One Webster’s re-visit: Yesterday’s blog remarked upon the community outcry to save Webster’s Used Bookstore and Cafe.  I asked the question that won’t shake loose, “Would the community cry out to save Calvary if we were going out of business.?”  Today I read these words from the owner of Webster’s regarding her desire to find a new place for her business…

“Webster’s is not the building, the stained ceiling and the crappy tile. It’s the people that fill it,” Meder-Wilgus told the newly formed “Friends of Webster’s” group who gathered at her store Wednesday night.

Ahh…now we see the reason for the outcry.  She gets it.  It’s not the building.  It’s not the high quality selection of low priced used books.  It’s probably not even the locally grown food.  It’s the people.  At Calvary, our vision is to build a church without walls.  At the heart of that vision is an understanding that church is not an address, church is not a building, church is not an organization, the church is people.  When we are at our best, we are a people who are there for other people.

Every time that we (the church) get the fact that the church is not an organization that exists for us, but that we are the church and we exist for others… good stuff happens.  When we get rid of the walls of a building — and the walls around our hearts — and connect with people, serve people, good stuff happens.

Meder-Wilgus is right.  It’s not the building.  It’s the people.

It has a facebook page with almost 1400 fans.  But not just one — the “Solidarity for Webster’s Cafe” facebook page has over 2500 members.  The online “Save Webster’s” petition is nearing 1000.  1000 more have signed the hardcopy.  The State College council  called an emergency session to brainstorm ways to support the community outcry against it’s closing.  Customers have held three meetings to explore options for keeping the doors open.  Most recently The Downtown State College Improvement District is coming to the rescue.

In letters and articles… it has been called…

— the foundation of our community and the heart of the downtown…

— part of the sinew and muscle of our community…

— the only place in town where everyone feels comfortable meeting anyone…

One person simply asked the question, “What other venue could possibly serve State College as well as Websters?”

If you haven’t been to State College — Websters is the anti-Starbucks combined with a used bookstore.  Locally owned.  Locally grown food.  A community gathering place for a diverse group of people.  As I read the editorials, the letters, and the comments, a number of thoughts float through my mind.  For example, if there are so many fans — which is even better than a plain old customer — why was it so hard to pay the rent?  (That’s why they are closing.)  I’m guessing that fewer people would complain if a Starbucks closed, but I wonder if more people sip their latte’s at Starbucks.

But here is the question that won’t leave my mind — thanks to an e-mail from Beckie Romig — what if it wasn’t Webster’s closing their doors, what if it was Calvary.  Would there be a “Calvary Solidarity” facebook page?  An emergency borough council meeting?  A “Save Calvary” online petition?  Would the Downtown Improvement District — or anyone else — step in to save us?  Would the city cry if we were leaving the community?

A second century Christian once wrote, “As the soul is to the body, so Christians are to the city.”  Is that true or have we transfered our souls to the Webster Cafes of the world?  Here is our vision at Calvary?  We want to be so connected to our communities — no walls between the church and the city — that they would feel the emptiness of our absence.  We want to be such a vital, valued part of our communities that people who don’t believe in Jesus, would not hesitate to sign a “Save Calvary” petition.

We’re not there yet…but we are closer now than we were 5 years ago.

One day, by God’s grace, we will hear people say, “The church is the foundation of our community and the heart of the downtown.  The church is part of the sinew and the muscle of our community.  The church is the only place in town where everyone feels comfortable meeting anyone.  What other venue could serve State College so well as the church??!!!

Yep, I watched “The Decision.” Chalk it up to morbid fascination.  But let’s start with a reality check.  He’s a 25 year old kid — no not all 25 year olds are kids, but I think he is — who makes millions of dollars a year playing a game.  He’s a 25 year old kid who has been surrounded by people extolling his majesty.  Not exactly a proven recipe for selfless maturity.  In fact for a 25 year old with millions of dollars and an entourage, he didn’t do too bad.  Honestly he  didn’t.

One more “honestly” — it was his right to leave.  That’s the purpose of contracts…they define your rights.  In fact, take it a step farther, I appreciate the fact that he didn’t leave for more money.  He just wants to win and he felt that leaving was a step in that direction.

So here’s my problem.  I have repeatedly told my sons that if they ever break up with a girl through a text message, I will personally break their fingers.  There is an honorable way to break up and long-distance texting ain’t it.  This is what I was thinking as I was watching — I know I can’t believe I watched — “The Decision.” I was thinking that someone should break Lebron’s fingers.  He broke up with the Cavaliers long distance.  Home-grown, home-town hero but his fans, his boss, his team had to hear his decision on ESPN.  I felt like I was watching ESPN’s version of the Bachelor.

So it’s not unexpected that Cleveland is not only bummed, they are angry.  In an open letter to the Cavalier fans, owner Dan Gilbert writes,

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.  This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.  Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.  The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.  …You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.  You have given so much and deserve so much more.  In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight: “I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE” You can take it to the bank.

Personally, I value loyalty.  My respect for Lebron would’ve gone up if he stayed in Cleveland.  I’m not sure I consider 7 years an overwhelming display of loyalty.  It was his right to leave, but he could’ve left with more honor.  If I was his father, I’d break his fingers — or at least bend them back really hard.

I’m on a campaign to change the minds of Waffleshop waitresses…and the reputation of Christian tippers.  Yep, I know it could be a challenge, but my pet peeve is Christians who pray before their meals and then leave a cheap tip.  

While  enjoying my breakfast at the Waffleshop this week — feasting on the bacon — I heard these words.  “Christians are the worst tippers at the Waffleshop.”  The words came from the mouth of a fellow pastor, who has a daughter, who is a Waffleshop waitress.   It isn’t the first time I’ve heard that message.  Nobody wants to work the Sunday afternoon crowd… demanding customers and small tips.

It shouldn’t be so.

Of all the people on the face of the earth, no one should have such a reputation for generosity as those upon whom God has lavished grace.  I know people like that.  Don’t  you?  When you cross their path, 9 times out of 10, you are going to get graced.  It’s not always money, sometimes they grace you with time, with wisdom, with forgiveness, or with some other kindness.  They do it with a smile, sometimes a giddy smile of anticipation.  Generosity feels good and always has it’s reward.

So here is Calvary Axiom #5  Generosity is never wasted.

It’s a simple phrase with a thousand corollaries like:

• Generosity is a shortcut to the heart of God.
• You are never more like God than you are when you give.
• Where your treasures are, your heart will follow.

Generosity is never wasted.  In Luke 6:38 Jesus used these words,

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Generosity is never wasted.  Ever.  Never.  I could take you to promise after promise in the Bible.  I could tell you story after story of the power of generosity.  Generosity is never wasted. Sometimes God uses generosity to change circumstances.  Sometimes He uses it to change hearts.  Sometimes the heart that needs to change is mine.

One of the reasons I love being a pastor at Calvary is that we striving to act…like we believe that axiom.   We’ve had 100’s of people go on short-term mission trips, being generous with their time, their heart and their money.  We support hundreds of children — many of them orphans — in the Dominican Republic, Myanmar, Rwanda, and Estonia.  Last year our Christmas offering for those in need was close to $150,000.  When the earthquake hit Haiti, you opened your hearts.  When the cylcone hit Myanmar, you opened your hearts.  You serve dozens of local families at Christmas and go out to serve the community during CityServe.

At Calvary we believe that generosity is never wasted.  That’s why last week we took an offering for another local congregation in need.  But do you know what I love?  We can still grow in our generosity.

I’m looking  forward to the day when Waffleshop waitresses can’t wait to serve the Sunday afternoon crowd.

So I had one of those days today.  8 hours of leadership meetings in Cleveland starting at 10am, meant that I had to leave home by 6am.  I’m not really a morning person, so that’s strike 1.  The drive in my trusty 1993 Jeep Wrangler (topless) was actually somewhat enjoyable.  I listened to worship music on my ipod and enjoyed the fog-shrouded hills of PA…until about 9:27am.  I felt the engine lurch and hiccup a bit — my first thought was…”oh crud I’m out of gas.”  Moments later, my second thought was, “oh crud, my first thought was right.”  Strike 2.

Now I’ve thought about this a bit, but there is simply no way to tell this story without looking foolish.  Yep I ran out of gas.  Yep I have a gas gauge — although in my defense when it reads 1/4 full it’s actually empty.  (Yes I’ve known that fact since the first time I ran out of gas in my Jeep but that’s beside the point.)  If you know me, you know that this is not the first time I’ve run out of gas.  Let’s see.  I’ve run out of gas in the winter at Harvest Fields.  Once I ran out of gas and coasted into the gas station in Boalsburg, and then I ran out of gas once in the turning lane in front of the Uni-Mart near Facia Luna.  Honestly, I could keep going.

I think the people at AAA have my number on speed-dial.

After waiting 90 minutes, in the sun, in my topless Jeep, the AAA truck stopped and I got my gas.  I filled up at the next service plaza…8.7 miles from where I ran out of gas.  Then I missed my exit off the turnpike, went 17 miles out of my way and ended up 105 minutes late for the start of my meetings.  Strike 3 — or am I on Strike 4 now?

The meetings ended at 6pm.  I walked out of the conference center to go home and as I walked out the door, I thought, “Hhmm, I wonder if I remembered to shut the lights off — remember the ‘fog-shrouded hills of PA’?”  Can you guess the answer to my question?  That’s right, no I didn’t shut off my lights, yes my battery was dead.  Luckily — yes that word is ironic for the context — I had jumper cables with me.

So here’s the question that slithered it’s way into my mind… “Why God?”

God could’ve prevented every annoyance I suffered today.  Easily.   I know, the problems I faced — in the storms of life’s pains and tragedies — were minor puddles.  Barely get your shoes wet puddles.  But it would’ve taken zero spiritual energy for God to redirect my steps.  He could’ve brought to my mind one of those many times I ran out of gas — just as I was nearing the sign for a service plaza.  H could’ve produced a miraculous extra gallon of gas to save the day.  But no.  Why?

Perhaps because my comfort is not God’s primary concern.  Perhaps He values my character over my comfort, which means the opportunity to learn humility and practice patience was of value.

Perhaps wisdom comes from learning — over and over again — that actions have consequences, and while we can choose our actions we cannot choose the consequences of our actions.  Like my kids need to learn this lesson, so do I.

Perhaps it’s because God will not be the genie in my bottle, there to grant my every wish.

Perhaps God has a sense of humor and it makes Him smile, when I run out of gas — just like it makes you smile.

Not sure, but I’m guessing that I’m not done…making Him smile.  Meanwhile if you ever see me walking along the road with a red plastic jug in my hand, you know why.  By the way, driving between Phillipsburg and State College on 322 at 10pm, the stars were amazing.  I didn’t ask God why He did that.  I just said thank you.

On July 4th, we celebrate the birth of a kingdom/nation. We don’t use the word Kingdom very much today, but in Jesus’ day they used it all the time. They understood what a Kingdom was all about. In a biblical sense, everyone has a kingdom. Your kingdom is whatever you control. John Ortberg calls it the “that little sphere in which what you say goes…it is the range of your effective will.” He gives some good little kingdom illustrations — for example in my case…

As a kid, many of our family vacations were trips from South Dakota to California to visit relatives. Sitting in a car with four siblings on a three day journey is all about protecting & expanding your kiddie-sized kingdom. You draw a line on the seat. “My kingdom starts here. Thou shalt not cross that line.” And of course they do. They always do, because your brother’s trying to expand his kingdom. And so you resort to the master of a larger Kingdom. “Daaaad — Kim touched me. She reached over the line and she touched me.” “It’s not my fault dad,” Kim responds, “He has too much space.”

And sooner or later Dad turns around…and what does he say? “You better stop fighting or I’m gonna come back there.” Why does he say that? Because he believes that the whole car is his kingdom.

And as a kid you’re thinking nah…he won’t do that. I’m safe in my little kingdom. And then he taps on the brakes…and starts pulling over to the side. And you know those kids are not praying…

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in the back seat as it is in the front seat.”

So here’s the question — what are your little kingdoms? You might have more than one. Some people are bold and obvious about kingdom-building; some people are sneaky and subtle about it. But we all have a little kingdom or two that we are trying to build. What are your little kingdoms?

What is your little k? What area, what circle do you try to control, or lead or organize, what passion in life do you have that if someone were to ask you to give it up, you might wrap your arms, clench your hands and hang on for all your might. Maybe your little k is your friends… you know your exact facebook count. Maybe it’s your grades, a job, a dream, retirement plans, your family. Maybe your little k is no bigger than just you. If you had to fill in the blank… what would you write? My little k’s are…

This Fourth of July, can I give you a reminder? If you are a Christian, your country, your political party, politics in general — all little k’s. Not Big Kingdom material.

Jesus was all about the Big K. In Matt 6:33 He’s making a distinction between Little k’s and the Big Kingdom, when he says, “But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”   There is one and only one Big K — it’s the one we seek first.

About 9-10 years ago, the leadership of Calvary sent me off to spend some time seeking God for direction for Calvary.  I visited a handful of churches, sat down with a couple of pastors, and prayed.  At some point I sensed God giving me one phrase, “Build a church without walls.” Church without walls? I’m thinking, “God what in the world does that mean?”  For the last decade we’ve been discovering what that means.  In part it has led to our description of the mission God has given us at Calvary…

Our mission at Calvary is to help people connect in life-giving relationships with God, with each other, and with our neighbors (around the world).  In other words “no walls” between people and God, no walls between followers of Jesus, and no walls between the church and the community.  

I’m always pondering potential pictures (I know great alliteration) of a church without walls.  Yesterday, on a plane with my son, heading to Colorado, I was reading an old classic, on my droid (Kindle has a droid app).  A.W. Tozer’s “Pursuit of God.”  Back in the 1940’s Tozer was on a train trip from Chicago to Texas.  He started writing, wrote through the night and by the time he arrived, he had the rough draft of the description of a heart without walls towards God.

As I was reading, God grabbed my heart again — it happens almost every time I read the book — with words like…

In this hour of all-but-universal darkness one cheering gleam appears: within the fold of conservative Christianity there are to be found increasing numbers of persons whose religious lives are marked by a growing hunger after God himself.  They are eager for spiritual realities and will not be put off with words, nor will they be content with correct interpretations of truth.  They are athirst for God, and they will not be satisfied till they have drunk deep at the Fountain of Living Water.

And

There is today no lack of Bible teachers to set forth correctly the principles of the doctrines of Christ, but too many of these seem satisfied to teach the fundamentals of the faith year after year, strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives.

And

For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth.  The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.

Have you ever had one of those experiences where God grabs your heart…and squeezes?  It hurts…so good.  For me the “so good” part comes when I hear God say, “That could be you, that’s what I have for you, I want to give you that.” The hurt part comes with the realization that I’m not there…yet or now.

At the heart of a church without walls are the hearts of people who hunger for and are satisfied by God.  There is a beautiful simplicity in that.  So what should we do?  Perhaps at the very least it starts with a simple prayer…  “God clean out the spiritual junk food and increase my hunger for you.

It’s happened before, it will happen again.  Sometimes it happens because we’ve messed up.  Calvary is filled with a lot of great, imperfect people and sometimes we mess up.  Sometimes I mess up.  Sometimes it happens because our “product” leaves someone dissatisfied.  Maybe my preaching has lost it’s shine, or a certain program just isn’t meeting their needs, or they just didn’t connect with a lifegroup, or they don’t like the songs we sing, or the vision just doesn’t excite them.  So they leave in search of a church that will do a better job of meeting their needs.

Whenever I hear about someone leaving Calvary…I have a variety of thoughts…

1)  I want Calvary to be a place where people’s needs can be met.  Jesus healed, fed, served…met needs. There are so many places we can grow as a church, but at the same time…ultimately you don’t build a movement on customers.  Jesus changed the world with followers — teammates — not customers.

2)  The “church without walls” vision is not about being the best church in the community.  It’s about being the best church for the community.  In other words, the church is not there for us.  We are the church and we are here for the world.  Not everyone is going to be on board with that kind of vision.

3) Some people leave Calvary and go to another church.  Some people leave another church and come to Calvary.  But can you really  leave a church and go to another church?  Is church really a place?  A place with programs?  A place there for me?  I think, “Where do you go to church?” is the wrong question.  Asking me where I go to church is like asking me, “Where do you go to Nold?”  I don’t go to Nold, I am Nold and where I am, there Nold is.  We don’t go to church, we are the church and where we are, there the church is.  Jesus might be more concerned about where the church is…than where we go to church.

4)  The people — that I know — who have left Calvary are great people.  They will make a difference in the congregation where they connect.  I’m glad they are part of the church of the Centre Region.

5) Last thought — when you come to one of our gatherings this weekend, you will see some open seats.   Don’t worry we aren’t shrinking, in fact we are growing.  But as we are growing, we are also going…  Going is even better than leaving.  We’re going and starting new gatherings in multiple communities.   We are spreading out so that we can be the church in the communities where we live.  So every one of those open seats — represents someone in your neighborhood, someone in your office, or class, or playgroup.  So this weekend, when you sit next to an open chair — ask God to give you an opportunity to reach out to that person.

I love being a part of this movement…part of Jesus’ team…part of Calvary…part of the church of the city.  I’m looking forward to what God wants to do in us…and through us — whether we find ourselves leaving…or going.

So I was driving today somewhere in Iowa, on my way home after hanging out with my extended family.  The speed limit was about 70.  I know for many of you that last sentence would simply read, “The speed limit was 70.”  But in some areas I tend to be an “about” kind of guy.  So I was going about 76 until I came upon a semi and a little blue car filling both lanes and going a bit under 60!  I’m serious, they drove side by side for at least 10 minutes.  Now driving is not a competitive sport for me.  But I am an achiever.  I set goals and I want to achieve the goals I set.  My goal was to average 65 on the way home — counting stops.  So needless to say two vehicles filling both the regular and the passing lane taking a stroll “about” 16 miles under the speed limit was massively annoying.

Now there was a guy in a red car beside me.  He was there before I came so he had to endure this frustration for even longer than I did.  So during the 10 minute eternity, we exchanged shrugs, bewildered looks, and shaking heads.  It was a mini experience of community, a low-impact lifegroup.   So anyway — there I am — during this 10 minute eternity I have about 3 short moments of community and many more moments of frustrating annoyance.

Because this semi driver and this little blue car are holding ME up.  I have a right to go at least the speed limit.  They are messing with my rights, my privileges, my goals.  I blinking my lights — only three or four times, I don’t want you to think I’m a monster — and getting louder in my car, hoping that they will hear me.

By this time, a huge traffic jam has formed in both lanes, going at least a half mile back…or maybe 10 miles back.  Finally the semi starts inching forward, he’s going about 62 now, slowly gaining on the little blue car.  Finally his blinkers go on…yes, he’s going to… paaaaassss.  As soon as he passes, I whiz by, ready to regain the ground I’ve lost.

About a 1/2 mile passed the log-jam drivers, I looked back to see if my red-car buddy was behind me.  Alas, there were so many cars in the passing lane waiting to get back to 70, that my friend in red car was still stuck behind the slow-as-molassas blue car driver.  I thought, “Wow I should’ve let the guy in the red car cut in front of me, so that he could enjoy the open road as well.  Yeah I should’ve done that…but I didn’t.”

Then I thought, “I was so focused on my rights that I missed an opportunity to make someone’s day better.  I missed an opportunity to serve.  I missed an opportunity to do good.”  Here is the Calvary Axiom that come to my mind as I drove away,

God always shapes a heart before He releases a dream.

What is a dream, if it is not the opportunity to do good?  Sure, a dream may be big…but if so it’s just a big opportunity to do good.  But it’s the heart that comes first.  If my heart doesn’t have the shape of Jesus, I’ll miss the opportunity to do good.  Character is part of the calling.  Morality shapes the mission.   God always shapes a heart before He releases a dream.

He may unveil the dream long before he releases the dream, but the release date is dependent upon your heart.  It’s not that he needs a perfect heart…but the shape of your heart matters.  That’s why, at Calvary you will often hear me pray, “God please do everything in me that you need to do, so that you can do everything through me that you want to do.”

I’m going to hit this axiom again…but meanwhile, maybe that could be your prayer in the coming weeks?

In his book, “What Makes a Man” Bill McCartney writes, “God is not merely like a father; He is a father.” “Long ago”, Paul writes in Ephesians 1, “Before there was time, before there was creation, before there was a single word written in the story which is life. Before all humanity was even a gleam in our Father’s eye. GOD MADE A CHOICE.

…God chose us to be His very own, through what Christ would do for us; He decided then to make us holy in His eyes. Without a single fault we stand before Him covered in His love. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And He did this because He wanted to. (Ephesians 1:3-5 TLB)

He wanted to. He didn’t have to. It’s not even “Let’s make a deal. You shape up and I’ll let you in.”  He wanted to.  Jon Ortberg writes about a night when he experienced God’s want-to love. He woke up in the middle of the night.  His wife Nancy was sleeping beside him and suddenly instead of feeling groggy, he was overwhelmed by the most intense sense of love. A kaleidoscope of images replayed in his mind, one scene after another…the afternoon they met, their first private joke, secret nicknames, hidden traditions, the way she smiled at him as she came down the wedding aisle.  He thought about what life would be like without her.  How empty it would be…how so much of him was wrapped up in her.  For the longest time, he just watched her. He said it was one of the most tender moments he had ever known.

But then, lying there, popped up on one elbow…a scripture came to mind. Psalm 121:3  “He who keeps you will not slumber.”   And with the scripture came the thought.  While I lie in bed sleeping, God is watching me.  Then he had the sense that God was speaking to him saying,

I love you like that. While you lay sleeping, no one can see you, but I watch you. My heart is full of love for you. What your heart is feeling right now as you watch your wife, what a parent feels watching a child, is a little picture for you, a gift, so you can know — every night when you go to sleep — that this is my heart for you. I want you to reflect on this at night before you close your eyes. I’m watching you, and I’m full of love.

He is our Papa and that is his heart.

• – If God has an office, your picture is hanging in it.
• – If God has a bulletin board, your homework is hanging on it.
• – He hasn’t missed a soccer game, a band concert, a softball practice, or an opening night.
• – In the middle of the night, he’s hanging out at the door of your bedroom, because he just likes watching you sleep.
• – When you need to be picked up from a bad fall, his hand is reaching…even before you go down.

So what do you do with that?