Generation Axis Blog

Jon Peacock says farewell to 2009

Jon Peacock says farewell to 2009 from Axis on Vimeo.

What the Axis Experience is all about...get a glimpse and we'll see you on Jan 8th with the Charlie Hall Band

What the Axis Experience is all about from Axis on Vimeo.

Mary Was Blessed, Are You???

I love my hub.  We have some of the most honest and interesting discussion of any group I've ever been a part of.  Last week we looked at the passage from Luke where the angel comes to Mary announcing to her that she will become pregnant.  

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

We honed in on that angels calling Mary favored, or as seen in other translations, blessed.

What does it mean to be blessed by God?

I'll be honest and say that the idea of a blessing from God has always made me uncomfortable.  It conjures up images of televangelists screaming into cameras that you too could be blessed if you just made a call and small donation to their organization.  Or pastors preaching about how those who love God live long, happy, and wealthy lives.  It seems that a lot of people think that if you drive a BMW and show up at church occasionally you are blessed by God.

And this would be fine (despite the total consumerism involved) except that it doesn't seem to hold true in the Bible.

Jesus purposefully spent time with those in the shadows of society.  The sick, the immoral, the uneducated.  These were the people Jesus went too first!  When he met someone who many today might called blessed, He often challenged them and asked them to realign their values.

It's almost like Jesus preferred to spend time with people who knew they had a need for Him.  Whose identity wasn't wrapped up in their car, paycheck, or degree.  It's not that these people don't need Jesus as much as anyone else, they just don't always realize it.

Our faith is built upon the idea of connecting with depravity, our own and that in the world around us.  As Scripture says, "The mountains will be made low and the valleys filled in."  Those who are mountains need to be lowered a little so those valleys can be filled in.

I'm also very uncomfortable with the idea that a blessing from God is something I can achieve.  If they are then if I only behave a certain way, achieve a certain something, or whatever I'll be blessed.  It turns very into a religion I can control.

When the Bible talks about blessing they seem to attach the word to an odd group of people.  I've been spending a lot of time listening to talks on the Sermon on the Mount this fall and I've been struck with the language that begins this most famous of Jesus' sermons.  It's how I'd like to end this post and I think it's something we should all reflect upon this Christmas season.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

A Missional Christmas

This morning I spent some time in Luke 2 and like never before verse 10 exploded in my heart and mind.  It says “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people”

The meaning and significance of Christmas, which is that a Savior has come, is meant to have impact and significance for the entire world.  This good news is not just for some people or for a certain race but for everyone who might believe in him.  I love the missional tone of the Christmas story, one that I had never seen before.  When we look at the story through this lens we see how amazing it was that lowly shepherds and polytheistic wise men all gathered around this gift (truly the gift that keeps on giving Clark) in amazement of this astounding missional news.

I have to see that the power and opportunity of Christmas back then of bringing closed minded, marginalized people into the presence of God is still true today.  This season is one where people are more open then ever, and the vision of this time of year is that I will always remember that this good news was never meant to be just good news for me but for those around me as well.  So take a risk today and extend an invitation to a friend or co-worker.  Maybe it's to dinner or coffee, or maybe its to our Willow Christmas services.  I'm not sure what God is directing you to do today but I firmly believe he's calling all of us to do something for the sake of scattering the good news of Christmas to everyone around us.

For more info on how to make this Christmas a Missional Christmas visit www.iscatter.org

Have a great day!

-Jon Peacock

The Parable of the Fishing Net and iscatter

The Parable of the Fishing Net and iscatter from Axis on Vimeo.

Oil, Virgins, and the End Times

Oil, Virgins, and the End Times from Axis on Vimeo.

We Have The Power

 Last night my wife, Tovah, and I finally got around to seeing Food Inc., a very enlightening and well made documentary on the American food industry.  I highly recommend seeing it.  It's informative and fair and the story of the American food industry is something that we all need to know more about.  More than almost anything else, food affects our daily lives, our health, and our democracy and we know surprisingly little about where our food comes from.

During the movie Tovah started talking about how corrupt our government is and how abusive they are of their power and while I wholeheartedly agree I responded by saying, "It's because we allow that to happen."  I feel like we've forgotten that we, the people, actually hold the power in this country.  

I know many people would balk at that statement saying it is far too idealistic but I believe it to be true and I think we need a little more idealism.  When our leaders abuse their power or act not in the best interest of the country we, the people, must hold them accountable.  When they pursue wealth and prosperity for the few and not the whole, we must not stand idly by.

I am not saying it will be an easily won war but it is one that we cannot abdicate because we are intimidated.

We must no longer allow ourselves to be deceived by the lie that there is nothing we can do, that we could not stand up against corrupt legislatures and inhumane corporations.  That is the lie they are peddling and we have bought for far too long.  We the people are in control and if you don't like something, do something.

Every time you make a purchase you are showing what you care about.  Are you buying products that are made safely, by companies that respect their employees, and in ways that care for the earth or are you purchasing products without any idea of their origins?  Are you making conscious decisions and sacrifices to buy products that you know are better for you and your family?  Are you paying attention to the actions of your representatives in government?  Do you even know your local representatives?  

If we abdicate that power, then yes we have lost but it is not because of the strength of our enemies but our own weakness.  We can and we must stand up for our beliefs and hold our elected officials accountable.  We must never forget that in this democracy, we hold the power.

A Story About Workers...

a story about Workers from Axis on Vimeo.

Why I Don't Like Altar Calls

 The first book I’ve picked up for winter break is Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein.  The book explores behavioral economics, basically the study of why people make decisions that economics says they shouldn’t make.

I just finished the chapter on temptation.  See, in economics temptation is a very interesting thing.  Economists believe that more of any good is, well, good.  That by having the option to consume more we will consume exactly how much we like and leave the rest alone.

But life doesn’t play out like that does it?  We’ve all been to parties where we’ve eaten so much we’ve made ourselves sick or drank more than we wanted to.  Why do we do this?  It’s because of what George Loewenstein (the guy who came up with this) calls the “hot-cold empathy gap.”  Basically we make decisions on a continuum between two states, hot and cold.

When in a cold state we are able to separate ourselves from the decision and act more “rationally.”  We often view people who live in this state as very calculating and almost heartless, a complaint many people have of economists.  When in a hot state however, the smell of good food becomes overwhelming and the wine is flowing, and it wouldn’t really hurt if we had just a little bit more to eat.  (Side note-if you eat with other people you eat more.  Up to 97% more if you dine with more than 7 other people.  So if you want to lose weight start eating alone.)

So what does this all have to do with my beef with altar calls?  I feel like often times we design our worship services to move people towards a hot state.  We get the lights going, the music pumping, and emotions run high.  Then when the room is as “hot” as it’s going to get we ask people to make a huge life altering decision.

I just don’t think that’s fair.

Becoming a follower of Christ is a major decision and should be contemplated, thought through, as well as felt.  I’m not saying that some decisions aren’t best made in a hot state, I’m just saying that I think it’s a trick we Christians use far too often.

I can’t remember the number of times I went to the front of the auditorium in response to an altar call after an especially powerful night of worship.  Some of those moments probably did lead to life change but I feel like most of my life is spent in a cold state.  God is quiet.  Life is hard.  I don’t especially feel like being a Christian and I think that if we too closely associate spirituality with hot emotions then we’re setting people up to fail when life gets hard.

That’s why I’d like to see fewer altar calls during emotional services, maybe even fewer emotional services.  Not that emotion is bad.  God can often speak to us through them, but I think the decision to follow Jesus shouldn’t come after a moving chorus of “I Surrender” but after wresting through this life changing decision.

Are you ready for iScatter?

Are you ready for iScatter? from Axis on Vimeo.

Two Sons & A Father...

Two Sons & A Father from Axis on Vimeo.

Do you know a TREASURE when you see one?

Do you know a TREASURE when you see one? from Axis on Vimeo.

I'm Baaaack! Prayer and Cursing Fig Trees

Prayer and Cursing Fig Trees from Axis on Vimeo.

Life's Significant Small Moments

 Do you ever have a moment that is course changing and significant and yet it would appear completely menial to anyone but you?  I had one of those last weeks and because I’m proud of myself I thought I would share it with you in hopes that you would rejoice with me.

To understand the significance of this moment you need to know a few things about me.  First, I’m a very driven person.  It’s one of those qualities that I am most proud of and yet often causes me the most trouble. For me, my internal drive can come from the God oriented place where I just want to partner with my Father and unleash my potential on the world in love.  On other days I feel that my significance and worth come from my accomplishments and that if I don’t follow every opportunity and excel at everything I put my hand to then I am letting down God and the world, my life won’t be fulfilling, and I am worthless.

The second thing you need to know about me is that I hate letting people down.  From the time I was a young child I was taught to follow through on commitments and to never step down after committing to something.  To step down was to be a failure.  This, mixed with my overly excited terrier like zeal for success, can often lead me to over-committing myself.

A few weeks ago I overcommitted to something out of this desire for success.  I felt like to be successful I needed to take up this opportunity.  I began planning for a life that wasn’t even close to happening, not because it was what I wanted but because it was what I felt like I should want, that it would bring me the most success.

I began to feel anxious and stressed but I felt like if I turned down this opportunity I would one, be letting someone down and reneging on a commitment which I had made, and two I would be letting down God and the world because I wasn’t taking this opportunity that could lead to future success.  Something in me told me that if I didn’t follow this path for my life I would be a failure.  Really the lie is that if I didn’t relentlessly pursue success that I would be worthless and unworthy of anyone’s love.

A week ago I decided to not let that lie rule my life.

It didn’t happen in a blinding light, choir filled, Hallmark commercial.  I was just sitting on the brown line heading to my hub’s gathering when I felt God say, “You don’t have to believe that.  I want you to be free to be who I created you to be.  It’s ok to say no to this.”

Now I’m not one of those guys who has spiritually significant moments where I feel completely different one second to the next but this was one of those times.  I literally felt the anxiety in my chest loosen and the burden on my back fade away.  I can honestly say I’m a different person.  Not that I won’t struggle with my drive for success or my identity but I won a battle and to me that’s a big deal. 

I feel like we often move through life so quickly that we miss these small significant moments.  I’m grateful that God helped slow me down and realize the battle I had won.  I hope I won’t forget it because I know before long I’ll be in another situation where I feel my worth hanging on my success and I need to remember that God whispered truth in my ear that night as I sat riding the el.  And when I remember, maybe it will give me enough courage to slay the next lie that comes my way.

Let's Note Hide It & Let's Be Generous as Well...

Let's Not Hide It & Lets Be Generous As well... from Axis on Vimeo.