Eric Morgan

“The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.  ”And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.”

(Luke 20:19–26 ESV)

This is the first time I have ever been in a situation where I am considered self-employed.  I am not very good with numbers or math and especially tax codes and IRS jargon.  So often times sorting out things like Social Security, FICA, Federal/State taxes often sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher or an alien language.  I am better off leaving that stuff to the professional bean counters.  I make money, I spend money, and when someone talks about having an “Extra $20”, I have don’t understand.  I have never had an extra $20.  The quickest way for my wife to ruin my day is to talk about budget, money, or my spending habit.

My solutions for compensating for this weakness in my character is to either make enough money that it does not matter (my dot com days) or make less, spend less, and live on less (my current situation).  I have read of people who completely live off the grid and uber-minimalistic so they can avoid things like taxes, banks, and service fees.  In other words they are attempting to give the shaft to the proverbial man.

I certainly want proper alignment when it comes to these types of things.  This is another are that, for me, brings in a great deal of distraction and anxiety.  I often feel like this is just another worldly system, designed by the devil to distract and sideline the ministry of the gospel.  This is perhaps an overstatement, however, I imagine this is the way many people feel.

To follow the example of Jesus, it is biblical and right to “render to Caesar” the things that are “his”.  I simply want the gospel to guide my life when it comes to these issues so that I can be credible and upright in my financial dealings.

As I am rereading the gospels in my private devotions, I am asking myself, “Am I following this specific teaching of Jesus”?  Then the questions arise, “Why” or Why not”?  There a few verses yesterday that packed a prophetic punch and pinpointed some of the lifestyle change I am currently trying to make.   This along side of listening to Eugene Peterson’s book, “The Jesus Way” sometimes sends me spinning on a mental and spiritual merry-go-round.

The verses I read were…

“And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.””

(Luke 12:15 ESV)

“So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.””

(Luke 12:21 ESV)

“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

(Luke 14:33 ESV)

These themes of covetousness, hording stuff, greed, and forsaking everything seems to be given special attention in Luke’s gospel account if Jesus life and ministry.  I am certainly not able to cover this topic exhaustively, however, it seems that Jesus is laying down the gauntlet or drawing the proverbial line in the sand.  These are not cute saying that we can simply dismiss because we make them metaphor or some ambiguous principle.  These are direct, prescriptive, hard sayings that must be followed and obeyed.  The Christian life is not marked by abundance of possessions or owning stuff.  Covetousness means, “inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions; greedy.” (Dictionary.com) The Christian life has nothing to do with the amount of our paychecks, the house we live in, or the car we drive.  Why do so many Christians spend so much time, energy, and money on things that will take our focus, time, energy, and resources away for the God we claim to serve and the mission he has established?  Everything you buy or own in this world has the potential of distracting you from your God given pourpose.

In Luke 14:33 Jesus said we need to “renounce all” to be his disciple.  What would it really look like if we started renouncing everything in our life that hinders us from following Jesus?  Are we like the rich, young, ruler who loved his possessions and wealth more than eternal life?

I imagine if we lived the way Jesus taught us and stopped being enticed by the cares, treasures, and pleasures of this world, it would make a amazing holistic impact in our city and among our friends and neighbors.

“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. “And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”  (Mark 10:13–16 ESV)

The beautiful thing about Jesus kingdom is that you have to shed all pretenses, humble yourself, and become like a little child.  This certainly rubs many people the wrong way, especially if they are counting on their good looks, education, abilities, intellect, etc. to account for something when or if they approach God.  It is clear that we must approach God like a wide-eyed, full of life child.

It is rather unfortunate that children get treated with such disregard and disrespect.  We could talk about abortion, child neglect, abuse, child trafficking, and child sex trade.  We could also talk about how we are dehumanizing our kids simply by placing them in the public education systems where they are turned into materialistic, moralistic over achievers that need to make good grades so you can work a job for 30 years, retire, and die.  More about that in another post perhaps.

Spend some time with a child ages 2-5.  What I think you will find is a beautiful life that is unassuming, full of trust, believes they can do or be anything, that there are no limits, and that the moon truly is made of blue cheese.  I love how caution is thrown to the wind and bees and bugs, crickets and spiders become toys.  A pocket full of earthworms and dirt become are new friends to be shared and enjoyed.  Washing machine boxes become castles and forts for the imagination to take them as far as they want to go.

Kitchen table paintings and art projects litter the refrigerator and bulletin boards as though they were artistic masterpieces.  Pablo Picasso said it best,

“All children are born artists. The problem is to remain artist as we grow up.”

God want us to approach him like a child.  He reveals himself to those who, with child like faith, believe that “he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

(Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

Sabbath is a biblical concept by which a person or persons sets a day aside for rest and spiritual worship.  In the bible, the nation of Israel was instructed to,

“ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-13

In the New Testament, we find Jesus creating an alternate concept of the Sabbath by periodically taking a break from his work and ministry to go to a desolate place to rest, refresh, and pray.

Mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Mark 6:31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

Luke 5:16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

A time of weekly Sabbath is a time to decompress, unplug, and breathe.  It is you giving you permission to have a day of rest, a day of quiet, day to say in bed, or go for a hike/drive.  For those of us who are of the Christian tradition it is a time of worship, prayer, journaling, reflection, and reading scripture.  It is a day we can commune and fellowship with our God without the normal distractions and regular responsibilities of our life.

Having a regular time of sabbath and solitude would be very much counter cultural and provocative in our fast paced society.  Because we are bombarded with information and our lives are flying by so fast, think of the beauty, simplicity, and freedom to say, “NO” to the rest of the world for one day a week and give yourself a much needed day of rest.  It will change you.

I have recently begun processing how to applying simplicity and minimalism to eating.  We are bombarded with desires and enticements to have bigger, better, and more.  We end up amassing things because of our fixation with owning or keeping up with the proverbial Jones’.  This is no less true when it comes to eating.

I was at the grocery store the other day thinking about how to applying simplicity to my food purchase.  It seems to me that the simple foods would be those that are ready to eat and/or easy to prepare.  In conjunction with this, the desire to eat health and fuel my body with the correct nutrition is paramount.  For me, it is both healthy and simple to eat a fresh fruits and veggies that are raw or steamed than trying to plan and cook 3 meals a day.  To help me facilitate this simplicity in eating, I have been using my Champion Juicer to make fresh fruit and vegetable juices.  I have also recently purchased a Vita-mix blender for making fruit and veggie smoothies and drinks.  As a supplement, I am using the crock-pot more to cook dinner with lean meat and root veggies.  For example, Lean pork tenderloin, carrots, potatoes, and garlic.

To take it another step, I have decided to use one bowl, one, spoon, and one glass.  Recently reading Miss Minimalist blog on “Minimalist Food: One Bowl Eating” (http://www.missminimalist.com/?p=551).  My home office is right by the kitchen.  I am daily astounded and overwhelmed and the amount of dished and clean up there is before and after meals.  I cannot focus or work when I know there is a looming pile of dishes or the kitchen needs cleaned.  Recently during a day of de-cluttering, I threw away our entire miss matched dishes, pots, and utensils.  We still have a long way to go in my opinion, but it was a start.  Why not take this further?  So for an experiment, I have decided to limit myself to one bowl, one spoon, and one glass.  After I eat, I wash my bowl, spoon, and glass and put it away in the cabinet.  If this works, which I have no doubt it will, I am hoping the family will get on board.  This would not only help to limit dishes and washing, but also, limit time we spend, water and electricity spent on running the dishwasher 2-3 times a day.

To read more see…

http://mnmlist.com/wash-your-bowl/#more-594

http://www.missminimalist.com/?p=551

http://mnmlist.com/minimalist-eating/

I am feeling a bit inspired to write today.  I subscribe to several blogs that teach a person how to be simple, minimalistic, and use writing as a source of income.  These blogs have inspired me to de-clutter my house and my life.  They have set me on a course of simplicity and minimization that I believe in the log run will benefit with a much clearer mind and schedule such that I can focus on what is vitally important in my life.

While I have by no means mastered the lifestyle of a simple, minimalistic, de-clutterer, I believe I am on a good path and can see progress in most areas.

One of the areas that I struggle is mental/emotional clarity.  Just due perhaps to my personality, I am constantly thinking, processing, evaluating, reading, writing, meditating, and filtering endless fragments of data.  As a Christian Pastor add the element of the supernatural in the mix and things have an occasional tendency to become overwhelming.  Also add to the equation I am an introvert with tendencies to be recluse and have an overwhelming desire for calm and quiet, there are times when my brain is like a mosh pit at a punk show.  Just to be gut wrenching honest there are also times when the mental chaos coupled with the introversion throws me into a recluse depression that, at times, is debilitating.

Of late, I have begun to realize some very profound truths that are not social or cultural norms, but would have a huge impact if embraced and practiced.  These are a mix of practical and Christian truths that are helping me.  They are helping me bring clarity to the chaos and bring some structure to life.

TRUTH ONE – All I have is the Gospel of Jesus:  Being a Christian Pastor there are counseling situations or people looking for advice and guidance on an plethora of topics.  What I have found and I am continuing to find is that a pragmatic, “7-step guide”, “30 days plan” is NOT what people need.  It gives people the illusion of success or accomplishment; however, it comes up short and in truth is empty and fluff.  From the Christian perspective, we need to understand that the good news (gospel) of Jesus, the Christ is the ONLY thing we have to give that will initiate life change.  “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes” Romans 1:16. The gospel is the power that is working to change lives.  The missionary Paul said to the Corinthian church, “For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.” (1 Cor 2:2)  He also said a similar thing to the church in Galatia, “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.”  The truth is we can talk about many good and practical things that are benefit to life.  But, if we loose site of the gospel (the power source) then we turn the gospel into good advice and have cheapened God’s grace and the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Outside the bible, the best book for daily gospel reminders is called, “The Gospel Primer for Christians” by Milton Vincent.  This book, for me, acts as my daily preacher to help me focus on the foundational aspects of the gospel.  It is a great way to establish a daily path with the gospel as central.

TRUTH TWO – We own too much stuff:  We have become products of our society.  Our culture is both consumeristic and materialistic.  I was recently shocked as I began cleaning our all my unused “stuff” and began giving it away or throwing it away.  My wife and I threw away bags and boxes of past “must have” items.  I was both embarrassed and angry wishing I had been a better manager of my money and invested it in things that are more important.  I probably threw away 20+ bags and boxes full of stuff yet it still amazes me how much stuff I still have and accumulate over the course of days and weeks.  Truthfully it is ridiculous!  Several of the blogs I read (http://mnmlist.com/ and http://www.farbeyondthestars.com/ ) have thrown down the gauntlet and are encouraging their readers to only have 100 personal possessions including clothing and books.  Being a hoarder of books and bibles the thought of giving up my books gives me the shakes…  thus identifying a problem and an addiction…  ouch!  While I am not ready to limit myself to 100 personal items, I am ready to clear our and de-own more things.  May times the things we own become our identity?  Does a car, clothes, furniture, a brand of computer, sports team, activity, or a neighborhood identify me?

As a Christian, my identity should be, in-fact, must be in Jesus Christ.  As a stranger and pilgrim on this rock, why do I try owning, consuming and growing deep roots?  Does owning 500 books make me more effective for the Kingdom of God?  Or are they a source of pride and false security?  What kind of example am I setting for those that are coming behind me in life and ministry?  What sets me apart from the non-Christian world?  What are the visible manifestations that I am a Christ follower?  I am not going to rail against having things, BUT, what if I became truly counter cultural with a life and filter EVERYTHING through the gospel?   Would a $600 apartment be sufficient and offer more opportunities to be a missionary to my culture than paying $1000 for a suburban home where I am “safe and secure” and have little interaction with my neighbors?  What about the money saved in rent and utilities?  That money could support city or international ministry opportunities.  It could by clothes, food, and shelter for the homeless.  It could sustain friends who are currently out of a work.  All I am saying is that we need to rethink the way we live.  “The things you own end up owning you”, as Tyler Durden put it.

TRUTH THREE – Discipline is Freedom: This is a personal thing.  Some people choose to be less discipline and like a more “go with the flow” lifestyle.  I have tried extremes, hyper-discipline and hyper-flex, and I am finding that a mix of both is best for me.  When writing my job description before going full-time in vocational ministry my title is “Executive Pastor”.  As I worked on it with my Lead Pastor we distilled the position down to three words, “GCD – Getting Crap Done”, think David Allen’s “GTD – Getting Things Done”.  This job description implies organization, calendars, to do list, and planning.  While planning and organization are extremely important, I know my personality is to try to accomplish 1000 things per day and run 90 MPH until I burnout.  I am blessed to work with and for a pastor and church that takes a slower, more organic approach to church ministry.  Also, being reformed in tradition and placing a high emphasizing God’s Sovereignty, it has helped me to relax and realize I am not in control and that life is about the journey and not just destination.

One of the things that has been transformative are principles I found on Leo Babauta’s book called, “The Power of Less” and his blogs, “Zen Habits – http://zenhabits.net/” and “mnmlist – http://mnmlist.com/”.  While I will not rehash everything on the book and blogs one of the keys for my success is to be disciplined with less…  not more.  One of the chapters in Leo’s book is called, “Choosing the Essential, and Simplifying”.   In my life and work it is critical that I realize I cannot do everything and walk with everyone.  I must make crucial decision on the essential things I am going to work on and people I am going to invest in.  I have to determine the values; goals, passions, skill set, and strengths of my church and myself and be willing to eliminate those things that are nonessential.  Once I have determined the essentials, simplifying things comes into play as I determine the “MIT – Most Important Tasks” that are critical in helping me work on the essentials.

One of the big problems I have found is distraction.  Constantly checking email, RSS Feeds, Facebook, Twitter, the phone ringing or a text message has been a cause of decreased productivity.  One of the simple policies I have started checking email only 2 times per day… 10am and 4pm.  This has cut down on the amount of email I get because I took Everett Bogue’s advice at http://www.farbeyondthestars.com and wrote an email auto responder that says,

Dear friend,

In order to produce the best possible results in my work, I’ve adopted a policy of only checking email twice per day at 10am and 4pm CST. Email is a huge time-suck and I’ve discovered that by not spending all day checking it, I become a much more effective individual. If this is an emergency, please contact me at my phone number (Voice or Text). I hope you understand.

Thank you for your time,

Another discipline policy I have put in place is no technology (phone, social media, texting, etc) or meetings before 10am.  I am usually up by 6am and this gives me approx. 4 hours take care of physical and spiritual disciplines.  Things such as reading, journaling, praying, writing, listening, taking my kids to school, walking, and eventually working out are things I do in the 4 hours of morning solitude.  While I have scheduled some morning breakfast meetings, it is the exception and not the rule and is very limited. My church has acquired some temporary office space and the pastors are beginning to keep flexible office hours from 1pm – 5pm Tuesday through Friday.  This has all kinds of benefits, from a teamwork perspective; however, it adds a loose structure, which for me, helps with productivity.

More to come…

NT Wright on Blogging/Social Media from Bill Kinnon on Vimeo.

Tegucigalpa, Honduras - 1992 - Outside a bank - Mission Trip

Wendy found this picture of me and a Honduran Soldier outside a bank in downtown Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  This was my first time out of country and my first “mission” trip.  It was on this trip that the Lord called me to vocational ministry.  This was December of 1992… 6 months after my conversion to Christianity.

Jonathan McIntosh, former pastor at the Journey in St. Louis and now church planter of Christ City Church in Memphis, visits the beauty of liturgy in a unique way in the following video: through the rituals he shares with his daughter. This is really good!!!

Jonathan on Liturgy from The Journey on Vimeo.