Driftwood Diaries

As my family and I dove into the ROCKHARBOR community five years ago, we were struck by a risky dependence on God. It was electrifying to rally around “giving ourselves away” and the wave of missional service as thousands stepped into the first “Go” campaign. The weekend we cancelled services for Serve Day was a time I’ll never forget; my kids actually washed windows in a trailer park!

Although our outreach efforts of late have not been quite as high-profile as things like The GO Campaign, our posture as a church has not changed. We are still a faith community marked by gutsy dependence, risky generosity, and radical service. One of the ways our church has continued to press into this posture is by creating the new volunteer position of “City Pastor”.

What is a City Pastor, you ask? It’s a journey in process, but the main idea behind it is to seek out, create, and participate in mission endeavors within the city, and to invite our church community into the action.

The big question City Pastors are asking is; if ROCKHARBOR were to end today – if we were to close our doors and shut down, would the cities of Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, Fullerton, or Huntington Beach miss us? Sure, a couple thousand church goers might be disappointed, but would the city miss us? Would the public schools miss us? Would our civic leaders, immigrant families, homeless population, at-risk teens, or neighborhood children really miss us? This is a haunting question, and one we continue to wrestle with…

There are a few other local churches that have aslo felt a similar call. And we began talks about what it would look like to be involved more in our cities. Two weeks after I officially started as Costa Mesa City Pastor we were called into action.

As many of you know, a Costa Mesa city worker committed suicide after learning he was going to be one of hundreds to be laid off. We responded with a network of churches for crisis care, a city-wide prayer gathering encircling City Hall, and a memorial service followed by a hospitality area for prayer, refreshments, and a listening ear…all on city grounds. Something started that day, and the ripples of it are still being felt at the civic level in many ways as the relationships built continue to grow.

A month later, another tragedy struck; a student at Costa Mesa High took his own life. He was a well-liked sophomore on the volleyball team. As the school community reeled in shock, we had another invitation to respond with many pastors on site for prayer and counseling, and I was able to sit down for an hour with his team as a mentor, chaplain, and friend – quite a change from when, just a few weeks ago, I was told no pastors would ever be allowed on campus.

In the midst of pain and brokenness, God is moving in this city.

As a church, we now have invitations from this school and several others, the city council, and MIKA Community Development to invest in relationships like never before. Beyond a summer service project or a single mission trip, this is our chance to begin making a sustainable, deep, long-term impact in Costa Mesa. There is a dynamic balance in giving and receiving, of caring and being held, of comfort and risk, and I believe God is calling us once again toward a season of daring adventure.

If you live in Costa Mesa, we invite you to love our city with reaching arms, quickened feet, and open hearts. Let’s love the people around us in such a way that God’s grace is compelling and the Gospel is heard loud and clear. As Jesus followers, this is what we do.

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reblogged from http://www.rockharbor.org/2011/05/city-pastor/

My first ever video podcast interview! Click on the image below to be taken directly to the Circles blog at ROCKHARBOR where you can view the podcast in it’s entirety, subscribe to other episodes, and even leave a comment. Darin McWatters is a fun interviewer and brought out some deep subjects, as well. I was humbled and honored to be a part of this!

“How can you cope with the end of a world and the beginning of another one? How can you put an earthquake into a test tube, or the sea into a bottle? How can you live with the terrifying thought that the hurricane has become human, that fire has become flesh, that life itself came to life and walked in our midst? Christianity either means that, or it means nothing. It is either the most devastating disclosure of the deepest reality in the world, or it’s a sham, a nonsense, a bit of deceitful play-acting. Most of us, unable to cope with saying either of these things, condemn ourselves to live in the shallow world in between. We may not be content there, but we don’t know how to escape.

The way through this by sheer unadulterated worship of the living and true God, and by following this God wherever he leads, whether or not it is the way our traditions would suggest. Worship is not an optional extra for the Christian, a self-indulgent religious activity. It is the basic Christian stance, and indeed (so Christians claim) the truly human stance. Worship derives from “worth-ship” and it means giving God all He’s worth.
Worship is humble and glad; worship forgets itself in remembering God; worship celebrates the truth as God’s truth, not its own. True worship doesn’t put on a show or make a fuss; true worship isn’t forced, isn’t half-hearted, doesn’t keep looking at its watch, doesn’t worry what the person in the next pew may be doing. True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark.

Worship will never end; whether there be buildings, they will crumble; whether there be committees, they will fall asleep; whether there be budgets, they will add up to nothing. For we build for the present age, we discuss for the present age, and we pay for the present age; but when the age to come (Christ’s return) is here, the present age will be done away.
Worship is nothing more nor less than love on its knees before the beloved; just as mission is love on its feet to serve the beloved . . .”

I was reflecting the other day on the story of Jesus, his disciples, and the stormy sea (Mark 4:35-39). You know, the one where he’s asleep in the boat and all the other guys are freaking out, scared the wind and waves might sink them:
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“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”

A book by Brennan Manning was encouraging me to imagine a biblical scene, and put myself in the story - to ask myself who I’d be in the drama, and to view it from that perspective.  Well, as crazy as it sounds, the first thing I thought of was; “I’m the storm“.  I figured that was too weird, quickly tried to think of an actual person in the story that I related to, but the “storm” idea just kept coming back.
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And I began to see why it hit me like that:  I’m a Type-A personality.  I love making things happen, directing events and experiences.  I work hard at shaping my calendar, ministry, art, and communication.  Like a storm, I’m used to making waves, rocking the boat, and charging forward like a force of nature.  I began to look at the narrative from that point of view, and I was floored by the voice of Jesus to me in the story.  It hit me like a ton of bricks: “Quiet!  Be still.”
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This month, I’ll be attempting to obey this directive like never before. I’ve felt led and supported to embark on a month long SABBATICAL this August 2-27. The first break like this for me, ever. It will be difficult in some ways, but I’m so excited to follow God with this radical step. These 26 days will be a time of family, rest, solitude, silence, study, reflection, retreat, and renewal.  I can’t wait! I’ve never even taken two weekends off in a row in 17 years, so this will be quite a new, transforming experience. Please keep my family and I in your prayers as we intensely seek God’s direction, peace, and unique presence during this time. I will not be performing, leading, singing, speaking from a stage, or booking future ministry dates, so please also keep my ministry and God’s future plans for it in your prayers, as well.
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My I fully let go, releasing my grip on everything but Jesus! And may his peace, like a sea smooth as glass, carry us toward a new shore.

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An excerpt of my book The Christian Musician’s Guidebook has been published by a magazine, and the article is now online!  Check it out by clicking the image below.  I’m on page 33 - excited to have you join the conversation!

Tonight we ponder Good Friday and then celebrate Christ’s victory on Easter Sunday. These are some of the biggest gatherings our churches will ever have this year. Many of us worship leaders will be in front of our largest audiences, and quite frankly, we’re feeling a bit of the buzz. With all the excitement, services planned, productions being set up, big and small (Jonas Brothers at Saddleback?), I’m praying we all move beyond the staging and lights this weekend toward the deeper purposes at play. And just as a reminder, here’s a cutting-edge take on the whole thing:

(Of course, the British lead the way once again…)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbtkhB3cFGs[/youtube]

Now, will I still be putting on my skinny jeans, my tight, vintage, black button down with the perfect thrift-store suit vest (Good Friday, you know), tucking my ear-bud deftly behind some bed-head highlights, strapping on the Hummingbird, and walking up to the microphone a few times this weekend? Yes. Will this video be nagging my every move? Yes.

And I think that’s a good thing.

As two dozen teenagers and I hefted a monstrously heavy wooden bench and prepared to slog it through the snow to the other side of the camp, I knew this was a different type of worship for most of us. Some people wouldn’t even call it worship - but God does.

I’ve often wondered what God’s favorite type of worship is.

Have you ever wondered if God has a favorite style? What does He like best? R&B? Passion? Soul Survivor? Bluegrass? Hillsong? Hymns? What do you think, really? We all say that He appreciates and receives our praise no matter the style, as long as it comes from the heart, but secretly…if it was just you and He, having a Macchiato at Peete’s (His coffee preference for sure), and you asked Him…Do you think He might have a favorite?

Well, guess what? He does.

God says this through the prophet Amos:
“I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That’s what I want. That’s all I want.”
(Amos 5 - The Message)

As a songwriter and contemporary worship leader, this passage is a tough one to wrestle with. His comment about music stings and challenges. He also offers no redemptive instruction regarding music at all. Now, I realize there are many other references throughout the Bible where music is encouraged as a true expression of worship. I know God loves music, but there seems to be two things He loves even more; Justice and Fairness.  These are words with a sense of action embedded into them, action that awakens other virtues, as well; Compassion, Generosity, Service, Kindness. The questions we have to ask are; What would it look like for us to worship God the way He wants? What could this look like for our congregations during a “contemporary worship service” in which we seek to please God with our praise? And the toughest one of all; Are we really pleasing Him now?

As I’ve been wrestling with these thoughts, I’ve had the opportunity to facilitate some unique worship expressions in a variety of ways, and I wanted to share the latest experience. Last week, I was the “speaker” and “worship leader” (use of quotes, because I’m still trying to figure out those titles) for a group of high school students in the mountains of Washington . I focused our times together around various postures; Praise, Thanksgiving, Petition, Obedience, and Celebration. During the “worship through obedience” gathering, we explored the ideas of justice and fairness - how those play out in generosity and service, and what it would like for us to put some muscle into or worship, to back up our words and prayers with action. I had the idea of attempting some kind of service project for the camp. It turned out that they needed a 30 foot long, 1,500 pound workbench moved from one shop to another…300 yards…through the snow. If we could help with this, it’d be a huge blessing they said. We agreed to make it a part of our worship, and instead of singing a few songs in a nice, warm auditorium, we put on our boots and headed out into the weather.

The camp’s hosts had fashioned beams going under the long bench so that each student had a hand hold. We remembered the Israelites and the Ark of Covenant. We laughed, sized up the job, cheered each other on, counted to three, and lifted! It was hard work, but nothing could wipe the smile off our faces! It took all we had to get that table to it’s new spot. We were spent! Our aching arms, legs, and backs proved the effort (and to think there’s actually a computer program called “EASY WORSHIP”). We cheered. We celebrated. And afterward, we even carried a few lighter boards on the way back. Now that’s a picture of God-pleasing praise!

How about for you? Is there an action step you could make toward justice and fairness in your life? Could you take that step today, tonight, this week?

I didn’t regret one second of this service, and I doubt I’ll ever forget it. Did I get to share some of the songs I’ve been working on and preparing for years? No. Did we cry, get goose-bumps, or experience warm, tingly sensations as a band played? Not exactly. Our footsteps created the rhythm, our voices shouted a crude, spirited melody, and a beautiful song rose to the heavens. We obeyed. We served. We gave. We offered a real, one of kind gift to God, a sacrifice, and I KNOW He loved it. And how am I so sure? Because that’s His favorite kind of worship.

One of the ways our culture remembers and celebrates a person or occasion is with a “toast”.  You may have seen this at a wedding or a formal meal of some kind; someone will stand up, raise their glass of whatever they’re drinking, say something like “To the bride!” and that’s the signal for everyone to clink their glasses with each other and take a sip of their drinks.  I was thinking of this custom the other day while getting ready to celebrate a Sabbath family dinner with candles, special blessings, and grape juice.  As each of us began to share things that God was teaching us through the week, or things He’s helped us with, it seemed completely natural to want to make a toast after each story - to Jesus!  So as my youngest daughter finished talking, I raised my glass of grape juice and declared, “Let’s have a toast:  To Jesus!”
“Yay, Jesus!” everyone echoed.  Then we clinked our glasses together and took a drink.  It was so fun, we decided to do it after each person shared.  There were lots of toasts to Jesus that night.  He deserves it more than anyone!

P.S.  One polite element of toasting is to make sure you look the person in the eye that you are clinking your glass with.  So, not only do you get to remember and celebrate Jesus through this activity, you also get a chance to connect with each other, too!

“I don’t trust anybody.”

A friend was confiding to us how difficult it is to trust.  In the journey of faith, trusting is definitely a key component, but sometimes it’s so hard to do!  There’s tons of verses in the Bible that talk about trusting even being sort of a gateway to God and His guidance, but how to get there?  One time a few years ago, I really sensed God give me a thought about trust that came out like this; TRUST=JOY.  It’s true, I really think joy is also a byproduct of trust - very hard to have one and not the other - so if you want to be joyful in life, well, you’ve got to trust, and I’ve discovered that the more you trust, the more joy you’ll have.

So, this Halloween I’ve been thinking a lot about the spiritual; God, Satan, demons, etc…, and call me crazy, simplistic, childish, or whatever, but I really believe the Bible literally, and I believe in God, Satan, demons, angels, parting seas, people-swallowing fish, talking shrubbery…the whole thing!  If demons are real, and the devil is trying to keep us from God and His goodness, then I imagine they do NOT want us to learn to trust - in anything!  Their goal is to keep us from trusting, from joy, from God, and they never give up, but the good news is that God is more powerful than Satan, and God invites us to use His power against Satan’s attacks.  There’s many places in the Bible where we’re instructed to talk right to the demons (crazy, I know) and tell them something like this; “By the power of Jesus Christ, I tell you Satan; let go of me and get out of my life!”

Why don’t you give this a try next time you’re feeling unable to trust (no better time than Halloween)?  What have you got to lose?  Go on, just try it.  I probably pray a prayer like this over one topic or another about once a week, and I almost ALWAYS feel the crazy sensation of something really shifting in the spiritual realm.  Totally weird, but I’ve felt it to be true!  Besides, no one will make fun of you if it doesn’t work, and if it does…you just might be on a new path to freedom.

A great prayer to follow this up could be; “God, please help me to trust.”  He really wants to help you take those big leaps of faith where real life begins.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Last year’s ASCENT was awesome. 12 of us camped in the Yosemite valley and climbed Half Dome! Here’s a re-cap:

“Just a quick word to say thanks again for setting up the trip! I know you and Heidi did a lot of work setting it up and making it run smooth! It turned out fantastic!” - Ken

“Wow, is all I can say. God’s handiwork, his power, and his blessing us with the reminders in creation is humbling to say the least.” - Gregg

See the full story HERE

My wife and I decided to host these retreats, targeted for everyone and anyone that would be interested; singles, couples, pastors, musicians, artists, families…just a fun way to get away and experience something new, together.

:: THE TRAVERSE 2009 ::

THIS YEAR WE’RE TAKING IT TO THE GROUND for a 2-day hiking retreat in the picturesque Marin Headlands above San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. We’ve made it a little more accessible this time with easy to moderate hiking trails along coastal wilderness and actual beds and amenities at the Marin Headlands Hostel

THE DATES ARE SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2009

THERE ONLY 14 SPOTS AVAILABLE, and they are first come/first served starting now! The cost includes accommodates for 2 nights (plus meals for Friday and Saturday) and is only $150. To reserve your spot simply hit our Pay Pal button on the site, send in a check to our address below, or call me with your credit card number at 949-294-7039.

Justin Fox Ministries / 3007 Donnybrook Ln. Costa Mesa, CA 92626

:: SCHEDULE ::

Thursday the 24th - 7pm check-in / 8pm Beginning Gathering :: Worship, Experience, Community

Friday the 25th - 8am Breakfast and pack lunch / 9am leave for day hike / 6pm Dinner / 7pm Middle Gathering

Saturday the 26th - 9am Breakfast / Communion / Community …10:30am everyone heads home…