Anticipation

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

photo courtesy of footloosiety

Here I sit at my desk an there are only 6 days until we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. As each day passes the excitement and anticipation build around the big day. Having young children at home, the countdown is a very important activity. I am amazed at the passion coming from my oldest as she waits for that morning. This has caused me to wonder what happened? Somewhere along the line the magic of Christmas was lost. It was more than the loss of Santa, sorry if that was news. The best I can tell it is something within each of us that has been lost.

If I allow myself to do it I can still not only remember, but experience the feelings of Christmas morning when I was younger. That morning could not get here quick enough. My poor parents had to deal with this over excited boy well before the sun made its debut for the day. We would tear through the paper and marvel at the gifts that had been left for us. I must confess while it was a religious experience, there was nothing remotely spiritual about what happened that morning. I am pretty sure we went to Christmas eve services at the local church, I honestly do not remember them. There was too much excitement about what was to come.

That feeling of anticipation is one that we experience at different times in different ways throughout our lives. That night when you are pretty sure you are going to get that first kiss from that someone special. The time before you humbly ask your beloved to be your bride. The day of that great wedding. The arrival of children. You all know the feeling even if it has not been found in those events. There is a measure of excitement, a dash of fear, a sprinkling of anxiety. All of it comes together so we experience something like joy and the feeling that you are going to puke. Ah now that is anticipation. While there are adults who get excited about Christmas, I would guess not many have that level of anticipation.

Where has it all gone? The fact we lose the anticipation of Christmas is evidence we have lost the heart of Christmas. When we get older the love of receiving gifts does not go away, but that is not enough to cause anticipation. In reality it has become a day of expectation, we expect certain things to happen, and rarely are we surprised by much of anything. For the most part mystery is gone. Wonder is left to those who believe the presents magically appear under the tree while we sleep. What would happen if we recaptured the heart of Christmas? I know that the actual date of Christ’s birth is sometime in the spring. I know December 25 was selected to combat a celebration by “pagan” people. The fact remains it is still the day we celebrate when the God of eternity stepped in to creation and changed everything. On that day, humanity, you and I, received an unexpected gift, the means of our salvation. As the people slept that night, they had no idea the gift that was being birthed in a stable. Perhaps we still are not real sure of the gift that was given.

This year as we move closer to Christmas morning, I am working to position my heart and life to feel that anticipation. I guess you could say I am still coming at the day with expectation. It is a different kind of expectation. I am expecting God to show up. I am expecting God will wow my socks off somehow. My attempt is to approach the day with that feeling of joy and being on the verge of puking. Christmas represents the day when everything changes for all time. That is something to look forward to.

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From Ecstasy to Empty

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

photo courtesy of *clairity*

I must confess once again I ate way too much over the past few days. The turkey, rolls, stuffing all the fixings. Over the few days I managed to provide tangible evidence of the abundance in which we live here in the Western world. In the midst of the indulgence I was inspired by watching people sit together at the table. The power of the steaming turkey with all the trimmings seemed to be mystical. At our church we had a Thanksgiving dinner free to the public and people came together from all walks and stations of life. Most of the time the only thing they had in common was the meal spread before them. All I could think was behold the power of turkey.

My experience is not unique. Other places had dinners, and in homes all across this nation the ecstasy was repeated. It is almost cliche to say it, but the true beauty of Thanksgiving is the coming together of people. In that moment the height of community can be found. Many a meal takes place amidst squabbling and bickering, but Thanksgiving seems to provide a reprieve. The sense of togetherness can be quite moving when we allow it to be. In many ways Thanksgiving day can be our American society at its best. People coming together at table fellowship. Not just those eating, I was humbled how many people from our community wanted to come and simply serve. We have service opportunities all the time, this was the first time we had people calling to volunteer a few hours around their family celebrations. What a great picture of humanity.

Then Friday morning comes. We go from the ecstasy of Thanksgiving day, to the empty consumerism of Black Friday. Oh, I know people would not see it as an empty day as they load in their new plasma TV bought at a steal of a deal. Christmas shopping lists are crossed off, and a few extra things just for “me” are purchased. There are few days in the calendar which are a greater ovation to consumerism than Black Friday. I am struck by how quickly we can go from humanity at its best, most generous, to humanity at its greediest and worst in the course of 12 hours. Sure many were buying gifts for other people, so how could that be greed? The level at which we in America consume, for others or ourselves is staggering. When looking around the average house in America, there is more stuff there than any one person or family really needs.

So am I saying we should feel guilty about shopping, or that we should not buy anything for anyone? Nope. What I am am saying is think about what you are doing. What would happen if instead of spending the average 700-800 dollars on Christmas presents, you spent 200-300, and gave the rest to charities helping to feed hungry people? What if that old TV that still worked was sufficient and the new one was left on the store shelf? Might we have a culture that did not move from ecstasy to empty so quickly? Is it possible for us to move from ecstasy to elation? There is no greater joy than sacrificing for the sake of giving someone life. Gandhi said it this way “live simply so others might simply live.”. I cannot help wonder if our lives would be forever transformed is we chose to sacrifice rather than consume. Could we possibly realize the greatest gift we have to offer is community? What if the everyday dinner was like the Thanksgiving dinner. Not the volume of food, but the volume of community and connection. We could serve bread and water as long as the fellowship was rich and authentic. Would we spend so much time empty?

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The Tyranny of Mediocrity

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

photo courtesy of Sister72

One of my least favorite phases to hear come form another persons mouth, or even worse mine is, that is good enough. It seems there is a tendency by the people called the human race to settle for something which is good enough. We know there is better and best still out there. It is easy to see that something worse has already been surpassed. We simply settle into the place where things are not excellent but they are not bad. This place has a name, mediocrity.

In my dream world mediocrity would not exist. It would seem odd that someone would not strive for the absolute best they can. This is not the world we live in, as if I needed to tell you that. Mediocrity is well established in our ways of life in everything from mowing the lawn to our marriages, to our relationship with God. In fact mediocrity is so well established that when an attempt is made to rise above it, the majority try to pull things back. The mediocre majority cannot allow someone to break ranks and put excellence back on the map. When people decide they are just not going to get by any longer, but they are going to thrive, great concern is raised. There is something hauntingly comfortable about mediocrity which holds us hostage.

I wonder what happens if people break free? What happens if people decide to not allow the mediocre majority to exercise tyranny over them any longer? This is where greatness emerges. This is where great works of God are initiated. Have you ever noticed that we do not have a God of mediocrity? Our God puts forth excellence in everything that is done. We do not find stories of God going half way with something. Can you imagine is God would have decided Jesus’ death on the cross was good enough, and forgo the whole resurrection thing? We are to offer the best of who we are and the best of what God has made of us, at every moment. Good enough should not be a part of our lexicon.

So how do we change ourselves and the tyranny? First comes a choice to give more into life. Remove halfway from your line of thinking. In everything you do, pursue perfection. Are we going to be perfect every time, probably not. Our imperfection should not however, keep us from excellence and the best we have to give. In the movie The Last Samurai, Tom Cruise narrates a section saying, from the moment they wake, they commit themselves to perfection. That is it. If we are to overcome the tyranny of mediocrity, we must be on a pursuit of perfection.

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Christmas Is Not Your Birthday

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

photo courtesy of George Eastman House’s

Last year while at a conference at Ginghamsburg UMC in Ohio, I was introduced to the concept of Christmas is not your birthday. Instantly I fell in love and lead our congregation through the process of celebrating Jesus’ birthday. Since I have already seen commercials and other advertisements for this year, I thought it was time to get moving. What if we reduced the consumer within us all, while at the same time made it possible for others to simply live?

Gandhi is credited with saying we must live simply so that others might simply live. Have you ever noticed the abundance in which we live? Right now I have a friend from Uganda visiting in the States. When askes about his experience in Wegmans his conclusion is we have much in the United States. In that Wegmans there was more food stockpiled than most Ugandan villages will see in the next year, and three miles away there is another Wegmans. What if we began to live more simply, consuming less, so that others might benefit from our abundance? What might it look like to live simply so that others might simply life at Christmas time?

Step one is to reduce the amount we spend consuming the commercial Christmas. Less on presents, less on parties, just simply less. While some tell me lobster is really yummy, not a fan, do we really need it at the party? Do we need all the decorations? Do we need a tree? Simply spend less money on stuff that will pass.

Step two is to match what you spend in a missional gift. Dollar for dollar give to a missional organization what you have spent on all the Christmas stuff. It is not a time for us to get presents, rather it is time to give presents in the name of the birthday boy Jesus. This can be to a local shelter, food pantry, or missionaries. Lat year our church invested in a mission in Kenya educating and feeding hundreds of children daily. This year we will be raising the funds to send a shipping container to Uganda. In this container will be resources and supplies for rural, bush, pastors to further reveal the kingdom of God to the people of Africa.

Step three is actually more difficult than the first two. Don’t stop when the new year hits. Continue to live simply so that others might simply live. Give gifts to others in the name of Jesus all year. Form a lifestyle of generosity, where we celebrate the work of God all the time.

As you begin to look ahead to the Christmas seasons, I encourage everyone to consider how they are consuming. There are people all over the world who live annually on what we consume in a day. The last thing we need is more stuff this Christmas. Join me in remembering Christmas is not your birthday. If you are interested in joining in with us on the shipping container, send me an email and I will get you all the details.

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Domestication of Imagination

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

photo courtesy of e-adormit-copi ii

I did not grow up in a Disney home. We lived in the land before cable TV, and only had the stations the old antenna could draw in. This meant most of our entertainment was outside, through the woods, fields and creeks surrounding our home. Hours were spent letting our imagination take us to places and situations far from where we were. A great number of war battles were waged, great explorations of unknown lands, even the occasional African safari. For the most part when we are young our imaginations run wild. A tragedy happens as many of us age, we put away imagination exchanging it for “the real life”. The end result is one of our greatest assets becomes domesticated.

The domestication of our imagination causes us to have dreams and play out scenarios about getting rich, or getting the big job, you know real life boring kinds of things. As the domestication continues we start seeing the world of myth and fantasy as a waste of time. Still within each of us there is a hunger for that myth and fantasy. We hunger to transport ourselves to other places and times where we live an adventure. In our technology driven world we call this going to the movies. We enjoy movies so much because they allow us to give expression to the imagination we domesticated. When a movie is done well we have a hard time remembering it is not real, why? It taps into our imagination.

In the concrete world of either/or thinking imagination is tamed or made to be civilized. This great tragedy is plaguing our lives. I wonderwhat would happen if we recaptured our imagination. Is it possible for our domesticated imaginations to be made barbarian once again? How would we go about funding our imagination once again? Read books that transport us beyond the known and defined. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien, Charles Williams and Flannery O’Connor are just a few. There are thousands of writers who with excellence transport us to other dimensions. Go to the movies, rent movies. Simply invest time in allowing you mind to go to place not even on the maps.

What will happen when we allow imagination a place in our lives? We experience joy again. We experience wonder and awe. A part of us that we thought died with third grade is awaken and given a place to thrive. Our creativity is unleashed and live takes on new meaning. I want to end with a challenge. Go out and see or rent a movie today that funds your imagination. Allow yourself to be swept up into a place of awe and wonder. Let your imagination run wild.

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Innovation

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

photo courtesy of kevindooley

I continue to be amazed at how much the world has changed since my earliest memories. The days before email and the internet are a part of my memory as well as the days before cell phones and texting. Innovation is a significant part of our day to day life even if we do not see it. There are people who are dedicated to finding new and different ways of going about the same things. A great challenge which exists with innovation is the journey is never done. Innovation must always be innovating to remain innovative.

There is a simple solution, stop innovating. As simple as that may seem, for some of us it is simply not possible. Our God given wiring is to constantly be seeking out new and different ways of doing things. To simply stop, would mean ignoring the voice with in us which prompts us to look anew at something that has always been. So, simply stopping is an option it does not leave much room to live out the God wiring given to those who are innovators.

Can we imagine if innovation would have stopped 200 years ago? A much more simple life would be ours. At the same time advances in medical science, ways of thinking about life and God, would all be the same as they were. Innovation has brought us much. But is there a limit? Are we able to reach a point when we no longer need to be innovators? The answer to that question depends on if you are an innovator or not. Those who are non-innovators always think it is time to stop. Innovators do not know there is even a brake pedal.

As you might guess I come from the innovator side. It seems to be things can always be different than they are. This however, is more than simply changing things, or looking for new and improved. When it comes to life, our journey with God, innovation is not merely so we can have a new and improved version of our relationship. Innovation is driven by the longing to pursue God. Everyone lives in pursuit of something, my bias says we are all searching for God just might not know it. The pursuit is more than religious activity it is the essence of our lives. As we grow our relationship with God grows. Before long the ways we relate to God no longer seem to work the same. Enter innovation. It does not always need to be rewritten, or the old completely done away with, yet there must be an evolution of our relationship.

There is no stopping point. We must constantly be looking at our relationship with God seeking to ensure we are finding the relationship we are seeking. This is what innovation really is. Consistently finding the ways which connect us to the ultimate relationship. God does not change, but we do and the ways we understand and connect with God change. Innovation allows us to see where the next step might be. We must remember there will always be a next step. Innovation needs to keep innovating, to remain innovative.

May you continue to meet God in new ways. May you continue to be innovative. May you never simply stop and settle, locking this moment as eternity. May we all keep searching for that which calls to us.

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Oct200917

Aaron

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Got Discouragement?

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

photo courtesy of araswami

You know the feeling of constant effort without progress? That feeling of giving everything you have and appearing to be in the same place as when you started? If you couple those feelings with a world around us that seems to be spiraling downward, and you could find yourself discouraged.

Discouragement is a very real struggle to which no one is immune. It starts out small, so small it might not even be noticeable. Early on the feeling is like discomfort, or discontent. From there it grows and we begin to get increasingly negative about every aspect of life. Once discouragement sets in, all aspects of life fail to measure up to our hope and expectation. The real danger sets in when discouragement runs rampant and depression rears its ugly head.

So how do you stop the spiral? As with anything it starts with recognition. The earlier in the decline we can recognize where we are, the easier it will be to step out of it. Once full on discouragement sets in, recognition alone will not cut it. So how do we step out of discouragement? Simply, an attitude adjustment. We must find a way to refocus our thinking on the positive, what is possible. This is more than seeing the level of liquid in the class at a certain level. In fact this is not about a glass at all, it is about a fountain.

In the Christian Scriptures there is an account where Jesus is meeting with a woman at Jacob’s well (John 4). This woman is discouraged to the point of depression. Jesus offers her a new attitude about life. She is concerned with water from the well, Jesus says forget the well, drink from the fountain of life. This world and life often sell us a bill of goods which are counterfeit, and leave us wanting more. This creates an attitude which lacks hope or discouragement. Jesus offers us a new outlook filled with hope.

Is it really that simple? Yes and no. The offer of Jesus is very simple. Getting ourselves to accept it as a viable option can be very difficult. If you are living in discouragement, how is what you trying now working to help you step out of it? So what do we have to lose by taking up the offer of Jesus to drink from the fountain of life?

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Why Are You Striving?

photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks ‘ photostream

As I journey through this thing called life, I find that I fall pray to some the common idioms and phrases about self reliance. You know the ones, pull yourself us by your boot straps, or God helps those who help themselves. At the heart of these and more in the idea that if we try hard enough we will be okay and be successful. One of the places in our lives where this really plays out is when we have made a mistake.We do everything in our ability to make it write. The process of striving harder and harder begins, often in the end all we feel is exhausted and still regretful. Why do we strive so hard with so little gain.

My tendency is to strive to fix all that is wrong in my life through shear effort. Included in this is my proclivity to sin. It is my mistake, my sin and therefore I am the one who has to fix it. In every situation there is effort required on my part, there is a role that I must play in making things write, yet my effort alone will not work. Being a follower of Jesus Christ opens a door for help that I desperately need, but all too often do not accept. In fact as I believe the only way for me to make the sin in my life right, is through Jesus Christ. Still I strive to take care of it myself.

Recently as I was struggling through a difficult time my focus was on my ability to get things done. I was on strive overdrive, and nothing was going to stop me. When in my office, music is a constant. The first thing I do in the morning is turn on music of some form. One morning as I was particularly striving I heard a song by the group Tenth Avenue North titled, By Your Side. The opening lyrics are, “Why are you striving these days?, Why are your trying to earn grace?” That was it, I was striving to earn what I cannot possibly earn. I was forced to wrestle with the question presented.

Why is it that we strive so hard? Most people want to be successful, and most what to make an impact on the world. This does not happen if we are sitting at home on the couch all day, we must take initiative, get up and get moving. Still, we can forget that our effort alone will not get it done. I find when there is a pause in my life to remember who is really in charge, and who really makes the way for me to be successful, I find success more readily. Our effort is required, we must strive. We must however, remember that our striving alone will leave us empty. May we recognize there is someone by our side who will guide us, offer us grace and strength. Jesus will take our striving and multiply the effort, if we would but let him.

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Jump Scared

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

On a wall in my office I have a quote posted from the book, Entrepreneurial Faith by Kirbyjon Caldwell and Walt Kallestad with Paul Sorensen. The quote, “If you cannot jump brave, jump scared.” Fear often keeps us from venturing out into new spaces. I have become convinced greatness is so rare because people are held captive by fear, and do not jump.

Security and comfort are huge driving forces in our lives. When an opportunity comes up there is a filter within us that measured the level to which our security and comfort will be altered. If the risk is too high, we let the opportunity pass. At this point the potential greatness is sacrificed because of fear. If I think about the opportunities missed too often I can start to get depressed. Which breads an additional fear, which in turn limits my risk-taking again. In the end so many of us live lives where we dream about taking risks, we dream about jumping, but we never do.

I can remember the first time I climbed the ladder of the high dive. Once on the top and at the edge, I had two competing fears. First I was convinced if I jumped I would surely die. Second, if I didn’t jump I would not measure up the rest of the group, and that camp crush, who were waiting on the raft below. I was swimming in fear, 12 feet above the water. I resolved to jump, if only I could get my legs to respond to the desperate pleading on my mind. With a deep breath, believed to be my last, I catapulted myself off the end of the board. In the excitement of flying through the air, fear washed away. Even as I plunged into the water, and felt the cold layer of water deep beneath the surface, I realized my fear could have kept me from the joy I was experiencing.

Anyone who is striving to get the most out of live walks this line of fear on a regular basis. The question is not if I will be afraid, the question is will I jump even if I am scared. May we be a people who do not live at the edge of the high dive. May we be people who in the midst of fear fling ourselves in to the great unknown. May we experience the joy of life as we chase God and all the possibilities which lie just off the end of the high dive.

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The Frustrating Glory

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

It was Mark Twain who is credited with encouraging not to let the little white ball ruin your walk in the park. When it come to playing golf the only thing Tiger Woods and I have in common is that we both use a golf ball and golf clubs. Still, I cannot seem to get enough of the game. Whenever the time opens up in the schedule coupled with cooperative weather, I can be found on a golf course engaging in the glorious mystery. Nothing in a more apt metaphor of my life than a trip around the 18 holes of a golf course.

Usually the first two or three holes involve a pretty sad display of golf. More often than not at least one ball is lost, and a few chunks of sod are sacrificed. After weathering the opening storm rays of hope begin to creep in. Evidence that I have actually played the game before starts to emerge. Just as I begin to think I am starting to get the hang of this, I am humbled into remembering there is a reason I am called a recreational golfer. Once the circuit is complete I look back at some pretty awful shots, many average shots, along with one or two glorious shots. More than once I have parked the cart and wondered why I even attempt to play the game. In the midst of the frustration, those one or to shots of glory beacon me to return.

Our lives are not all that different. Those who are willing to set out on the course and risk miss hits and water hazards, there will be a frustrating glory. Few and far between are the people who look back and see nothing but perfect shots in their lives. The honest person has some pretty awful shots, many average shots and a few glorious ones. Its the glorious shots which keep us going. Those moments when all the variables come together, the sweet spot is hit, and life seems to sail along just fine.

It seems as though we are designed to remember the really good moments in life more than the not so good moments. Perhaps there a reason for that. I think it is called hope. We remember the highlights and minimize the down times in order to be hopeful about what lie ahead. Golf and life are a frustrating glory. Only once in a while do we hit the ball where we meant to, and when that happens it sticks with us until it happens again.

I began with a quote and I will end with one that I do not know who to give credit to, but every golfer has shared some from of it. A bad day of golf is better than a good day in the office. A day with frustrating glory is better than and average day of just getting by.

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Enough

Post written by Aaron Bouwens.

photo courtesy of ENTER-FLICKR-OWNER-NAME-HERE

Most of my life I have been on a quest of some sort or another. Rarely have I been satisfied with the spot I have found myself in. There were the school years were I was on a quest to be popular and have more and more friends. Off to college where I began to look for more out of life, and turned to all kinds of outlets in that quest. Not to be left out of my quest was the search for more and more money. The reality is I have spent most of my life looking for more, and not feeling like I have enough.

Enough is a funny thing. It seems elusive, just out of reach. Yet most of us life in abundance far beyond our wildest imagination. The fact that I am writing this and you are able to read it one computer gives you something that most of the world does not have. Here in America we live in the midst of the most consumption driven country in the world, and that does not seem to be enough.

I cannot help wonder if enough is not the goal, or if we already have more than enough and excess is our struggle. We have so much we lose sight of what we have and think we need more. Another possibility is things, stuff, is not what we are really craving and questing after. Perhaps there is a source of provision which provides more than enough for us. Having enough is not about the amount of stuff, rather it is about the disposition of our hearts. Sure there is a long list of things which I am convinced would make my life better, and yes I would receive donations. But the quest is no longer for stuff, it is for the deepest possible relationship I can muster with God. On this quest I am finding something I have been looking for all along, enough. I am not perfect in this quest nor have I figured it all out, still more days than not I feel like I am finally on the right quest.

I invite you to join me on this quest. May we journey together to see we can in fact have enough, but it might not show us in the ways we are looking. Grace and Peace.

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