Live It Out Blog

imac, ipod, iphone, ipad and now... ichurch (and iGod)!

Is it really all about you and me? So much of our existence is formed around this false idea that I am the most important person in my universe. From the time I learned the words "mine" as a child, I have been battling with selfishness. I believe this self-centered, carnal mental posture fuels much of our "it's all about me" mindset in America.

As Followers of Jesus Christ, we claim to be in an ongoing relationship with the Creator of the universe who manifests His character through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. If this is true (and I believe it is), then why is so much of what we see in American "Christendom" still focused on meeting my needs and making me (and others) feel comfortable? Over the past 30+ years, much of Christian publishing, church structure, worship services, youth events, and even "Bible studies" have been geared to making me and my neighbors feel "good, safe, successful and unimposing" as I approach Christ. The problem is, that there is nothing "comfortable" about a cross. And at the heart of Christianity is a belief that "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). GULP!

Now relax... I love the church of Jesus Christ in all of its diversity, craziness, hypocrisy, denominations, sects and unique dogmas. She is without a doubt the Bride of Christ and a beautiful site! Christians of every flavor are some of the most amazing people I have ever met and I am grateful to be a part of the Kingdom of God alongside them. And let's face it... It has to be a supernatural entity to put up with crazies like me. :) But I get concerned that we have allowed a self-centered, entitlement mentality to sneak into the blood steam of the Body like a bad virus and it may be infecting our day-to-day health.

This morning I read in Acts 14 when Paul was instructing the early church and encouraging them to remain true to the faith (vs.21-23), he said, "We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." Keep in mind, this was just days from recovering from a physical beating he received form some religious folks in Antioch and Iconium where they pummeled him and drug him to the edge of the city to die because they did not like His message of Christ's redemption. As an American Christian in the 21st century, it is hard for me to grasp that type of commitment, sacrifice and resolve.

Could it be that we are not allowing God to sanctify this area of our lives and instead we are trying to form a new kind of Christianity around a spiritual and emotional mindset that focuses on wealth, comfort and attraction rather than on the cross, denial and sacrifice? Could it be that we are creating a church in our image instead of allowing God to sanctify us into His image?

Maybe we need to be reminded of what Isaiah prophesied about Jesus Christ and the human condition in Isaiah 53:

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

This thought was put in a fun little video that a friend of mine made (thanks Tad) called "ichurch". Check it out!

In this journey we are on to "live out" the Gospel in our daily lives, let's take some time to ask God what He may want to say to us about who is the center of this universe. I may not understand all of God's great cosmos, but I know who is at the center of it and it's not you or me.

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34)

Learning to die, so I can live,

I am crawling out of the hole slowly!

Sorry for the absence! I got the "smack down" with a bacterial induced pneumonia and I feel like I am just now starting to see the light of day. The past few weeks I have seen more of my bedroom ceiling than I have seen my family and friends. I am still hacking like a chain smoker and my head has an extra two pounds of mucus membranes packed into my sinus cavity, but I am on the mend for sure... no fever, oxygen saturation is good, the chest X-ray came back clear and I am finishing off my third round of antibiotics today. YAHOO!

I am not exactly ready to start training for the Hood 2 Coast Relay tomorrow, but I am on the mend and feeling extremely grateful for improving health.

When your sick for long periods of time, it not only increases your movie watching (just finished the John Adams mini series :)), but it also gives you time to think and process life. Although I have not had the energy to coherently write or do videos, I have had the privilege to reflect and process many subjects like faith, church, relevance, culture, justice, the Trinity, laughter, incarnation, bed sores, missional lifestyle, pain, emerging generations, unconditional love, smoking cigars, the longing for significance, repentance, process theology, power of God, self-centeredness, grace, power of music, the voice of God and of course Harley Davidson Motorcycles. :) 

I will be sharing some of those thoughts with you over the next few months and I hope you will join me in discovering together what it looks like to live an authentic life that connects the realities of a loving God with the realities of a fallen world. And in that discovery, maybe we can learn together what it means for us to love God more authentically and love others more passionately.

Thanks, by the way, to all of you amazing people who have prayed for me, written me and encouraged me when I have been sick. I appreciate it more than you know! And I still need it as I begin to "catch-up" on all the things left undone over the past few weeks and regain my strength.

In the midst of all the uncertainties in life, this I know... God loves you deeply and so do I!

What really matters?

After reading through Ecclesiastes, I was struck by the simplicity of Solomon's synopsis of life:

 11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
      Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

 13 Now all has been heard;
       here is the conclusion of the matter:
       Fear God and keep his commandments,
       for this is the whole duty of man.

 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
       including every hidden thing,
       whether it is good or evil.

Today, you and I live in the "age of information". We have more books than we could possibly ever read, the information superhighway at the click of our fingers, and commentators, teachers and pundits galore on the airwaves. As we advance in this technological age the information will just come faster and more intense and copious opinions will follow (If you want an example of that, check out the very intriguing videos that I have posted below).

However, in the middle of all the data and activity, the wisdom of Solomon calls-out and reminds us "of making many books there is no end and much study wearies the body", but what really matter is that every human being "Fear God and keep his commandments".

Can you believe it? All the wisdom, wealth and learning offered to Solomon is summed up into a closing thought... and the end of the day, it is all about honoring God by obeying Him.

Such wisdom is echoed by Jesus Christ on multiple occasion.  In Matthew 22 when He was asked, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." 

It is no wonder the last words the Lord spoke on earth were "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.." (Matthew 28:19-20)

There are many things in this life that can distract us from the true mission God has put before us.

Lord, in the midst of all the information, the media, the activity, and the opinions, help me discover how to love you more and love others more today!

Did You Know? (3.0):

Did You Know (4.0):

VIDEO from John Garrick - Easter 2010 with comments on Colossians 2. (4 minutes)

Check out the 4 minute video and have a very Happy Easter! GRACE 2 U!

Rethinking the way we engage an emerging generation in less than 3 minutes - VIDEO!

Although this video was originally produced for DK Publishing, I think it speaks well of how we must adjust our thinking and perspective about an emerging generation if we are going to help them live-out the character of Jesus Christ. Are you listening?

Just Check-out Jonny Lang... Enough said!

For those who may not know him, Jonny Lang has been playing guitar since he was 12 years old and has played with Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy, Aerosmith, B.B. King, Blues Traveler, Jeff Beck and Sting. Jonny is open to exploring the depth and range of the blues and its relationship to R&B, soul, rock, gospel, funk and so may other emotionally riveting forms of music. The guy is just stink’n talented!

But the real reason I am writing about him on the Live it Out Blog is because of the passion and depth he communicates his spiritual life through his Grammy award-winning album, TURN AROUND.  The album is a raw rendering of his powerful transformation through faith in Christ and communicates a genuine understanding of grace as the source of God’s love and forgiveness.

Spend the $10 on iTunes for the album and let the music infuse your soul with the hope of Christ—inspiring you to see God and His creation in a new light.  God loves you deeply and there is always time for a Turn around!

After experiencing the album, drop me a note and let me know what song you identified with most. My bet is that you will soon be joining me in saying to others, “Just check-out Jonny Lang… enough said!”

Getting Ready to Get Ready!

Regardless of whether you are planning a vacation or launching a rocket into space, everyone understands the need for adequate preparation. Following Jesus Christ is no different. God is pretty clear in the Bible that sincere prayer; wise counsel and cost counting are all important elements of our preparation for God-sized exploits. But in an effort to “get it right”, we can often “not get it at all” and find ourselves continually getting ready to get ready. But through God’s grace, He calls us to something greater!

In Hebrews 11:1 it says, “faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you don’t see”. In other words, there are going to be elements of our spiritual journey that we simply won’t have figured out before we advance. Later in verse 6 it says, “without faith it is impossible to please God…” Clearly, God calls us to plan and prepare as well as risk and obey! 

I want to encourage you today to count the cost of serving Christ and evaluate the very real surrender that is involved in a journey with Him. I am not going to lie to you, it is not an easy road and the path is lined with challenges and uncertainties. But, God knows when it’s time for us to run the race and He knows it will require faith for you to even get out of the starting block.

But listen to me… God deeply loves you and will call you by faith as you move forward in your pursuit of God. You will never be “perfect enough” or have your plans defined enough to feel totally equipped to advance. You and I have too many shortcomings and sin in our lives to think we are going to feel totally “prepared” for a radical life change.

But the truth remains, if you trust the Lord you are never stepping out alone. James 4:8 promises, “If you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.”

What an exciting place to be! We may not have every detail worked out and there may be more uncertainties than absolutes. But we can move ahead with confidence (by faith) that we will see His plans fulfilled in us and through us if we trust Him.

Don’t let the “paralysis of analysis” stifle your opportunity to grasp God’s purpose for your life. His grace, His forgiveness and His purposes for you are real! So whether you have been on this adventure with Christ for decades or whether you are yet to enter into this pursuit, today is a great day to engage Him by faith.

 
As you read this blog post, ask the Lord to identify how He would have you engage in the movement of God. Ask Him if there is any area of your life that is stagnant and requires a fresh infusing of God’s courage in order for you to thrive in your life. You and I may not have it all figured out, but He does! So, trust Christ to help you move beyond “getting ready to get ready”. And as you do, know that you have a friend in John Garrick who is praying for you as you learn with me what it means to live it out!

 

    By faith,

Is anybody listening?

I received an email from a student leader in Kenya this past week that simply said, "You are going to love this video, check it out" followed by a hyperlink to YouTube. I confess these types of emails often inspire me to hit the delete key and not the hyperlink, but because I knew this young leader and he addressed it to me personally, I decided to watch his newfound treasure. What followed was a flood of emotion and a brief time in contemplative prayer.

In my journey to daily discover what it means to live-out the character of Christ, I am often moved in my spirit by music. There is something about the artistic combination of melodies, harmonies and rhythms that stir the human heart. Granted, having the combined talents of Kirk Franklin; Jeremy Camp; Shirley Caesar; Natalie Grant; BeBe & CeCe Winans and a handful of other top vocalists never hurts a music project. But it was more than the vocals that stirred me.

Beyond the production quality was the profound message that God knows me, He hears me and He cares about me. Moreover, the profound love of the Creator is not limited to me but reaches to the rubble of Haiti, the refugee camps of Uganda, the slums of Nairobi and the hills of the Appalachians. His grace and eternal redemption transcends tragedy and heartache and breathes life into even the most grim of circumstances. And as a part of His plan He calls all followers of Christ to be agents of that Good News.

As you take a few moments to watch the video, I pray that you too will be encouraged by his grace, inspired by His love and moved to be a distributor of His Goodness to a world in need.

 

To find out more about this video project, please go to: http://www.kirkfranklin.com.  You can support this cause by ordering directly from itunes or via Kirk’s website.

Remember, no matter where you find yourself today… He hears you, He sees you and He knows your name!

With you on the journey,

John

PS. Pass on the inspiration… if you are inspired by the content of the blog, it would be great if you could pass on the link (www.johngarrick.com) to your family and friends and then drop me a comment, a FB message or an email with your feedback. THANKS!

Do U C what I C?

I need new glasses! My current lenses are the wrong prescription and the scratches cause more refractions than a kaleidoscope. The frames are crooked and have been patched together more times than I can count from wresting matches with my seven-year-old son. This is an optical crisis!

 

So, why don’t I just get new ones? Well, first of all, let’s face it… it am cheap. Ok, confession made!

I had my last optometrist appointment a year ago. Following my appointment they took me on the tour of the “studio” where the friendly sales person desperately tried to find the right frames that would make me look 20 pounds lighter, 10 years younger and would make my teenage girls say, “hey dad, you look cool”. After 45 minutes of test-driving specks my temples were getting blisters and we finally selected the perfect pair (no luck on the 20 pounds though).  They sat me down for measurements and calculated all the “special option” which basically means they dip them in some form of Kryptonite so even my son cannot hurt them. Then she slid me a piece of paper with my prescription bill of $398! I gulped as I realized that was an entire years worth of gasoline for my Harley Davidson.  I asked them if I could think about it and I would get back to them. Uh, let’s just say… I have not got back to them yet!

 

I know, I know… I am a dipstick! My vision was bad then and now it is even worse. But I have adapted. Instead of investing in the right prescription, I have learned to cope with poor vision. Unfortunately, the worse my perception gets, the harder it is to function with day-to-day activities because I really cannot see clearly.

 

Perception is critical… whether in the physical or the spiritual. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary says perspective is: “the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.”  As we wrestle with the challenges of life and the uncertainties that flood our existence, we can find ourselves trusting in things that don’t really matter and we begin charting our course without really having a clear view of God or His attributes. When this happens, we unintentionally begin viewing our situation outside of what is really important. Just as my perception affects the way I interact with the physical world around me, the same is true for my heart.

 

How many times has God given us a “spiritual perspective check-up” and after looking at the price tag; have chose to get the problem fixed later?  We felt like it was too much trouble to address it in the moment and pushed it off for another time. Let’s be honest, we have all done it!

 

Maybe Jesus was trying to give Thomas a perspective adjustment when he looked at him and said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The author of Hebrews also seemed to understand that “seeing” with a Christ-like perspective requires faith and defines faith as “being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.”

In II Corinthians 4, it says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day… …so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

 

Some may think such a concept is at best fanaticism and at worse lunacy, but I see it as part of my abundant living in Christ. But I must confess, sometimes I respond to God the way I respond to the optometrist and instead of paying the price to get my vision fixed I choose to adapt to a poor spiritual perspective. It has always been a poor decision!

 

I am not sure what this means for you specifically today, but if we are going to "live it out", then we are going to have to ask God to give us a perceptive that is filtered through the lens of His Holy Spirit. We need a perspective that is grounded in truth, saturated with grace and guided by love. A perceptive that is missional, eternal and global.  

 

Maybe now is a good time to pause and ask the Lord to give you a brief check-up. He loves you more than words can say and He desperately wants to give you the “eyes of the Holy Spirit”.  Moreover, it is not a one-time encounter… He loves us so much that He wants to continue with us in our day-to-day life. When things happen to scratch the lenses and bend the rims, He is constantly there to help us adjust our perspective. Many times God chooses not to change our circumstances, but instead changes our perspective so we can function more Christ-like, respond more courageously and love more effectively.

 

Drop me a note and let me know what you are seeing today and be assured that as I post this blog, I pray every reader gets a fresh perspective. By the way, I have made a decision to visit the vision clinic this week to order my new glasses. I will be thinking of you!

 

Living it out,

 

John

Quickly, Wisely, Leading and Praying!

The earthquake this past week in Haiti is nothing short of heart-wrenching and tragic.  I am deeply moved by the loss of life, the suffering and the devastation that is being experienced. Bill Hemmer of Fox News who is on the ground in Haiti today reported, “you can drive for an hour, you can drive for eight hours and the misery never ends and neither does the destruction, night after night and street after street… it takes your breath away.”

I want to encourage you today as one aspiring to live-out the character of Christ with authenticity and grace that you would respond as your conscience dictates. This is an amazing chance to let the Love of Christ be evidenced through the Christ-centered response of those who claim to be His disciples.

A couple suggestions as you respond:

1) Do it quickly. If you don’t, your conscience may get seared and you will find yourself responding to the devastation with cynicism and suspect and not out of compassion and Christ-likeness. This happens to us all the time. Let's be honest... that is why we go to bed every night with rarely a thought of the “26,000 children that die each day in our world of preventable causes, because they are poor and had the misfortune of being born in one of the nations on our planet that is mired in poverty?”¹ Really, EVERY DAY! So many are in need of our assistance. In the words of Nike®… JUST DO IT!

 2) Do it wisely.  I confess, I am a bit jaded and mistrusting of aid programs sponsored by the United Nations and the US Government because I have seen the corruption that has filled the pockets of unrighteous rulers while riding the backs of the poor. Plus, our government has a pretty bad habit of spending what they don’t have and mismanaging your money. Yes, this is a discussion for another time, but in light of our current political posture, I would challenge you to act swiftly with WISDOM.

Choose an organization you trust like your local church, World Vision, Compassion International, Medical Team international or a plethora of other fantastic organizations that will mobilize aid with proven integrity and swift action.  I was able to donate to Medical Teams International online in about two minutes. The web site reminded me that a simple $99 can take care of the clinical expenses for a doctor and the medicine and supplies for a whole family for a day. They have medical staff in country already and more on the way!

3) Lead by Example. Let others know of the trusted ways they can give that will not only provide needed food, shelter and medical attention, but will also provide spiritual hope and eternal promise.  Send them links to relief organizations, send them a link to this blog (www.johngarrick.com) , give them a call or post your own story. Jesus exhorted His followers to “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). Let’s live-out that mandate today as give a hand up to our Haitian neighbors!

4) Pray. Please pray for the families affected by this disaster as well as the relief workers, the military personnel, the media personnel and for the political, social and religious leaders.

Thank you for making room in your heart for those affected by this disaster. Let’s pray that our efforts will be used to bring hope and healing to many in the days ahead.

In His grip,

John

1. From The Whole in My Gospel by Richard Stearns (Thomas Nelson, 2009). I read it a couple months ago and its impact was profound.

CAUTION: The following video is very graphic and contains a pictorial collage of the Haitian devastation. Parental guidance is strongly suggested. It is tough to see, but maybe it will help move us to action.

I am Watching You!

This morning I have been hanging out with my son Samuel. It is not like we scheduled it into the calendar or anything, but since I crawled out of bed today, he is just like a shadow. We started the day with with Lego's (and coffee) and moved to breakfast (and more coffee). Then to the "quiet room" where he joined me for some Bible reading and meditation and singing. I thought he would be bored after 5 minutes, but he stayed with me for 45 minutes just reading (OK, mostly looking at his picture Bible... he is only seven :)) and praying and thinking and singing with me. Even now, he is standing next to my desk asking when I will be done with my work so we can go "Wash the Harley together and go for a ride".

My experience today has reminded me of a recent video I say entitled "I am watching you" and I want to share it with you. I am once again reminded that much in this life is "caught, not taught" and my kids are watching. As I post this blog, I (am Sam) will pray for our blog readers that they too will be captured by the love and grace of Christ in such a way that we allow His character to be lived-out through us so that we will leave footsteps worth stepping into for our kids and those we influence.

I truth and grace,

John (and Samuel)

We just got back... couldn't help posting a picture! :)

Never too young to "Live it Out!"

One of the highlights of my life is to see young people live-out the character of Christ! I love seeing them capture a faith of their own and put it to action as they serve God and others. I believe the Apostle John had that same passion when he wrote in I John 3:18, "Dear children, let us not love with words and tongue, but with action and in truth".

As a dad, the excitement is amplified when you see this type of life transformation happen in your own children. This year, my 13-year-old daughter grabbed a hold of the Advent Conspiracy challenge and allowed the Holy Spirit to lead her in a fresh way. With a hand-full of dollars and bucket-full of faith she began to share her vision with our family and friends. Within a few weeks, she had inspired us to join her on her quest and on Christmas morning she led us downtown to sing the songs of Christmastime while handing out hot drinks, Christmas goodies and over 100 Christmas stockings filled with hygiene kits and food for the homeless in downtown Portland.

I think one of the most exciting aspects of this story is that Leslie is an everyday, “normal” teenager. Sure, as Leslie’s father I can gush with pride over her or any of my children and obviously I think they are all "the world's best kids". She is an amazing young lady... however, I know Leslie has homework, hormones and hurdles just like her peers. I also know God is not looking for "superstars" to follow Him. History demonstrates that He is looking for everyday ordinary folks who are willing to deny themselves and follow Him. And in doing so, many young men and woman have branded the story of Christ in the annals of history. I suppose that is why He chose to reveal Himself to humankind in a barn on the first Christmas instead of a palace. I am sure the young shepherd boys did not have it all figured out on that day when the angel spoke to them saying, "Do not be afraid, I bring you Good News of great joy that will be for all people..." (Luke 2:10). But, like Leslie and countless other teenagers and twenty-something’s, they have followed by faith and said, "Let's go and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about!" (Luke 2:15).

God is speaking through many young people who are willing to convert their faith into action. Many who are brave enough to risk, to be stretched and to obey what the Lord has told them. They inspire me and motivate me to join them as we enter 2010! I hope you will join us!

Here is the report from the local CBS affiliate that covered the story. You can watch the "Live it out sighting" for yourself:

Advent Conspiracy... live from the Macy's Holiday Parade in Portland! :)

I know, I know... every year we talk about ways to "focus on the real meaning of Christmas" without getting swallowed up in the tidal wave of commercialism and holiday hype. And yet, so often we still get swept into the madness. Check out he following video's and be encouraged... this year can be a joy-filled, meaningful and wonderful Christmas!!

2008 Promotional Video... You should watch this one first before the 2009 video... come on, it's worth 2 minutes of your life!!

Now for the 2009 video...

let's make this the most fulfilling Christmas ever!!

Rebelling against the "holiday machine",

John

Take my heart and form it! (VIDEO)

A 10 minute video that ponders the idea of living a life surrendered to the will of God. A reflection on "Holiness". This video was filmed on Monday, November 23, in Canby, Oregon.

If you want to listen to the song, there are many renditions on YouTube, here is one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN0rQmjxhnY

Or just download an arrangement from itunes.

ENJOY!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Micah Stampley

Holiness lyrics

Verse 1

Holiness, Holiness is what I long for
Holiness is what I need
Holiness, Holiness is what you want for me

(Everybody)
Holiness, Holiness is what I long for
Holiness is what I need (ohoh)
Holiness, Holiness is what you want for me

Verse 2
Righteousness, Righteousness is what I long for
Righteousness, is what I need. (that's what I need)
Righteousness, that's what you want, that's what you want, that's what you want for me
So take my...

Chorus
Take my heart and mold it,
Take my mind transform it, (take)
Take my will conform it, (to yours)
To yours, to yours, own

Verse 3
Brokenness, Brokeness, is what I long for
Brokeness, is what I need (gotta be broken)
Brokeness, Brokenness that's what you want for me

Chorus
Take my heart and mold it, (take... my mind)
Take my mind transform it, (take my wil)
Take my will conform it, (conform my will)
To yours, to yours, oh Lord.

(Repeat modulate, lead adlibs)

To yours, to yours, oh lord x3

Lead
Holiness, Holiness is what I long for
Holiness is what I need (gotta be holy)
Holiness, Holiness is what you want for me

(Everybody)
Is what you want for me x3

Hugged by British Airlines!

Following my quick check-in and seat assignment, I was directed to take my over-sized bags to the security checkpoint at London Heathrow’s new Terminal 5. As I approached the conveyer belt I reached for my boarding pass in my back pocket and inadvertently flung my Passport several feet across the floor. I quickly retrieved the passport from under my luggage cart and stood to pass my ID to the attendant. Before I could extend my hand I was greeted with open arms and soon found myself in a manly bear hug from Dave, the British Airline attendant.

This was a first… I have traveled thousands of miles on British Airlines and have found them to always be friendly with great customer service, but hugs? No warning, no message of, “hey, mate, I am about to grab you around the chest and squeeze”, nothing! Just an unapologetic, no holding back, hug as if old friends had been reunited after years of separation. My awkwardness soon faded as Dave patted me on the back and said, “welcome brother!”

Dave had seen my luggage tags with the Eternal Impact logo on them and instantly surmised that I was not just a passenger, but also a brother in Christ. Following our embrace, I saw his tag as well in the form of a handwritten note on his safety vest that said, “His Loss, Your Gain” referring to the price that Christ paid on the Cross for the penalty of my sin. Since there was nobody in line behind us, he took a few minutes to find out about me and briefly shared his story with me and my travel mate Tim.

Following our conversation with my new friend, I learned that seven years ago Dave turned from a rough life of self-centered living and discovered a genuine faith in Jesus Christ and made a decision to receive God’s grace and forgiveness. Since then, God has been using him in unique and significant ways to live-out the character of Christ in His workplace and community.

Dave probably would have given a hug to anyone that day, but at that moment I was the recipient of his love and care. And through the brief encounter with Dave, I was reminded of a valuable lesson… as Christians, we are called to love each other. More than just have “feelings of care and compassion”, but to actually manifest Christ’s goodness to others through acts of kindness, gracious living and an attitude of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2). Dave did not check with me to find out if we shared the exact doctrinal code or if we were from the same “Christian tribe”. He simply recognized as David Coffey recently stated, ”Jesus Christ, by his atoning death and mighty resurrection, has inaugurated a new family which renders null and void the differences which the world says matter.” (All One in Jesus Christ, Authentic/Keswick).

The words of Paul in Galatians come to mind when he said; “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (3:26-29).

So often we allow our “tribal differences”, stereotypes, schedules, and theological presuppositions to divide us rather than unite us through Christ.  Today, maybe my brief encounter with Dave can remind all of us to step out and risk, care, embrace and above all… LOVE.

Form a plane above Greenland,

John

Uganda Bible Project!

One of the most exciting aspects of our work at a Student Impact Festival is the follow-up with those who have made decisions to follow Christ. We never want to be guilty of the "splash and dash" Christianity that has become so prevalent today. We are not looking for young people to simply make a "check on the box" that they have chose Christ and then pray that they somehow become a disciple. On the contrary, it is our passion for emerging leaders to know, own and share their faith as followers of Jesus Christ. To that end, we sponsor a "launch party" following the festival giving an opportunity for New Believers to meet friends with common spiritual focus, receive resources for growth and get connected with a local church and a small group.

Below is a picture of the Saturday morning Launch party...

Thanks to the efforts of the Uganda Bible Project we had new Bibles for every person and will have many more to distribute to those in need over the months ahead. What a great Project! Please take a moment to check out the website and the blog that is being updated regularly. And if you can, please spend the $6 (or more :)) to give a Bible and invest in the life of one of these young leaders. Click here: www.UgandaBibleProject.org.

Student leaders working with one of the new Christians from the festival...

I wish I had more time, but I must go for now! It is almost Midnight and I am off to catch a flight to the UK!

From Uganda,

John

Student Impact Festival video footage... amatuer video, but it works!

I only had the footage from a small camcorder that Lance was roaming with and I have not got the footage from the videographer yet. But this amateur footage (and may I say amateur edit job… me) will give you a taste of the festival.  Unfortunately some of the best footage of groups like Hay-Z from Kenya were not on this camcorder. I wish you could have been there… maybe next time! :)

For those who may be new to the work of Eternal Impact, this footage is from a Student Impact Festival at Kampala International University where we partner with Christian ministries on the campus to help them share the Good News of Christ in and open-air festival. It is produced and designed of the students, by the students and for the students. (But there were a few administrators and Profs there too. :)

I will try to post some pictures and some updates later, but for now, this video will probably take about 2 hours to upload. YIKES!

Now, check out the video!

-UPDATED on Saturday morning... A little audio clip from the studios of POWER FM in Kampala

OK, let's try this again... here is the audio I tried to upload last Thursday night. I am at a better internet connect now! Thank you Good African Coffee! :)

JG update from Uganda 10.22.09

I was a guest today on Power FM’s drive-time radio show. Following the show, I slipped into another studio to do a quick recording that I have posted—updating you on the journey and the developments of the Student Impact Festival.

Click here to hear the audio.

OK, CHANGE OF PLANS...

I will have to try to upload later. I was hoping to get this posted 15 hours ago, but the Internet was not cooperating. So... maybe later if I can get a better Internet connection. By the way, for all you tech savvy friends out there that want to “feel my pain”… I am currently only able to upload at 8 Kpbs. YIKES!

 

I am posting this at 2:15pm on Friday (Uganda time). The Student Impact Festival is tonight and it rained about 1-2 inches last night and is drizzling on and off right now. The grounds are still fine, but it is an open-air festival and we are praying the rain subsides for today so we can advance as planned. There is a huge anticipation on the campus and we are praying by faith for the Lord’s grace with the weather.

Just her smile can push back the clouds!

At age six, following the death of her mother, Sylvia and her siblings were abandoned by their father and shipped-off to their aunt and uncles in North Western Uganda where she later lost her brother to disease. With perseverance and the generosity of others, she finished primary school and advanced through secondary school. The mountains she was forced to climb are hard for me to comprehend. I often think about parts of my childhood and adolescence as “hard” or “challenging”. But when I hear stories like Sylvia and Paul, my perspective quickly changes.

Sylvia is now a 20 year-old freshman at KIU and was linked up with me today for the “Hostel tour” as we went door-to-door at the main dormitory. When I was first introduced to Sylvia and looked at her small demeanor and shy appearance, I was wondering what they were thinking… I mean seriously, I thought they were giving me a “project”. But within 60 seconds of conversation, my preconceived assumptions were shattered. Her smile can push back clouds and her joyful, humble spirit can turn any circumstance into a moment of hope and optimism. I soon saw that today, I was the “project”.

We spent the morning inviting students to the Student Impact Festival, praying for the sick and answering questions about theology, social action, world religions, the Pussy Cat Dolls, and chemistry. I must tell you now, I bombed at any of the questions about chemistry and new just enough about the Pussy Cat Dolls to avoid the question. :)

On our journey through the co-ed dormitory, she stopped to show me her 15 X 15 room that she shares with seven other girls.  All her physical possessions can be held in the two suitcases she uses as dressers and her books were neatly stacked on her top bunk.  There was no closet, let alone a stereo, TV, microwave, mini fridge or video game console as seen in most every American dorm I have entered. The contrast was stark and caused me to ponder all of the "things" I have scattered throughout my life.

It was clear by our journey today that Sylvia and many of her peers have learned to live a joy-filled, abundant life without the “blessing” of material possessions. It is clear that her treasure seems to lie in more relational, spiritual and eternal possessions. When I am around her, I think of the words of Jesus when He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21, Luke 12:32)

Maybe this would be a good chance for us to take inventory… where is our treasure?

From Uganda with love,

John