Alone In A Crowded World

One of...if not THE...saddest things in the world is "aloneness."  As the world is shocked by the death
of Michael Jackson a few years ago, I cannot help but be overwhelmed with how "alone" he was. He like many "famous" people before and after him ended up in a similar place...a lonely place.  I am reminded of the scripture that says, "what does it profit a man, if he owns the whole world, yet loses his soul?"  Maybe it could be re-stated, "what does it profit a person, to have everything they ever wanted, yet still end up lonely?"  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

Rhetoric Bombs Away!

Have you ever seen 3rd graders argue?  At some point it will get reduced to the ridiculous.  It may go something like this:  "That's my ball".  "No it's not", is the reply.  "Yes it is, it's mine, give it back" flies back at the ball holder.  "Go get your own ball", the possessor retorts.  Frustrated the response is, "It's mine, it's red, and it has my name on it."  The ball holder yells back, "Prove it".  Red faced the ball pursuer yells, "it's written right there stupid".  Then the reply, "No, you're stupid".  "No you are, if you could read you can see my name written right there!".  In defiance comes, "Your fat, and I don't like you."  "I'm going to tell my mom if you don't give it back".  In sarcasm the mocking comes "Oh go ahead little baby, go tell your mommy, you big baby, go crying home, wah wah wah."  Screaming the response flies at full volume, "Give me my ball before I punch in your big fat mouth!"  "Who cares, here's your stupid ball, I never wanted it anyway." as the ball gets thrown as far away as possible from it's owner in spite.  

Silly as these playground moments tend to be, they appear to be more common these days among the adult population.  It seems people get quite brave on social media these days, and the rhetoric is escalating.  Unfortunately, people don't seem to be able to discuss topics without a verbal assault.  Especially if one should disagree.  If you should take a different view on "any" said topic...watch out...cause the rhetoric bombs will come a flyin!  Instead of discussing our differing views and understanding why we may see things differently...we call names...you're stupid...you're uneducated...you believe in fairy tales...you hate women...you hate (insert the race of your choice)...you hate gay people...you are ignorant etc...  The assault begins.  Unfortunately, for many, the pursuit of truth and understanding ends at the bombed out walls of rhetoric.  No one dares venture further lest they be assaulted further.  Sadly, the ability to truly understand differing viewpoints has been diminished.  Sadly, true tolerance of various opinions is diminished in the assaults.  Sadly, the ability for people to journey towards truth alongside each other, even when we may disagree sometimes, gets washed away in the blood bath of rhetoric.  We have become a very polarized people.  Unfortunately, social media has made people braver...and more shallow in their understanding of any number of issues.  Depth comes from probing deeply into the various views on a topic, respectfully learning "why" their may be a difference of opinion.  Sometimes it is a misunderstanding.  Sometimes it is the "worldview" one starts from and the assumptions that go along with it.  Other times, there are valid disagreements, and we may choose to "agree to disagree".  Is that possible anymore?  Or has tolerance become, " I tolerate you, only if you agree with me"?  If so, then we know little of what true tolerance is.  As a follower of Jesus, my world view is Jesus centered.  Perhaps yours isn't.  I get "why" we may see things differently.  But I don't have to rhetoric bomb you into submission to my view, no more than you need to rhetoric bomb me into annihilation, either.  Perhaps if we as followers of Jesus...or as simply human beings...could set aside the distortions of the extreme left or right on any issue...and examine the core points of disagreement, we may actually get closer to the "truth" of the matter.  At the very least we could be respectful as we pursue "truth"...even when we disagree.  Hopefully diminishing the polarized rhetoric bombs in favor of encouraging one another towards truth.  What if we don't?  Then we will see more of the same.  Polarization and a retreating of ideas, as both camps on any issue hunker down to protect themselves from the incoming enemy fire.  And "truth" loses.  "Respect" loses.  "Love" loses.  In the end, humanity loses, because we have lost so much in the causalities of our rhetoric wars...most importantly, we lose each other...and that is sad.  We can be better than that!  Jesus calls us to a better way...

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude
ECHO

Oh Hell

Hell. We don't like the idea of it. It makes us uncomfortable. It makes us squirm. Some wish and hope it doesn't exist. Some can't imagine it even being possible. Others respect it's reality but hesitate to dwell on it's ramifications for themselves or those around them. We have often heard statements such as “War is hell” or “I went through hell.” These expressions are, of course, not taken literally. Rather, they reflect our tendency to use the word hell as a descriptive term for the most ghastly human experience possible. Yet no human experience in this world is actually comparable to hell. If we try to imagine the worst of all possible suffering in the here and now we have not yet stretched our imaginations to reach the dreadful reality of hell. According to Jesus, who spoke of hell and judgement more than any one person in scripture, this hell thing is serious business. It is ghastly to say the least. Horrificly unimaginable. Indeed, that is probably why we struggle with the subject so much. According to Jesus, hell is a lake of fire...a place where two of our worst experiences are combined...drowning and burning...but at the same time! Uh no thanks, I'd prefer to avoid that if at all possible! Jesus also uses more graphic imagery:

• Those in hell suffer intense and excruciating pain. This pain is likely both emotional/spiritual and physical (John 5:28–29).
• Hell is a fate worse than being drowned in the sea (Mark 9:42).
• It is worse than any earthly suffering—even being maimed (Matthew 5:29–30; Mark 9:43).
• The suffering never ends (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:48).
• The wicked will be “burned with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12).
• Those in hell will be thrown into the fiery furnace and will experience unimaginable sorrow, regret, remorse, and pain. The fire produces the pain described as “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30).

Now some would suggest that Jesus teachings & parables that many of these "descriptions" are symbolic not literal? OK, perhaps. But since when is the "symbol" greater than the reality? In fact, symbols usually point to a greater truth, a deeper reality. For example, that gold cross around your neck. It is more than a symbol of two pieces of wood in a cross shape. It points to something much more intense...far greater. It reminds us of the reality of the crucifixion, that brutal torture of Jesus that led to His death. It reminds us of Jesus great love for us, "that while we were yet sinners, He chose to die for us, so that we may be able to be sons and daughters of God". It reminds us that the cruelty of the cross would lead to a victory over sin, evil and death in Jesus resurrection 3 days later. You see, that cross around your neck points to much more than just the gold symbol in the form of jewelry. So too does the imagery in Jesus teachings. How ever horrific it may seem, the reality is far worse, far more intense, far deeper. Jesus is trying, as he does in all His parables, to break down the truths of eternity to the level of our human understanding. He is trying to give us a glimpse at the truth at the level of our understanding. But it is not the whole enchilada, as they say. The reality is beyond what we could ever imagine. In that we should take great comfort as we look towards heaven and God's Kingdom realized in its totality. But it should also give us great warning as we look towards the eternal reality of hell.  Jesus spoke of it & lived & died as if "hell" was real.  So shouldn't we also?

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude
ECHO

A Father's Heart

Don't you love super hero's?  Spiderman, Iron Man, Superman?  There is something about those dudes that we resonate with?  They are brave...though sometimes relunctantly.  They are battling for righteousness in the face of evil & corruption.  They are at their core somebody we would all like to be.  Perhaps that is why, since we were little kids running around with our capes on...we wanted to be just like them!  Have you ever noticed a central quality in all our beloved super hero's...they are willing to lay down their life for the sake of those they love...for the betterment of man kind...so that justice can prevail...and so that things can be made right!  I want that...don't you?  Every year as Father's Day comes & goes, some get sentimental.  Some get sad.  Some get hopeful.  Others hope to avoid the "celebration" entirely.  I suppose it has a lot to do with the "father" you had...or the "father" you would like to become.  Some had good dads and good memories.  Some never knew their dad.  Some lost their dad too soon due to death or divorce.  Some strive to be just like dad.  Others strive to be better than the dad they ended up with.  Too many want to be as far from what their dad was...as possible.  It is often hard to look to a model of what a "father" should be...especially if you didn't have a good one...or perhaps didn't have one at all.  Even if you had a great dad...the reality is...you knew him too well, and you know his flaws as well.  So where do we go, if we want to be the dad God desires us to be?  Where is the model to follow?  Where is the guidebook, the roadmap, the way?  Well Jesus models a very interesting truth for us...scripture says that Jesus only spoke what His Father asked Him to speak...that Jesus only did as the Father asked Him to.  I think it would be safe to say that if Jesus were that dependent & trusting of His Heavenly Father...then perhaps we should be too!  In a complicated world, where values & family structures are changing constantly...it is good to know that our Heavenly Father is trust worthy...is a Way we can trust...and loves us and our families more than we do.  That's a good thing!  A great thing!  

In Ephesians chapter 5, scripture gives us some great family instructions and wisdom.  But I often think we miss the most important part.  Most people get hung up on the "wives respect your husband" stuff...or the "children obey your parents" part.  But the key, the foundation to it all rests on good ol' dad...yes you husband, father & dad.  This portion of scripture reminds us that a man is to love his wife (his family also) as Jesus loves the church (His followers).  It speaks of this love of Jesus being willing to lay down His very life for those He loves.  It speaks of Jesus presenting His bride (His church, His followers) before God without blemish...without spot or wrinkle.  Jesus righteousness allows His bride to be spotless and without blame before God.  Wow, what a concept!  What a truth!  It is not that the "church" of Jesus followers got their act together and shaped up that removed their own "spots & wrinkles"...it's what Jesus did on their behalf!  That is grace...amazing grace!  So what does that mean to us guys as we lead our families, our wives, our kids...it means "if" we are to love as Jesus did...then it is not about my wife or kids getting their own act together.  But it is about me loving them & serving them...for in me doing that with God's help... "their spots & wrinkles" are removed.  It's not based in "their" performance...it has a whole lot more to do with me.  It's rooted in us guys, being Jesus like in serving them...laying it all down for them...and listening to our Heavenly Father, speaking as He asks us to, and acting as He directs!  That is a challenge...one that drives us toward our Heavenly Father to guide us, show us & shape us...for our wife & our kids sake!  Ultimately for the Kingdom of God's sake...and may it begin with you & me...as we become the super hero's God has designed us to be!  It may seem impossible at times...but that's what super hero's do...the impossible!

be God's-

Brian O

ECHO

Lead Pastor dude   

Tolerate This!

"Tolerance", according to Webster's, speaks of "sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own... the act of allowing something". In a sense it is a "making room for", even if you don't agree. Our culture seeks "tolerance at all costs", it seems to be a high value to many. In a world of “tolerance” many would love to see it extend towards religion also. Many say, "Well, they all are basicly the same... they are just different paths to the same goal", so we should be tolerant enough to allow this "religious smorgasboard". As I ponder this, I realize that perhaps all religions "are the same"...as some contend...let me explain. All religions acknowledge one central truth that seems universal to the human condition. Man is not “good enough”. Man has fallen short and needs to grow in His spiritual disciplines to be acceptable to god or even to become more in tune with god. All religions offer this concept as its core motivation. Apparently, humanity, at its deepest core, senses that we are out of favor with our Creator. We know we have sinned and come up short. Hindu’s, Buddhists, Muslims, Taoists, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, ancient Egyptians, ancient Greeks, American Indians, Wiccans, Jews and yes even Christians all agree. We are not who we should be, and we need to grow, get in tune, and become "more" than we are. What’s fascinating, is that each of the world’s religions, past, present, and I assume, any we’ll dream up in the future, realize this and are built around “how” we get beyond our fallen-ness, and our human-ness. If you examine them all, they all tend to say similar things about right & wrong, it's quite fascinating really! To summarize some of the common religious beliefs, according to CS Lewis, we all basically agree that:

“-we are to not do harm to others in what we do or say (Golden Rule);

-honor your father & mother;

-be kind to brothers, sisters, children & the elderly;

-do not have sex with another’s spouse;

-be honest (don’t steal);

-don’t lie;

-care for those weaker or less fortunate;

-dying to self is the path to life”

It’s uncanny that such a variety of religions, would all have a similar code of conduct, so to speak, as if we all have some built in sense of right or wrong within us. Actually, we commonly know this as our "conscience", and it appears to be alive and well in most religions. The bible would say, "God has written His moral law on the hearts of all men". It seems that virtually all religions say most of the same things, so they do agree on a lot, don't they? Yes, there is an element of common truth present. Basically, we all agree on what’s right & wrong, in general. We all agree that mankind has screwed up and that we need God or a higher spiritual ideal. All religions offer methods to try to “make up for” or “try to attain”…but only one gives a permanent solution not centered in “us”. The bible says we are saved by God’s grace…not by what "we do". Grace is a concept far more powerful than tolerance. Tolerance is kind of like "grace light"...it is grace without love. Tolerance makes "room for" what we don't like...grace embraces us as we are! Jesus, God in the flesh, entered our messed up world, as one of us. He came humbly to model love in its purest form, and then He sacrificially died for all sin, all wrong doing, and all failures. God Himself had the solution…He paid His own price…and made a way for everyone to know Him in true & authentic, everlasting relationship. The “wall of our failure to be what we should be” is gone. Now for all who "choose" to trust Jesus, a relationship is available. The question now is, who "trusts" what God has done? Who will step into that relationship? That is what separates the religions of the world. All of them seek to "fix" the human problem of falling short. Only one provides the solution...it is uniquely found in Jesus! Only one isn't centered on what "we do", but on what "God has done" for us. That is a significant difference. One worth considering...and exploring. At ECHO we hope to be a safe place for people to explore that very thing...and to experience it personally...in the hope they might express it to others also...

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude
ECHO



Who Do You Think You're Fooling?

The fool wonders, the wise man asks.

Benjamin Disraeli

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."

Psalm 14:1

The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong
is to let him have his own way.

Josh Billings

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 1:7

A fool thinks himself to be wise,

but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.

William Shakespeare

But everyone who hears these words of mine

and does not put them into practice

is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Matthew 7:26

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.

Benjamin Franklin

Fools talk way too much,

Chattering stuff they know nothing about.

Ecclesiastes 10:14

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex...

It takes a touch of genius -

and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.

Albert Einstein

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar?

Where is the philosopher of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 1:20

Showing off is the fool's idea of glory.

Bruce Lee

Extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:7

A fool and his money are soon elected.

Will Rogers

Answer a fool in simple terms

so he doesn't get a swelled head.

Proverbs 26:5

A fellow who is always declaring he's no fool

usually has his suspicions.

Wilson Mizner

Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

Proverbs 10:14

The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool:

these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.

Chanakya

Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;

the prudent quietly shrug off insults.

Proverbs 12:16

Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day;

wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.

Elbert Hubbard

The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 12:15

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep

to gain what he cannot lose.

Jim Elliot

Are you so foolish?

After beginning with the Spirit,

are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

Galatians 3:3

Any man is liable to err, only a fool persists in error.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Proverbs 26:11

A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly,

science into superstition, and art into pedantry.

Hence University education.

George Bernard Shaw

Become wise by walking with the wise;

hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

Proverbs 13:20

A fool is wise in his eyes.

King Solomon

A poor youngster with some wisdom is better off than

an old but foolish king who doesn't know which end is up.

Ecclesiastes 4:13

A mother takes twenty years to make a man of her boy,

and another woman makes a fool of him in twenty minutes.

Robert Frost

The perceptive find wisdom in their own front yard;

fools look for it everywhere but right here.

Proverbs 17:24

Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.

Euripides

What's this? Fools out shopping for wisdom!

They wouldn't recognize it if they saw it!

Proverbs 17:16

It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others

and to forget his own.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

The fool sits back and takes it easy,

His sloth is slow suicide.

Ecclesiastes 4:5

I pity da fool.

Mr.T

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude
ECHO

Irish Luck

St. Patrick's Day...man I love this holiday...one of the best holidays of the year in my opinion. Now it's not only my favorite because I am Irish. My parents were raised in Ireland, and yes most of my relatives live there. In fact my family and I went a few summers ago for the very first time. Wow, what a great experience! Seeing where my parents grew up, tracing family roots, visiting extended family (many I've never met before, face to face). But also gaining a greater understanding of my Irish history and a great appreciation of the most famous of Irishmen...St. Patrick! I know most of us in America see March 17th as a holiday full of drunk folks pretending to be Irish as they drink green beer, eat corned beef and cabbage, and wear a variety of embarrassing green accessories. But you see, St. Patrick's Day is much more significant when you know the true story. First, St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. He was captured and enslaved by Irish men and forced to work for them in Ireland. After years of slave labor he received a vision/dream from God. God directed him to take a certain escape route that would lead to a harbor where a man in a boat would be waiting for him, and that man would take him safely back to his family. Sure enough, Patrick did as directed and there was a man with a boat waiting. Shortly after, he was indeed a free man reunited with his loved ones. Patrick soon came to know God personally and became very devote, even training for the priesthood. After seminary, he was serving as a priest with the usual "churchy duties", when he received another vision/dream from God. This time the vision was a picture of the Irish men who had enslaved him begging him to return to Ireland to tell them about Jesus. Patrick humbly said "yes" and returned to the very people who had hurt him, used him, abused him & cruelly took him from those he loved. Patrick was used by God to bring the truth of Jesus to the barbaric Celtic tribes warring throughout Ireland. Due to his willingness and God's grace, St. Patrick's legacy is responsible for Christianizing the nation of Ireland! That is why the Irish celebrate St. Patrick. He is the patron saint of a nation, that is responsible for millions of people sharing in the blessings of the Kingdom of God for generations. I don't know about you, but that story motivates me. To think a humble man, simply being willing to do as God directed, could be part of such a miracle! Wow, I want to be like that dude! Were the Irish just "lucky"? Right place, right time? Coincidence? Heck no, they were blessed by God intentionally through a man that said, "yes, I hear their cry, and I'll go do something about it...personally!" You see, Patrick probably was real uncomfortable going back to Ireland. He probably hated the Irish for what they did to him. He probably feared for his safety, feared for his life even. Yet he trusted God, and went anyway...to a people most of the church establishment in his day thought was a lost cause. I love that...God does miracles in the midst of lost causes! God loves to transform lost causes! Our prayer is that ECHO would be a church that is willing to go to people that the "church establishment" may see as lost causes. Our prayer is that we can be a part of "lost cause miracles!" Our prayer is that we would be willing to be uncomfortable...hang with those we usually don't...reach out to those we may even fear...or don't understand...or maybe don't even "like"...and learn to love them as Jesus does. Because somehow in the midst of that, God's love grows inside us and spills out on those people around us, as we learn to "love others as we love ourselves". As we serve people, with tangible expressions of God's love, grace & compassion, God shows up in us and through us! Because no one should be left out. I love that! It's God's heart, His desire...that no one should be left out! I see that in the life story of St. Patrick...and I feel its a great example to us of what a church can be...an ECHO of God's love from generation to generation! Because God's heart is that no one should be left out...can you hear the ECHO...

be God's!

Brian O
Lead Pastor dude
ECHO

Can You See?

Window In The Skies

The shackles are undone
The bullets quit the gun
The heat that's in the sun
Will keep us when there's none
The rule has been disproved
The stone it has been moved
The grave is now a groove
All debts are removed

Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
What it's done to me?

Love makes strange enemies
Makes love where love may please
The soul and its striptease
Hate brought to its knees
The sky over our head
We can reach it from our bed
You let me in your heart
And out of my head, head

Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
What it's done to me?

Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Please don't ever let me out of you

I've got no shame, oh no, oh no

Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
What it's doing to me?

I know I hurt you and I made you cry
Did everything but murder you and I
But love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize
To every broken heart
For every heart that cries
Love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize

Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
What it's doing to me?

lyrics by U2

be God's!

Brian O

Lead Pastor dude
ECHO

Love Out Of The Box

OK, in the aftermath of Christmas bliss, does anyone know what's up with "Boxing Day"? How weird...we celebrate "boxing" the day after Christmas? Well, at least in Canada and the British Commonwealth they do. Why is the sport of boxing glorified...and if so...why the day after Jesus birthday? Now I'm not a sporting prude of any kind...I get the sport of boxing, as violent as it is to some...so I'm not saying, "boxing sucks"...but why the holiday? Are those beer swilling, hockey brawling Canadians that desperate for another day off work? Whats up with that, and who signed off on it? So I checked a bit on why...and guess what "Boxing Day" ain't what most of us think it is. It's not about "boxing" the sport at all...though we often joke and refer to it as such. It's actually a day firmly rooted in the Great Commandment...in the true Spirit of Christmas. "Boxing Day" was a tradition that took place the day after Christmas...it was a day to give gifts to those less fortunate than you. The more fortunate gave to the less fortunate. Often those items were very practical...clothes, food, tools, cash... usually based on the families needs you were giving to....and they were often put in boxes to be given to those families. Hence the term "boxing day". It was a "loving others as you love yourself" kind of day. After being showered with gifts on Christmas by those that love you...you in turn, took December 26th to give to those with less than you. Wow, how'd we miss this holiday in America? In our churches? It's quite the cool thing really...this "Boxing Day". Somehow we missed the point. It reminds me of how we often miss the point in church circles. Too often we get caught up in building our kingdoms... our churches...our ministries...our legacy...but we miss the main point. Jesus summed it up for us...love God with all you got...and love others as you love yourself...the "point" is relationship...with God and with others. Real, authentic relationships of love, grace, forgiveness, compassion...of being known and of knowing...of doing life together. But somehow we box ourselves into what "church is"...its 2 fast songs and 3 slow songs...announcements and a message...its cool, state of the art performances that are as slick as slick can be (even timed to the minute)...its Walmart greeter type people at the doors saying "hi", but never knowing or caring to really know me...its programs that dazzle...its events that attract the biggest crowds...its buildings built to impress...its eye catching marketing to draw people in...oh ya, and of course we need to work in some kind of small group thing, cause that 'community' thing is popular these days. What? Have we boxed ourselves in? How closed in are we? Because that's what others "do"... are we to do the same? Is that what Jesus really asked us to do? Have we missed the point entirely? "Community" isn't a cool trendy word to put on your website...its the goal. Relationships are not "one of" our programs to attract more people...it is THE "point". It is emphasized throughout scripture...over and over...without love you are not God's...even miracles done without love are meaningless (even annoying)...and lest we forget...even churchey stuff done super well, if done without love, Jesus says, "go away I never knew you". Relationships...real authentic, relationships as God designed...is the point...not a peripheral add on or option. All we do at ECHO gets filtered through this...does it enhance a persons growth in their relationship with Jesus?...and does it create an environment where love grows person to person?...if not, we don't do it. It simply is not what its all about. Some of that stuff can be helpful...but without relationship...it is a waste. So why waste time thinking church is about something it isn't. In the end we look foolish...completely ignorant of the obvious...yet our boxed in viewpoints limit our perspective. Jesus would challenge us to look to the source...look to what He says is vital...if you do, you'll be able to step out of those boxes of "church-ianity" and begin to live life as God intended...a process of loving Him more and more...of receiving His love at a deeper level...and of passing that love on to others, as His Spirit teaches you. At ECHO, we love getting out of the box...how about you?

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude
ECHO

On The Road Again

Who ever said life's goal was happiness? In reality, we all live as if that is true, don't we? We strive for the right job to make us happy...we strive for the right house, the right friends, the right experiences, the right stuff...in hopes it'll all end up taking us to that elusive goal..."happiness". Of course the ultimate is that place called, "a state of happiness"...somewhere down the dusty road of life we are to "arrive" in that place...that destination...that place...that "state of happiness". I think with that mindset, we set ourselves up to be disappointed, and with that our journey leaves us frustrated, unsatisfied and forever seeking happiness. Even Christians live in this mindset. Some came to begin their relationship with God under the guise that now everything in their life will finally "click"...no more bumps in the road. Unfortunately, too many quickly realize that a relationship with God doesn't guarantee "happiness"...so some get angry with God...or feel He is mad at them...or their faith is too weak...or even that maybe this "God thing" isn't even real. It's a shame, because we have set people up to be disappointed. Does God provide eternal life, and is heaven a place where all is provided and their are no more tears? Oh ya, definitely, but that's heaven, not earth. Too often we don't make that clear. The bible makes it clear "we only see things in part", as humans on earth, so it's hard to comprehend it all. People still die. Children contract horrible diseases and suffer. War exists. Tragedy's still occur. Couples still get divorce. Addictions still can ravage people's lives. Whether you are a Christian or not, life still hits you in face! Now if you believe that being "happy" is the goal... then many are bound to be disappointed. Some will point to the bible verse that says, God gives us, not just life "but life more abundant". That's true abundant life is promised, not just eternally, but also now in the present life. But what about the scriptures that say, "we are to take up our crosses daily", and others that speak of living a sacrificial life, where we willing lay down our lives for the sake of God's Kingdom and others? What about the road "being narrow and hard" not wide and easy? What about the greatest "being the servant?" What about Jesus promise that those who follow Him "will be persecuted" for it? This raises an important question: Maybe God's "abundant life" isn't what we think? Maybe God's "abundant life" doesn't equal our visions of "happiness?" Maybe "happy" isn't the goal at all. If you think about it, "us" being "happy" is really a very selfish, self-centered view of our relationship with God and life. Since when is the story about "us?" Last I checked the story was about God, and we are bit players in what "He is doing." If we don't understand that simple truth, then we live as if God is our "great vending machine in the sky" that's waiting around to meet our never ending list of wants and needs. There is this tension in most of our lives, where we seek after "what we don't have", rather than be content with "what we do have" each day. If we are always seeking that elusive "thing or person or experience" we don't have...then we live continually frustrated...which chokes out noticing all that we do have today. What we do have is "never good enough", which becomes our mindset...surely not an "abundant life" way of thinking. Philippians chapter 4 gives us a better picture, perhaps, of what God's abundant life is like. It speaks of "learning to be content whether I have a little or a lot". It speaks of not being anxious...but instead submitting to God all our concerns, wants and desires, in prayer and trusting Him in that...and instead thinking on what is good, right, pure, lovely etc... In other words, stop fretting over your vain attempts to be "happy" through whatever means you feel will get you there. Instead God suggests, that we learn the art of being "content", because in "contentment" we discover the "peace that surpasses all understanding" and we experience "the strength to do all things". Notice its centered in God not us. It's a very subtle but profound truth, but oh what a difference it makes. Life centered in "us" brings a lot of frustration and anxiety...cause the search for "happiness" is ever elusive. But life centered in a growing, trusting relationship with God... where we learn to think on the right things...submitting our concerns to God in prayer...well that brings a "peace" in the midst of the craziness of life, a peace that is supernatural. Not only that, but we experience a "strength" that sustains through whatever life throws at us. In that, we find a joy, that is beyond what we call "happiness". Somehow we need something to get us through life when we don't "feel happy". A joy centered in a God that wants to journey with each of us through life...through the darkest valleys...and to the most majestic mountain tops. GK Chesterton once said, "one sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peaks." We can never underestimate what God can do in and through us, regardless of life's circumstances. He desires for us to trust Him enough to allow Him to bring peace and strength when we need it...often in the midst of circumstances beyond our understanding and capabilities. I read where CS Lewis said it this way, "God loves us not because we are so lovable, but because He is love." At ECHO, we want to encourage a pursuit of this God...rather than a vain pursuit of happiness that is so elusive. Jesus said, "that if we seek Him, we will find Him". That's a pretty good place to start and a safe road to journey on... At ECHO we just want to point you in the right direction!

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude
ECHO