CONFESSIONS OF A STARBUCKS PASTOR

Very well, I've observed over the years. It's the rest of us who have been undone and/or amazed by a fellow human (no matter what their esteemed status) that causes us to ask this question. It might even be prefaced with a "can you believe THIS??" Every time someone tells me about something outrageous that happened to them and concludes their diatribe with "can you believe THIS???" I always respond with the same answer: "Yep, I'm not surprised by people anymore." Those people that have somehow trounced us that we lose sleep over are doing fine, thank you very much. They look in the mirror every day, back their cars out of the the driveway and go about their business utterly unaffacted by the harm they have left in their wake. It is all okay. Because when they look in the mirror, they are unfazed by truth. I doubt it was on their radar in the first place. My biggest prayer for harm-causers is that they become completely aware of their ro...

Ever asked God this question? Our son did at age five when he was throwing up every 30 minutes in the middle of the night. "Mommy, when will God let this be over?" When I do sit ups, I can't wait to get to the end of a set. When I used to swim a mile, I counted every lap and knew when I hit 72, I'd be done. Kids know down to the minute when the school year ends. Adults know when the work day is supposed to end. When you are doing yard work, you can see how much more you have to do before you're done. Sometimes the stuff we want over isn't so easily thrown up or monitor-able. Perhaps you are in a situation right now that you would trade if you could only just be throwing up instead of facing or dealing with the horrible thing that isn't going to go away any time soon. And you have no way to know where you are in the time table. We are drafted into the vortex of waiting. Waiting to see things unfold. Waiting for actions to be replied to. Waiting for...

This is probably one of the most frequent comments I hear from people who are struggling. Their lives are upside down, they are overwhelmed and in frantic need of peace - so they try praying. They are glum as they tell me "it didn't work." When people are in this state, they have already done the anxious math and are so wound up in all the  "I can't" and "What if" spiraling thoughts that they don't have the space in their overwrought minds to hear. When they are calmer and can focus, I can share how prayer really does "work." First of all, prayer is not a last resort. It is not something you do when you think you have tried everything else. In America today, it is media-acceptable to talk about that kind of prayer as much as you want. Cuz that is the "prayer" that is mumbled or recited dutifully and ritualistically. Everyone can put up with that prayer, even on TV. I grew up with those prayers at every meal and at bedt...