What's Authentic?

It is so easy to lose track of things isn't it? Your car keys...the time...your wallet? Sometimes it's just a case of "blanking out"...kind of "vegging" on something. Other times it is from being focused on the wrong things. Our last post addressed our tendency to "drift" towards what we focus on...not only when driving...or in life...but in spiritual things as well. So with that in mind...we are often asked, "If authentic relationships are what it is supposed to be about...then what makes a relationship authentic?" Good question. We speak a lot of being genuine...or real...or authentic...but what does that look like in the context of person to person relationship? Especially in light of God's emphasis on living such a life? I think we often lose track because "we" try to define authentic. I have my ideas. You have your ideas. Bob has his ideas. Heather has a completely different take. Sven sees things completely wrong in my opinion. Ned has it partially right...but...not quite. We loose track in these conversations...though the dialogue is good and healthy. We loose track because "we as people" who do relationships poorly, are trying to define what we don't know. Especially in modern culture, with divorce, broken homes, single parents, redefined families, kids raising themselves without parents, etc... Is it any wonder we all have such skewed ideas about what an "authentic relationship" looks like? The answer my friends, (is not blowing in the wind), comes from the One who IS RELATIONSHIP. The easiest and clearest way to understand "authentic relationship" is to look to the One who created us craving authentic relationship. Do you think the One who created us with the need for authentic relationship, might also have a clue on how that need is best met? As we discovered in our previous posting, a genuine relationship with God alone does not satisfy the "aloneness" of the human heart. God knows this...acknowledges it...and made you that way. Why? Because you are a relational being...like God is...and you crave authentic relationship. God who scripture defines as being "love" should be our one and only source to answering this question. Surely a God, who is Love, knows what pure, genuine, unpolluted love should look like. And it is from Him we should learn...and align ourselves towards. Jesus, at the Last Supper, His last time with his closest friends, the apostles, gives them one command, "Love each other, as I have loved you". That should give us a pretty big clue to how much God values this relationship stuff...and also how we might live it out. Jesus is our model. Jesus emphasizes that we are to serve one another...even lay down our life for one another. The bible actually goes so far as to say, "if you do not love others... the love of God is not in you". Wow, that's a big one! So how does our imperfect, messy, human love become more God love like? The bible would suggest that as we experience God's love personally, then His love will flow through us to others. How do you know when God's love is flowing through you and not some polluted attempt at love you learned wrong somewhere? Fortunately, the bible tells us clearly what love is and is not... in chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians, "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." The fact that "doing good stuff"... even "good churchy stuff"...without love is said to be useless, should serve as a healthy caution. God isn't about relationships of performance...but of love...godly love as outlined in this scripture. Deep down we are familiar and even crave this type of love...it is the ideal...the perfect...as it should be! That is why we quote it so often in weddings. It is what we hope to attain to...but often fall short of. But the good news is, we have a good healthy love defined for us in 1 Corinthians and modeled for us in Jesus life as well. It is a good check point for each of us desiring "authentic relationship". These are the things we should align with...pray towards...and ask God's Spirit to teach us. Let's face it...some of us tend to be impatient. Some tend to be selfish. Some tend to be greedy. Some tend to be very unappreciative and negative. Some tend towards being rude and harsh. Some definitely lack self control. But regardless of our imperfect selves trying to be in relationship with imperfect others, God's grace does invite us on a journey towards the authentic. Not what we think it is...but what He designed it to be. The cool thing is Jesus asks us to walk with Him...on a journey of relationship...as we learn relationship. We don't arrive, that is why His grace is so wonderful. But He does say His Spirit, will be our Counselor, our Helper, our Source. Isn't it cool that the God who is Love teaches us how to...and how to be? The result, the scripture says is something called the "fruit of God's Spirit"...it is what grows in us and through us as God's Spirit teaches us His authentic love. Notice how relational all these are. Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 and 23 say, " "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Isn't that what we all crave? Isn't that what those around us crave also? At ECHO we are so thankful these thoughts in 1 Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5 aim us in the "authentic relationship" direction. Our various opinions, probably not. But God's definition of love, as the God of love, who created us for relationship...you bet...that is as "authentic & genuine" as you can get! May we never lose track of these 2 scriptures as we grow into authentic people who love others genuinely. They reveal so much of God's heart for us...and what love looks like as it flows through us to others. It's an easy start on a journey we'll never finish. Let's embrace that...and grow in it...as we constantly align our soul towards what God welcomes us to...authentic relationship with Him...and others!

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

Focus

Do you remember learning how to drive? Remember when you thought you knew what to do...and then you got behind the wheel and actually discovered you had a few things to learn? Well, I have a 13 year old... and he wants to drive. You see he's a good driver in video games and in his I-touch apps...and he probably would be decent...cause he's a pretty sharp kid...but? My hunch is he'll have the same learning experiences when he's ready to drive as most of us. They are the kind of things you cannot know...until you experience it...in the moment... as you are driving. Then reality hits. Wow, I never knew that! Wow, I never noticed that before! Wow, I never thought that was important... until now! I remember when I first learned to drive...and as you drive down the highway you would inevitably find yourself hugging the right line of the road...or the left line of your lane. Its a common problem. You don't realize you're doing it until your driving instructor points it out. It seems the line on the road you focus on...is the one you will tend to drive towards. So if you are a driver focused on the left line as you drive, you'll most likely hug that line as you drive...the result is you are not in the middle of the lane as you think...but you are mostly to the left of the lane. The solution...don't focus on either the left or right line...but on the lane in the distance in front of you. If you do, you will stay more center as you drive. The lesson here is simple...what you focus on...you tend to drift towards. The same can be said of spiritual things I think. In most church circles our teaching, bible reading and overall lifestyle focus seems to focus on this thing called "sin". So we teach about it...what it is and isn't...how grace is the solution for it...how Jesus paid the price for it. We read the bible looking for rules and guidelines to keep us from it. We even look selfishly to discover how different aspects of sin are defined so we can get close...but not cross the line into it.

We live a lot of our spiritual journey dealing with sin... and the accompanying guilt that comes with doing "it". We try to discipline ourselves and others so as to prevent "it" from happening. We tend to notice sin in others. We tend to want to point it out to them. In fact, all too often we are known for "pointing it out" too often...and that has discouraged many a soul. And though not all of this preoccupation with sin is bad...some of it is noble...but are we focused on the wrong thing here? And since we are focused on the wrong thing...we tend to drift toward it every time. Our church programs are focused on helping people stop their sinning. Our evangelism is focused on letting people know they are a sinner and need Jesus to forgive them of their sin...or that Hell thing is what they get for said "sin". Are we focused on the wrong thing? Has our drift to this "sin line" made the journey more dangerous for us and others? Too many live under the burden of guilt. Too many already know they are not what they should be. Since when is someone pointing out how wrong you are attractive? How encouraging is it to your own soul to examine yourself in the same way? I would suggest we look at scripture a bit closer...all the way back in the beginning...in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. As most read this book they are usually fixated temporarily with God's wonderful creation...but then we zero in on Adam & Eve's blowing it with the first "sin"...and how they got kicked out of Paradise. Oh way to go Adam & Eve...you screwed it up for the rest of us! We focus on sin...temptation...and judgement. Are we focused on the wrong things here? Look closer. Before sin...God says something for the first time...did you notice? It's probably just as important as the "first sin"...perhaps even more so. You see as Genesis speaks of God creating His marvelous universe...we see God is very pleased. He creates the sun, stars and moon...it is good! He creates land and sea...it is good! He creates plants and trees...it is good! He creates animals even...it is good! He creates Adam...the first person...and God says something for the first time. "It is NOT good that you are alone". This is the first time God says something is NOT good in His creation. Wow, that's a big deal don't cha think? What's weird about this is the Bible makes it clear that Adam walked and talked with God everyday. Adam hung out with God for daily strolls through Paradise. Yet, God says, "it's NOT good that you are alone". Huh? Even more interesting is..."sin" had not entered creation yet. Adam had it all... peace with the animals...provision of every need...a beautiful place to live...and an unhindered relationship with God, beyond what you and I have ever known. Yet God says, "it is NOT good that you are alone". This tells us a few vital things...God created us to be "relational beings". Having a relationship with God, even a perfect one...is not enough..."it is NOT good that you are alone." If we indeed are created in God's image...then we are relational beings...as is He. Another important clue here..."aloneness" is NOT the result of "sin"... "aloneness" is the lack of vital human relationship. Those relationships can be hindered or destroyed because of sin... but "aloneness" can exist away from sin too. We were designed by God to be in relationship with Him AND with other people. We were designed for both. One without the other still does not satisfy the longing of our soul. It's been said we all have a "God shaped hole" in us that longs to be filled by a genuine relationship with God. I would suggest that we also have a "human relationship shaped hole" that causes us to long for authentic human relationships. Not just marriage, though that can be what satisfies the soul. But a vital human relationship where God's love is experienced person to person. It may be a friend, a spouse or a family member...but we all long for it. I would suggest that a soul missing either a genuine relationship with God as well as with another person...will know it's missing...cause the longing tells you so. We know it is "NOT good to be alone". At ECHO we love that God knows that about us also. In fact He made us that way. In fact, He craves relationship as we do...for we are created in His image. God is in fact a relational being...Father, Son & Holy Spirit...mysteriously, cooperatively, supporting each other in perfect harmony. Perhaps this "relational lens" makes more sense of this God is Trinity thing that we struggle so much to grasp...but I digress. At ECHO, we would like to suggest a re-focus, away from a "sin" focused spirituality consumed with all matters of sin related topics...to a "relationship" focused spirituality. One that embraces our design for a relationship with God...and with others. That "aloneness" is not a result of sin...but of a part of our nature unfulfilled...perhaps that is why God emphasizes all that "love others" kind of stuff. So what about "sin"... do we ignore it? Well clearly not, God didn't...it's pretty serious stuff...that is why Jesus came to die on our behalf. That is the "good news"...that the penalty for all sin has been taken care of. The "good news" invites all who will trust...to have a relationship with God...and learn how to have authentic relationships with other people as well. God treats sin so harshly and clearly...not because He is some "dictator in the sky", but because it hinders and even destroys "relationship". Sin screws up our relationship with God because we lean away from trusting Him...and sin messes up our human relationships as well. The more the pain of sin enters a relationship, the more distant it will become...until it may even be permanently destroyed. How sad is that? God hates sin because of what it does to relationships. It hurts and even destroys people. It wounds people and keeps them from each other...and even from God...without His grace. Perhaps if we focused on "relationship" as God's primary concern...especially whenever we read about "sin stuff"...it'll cause us to gravitate to a better place...closer to God's heart. Then scriptures telling us about sin and what it is...is more like God giving us healthy boundaries to protect our relationships with Him & others. When we see verses admonishing us to 'flee from sin"...we might actually hear God say, "flee from anything that screws up relationships". When we hear God say, "I hate sin"...we may actually hear Him say, "I want a relationship with you so much...and I hate what gets in the way." When God says He hates sin, may we also hear Him say, "I hate anything that ruins your relationships...because I know broken relationships hurt so much...and you were not created to be in pain or alone!" Maybe God takes this relationship thing so serious... that's why he dealt with the "sin thing" so dramatically! At ECHO, we want people to hear God's heart in this relational context...because that is how He created us...and that is how He intends us to live...in genuine relationship with Him and with each other! May that be our message. May we see God's primary concern as being "relationship" ...not "sin". Perhaps more will listen and comprehend that echo...cause it resonates in our soul and theirs.

.

be God's!

Brian O

Lead Pastor dude, ECHO

Love Myth?

It is funny to hear what some people say. I hear some well meaning...but misinformed people say stuff like Valentine's Day is actually some kind of pagan Roman celebration of female fertility...and other crazy stuff. Wow thanks for putting a damper on my "day of love" (though some may like that female fertility aspect...but I digress). Funny how we get so easily side tracked on stuff like this and allow it to interfere. Is it any wonder why people outside church circles scratch their heads at some of what church folks say? Now I get why the "holiday conspiracy theorists" exist...but in many cases they are either missing the point... or they are vastly misinformed. The Roman celebration they are referring to is on February 15th, not the 14th for starters. The February 14th date was selected because it was the date that St. Valentine was martyred in 269AD. That's just for starters... so let's not get too carried away and miss the real points of underlying truth that make Valentine's Day a time worth celebrating. I personally, hate to see a "good" holiday wasted on conspiracy theories. Tis the season... love is in the air...or so they say...or at least it should be. Funny thing about Valentine's Day...it is one of the many holidays we celebrate that have roots in Christianity, yet most of us don't know it. In fact, some other countries realize it more than we Americans do. In India and the Middle East right now, there are protests, and intentional political and religious efforts to halt people from participating in any semblance of celebrating Valentine's Day... even banning the sale of "red" gifts and things with "hearts" on them, during the month of February. To many in these countries it is seen as a Christian celebration, and thus forbidden in Hindu & Muslim lands. It's been formally known as St. Valentine's Day for centuries. To us in the United States we seem to enjoy celebrating the legend of love without knowing the truth behind it. You see St. Valentine was a martyr in the 3rd century. According to early church records there were possibly 3 saints named "Valentine". Two of these mentions appear to be the same man...a priest serving in Rome during Emperor Claudius' rule... he died approximately 270 AD a martyr...and both accounts name the same burial location. So it is believed with all these similarities, that two of the accounts of Valentine, refer to the same man. Not a lot is known of him...but apparently Emperor Claudius was so concerned with having a strong & focused army that he forbade young men from marrying. St. Valentine, believing that love was a gift from God, and that marriage was one of its best expressions, secretly married young couples without Emperor Claudius being aware. Once it was found out, he was jailed and eventually martyred. Some say that Valentine fell in love with his jailer's daughter who would visit him in prison. His last correspondence to her closed with the phrase "from your Valentine"...an expression still used by many people today! It is interesting to see where these legends and customs come from isn't it? Behind every legend, there usually is a truth...and this one centers on a man named Valentine. The story of St. Valentine spread and by the Middle Ages it was commonly celebrated in England & France. Common beliefs were added to the celebration, as a matter of fact. In this era, it was commonly believed that February 14th was the beginning of mating season for the birds of the region...so the date was easily associated with romance. Of course, that concept fit in quite nicely...as did many others over time. Over the years the giving of expressions of love, called Valentine cards or gifts, has become a common celebration in the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, New Zealand and Australia. Valentine's Day is the second most popular "card giving" day of the year, right behind Christmas! Today the celebration of love on Valentine's Day is even making inroads in India, the Middle East and China. It is so interesting to see how a follower of Jesus, a man named Valentine, in the 3rd century...who believed in the God who defines Himself as Love...and believed in it so much...that he would lay his life down to defend it... and somehow that cause still lives on. At ECHO we can't help but see the parallels between Jesus & Valentine...in a sense, Valentine is an "echo"...a reminder...a continuing whisper of God's love throughout the centuries. May we, also, celebrate as we carry on the "echo" of God's love to each and every generation...

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

What If We Finally Got It?

I grew up in Southern California, and actually lived in Hawaii for almost a year. The beach & surfing was just a normal part of life. Now, if you hangout long enough at the beach...especially with surfers...you know...the Holy Grail of surfing is the "tube". If you can surf a wave just right...and its the right size...and you time it good...you can surf inside the tube...where the wave curls over you...as you surf through it. Its pretty wild...being surrounded on all sides with water...as you peak out of the tube, you are now in surfing nirvana. Its the ultimate. I often wonder and dream about what God thinks is the "ultimate" for His church...His people? As I hear folks who do not like church discuss their reasons "why"...I often am struck with how right their observations are. So often, what they are looking for is what Jesus desires His "church", His "people", to be. So often what they smell as phoney...wrong...distasteful...or unappealing...is indeed just that. At ECHO, we humbly listen and acknowledge. I wonder what people would think about "church", if God's people...Jesus followers...actually lived the teachings of Jesus...rather than just "know them"? I wonder if we got away from a "come and see" mentality, and became a "go and live" kind of people, what that would look like to our city? I wonder if creative worship became less about the latest technology, but more about impacting life relevantly and creating an atmosphere where people can experience God's love personally and be drawn...hearts toward God? I wonder if more gratefulness would empower people to be more involved, more caring, more giving and more sharing of their life with others? I wonder if we got away from the "us against the world" mentality...or even the "us versus the church down the street" mentality of competition... and became more of a "us in this together" kind of people who humbly seek God's guidance & direction for the greater good? I wonder if we equipped families to live out Jesus like-ness at home, and teach their own children...would it be better in the long run than replacing parenting with church programs? I wonder if we got away from event gatherings and programs, as a mentality...and became more of a people that share our lives with others...even when its messy...maybe that would have a greater transformational impact? I wonder if we moved away from a "rational" knowledge based spirituality...and moved toward a "relationally" centered spirituality... would more lives be changed & transformed? I wonder if we could realize that community transformation happens one relationship at a time...not one event or program at a time? I wonder what it would look like if we could see beyond ourselves...and even our churches...to the impact the Kingdom of God can have worldwide if we chose to cooperate in it? I wonder if we spent more money on serving real people, with real needs in our communities...if that would be more attractive than our newest, latest, greatest, state-of-the-art facility? I wonder if we chased after the heart of God for people...if that would be more beneficial than chasing after miracles, signs and wonders, for ourselves? I wonder if we pray for and live the "fruit of the Spirit" more than we seek after the gifts of God's Spirit...would more lives be touched? Would the Kingdom of God grow in us more? Would the Kingdom of God be expanded through us? Would we be more of who Jesus designed us to be? I wonder...

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