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Archive for the ‘Dailyness…’ Category

Like a Punch in the Faith…

So… is it more like a “punch in the face” or a “punch in the faith”??? Right now the jury is still out as I work through the latest in a string of transitions for our life in Olympia, WA. What am I talking about? Actually, I’m talking about “punching a clock face on faith…” meh. Or, something like that… All kidding aside, I started a new job today. Laurie started hers last week. With both of us in our (whispers…) “forties,” it feels a little odd starting over again. I think it was especially odd feeling for me when I was clearly one of the oldest people in the room; there was definitely a generational divide. Much to my joy, there didn’t seem to be any notice of this from the other “newbies” in my training class.

What does this have to do with faith? Everything… I think. Can I take a minute to explain? Okay, bear with me a minute.

Me = first day at work. I’m a growing (ever so gracefully) older man entering a young-adult-entry-level customer service job. My first inclination is to say; “Self, what in the world are you doing here?” I look around and begin to feel scared and/or sorry for myself. I begin to fantasize about doing anything but what I’m doing at the moment. I start to project forward in time to when I am no longer doing the work I’m doing, but something more gratifying and satisfying. Then I remember why I am where I am… Faith. Faith brought me to where I am. Following Jesus brought me to Olympia. Part of Olympia is my willingness to say “yes” to God and trust His leading and His provision. Part of His provision is through my new employer. My obedience to God translates to my becoming a blessing to my employer; all of the sudden the paradigm of my predicament flip-flops and turns from destination depression to divine direction. And that’s how it happens; being led by the Spirit.

It is all too easy to follow the path of self. We do it all the time; protecting self, defending self, boasting self, exalting self, feeding self…self, self, self. However, the journey of following Jesus is about self denial and that presupposes that one scenario will exclude the other. Self cannot follow Jesus; He said so (Luke 14:25-27 and Matthew 16:24). So anyway, pushing self aside and listening instead to the Spirit we find our way to purpose and living in harmony with God. We find our way to unity with the Spirit and advancement of God’s Kingdom and His divine Purpose. And, this is where my day ended… Joyfully exuberant that God would see me feeling as though I were “punched in the face” and reminding me that I was practicing a punch in my faith. So, when I “punch my clock” each morning at my God given new job… I’ll delightfully remember that He brought me to where I am and He’ll teach me, guide me, and use me in the purposes of His choosing all for His glory. I’ll remember to leave self at home.

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The Move to Olympia: 10 Days Later

We’re still getting settled… slowly but surely we’re getting settled in. We are still unpacking boxes, although it has slowed down dramatically. It’s more like; “where is such and such?” “Oh, I think I saw it in the box with blah-blah-blah.” And, then the hunt is on. In the mean time, life has been gearing up and going on. We just got cable-internet yesterday, so our communication has been hindered a bit (thus the slacking updates). Anyway…here is a summary of the past week and a half.

Deals and Details… Jehovah Jireh I

You will remember that we sold our Chevy SUV with the plan to purchase a smaller and more economical car when we arrived. We had asked for prayer that we would be discerning and wise with the direction we went. I am confident that prayer was favorably answered by God with the purchase of our “new-used” 2005 Ford Taurus. We actually ended up with a final (before tax and license) price on the Taurus for just under our selling price of the TrailBlazer! We are all pleased with the vehicle and it will suit our needs perfectly. Thank you all for your prayers and all praise to God for His provision!

We also got a “smokin’” deal (pun intended) on a gas grill. Our old grill had literally burned itself out; we like to grill a lot. We had a very small budget for the grill and I was shopping prices as we were bopping around various stores in our travels this past week. We figured that we weren’t going to get out the door for less than $129.00 for a grill and realized that price point was pretty cheap workmanship (in other words, the grill might only last a season or two at best). Fast-forward:::: We hit a Lowes and found a close-out on a higher quality grill, although the close-out price was still over our $129 budget. I went home and thought it over and decided it was a better move to stretch a little on the budget and get better quality. The next day I arrived at the Lowes and the grill had been sold. I asked if there were more in stock to find a display model still available. The sales mgr made me a deal of $120.00 for the floor model and “BAM” we were sold. But wait! There’s more… Some details on delivery and our not having a truck ensued and we dickered and bartered for a bit to finally land on a price that was over our budget when deliver was included. I thought we still made a decent deal, so went home to wait on our delivery later in the week. The next day, we happened to borrow our friend’s minivan and I thought we’d try to fit the grill in and save the delivery charges. To my surprise, the sales mgr offered to drop the price even more on the grill to a final price of $99.99!!! The original price was $269.99 and our final take home price was $99.99 netting a savings of $170.00 “WooT”

Employment… Jehovah Jireh II

Laurie and I both were able to secure employment before we “officially” landed in Olympia; what a great God of provision we have! Laurie started work this week at the front desk of an Optometrist office and has had a great week as she tells it. Not only is her work going well, but the office staff is full of Christ followers! We (Josh and I) were able to meet them (all of the staff) this week when we were invited to the Lake Fair with them for lunch. Although our time was short and very limited, we enjoyed their company and conversation.

I completed the new hire paperwork for my new job this week. I officially start and begin my eight weeks of training next week. The job will be providing technical support in a call center… déjà vu. Yes, this is where I started out 10 years ago with Adelphia. Hopefully, the old “just like riding a bike” adage will prove true in my case and I’ll be able to pick up where I left off after a brief reorientation time. Please continue to keep both Laurie and I in your prayers as we transition to our new jobs and that as we do, we will continue to reflect Jesus in all that we do.

Church, church, and church…

The pastors (Dan, Matt, Me) of the church we are planting, Trinity Community Church, met for the first time this past week. My impressions were that it was a wonderful visit and conversation. I continue to marvel at the work that God has done to bring us together and how similarly our hearts are intertwined with the vision of creating this special community. We are still waiting for God to provide the fourth pastor in our plurality of leadership, so please continue to pray for this individual (whoever it may be). Also, continue to pray that we would be sensitive to the guiding hand of God’s Holy Spirit as we press on with this wonderful vision.

We have not started to meet formally as a church… just as a leadership; although we are having community dinners with folks we have met since arriving. These meetings/dinners are providing us the opportunity to get to know one another, but we’re not actually teaching and experiencing a corporate worship environment. We are visiting local faith communities to get a feel for what God is doing in the Olympia area. I’ve had the opportunity to worship with two different communities thus far and my partners have been following this model as well. I think this will provide us with information and context for what God may have planned for TCC when we officially launch.

This past week we visited the Free Methodist Church in Olympia (Light & Life Bible Fellowship). We connected with the heart of the pastor (Larry) as he shared the message and Word of God. At the end of the service we introduced ourselves (the Borden family) to Pastor Larry and shared a time of conversation. The L&LBF church is doing some wonderful things in the Olympia community and I am encouraged by the active heart for God’s Kingdom that our Free Methodist Church has from coast to coast.

Potpourri

I know several of you readers have asked for photos. I am still trying to get them processed for displaying on the web and I’m also trying to get fully unpacked and “house-arranged” so we can take some pictures that don’t have boxes in them. I promise to get a faithful representation of our digs once we get all moved in… I might even be able to swing a short video. Until then, here’s a small mix of pics we’ve taken since the last day or two on the road until now.

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For the past week and a half I have been in Olympia, WA (or in journey to it). My access to my blog has been limited; I’m typing this with thumbs from my cell phone. I know there are faithful, praying brothers and sisters in Christ who may not be getting updates to the latest news in the life of the Borden family, so I felt the need to respond “thumbnaciously.”

I will update with greater detail and share some of my journal entries in the coming week, but for now…just the facts: I secured a job upon arrival to Olympia that provides healthcare benefits for the family, I secured living arrangements within a school dist. that meets with our needs, and we are already establishing a spiritual-community network base. All of this a gift of God’s provision and to Him goes the glory.

Our need is great as we still need to raise $5,000.00 (plus) for our relocation. We are selling many of our possessions, but are far short of our need. Please continue to pray, or if you can and are willing, click on the “support ministry” link above to find information how to help us financially.

More to come next week.

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Dear faithful readers… I apologize for the lack of updates on the blog lately. I’ve been doing this (the icrucified website and blog) for going on eight years now. Long before blogging became in vogue or the marketing tool that it is for so many people today. I’ve blogged as a means of accountability for my life mission and goals and to keep in touch with my friends and family. During my blog history there have been ebbs and flows of my words; life does that. I hope you understand.

So, let me catch you up on the latest Scoop from the Borden Clan.

For the next few days we’ll be in West Point, NY for the commencement exercises leading up to the graduation of our eldest son, Stefan, from the United States Military Academy. There will be much pomp and circumstance over the next few days and we plan to update you through some of the other social networking vehicles I’ve come to enjoy (Twitter and Facebook). I’m sure you’ll see some pictures here too at some point or another.

We are continuing our transition planning our departure from Western, NY and excited about our cross-country move to Olympia, WA. If you are unaware of what this is all about, you can find out more here (and you might consider partnering with us financially to help us offset the moving expenses). There will be much more on this endeavor as the dates of the move draw nearer, but for now…we are still trying to tie up loose ends and make the departure a smooth one as we leave our existing ministry responsibilities with new and capable hands. Next week I will be leaving to join one of our new ministry team members in Southern California. We will drive together north to Olympia, WA where I will help him and his family move in to their home and (hopefully) find a new residence for the Borden family. Please keep this in prayer. I am also hopeful that I will get at least one job interview as we will need employment to support us during the first stages of our new church plant.

Our big move date is tentatively scheduled for June 30^th and as I said we are only about one-third of the way to gathering the costs of relocation. We are selling many of our personal belongings including our automobile (we’ll buy a smaller and older model vehicle when we arrive in Washington with the proceeds…again, hopefully).

Finally, and most importantly, we are greatly encouraged during this season with the abundant presence of God in our life. He is guiding and “speaking” to us daily in so many ways. As I recently told a treasured friend of ours; “Finally, my heart and head are exploding with Holy Spirit inspired meditation, contemplation, planning, and ideating.” I can’t wait to share more with you all. Please keep us in prayer, and stay tuned!

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Or Faith that Transforms?

One of the most agonizing things I experience as a Christian, and especially as a minister-pastor, is the struggle that I witness people go through in the process of their faith. I remember a saying we used when I was growing up in the Pentecostal church that we would use to describe folks that were going through particularly difficult times (specifically the inner changes that were part of the ongoing process of transforming sanctification). We would say, “Brother or sister so-in-so really needs to get the victory.” I think about this a lot these days. I’ve been leading, mentoring, counseling, and discipling people in the ways of Christ for quite a few years now; not a lifetime, but enough years to see the trends. The thing I have noticed is the “lack of victory” so many people display in their lives. It’s almost as if the Christian life is a life of drudgery and “beat down” for them. They exhibit very little joy and almost always are teetering on the verge of being sucked back into their old life (Christianese alert::::) aka backsliding.

Eugene Peterson’s Message Bible paraphrases this portion of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 7:14-23) as follows:

I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience? Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

This might sound even more depressing if it weren’t for (as Paul Harvey used to say…) “the rest of the story.”

Romans 7:24-25 — ²⁴ I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? ²⁵ The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

What does it mean? It means we can get the VICTORY. We can live a life free from the continuous and tumultuous “pushing and pulling” against our soul of sin. We don’t have to live the Romans 7 life; we are freed to live the Spirit-filled life of the Romans 8 saint.

The Problem:

Why do Christians stay in the realm of Romans 7? I can’t say for sure, but I have a pretty strong theory. I think, like so many things, we simply add Christian faith to our lives like we do any other supplemental stage of life or personal development tool. We have the propensity to approach Christianity with “Transformer Mentality” bolting on to our lives something that will make us a better person…or something that will fix the problem I’m in so I can resume my life. And, the majority of time…the vast majority of time, this approach fails us. The Transformer-bolt-on-Jesus approach to Christianity and faith in the Living God is the antithesis of the “Follow Me and Count the Cost” call of Jesus Christ. Faith in God is not an upgrade package to an over cluttered life. Faith in God, becoming a disciple of Christ, is a complete life overhaul…and must be counted as such.

You Must Be Born Again…

What do we think when Jesus declared to Nicodemus; “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3).  In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 14:25-33) Jesus is even more explicit in his demands for becoming his follower (disciple). He says we must deny self and give up everything or we cannot become his disciple. He gives an illustration for “dying to self” in order to become “reborn” in the passages of John’s Gospel (John 12:24) as follows:

²⁴ I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

The faith, the life, that Jesus offers us is not Transformer Faith; it is FAITH THAT TRANSFORMS! The Apostle Paul writes; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Don’t settle for “bolt-on” faith; go for the real deal and the Victory that is eternal… Faith that Transforms.

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I begin with part one of my Reveille series although it might serve more as an extended introduction; I’m calling it part one anyway. Please feel free to share comments in the comments section of this post or you can send them to me through email. I am interested in any thoughts, comments, and discussion.

“Lord, make me see thy glory in every place.”
— Michelangelo

“Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I accomplish.”
— Michelangelo

I continue to sense a discontent in my spirit. I am not downcast, I am not discouraged, but I am not satisfied. I read the pages of God’s Word and see people invited into something miraculous and divine and I want it. I sense the Spirit of God alive in me; hungering for community with similarly awakened souls. I feel the unction and commission of God to spread this Good News; that God has invited us to share His Spirit…He desires to dwell within us, and give us resurrected life in the present and in the now. I speak these words to people today and hear them affirm the words, but discern doubt in their heart. While this may sound judgmental, I am inclined to examine the fruit…and where there is none or there is little, I question the veracity of the root system and the soil of that individual’s life.

I am determined to live the life taught in the gospels. I am determined to build upon the foundations and teaching of the apostle-disciples and I will not be quieted. A curious phenomenon has emerged during this season of my life; when I talk or share my thoughts about this brooding of my spirit, the most common response from others is to encourage me or try to “fix” me. The problem is I don’t see myself as the one needing “fixed” or “encouraged.” You see, I know it is God, The Holy Spirit, who has “broken” me and I don’t want this brokenness to be fixed. God has placed a hunger for Himself in my soul and nothing less than overflowing portions of HIM satisfies. For this reason, I am mystified when I encounter others who profess love for and relationship with Jesus, but seek their satisfaction from worldly endeavors. I don’t get it.

I know the call to follow Christ is one that demands everything. I know that once we have given our life to Christ, we are given to the mission of Christ. Therefore, any agenda other than the mission of God is anti-Christ (see Matthew 12:30).

I am just ending a 60-day meditation in the Gospel of Matthew. Some things I take away from it are (1) the incredible life that Jesus offers to us; both on this earth and in this physical life and the immortal-eternal life spent (physically) with Him in the new heaven and new earth, and (2) the incredibly narrow path and high bar that life calls us to be accountable to until Christ returns or our physical life ends.

Highlighting the fifth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus begins to teach the precepts of His Kingdom; for living now and tomorrow-eternal. I believe, in my own words, the Beatitudes, which depict true followers of Christ, can be summarized as follows:

1. True disciples are dependent upon God
2. True disciples are discontent with the sin nature
3. True disciples are confident in their Christian position
4. True disciples  desire to reconcile and restore God’s Kingdom
5. True disciples are compassionate, patient, forgiving, and merciful
6. True disciples are innocent and childlike in their purity of heart, not cynical, skeptical, doubting, flippant, and/or selfish
7. True disciples are “reconcilers” (and this should not be confused with compromiser)
8. True disciples willingly release their rights and/or lives for the sake of and salvation of others

Indeed, Jesus raises the bar for those who answer the call to “follow him.” Jesus makes it very clear (Matthew 5:13-16) that our Christian faith and our ability to reflect the image of God (Imago Dei) is a non-negotiable. Jesus says we will truly reflect His glory, or we will be “thrown out.” He says our acts of mercy, justice, healing, and righteousness should illuminate our world (community). He goes on to make clear (Matthew 5:17-20) that we “do not misunderstand why he has come…” Jesus says; “Unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Ouch. If these words do not convey accurately his intent; I find these closing words difficult to argue with; “You are to be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

I have been reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians and from the prophet Jeremiah this morning. The following passages captured my attention:

Colossians chapter one –

• vs 1: “…chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.”
• vs 6: “This good news is bearing fruit everywhere changing lives…”
• vs 9-10: “…God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.”
• vs 25: “God has given me the responsibility of serving His church by proclaiming His entire message to you…”
• vs 27: “The message; CHRIST LIVES IN YOU!”
• vs 28: “…so we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect (mature) in their relationship to Christ.”
• vs 29: “That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”

Jeremiah chapter one –

• vs 7: “You must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you…”
• vs 9-10: “Look I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”
• vs 17: “…Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them.

I do not know what this next season is on the horizon and I’m not sure when it will fully break into the “now,” but I am very aware that God has been stirring me for a long time and the next season will bring change. I vow faithfulness to Jesus, my Savior, my God. I know, in my heart, I trust Him implicitly.

“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
— Michelangelo

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I’ve taken a bit of a blogging break over the past month. It’s not like I haven’t had much to say, but more like I haven’t been able to fully express it. I’ve been working out some things in my head that I feel in my heart as I’ve been reading, praying, and meditating over the past several months. I am sure that I will be sharing these things in the coming weeks as I finally feel ready to start putting the thoughts to paper and work them out in a more formal way… (Warning) I don’t have everything figured out (I doubt I ever will), but I am feeling pretty confident and affirmed in what has been stirring me for some time now.

More to come…

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I have quite a few photos that I never posted over the Summer… I had stuff going on that was pressing for my attention and never really got around to it. I seem to be finding “holes” in my schedule now (Thank you Jesus) and will try to upload them into galleries for viewing as I get the chance. Here is a gallery from a local Balloon Festival in Dansville, NY. We got up early one morning during this three day event and were treated to some cool sights and colorful balloons.

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Hey icrucified blog readers, sorry that I’ve been neglecting you guys. My “plate” has been really full lately on a different front and I simply haven’t had the creative energy to maintain my responsibilities and regular posting on my blog. I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now, so I wanted you to know that semi-regular to regular posting will resume soon enough.

“What have I been up to;” you ask?

• Maintaining my relationship with Jesus
• Being a Husband
• Being a Father
• I’ve been spending time working on development and launch of the fall programming at our church
• In the process of a complete rebuild of our church website (see it in process here)
• Organizing and directing the fall small groups ministries and keeping up with weekly curriculum requirements
• Beginning a new adult Sunday school class (studying and preparing curriculum) – Spiritual Formation: Creating a Personal Rule of Life
• Directing the next steps in our maturing community outreach ministry Master’s Hand. This ministry has grown over the last two years and has needed some attention in the area of policy and procedure oversight. If we are to grow in the direction God is leading us, it is imperative that we implement policy guidelines for this ministry.
• Staying atop of my book review obligations.
• Personal mentoring and discipleship counseling
• Unplanned ministry opportunities… Divine distractions
• Preparing to move to a new apartment (just across the street, but we got to move nonetheless)

So, yeah…my plate is full, but God is awesome in my life. Living a rich and abundant life in the counsel and Presence of the Most High God is the most incredible and fulfilling experience of my life. I love it…and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Praise Him!

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Bleh.

I don’t like distractions.

I don’t like that I don’t like distractions.

I know enough to know that each and every distraction holds within it the opportunity to grow spiritually and to bring glory to God. So, distractions bug me. They bug me because they remind me of how messed up I am…when I think of my own discomfort or inconvenience before asking God what His intent for the distraction is (was) for in the first place.

He is Sovereign. He is Omniscient…

I think, many times… My distraction is His attempt to get my attention. I should worry less and be perturbed less with the distraction. I should be joyful that my God loves me enough to distract me… and, I should seek to gain that for which He distracted me in the first place.

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