Living into your calling

A few years ago, I was helping out with a campus ministry at a community college I attended.  The speaker that night was a guy I knew. He had played football at the junior college, went off to LSU, then transferred to Southern Miss where I went. The campus ministry had plenty of football players that attended the speakers and Bible studies. He and one of the current football players who was being recruited by various universities to play football were talking. As I overheard them talking, the question of regret came up. The speaker told the young football player if he could do it all over again, he wouldn't have went to USM. He would have went to a larger school where he could have had a better chance at being drafted. Now aside from my obvious disappointment at his disregard for our alma mater, I was struck by this statement in another way.Here was this guy who had a college degree, a beautiful wife (who he had dated as long as I had known them), got a chance to play college football, and knew the love of God. It began to dawn on me that he like many of us was not "happy" with his lot in life. He desired more than what he had been given. From listening to him speak, he was obviously successful in the career he had chosen and it allowed him to speak to students and make an impact on their life. I have no doubt he was exactly where he was called to be. The problem is many of us, myself included fail to live into our calling. For my friend, he would have been happier being a pro football player because to him it offered more value than what he was doing. Inversely there is my friend Catherine. As we were talking over facebook tonight, it dawned on me that Catherine was most definitely living into her calling. I'd only known Catherine about two years, but she had always been kind of quiet and reserved. The fact I'm overbearing and talk to much probably doesn't help encourage others to speak but it's my curse. However recently God has been doing amazing things in her life. She has shared ideas for outreach at the campus ministry I was a part of at Southern Miss. She volunteered to give her testimony to the youth group she is an intern with and is genuinely happy about both. She is living into her calling. She is making the most of life and speaking for God and about God in an unashamed way. Our calls change, but hers right now is to reach out to people and share how Christ has worked in her life and how God can work in theirs. She is experiencing the pure joy of how we feel when we live into our calling and are exactly where God wants us to be. As you go forward, look around and see the impact you making. Are you where God is calling you to be right now? Are you where you are supposed to be but not reaching out to who you are supposed to? I hope that anyone who reads this, can come to know the pure joy of the moment you realize that you are right where God has called you to be at that very moment in your life. The joy of realizing that we have the free will to choose the direction our life takes and we have chosen a path that is pleasing to God and allows us to work and build His kingdom.

-Shawn

Why Jesus isn't Taylor Swift or any other major music artist for that matter.

So I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of Taylor Swift but some of her songs are catchy. By some songs I mean all, because all of her songs are essentially the same. You're probably thinking, what does this have to do with God or Jesus. This is what it has to do with theology. Taylor Swift and every major musician/artist has one great trait about them that makes them successful. They know their audience. Taylor Swift makes what I call high school drama queen music. She's like a more dramatic Adele. Her music is predominately about her last boyfriend and how terrible he was during their relationship which leads to my statement of all her music is essentially the same song. Regardless of how I feel about it, she's obviously very successful at writing songs that express the angst of teenage girls. It's as I hear these songs and words, that I'm thankful God is not like Taylor Swift. That's not a slight to Taylor Swift but simply a statement about the greatness of God. Romans 1:16 that in the Gospel is the salvation for ALL who believes. See unlike Taylor Swift, God doesn't want to focus on one demographic. God wants all of us. He doesn't just want the girls who have been hurt by a relationship. He doesn't only want the macho guy that fights in the UFC, God wants all of us. He chases after us with a relentless passion. You see it's not that Christ can't tell a story that appeals to a certain demographic, it's just that Christ tells a story that is bigger than any one person, group, or even musician. You see I'm not a fan of the idea that God chooses certain people to save and others to condemn. I think that's so belittling of the power of God to save any and all he chooses. Many times when explaining God we use the reference of a parent. That's akin to a parent choosing to lavish all their love and praise on one child while neglecting the other child. God is right there with you. He's walking alongside us begging us to follow him. I find solace in the fact that I never truly walk along. All of us like "the chase". It's part of a relationship. Since it's usually a man chasing after a woman, men don't often think of themselves as being pursued. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We men are pursued daily by a voice saying "Come Son, follow me and I will show you the way." What a great story for all of us. I'm thankful God puts storytellers in the world. Artists, Musicians, Actors, and Singers tell great stories through art, song, music, stage, and screen. However God tells a bigger and better story. Quit worrying about if you're in His "demographic". You're one of his beautiful and glorious creations. We are all God's target audience.

Shawn

Service To Myself: Reflections From SOS:Legalism and Holiness

“I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God's creational intentions.” John Wesley

I know it's been a while, but I was dealing with a Hurricane. This is the final post in my SOS series. I didn't want it to drag on forever, so I narrowed it down. One thing that I realized this summer, is that no matter how much we preach on it, read about it, try to avoid it, everyone in the Christian community struggles with legalism to some extent. As I listened to my then coworkers and soon to be friends share their stories with me, the consistent stream was a struggle with legalism. Many had been raised in a home where while loving was more legalistic and moral than based on holiness and discipleship. Now there is a fine fine line between holiness and legalism. That I think it something as a whole the church doesn't often speak on even though it should. Holiness is living you life in a way that is pleasing and brings glory to God all while growing closer to God. Legalism is simply living a certain way to avoid God's wrath or to check something off the list. While I may be a tad biased because I am Methodist, many scholars agree there are not many theologians more well versed on Holiness than that of John Wesley. For Wesley, social and personal holiness were paramount to the life of a Christian. It is through holiness that grow closer to God and closer to the people God intends for us to be. It is through social holiness that the earth begins to look a little more like God's kingdom each day. Even in Wesley's day holiness was a struggle. We simply can no longer afford to live a  life of legalism and ignore the holiness that God calls us to. "Be Holy for I am Holy" 1 Peter 1:16. The move from legalism to holiness is a heart condition. What I mean when I say that, is that many things that we do that are legalistic, are only legalistic because of the desires of our heart when we perform them. Reading your Bible and praying daily is not legalistic. Taking communion weekly is not legalistic. When these things are done out of a desire to avoid God's wrath and to check them off your list they become legalistic. The prophet Isaiah tells "Your righteous acts are like dirty rags". When we do what Wesley would call "attending upon the ordinances of God" and we do them out of a desire for our heart to be molded to more like Christ, we shift from a life of legalism to holiness. Even holiness can become legalism if we let it. While we start doing things to grow closer to God, they too become like a checklist. I find this to be especially true of people who grew up in the church.A few of the best books on holiness I can recommend if you want to read more on the subject are below.My prayer for you as you read this, is may your heart be "strangely warmed" by the Gospel of Christ. May your heart draw you closer to Christ daily. May you move to a place where you serve God out of love and not out of expectancy.

"The spiritual poverty of the west is far worse than the material poverty here in India" Mother Theresa. 

"Why Holiness Matters" by Tyler Braun. It's an outstanding book that relates his real life experiences with legalism, holiness, and his own failures.

Holiness of Heart and Life by Charles Yrigoyen. An overall look at Wesleyan tradition and history as well as the holiness that marked the early methodist movement and led to revival. A must have for any Methodist bookshelf.

A Blueprint for Discipleship by Kevin Watson. This is by far my favorite book I've read in the last year. It talks about Wesley's Three Rules (Do Good, Do No Harm, Attend upon the ordinances of God) as a pattern for Discipleship and has some really great nuggets as it relates to holiness.