J.R. Briggs
Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep
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Archive of "Life" Category
USAToday: Most religious groups in USA have lost ground
This morning’s USAToday published a groundbreaking article on religion in America. The study is incredibly comprehensive (check out the charts, graphs, videos and interviews).
These are interesting religious times in America. As I officiated a funeral yesterday, communicating hope and comfort to a roomful of people unacquainted with God, I was reminded of the peculiar era we find ourselves in as a country. If there ever was a time where we needed churches thinking differently, courageously and contextually it is now.
What are your thoughts?
Are you concerned?
It is old news?
How should we respond appropriately?
Denise: an adventure of hope with brain cancer
Megan and I are friends with Jim and Denise Castle.
Jim and Denise were a part of our ministry in Colorado and financially support us now with Renew.
Denise, an older, compassionate, progressively-thinking follower of Jesus, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer on the last day of 2008.In the midst of the shock of it all, she's courageously facing this battle in 2009.
Denise will be chronicling her journey with brain cancer on her newly created blog, appropriately titled Adventures in Hope.Follow along with me on Denise's blog.
Jim and Denise: we're behind you both on this hopeful adventure!Nintendo Wii: the icon of consumerism at its worst
I love the Wii, but this video is just plain unsettling.
Prepare to be disturbed.After watching the video I found myself asking…
-why am I repulsed by this video? Is it just me? Am I a scrooge?
-what would children in other continents of the world think if they saw this video?
-how will these kids think about their Wii in a month? six months? next Christmas?
-how, as followers of Jesus, are we to help provide an appropriate balance between being generous and enjoying things – like a Wii – without allowing it to become unhealthy?Watch it here.
The Most Significant Moments in 2008
In the last few posts I shared the Best of 2008, but in this post I want to reflect on the best personal moments of 2008. I'm incredibly grateful for all that has happened in the past year.
What I remember more than events are moments – moments that were diverse, but extremely significant. Full of life. Rich. Precious. Monumental. Unforgettable. Joyful. Moments that leave indelible marks on our lives.
Here are a few of the highlights from 2008:- My first book was translated, published and released in Spanish and Korean.
- reaching the goal to raise funds for Joni and Friends Camp scholarships – which meant me and my friend Jerry had to have our heads shaved bald.
- speaking at Philadelphia Biblical University's chapel services during Spiritual Emphasis Week on silence and solitude.
- attending the [Q] Conference in New York City with a good friend, which ignited many new passions, ideas and thoughts and rekindled old passions I had let smolder.
- participating in the Chelsea Art District Gallery Tour and critiquing art with Ben Stiller.
- Leading a week-long training in Maui with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and getting to bring my sweet wife along.
- being asked by Scot McKnight to read an early draft of his manuscript The Blue Parakeet. [But the brilliance of the book has nothing to do my feedback, I can assure you!]
- stepping out to begin the early stages of this crazy, exciting adventure of a new faith community called Renew.
- participating in boot camp, training and assessment for the Ecclesia Network Church Planting Training in Richmond, VA.
- conducting our first official meetings with our launch team in a bar for the first two months of Renew's existence.
- spending a week with the entire Briggs clan at the family cabin in central Florida (a tradition that has continued for five generations)
- watching some great major league baseball games at Shea Stadium (Mets) and Citizens Bank Park (Phillies) – and a dramatic walk-off home run at Comerica Park (Tigers).
- spending a sunny August day sailing across the Tampa Bay with my uncle, Megan, my brother and sister-in-law on my uncle's sailboat.
- watching friends, former classmates and former ministry partners represent the United States in the Beijing Olympics – and medal!
- screaming my lungs out with 20 other friends as Brad Lidge clinched the Phillies' World Series, the first championship for the city of Philadelphia in over twenty years!
- spending the weekend with our launch team in Annapolis, MD (along with three other newly forming church plants) for training and team bonding and a night out on the town (what a blast!)
- experiencing an emotional and meaningful rock-dropping ceremony with my friend Brian after he made a decision to be a follower of Jesus.
- developing a relationship with Mohammed, the Imam of the mosque in our community, and continuing to learn a lot from him.
- joining Twitter
- being invited to share Carter's story and preaching at Franconia Mennonite Church for their annual Adoption Sunday.
- watching the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving morning in New York City with Carter on my shoulders!Attending Motor City Bowl game at Ford Field with extended family. Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan isn't the most intriguing of matchups, but nonethless we had a great time in the cheap seats fulfilling a desire of mine: see a bowl game over the Christmas break.
I wait in excited anticipation for all the things that God has in store for us in 2009.
Hanging Out with Sparky’s Flaw
Last night my friend Kyle and I went down to The Fire, a music venue in the city, to hear an up and coming band called Sparky's Flaw.
They're young guys with a great sound (and a memorable band name, for sure).
They sound a bit like Maroon 5 and Starsailor with a little bit of Cartel thrown in there – and the lead singer has a falsetto that hints of Chris Martin, Coldplay's front man.What's interesting is that the last time I saw the lead singer (Will Anderson) and drummer (Johnny Stubblefield) was when they were scrawny seventh graders in my youth group when I did a summer internship in college at the church I grew up in.
They used to goof around on their instruments after Tuesday night Bible study.
Last night was so surreal seeing them up there on stage.
I felt so old.It was great to hang out with the guys after the show and hear what they've been up to, where they are at spiritually and get an update on their families.
If you get a chance check out their website and listen to their hit song "Under Control."
Also check them out on facebook and myspace.Humility
Writing is hard.
Having that writing published brings out some of the deepest insecurities.
Writing makes you humble.I thought the worst thing as an author would be to one day see one of my books in the bargain bin at the local bookstore or for sale at a thrift store.
But I was wrong.
Last week I experienced something far worse.I was at a party where we played the infamous White Elephant gag-gift exchange and someone picked a present, opened it up…and it was my first book.
Even more humbling, the one who brought the gift to the party was my mother.
An interview on Al Jazeera
Last week my father was interviewed by a television network on the topic of the rising number of churches that are teaching people about finances in the midst of the economic downturn. Since that's what my father does at Willow Creek the media thought that would be a good fit.
What made it interesting was the fact that the interview was with the English speaking branch of Al Jazeera, the international television network based in the middle eastern country of Qatar. The interview was on yesterday's broadcast throughout the Middle East and Europe.
Here's the YouTube link to the interview.
It's short, but well done.Wingsuit Flying
I’m getting an itch to try this.
A Workshop, A Plate of Cookies and Hanging Out with Mohammed
From time to time people ask me, "So, as a pastor what do you do all day long?"
It's hard to answer that question sometimes because each day is different from the previous one.
Pastors pray and study.
We listen and counsel.
We check emails and prepare.
Sometimes the days can be disarmingly ordinary.But on occasion they can just be so wild and exciting and unpredictable that you get to the end of the day and you think, "I'm not sure what just happened, but this is ministry."
Last Thursday was one of those days – a day where I was just holding on for the ride, wondering with great anticipation what the Spirit had next for me to do, see, experience and participate in with him. I'm not good at "listening to the Spirit" and seldom have felt like I've actually entered into that experience in vivid technicolor, but Thursday was just plain surreal.Thursday morning I met very early with someone on our launch team at a local coffee shop. He was seeking out my wisdom on a particular question regarding relationships. After finishing that meeting, I ordered another cup of coffee and met with the senior pastor and associate pastor of a large church in town to connect and catch up.
After that, I had an hour phone call with my former youth pastor who is a church planter. I love picking his brain, asking advice and allowing him to speak into my life. I'm so encouraged each time I talk to him as I her how God is using his passion for the gospel to see some amazing things happen in his church in Nashville.
Then I swung by the library, found a study table and spent some time in prayer for our launch team members, praying for each of them by name.
On my way out of the library I noticed a sign on the door that read:Have you had a spiritual experience?
Have you had a near-death experience?
Have you seen the light at the end of the tunnel?
Have you felt the warm of the Light?
Have you heard the Light whisper to you?
If so, sign up at the front desk for the Spiritual Experience Workshop and come share your experience.At first thought, I rolled my eyes and wrote it off as some wacko New Age seminar. But then I wondered if this might be an Acts 17 opportunity. I thought, Hey…yeah, I have seen the Light before and this may be a good opportunity to talk about the importance of Jesus to a group of spiritually open people at the local library.
So I signed up.
I came home, had a quick lunch with Megan, checked email and made a few calls to the directors of some agencies who are in Lansdale and are in need of some help right now – both financially and with volunteer opportunities.
Though it was cold and rainy I just couldn't let go of a thought I had: to take cookies over to some neighbors.
The night before I had noticed that an ambulance had pulled up to the neighbors four doors down. I saw a stretcher being pulled out of the ambulance, but could see nothing else. I had yet to meet these new neighbors, who live in the upstairs apartment unit of the house down the street.We had leftover cookies from a few nights prior, when we had three ladies from our launch team over for dinner. I threw a few cookies on a paper plate and covered it with Reynolds Wrap, got the umbrella and bundled up. As I walked I felt silly (guys don't take cookies over to the neighbors to make sure they are alright!) but felt I still needed to follow through, even though I felt less than manly doing so.
A young woman in her mid- to late-twenties answered the door and I asked if this was the place where an ambulance visited the night before because I wanted to check to see if everyone was okay and to bring some cookies for whomever it was.
She said yes, that it was her who had called 911. She had fallen down the stairs, hurt her back very badly and couldn't move. Everyone she called on her phone for help didn't pick up and didn't know what else to do so she called 911.
She said she was okay, but in a ton of pain.
She mentioned that the doctors at the ER could only give her Tylenol and she was still in a lot of pain.
"They didn't they give you something stronger than that?"
"Well, they ran some tests and much to my surprise, they told me that I'm pregnant."Awkward silence.
She said she had been with her boyfriend only two months and they were freaking out.
Her boyfriend didn't want to keep the child and she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do – she was back and forth.I briefly told her about our story, how we were unable to have children of our own and how we got connected with a woman in a similar situation than her. I told her that we had been given the indescribable gift of a little boy named Carter who is almost two years old now. I told her that there were many, many couples like Megan and I who were out there just waiting to adopt a child and that if she was willing to have her body be "inconvenienced" for nine months she could have the opportunity of giving the greatest gift some couple could ever receive. I told her we would do anything we could to help her make a wise decision. We'd help her connect with a couple, if she wanted to. I invited her to come over for dinner next week with her boyfriend so we could get to know them, offer our help, let them hear more of our story and meet Carter.
Here I was, standing on the porch shivering and wet with a plate of cookies in one hand and holding an umbrella in the other politely pleading with this woman I just met to consider giving her child a chance at life.
Then I walked home and told Megan about the experience.Then I got in the car and swung by the mosque to see my friend Mohammed, the mosque leader, something I do about once every other week. I've been developing a relationship with Mohammed over the past few months.
I stopped by and just hung out with him for about an hour in his office.
We had an amazing conversation. We talked about his favorite American foods, politics and an American's perspective on war.
He told me about preparations of the upcoming feast in early December where Muslims sacrifice animals in remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac (By the way, for those of you wondering: he did tell me that, no, the borough our Lansdale does not allow this, which is why they go to a farm in Dublin for this particular event. Boy, what an experience that must be.) This was fascinating to hear him describe this, to say the least…
He also told me that he misses his wife and young son, who live in Bangladesh and whom he has not seen in two years. His son is two years old.
The last time Mohammed saw his son he was three weeks old.Mohammed told me that he actually lives at the mosque and that he doesn't have a car, though he does have a license.
I told him that he is more than welcome to borrow my car to run some errands whenever he needed to – or I can drive him around and we could go together.He
then asked if I would help him contact our local and/or state officials to see
if he could get his wife and two year old son to come to America. He wanted help to see if there was any way we could set up a meeting to see if someone could speed up the immigration process. He has
the money and paperwork filled out, but he was told it would be two years before the immigration paperwork could get processed entirely. He wondered if I could set up a meeting with a government official in order to help
him. I was so honored that he asked me for help and, of course, I said I would do what I could to
help him by making some calls and talking to these officials.Then he said, "Would you be willing to join me to travel and visit my home country of Bangladesh
some time in 2009? I will cover the hotel, lodging, food and
transportation in the country, as long as you pay for your plane
ticket…are you interested? I would be honored to show you around my
home country and introduce you to my family and friends."
I told him, of course I am interested and wold love to join him.But then he said something that rocked me.
He
said, "J.R. you are a very kind person. You are the kindest American I have met. I like spending time with you.
I learn more about Jesus each time I am with you. I want to know more
about Jesus and how he impacts your life. I have never met a Christian
like you before. You are always stopping by to see me…thank you."Then he said something that almost made me fall off my chair.
"J.R., if every Christian acted the way you have acted
to me in love and kindness, now that would change the world."It took everything in me to not have my eyes well up with tears.
Yeah God.I went home, had dinner with my family and had "Carter duty" for the evening while Megan scurried out the door to attend a Farmers Market meeting (attended by about ten other people who are coordinating a new farmer's market that Renew is sponsoring starting next spring in Lansdale – but that's a whole other blog post for another time…)
That night I laid in bed and thought, Wow, God…what a wild ride today was. What the heck are you up to?
Most days are certainly not like this one I had, but when they do happen this way I absolutely love it.Forgive Us, O Lord: A Prayer for American Politics
Forgive us O Lord, for being divisive rather than working to build unity.
Forgive us O Lord, for striving to be right more than striving to be kind.
Forgive us O Lord, when we desire to be understood more than to understand.
Forgive us O Lord, for placing our hope in a person, a system, a government – rather than in you alone.
Forgive us O Lord, for complaining about politics rather than thanking you for our freedom.
Forgive us O Lord, when we use our mouths – and our email forwards – to tear down "the other."
Forgive us O Lord, for spending more time and energy thinking about the Empire than the kingdom.
Forgive us O Lord for speaking poorly and wishing ill will on another candidate.
Forgive us O Lord, when we are known more for following a party than for following the Risen Christ.
Forgive us O Lord, for claiming that God is only on "our side."
Forgive us O Lord, for claiming and proclaiming that one political party completely and accurately represents the politics of Jesus.
Forgive us O Lord, when we forget that the heart of the king is in your hands.
Forgive us O Lord, for being more excited to speak to others about our candidate than about our Savior.
Forgive us O Lord, when we think this prayer is for someone else we know and not for ourselves.
Give us grace to treat others with dignity and respect, even in the midst of our differences.
Give us wisdom – not just with what we say and do, but how we say them and do them – so that we may not represent our political party, but that we may represent the one who has given us True Life.Amen.
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