GO!

By Richard

Jesus commissioned his disciples to “go” into all the world and make followers of Jesus. I was challenged about the word “go” at a meeting last week. The man was speaking about how we often count how many people “come” to our church. Yet, he pointed out that Jesus defined his followers as people who “go”. I hope Mountainview becomes a going church! I’m thinking about doing a teaching series sometime on the “go” commands of Jesus. “Go into all the world” (Great Commission), and here's another one, “Go and do likewise” (after the parable of the Good Samaritan). Can you think of any others as I’m sure that there are lots!

They Secured the Tomb

By Richard

The Pharisees wanted to make sure that Jesus’ body stayed in the tomb. They didn’t want to give anyone an opportunity to steal the body and, “Go around saying, ‘he’s ridden from the dead!’” (Matthew 27:63, the Message). Pilate allowed them to seal the tomb and post a guard. Their efforts to keep the body in the tomb only helped to make the fact of the resurrection more certain when it happened. It appears to me that the only explanation for the “disappearance” of Jesus’ body from a sealed, and heavily guarded tomb, is that it really happened. Jesus is alive and we can talk to him today!

Joseph of Arimathea

By Richard

We read the Joseph, “Went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” (Matthew 27:58, the Message). I don’t know why but as I was reading the account it reminded me of Jesus’ declaration that we must not be afraid to own up before others that we love and follow Jesus. I think that Joseph made a bold statement about his allegiance to Christ during a time when it would have been convenient to merge with crowd. Although we know little of Joseph I pray that we might have his courage to stand before rulers and say that we love Jesus.

The Centurion

By Richard

In yesterday’s blog I mentioned the Roman Soldier (centurion). In Matthews account of the crucifixion there is some intended irony. The High Priests, God’s so called servants, were at the forefront in the death of Jesus. We find them highly gratuitous about the death of Jesus. The centurion on the other hand, a foreigner and highly skilled “killer” is the one who kneels and confesses that Jesus in Lord.

In many ways the crucifixion strips our humanity bare and shows us truly what a messed up bunch we are. Think about it, “saints” become “killers” and “killers” become “saints” – now that’s messed up.

The thought that struck me is that we so badly need to admit our need of a saviour. A relationship with God begins for a position of “emptiness” not of “goodness”. Indeed Paul reminds us in Romans that none of us, not one, are “good”. Jesus wants me to kneel and confess that he is Lord, and I am not - and to receive the forgiveness and love he offers in spite of all my messed up humanity.

How blind can we be!

By Richard

Reading through the crucifixion story I’m reminded of just how blind we can be. We read that the whole earth became dark from noon till 3 pm and that just before Jesus’ died there was a violent earthquake.

Praise God because history did not leave the scriptures alone on these facts. Two historians, not at all connected with the events (they lived a considerable distance away), or even sympathetic to Christianity, mention a terrible darkness that covered the world for a few hours in AD 33.

Thallus wrote a historical account of the world beginning with the Trojan War and finishing his book in 52 A. D. Although his work was destroyed we find it quoted by other historians. For example Julius Africanus, in AD 221, commenting on Thallus’ AD 33 record of the darkness says this. "Thallus in the third book of his histories, explains away the darkness as an eclipse of the sun - unreasonably as it seems to me." Thallus claimed the darkness was a solar eclipse. Julius’ point is that the darkness happened at the Jewish Passover, during a full moon, but since it’s impossible for solar eclipses to happen during a full moon Thallus’ explanation is inadequate!

A Greek author from Caria, named Phlegon, wrote about the darkness that occurred in the 4th year of the 202nd Olympiad (equivalent to 33 A.D.) and mentions the great earthquake. He writes, "There was the greatest eclipse of the sun. It became as night in the sixth hour of the day (noon) so that the stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia and many things were overturned in Nicaea".

Think for a minute. Two separate historical accounts of a darkness covering the world in AD 33!

The High Priests who knew the Old Testament like the back of their hand would not believe. Many onlookers would not believe. Only one Roman soldier fell to his knees crying out “This has to be the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54). The question is, will you believe?

Science continues to awaken us to the infinite complexities of life and yet most of the world choose to believe that it somehow just happened. Two independent historians write about the terrible darkness at the time of the Passover in AD 33 and yest like the High Priests many choose to curse not confess. We are reminded that the problem with God is not more proof but it's really the problem of our hearts. We can sadly remain blind even when the truth is all around us.

Please open your eyes and for one brief moment welcome truth. Come to see like the soldier that Jesus has to be the Son of God.

Silence

By Richard

I’ve just watched the Holland verses Portugal game, as part of the 2006 World Cup Series. It was interesting how a merciless referee that handed out an almost record number of yellow cards and red cards caused a field of profession players to “loose it”. Rather than helping the game the referee helped it disintegrate.

It was amazing, reading a few hours later, how Jesus surrounded by accusers and in great pain remains silent. We read that Pilate, “Was impressed, really impressed” (Matthew 2:14, the Message) by Jesus silence. We know from the Garden of Gethsemane that Jesus could have pulled out of the crucifixion at any pointed and called on legions of angels to rescue him. But, he chose to remain silent, not because he did not feel the pain and had no temptation to loose it. No, we read in Hebrews 12 that he endured the cross because of the joy before him. He remained silent because of the joy of offering forgiveness, love and a new relationship with humanity. The silence of Jesus is a quiet reminder to us of his great love. We should worship him today fro his silence.

God’s Plan

By Richard

It’s interesting how Matthew comments in Chapter 27 on the remorseful Judas who threw the thirty pieces of sliver into the temple and how the High Priests decided to take the “blood money” and use it to buy a potters field as a place to bury the homeless. Unaware, they were fulfilling a centuries old prophecy about the Messiah being sold for the price of a potter’s field. Matthew writes, “They unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter.” (Matthew 27: 10, the Message)

It struck me this morning just how amazing God’s power is. For the “enemies” of God it could be a scary thought to realise that no matter how hard you try, or how smart you are, God will “win” the day! For those who love him it should give us great comfort, for as his children we can place out hands in his and with confidence say to our Father in heaven, “Lead me on!” It means that God works in, and through everything, good and bad, for the benefit of his children, and for the accomplishment of his eternal purposes. Lead me on oh God.

The Battle Within

By Richard

I love the way that Jesus talks to a sleepy Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane. He calls Peter to be alert and pray, saying to him, “There’s a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part of you that is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.” (Matthew 26: 46, the Message).

I think if I’m honest this is me. There’s a part of me that is eager for God, but there’s also a part of me that is spiritually lazy. Maybe you can relate to this too! I guess that the first step is to admit that we really do have a problem. The second would be to follow Christ’s call to pray and be alert. Probably the best place to start praying is that God would give us the strength to grow in him and his power to overcome our tendency towards spiritual cooling off. I’ve been gently challenged by God these past few weeks to pray more and I’m praying that God would lead someone to me who can teach me more about prayer and perhaps even be a partner in prayer.

To the Letter

By Richard Wallace

Jesus gave the disciples instructions for celebrating the Passover meal. We read in Matthew 26: 19 that the disciples followed them, “to the letter!” What a great challenge. I heard a story about a man today who became a believer. He had heard that a Christian was someone who followed Jesus and obeyed his commands. He’d also heard that in some bibles they printed the words of Jesus in red and so he figured that he would get hold a such a bible, read the Gospels and pay close attention to the commands of Jesus that were printed in red. That’s how he grew as a believer! Then I think of myself, reading through the Gospels, trying to put Jesus’ teachings into practice, and realising just how much of his teaching I conveniently skip over because, quite frankly, it’s hard and challenging. May we like the disciples, and the man, mentioned above, be more willing to follow Jesus’ teachings “to the letter!”

Simple Acts of Love

By Richard

Matthew simply says in chapter 26 that she was “a woman” who came up, mid party, and anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume. The disciples complained about the waste! Jesus commended her wonderful love, a loving act of deep devotion from an unknown woman that would be “remembered and admired” for all eternity. Now we might not make it onto the cover of time magazine but Jesus will remember and admire every action of devotion to him, for all of eternity. Now what could be better than that?

Sheep and Goats - Practical Assignment

I came across this the other day and thought it was a good application of the parable of the sheep and goats. Denny Bellisi, who at the time was the pastor of Coasthills Community Church in Southern California preached on the parable then gave his church of 4000 an assigment to go out into their community and give 90 minutes of their time over the following 90 days to someone they felt fitted Jesus description of "the least of these", and then report back to the church.

Take a look at the Kingdom Assignment website for more inspiration:

True Belief

By Richard

We read in Matthew 25: 31-46 that when Jesus returns all will appear before him to be judged and sorted like sheep and goats – those destined to be with him and those destined to be without him. This is another passage, like the parable of the talents that suggests that we will be judged by how we have lived. I believe, however, Jesus hints that how we live is truly a measure of what we really believe. The sheep had good actions that flowed so naturally (from what they believed) they ended up surprised by their master’s commendation (verse 37-40). Their focus was outward to God and to others rather than the goats, which was inward and self absorbing.

In a roundabout way the parable challenges us to examine what we really believe. Rather than spending a lot of time thinking about what we should be doing we need focusing outward on growing in our relationship with God and letting him lead us to do some eternally surprising acts of service.

Are We Practical Atheists?

By Richard

Let’s take a look at the Parable of the Talents again (Matthew 25: 14-30). I think that Jesus is challenging our living. He’s asking us to live like we believe he exists. In Matthew 25: 26 we read that “After a long absence the master of those three servants came back.” (the Message). Phillip Yancey describes faith as “practicing the existence of God.” The truth is, we can live as practical atheists, where our belief does not translate into how we live.

Jesus is asking us, in life’s many apparent absences of God, to be men of faith who consistently live like we believe in an invisible God who sees everything. We need to be like the men of faith, in Hebrews 11, whose lives and actions reflected their belief in an invisible God. Christ asks us to live like his return, and an accounting of how we have spent our lives and used the resources he’s given us, is more real and certain than the air we breathe.

Using What You've Been Given

Since I just preached on Matthew 25: 14-30, the Parable of the Talents, I thought I would include a link to a manuscript of the sermon: Click here for some more thoughts on Jesus' story about investment.

Mountainview Values Draft 2

Ok below you'll find a second draft of Mountainview's values. We have based our values on what we have observed of Jesus' values in the Gospels. Take a look and I would love your comments on what you think, If they are clear and understandable, and if there are any noticeable holes. We are going to be discussing them more on Sunday at church:)

Thanks

Richard

Mountainview Values

Mountainview’s values are based on the values of Jesus, as seen in the Gospels. We want to value most what Jesus valued and to live the life that he set before us.

We value helping people find Jesus:
Since lost people mattered most to Jesus they should to matter most to us. We prioritize friendship evangelism and want our lives to speak so loudly that our words are hard to hear. We desire that Mountainview be remarkably welcoming to spiritual seekers and offer them a safe place to belong before they believe.

We value growing to be like Jesus:
One of the reasons Jesus came to earth was to set us an example to follow. We desire for the invisible kingdom of God be made visible through a community of people who are growing to be like Jesus. We encourage growth, through the Holy Spirit, in God’s virtues, particularly: love, humility, sacrifice, generosity, and forgiveness.

We value showing grace and mercy:
Jesus was full of grace and mercy, showing love and compassion for people. It is God’s love and forgiveness that frees us to grow. As beneficiaries of God’s grace we cannot be judgmental and must not manipulate others using fear and condemnation. We are a community where you can receive even when you have nothing to give.

We value living our lives in a place of real, heart-felt Christianity:
Jesus lived what he taught and was known for his life of integrity. True faith flows from a life transforming relationship with Christ that’s rooted in the heart. We prioritize character over charisma. We want to be real and genuine with one another believing that the truth will set us free.

We value serving God with humility:
Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. We believe everyone is uniquely gifted by God and we seek to provide the space to discover and develop our service to God, the church and the world. Our desire is that everyone makes a significant difference for God. Service must be balanced by humility to ensure we keep focused on God, empower everyone to reach their full potential and celebrate the success of others.

We value taking time for prayer and quietness:
Jesus often withdrew to pray in quiet places. In a world gone mad with busyness it is crucial that we seek out times for prayer and quiet contemplation. While some are uniquely gifted to pray, all are called to prayer. Prayer is an important component of who we are, and what we do, at Mountainview.

We value experiencing joy and celebration:
Jesus was often full of joy. We want our lives and gatherings to be characterized by celebration and light-heartedness. Life is a gift and we should be thankful to God for the blessings he gives. We encourage everyone to balance hard work with times of rest and relaxation. We believe that celebration is part of God’s plan for healthy individuals and communities.

We value worshipping God through excellence:
Jesus called us to emulate God’s brilliance. We seek to have an excellence that honors God while discouraging a perfectionism that focuses on “me”. We want our desire for excellence to be balanced by an environment of grace so that risk taking is encouraged and feedback remains constructive.

We value applying God’s word to our lives:
Jesus regarded the Scriptures as the authority and taught us to practice his teachings. We want to communicate God’s word in a straightforward and clear manner that prioritizes application over information. We believe that God’s word is more caught than is taught and take seriously the call be to an example. We seek to draw people into a life-transforming encounter with God’s truth using multi-sensory, creative communication.

We value growing and multiplying Christ-like leaders:
Jesus focused time on nurturing a group of leaders that would take His good news to the world. Leaders must be allowing Christ to shape them and taking seriously his challenge that we humbly serve and deeply care for those we lead. We want to develop leaders that love Christ deeply and consistently live out his values, and can teach others to do the same by example and word. We want to equip and empower our leaders to be used by God to change the world.

Be Ready

By Richard

Jesus has an extended section in Matthew 24 on being ready. I was told by my wife that I should always make sure I was wearing a good pair of briefs in case disaster befell me and I ended up in hospital and the nurses got to see me in my holey underwear. In similar fashion Jesus’ return is unknown and it will be a surprise. It will come like a flash flood (or an earthquake) and will break up many good parties. Jesus will come to rescue those who are waiting and working for him. Make sure you are wearing a good pair of underwear. In brief be ready.

Undistracted

By Richard

Joel was telling me this morning that someone told him that they had discovered on the internet that the end of the world would be in 169 years time. It reminded me of another sincere man I met who told me that he had pinpointed the return of Jesus to the year March 3, 2003. Did I miss something? In Matthew 24 Jesus tells his followers, he tells us, not to be distracted by natural disasters, political upheavals, and false preachers. Our task is to stay focused on Christ’s call to preach the message of the kingdom “all over the world” and to faithfully keep on doing so until the universally obvious, no doubt about it, return of Christ.

Well since Christ has still to return, let’s keep faithful to the task to take the Gospel to the city of Madrid, Spain, Europe, the whole world. To the millions who have yet to see an example the Good news lived out and to have it explained to them. Keep on preach-living the Gospel!

Fraudulent Faith

By Richard

In Matthew 23: 13-39 Jesus accuses the leaders of having fraudulent faith. Their religiosity was simply a skin deep, self focused show. Amongst other things Jesus comments on their, “nitpicking over commas and semi colons!” (Verse 24, the Message). So busy flaunting the minutia of their RI (religious intelligence) they were forgetting to live out the big picture.

I was thinking how so often we end up in arguments over the minutia of scripture – even with unbelievers - and we miss the big picture of simply living out God’s truth. I came across a great quote the other day from Alan Hirsch, an Aussie, who is challenging the church to talk less and live more. He says that our, “lives should speak so loudly that our words are hard to hear”.

So let’s get rid of the show and genuinely live out our faith, with all our heart. May our talking be mostly about our living and not some kind of fraudulent display of our knowing!

Right Leadership

By Richard

In Matthew 23: 1-12 Jesus speaks to the crowd about the Pharisees who may have Ok teaching but they simply don’t walk the talk. He warns the people about the two dangers with human leadership. Leaders often seek power and position, and those who follow, many times, don’t help because they put their leaders on a pedestal and let them get away with “murder”. Jesus gives leaders and followers the big antidote. Before all, leaders and followers alike, we must have God as our father and Christ as our leader. Our example and allegiance must be to God and to Christ, with an ongoing submission to the Spirit. With this focus in our leadership and following we will not go far wrong.

Grammar

By Richard

As we noted in our last blog the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection. They were challenged by Jesus to rethink their position. Jesus says to them, “The grammar is clear: God says, ‘I am – not was – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob!’ The living God defines himself in not as a God of dead men, but of the living.” (Matthew 22: 32, 33, the Message).

Later he challenges the Pharisees, concerning their views of the Messiah, with an emphasis on two words from the Psalms, “God said to my Lord”. (Verse 45)

I have sometimes heard people describe the bible as some kind of general writing from which we can derive some vague meaning about God. However, Jesus’ use of Scripture suggests that it is something much more profound, with meaning to be derived from the syntax itself. The hand of God in Jesus’ bible is VERY STRONG . Jesus challenged the religious leaders to rethink their theological paradigms by simply pointing out the grammar. I think that Jesus challenges us all to take his word more seriously, for in his word we will truly find God.

Married To God

By Richard

The Sadducees tested Jesus with a case study involving a certain lady who, following the Law of Moses, had married her way through seven brothers. They wanted to know which of the seven brothers she would be married to in heaven! (You have to understand that there’s some irony here as the Sadducees were a group that did not believe in an after life!)

I like how the Message version of this text phrases Jesus response. We read, “At the resurrection we’re beyond marriage. As with the angels, all our ecstasies and intimacies will be with God.” (Matthew 22: 30). It’s not so much that our earthy unions of marriage and friendship will be “destroyed” but that they will be displaced by a far greater union of intimacy with God. We will, to put it bluntly, be married to God!

Jesus Our Model Teacher:

By Richard

We read, “Teacher, we know that you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion and don’t pander to students.” (Matthew 22: 16, the message).

I find this a challenging verse. God is calling me as a teacher to live what I preach. I need to present the truth of God accurately. I need to keep on teaching truth, even if it causes offence to others. I need to disciple others to do live lives of integrity and of submission to the truths of God. I need to copy the master teacher, Jesus, and teach others to do likewise.

Open Invitation

By Richard

My wife and I love to throw parties and generally invite almost everyone that we know. But, as is usually the case, there are plenty of people, for one reason or other, who can’t come. Let me ask you a question! Are we responsible for the fact that some of our guests can’t make it? Of course not! While we do all we can to encourage people to come (even the odd bit of emotional blackmail here of there) it would not be loving of us if we sent squads of thugs with AK47’s round to our friends and invited them to come. It would probably ruin our friendship and they’d probably end up questioning the love that we were trying to show.

I often hear people say that they can’t believe in a loving God who would send anyone to hell! Jesus’ parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew 22: 1-14 seems to suggest that God does not do any sending of people to hell! Heaven is like a huge banquet and everyone is invited. But God, full of love, cannot force anyone to attend. The banquet door stands open and the light heaven shines out into the darkness of humanity. But a time will come for the party to begin, the doors will be closed and those who chose to remain outside the party will find themselves cut off from the presence of God. Hell happens when we refuse the invitation to God’s party and turn our backs on the light that beckons us come join the celebration. Hell happens when we keep refusing the invitation until the doors close and we find ourselves shut off from the party, stuck in the darkness, forever. So in a sense hell is not a place where we go but where we stay.

But the good news is that door stands open and you are invited. So accept the invitation and come join the party.

Shattered or Smashed?

By Richard

In Matthew 21: 24 Jesus is described as a stone that we will either fall on, and break, or that will fall on us, and crush us. Jesus does not leave us unscathed. We either allow him to break and shape us into his likeness, or we can wait until we are crushed by his judgement. Falling on Jesus breaks our pride but in the process we will gain life. Be shattered not smashed!

Life Service not Lip Service

By Richard

Continuing our theme about being fruitful! Jesus back in the temple at Jerusalem, a few days before he is to die and rise again, tells a parable about two sons (Matthew 21: 28-32). The dad asks for help. One son says “no” but later changes his mind and pitches in to give dad a hand. The other son says right away “yes sure”, but in reality he never ends up lifting a finger. Jesus reminds his listeners that God is pleased by faith in action not by religious hot air. The tax collectors and prostitutes that were repenting and changing their lives were more pleasing to God than the religious elite who felt they were above repentance. God seeks our life-service not our lip-service.

Fruitful

by Richard

The deceptive fig tree in Matthew 21: 18-22 had nothing to offer the hungry Christ. It was green and lush, but on closer examination it had no fruit, not one sweet offering for its God, who was passing by on the road that day. So he cursed that tree, and we read it “instantly” withered before the disciple’s unbelieving eyes.

He goes onto explain to his disciples that those who embrace God’s kingdom and his life will be able to do greater things, triumphing over huge obstacles. But, we must not read that this as purely an illustration on how to pray for big things in faith. Jesus has just had a run in with the Pharisee’s. The next set of teaching that he’s about to give at the temple will focus on how God is pleased with a spirituality that is fruitful. The tree probably represents a fruitless religiosity – green and lush and full of ritual, but lacking the most important - fruit. God’s warning is meant to be there. If we don’t produce fruit there will come a day when God will pass by our lives and declare, “No more figs from this tree – ever!” And we will wither, forever.

Remember that we are reading the Gospels that we might do the things that Jesus did and produce fruit for God. So don’t worry about growing leaves, wearing a tie to church, concentrate on producing fruit.

Unnerved!

By Richard

We read in Matthew 21: 10 that, “As he made his entrance into Jerusalem the whole city was shaken. Unnerved people were asking, ‘What’s going on here? Who is this?'” (the Message).

I must confess I may have been guilty of selling a “come to Jesus and everything will be OK” Gospel. But, this isn’t the Gospel message. If we want a calm and serene 70 years of Ok life I’d recommend yoga and organic vegetables sprinkled with crystalline salt. But, if we want an eternal friendship with the creator of the universe I’d dare to say we should be prepared for some unnerving in the days ahead. Exciting and unnerving, yes! Worth heading off to decorate your house according to some unseen lines of energy, definitely not!

It Tastes of History

By Richard

Jesus asks the disciples to go to a certain village where they will find a donkey and colt. They were to, “untie her and bring them to [Jesus].” (Matthew 21: 3, the Message)

The reason why this tastes of history is that I believe a fictional writer would probably have said “untie them”. But, since in reality a colt would stick with the mother donkey, only the mother would need to have been tied up. Jesus says untie "her" and bring "them" because I believe that’s really what was going on.

Just another small, donkey level, reason to add to the many of why I believe we can trust the bible.

Deeply Moved

By Richard

In Matthew 20, two blind men seek Jesus for healing. When Jesus sees them we read that, “Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession.” (Matthew 20:34, the message)

I often hear people claim that God is “indifferent” to the suffering in the world. Yet here it seems that God is “deeply moved” by suffering. The question is probably not why God is indifferent to suffering but for what reason does he choose to weep over, rather than wipe out suffering. Perhaps the answer is contained within the story. A cold heartless God would simply pour on gallons of bleach and clean the world of those rotten little germs called sinners. A deeply moved God seeks to save people from within a messed up world. Rather than call off the procession, so that he can wipe out suffering and sin (and sinners in the process) he chooses instead to stop and be deeply moved, healing sinners, such as me, and inviting them to join the in joyful procession.

Dying To Lead

By Richard

In Matthew 20: 17-28 Jesus takes the disciples aside and warns then that they are on the way to Jerusalem where he’ll be, “Handed over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion [and] on the third day…raised up alive.” (Matthew 20: 19, the Message)

Obviously the disciples have selective hearing. They hear “Jerusalem”, but seem deaf to the rest of what Jesus is saying. Assuming that Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem, kick out the Romans and establish his earthly kingdom, the mother of James and John takes Jesus aside, asking that he grant her one wish; to give her sons the highest ranking positions in the coming kingdom. When the other 10 disciples hear about this they naturally get mad.

So Jesus gathers them together and reminds them that Godly leadership is not about power and position, it’s about service. The greatest of leaders are to be “slaves” to those they lead (notice in the passage that Jesus uses the strong word “slave”). Our leadership needs to be of a quality where we would willingly die for our followers would it benefit them. A massive challenge to us in our “survival of the fittest” world!

Our role model! Jesus, the greatest person ever - a carpenter, serving others, currently on the road to Jerusalem where he would die so that God’s salvation might be offered to the world. God became our slave and did not hold back his life so that we, his creation, might be freed from the clutches of evil and welcomed back into God’s family.

Will we lead in the same kind of way?