Chuck was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just a few short weeks ago.  He went through a succesful surgery, which I sat through with him.  He had been released from the hospital just a few days ago.

Something happened with his heart and the blood thinners he was on.  He just couldn’t make it.

I’m surprised.

You see, Chuck was 71 years old, but as his surgeon told me upon the completion of his operation, “Chuck had the insides of a 30-year old.”  That means he was healthier and in better shape than me!

Chuck worked out a couple hours everyday and rode his bike about 20 miles.  Chuck was our primary drummer for worship gatherings.  I was the backup.  The only reason I was even playing drums at all was because Chuck inspired me to pick up my sticks again after 20 years of not playing.  And my 3-year old, Eliot, loves playing drums because of “Mr. Chuck.”

Chuck inspired me in a lot of ways.  Though on in years, he was open to anything.  Though used to a large-church setting, he loved our little community of faith.  Chuck’s wife has been battling terminal cancer (the “no use going through chemotherapy kind”) for several years.  We all thought Chuck would outlive her.  Chuck cared for her with the meticulous care of a bedside nurse.  He was a hero.  I realized that as I held his wife’s hands and prayed with her over Chuck’s lifeless body.  I heard her say, “You were my angel.”  And he was.

That’s probably why I spent a whole day driving him to Savannah for his operation and staying through it.  That’s probably why I visited him a few days after and stayed for several hours.  That’s probably why I shaved him and helped bathe him while he was in hospital.

He had done so much for his wife, and me, and others … how could I not be a servant for him?

I saw Jesus in Chuck.  And because Jesus is resurrected I not only know that Chuck and I will play drums together again, and Chuck will workout again, and Chuck will ride his bike again … I also know I must serve others the way Chuck served his wife, and me, and …

I must serve here and now, because God’s kingdom has been inaugurated.  I know that because I’ve known Chuck.

For me and my family, a little rhythm has gone away with Chuck’s passing.  It’s a rhythm that we will need to step into.  A rhythm that we should now pick up for Chuck, as we serve others in Jesus’ name … just like Chuck did.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
Who is a “Chuck” in your life?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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Today I’m sitting in Memorial Hospital in Savannah, GA.  My friend (our 70-year old church drummer), Chuck, is in a 6-hour surgery for prostate cancer.  He has no family in the area.  His wife, Margie, is suffering from terminal cancer and is in Hospice of the Golden Isles in Brunswick.  So I volunteered to bring him and be here during the surgery.

There was a time, when I would be fretting that I’m not getting any “work” done if I sit in a hospital waiting room all day by myself.  There was a time I considered planning, preparing, study, etc. to be the most important work I need to be doing.  That time is over.  Today, I can think of nothing better than sitting in this waiting room, praying for Chuck … and Margie … letting administrative things sort themselves out; praying for others I know; praying for Jesus to let me know him a little better today; possibly meeting others in whom I can see Christ in this waiting room.

Not much “church-building” going on today.  At least church-building in the understood sense.  Probably won’t be much nor any church-building in my plans in future either.  It’s not my job.  Nor is it yours.  Jesus builds, grows, and forms the church.  I’m just part of God’s universal church, trying to keep my family in the Way of Jesus; letting God provide me and my family with opportunities to shepherd, support, listen, care.

Maybe you are like I have been in times past.  Thinking that being in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ means doing “churchy” things, keeping a good attendance at worship, paying attention to church leaders and pastors, trying to be “good” or “righteous.”  I’m convinced these days that being a follower of Jesus and the God whom he called Father is not really related to those things.  It’s about listening for God’s voice, getting to know Jesus, trusting in God’s love for us, keeping your family faithful to the Spirit’s voice, living life with others who are on the same journey.  In this way, worship becomes not a weekend hour or two, but a way to live.

So I’m worshipping today.  As I wait to see Chuck after his long surgery.  As I trust Jesus to be with Chuck, and Margie, and me, and my family, and you.  The trappings, and requirements, and obligations are melting away.  As I turn my eyes on Jesus, I’m seeing only … get this … Jesus!  And like him, I must be about my Holy Father’s work.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How are you worshipping through the way you live this week?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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Through the transitions in life as of late, God has provided for us by Heather working a couple more days a week while I play Mr. Mom.  It means I get work done at odd hours.  But the chance to experience life with my kids has been incredible.

Yesterday, our 3-year old, Eliot, ate like a human garbage disposal.  His hunger was bottomless.  He had two bowls of cereal and applesauce for breakfast.  Crackers, yogurt, and grapes for “second breakfast.”  More grapes and cheese crackers for a snack.  A turkey sandwich, pretzels, and yogurt for lunch.  Even more grapes, cornbread, sesame sticks, and apricots for afternoon snack.  Chicken nuggets (his and some of mine), mixed fruit, fries for dinner.  Then more cereal and grapes at separate times before bed!

I was amazed how much he could put away!  I was even more amazed that he was eating just about every hour or so.  He’s growing, changing.  And he needs to be nourished constantly.

Then, while struggling to sleep in the middle of the night, these words came to my mind: “Humans don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that issues from God’s mouth.”

Jesus was so close in relationship with his Father, that he carried on conversation with him throughout the day.  He wanted the nourishment from God to be just as regular, satisfying, and growth-inducing as regular food for his body … if not more so.

I’ve been learning to trust Jesus more.  To lean into God’s unfailing love and acceptance of me.  To be in conversation with the Father at all times.

Just like Eliot eating constantly for his body to develop in a healthy way, we need to be in constant, aware, open, trusting relationship with God so that we may grow more into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

It’s not just a Sunday morning thing (or whatever time and day we may gather for community worship).  It’s not just a private prayer time once or a few times a week.  It’s not just in fellowship with other believers every so often.  It’s not just in relationship with not-yet believers.  It’s not just in our family time with children and parents.  It’s not just in the compassionate lifestyle actions that we may engage in.

Life and relationship with God is all of this, and more, at all times, with all that we are, trusting all that our God is!

The ways and times to “do church” are becoming completely insignificant to me.  The life enjoyed by “being church” is the path I’m on.  It’s not popular.  It’s confusing on all sides.  It means I can’t plan my future so much as trust God’s working in my present until he accomplishes his purpose in me.

What is God’s purpose?  The same for all of us really:  to be drawn into relationship with God, to be caught up in the community of our holy Parent, and the befriending Son, and the loving Spirit; to be shaped into the likeness of our oldest brother — Jesus Christ.

God, work out your purpose in me and my family however you choose.  AMEN.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How is God nourishing you these days?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
What would like me to blog about?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.

“Courtney?”

“She said, ‘Hi, is Brian in; it’s Courtney.’”

I know some Courtney’s … but none that casually.  Who knows …

“I’ll take it.”

Courtney started out by asking if I received the really nice pen with Grace Community Church imprinted on it that she sent me for free.

“Ummmm … I’m sure our office manager might have seen it.”

“Well, can I direct you to a place on line that you can see what it looks like.”

“Courtney are you trying to sell me something?  Because we wouldn’t be interested in buying any promotional items.”

“Oh, well how do you promote yourself?  How do you say ‘thank you’ to your clients that come to your services.”

I’m thinking to myself that so many things are wrong with the question she just asked:

We don’t have clients; we have people.
We don’t thank people we see; we embrace them.
We don’t ask people to come to “services”; people are invited to worship gatherings.
People can’t come to “service”; people must go out to engage in service.
What the heck does promotion in a faith-community setting mean anyway?  (I’ve discussed this in response to church marketing before)

Instead of calling her on those points, I just replied to Courtney:  “We thank people by equipping them to be Jesus in their daily lives.”

Long pause … A few words incoherently started and abruptly changed … Finally Courtney says:  “Well, do … uhh … how do the people in your area know about your church?”

“Courtney, we just try to be the hands and feet of Jesus all the time.  As relationships and friendships are built, some people want to walk on the journey of faith with us.  Our thanks go to God for working ahead of us, and through us, and in us.  It’s hard to express that with a pen.  Much better to just live it, like Jesus did, don’t you think?”

Long pause … again … Finally:  “OK.   Well you have a good day … Thanks.”

“Thank you, Courtney.”

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How is your energy and money being used these days to live like Jesus … other than in pens?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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I was walking from the kitchen to my study in the Grace Community training site, when I saw one of our older parishioners out for her morning walk.  She lives about a mile from here.

My to do list is long today, the pressure is mounting to get stuff done before leaving town on a family holiday, I need to do some planning … etc.  But I decided to get off my timeframe and just go say “Hi” to her, coffee cup in hand.

She is approaching 90, has a husband she cares for.  She’s an amazing woman with a tender heart.  She has weathered the difficulties in re-birthing this local congregation.

I was able to just listen, and learn, and give a hug.  I stood there for about 30 minutes in the coastal Georgia heat (sipping my cup off Starbucks brew, which added to the sweat factor).  All she wanted and needed from me was to be present and listen.  I learned so much about her life story, her extended family, her outlook on life.

I wonder if I was blessed more than her by our conversation.

It’s an art, you know … being patient enough to put aside mental pressures and just focus on someone talking to you.  It’s an art I’ve been trying to practice more these days.  I find myself changed somehow each time I practice it: a bit more humble, a bit more patient, a bit more about others, a bit less about me.

What a great part of my day … seeing Jesus in the presence and words and history of this woman.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
In what ways are you practicing the art of presence?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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I’ve waited with anticipation for Weezer to captivate me like they did with their debut album: Weezer (Blue Album).  And now, finally, it has happened.  The latest self-titled offering has grabbed me and isn’t letting go.

Though there were glimpses of Rivers Cuomo’s brilliance on Pinkerton and Weezer (Green Album), this is the first album since their debut which gets a full play for me.

There is a coming-of-age in this album.  Musically and lyrically.  Being only a pedestrian bass player and a sometimes drummer, I’ll keep my comments mostly to the lyrics.

The first radio single “Pork and Beans” has several layers.  Cuomo’s songwriting has simplified in one sense and matured in another.  Though initially dealing with the cult of cool, the song becomes a battle cry for those with eclectic taste:

“I’ll eat my candy with the pork and beans …”

After so many years of so-so albums (receiving commercial and fan criticism), it’s as if the band has settled on the idea that they shouldn’t be about others’ expectations.  Instead, they are opting for what is inspired.  And this album mostly is inspired.

“The Greatest Man that Ever Lived” is a fun and satirical romp through this very journey of trying (but failing) to please:

“After the havoc that I’m gonna wreak
No more words will critics have to speak
I’ve got the answers to the tangled knot
Sleep tight in your cot.

Oh baby,
I’ve been told I’m goin’ crazy.
Oh baby,
But I can’t be held down.
Oh baby,
Somehow I’m keeping it steady.
Oh baby,
I’m tearin up this town.”

And then the quintessential statement:

“I am the greatest man that ever lived
I was born to give and give and give.”

Now, I don’t think Rivers Cuomo is trying to lay claim to what can only belong to Jesus of Nazareth (or, who knows … maybe he is).  But, he understands that the gifts (of music) are his to give.  He’s not responsible for how the gift is received.

There’s a very deep theological statement there.  God gives all good things we need to follow and worship Christ.  It’s up to us to make that gift of grace responsible.  That is to say, it’s up to us to respond to the gift(s).

A reflection on years past weaves throughout the whole of this album.  On “Everybody Get Dangerous” we hear the confession:

“Hockey games on frozen ponds
No safety pads were ever put on
Drivin’ home on country roads
Sixty-five in a twenty-five zone
In my parents Tercel
How did we survive so well
Throw the keys and the wheel locked up
I almost killed every one us”

And the reflection poses a problem for the band, now responsible for their own children:

“What will we say when our kids come to us
And ask, with a smile on their face,
‘Hey Dad, my friend’s got some new ninja swords!
Is it cool if we slash up his place?’”

Oh, if only my 3-year old, Eliot, would only ask before embarking on his paths of destruction!  But the progression from college kid to father is evident.  The Weezer journey has paralleled my own.  Their first album in large part set the parameters for my college experience.

The Bonus version of the album has some very nice additions.  “The Spider” delves into a bit of existential angst with a twist:

“Cuz I’m in pain just like the spider
In the drain, I am a fighter
But I can’t win I’ve got to lose
Give me strength to see me through
And ease the pain that I must feel
As my bones break and I taste the steel
As I go down …the drain…
I’m insane”

The twist comes in the next song, “King:”

“You see I own this town. You best not come around.
If you wanna get by, then cool it down.
If you wanna start something, know one thing: I’m king.
If you wanna mess around like that, that’s just how it is.
If you wanna get by, then mind your biz.
If you wanna start something, know one thing: I’m king.”

Cuomo knows he’s only king in his own mind.  But aren’t we all?  It takes a daily effort of yielding to rely on something outside ourselves (in my case, Christ).

Perhaps, I should have titled this post “A Brief Look at the New Weezer Album and How I See Things That Went Into Writing the Songs Through My Theological Lens.”  But that’s a wordy title, don’t you think?

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
Are you a Weezer fan?  What’s your take on their new album?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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This little gem of a book is an easy read; quite unlike his previous Torture and Eucharist.  There are certain strains of familiarity with Marva J. Dawn’s Unfettered Hope.

Cavanaugh argues that our general notions of globalism and consumerism have been waterd down.  Or better yet, they have been too narrow.

In the face of globalism, Cavanaugh paints a Christian communal response that honors the particular in the macrocosms of cultural.

The bottom line is that we do not have an appropriate theology of God’s abundance.  Cavanaugh essentially seeks to answer the question, “Do we really believe God provides his people with all they need to be his people?”

If the answer is “Yes” then we have a different paradigm and story from which to live.  God’s Economy tells a different story with different practices and different reference points.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
Have you read the book?  What have you learned about God’s economy?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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The challenge (and great mystery) is how to effectively cope with all the pressures in a healthy way.

I’m convinced the only way to deal with our pressures is to lean into each other. To help each other carry the burdens.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes

“Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” (Galatians 6:1-3)

Think you aren’t creative? Stoop to help someone carry their burdens and face their pressures. Be forgiving. Think less of yourself and more of someone else. You’ll discover you are being creative in finding ways to carry out Christ’s law (by the way, Christ’s law is that we love one another as Jesus has loved us).

I’m hoping, with God’s help, to be more creative than I’ve ever been in living this way. Less of me; more of Christ.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How are you living creatively these days?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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We stayed with some very good friends who just a few months ago lost their baby an hour after he was born. Several late-night talks with them were difficult and sad and heart-wrenching.

We had some extended family news come our way that shook life circumstances for Heather’s side of the family.

A good family friend, mentor, and church leader at my old stomping grounds unexpectedly took his own life.

All of this during our “vacation.”

I have been experiencing a lot of sadness, brokenness, doubting, and feelings of helplessness of late.

Yet here’s what I’m learning … God has a way of weaving beauty out of brokenness and despair.

I’m not one of those who blames God for everything. I mean, if God really controlled everything with the way the word is today, that’s not a God I could worship, much less serve. No, it seems that scripture and experience tells us that evil just happens. Yet in the midst of evil, God longs to be in relationship with his creation. And if we let him, God will create something surprising and wonderful out of the shards of sadness, grief, despair, and hopelessness that invade our lives from time to time.

For instance, with the happenings I mentioned above … We got to spend quality time with some best friends during their dark days of anger and despair. We got to hug and be present and just listen. All in all experiencing a deeper level of friendship … and they did too.

We see my wife’s family pulling together with others in their faith community to truly seek God’s leading in their situation.

We were able to be with and comfort the family of our friend. We remembered his actions of love and compassion throughout his life. We saw his young grandson turn to God’s story in the days that followed in order to make sense of the situation.

God is weaving something beautiful, even when all seems lost. God is faithful to love us and care for us, even when we feel abandoned. God is relentless in his activity to create wonder and hope, even when we feel like he has nothing to work with.

This is the God I worship. This is the God I serve. This is the God I’m anticipating will surprise me again soon in wonderful ways.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
How is God taking your brokenness and making something surprising and wonderful out of it?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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