A Prayer for Peter LaCoste

This past week I had the privilege and blessing to accompany my good friend Elizabeth and her youth group on a trip to New Orleans for the ELCA National Youth Gathering. Over 33,000 youth took over the city for 5 days, and the streets were filled with brightly colored shirts from all over the nation. The numbers were staggering and inspiring, but, like many stories worth telling, today's blog post will not deal with vast crowds of strangers.  Instead, I'd like to recount our brief experience with a single stranger on Canal Street.

The eight of us from Rejoice Lutheran Church in Coppell were walking from the French Quarter back to our hotel on Baronne street when an older gentleman, a tall African American man, approached us. As does much of the city of New Orleans, he seemed a little rough around the edges. He looked like he had endured his fair share of hardships in life, yet my initial instinct was to be skeptical of what this man had to say.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked.

At the adult sponsor orientation meeting the day before, we were warned about scam artists on the streets. A popular one is for someone to bet you that he can tell you "where you got your shoes." If you take the bet, he'll say "they're on your feet" and you'll be expected to pay up. This is exactly what I expected to hear, but not wanting to completely ignore the man who so directly addressed us, I allowed him to ask his question.

"Are you part of a Christian group?"

I eased my tension a bit, but I was still skeptical. The good scam artists will try to develop a connection with you first. By this time, we had stopped on the Canal Street sidewalk. All of the high school students in our group were watching my interaction with this man. I imagine they weren't quite sure what to expect, and likely they were as skeptical as I was.

Then he gently reached up and took my hand, looked into my eyes and asked, "Will you pray for Peter LaCoste?"

I think my eyes started to water. The sense of touch is a powerful thing that is often overlooked, especially in the Lutheran church. His request felt so much more powerful as he gripped my hand. I could literally feel the sincerity in his fingertips.

I responded, "Absolutely. We will."

I was shocked. Shocked that this stranger would have such a faith as to extend his prayer request to a random group of high school students, and shocked that I so immediately judged him and his intentions.  I can't possibly exaggerate how humbled I felt at that moment. There is so much prejudice in me and in the world, and all of it felt so suddenly visible. I felt filthy, and yet I also felt purged. God worked through this man's faith to allow me to ask forgiveness for a sin that, otherwise, I never would have noticed.

The man thanked us, undid his grip from mine, and went on his way. I looked at the youth as he left and they looked as moved as I did. "That was so cool," one of them said. It really was.

That night, after worshipping in the Superdome and then heading to one of the hotels for a dance, we gathered together for a quick devotion before the end of the night. As we began to close with prayers, one of the youth exclaimed, "We need to pray for that man!" "Yeah! What was his name?" another asked. I had written it down, so we wouldn't forget it, "Peter LaCoste." We prayed the prayer provided in the devotion book, and we added a provision specifically for Peter LaCoste.

I have no idea who Peter LaCoste is or why he needs our prayers. All I know is that there is at least one person on this earth who loves him so much that he asked a random youth group from Coppell, TX to pray for him. To exist in a world where someone can depend on the mutual support of strangers is a beautiful thing. To rest assured that there are others willing to grieve and struggle and empathize with us through our hardships may be the closest thing to heaven on earth we are able to experience in our lifetimes.

On Canal Street, in New Orleans, LA, two very different cultures were bonded by the power of prayer and human understanding, if only for a moment. What a miraculous moment that was. In those few seconds, I truly felt like I was part of a church of believers that isn't limited to walls, or state lines, but exists globally across all walks of life. I will continue to pray for Peter LaCoste not only for his sake, but for mine as well. For me, a prayer for Peter also represents a prayer for the larger community of the earth, that we all may put aside our prejudices and simply love like Jesus.

Lord, we ask that You watch over Peter LaCoste. We pray that he finds peace amidst whatever it is that ails him, that grieves him, or that causes him to struggle. May he experience the power of Your community in the same way that our group did. And may that community continue to flourish and lift up those who need to be lifted. May Your church recognize its shortcomings and strive to live in wholeness together in Your name. Amen.

God is Umbrella Hat

Who invented the Umbrella Hat? I haven't been able to find a straight answer yet, but for now I'm content with just basking in this feeling of "How about that guy!" What a bold invention. It's practical, allowing your hands to be free as you walk undaunted through the rain, but it sure is a social faux pas. No one who wears an umbrealla hat is going to become class president over night, I'm sure. But here's the thing: Imagine you're walking down the street or to class or something when out of nowhere, BAM! - sudden rainstorm. One of those freak events where the forecaster predicted a 10% chance the night before, and sure enough, the slim odds paid off. Then you and everyone around you ends up soaking wet and it's all a big wet mess by the time you get indoors.

Sad defeat

Now, imagine the same scenario, except you happen to have your bright rainbow umbrella hat with you. What once brought scoffs and maybe stares has now made you the sidewalk hero - who championed the rain with what was once socially unacceptable headwear.

Sweet Victory

Life often brings us rain (I'm talking metaphorically now). Problems and hard times appear out of nowhere. How much better prepared are we when we have a strong faith in God! Sometimes our faith can be awkward to display publicly. Sometimes people scoff at it or make fun of those who believe. It can often be socially unacceptable to be a Christian. But when things get tough, and you're still able to hold your head up and stay dry, people really take notice. Faith is an extremely powerful thing, and if you are able to wear it strongly and proudly, the more people will notice and appreciate it during those times when they could really use an umbrella hat themselves. God is Umbrella hat.

God is Floss

To my knowledge, I have yet to meet anyone who flosses as regularly as the dentist wants them to. And if I have, then those people have not been very good flossvangelists to spread that fact. Everyone knows that they should floss and they know that it's good for them, they just don't follow through with it because - I don't know. Maybe I don't floss enough because I'm just lazy, and I don't want to add another step to my evening routine. Maybe I feel like it won't really make a difference (though deep down I do know it's good for me). The lazy idea seems like the most logical one. Nevertheless, I always pack some floss whenever I'm going out of town. I guess it's a "just in case" type of scenario. Maybe I think my trip will be that magic moment when I decide to turn my life around, and I'm afraid I won't have my floss at that pivotal time. I never do, but I keep packing it nonetheless.

The funny thing is, I used to do the same thing with my Bible. Throughout high school, I would always pack my Bible when I went on family trips. I was never very good at keeping up with reading the bible, though. I'd bring it to bible studies to follow along, and I've grown up with decent Bible literacy, but I was never very good at reading it on my own in my free time, or for personal study. So I suppose, like with the floss, I was expecting some great life turnaround where I would spontaneously devote myself to regular Bible reading. Or maybe I was anticipating possibly needing some words of encouragement or comfort for whatever reason. Either way, I never really ended up opening the Bible on those trips.

 

Maybe if the Bible was bacon flavored...

I know that reading the Bible and daily prayer and other daily faith traditions are good for me, and I know I should do those things it's just - I don't sometimes. I think part of the problem is that it's possible to be a Christian without those things. If I go to church every Sunday and generally think good Christianly thoughts about my neighbor, my faith can survive. It just won't be as strong as it could be. Likewise, as long as I brush my teeth every day, my teeth aren't necessarily going to rot out. They just aren't going to be as clean and strong as they  would be if I flossed as well.

 And just look at those pearly whites!


So my wish for us today is that we all may take upon ourselves the responsibility of a daily faith tradition. May we aspire not for a faith that is merely alive, but a for faith that thrives.

Also, we should probably floss more.

Discussion Questions
1. Do you feel like you floss regularly enough (both literally and figuratively)?
2. Is there anything random you always pack on trips?

God is Loveseat

God is Love...seat. See what I did there? Clever, huh? So many people talk about how God is Love: Rob Bell, Gungor (one of my absolute favorite bands), the author of the Gospel of John, Jesus. So many people.  But so few people choose to talk about how God is loveseat. Now, I can't guarantee to you for certain that God is loveseat, but I do know one thing: God is most certainly NOT recliner.

Sorry, but God is not even rocket recliner

Recliners are great. They're big and soft and often in front of a television. They recline (It's true! That's what the handle is for!). They're perfect for either sitting or for taking power naps. I can't stress this enough: recliners are great.  However, God is not recliner. Recliners are very self-serving. They're fine for your needs, sure, but have you ever tried to squeeze two or more people in a recliner? Of course you have. And it didn't work too well, did it?

Enter the couch.

Fact: this couch is cooler than yours

The couch is great as well, for many of the same reasons. Plus, the couch is able to fit three, sometimes even four people within its friendly confines. You can watch TV on a couch or take power or even full naps on a couch.  Couches are bed-sized too, which is perfect for poor college students who need a place to stay. Some couches even turn into beds! Technology these days...

I could easily say that God is couch and be content with that conclusion. But I'm not here to tell you that God is couch, because I firmly believe that God is Loveseat. 

God. Do not look at for too long. 

What is Loveseat? (Baby don't hurt me!) A loveseat is like a miniature couch made for two people. If a recliner and a couch got together and had a lovechild, this would be it. To the best of my knowledge, this is how it got the name "loveseat" (couches don't have a "child," they have a "seat"). Growing up as a kid (as most do), I always associated a weird, awkward stigma with the loveseat, as if you had to be in love with whoever you sat in it with. Even up through junior high, if I was at a friend's house watching movies or something, I felt very self-conscious and awkward if I ended up sharing a loveseat with a girl (!). Looking back, though, I don't blame myself! Loveseats are a very personal and intimate piece of furniture. By sharing a cushion with just one other person, you're forming an invisible bond with them. Loveseats demand conversation! The only thing more awkward than sharing a loveseat would be to not acknowledge the person with whom you are sharing it. And once you start that conversation, you can't just both stare straight ahead; you've got to kind of twist to face the person, who is right there, next to you. No armrest between you, no other people to distract your attention. Less than a foot apart. The loveseat is where life gets real!

So can you see where I'm going with this? The love of God that we find in the bible, the love that Jesus and so many of His followers talk about is just like a loveseat. When Jesus calls on us to love one another, He isn't talking about Recliner Love. He doesn't want us to sit afar on our plushy thrones and love others from a distance. And he isn't quite talking about couch love, where you can love as a group, rather than individually, like how a group of people can love a football team together. Instead, God is Loveseat. God demands conversation. God wants us to have personal real relationships with other people. The love that Jesus taught isn't afraid to cut through the awkwardness and get close to those who need love the most. No distractions, no excuses, just real bonds being formed by real people, one on one, whether you're completely comfortable with it or not. I think you'll find that in loveseats and in life, things become a lot less awkward once you start that conversation. 

So may you cut through your apprehension and begin to love those people who have been sitting next to you your whole life. God is Loveseat. 

Discussion Questions

1. Where do you find yourself sitting most often (literally and figuratively)?

2. If you had a rocket recliner, what would you name it?

God is Pop-Tart

Well, the end of the world didn't happen last week. And it didn't happen yesterday either. That's not to say it won't happen tomorrow, or next week, or next year. But let's be honest, everyone knows it's going to happen next year. It's what the movies say!

Here's the thing about Pop-Tarts (or toasters really): I don't care how many hours you spend in front of your kitchen counter staring at your watch, when that toaster ejects those Pop-Tarts, it's going to take you by surprise every time. It doesn't matter if you're paying attention to it or not, the second those golden brown beauties are birthed from their toasty womb, you're gonna jump a bit. Don't pretend you haven't done it before. It's okay, really.

So it is with the end of the world. No matter how much you try and prepare for it, it's never going to happen exactly when you or anyone else thinks it will.

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man"

This is one way in which God is Pop-Tart. God is unexpected and mysterious. He is surprising even if you are expecting Him. Remember when God appeared to Moses in a burning bush? That was pretty crazy, right? God set the bar for the unexpected, and He likely isn't lowering that bar anytime soon.

But I digress. The end of the world and unexpectedness isn't actually what I want to talk about today.

No, I want to talk about having a personal relationship with Pop-Tarts. 

I hear they're starting to get serious

Now, when I mention having a personal relationship with Pop-Tarts, what are your initial thoughts? 

• What is he talking about?
• Is this serious?
• How can anyone have a relationship with foodstuff?
• I'm going back to Facebook now.

If you had any of these thoughts, you're likely thinking many of the same things that people think when they hear about having a personal relationship with Jesus (Except for the foodstuff one. Replace foodstuff with "A man that lived 2000 years ago").

My favorite Pop-Tart is unfrosted blueberry. It's what I grew up with, and it will never be defeated by the fancy new flavors the kids have these days. But just look at them:

  Seriously, look at them. Right now. 

They look like roofing tiles, or ancient bricks flattened down to a convenient size; they're something you'd discover at an archeological site. Perhaps made of mud, perhaps camel dung. You certainly wouldn't want to eat one. Whatever they are, they were strong enough to survive thousands of years, but they've long since served their purpose.

That's how a lot of people view Christianity, maybe a relic of history to be studied, but it's long since served its purpose. So when we talk of having a personal relationship with Jesus, I think we turn a lot of those people off. To them, having a personal relationship with a 2000 year old man makes just as much sense as having a personal relationship with a pop-tart. I think a big reason for this is that we've coined this phrase "personal relationship" and turned Jesus into a sort of an instant best friend. (See also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8)

To me, that's not what faith looks like. Having a "personal relationship" doesn't mean to me what most people seem to interpret it as. Having a "personal relationship" means diving into my faith and really committing myself to constant discovery and refinement. It means owning my faith and allowing it to live and grow and evolve. Maybe this is the message that needs to be stressed more than the idea of "Magic Jesus Friend."

So, to bring the conversation back to Pop-Tarts (at last!), what does it mean to have a personal relationship with a pop-tart? I'd say that means to actually take a bite! You can stare at that ancient brick all you want, but it's not until you take a bite that you realize it's filled with delicious blueberry goodness! What a joyous surprise! What once seemed to be an oversized communion wafer actually tastes amazing! You never would have made that discovery if it hadn't been for the bold action of taking the first bite, you bold action-taker, you. And you can't depend on wimpy little squirrel bites either. Pop-Tarts are clever. They don't start the filling until about a half-inch in. If you really want to taste the goodness, you've gotta commit to a legit bite. 

Christianity can indeed seem old and outdated if you look at it from the outside. But if you take the time to really explore it and discover it and make it a part of who you are, you begin to discover how powerful and beautiful it really is. In fact, Christianity can easily be just as powerful and beautiful as it was to those who witnessed Jesus firsthand. That's kind of a cool thing.

Strong faith is about action. It's about doing, learning, changing, asking, evolving, and becoming. Until you take ownership of your faith, you're never going to taste the blueberry. And how much you will miss!

There are two types of faith on opposite sides of the spectrum that don't quite become the living faith I think God calls us to:

1. The first type is shown the pop-tart. They see the pop-tart, and they're told that within the pop-tart lies a delicious blueberry center. But people with this faith are content with simply being told the pop-tart is delicious. Their faith may be strong, and they may truly believe that the blueberry center tastes like heaven, but they never actually take the action to taste the pop-tart themselves. It just sits on the table, slowly growing stale as they celebrate how great it tastes. To them, I say: Taste the Pop-Tart! It's there, you know it's there, and you know it will be great, eat it!
2. The second type is spoon-fed the blueberry filling. They've tasted the goodness, they know how great it is, but imagine eating nothing but a spoonful of the blueberry filling every morning. It would get kind of old, and kind of gross. Like the first type, this faith requires no actual action or investment. This faith is all frosting and no fulfillment. They may be filled up with glitzy worships and eloquent speakers, but it's all just a sugar rush. Without any further exploration or personal investment, they'll never be completely fulfilled. To them, I say: Take some spiritual risks! Bite the pop-tart yourself! Don't simply wait to be temporarily refilled by a spoonful of sugar every Sunday morning.

By taking actions such as studying, reading the bible, praying, serving others, or just learning as much as we can, we take ownership of our faith and realize for ourselves the beauty of God's story for us. May you have a personal relationship with pop-tart. God is Pop-Tart.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you eat your pop-tarts? (Both literally and figuratively)
2. Pop-Tarts come in many flavors. Does God?

An Introduction

Welcome to "God is ______," or "God is Stuff," because I'm not allowed to use "______" in a URL. I got this idea a couple weeks ago, in the aftermath of Rob Bell's "Love Wins" and the many controversies it inflamed. My friends and I, in a tongue-in-cheek attempt to come up with the thematic opposite of "God is Love" created "God is Fist." This version of God is everything love isn't (proud, boastful, etc. The whole Corinthians deal.) This version of God is not the version of God I worship. Nevertheless, it was fun to come up with, if not a touch sacrilegious.

God is fist bump, too

This inspired me to come up with some other "God is ______" statements, and I've realized it's really kind of a fun thing to do. By linking God and the traits I associate with God to seemingly random and bizarre everyday objects, I'm able to explore my faith and my specific beliefs in a way that feels less academic, yet somehow more revealing.

This is nothing new, of course. The bible is full of metaphors. When the writer of John says that Jesus is the light of the world, he isn't literally saying that Jesus is the sun. (Note: If you are reading this post aloud to someone else, use this time to clarify that Jesus is not the sun, with a 'u'. To the best of my knowledge, He is, in fact, still the Son, with an 'o.') In fact, Jesus (the Son, not the sun) seemed to prefer to use metaphors, or parables, to convey many of the truths of God. I absolutely can't guarantee that any of the truths I draw from my metaphors will be as accurate as Jesus's, but I'm doing the best I can to figure out the mystery of faith, and I assume that you are too.

I should take the time here to pre-disclaim that I personally believe that God is an all-powerful being that transcends human genders. However, for the ease of writing and to cover up the fact that I'll undoubted slip up every now and then, I'll likely be defaulting to masculine pronouns at times. Really it's just habit. However, for God, gender-specific pronouns become metaphor too, so I won't rule out my using some feminine pronouns when they seem appropriate.

God is a mother duck, anyone?

I'm looking forward to starting, and I hope you are too. I'll be writing the first post soon, with the expectation to about do a couple a week. Should be a fun ride, thanks for joining!

- Ryan