Passion and Purpose

I hope you will forgive me if I use the blog for self-therapy today. I had a really blessed thing happen to me this afternoon and it really helped me for at least the moment settle some questions I've been struggling with.

There are three or four preachers I like to listen to on-line for my own edification and one of them speaks frequently about finding your strengths, focussing on your mission, living into your passion, etc. His point is often that the sooner we figure out the vision for our lives (he often compares it to the picture on a jigsaw puzzle box) the easier the decisions about our priorities (like the pieces of the puzzle) begin to fit in place.

I'm pretty sure I agree with that, but I have labored and struggled to clearly articulate what the picture on my puzzle box looks like. Apart from the very important relational priorities of being a good husband, father, follower of Christ and friend, what does the picture look like? I had what I believe to be a providential moment today that helped me.

I was invited to attend a lunch at Fuller today to honor Marianne Meye Thompson's instalation into the George E. Ladd Chair of New Testament Studies. I hurried to the lunch from staff meeting, so when I arrived there were only a couple of seats remaining. I ended up sitting next to several wonderful folk associated with Fuller but there were three in particular around me who either attend PazNaz regularly or come from time to time when they are available: Dale Bruner who was a professor at Whitworth College and has written an incredible two-volume commentary on Matthew, Robert Meye who was dean of the Fuller school of theology from 77-90, and Russell Spittler who was the Fuller provost and is now provost emeritus. One of the great personal blessings for me has been the number of Fuller and APU scholars and adminstrators who come around for worship services, but frankly they terrify me every time I see them walk into the sanctuary because I know how professors think. You just can't slip bad exegesis by them.

Thankfully, they each said very kind things about the church and about my preaching, but Dr. Spittler paid me one of the best compliments I believe I've ever been given. He said that when he leaves the service he says to his wife, "We heard the gospel today."

I don't share that to brag (well, maybe a little bit) but mainly to say that it really caused a light bulb to turn on in my heart and head. "That's it," I thought. That is the picture on the puzzle box for me. What I love, what I lose sleep over, what I burn with a passion to do is proclaim the gospel. My life desire is for people to walk away from worship stirred, drawn, offended, transformed - not by me but - by the gospel.

I just wanted to take a moment on a gorgeous Tuesday in Pasadena to state how thankful I am for the opportunity God and the really fine people of PazNaz give me to week by week live out the picture on the top of the puzzle box. I hope that God will give you moments from time to time to discover or rediscover what the picture on the top of the puzzle box he has painted for you looks like.

Now if I can just figure out where all these pieces go...