Φίλοι

Φίλοι. As far as Greek words go—it is as beautiful and powerful as they come. It’s only used twenty-nine times in the Bible and Luke is responsible for eighteen of them. Luke is a physician by trade. And the doctor knows the healing power of φίλοι. Jesus only uses the word a few times but when he does there is nothing quite like it. The word is simply translated as friend. 

Facebook says I have 1,849 friends. But I don’t. I do know all of them. I like all of them. I was their high school classmate. I ran with them a few times. I used to be their youth minister. Their kid plays on my soccer team. But I don’t have 1,849 friends. The word friend is used so liberally that it has lost its beauty and power. We confuse being an acquaintance with being a friend. But, at the end of the day, friendship can’t be confused with anything.

Friendship happens when two people can look at each other and say something like: “I’m getting more out of this relationship than I am putting into it.” A friend says to a friend: “I like myself better when I am with you.” Friends meet with a clean slate every time they get together and they meet as equals—things like age, political affiliation, wealth, success, stumbles, religion, and education don’t matter. The only thing that matters is each other. Friends know each other’s past and are fine with each other’s imperfections. Simply put, a friend can’t imagine their life without the other person. You can see why it’s not possible to have 1,849 friends.

Jesus only said a few things about friendship and after he said a few things he didn’t need to say anything else. 

Vulnerability

Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. –John 15:15 

Jesus left nothing unspoken to his friends. He shared his thoughts and feelings and encouraged others to do the same. Friends tell each other everything. They know burdens are lighter when shared and joys are greater when celebrated together. 

Trust

You are my friends if you do what I command. –John 15:14

Trust was involved when the disciples followed Jesus. They had faith Jesus loved them. They believed Jesus knew what was best for them. They trusted Jesus. Friends trust each other. Trust makes vulnerability and relational intimacy possible. The gift of trusting another and being trusted by another makes life possible.

Life-Giving

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. –John 15:13

Jesus is saying that friendship isn’t free nor is it cheap. But those who are blessed with a true friend or two know that friendship is worth every minute, every penny, every tear, and every drop of energy they have ever invested and then some.

The best is yet to come…

Craig

Planning and Life and Grace

The July of My Life

It’s July. Or at least will be pretty soon. Fireworks. Picnics. Swimming. Vacation Bible School. A few days of vacation—hopefully. It’s a busy time at the church. Lots of praying and planning and preparing. Getting ready for the mid-August to Christmas Eve rush. School starts in mid-August and so do the youth groups. Small groups will begin again after Labor Day. A new, Sunday evening worship service will start in September. Third graders will be getting their Bibles. We are sending teams to Oklahoma City and Uganda. The fall stewardship campaign to fund our vision will conclude right before Thanksgiving. And we’ll do a bunch of Christmas Eve services again this year.

Benjamin and his favorite July activity

Fall is my favorite time of year. Cool nights give welcome relief to warm days. The colors are wonderful. One of my favorite things is running through the crisp leaves covering the trails at Platte River State Park. The Pumpkin Patch is another favorite. The boys still love picking pumpkins and we still love watching them. Football games, Thanksgiving, and making apple pies—I love them all. 

I am in the July of my life. I would have thought maybe April or May at the latest. But it’s July. I’m in my early forties now. One of my grandpas died in his late seventies and the other in his early nineties. So it’s July for me. Most likely half over. 

I look back on January and February. I was raised by good people. There was never a shortage of love to go around. I was shy and full of questions. I painted houses and farm buildings in the summers. I rode a bike across Iowa, climbed Long’s Peak, and spent part of a summer living in Norway. 

I went to a lot of classes, read a lot of books, and wrote a lot of papers in March. I spent nearly a month of my life at Drake University in Des Moines and Emory University in Atlanta. I got married in March too. Amber and I had each other, lots of dreams, some good friends, God, and not much else—but we always had more than enough.

David and Bishop Jones at a Storm Chasers game

April, May, and June were spent working with youth at a church in Atlanta, pastoring a small church in Northwest Iowa, serving a big church in Dallas, and planting The Water’s Edge. I become a dad in May, two days that changed my life and two boys who continue to teach me about God, love, and life. 

As I look back, I’d do some of the exact same things over and over again. I’d change others in a heartbeat. But I can’t do either, so I’ll remember and learn the best I can. My coolest discovery so far is that God’s grace is both available and abundant in the good days and the not-so-good days. 

I’m looking forward to the rest of summer, fall, and even the beginning of winter. Days of laughter and tears. Times of listening and learning. Building on existing friendships and making some new ones. Developing further my relationship with God. Going places, doing things, and doing nothing with Amber. Helping the boys become men. Leading a church into its vision of helping people grow in their relationship with God and with others, helping parents disciple their children, and loving and serving our city and world. I’m blessed to be part of a large, growing group of people who are creating something incredible from nothing at all. 

To those in February—dream big. To those in November—finish strong. To those somewhere in the middle—faith, hope, and love go a long way and on the days they don’t go quite far enough grace is available and abundant. To all—I look to going through the next months with you. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

What About the Death of Zoe?

The Greeks have two words for life: bios and zoe. 

Bios is the root for the English word biology. It means physical life. A heart that beats and lungs that breathe. The word is used 11 times in the New Testament, mostly by Luke, who was not surprisingly, a physician. 

Zoe is the other word for life. This word is used 127 times. It means loving, being loved, laughing, crying, relating, emoting, serving, listening, recovering, and being human. Jesus said: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Zoe. When he said: "The thief comes only to steal and kill; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Again, the word is zoe.

The woman lies in a near motionless state. She is very sick and isn’t going to get better. She is surrounded by loved ones: her husband, children, sister, friends, and grandchildren. She is aware of their presence and even more aware of God’s presence. She is running out of bios but has plenty of zoe. 

The man is busy. His job is demanding. Getting the kids from place to place seems a bit much, at times. The household chores never seem to end. His responsibilities exceed his resources. He would describe his life as going through the motions. He is young and healthy and has more than enough bios, but he longs for zoe—even though he isn’t familiar with the word. 

When we think of death we usually think of bios. An accident, a disease, old-age—the body breaks down and the heart and lungs quit working. It is inevitable for all of us and everybody we know. But we know that life is so much more. 

What about the death of zoe? A life absent of meaningful relationships and absent of love. A life absent of trust. A life with little laughter and fewer tears. A life that doesn’t experience the joy of serving and listening. A life that accepts the defeat of dreams. A life where dysfunction is prevalent. A life with no recovery. A life where going through the motions is the norm. A life without God. 

Jesus taught the disciples everything they needed to know. He modeled what it meant to live in God’s image. He showed them what zoe was all about. And then he died. His death was the defeat of death and the death of defeat. Resurrection happens. It happens with bios. It happens with zoe. God gives us an abundant and an eternal life and we can live as resurrected people. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

Lessons from This Morning's Run

This morning’s run started in a driveway. Not the normal driveway. A driveway in the heart of Mark Twain National Forest nestled in the Ozark mountains. Highway DD in southern Missouri is one of my favorite places to run.

Solitude

The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil. -Thomas A. Edison 

No headphones allowed on this run. The tight, curvy, and hilly highway isn’t well travelled, but the runner has to hear the traffic. Just as well. The sounds of the birds and the animals are delightful. The sounds of silence even more. I dreamt, prayed, and thought about how to be a better me. Kierkegaard wrote: “A great man is one that can develop convictions in solitude and carry them out in a crowd.” I’m at least part of the way there. 

Suffering

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. –Kahlil Gibran 

The hills on this road are relentless. Steep and long. The first climb lasts the better part of two miles. My intentions were to get up at 6:00. Yesterday’s eight hours of driving between Branson and Little Rock with ninety minutes of speaking sandwiched between wore me out. I woke up at 8:30. By the time I started at 9:30 the temperature was well in the 80s. The sun was as oppressive as the inclines and declines. I was suffering the entire run—save the first few minutes near the lakeshore. My suffering was optional. The cancer patient, the person who has had a relationship end, and those who battle depression—their suffering isn’t optional. One of the coolest things in life is seeing people emerge from devastation and suffering as recovering and stronger. God does such things every day. 

Sanctity

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. -Dr. Seuss 

About eight miles into the run I knew my breath would be taken away. Not by a view of the lake or a deer. By a makeshift gravesite. I’ve seen it many times. He was only seventeen. Way too young. Dreams disappeared that night. Death makes us think about life. Even though I knew it was coming, I became a little more grateful for mine. 

Solidarity

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” –C.S. Lewis 

The hills and the heat were winning. At nine miles I saw an oasis. A sprinkler. The woman was gardening. I asked her if she minded if I borrowed her sprinkler. She not only said yes, she took my two empty waters bottles inside and filled them up. We shared a laugh or two as I drank the water. The last mile was downhill. My body was defeated. My mind and soul were refreshed.

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

Lessons from Life

Playing board games is one of our favorite things to do during vacation. Chess is a favorite. So is Monopoly. Benjamin and I broke out the game of Life yesterday. It had been awhile since I had played the game. After he beat me pretty good, I thought about all the lessons from the game of Life.

1. Rules can change without notice

The new game has different rules than the game I grew up with. The Life Tiles were new. And so was the way a career is determined. I liked the old rules better. But my affinity to tradition didn’t matter. The choice is between adaptability or irrelevance. You know the better option and so do I. 

2. Learning opens doors. 

Learning doesn’t guarantee success in life, but it does open doors. Some careers are available only to those who commit to learning. Personally, interpersonally, or professionally—some habits, achievements, lifestyles, and innovations are available only to those who are willing to learn. 

3. Decisions we make have consequences, but grace exists and so do second chances. 

Decisions made early in life have a direct correlation to what happens later in life. Decisions made later in life have a direct correlation to what happens later in life. We are products of our past. But, in the game of Life and in life, mid-course corrections are possible and they happen. We don’t have to be defined by our past. We can redefine our future. 

4. Choose long-term satisfaction over instant gratification. 

We live in a culture of instant gratification. A better plan is satisfaction over the long haul. Be an investor and not a consumer. Invest in others. Invest in yourself. Invest in God’s Kingdom. Or as Jesus says: Build your house upon the rock.

My office as I wrote this column

5. Enjoy the companions on the journey. 

The best part of playing Life was my opponent. I got to look at his blue eyes and his partially sun-burned, freckled face as he asked me about mortgages and cosmetic surgery. We laughed. We shared. We talked. It wouldn’t be much fun playing Life by yourself. 

6. Bad things happen. 

Flat tires, tornados, and car accidents all happen. So do illnesses, failed relationships, and financial troubles. Jesus tells us such is the case. He also promises he will always be with us. I’ll put up with #1 if I get #2. 

7. Being the first one finished isn't always a good thing. 

David was kind of playing too. He wasn’t making decisions or required to do what was on the spaces he landed on. But he had a car, he got to spin, and he was in it to win it. And he won. He was the first one to finish. And when he was done he wanted to play more. As a six year old he discovered an important rule of life: Sometimes in life we go so fast that we miss out on life. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig