The Way That Leads To Life…

So I was mindlessly going through Facebook, as I find myself doing more often than I would like to admit, and came across this status from a young adult: “Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f***ing big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance.” And it got me thinking about something I keep trying to put in the back of my mind…

Why have so many young adults been failed by the system; the system that has seemingly work until now.  The system that says: get “great” grades in school, do as many extra-curricular activities as possible, all so you get into a “great” college, so that you can get a “great” degree, so that you get a “great” job, all so that you get a great house and family, so that you can be “successful.”

The problem with this system is it eventually fails almost everyone.  Even the older adults that have made it through the system find themselves stuck in a meaningless, lifeless life…

The system is inherently broken because it tries to make everyone the same, and well…none of us are the same.

So now what…If the entire system is set up to fail, then what would work?

Joanna, my wife, responded to this young adult’s status with this “Find what brings you to life and choose that”…(and I would add) even if it doesn’t have a major or a degree or fit into the system because what everyone needs to find is The Way That Leads To Life.

I heard it once described as this when I ask someone wise how do I find my purpose: “Where your greatest joy and the world’s greatest need meets, that is who you are called to be and that is where you find your purpose.”

For me, I find life in Youth Ministry; helping teens through life’s biggest questions, faith journey, and pointing them to The Way That Leads To Life…

Where do you find life?

My Struggles with Patriotism...

I have to admit I struggle with the 4th of July and Patriotism.  It is not that I have issues with the military or government specifically.  I truly appreciate the freedom that I experience everyday, including the freedom to write this article. I support all those who have, do, and will fight for our freedoms.  I celebrate the freedom that the United States of America presents for its citizens and visitors.  I guess for me, as a Christian, I struggle with Patriotism, because I see it overtakes our praises for God. I worry when we become so Patriotic that we forget about God, or have posed God as an American.

I struggle when I see the American flag in a sanctuary.
I struggle when we sing "America the beautiful" or "God bless America" as a church, or when it is in a hymnal.
I struggle when people think being American is being Christian, and when being Christian is being an American.
I struggle when I see so many people willing to live out what it means to be an American, but not what it means to be a Christian.

For me, my loyalty lies with God and God's Kingdom.  I celebrate the true freedom I have in Christ.  I celebrate that all life comes from God.  I celebrate that God and God's Kingdom were here way before the USA and will be here way after.  I celebrate today my patriotism to God!

I thank God for those who have sacrificed for others, out of love.
I thank God for those who have stood up for freedom, out of love.
I thank God for those who have said that All are Created Equal, out of love.
In the end, I thank God that selfless love redeems.
All praise and glory to God, now and forever. Amen.

New Painting in Office

I have been meaning to post this for a while, but my amazing wife, Joanna, did a great mixed media painting for my office!  It is about 30" x 40".   She used paint and paper and tissue to make it happen!

The Tension Between Justice and Love...

It is so easy to feel excited that we have been able to kill Bin Laden and are rid of this terrorist leader.  It is so easy to cheer with the next person with American pride that we have hit Al-Qaeda right where it hurts. It is so easy, but still deep within us we are disturbed… It feels as though this can’t be right…right?

I think that the hardest place for Christians to be right now in light of recent events is to struggle with the tension between Justice and Love.  It is in the place we struggle with the feeling of “God is a just God” and “Love your enemy.”

I think we have an innate understanding of justice.  We know that it should work out that good people have good things happen to them and that bad people deserve the bad things to happen to them.  It is this exact understanding that makes it so hard for us to accept it when a great loved one who was an amazing person gets cancer.  Why? 

I am asked a lot “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  My response has become, “Bad things happen to everyone, we just notice when it is opposite of what our justice understanding would think.”  In other words, bad things happen and good things happen to everyone; we just take note when they happen to the wrong kind of people.

I think that this is where we find ourselves with Bin Laden.  We celebrate the killing of someone because we understand him to be bad, and therefore he deserves bad. 

Then I challenge us to hear again Jesus words in Matthew 5:43-48(NIV) in the Sermon on the Mount:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

I must be perfectly honest, that I struggle with these words today.  I want to say, yeah but do you know what he did?  I find myself in the tension between Justice and Love, and if you find yourself there today, I want you to know that is ok.

Much Love, Grace, and Peace,

Chris Cummings

Rob Bell states his beliefs...

Thoughts about God and Love wins from Rob Bell

Watch live streaming video from lovewins at livestream.com

Trying to find Sabbath...

It seems like forever since my wife, Joanna, and I have been able to find a day off.  We both work at the church, shes is a children's minister and I am a youth minister, and to top it off we are both going to seminary for our masters too.
We have set Fridays as our day of rest from work and school, and for the past year until 2012 we have been...ok at keeping it.  It seems that in 2012 we have gone none stop with little light at the end of the tunnel.  It is not that any of it is bad stuff, but when we find ourselves with a lack of time to rest, refuel, and spend time with God, then that is a problem no matter what you are doing.
I have found it hard in working at a church to find good ways to even take Sabbath as going to church well isn't always, although great and filling in other ways, we are in need of different ways of spending time with God.
In the past couple weeks, I have found Sabbath in music.  I love to listen to music and play the guitar and sing, and I have had a renewed growth and time in music.  Music is one of the best ways I have found that I connect with God.  It helps my soul relax, let go, and just be in the melody.
Today was a little different.  We finally had the whole day off, which was different in itself, but instead of music, I went outside,and I put out the hammock and just laid there. It was one of the first warm days of the year.
I had planned to journal, read, write, all sorts of things while I was out there; but when I got in the hammock...I just laid there.  It was finally a time where I was simply being in God's creation and worshiping God through it; and worship in whatever way always fills me.

Now I am not one who sit still very long, but as I laid there, looking up into the two trees the hammock is attached to...I could not help but rest.  After a few minutes, there came a cold breeze and as I was thinking I might have to go in, the sun came out and shined right at me.  I warmed up immediately and it was as if God was saying, stay still a little longer.  It was a beautiful moment and felt amazing.
I feel refreshed, renewed, and redeemed.  I know that I need to do things like this a lot more, and my hope and pray is that we can be more aggressive about keeping our Sabbath.
What a different world it might be if we all took more time to just be with God in creation.