must watch – vulnerability and shame

please take time and watch these two videos by Brene Brown – they challenge, confront, comfort and preach – well worth the effort…

thanks –

mike lawrie, lead pastor rvcc

great insight from a great pastor

i read this and thought river valley would enjoy – therefore, enjoy and BE Encouraged!

Keller on Quiet Times, Mysticism, and the Priceless Payoff of Prayer

grace and peace,

mike lawrie – lead pastor, rvcc

for fans of U2 and the Church

i really enjoyed reading this blog last week after U2 and Apple gave away the new U2 album, Songs of Innocence.  it’s worth the read – and perhaps it’s not what we were expecting…

 

http://danielleshroyer.com/2014/09/12/church-can-learn-u2apple-mistake/

 

grace and peace,

mike lawrie, lead pastor, RVCC

it takes an ocean not to break

i love the band The National and i would encourage all you music lovers to introduce yourselves to this creative force (i’m a big fan of the album High Violet). recently an old friend, Tifah Phillips, of The Autumn Film and Page CXVI, covered The National’s song “Terrible Love” and i wanted to share it with you. there is much on the web about what the meaning might be: stress, fear, self-medication, loss etc. i’m not here to overanalyze the song – though there have been times that i can relate to all those themes! instead, i just wanted to enjoy Tifah’s take on this dynamic song.

enjoy…

grace and peace,

mike lawrie, lead pastor RVCC

break time is over! embrace the mystery!

for utterly selfish reasons, i took a break from writing on this blog.  first, we were in Lenten season and i was thoroughly enjoying the silence.  my rhythm was of conversation and solitude – but not writing.  second, instead of the blog deadline to determine my writing habits, i waited until i felt that i had something to say.  and now i feel like i’m on to something.  third, even though this was to be shared with other pastoral leaders at rvcc, i’ve not done a fair enough job inviting the other leaders to share the ownership of this site.  i’ve become mindful of this shortcoming and am efforting to change that pattern.  

so, my first new thought in some time: embracing the mystery via the shuffle on my iTunes and my Sirius radio.  

now this may sound trite but in fact it’s been a real source of spiritual awakening – sort of (let’s not get too carried away).  so much of life is predicable: what i eat, when i go to bed, the dailyness of my work, my chores, etc.  and now, with the advent of digital music, my song/album selection has become predictable as well.  i grew up in the era of radio and MTV and i still remember spending hours on the back porch of my parents home listening to 89X and WRIF with a massive set of army green headphones that looked like they belonged on a Space Shuttle.  I remember hurrying home from school to watch MTV’s top 10 video countdown everyday – hoping to catch the latest R.E.M. or Guns and Roses video ore perhaps be introduced to something new and cleaver (does anyone remember A-ha’s Take on Me video???).  but now, i’ve become a bit selective, predictable and perhaps a bit bored.  

recently, i bought a new car that came with a 90 day trial of Sirius radio (such a genius marketing scheme!) and i find myself giddy about scanning through the endless channels of music and celebrating what comes on next.  i have no idea what might appear with a simple turn of the dial – but the chance to move the dial has lead to some incredible discoveries and celebrated memories.  i’ve heard some interesting new artists (ex: Lord Huron and Cage the Elephant) and reminisced about the good ol’ days (ex: Sigue Sigue Sputnik, INXS, Nirvana, The Screaming Trees).  i find myself sincerely celebrating: singing loud, telling my kids all kinds of concert stories, telling my wife about the the first time i heard a certain song or album, or simply turning up the volume and drowning out the rest of reality. this exercise has influenced the way i’ve been listening to my iTunes account or internet radio – i’ve been living in the “shuffle” world – again, it brings about the mystery of what is next, the unknown, the joy of discovery, the trip down memory lane, and the satisfaction of letting go.

so, full circle, mystery.  as much as i want to be autonomous and have complete control, i’m being reminded that cannot entirely posses those things.  in reality, i don’t know what’s next.  and though i try and try to set a pattern and rhythm that works for me, i cannot control time, space, and life.  i’m a boss and i like that role – but there is an inherit limit to my boss-ness.  as i’ve stopped and breathed in this last season of life, i’m being reminded of who i am the role i play in this life.  at the end of the day, of all the disappointments and all of the celebrations, one thing remains: i cannot accurately predict tomorrow nor control it.  so i’m left with two options: fear the unknown or embrace it.  i read last week a great tweet from Leonard Sweet, “Christianity’s first word is one of revelation.  it’s last word is that of mystery.”  i think we in 2014 struggle with mystery – we like being the boss of our finite worlds, making decisions, setting patterns, telling anyone in shouting distance our plans, or choosing our music.  but God is functioning on a different level – a Divine one – and His invitation is to let go and embrace His decisions, patterns and plans.

when i dig deep within the catalogue of music i already own, selecting a specific song satisfies insomuch as it reminds me of how wise i am with my music taste (btw, i have exquisite taste and there is little to no country in the catalogue!). however, it seems rather past tense though.  scanning or shuffling tells another story: the future is exciting and has the grand opportunity to provide a new, fresh, and celebratory taste.  mystery is exciting and inviting.  Jesus concludes the sacred text by inviting us to a banquet, “Come,” he says, “Whoever is thirsty, whoever wishes, let him or her take the free gift of water of life.”  Jesus invites – we don’t have to be the boss of the table or the offering.  i’m asked to sip from fountain i can barely imagine – how interesting and delightful will that drink be?  i’m asked to wish – let’s not bypass that line – wishes are dreams and realities coming to terms.  that’s mystery and this invitation seems beyond to intrigue me beyond my senses.  

it’s my prayer that we continue to dive deep into the realms of mystery in our everyday: prayers, meditations, scripture, conversations, meals and even our music.  may God continue to reveal this joy to us.

 

grace and peace,

mike lawrie, lead pastor rvcc 

 

Divine Optimism for a Troubled Pessimist

Palm Sunday is upon us – our Liberating King, courageously and with steep conviction, marching into the heart of an empire fixed on power and pride.  Jesus, graced upon the back of a donkey, an animal symbolic of humility, glides into Jerusalem as the people celebrate, weep and shout, “Hosanna – Save us now!”  Jesus is fully embracing his mission and fully facing his pending opposition.  For what lies ahead is dreadful – but it is right, set apart, and sincere because it bridges the crooked trail between us and the Father. Perhaps there are a myriad of choices on how this gap could be closed, but God, in their Triune goodness, chose to alleviate the problem by relationship, that is Divine friendship.

I’ve been moved by the writings of Richard Rohr, in particular, a recent read Jesus’ Plan for a New World Order: the Sermon on the Mount.  He writes, “This new world order is based on the experience of a God who is experienced personally.  Jesus seems to be saying that God is not a philosophical system, a theory to be proven or an energy to be discussed or controlled, although we have often reduced God to such.  Jesus believes that God is a Person to be imitated, enjoyed and loved.  We only seem to know God by relating to God, almost as if God refuses to be known apart from love.  It is all about relationship.”  

And so, with the mission to honor the Father’s will and reunite the relationship between the Godhead and their special creation, Jesus willfully journeyed into the fray.  And so it’s about relationship: an honorable Son honoring his Father.  And so it’s about relationship: an honorable Savior acknowledging that his followers are now to call him Friend.  Relationships.

If then, Rohr is on to something, we ought to be imitators of this behavior.  We, the followers of the this faith originally called The Way, ought to be on our Way as well then – right?  Our movements ought to be steeped humility, driven by what is right and just, carried along by the conviction that we too are set apart, and rooted in a sincerity that seeks to give into life more than it exacts.  Rohr would go on to say, “The gospel is much more a process than a product, a style more than a structure, a person more than a production.  It is a way of being in the world that will always feel like compassion, mercy and spaciousness – at least to honest and healthy people.”  

So, as we enter the imperial city, are we doing so humbly?  Are we honest with our identity – as daughters and sons of a Liberating King?  Are we mimickers of this Way, showering our world with grace and peace in a dry an arid landscape?  This is my prayer this Lenten season…

Recently I was engaged in a conversation about optimism.  I admitted my pessimistic nature towards people in general – they let us down, they walk away, that speak with cruelty when we are not around, they forget, they embarrass, they neglect, they leave us stranded, they forget we exist.  However, that’s not the entire story – there is another component that resides deep within those traveling on the Way – the Divine roommate.  I’ve spoken as God as Triune; I noted God as Father, God as Son but there is the third party – God the Spirit.  It is this that cosmically and beautifully invades my space and points me to the Father and the Son, that challenges me to morph more and more each day to resemble my King and Friend, that sheds light in the darkness and places me on the path of hope as a dispenser of Grace.  Peterson did well when he translated Romans 8 in The Message, “God’s Spirit beckons – there are things to do and places to go!  This resurrection life you received from God is not a grave-tending life.  It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, ‘What’s next Papa?'”  

What’s next?  Perhaps its as simple as affirming and embracing Divine Optimism – that is, though life seems dreadful, something better is about to happen.  Though we find ourselves and others wallowing in a perpetual state of Friday, fear not, for Sunday is coming and though Friday is dark and difficult, Sunday is alive and anew.  The resurrection recreates space that is both tenderly compassionate and full of mercy – thus, this is our “next” – that is, to travel adventurously, create wide open spaces, endlessly pouring  out compassion and mercy, all the while asking our Father and Friend, “What’s next?”  This seems like good news.  Period.  May our Lenten Season be rooted in this Gospel.  

Grace and Peace, 

Mike Lawrie, Lead Pastor RVCC

Lent to Maundy Thursday

this Lenten season, be encouraged.

this season of introspection, be inspired.

listen to the new Page CXVI release – Lent to Maundy Thursday on the Relevant Magazine website:

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/the-drop/lent-maundy-thursday

i am particular to track 5 – This Blessed Day

go buy the album as well and support my friends and Kingdom contributors!

 

grace and peace,

mike lawrie, lead pastor rvcc

borderland by john mark mcmillan

hey – go to the relevant magazine website and listen to the new john mark mcmillan album – borderland for free (at least for the moment).  he is a smart and thoughtful pilgrim navigating the crossroads of faith and music and culture.  enjoy:

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/the-drop/borderland

the risk of originality

several years ago, i wrote a short blog/essay on creativity and originality – i stumbled across it the other day and decide to repost it.  enjoy…

I know it’s hard to be original
In fact nothing scares me more
Because Jesus only lets me do
What has been done before

Sometime back, David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion and Headphones ilk) penned these interesting words in his song, “Selling Advertisement.” Being original, if we are honest with ourselves, is a terribly lofty goal – I mean, honestly, discovering that thing, that idea, that thought, that movement that has yet to be displayed in the human race is impossible. Even as I write this, I seem to be channeling my inner-Nick Hornby, my inner-Rob Bell, and/or my inner-Dave Bazan for style, rhythm and content. Thus, writing about originality is not very original.Being original is scary. Being belly-deep in that status quo is safe. Seeking the “new” or the “fresh” means that you have to embrace the width and depth of common thought (which is often narrow and shallow) to discover a missing or neglected component and pressing it for understanding. It’s scary because the risk is unknown. Many will question its validity (Is this true?), others will question relevance (What does this have to do with me, here and now?) and some will question the motivation (What is he/she trying to do or prove?).

As one who spends a great deal of time reading and teaching the Scriptures, I find originality both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because the sacredness of the text, the depth of the text, and the art of preaching drive me to place of radical understanding and faith and I desire that the community taste and see that. It’s a curse because some do want to go there – regardless of self-awareness, the status quo is safe and easy to swallow.

I’ve spent the greater part of twenty years laboring in the local church as a pastor, listening to peoples stories and questions, reading and teaching the Bible, and seeking understanding around every corner. Along the way, I’ve observed a few things: 1) I am not always satisfied with what is on the surface – I want to know the story beneath the story and the story beneath that story. Deep within lies life beyond the status quo – it takes a great effort to get there but the fresh taste is remarkable. 2) There are others out there who want the same thing. They have listened faithfully in the pews for a lifetime but sense there is more to the narrative than three points that all start with the letter “s” and poem discovered by the preacher in last months Guideposts. They recognize the profundity and complexity of life and their palates are desiring foie gras in an institutional world muddled in dry Cherrios. 3) Finally, there are others who struggle with change. The “new” or “fresh” is fine every now and then, but why fix what is not broken. Being original can be perceived at best as being pedantic and at worst being egotistical. Thus, the originator must decide whether or not the risk is worth it and note whether or not their skin is thick enough to take the comments, the critiques, and the whispers of doubt.

The Scriptures have much to say about this topic. For example, the Qoheleth reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun which ought to inform us that there is nothing truly original – with some focused research, it can always be traced to another, in another time, in another context, with other results. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul spoke eloquently to his young prodigy Timothy, when he wrote that a time was coming when people would desire to gather teachers who would teach them what they wanted to hear to appease their itching ears and who would be willing to set aside truth for myth. Maybe this is what David Bazan was getting at: 1) being original means that you might not be what they want to hear and 2) we only do what Jesus lets us do (since he allowed it to be be done before).

Being original asks tough questions – here are some: 1) will there be others with you?, 2) is it worth sacrificing the rest?, 3) is that the role of the teacher?, 4) is this about faith seeking understanding or is this about you and your personal agenda?, 5) do you have thick enough skin to endure? The world seems to be teetering between the common and the new. Pressing to be original is scary – the easy route is to simply wade in the pool of the status quo and avoid risk even when you know you’ll never swim outside the kiddie end of the pool. But really, you never really swim in the shallow end, you stand and walk. But are you swimming? Swimming is the act of taking your feet off terra firma and doing the unnatural. Perhaps that is the definition of being original…

grace and peace,

mike lawrie, lead pastor

breaking down church engagemnt

recently, i read a blog post from Alan Molineaux, a pastor from England who proposed a thesis on church engagement that got me thinking.  here, engagement, simply refers to people who journey into a church and attempt to navigate their way and their experience over time.  i appreciate the simplicity of the idea and look forward to discussing this further with some of our leaders.  as a pastor, i am aware of our people and the experiences that come with walking through our doors and the unique prospect of getting involved.  though i don’t always succeed and there are times i miss opportunities to engage our people, i am aware and desire sincere connections.  for what its worth, i think this is a good read.  enjoy – and find someone to talk to about this.

grace and peace – mike lawrie, lead pastor at rvcc

The Three Phases of Church Engagement