It’s difficult not to be challenged in your worldview when you listen to these guys talk.
What’s Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.
It was hard waking up this morning. As I brewed a pot of Biker Coffee Company black liquid, I realized I might need multiple pots of coffee to get moving today. It was going to be that kind of day … so I thought. I sat and read a few chapters from the Bible and then headed out to jump on my bike. I decided to take Heather’s bike so that I could enjoy some great music for the commute.
Within a minute or two of twisting the throttle, my day changed. The fatigue fell off of me as I felt the wind in my face and the power of the motor inviting me to go faster.
Ever had that happen? Ever jump on your bike and find your entire mood and energy level change the moment you turn the first corner? Sure you have.
It was in that moment that I was reminded of something that every biker understands: It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. My destination was the church office. But that was the furthest thing on my mind. I was living in the moment. The moment was sitting on an ElectraGlide, twisting the throttle, and feeling my fatigue and frustration disappear.
I turned off the radio and began to worship God. I softly sang a song that is really a prayer.
Lord, I give you my heart, I give you my soul. I live for you alone.
Every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake, Lord, have your way in me.
And then it hit me. Again.
It’s about the journey.
I have a lot of issues with religion, but at the top of the list, it’s that religion focuses on the destination. You have do do things in order to earn enough credit to get into Heaven.
The spirituality that I believe Jesus called us to experience focuses on the journey. Living in the moment. Experiencing the awesomeness of God today, tomorrow, and the day after that. It’s about twisting the spiritual throttle and feeling the power of God as you realize again he loves you just as you are.
As I was riding along, I was reminded of an experience a friend of mine had a few years ago. A bunch of us had attended an Easter drama at a local church. As the service concluded, this friend was weeping. She shared how Easter has always been about the Bunny and chocolate. But suddenly, sitting there watching this drama, she was struck by the true message of Easter. To this day, when she has a “God-moment”, she says, “It’s not about the bunny.”
You don’t have those moments if all you’re focused on is the destination. The end point. If your attention is on a day that is some time in the future, you miss the moments that God has for you to experience today. What a shame.
It’s not that the destination isn’t important. When I jumped on the bike this morning, I knew I had to get to a specific place. But I wasn’t so focused on the destination that I missed enjoying the journey.
Don’t let your spirituality be about the destination. Not because the destination isn’t important. It is. But there’s an incredible journey that God is inviting us to experience. It’s a journey full of “bunny moments”. It’s full of incredible discoveries.
So, enjoy your journey.
I have five posters hanging on one of the walls in my office. They were issued by Harley Davidson as part of their 100th Anniversary in 2003. Each poster shows a bike from a different era in Harley’s history. In a very simple way, they tell the interesting story of an iconic company.
The first poster is of a 1903 Single. It was built in a tiny backyard shed by William S. Harley and Walter, William & Arthur Davidson. The bike was powered by a single-cylinder, 25 cubic inch engine.
When I look at the bike, the first thing I think is, I’m so glad we’ve seen advancements in motorcycle design and comfort over the years. I try to imagine myself riding across the U.S. on one of these. Yeah, right.
And yet, there’s something about the bike that causes me to pause. Of all the pictures of bikes on my wall, this is the one that I find myself looking at the most. There’s just something about it. It was the birth of something special. I’m grateful Harley Davidson didn’t stick with this model, but you can see the foundation of the company is this machine.
Recently, Harley Davidson introduced their 2011 models. It doesn’t take much observation to realize that something’s changed. I have no problem imagining myself cruising across North America on a 2011 Street Glide (pictured to the right). I think it’s a beautiful bike, and I do believe I’ve fallen in love with it. It has a 96 cubic inch motor, 6 speeds, fuel injection, and a whole bunch of bells and whistles. While I may not get a brand new bike, I do believe my next ride will be a Street Glide.
Here’s my point. If Harley Davidson had not changed, the company would no longer exist. Now, I can already hear some of you yelling at your computer screens, searching for the comments button, and pounding on your keyboard to explain to me how Harley spent many years refusing to change, how their motorcycles are technologically inferior to many of the Metric motorcycles being produced, and that the only reason Harley exists today is because the government protected them during the horrible “AMF years.”
Yes, you’re right. To a degree.
I can also hear some of you “purists” saying that the liquid cooled Harleys are not “true” HD motorcycles. That a “real” Harley is a Shovelhead. Or an Evo. While I wont debate with you over what type of motor you prefer, even the purists have to admit that their choice of Harley wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for changes made over the years.
The posters on my wall remind me that change must happen if you are to continue to grow and survive.
It’s true of the motorcycle industry, and it’s true of our lives individually.
In what ways are you different today than a ten years ago? Five years ago? One year ago? Is the change for the better or for the worse? If it’s for the worse, what are you doing to make it better? What’s changed in you?
If you can’t answer that, then I would suggest that something is seriously wrong in your life. If you cannot see areas where you are growing, becoming better, seeing change, then I believe you are in trouble. And, a government bailout wont save you.
When I look back over the years, I am amazed at how much I’ve changed. Oh, the foundation is still relatively the same. The values my mother instilled in me as a child are still very much there. The transformation that occurred in my life when I began my journey of following Christ is still very real. The call to ministry that God put on my heart is still strong. But how I view life has changed drastically. How I see the church has changed significantly. I don’t pastor the same way I did ten years ago, or even five years ago.
And yet, as I sit here at my desk, a new week in front of me, I cannot help but ask God to continue to change me. To tweak the areas of my life that need growth, to work on attitudes that need transforming. To help me live life differently.
Why not choose an area of your life that needs change and decide to begin the transformation this week?
There’s an interesting discussion happening on a motorcycle forum I am part of. The city of Edmonton recently passed a noise bylaw that specifically targets motorcycles. According to the bylaw, motorcycles cannot generate more than 90 decibels at idle or 96 decibels in motion. Anything more can result in a $250 fine.
When the issue was first brought up on this particular forum, the first few people to post focused on the people who have loud pipes. Rather than discuss the bylaw, they chose to criticize the riders, calling them insecure, idiots, and a few other things. Fortunately, a few more intelligent posts showed up that turned the discussion back to the bylaw at hand.
This post really isn’t about the bylaw. Although, I will say that I get frustrated whenever government introduces another law against motorcyclists. Lawnmowers and hair dryers also produce more than 90 decibels, but we don’t see a law against their use. No, this law is very clear that it relates only to motorcycles. It is another attempt by another city council to make it hard for motorcyclists to enjoy their passion.
I believe one of the reasons they get away with it is because we motorcyclists rarely put away our differences and stand together. Sport Bike riders and Cruisers are too busy making fun of each other to recognize that we need to speak with one voice.
If you were to come into Bikers’ Church, you would find a scripture paraphrased on our projection screen. The verse is Galatians 3:28. Here’s how we’ve paraphrased it:
At CCBC there can be no division into Harley and Metric, sport bike and cruiser, hardcore and weekend rider. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all on a common spiritual journey to discover God’s grace through Jesus Christ.
We take that very seriously. We stand together. We want to create a culture where what you ride makes no difference. We are part of something that includes those who are quite different than us. Rather than focus on the differences, we choose to stand together.
Isn’t that true of many areas in life? I know it’s true in the church world. We focus so often on our differences that we are unwilling to stand together. We want to show how we’re different than the church down the street – we’re better, more effective, more loving … and all the while, none of us truly get it. Jesus made it clear, “They will know we are Christ followers by our love for one another.”
I think it’s easier to point a finger at those we don’t agree with than it is to find commonality so that we might stand together and make a difference.
What about you? Do you put your energy into finding areas of division or commonality?
So, you keep saying that “tomorrow you’ll make a difference.” After all, you have so many more days to live, right? Do you?
My friend, Judy posted this on her blog, and I thought it was too good to pass up.
Go here, enter a bit of info about yourself, and find out how long you have to live.
Btw, I’m going to die on Monday, July 30th, 2040.
Last Thursday, I wrapped up an eight week (!) series at Bikers’ Church called Seven Choices. The series focused on the choices we face as we journey through life. How you choose will determine if you are journeying on the road of self or the road of faith. Each week, we compared one of the seven deadly sins with one of the Beatitudes of Jesus. You can watch the videos from most of the talks here.
Those of you who do a lot of speaking know that it can be very interesting what people “take away” from your talks. Often, it’s not what you thought it would be. In the case of this series, it would seem that one of the most popular take aways was something I said that wasn’t even in my notes.
It happened near the end of the last talk. I was explaining what Jesus meant when he said, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right.” I was comparing it to the deadly sin of gluttony. And I said something along the lines of this:
If you life a live that go against the seven deadly sins, you will offend some people. If you make every effort to live as Jesus lived, there will be people who will not like it. Not because you are intentionally offending them, but because you are living differently. If someone is a glutton, and they see you choosing not to consume more than you need, they will think you are judging them for not doing the same. It can be said for any of the seven deadly sins. In fact, I would argue that if your spirituality is not offending anyone, then it’s likely not the spirituality of Jesus.
In the past few days, I’ve seen that last sentence quoted on Twitter, Facebook, and blogs of Bikers’ Church people more than anything else I’ve said in the series.
It’s an easy statement to misunderstand. It’s an easy statement to take as justification when you offend someone for the wrong reasons. If you’re offending someone because you’re an idiot, don’t chalk it up to your spirituality (well, it might be a result of your spirituality – or lack thereof – but that’s a comment for another post).
Having said that, I stand by the statement. I truly believe that if you are living your life, choosing the road of faith instead of being consumed by the seven deadly sins (pride, envy, sloth, greed, lust, wrath, and gluttony), there will be times when people are offended simply because they do choose the road of self. They will not like that you are living differently than they are. They will feel you are judging, even if you are not (and if you’re living as a Christ follower, then you wont be judging the heart of another).
So, be prepared. If you choose to live life differently, you will offend. Don’t wear it as a badge of honor, just keep living life differently. As we journey the road of faith, those who are struggling on the other road will see the purpose and fulfillment you have, and will yearn to change roads all on their own.
So, keep living.
This past weekend a bunch of us from Bikers’ Church headed down to Hamilton, Ontario to support our friends in the launch of the newest Bikers’ Church in Canada. It was exciting to see the interest that was shown in the new church. Ken, the Hamilton Bikers’ Church pastor, believes he will see many new faces when they have their second service, this Thursday night.
Ever have one of those weekends where nothing could get you down? That’s what the Hamilton Trip weekend was like for me. It was great to see the guys in Hamilton excited and so proud to be seeing their church become a reality. It was also amazing to see the support from the seven guys who rode many hours to be their for HBC.
But as much as the HBC launch was great to see, the highlight of the weekend for me was hanging with some of the guys from Ottawa. We’ve talked for years about doing a “men’s ride” and finally we had a weekend where it was just guys heading out on their bikes. We laughed, we joked around, and we did a lot of riding.
Mind you, I was riding a “girl’s bike.” Instead of taking my Wide Glide, I decided to enjoy the trip in comfort and took Heather’s ElectraGlide. What a difference! Yes, her bike is eight years newer than mine. Yes, it has 160,000 fewer kilometers than mine. Yes, it’s a bagger with a full fairing and a stereo system. And yes, I’m ready to move on to a new bike!
On Saturday, we pulled out of the Hamilton area knowing that rain could hit at any moment. Sure enough, half an hour into our ride home, the rain started. And it came in buckets. All day long. We decided to take the scenic route home, and rather than six hours of riding in the rain, we ended up riding a little over ten hours. And no, I didn’t bother with my rain gear.
But what a difference riding the ElectraGlide instead of the Dyna. It took much longer to get soaked right through to my skin. And even at my wettest, I still loved the comfort of the big bike.
I also loved the attitude of the guys riding with me. Every time we stopped, we’d laugh at how wet we were. We’d joke about the trip. We made light of the crappy day. After all, if you’re going to ride, you might as well accept that you’ll ride in rain from time to time. The best part of all was that we did it together.
It’s funny, but there are times when I love riding alone. My road trip was amazing because I did it at my speed, my way, my timing, etc. Sure, it would have been great to have Heather with me, but for the most part, it was great taking the trip on my own.
However, there are also times when there is nothing like riding in a group. Especially a group of guys that you trust, respect, appreciate, and yes, love. Guys you care deeply about.
That was the kind of weekend I had.
So, congrats to Hamilton at the launch of your Bikers’ Church. Thank you Heather for allowing me to spend the weekend in comfort. And thumbs up to the guys who made the trip so perfect, even in the rain. And Bruce, please don’t ever leave a can of Pam on an open flamed stove.
This is one of those posts that has the potential of getting me in a lot of trouble. So be it.
Earlier this week, I put the final touches on this week’s message for Bikers’ Church. We’re in the middle of a series called Seven Choices, and we’re comparing the Seven Deadly Sins with the Beatitudes of Jesus. This week, we’re talking about wrath and the peacemaker.
Perhaps it’s a good week for such a topic. After all, in the U.S. there are a couple of very heated issues trending on Twitter and media websites. The first issue is the court overturning of Proposition 8 in California. What that means is that gay couples can now legally be married in California. When the news came out that the court had overturned the ban on same sex marriage, my twitter feed went crazy. Interestingly, the majority of those who commented on my feed were thrilled at the decision. Since I follow a large number of ministers and churches, I didn’t expect that. A closer look showed that most of the ministers I followed said nothing of the court’s decision, while many of the motorcycle, hockey, and tech people that I follow spoke their mind.
The second issue that is causing a great deal of emotional debate is the decision by a Muslim group to build an Islamic centre (along with a mosque) a few blocks from Ground Zero. Most of the blogs and comments I read seem to consider the idea to be extremely insensitive. Even Canadian journalists are offering their opinions. From what I can see, very few people are as brave as this blogger who suggests religious freedom trumps anything else.
I’m not going to dive in to my opinion on either of these issues. Yes, I have strong feelings about both of them. But that’s not the point of this post. Again, my thoughts are on the message I will give tonight at Bikers’ Church. I will talk about the danger of wrath, and how often our desire for justice takes us down a path of bitterness, rage, and destruction. On the flip side, Jesus invites us to seek justice as a peacemaker.
Sadly, I think most people will choose the side of wrath when it comes to both of these issues. In fact, I’ve already seen it happening on Twitter, Facebook, and various blogs. Those who supported Proposition 8 are bigots, homophobes, haters, and against freedom. Those who cheered the court’s reversal are damned, fags, sinners, etc.
I see the same name calling when it comes to those who support the rights of Muslims to build a mosque wherever they choose vs. those who believe it should be stopped.
Can I suggest something? If you are a Christ follower, then your response to these issues should be the same as Christ. You should strive for peace. No, let me correct that. You should do more than simply strive for peace, you should be a maker of peace. You should be one who goes the extra mile to find the common ground on which intelligent, thoughtful discussion can take place. Where emotions are not allowed to control the conversation. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything others say about an issue, but you should lead the way in showing respect to those who disagree with you.
At the beginning of this week, I read an excellent article on the Church Marketing Sucks website. Brad Abare wrote a great post called “Opposing or Embracing Muslims.” In his post, he tells the story of two pastors who respond very differently to the issue of Muslims building mosques. I’d like to quote part of that post for you, but encourage you to go and read the whole thing at his site.
The opposition for the Muslim community in Southern California includes Bill Rench, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, which is located near the site of the potential mosque. Says Rench, “The Islamic foothold is not strong here, and we really don’t want to see their influence spread.” Not only that, but Christianity and Islam “mix like oil and water” he said. According to the Times, Rench predicted a “confrontational atmosphere” if plans for the new mosque move forward.
On the other end of the spectrum is Reverend Williamson, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Columbia, Tennessee. Williamson’s story is revered by professor Akbar Ahmed in the NPR story. A local mosque had been burnt down and some had vandalized the remaining property with graffiti and swastikas. Instead of condoning the opposition and wishing Muslims to get out of town, Pastor Williamson gave the Muslim community the keys to the Presbyterian church. “This from now on can be used as your house of worship.”
As Abare points out, both tell very different stories. Both communicate very different messages.
So, am I off here? Am I way out in left field when I suggest that those who follow Christ should actually lead the way in being peacemakers when issues like these arise? Yes, we need to guard ourselves from the danger of compromising our beliefs in some of these areas, but can we not do that and still demonstrate respect for those who believe something different?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
I picked up the delirious? Farewell Tour DVD this weekend and have listened to it a few times. Love their music.
One of my favourite delirious? songs is Find Me In The River. I’ve been singing that song all weekend. Such a deeply honest, raw song about waiting on God when facing difficult trials. While things are going very good for me right now, I do know that many people at Bikers’ Church are facing difficult days. So, here are the lyrics.
Find me in the river
Find me on my knees
I’ve walked against the water
Now I’m waiting if you pleaseWe’ve longed to see the roses
But never felt the thorns
And bought our pretty crowns
But never paid the priceFind me in the river
Find me there
Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare
Even though you’re gone and I’m cracked and dry
Find me in the river, I’m waiting hereFind me in the river
Find me on my knees
I’ve walked against the water
Now I’m waiting if you pleaseWe didn’t count on suffering
We didn’t count on pain
But if the blessing’s in the valley
Then in the river I will wait
If you’re going through a difficult time, don’t stop waiting on God. He is there.
Last night, I was reminded again of what it’s like to be part of a church family. We celebrated with a number of our members in a water baptism service. To be honest, the service was one of the best I’ve ever experienced.
But not the entire service. The preaching was mediocre at best. I can say that, because I was the one doing the preaching. I couldn’t get any momentum. Even as I was speaking, I was telling myself that I wasn’t getting any traction. I rambled. I sucked. I kept skipping over stuff in my notes. It was one of those messages that I have to simply accept as being less that average.
Normally, when I fail to even hit the ball on a sermon, I go home very miserable discouraged. For those who speak regularly, you know how much emotion and energy goes into a message. When everything works, you go home on a bit of a high. When it doesn’t … well, you roll-up-in-a-ball-and-suck-your-thumb need your space.
If it wasn’t for how the rest of the evening went, I would have gone home very discouraged. And yet, I found myself so excited riding home. It was simply an amazing service.
Two things happened that made it so. First, during worship I felt strongly impressed to say a word of encouragement to those who were battling major obstacles. I said a few words, then invited those who needed prayer to stand. So many stood. Then, others stood with them, putting a hand on a shoulder, or an arm around a brother. We prayed for them. We’ve only done something like that one or two other times, and it’s always a powerful moment. It’s a strong visual of the kind of family Bikers’ Church truly is.
The other thing that really knocked my socks off was the water baptisms. We had four people scheduled to be baptized. One couldn’t be there because of a sick child. So, we had the other three go into the tank and share their story. Each was great. I love hearing how God is changing a person’s heart and life. Then, I asked if anyone else wanted to be baptized. A woman came forward. Then, a young junior high boy asked his parents if he could be baptized. My heart got excited at what was happening.
Finally, we were done. Marty closed the night off in prayer, and we turned off the camera.
And then, it happened.
We have a guy who has been coming for some time now who is in a wheelchair. He was in an accident about 10 years ago and suffered some brain damage. Until he started coming out to Bikers’ Church, he was pretty much a loner. The staff who cared for him couldn’t get him to do much of anything. They say he is a completely different person since he started coming out to BC.
All through the service, and while I was asking if anyone else wanted to be baptized, he would raise his hand, trying to get my attention. I didn’t respond, because I didn’t want to put his worker on the spot.
But after we wrapped up the service, one of our guys came up to me. “He really wants to be baptized. Any chance we can make it happen?”
So, I called out to everyone. “We have one more person wanting to be baptized!” The crowd came back around our tank, and a few of our guys lifted him out of his wheelchair and into the tank. And, we baptized him.
The cheers were incredible. The smile on his face said it all.
It was then, as I looked around at the ragtag group of people who make up Bikers’ Church, that it hit me once again. This is a family. An incredible family. One I am so very blessed to be a part.
You see, there are some people who think they can experience the spiritual journey on their own. They don’t need to attend church or join with a group of people to know God. Personally, I think God values relationships too much to allow us to take this journey alone. He wants to be in relationship with us, and he also wants us to be in relationship with others.
I can’t imagine not being part of such an incredible spiritual family.
Thank you, Bikers’ Church.