Samsung (or why I've come to despise Pavlov)

One of the many classes that I coasted through in High School was AP Psychology. I can neither confirm nor deny that we had a textbook for that class. I certainly can't tell you anything about any major psychologist. Well, except one guy. Pavlov. You know Pavlov, don't you? The guy with the bell and the dog that slobbered?

(First, a fair warning. If you've stumbled upon this blog entry looking for an in-depth analysis of Pavlovian theory, then you might as well quickly stumble yourself somewhere else. Because I have no idea what I'm talking about. I didn't pay attention in AP Psychology, remember?)

Pavlov had a bell, a bowl of dog food, and a dog -- as all great psychological experiments should begin! He studied something that I'm going to call conditioned behavior (that might or might not be its real name.) Every time he fed his dog, he rang the bell. Through repetition, he conditioned the dog to associate the noise -- the ding-ding-ding of a bell -- with the pleasure of getting fed.

Eventually, Pavlov learned that all he had to do to make his dog slobber uncontrollably (like he was being fed) was to ring the bell! One ding-ding-ding and his puppy would start slobbering like a Great Dane in a butcher's shop. I'm sure that trick was a big hit at parties.

I've unknowingly been conducting my own Pavlovian experiment.

We have a Samsung plasma TV. It's a great TV. We love it. Our Samsung isn't so much a source of entertainment as it is the most vocal member of our family. It captivates us when we are in the room; on or off, it's always found in its honored place in the center of our living room. It talks to us when it's on -- TV shows. It even talks to us when it's off -- it goes to sleep with an impressive glow of blue light and a pleasant melodious beep "good night". Good night, mouse. Good night, house. Good night, Samsung TV with your melodious beep.

We usually take our giant beagle Lucy outside to go potty one final time before hitting the hay -- usually right after we say goodnight to our TV.... Hmm... The TV. The dog. The melodious beep. The potty. Darn you, Pavlov.

When she hears that melodious beep "good night", Lucy will immediately jump up from her spot on the love seat and sprint (not walk) across the living room, down the stairs, and to the backdoor so she can visit the potty.

It's a conditioned behavior, locked into our dog's brain. It doesn't really matter how recently she has been to the potty or even what time of day it is when we turn off the TV. When she hears the beep, she's gotta go and she's gotta go now!

Look, I'm a pastor so I feel like there needs to be a spiritual point to this. Everything is spiritual, someone (Rob Bell) smarter than me once said. What have we become conditioned to? What has Pavlov done to us? What signals -- no matter how melodious -- trigger unconscious behavior in us?

I think that when we get into certain familiar situations, we have conditioned ourselves to act a certain way. We act like this around some people, like that around others; this way when we're here, that way when we're there. We're allowing an external influence to dictate who we are and what we do. That's not always healthy, especially when the influences push us away from God's will for our lives or in the direction of sin.

Don't Be a Fool

Wisdom says: As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear; I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.

This past weekend at Cape Naz Church we discussed among other things wisdom vs. knowledge. I briefly made the point that the opposite of wisdom is foolishness. A few definitions that will mark this brief discussion, and then to the point:

What is wisdom? Knowledge that you successfully put into action.

What is foolishness? Knowing the truth and how it should affect your life, and then ignoring it.

I don't think that anyone wants to be called a fool. It's a harsh term. Though it's not necessarily an active word in our modern vernacular, -- you don't hear the teenagers calling each other fools -- we would still be hurt if the term was used against us. I'm not going to call you a fool. Instead, I'm going to ask you to evaluate whether you are one or not.

The critical aspect of wisdom is the "successfully put into action" part of the definition. I've mentioned before that Christianity isn't a "do" religion. It's a "be" relationship. Be more like Christ. Be lovingly obedient to God. Be a follower of Jesus.

Our actions should flow out of our relationship with Christ. We've chosen to become like Christ and that affects our "do" -- our behavior. A behavior change without the relationship with Christ doesn't matter for beans. We aren't saved by good works. We're saved by grace through faith (a "be" concept).

That's where wisdom comes in. Do you consider yourself a Christian? Answer the question to yourself right now.

OK. If you answered yes, then you've committed to "be" like Christ.

Let me say that again. If you're a Christian, then you've committed to "be" like Christ. That's the implication of salvation. We've tried to dress it down over the years as little more than a prayer, but it's more than that. You are accepting Christ... that he is God, that he is truth, that his way will be your way, that without him you are sinful and separated.

A wise Christian daily grows in his/her knowledge of God and then puts that knowledge into practical application in their lives. They are "be-ing" Jesus.

What would a fool do? Ah... You can see where I am going.

A foolish person would know the truth about God and then deliberately ignore it.

I personally feel pretty foolish sometimes when I know I've done something that goes against God's word (his wisdom). There are many times when I just want to curl up in a box and hide because I've ignored a truth about God and the life he wants us to live. It hurts. It's painful. It's a bruise to my ego.

Becoming a person of spiritual wisdom takes time, practice and failure. If you start with that one commitment -- to be more like Christ -- then actively seek God to let him change who you are and what you do. That's the Christian life. It's going to have ups and downs, trials and tribulations, but God will constantly be speaking to you, building you up, pushing you farther in faith, and revealing his wisdom to you.

Become a person of wisdom. Don't be a fool.

Can You Mess Up God's Plan?

I had a friend today send out an email that really got me thinking. Here's the question that I drew from his conversation:

Can you mess up God's plan?

This topic couldn't have come up at a better time as we (Cape Naz Church) are in the heart of our series on iDentity.

I think that the answer to that question lies not in what we do (the plan) but in who we are. Our society in many ways has become very "do" oriented. We identify ourselves by our jobs. Who we work for and what we do -- that becomes our defining characteristic.

If you don't believe me then think about the last time that you met someone new in a casual, social setting. I'm willing to bet good money that one of the first questions you asked (or they asked of you) was "where do you work" or maybe "what do you do?"

So, we become nurses or engineers or doctors or pastors or whatevers.

I would sincerely hope that for all of us the answer to the question "what do you do" is not the summation of all that we are.

So, back to the questoin of the day: can we mess up God's plan?

That entirely depends on you. Do you think God's plan is simply a "do" or do you think God's plan is more of a "be"?

After all, if God is who he says he is and continues being who he says he will be then we don't have much to worry about.

Do you think your flaws and failings are bigger than God? Why do we so often believe that the God who created the universe, flung the stars into the sky, and gave us breath would be at all surprised or flustered (in other words: rendered ineffectual) by our decision to "do" this or that?

No, God's plan for us is a "be" plan not a "do" plan. Be like Christ. Your "do" is a reflection of who you "are". We show our faith by our works. Our works themselves are not faith.

Can you mess you God's plan?

If you sincerely devote yourself to God and becoming the person He wants you to become, then you can be absolutely 100% completely and utterly assured that God's best will "be" in your life!
You might (scratch that... you will) mess up, but what matters is not yesterday's sins but today's decision to "be" like God and tomorrow's decision to be that way again.

I'm back!

Hey! It's August! I promised that I would be back in August, and here I am. I'm not really making a post today. Instead, I'm just reminding you that I'm here. I'm ready to write. I hope you're ready to read.

Here's hoping that you enjoyed your summer! Here's hoping that you, like me, took some time away from blogs and businesses and schools and whatnot to catch up with your family.

In the coming weeks expect me to dig deeper into the concept of iDentity, which is our current series at Cape Naz. Who are you in Christ? We'll be talking about that all August and into September.

I'll probably also look ahead to our next two series: Community (yes, like the TV show) and Life (yes, like the board game). Lots of blogging will be heading your direction, so keep your clicker pointed in "The Stomp Box's" direction.

Where have you been and when will you be back?

I know that I've been short in posting lately. Summer and all that comes with it are hitting harder than I expected. It's been a great summer so far, filled with lots of swimming, a trip to the lake, long drives, camp, and more of the same to come!

It's fun having a kid who gets a summer break. Jacob has finished his first year of school (kindergarten, of course) and we're trying to make the most of his time off.

Anyway, as much as I would love to be writing and blogging during the summer, something has to give. Unfortunately, the blog is the thing that's going to have to take a summer break of its own.

So, don't expect anything at The Stomp Box until August, when I'll be back full force with more of the content that you're used to, plus some new elements. Check our website, capenaz.org for details on when the blog will return.

Enjoy your summer!
- Jason

"The Reason Why There's No Post This Week" Post

I don't have a spiritual point to make today. I apologize for that. I offer this post as a "reason why there's no post this week" post instead. Enjoy.


Two weeks ago I hurt my back. I didn't really do anything to cause it to go out, it's just one of those things that happens when you're my age, I guess. Usually when my back goes out, I fall into a precise pattern of behavior. It hurts, so I rest it. It starts to feel a little better after a day or two, so I assume it's all fine and return to my usual activities. I push it too far too fast and, wham, it ends up going out again and we start the process over.

After a couple rounds of that through the last few weeks, I really thought i was over the hump. It had not hurt for several days. I believed I had full range of motion back. I decide it's time to test it out on the golf course.

The Missouri district pastors had an "Advance" this week out at Pinecrest campground. One of the activities was a scramble -- you're divided up into a four man team and play "best ball" to shoot the lowest score possible for your team. My round started out awful. No matter what I tried, I couldn't keep from topping the golf ball and hitting a little dribbler down the fairway. While I'm not a golf pro, I'm usually much better than that. It was almost like my back wasn't allowing me to take a normal swing.

That, in the middle of intense pastoral competition, was completely unacceptable.

On the 7th hole, I decide that enough was enough. I concentrate on staying in my slot and forcing my body through the normal torque and rotation. I go back and swing down hard, keeping my form, locking my body into its often-practiced motion, and following through completely. The result was a gorgeous 240 yard 3-wood that sailed up into the air, fading ever so slightly, and dropping in the middle of the fairway.

While celebrating my mental victory over the limitations of my physical self, I felt my left arm get all tingly. A creeping yet vicious pain shot from the center of my spine, filling the left side of my back with the fire of a thousand suns. Breathing became a real issue. My eyes watered. Oh the pain! Oh the agony! Oh the joy of hitting a great shot!

A normal man -- even a smart man -- would stop right there and call it a round. No sir. Not me. This is competition, remember. It's war. It's not some friendly round with a bunch of pastor buddies. I. Must. Play. On.

Whatever God-given obstacle that kept my back from making a normal golf swing (and me feeling relatively pain-free) was ripped asunder. On my next shot, I pleasantly discovered that I had full range of motion back! Sure, every practice swing felt like someone was billy clubing my left ribs, but if I sucked up the pain, I could move without limitation. I see victory within our reach. I go after it!

I absolutely let it rip. I started hitting greens. I was peppering the fairway. I was chipping and putting well. I was awing my teammates (who were convinced I had hustled them for the first 6 holes). I was downing Tylenol like they were Smarties. At one point I think I passed out for a few holes. It was fantastic!

We added up the scores at the end of the round and my team won, with a not-very-impressive 3-under par -- all of which came after my back, as one team man put it, "loosened up".

It was worth the effort, the pain, and the undiagnosed overdose on pain medications. We were the champions of the Pastor's Advance men's golf scramble! My performance will go down in history as one of the guttiest performances ever performed by a pastor trying to impress his pastor friends in order to win a meaningless competition with no prize except pride.

Sure, my back still hurts like you wouldn't believe. My neck is most comfortable when it's cocked at a 45 degree angle toward my left shoulder. My extremities still randomly twitch and spasm uncontrollably. But I'm not to complain about it. No sir! Not me! I know that what I suffer now, I suffer intentionally, having chosen several days of physical anguish over the agony of defeat at the hands of fellow pastors on the golf course.

So, that's why there's no post this week, and why, instead, you get a post about why there's no post. If you're looking for a spiritual or inspirational lesson... well, you'll have to find one in there yourself!

"Serve" vs. "Serve"

Let me preface this by saying very clearly and bluntly: I am not a Greek scholar. I never had much more than a casual introduction to Greek. I spent all of my language credits in undergrad and grad school on French and Hebrew... Neither of which will help me with this current post. That's why this is a blog and not something more official. If this piques your interest and you want to go deeper, then feel free to contact my friends Dr. Grizzle or Dr. Mansfield or future Dr's. Foster and Lunsford and they'll fill your brain with greek-iness all day long.

Now that that's cleared up, let's butcher the language of the New Testament!

The passage that I chose for the next two sermons is Romans 12:1-13. There are two references to the word "serve" in this passage, and both have unique contexts. The first is in verse 7.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve".

The second reference is several verses later:

"11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."

If you've ever looked up a word in the English dictionary you know that sometimes words have multiple meanings. You depend on the context of the word to tell you what kind of meaning is intended. Here the NIV translators have chosen to use the same English word to represent two entirely different Greek words. In verse 7. the Greek word used for serve is "diakonia". In verse 11, it's "douleuo".

Douleuo -- to serve or to be a slave.

Diakonia -- to minister to.

Now, look back at the context. Diakonia is used in the context of the Church (people). Paul is taking about the Body of Christ -- the collection of individuals all with unique talents who serve each other in Christian love. Diakonia is your ministry, your service to the people around you. It's gifts oriented. It's how you attend to someone; how you minister to people; how you bless your Christian brothers and sisters. We'll talk more about this next week.

Douleuo is used in the context of your relationship with God. It's the answer to the three topics Paul introduces at the head of this chapter. What does it mean to be a living sacrifice (vs.1)? What does it mean to conform yourself no longer to this world (vs. 2)? How can you know and do God's will (vs. 3)?

Paul provides a radical answer. Douleuo. Become a slave to God.

Slavery is always a touchy subject. I'm watching "America: The Story of Us" right now on the History Channel and they're talking about the events leading up to the Civil War. Slavery was a driving force behind a war that killed more people than any of the other U.S. wars combined. It's something we've spilled blood to eradicate. It's completely contrary to the American ideal of freedom, that hard work and determination will lead you to success. All men are created equal and have unalienable rights! You can acheive your dreams and find success if you try your best! It's the American way!

God is suggesting, rather, that your success is dependent not just on how you use your freedoms but on how many of your freedoms you're willing to sacrifice for him.

There's a statement that I'm going to make in my message this weekend that I feel comfortable revealing now, hoping maybe it will sink in a little before you hear it again on Sunday morning: "What is common practice among common people is not the same as the extraordinary will of our extraordinary God."

What's the best thing that you can do with your life? Live free? Work hard? Be your own man? Make your own way? Nope.

The best thing you can do with your life is slavishly devote yourself to God and his will. Lay down your desires. Pick up His will. Set aside your old way of thinking. Unite your thoughts with God. Become a living sacrifice to him (a slave to his will), conforming your will to His, renewing your thoughts with His thoughts instead of the worlds, and then doing His will -- His good, perfect, and pleasing will.

More to come on Sunday. For now, think about that. Are you willing to be a slave for God?