the big seven

My oldest son turns seven today!

I was born Steven Michael Rowell Jr., and then called Mike by everyone ever since. I like the setup, because it gives me a sense of heritage while allowing me my own identity. So when we found out that we were expecting a child, and that he would be a boy, I decided to give him the same dual identity.

So he is Steven Michael Rowell III, and he is Trey. Right now, mostly Trey. Only one person does not confuse Trey when she calls him Steven (as in, "Steven Michael Rowell the third!"), and that's his Mama.

He's really tall for his age. Skinny. He's still growing into his size, so he's a little uncoordinated sometimes. He wants to be a basketball player and a preacher when he grows up. That sort of came out of nowhere. :)

He loves his Mama and his siblings. He's a little bossy sometimes, but he also shows a lot of patience. He loves to get his room cleaned quickly so he can get his stickers to put on his calendar.

He absolutely loves people. He's never met a stranger, and he's never been afraid to start a conversation. He likes to sit on the stoll behind the lectern at our worship gatherings before starting time, and mimic my songleading gestures and preaching. He's learning to work hard, and he's learning that life in the ministry is fun, because he sees me enjoying myself.

My favorite recent memory of Trey happened just last week. One of the members of our church, a dear lady named Barb, had broken her hip and wrist in a fall and required surgery. Our family went to see her at the facility where she was completing her rehabilitation, and when we first walked in, we gathered around her bed to say hello.

As Barb was greeting all the kids, Trey stepped up and said, with a completely serious look on his face, that he'd like to pray for Ms. Barb (as the kids call her).

I looked at Barb, then at Mama, then back at Trey. He wasn't giggling or anything - he was completely serious.

I said okay, and we all joined hands around the bed. And in a clear, assured voice, Trey started to talk to God. He asked God to help Ms. Barb to get feeling better, and to bless her and Bro. Bill (her husband). As he finished, he asked God to help us love Him, and finished with "in Jesus' name, Amen."

I looked up through moist eyes to see Trey standing there shaking Barb's hand, saying "you're welcome," and looking like he'd done it a hundred times.

This idea of ministry - and following Jesus - being a natural part of a person's identity, is what I remember most strikingly from my childhood. I don't remember a time that I thought my life was all that terrible for being a pastor's kid, and most of the time, I really liked it. That's not enough, of course - a relationship with Jesus doesn't happen by osmosis. But it helped that I never thought my life stunk.

It's something I'm trying to pass on to my children, and, to be candid, I'm trying to pass it on to all the children who are part of our church family. All of which starts with my oldest son, who, as I mentioned, turns seven today.

Happy birthday, Trey. Mama and I are so proud of who you are, and who you are becoming. May God protect you, bless you, and help you to love Him.

my christmas wish: or, eat your heart out, che guevara

As a follower of Jesus, I do my best to live out His ways in every area of my life. As a pastor, I lead, train, and inspire others to do the same. So in this frame of reference, Christmas is a season for focusing on the important place of Jesus' earthly birth in God's story. I do my best to look past the consumerism, selfishness, and just plain breakneck pace that has become Christmas for many, and I try to give those attending our worship gatherings the chance to do the same.

But sometimes, Jesus shows up in some strange places. At least the idea of him does.

This is a picture of a display in the front of Wal Mart. Not the local Christian bookstore, mind you, or a church, or anything like that. Wal Mart.

These are the designs of the tee shirts for sale in this display. At Wal Mart.


Several thoughts run through my mind, simultaneously:

- Is this the same company making a profit off the name of Jesus that has been brought into question for questionable practices in the name of the aforementioned profits?

- ipray, in the style of the ebay logo? People actually wear this stuff?

- Does this mean those Che Guevara tee shirts aren't cool and trendy anymore? 'Cause that'd be great.

It does concern me when Jesus gets shoehorned into an already popular catchphrase. It's simplistic, and it has the potential to reduce Jesus to...well, that depends.

On one hand, I imagine that a wearer of one of these shirts might consider it a bump up the spirituality scale, or a chance to try to make believing in Jesus cool, or some other such notion. On the other hand, it's possible that one might use such a shirt as a way to enter into a conversation in which he describes the impact Jesus has had on his life. The cynic in me says that the latter option doesn't happen often, but that doesn't make it impossible.

As a pastor, it's hard not to recognize all the ways in which the idea of Jesus gets used for one's own purposes: profits for Wal-Mart, smug satisfaction for religious people, validation of a wild spectrum of beliefs, opinions, and interpretations for any number of churches/members/clergy.

The effect of all this can be that Jesus gets lost. His identity becomes so entwined with the excesses of those who would associate with Him, that people reject Him because they knew somebody who thought they were more spiritual because they wore a tee shirt with his name on it. Or because they knew somebody who said they loved Him, and in the same breath/moment lived a life not consistent with His example.

So, here's my wish for Christmas:

that you will find Jesus.

That you'll stop looking for Him on a tee shirt. That you'll stop equating Him with all the hypocrites you know. That you'll stop thinking that showing up at a church is, in and of itself, the same as knowing Him.

And that you will not be satisfied with a half-hearted search, or give up on Him when those who say they know Him, imperfect as they are, disappoint you. That you'll push past your painful experiences, your pre-conceived notions, and your desire to control your own life.

To find Him.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
- The Bible, Jeremiah 29:13

Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my [the apostle Paul, writer of this passage] bonds:
But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
- The Bible, Philippians 1:15-18

God will answer all our questions in one way and one way only. Namely, by showing us more of his Son.
- Watchman Nee

i would have made it to five minutes, but...oh, who am i kidding

One of the coolest things about the Internet for me is the chance to engage people and points of view that stretch my mind, question my statuses quo, and inspire me to reach for my potential.

One person whose insights and perspective do that for me is Ron Martoia. The latest post on his blog begins an exploration of his personal patterns, and it's some excellent stuff.

A quote from said post:

"In an external world of increasing noise creating an internal world of increasing quiet may be one of the premium patterns we need to learn.

"I am quite certain most of us in Western Christianity have little understanding of this and for us quiet means we pray silently, telling God what we need, how he needs to act on our behalf, and how to basically run the affairs of the world. But actually creating a quiet center and then sitting in it? That seems to be relatively rare in my experience.

"Question. Can you sit for 20 or 30 minutes without daydreaming? Without your thoughts wandering? Without being distracted? Can you sit in utter interior silence? The great mystics say this is the beginning of insight and connection with the God. And it can create a healing space, a sense of unshakable stability and even a crazy confidence."

I clocked myself in at 4 minutes, 42 seconds.

Ouch.

48 hours in illinois

We made a quick trip to my stomping grounds of central Illinois this past weekend. We made the drive late Friday night, and then had to leave Sunday afternoon.

In between, we got to spend a lot of time with my siblings and their family. The big event of the weekend was the family picture at Portrait Innovations. (We got the Christmas card, but this time I didn't get the picture files.)


Sunday morning, all of us siblings were together with Dad and Mom at church. We did a lot of the singing that we used to do when we were all together, and everyone enjoyed it immensely. I also had the opportunity to preach, which was my chance to tell everyone about some of the great things God is doing in our lives.

So here's the thing: for 48 hours, Kristy and the kids and I got to just soak up a lot of love from people, starting with my parents and siblings, and continuing with all the people at Bethel, whose warmth was just what we needed. They love us, and they showed their love in very real ways.

This weekend of love came on the heels of some tough decisions and situations, and God used these dear family and loved ones to meet our needs on several levels.

We are grateful.