Religious Aloneness

One of...if not THE... saddest things in the world is
"aloneness." As the world is shocked by the death
of Michael Jackson, I cannot help but be overwhelmed with how "alone" he was. Oh sure, he was surrounded by many people at all times, but did they really "know" him? Did he really "know" them? His life screamed out "aloneness". He was a tortured soul, seemingly spinning out of control for years. The very ability that gained him fame & adoration, also paralyzed him. He was so well known, like many celebrities, he couldn't go out in public like a "normal person". Thus his life became abnormal. Aloneness does that to a person. God said, "we were not meant to be ALONE." In other words, you were not designed by your Creator, to live life "alone". God is all about relationship. He created us in His image. We are also designed for relationship...with God...and with each other. When we live without relationship...stuff goes haywire. Live without God for too long, and watch out, things spin out of control quickly. Live life "alone" without real, authentic, deep relationships with other people...and the "aloneness" will deteriorate you and who you are meant to be. Our culture sees symptoms of aloneness and its effects...not just in secluded celebrities that become eccentric...but in our society in general. Alcohol, addictions and drug abuse are often fueled by the pain of "aloneness". Sexual identity issues flow out of a desperate attempt to have some semblance of "belonging" or "being less alone". Gangs are often a substitute for the family & friends that are NOT there. Materialism grows out of the need to have "stuff" being traded because self worth and value are not felt within. Insecurities and fears of all kinds sprout out of this over whelming sense of being helpless and alone in facing life. Divorce and the re-defining of "family" is a desperate attempt to try and solve the problem of "aloneness" even within the context of marriage & home life. But one of the saddest forms of "aloneness" is "religious aloneness". That way of religious life that is so skewed, that you are left to work out your salvation... on your own...in your effort. Religion, after all, is really "man's attempt to please God". Now this is in many religions...and is a concept many people obviously gravitate towards..."earning brownie points with God". Somehow we feel more in control if its about "us" doing stuff and being "good enough". Many religions hold to this ideology...and many Christians fall into the same trap as well. We like the "control" of doing something to "get" something from God...but its a double edge sword... because it leads to "religious aloneness". That place, where we all face reality, and KNOW we are NOT good enough...that we can't do it on our own. That is "religious aloneness". If you have bought into the mindset that "if" you do the right stuff, the right way, then God is pleased and will bless you... you will quickly feel "alone" when you realize you can't. Even the best of us can't do it all right, all the time. If this whole life somehow depends on you "doing it" to earn God's favor...then you will feel overwhelming "alone"...especially when you realize you can't keep it up. The task is beyond our abilities. If you live there too long, that "aloneness" will deteriorate who you are...and who you are meant to be. Like Michael Jackson, you will live a religiously eccentric life...out of touch...and alone. Not at all what God intended. God said "we are not meant to be alone". He meant it. God in His grace solved the problem of human aloneness and religious aloneness. He took away any barriers that hinder our relationship with Him, through Jesus payment for all our sins & blow its. Now nothing is in the way. God says, "for all who would call on the name of Jesus..." Not just some who are good enough, but those who trust what Jesus did, and trust enough to begin a relationship with Him. Not just a relationship where "your sins are forgiven", but also a relationship "where it is Christ in you" that produces Godly things in and through you. Where God's Spirit guides, directs, counsels and heals the soul that would trust Him. You see, God offers a life now & for eternity, where we do not do it "alone". God provided the payment for all our sins & failings...God guides, directs, counsels & heals us...and by trusting the Jesus in us, it is God who does the transforming within us! We are definitely not alone in this journey! God did not create us to live alone naturally...and thankfully He doesn't allow us to live spiritually alone either...He promises to be with us, every step of the way. At ECHO, we call that "good news"...How about you?

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude, ECHO

Balance Beam

So often our reaction, when life "hits us in the face", is the very thing that quenches the abundant life God intended for us. God created life to be a daring, wonderful, and yes, fearful adventure. It's not a safe world we live in...that's why Jesus came and allows His Spirit to guide and direct us through. Yet we live, in our western world, with this mentality that life is about being safe...not getting hurt...always having enough...and never failing. This "dream" has crept into our church lives as well. We often mis-represent the "life" Jesus has promised us. Many come to church or Jesus expecting to be blessed, never being hurt again, forever protected, healed of all that ails them, and loved perfectly by the folks around them. Contrast that, versus the reality of life, a reality Jesus spoke of..."you will have trials and tribulation"..."you will be persecuted"... "the rain falls on the just & unjust"...and there will be "valleys of darkness you will travel through (and He will be with you)". This short video clip of Francis Chan illustrates how we often react "when life hits us in the face"...and how very different the "typical reaction" is, as compared to the life God challenges us to live. A life of daring...of challenge...of fear...of failure...of perseverance...a life of adventure, where we can experience far more than we ever could, than if we just lived "playing it safe"! At ECHO, we desire to live this type of life adventure...not the fairy tale of western church life...or the illusion of the American dream... but the wild, crazy, daring life of adventure God calls us to...a life willing to lay it all down for the One we love and to express His heart to others in hope they may discover He loves them too...



be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude, ECHO

Joshua Tree

I never thought I'd be so interested in trees... Now living in the Pacific Northwest you'd assume I'd be into trees. To a degree, I do think trees are cool...but rarely do I research them or think about them. But I found myself in quite a unique situation that rose Joshua trees to a high priority in my musings. What is most unusual about these desert trees is that you'll never see one in Oregon. Ok then dude, so why your focus on them? Now it might seem quite random at first, but it actually makes sense, as you hear me out. You see my oldest son and his wife gave birth to their first son on June 3rd...his name is Joshua. Now, unfortunately little Joshua struggled to survive, and was in NICU (infant intensive care) for 3 days. These 3 days were filled with worry, fear, shock, tears and lots and lots of prayer. On the evening of day 2 after a long day at the hospital, I could not sleep. I was up till almost 4AM emailing people to pray with us for baby Joshua's life. Sometime, late in the evening my wife asked me what the name Joshua means? I looked it up, and in simple english, it means "God's Salvation". No less than 15 minutes later, after a late night call from my daughter... she texted me the same question..."What does the name Joshua mean?" This time the answer was fresh in my mind so I fired her a text answer immediately..."God's Salvation". Well as the late night prayers, worry and tears continued I felt God impressing on my heart and mind to consider the U2 album "Joshua Tree". Whoa, Joshua Tree..."God's Salvation Tree"... wow, now isn't that a clever reference to Jesus crucifixion. Jesus is often referred to being crucified on a "tree" or on a "cross" made of wood, which of course comes from a tree. Then that same impression told my heart..."listen to the Joshua Tree album". So I began a habit of listening to the album daily. This album is considered one of rocks best albums of all time and which also happens to be filled with God seeds through out it. This album is brilliant masterpiece musically & lyrically. This U2 album has many references to heaven, eternity, the struggle of faith, the wrestle to life's questions and the dilemma of faith from a human perspective. The first song on that album hit me hard... "Where the Streets Have No Name"...a song clearly about heaven. No, I did not like this...what was God trying to say here? This I was not going to accept, no way! Friday morning, as we gathered at the hospital, my daughter gave her brother a gift...a ink drawing of a "Joshua Tree". Hmmm, that's a weird coincidence. The night before, I get this fixation on U2's Joshua Tree album, while at the same time my daughter is prompted to draw a Joshua Tree? How weird is that? We never talked about Joshua trees, so how bizarre did that become? So I looked up the Joshua Tree, and did a little research...the Joshua Tree apparently was named by the first settlers to the Mojave Desert...in the deserts of southwest California, Nevada, Utah & Arizona. They grow only at an elevation of 2,000 to 6,000 feet. Joshua trees grow no where else but the Mojave. In the shadows of the sunset the trees reminded these settlers of "men with hands raised in surrender to God". In the bible it speaks of Joshua being helped by Moses as he kept his hands raised before God, and as he did, God's people were victorious as Joshua led them in battle. Moses arms got tired, so Aaron and Hur, joined him in holding up Moses arms to God...and victory for Joshua and his army was won. So with that in mind, they named the trees...Joshua Trees. Now, suddenly, all sorts of thoughts are running through my head..."where the streets have no name"... "hands raised in surrender to God"...my daughters drawing...what was this all about, and what did it have to do with baby Joshua? By Friday night the answer was clear...baby Joshua's 3 days with us was over...now he was eternally alive in the place "where streets have no name" forever! Joshua was now with Jesus. As much as I didn't want to hear it...God was preparing my heart for what was about to happen. For that I am thankful. I am so thankful God tries to speak to us in ways we can understand...and for me, its music, especially U2 (one of my favorite bands) and art. God in His grace, knew I was not ready for what was about to happen...He knew I did not understand...yet He spoke to my heart in order to prepare me...to support me...to lovingly comfort me. At ECHO, we are so apparent of God's goodness and know that he speaks through the sacred and the secular. Most importantly, we know we can trust God's heart to speak to each of us in ways we understand...for His heart is towards us...not against us. Life sucks sometimes and we often don't understand the "why's"...but we have a God that reaches to us to sustain us in a messy and broken world. For that I am eternally thankful. That is a message ECHO hopes to not only share with people...but a journey we desire to travel with each other...just as God does!

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be God's!

Brian O

Lead Pastor dude, ECHO