In 1965, a testimony before a Senate subcommittee claimed that the future looked bright for leisure time in America. By 1985, predicted the report, Americans would be working 22 hours a week and would be able to retire at age 38. They missed that one!

What was the reason for the prediction?  Technology was going to usher in an array of labor-saving devices that would give us an abundance of free time; time saving devices like — Microsoft Windows, video recorders with programmable digital clocks that always flash 12:00am and Facebook — time saving devices like that.  Now admittedly the technological advances since 1965 go beyond amazing.  Yet 45 years later, 85% of the men and 65% of the women in America work longer than 40 hours per week.

Why was the prediction wrong?  Nobody took into account our appetite for stuff.  Nobody took into account the rise of consumerism and our belief in the myth of more.  What is the myth of more?  It’s believing that even though what I have has not satisfied me, surely if I just had a little more, then I would be satisfied.  Nowhere do we see this more clearly than Christmas.  If we are not careful we can get lost in the Christmas story of consumerism.

Whether you are a person of faith or not; whether you celebrate Christ, Santa, Hanukkah, or none of the above; we can all admit that one more present under the tree probably is not going to make Christmas all we hoped it would be.  At the heart, the first Christmas story was much more about “presence” than it was about “presents.”

When my son was about two, he would come running every time I came home.  He would sit by my side when I took off my boots and then he would put them on and try to walk around the house.  Then he would get the biggest kick out of sitting in my truck and pretending he was driving like me.  When He came to my office, he wanted to take my football helmet off the shelf and put it on.  Boots and football helmets and trucks… what more could a two year old want?

But suppose for a minute that that’s all he ever got. Suppose that rather than coming home, I just sent my boots and my football helmet.  I had somebody else bring the truck over for him to play in.  I told him that he could play with them whenever he wanted, but he would never see me again.  Would that have satisfied him?  I don’t think so.  It’s not boots, a truck or a football helmet, the presence of a father means more than the presents of a father.

So here’s the Christmas Challenge.  This Christmas season, give a few less presents and give a bit more presence.  Have a conversation.  Play a family game. Go sledding.  Play Xbox…together.  The options are endless.  More presence less presents.

Well I’m getting closer, it’s just Tuesday, last week it was Wednesday. For those not up on football lingo a Monday Morning Quarterback is “one who critiques from a position of hindsight.”  So here are some reflections on the weekend and the past week.

1) Last week’s message was about waking up from the American Dream so that we can chase the Bethlehem Dream.   Remember, I did some meddling — by the way thanks go to those of you who not only said, Thank you for meddling, but you even gave me permission to meddle some more.  Here is part of what I said,

The American Dream is one of the critical barriers to experiencing a radical Christmas filled with great joy for all people. Christmas has become this great celebration of the American Dream. Once upon a time perhaps the American Dream was more noble, it had something to do with working hard and making a better life for your kids. But today the American Dream has more to do with self-advancement, and security and comfort, and having what I want, when I want it, and a materialism that requires great consumerism…and consumption.

The American Dream in many ways is a competing story to the original Christmas. Haven’t you felt that…it almost seems like there are two competing stories. There is the Christmas story of Consumption.  This is the story we read about in the papers, a Christmas whose primary function is to enhance the economy of the retail sector.  Then there is the Christmas story of Conception — the invasion of God’s presence into the reality of life on earth.  Which Christmas brings good news to all people?

If you didn’t get a chance to listen…go to

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2) Greg Ford put together a great — convicting — video to kick off our 1% Offering.

What is the 1% Offering?  A challenge for us to give 1% of our annual income in a year end offering to serve those in need around the world.  If you would like more information and even the opportunity to give online go to ONE%.

3) Last week we filmed an interview with two Calvary couples who are in the process of adopting — the Bells and the Noels.  Wow.  Amazing stories of the ways in which God not only has led them to this opportunity but is also providing for them.  Calvary’s adoption fund — funded through the 1% offering — has been part of that provision.  Come this weekend to see a bit of their story.  So many at Calvary have or are adopting.  I love the heart in that!

4) Last weekend’s Christmas Uncovered and Silent Auction was simply superb!  Kate Oberholtzer and team wowed us with their one act play based on Narnia.  All sorts of Christmas crafts took place for families and the Silent Auction — which helps us give Christmas to local families in need — raised almost $4000!  What a great weekend!

5) About 60-70 of Calvary’s best cooks are currently in the process of baking some of the world’s greatest Christmas cookies and candy.  Come to 1250 University Drive on Saturday — buy some and eat a just-as-good-as-waffleshop breakfast.  All the proceeds will go to help kids in Rwanda, the Dominican Republic and Myanmar.

6) Conviction Assignment for this week.  Go to Global Rich List and find out where you rank.  Then read I Timothy 6:6-19.  Then go to Empty Tomb.  Dig through it.  Then spend some time pondering and praying.

7) Remember that first Christmas was Good News of Great Joy for All People. Every opportunity you take, this week, to be a bringer of good news puts you right in the middle of Christmas.  Once upon a time Christmas changed the world.  It can again.

It started in Philadelphia. On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia partnering with Macy’s and the Knight Foundation produce one of Knight Foundation’s“Random Acts of Culture” on a grand scale in Philadelphia.  The Opera Company of Philadelphia joined over 600 singers from area choirs, and accompanied by the famed Wanamaker Organ – the world’s largest pipe organ – they surprised shoppers at the Center City Philadelphia Macy’s with a spontaneous rendition of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah.

Then it happened a couple of weeks ago, in Canada, the foodcourt of a mall.

I don’t know about you, but wow — they brought this huge expansion to my heart that leaked out my eyes.  All sorts of thoughts while I watched…

1) It was like church in a mall, which seems almost impossible to me…but it happened.  Sure some where just amused, some didn’t know the words, and some just kept on eating or shopping, but some were all-out worshipping.

2) I loved the diversity of worship, some exuberant, there were a few that were emotional, some with hands uplifted, different sizes, different shapes, different colors.

3) I wonder how many knew, really understood what they were singing?  Hallelujah — which means “praise God” — for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth —which means I acknowledge the God is powerful and I am not — the kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ — which means I acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.  He is my King. Finally that refrain King of Kings and Lord of Lords — there is no one like him.  He is beyond beyond, and more than we can imagine.  That’s what they were acknowledging publicly in Macy’s and the foodcourt of a mall.

4) I hate to admit it, because I’m not one to glorify shopping — but those two scenes were far closer to the reality of what heaven will be like, than any of our puffy-cloud-white-robe-harp-me-to-eternal-boredom pictures of heaven.

5) It made me laugh and cry in the same moment, it took my breath away and I wanted to yell, “Go God!” But it was about 3am and the family was asleep.  More importantly, I believe it pleased God.

6) It’s a great start to the Christmas season, when you get annoyed, stressed or spent out, in the next few weeks, just come back and watch one of these, I bit you’ll have a smile on your face before it’s over.

7) One day, the apostle Paul, wrote, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I wonder if it will look something like Macy’s in Philly and a foodcourt in Canada breaking out into the Hallelujah chorus?

Abigail is always smiling and always excited to see you, so full of joy and energy you would never guess that she was an orphan.  You would never guess that her life mainly consists of doing school work and chores around the orphanage.   Abigail has a brother who goes to Calvary Seminary — the seminary our ONE% offering has helped to establish.  They love to tease and joke with each other.  They were both at one of the smaller orphanages until recently, but they have always been together.

Abigail has many barriers in her life, not least of which is language.  Coming from the Shan state, not only is Burmese a second language for her, but most of the orphans and staff do not speak her native tongue. Despite this, she has been excelling at her studies and even beginning to learn English.

Joel Van Sickle spent a few months in Myanmar teaching English to the Seminary students — we could use another one of those if you are interested — he writes,

Abigail’s friendship was a gift while in Myanmar. Honestly, I can’t even remember which language we had most of our conversations in. I just remember her bubbly smile, her teasing jokes, and her fake admiration of my dancing skills!  She has a fiercely strong hug for such a small girl. For some reason I have this memory of her shaking her head at me for doing something I shouldn’t have, half berating me half laughing at me at the same time. I was probably trying to distract her from her studies.  When it comes down to it, Abigail can be your best friend and make you feel on top of the world without a single comprehensible word.

Can you help a girl like Abigail?  Of course you can.  Distance is not a barrier for a heart shaped by God. You can sponsor a child through our ONE% offering.  You can pray for Abigail and those like her.  Pray that their rice field will grow well.  Pray for the leaders who nurture her.  Pray that God will show her His love and his calling for her.  He has a plan for her to leave a mark in the world!

It started when I did the math on a set of statistics detailing the financial resources that American Christians give to serve those in need around the world — I came up with 1/2 of 1%.  In that moment, I sensed God challenging me to do our part by doubling that stat, giving birth to our 1% offering.

In his book, The Hole in our Gospel, Richard Stern suggests that if all you look at is the church, just giving to the church and by the church.  It isn’t even 1/2 of 1% — it’s 2% of 2%. The average Christian gives about 2.5% to the church.  The average church gives about 2% of what it gets to serve those around the world, both in terms of evangelism and helping the poor.  Do the math on that one and it comes out to about 5 ten-thousands of our income.  Stern says that if you look at the giving of the church in America we give about six cents per person per day to serve those around the world.  Six Pennies a day.

Don’t get defensive.  I know that some of you give more than that.  I know that some of you give to other organizations besides the church.  Some of you even tithe.  Maybe this post isn’t for you.  On the other hand, maybe your tithe is just a cheap tip and God would have you read this with an open heart.

Here is my question: What if — this year — we gave 1% of our annual income to serve those in need around the world?  Calvary averages about 1200 people on a weekend.  The average personal income in Centre County is around $25,000 — yes that includes students.  So that would be on average $250 per person — average means that those who make more than students would give more than students. But if we gave 1% at Calvary that would be about $300,000.  Wow.

I remember one Christmas.  The boys got their first video game counsel.  I don’t remember if it was Xbox or PS or Nintendo, but I do remember the look on their faces.  It started with shock, then meandered over to disbelief and landed on pure exuberant, I-can’t-believe-I-got-this wonder and joy.

If we gave $300,000 this year, in our 1% offering.  I’m telling you that look would be duplicated on the faces of leaders and about 220 children in Myanmar, Rwanda and the Dominican Republic.  That look would be duplicated on the faces of parents waiting to adopt.  That look would be duplicated on the faces of families locally that would be helped.  In fact, I think it would be duplicated on my face.

I wonder what the face of Jesus would look like?

If you are connected at Calvary, we are spending the next few weeks pondering and praying about this.  If you are reading this blog from afar, you can still join us.  Go to ONE%.  You can read this year’s booklet, watch a video and even donate online.

Once upon a time Christmas changed the world… it can happen again.

For those not up on football lingo a Monday Morning Quarterback is “one who critiques from a position of hindsight.”  So this is supposed to be Monday morning reflections on the weekend and the past week. Yeah I know, it’s Wednesday… I’m trying to get it up to Monday. But the concept is the same…look back from a position of hindsight.

1) Steve Lutz: For those of you who weren’t here last weekend, Steve Lutz preached at our combined Midtown gatherings. You can listen to his talk on Isaiah 61

.  Steve is one of our newer staff members, taking over Bob Barbash’s spot leading LifeGroups.  That position is about 1/4 time, the rest of his ministry time is spent in campus ministry.  He is passionate about many things including his wife and kids — and all things missional.  He loves the mission of the gospel.

2) Speaking of Campus Ministry:  Erica Reitz and Steve Lutz give leadership to Calvary’s campus ministry.  Both of them raise personal financial support for their campus ministry.  If you are interested in supporting either one of them, let me know and I’ll connect you.  They bring an awesome ROI (Return on Investment).

3) Congratulations to Stefan Wisniewski.  Maybe you remember he shared with us at Calvary on Campus.  Last week he was selected as Penn State’s 95 All-American.  He has garnered a number of year end accolades, but what I love is the way he reflects back on God.  Read through this article — Stefen All American — to see what I mean.

4)  Hopefully you have received your 1% booklet in the mail.  If not, go to ONE% to read it.  Please be praying for this offering and your part in it.  It’s an amazing opportunity to impact the world!

5)  This week, I’ve heard so many stories of people who were reaching out to serve people last week.  People cleaning.  People moving.  People giving.  People praying.  People building.  LifeGroups doing it.  Individuals doing it.  Not just organized programs, but just seeing a need and meeting it as a representative of Jesus.  Such good stuff!  Thank you for the ways you serve, it makes me so glad to be a part of this family.

6)  A couple of weeks ago, I asked you to join me in finish the year strong in prayer… praying Paul’s requests in Ephesians 3:14-21.  Pray for the power of the Spirit to give us inner strength.  Pray for the our lives and our relationships to be rooted in Christ’s love.  Pray for the fullness of the live of God to overflow in us and through us.  Pray that God would show Himself to be the God who is beyond beyond.  Every day.  Pray.

7) Oh yeah…one more football thing, since it is the MMQ post.  My alma mater Bethel University is now in the Third Round of the National Playoffs.  I played football with a number of the coaches and Calvary’s own Ben Jameson is the punter on the team.  This weekend they play St. Thomas, a win there takes them to the quarterfinals!  Go Royals!

Robert Emmons, often referred to as a “gratitude doctor,” has been researching the power of gratitude for more than 10 years. The psychology professor at the University of California, points to the results of several studies — of more than 2,000 people — that show that the benefits of gratitude are quite significant. “People are 25% happier and more energetic if they keep gratitude journals, have 20% less envy and resentment, sleep 10% longer and wake up 15% more refreshed, exercise 33% more (okay not sure how that’s a positive) and show a 10% drop in blood pressure compared to people who do not keep a gratitude journal.

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving… one more gratitude list.

1) I am thankful for my family. We had two fantastic days in Pittsburgh, just the six of us.  From the Cheesecake Factory to sharing hilarious Youtube videos, to monkey rolls for breakfast followed by turkey and the trimmings; from a 3.5 hour Phase Ten game — kind of like Monopoly for dummies — to a late showing of Unstoppable, followed by — yes I went — shopping at midnight at the Grove City Outlets.  Great days!

2) I am thankful that my alma mater is in the second round of the Division 3 football playoffs.  In fact I’m thankful that they made it in Sports Illustrated.  If you get the magazine, it’s the football snow game.  Last time Bethel made it in Sports Illustrated was 1980.  I was a freshman we were playing Macalester and SI was there thinking Mac might break their recording-making loss streak.  Yeah we beat them. Today Bethel plays Wheaton in the second round of the playoffs.  Oh yeah, I’m also thankful there is no Div3 BCS.

3) I am thankful for my church family.  Last weekend — in response to a last minute appeal to meet a local food shelf need — Calvary folks brought in over 200 bags of groceries!  Estimated value of over $5000.  One of the team who helped unload said, “It took three of us 45 minutes to unload.  They were overwhelmed, in a good way!”  It’s such a great reminder to me of what a blessing we can be — together.

4) I am thankful that No-Shave-November is almost over.

5) I am thankful for all the children that are being added to the Calvary family through adoption.  Actually I’m thankful for all the children being added!  But I love the fact that the adoption virus is spreading.  It seems like every where I look, there is another family deciding to adopt — Philippines, Ukraine, Ethiopia, China, the US and more.  It’s hard to keep track.  In our 1% offering we have a chance to help more families through this expensive process.

6) I am thankful that Calvary family also includes people from around the world, including Rwanda, The Dominican Republic, and Myanmar.  Personally I’m thankful for my friends from Myanmar. They are an inspiration to me and they give me hope for God’s work in the country of Myanmar.  They not only are caring for the poor, and the orphans, they also have a passion to see more people know Jesus.

7) I am thankful for all the people who give to our 1% offering to serve those in need around the world.  In fact it’s not only Calvary people who give.  The first gifts to the 1% offering this year are coming from Betsy Coyle — PSU/Calvary alum — who shared the 1% idea with her LifeGroup in Miami!

And finally, I’m thankful, not just for the gifts, but even more for the giver of the gifts.  I didn’t earn the blessings for which I’m thankful, they are a gift from the giver of every good gift, and as we head into Christmas, I am reminded of the greatest gift of all.  Jesus.

Appearing on the Conan O’Brien show, comedian Louis C. K. joked about how frustrated people get when technology gets slow. “Everything is amazing right now,” he said, “but nobody’s happy.” When people complain that their flight boarded 20 minutes late or that they had to sit on the runway for 40 minutes before takeoff, he asks a few additional questions like; “Oh really, what happened next? Did you fly through the air, incredibly, like a bird? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight?”

When we complain — rather than give thanks — we display how much we take for granted, how much thanksgiving we miss. For example…

If you woke up this morning with more health than illnesses, you’re more blessed than the million who won’t survive this week.

If you own inspirational books, you’re abundantly blessed. One-third of the world doesn’t have access to even one.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you’re more blessed than 500 million people around the world.

If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you’re more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you’re richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you’re among the 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married, you’re very rare, even in the US.

There are blessings all around us…that we do not see, that we simply take for granted. But perhaps it is not so much that we take these blessings for granted, perhaps it is that we think we deserve even more than we have been given. In her book, “The Gift of Thanks” Margaret Visser details the cultural differences of thanksgiving. The Japanese sometimes accept gifts — in essence saying, thank you — by saying, “I’m sorry.” Visser explains that the meaning behind the thought is, “I am fully aware of my debt to you. I can never repay it.”

Pride slays thanksgiving. Jon Ortberg writes, “Envy is dismissing God’s goodness to me and disliking God’s goodness to others.” In other words thanksgiving rarely finds fertile soil for growth in hearts filled with envy and pride. But humble hearts find that almost everything is a gift.

So if you are lacking thanks…

What blessings are you overlooking?
Are you struggling with envy or pride?

Take a moment… make a list… a gratitude list.  You have more for which to be thankful, than you can even imagine.

It makes sense that we spend some time on pondering the attitude of gratitude this week.  (If you are looking for “Gratitude #1” read the previous post Monday Morning Quarterback.) Here are a couple of stories for those of us who are thinking, I can’t be thankful because I have nothing good in my life.

The year was 1636, it was the worst of times in Europe and the people in Pastor Rinckart’s parish experienced the worst of the worst. They were in the midst of the “30 Years War”, and the enemy had already invaded their town three times, destroying almost everything of value.   Then the Black Plague arrived.  One pastor fled the plague and the people.  Rinckart buried two more on the same day, leaving him as the sole pastor in the region.  Pastor Rinckart buried between 4500-5000 people in one year.  That’s an average of 13-14 funerals a day, one day he had 50.

How would we handle such circumstances?  Surely he struggled with having an attitude of gratitude?  Martin Rinckart sought God’s strength in deep soul-searching prayer and in that dark night of the soul he sat down and penned this table prayer for his children:

Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices.  Who wondrous things hath done, in whom his world rejoices.  Who from our mother’s arms hath led us on our way with countless gifts of love and still is ours today.

Isn’t that incredible? Almost unbelievable…an attitude of gratitude in the midst of tragedy. The living did not warrant thanks giving…but still the gratitude came.

She has every reason to be bitter.  For years an unrecognized talent sprang from her lips. Prestigious opera circles closed their doors, critics ignored her, she was repeatedly rejected for parts for which she easily qualified. Only after overwhelming success in Europe did she find any acceptance in her own country.  In her personal life she has faced even more. The mother of two handicapped children, one severely retarded. Years ago, to escape the New York City rat race, she bought a home on Martha’s Vineyard.  It burned to the ground days before she was to move in.

Her life has been full of living that did not warrant thanks giving.

But in spite of her troubles she’s gained the nickname Bubbles — Beverly Sills.  After interviewing her Mike Wallace said, “She’s one of the most impressive – if not the most impressive – ladies I’ve ever interviewed.” Why? “I choose to be cheerful,” she says. “Years ago, I knew I had little or no choice about success, circumstances, or even happiness, but I knew I could choose to be cheerful.”

Your living might not seem like it warrants thanks giving at the moment.  If so, you are even greater need of the discipline of gratitude.  Get a piece of paper and a pen.  Sit down and make a list, at least 20 specific things for which you are thankful.  Write it down and than turn them into a prayer.  Tell God thank you for each of them.  Choose gratitude.

Thanksgiving matters.  Gratitude is good for our health.  Gratitude develops generosity — and the world is starving for generous people.  Gratitude is the missing ingredient that when added to our prayers will lead to an overflowing peace that will guard our hearts from the inside out.  Gratitude begins to put God at the center of our attention.  (Gratitude was our theme last weekend and if you didn’t get a chance to listen to the talk just click

.)  So here is my Monday Morning Gratitude List…

1) I’m thankful for Lynn.  God blessed me — and continues to bless me with the most incredible woman as my partner in life, partner in ministry, partner in family.  She is my best friend.

2) I’m thankful for each of my children.  They consistently make me smile…sometimes laugh out loud.  I’m thankful for the way God is at work in them.  I’m thankful that each of them is shaped differently and shines differently.  I’m proud of each of them, and thankful for that.

3) I’m thankful that each of my kids still loves church — or at the very least, they don’t hate church!  :)  I consider it one of my greatest measures of success, that my kids still like church.  Way too many pastor’s kids grow up and end up, disliking church.

4) Which also leads me to say that I’m thankful for those of you who are a part of the Calvary family, those who have been friends, supporters, lifegroup members, prayer shield participants, and ministry partners — in other words, family.  You are family.  I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am for you.

5) I am thankful for a man who frequently serves me by helping me fix things in my house.  I’m not a good fix-it guy and he generously gives of himself.

6) I am thankful for a woman who has watched our kids so many times over the course of the years that she is really part of our family.

7) I am thankful for people who have at times — so often at just the right time — have encouraged me, sometimes through words, sometimes through a gift.

8) I am thankful for hard times.  I have had a few, some of them you know about, some of them you do not.  I am thankful for times that have required perseverance.  I am thankful that God hasn’t always given me (us) everything we want, when we want it.

9) I am thankful for critics, they keep me humble and it really doesn’t matter what their motivations are, when they critique it ends up driving me to God.

10) I am thankful that we get to partner with a God who likes to show up and show off.

11) I am thankful for the staff, leadership team, and shepherding team.  What an amazing group of people!  Time and again you are one of the main reasons I am here.

12) I am thankful for my mom and dad, and my siblings.  They have had a pretty important part in shaping my heart, my values and my dreams.

13) I am thankful that I get the opportunity to give to our 1% offering and make a difference in the world.

14) Most importantly, I am so thankful for God.  I’m thankful for the power of the Holy Spirit at work within me, for Christ’s love at work within me, for the life of God overflowing from me.  I am thankful for his rescuing grace, his redeeming love, his amazing holiness.

Honestly, that’s just a partial list.  But it sure felt good to put it down.  Hope you have an incredibly good thanksgiving — full of gratitude.