A Little Surprise For Mayme

I was bummed to discover yesterday that I wasn't going to be watching an exciting new Star Trek movie this weekend. The new movie isn't coming out until next Thursday, May 7th, not this Thursday, May 1st. Buuuuuummer! I'm not a creepy Trekkie or anything, but I have been known to indulge on occasion.

I was commiserating over this Star Trek deprivation with Jan and Mayme here in the office yesterday afternoon and found almost no sympathy from either of them. Though I know it may be disturbing and upsetting to many, neither of them seemed to care very much about my Star Trek suffering. They weren't even being nice about it. Trying desperately to properly enlighten my misguided female friends, I told them how some European reviewers are already saying this newest Star Trek movie might be "the very best of all of them."

And then Mayme said it...without any concern whatsoever for my feelings, without any thought to her own job security or potential Ground Hog wrath...from her office down the hall I heard:

"Hey, the best of stupid is still stupid!"

Ooo, that stung! And her tone was mean too! She was so very quick with it! I was so stunned and surprised I couldn't even respond for a moment. It was such a perfect put-down, so perfectly well timed, even I, a relative expert at snotty comebacks, had to step back in momentary awe. There was a brief moment there where I thought I might actually tear up and get weepy a little.

And you can't just come back with any old "says you" jibe when you've been pierced through the heart by a master. There are rules here. But now it's been 24 hours and I still haven't thought of a good comeback.

So let's gang up on her. Sure, I know that might not be the mature, Christian or sporting response, but hey, we can't just let the punks win, can we?

I'm not completely sure what I'm asking for here, so almost any idea or suggestion is worth considering.

May the truly great and terrible armies of Kirk arise!

Surprise me!

Surprise Me God - Facebook Chat w/Tim Kulla

Timothy: Yesterdays Surprise at work....I left a message for a co-worker with my patented "WOO HOO" on it. She came down to tell me it made her day...so I guess I was the Surprise.

Pastor Kevin: Good for you, Tim! But this "Being The Surprise" stuff is for the next series we're doing in the fall so be sure not to do anything nice for anyone until then, okay? :)

Timothy: Hey bring that up with God - He is the one at work!

Pastor Kevin: Good Answer!!

Timothy: God Answer!! :):) :):)

Pastor Kevin: You rock, Tim!

Timothy: God is the one rocking through me....WOO HOO!!!!!

Surprise Me God - The Unsurprising Path

I've just started reading Andy Stanley's great new book The Principle of the Path. I haven't finished it yet, but the gist of the book is that the path we're on is definitely leading somewhere, so make very sure you're on the right path. It is a thought-provoking read; I'll say more about it in another post when I'm finished with it.

After a lunch meeting with Brian Turnquist up at Bethel today, I was driving down to see Jeanette Holm in her nursing home in Eden Prairie. I'd never been there before and always find Eden Prairie confusing anyway, so I pulled out my little cheapo GPS unit, plugged in the address and hit the "Go" button. I then sat back in my seat and mindlessly began to obey the occasional voices telling me where to turn.

Unfortunately, my GPS steered me wrong. First, it sent me on what might have been a geographically faster route years ago, but it paid no attention to all the stoplights and traffic it mechanically sent me through. Then, when I got down to the new 35W/62 crosstown construction area, the thing went crazy. Completely unaware of the pretzel 62 has now become, it went into "recalculating" overdrive! Eventually, I just ignored it and headed for Eden Prairie, trusting the machine would figure me out eventually. It did.

Sometimes I wonder if we're often so blindly following and obeying the sinfully damaged, roboticly blind GPS instructions of this world, we're not even in the right ZIP code to notice or experience the best surprises of God. I think so. I know that's true in my case.

I wonder if that isn't one of the biggest reasons God does/allows some of the drastic things He does in our lives. We're on the wrong road, zooming 100 MPH in a direction we don't want to go, often toward a cliff we don't even know is there. And so God steps in and blows a tire or two...anything to get us stopped for a moment and rationally rechecking our path and progress. God allows an unpleasant surprise, so He can get us back on the path toward His best surprise.

Perhaps one of the most important steps in a properly/pleasantly surprising life is making sure we're using the right GPS! Make sure your "God Positioning System" is properly set before leaving the garage!

Just a thought.

LORD, surprise me by showing me all the best paths to all your best surprises!

Amen.

Surprise Me God - Kaye Stickler

I love nature!! Rocks, birds and flowers are the things that grab my attention.

Rocks were brought home from many states (when Ken and I travelled); from the North Shore and a hand picked trailer load from a farm near Princeton. They all surround many flower beds in my yard.

The birds fly free everywhere.

The flowers are planted after being purchased or are received as gifts. Sometimes they come as a surprise gift from the birds!

My daughter-in-law, Carrie, loves flower gardening as much as I do, so we swap and share. About four years ago, she was given some "extra plants" from a neighbor. She gladly took them - and gave me some she didn't want or didn't care for. Of course I gladly accepted them. I asked her what they were - some I knew and some I didn't. She informed me of the ones she remembered, but one she couldn't think of, but had a suspicion it was a clump of weeds that were included by mistake. The clumps were nice and green and healthy, so I planted the "possible weeds." These weeds grew nicely and filled a nice spot the flower bed. It grew every year. Last year I invited my real garden friend to come over and identify these lovely green plants for me. She looked at them for some time, then finally she grinned and said, "Kaye, I really think they're just weeds, pull them up and trash them." But how could anyone trash them? I couldn't, so I let them stay in my flower bed - such beautiful weeds! I called them my "Carrie plants."

One morning last week I prayed, "Surprise Me God" and left the answer to come from Him. Later that day I was walking the sidewalk close to the flower bed where my mystery "Carrie plants" were growing, checking all the plants that were beginning to come up. My eyes immediately noted that somehow my "Carrie" plant was different, so I went into the flower bed to look closely.

What a surprise I got!! It was loaded with beautiful, delicate, blue/purple bell shaped flower clusters around the base of the leaves close to the ground. Thank you, God, for a beautiful surprise, but what are they??

I quickly got my favorite flower guide book and looked for the wildflower section. There it was! My Carrie plant! Wow, was I excited! Now I know what it is - wild ginger!! How happy I am that I didn't pull it out and trash it.

God's surprise for me that day reminded me that even though we may look like weeds and should be discarded, the Lord has made us in His image and we are all beautiful in His eyes. He has a purpose for each of us. We are to look for the beauty in others, even though we may not find it as soon as we should.

Lord, give us patience and wisdom!

Amen

Surprise Me God - Helen Sandberg

My Sunday started with a pancake breakfast with the Kiwanis party. Then to Elim for Sunday School and a great church service. I was anxious to hear from the hospital - hoping for a positive message from God. At 1PM, I was on duty as a "greeter" at a Childrens' Home Society "Appreciation Tea."

My day of "Surprise Me God" was filled with so many wonderful "surprises" - all of love, hugs and caring souls. My spirit was lifted and I thank God for all He provides - in so many unexpected ways. We just need to take time to listen - He really cares.

Surprise Me God - Bikes Out Of The Blue

As we progress through this surprise me experiment, I find myself praying for surprises for others more than myself. While of course there are a lot of ways in which I would selfishly like to see God surprise me, mostly I feel an almost constant sense of personal surprise anyway. That is one of the wonderful components of being a pastor; for better or for worse, life is constantly surprising. While I would like to experience more of God's power and surprise personally, I count myself fairly content with my life, work and situation; maybe too content. I just don't feel very surprise needy.

So I find myself thinking of and praying for surprises for others. I have a good friend who will need new employment after Friday. I would dearly love for God to surprise him with a great new position and vision for his future. (I've actually got several people around me falling into this employment surprise category.)

I have some friends suffering memory loss and Alzheimer issues. Boy, would I love to see surprisingly enduring moments of clarity for these dear ones!

There is a friend facing yet another horrific surgery and several friends dealing with awful illness. There is a dear elderly man I know trying to put a good face on one serious medical problem simply because it isn't a worse medical problem. I would sure love to see some godly "silver and gold" lavished on these beggars! I would sure love to see some Acts 3 running, jumping and dancing!

And then there are my lonely friends. I am so completely spoiled in this area! Yesterday, as she was badgering me to hurry up for our evening walk, I playfully accused Monica of trying to control my life. She responded, "Well, Kevin, I don't get to control anyone else's life - so you're the only one I get to control! Everybody has to control somebody, Kevin! That's just the way things are. You're mine to do with as I wish." She said it with such cuteness and feisty twinkle...I am such a blessed guy! How I wish all my loneliest friends could connect with somebody as we have. Friendship is such a lovely, wonderful part of life!

I wish God would surprise my friends in Ely with a new pastor and the entire Ely community with new life and opportunities. (And I sure hope they get surprised by those Olympics in 2016 like they're hoping!)

I pray God surprises Mayme (and Dave) with the extra energy necessary to finish these last few weeks of seminary strong and victorious.

I could go on and on. My surprise wish list is huge!

Earlier today, God did answer one of these surprise desires of mine. A new homeless friend I've been praying with, who has been working really hard to get back on his feet in the last few weeks, was stopped by an elderly man on the street today. This elderly man noticed my friend getting up every morning and getting busy, heading off to the bus stop on foot. He asked my friend if he was homeless. When my friend responded, "Yes sir, I am," the elderly man gave him a brand new, beautiful Schwinn mountain bike to help him get around better! Since transportation is always a big challenge and the bus expensive, this was an enormous gift. I bought him a strong cable lock to secure it and we prayed together that God would protect it. And now we're praying for a job and eventually a home. Stay tuned for more surprises!

Surprise me God, but even more than that, surprise my friends!

Amen.

Surprised By Power (Acts 3:1-15)

On Tuesday of this week, several of us had the opportunity to hear Governor Pawlenty speak at a small GMAE leader’s luncheon at The Depot. His message was very thoughtful, direct and candid. While I don’t agree with him on all issues, I was quite surprised by the profound impression he made on me. I was surprisingly impressed.

Yet it would appear not everyone was similarly impressed!

I am not typically someone overly enamored with power, but I can’t say as I’ve ever thought of putting bunny ears on one of the most well-known, most powerful governors in the country. Way to go, young Mr. Franklin! When Governor Pawlenty eventually ascends to the White House, this picture will be in big demand. As a side note, lest any of us think less of our Franklin, you should all know this picture was the Governor’s idea. Apparently, our Governor is not so enamored with his own power that he can’t relax and goof off a little.

We all respond differently to power, don’t we? Some take power in stride while others of us completely lose our minds around power. Some of us are so enamored with power we fall all over ourselves trying to get next to it. Some will do almost anything to get and keep it. And some, perhaps even the majority of us, live such powerless lives we are completely surprised when genuine power actually shows up. We don’t know what to do with power. We don’t know what power is. We don’t know where it comes from. We don’t know if we should be excited or suspicious about it; pray for it or run from it. We don’t expect power to be a factor in our lives. Even the idea of power surprises and confuses us.

In Acts 3, just after the Day of Pentecost and powerful coming of the Holy Spirit, Peter and John were going to church like always…

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "People of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

Why does all this stuff surprise you? What’s the big deal? One little miracle and all you silly people lose your mind! You people are acting like you just met the Governor! Don’t you get it? This power stuff isn’t about us; it isn’t about some new worldly celebrity, religious guru or political superstar – this is just normal God stuff. Do you honestly think fixing the damaged body of one beggar is a difficult challenge for the Creator of the Universe?! Get real, people!

Surprise! This story is just a glimpse of our new, surprisingly powerful, normal life.

I don’t know about any of the rest of you, but as I am praying for God to surprise me this month, I am praying for Him to show up powerfully in my life. I am praying for healed beggars, manna from heaven and dramatic visitations of wisdom. I am praying God would help me notice what He is doing around me. And as I’m doing this, the first thing I’m hearing Him say is that I need to get a new definition of normal. I need to change my definitions of power. In a lot of ways, we all sort of need to put bunny ears on this world’s shallow, superficial definitions of power and start embracing the power God is constantly, normally offering.

If we truly long for God to change our thinking and powerfully surprise us, we need to embrace three important, yet very simple things the Apostle Peter models for us in this story.

Notice The Beggar

First of all, we need to notice the beggar as Peter does. Verse 4 of this passage tells us Peter looked directly or looked intently at the beggar. This wasn’t just an idle, passing glance at a man suffering on the sidewalk. This wasn’t the disinterested, disconnected look of a busy religious leader on his way to other, more important duties. This was the prayerful, powerful, laser beam focus of a godly, Spirit-filled follower of Jesus intentionally listening for what his Heavenly Father might want him to do or say in a critically important moment. While Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly how the Apostle Peter knew God wanted to heal this crippled beggar, we can certainly guess at the moment God made those intentions clear.

Peter fully and powerfully noticed the beggar.

I suspect many of us don’t experience the normal, powerful surprises of God and don’t have a powerful impact on the world around us simply because we live such self-centered, beggar oblivious lives. We spend so very much time focused on ourselves and our own efforts, wrestling with our own miniscule power problems, we don’t notice what God wants us to see. We aren’t looking intently at the beggars. We aren’t looking intently at anything but ourselves. We are oblivious to all the things God wants us to powerfully notice.

You may have heard recently that a repeat drug offender in Oklahoma was so high on methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax that he said he didn’t even remember causing a fatal head-on traffic collision last year in northwest Oklahoma City. Terry Lee Gathers actually thought he had been home asleep, a police officer told a judge a couple weeks ago. The tragically oblivious Gathers was sentenced to 30 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter.

While we might not be criminally oblivious or under the terrible influence of drugs, I wonder how many of us are so completely caught up in our own stuff the effect is mostly the same. Not only do we fail to notice things we should, we fail to bring the power of Almighty God to bear as we should. We plow obliviously through life without noticing what we’re leaving in our wake. As followers of Jesus, filled with His Spirit, we must be the people who notice. We must be the people who listen for the opinion and powerful instructions of God regarding all we notice. Noticing is powerfully normal.

Trust The Savior

The second behavior the Apostle Peter models for us is trust. As the Holy Spirit leads Peter to notice the beggar, Peter trusts the Savior enough to believe he has something to offer the beggar. As witness to the rejection, suffering, ignominious death and glorious resurrection of Jesus, Peter understands the power of the Risen Christ. Basking in the powerful glow of the Day of Pentecost, Peter crawls out onto the very end of the branch of faith, trusting completely in the ability of God to follow through on His instructions. Noticing the beggar, understanding God’s desire to heal this crippled guy, Peter had the faith to say, “Silver and gold I don’t have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

What I have I give you and what I have is my utter faith in the Savior who took me back after I failed to believe in Him! I believe in my Savior enough to put my toes in the water here. I believe in this Jesus enough to march seven silly times around Jericho tooting a goofy horn if He wants me too. I believe my God can take out 100,000 Assyrians in one night if He wants. I believe in a God who loves the little ones yet still finds time to part rivers and rip open the earth to swallow the rebellious. I believe in a God who raised my friend Lazarus from the dead a few weeks ago. I saw that happen! I am witness to these things! And, oh my goodness, I believe in a God who just now gave a bunch of us the ability to speak in languages we never learned in school. What is the deal with that? I believe in a flayed and crucified Jesus who walked out of a hole in the ground when none of us believed He would. I now believe in this Jesus, whom you crucified, so much that if He says the rocks are going to rumble and the sky is going to fall I’m going to look for shelter. What I have I give you and what I have is trust!

I trust this Jesus! And if this Jesus whispers in my ear that all the crippled beggars are going to walk home from church today – y’all better tie your shoelaces!

This is normal trust. Trusting Jesus like this is supposed to be normal for us.

Do you see? Do you trust like this?

Expect The Power

When we trust Jesus like this, then we aren’t completely surprised by anything anymore. We move into the realm of normalcy Peter occupied. When we have properly noticed, through the eyes of God, the world around us, when we properly trust the Spirit guiding us, we will live in the glorious and constant expectation of power flowing through us. Dramatic experiences of the power of God will be more and more normal. We won’t question Peter when the cripple walks – we’ll praise God on the mountain tops. It is normal for us to expect the power of God to show up. While God will not always heal, while the manna will not always fall, while there will always be a cross to bear in following Jesus – there will yet always be the power of God on display somehow. When we notice the beggar, when we trust the Savior, we can expect the power. This is normal.

What sort of power are you expecting God to display in and around your life?

When I asked God what He wanted me to do after college, He spoke powerfully.

When I arrived at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina in 1983, strangely convinced God didn’t want me in the unit to which I was assigned, I obeyed and went to my new First Sergeant and told him that. He thought I was a nutcase and immediately transferred me out of the unit. Two days later, as I moved into my new barracks in another unit, I discovered one of my new roommates was a brand new Christian who had been secretly going into the woods each night, praying to God for a mature Christian friend who could explain the Bible to him! When he saw me unloading my Bibles, books and commentaries, he asked me one question: “Are you a Christian?” And when I said yes, he said, “Holy ….!” and walked out of the room stunned!

When God wanted Monica and I to sell our relatively new home in Waconia and accept the pastorate of the Ely Baptist Church, He spoke powerfully, clearly and miraculously to us.

And just a couple years ago, when I strangely noticed big, old Elim Church down here in Northeast Minneapolis, Almighty God powerfully pushed Jimbo Anderson into stopping his car on a business trip at surgically the right moment to call me up and talk about it with me.

I have prayed for miracles and seen miracles. I have asked for answers and received answers. I have needed power and received power. For many, many years of Sundays now, I have prayed for words to share with people and, to the degree I’ve obediently noticed, trusted and expected God to show up, I think He has faithfully answered.

While I have gone through the deep, dark valleys, while I absolutely do carry both thorns and crosses, while Almighty God is sometimes strangely and annoyingly silent, I can honestly tell all of you this morning that I fully expect the power of God to show up in my life and in this place both now and in the future. And if you will give God an honest chance to powerfully surprise you, I believe we will all discover the same thing.

Are you noticing the world around you?

Are you trusting God to keep His promises to you?

Do you honestly expect God to reveal Himself powerfully in your life in one way or another? Or are you afraid to pray this “surprise me” prayer because you’re afraid how God might choose to surprise you? Perhaps some of us are afraid to honestly try this “Surprise Me God” experiment because we’re afraid God won’t show up at all?

Stop all that! Why would we think these things? Why in the world would God not want to answer a simple prayer like the one we’re experimenting with this month? Why would God not want to surprise us and reveal Himself to us more fully? I wonder - do you have any idea how very much your Heavenly Father loves you and just wants to spend time with you?

This world is filled with beggars who need you and I to notice them. Put some bunny ears on what this world wants you to believe is normal, step back from what this shallow world says is powerful and possible and trust that Jesus Christ has something better, more powerful and more meaningful than this world could ever offer.

May Almighty God help us to see His power! May God surprise us with power!

Amen.

Surprise Me God - The Soloist

We walked downtown again today. It is a favorite Saturday ritual - walk downtown, have a nice lunch somewhere and then see a matinee movie at the Block E movie theater. As much as I love teasing Monica about the hideous mileage we put on our feet every week, it was once again a wonderful day. (Don't tell her I enjoyed myself - I'll lose all my whining creds!)

Today's movie was a very thoughtful treat. We went to see The Soloist, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. It is the true story of a Los Angeles Times reporter who develops a friendship with a schizophrenic homeless man, once a musical prodigy. It is a story of rescue, redemption and simple friendship. It is a movie every Christian leader should see. Without spoiling the story, the movie has much to teach on many levels. It is a grim glimpse into homelessness and mental illness, particularly in the underbelly of Los Angeles. It is a careful study in the value of human life and our efforts to save it. It is a love story with lost people on all sides.

I am regularly surprised by the lessons I learn in movies. As we left the theater, crossed the Hennepin Bridge and listened to the beautiful Saturday evening bells of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church ringing out from the center of St. Anthony Main, I found myself marveling at the moment. The bells were playing All Glory Laud and Honor as we were discussing the horrific conditions of homelessness and mental illness portrayed in the movie. We listened to glory, laud and honor just after walking past the Gay 90's nightclub. What connection is there between glory, laud and honor and the story we were discussing, the story we are living? In the messy, fallen situations we struggle through each day, how do we truly bring glory, laud and honor to God? Is it our responsibility to rescue the world around us or are we simply called to offer ourselves as friends and leave the rescue to the One who knows how?

Once again, I've been surprisingly reminded of where the answers are.

Please go see this movie. It isn't for families, and isn't always pleasant, but it is surprisingly good.

Surprise Me God - Jan Heide

OK, God, so I'm getting that you won't let me sleep tonight until I get up and write this! (11:20 pm) So far this week, I haven't been noticing any answers to my daily morning plea, "Surprise me God!" Maybe I don't trust God enough to really expect an answer? After all, the surprise could be bad! Maybe my head is too clogged up with the rotten cold to notice surprises! Then today, I got a surprise that could last me all the rest of the days of this 30 day experiment!

I have a friend who has been disillusioned with God for a couple of years now as a result of the actions of another imperfect human being. She has been going through the motions of life on a road she really didn't want to take, not seeing any alternatives. A couple of weeks ago, God seemed to open a door for her to be involved in something that would feel important to her--possibly a door to a different path that would give meaning to her life. There were a number of obstacles in the way, but one by one she got them figured out (with her own hard work.) Then a huge obstacle slammed the door on her. Maybe God was not in this? She was not able to come up with a solution. I prayed with her and told her that if God wanted her to do this, He would provide the miracle before her decision deadline. I also prayed with her asking God to help her forgive "Mr. Imperfect." When the deadline to make her decision came and went, she sent me the message, "No miracles!" I answered back, "Don't lose hope! They'll show up when you least expect it!" Her reply was that they don't happen in her life.

This evening I got a message from her saying that she had an awesome "service of forgiveness" with a mutual friend today. Then on her way home, she got a call saying that the major obstacle that had blocked the opportunity had been removed!! I said, "There's your miracle!'

Way to go, God!!!!

Surprise Me God - The Annual Report

Jan Heide has been sniffling and sneezing all day. She claims to feel better today than yesterday, but I'm not sure I believe her. Mostly she's still here because she has to finish the Annual Report. She got the last input for it late this afternoon, we added some pictures to fill up blank spaces and add more fun. And then she passed it to me for review.

And that's when today's surprise slammed me.

It is a big part of my job to notice the gaps and problems in our fellowship. As one who must one day stand before God and give an account for how I have shepherded this family of believers, I am constantly looking for where we need to stretch ourselves and grow. And every church always has room to grow and improve.

But sometimes I'm so focused on gap areas, I don't notice and enjoy the good stuff as much as I should. And let me tell you, folks, there is good stuff at Elim Church! When I sat and reviewed everything that has gone on and is going on around here in just the last twelve months, I was very surprised. No; that's too weak - I was stunned. I knew all these things, but seeing them all collected in one place on the pages of our annual report overwhelmed me. While we do have all sorts of gaps and growth areas to address as a church, many of those gaps and growth areas exist simply because of the gloriously ambitious vision of our church.

Elim Church - you have surprised and blessed me today! I hope you'll take this the right way, but I think I'm finally falling in love.

May God help us continue to think on good things!

Amen.

Surprise Me God - Carolyn Pinke Again!

God surprised me again! Two times!

First, I have been praying all year for our building friendship with next door neighbors, especially that they might grasp that they can have a close friendship with the Father.

Yesterday I stood with the grandmother in her yard--after passing out a flyer to the Friday block club. She volunteered, "I'm getting cataract surgery, and I'm a little nervous about it." I asked her, "Can I pray for you about this?" "Sure." So I prayed out loud right there. "Thank you," she smiled, maybe a little stunned at being brought so suddenly into the High King's presence. She was extra friendly all day. First opportunity I ever had to pray for them!

Secondly, I went walking early again with my friend. Today she asked me a big question! After reading some materials from an atheistic friend who said, "There is no proof that Jesus lived!" she wondered if I knew anything on that subject. I said I'd check with Bruce and let her know. First time to have her open up with a serious question! We talked more on other issues, too.

(By the way, her interaction with the man who was repairing at the "prostitute" house went well as he is not the landlord and agrees with her about the problem there.)

Walking on,
Carolyn

Surprise Me God - Looking For Pennies

I started to collect pennies again yesterday.

Years ago, I preached a sermon about pennies. It seemed to me pennies were a good metaphor for many, if not most, of the people around us each day. Like a penny on the sidewalk, most people are ignored. They don't matter much. In the eyes of the world, they aren't even worth bending over to pick up; who knows where those dirty pennies on the ground might have been. Even a handful of them won't buy a candy bar these days. Most convenience stores give pennies away in a cup just to make counting change easier. So who really cares about pennies?

I believe we're supposed to. I believe Jesus taught us to value each one. While it may not appear so at first blush, the pennies around us each day are actually wonderful agents of power and surprise in our lives. And so when I preached on the pennies years ago, I encouraged my people to start intentionally picking up each penny they find on the sidewalk around them. Use those insignificant moments as an opportunity for prayer and reflection on the importance of the small and humble people and things around us.

Perhaps it is the pennies through whom most of our surprises are supposed to come. And even if it isn't, if I'm noticing the pennies, then I'm certainly also going to be more ready to notice bigger things too. I might even find a few quarters of surprise along the way.

LORD, help me notice the pennies of surprise today!

Amen.

Surprise Me God - Brad George

Well yesterday I had a Jesus surprise me.

I have been praying Jesus surprise me and.....

I am on jury duty this week and got selected to be interviewed for a case during the selection process. We were asked a number of questions by the judge, you know, like our age, occupation, and stuff like that. The judge asked me about my hobbies and groups I belonged to. The first thing that came to my mind was the Misfits group that I have attended 2 times. I actually am involved in a couple other groups for a few years, yet this is the only one I mentioned.

Now the attorneys start to ask questions of the prospective jurors.

It wasn't too long and the defending attorney says, "Mr George, tell me about this Misfit group." I went on to explain as best I can about the group. I told them we study Bible verses and talk about how they pertain to our lives. I followed it up by saying "and we worship our LORD and savior Jesus Christ."

The attorney for some reason heard everything accept worshiping our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. So I repeated myself very loud, "WE WORSHIP OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST." You could hear a pin drop. It didn't bother me one bit. As I looked around the courtroom there was a lot of wide eyes, except the gentleman right next to me. He was of African descent and had a HUGE smile on his face and was shaking his head up and down in approval.

Maybe to most Christians this would not be a big deal but Jesus surprised me yesterday.

Surprise Me God - Tim Kulla

I've prayed the "Surprise Me God" prayer the last couple days without much happening.

But then today, after God arranged for me to be at work longer than I was hoping, a cursing, particularly sour man at work surprisingly opened up to me and said he no longer wants to live in sin. Wow! Pray he finds the path out of sin!

(We will Tim!)

Surprise Me God - Randy Swanson

Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing Terry Esau to us on Sunday. As you may know I don't follow directions well so I have been praying thusly:

Surprise me Jesus.
Prosper My soul.
Make me a blessing.
Remind me that you love me just as I am.

Yesterday I had several very supportive gentle interactions that really helped ground me and some intractable cases resolved and I had a couple conversations about what's up.

Today has been huge. I just feel like so many parts of my life have come together to knit me up in some of my broken places. I don't know what's going on but so far wow. I hope this keeps up.

(We do too, Randy!)

Surprise Me God - Shuffling The Pencil Jar

I'm a guy with alphabetized books and almost humorously well organized briefcase; I've got pockets and places for almost everything in my life. When our church in Ely was burglarized years ago, it was a slightly out of place pencil jar on my desk alerting me to the break-in. Without hint of exaggeration, my pencil jar was three inches to the right of its assigned space and I knew something was up.

Isn't that pathological?

I've never had a great memory for detail and so I've learned to compensate for this weakness by almost compulsive organization. I structure things in such a way so as not to lose or forget the important stuff I need to do.

But compulsive organization and control isn't such a good thing when you're begging God for surprise, is it? I'm sure a smarter, more spiritual guy could accomplish it, but I've never been very good at allowing surprise or spontaneity. It is tricky to organize and control your way to a life filled with surprises. God must usually move and speak more bluntly to me...

Yesterday's surprises were many. A woman called in tears needing baby formula. A man called looking for any help he could get with food until the end of the month. I had a wonderful lunch with my good friend Rob who honestly shared his struggles to forgive someone hurting a person he loves. We both admitted the often terrible difficulty of forgiving others as we should. When I returned to the office, a young man buzzed at the door and, after a frustrating few minutes, Nancy sent me to speak with him because he didn't speak English. Interestingly, it turned out he was from Quito, Ecuador; looking for food, clothing and socks especially. I took this kid (from Monica's hometown) up to our Hope Avenue clothes closet and got him some clothes, but we couldn't find any socks. We have everything but socks for some reason. (Gotta do something about that - make a note, Pastor!) We had a good conversation anyway and I gave him a new Spanish Bible as he left. He seemed homesick and sad.

As I was walking back to my desk, I made the comment to Nancy that now finally I was hopefully going to be able to get back to work. No sooner did I say the words than I realized their stupidity. I was trying to get a class written about noticing the surprises of God and all the pesky surprises in my day were getting in the way!

You see my problem.

This morning we had dueling televisions blaring different channels five feet away from each other in the gym at 6AM as I was trying to read a boring book for my doctoral studies. GRRRR! Television is an evil cancer on our culture - a festering wound creeping across our chest! I fantasized evil surprises for the people interrupting my quiet. Am I honestly supposed to look for divine surprises in moments this stunningly annoying? I wasn't having any of it this morning...sorry.

LORD, I'm really going to need your help here! I really am. I know I need all this surprise stuff, but it just ain't natural for me.

Surprise me with a passion for surprises.

Amen.


[Okay...The Office does slightly redeem television.]

Surprise Me God - Rick Dischinger

Much like Terry's first day, mine wasn't particularly surprising. I did go running at lunch today- totally not dressed for it! It was cold. I hoped to run into someone but no one was running today. It actually snowed as I ran across the Hennepin bridge.

I have been praying that three word prayer all day and...it has helped me focus. My thoughts tend toward random nonsense at times and this simple prayer has helped me be ready to see, to wait for the surprise.

I look forward to the coming days.

Surprise Me God - Iva Johnson

This morning, I prayed to God, Surprise me.
I had no idea what was going to happen at all.

My mom was late to pick my brother and I up from school,until I heard her call out my name from far away: "Iva!" I looked over to see who had called my name, and my mom had FIVE target bags of food on her, and walking toward us. We both ran to her, to see what was the problem.

"Oh, nothing, it's just that when Sarah and I were at Target, it was already 4:15.
Sarah was going to be late to work, and I had to pick you guys up from school. We get in her car, and realize I don't have a car. Both of us start calling people to find someone who could help me, but no one could. So, I just said it would be fine if she dropped me off at school, and the kids and I will have to walk home."

"Darn," I thought. "Now I have to walk home with bags of food and my back pack."

Here's the surprise; as we are walking home, and it hasn't even been a block, my dad drives up to us and says: "Hey, need a ride?" It's after we get in the car that I say, "Hey! God Surprised me!" My dad usually gets home around 7:00, and it was only today that he wanted to come home early.

Surprise Me God - Carolyn Pinke

I prayed "Surprise me, God!" last night and this morning--though I admit that I kind of live this way all the time. God did something cool this morning that answered some of my prayers!

This morning I went for a very early morning walk with a neighbor woman with a warm personality who talks to the trees because she is no longer sure God is there. I have been praying for her, especially asking him to give me the chance to pray with her. She needs to see that God is here.

She started asking me all about our mission--which she has never done before. I had the opportunity to share some more about our way of thinking.

Later she saw a man hammering on a garage and explained a serious absentee landlord and prostitution house problem. She said she must go and talk with him and it could get ugly. I immediately said, "Oh! Can I pray for this situation?" "Sure," she said, "Any prayer will be good."

So I prayed out loud to the Father while we walked. Afterwards she said, "What a beautiful prayer! Thank you." Then I walked on home, and she went to talk to the man. I'll be eager to hear what happened!

(We will too, Carolyn!)

Surprise Me God - Splashing Water

So now we've officially begun our 30 day "Surprise Me God" experiment...

We had a wonderful morning with Terry Esau. His stories and thoughts were a good spark to our conversation. And lunch with the Esaus at our apartment was a free spirited and free flowing good time. Monica's pecan pie was yummy and I'm not even a real fan of pecan pie!

And yet the day was marred by a break-in and robbery in our preschool offices at some point during the worship service. While very little cash was taken, it once again highlighted our depressing need to increase our church security efforts and awareness. This was particularly scary to everyone who works with children at the church and certainly not the surprise we were looking for yesterday.

How fitting that Day 1 of our experiment would remind us right off the bat that life's surprises aren't always cuddly and affirming. When Pastor Kyle Lake finished praying a "Surprise Me God" prayer at a baptismal service in Texas in November 2005, he grabbed a microphone and accidentally electrocuted himself. While we can argue all day about why God would allow/determine something like that to happen, things like this remind us all that life is often surprising in confusing and painful ways.

I'm convinced we regularly don't know what we're asking for when we pray. And so I'm trying to honestly prepare my heart for anything in this month of "Surprise Me God" prayers. It is one thing to academically say we long for God to surprise us and reveal Himself dramatically to us. It is entirely another when the smoke and fire appears on the mountain. It is entirely another when the ground around us begins to shake and even the still small voice of God leaves us trembling.

While eating pizza after class with Dr. Herb Klem from Bethel Seminary years ago, I thanked him for his sense of humor and the way he kept me engaged in a class I wasn't particularly passionate about attending. He got a shocked look on his face and said, "Oh Kevin, the worst sin in the world would be to make Jesus boring!"

What a great line! And what a wonderful charge for all of us - live our lives in such a way that we will never, ever make Jesus boring! And yet there's definitely something to be said for boring, isn't there? It is pretty easy to learn to accept boring when the alternatives might be robbery and electrocution.

So with all that in mind, I'm going to splash some water in the baby's face and timidly pray, "Surprise Me God!"

May God wonderfully surprise us all this month!

Amen.

This Story Is About Life (Luke 24:1-12)

Last Saturday morning, I received a phone call from friends in Ely saying a dear, young mother I knew up there had a recurrence of her cancer. She survived breast cancer earlier last year only to now see her cancer return to consume her liver and painfully penetrate her bones. She was in intense pain when I arrived at St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth to see her. She was resolute in her faith in God’s wonderful ability to heal her, yet also fully aware of her serious situation. With a husband in prison, all the typical struggles of single motherhood and now a full year of sickness behind her, she is not wealthy. While she has some family in the area, the needs of her two little children are constantly on her mind.

What do I say to her on Easter Sunday morning?

I say to her the same thing I say to all of us: this story (our story) is about life!

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

This story is about life! This story is about the life of Jesus! This story is about finally finding our lives! The precious women in this story beautifully reflect our story back at us…

I Am Religious

These women are religious. They begin their day doing religious duties. They aren’t expecting any surprises or miracles. They know how life works. They know what comes next. They know what sights, sounds and smells accompany death and they are looking for death. They are expecting to find the horribly brutalized and dead body of a teacher they loved.

I Am Visited

But they are visited by life. They do not find what they expected. The stone is rolled away and ugly death is not where death is politely supposed to be. Their religious duties get interrupted by a gleaming visitation of lightning. Religion, ritual and routine get tossed out the window. God shows up in the room and all the plans and schedules go right out the window. We’re left standing in the empty tomb wondering what in the world we’re supposed to do now with all these silly spices we carried to church. When God shows up, religion just looks goofy…

I Am Confused

I am confused. Religion cannot explain what we’re experiencing. Religion cannot roll away big rocks and scare away mean soldiers. Religion cannot heal our scourging wounds and empty crusty grave clothes. Religion is completely unfamiliar with gleaming, glorious figures appearing in the foggy, Easter morning darkness. I am confused by all this because I am not expecting to find life in nasty places. I am confused because I thought I knew how life was supposed to work. I am confused when my Savior gives away His life for no apparent reason and I am doubly confused when He has the audacity to not stay dead. I am wildly confused.

I Am Reminded

But then I am reminded. Oh my goodness, then my godly visitors remind me Jesus said all this stuff was going to happen. They are right! The Master did say stuff about all this! My mind begins to race as I remember how Jesus said, “the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” My mind races back to all those moments at the feet of the Master, all those strange moments when He confused us with gloomy talk about His body and blood shed for us. My mind flies back to all those ancient words from the prophets Jesus quoted to us, those words that got religious leaders so angry and agitated. Oh my goodness! My brain is on fire! My tired heart is strangely burning and now consumed with happy hope! Could it possibly be true? Could this all have been part of the plan? Is it possible that, once again, in this awful, twisted, confusing moment, Almighty God has something in store “beyond all we could possibly ask or imagine?” Could it be that this awful, religious day that was death, drudgery and despair just a moment ago is now about life?

I Am Witness

Yes; yes it is possible! And I am witness to these things.

Just exactly like these women, considered unreliable witnesses in the ancient world, I too must happily become a wonderfully and persistently nonsensical witness. I must become a wildly biased and unbalanced source! I don’t care if people call me a liar. I don’t care if even good Peter and the powerful people won’t believe us right away. I don’t care if my testimony will never be heard in court. I don’t care if religion has no place for what I’ve just experienced.

I know the hope that is within me. I know in whom I must now believe! I know the story I must tell. I know the soldiers are gone from here, the tomb and graveclothes are empty and the gleaming angels real. I know the truth of what I have been reminded here today. These are good words. There is iron in these great words of truth. There is life here!

I am witness to these things. I will live and die as a witness to these things.

I Am Alive

And I will do so because I am alive now. Oh my goodness, this whole thing makes sense now. This story has a cross, but this story is not about crucifixion and death. My story has a cross, but my story is not about death. I died with Jesus and now my tomb is empty too!

It doesn’t matter if I spend the rest of my life entombed in some prison cell – I am alive now. It doesn’t matter if I too am tortured and killed for believing these things – I am alive. It doesn’t matter if the economic systems of the world come falling down around me – I am alive. While I enjoy the pleasures of this world as much as the next guy, I know there is ultimately no life in them. It doesn’t matter who gets elected or driven from power; how criminal, corrupt or polluted the world around me becomes – I am alive. I have life now. I know my life will have suffering, difficulty and death just as Jesus said it would, but I am still alive in it all. Jesus came that I might have life and have it to the full. I can face all the problems and pain of this world with life in my hands. I can face any sort of death with the life I now have in my hands. With all the awful, challenging problems around us, I can now finally be a meaningful, powerful force for good in this world because of the wonderful life I hold in my hands. I can joyously put my arms around this world in a way I never have been able to because…

This story is not about religion, ritual and death. This story is about life.

This story is about Almighty God intentionally choosing to release each and every one of us into a life wonderful beyond our wildest dreams. A life filled with suffering and sadness just as any other life (sometimes even more so!), but a life nonetheless able to transcend all that because of the empty tomb that has already transcended all that. A life that never gives up!

This story is about life.

May we know life this day! Like these dear ladies at the tomb, may we be surprised by life! May the powerful life within us make any and all other attempts at religion just look goofy!

Amen.

Easter Sunshine at Como Zoo

 

The Hole In Our Gospel (Richard Stearns)

This is an excellent textbook in social concern for the Christian. Richard Stearns, President of World Vision, makes a very thorough argument for the necessity of Christian concern for "the least of these" around the world. He begins personally, discussing his own calling from a lucrative position as CEO of Lenox to leadership of World Vision. This section of the book is, at one and the same time, both fascinating and terribly annoying. It is fascinating to hear the very honest struggle story of anyone dealing with a calling from God. But it is annoying to think that the "sacrifices" being discussed are a ten room mansion and a Jaguar company car. While Stearns is very open in his recognition of the superficiality of his sacrifice, it is still annoying to think we American Christians would struggle with such choices. It is further evidence of the struggle Stearns is discussing. I am very glad he included this in the book, even though it makes him look initially superficial. I believe it is important for people to understand God regularly makes demands like this.

Another fact I find troubling in this book is that Stearns feels the need to spend 230 of his 280 pages making a theological, moral and ethical case for basic Christian concern. Are we really so completely selfish as a culture that we now require 230 pages of argument for fundamentally Christian, obviously Good Samaritan behavior? I've been reading books exactly like this since the late 70's; is it really necessary to spend all this time still making a case like this? Isn't this stuff obvious to us by now? Sadly, as a pastor, I suspect it is necessary. Stearns handles this important, foundational material very well. His discussion is very readable and sadly, probably very necessary.

Yet the most important and powerful parts of the book are the stories. Whenever Stearns shares the simple stories of the struggle, I found myself instantly engaged and challenged. I've heard all the arguments many, many times before, but when I hear new stories, I am forced to once again take them seriously.

This is a good, well-written and very necessary book. It is worth the time and well worth sharing with a friend. Hopefully we will all read and listen!

Liberty Spit

So we're driving down Central on our way home. I look to my right and see a very unshaven, very unkempt man dressed as the Statue of Liberty walking the sidewalk advertising a tax preparation center. And just as we pass, our lovely lady liberty turned toward the sidewalk bushes and let fly a gross glob of some sort of nasty spit.

Eew!

Now there's a metaphor to ponder this week - a hairy Statue of Liberty spitting on the bushes. Maybe Bruce Cockburn could work that into a song or something...

Listening For The Surprises

I totally blew it yesterday. As I was getting ready in the morning, I felt a very strange, very strong and very out of the blue compulsion to bring my nice Nikon digital camera to the office. I'm not getting enough opportunities to take pictures lately; primarily because I don't ever have my camera available when all the best moments happen. And for some reason, that realization hit me strong yesterday morning. I always have a hard time explaining moments like this, but for some reason, I felt like Almighty God Himself wanted me to bring my camera to work. But I was in a hurry again, already carrying too much stuff...and we had a wallet stolen at our church just last Sunday, so I squashed the strange urge and went to work. I had more than enough practical reasons to disobey.

But as soon as I walked into my office, I realized my mistake. The sun was shining in my windows, glinting through a drop of dew hanging from the very most tip of a new blossom on the very most top of my gorgeous peace lily plant. One glistening drop of water made it from the humble watering plate at the bottom of the plant all the way through up to the top and was just waiting for me there when I came through the door. It was a stunning moment of serenity; a picture I should have taken.

I stood there and stared at it for the longest time, with no camera in my hands. And all I could think of saying to God at that moment was "Sorry! I'm so sorry I didn't listen this morning!" Yet even now as I tell the story, I can still hear God's tender response almost audibly, "No Kevin, I'm sorry! I had a moment planned for us! It's no big deal, of course; I just thought you would like to get the picture. Sure, you disobeyed again and you shouldn't ever do that. But please realize the lesson here...disobedience hurts you, it doesn't hurt me. I'm just sorry you missed another great picture." (God can be very wordy sometimes!)

Pastor Mayme and I tried to capture the dew drop with her little camera, but we couldn't get it. It just didn't work for me. I didn't know her camera and hers couldn't do what mine can do. The moment was missed.

In a couple weeks, we're going to begin a four week conversation called "Surprise Me God," based on Terry Esau's book of the same title. The series is a very simple, 30 day experiment in listening and looking for God sightings. Every day begins with a simple, three word prayer - surprise me, God. And then we watch and record what happens. Terry Esau himself will be here on Sunday, April 19th to help kick off the series. It should be thought-provoking.

Obviously, I need help in this area. I have a sneaking suspicion there are lots of pictures I'm probably missing.