Thunder Road

"Heaven's waiting on down the tracks 

Oh-oh come take my hand 
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land 
Oh-oh Thunder Road oh Thunder Road..." ~ Springsteen

When talking about the #NarrowRoad that we walk when following Jesus we often think of it as peaceful and serene place, a place where we walk in quiet solitude. This is not always the case, and scripture makes this very clear. Over the weekend I was reminded of this and also of one of the greatest nicknames ever bestowed upon human beings. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3, we read a synopsis of Jesus calling the 12 disciples. If you are like me, the disciple you can relate to the most is Simon Peter- because he was as big a screw-up as we are, yet Jesus built the church on his faith. Who wouldn't love to be a Simon Peter? But also among the 12 are the brothers James & John, the sons of Zebedee. Let me press pause and say that if the story ended there, James & John would already be awesome, because Zebedee may be the best name ever! I would have fought to name my son Zebedee, but I enjoyed living with my wife and didn't want to spend all of my time praying to the patron saint of lost causes. Still, just being the sons of Zebedee would have been cool enough. But Jesus gave them a nickname that transformed them into rock stars. He called them "Boanerges," which means Sons of Thunder. While no explanation is given in scripture, it is assumed by scholars (and me!) that this nickname was a reference to their bold and zealous personalities - illustrated by a later incident in which they wanted to "call down fire from heaven" to destroy the people of a Samaritan village who had refused to allow Jesus and His apostles to pass through on their way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-56).  These guys knew what it meant to be passionate for Jesus. They had the fire in their eyes. These guys understood that the #NarrowRoad sometimes needs to be Thunder Road!

And clearly their Master appreciated this in the two brothers. James & John were always there (along with Peter) when Jesus needed his "inner circle." James would go on to be the first of the disciples to be martyred (Acts 12:2) and John would write his "revelation" from prison on the island of Patmos. These were men who gave their lives to Christ, not just in word, but in deeds- in big, honkin', passionate deeds. 

So it seems to me that walking the #NarrowRoad may require us to be a part of a 21st century chapter of the Sons of Thunder. This would be a group of believers who understand that following Jesus is everything. They would understand that being a people of love, grace and peace is not a weakness, but a bold stance for our Savior in this world we live in. The modern Sons of Thunder would be a radical presence for Jesus in our communities and a passionate thorn in the side of the institutional church. I am not much of a joiner, but this is a group I want to be a part of- and soon! How about you? The team would be filled with folks (male & female!) with the cajones to call down fire from heaven when the occasion calls for it. To join is to understand that if Jesus were walking the earth today he would be hanging out with the most unlikely people, demanding peace and justice, confronting false idols and fake teachers and calling us to do the same. Accepting such a call is not without risk. Your passion may offend your neighbors and other Christians. Your churches may be among the first to disown you. The love and grace you offer to others may baffle them. You will almost certainly be called upon to sacrifice for the cause. You may receive a vision from God that will confuse people for the next 2000 years. But when it comes to following Jesus, I am ready to make some noise. It's time to bring the thunder...

Let's be bold together and change the world. Let's be radicals for Christ. The 1st century Sons of Thunder helped turn their world upside down. A modern version could do the same. If you're in, leave me a comment and let me know. Seriously. It's going to be a wild ride on the #NarrowRoad. And we're going to have AWESOME t-shirts...

Because of Jesus,

If You Say So, Jesus...

Most people who have ever been around church know the story from Luke 5 of Jesus calling Simon Peter to be a disciple. Remember the story? Jesus is preaching and finds himself with his back to the Sea of Galilee, so he asks Simon is he can get in his boat. After a while, Jesus tells the fishermen to push out into deeper waters and they will find fish. Simon explains to Jesus that they had fished all night, and that this area was a "Not Spot." That is a spot where the fish are not (Thanks, Ted & Lee). Jesus tells them to go there anyway. Simon responds with all of his negative stuff, and then says (in Luke 5:5), "but if you say so, I'll let the nets down again." Of course the boat fills up with fish, and that is amazing. But it is the words of Simon Peter that I want us to think about today. "If you say so, Jesus..."

Let's be real for a minute. There are a lot things the Christ teaches us in scripture that are pretty ridiculous sounding. If we use rationale and logic, they are things we should just toss aside because they make so little sense in the world we live in. So we are left with faith as a basis for response to many of the teachings of Jesus.  And in faith, our answer must be, "If you say so, Jesus..." Think about these scriptures and how almost comical they sound when taken out of context:

• Matthew 5:39: If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer them the other. If you say so, Jesus...
• Matthew 20:16: The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. If you say so, Jesus...
• Matthew 5:43-44: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. If you say so, Jesus...
• Mark 10:25: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. If you say so, Jesus...
• Matthew 5:5:  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. If you say so, Jesus...
• Mark 11:23:  I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. If you say so, Jesus...
• Luke 5:10: Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. If you say so, Jesus...
• Matthew 6:34:  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. If you say so, Jesus...

I hope you get my point. If the Jesus you are being taught about sounds passive and normal, or seems like he would make perfect sense in our world today, then someone is deceiving you. If he sounds like like a businessman interested in prosperity and patriotism, someone is trying to sell you something. If he seems like the kind of guy who puts his own needs first and thinks the poor should take care of themselves, then you have the wrong guy. The real Jesus calls us to be abnormal, to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. He seems so "out there," which is why the modern church has spent so much time focusing on the "thou shalt nots" and so little time trying to follow his example. The church wants to appear normal to the rest of the world when we are called to be anything but normal. So be radical. Let the world know you don't need proof, you have faith. And when Jesus calls us, no matter where he says to go or what he says to do, we'll know what to say. If you say so, Jesus...I will follow you.  

Because of Jesus,

It Was THE Manic Monday...

Yesterday I was joking on Twitter about what the disciples were doing on the afternoon of the resurrection. I suggested they probably had to attend a committee meeting; a friend countered with the hilarious yet poignant reminder that they would have needed to elect a new treasurer to replace Judas. That started me thinking about what that afternoon- and the day that followed- were like for the remaining 11 disciples. And those thoughts brought me to this one. I grew up in North Carolina, where the official state holiday for Easter was always Easter Monday. When I was young, it meant a day off from school and and so I never questioned it. But as I grew older I found this tradition to be quite strange. There are 6 weeks of Lent, including Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Goof Friday and the actual celebration of Easter. Yet for some reason they used an extra day to invent an official holiday on which to acknowledge this high holy day. Easter Monday.

As I think back on that from this point in my life, I see it all differently. What actually happened on the first Easter Monday? What was going on in the lives of the people in Jerusalem as word spread that the tomb was empty and Jesus had been spotted walking about? I have a feeling it effected people in very different ways. But with apologies to The Bangles, this was not just another manic Monday. This was the MANIC MONDAY! Consider the following possibilities...

* The Jewish leaders had to be more nervous than a censor at rap concert. Their Roman overlords had given them the "Jesus Problem" to deal with, and then crucified him at their request. This rumor that he was still alive and ready to cause more trouble for the Empire was bound to bring down the full wrath of Caesar on the Pharisees if they didn't put an end to it quickly. Heads were going to roll. And you just KNOW that Pilate was getting a major "I told you so!" from his wife.

* The disciples had to be more confused than usual. They believed he was resurrected; they had seen him, touched him, talked with him. But given their track record, I have to believe that they had no idea yet what it meant. Was Jesus finally going to throw the Romans out? Would they keep traveling around as a team, with Jesus teaching and them providing support? And most of them had deserted him when things got tough. Did he even like them anymore? They had probably not been that confused since the Master started doodling in the sand...

* The Roman guards had to be miserable. You can just hear their statements to the TMZ reporters of the day. "Of course he was dead. We wouldn't have taken him down if he wasn't dead. We're not idiots!" And then from the guards at the tomb- "We never left our posts, and that boulder we put in front of the entrance was enormous! It's not our fault! What were we supposed to do, tell the freakin' angels not to move the rock?" I am sure if it happened today either President Obama, aliens or Kanye West would be blamed. And it would probably be Kanye's fault...

* And then there were the average citizens- people like you and I. The ones who yelled "Hosanna" on Palm Sunday and "Crucify him!" a few days later. How did they respond on Easter Monday? As the stories spread that this man Jesus had beaten death, did they believe or treat it like a National Enquirer headline? Were his radical teachings about peace, love and forgiveness suddenly more than just words, or was he still just another wacko street preacher? Were they now ready to truly believe?

For me, those questions are at the root of what Easter Monday should be all about. We know the entire story, from beginning to end. We know the teachings of the man and glory of the King. We know the facts. So the question for each of us, as it was for Peter and everyone else on that first Easter Monday, has not changed. Who do we say that Jesus is? If after the miracle of the resurrection you can't answer with confidence that he was and is the living God, then you may never be able to answer with assurance. He beat death so that we might live. He restored us to a right relationship with the One who created us. Today is a day to BELIEVE and to change the way we live our lives. Today is the day to cling to our risen Savior and never let go again. Maybe NC had it right all those years ago.  Maybe we should recognize Easter Monday- as a day when we recommit to the One we claim to follow. How will you celebrate today?

Because of Jesus,

Leave It Behind

Imagine if you will that you are standing at the beginning of the #NarrowRoad that Jesus calls us all to walk and that before you begin your journey the Savior himself stands before you. You ask what you need to do if you want to be a true Christ-follower, wondering what his advice will be. Will he want you to go to church more? Will he want you to pray more? Will he command that you memorized more scripture? What is the first thing Jesus will ask of you as you become his disciple? And then you realize you don't have to guess. This has happened before...

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.  -Matthew 4:18-22 (NIV)

Peter and Andrew left their nets and careers behind to follow Jesus. James and John left their boat and their father. Modern Christians spend far too much time worrying what sorts of attributes we need to take with us on our spiritual journey, when perhaps the first question needs to be what must we leave behind? What are the things in our lives that are receiving priority over the risen Savior? What are the things in our lives that become excess baggage on the #NarrowRoad? 

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. My challenge to myself and to all of you is the same as always in this season of the year. If you are going to "give up" something for Lent. make certain it is something you never intend to take back. Don't give up soda, give up resentment. Don't give up chocolate, give up racism. Give up something that stands between you and Jesus. And then leave it behind. The #NarrowRoad awaits...

Because of Jesus,

"Come Follow Me"

Matthew 4:18-22 (The Message)

Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.

A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee's sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father.

Questions:
1)  What have you "dropped" from your life in order to follow Jesus?
2)  James and John left everything, including their father, to go with Jesus.  They were truly living life WIDE OPEN.  What is keeping you from being a fully devoted follower of Christ?  Will you follow where He leads without questioning where you are going?
3)  Are you a "new kind of fisherman?"  Who are the people in your life that you need to introduce to Jesus?

Because of Jesus,

The Sons of Thunder

I was reading yet another great blog post from Kevin Weatherby over at www.campfirecowboyministries.com a couple of days ago when I was reminded of one of the greatest nicknames ever bestowed upon a human being.  In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3, we read a synopsis of Jesus calling the 12 disciples.  If you are like me, the disciple you can relate to the most is Simon Peter- because he was as big a screw-up as we are, yet Jesus built the church on his faith.  I would love to be a Simon Peter.  But also among the 12 are the brothers James & John, the sons of Zebedee.  Let me press pause and say that if the story ended there, James & John would already be awesome, because Zebedee may be the best name ever!  I would have fought to name my son Zebedee, but I enjoyed living with my wife and didn't want to spend all of my time praying to the patron saint of lost causes.  Still, just being the sons of Zebedee would have been cool enough.  But Jesus gave them a nickname that transformed them into rock stars. He called them "Boanerges," which means Sons of Thunder.  While no explanation is given in scripture, it is assumed by scholars (and me!) that this nickname was a reference to their bold and zealous personalities - illustrated by a later incident in which they wanted to "call down fire from heaven" to destroy the people of a Samaritan village who had refused to allow Jesus and His apostles to pass through on their way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51-56).  These guys knew what it meant to be passionate for Jesus.  They had the fire in their eyes.

And clearly their Master knew this. James & John were always there (along with Peter) when Jesus needed his "inner circle."  James would go on to be the first of the disciples to be martyred (Acts 12:2) and John would write his "revelation" from prison on the island of Patmos.  These were men who gave their lives to Christ, not just in word, but in deeds- in big, honkin', passionate deeds. 

So as I told Kevin the other day, I want to be part of a 21st century chapter of the Sons of Thunder.  This would be a group of believers who understand that following Jesus is everything. They would understand that being a people of love, grace and peace is not a weakness, but a bold stance for our Savior in this world we live in.  The modern Sons of Thunder should be a radical presence for Jesus in our communities, and a passionate thorn in the side of the institutional church.  I am not much of a joiner, but this is a group I want to be a part of- and soon!  I know I am not alone.  Kevin says he is in- and we are looking for more folks (male & female!) with the cajones to call down fire from heaven when the occasion calls for it.  Accepting such a call is not without risk.  Your passion may offend your neighbors and other Christians.  The love and grace you offer to others may baffle them.  You may be called upon to sacrifice for the cause.  You may receive a vision from God that will confuse people for the next 2000 years.  But when it comes to following Jesus, I am ready to make some noise.  I want to bring the thunder...

Let's be bold together and change the world.  Let's be radicals for Christ.  The 1st century Sons of Thunder helped turn their world upside down. The modern version could do the same.  If you're in, leave me a comment and let me know.  Seriously.  It's going to be a wild ride.  And we're going to have AWESOME t-shirts...

Because of Jesus,