BareFoot Sunday!

Bare Foot, originally uploaded by .Travis.

Don’t be surprised if your pastor’s not wearing any shoes in church tomorrow. Think of it as a whole new dimension of our comfortable dress code. You may be thinking, “Pastor Mark has lost his mind as well as his shoes!” I assure you, I’ve lost neither.

As is often the case, there is indeed method to my madness. I’m coming barefooted to church tomorrow for a very important reason. 300+ million children around the world are too poor to afford even one single pair of shoes. For us in the comfortable confines of suburbia in North America, I doubt that any of us even knows just how many pairs we actually own. I stopped counting after about a dozen pair.

The first Sunday in June is a special day. Tomorrow, Sunday June 7th, 2009 is “Barefoot Sunday.” A not-for-profit organization called “Soles4Souls” is sponsoring this unprecedented effort to collect and distribute shoes to the poor and needy both in North America and around the world.

The mission of Soles4Souls is simple: To impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes. They began their “sole-searching” effort after the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina a few years ago. For the people who had lost everything in these natural disasters, a new pair of shoes was truly a God-send. What began as a response to a natural disaster has now developed into a full-fledged, global mission effort.

Here’s the deal. I’m not wearing shoes in church tomorrow for a reason. Now is the time for Christ followers to once again show the world what unselfishness and generosity looks like! The shoes I would have worn will be donated to this great cause.

What can you do? For starters, come to church tomorrow in sandals, flops, or even barefoot. And starting tomorrow, bring a “gently used” pair of shoes that you can donate to the good folks at Soles4Souls so that they can in turn give them to a person in need. We’ll be collecting shoes for the next couple of weeks.

NOT wearing shoes is suddenly an important fashion statement. Going barefoot is a reminder of how blessed we are as Americans. And it’s a powerful reminder of this global need.

You’ve seen the signs before, “No shoes, No service.” We’ll change that slightly at the Bridge tomorrow. Instead, the sign will read…

“No shoes, KNOW service.”

Live the Red…barefooted,

Mark

40 Days...

Resurrection, originally uploaded by Pankcho.

Today begins a journey of 40 Days. We're calling it, 40 Days of Love. It is a journey quite unlike any other. It is a journey uniquely designed for the faith family called Ironbridge. There are other famous churches undertaking a "40 Days of Love" campaign. I for one, am happy for them. I wish them well. The 40-Day journey that we are starting, is a unique, one-of-a-kind experience. It is all about what God is saying to us. Whether you're a part of the Bridge family or even if you're on the other side of the world, you're welcome to join us if you like. The more the merrier.

As we begin this journey, we're asking God to show up. The reality is, if God doesn't show up, anything we attempt to do without Him is destined to be a miserable failure. We don't want a campaign, a program, a project, or even an event. We want HIM. We want God to show Himself in all His splendor and majesty.

Long ago and far away, a man named Moses found himself in the midst of one of the most thrilling adventures in all of human history. God was rescuing his chosen people from Egyptian slavery. As the story unfolds, Moses asks God to do something extraordinary. Moses asks God, "Please show me Your glory." (Exodus 33:18)

God answered his prayer. God revealed Himself to Moses. As God passed by, He proclaimed His name, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation." (Exodus 34:6,7)

Over the next 40 days between now and Thursday, June 4th, 2009, we're asking God to reveal Himself. We're asking God to show up! The amazing thing is--He already has. He's already here ahead of us, waiting for us to get to the place where we are now. God is here!

In the days that follow. God will be revealing Himself to us over and over again--through the pages of His Word and through the events that unfold in our lives.

I believe that 40 Days from now--your life, your walk with Christ, (your marriage if that applies to you), & your church family will be radically different than they are today.

It's simply impossible to encounter the one true living God of the Bible and not be forever changed. Expect it, believe it, and celebrate it when it happens because it will happen!

Welcome to this journey. I'm glad you'll be traveling this road with us.

Live the Red,

Mark

Twitter! (Part 2)

twitter icon (for Fluid), originally uploaded by seyDoggy.

I really do love twitter!

I've already shared on an earlier post about the journey that led me to this fascinating and helpful piece of social media called twitter.

Why do I love twitter? Well, I'm convinced that twitter can be a help to spiritual groups of all sizes. Twitter can be utilized by Sunday School classes, Bible studies, small groups, ministry teams, & mission teams. Twitter is a useful tool for making disciples in the digital world of the Internet.

How times have changed in this new century. Think back to how we did church in the last century. 20th century church in America was basically a location-based, building-based, Sunday morning only-based social network that was typically a mile-wide and an inch-deep. Organized church too often was a gathering of what I call “well-acquainted strangers.” Typically you’d see people for a few minutes in-between worship services or in Sunday School or just passing in the hallway. If you or your friends missed a Sunday or two, you might not reconnect with these folks for several weeks or even a month or more. Personal connection was sporadic at best.

Let’s face the reality of our culture. Everyone's busy, most of us are over-committed, over booked, and always on the go...on the move headed somewhere...everywhere. Phone calls and emails take too much time. So how can a real, Biblical sense of community develop with so many cultural cards stacked against us? How can we connect more personally and more consistently throughout the week? How do we share our lives in the real world between Sundays? Part of the answer is this thing called twitter.

Twitter offers some usable spiritual possibilities. Remember the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and her friends returned with the Witch's broom? Dorothy's little dog Toto goes over and starts to pull on the curtain that keeps the Wizard hidden. When the Wizard realizes that he's about to be "found out" he shouts through his loudspeakers...."Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...I am the great and powerful Oz!" The jig is up! The mask is off! The con is exposed!

As a pastor, twitter allows me to pull back the curtain on my life. It gives me an opportunity to let people see what's going on in my life as a follower of Jesus. No pretense. No false promises. No sham. Just the real deal. From the mundane to the meaningful, I broadcast my life via twitter. I hope people are listening, or watching, or reading or following along. The apostle Paul said, "be imitators of me!" (I Cor. 4:16; Phil. 3:17) Egotistical? Not really. What he's saying is that the way to become a more passionate follower of Jesus is to follow in the footsteps of someone who is a passionate follower of Jesus. Because I know that people are following me on twitter challenges me to be a more devoted Christ follower. My heart’s desire is that other people will become more devoted followers of Christ as well.

Twitter gives us a chance to "hang out" together even when our busyness is pushing us in a dozen different directions. We’ve got a member of our church that has regular two-week tours of duty with his company in the northern most region of Alaska. Far removed from the “lower-48,” this spiritual brother can “stay in the loop” of what’s happening in the lives of his church family. Remarkable! Even though he’s thousands of miles away for two weeks at a time, he can, and does stay connected to his fellow believers.

If there’s an urgent prayer request, I know about it sooner rather than later thanks to twitter. If there is a problem, negative buzz, or an issue that needs my attention...twitter gives me the opportunity to respond quickly either publicly on my tweet-stream or privately via a Direct Message. And all of this happens in 140 characters or less. Twitter forces you to be succinct. It forces you to make the most of every word you write.

This piece of social media is marvelous for staying in touch with missionaries serving around the world. Twitter allows those on the field to keep the stateside crowd informed and updated on their ministry. As a result, we can pray more directly for needs & issues as they arise. And all of it happens, 140 characters at a time. Brilliant!

Twitter is not perfect, not by a long shot. Used incorrectly, it can become an addictive, voyeuristic, narcissistic, time-waster. People who are rude in person will probably be rude on twitter. Bullies will be bullies, wherever they are. Pharisees will be Pharisees no matter where they are. Words can help or hurt...in person and on twitter. If you don’t like what someone is writing, you can block them. Problem solved. If only it were that easy in real life.

Please understand--TWITTER IS NOT & NEVER WILL BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR REAL-LIFE, IN PERSON relationships and community. Twitter is simply intended to enhance and encourage the real-life connection, the real-life fellowship that we can and should enjoy in Christ!

If you want to hang out with me in person, you may have to wait until the weekend when we gather @ the Bridge. If you want to hang out with me RIGHT NOW, you can…at a place called twitter. Here’s where you can find me: www.twitter.com/markjordan

In the meantime, what are you doing to connect with other Christ followers between Sundays? If it works, let me know. I'll pass it along...on twitter, of course!

Live the Red,

Mark

Sparrows, Bluebirds and such...

Going out on a limb, originally uploaded by Daylily18 ( trying to keep up ).

I awakened this morning to hear the grievous news that a plane had crashed during the night. Continental Connector flight #3407 crashed about 5 miles outside of Buffalo, NY. Tragically, all 48 people aboard perished in the crash, with one or two more fatalities on the ground. My heart breaks for the families that are now grieving the loss of loved ones, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Remember to pray for those who are walking through the valley of the shadow of death on this day. May they experience the comfort that only God can give in times like this.

The words that I feel compelled to write today are not about death and dying. They are about life. I have been reminded of some things this morning that I want to pass along to you. My phone rang this morning. On the other end of the line was a tearful young wife and mother of four small children. Through her sobs mingled with joy, she told me her story.

Her husband, and a member of my congregation for many years, was at the ticket counter last night with ticket in hand to board Continental Flight #3407. But something happened at the last minute. Another co-worker came up to this young man and asked him to carry a piece of equipment back to their workplace outside of Buffalo. Only one problem. This particular piece of equipment was too big to be a carry-on. It would need to be checked baggage. The flight was preparing to leave so there wasn't time to check this piece of equipment. They would have to take a later flight. And the rest is history. This young man and a co-worker did not get on the plane. At the last minute, for an obscure reason...they never boarded this ill-fated flight that would later crash outside of Buffalo.

Here's what God says, "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) Even though I am terribly sad for the families that lost loved ones, my heart is encouraged by the good news of this particular verse. God does indeed direct our steps. The smallest details of our life does not escape His notice. He has a plan for each and every one of us. The little things that we would call "coincidences" really never are. Some might call it "luck." As followers of Jesus, we know better. It's true, our days on this planet ARE numbered. But we have the privilege of knowing and loving and conversing and trusting the one who has His hands on the calculator.

All of this has made me think about sparrows and bluebirds today. Little birds hardly worth a second glance. God talks about little birds to teach us big truths. "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)

My heart is leaping! I rejoice with a young wife who still has a husband. I rejoice with four small children who still have a daddy. In this life, there are many who are looking for the "bluebird of happiness." But true happiness, real joy does not come into our lives on the wings of a blue-colored bird. Our happiness comes from another source. Our hearts rejoice because even in the midst of life's hardest questions, most troubling heartaches and deepest mysteries--we know that there is a all-powerful, all-knowing, merciful, compassionate God who cares about us more than we can comprehend.

God orchestrates even the smallest most insignificant parts of our lives for our good and His glory! How do I know these things?

A little birdie told me.

Live the Red,

Mark

She didn't play...

She's not playing, originally uploaded by makeupanid.

I've been thinking about Cardinals today for some reason...the "day after" and all. The young lady in today's pic didn't play. Some Cardinals did....

...because there was a game in our neck of the woods on Sunday. Maybe a billion or so worldwide were watching. I think we like games because they are a microcosm of life. Everything is condensed into a very brief time frame. Reality on steroids, so to speak.

One sportswriter described the game as "Dynasty vs. Doormats." The team called the Cardinals weren't supposed to be there. Football royalty they certainly are not. They'd be lucky if they weren't blown off the field. For their sake, just hope it's not a rout.

A funny thing happened along the way. The Cardinals played like they thought they could win it. They almost did. They came very, very close.

But with only seconds left...the other team won...dramatically, wonderfully, joyfully! And the doormats were denied.

The games we play are funny. One minute, we're on top of the world, and the next, we're just sitting and staring into space wondering what happened.

It's no fun to lose. It is in no way enjoyable. It's much more fun to kiss the Lombardi trophy and think you're special. If we got to choose between victory and defeat, we'd choose winning every time.

Want to know something that I've learned in 52 years of living? God doesn't usually follow us into the locker room of our successes. But when we lose...when our world is falling apart...He is sitting there with us. He knows. He cares. And He's with us. Sometimes He doesn't say an audible word. And from losing...we learn. Far more than we ever will from winning.

ABC sports used to tell us about "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." It's only human nature to want to skip the agony part.

When your own personal "day after" comes, and it will, know that you are not the only one left, sitting on the bench, staring out into space wondering what when wrong. When that day comes, look to your side and see that you are not alone. He is with you.

As for me, I hope you win all your games. (I want you to like me.) As for God...He cares enough about you to let you learn the lessons that only losing can teach. He'll allow you to lose. Because He loves you He will allow loss to enter your life. And you will grow, and learn, and move forward to the next game, or the next season, or whatever may come next...maybe even a few exciting victories.

Just so you know, these thoughts have really nothing to do with football or sports. She knows. She didn't play.

Live the Red,

Mark

Twitter! (Part 1)

twitter-logo, originally uploaded by mafik66.

Let me just say it...I love twitter!

How did I find my way to twitter? I'm glad you asked. Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a faithful trip, that started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship...oh, that's another story. Sorry skipper. Gilligan!!!!!

My journey to twitter began about five months ago. I was searching for a literary agent. In today's publishing environment, if you want to get your stuff in print, you really need to have an agent. (Chalk this up as free advice to all the would-be authors out there in the blogosphere...you're welcome!)

Anyway, are you asleep yet? Thanks to my friends at Google, I stumbled upon the CEO of a publishing firm known as Thomas Nelson. This tech-savvy CEO named Michael Hyatt had written a blog post about the importance of literary agents. I found his blog to be both insightful and interesting. I noticed that he was not only blogging but also doing something called "twittering." Whaaa? His blog even suggested that I follow him in a place called Twitter. OK.....sure, whatever. And I followed his twitter posts (called "tweets") for a few weeks. How can I describe the experience? Well, it's like I'm hanging out with this big-shot in the publishing world that I've never met. I'm tagging along as he takes his wife to dinner, telling me about his five wonderful daughters, or letting me sit in on his latest meeting at the corporate office. Weird, and yet, strangely fascinating.

My first response to the twitterverse? "Are you kidding me?" I thought. "Who's got time to invest in twittering all day?" I was a skeptic.

And then I did something totally insane...I jumped in the pool. Yep, I began to "tweet." A dozen times a day I would post a 140-character message about what was going on in my life on that particular day. Here's the funny thing. In the beginning, I was posting stuff on twitter and I didn't have any followers. None. As far as I knew, nobody...I mean NOBODY was reading my stuff. It was just a "field test"--an experiment.

I'm now getting ready to start my sixth month on twitter. The experiment continues.

In my next post, part 2 on this subject, I'll tell you why I'm hooked on this bit of social media known as twitter.

In the meantime, you can follow me on twitter here.

Live the Red,

Mark

The Forest for the Trees

, originally uploaded by m u n i c h.

Details, details...everywhere details.

I have come to believe that each and every day of our lives we are confronted with lots and lots of stuff, you know, the little things of our life called details. Details come in many shapes and sizes....bills that need to be paid, phone calls that need to be returned, errands to be run, emails that need to be read, groceries that need to be purchased, food that needed to be cooked....etc, etc, etc.

Think of the details of your life as trees. Individuals trees. There you are, surrounded by trees as far as the eye can see. Maybe you feel as if you're drowning in a sea of details. Or, to play out this little devotional thought, you're standing in the middle of a huge forest of trees. And all you can see are the trees. Maybe you're even beginning to feel just a little bit claustrophobic.

There is a saying..."I can't see the forest for the trees." In other words, all of the trees that are in front of you are hindering your view of the entire forest! Definition: "overly concerned with detail; not understanding the whole situation." Explanation: "Used when expressing that a person is focusing too much on specific problems and is missing the point."

Even for devoted followers of Jesus, it is very possible to miss the point. Completely. Spiritually speaking, "to not see the forest for the trees." Read your Bible, pray, go to church, write out your tithe check, resist temptation, listen to Christian music, etc, etc, etc. In the midst of serving Christ, we can miss Christ. Busy with doing Kingdom work, we can miss the grandeur and greatness of the Kingdom.

Can I make a polite suggestion? Take a moment, in the midst of your details, and take a few steps back. Take a good look around. 360 degrees. Let your spiritual peripheral vision kick in. Or better yet, get to the high ground. Make your way out of the details of your busy life long enough to get a good look at what is going on.

In Habakkuk, chapter three, the biblical writer is looking for the Kingdom in the midst of some really horrible economic conditions. He makes a wonderful statement about what God is doing in his life, "...The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places." (Habakkuk 3:19)

Did you notice that last phrase..."and makes me walk on my high places." Yes! Make your way to a "high place" so you can see the entire forest...the big picture...the magnificent panorama of God's Advancing Kingdom.

The view is breathtaking! It's absolutely glorious. And for just a few moments, it gets you a safe distance away from the drudgery of the details.

As for me, I'll take this moment to take a good look at the entire forest! It's gorgeous.

Now back to the details....

Live the Red,

Mark