New Job

I start a new job today. I am excited. So excited that I would be okay if it was my last job.

For me, this job is the completion of a journey, the continuation of a journey, and the birth of a new journey, all in one.

This life path was significantly propelled in 2005, when at a conference I heard first hand stories of God’s justice becoming a reality in extreme ways. As the founder of International Justice Mission described rescuing children from brothels and slaves from brick kiln factories, my heart came alive. I wanted my life to be given fully to God and his justice and love becoming a reality for others.

I left that conference with a fire in my heart but frustration in my mind. I was compelled but confused. And after a couple years of listening, God clearly spoke. This led to founding a nonprofit and investing in many more. I went on mission trips. I designed and hosted nonprofit websites for free. I volunteered and helped with events. Taking a project management job a year ago at a media firm, I spent as much of my free time investing in nonprofit work. My hope was that in 5 years, I would have enough business and nonprofit experience to land a management position at a nonprofit focused on addressing both physical and spiritual needs. That 5 year plan got fast tracked a couple months ago when Jeff Romack from ServLife approached me.

I’ve been a part of the ServLife community for over 8 years. I’ve led teams on trips to India and Nepal. I’ve volunteered at events. I’ve donated. I’ve attended the intimate book release of the founder. I’ve been a fan. So when the Executive Director asked me if I would be interested in chatting about joining their staff, I quickly yet tentatively said yes, let’s talk. Later that day when my wife shared her excitement, my reclined heart leaned forward.

About a month later, after much discussion and prayer, I accepted the position of Director of Operations at ServLife International. I am excited and intimidated and overwhelmed.

I would greatly appreciate your support and prayers. And I invite you to join me in what God calls us all to:

To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
(Micah 6:8b NIV)

The Invitation

God invites us.

To be loved. To come home. To sit on his lap. To be embraced. To be his child. To be understood. To be forgiven. To be challenged. To a purpose. To a mission. To an adventure. To be his ambassador. To be his hands and feet. To be persecuted. To be safe. To understand. To know. To be overwhelmed with mystery and wonder. To be compelled. To be inspired. To rest. To be. To go. To love.

High School Football

I love sports movies, which is ironic because I’m not much of an athlete. But the stories of adversity, endurance and triumph are so compelling and moving. They inspire and speak to me in a way that mere words cannot. Whether it is the naive, chatty Rudy or the quiet, resolute Vince Papali, they do not give up and they do not back down.

I only played one year of high school football, and I was terrible. Lanky, uncoordinated and inexperienced, I struggled to keep up and understand plays. I wanted to be starting quarterback but was nearly the water boy. I was the guy you wanted to lead a musical cast, not a defensive line.

Despite missing summer practices and two-a-days, not to mention my musician hands and athletic disabilities, I started on the kick off team every single game. How, you ask? I didn’t give up. Trite as that may sound, it is true. I ran hard, worked hard, and ran hard. I finished every running drill and exercise out front with the fastest guys on the team. Yeah, they could probably beat me up with one hand tied behind their back, but they couldn’t shake me on the field.

While I never won the game for my team, I found one thing I could do and did my best. You can do the same. You may find yourself outside your comfort zone, outside your vocational expertise, but you can still do your best. You can still run. You can give it everything that you have and play this role at this time in your life and do a good job. Just don’t give up.

Flagstaff

Last weekend I visited my friends Chris and Angela in Flagstaff, AZ to celebrate their church plant’s five year anniversary. They have been through much hardship in those five years, including losing founding members, financial challenges, and much more. But they are still there, and are not going anywhere. They have not given up; they have stood up.

I was reminded of Psalm 18:25 that says God is faithful to those that are faithful. As I looked around the room last Sunday morning in a coffee shop hosted church service, I saw God’s faithfulness in this church. From the couple with new child that have served in leadership for five years to the young lady that just arrived from Los Angeles. God is telling a story in this community of His faithfulness and love for all people, and it was beautiful to get to see it first hand.

It rains a lot in Flagstaff, but what is unique is that it is almost always sunny, even during the rain. It served as an appropriate metaphor for this young church. Chris and Angela, may God continue to shine through the rain and prove Himself a faithful Refuge for the brokenhearted.

Travel

I used to work for a church. When I traveled for the church it was to attend a retreat, a conference or lead an international trip.

Now I work at a business. And I recently went on my first bona fide business trip. Indianapolis to Jacksonville, FL, then Atlanta, GA, then back to Indianapolis, all in two days flat. All expenses paid. I like that last part…

I love to travel. I think it is mostly due to the 62.9% of me that is introverted. I never do more pleasure reading than when I am on a plane. And earbuds full of well chosen music can transcend any travel woes that may befall. Thus, I do not mind flight delays or screaming infants. Seriously.

We all recharge in different ways, and it is hard to prioritize things like solitude when our lives are full of work, church, family, volunteering, etc. But if we do not make it a priority to be in the rhythm of our lives, we will lose perspective, energy, motivation and even peace. Do not wait for your next business trip to sneak in a recharge. I won’t either.

Worship Songwriting

God created us all for a purpose. Generally, we are to reflect his glory and return his affection. Specifically this happens in unique ways. We are all made to glorify God by being the best version of our original selves as possible.

God has made people of every genre, and he is an amazing artist. He has made incredible accountants, lawyers, poets, architects, bartenders, managers, painters and more. When we are lazy and not living into our potential, I imagine that God yawns and shakes his head. And hopes that we will change.

Worship songwriters, let me now address you for a minute. Yes, David Crowder, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Chris Tomlin, Kim Walker-Smith, Chris Quilala, Michael Gungor, John Mark McMillan, Jeremy Riddle, Kristian Stanfill, Martin Smith, Jon and Tim Nuefeld, Paul Baloche, Darlene Zschech, Glenn Packiam, Lamont Hiebert, Erik Cooper, Nathan LaGrange, Nathan Partain, and many many more international and local worship songwriters, I’m talking to you… Some of you have been amazing at pushing forward musically and lyrically (Gungor and McMillan, I’m looking at you…). But some of you have been lazy. Really lazy. Just because Matt Redman can pull off a simple line with incredible depth does not mean that you should try to write simply all the time. Now, I must admit that I have contributed to this problem. I have written some terrible lyrics in my day and am SO glad I discovered the power of co-writing a few years ago. But I can still improve. I must. I can. We all can.

So after two decades of leading worship, let me humbly request the following:

Please do not

• regurgitate the same lines from old worship songs and put them into new songs.
• use a religious term to end a line simply because it will rhyme.
• default to religious language because it is common.
• use “Lord” or any name for God as a comma.
• repeat the same word or phrase over and over if it can be avoided.
• overuse the words following words: light, shine, you, your, woah, yeah, oh, holy, glory, sing, praise, lift, mountains, voice, awesome, raise, grace.
• use future tense when present tense will do, especially if we are already engaged in such activity. (eg: we will praise, we will sing, we will stand)

Please be

• creative.
• a good poet.
• melodic.
• theologically sound (not theologically popular).
• unwilling to settle.

The church needs artists. We need songwriters. And we need you to be the best that you can possibly be. Some of us have a lower ceiling than others, but we must continue to push and grow and not settle. There is greatness in us planted there by the greatest artist of all. May our best continue to emerge as we reach higher.

Thank you.

David

I sat with David for about an hour yesterday. He has captured the hearts of our team here, but has a literal hole in his own. He desperately needs heart surgery. Albert has spent the last few weeks trying to get David’s family to take him to the hospital, or grant permission for Albert to do so. David’s uncle should arrive today and Albert hopes to acquire such permission. The second hurtle is the money for the surgery, but our team has assured Albert that it would be covered. We will figure out a way.

I sat with David and showed him pictures of my family and my son David. I slowly told him the story of David and Goliath. I prayed with him. I took his picture and let him take mine. I made animal noises. I did anything I could to make this sick, sad boy smile. He has only smiled a handful of times, and heaven breaks in when he does.

Leper Hospital

We made plans to visit the leper hospital this morning, and I had forgotten what a difficult experience that is. After a difficult and hot hour-long drive, we arrived at the Little Flower Leper Hospital. Abraham greeted us and escorted us through the wards. We walked into rooms full of 20-30 people afflicted with leprosy. Many had digits missing from their hands and feet, and some, limbs missing. Their bandages were speckled with blood spots, and it looked more like a war hospital that those afflicted with an old, treatable disease.

We walked down the rows of beds and made eye contact with those who had been sent away from their families and rejected by society. The simple act of looking them in the eye and greeting them, “Namaste,” brought a smile to many faces. In each ward we would engage this slow processional, adding hugs and hand shakes along the way. Then we would sing a worship song or two. I found myself choked up a number of times and struggled to keep from bawling in front of everyone. The music seemed to be a comfort to them, and some clapped or hummed along.

Abraham escorted us to the main office down the street where we met Brother Christa Das, who founded the hospital in 1982. He has skin of old leather and a heart of joy, and would quickly and easily break into a 4 tooth smile. On his wall were awards and a magazine from a few years back with him on the cover as India’s Man of the Year. We sat with him for about half an hour and asked questions about the hospital and his journey. He worked for 14 years in Kolkata with Mother Teresa, and shared her challenge to “preach without preaching.” His reasoning for living his life this way was quite simple. “Jesus said to care for the least of these. I believe the least of these here are lepers.”

As the team debriefed later, we concluded two things. One, that we will most likely not experience a resolution from our uncomfortable experience at the leper hospital. And two, we need to determine who the least of these in our lives are, and respond with love and sacrifice.

Make A Joyful Noise

“If you are going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”
- 1 Cor. 1:31

I’m listening to the kids singing upstairs, worshipping God and singing/yelling at the top of their lungs. It is a beautiful, joyful noise.

Today has been a good day. This morning Albert took us to their new land. I was there 4 years ago when it was only a large empty space outlined by a property wall. Today stands the first of four buildings. It will hold Albert and his family, all the children, and have space for visiting teams like us. It is a big step toward a God-dream that Albert is saying yes to. Eventually there will be buildings to house 1,000 orphans, a school and a training school for pastors. We stood on the roof and prayed that these dreams would become reality and God’s will would be done. That the opening of the front gates would be opening arms of love to all that enter. We prayed that the government would not take a portion of the land to build a new road. We prayed that it would be a place used by God.

The light of God’s love shines brightly in dark places, and this ministry is definitely a beacon of light and love here.

Flying to India

I brought a “travel” journal with me. The last entry was made 3 years ago while in Kolkata just before my wife and I picked up our son from the orphanage. Then no more entries in the travel journal. A ten month old will do that…

Now he is 4, and my 8-year-old daughter sits next to me as we fly to India. Carolyn is excited, and we are joined by 5 others from our church: Micah, Jordan, Arielle, Carrie N. And Carrie T. We are headed to Bihar, India where Micah will run a 5 day photography program for the kids in the orphanage. I am “leading” this trip, which means logistics, finances and pastoral care. It is a solid team and I am not worried.

Before hopping on our first flight, Arielle pulled out some “get to know you cards” and we socially jumped right in. This is going to be fun.