Complex Simplicity

It is amazing to me how we often make the simplest things in life so complex. I suppose its human nature, where we think we "know so much", so we devise these elaborate schemes for the simplest of things. Perhaps its pride in some form, where we need to think we are smart, so we have to show it off, with some maze of logic that leads us to the obvious. With road work everywhere in Eugene...especially this summer of stimulus...I am shocked at the ludicrous detours some guy at the ODOT offices come up with. I had to take one the other day that had to be 2 miles long, in order to get one block around the corner? The weird thing is, with a little foresight, the "detour" could have begun 1 block sooner, and saved us all a heep of driving. But no, some genius over thought the obvious, and we end up taking a mini tour of Eugene to drive around the corner. Why? Why do we complicate the basic things of life? We do the same in spiritual things...we come up with doctrines, traditions, practices, laws, rules, and procedures so complicated that most people feel completely inadequate. They think they need to have a PhD in Theology to have a chance. Why have we made it so complicated? Human nature? Pride of self? Control? Whats amazing is that the very scriptures we try to codify, doctrinize, and memorize would tell us something remarkably simple...yet we "over think" it and surmise it must be more complicated than that. Yet Jesus summed it up quite succinctly...He said all scripture, all the prophets...hung on this..."Love God with your whole heart, mind & flesh (everything you got)...and love others as you love yourself". That's it. That is what "it" all hangs on? Yep, all those scriptures we try to memorize...all those doctrines we're trying to figure out...all those traditions and practices we prefer...they all "hang on" those two things! Simple. When Jesus said it, He meant it...so why don't we live as if it all depends on this? Oh, sure, some churches focus on aspects of "loving God"...like worship...or prayer...or chasing spiritual things...or teaching the scripture. But what about that "love others as yourself stuff"? Too often our complicated spiritual detours lead us away from the simplicity of loving God and others...genuinely. We're on a spiritual tour through the countryside of some sort...and we're missing the obvious. Jesus said "if we have not love...we are not His followers". Scripture says, if you have miracles etc...but not love... your missing the point entirely. We get caught up in the complexity of religion and miss the simplicity of relationship. Relationship with God...and learning to have loving relationship with each other. That's it. That's what it all hangs on...its simple. Let's take Jesus at His own words regarding "His Word". At ECHO we realize that living with each other is complex enough...so we try not make it harder than it needs to be...isn't that what Jesus was trying to say?

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

Foundational

My family and I had a vacation together recently. We flew in to Dallas, Texas... got the rental car and headed to Waco, Texas. After a night of relaxation we visited UBC, a church in Waco where David Crowder leads music and worship. It was a great visit to a unique & impacting church. We had fun in Waco which also involved a visit to the Dr. Pepper museum. Yes, Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco...who knew? Then later that afternoon our travels took us to Austin, Texas...one of our favorite cities in the US of A. We hung out by the river downtown, had fun and saw the bats fly out from the Congress Street bridge at sundown...1.5 million of them they say! What a trip eh? My kids loved it! We swam in the pool and visited friends as we gathered for Church reDefined in Austin for 3 days. Its a pastors network we're in for the past 2 years and we meet every 2 months...its an awesome time of relationship and support with pastors from all over the country, from a variety of denominations...some in established churches...some in brand new start ups. Its always a refreshing & encouraging time when we hangout together. After Church reDefined wrapped up on Wednesday, after lunch, my family and I hopped into the old PT Cruiser and headed northeast...destination...Bella Vista, Arkansas! Why you ask? Because its there! LOL. Actually, because a man who has impacted my life more than any other has retired there... my "pastor". It was worth the long drive through Texas and Oklahoma to reach the northwest corner of Arkansas to be with him and his wife for a few days. Was it a detour from our next destination at Lifepoint Church in Longview, Texas that following weekend? Yep, but it was worth it...every moment...every mile. You see Pastor Paul, he's now 78, so a time like this is rare for my family and I to "be with" him...and I want my wife and kids to get a sense of why he has impacted my life so much...as they were "with" him also. We visited other friends in the Bentonville area and had fun...but this was a trip to "be with" Pastor Paul and his wife Bev... and we are so glad we did take the time. Foundational people in life are rare and are to be appreciated as much as possible. This was one of those people and one of those times. I say this to say that life often has "road marks" or "mile posts" or "markers" that we never forget. Much like our vacation trip had road signs, road markers, key signs of remembrance and photo opportunities that made our trip memorable...so does our journey of life. Its amazing how often those "life markers" are manifest in people we have met along the way. In my case...Pastor Paul. Think about it...think about those things that God has used to impact your life the most. Now the "spiritual" among us might say the "churchey" answer...the bible, scripture, God's Word, of course. The "mystical" among us may say in a rather holy tone...its been through prayer and meditation... when I've heard the voice of God whisper. Now I must admit, God does reveal Himself through scripture and prayer...of course He does...but more often than not, the greatest impact on our life has come through another person! A person of faith who was Jesus like. They loved us, encouraged us, pointed us in the right direction, as we journeyed through life...even when the journey was messy. Now those times often felt like God encounters of the real kind. Those are more often than not, foundational to our journey of faith. The impact of one life upon another...when God showed up in the flesh and bones of another...when God's love was manifested to us in a very real way. Think on these things...my hunch is, the greatest impact on your life was a "person"...not a sermon...not a worship song...but the loving, caring, compassionate life of another person rubbing up against your life. In church circles we usually emphasize scripture (as we should) and prayer (as we should)...but we often diminish or even "poo-poo" the impact of relationships...of doing life together. At ECHO we recognize the frequency and impact of doing life together...and how God has used it to touch our lives... and now He desires us to pass it on in a real and tangible way. Jesus with skin on. God's love in the flesh. Grace and mercy experienced in the midst of the messiness of our lives. At ECHO we want to learn to love this way...to trust God this way...to live this way. Its a journey worth taking, lets take it together!

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

He Gives Us All His Love

We were visiting a church in Texas as a guest musician led us in this song...Seth is the lead musician/worship leader for Mosaic in Austin... he is an interesting guy who is also in the bands "Zookeeper", as well as the "Sad Accordions". But as Seth led this song it sounded oh so familiar, yet appropriate. Now I know why. The song was written by Randy Newman (the same guy who gave us "Short People" and the catchy "I Love L.A." and countless other soundtracks). It was released around 1972. I had the album back in the day, and it always struck my heart, as it resonated God's heart to mine. Perhaps, today, it'll do the same for you too!

He gives us all His love

He gives us all His love

He's smiling down on us

From up above

And He's giving us all His love

He knows how hard we're trying

He hears the babies crying

He sees the old folks dying

And He gives us all His love

If you need someone to talk to

You can always talk to Him

And if you need someone to lean on

You can lean on Him

He give us all His love

He gives us all His love

He's smiling down on us

From up above

And He's giving us all His love

He's smiling down on us

From up above

He gives us all his love

lyrics by Randy Newman

be God's!

Brian O

Lead Pastor dude, ECHO

WOW!

It is quite a powerful thing to get a glimpse of what God is doing...it is quite another to share in the experience. Since ECHO began this blog as an attempt to open up discussions that are challenging...helpful... stretching...even bothersome...we have seen many people join in. Our hope is our discussions open us up to the heart of God and how it may be experienced personally and expressed to others authenticly. With the ECHOblog approaching 7,000 hits shortly, we have had communication from all over the United States and Canada. We literally have heard from every continent (except Antarctica... apparently penguins are not computer literate yet...and those few guys working the weather station down there haven't heard of us yet). But we have heard from Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, South America and throughout North America...WOW! It is quite humbling to speak with other pastors who identify with ECHO in places like Australia, Brazil and Holland. It is powerful to have had some impact on lives in South Korea, Japan, China, Thailand and India. To hear from South Africa and Malawi...then Ireland...then Panama...then Israel...then Russia? It is humbling, and a glimpse at what God's Spirit can do...even through our simple ramblings, on a blog called ECHO. We rejoice and remain in awe that folks all over the provinces of Canada are willing to search out Jesus in the midst of our posts. To hear from churches in Massachusetts, Florida, Washington,Texas, Missouri, Indiana, Colorado, Arkansas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, California and New Jersey and beyond...is baffling, yet encouraging at the same time. Some "get" what ECHO is doing...some "don't" and that's OK. The bible says, "let us reason together from the scripture"... so thats reasonable to us, which makes those discussions valid and worth the time & effort. When we hear from a searching teenager in Winnipeg...or the rock n roller caught in life's fog in Michigan...or the Buddhist interested in Jesus, but not so sure He's for real...or the artist in Seoul, South Korea who is inspired by our thoughts and musings to consider the deeper spiritual depths of her soul...or the missionary in Africa feeling alone...these are those for whom we are available. These are the ones we hope God will speak to. These are the ones this blog serves. Its a varied bunch, with circumstances and backgrounds far beyond our comprehension...yet God allows us to speak into their lives anyway. It really is a miraculous thing. Though ECHO may only be able to reach some face to face...God's Spirit can reach far more...much further away. To that, all we can say is...WOW!

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