Mr. Decker’s Blog

Change… It’s the buzz-watchword on the political scene… CHANGE we can believe in. Well, if it comes down to a vote - count me in. However, perhaps we are merely voting for a change - instead of being willing to work for it, as well.

I am sincerely hopeful that the new surge of interest in things, political will truly usher in a modern day of activism. However, I am most hopeful that the American people will become active within their own communities in more concrete ways than in simple support for a candidate. For instance - many ‘pro-lifers’ vote a certain way - then proceed to passively ignore the needy lives in the nearby shelters or community centers - right in their own neighborhoods. If I am truly pro-life - that means I must be pro-unborn life, pro-teenage life, pro-homeless person life, pro-Iraqi life… and I also need to do more than just vote on my beliefs.

We desperately need HOPE again in our culture. I recently asked a round of our Teen 12-Step members what they were hopeful for… and, none had an answer. So, in my mind, if we as Americans can find leadership that inspires hope once again, then, we dare not lose the opportunity. Consider what one politician with a passion for hope and justice can achieve in a nation. Recall the night of April 4, 1968 when Robert Kennedy got the news of the assasination of Martin Luther King, Jr. He was on a campaign stop in Indiana… about to speak to a largely African American audience who had not yet learned of the tragedy. His calm, peaceful plea to love and to not hate, touched the hearts of all in that audience - and cascaded into the hearts of his countymen everywhere in the nation… Who knows what violence and revenge were avoided then, by one man’s heartfelt rhetoric?

Maybe we now can seize a new chance to dream of better things again. We know the issues that plague us… what we also know is this - they will go unsolved unless hearts are turned from apathy to hope. That goes for Washington DC, as well as the playground on Washington Street in your hometown. Vote for it… with your feet… with a life choice, not just a voting booth voice. Scatter some hope around, and see what grows. Yes, we can. All of us.

Jesus said that “life” should flow out of his children… Why then do we try and suck life from empty sources? Drink deep from the true water of life - and then, spill out some hope. Let it run in your street. Let it flow into homes where sad people live. Hope springs eternal… and it’s right up there with love. I like to hear those kind of truths being talked about again. It’s been a long time since 1968… and our nation sure looks the worse for the wear. I see it in our children’s empty eyes. And, I hope for better things.

I was thinking about the recent sporting news that announced Mike Lowell signed on with the Red Sox for another three years. After hearing about the 37 -or-so-million dollar contract on the radio - I related the information to my 13 year old daughter. And, in the telling of it, I felt a bit sad about the world that she is growing up in.

When I was her age, Carl Yazstremski played for Boston… as did Rico Petrocelli and Tony C… Al Kaline and Norm Cash were Detroit Tigers, and Thurman Munson was a hated Yankee. Henry Aaron? The Braves… Willy Mays? Giants? Roberto Clemente? Pittsburgh. Of course. These players formed our regional identity. You couldn’t imagine them in another uniform - and you got the feeling they couldn’t either. We all belonged.

You see, back then - the Team was more important than the players who were ON the team. Athletes belonged to a franchise - and in doing so, gave up some of their own personal rights. They played for the city and it’s people - not just for their own fame, fortune and subsequent contract  to be secured with the highest bidder. I am not sure where or when it all changed… but it is surely not for the better. Now, each year, the “hometown team” is a new collection of rich men, playing with the hopes of yet improving their lot for the next season; if only they can amass good stats.

It’s the same in other sports. I am glad for the Celtics recent success - but it has been purchased - not earned the old fashioned way - through hard work, player development and practice. Kevin Garnett is a huge talent  - but a Celtic? I guess so… For that matter, I am just getting used to watching Randy Moss in a Patriot uniform, and already in mid-season, the talk is much conjecture about where he will catch passes next year.

Since faith comes to play in all things, I am reminded, in all of this, of the Christmas season upcoming, where God (who’s really famous and has quite a fortune) demonstrated His unselfish love for mankind by negotiating a contract which called for him to step down out of glory - and into a lowly stable. He (Jesus) gave up all claims to prestige and power in order to redeem a race of people who really didn’t even seem to care much. He gave up personal power in order to purchase a priceless and powerful salvation - for others… not for Himself. He did it for our ol’ Human league… and for the city. Our city.

He’s really different than us. I want my daughter to know that…  In a nation that even puts the name ”Idol” on it’s constant seach for more stars - the contrast is quite profound. True worship isn’t ever idol worship. It’s a whole lot different… and it has quite a lasting affect on those who believe.

So… welcome back to Boston, Mike Lowell… and hurry back to earth - Jesus. We need you, now.

I have been studying the book of 1st Corinthians from the Bible, in order to prepare for our new “cafe style” evening service at our church. We call it Jericho Roots, as it is designed to get us rooted and grounded in truth. As I was going through that book, it struck me - that this was just a letter written to church folks… by the Apostle Paul. He had a lot to say - but most of it was geared toward the problems they were having in “just getting along.”

There’s a misconception that Christians have it “together” or at least they try to appear that way. Nothing could be further from the real truth. Look at the language Paul uses. In the first chapter (verse 7) he tells them that God has given them every spiritual gift they need… so whether it was hospitality or healing… tongues or teaching - they were loaded. BUT! A few paragraphs later (chapter 3) he tells them they aren’t even spiritual people! They are immature, selfish and like “babies”… In many Christian circles, spiritual gifts are sought after like treasures… but they clearly don’t equal a lifestyle that is pleasing to God. So, what does???

I grew up in a tradition that said - “It is Bible study that makes you mature…” Well, it surely is important - but learning can also make you arrogant and set in your ways. I have met many folks with incredible knowledge - but not much spirituality… I always ask the question; “Do they remind me of Jesus?” Sadly, the obvious answer is too often, “Not really.”

So, how do we get mature? I had this discussion with a pastor friend of mine - and the answer we arrived at was the simple one… Jesus said “unless you learn to become unselfish… you can’t follow Me.” (paraphrased from Luke 9) So, if we learn to be “giving people” - not giving to feel good - but to make sure others are actually treated more importantly than we are - THEN we find the secret. We grow up. Our knowledge becomes effective and our gifts get used for their correct purposes - to build up somebody else…

We try to teach the teens in our Jairus 12 Step that - Today is not about them… that they have the chance to create a peaceful environment around them that flows from the inside out - and results in the blessing of others. The source of that kind of life-flow is found in Forgiveness and Grace. Some of them are getting it. Indeed, they are the real spiritual people in my life. Maybe someday, some of them might even come to church.

His name was Andrew… he was 13 years old. He was a bright, funloving kid…

At Soulfest ‘06 (www.thesoulfest.com) Andrew caught a true glimpse of just how much God loved him, and that absolutely revolutionized his young life. He filled out the Soulfest Pledge (you can too, online) and thus, committed to live everyday for God’s higher purposes of love. Andrew carried that heart declaration, home from the festival - to his own neighborhood.

Andrew lived it out, too. He looked for simple ways to better his family, school, and community every day. He began to invite his friends to his church youth group. He wanted them to know the passion that his own soul had realized. Sadly, his group of pals seemed uninterested. “They don’t want to come,” exclaimed Andrew to his mother. “I just don’t understand why not.”

In March ‘07, some six months after the Soulfest event, Andrew contracted meningitis and passed away. Despite the efforts of the doctors, and the prayers of his family, he slipped quietly from this life - to meet the Jesus that his soul had loved, face to face. It was hard to understand how a loving God could take Andrew at such a young age… with so much “life” ahead of him. Until…

The Sunday after he died… a large number of Andrew’s friends showed up at his church youth group for the very first time, wanting to know about the Truth that had taken hold of their friend Andrew. 17 of them ‘gave their lives’ to Jesus - picking up the life-pledge that Andrew had left behind. From heaven’s balcony - I am sure Andrew was exuberant. He had laid his own life down when he had picked up the passion of the cross - just like the One who had first carried it… Andrew understood what we must all come to know; that life is a gift to be given to others - and that there truly is a God who shows us how that is done. He modeled it for us 2,000 years ago.

Andrew’s mom came to Soulfest again this summer… and gave us a photo of her deceased son. We took a nail, a hung that photo on the 12 foot cross beside the main stage. It remained there for the four days of the festival… and remains in my heart this morning.

A friend of mine gave me a riddle over breakfast recently… It went something like this…

Picture a giant sequoia tree. Huge… full of life. It towers over the forest, and gives birth to many hundreds of other great tree-lives in the surrounding area. You can tunnel through such a tree - it’s big enough to steer a truck right through - and it still thrives. You could tell the tale of modern history if you could examine it’s great trunk and growth rings. So… The question is - if you had no power tools or blades… nothing but your own self - how could you kill such a tree?

I thought about what the answer could be. I cannot control the weather - so I could not arrange to cause a deep drought. Even so, the roots of the giant sequoia go so low into the earth, that it finds life-sustaining water far beneath the surface. I could not block the sun… I cannot create a great wind - and even if I could, a sequoia would withstand any fierce gale. So, how could one kill such a strong, great life?

The answer?    When it was young.    You could stroll by the forest floor and pluck out a sequoia “seedling” with the smallest of efforts.

And, so it is with the riddle of our great lives. The Sower has spread good seed upon the earth; while the enemy of our souls attempts his best work - his most destructive ways - upon our youth. Abuse them… discourage them… tell them they are worthless… addict them… spoil them… distract them - while they are young. So many young people will never reach the strength and height of God’s great ”sequoia” plan for their lives, because they were snatched from greatness while they were yet, young.

I have a friend who organized a “family meeting” the other night. There was no emergency… just a desire for improved communication and better understanding. He told me though, that what he found most interesting, were the ‘personal prespectives’ from each family member as they went around the room from oldest to youngest, sharing their opinions and concerns.

Each child, in turn, gave their views of the family condition - based on their own ‘feelings’ and on how things affected them personally. Comments such as…”When this happens, I feel…” Or, “I don’t like it when…” were commonplace. Nothing unusal about that, per se. But, it struck me… these parents had arranged to have the family meet initially, because they wanted to learn what the kids were feeling. They didn’t come needing to share anything themselves neccesarily - but just to listen, instead.

Now, this is not an indictment against young people’s perspectives - but it does appear that there is a reached ‘tipping point’ when we finally mature enough to realize that we are only role players in a large group production… not center stage in some lead role of life. When we do ultimately discover that; it allows us to look across a room and care about what another’s concern or condition may be - with equal weight to our own issues. That certainly reduces the amount of ‘drama’ required in the presentation of life as it plays out all around us. Sadly, some folks journey all through life, deprived of that realization, due to some extreme need, or wound, which does not allow them to lift their head and see the needs and hurts of others.

In our Jairus Teen 12 Step, we recognize when a young person is ‘getting it’ by the amount of time they spend listening to their peers, without constantly interjecting their own responses based on immediate feelings. To be self consumed is to be unsatisfied… and to dwell on your personal disatisfaction sours your environment… I was on the phone with a friend the other day and was amazed at the disrespect and discord that could be heard in the background. Isn’t home supposed to be a safe haven? Well… not if it is only the place where individuals come, in order to take care of their personal needs. A home is a place for family… and family looks out for each other. My daughter’s life can be no less imporatant than my own. My time is equal to my son’s. My needs are to take a back seat to my spouse’s. If all live that way - everyone is being looked after. Simple enough.

There was a 1st Century author named James who wrote part of the New Testament in the Bible. He had the opportunity to live in a family that included his big brother… a Jewish carpenter named Jesus. Later in life, James wrote down a pretty good admonition for any family… even the ‘family of mankind’, itself. It reads; “Everyone should be quick to listen… slow to speak… and slow to get angry.” I always think James must have seen that behavior modeled in his immediate family growing up… as he watched his big brother live out those very words. Today, we could all take the same cue… from that same elder Brother… and find some harmony in the family. At home… or in the neighborhoods.

This past weekend, our family went to a local farm that was hosting a sheep shearing exhibition as well as a Border Collie ‘herding’ demonstration. The weather was perfect and the day filled with sights and smells we don’t usually get to enjoy. The atmosphere caused each visitor to feel a part of another time - generations ago - when farms were commonplace and produce was found on a stalk, not in a plastic bag tucked into a refridgerated aisle in a supermarket.
What struck me most was a kid next to us during the collie display. It was remarkable to see these animals in harmony with each other; sheep and shepherd dog in a dance that has come down through the centuries. Dog and master tuned to a rythymn of life that commands respect and admiration. And all the while, beside me, a 10-ish year old wrapped in complete boredom… begging his dad to get him out of there - anyplace else - where he could be doing something ‘exciting.’His father finally gave up and the pair trudged away to the parking lot. I could only imagine that the ride home would culminate in a television being turned on and the video games being dropped into the slot. Fun.
I am a fan of technology - in fact I composed this Blog on my tiny handheld BlackBerry. But we have lost something as a culture in our desperate hunt for entertainment. You see, at the farm I stood and watched the sheep in their pen. The older ones gathered the little lambs into the center of the herd and kept a wary eye out for danger. In the Bible, God declares that we humans are a lot like sheep. I wonder. They have the good sense to huddle together - not a selfish one in the lot. And not a video game to be found - for miles. Boredom doesn’t live on farms. But there sure is a celebration of life that can only be found in places like that… where the songs of the ages are still hummed in the breeze; and one can still see the Dance. The Lord of the Dance still calls a generation to come join in. Their response is a collective ‘yawn.’

I recently rented a video disc to watch with my kids… They all wanted to see “Flushed Away” and so we brought it home. I am not going to critique the film… it was fine. What struck me though, was the non-stop action which paced the film. It was as if a collision or a slap, a crash or a splash was occuring every few seconds.
I thought about the quick scene changes, and the flashing imagery that flew across the screen… and I realized… it is just another symptom of our society. Everything is instant - and if it isn’t - no one wants to wait for it. It’s as if ‘quiet,’ and ‘tranquil’ are forgotten notions… If it isn’t blowing up - it isn’t interesting, one would guess.
Well, I thought back to my own childhood - and realized how different things were ‘way back then. There were no cell phones, no video games and no Nickelodeon channels. The Red Sox were on the radio… not NESN. We used to read books alot… and played out of doors. For hours… inventing, imagining, pretending - exercising.  Ah, well… who needs to hear me go on about all of that? I risk sounding… I’ll say it - old. But I am sure that God made us for much more than most of us experience at the current altar of entertainment. We miss ‘ourselves’ and our Creator when we cease to be personally creative. We do the prescribed as handed to us on a disc and never venture beyond it’s perimeter.
So, I decided to try an experiment after being ‘flushed.’ As I tucked my girls into bed that night, I had them TRY their imaginations. I asked them to picture a place in their minds - and to go there. Anywhere was possible… My 9 year old went first. She described a desert at sunset, complete with tumbleweeds and cactus. I listened to her tell of the sights, sounds and smells.
“Your turn,” I said to my 7 year old when her sister had finished her journey. “What do you see?” With eyes shut tight she paused and said, “I see black, squiggly lines.” There you have it. Turn on the Disney Channel.

In my last blog, I referenced the life of an Old Testament king, named Saul… who, centuries ago, stepped onto the scene of history while chasing his father’s lost donkeys. Little did he know that he was actually on an appointment with destiny. Even though he was crowned as king however, Saul didn’t end up so well. I think I figured out why… and in that reasoning there may be a lesson for all of us.

Like we all do in life… Saul screwed up. He made a mistake and did something he wasn’t supposed to do. The interesting thing is; when he was confronted by his mentor, Samuel - he went right into a blame-shifting state of denial. You can read all about it in 1st Samuel 13:11. Saul blames everyone he can think of for his mistake - and takes no personal accountability. “You said… you didn’t… the other guys were…” is the refrain. Sadly, Saul never looked in the mirror when he erred. And in the end, that cost him a huge personal loss… He remained a victim, and thus, spiraled down a long trail to misery and defeat.

Contrast King David - the next monarch in Israel’s line of kings… He also made some pretty major errors… murder, adultery… just to name one or two… But, when he was confronted - he took full responsibilty and faced up to his own shortcomings. In that step, was his healing. If you’ve been around the 12 Steps of AA (which we feature in our Jairus program for teens) you know that the first step is to admit that you have a problem in the  first place. If we can’t do that - we, like Saul, will remain in a cycle of blame; deflecting the problem onto the shoulders of others… And in that blame game, we will always remain as we are - hurt, un-healed, and miserable.

There are mud puddles along the road of life. Everyone falls into one along the way… The difference is - some remain in the filth - exclaiming to anyone who will listen, “Can you believe this? Look at what happened! He pushed me!” They seem to define their very existence around the puddle… and stay there. Others get up… brush off and move on… “Puddles happen“, they seem to say. “I’ll have to be more careful next time…” Interestingly, as they walk on, the sun dries the mess and most of the dirt just brushes off - leaving nothing but a faint memory. There is healing… and wholeness.

Are we realistic about our own shortcomings and mistakes? Even someone as notable as an old King can end up by life’s wayside… if not.

I was reading something pretty cool in the Old Testament the other day… and it reminded me that God is in control - even in the mundane experiences of our lives. The story was in 1st Samuel, chapter nine… where we first meet Saul, who is to eventually become the King of Israel. As the story goes, Saul’s father, Kish had a few donkeys who had gone missing… so he sent his son to go and look for them. (1st Sam. 9:1-3) Saul does his dad’s bidding, and heads out with a few buddies to find the missing animals…

Saul spends the next few days covering many miles in a fruitless search for the lost beasts. Have you ever felt like that… like what you were doing was pretty pointless… maybe one more day at school or the office seems like ‘chasing donkeys?’ Well, these OT characters ended up covering alot of empty terrain, and I am certain, were pretty bored with the whole affair. Nothing like trudging through the dust looking for donkey droppings… Perhaps you have had a few recent days like that.

What Saul didn’t know was that BEHIND the scenes, God was at work. According to verses 15 and 16 in that same passage, God had already told the prophet Samuel that he was sending him a man who was to be annointed king over Israel. He had the time and place for the meeting perfectly mapped out so that ol’ Sam would know when he had the right guy. So ~ while Saul was obeying his dad in the daily drudgery - God was charting his course toward becoming king. There is no way Saul could have known what was going on in the ‘background’ of his earthly life… He thought he was looking for lost donkeys… but he was on his way to a palace.

What mundane tasks are you and I fulfilling today? Taking out the trash? Homework? That boring statistical report that the boss wants by Wednesday? Well, while we are chasing the donkeys - God is always right behind the scenes, tracing our obedience and setting up the ‘chance’ meetings that will connect us to His royal plans. Maybe you are just about to meet someone who, like Samuel for Saul, will forever change your life with a single word. God knows… and he can even use a donkey to get you in the place that He wants you to be. Don’t look down on the ordinariness of your day today. There is Divine stuff going on behind the scenes all the time - but if you neglect that dreary task - you could miss the REAL encounter God has established for your life… on the donkey trail.