evening are AMAZING!). It’s just often times we aren’t really looking for Him, we are merely giving quick glances His way.

Questions for you (if you don’t mind)…

When was the last time you came to church & begged God to reveal Himself to you? Or…is it your goal to get in and get out?
When was the last time you prayed over your food and GENUINELY did so with a thankful heart? Or…are you still using that prayer you memorized 20 years ago? (”Bless us, help us and guide us…”)
When was the last time you prayed before reading the Scriptures and asked God to get personal? Or…do you read the Bible to try and see what is wrong with “those other people?”
When was the last time you allowed God to place HIS passion into you? Or…are you to busy trying to instill your passion into Him?

We see what we are prepared to see! You see God isn’t playing some game of hide & go seek!!! He WANTS us to know HIM (Jeremiah 29:13 is a hint as to how)! He WANTS us to see Him!!! He WANTS us to grow in Him!

Maybe our prayer needs to stop being for Him to reveal Himself and switch to begging Him to let us see what’s He’s already tried to make obvious.

Just a thought…

See the world clearly

**I know that I did not post last week but hopefully after listening to or watching this you will understand.**

This past Sunday morning I had the opportunity to fill in the pulpit for Pastor Robert Terry (Church planter, barber, philanthropist, ect.) at PeaceMakers Bible Fellowship, a church plant in Shawnee Mission, KS. Needless to say that I was both happy to be invited to speak there and at the same time encouraged by the presence of those who came. If you live in Shawnee Mission and you are looking for a church, check out PeaceMakers Bible Fellowship which meets at Hocker Grove Middle school (10400 Johnson Dr. Shawnee Mission, KS). I hope you enjoy both the audio and video below.

Audio:

Right-click here to download audio file.

Video:

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/27740589]

I’d Love To Speak At Your Next Event!

n571116032_413901_6381 — WFCOP Pic - speaking at Westside (OP campus). They are not responsible for the content of this blog.

Dear Reader,

I’m truly blessed by all of you who read the Neo Soul Faith blog on a regular basis, thank you. Some of you have been walking this journey with my family and I for a couple of years now, and others perhaps for weeks or months. Whatever the connection may be, I truly appreciate you allowing me to enter into your weekly conversations on faith and other issues.

Obviously, I’m becoming more passionate about writing with every post but there is something else that I have always been passionate about as well… Speaking. Actually, writing is a fairly new expression of how I communicate the Scriptures, Theology, and [just] my thoughts with people. Long before I was writing Neo Soul Faith blog, I was preaching to College-aged, Young Professionals, and adult congregations. I absolutely love it! Speaking to groups is one of the things I know and believe I was designed for, and as the school year prepares to begin, I would be honored to speak at your next event.

I’m glad to speak in various settings such as:

Church gatherings
Conferences
Retreats
University chapels
Camps
Lectures
and various other Christian events.

Communicating the radical message of the Gospel is something that gives me energy and I’d love to be able to share that with you. This also may be a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with you or give you a week off from leading your ministry.

So, if you are interested you can email me directly at: joncolinnelson (at) gmail (dot) com.

And if you are not in charge of the particular event in mind, please feel free to pass my information along to the appropriate person.

Thanks again for reading and I hope to meet you through some speaking engagements!

Jon

Totally like whatever, you know?!?

This video goes out to all of the Young Professionals and College -aged people I know. I understand that we sometimes become frustrated in conversation but this piece sums why I ask what I ask of you. Know what you believe and be able to articulate it with like conviction you know…and stuff (?)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGAMd-tT6fQ&feature=player_embedded#at=152]

9+1 Myths about Sex and Relationships

As the weekend approaches I know that some that read this blog may be tempted to make some rather irrational (or rational by today’s standards) choices when it comes to sex and their relationships with the significant other. Social researchers Mark Regnerus and Jeremy Uecker expose nine myths about sex and relationships among emerging adults in America (ages 18–23) and I wanted to add one more (not that I’m half as smart as them) to the end.

Myth: Long-term exclusivity is a fiction

Truth: Half of all marriages last a lifetime, and extramarital affairs are not as common as assumed.

Myth: The introduction of sex is necessary in order to sustain a fledgling or struggling relationship

Truth: The quicker sex enters a relationship, the sooner the relationships fails, and most relationships fail.

Myth: Boys will be boys. That is, men can’t be expected to abide by the sexual terms that women may wish to set. You may not want the double-standard to be there, but it’s there

Truth: Women may enjoy sex as much as men, but they do not think and feel the same way about it. Generally they “set higher standards for their relationships.”

Myth: It doesn’t matter what other people do sexually; you make your own decisions

Truth: The actions and attitudes of others do affect your decisions: “If a critical mass of men and women enjoy an extended series of sexual relationships and expect sex fairly promptly within them, it becomes quite difficult for a minority to do otherwise.”

Myth: Porn won’t affect your relationships

Truth: Because more and more men are viewing porn regularly it “cannot but shape sexual market dynamics.” And studies have shown that the tandem of porn and masturbation actually “reduces the value of intercourse” because it is much more physiologically satisfying than masturbation alone. “Porn becomes easier, and so must women (on average).”

Myth: Everyone else is having more sex than you are

Truth: You are less conservative than you think. “Most still overestimate how much sex is actually going on around them.” The authors write about this phenomena of pluralistic ignorance, “it happens when individuals within a group begin to believe that their own private attitudes, beliefs, or judgments are more conservative and rare than the public norms they see displayed by others.”

Myth: Sex need not mean anything

Truth: This myth can occur broadly between the sexes, but exists especially among women. It is emotionally challenging for women to engage in casual sex and to experience a broken sexual relationship.

Myth: Marriage can always wait

Truth: Most emerging adults still want to get married—eventually. They put off marriage for years and years and thus the marriage market “does not grow deeper and more impressive with age.” Thus, the authors encourage “men and women who’ve met someone who is ‘marriage material’ to think twice before rejecting the notion that they’re just not ready yet.”

Myth: Moving in together is definitely a step toward marriage

Truth: In most cases, cohabitation does not last. “It overwhelmingly leads to either marriage or breakup within a few short years.” It is also more advantageous to men than to women as it gives them “more stable access to sex, without the expectations or commitments of marital responsibilities.”

The above were taken from a book entitles Premarital Sex: How Young Americans Meet, Mate, And Think About Marrying.

I would like to add one more myth from my personal experience and from pastoral work:

Myth: Sex is just [a] physical activity

Truth: I do not and will not act as if I fully understand this but I do know that this is true. Your sexuality is connected to your soul and person-hood in a more powerful way than I can comprehend. Don’t believe me we here are some rather awkward questions (that I do not have the full answer for) for you to ponder.

Why is it when a child is sexually abused and becomes a adult and then connects to the their past they can’t just “shake it off”?
Why is it that rape is so much more devastating to a woman than just being beat up?
Why is it that men with the deepest sexual issues (most of the time) have uninvolved or distant fathers?
Why is it that [most] men and women with sexual addictions when trying to overcome said addiction run into a “Family of Origin” issue?
Why is it that most peoples greatest regret is sexual?

Again, I don’t claim to have a complete answer to any of these questions but I can say this with cofidence, Sex is NOT just a physical act!