The Language Barrier

A friend posted this blog on facebook today.  I had to respond. 

Read the blog & respond with your thoughts as well.  The Romanian American Church Problem

My response:

The big issue presented in this article is the Romanian language.  If we are talking about church, the biggest issue should be how to best communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Many people are worried about their culture/language rather than the true problem of the church: how to present the gospel in a relevant way.

We should be solely concerned about how to best display the gospel to the current culture & not be so worried about maintaining that specific culture. I have no problem with maintaining culture but, if you're worried about language & culture, go start a Romanian country club or something.

 If you are worried about the gospel of Jesus Christ, then do everything you can to be relevant to the people of the day, present it in the language of the country & in the culture of the country.

Language & culture should not be placed on the same level as the problem of getting the gospel of Jesus Christ out. Jesus Christ should be our sole aim, drive & passion. Everything else is secondary.

Like Paul says compared with Jesus, everything else is dung, literally crap. ‎"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." -Philippians 3:8

The Process

Journal from October 2010:

I went to the Getty Museum yesterday.  As I saw how they make a bronze statue, it made me realize the long, difficult & oft times confusing process of making a work of art. Even with in depth explanation, I had a hard time understanding the importance of some of the steps.

I found myself asking "And why is this step important? What's the big deal?"

 I realized then that I didn't get it, even with explanations & examples, I just didn't understand.

 And so it is with God. If I don't get a human process explained in details, of course I'm not going to get the divine process.

I am so ignorant & oft times unaware of God's working and His plans in this life. So many times they seem confusing, silly, and even off, but God is doing something.

I can trust his artistic skill in making all things work together and making life exceedingly, and abundantly beautiful.

I trust you Daddy, I love you Daddy, you are Lord of all!! 

Mirrors & Smoke

Thoughts while I was visiting sunny California in July of 2010

God wants us to find out the secret of life from the poor, the sick, the hungry, the ugly, the desperate, the weak ones of the earth.  They will burst the bubble of god-like existence that we so desperately want to live in.  It is in them that we find what it means to truly be human. 


We are so good at putting on facades - like we've got it all together- like we're so happy & satisfied.  I must really look like I've got it all together, but I have major issues. The more I get to know people, shy & extrovert alike, ugly & beautiful the same, all have issues. 

In fact, the ones with the most laughs & beauty seem to be the ones with the biggest issues.  It's a big show & we're all actors.  Oh to be who we really are.  To know we can be known & know each other for what we are. 

I know only Christ can make us free to know & be known.  One thing's for sure: people are not what they appear to be.  There is so much depth & complexity in the human soul than what he/she lets us see. 

Far off land

A poem I wrote sometime in 2005

The distance of a faraway land calls us
it's something we can't escape

we write it in our books, sing it in our songs
as our souls ache with longing for something we've misplaced

something we can't replace

distant in some far off land there's a story that can't be erased

Isn't it clear we are not home here?

We belong where winter is over & the clouds have just begun to part

When all the world has forgotten the song we all once knew so well

our hearts are still humming the tune ...

What Jesus Looks Like

Last night me & the girls were talking about God at our book study on "Crazy Love."  One of the questions was: "If someone asked you to physically describe Jesus, what would you say?"

Here's my answer:

March 10, 2011

Jesus has fire in his eyes & a sword in His hand.  He is an agile warrior.  Strong. Mighty.  He walks like a King.  Not a King who is arrogant or haughty, but a King who can look you in the eye & see straight into your heart. 

Jesus has a staff in one hand, a lamb over His shoulder, & a sword on His back.  And when Jesus shoots an arrow, He's always on target. 

His hands are calloused, yet His touch is gentle.  He's a man's man working in the carpentry & farming. 

My Sources:
Psalm 23
Psalm 45
Revelation 1:14
John 15

The Garden

I was at Dunkin' Donuts yesterday reading "Destine for the Throne" & I got so inspired that I put the book down & I cried.  Right there in the store. Next to my small decaf coffee. 

I had to write this:

February 26, 2011
The last Adam entered the garden again, a replay of Eden. The garden, the tree, the lust for power, the temptation.  He literally took Adam's place. God played my role. He took on everything that I had to face. He came to redeem- to win back what we lost. What I myself had let go, what we gave away willingly to the enemy of our souls.

He didn't have to. He was God: the God who created all things. The God of all, the ruler of heaven & earth.

That's what it means for Christ to take my place. Instead of me talking to satan, he talks to him. Instead of me facing the temptation, he does it for me. Instead of me falling & giving away what God made for me, Christ wins it back. I am behind Him, I am hiding under the shadow of his wings. Thank you Lord. Christ became Adam for us.

"In that day you eat, you will surely die" the curse that God spoke to us was taken by Christ. I took the fruit. I did. I willingly took it from the tree knowing I was dileberately disobeying God. Christ took the fruit & willingly ate it for us, on our behalf.  Sins breeds death, because Christ became sin, the end of result of him eating the fruit was his death. We will never know the cost of our sin until we look at the cross & see what it cost God: the humilation, the sorrow, the suffering, the very death of God.

And yet all that poured out was love. Love how could it be? The world was created in love, we gave it away in lust, & God bought it back in love again. Man! How good can he be?!

Because of the cross, Christ literally put the fruit back on the tree. The tree that was at the center of the story changes when the last Adam comes on the scene. Instead of taking from the tree like us, Christ gave on the tree. From the tree that brought the greatest loss, the greatest victory was gained.  What was once our destruction became our salvation. Thank you God for the tree.

Why the Revolution?

I'm sure many of you have been wondering why I named my blog Let's start a Revolution.  
Ok... maybe not, but I'll tell you anyway.

The world sees revolution as violent, aggressive, & forceful.  The world sees revolution as winning & overpowering your enemy; like a lion devouring its prey.

A little bit about lions. I've always been drawn to the analogy of God being a lion, thanks to Lewis. Ok, so I'm obsessed with lions. There, I said it.  But for good reason: Jesus after all is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  The King: strong, powerful, ruler of all, no one compares to Him.  The lion represents God's majesty & glory.  I used to yell out Christ Tomlin's song, "The Lion"-and whisper the next part- "and the lamb."  I never understood lambs.  Weak sort of creatures.  Lately though God has revealed that being a lamb is the true revolution.

Jesus is not just a revolutionary man; He is the Revolution. So if Christ is the revolution, his life speaks to us about what true revolution is. Christ, the lamb of God loses to win.  That is the cross, the lamb that was slain.  The power of a life lost in love.  That, my friend is the revolution.   This revolution is the only source of true & lasting change.

   True revolution is not shouting on the rooftops, forcing your way in but rather it is an underground movement of love. But Jesus is also the lion. How can this be? He is so strong that He can be quiet. He is our Shepherd King. In being the lamb, he becomes the lion. I think therein lies the secret of true revolution. The way we can be revolutionary is by being lambs; A term Robert Brimer calls "roaring lambs."  I think this is the revolution Christ calls us to.  The revolution of lambs with lion hearts. 

What does it mean to be a lamb?  Losing so that love can win. 

It is in loving that the world will be changed.  The slow process of love.  It is in losing that we win.  So "when all seems lost, love is still a worthy cause" -Sara Groves.  Love is sacrificial.  It will at first glance seem like a waste, seem like a failure.  So did the cross.   But we know the cross is what saved humanity: the lamb did.  We must believe that when it will cost us everything we are not really losing at all Like Brandon Heath sings,"You know the effort I have given.  You know exactly what it cost.  Though my innocence was taken.  Not everything is lost." When I'm weak, then I'm strong.  When it feels like we are losing, then we are really winning. 

And it is in being lambs of God that Christ will change the world through us. I wrote on November 21, 2010 inspired by Matthew Henry's quote: "A lion in God's cause must be a lamb in her own."

The journal reads:

I want to be a "lamb in my own cause." Naturally, I want to get on with business to make things happen for my future, with church, with family etc.  I want to change people. But I think God asks me to wait.. a lamb doesn't fight, devour, attack, chase or force its way.  Instead it waits silently, listens, & is led.  I am the Lord's lamb.  The Lord is my Shepherd.  Where God goes, I want to go.  He'll go before me & I'll just follow. That is what lambs do.  Help me Lord to be a lamb; to say with all my heart "where you lead me I will follow" -Jars of Clay.
                                              -Your girl, Linda