Mark Waltz | ...Because People Matter

Overheard: On Change

"I'm not afraid of change. Just don't try to tell me how to do things differently."

Little Toy Jesus: More from the Weekend

Maybe you recognize him. You know from all the pictures you saw growing up. Looks just like him, doesn't it?

It's Jesus all right. But not just any Jesus; this is the Deluxe Jesus - complete with 5 loaves, 2 fish and little plastic jars of water that turn into wine when you turn them over (or maybe it's Welch's grape juice).

If you were at GCC or watched the service online this past weekend, you saw Rob Wegner use this little, pocket-sized Jesus to make a point of our treatment of him.

It's amazing what people hear. Or what they want to hear. The following email (from a man who apparently doesn't attend GCC) actually came into my office this week in response to Rob's message and this plastic toy.

I have been watching the Weekend Experience 'Fear of Death' sermon, and I had to stop when I got to when Pastor Rob Wegner pulled out the Jesus action figure. He played with it at his podium "now you can re-enact all the miracles of Jesus... "??? He may think he was just using the toy as an illustration in his sermon, but I believe he went way too far. It was blasphemous. Playing with an action figure of our Lord and Savior is something I'd expect an unsaved stand-up comedian to do... not a Pastor at a church! This is the first full sermon I've listened to before from GCC, and I must say I after seeing this I don't see why I need to ever listen to one again. Are the elders of your church truly ok with this? I would welcome any reply that could explain how this is considered ok. Thank you, -chris

Now, let me get this straight.

• Was Rob poking fun at Jesus?
• Or was he poking fun at the creators of the toy?
• Or was he actually holding up a mirror, reflecting the human tendency to treat God like a quarter in a vending machine... like a convenient, stick-him-in-your-pocket sized Genie?

Chris, I think you might have missed the point.

Oh, and one more thought. I too have been offended at the way some stand-up comedians speak of Jesus Christ. However, I've heard a number of comedians make jokes about Christianity, even Jesus, that frankly, Christians have written the material for. By that I mean, Christians have too often projected an image of Jesus that is anything but biblical. Christians have made him out to be vindictive, moody, and judgmental (that's different than judging or just, which he is). I've heard comedians mock images of Jesus. I've heard them mock self-righteous behaviors of Christians. I've often laughed and wanted to cry at the same time. We deserve to be the butt of some of their jokes.

Jesus is different than most images people have of him. He is the winsome Christ. He is the God of love and justice. He is all-powerful. He is the one true God. As Rob said, he's so big!

I didn't hear sacrilege or blasphemy this past weekend. Rather, I heard about Jesus who's too big for my pocket. I heard about Jesus whose kingdom has come to earth. I heard about Jesus who wants my full surrender to his ultimate agenda of justice, peace, salvation for the world. I heard about Jesus who is so big that I was called to worship this weekend. With thousands of others I experienced God.

It's unfortunate that anyone missed the wonder of Jesus and got hung up on a toy. A toy that probably looks nothing like Jesus.

I Think He Thinks I Flipped the Bird

Just a few minutes ago, I was cruising down Main Street, anxious to get around a slower moving vehicle to my destination. A driver beside me seemed to read my need and backed down his speed, allowing me to move in front of him to pass the slow poke.

I was grateful. Actually, I was amazed and grateful! So, I lifted my right hand to wave "thank you", but I'm not sure I communicated my intent. You see, I was holding my money clip in my hand, so in an effort to not drop it as I waved, I maintained a firm grip. Then, in a split second I realized that every finger stayed on my clip - except my middle finger. "No! That's not what I meant! I'm not flipping you off!" I thought. I scrambled to get another digit in the air and realized I had gestured the "peace" sign. Again, not exactly what I intended, but better.

Communication is challenging. It requires focus. Intentionality.

And like it or not, much of our conversation is on the fly. It's in the hallway. It's in a quick email. It's an off-the-cuff response.

Focus. Think about what you want the person to hear. Think about whether you're building up or tearing down. And empty your hands if you're gesturing endearing, grateful signals. It'll help.

I Caved

I didn't ask for votes. I didn't want to open up an opinion poll. But you spoke up. You didn't like the somber look on my face sitting in the snow with no coat. I kinda don't care. I kinda do care. So... look up. There's a slight sorta grin. I really do like people. They really do matter.

For those of you who wanted an improved smile on that last banner mug - see if this helps.

Rob's My HTML Hero... and Your New Friend

Not Jason...IT-know-it-all...Powell, not Daryl...make-the-web-work...McMullen. I'm talkin' Rob...pastor-leader-mission- visionary...Wegner.

After numerous friends jokingly ribbed me and one friend expressed his near-angry frustration about the bad-music-blaring photo-post blowing their speakers and disturbing family and neighbors, I went about fixing the problem. And this man, the HTML Hero messed with the code to turn off the hideous serenade.

And it worked, until I scrolled over the post this evening and became annoyed at my own creation.

I deleted the post. It's gone.

You can thank Rob - the bad-music exterminator.

I Can't Read My Own Book... Can You?

I came home after a fun weekend away with my family to a package from my publisher. It wasn't my second book, I'm still working on it. It was a copy of my first book, First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences in Your Church - except I couldn't read it.

It's printed in Korean! Who knew? I'm still playing phone tag with Group Publishing to learn how this came about. Crazy wild. Who knew this concept of creating space and atmosphere that communicates that people matter to God could transcend cross-cultural lines?

Maybe people are just people who need to know their Creator loves them and wants them in on his kingdom.

Easter in Northern Indiana

My grill isn't much to look at. It's not been featured in any songs. But, just four days prior to this picture, I had grilled dinner on it. In 70 degree weather.

This picture was taken on Easter weekend. In a span of a day and half last week the temperature dropped over 40 degrees. That's just crazy stuff.

And my family and I choose to live here.

But, there's more on Easter in the next post. And, that's why we live here.

(Oh, and I'm back from a restful week of vacation during our daughter's spring break.)

I Forgot My Wallet and Starbucks Paid

They did it again. They surprised me.

They said a long time ago that they wanted to be our "third space". They knew we already had space at home and at work. And they wanted to occupy our third space. A space where we'd meet our friends, hang out, check our email, study for class and even write sermons.

I'm spending more and more of my time in that third space. Starbucks continues to win my loyalty.

Here's the latest "wow" from the artists of aroma and the architects of atmosphere.

I pulled into the drive-thru (Those of you who know me, know that I was already in a moment of unusual weakness to be at the drive-thru. I insist on enjoying the full deal at Starbucks - the aroma, the environment, the face-to-face with the barista, the whole bean.) to treat my daughter and her friend to a late, after youth night cup of java. Feeling generous I ordered the girls' two venti iced, hazelnut, extra whip white mochas.

Total: $27.32 ... or something like that.

I pulled to the bumper of the car in front of me and reached into my pocket for my money clip. I dug deeper. Lint. Just lint. No clip. No money. Nothing but pocket... and lint.

I threw the car in reverse and disgustedly prepared to apologize, cancel the order and drive away - hopefully unrecognized by the normally friendly caffeine connoisseurs.

"Excuse me. I need to cancel that last order. I'm really embarrassed. I left the house without a credit card or a dollar bill. I have no way to pay for those mochas. I'm really sorry."

Without revealing any surprise, as though it happened every day, the kinder than kind barista, asked me to "please don't drive away" and invited to the window. After a couple awkward minutes of being identified by the staff who would see me again tomorrow,  she handed me the drinks I had ordered... and for which  I couldn't pay. Although I offered to make good on it the next morning, the crew insisted it was covered.

They did it again.

And I'll be back tomorrow.  With my wallet.

Listmania: 20 Ways to Look for God in '07

As promised...

20 Ways to Look for God in '07 

 
1. Read the Bible like a Novel

· Read the Bible as one story. God’s story of his plan to redeem all his creation to his original purpose, the story of his character of justice, love and mercy. He invites us into his agenda – to his storyline.

 
2. Free up a Thursday

· Check out the midweek New Community service on Thursdays at 7 pm.

 
3. Hit up Blockbuster

· Pay attention to themes of forgiveness, the search for love, the call for justice, the protection of the innocent.

 
4. Tune in…

· God can be found in the music we listen to. Listen for themes of God’s grace, for an artist’s searching questions of faith and deity.

 
5. Celebrate Uniqueness

· God’s always been about diversity. About uniqueness. Check out Genesis 1 and 2. Every individual on the planet carries a God-stamped uniqueness. Engage that distinction and celebrate the wonder of God.

 
6. Have one, be one

· Focus on 5: Have a friend, be a friend. Check out Starting Point, Turning Point or a Bible class this January.

 
7. Say, “Cheers!”

· To someone whose lifestyle, values or beliefs are different than yours. That is, be intentional about building a relationship with someone you’d likely never be drawn to naturally. Look for God in their story, be surprised by the potential crossing of your story lines.

 
8. Listen to Your Wife

· The next time you’re tempted to become defensive as you listen to your spouse, a friend, a peer, a child or your boss… stop. Ask: is God speaking to me through this person?

 
9. Meet Joe, the Mechanic

· There are people we encounter every day who seem to be fine people, but are they really merely a means to get through our day? We have an agenda – they help us or they frustrate us. But what if we paused long enough to take genuine interest in them – even for a moment. Jesus says when we do, it’s the same as honoring him.

 
10. Meet Jack Bauer

· Remember Focus on 5? Invest and invite. Invest in a relationship. And when you develop a relationship of trust and mutual respect with another human being, you share values, you invite the other to check out the stuff that’s important in your life. Invite them to the 24 series in January.

 
11. Make a Run for Borders

· Read the Bible for sure. But look for God’s truth in everything you read. Read the stories of others’ search for him, read their encounters with Him. Read their discoveries, their findings, their questions.

 
12. Grab a pen and paper

· Practice writing down your prayers to God, your observations, your questions, your fears, your celebrations. Look back in few months, at the end of the year and smile at the connecting dots of God’s faithfulness in your life.

 
13. Take a Hike

· Find a place – outside, in your home, in a park – find some place where you can be alone quietly with God. Get away from the distractions. Then listen. Talk. Just you and God.

 
14. Go sideways

· We can so easily get fixated on two directions on our journey. Straight ahead, constantly focused on the next sale, the next problem, to next goal. Or we can get stuck behind us – in the past. When we look sideways, we take the attention off ourselves and see other people who need our help. Jesus went sideways – called timeout – to touch the lepers, heal the blind and raise the lame. Go sideways; you’ll find God there.

 
15. Bite the Bullet

· Even our difficult experiences can be opportunities to see God at work in our lives. Getting past the challenge isn’t necessarily evidence that God finally showed up. He’s already here.

 
16. Break out!

· We take the same route to work, read the same newspaper, walk the same hallway at the office. Our routines allow us to live on “automatic”, often missing the subtle signs of God’s work and presence. Break out. Take a new route, read something new. Ask God to help you see Him in fresh ways.

 
17. Buddy Up!

· At GCC we have a clear mission that has defined our objectives for 20 years: “Helping people take their next step toward Christ… together.” Many of us have taken great steps. However, each of us has the privilege of “helping people take their next step”. Someone near you is waiting for your invitation to take a step – with you. Engage the wonder of God with someone else!

 
18. Find a Catch 22

· Ask questions you don’t have answers to. Allow the questions to lead you past the answer to God himself.

 
19. Forget the Umbrella

· Take a risk. Chance it. Step out. Stand in a fountain, sing on the street, order something different next time you eat out. Start that new business. Volunteer for the first time. Follow Jesus, the Master Pioneer into the wild.

 
20. Carpe Diem

· Embrace every opportunity. Every opportunity. Look for God in every person, every circumstance, every scene. Seize the day. Every day.

Link here for a PDF of the above list and one of the five weekend services streaming (through January 6).

 

1. 

Listmania Interruptus

So about 10 or 12 days ago I came out strong with this illusion that I would post daily through the end of the year, reflecting on the past 12 months with lists of "bests". I said "daily". You thought it was a joke when you read it, didn't you? At any rate, I failed. Perhaps I should produce a list of "my bads" from 2006.

Nah. I think that's a really bad idea.

Truth is, I got pretty wrapped up prepping for the message for this past weekend. I borrowed an idea that our Senior Pastor, Mark Beeson, used last year: using a big spinning wheel to preach through "20 Ways to Look for God in '07". Of course, there was no way to preach through all 20 in any one service, so our volunteers from each service spun the wheel to determine which 5-6 topics I'd talk about in each service.

It was a lot of fun for me and seemed to really connect with our people. If you'd like to see the whole list, it's the next post.

Really Dumb

Okay, so yesterday I posted about a recent date night with my wife and our visit to our local bookstore. I alluded to an incident that gave us a really good laugh. It was simple... and kind of sad.

You've seen these books "...for Dummies", right? Somebody's been putting these out for several years now. Admittedly, as insulting as the series title seems to be, there are some books that even I might benefit from:

• Economics for Dummies
• PCs for Dummies
• How to Fix Everything for Dummies

I don't want to be called a dummy. I'm not a dummy. But, ...okay, I'm "dumb" about some stuff.

However, I was not ready for this title on the shelf: Depression for Dummies. What?

So, the reader who's looking for help with depression is already thinking trash-talk about him/herself. They already feel insignificant, devalued, discouraged,... maybe even dumb. But, look! Here's help!

Are you kidding me?

Whose idea was this and why did they think it might be helpful?

That's really dumb.

More Church Signs... at the Local Buffet?

Hmmm. If your church was "church of the week" at a local restuarant, what restuarant would it be?

What's That Sign Communicating - 2

Yep. It's true. This is an actual picture of an actual reader board of an actual  church.

I'm hoping this chuch just didn't think about the excluding nature of their message. I've cropped the church name off the sign, but kept the tagline on the frame of the sign. Oh, the irony.

Confusing Christianity and American Politics

A few days ago the New York Times ran an article (and a video report on their website) about Gregory Boyd's recently released book, “The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church,”. Seems the book is stirring up the same controversy his messages did a few years ago. Just prior to the last presidential election, Boyd preached six messages, themed, "The Cross and the Sword" aimed at clarifying the message of Jesus Christ; that is, it is not American politics - Republican or Democrat.

I've respected Boyd since I worked through his book, "Repenting of Religion". I appreciate his grasp of grace and how we handle that message in our culture. In the recent NYTimes interview, he said,

“I am sorry to tell you that America is not the light of the world and the hope of the world. The light of the world and the hope of the world is Jesus Christ.”

The lines get so easily blurred - and that confuses...

Relax... I'm Okay, Really

Imagine my surprise when a feed with my name attached to it produced this excerpt:

In honor of my friend Mr. Mark Waltz who the Lord called home Monday morning. I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Waltz periodically for the past ten years.

I pinched myself, thinking the wonder of the afterlife might actually hold some stuff I was hoping for...

• I'd be with my wife, Laura, forever... we wouldn't age, we'd have perfect bodies and we'd enjoy ... well, we'd enjoy forever together... My wife was still beside me in bed.
• Technology would still be accessible and fun... I was still typing on my tablet PC.
• Dogs? In heaven? ... both of them were still in the bedroom. Hmmm...

I followed the link to find a very nice macro image ... and that another man shared my name. While I'm sorry for someone's loss... thought you should know -

I'm fine.

Peter, Jesus... and me

I'm realizing again just how much I relate to the Peter of the New Testament. I try to put myself in the story of the Bible, try to embrace the eternal message of the divine... and the human (that the divine created). Peter makes it easy for me. I so connect to his classic scenes.

When I read about Peter it’s easy for me to see… 

a man with his foot in his mouth;

his mouth in everyone’s ear;

and someone else’s ear in his hand!

And it’s pretty much true…look at him:    

Duct Tape: A Personal Vindication

I've been vindicated. Vindicated by NASA. I love it.

I'm not Mr. Tool-Man. All of my repair/maintenance tools fit easily into one small toolbox. I only have it because someone else thought I should have a toolbox, so he gave it to me.

I seldom use the tools I have, because most anything can be fixed with one of two items: super glue or duct tape. In some situations both must be used.

My wife loves me, but still kids me from time to time for being the "Duct Tape, Super Glue King". Actually, whether I'm working with duct tape or a hammer, something crazy wonderful happens for her when she watches me use a tool of any kind. Sometimes I get a wrench out for no reason. But, I digress.

Fox News reported yesterday that NASA is using duct tape on Discovery's current flight. Seems a special "safety-jet backpack" needed to be secured to astronaut Piers Sellers - and duct tape was the suggested repair tool.

I love it.

Thanks, NASA.

Now, where's that wrench?

Can You Say, "Mountain View"?

Here's the truth about living in northern Indiana: it's flat. No mountains. And if there's a hill, it's just that - a hill. A speed bump in some parts of the country.

Even though I love the mountains and water, I'm not complaining about living in northern Indiana. The South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger area is a great place to raise our daughter, there's convenient eating and shopping opportunities, and if they run thin, it's not too far to Indy or Chicago. Heck, there's even water near Chicago.

Anyway... all that to say, this caught my attention: Google's bringing FREE wireless internet service to its hometown of Mountainview, California (read it here).

I love the convenience of free wireless internet access at places like Panera Bread, Fuddrucker's (no kidding!), and... let's see, Granger Community Church. But, the whole city - whether at a coffe shop, church or a stoplight (yep, I've been known to read while driving) - now, that'd be too cool!

Of course if you were in Google's hometown, you could be wireless AND view the mountains.

Even so, I'm content to sip a cup of coffee, surf the net... and watch the corn grow.

Context and Clarity

This week I've understood all over again the power of context. A sound byte or a few printed words, if taken as a complete picture can be easily misunderstood and quickly given a new framework of interpretation. That happened with a post of mine a few days ago.

It also happened in a recent local publication where I was quoted as saying, "God loves you right where you are", then paraphrased my next sentence with "when you come to GCC you can stay right where you want spiritually, for as long as you want."

Now, what I said was that people can explore the claims of Christ from wherever they are spiritually; we're not all at the same place... our "next step" toward Christ is very different for each of us. Our senior pastor had followed up my comment in a six-person conversation, adding, "God loves you right where you are, and too much to leave you there."

True the article went on to say that once people at GCC come to Christ, we "guide them in the direction of a deeper spiritual life by getting them into small groups and in touch with the gifts God has given them."

It's amazing, the power of words. The temptation to be incomplete. The great temptation to twist.

My guess is that this post alone will be enough for some to draw some conclusion I never intended.

Fascinating.

Relationships and Church: Weirdness #2

So, it's possible I may have needed to say more in the preceding post (Relationships and Church: Weirdness #1). Some insightful comments were added; you may want to read along and join the conversation.

Allow me to take another risk with Weirdness #2, then I'll add some thoughts that may bring a little more clarity to these questions. Ted Haggard, founding pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO, suggests in his book, Dog Training, Fly Fishing, & Sharing Christ in the 21st Century, that the church is the one organization that tells people who their friends should be.

Here's his point: the typical church in America tends to direct groupings of people, directing them into small group huddles based on everything from where they live, what age they are, marital status, etc. And the bottom line often is that we put people together for long periods of time - without ever allowing them to say, "I like... or don't like these people." Love? Yes, of course, we love everyone. But, like? That can be very different. And it really matters.

So, back to Weirdness #1. What if, for lots of years, the church in general  has so promised intimacy, relationships, "we'll help you find a friend", that we've created an expectation that nearly removes personal responsibility as well as personal choice for our people?

This remains true:

• People matter to God. Jesus was, and is, a friend to sinners. And Christians who have enormous expectations for the church to "feed" them. People matter to God.
• At Granger Community Church we believe everyone should "have a friend and be a friend". Relationships matter. It's how Jesus did ministry... how he went about discipleship.
• We still offer small group environments. Our entry point to group life (Starting Point) is just that - an environment, an incubator, if you will. We want people to learn how to live in relationship, rather than tell them who to be in relationship with.
• Friendships are developed over time. Friendships are a two-way street. And they're important enough to do the hard work to develop meaningful relationships.

It's not weird that people want friends, meaningful relationships. We all do. God's wired us up for relationships. But isn't it weird that the church tells people who their friends should be? And isn't it weird that people in the church expect the "church" (that is, the institution) to find them a friend?

Before you write this off as my judgment on people being "weird" - I'm the first to note that I'm a people. And that said, I'm the weirdest of people I know.

Oh, one more thing. I've spent enough time in many environments (some provided by the church, many not) to find friends who are either as weird as me, or who at least accept my weirdness.

People matter.