about that god-shaped hole.

Blaise Pascal is often attributed to talking about a "God-shaped hole". The actual quote is below: 

What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace?

This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.

This came up in a book club not too long ago and there were some interesting thoughts thrown around. 

If, in fact, there is some kind of vacuum (to use that metaphor) that can only be filled by God, we should remember a few things: 

When the "vacuum" is filled it will be filled with

Paradox. 
Mystery.
Space.
Metaphor.
Doubt.

And probably not feel very filled.

There are all kinds of things to fill that space with, that will feel much more filled but will probably be false. 

So maybe we just let the vacuum be what it is supposed to be, our best chance to connect with God that is already there. 

a simple rule.

You're not allowed to say "Put Christ first" unless you can explain what that actually means without using the words "Christ" or "first". 

different than. part V.

Being content is different than being lazy is different than stopping. 

You have to start in order to stop. In order to stop you have to celebrate what's been done. 

different than. part IV.

Knowing God is different than knowing the Bible. 

In fact, it's possible they adversely affect each other. 

different than. part III.

Forgiving and redeeming is different than forgetting and embracing again. 

One is mostly about what's happening in your heart and soul in how you view a human being now and the other is mostly about trying to return to a past that doesn't exist anymore. 

different than. part II.

Not caring what they think is different than not worrying what they think. 

Heart them, hear the critiques, hear the praises, and even, let them influence you. 

But don't spend one second worrying about any of it and what it means to you. 

different than. part I.

Right work is different than work right. 

One may or may not happen, depending on circumstances beyond your control. 

The other can happen today if you want it to. 

4 people

There are two people in a room.

One is sitting at a table. Very nice napkins. Tablecloth. Beautiful knives and forks made of silver and gold.  And porcelain plates. Crystal wine glasses. Waiting. 

One is sitting at a table. No napkins or silverware or china. Just food. Eating.

Which one are you?

Two more people enter the room.

One is selling some very nice silver, even better than what was already there. Gorgeous stuff. Looks incredible. Turns heads. Makes you smile. 

One is selling food. Just food.

Which one are you? 

To quote Childish Gambino: Yeah, you got some silverware - But really are you eating though?

mystic politics.

Religion is to spirituality...

as

Politics is to  _______?

the cling.

Many people seem to assume that suffering is a requirement for bad behavior to be excused. 

Thus, many who think they have done something bad, feel the need to suffer. 

Thus, many people look for suffering, and one of the easiest ways to suffer is to insist your theology is the right one in the face of people and evidence that might question it and/or ridicule you for it. 

In other words, clinging to religious bias is often a relief for wrong behavior. 

sacrifice.

Maybe the only thing worth sacrificing at the altar is the very idea of sacrifice. 

excuses as atonement theories.

The more I look at most atonement theories, the more I find them to be nice excuses for something we really don't want to believe. 

The Kingdom of God is about serving, having nothing, and being killed by power. And finding the life there. 

That's not quite as sexy as a blood sacrifice that then enables us to be the power. 

guilt vs inspiration.

If you're ever in a room with a bunch of people who are required to be there (a business meeting) you'll notice it's usually much different than a room with a bunch of people who are inspired to be there (a concert). 

Amazing that religion generally decided to go with option A. 

the meth addiction.

I was recently with a farmer who was talking about a new kind of farming, healthier for the land, more efficient, more cost-effective even, and it involves no chemicals. 

His mentor, however, told him this: Be careful weening your ground off of the chemicals too fast. The soil is like a meth addict. It's addicted to everything you've been putting on it and it's going to need some time to get off that. 

Our land is addicted to drugs. 

irony.

I recently ran into a friend who told me how far it was from Spokane to our church and the negative affect that has on people coming. It's about 25 minutes on a Sunday morning. 

The irony was that we were having this conversation in Sandpoint - 1 hour 30 minutes from his home - for a soccer tournament for our elementary-aged kids. He was going to drive back to Spokane that night and then back for a 9am game on Sunday morning. 

So, 1 hour 30 minutes for a 6th grader soccer game is not too far but 25 minutes for a chance to be inspired, to rest, and to experience the divine force of the universe is? 

I understand. It's far away.

Much like time though, our problem is never that we don't have enough, it's just what we find worthy and what we don't. And that's just as much a "church" problem as it is a "people" problem. 

zero feedback.

Whenever your working on something big, the temptation is to get feedback as soon as possible.
I've done it and I see it constantly. 

Hey, everyone, I started a diet! 
I'm off Facebook! 
I'm writing a book! 
I'm meditating every day! 
I'm starting a new business!

In fact, doing anything without feedback is really hard. And so we ask for the feedback first, before it's due. 

But, I'm learning, slowly, spend energy on the diet, off Facebook, writing the book, meditating, or starting the business and you'll eventually get the feedback you crave, for all the right reasons. 

Work for the feedback, not from it.

Using feedback as fuel will rarely end up well. 

six.

Today is the six year anniversary of Branches. (I really wasn't sure if we would get to one year, let alone six) 

So, six things I love about Branches. 

1. It's honest. 
2. It's evolving. 
3. It's held loosely - it can breathe. 
4. It's viewed as dangerous by some.  
5. It is dangerous. 
6. It's liberating, if you want out of the cage. 

pastors and police.

Being in a profession that carries stigma and stereotype, I feel like I can say I know what it's like to be lumped into an unfair bias. 

Pastors are judgmental. Pastors are greedy. Pastors are hypocrites. Pastors are porn addicts. Pastors are liars. 

That is true. I can only try not to be. 

god is not the answer.

If your solution to a problem is "god",  you probably don't have a solution. 

They just need god.
If only they could find god. 
Call out to god and then... 

I'm not saying God doesn't exist. I'm not saying God doesn't do things. 

I am saying that 99.9% of the time, God works through a human. 

So, if the answer is  god, there is a good chance we are actually the answer and we're using "god" as an excuse to do nothing. 

seeds.

We have some friends with a massive avocado tree that supplies them with more avocados then they can eat every year. 

I love avocados. I want that tree.

What I rarely think about is what it took to get that tree. 

A seed. A nursery. Water. Fertilizer. Energy from the sun. Dirt.
Patience. More energy. More time. More investment.  More resources. Years and years.  

And eventually someone says...

What an amazing community. 
What an amazing company. 
What an amazing marriage. 
What an amazing job. 
What an amazing person. 

It's the most simplest of metaphors and the universe is always reminding us, but we forget it constantly.