A couple of years ago, while on my sabbatical I spent a week with Wayne Cordiero at a leadership practicum. At some point he told the story of a weekend when his church and all the congregations New Hope had started were worshiping together — a large outdoor gathering near Waikiki beach. They were planning on seeing well over 10,000 people show up with all their friends. It was going to be a great day, one of those time of your life kind of days…

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating. It was forecast to be one of those rare days in Honolulu… that would be filled with rain. The night before Wayne had people praying. Wayne prayed through much of the night; asking God to hold away the rain, send the clouds somewhere else. That morning — in spite of his impassioned prayers — the rain started coming down.

Wayne went out to the park where the gathering was planned. Watching folks trying to cover up sound equipment, Wayne
went to a solitary place in the park. With no one around, he started complaining to God, critiquing God’s plan, asking him why in the world they would plan a day like this day and He couldn’t even keep it dry. He was detailing for God all the problems this was going to cause, the people that would stay away.

If you would have seen Wayne in those moments you would have thought he was a holy man beseeching God to stop the rain. Instead it was just a human man complaining to God about all the problems He was causing.

Then in the breath between two complaints, the Spirit of God convicted Wayne with these words — God spoke to his heart — “Wayne you are more concerned about the absence of your problems than you are concerned with the presence of Jesus.”

Gotta be honest, those words pierced my heart.  Too often my prayers are requests for the removal of my problems.  Too rare are my prayers request for more of the presence of Jesus.  Too often my prayers are requests for God to bless my plans.  Too rare are my prayers a request for the blessing of God’s presence.  Too often I am looking for God’s power more than I desire God’s presence.  In Psalm 37, the psalmist writes, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  That means if I love God’s presence, there is a better possibility that He will share His power.  But more importantly it means, the more I love Jesus, the more I want Jesus.

What’s more important to you?  The absence of problems or the Presence of Jesus?  The answer to that question will shape the passion of your prayers.

No moral of the story here…it just made me laugh.  Watch this clip from the Jaime Kennedy Experiment.

Jacob was about 4 and it was one of those difficult days. From Jake’s point of view, Mom just wasn’t living up to expectations.  Not only were they not communicating well, but more importantly Jacob just wasn’t getting what He wanted. He stopped, looked at Lynn and said, “Mom you’re fired!”

And we can laugh…because it’s a normal thing…it’s not such a big deal, the disappointments that a young child has because a parent has not come through in the way, we expected our Father to come through for us.

For a few moments, can you insert yourself into the story. You’re there with Jesus and his friend. You were there when he changed the water into wine. You were there at the pool of Bethesda, when he made the lame man walk, and don’t forget that bit with the sack lunch. 5 rolls, 2 fish-sticks and 5000 people, and after it was over he gave each of those 12 guys a basket to take home. You were there when He called himself the bread of heaven, the light of the world, and the good shepherd who came to give life to his sheep. You were there just a few days ago, when He called Lazarus back from the dead. You were there when He said, “Whoever believes in me shall never die.”

Then just when you believed in Him. He told you He was gonna die. Now you’re confused because you’re wondering if the one who said he was the way, the truth and the life — might be lying, or lost, or dying. And the prayers that were in your heart begin to die before they ever make it to your lips. You have joined the people who have been disappointed with the god they imagine God to be. People who have lost their way. You look at God and you wanna say, “Hey God you’re fired.”

But then Jesus begins to talk. He seems so sure of Himself. So confident. His words are so strong. So right. Words like…

Don’t let your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. ..I’m going to prepare a place for you and if I do…I’ll come back. I’ll take you with me so that you can be there. …I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father unless they cme through me. Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? These words I’m speaking to you, I don’t speak on my own authority; but the Father who lives in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.

Your heart starts to quicken, this is something fresh, hope starts to sing…softly, but it sings in your heart.  Then you hear…

In fact I’ll tell you something that is so true. Whoever believes in me, the works that I do, they will do also and even greater works than these will be done, because I am going to my Father.  And whatever you ask, in my name, I will do it, so that I can glorify the Father. If you ask anything in my name I will do it.

What do you do with prayer-promises like this? Do you believe them or explain them away?  Do you interpret your circumstances in light of these promises or do you interpret the promises in light of your circumstances?  Do you ponder them or ignore them?   Do they give you hope or frustration?

Does prayer work? Isn’t that the question?  And if it does, how?  If I believe it does work, why don’t I pray more?  If I don’t believe it works, why do I care?  This weekend at Calvary we are initiating 21 Days of Prayer, I wonder what might happen, what we might learn in 21 days?

So, I’ll start by equally offending the red team and the blue team.  I like Fox News better than CNN.  Glenn Beck scares me.

Let me rephrase that Glenn Beck doesn’t really scare me.  He is an entertainer.  He is a conservative.  He is a Mormon.  What he says and does is shaped by those three roles, and to complicate matters more I have no reason to doubt his sincere desire to honor our troops and renew our country.  Not scary goal, good goals.  Glenn Beck isn’t scary.  What’s scary is the way conservative Christians are eating up the spiritual taste of his message with seemingly little evaluation of the spiritual foundation of his message.

If you haven’t heard about the “Restoring Honor” event or “Glenn Beck’s Divine Destiny” (recently retitled as “Glenn Beck Presents: America’s Divine Destiny”) you likely are not a true fan.  Mr. Beck will be in Washington D.C Friday night and Saturday…hoping for 300,000 plus people on Saturday and enough to fill the Kennedy Center Friday night for “America’s Divine Destiny.”

Now there is no doubt that Mr. Beck is a passionate man, a religious man, and a political man.  In fact he weaves all three together as he talks about the “Divine Destiny” event.  He writes,

Divine Destiny is an eye-opening evening at the historic Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C that will help heal your soul. Guided by uplifting music, nationally-known religious figures from all faiths will unite to deliver messages reminiscent to those given during the struggles of America’s earliest days. The event will leave you with a renewed determination to look past the partisan differences and petty problems that fill our airwaves and instead focus our shared values, principles and strong belief that faith can play an essential role in reuniting the country.

In another message Beck describes the weekend this way,

I have been telling you for awhile this will be a historic moment.  I promise you that it will be.  I promise you.  I have promised you before and I have personally seen them already.  I have told you, prepare to witness mighty and powerful miracles.  I have already seen them.  What you will witness on September 28th, is the beginning of a restoration you and your children will never forget.

I understand why conservative Christians smile when they hear these words.  I’ve used a lot of words like this before, in fact I’ll use a lot of word like this…this weekend at church.  So for all the Glenn Beck fans amongst us, will you consider a few challenges spoken in grace?

1) Glenn Beck’s faith background is not Christian.  Mormons have significantly different views on Christ than I do.   Do I have any problem with him mixing his religion with his politics?  No.  Am I anti-Mormon?  No.  I simply hold to an orthodox view of Christ and Jesus gets first place in my passions.  I want Glenn Beck to know the Jesus I love.  Even if you are 100% in agreement with Mr. Beck’s political views, if you are a Christian, theology matters.

2) Never forget that the little kingdom of politics will never accomplish more than the Big Kingdom of God.  Seek first the Kingdom of God.  You may realize that Glenn Beck spoke at Liberty University’s commencement this year.  Liberty University — a Christian school — was founded by Jerry Falwell — of moral majority fame, so the merging of politics and religion there is old news.  But in a conversation with Jerry Jr. and Glenn Beck, Jerry Jr. made this statement, “There are bigger issues now, we can argue about theology later, after we save the country.”  Christ is at the very heart of theology and I do not believe we can save the country without Jesus…and I’m NOT talking about bring Jesus into politics.  I’m talking about a heart-change.

3) If you are a follower of Jesus don’t let politics divide you from other Jesus-followers… and NEVER let politics be your primary pathway of unity.  In other words a conservative follower of Jesus has far more in common with a liberal follower of Jesus than with a conservative atheist.

4) Love Jesus more than you love your country.  I don’t have to explain that one.

So I think God is trying to get my attention on the topic of prayer.  A decade ago — maybe even five years ago — if you would’ve asked anyone at Calvary to describe my passion — prayer would have been a top-of-the-list topic.  Not sure if that’s true at the moment.  I mean I would still say it’s one of my top three passions, but it’s been off my passion-radar for a season…

Then Lynn (my wife) brought me a plan for us — the Calvary family — to invest 21 days of prayer into PSU.

Then Mike Hulson (my assistant) sat down in my office to talk to me about a conviction God is putting on his heart about men getting together to pray.

Then Chris Heinz (a Calvary teammate) asked me to share with you a series he is doing on prayer.  It’s on his blog — good stuff.  He’s on post #8.  Check it out here — Chris on Prayer.

Then Sarah (my daughter) wrote this amazing — I know I’m a bit prejudiced — blog post on prayer.  It’s called Desires of My Heart and includes a prayer by Charles Spurgeon,

“Lord, if what I ask for does not please You, neither would it please me. My desires are put into Your hands to be corrected. Strike the pen through every petition that I offer that is not right. And put in whatever I have omitted, even though I might not have desired it had I considered it…’Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.'”

Then tonight we dedicated a new prayer cabin at Harvest Fields.  About 20 people gathered and prayed, looking out over Harvest Fields and the valley.  I love the fact that the first new structure built on the property is a building dedicated to prayer.

Then this weekend — as we look at the gospel of Mark — we discover a God who cannot be kept in a box.  Guess what?  The way to connect to this God-unleashed is through prayer.

Yeah God is trying to get my attention.  A good thing.  It means he isn’t through with me yet.   Years ago, I was complaining to God about how hard it is to get people to pray…and He said, “Dan I will not bring a spirit of prayer to the people until you pray in private the way you talk about prayer in public.”  I’m asking God to deepen my passion for prayer — personal, private, just Jesus and me, prayer — and I’m asking you to join me.

In his book, “Authentic Faith” Gary Thomas shares the story of Mike.  When Gary arrived on Western Washington’s University campus in 1980, Mike Dittman was the most dynamic christian he’d ever met. Mike was several years older than Gary; already a leader in the college ministry. Mike had everything, charismatic personality, great athletic ability, as well as being a skilled worship leader. He could lead you into the presence of God like few you’ve ever met. He was sought out at lunchtime. Everyone wanted to be like Mike and be with Mike.

Following graduation Mike served as a campus pastor and then enrolled in graduate studies to become a counselor. Then he started working for a local church. He’d been there a number of years when finally an intervention of sorts took place. Men whom Mike respected and loved, confronted him and said… “Mike you’re very competent. Very insightful. A dynamic leader. A guy who inspires admiration and respect. But you’re also too blunt. You hurt people with your words, you lack compassion and empathy and kindness.”

Mike was devastated, but in a good way. Not one of the positive traits mentioned by these men was a fruit of the spirit and he found himself praying. “God I wish I was a little less dynamic and a little more compassionate.

A year or so later, after a morning workout, Mike collapsed on the locker room floor. A brain hemmorage almost took his life… it was touch and go, but doctors were able to keep Mike alive… but after this, he was a whole different Mike.

His Hollywood handsome appearance was gone. Half his face droops and is pulled over to one side. He can’t sing anymore or play his guitar, so there’s no more leading worship. In fact for a time, his speech was so slurred that he couldn’t teach. He was humbled in just about every way that an ambitious man can be humbled. After months of grueling physical therapy Mike was able to return to a somewhat normal life.

But it wasn’t so much the physical therapy that God was interested in as it was the spiritual therapy. Along with the devastating effect on his body came an incredibly life-giving change in his spirit. Now years later, Mike’s ministry has never been more productive. He started a fantastically successful department of counseling at Philadelphia Biblical University, which has grown from a handful of students to hundreds…

People fly in from all over the country to meet with Mike. Pastors who’ve fallen, broken marriages, messed up kids. Mike’s seen it all, whereas before his focus was on the masses, Mike now specializes in healing hurting hearts, one at a time. If you asked Mike he would say that the brain hemmorage took a lot away, but it gave far more in return.

I love how Gary Thomas describes him. He writes,

Mike is now the type of guy whose spirit invites you to quiet your heart, get rid of all pretenses and revel in God’s presence. I think the main difference is that in college, when I was arnd Mike, I wantd to be like Mike. Now after spending time with Mike, I want to be more like Jesus.

So ask yourself, “When people spend time with me…do they want to be more like Jesus?”

This weekend at Calvary we’re pondering the story of a man who lacked only thing necessary for life. It made me think of Psalm 23 — “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I will lack nothing.” How many of us live our lives as though we lacked nothing? Tina Sinatra, in writing in her book, her memoirs of living with her father Frank, said this about her dad: “My father was a man who all his life, looked outside for what was missing inside.”

And you know what? We know better, but we do it too…too often you and I desperately chase after stuff we are convinced will fill up our lives and make us happy or content or successful or real or valued or loved.   I did a wedding a number of years ago.  I was the co-pastor along with an older retired pastor.  He didn’t really want me there.  Definitely didn’t want me to preach.  He had never heard me, didn’t know if I could do a good job, but the couple wanted me to preach and they finally won out.  I could preach, but he would also.

Don’t you know I went to the wedding determined to preach better than he did –and I did–  I was funnier, more heart-felt.  More people complimented me afterwards.  (I know I counted.)  And I think I would’ve been happy… at least for a moment… but I was standing feeling a little bit of the happiness drain out because I was overhearing someone tell him how much they appreciated his comments.

In that moment I felt the gentle rebuke of Jesus saying, “Why would you feel bad that I used him to speak to her?   Why does their opinion of you matter to you more than my opinion of you?”

He was trying to teach me what it really means to lack nothing.

Have you ever been in that place?   The place where others matter to you more than God… the place where what others think of you matters more to you that what God thinks of you?  Do you understand, it’s the holes on the inside that cause us to feel like we are lacking something.

Have you ever struggled with peer pressure?  If you experienced it when you were younger chances are good it’s still there. It’s the evidence of a hole that you are trying to fill with what others think of you.  Do you find it hard to say no? Are you a people-pleaser?  Do you need desperately crave something from your spouse? Or a friend?  Don’t get me wrong, life-giving relationships can be a beautiful thing, but sometimes we look to each other to fill needs that only God should fill.

Have you ever told a lie, just a little one, in order to make yourself look a little better?  Have you ever felt like you need people, more than you love people?  David says, when the Lord is my shepherd I will lack nothing…

Do you lack nothing?

Jake, Josh and I spent the day together on my birthday this week.  They gave me full-birthday-choosing-rights.  Whatever I wanted to do, they wanted to do.  So after they bought me Starbucks we headed out for a Jeep Ride — top down.  We headed out 45 toward Pine Grove Mills, but as we came to Shingletown Gap — my mind played back to the old days and I pulled in…rather quickly, but it’s a jeep.

16 years ago when we first moved to State College, Shingletown Gap was one of our favorite family hikes.  We would walk back into the gap as far as the kids were able — following the stream that feeds the reservoir — and then carry them back.  But before we left they would always want to “throw rocks in the river.”  Or as they said it at that time, something more like — “thwow woks in the riber.”  And so we would stand there watching our kids throw rocks in the river.  They would run all over the place looking for the best rock and then come back to the bridge and throw.  Before the rocks even hit the water, the claps and laughter would follow.

So I’m driving back to the parking place telling Jake and Josh about those early family hikes — blank faces.  “I don’t really remember that.”  “No way,” I say.  “How could you forget?”  We hiked back along the stream and still — blank faces.  How could they forget something that was such a special moment to me?  We came back and stood at “the” rock throwing bridge.  I talked about “thwowing woks in the riber.”  The memory started to surface in Jake’s mind…  “Yeah, I think I remember this…but it seems so much smaller than I remember it.

Did you ever experience that?  Go back to a place you used to visit when you were younger and what seemed so large then seems much smaller now.  When I was in elementary school I went to Disneyland (California version) many times.  But then I didn’t visit again till I was married.  Fantasy Land was no longer big enough to get lost in and Tom Sawyer Island wasn’t worth a whole afternoon.  They didn’t shrink, I just got bigger.  In fact it even happens with people.  When I was a freshman in high school, Dave Reidel was monstrously huge, fearfully huge.  I happened to see him about 20 years after I graduated — wow he got so small.  I thought maybe he had shrinked — but instead I just got bigger.

I wonder if that’s why Jesus said that we can’t enter the Kingdom of God without entering it as a little child.  Because as we grow bigger — God shrinks in our eyes.  He doesn’t really shrink, in fact we will never be more than children compared to him, but we lose our sense of wonder.  I think to get a true picture of God, we need to embrace our smallness — quit trying to look, think, act bigger than we are.  He is huge (holy).  He comes down to our level to love us but never lose sight of the fact that you will never find an end to Him.  He is God-Awe-Full amazing.  Come like a child and you will find yourself remembering.

Oh yeah…pretty cool standing there watching my boys throw rocks in the river…one more time.

We know what Sarah Palin would say (against) about the proposed Mosque near the site of the 911 tragedy.  We know what President Obama would say (for the most part for).  We know what a host of media pundits, New York politicians, and religious leaders would say (all over the place).  We know what the polls say (majority against), but what would Jesus say?  Here are some possibilities…

1) “The only way to the Father is through me, I am the way the truth and the life.  I have come that your joy might be full.”  (Quoted from the Gospel of John).  I think it is wise to state this upfront.  I (Dan) am fully committed to the centrality of Christ…for life.  I deeply desire for Muslims to discover and know and love the Jesus I have discovered, know and love.  Just like I deeply desire those with a Jewish, Buddhist, or Hindu religious worldview.

2) “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.”  (Quoted from the Gospel of Matthew).  This one may not fit quite as well but I think it it is a reminder that Jesus seemed to have somewhat of a submissive attitude toward the lawful rules of the land.  (Paul details this attitude more in Romans.)  I don’t think it’s because Jesus didn’t care.  Jesus cares about every area of society including the socio-political.  But he calls us to invest in the primary life-giving, strategies of the Big Kingdom (of God)…not the little kingdoms (of this world).  (

3) “Out battle is not against flesh and blood…” I know these are not Jesus’ words, they are Paul’s, (Quoted from Ephesians) but my thoughts on the inspiration of scripture lead me to believe that Jesus would agree.  For those Christians who are concerned about the spread of the Muslim religious world-view, for those Christians who are deeply passionate for all people to find life and joy, truth and peace, our battle is not against people, it is for people.  It is a spiritual battle and when we fight spiritual battles with secular weapons we lose.  If this issue sparks your heart it should lead you to prayer, long before it leads you to politics.

4) The pathway to greatness is service, lived out — at least in part — in the act of loving our neighbors and loving our enemies. (Jesus message found in all the gospels.)  I realize that this issue, at least in some measure is more political than it is Christian.  But I think Jesus would ask those who are His followers to make sure that our responses to this issue are shaped by love and served up with a servant’s heart.

5) Mercy triumphs over judgement and those who sow words of peace will reap a harvest of righteousness. (Words from James the brother of Jesus.)  Could this be an opportunity for us to show mercy and sow words of peace?

I realize this is a complicated issue.  I lived in New York City for a period of time, Lynn has relatives who have grown up in New York City.  I know people who lost people in the 911 tragedy.  There are no easy answers, but there are choices.  We choose how we will respond.  This is an opportunity for Christians to respond as peace-makers and mercy-givers and truth-lovers and servant-hearted neighbor-lovers.  I hope we do.

So today was my birthday.  I’m older than 30 and younger than 50.  Lynn was gone — first time I haven’t been with her on my birthday for about 26 years.  Both of my daughters were gone.  The gift that my family got me — seat covers for my jeep — didn’t fit.  We went to Pep Boys to get a different set.  They didn’t fit either.  Which in the long run is okay because as we started off on a long jeep ride, the drive shaft fell out of my jeep — turning a long jeep ride with my boys turned into a short jeep ride with my boys.   Then we almost ran out of gas in the Toyota.  You could say it was a bad day.

But it wasn’t.  It really was a pretty good day.  I started the day out at Waffleshop eating breakfast with a local pastor and good friend, Jorn Junod.  I paid for breakfast, but Jorn left a humongous tip which brought a huge smile to our waitresses face — might’ve been her first real smile of the morning.  Then my boys took me to Starbucks.  Then we did a little hiking at Shingletown Gap — pre-broken-drive-shaft.  Then it was Karate Kid at the $1 theatre and we ended the night at Texas Road House… since there were only three of us I had the Dallas fillet.   Oh yeah and Brett Farve is back in Minnesota.

And not to forget…throughout the day I had calls from Lynn and the girls, my mom and dad, 100+ “Happy Birthdays” on Facebook; and not only that but a handful of people donated to Myanmar in my honor — no better gift could you give me.  (In fact if you would like to help a kid for me just click Myanmar.)

It was a good day.

Many of our days are like that aren’t they?  Whether we put a “good” or a “bad” in front of our day, depends upon what circumstances we choose to focus on, hang on, and celebrate.  Look in one direction — bad day.  Look in another direction — good day.   You don’t have to ignore the bad to celebrate the good…you just have to decide what matters more.

So now I’m about two minutes away from the end of my birthday.  It was a good day.  Thank you to everyone who was a part of a good day.