It seems like we've gone from one big television event to the next - from the Olympics to the National Convention of the Democratic Party. The Olympics were amazing this year. Who will ever forget watching the men's 400m freestyle relay as Jason Lezak caught up from behind to beat the French by a "fingernail" of a second! Susan and I tried to be near the TV every time Michael Phellps raced and cheered on in front of the TV when he won his 8th gold medal in the 100m medley relay!
We've also been watching parts of the DNC convention this week. And the one thing that strikes us and that we've been talking about is how while there is great pageantry and commentary about the presidential race this year, the rhetoric is not anything we haven't heard in some form or fashion before. Not that we're discouraged. It's not that at all. Perhaps it's a recognition that the power to change the quality of my life doesn't lie with legislation or bureaucratic change. It's the recognition, instead, that transformation MUST occur first in the heart of the individual believer completely surrenderd to the purposes of God. And that's true no matter what political leader or party is in "power." Truth be known, the time of the greatest advance of the kingdom of God was under a government militarily and ideologically opposed to Christianity - the government of Rome!
It's time for believers to take seriously the power they've been given by God to win the hearts of people and instill real hope in God's presence and provision. We begin the conquest first in our own hearts, allowing God to "burn off" desires and motivations that don''t originate in Him. We follow by telling others of the amazing love and grace we've discovered in surrender to Jesus. And God hasn't left us powerless in that surrender. Rather, God in his awesome wisdom has gifted his people to speak life, heal the sick, minister to suffering, restore to wholeness, engage the powers and principalities, and bring heaven down to earth!
That is VERY exciting to me as we enter the Fall together. That is a "campaign" I can rally behind and believe in. Will you join me in campaigning for the kingdom?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Back from Vacation - some meditations
Today I officiated the funeral of Richard Jerman - a lifelong member of First Christian Church, Alamo. The Jermans were part of the group that founded the church in the 1840’s and have been members and leaders and servants at the church for the last 165 years. I loved the solemnity of the service – the reverence shown in the face of an important transition for a family and for a church.
Susan and I arrived back in Jackson from our vacation yesterday at 9:30pm after twelve hours of driving. Most of the time, for me, was spent having pain from what one practitioner said was Gout. Isn't that an ailment of older people? They said that it could be brought on by eating lots of certain kinds of seafood - oysters, crawfish, crabs, scallops - which I ate by the bucketful on Tuesday night!
It's awesome to be home. Vacations are good opportunities to get away and re-wire and be with family you don't see but once or twice a year. But being in one's home, around one's friends, and near one's church family is very refreshing.
Susan and I are looking forward to this Fall in ministry. I'm going to start preaching two different sermons on Sunday mornings at the different churches. FCC and Promise Church are different ministry contexts and have some different needs right now. Both churches are poised for "mission greatness" - ready to take their communities by storm offering the unique mixes of ministry gifts that exist inside of their communities. For us, it's exciting to serve two very different ministries. Each allows us to exercise our talents and spiritual gifts in different ways and together fully. It's challenging, but we enjoy the variety of people God has put in our lives.
I'm also excited about our Thursday Night Intercession! service. There is a place in God's kingdom for expressive worship. A mentor of mine - an older Disciples of Christ minister - once said that worship and theatre go hand in hand. If you've ever been to a Broadway play you know what I'm talking about. There is a place for "audience participation" and expression as we move worship beyond the dualistic performer-audience model to the increasingly organic and networked "we are all worshippers in the Spirit." Some have labeled this worship style as "charismatic." Honestly, I don't like that label at all because it suggests that other forms of worship aren't filled with the Spirit's gifts. And that's simply mistaken. I prefer "expressive."
Expressive Worship isn't new. The Greek Orthodox church which is conservative in worship if measured by liturgy and ceremony stands on their feet for hours, chanting, praying, lifting hands, breathing in the aromas of incense and seeking desperately in their physical surrender to the things of God a powerful experience and move of the Spirit of God. I'm conservative in my basic nature. And yet there is something deep inside of me that needs to be able to viscerally express a "YES!" to the love and mercy of God. Sitting in a pew on Sunday morning quietly observing others practice "religion" just doesn't do it for me anymore if that is my only option. There's a place in God's church for noise and motion and expression. And yes, there's a powerful place for solid "liturgy," powerful and meaningful ritual, and moments of deep quiet - listening as it were for the movement of God as He walks in the still of the afternoon of the garden (Gen. 3:8).
I suppose what resolves the tension is simply the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit is with us when we are lonely, when we are tired, when we are hurting, when we are experiencing loss. But the Spirit is also with us when we are excited, passionate, compassionate, cheerful, and filled with deep joy and hope. There's no expectation that in every emotional state we experience our demeanor will remain quiescent. Instead, if we truly believe that the Spirit lives inside of us, it is appropriate that we speak to that Spirit out of whatever fear or joy we may be experiencing. Our voices may tremble with trepidation, our voices may shout with gladness. But however we speak, we speak as a transparent self before a God who is willing to meet us exactly where we are - not where we think we are supposed to be. Maybe that's what Jesus means when he says that we are to worship in "Spirit" and in "Truth."
Susan and I arrived back in Jackson from our vacation yesterday at 9:30pm after twelve hours of driving. Most of the time, for me, was spent having pain from what one practitioner said was Gout. Isn't that an ailment of older people? They said that it could be brought on by eating lots of certain kinds of seafood - oysters, crawfish, crabs, scallops - which I ate by the bucketful on Tuesday night!
It's awesome to be home. Vacations are good opportunities to get away and re-wire and be with family you don't see but once or twice a year. But being in one's home, around one's friends, and near one's church family is very refreshing.
Susan and I are looking forward to this Fall in ministry. I'm going to start preaching two different sermons on Sunday mornings at the different churches. FCC and Promise Church are different ministry contexts and have some different needs right now. Both churches are poised for "mission greatness" - ready to take their communities by storm offering the unique mixes of ministry gifts that exist inside of their communities. For us, it's exciting to serve two very different ministries. Each allows us to exercise our talents and spiritual gifts in different ways and together fully. It's challenging, but we enjoy the variety of people God has put in our lives.
I'm also excited about our Thursday Night Intercession! service. There is a place in God's kingdom for expressive worship. A mentor of mine - an older Disciples of Christ minister - once said that worship and theatre go hand in hand. If you've ever been to a Broadway play you know what I'm talking about. There is a place for "audience participation" and expression as we move worship beyond the dualistic performer-audience model to the increasingly organic and networked "we are all worshippers in the Spirit." Some have labeled this worship style as "charismatic." Honestly, I don't like that label at all because it suggests that other forms of worship aren't filled with the Spirit's gifts. And that's simply mistaken. I prefer "expressive."
Expressive Worship isn't new. The Greek Orthodox church which is conservative in worship if measured by liturgy and ceremony stands on their feet for hours, chanting, praying, lifting hands, breathing in the aromas of incense and seeking desperately in their physical surrender to the things of God a powerful experience and move of the Spirit of God. I'm conservative in my basic nature. And yet there is something deep inside of me that needs to be able to viscerally express a "YES!" to the love and mercy of God. Sitting in a pew on Sunday morning quietly observing others practice "religion" just doesn't do it for me anymore if that is my only option. There's a place in God's church for noise and motion and expression. And yes, there's a powerful place for solid "liturgy," powerful and meaningful ritual, and moments of deep quiet - listening as it were for the movement of God as He walks in the still of the afternoon of the garden (Gen. 3:8).
I suppose what resolves the tension is simply the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit is with us when we are lonely, when we are tired, when we are hurting, when we are experiencing loss. But the Spirit is also with us when we are excited, passionate, compassionate, cheerful, and filled with deep joy and hope. There's no expectation that in every emotional state we experience our demeanor will remain quiescent. Instead, if we truly believe that the Spirit lives inside of us, it is appropriate that we speak to that Spirit out of whatever fear or joy we may be experiencing. Our voices may tremble with trepidation, our voices may shout with gladness. But however we speak, we speak as a transparent self before a God who is willing to meet us exactly where we are - not where we think we are supposed to be. Maybe that's what Jesus means when he says that we are to worship in "Spirit" and in "Truth."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)