I Wrote a Book! Here's What It's About.
Years ago I set a goal to write a book by the age of 35. I figured if I wrote one any earlier I lacked experience and if I waited any later, AI would be writing all the books by then. If you can run for president at the age of 35, surely I should be able to author a book, right? Wrong. 35 came and went without so much as an opening sentence. It's not that I didn't have anything to say; I'm a pastor after all, we practically write several chapters in sermons on a weekly basis.
No, I waited to write a book because I didn't want to do it in my own ability, mostly because I don't have any! Trust me, that's not false humility. It's very much the testimony of what God has done in my life. Here's what I know about myself and what you should know about yourself too: Apart from Him, I can do absolutely NOTHING.
THE WORD
John 15:5
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
I was extremely shy growing up. Speaking in front of people made me nervous and sweaty. When Jesus transformed my life in my mid-teens, those feelings didn't go away, but a strong burden and conviction to share His Word did begin to stir in my heart.
By college I had begun sharing my testimony in coffee shops and at youth groups as my brother and I traveled playing music. Slowly I began to accept opportunities to minister at Churches and preach at events. As I preached more and more, I began to feel the weight of the call to ministry. The only problem was, I was in a large public university getting a graphic design degree which would in no way help prepare me for vocational ministry! Speaking with my guidance counselor, I determined to switch my major to something that would perhaps prove more useful. She suggested a communications degree.
"The communications department," she told me, "is extremely competitive. If you don't already have connections to someone in the department, it's likely going to take a few attempts to get in." She wasn't lying. As I looked into the process, I quickly realized the odds were stacked against me.
Funny enough, a few weeks later I was scheduled to preach at my local church on a Sunday morning. It was a small congregation, about sixty to eighty people or so, and that meant it was pretty obvious when we had newcomers. That particular morning I noticed a woman on the back row I had never seen before. She was the daughter of an elderly couple in the church I had known for years. I had no idea they even had children! Turns out she told them she would finally visit their church and decided to come on the Sunday I was preaching.
As soon as service was over she approached me, asking what I was studying at the school. Loaded question. Realizing that I was still undecided she informed me she was one of the heads in the communications department. She had an opening for an internship she felt would be perfect for me and it would fast-track me in my degree! "Essentially, you would become an ambassador for the school. You would travel and speak on behalf of the department and the University and put your communication skills to work! You're a great communicator. This would be perfect for you!"
Though young, I had at least learned by then to pray before agreeing to anything. On it's face this seemed like a miracle! What are the odds?! But then I prayed... and when I prayed, God spoke. It seems like when you want to hear God the most, you don't, and when you don't want to, you do. Funny how that works.
The Lord reminded me about the Mississippi river that would run out of both armpits any time I had to speak or just stand in front of people. I knew that it wasn't my talent, skill, or ability that enabled me to preach and teach the Bible. It was solely the Spirit of God. So, I had to ask myself a very serious question: can I talk as passionately about a program or a University as I do about the God who changed my life? The answer was a definitive no.
I turned the opportunity down, changed my degree to sociology, and never looked back.
But why did that invitation come knocking in the first place? What about the miraculous timing and the slim-to-none odds that I would meet someone in the department that could get me in so easily? I believe it was a test from the Lord. A test to see whether or not I would try to adopt a gift God had given me as my own and if I would opt to move in my own ability rather than His anointing.
All these years later, when I set my heart writing a book, I determined it would never be at the expense of God's timing and will. If the words on the pages aren't His, I don't want to waste my time writing them or your time reading them. Therefore, I settled in my heart that I wouldn't write until God gave me the green light and all the words to go with it. Last October that happened.
WHAT'S UP WITH THE TITLE?
No, it's not a book about swimming technique (I still haven't been able to master the backstroke). The premise comes from a graduation speech and subsequent book written by David Foster Wallace in which he tells a short fable about two fish swimming in a lake. As a much older fish swam by, he greets them by saying, "Good morning boys! How's the water?" In confusion they each look at one another and aske, "What's water?"
It's a simple concept: fish aren't aware they're living in water, that is, unless they've been plucked out of it a time or two.
In reality we all live within cultures we are largely unaware of, especially in church. No church is absent of culture and the reality is, it's the culture that is ultimately shaping you into who you are becoming. When we speak of healthy or unhealthy churches, what we're really talking about is culture. A church will only be as healthy as its culture as is true for any organization or individual.
Years ago our Pastor team determined to get serious about the kind of culture we wanted to develop at Church of the Sandhills. So we set out to define every aspect of the kind of church we want to be and the kind of disciples we want to make. This book layouts out the five major questions we asked and answered in order to shape the culture that is shaping us.
IS THIS BOOK ONLY FOR YOUR CHURCH?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! I truly believe ANYONE can read and glean from this book. It's true that it outlines the culture of our church but that simply means it's the formula we've set in place in order to both BE and MAKE the very best disciples we can! If you follow Jesus and desire to be more like Him, this book aims to help you do that. Rooted in scripture, filled with stories both personal and historical, The Water We're Swimming In is an attempt to pluck you out of the culture you're in long enough to help you intentionally shape and mold it.
THE FIVE MAJOR QUESTIONS
I firmly believe everyone who desires to lead a healthy life must ask themselves the following set of questions and wrestle with them until they have a definitive answer for each one:
WHY DO I EXIST?
You need PURPOSE. You were called to live a life of purpose on purpose.
WHAT DO I DO?
You need a MISSION. If you don't set out to fulfill a mission you'll find fulfillment always missing from your life.
WHO AM I?
You need IDENTITY. Until you have an identity in Christ you will always have an identity in crisis.
WHAT DO I VALUE?
You need CORE VALUES. If values don't keep you, vices will grip you.
HOW DO I CONTRIBUTE?
You need COMMITMENTS. You will either be a giver or a taker. Don't choose the latter.
CONCLUSION (AND SHAMELESS PROMOTION)
These are the five questions we set out to answer as a Church in order to shape the culture that is shaping us. It's these questions that I take 21 chapters and over 200 pages to answer to the best of my ability. It is my greatest hope and desire that God be glorified in what I have written and that ultimately every Word comes from Him and is returned to Him. I hope you will consider grabbing a copy starting Sunday, November 1!
You can find it on Amazon and Kindle and you can expect the Audiobook in just a couple more weeks! Every cent will go to the ministry at Sandhills and what the Lord is doing in our Church. Thank you for your support and encouragement! Let's get to swimming!
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