TimSpivey.com

A Saturday Night Prayer

Here is another marvelous prayer from my friend, Ray. It's a wonderful prayer for a Saturday night:

A Prophet’s Voice 

We do a better job of imagining what worship will

look like in heaven than what it might be like

 in church, Lord.  We like the idea of crowns being cast

 before you.  Of a numberless choir singing Holy! Holy! Holy!

We are not even all that uncomfortable with

a trumpet or two in that setting.  Or bowing

down, come to think of it, since everyone

else will be doing it, too.

 

It’s church that stumps us.  Contrary to

our strongest resolve, we too often file into the

worship center wondering What are we in for today?

And Will we sing any songs I know?  Will it be so

loud I can’t think?  Will I hear anything that

makes any sense at all?  These fears leave

someone else—anyone else—in charge of what we

receive.  And what we contribute.

 

Deliver back to us, Lord, a voice—a loud prophet’s

voice—that calls us to enter your presence as

your church with awe.  With reverence.  With

anticipation.  With wonder.  Make bold our own

voice to cry Today we want to hear a word

from the Lord! Today we want to practice

abandon in adoring you.  So maybe heaven

won’t come as such a shock.

25 Random Things About Me

The new Facebook app that is all the rage is "25 Things". Basically, you list 25 random things about yourself, and then "tag" 25 people. They then write 25 things, and tag 25 people (including the one who "tagged" them. 

Call it the 21st century way of getting to know one another.

Since I'm sometimes accused of not doing enough personal posts, here's my 25 random things for those of you who aren't Facebook friends with me, or loathe Facebook. Come to the light :)

1. I have a strange love of Mafia movies, shows, etc. At least...stranger than most preachers for sure.

2. I love chili and queso... and barbequed items of nearly all kinds. Coupled with my affinity for coffee...I should die sometime next month.

3. I bite my nails...and have since I was about 5 years old. My sister actually sat me down and taught me. 

4. I've played golf with Tiger Woods, sung back-up for Barry Manilow, and went to High School with Snoop Dogg, Cameron Diaz and other famous people…are virtually by accident. My wife thus occasionally calls me "Forrest." 

5. My favorite movie of all time is a tie... Gladiator and It's a Wonderful Life. 

6. I LOVE hot tubs and bath tubs that actually fit tall guys. It is a literally a must have--one or the other--wherever I live. And, you can always find me there on Saturday night...part of the Sunday preparation ritual. 

7. I HATE being cold. I would rather be hot for a month than cold for a day. 

8. I drink roughly 2.5 pots of coffee per day. Really. 

9. I LOATHE vegetables. I can handle lettuce…that’s about it. Corn is OK…but it’s really more of a starch. All you vegetable people…just remember that it was the vegetable sacrifice that God rejected in the story of Cain and Abel.

10. I believe that the three greatest people of the last century are C.S. Lewis, Ronald Reagan, and Jim Carrey.

11. I DVR about 10 different shows. I watch absolutely nothing when it’s on, except 24…and then watch them when I have time…usually in multi-hour chunks when the time’s available. Other than 24, the shows on the DVR – Saturday Night Live, Jay Leno, The Mentalist, House, Criminal Minds, American Idol, Cold Case, the Office, and of course…any miscellaneous 24 episodes that I wasn’t able to watch raw.

12. I love the big 3 sports in both pro and college form. Now that I’m back in California, baseball is back in the #1 slot (Dodgers/Pepperdine), followed by football (Working my way toward the Chargers now that my Broncos fired my man Mike Shanahan/USC), and basketball (Duke/Mavericks).

13. I HATE being late. I show up at the church building at 5:30 on Sunday mornings, and will gladly leave 30 minutes early to get to something 10-15 minutes away. People who are late are time robbers :)

14. To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite novel of all-time. Celebration of Discipline is my favorite spiritual book of all time.

15. I love cities. Suburbs are OK to live in…but give me the city: concrete, car horns, weird people, cool restaurants, good arts scene, ball games to watch, and museums to roam. New York, L.A. and San Diego are my favorites. Internationally, London is tops. I hope to live in a downtown apartment sometime before I die.

16. I am rabidly devoted to my alma maters…except my middle-school…which I hope is demolished by someone/thing someday. I love all things Long Beach Poly (THE HOME OF SCHOLARS AND CHAMPIONS), and Pepperdine (WE’RE GONNA….) Gear or stuff from either of these two institutions is a winner gift for me at any time.

17. I have one of the most eclectic music tastes you will ever find. Christian worship music, jazz, classical, rock, pop, and rap are all available in the most played lists of my Ipod. I like country least, but can handle it if it’s somewhat more mainstream – like Carrie Underwood (who I love) or Faith Hill.

18. The greatest smells in the world are fresh coffee, movie popcorn, firewood in the fireplace, and ocean air.

19. Scalp massages are the best thing ever…but I don’t let anyone touch my hair. It just bothers me. So, I’ll have to wait until I either lose all my hair or shave my head.

20. I am an intrinsically motivated/driven person and work best with those who are as well. For some reason, I also create nicknames for people.

21. My favorite thing to do is dinner out with Emmer. My second favorite thing to do is eat breakfast out with Emmer. We both love to go out to dinner with friends.

22. Passive-aggressivism is the devil. I can’t stand it. Give me directness or give me death.

23. I’ve read the bible cover to cover at least once a year since I was 16. When I’m done with one, I buy a new one…and don’t pick the old one up again…other than to preach from it. It’s a reward system of sorts. I love underlining and writing in the margins as I read…and want a new, fresh page on which to do so. OCD? Perhaps.

24. I’m scheming with some friends to hike the 211 mile John Muir Trail within the next 18 months. This summer, I plan to hike Mt. Whitney as practice.

25. I don’t share toothbrushes. That’s nasty.

Stimulus Package

Question:

Do you think America would be better off if the 825 billion dollar stimulus package was given to America's churches for use in the communities, or America's pillars of the economy and troubled industry?

I've been mulling this over all day...and it's not simple. What do you think? I've decided on the churches.

7 Days of Telling the Truth

Right now, we at NCCC are making our way through Proverbs. Yesterday, we talked about the "honesty" Proverbs, and reflected on how we can become a light in the world by people of absolute integrity. At the close of the sermon, I challenged the church to commit to to telling the absolute truth for 7 days. If you mess up, you have to start over. 

I was part of such a campaign, except it was a "21 Days of Telling the Truth" campaign. A year later, no one of the 100 that began the campaign had finished. The reason: we bend or break the truth so often we hardly notice how often we do it. Sometimes, we actually fudge or lie subconsciously.Other times, we do it knowingly. Exaggeration, hyperbole, spin, etc., are examples of 80% truth-telling...and reason to start the 7 days over. 

Jesus himself is truth. His church is the pillar of truth. So, we must always strive to be people of unimpeachable truth. 

One brother came up to me and said, "I made it to the doorway, now I guess I have to start over." Hilarious!

If you think it's easy, I challenge you to try.

 I made it to this morning :) Starting over... :(

"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight." Proverbs 12:22.

Saturday Night Devo

I had forgotten this quote...one of my favorites...until I read it tonight.

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you want them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.

—Thomas à Kempis

Now that the Inauguration is Over

I've been a bit slow getting out my reflections on the inauguration in part because my sister blessed me with a new niece over the past couple of days. Yeah!!!

So, now I'll pause and offer just a few bullet points on the inauguration.

• I appreciated Mr. Obama's speech. It was hopeful and clear.
• I thought Rick Warren did a fine job, as well.
• I thought the hype was a bit out of control...but it wasn't Mr. Obama's fault. It was the media's. 
• On the whole, while I didn't vote for Barack Obama, I believe that the choices he's made (i.e., of cabinet posts, etc.) and statements he has made, on the whole, to be sensitive, measured, and wise.
• My biggest fear about Mr. Obama's presidency is that his policies may lead to continuing moral decline in our nation. My greatest hope is that we might become a kinder, more fair, and more hopeful people under his leadership.
• I thought the anti-Bush pageantry around the inauguration deplorable. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves for that.
• The Obama's daughters are beyond cute. 

  What are your thoughts/fears/hopes on this historic moment in time?
  
  

A Prayer for Obama

Today is a historic day in our country as Barack Obama takes office. The following prayer is from the always insightful Scot McKnight:

Our prayer today, Our Father, is for President-Elect Barack Obama. [Please add your prayers as well.]

Our prayers include:

That You, the infinite fount of wisdom, might grant him wisdom daily.

That You, the loving God of all, might grant him love for you and for others, including our enemies.

That You, the holy and righteous God of justice, might empower him to do what is right in all that he does.

That You, the Lord, might grant him the charisma of insight to lead in this turbulent world and time.

That You, the Healer, might grant him the grace of reconciling damaged relations in this country and in the world about us.

That You, the God of Life, might grant him a commitment to act for all -- the unborn and born, the young and old, the civilian and the soldier -- to preserve life and honor that each of us is fashioned in the image of God.

That You, the Father, might grant him the time and wisdom to father his two young daughters and love Michelle, his wife.

And that You, the God of all comfort, might grace him and his family as they mourn the loss of his grandmother.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

The Melody of Life - Thank you, Martin

  One of my favorite paintings is mural in Long Beach called, "The Melody of Life" by Trace Tres Fukuhara. It's on the side of the Senior Citizen's Center on 4th and Orange...where we serve Thanksgiving to the poor.

 

The themes and imagery for Melody of Life were developed with senior citizens at the Long Beach Senior Center, who agreed unanimously that the work should depict the many ethnic cultures of Long Beach. "The melody of life is teaching, learning, loving, sharing, giving and caring," the artist says. "The essence of these images is to teach and pass down history."

In a detail of the mural shown here, the artist has depicted a Mexican dancer in costume, poised in mid-step. Beside her a grandmother teaches her granddaughter a traditional Cambodian dance. The older couple kissing suggests that love flourishes at all ages, not simply in youth. The figures of wooden horses from carousels are reminiscent of the Pike Amusement Park. A vibrant sunset illuminates well-known Long Beach landmarks, including the World Trade Center and the historic Villa Riviera, while reflecting the artist's boyhood memories of the skies above Long Beach.

 

 

 

Today we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And, we do so on the eve of the inauguration of our first African-American president. Perhaps we're on our way toward the Melody of Life. We surely have a ways to go. But, thank you, Dr. King, for having that dream...even before America was willing to dream with you. You will always be remembered. Thank you, Dr. King.

 

 

The 10,000 Hour Rule

I've just started reading Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers. I jumped into it based on a conversation I had with a ministry buddy of mine last night. Gladwell's other writings, including The Tipping Point, and Blink, are some of the most interesting reads around.Outliers is about what makes exceptionally successful people successful.

He argues: "if we want to understand how some people thrive, we should spend more time looking around them — at such things as their family, their birthplace, or even their birth date. The story of success is more complex — and a lot more interesting — than it initially appears."

One of his most intriguing observations is what he calls the 10,000 hour rule. In that chapter he asks a very simple question: is there such a thing as innate talent? Are there some people out there who are just naturally gifted and just float by effortlessly to the top of their chosen field/hobby/sport/what-have-you? The obvious answer is, yes. However, Gladwell says it isn't quite that simple.

He points out that the problem with this view (natural talent) is that the closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play and the bigger role preparation seems to play. Gladwell notes:

“The idea that excellence at performing a complex task requires a critical minimum level of practice surfaces again and again in studies of expertise. In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.10,000 hours."

This got me thinking about ministry. Is this possibly true for ministers? If so, to what extent, and how is ministry different from other "fields." There are some obvious answers. But, I have to admit, that most of the really exceptional ministers I know have worked really hard at it. They read a lot, they try...really hard...over years..., they prepare their sermons with great care and sometimes agony...they try to keep growing. Hmmmm..... what do you think?

The Beginning of Wisdom

This Sunday, I begin a new series on Proverbs entitled, "Real Wisdom in an Age of Foolishness." Proverbs has long been in a tug-of-war with 2 Timothy for my favorite book of the Bible, but I think Proverbs has emerged once again as my favorite.

I love starting new message series. It means a new frontier for study, a new spiritual journey for the church, and the exploration of potentially fresh perspectives on the ancient but living text.

This Sunday's text is Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." I think this is my favorite Proverb. I'd love to hear what some of your favorite Proverbs are.