Mission UK: a few pics

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Mission UK: a successful start

we're back after a full 24 hours plus of traveling (27 hours for Zach and i)! you can view our latest updates and reflections at our trip site

leave your comments here (or there) -- send e-mails of questions or desire for more information in Touching the World for Christ through these missional partnerships with Guyana, UK and...

ready, set, mission:United Kingdom

i'll finish packing today and spend time with my family--one more night of trying to sleep before the long travel day to the UK. we're all eager to meet with Pastor John of the Birkenhead Church of God and all the other brothers and sisters of the congregations there.

traveling with me will be Zach Langford, Andrew Scollard, Michele Murray, and Linsey Gates (all of whom went on the Mission Sophia trip) and rookie Kimberly Janeway.

we will be meeting with the people, pastors, and learning about the ministry highs and lows. we will seek to discover a particular need that we can bring a team back to serve in the future, hopefully next spring.

we're in for a lot of surprises, English accents and dialect, driving on the left rather than the right, and summer temperatures that are similar to our winter! we should be experiencing a 20-25 degree temperature difference, as well as a lot of rain! follow the weather below.

for updates on our trip, with pictures and more, go to our trip site

thank you all for all of your support and prayers -- continue to pray for our safety, wisdom, favor, and the encouragment we can bring to our brothers and sisters in the U.K.

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

dining room

moving from the front door to the dining room is the next step. as we continue to use this home imagery to help us employ our ministry strategy of love, we can think about our own dining rooms

many dining rooms are reserved for guests, not often used by family unless its a holiday or special ocassion. in addition to the host and guests, there's the third element of the meal around which the interaction is structured with a definite beginning and ending. in between, the interaction takes place. the dining room is a place to entertain others, allowing an opportunity to get to know one another better. we said that the front door wasn't the place for relationship building; but at the dining room table, long silences can be more than awkward because there's the opposite expectation.

at the front door, we learned that hospitality matters to God.
at the dining room, we need to learn that how we socialize also matters to God.

in Luke 5:27-32, we read about Levi (aka Matthew) coming to follow Christ, and in the process introducing his friends/co-workers to Christ.
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

the guests at Matthew's party and maybe even the disciples were there for the food, the friends, the drinks, or whatever -- but Jesus wasn't simply there for the social, but the spiritual. the Pharisees only saw the socializing -- Jesus sees the strategic opportunity to relationally make a difference in their lives.

relationships are a two-way street--it takes both sides being able to come together. in this meal, we see that Jesus was a likeable guy whom "sinners" didn't mind sharing the table with, but Jesus was also a guy willing to get close to "sinners" so that he may impact them spiritually.

we have to begin seeing our opportunities to socialize as more than just a social, entertaining, possibility. we have to look with strategic sense of entering into relationships with others so that we have the opportunity to have Christ visible through us. so whether its a church pot luck or an office lunch date, we interact in a way that reveals our Saviror.

our church has several social events and activities. not just the special carry-in meals or picnics, but the regular, monthly activities such as Ladies Night Out, Ladies Bunco Night, Men's Breakfast, and Men's Night In -- (not all our activities are gender specific, it just happened that we have several like this) -- we also have Dinner for 8, and the not-so-spontaneous out for dinner after service moments. these are all "dining room" opporutninties. we have to get into the mindset and practice of using these opportunities beyond just the social time together, but to use them strategically as a means of moving others from our "front door" to these opportunities. in these opportunities, we need to share our lives with others as we get to know them. in doing so, like Jesus, we add value to their lives by including them and taking the time to be with them--we also open the doors for sharing what a difference Jesus has made in lives (not just in our words, but in our lifestyles and choices).

another way to view our interactions strategically is to practice what Bill Hybels calls "strategic consumerism" (Becoming a Contagious Christian). an example he gives is consistently going to the same restaurant at the same time, sitting in the same section so that you begin to be known by and to know your server. we had a family in Tennessee that all used the same hair stylist so that they were all scheduled every Thursday and they could regularly talk to her about her family and their lives, while also consistently extending her an invitation to a church event or service. for this practice to work, you have to be committed to the long term relationship building of trust --not just 1 or two visits and lowering the boom on them with an aggressive evangelistic appeal (of course, that could be what the relationship and Spirit calls for) -- but the practice is about entering into someone's life and allowing them to get to know you in the process so that they can see Christ alive in you.

whether in our own homes, at the local restaurant, or at the hair salon -- we have opportunities to interact positively and strategically to make a spiritual difference. how we socialize matters to God. let's make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16).

front door

let's now turn our attention from the larger ministry strategy to specific tactics for each strategy component. for now, we'll focus on the love component of serve love pray. let's answer the question, 'how do we move people into deeper love relationship with God and with each other?'

to think tactically about this love component, i'm gonna borrow some inspiration from the Northpoint Church in Alpharetta, GA -- they use a process they call "foyer, living room, kitchen." though i understand the generalities of their strategy, i've not studied it in depth -- i know that's how they help their folks and newer attenders understand how they progress in deepening interpersonal relationships. based on what we've been doing, and what i think the Lord is leading us to do, i've tweaked the process for our love component tactics and put my own spin on it--we'll use "front door, dining room, family room"

the front door is that place where people gain entry into your home. it's usually only used by those who don't know you, who aren't family--because if they knew you well enough, they'd use the back, side, or garage door entrance. at the front door, you make the determination whether or not to allow someone to come further into your home, to stay longer, or to send them away from the front door. sometimes the guest at the front door makes this determination based upon what they sense from you.

lasting relationships are not formed at the front door. the front door is formal interaction with a definite boundary--someone is in, someone is out. the front door leaves the insider with power and control, and the outsider uneasy and distant. what happens at the front door determines whether or not the relationship can continue--largely depending on whether an invitation to come in is given and received.

at church, we have front door opportunities -- moments when someone comes up to where we are comfortable, where we abide. what happens at these opportunities determines whether or not the guest will be back, or whether or not they will accept our invitation to come in further, to stay longer, to become a part of the family.

i think the dominant front door opportunity is still our Sunday morning worship. it's formal with definite boundaries, and has definite insiders and outsiders. strong intimate relationships are not formed within Sundary morning worship (but unfortunately, it's attendance is how we inappropriately judge the success of a ministry). it's a moment when decisions are made on whether or not to come in further and stay longer--a moment when hospitality has to be extended.

sometimes, front door opportunities happen at events, services, activities, and interactions that you wouldn't have classified as a front door moment--sometimes it's not about the place or program, it's about the person's stage of involvement with that church family. so hospitality isn't something we can just turn on for certain times, it has to be an extension of our love and service at all times.

Let's think about hospitality. hospitality matters to God -- it is an extension of love through grace and mercy. hospitality has been extended to us, allowing us to become at home in God's family due to the richness of his love lavished upon us, that we may now be called children of God (1 John 3:1). James 2 exhorts churches not to show favoritism to those who come into our midst. if we are not intentional about hospitality to all, we will unintentionally demonstrate favoritism to a few.

so, as the Church, we need to understand where/when our front door opportunities are so that we can demonstrate love through hospitality -- especially within our church where the love component is central in our very simple and visible minsitry strategy.

so, let me offer three things to help us better apply hospitality at the front door:

1. preparation -- if you know company's coming, you get ready. at our house, it's trashed or on the way to being trashed most of the time. so when someone comes unexpectedly at the front door, i usually just talk with them there--i'm not ready to receive a guest! but on Tuesdays in particular, the clutter is put away, the tables and countertops are cleaned, the floors swept, kids toothpaste residue is removed from the sinks, the toilets are scrubbed, the dishses are done, coffee is made and the cookies are fresh--why? because we know we'll have guests for the 20-something Bible study that meets in our house (and if they haven't eaten, i'm ready to cook 'em dinner). we need to take the same kind of care and mindset within our churches -- on the look out for guests, ready to help them feel comfortable and welcome, ready to demonstrate the love that God has shown to each one of us.

2. invitation -- you would think it rude if you were greeted at the front door by the host, then left standing there while the host went about their life through the house. yet we do that to Sunday Worship guests, and at other front door opportunities, all the time. we have to extend the invitation when we greet the guest, to come on in, stay longer, go further into the House. there are more opportunities for involvement and interaction--the guest has to know we sincerely want them to be a part of those other opportunities.

3. include -- when the guest is invited into the house, if there are others there, they need to be introduced. those who have been inside need to make room on the couch, get to know them, share their lives with them, and let them in on the subjects of the previous conversations. again, you would do this at a dinner party--why is it so difficult to do at our churches? the invitation may be the response of one to a guest, the including is the response of all the rest when the offer has been accepted. if the inclusion doesn't take place, the guest knows where the front door is, and they're likely to use it again going in the opposite direction. but if the invitation has been made and accepted, and inclusion has begun to take place--the guest may just be willing to join you in the dining room (but that's for next week).

what front door opportunities can you see within your own church ministries?
what is your current level of preparation--how can you help improve this?
how can you prepare yourself and others to be ready to invite and include?

ministry strategy & values in one

as we began speaking with this congregation years ago about the possibilty of leading them as their pastor, i began trying to seek what the Lord what have me to teach, to lead, what vision did He have for me to impart to the people. the Lord's reply within the stillness of my heart and mind was not a new mission/vision, just to help them accomplish the one they had--to help the congregation engage the world in a way as if Christ were moving through them.

as i prayed and thought, wrote and dreamed, the verse from Micah 6:8 continually came to my heart, "He has shown you, o man, what is good. and what does the Lord require of you? but to act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

as i medidated on these three godly requirements, it became increasingly clear to me that these would become the strategy, the means to which every member could commit themselves individually to fulfill the mission, and the framework around which we could focus our existing ministries or build new minsitries. the challenge became, how can we communicate these godly requirements strategically, creatively, simply so that anyone could remember them, but also in a way that it reminded them to act on them. so i summarized those three requirements in these three words, serve love pray

i never thought that these three words would make such a mark on my life -- i wanted them to mark our congregation, and be embraced by them to fulfill them, and thus fulfill our mission. i never anticipated how the linking of these three terms would resonate with others and become a source of inspiration and conviction. i never imagined simply typing these three words in a search engine would lead to our ministries. those things weren't on my radar -- i simply wanted a plan to help the congregation know how to do the thing they felt the Lord impressing on them to do.

to act justly means to bring about justice (equity, fairness, righteousness) in an area which lacks or is suffering from injustice. to do this means to get involved--to serve the need. but when you get involved in injustice, you're getting into a mess. you're getting involved in some "stuff." you're not going to be able to walk out clean -- you'll get dirty, you'll get challenged, you'll get broken. you can't make a checklist of injustices and start planning your palm and calendar around how long it will take to correct or bring it to justice. it's a day-to-day, relational, involved process -- often 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Just as God sent the Son out of glory to step into our mess, so we as his ambassadors with his servant-heart ought to likewise step into areas of injustice. acting justly may best be imagined through muddy feet.

to love mercy is to love completely. it's easy to love with grace--many believers and churches exel at love with grace, but fail in the area of mercy. as i've written on this blog before, grace begins the relationship. grace says i'll accept you with a clean slate and begin relating to you. but when there's a wrong, an error, a mistake, an abuse, or the mundane, routine -- mercy steps in and keeps you in relationship. mercy doesn't write you off, but it doesn't excuse away the wrong, either. mercy says, 'you're valued, this relationship is valued--let's begin again, but figure out how we can continue better than before." our God is rich in mercy, according to the Scriptures; so when we, His church/His people, are called to love as He loves us, then it ought to be a complete love, including both grace and mercy. if acting justly is best depicted by muddy feet, then loving mercy may be the extension of warm hands.

to walk humbly with your God, is perhaps the most beautiful and complete Scriptural imagery. i love the idea of walking with God -- that we're not just sitting on a hillside, basking in the sunlight. no, God has places to go, people to see and love, and we get to go along and participate--we're moving with Him. humbly--that is, not defiantly, not proud, not independently--when we recognize who God is, and who we are in relation to him, the result is humility. as i've said before, i say again, "if our relationship with God can be likened to a walk, then prayer is the road." prayer is communicating with the Lord to know where He's going, what He desires, what He's up to -- prayer is also the humble recognition that we need God. to not pray is a proud and defiant posture to His presence, that's why it should become a natural expression, as Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, 'pray continually' (1 Thessalonians 5:17). the final imagery then is with calloused knees.

God's instructions are always so complete--these Godly requirements that have formed our ministry strategy, also form the beginning of core values. we value service to the needs of others. we value loving one another in accountable relationships. we value prayer--individually, corporately, for others and with others--prayer of all types for all seasons.

so, we've seen the mission give way to the vision. we've seen the ministry strategy and the core values--but that's not it. if it were, it would still be just good intentions. there are other levels that have to be fleshed out so that the intention becomes practice and the practice become reality. the next level is the tactical level -- what tactics go along with each strategy to help create the reality. the tactics become the filters -- what are we doing, how does it fit through the filter? if it does, keep it--if it doesn't, tweak it or toss it.

over the next several weeks, we're gonna lay the foundation of tactics for the love strategy--specifically, how do we move people into deeper, accountable relationships with each other and with God. we could easily lay out all kinds of tactical projects/programs/services/events for the serve strategy -- we have many, and many are talked about each week. but how do we move folks into relatiohship, because that's what the love of God desires and what the church should facilitate. if we can begin laying this foundation, and begin filtering our ministries and our efforts, then as we serve we can also take the few that come in and want to know more, who want to connect, and help them know our Lord and one another.

these tactical strategies wll be based upon a home--they're loosely based upon the imagery of the Northpoint (GA) Church's assimilation strategy known as "foyer, living room, kitchen." the serve tactics will be under the "welcome mat" category once we start elaborating on those. the love tactics will be "front door, dining room, family room," and we'll start speaking on these next weekend.

Support Mission:UK

Mission UK is quickly approaching, July 20-30 -- it's quickly approaching because i have to set our reservations in the next month and i've not yet raised all my funds!!! i'm not doubting i will be able to go, i would just like to ask again for your help.

i of course need prayer for our group - we need prayer for preparation spiritually, relationally, politically, and financially. pray for our spiritual preparation as we get ready to learn about the challenges of ministering in western Europe--the lessons learned here will help us in preparing a strong missional partnership with our UK brothers and sisters, while also encouraging our own witness here in the states. pray for our relational preparation that we can overcome any cultural, linguistic, or preference barriers that the enemy may use to discourage us or our hosts. pray for policital preparation that those still awaiting passports to clear may see that quickly issued. pray for our financial preparation as we raise our funds, secure the best airfare and other expenses that we'll be facing.

to support financially, please send a check payable to "6th Avenue Church of God" to 716-6th Avenue S.E., Decatur, AL 35601. indicate "Mission/pastor" on the Memo line of your check. we will send you a receipt for your contribution that you can use in the preparation of your tax returns next year.

to add some motivation for your support, i will send you a gift based on certain donations. look at the list below and see how you may want to contribute. supplies are limited, so please act quickly...

$15 donation - first 5 donations at this level will receive the book "Know Him, Serve Him," a helpful book connecting the love of God and the love for others (paperback)

$25 donation - first donation at this level (1 book available) "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell -- a great book with a unique perspective on faith and discipleship (paperback)

$100 or more donation -- Framed motivational prints -- each of the pictures are poster prints with a metallic frame. The first four donations of $100 or more, will receive one of these prints -- you can indicate your preference, but i can only send what i have left. the quotes on each of the pictures respectively are:
Leadership - A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, shows the way (silver frame)
Teamwork -When we all work together we all win together (black frame)
Possibilities - The only way to discover the limits of the possible are to go beyond them into the impossible (gold frame)
Challenge - Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction (gold frame)

thank you for all your prayers and support

onward pt1

over the next several weeks, we're going to be laying the ground work to share a new tactical strategy to how we move ourselves and others into deeper love relationships with God and each other. this strategy will become the filter for how we construct ministries to fulfill the "love" component of our overall ministry strategy, "serve love pray."

but before we start talking about the ministry strategy, we've gotta begin on the foundations of that strategy--the mission, the vision, and then remembering what the big picture of that ministry strategy meant. then we'll start looking at how we can fulfil the love aspect.

so each week, i hope to re-write parts of the Sleepyheads message, maybe with more detail and examples than that service time allows. if you would like to listen to any of those messages and the resulting dialogue, you can always go to the Sleepyheads site. eventually, parts of these will show up on our church visit6th site.
so here's the schedule based on the Sunday date,
April 15 - Mission/Vision
April 22 - serve love pray
April 29 - Front Door
May 6 - Dining Room
May 13 - Family Room
May 20 - Conclusion

so, the mission and the vision...
before i get into explaining all of that, consider the following Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:13-15, 18-6:2; Romans 10:13-15
If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. ...All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

the mission of 6th Avenue Church of God, as we've recently re-written it is "To lead believers, individually and corporately to Glorify God, by Touching the World for Christ." Parts of this pre-date my leadership by many years -- other parts have been added to help clarify the how and why. (we've recently put all of this together as a part of the work our leadership has been doing). the mission of the congregation is the big picture frame, that part which shouldn't change regardless of changes culturally, in leadership, or personalities within the congregation. we were drawn to 6th Avenue's statement of "touching the world for Christ" -- we wanted to know how they were doing this? what international partnerships existed? what difference was being made in their local world? after not getting very clear comprehensive answers, we knew a large part of our leadership would be to help them pursue and meet the purposes of the mission they felt called to fulfill.

with leadership comes vision. how does the leader receive and perceive the picture of what this large, gaudy mission frames. in my mind, through my understanding of the congregation God has called me to lead as a part of His revolutionary Kingdom force in Decatur and for the world, this is how i see our vision: "that others in our world, from Decatur to every continent, would be able to see and know God because we got involved strategically, creatively, and compassionately."

so, let's break down that mission and vision...
when an editor prints text on a page, he knows it is only legible if the reader is close enough, and gives attention to reading the text. but if the editor wants people not to miss the story, they will add depth, thickness, and size to the text so that it is considerably larger, and the mere passerby wll be drawn to the message of the text and desire to read more of the fine print. in the same way, to glorify means literally to "add weight, or increase worth" -- we are called as amabassadors of Christ to make the message and image of God through Jesus Christ so clear, so unmistakeable, that people will be able to recognize, come to know, and receive Him.

Touching the World for Christ, that is continuing the ministry of Christ to Glorify God, is a BHAG--Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal--especially for a congregation of 40+. But i want to be a part of trying the impossible, and watching God make up the difference because we were willing to risk, willing to reach, willing to step out for His name's sake.

the first part of Paul's words quoted above essentially say, if we're talking crazy, attempting the irrational--it's for God. i want to risk all for Him who gave all for us. but the second part of Paul's statement essentially says, if we're speaking rationally, strategically, it's for you. as a leader, i cannot just hang the BHAG out there and expect it to be fulfilled -- i have to continually, patiently, and tactfully help each to understand why, how, when, and where the different aspects of this vision can be fulfilled -- i have to help us see this strategically, which brings us through the vision and eventually to the ministry strategy.

from Austin to East Acres, from Alabama to South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand (for the Australia/south Pacific rim) -- we want to be a part of ministering and partnering with ministries that makes people in those areas say, "i have seen and know God because these people got involved."

we need to do this strategically -- each aspect of our ministry strategy (serve, love, pray) needs to be further broken down into doable, measurable, and filtering tactics so that as the strategy is fulfilled, so too the vision will be fulfilled. each part of serve love pray touches the others--enabling a recycling of effort and activities. i'm having us begin in the middle with love, for that is how others will know we belong to God, represent God, and draw others to God as well as holding us firmly in unity. we'll explain new aspects of that strategy in afew weeks. we have to likewise be strategic internationally -- if we want to have worldwide impact, we need to be in missional partnerships with a church or group of churches on every continent -- we're attempting to that by 2010 (now that's really a BHAG)!

we need to do this creatively--if we keep doing what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always got. we cannot fulfill the definition of insanity (doing the same things over and over and expecting different results) on the way to touching the world for Christ. we have to understand the people in our immediate and surrounding communities--we need to understand their needs, their preferences, their language--we need to begin, as Jesus did, where they are, with what they understand, and lead them to the truth. Sleepyheads is an example of trying to creatively speak into a part of our community that has given up on church or never tried church. our use of technology and internet are also creative attempts -- we're not experts, but we're not going to wait until we are, either. similarly, we hope by sharing international perspectives, we can learn from and be encouraged, while similarly encouraging our brothers and sisters across the world, to see creative solutions to the obstacles to the Gospel.

and, we need to do this compassionately -- acting in the compassion of Christ, along with the character of Christ, is the wholeness of holiness. through such service, the love of God is fulfilled in our company and through our conduct, bringing Glory to Him. Angel Food has become an avenue of such compassion: as we serve our community, we meet them, develop trust, learn about each other, and we can offer further service along the way. our international missions trips also provide opportunities to act compassionately.

that is our mission; that is how i see the vision. our corresponding ministry strategy "serve love pray" will give us the means to fulfill them both--more on that next week...

Mission: United Kingdom

(Some of the following information is summarized from the book Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture, by Michael Frost. Special Thanks to Zach Langford for bringing it to my attention.)

In the book, Post-Christendom: Church and Mission in a Strange New World (2004), author Stuart Murray writes about the decline of the church in the United Kingdom, “the Methodist Church will have zero membership by 2037…the Church of Scotland will close its last congregation in 2033…the Church in Wales will be unsustainable by 2020.” By such numbers, Murray indicates that the United Kingdom is in the grip of post-Christendom which he defines as follows: “Post-Christendom is the culture that emerges as the Christian faith loses coherence within a society that has been definitively shaped by the Christian story, and as the institutions that have been developed to express Christian convictions decline in influence.”

One of the five Church of God congregations will be closing down this year. One is a new congregation beginning out of a home Bible study in London. The Church in the United Kingdom is definitely at a crossroads.

Is America too far behind? George Barna reports that only 13 % of adults and 7% of teens make decisions based on Biblical principles (The Barna Update, February 2006, “Americans Are Most Likely to Base Truth on Feelings”). Dan Kimball, in his book Emerging Worship, states that there is a growing restless with the increasing reality that the majority of our churches are 35 years and older, while asking where have the younger generations gone?

Our Church’s Vision has been “Touching the World for Christ;” to accomplish this, we want to be in missional partnerships with a nation on every continent by 2010. Working with and learning from the congregations in the United Kingdom help us not only create partnerships to Europe, but could help us increase our ministry effectiveness within the U.S. as well.

We invite you to come serve, love, and pray with us. reply to this post with your e-mail address to receive more information.

reflections on Happyness

my wife and i recently saw the Colombia Pictures' movie "the Pursuit of Happyness" starring Will Smith and his son. we had been anticipating the movie for awhile, and were afforded the opportunity to see it a few weeks ago during our anniversary date.

i recently heard someone say that they didn't like it because the preview was better, that is, happier. in fact, the movie may be the best titled picture of the year because 99% of the story is about the pursuit and you only get 1% of "happyness".

that 99% may be the most emotionally gripping cinema that i've seen. again, that i've seen. it was more than Hotel Rwanda largely because i anticipated the tragedy and that seems still so distant. it was more gripping than Schindler's List because of years of education of the atrocity of the holocaust. but what gets you in "the Pursuit of Happyness" is this is America, and this is today--more people are grinding, crying, dying for that one bit of elusive "happyness" today. there are so few success stories, and when there are success stories, we'd rather focus on the 1% of their story. oddly, in this way, this movie reminded me of Erin Brokowich (starring Julia Roberts).

at one point, Will Smith's character reflects on the words "pursuit of happiness" from the Declaration of Independence. he essentially points out the genius of Jefferson to use that word "pursuit," indicating that happiness could rarely be obtained or contained beyond fleeting moments.

that's what makes the Gospel such GOOD NEWS

unfortunately, some push it as a means to happiness, but the Gospel offers something better, lasting, and life changing--Joy. The Gospel (literally, "Good News") is that God loves us and offers us life in Christ. some may say, "i am alive." but actually, we're all dying, as this life is only temporary. in Christ, we will have life forever, but we also have the fullness of life now (with peace, hope, and love) which allows us to face all things with joy. and possessing joy is greater than pursuing happiness:

• happiness is fleeting, based upon circumstances. but joy is lasting and based upon Christ.
• happiness is a feeling based on the external; joy is an attitude based on the internal, or perhaps better said, the eternal.
• sources of happiness can be taken, but joy can be chosen, despite what is lost.
• so few are able to reach moments of happiness--all are given the opportunity to find joy in Christ for all time.
• happiness happens when you accomplish or achieve something--joy happens when you accept someone, Jesus Christ. consider the apostle Paul's words from Philippians "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (4:12-13).

"the Pursuit of Happyness" reminded me of all i have to be thankful for: wife, kids, roof, clothes, and so much more. but it also reminded me to lovingly pray for and act justly for others--because, i'm in the "business" of spreading and sharing joy.