HCLM BLOG

“Why do I feel the urge to serve, why do I know it’s the right thing to do?” Until this evening I couldn’t put my finger on why. A lot of folks say it's because we are called to build the kingdom of God to to bring it in. But we don’t build or bring the Kingdom...Jesus has and does. We’ve our hands full trying to live in it. Jesus inagurated the Kingdom and invites us to enter in as citizens, born not of parents ascent but by the will of the father through the blood of the king himself. Living under the reign of Jesus involves every big decision we make in our lives and a hundred small decisions every day. The thing is that life in his Kingdom, under his reign is affected by a different ethic than this world. Jesus is not a King like this world has ever seen, and his Kingdom is not like one this world has ever known. Here, the first is the last. The greatest is the servant of all. Here justice is impenetrable and unassailable and left completely to the perogative of the King...unquestioned. As I live, a citizen only (not a builder, in my best days an ambassador) fully submitted to the king, I find myself serving. Not to bring the kingdom but because I’m a citizen of it. It is a small distinction in words but huge in my conception, and experience.

Soo what do you think? I recently made it back to my High School Reunion. That's 10 year for those that are keeping track. It was an interesting experience; but not overwhelming in either a good or bad way. I have not really kept in touch with anyone from my class (over 500 from Lake Mary my year); though I suppose in the age of online social networks that means something different than it used to. Nevertheless it was fun to see those old friends; but also a little weird. People clumping as they did in high school. I found myself giving the same sort of awkward smile and head nod I gave to the same people I used to pass in the hall 10 years ago .

Once we left Megan mentioned: isn't it sort of weird. Talking with these people as if you know each other: when a lot about you has changed in 10 years.

I thought about that for awhile and wanted to agree 100% Because I know I've changed. But even so there was something comfortable about it. I can remember telling my parents that relationships were more important that grades in high school (ahh the melo-dramitic trials of a high-school student). I guess some things don't change. I may even manage to be friends again with some of those old high school folk. Maybe they've changed too.

Chris texted me the other day with the news that the Magic traded Rafer Alston and some other guys for Vince Carter. I don't really know who Vince Carter is (remember I'm admittedly a bandwagon Magic fan) but Alston sure looked like a stud during the finals.In other trade talk: this morning I saw that the Cardinals traded for Mark Derosa. This is good news for them, they needed another strong right handed bat to keep them in the running for their division title (remember that baseball is a thinking man's game so naturally I follow it much more that the NBA).

On a team it is so easy to see: you need the right people to get where you want to go.

I recently got to talk to a group of pastors. We were talking about the call of followers of Jesus in his kingdom. I made the point that you hear a lot: people capital are the only capital that matters. You no longer need a lever long enough to move the world, you just need the right people. Jesus knew that when he picked his followers, I wonder if we remember that.

Where do you want to go? If you're going to get there, you need the right people in your life. This is certainly true for business, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean what sort of life do you want to live? What sort of person do you want to be? What sort of things do you want to be engaged in? What sort of social life are you interested in?

If we are going to live, we need to have people in our lives; if we are going to live on purpose, we need to be intentional about who they are.

So I thought I might try to say something theological about how we are serving God by being good Fathers. That's true and there is much to talk about there, but I don't particularly want to take the energy to say that today.

Instead it has occurred to me, now that I have a son who can talk to me, how rewarding being a father is. I mean the first year was hard work, and fun but I wouldn't use the word rewarding. Now as I can start to see that the choices I make everyday are impacting not only myself, but this miniature person that is around all the time, I can see how the whole fatherhood deal could be really rewarding. I can't imagine what it feels like when the kid is all grown up and making decisions and life choices how cool that will be.