“Then Job replied:  ‘Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation you give me. Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on.’”
– JOB 21:1-3

When someone we care about is in the midst of great tragedy, we all ask the same question of ourselves: “What should I say?” We inherently know there’s nothing — no words that are ever enough to salve the deepest wounds of loss. The trouble is, we believe that there ARE some words that are adequate and we’re certain that because we can’t locate those words, that WE are inadequate. So, we choose to avoid, neglect, or try to minimize the loss.

But, that action (or, more accurately: inaction) winds up being about us. The hurting person then, lives with the experience of a double-loss: the impact of the tragedy itself and the sense of abandonment by those who can’t find the words. For Job, as the great sufferer of the Bible, he has endured loss. His friends come to him with a number of words in an attempt to bring his suffering to a kind of resolution that makes THEM feel COMFORTABLE. They talk. They blame. They believe their words are the answer Job is seeking.

Job has this insight for all of us: “LISTEN carefully to my words; let THIS be the consolation you give me. Bear with me while I speak…” I’m still learning, in the midst of being a pastor — one expected to have answers and reasons — that the great gift I can give is the use of fewer words, not more. I’m learning how to skillfully replace the question: “How are you?” with this: “It seems like it’s been really tough lately” and then waiting… and waiting… and waiting until they speak. I’m learning that a hug given in silence is a far greater gift than perfected words of wisdom.

In a world intent on expressing every thought with clever diction and winsome wordsmithing, silent support stands uniquely among all the ways in which we can care for the hurting. So, to those who hurt: the ones who have come in pain, the ones whose sorrow could not be undone in a single conversation, for those who have felt as if no one could ever understand, I apologize for failing to embrace silence with greater affection.

For as long as we dwell among other people, we’ll encounter pain — their pain and ours. Perhaps, we’ll continue to learn with greater and greater compassion and skill how to truly “be there” for those who hurt.

See you soon,

Jeff

Spend time with the “Men of Mariners” at this year’s “MAN CAMP” at Forest Home. Speakers include Kenton Beshore, Kyle Zimmerman, Jeff Maguire and Eric Heard. GET OUTDOORS, EAT, BE KNOWN, HAVE FUN, MAN UP! Details and register here or search “man camp” on our website.

MAN CAMP
Fri, Jun 3, 3p–Sun, Jun 5, 11a, $199, Forest Home

“There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity.”
– JOB 1:1

Consider for a moment how familiar you are with this phrase: “I’m going to lose it!” Though I don’t always say it with those words exactly, I know it well (and so do the people that are closest to me). Rarely does it require me to specifically announce the sentiment that generates it. I only need the right combination of fear, insecurity, frustration, loneliness, or unresolved conflict from my past to set the fertile ground for a spectacular unwinding.

If ever there were a person in the Bible who deserved to “lose it,” it’s Job. Job’s story is a famous one. It’s a story riddled with incredibly weighty questions about the nature  of God’s relationship both to humans and to their accuser, Satan. It chronicles the suffering of a man, who though full of integrity, is subjected to unimaginable loss. The Book of Job records the conversations of Job’s “wise” friends who imagine Job is deserving of his punishment for something he did that he’s unwilling to confess. They pile-on in his grief, begging him to confess something they believe he clearly had not reconciled with God.

Yet, Job is honest and unwavering. He has suffered and does suffer. He asks the great answerless question we all ask in the midst of trial: “Why?” He suspects, like all of us do, that there will be a satisfactory justification for his disease, financial ruin, and the death of his loved ones. But, we know the answer already — that there is no “because” big enough to address the depth of the pain behind that “why.” Job encounters God, not in his tenderness, but in his majesty — that undeniable mystery of God’s other-ness, his ungraspable supremacy.

In reading this woeful narrative of sorrow and struggle, I can’t escape myself in it: What is the value of having integrity at all? Why does he continue, throughout the story, to be committed to a life of obedience locked in an honest intimacy with the God of the universe who has not made his life easier, more convenient, or safer? Why doesn’t he resign himself to the idea that none of his devoted life of faith to God has resulted in any observable benefit? Why doesn’t he lose it?

I think the answer lies in what is meant by “complete integrity.” Integrity has its roots in the idea of being integrated: whole. Consider the alternative: disintegrated: falling apart — losing it. Maybe, when we “lose it” we’re actually describing the reality of becoming less of ourselves. Job is the story of a person who is unswervingly committed to being whole — being the one God intended him to be. The experience of “losing it” ALWAYS leaves us wondering where “we” went in the course of some outburst. To exclaim “I’m losing it!” is to declare, “I am disintegrating!” To be full of integrity is to be fully us. That, after all is said and done, is who God created us to be…us. Our faith journey is to live in the fullest reality of who God is shaping us to become — our fully integrated self.

This week we’ll pick up where we left off in our series: THINGS I WISH JESUS NEVER SAID, coming face to face with one of the scariest things Jesus ever said. Don’t miss it. But, before that, we’ll host DATE NIGHT on Friday from 6:30pm – 9:30pm. Let us know if you’re coming and whether or not you’ll need childcare by registering here.

See you soon,

Jeff

Join us as we consider our view of Jesus and look at some of His most well-known and often most controversial statements. Let’s live and love like He intended. Click here for more info.

Sundays: 9 & 11a

Listen to weekend messages from Things I Wish Jesus Never Said

Hear from Lead Pastor Jeff Maguire & his wife Amanda as they share key values to help us sharpen the tools in our “marriage toolboxes.” Before we send you out to your favorite date spot, we will provide a programmed night of serious fun with meaningful interaction and thought provoking conversation.  Search “Date Night” or click here for more information. For questions email Kasaundra: kdomen@marinerschurch.org.

DATE NIGHT
Fri, May 20, 6:30-9:30p
Meet in the lobby

3rd-5th graders, come for a night of fun at Big Air! Check in begins at 4:30p and dinner will be served after jumping time. Be sure to wear your brightest NEON colors and to invite your friends! For more info search “Neon Night” or click here. For questions contact Christina, cswanson@marinerschurch.org.

NEON NIGHT AT BIG AIR
Fri, May 13, 5-7p
23251 Avenida de la Carlota, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Registration Required, Cost: $15

Yesterday (May 4th) my kids and I honored that greatest of all holidays, Star Wars Day (as in “May the Fourth… be with you”) by watching The Force Awakens together. If you missed it, there’s always a second chance, today, on May 5th. For the nerdiest among us, it is known as the “Revenge of the Fifth” (A play on the title of the third episode of Star Wars called “The Revenge of the Sith”). It’s for those who don a villainous Star Wars costume shortly before realizing, as they venture out into public, that they’re the only people they know celebrating the fifth of May without the faintest of references to Mexico or its 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.

So, at the risk of wounding the Star Wars allegiant masses and those honoring significant Mexican military victories, it turns out that there is something far more universal that ought to be celebrated and honored this week. No, it’s not the onset of the summer “blockbuster” movie season that begins with the release of the latest Captain America this Friday. It’s something far greater… far more important.

Your mom.

This Sunday we’ll celebrate, honor, and cherish mothers of all types. We’ll remember our own mom. We’ll pray that those who are about to become mothers have babies that sleep through the night.  We’ll pray for those moms whose kids NEVER sleep through the night. We’ll mourn with those who lost mothers this year and those who want to be moms and aren’t. We’ll express our gratitude for those who “mothered” us who weren’t technically our moms. We’ll be reminded of the role so many of us play as those same “mothers” for people who need it from us.

So, put on a sweater… Your mother is cold. Look nice. Buy something special — better yet, make something special and give it to your mom. After all, you know, she still has that macaroni necklace you made when you were 4. It’s in a drawer somewhere. Call her. Answer the phone when she calls. Wipe that smudge off your cheeks. Keep your elbows off the table. It’s Mother’s Day at Mariners, Mission Viejo. We’ll eat treats, take pictures, and make crafts. We’ll make moms feel special. Let’s celebrate together.

Happy Mother’s Day,

Jeff

Motherhood isn’t always easy. Every day, moms are challenged to find the balance between love, strength, grace and courage. This Mother’s Day, we want to honor all moms and all they do to make the world a better place through the Art of Being a Mom.

MOTHER’S DAY
May 8
during services and on the patio