Faith.In.Life

Confessions: Introduction

Several years ago one Christian band I love, DC Talk, came out with an album called Intermission that effectively started each of the three members’ solo careers.  I am still waiting for them to get back together.  I say this because I turned forty this year, and at the church I currently serve I am the pastor who is often told that I am, in fact, still young.  Much I write in this reiteration of my Confessions may be a type of halfway point, even if I were to live past 80.  Nonetheless, whether we write these introductions to reflect on the things we are about to say or  contemplate a life well written, I want to offer up my Confessions to the Great High Priest.  If you benefit from this, then God be glorified and a life be informed by the Truth of the Gospel that is the light shining so brightly into our darkness.  For whatever I know and whatever I have yet to live, and I hope this isn’t reason for my girls to get to know me with an indicative quick exit; but rather, knowing that God has been with me since even before I was born, He knew me (as he did you), and had a specific calling for me (as he does you).  I have dared not walk it alone, but I equally know that many times I have even, if in fact, Jesus had to carry me from time to time (or if in fact all the time).  


One of the most appealing parts of Jesus ministry to me his is ability to relate to anyone that he may have interacted with,and because He is Alive, his continua; ability to interact with anyone he so chooses.  His ability to relate to sinner and saint alike, least of these and Pharisee even despite the social structure of the day has forever been appealing to me.  Knowing good and well that I am not God, and I in being made more into his perfect image all the time until the day I actually die, I still persevere and even discipline myself to try to be like He who was, is, and is to come to meet people where they’ve been, are, and might eventually find themselves.  


I have equally been told that the pastor has to be especially careful how vulnerable they are, even to quite literally not allow any anxiety you face to fall on the congregation.  While I understand the need to be a non-anxious presence, I have always been told that it my willingness to be vulnerable that connects with people on a level akin to how Jesus was able to and continues to be.  I  equally want the world to know my sincere desire and even what i might call anguish for the this broken world that we all might experience God’s solution for all of our lives in this we call the “not yet,” but know that what is still to come will shine the light over the shadow so that the Son will be our sun, night might become day, pain will be no more, and death will have lost its sting.  But also, I have met far too many people who feel like they cannot approach a pastor, or in recent culture, see them as the Pharisee who has it all figured out only to be the biggest hypocrites.  So whatever I say here may seem even at times too vulnerable, but not too far gone.  Whatever I say here is a prayer to guide you and to hopefully let you know that the journey is worth each step.  It will equally remind me that tomorrow may be unknown, and I may be able to worry all night long, but there is always joy that comes in the morning (and the mourning). 

Here is an initial road map for the series / book to give you all a taste of where this might go:

  Creation - God Acts First

  1. The Rolling Hills of Northeastern Colorado

  2. The Sinful Years - God amongst the Gentiles

  3. Salvation

  1. The First Fall - The Story of the Prodigal

    1. People will fail you

    2. Holding on

    3. The Lone Foot Prints

  2. Redemption Part I - At the exact right time

    1. Hypocrisy

    2. Formation and Discernment

    3. God paves a way

  3. The Pilgrimage - The Mind Forms

    1. From Rolling hills to Endless Trees

    2. Theological formation part I

    3. It’s a little Fargo out

    4. Master of Sinners

    5. The KC Years

    6. Blast Off

  4. The Second Fall - “I need you, oh I need you”

    1. Welcome to Lookout

    2. Ministry on the Mountain

    3. Broken Vessel

  5. Redemption Part II - For More Than This 

    1. Contemplating Eden

    2. Reclaiming confidence

    3. Where do we go from here?