Last weekend I talked at Calvary about being “with God.”  Talked about two steps to being with God; learning to listen and practicing gratitude. Talked about two very practical steps, take a media fast and make a gratitude list. So here is the thought that I’ve been thinking the last couple of days.  It’s somewhat of a combination of the ideas of fasting and lists.

No — I’m not talking about fasting from lists, although that might not be a bad idea for some of us.

I’m talking about making a “Not To-Do List.”

Jim Collins uses this exercise.  He calls it the 20-10 assignment.  It goes like this: Suppose you woke up tomorrow and received two phone calls. The first phone call tells you that you have inherited $20 million, no strings attached. The second tells you that you have an incurable and terminal disease, and you have no more than 10 years to live. What would you do differently, and, in particular, what would you STOP doing?

It’s kind of the opposite of the day-dream question, “If you had a day to do absolutely anything you wanted to do, what would you do?” Instead the question is, if there is anything in your life that you would stop doing if you could stop doing it — what would you stop doing?  I know…about 90% of the people reading this post are filling their list with things like toilet cleaning, cooking for kids that complain about eating, paying the bills, and my job.

I realize there are some things we can’t put on our NOT-To-Do list…at least not at the moment.  Though the reality is that if your job comes to mind as the thing you would quit doing if you could quit doing anything — maybe you should start looking for a different job.  But enter into the assignment with the right heart.  What can I consistently stop doing, that will give me time to do stuff that really matters.

Sure you could stop cleaning the toilet, but how much time will that really open up.  Sure you could stop cooking for the kids, but they would die.  Sure you could stop paying the bills, but then you would have time but not the ability to do what you want — it’s called jail!  But what can you put on your NOT-To-Do list that will truly give you time to do what matters.

Because the reality is that time is one of our most valuable resources.  It is a treasure, that the stockmarket cannot diminish.

So, take some time.  Make a list.  Make a NOT-To-Do list.

I know.  Some of

It’s Saturday night and I’m home after finishing preaching at my first of five weekend worship gatherings. Penn State beat Michigan for the first in about 10 years.  It was a bit rough in the first half but Penn State roared to life in the second half while Michigan just seemed to lose gas.  Now at 11:01pm, I’m doing some web-surfing (regardless of my hair, the web is as close to surfing as I get).  Ran across a msn site which gave me the cheapest gas in the region — $2.87 in Lamar, $2.83 in Milroy.  Then looked at a blog that was talking about spiritual energy…and so I couldn’t help but ask the question, “Where do you get your energy?”

I’m talking about personal energy.  Why are some people more energized than others?  What is it that drains us of energy?  What fills us up?  How much does it cost to get filled up?  What does the Bible say about being energized?

There is the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17-19.  He fought the prophets of Baal, called fire down from heaven, and then ran in fear from Queen Jezebel.  He ended up somewhere in the wilderness with a deep case of depression.  He had lost all his energy.  So what did God do, he led him to a sacred place and then spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice…and the word of God brought fresh energy.

Then there is Ezekiel’s vision, “The Valley of Dry Bones.” Check out Ezekiel 37.  The valley was filled with dry bones.  The dry bones of the people of God.  So God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones.  What did Ezekiel say?  “Dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord.” And the bones came together…but the draining had been so complete that it required something more than the word of God…so God breathed upon them and the bones went from dry to a living army.

How about the disciples after Jesus’ betrayal and death.  Read the gospel accounts.  Peter denies Jesus three times.  Then their eyes lock across the courtyard.  The rooster crows.  Jesus dies.  Peter is barricaded in his room for fear of the authorities.  Friday and Saturday are draining days.  Then Sunday comes two disciples are on the Emmaus road and they have no energy…their dreams have been drained until they meet Jesus.  What did they say to each other after that experience?  Our hearts burned within us. Being in the presence of Jesus brought new energy.

So where do you get your energy?  I get energized by a great PSU win, but it doesn’t last.  I get energized by a good night’s sleep, but about 16 hours later, I need it again.  I get energized by spending time with my family.  I get energized by being a pastor.  I get energized by interacting with a good idea.  But the energy I gain from even the best of those activities is of far less power than what I get when I plug into the Word of God, and soak in the Spirit of God and warm myself by the presence of God.

Where do you get your energy?

Sorry I couldn’t resist.  So Joe the Plumber just received his allotment of fame.  I guess instead of soccer moms, we now have Joe Plumbers.   I hear he’s not telling whose name he’s going to check on the ballot.  But I was just thinking, since both of our presidential candidates directly addressed Joe last night, what if we just ask Joe to choose?  We could cut out all the ads and use each candidate’s campaign war-chests to bail something out.  If it works well, then four years from now we can pick another everyman to choose for us.  Perhaps next time it could be Sue the Teacher, or John the Garbage-Pick-Up guy, or perhaps even Paul the Pastor — or maybe not.  :)  Instead of debates that everyone has to watch, each candidate could just have dinner with the randomly chosen, everyvoter.

I know they already played this all out in a movie.  But I’m just thinking it might have merits.  I mean where better to discuss this year’s political fervor than over a broken toilet?  So how about it?  Let Joe pick?

Well before you decide, let me make sure you have the full story.  His first name ain’t Joe, it’s Samuel.  He is a plumber, but he doesn’t have a license.  He owes $1200 in back taxes…AND….notice the sweatshirt?  He’s a buckeye.  Oh well, looks like we’ll have to have the election after all!  :)

Here is the only thing I’ve written in this post that matters — No matter who becomes our president…I’m glad that Jesus is still King.

What a glorious day.  We baptized seven people last Sunday afternoon at Harvest Fields.  Listening to their God-stories I was reminded again, how powerfully God will work in our lives if we let Him.  Each one had a story that God is in the process of writing on their hearts and through their lives.  Baptism was their opportunity to tell the world that God’s-story is the only story they want written in their lives.  You know baptism is not a magical moment.  It isn’t a ritual that takes away all our future problems.  But it is a statement by each participant that they are headed on a new journey with a new destination, and they are living with a new source of power — some of the same ol problems, but a new hope, a new power for living.

The pond was not crystal clear.  It was a little green.  The pond was not wild-life free, a snapping turtle here, a harmless snake there, a few fish.  The pond was not heated, it was refreshing.  On the other hand baptism is a statement that we are willing to follow Jesus — wherever he leads. :)  I guess the Harvest Fields pond was just a little test.

All I can say is that it was a God-awe-full moment to join with these seven as they told all of us that they believed in Jesus and had decided to follow Him.  If you haven’t been baptized maybe you should check it out.

I was showered with coffee today — unbrewed.  I got a bushel basket full of coffee, more coffee than I’ve every received in a single setting, and some cool welcome back notes for Lynn and I.

It was my first official staff meeting in four months!  I was late.  Didn’t want the staff to think I had changed too much over the sabbatical. :)   Actually I had a day full of meetings.  Staff leadership, full staff, Jim & Dan, Kate & Lauren, and then a local pastor.  Nothing like jumping back in with both feet, but overall a good day, especially listening to the staff share God-stories.  I missed that.

I guess the main thing I have to shout out…is What a Great Staff Team We Have at Calvary! I left Calvary for four months and not only did Stac, Vic and all do a great job of preaching, but DanD did a great job of leading the staff.  Not only did everyone survive, they thrived.  Giving is up.  We’ve made major strides in our new multi-site initiative, ministry leaders are being developed, and people have made choices to start the journey of following Jesus.  Good stuff!  October is Pastor Appreciation month, and I’ve got to say I appreciate the pastors and the staff that God has drawn to Calvary.

It’s good to be missed, but there is something so very freeing in being reminded that ultimately when I get rid of this earth-suit I won’t leave that big a hole…but that’s okay because it’s not my show anyway. It’s God’s.  And what a show!

There is an ancient rabbinical saying that goes something like this…  God will one day hold us accountable for all the things He created for us to enjoy, but we refused to do so. Wow! Did it ever occur to you that God wants us to enjoy His pleasures?  Could it be that our enjoyment of His pleasures is as important to Him as our accomplishment of his purposes?  Well I have to say that I have had many moments during my sabbatical to enjoy His pleasures…here are just a few of the joys I experienced during my sabbatical.

– Watching sunsets in Minnesota, the Black Hills, New York City, Estonia, and Hawaii.
– Riding in the front seat of an incredibly intense wooden roller coaster with Josh.
– Boating on a lake with my family.
– Time to read.
– Experiencing Discovery Cove with my family.
– A cabin on a lake in Minnesota.
– Rock climbing with Jake.
– Watching Legally Blonde with Katy and Sarah.
– Chocolate Chip Banana Bread from Hana — I’m pretty sure that’s what OT manna was…
– Talking about leadership with Wayne Cordiero and Reggie McNeal.
– Swimming in the Oheo Gulch ponds below a waterfall.
– My first vacation alone with Lynn — the highlight of my sabbatical.
– Flatbread pizza in Paii, Hawaii.
– Eating fresh grilled steaks on a little lanai overlooking Hamoa Bay.
– Sitting around the campfire with Jake.
– Talking to Estonian pastors about building a church without walls.
– Hanging out with a Bill Ankerberg in Estonia — a pastor I deeply respect.
– Playing in the ocean with Lynn.
– Watching Josh play football.
– Doing a baptism in the ocean off Waikiki beach.
– Seeing the look on Sarah and Katy’s face when the limo drove up.
– Reading the Bible in big chunks at a time.
– Long talks with Lynn.
– Preaching in Estonia and watching people come forward.
– Hearing how well Calvary has done in my absence.

So what pleasures has God created for you to enjoy?  Are you missing them or grabbing them with both hands?  You don’t have to take a sabbatical to enjoy His pleasures, but you do have to take the time.

…is paved with good intentions.  Wait — wrong quote.  In fact out here the adjective “Heavenly” is most often associated with Hana.  Now the road to Hana, that’s an interesting journey.

It’s water-full.  There are so many waterfalls that after an hour, you go from — Wow would you look at that, that is amazing, cool, God really does good work!  — to — yep there’s another one.

It has that beautiful Eden-feel.  You go from rain forest to bamboo forest, from cliff-side views of the ocean hundreds of feet up to green mountain clad valleys, and all along the way you find the most colorful flowers, bright reds, yellows and orange.  Amazing.  It’s eye-candy for the soul.

It is secluded.  A handful of houses and two little villages from the airport to Hana.  In fact we were talking to a clerk in Lahaina (we drove there to see a Maui sunset) and when we told him that we were staying in Hana… He said, No way, no one every stays in Hana.  I’ve lived in Maui all my life and I’ve only been there once. (When we told him we were driving back that night, he said, Whoa not even the locals drive to Hana at night. Which made Lynn a little nervous!)

But getting to Hana is not your easy, jump on 80 journey.  In State College we like to say that we are 3 hours from everywhere, but in Hana it’s really true.  Lynn and I got Hana Survivor t-shirts.  Lynn’s says “617 curves, 56 bridges (one lane), 52 miles, 3 hours — Hana Survivor”  Mine says, “Our Winding Road Motto, There will be absolutely NO:  WHINING, CRYING, EATING, SLEEPING, READING, RESTROOM STOPS, COMPLAINING, MOANING, HORSING AROUND, BLACKMAILING, SICKNESS OR TURNING BACK!”

So here are a few Hana-road life-lessons.

1) When you are hundreds of feet up a cliff on a narrow road overlooking the ocean, the driver doesn’t get to say, Wow look at that… In life, sometimes the journey is more beautiful if we let someone else drive.

2) On the Hana-road driving faster won’t get you there faster…it won’t get you there at all…  In life, sometimes the prize goes to those who know how to slow down.

3) The road to Hana is beautiful, but a week in Hana on Hamoa beach is better by a factor of 10… In life, every truly good journey has a good destination.  The journey of life is good when we know that our destination is God…but God is better than the journey by more than a factor of 10.

4) If you eat pizza before you start, by the 617th curve it won’t taste so good anymore…  no spiritual lesson there…just personal experience, if you ever go to Hana, don’t eat too much before the journey!  :)

One of the take-aways from the Leadership Practicum was Wayne Cordiero’s idea of a “Leader’s Dashboard.”  Let me call it a Life Dashboard because I think it has application for all of us — leaders and followers.  Here is the idea in a nutshell.

– 85% of what you do in your life, anyone can do.

– 10% of what you do in your life, someone — with training — could do.

– 5% of what you do in your life… ONLY YOU CAN DO.

It’s what we do with that last 5% that will determine how the rest of our life takes shape.  So the question is what is your 5%?  So the 5% is what you keep on your dashboard.  The 5% are the gauges that show you how you are doing under the hood.  Your 5% could include things like…

• Develop spiritual intimacy with God.
• Discover and follow your calling.
• Invest in key relationships like spouse, family, close friends.
• Stay physically healthy and mentally creative.
• Keep the Sabbath a part of your life.

Maybe your dashboard is similar…but different.  What would be on your dashboard?  What things can only you do…that if you do them, it shapes your day and your life along the lines of Jesus?

One of the rhythms of life that many (most?) of us are missing is the rhythm of silence… listening, waiting upon God.  This rhythm is found throughout the Bible.  For example, Psalm 46:10  Be still and know that I am God; Isaiah 40:31  Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; and John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

The problem is that we have so many voices in our ears; friends, celebrities, authors, singers, political pundits and ____________ (fill in the blank).  And it’s not just voices, it’s word noise; tv, facebook, ipod, text messaging and ________________ (fill in the blank).  Now honestly, everything I’ve listed, I enjoy — even texting.  That’s why silence is so rare and listening to God is so hard to do.

And yet it is so vital to our life.  You know in the gospel of John, Jesus is called The Word.  This might mean that the most important rhythm of life for the follower of Jesus is the rhythm of listening.  What time do we take to listen?  When do we spend time listening?  What can we do on a daily basis to find the silence which will enhance the rhythm of listening. 

As I come back from my sabbatical, perhaps one of my strongest convictions is that I need to develop a better rhythm of listening to the WORD of God.  How about you?

I spent last week in a leadership practicum with Wayne Cordiero and the New Hope leadership team.  This picture reveals a significant part of the practicum!  New Hope has grown in the last 15 years from a handful to over 10,000.  About 50 pastors from all over the world joined together for six days to rub shoulders and listen to Wayne share about leadership in the local church… a good experience and a great way to wind down my sabbatical.

What was the leadership practicum about?  It wasn’t about how to grow a church to 10,000 people.  It wasn’t about how to lead a staff of 100.  It wasn’t about how to lead a volunteer team of 5000 plus.  It was more about the rhythms of a leader.  In other words, when we look at a leader, we see what they do — up front, but not behind the scenes.  In other words we see the game, we don’t see the training.  We see the concert, we don’t see the rehearsals or the hours of individual lessons.  We see/hear what comes out of the pastor on the weekend, but we don’t see what goes into the sermon during the week.

Every leader — in fact everyone who excels in their calling — has a rythm to their life that brings the fruit that others see.  What are the rhythms of your life?  What are the disciplines you practice behind the scenes — day to day — that will bear fruit?  They should include things like prayer, time to hear God, planning, and exercise.  So every day of the practicum we participated in the rhythms of Wayne Cordiero’s life.  Up at 5:30am, prayer, calisthenics and 2 mile run from 6-7am, (they called me Krispy), breakfast at 8am, and devotions from 8:30am.  After that the day started.

So what are the rythms of your life?  What do you do on a consistent basis that helps you train for the Kingdom race?  What disciplines shape your heart so that you are ready for God’s calling?  It’s got me thinking about mine…