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I’ve been talking about the five “R’s.” The five “R’s” are 5 words that begin with the letter “R” that shape who I am and shape our church. The 3^rd “R” is Rhythm.

Rhythm. I could write a book on this. I know of no greater challenge or more important task in life. Yes, I mean that. What is spiritual rhythm? Some New Age weirdo connection to the primordial cosmic beat? No.

Our great task is to daily be in rhythm with God. First, it assumes that God is active and present in our daily lives (not distant and removed). He’s prompting us as we see someone, as we make a decision, as we do our work.

Using Rob Bell’s language in the Nooma video called Rhythm (available at the church office – 12 minutes length); God is like The Song that is always playing in our life. The question is whether we hear The Song and more importantly, are we in tune with the song? Do we hear it all throughout our day? Does our life dance go with his music? Using older familiar language, are we in sync with his will in the everyday activities of life? Do I do the dishes the way Jesus would like me to do them? Do I treat my family the way God wants me to treat them? Do I speak in ways so that others hear God speaking?

One of the reasons why so many have given up on the Church and Christianity is that they encounter people who call themselves Christians and go to church, who know tons about the Bible and yet seem very much out of tune with God. What they do or how they say things does not reflect that they are really hearing and living with God in that moment. In my message this weekend called “Go to Hell!” I’ll talk about those who believe in God and yet are totally out of sync and rhythm with God. Jesus called them hypocrites. Jesus essentially told them to go to hell (You’ll have to listen to the message to know why I make that conclusion).

May we be in rhythm with the living God and may we sing his song in our words, actions and decisions. May others experience the living God in us in our everyday lives.

Finally, if you want to join us in participating in Lent, we have a devotional guide that you can print from the following link on our web site - Lenten Guide download

Together to make the world different,

Glen

Last week I introduced the first of five “R’s.”  These are 5 words that begin with the letter R that have a strong influence on me and who we are as a church.  The second “R” I want to introduce is Risk. 

I decided to do a quick dictionary check on the word “risk.”  Like the first “R” – Revolution, this word doesn’t sound like fun and it certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.  Here were a few of the definitions:

• The possibility of suffering harm or loss; danger.

• A factor, thing, element, or course involving uncertain danger; a hazard.

• The variability of returns from an investment.

• One considered with respect to the possibility of loss: a poor risk.

But this is EXACTLY what Jesus calls us to.  My paraphrase of Jesus’ teaching in Luke 14:25-35 and Matthew 19:29, 30 (and other places too) is this: “Risk everything to follow me.”  We might lose dear relationships and friendships, it will cost security and safety, we will risk our futures and we will walk by faith.  And faith is risky as the Bible says because it is “walking not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

I am committed to taking risks.  I am also committed to not being a fool.  There is a tension sometimes in taking a risk and fearing that others may think I am a fool.  When I decided to follow Jesus, there were some who thought I was a fool and in that case I, like the apostle Paul, became a fool for Christ (1 Cor. 4:10).

As a church we must take risks.  If we want to accomplish great things for God, we must take risks.  If we truly listen to God’s leading, he will ask us to take risks.  With all godly risks, there is the potential for loss.  Sometimes a risk will upset some people and they might be unkind in how they speak of us or even reject us.  Every risk costs somebody something. 

Most churches in America are both small and lacking influence for Jesus because they are NOT willing to take risks – which most of the times means they are not willing to upset anybody.  I would rather risk and even sometimes fail than never to have risked for God.  Faith is risky and risk requires faith.  Risk requires a big God to do big things.

As I read Jesus in the Gospels it is clear that he took risks, called us to risk and he upset lots of people.  Even the cross itself was THE HUGE RISK!  His suffering and death did not guarantee we would choose to come back to God.

Pantano Christian Church will take risks to reach new people for Jesus.  You’ll hear about some of those risks throughout this year.  We’ll take risks to see communities transformed.  We’ll take risks to reach out to people groups and cultures that don’t know Jesus.  And in the latter, the risk can even include the risk of life itself.

Risking together to make the world different,

Glen

In a quiet time this week I was reflecting on some things that I really value. I think they make a huge difference in who I am and they have great power to affect our church. It just turned out that they all started with the letter “R.” There were 5 so I’ll call them the Five R’s. I want to write about them over the next few weeks. Here are the Five R’s:

Revolution

Risk

Rhythm

Relationships

Reproduction

Here is R #1. It was the first message of the current weekend teaching series called “Surprised by Jesus.” R #1 is REVOLUTION.

The Jesus revolution is introduced in Matthew 4:17 – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (NIV). The Message translation has it this way: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”

Wes White writes a great summary and paraphrase of Jesus’ revolution message:

“The radical revolutionary empire of God is here, advancing by reconciliation and peace, expanding by faith, hope and love – beginning with the poorest, the weakest, the meekest and the least. It’s time to change your thinking. Everything is about to change. It’s time for a new way of life. Believe me. Follow me. Believe this good news so you can learn to live by it and be part of the revolution.”

The most revolutionary of all prayers is found in the Model Prayer in Matthew 6:10. We are asking God to do something revolutionary when we pray: “Your kingdom come, you will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

What a miracle! What a revolution! Imagine God’s influence touching every aspect of our day and life! Imagine God having his way with us all the time! Imagine God affecting our world as he influences all who are in heaven right now! That’s the revolution – a God revolution. The revolution is God’s real presence in our life that changes us and changes those in our immediate world.

Every day we decided to join or stay in the revolution. Or we settle for status quo. We either choose to change the world or let the world change us. We seek either to influence others or be influenced. We are revolutionaries or participants in the conventional world as we know it. Daily we choose.

Jesus is serious about this. He gave his life to launch this revolution.

Together in a revolution to make the world different,

Glen

A letter to men about Valentine’s Day (Ladies, you can read it too):

 Men, here we go again, the one day a year where most of us will struggle to say “I love you,” in the “right way.”  We will wait too long to make dinner reservations, so we will have to eat take-out Chinese, the Wal-mart chocolates will be stale and the plan to buy flowers on the way home from work will find the flower shop sold out or we will be asked…”you just thought of this didn’t you?”.  I think St. Valentine was really just an imaginary man created by a woman who wanted to experience love in some romantic way.

 Wow, there’s a thought.  Love should be experienced?  How do I communicate my love to my wife in a way that brings her honor and makes her heart go pitter patter?  I have a confession.  I proposed to my wife on the Golden Gate Bridge during a surprise one-day trip to San Francisco. Now I know I was a fool.  Not for proposing…but for setting an expectation of a romantic genius that I have failed miserably to live up to ever since.

I know that Valentine’s Day is one day, not THE day, for communicating how much I love Robin. It is a daily privilege.  She is my best friend, my partner, my mate, my lover, and is more intimately tied to me than anyone else in the world. 

 Experiencing Love is a gift that God has given us through this incredible relationship called Marriage.  You may or may not be great at sweeping your sweetheart off her feet and keeping “romance” burning hot in your relationship, but we all need to know how to say “I love you.” Helpful tip: love is not spelled with three letters starting with s and ending in x, which is not always done in love.  Ephesians says love is about honor, about putting someone else’s needs and desires above our own. 

 Currently I have the opportunity to help 18 couples prepare to get married through marriage prep classes.  How fun it is to share the truths of Ephesians 5:22 and following in regards to how we men are instructed to love our wives!  The picture given is to love our wives as Christ loved us…He willingly and humbly gave His life, status, reputation, and position in Heaven so that we would know and experience His love!  Not an easy task to copy, but what a great challenge it is for us to try and copy Jesus by constantly evaluating our decisions, our conversations, our habits, our free time, and our priorities in the context of how they communicate love to our wives.  (This puts the dilemma of what to do on Valentine’s Day in a perspective far easier to deal with, but not nearly as exciting.) 

My encouragement to you men then is this, use this impending “Day of Love” as a catalyst to help your sweetheart experience love.  And then follow it up every day in little but significant ways. 

 Ideas for February…and Valentine’s Day:  1. Pick up your underwear and put them in the hamper. 2. Write love notes/e-mails once a week…tell her why you love her or why you fell in love with her.  3. Make plans now for Valentine’s. (The church is hosting a Valentine’s Banquet if you need a place, but this weekend is the deadline) 4. Do one of her chores for her, one that she does not like to do. 5. Get home a few minutes earlier than you said you would (one of my personal challenges) 6. Give her a no expectation back rub.  7. Lead her in a prayer for your relationship and marriage.  May whatever action you decide to take, be a reflection of Godly love, and not just a holiday token. 

Good Luck, Men, I know it’s tough to say I love you at times, but let’s be more determined than ever to say it loud and clear.  Send me your stories; I would love to hear how it goes.  rblumenthal@pantanochristian.org