The church is receiving more and more calls from the community for assistance with rent or utilities. We usually refer anyone who calls to Area Relief Ministry or RIFA, but we're seeing a large number of people turned away because of "technicalities." They don't have a driver's license. They're living with their girlfriend or boyfriend. They haven't kept record of their expenses. They don't have a cell phone. The list of "exceptions" seems endless.
My vision for Promise Church has always been that we are called to be a MISSIONAL church. By that, I mean that we minister to precisely the ones that for a myriad of reasons have been pushed to the margins of our community. It's a hard ministry. There often are some quite valid reasons someone finds themselves without work, in and out of harmful relationships, and seemingly spiralling into chaos. As I learned a long time ago (and have to remember now) our choices always come with consequences.
But we're seeing increasingly a number of folks who never received just the basic "training" that many of us take for granted on such things as how to pay your bills on-time, how to make a budget and follow it, how to tighten the budget and let go of behaviors that are costing you money you don't have and even relationships you want to hold on to.
If ever there were a time where the "good news" of the gospel meant more than just intellectual assent to something, that time is now. The gospel literally saves lives by transforming lives. Believing in Jesus can literally mean the difference between a lifetime of hardship and despair, depression and death and a lifetime of meaningful relationships, a modicum of joy (often deep joy!), and a legacy of responsbility and love left to one's children.
The church is the only place where these values are taught and anchored within a story of God's redeeming grace that resonates deep within our souls.
And that's what makes church so important.
I love the "ethos" of the AA and Recovery community that states (I'm not sure if it's official or unofficial) that once you've received freedom from your addiction, it's your job to help someone else to receive their freedom - by being present at AA meeting, being a sponsor, or simply pointing people in the direction of the AA community.
Wouldn't it be awesome if members of the church thought and acted the same way? As we walk in our freedom, we point others in the direction of the source of that freedom. Jesus Christ, the son of the living God. And where do we best encounter the living Christ? In the church that worships and celebrates and teaches Jesus.
Promise Church isn't yet another "new church start" in Jackson so that people can "have it their way" in worship or church. Promise Church is a mission outpost where free believers set others free by pointing them toward Jesus.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Unity
I found myself praying a lot this morning for unity. I know that word can have a lot of meanings so much so that we might even find it difficult ever to achieve "unity" around a definition for the word itself.
Somewhere, we were taught that we had to lay down hard defenses around our own particular way of thinking about things or else risk being diminished by someone else's point of view. Flexibility and movement in our idea life look a lot like uncertainty and that looks like weakness and self-doubt. And who wants to be perceived as weak and doubting!
I think there's an alternative.
In seminary we studied Jewish interpretation of scripture and I remember especially the conversation we had about the Talmud. The Talmud was the Jewish commentary on the Mishnaic teachings of Judiaism - all of those do's and don'ts developed by Jewish rabbis in the latter part of the first century after the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Following that earth-shattering event, Jewish teachers felt it necessary to write down what they saw as the essential Jewish beliefs and practices so that they could be preserved for succeeding generations.
That was wonderful until the Jews gradually drifted or were expelled from their homeland, found themselves ensconced in other cultures and had to translate what was obvious Jewish teaching and practice to not so obvious circumstances. Follow?
What the new rabbis did was to take the Mishnah (the book formed around the first century teachings) and begin writing in the margins. They didn't want to mess with the text because the text itself was considered sacred. Not on the same level as Hebrew scripture, but definitely revealed and inspired by God. And so if you go to your local Barnes and Nobel and look in the Judaica section there, and locate what is called the Talmud (published by Jewish Publication Society) you will see that there is the main text with lots of commentary on the edges and then even some commentary on the commentary. It's a pretty fascinating read, actually, to see Jewish interpreters adding layer upon layer of commentary all in an effort to make Jewish belief and practice relevant and meaningful to the setting they now find themselves in.
Fast forward to our own time. What if we saw truth not as crystallized statements handed down for all eternity around which we had to stake out our ground and build high our walls... but as a process of God's revealing a core (through both words and experience) and then ALSO God's presence, guidance, and wisdom in the conversation that followed? If you believed that God was actually revealing truth on an ongoing basis THROUGH you, how would that change the things that you spoke or the way you lived? Would we be more humble, seeking out not only the truth that God revealed in us, but also the truth God revealed in... OTHERS? It might also cause us to want to enter into community more and have our own kooky ideas about things tested to make sure that what I believed was true was actually true. And that might mean laying down my protection about my identity and my need to always be right so that I could be free to speak truth and have truth spoken to me.
When I consider the ways God has shown how amazingly big he is over the course of my lifetime it's clear that if I had stayed hard and fast with my limited perception at let's say the age of 22, I would be really stuck in a pretty shallow way of seeing God, the world, and other people. Development comes only after engaging others, listening, testing, adapting, sometimes eliminating, sometimes accepting. It comes after the give and take and give and take of an ongoing conversation. Are you involved in a conversation with others about your faith? Or are you pretty much content with the way you see things right now? Your answer will reveal a lot about your willingness and desire to grow deeper in what God wants to do through you.
Somewhere, we were taught that we had to lay down hard defenses around our own particular way of thinking about things or else risk being diminished by someone else's point of view. Flexibility and movement in our idea life look a lot like uncertainty and that looks like weakness and self-doubt. And who wants to be perceived as weak and doubting!
I think there's an alternative.
In seminary we studied Jewish interpretation of scripture and I remember especially the conversation we had about the Talmud. The Talmud was the Jewish commentary on the Mishnaic teachings of Judiaism - all of those do's and don'ts developed by Jewish rabbis in the latter part of the first century after the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Following that earth-shattering event, Jewish teachers felt it necessary to write down what they saw as the essential Jewish beliefs and practices so that they could be preserved for succeeding generations.
That was wonderful until the Jews gradually drifted or were expelled from their homeland, found themselves ensconced in other cultures and had to translate what was obvious Jewish teaching and practice to not so obvious circumstances. Follow?
What the new rabbis did was to take the Mishnah (the book formed around the first century teachings) and begin writing in the margins. They didn't want to mess with the text because the text itself was considered sacred. Not on the same level as Hebrew scripture, but definitely revealed and inspired by God. And so if you go to your local Barnes and Nobel and look in the Judaica section there, and locate what is called the Talmud (published by Jewish Publication Society) you will see that there is the main text with lots of commentary on the edges and then even some commentary on the commentary. It's a pretty fascinating read, actually, to see Jewish interpreters adding layer upon layer of commentary all in an effort to make Jewish belief and practice relevant and meaningful to the setting they now find themselves in.
Fast forward to our own time. What if we saw truth not as crystallized statements handed down for all eternity around which we had to stake out our ground and build high our walls... but as a process of God's revealing a core (through both words and experience) and then ALSO God's presence, guidance, and wisdom in the conversation that followed? If you believed that God was actually revealing truth on an ongoing basis THROUGH you, how would that change the things that you spoke or the way you lived? Would we be more humble, seeking out not only the truth that God revealed in us, but also the truth God revealed in... OTHERS? It might also cause us to want to enter into community more and have our own kooky ideas about things tested to make sure that what I believed was true was actually true. And that might mean laying down my protection about my identity and my need to always be right so that I could be free to speak truth and have truth spoken to me.
When I consider the ways God has shown how amazingly big he is over the course of my lifetime it's clear that if I had stayed hard and fast with my limited perception at let's say the age of 22, I would be really stuck in a pretty shallow way of seeing God, the world, and other people. Development comes only after engaging others, listening, testing, adapting, sometimes eliminating, sometimes accepting. It comes after the give and take and give and take of an ongoing conversation. Are you involved in a conversation with others about your faith? Or are you pretty much content with the way you see things right now? Your answer will reveal a lot about your willingness and desire to grow deeper in what God wants to do through you.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Buiding Up
One of the things I love about our church is people's hunger to know and experience Jesus Christ. I was reading Ephesians chapter four this past week and reminded again that the measure of every spiritual experience we seek is its conformity to the person, the ministry and the purposes of Jesus.
In that amazing chapter, Paul reminds his listeners that all teaching, all experience, all "programs" and "offices" of the church are directed toward the building up of God's people and their service together in unity. Anything that doesn't contribute to unity among believers is to be pushed to the side. Kingdom people are focused on relationships far above any specific experience or individual belief. Our experience can be misinterpreted or our belief may be wrong, but LOVE never fails.
This is defining for our church. We're open to what people have to say about their experiences with God. We will practice scriptural discernment in matters of doctrine and prayerful discernment when someone makes a claim that God has revealed to them knowledge or wisdom. We look for the "fruits" of the teaching (Gal. 5:19-26) to guide us to see evidence of the Spirit's presence.
There is always the possibility in this atmosphere where the value is relationship that we will be presented with an experience that challenges our point of view or that we even think is wrong. Far more important than our reaction is our willingness to engage the process of discernment and conversation IN COMMUNITY. If you're like me, you've reacted to a new idea or experience only to find yourself warming up to it over time as you've seen it manifest truthfully and powerfully in people's lives. The "fruits" are evident in a way that our reason can't always comprehend.
I'd like to challenge all of us to be so oriented around our Christ-formed relationships with each other (living out of Acts 2:42ff) that we are willing to suspend our own unique "notion" of things if it means rupturing a relationship. If we learn to speak the truth in love, then we can seek truth together with people who have had radically different life experiences and God-encounters. And together we can begin to see a much larger picture of what God is doing than our own personal perspective allows.
The conversation can only occur, though, when we are actively engaged in community. I intentionally seek out people who see things differently than me knowing that if I'm only around people like me, I will grow spiritually stale and stagnant. I don't always agree with them. But I love them. And I love what God is doing in their lives. And for me, that is living closely to a correct "theology" of Jesus.
In that amazing chapter, Paul reminds his listeners that all teaching, all experience, all "programs" and "offices" of the church are directed toward the building up of God's people and their service together in unity. Anything that doesn't contribute to unity among believers is to be pushed to the side. Kingdom people are focused on relationships far above any specific experience or individual belief. Our experience can be misinterpreted or our belief may be wrong, but LOVE never fails.
This is defining for our church. We're open to what people have to say about their experiences with God. We will practice scriptural discernment in matters of doctrine and prayerful discernment when someone makes a claim that God has revealed to them knowledge or wisdom. We look for the "fruits" of the teaching (Gal. 5:19-26) to guide us to see evidence of the Spirit's presence.
There is always the possibility in this atmosphere where the value is relationship that we will be presented with an experience that challenges our point of view or that we even think is wrong. Far more important than our reaction is our willingness to engage the process of discernment and conversation IN COMMUNITY. If you're like me, you've reacted to a new idea or experience only to find yourself warming up to it over time as you've seen it manifest truthfully and powerfully in people's lives. The "fruits" are evident in a way that our reason can't always comprehend.
I'd like to challenge all of us to be so oriented around our Christ-formed relationships with each other (living out of Acts 2:42ff) that we are willing to suspend our own unique "notion" of things if it means rupturing a relationship. If we learn to speak the truth in love, then we can seek truth together with people who have had radically different life experiences and God-encounters. And together we can begin to see a much larger picture of what God is doing than our own personal perspective allows.
The conversation can only occur, though, when we are actively engaged in community. I intentionally seek out people who see things differently than me knowing that if I'm only around people like me, I will grow spiritually stale and stagnant. I don't always agree with them. But I love them. And I love what God is doing in their lives. And for me, that is living closely to a correct "theology" of Jesus.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Pastoral Burnout
I'm reading Wayne Cordeiro's "Leading on Empty" and just came across the following statistics (he quotes from H.B. London Jr., Pastors at Greater Risk).
- 80 percent believe that pastoral ministry affects their families negatively.
- 33 percent say that their ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
- 75% report they've had a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
- 50% feel unable to meet the needs of the job.
- 90% feel they're inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands.
- 25% of pastor's wives see their husband's work schedule as a source of conflict.
- Those in ministry are equally likely to have their marriage end in divorce as general church members.
- The clergy has the second highest divorce rate among all professions.
- 80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with their spouse.
- 56% of pastor's wives say that they have no close friends.
- 45% of pastor's wives say the greatest danger to them and their family is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual burnout.
- 52% of pastors say that they and their spouses believe that being in pastoral ministry is hazardous to their family's well-being and health.
- 45.5 percent of pastors say that they've experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they need to take a leave of absence from ministry.
- 70% do not have someone they consider to be a close friend.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Encourage!
What's the most effective strategy to combat the effects of negativity in your life? This may sound "counter-intuitive" but the most effective way to turn the tide of negativity is to focus your thoughts on showing love and compassion for someone else! In other words, replace negative speech that usually limits and condemns with encouragement that builds up and releases!
Just try it. When you find yourself thinking of all the reasons why your life is feeling limited or trapped, be VERY INTENTIONAL someone you can call and immediately encourage. Who do you know who is feeling depressed, lonely, or anxious? Is there anyone around you right now who has expressed incredible disappointment or frustration? Try taking out a pen and paper (you could do an email, but pen and paper is so personal!) and write them a note telling them that you're thinking about them and praying for them.
I know what you might be thinking. This is such simplistic advice and doesn't get to the root cause of what I'm really feeling right now. How does encouragement break my own negative feelings?
Well, think about it. If we're having a difficult time seeing God's possibilities over our own lives then a great exercise it to help someone else see what they can't see in their life. I've always sensed that it was easier to see what God is doing in another's life than my own. Have you ever felt the same way?
Simply speaking encouragement to someone else's situation begins the process of "re-wiring" our own thinking. Recent studies in brain science suggest that this is also a physiological re-wiring. Our brains actually change neural pathways when we practice a shift in thinking. Even our languaged becomes "re-programmed" using the vocabulary and grammar love and compassion rather than condemnation and criticism. It also forces us to exercise our eyes of faith which sooner or later will reveal God's presence and light in the midst of my own situation.
Not only that, but when we encourage, we step into the very life and design we were created to fulfill. God never intended that we live simply for ourselves. We were created to live in life-giving, compassionate, and joy-filled relationship. It's when we "practice" our design that we move more deeply into the very heart of the Father.
And then finally, making someone else feel good makes us feel good! Do it often enough, and you've created a new pattern of living and being.
Feeling discouraged? Then ENCOURAGE!
Just try it. When you find yourself thinking of all the reasons why your life is feeling limited or trapped, be VERY INTENTIONAL someone you can call and immediately encourage. Who do you know who is feeling depressed, lonely, or anxious? Is there anyone around you right now who has expressed incredible disappointment or frustration? Try taking out a pen and paper (you could do an email, but pen and paper is so personal!) and write them a note telling them that you're thinking about them and praying for them.
I know what you might be thinking. This is such simplistic advice and doesn't get to the root cause of what I'm really feeling right now. How does encouragement break my own negative feelings?
Well, think about it. If we're having a difficult time seeing God's possibilities over our own lives then a great exercise it to help someone else see what they can't see in their life. I've always sensed that it was easier to see what God is doing in another's life than my own. Have you ever felt the same way?
Simply speaking encouragement to someone else's situation begins the process of "re-wiring" our own thinking. Recent studies in brain science suggest that this is also a physiological re-wiring. Our brains actually change neural pathways when we practice a shift in thinking. Even our languaged becomes "re-programmed" using the vocabulary and grammar love and compassion rather than condemnation and criticism. It also forces us to exercise our eyes of faith which sooner or later will reveal God's presence and light in the midst of my own situation.
Not only that, but when we encourage, we step into the very life and design we were created to fulfill. God never intended that we live simply for ourselves. We were created to live in life-giving, compassionate, and joy-filled relationship. It's when we "practice" our design that we move more deeply into the very heart of the Father.
And then finally, making someone else feel good makes us feel good! Do it often enough, and you've created a new pattern of living and being.
Feeling discouraged? Then ENCOURAGE!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
I believe...
What difference does believing in Jesus make? Saying “I believe” amounts to nothing more than wind passing through one’s windpipe and the mouth forming words if it isn’t somehow related to disposition and action. Disposition because the kind of truth claim made by the church is ultimate on one’s life and so “disposes” one to believe certain things to be true about all of life. Action because the things we really believe are never separated from the actions that follow those beliefs. There are always "fruits" of what we believe.
Saying that one believes in Jesus could then mean one or more of the following: (1) Jesus existed. (2) I believe that the way of life Jesus talked about leads to the vision of life he described. (3) I believe that Jesus was who he said he was. (Jn 14:6-7) (4) I believe Jesus did the things he is described as having done in the New Testament. (5) I believe that the story of Jesus’s life possesses a modicum of power for people’s lives (1 Pe 3:13-22).
Jesus outlines though what it means to believe in him. If you love me, you will keep my commandments (Jn 14:15). In other words, if you love Jesus, you will do the things you see him doing, take on the attitudes you see Jesus showing in his life, and love others like Jesus loved. The knowledge component of Christianity really isn’t about a “metaphysical content” or “teachings” like you might find with ancient Greek philosophy. Rather, Christianity is about learning to love God's creation like God loves the creation and allowing that spirit of love to invade your thoughts and actions and whole being. As we do this, we become "walking peace" bringing the shalom of God to all that we do. That's what Jesus did and that's what he taught his disciples to do throughout their ministry together. Jesus's life itself WAS the teaching!
Believing in Jesus means believing that the resurrection after the crucifixion is something in which we as his disciples share. Jesus's story in a manner of speaking is OUR story. Belief in the power and providence of God is belief in God’s ability and desire to rob the sting of death from tragedy and hardship and pour in instead joy, meaning, and life (1 Cor 15:50ff). It’s the work of the Holy Spirit to bring to Jesus's followers what God did in and through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Jn 14:26).
What would it mean for OUR lives to become the teaching that show others in a powerful way the love and grace of God? Is there something we can change today that better "instructs" the deep love of Christ for the people in our lives and for our community?
Saying that one believes in Jesus could then mean one or more of the following: (1) Jesus existed. (2) I believe that the way of life Jesus talked about leads to the vision of life he described. (3) I believe that Jesus was who he said he was. (Jn 14:6-7) (4) I believe Jesus did the things he is described as having done in the New Testament. (5) I believe that the story of Jesus’s life possesses a modicum of power for people’s lives (1 Pe 3:13-22).
Jesus outlines though what it means to believe in him. If you love me, you will keep my commandments (Jn 14:15). In other words, if you love Jesus, you will do the things you see him doing, take on the attitudes you see Jesus showing in his life, and love others like Jesus loved. The knowledge component of Christianity really isn’t about a “metaphysical content” or “teachings” like you might find with ancient Greek philosophy. Rather, Christianity is about learning to love God's creation like God loves the creation and allowing that spirit of love to invade your thoughts and actions and whole being. As we do this, we become "walking peace" bringing the shalom of God to all that we do. That's what Jesus did and that's what he taught his disciples to do throughout their ministry together. Jesus's life itself WAS the teaching!
Believing in Jesus means believing that the resurrection after the crucifixion is something in which we as his disciples share. Jesus's story in a manner of speaking is OUR story. Belief in the power and providence of God is belief in God’s ability and desire to rob the sting of death from tragedy and hardship and pour in instead joy, meaning, and life (1 Cor 15:50ff). It’s the work of the Holy Spirit to bring to Jesus's followers what God did in and through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Jn 14:26).
What would it mean for OUR lives to become the teaching that show others in a powerful way the love and grace of God? Is there something we can change today that better "instructs" the deep love of Christ for the people in our lives and for our community?
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wrestling in Prayer
Some of life’s challenges seem too overwhelming for just a quick prayer for release. Paul describes one of his co-workers in Colossians 4:12 – Ephaphras – who is “always wrestling” in prayer for the church at Colossae.
Wrestling in prayer. What do you suppose that looks like? In an age where we leave ourselves little time to commit to anything with any depth and where it feels like we are constantly skimming the surface of experience the idea of wrestling in prayer appears almost wasteful. Doesn’t God already know the things we need? What benefit could be gained by an hour or hours of prayerful struggle?
And still, all of the great revivalists considered their time in prayer to be their most important activity of the day. John Wesley famously said, “I have so much to do that spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.” He also said, “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.”
Your prayers matter. I believe that we are in a time that will experience transformation only through wrestling prayer. Do you know anyone who has lost work because of the economy? Wrestle for them for God’s release of provision. Do you know anyone who is suffering because of someone else’s selfish choices? Wrestle for them for release and grace. Do you know people who are bent on destroying their lives and in desperate need of God’s grace? Wrestle for them in prayer that they would have opportunity after opportunity to know the love of Christ.
Your wrestling matters – whether for others or for yourself. It’s on the other side of wrestling with God that we are made strong in our weakness. And if the case of Jacob is at all an indication, we can wrestle until we “rest” a blessing from God. When Jacob wrestled with God he was given a new name representing the purpose and the hope God has over his life.
Wrestling in prayer. What do you suppose that looks like? In an age where we leave ourselves little time to commit to anything with any depth and where it feels like we are constantly skimming the surface of experience the idea of wrestling in prayer appears almost wasteful. Doesn’t God already know the things we need? What benefit could be gained by an hour or hours of prayerful struggle?
And still, all of the great revivalists considered their time in prayer to be their most important activity of the day. John Wesley famously said, “I have so much to do that spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.” He also said, “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.”
Your prayers matter. I believe that we are in a time that will experience transformation only through wrestling prayer. Do you know anyone who has lost work because of the economy? Wrestle for them for God’s release of provision. Do you know anyone who is suffering because of someone else’s selfish choices? Wrestle for them for release and grace. Do you know people who are bent on destroying their lives and in desperate need of God’s grace? Wrestle for them in prayer that they would have opportunity after opportunity to know the love of Christ.
Your wrestling matters – whether for others or for yourself. It’s on the other side of wrestling with God that we are made strong in our weakness. And if the case of Jacob is at all an indication, we can wrestle until we “rest” a blessing from God. When Jacob wrestled with God he was given a new name representing the purpose and the hope God has over his life.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
God is Good.
God is this good. Rolland and Heidi Baker are missionaries in Africa and have seen hundreds of thousands of people come to faith in Jesus Christ. This is Rolland's testimony of being healed from a life-threatening disease. This is the God I believe in.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
When the President Speaks to Our Children
President Obama's speech today to our nation's classroom's today at 11am CST is not without precedent. This was President Ronald Reagan's speech delivered in 1988.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Go Deep
Things are not always as they seem. One of the reasons I love studying the Bible is that each time I take on a new Bible book or class, I discover new insight into the encounter the first century apostles, disciples, and writers had with the risen Jesus.
The more one studies Greek, for instance, the greater awareness one has of stylistic nuances a NT writer used to communicate a transforming idea. You can study rhetoric and see precisely how the "books" of the NT were written to be heard as powerful oral messages or even "sermons." Studying history helps one to understand the complex political and social backdrop against which the lives of the early Christians were lived. Each layer of understanding opens up scripture's beauty and depth as well as the writers' receptivity to God's revelation. It also reveals their skillfulness in communicating well the "good news" about Jesus.
Becoming more knowledgeable on topics like these can only open up the word of God and increase our ability to see how God moved in people's lives back then and how He might move in people's lives today!
Here are three really helpful resources that can serve as an entry point to a deeper appreciation of scripture..
Virtual Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. You can find a completely FREE course on the New Testament (and many other topics) on Itunes (www.apple.com/itunes).
Ben Witherington has a wonderful little book called What's in a Word which is a look at how we can understand certain New Testament passages by better understanding how people in the past constructed speeches on important topics (known as the study of rhetoric)! (available HERE)
For a good historical overview of the New Testament period you can read Witherington's New Testament History, found HERE.
If you want to go deeper in your understanding of what's taking place in the New Testament, check these out. They are really wonderful places to start for learning more about the words that give us hope and life!!
The more one studies Greek, for instance, the greater awareness one has of stylistic nuances a NT writer used to communicate a transforming idea. You can study rhetoric and see precisely how the "books" of the NT were written to be heard as powerful oral messages or even "sermons." Studying history helps one to understand the complex political and social backdrop against which the lives of the early Christians were lived. Each layer of understanding opens up scripture's beauty and depth as well as the writers' receptivity to God's revelation. It also reveals their skillfulness in communicating well the "good news" about Jesus.
Becoming more knowledgeable on topics like these can only open up the word of God and increase our ability to see how God moved in people's lives back then and how He might move in people's lives today!
Here are three really helpful resources that can serve as an entry point to a deeper appreciation of scripture..
Virtual Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. You can find a completely FREE course on the New Testament (and many other topics) on Itunes (www.apple.com/itunes).
Ben Witherington has a wonderful little book called What's in a Word which is a look at how we can understand certain New Testament passages by better understanding how people in the past constructed speeches on important topics (known as the study of rhetoric)! (available HERE)
For a good historical overview of the New Testament period you can read Witherington's New Testament History, found HERE.
If you want to go deeper in your understanding of what's taking place in the New Testament, check these out. They are really wonderful places to start for learning more about the words that give us hope and life!!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Pure Religion
"Religion" has become one of those words that spirit-filled Christians have let go of - preferring instead to speak of expressive faith in Jesus. Religion, in this vein, conjures up images of emotionless ritual and routine worship. Faith is about opening up one's eyes to see the reality of God in one's everyday experience and moving in agreement with that vision.
Martin Luther was suspicious of the the book of James (not so much a letter as an "homily" to Jewish Christians written in about 45 AD) because of its emphasis on doing, relegating it in his canon to secondary status. Luther, Calvin, and many others in the reformed tradition preferred the writing of Paul, particularly Romans, which gave primacy to faith, thinking that any faith that elevated works would simultaneously elevate human pride.
Interestingly, James has a lot to say about human pride. He castigates the rich who show preference in the worship service for other wealthy people and disdain the poor (Jas 2:5-7). Unafraid of speaking of his faith in terms of "religion" (latin meaning "reconnect") real religion, James observes, is about caring for those who are on the margins of society or even forgotten - the widows and orphans (Jas 1:27)
He even gives critique to those who would take pride in their "faith." Isn't that interesting. "Faith without works is dead", he tell those who would pridefully rest on their superior knowledge and understanding and then do nothing to pour life and love into those who have no home or family.
I think James would offer the same critique today to anyone who rested in their "doctrinal purity" and neglected the spiritual discipline of compassion. When you talk to someone outside of the church about why they aren't a Christian, the conversation always turns to how those who claim to follow Jesus have squabbled over minute differences in scriptual interpretation while the world around them (including the environment, the government, social networks, and economy) fell to ruin. Naturally, there are apocalyptic scenarios in which some Christians maintain that such ruin is a "sign of the times." But James, who lived in equally uncertain and oppressive times would have offered a different prognosis. Knowing intimately the power of Jesus to heal and "sozo" save, he told the Christians of his day to LIVE their faith and PRACTICE their love. Any "wisdom" in fact, that doesn't take into account and work toward real life transformation is "demonic" (Jas 3:15).
James believes our faith together makes a difference. Followers of Christ are to be peace-makers (Jas 3:18). Why would he cast vision for peace and being peace-makers if real peace, real reconciliation and wholeness weren't something that we could work toward and hope to actually see? Real faith actually believes in God's power to transform his creation and works toward the healing of people and nations.
Martin Luther was suspicious of the the book of James (not so much a letter as an "homily" to Jewish Christians written in about 45 AD) because of its emphasis on doing, relegating it in his canon to secondary status. Luther, Calvin, and many others in the reformed tradition preferred the writing of Paul, particularly Romans, which gave primacy to faith, thinking that any faith that elevated works would simultaneously elevate human pride.
Interestingly, James has a lot to say about human pride. He castigates the rich who show preference in the worship service for other wealthy people and disdain the poor (Jas 2:5-7). Unafraid of speaking of his faith in terms of "religion" (latin meaning "reconnect") real religion, James observes, is about caring for those who are on the margins of society or even forgotten - the widows and orphans (Jas 1:27)
He even gives critique to those who would take pride in their "faith." Isn't that interesting. "Faith without works is dead", he tell those who would pridefully rest on their superior knowledge and understanding and then do nothing to pour life and love into those who have no home or family.
I think James would offer the same critique today to anyone who rested in their "doctrinal purity" and neglected the spiritual discipline of compassion. When you talk to someone outside of the church about why they aren't a Christian, the conversation always turns to how those who claim to follow Jesus have squabbled over minute differences in scriptual interpretation while the world around them (including the environment, the government, social networks, and economy) fell to ruin. Naturally, there are apocalyptic scenarios in which some Christians maintain that such ruin is a "sign of the times." But James, who lived in equally uncertain and oppressive times would have offered a different prognosis. Knowing intimately the power of Jesus to heal and "sozo" save, he told the Christians of his day to LIVE their faith and PRACTICE their love. Any "wisdom" in fact, that doesn't take into account and work toward real life transformation is "demonic" (Jas 3:15).
James believes our faith together makes a difference. Followers of Christ are to be peace-makers (Jas 3:18). Why would he cast vision for peace and being peace-makers if real peace, real reconciliation and wholeness weren't something that we could work toward and hope to actually see? Real faith actually believes in God's power to transform his creation and works toward the healing of people and nations.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Patrick!
A friend of ours - Patrick McNaughton - the brother of John Ryan McNaughton is moving back to California to San Jose. We had a great "going away" lunch for him today at Thai Cafe and wish Patrick the very best as he establishes some roots in sunny CA. We also wish him the very best as he develops his relationship with a special young woman there. We'll miss Patrick's laid back style, humorous outlook, and passion for late night guy flicks!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Leaders
Yesterday I met with several new deacons at First Christian in Alamo while John Gilbert, Mark Crider, Dale Dodd (and several others) held down the fort at Promise Church in Jackson. As ministry in both places heats up, I'm finding that I have to rely more on the great leaders at both churches to step up and do what otherwise I would do. In other words, I'm finding that as I hit my limits, room is being made for others to step into leadership and practice their gifts of leadership.
There's always the temptation to try to do it all yourself. You've got a vision of how you'd like something to look and you believe (wrongly) that you're the only one who can make the vision happen. In following this path, though, you prevent others from being used by God, gaining experience in the ways God is wanting to use them, and being developed into people who use lead with confidence. All of us can probably look back to the time and the person who gave us an opportunity to "do our thing." Where would we be if they had held on to what was their "responsibility" and not opened up a development path to the potential they saw in us?
I'm finding that the best leaders (1) identify other teachable leaders, (2) pour life and experience and vision into them, and (3) make room for them to grow by giving them opportunities to use what they're learning.
This is really how the kingdom of God is supposed to look. We see a picture of this also in Romans 12. We all are part of the body. We each have our function and we each depend on the other to become more complete as missionally competent servant-leaders. We want more of this sort of leader in the church, not fewer. We want more people activated and equipped to live out their purpose. It's in in this way that each of us become catalysts for further kingdom growth. Multiply that process exponentially and you've created a culture.
There's always the temptation to try to do it all yourself. You've got a vision of how you'd like something to look and you believe (wrongly) that you're the only one who can make the vision happen. In following this path, though, you prevent others from being used by God, gaining experience in the ways God is wanting to use them, and being developed into people who use lead with confidence. All of us can probably look back to the time and the person who gave us an opportunity to "do our thing." Where would we be if they had held on to what was their "responsibility" and not opened up a development path to the potential they saw in us?
I'm finding that the best leaders (1) identify other teachable leaders, (2) pour life and experience and vision into them, and (3) make room for them to grow by giving them opportunities to use what they're learning.
This is really how the kingdom of God is supposed to look. We see a picture of this also in Romans 12. We all are part of the body. We each have our function and we each depend on the other to become more complete as missionally competent servant-leaders. We want more of this sort of leader in the church, not fewer. We want more people activated and equipped to live out their purpose. It's in in this way that each of us become catalysts for further kingdom growth. Multiply that process exponentially and you've created a culture.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Mastery
Christianity is a faith that has emphasized, well, faith. But as James's letter describes, there is a "doing" aspect of the faith as well. In fact, as James says, faith without works is a dead faith.
I enjoyed Mark Crider's sermon today which began with a short clip from Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon." My own martial arts movie experience is pretty limited. When I first saw the movie, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", I was drawn in by the film's highly technical fight scenes between karate masters who had become so sublimely identified with their art they could perform it almost magically. Chase scenes portray the characters running up the sides of walls and making heroic leaps off of rooftops. There's one scene where the fighters demonstrate their amazing self-mastery and balance fighting on the tips of tree limbs.
This is all fiction, of course. It's just a movie (as I so often tell my children when they're trying to figure out the film's "magic")! But think about it. Don't the great masters often appear to possess something vaguely magical when they practice their craft? Watch a you-tube video of Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic back in the sixties. Or picture Michael Phelps swimming for the gold. Ever seen Chet Atkins or Steve Patterson, for that matter, pick the guitar? We know that what appears to us as "magic" emerges out of thousands and thousands of hours of rehearsal or training or study. It doesn't come easy. It is patient, painstaking work to achieve mastery.
I wonder if in our agreement with Luther the Reformer, we've sold the practice of our faith short? Can Christians develop a form of mastery over the "spiritual disciplines" of their faith - prayer, fasting, study, promoting justice, serving, community-building? What could the church look like if believers took the exercise of their faith as seriously as the karate master takes the perfection of karate forms? Maybe then we could move mountains with faith or shift entire cultures toward recognition of a loving and empowering creator.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Intention
One of the words you hear me use a lot is "intentionality." Simply expressed, intentionality is visualizing a desired outcome and then thinking logically what steps must be taken to bring about that result. Easy, right?
I'm an incredible planner. I can generate "to do lists" in my sleep and think through multiple steps on massive projects with ease. But intentionality is not just about making maps. It also involves the discipline and mental focus to work through the plan, to adjust the plan when you see that you're headed in the wrong direction, and then ultimately evaluate when you're in need of an entirely new plan!
Living the life of a Jesus follower requires intentionality if only because there are "powers and principalities" (Eph 6:12) – unseen forces – at work in the world moving against the flow of God's justice, mercy, and compassion. We see the movement from order to chaos in just about every area of our life where there isn't some force acting to nudge, push, or shove in the direction of greater order. My house, if left to the people who live in it, can quickly become a dungeon of unwashed laundry and stacked high dishes. Someone, something has to exercise intentionality to see that laundry gets done and dishes are put away.
Our life is the same way. When we aren't mindful of the direction we're headed and then exercise "force" to move in that direction, we follow the natural groove of "disorder" resulting in depression, fear, stress, anxiety, feelings of incompleteness. We can endure short periods of this sort of living. But we all arrive at a place where we're forced to reflect on how where we're headed and what we're doing with the life we've been given.
Get a picture of your best, most joy-filled life. What force needs to be exerted TODAY to move in the direction of that life?
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I’m Willing
Phil 1:12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel."
I came across this verse last night. Paul is sitting under house arrest near the end of his ministry in Rome awaiting an audience with the Roman emperor Nero. Prison would seem like "the end of the line" for so many. For Paul it is the opportunity to tell the good news of Jesus to the most powerful man in the world in his day. But note here that Paul isn't simply waiting for his moment with the emperor. While imprisoned in Rome he writes four letters that now appear in our New Testament: Philippians, Philemon, Colossians and Ephesians. And he sees his imprisonment as an opportunity to minister to the Praetorian guard (Caesar's elite guard). Inspired by his own boldness, Paul says, Christians in Rome are have become unafraid to share the gospel.
What would it look like if we too saw our present circumstances, no matter how undesirable or depressing they may seem, as opportunities to live our hard won freedom in front of those who don't know Jesus. What would it be like NOT to join in the chorus of complaining and blaming and instead ask for God to use us to shine light in the darkness and let His joy flow through us to others?
I've been thinking about this recently. Not everything I would have liked to have happened in almost twenty of ministry has happened. I've had to make adjustments. More often, I've had to completely re-orient when I finally figured out that the path I was on wasn't the path God was leading me down. How much happier I would have been if rather than dig in my heals and "fight for my right" to do it my way, I had the faith to see that God had bigger and better plans to use me to accomplish the very thing I felt led to accomplish all along – leading others into a transforming relationship with Jesus.
Paul doesn't stop leading others toward that relationship because he is in chains in Rome waiting for the emperor to see him. Even in incredibly limiting circumstances, Paul never stops living for the purpose for which he was created. He looks around and asks, "okay, Lord, what would you have me to do now?" And then he does it. And people's lives are changed. A whole world is changed through this man's willingness to press through his limitations, his hurt, his pain, his depression and fear, and simply say, "Lord, I'm willing even here."
Think what might happen inside of your world if you let go of the outcome and simply said, "Lord, I'm willing."
Powdered Sugar!
This was the first time we took Neeley downtown in New Orleans. We didn't stray too far from Cafe du Monde. After dumping most of her powdered sugar from her beignet onto the table (but some great cafe au lait for mom and dad), we took a stroll around Jackson square.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Barnes and Noble
There are few places today that invite quiet sitting and soaking.
Barnes and Noble is one of them. It's cool to be in a place where we
haven't self-selected who will be there. There's always the
possibility of the random encounter with an old friend or perhaps a
new one.
Barnes and Noble is one of them. It's cool to be in a place where we
haven't self-selected who will be there. There's always the
possibility of the random encounter with an old friend or perhaps a
new one.
--
Sent from my mobile device
NOLA for a day!
Getting to visit the parents for a day in New Orleans. Mom is having pre-opt exam today for knee replacement surgery in two weeks. Inviting prayer!
Consider It All Joy
Jas 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Beginning study today on my series on James that will go through the end of September and excited because James is one of my favorite books. It is probably the most practical book on the New Testament written in a style resembling ancient Wisdom literature like Proverbs. The writer, James the brother of Jesus, wants his audience to know how to live their faith in Christ. He encourages people to be "doers" of the word and not merely "hearers" (1:22).
James begins by connecting wisdom with real life experience. It's not just what we know – that would have been the pursuit of the later Gnostic heresy – it's how we LIVE the faith. James sees faith and life as wholly integrated. The belief we have about Jesus gives definition to how we pattern our lives. Faith without works, James says, is dead faith. (2:17). This isn't merely a theological observation, it's a declaration about how we experience in real life the presence and love of Jesus. We all live oriented toward something. Pagan religion in James's time believed that the Gods could be placated and manipulated to bring peace, war, provision, prosperity, and love. Jesus followers were instructed to live FOR the world so that the world would have REAL LIFE. That life was reflected in the best of the world's wisdom literature (it's amazing to see how Christian themes have analogues in so many philosophical streams around the same time as James is being written). In Christian thinking, Wisdom stems from Jesus being the pre-existent Logos, or Word. When we live wisely, we live in congruence with the purposes and will of the creator WHO provides for ALL of his children (and causes it to rain on the just and unjust).
The same is true today. With Tillich we agree that faith is living for one's ultimate concern. Everyone has the one thing (or things) that give structure to one's life, that shape one's schedule or spending habits, that determine who one is in relationship with and who one avoids. For James, our ultimate concern is life in the kingdom of the one, true, creator God. God is the organizing principle under which all of our dreams, aspirations, goals, and purposes gain their meaning and significance. There is no other life that could ever really be called "ultimate." Any other path would be a dead end as it stopped short of diverged from God whose purpose and will has been made known fully in the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus. To truly live means then being a "disciple" – a devoted learner and practitioner of the WAY of Jesus. In James' mini-sermon, we are given clear pathways into THE WAY of life that brings REAL LIFE.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Power of Memory
FCC/TPC 05.24.09
MEMORIAL DAY
How many of us know that our memories can serve a powerful function in our lives?
When we’re little we learn to avoid touching the hot stove because either we’ve touched it or we had mommy or daddy make a loud noise when we got close. We retain the memory of pain.
Or, if you’re like my kids, when we ask them where’d they like to go for a treat they invariably say “Baskin Robbins.” They retain the memory of something sweet and pleasurable.
You know memory is important as you get older and, like me, you can’t ever remember where you put the car keys.
There is such a thing as muscle memory. If you haven’t played tennis in over twenty years after having played all throughout high school and college, you can pick up a racket and with some practice remember how to serve or hit a backhand spin.
We remember important people in our lives. How many of us can remember a teacher we had when we were younger? Maybe someone who took a special interest in how we did in school or helped to motivate us just a little more. I remember Miss Ouanita Muller, my 9th grade English teacher, who knew my interest in history and my love for literature took me to the school library and hand wrote a bibliography for me of some of the great works of historical fiction.
In our men’s group this past Wednesday night, we remembered the lives of some of the men who in years past at First Christian had unique personalities, done funny things in church, or had influenced the church in some way. As we went around the circle, it seemed that everyone remembered someone at First Christian who had impacted them in a powerful way.
Who do you remember? When you think about how you’ve turned out in life, as you reflect on the person you’ve become, who is it that sticks in your mind as having a big influence for good long ago? I want you to take a moment right now and write that person’s name down on the sermon note insert inside your bulletin.
Memory is a powerful thing. Memory has the power to anchor us when we feel as if life is rushing by. There have been many times that I’ve found myself in ministry situations that I didn’t have the answer to and I’d think to myself what would my dad do or what would one of my former mentors do in this situation?
When we find ourselves getting lost today as we try to figure out who we are and what we’re supposed to be about – we can look back and see where we’ve been and discern the path that has got us from there to here. Sometimes that can help us move forward. We know who we are, where we’ve been and that gives us direction for where we want to go.
Of course, there are also times when we want to make a break with that path and get on a new path. We know where we are and where we’ve been and we feel as if God has MORE in store for us that what we’ve experienced and we want to pursue that.
The memory of an experience can also be powerful and transforming. Think of a time when you completed a project or task that you never thought when you started you’d be able to do. Was it hitting a baseball for the first time? Making your first free-throw, making your first “A” in Junior High, reading your first full-length novel, holding down your first job and receiving your first paycheck? How about the memory of when you accepted Jesus into your life. And then the memory of being baptized and having the entire church celebrate your decision with you.
In the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, the word “remember” is used over sixteen times. And it’s an interesting contrast. As the people of God are beginning to move forward into their promised inheritance and take the land of Canaan, God says to them – REMEMBER! Remember where you’ve come from. You were once slaves in Egypt. Remember the struggles you had in the desert. Most of the time you didn’t think you were going to make it. Remember where your provision came from. You didn’t do it on your on. Remember the promise that is before you. You will be tempted to chase after other gods.
Dt 7:17 You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” 18 But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. 19 You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.
I want you to think about the journey that has brought you to the place where you are in life right now. Who were the people that influenced you? What were the forces that led you to ultimate decide that going to church either by yourself or with your family was a good move to make? What were the struggles you had in your past the pointed you to a better, more secure way of living in God? What were the experiences that you had in your life that suggested that being in the place where God was worshipped was better than being outside of that place?
We know the end of the story with the Israelites. They began to take the land and then to rule over the land that God had given then and then slowly but surely, they forget how it was they received God’s blessing to begin with.
That so typical, isn’t it? We work to receive the blessing. We let go of the stuff holding us down or holding us back. We become focused and diligent and intense about moving toward the desired goal… and then once we have a taste of the blessing, what happens. We start to relax. We start to think to ourselves how awesome we were to get the thing we wanted. We begin the process of forgetting all the hard work and focus and diligence and intensity and prayer that enabled us to step into the blessing. Has anyone else experienced that dynamic before?
I think there is a way out of that cycle. A way past the very thing the Israelites experienced in their repeating cycle of Obedience – Blessing – Complacency – Rebellion – Suffering – Repentence – Obedience – Blessing. I don’t think that it is God’s plan for us that we have to walk in the same mistakes we’ve made in the past or for our children to repeat the patterns of life that we’ve gone through. In fact, I believe God wants us to have victory and to walk in authority and power and then to help others break this cycle.
So this morning, I want to leave you with three things to remember as we observe what we call Memorial Day. And the first is this:
To move forward into the promise we have to first remember where we’ve been.
The summer after my senior year in college I spent the summer in Germany studying the German language. And there, I had the opportunity to go Dachau – where the Nazi’s had one of their most notorious concentration camps. Twenty-six thousand Jews lost their life there. There was an inscription on one of the walls where you can read the history of the time and the camp. The inscription is from the philosopher George Santayana and it reads, “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.”
It was chilling to read that quote at Dachau. It was both an observation and a warning. An observation that the Germans had forgotten their own past of brutality and struggle and national arrogance. And a warning that if future generations forgot what atrocities had taken place at Dachau then the deeds could be easily rationalized again and repeated.
Our personal journeys and difficulties often arrive at that moment of forgetfulness, when we’ve left our guard down and forgotten exactly what it is our lives are about. It’s easier to focus on the moment. On how we’re feeling right now. It requires a little more focus to bring into view during these times that God has us on a journey of building righteous character which may or may not make us “feel good” in the moment but enables us to withstand troubles that come our way and still find joy everyday in the small things.
So what do we keep in front of us when we’re tested?
One of the things you can ask yourself is this. Have I been through this before? If so, what did I learn? Too often, we see believers simply going through the cycles of repeating self-destructive and unhealthy patterns. When we begin to see a pattern begin to emerge we have are presented with the choice of going through again or changing it. By choosing to change your behavior you may be going into uncharted territory for you. The pattern, though painful may look initially more comfortable simply because its what you know. The Bible tells us in passages like James 1 and Romans 5 that when we choose to chart a path through the difficulty we face we will always grow.
1 Cor 6:9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?... 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
For the believer, formation of our character is everything. It is what we call discipleship. And discipleship begins with find our rootedness in the teachings and life of Jesus. We remember what he taught. We remember what he did. And then we do the same.
Not only do we remain aware of what we’ve learned from our life experiences, but we also look to the people we’ve known to inspire us to show us what to avoid.
Hebrews 12 talks about having a “cloud of witnesses” around us. The author of Hebrews was talking about those who had gone before in the faith who were tested and proved faithful in the test.
This is just common sense, really. If you want to learn a new skill or pick up a new hobby, what do you do? You find someone who’s done it already and ask them to show you how to do it.
This makes perfect sense, right? But how many of us try to do the really important things in life – like being a husband or wife, or raising kids without ever asking someone how to do it with excellence?
We’re almost embarrassed to admit that maybe we don’t know how to do what looks to come so naturally to others. But if truth be known, and after having done ministry for almost twenty years now, I can tell you that everyone struggles with relationships or finances or parenting.
If I want to know how to be married for thirty years – I want to talk to someone who’s done it. I want to do what they have done and learn from them the skills it took to make it past the rough spots.
If I want to raise children that are self-reliant, focused, and disciplined, I want to talk to parents whose kids have turned out well and find out from them what things did they do daily to pour life into their children.
If I want to be have the financial freedom to do some of the things I want to do in life – including as John Wesley taught – to have the money to tithe to the ministry of Jesus in your church – then I want to imitate the disciplines followed by people who have saved their money and worked hard.
We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who can show us what righteous and Godly living looks like. All we need to do is ask. All we need to do is observe and watch and learn and put into practice the lifestyles that actually have staying power and result in life.
Finally, what the Israelites kept in front of them as they wandered through the wilderness was the promise that had been given them of the inheritance they would receive if they remained faithful to God.
Speaking to the Israelites after they had been through the cycle of rebellion over and over, God still shows the grace to say in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I’ve been reading through the book of Proverbs this month. And I find it interesting that every in that book is the assumption that as God’s people live faithfully, they will prosper. Not only will they prosper spiritually, but they will prosper financially. Their children, it says, will live in security and be blessed.
Pr 14:26 Those who fear the LORD have a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.
Sometimes we get lost in the stream of our everyday stuff. In fact, it can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why we have to keep our eyes fixed on where it is that we’re headed. We’ve got to keep our vision on where God’s leading us and not get knocked off track by the length of the journey or the difficulty of the course. If we are faith, God will be faithful. Every time.
If we are faithful to the task of parenting. Our children will learn to love and trust in God.
If we are faithful to our spouses and committed to growing in our love and service to them, we will experience marriages that not only last a lifetime but are filled with joy and laughter.
If we are faithful to exercise restraint and put off gratification until later, we will grow wealth and be in the position to leave an inheritance for our children.
If we are faithful to the call of Jesus to exercise our spiritual giftedness for the kingdom, we will see others blessed and the kingdom grow. Our lives will be blessed with Gods’ meaning and purpose.
We ever keep the promise of God’s goodness in front of us. We ever keep his love in front of us . God loves us and wants us to walk in power and authority as disciples of Jesus. We ever keep our destiny in front of us. God is raising up a people who will one day judge the world in righteousness (1 Cor 6:2).
But first we remember. We remember the words we have heard and the sights we have seen. We remember what God has done for us and what we’ve seen Him do in the lives of others. We remember what he did through Jesus. How we were once in sin, but through God’s grace we came to know the new creation. Become intentional about talking about the power of God in your home and passing along your spiritual legacy as the legacy of others has been passed along to you.
And we close with the words of the Lord to the Israelites as they are about to possess the land and step into the awesome inheritance that God has planned for them.
Deut 11:18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
MEMORIAL DAY
How many of us know that our memories can serve a powerful function in our lives?
When we’re little we learn to avoid touching the hot stove because either we’ve touched it or we had mommy or daddy make a loud noise when we got close. We retain the memory of pain.
Or, if you’re like my kids, when we ask them where’d they like to go for a treat they invariably say “Baskin Robbins.” They retain the memory of something sweet and pleasurable.
You know memory is important as you get older and, like me, you can’t ever remember where you put the car keys.
There is such a thing as muscle memory. If you haven’t played tennis in over twenty years after having played all throughout high school and college, you can pick up a racket and with some practice remember how to serve or hit a backhand spin.
We remember important people in our lives. How many of us can remember a teacher we had when we were younger? Maybe someone who took a special interest in how we did in school or helped to motivate us just a little more. I remember Miss Ouanita Muller, my 9th grade English teacher, who knew my interest in history and my love for literature took me to the school library and hand wrote a bibliography for me of some of the great works of historical fiction.
In our men’s group this past Wednesday night, we remembered the lives of some of the men who in years past at First Christian had unique personalities, done funny things in church, or had influenced the church in some way. As we went around the circle, it seemed that everyone remembered someone at First Christian who had impacted them in a powerful way.
Who do you remember? When you think about how you’ve turned out in life, as you reflect on the person you’ve become, who is it that sticks in your mind as having a big influence for good long ago? I want you to take a moment right now and write that person’s name down on the sermon note insert inside your bulletin.
Memory is a powerful thing. Memory has the power to anchor us when we feel as if life is rushing by. There have been many times that I’ve found myself in ministry situations that I didn’t have the answer to and I’d think to myself what would my dad do or what would one of my former mentors do in this situation?
When we find ourselves getting lost today as we try to figure out who we are and what we’re supposed to be about – we can look back and see where we’ve been and discern the path that has got us from there to here. Sometimes that can help us move forward. We know who we are, where we’ve been and that gives us direction for where we want to go.
Of course, there are also times when we want to make a break with that path and get on a new path. We know where we are and where we’ve been and we feel as if God has MORE in store for us that what we’ve experienced and we want to pursue that.
The memory of an experience can also be powerful and transforming. Think of a time when you completed a project or task that you never thought when you started you’d be able to do. Was it hitting a baseball for the first time? Making your first free-throw, making your first “A” in Junior High, reading your first full-length novel, holding down your first job and receiving your first paycheck? How about the memory of when you accepted Jesus into your life. And then the memory of being baptized and having the entire church celebrate your decision with you.
In the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, the word “remember” is used over sixteen times. And it’s an interesting contrast. As the people of God are beginning to move forward into their promised inheritance and take the land of Canaan, God says to them – REMEMBER! Remember where you’ve come from. You were once slaves in Egypt. Remember the struggles you had in the desert. Most of the time you didn’t think you were going to make it. Remember where your provision came from. You didn’t do it on your on. Remember the promise that is before you. You will be tempted to chase after other gods.
Dt 7:17 You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” 18 But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. 19 You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the miraculous signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.
I want you to think about the journey that has brought you to the place where you are in life right now. Who were the people that influenced you? What were the forces that led you to ultimate decide that going to church either by yourself or with your family was a good move to make? What were the struggles you had in your past the pointed you to a better, more secure way of living in God? What were the experiences that you had in your life that suggested that being in the place where God was worshipped was better than being outside of that place?
We know the end of the story with the Israelites. They began to take the land and then to rule over the land that God had given then and then slowly but surely, they forget how it was they received God’s blessing to begin with.
That so typical, isn’t it? We work to receive the blessing. We let go of the stuff holding us down or holding us back. We become focused and diligent and intense about moving toward the desired goal… and then once we have a taste of the blessing, what happens. We start to relax. We start to think to ourselves how awesome we were to get the thing we wanted. We begin the process of forgetting all the hard work and focus and diligence and intensity and prayer that enabled us to step into the blessing. Has anyone else experienced that dynamic before?
I think there is a way out of that cycle. A way past the very thing the Israelites experienced in their repeating cycle of Obedience – Blessing – Complacency – Rebellion – Suffering – Repentence – Obedience – Blessing. I don’t think that it is God’s plan for us that we have to walk in the same mistakes we’ve made in the past or for our children to repeat the patterns of life that we’ve gone through. In fact, I believe God wants us to have victory and to walk in authority and power and then to help others break this cycle.
So this morning, I want to leave you with three things to remember as we observe what we call Memorial Day. And the first is this:
To move forward into the promise we have to first remember where we’ve been.
The summer after my senior year in college I spent the summer in Germany studying the German language. And there, I had the opportunity to go Dachau – where the Nazi’s had one of their most notorious concentration camps. Twenty-six thousand Jews lost their life there. There was an inscription on one of the walls where you can read the history of the time and the camp. The inscription is from the philosopher George Santayana and it reads, “Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.”
It was chilling to read that quote at Dachau. It was both an observation and a warning. An observation that the Germans had forgotten their own past of brutality and struggle and national arrogance. And a warning that if future generations forgot what atrocities had taken place at Dachau then the deeds could be easily rationalized again and repeated.
Our personal journeys and difficulties often arrive at that moment of forgetfulness, when we’ve left our guard down and forgotten exactly what it is our lives are about. It’s easier to focus on the moment. On how we’re feeling right now. It requires a little more focus to bring into view during these times that God has us on a journey of building righteous character which may or may not make us “feel good” in the moment but enables us to withstand troubles that come our way and still find joy everyday in the small things.
So what do we keep in front of us when we’re tested?
One of the things you can ask yourself is this. Have I been through this before? If so, what did I learn? Too often, we see believers simply going through the cycles of repeating self-destructive and unhealthy patterns. When we begin to see a pattern begin to emerge we have are presented with the choice of going through again or changing it. By choosing to change your behavior you may be going into uncharted territory for you. The pattern, though painful may look initially more comfortable simply because its what you know. The Bible tells us in passages like James 1 and Romans 5 that when we choose to chart a path through the difficulty we face we will always grow.
1 Cor 6:9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?... 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
For the believer, formation of our character is everything. It is what we call discipleship. And discipleship begins with find our rootedness in the teachings and life of Jesus. We remember what he taught. We remember what he did. And then we do the same.
Not only do we remain aware of what we’ve learned from our life experiences, but we also look to the people we’ve known to inspire us to show us what to avoid.
Hebrews 12 talks about having a “cloud of witnesses” around us. The author of Hebrews was talking about those who had gone before in the faith who were tested and proved faithful in the test.
This is just common sense, really. If you want to learn a new skill or pick up a new hobby, what do you do? You find someone who’s done it already and ask them to show you how to do it.
This makes perfect sense, right? But how many of us try to do the really important things in life – like being a husband or wife, or raising kids without ever asking someone how to do it with excellence?
We’re almost embarrassed to admit that maybe we don’t know how to do what looks to come so naturally to others. But if truth be known, and after having done ministry for almost twenty years now, I can tell you that everyone struggles with relationships or finances or parenting.
If I want to know how to be married for thirty years – I want to talk to someone who’s done it. I want to do what they have done and learn from them the skills it took to make it past the rough spots.
If I want to raise children that are self-reliant, focused, and disciplined, I want to talk to parents whose kids have turned out well and find out from them what things did they do daily to pour life into their children.
If I want to be have the financial freedom to do some of the things I want to do in life – including as John Wesley taught – to have the money to tithe to the ministry of Jesus in your church – then I want to imitate the disciplines followed by people who have saved their money and worked hard.
We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who can show us what righteous and Godly living looks like. All we need to do is ask. All we need to do is observe and watch and learn and put into practice the lifestyles that actually have staying power and result in life.
Finally, what the Israelites kept in front of them as they wandered through the wilderness was the promise that had been given them of the inheritance they would receive if they remained faithful to God.
Speaking to the Israelites after they had been through the cycle of rebellion over and over, God still shows the grace to say in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I’ve been reading through the book of Proverbs this month. And I find it interesting that every in that book is the assumption that as God’s people live faithfully, they will prosper. Not only will they prosper spiritually, but they will prosper financially. Their children, it says, will live in security and be blessed.
Pr 14:26 Those who fear the LORD have a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.
Sometimes we get lost in the stream of our everyday stuff. In fact, it can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why we have to keep our eyes fixed on where it is that we’re headed. We’ve got to keep our vision on where God’s leading us and not get knocked off track by the length of the journey or the difficulty of the course. If we are faith, God will be faithful. Every time.
If we are faithful to the task of parenting. Our children will learn to love and trust in God.
If we are faithful to our spouses and committed to growing in our love and service to them, we will experience marriages that not only last a lifetime but are filled with joy and laughter.
If we are faithful to exercise restraint and put off gratification until later, we will grow wealth and be in the position to leave an inheritance for our children.
If we are faithful to the call of Jesus to exercise our spiritual giftedness for the kingdom, we will see others blessed and the kingdom grow. Our lives will be blessed with Gods’ meaning and purpose.
We ever keep the promise of God’s goodness in front of us. We ever keep his love in front of us . God loves us and wants us to walk in power and authority as disciples of Jesus. We ever keep our destiny in front of us. God is raising up a people who will one day judge the world in righteousness (1 Cor 6:2).
But first we remember. We remember the words we have heard and the sights we have seen. We remember what God has done for us and what we’ve seen Him do in the lives of others. We remember what he did through Jesus. How we were once in sin, but through God’s grace we came to know the new creation. Become intentional about talking about the power of God in your home and passing along your spiritual legacy as the legacy of others has been passed along to you.
And we close with the words of the Lord to the Israelites as they are about to possess the land and step into the awesome inheritance that God has planned for them.
Deut 11:18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Graduating toward Maturity
It's the season of graduation.
It's both exciting and a little scary leaving behind what you know and jumping into something new. The new is exciting because it's not the old. It means new friends, new experiences, new opportunities, new challenges.
The old, though, can sometimes be hard to leave behind. It's what you know. It's what's comfortable.
In the Bible, God everywhere is pushing his children forward into the new. He doesn't do this because he takes some sort of sinister delight in watching us suffer as we get acclimated. I think he does it because he knows that we are hard-wired to like things the way we like them. And to get us to grow in any way, God has to turn up the heat a little bit - make things just a little uncomfortable, a little risky, a little awkward so that we'll let go of the past and trust in the future that God has for us.
We see this in the OT as the Israelites are wandering through the desert toward their final destination of the Promised Land! Throughout their wanderings they cry out to their leaders to take them back to Egypt! At least there they had consistent food to eat, a place to live, and work to do - even if they did have all those things not as free people, but as slaves.
It was hard for the Israelites to let go of what they knew and press forward to God's amazing promise for them.
At the same time we're letting go, God is doing a work inside of us of pressing us forward to greater maturity. We leave behind spiritual childhood and we move toward becoming spiritually mature adults.
Now it's possible to be a biological adult without being a spiritually mature adult. Look at what Paul has to say in 1 Corinthians as he goads a divided church to start acting like spiritual adults.
1Co 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?
There's milk. And then there's solid food. There's simple teaching about what one must do to be saved. Then there's the harder work of living out that salvation like Paul says to do in Philippians 2 with "fear and trembling." Once we leave behind simply knowing how to be saved, we enter the much more difficult (but rewarding) journey of daily living out our walk with Jesus.
It's one thing to have a one time experience of your sins being forgiven. It's another thing to daily forgive those who have hurt you and seek God's forgiveness for the ways we've hurt others. It's one thing to to experience the "high" of receiving Christ for the first time. It's another thing to receive Christ every single day even though you're not sure where the strength is going to come from to make it through your day. It's one thing to see realized the hope you have of being in heaven in eternity. It's another to bring heaven down to earth in the ways you treat people, the ways you do your daily work, the ways you show love for people you don't always feel like loving or honoring.
My men's group that meets on Wednesday Nights is reading through C.S. Lewis's, The Screwtape Letters. One of our discussion recently we talked about how every day we experience a "mini-salvation" - a deliverance from evil, a setting free from the things that want to keep us chained up, a renewal of the hope we have that God is good and wants good things for our lives.
Most of us would admit that we are not the same person today that were were in High School. We graduated from High School and just started living life. In the course of that life, we have had to make choices remain stuck where we are because it's what we know or to step in faith into the amazing life of living Jesus daily.
Consider one of my favorite scriptures from James, chapter 1. Jas 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The journey into God's promise - though uncertain - can be filled with joy because each day of walking that walk, God is perfecting us, God is making us more mature. God is making us complete human beings.
The last thing I want to point you toward is this.
Eph 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Our growth doesn't happen without others praying for us, encouraging us, challenging us and holding us accountable to the goals we have for ourselves. As we live this life together, we're like a body that is held together by a thousand different ligaments each one supporting and assisting the other. We speak the truth in love and don't hold back because life is too short to be stuck in bad place just because the people around us want to be polite and spare our feelings. We can't grow unless we know the truth of where we are.
We also can't grow unless we have a destination. And our destination is full maturity in Christ. He is the head of our body. He is the completion of our process of maturity. He is the horizon upon which we fix our sights as we press forward in life.
It's both exciting and a little scary leaving behind what you know and jumping into something new. The new is exciting because it's not the old. It means new friends, new experiences, new opportunities, new challenges.
The old, though, can sometimes be hard to leave behind. It's what you know. It's what's comfortable.
In the Bible, God everywhere is pushing his children forward into the new. He doesn't do this because he takes some sort of sinister delight in watching us suffer as we get acclimated. I think he does it because he knows that we are hard-wired to like things the way we like them. And to get us to grow in any way, God has to turn up the heat a little bit - make things just a little uncomfortable, a little risky, a little awkward so that we'll let go of the past and trust in the future that God has for us.
We see this in the OT as the Israelites are wandering through the desert toward their final destination of the Promised Land! Throughout their wanderings they cry out to their leaders to take them back to Egypt! At least there they had consistent food to eat, a place to live, and work to do - even if they did have all those things not as free people, but as slaves.
It was hard for the Israelites to let go of what they knew and press forward to God's amazing promise for them.
At the same time we're letting go, God is doing a work inside of us of pressing us forward to greater maturity. We leave behind spiritual childhood and we move toward becoming spiritually mature adults.
Now it's possible to be a biological adult without being a spiritually mature adult. Look at what Paul has to say in 1 Corinthians as he goads a divided church to start acting like spiritual adults.
1Co 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?
There's milk. And then there's solid food. There's simple teaching about what one must do to be saved. Then there's the harder work of living out that salvation like Paul says to do in Philippians 2 with "fear and trembling." Once we leave behind simply knowing how to be saved, we enter the much more difficult (but rewarding) journey of daily living out our walk with Jesus.
It's one thing to have a one time experience of your sins being forgiven. It's another thing to daily forgive those who have hurt you and seek God's forgiveness for the ways we've hurt others. It's one thing to to experience the "high" of receiving Christ for the first time. It's another thing to receive Christ every single day even though you're not sure where the strength is going to come from to make it through your day. It's one thing to see realized the hope you have of being in heaven in eternity. It's another to bring heaven down to earth in the ways you treat people, the ways you do your daily work, the ways you show love for people you don't always feel like loving or honoring.
My men's group that meets on Wednesday Nights is reading through C.S. Lewis's, The Screwtape Letters. One of our discussion recently we talked about how every day we experience a "mini-salvation" - a deliverance from evil, a setting free from the things that want to keep us chained up, a renewal of the hope we have that God is good and wants good things for our lives.
Most of us would admit that we are not the same person today that were were in High School. We graduated from High School and just started living life. In the course of that life, we have had to make choices remain stuck where we are because it's what we know or to step in faith into the amazing life of living Jesus daily.
Consider one of my favorite scriptures from James, chapter 1. Jas 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The journey into God's promise - though uncertain - can be filled with joy because each day of walking that walk, God is perfecting us, God is making us more mature. God is making us complete human beings.
The last thing I want to point you toward is this.
Eph 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Our growth doesn't happen without others praying for us, encouraging us, challenging us and holding us accountable to the goals we have for ourselves. As we live this life together, we're like a body that is held together by a thousand different ligaments each one supporting and assisting the other. We speak the truth in love and don't hold back because life is too short to be stuck in bad place just because the people around us want to be polite and spare our feelings. We can't grow unless we know the truth of where we are.
We also can't grow unless we have a destination. And our destination is full maturity in Christ. He is the head of our body. He is the completion of our process of maturity. He is the horizon upon which we fix our sights as we press forward in life.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Ministering to the Orphans
God's really been stirring my spirit recently about the place Promise Church can play in Jackson ministering to children and youth. When you consider the people that have been gathered into our community and how many teachers and educators and people with "nurturing" high on their spiritual gift it would seem to be almost a no-brainer!
The question, really, is how.
Of the "mission-ministries" I've visited in other countries - Hopegivers in India, and Have of Hope (actually Templo Christiano is the name of the church!) in Mexico - the focus has always been on children. I saw this in Mexico the very first day I was there. The Sunday morning service wasn't an adult service at all. It was designed especially to attract and disciple children and youth. The songs were songs children would want to sing. The praise team consisted of high schoolers and young adults. They had a dedicated team of adult volunteers who viewed it as their MISSION to make disciples of children and youth!
In India, M.A. Thomas sends his recent Bible school graduates out with a Bible and a Bicycle and they go to a village and what's the first thing they do? It often isn't setting up a Bible Study, or creating a church. They will begin gathering orphan children into their families and caring for them. Dr. Thomas's dream was to raise 1 million orphans in India each filled with a passion for serving Jesus Christ. He possessed a vision of what 1 million Christ-filled orphans might do in that predominately Hindu country.
Closer to home, we see the effects of "spiritual orphans" daily. School dropout. Crime. Drug abuse. Broken homes. Divorce. General hopelessness and lack of vision. Is there anything we can do?
That's the question I've been taking to God recently. When we first started Promise Church, I believed our mission would be to reach people who had little or no experience with church. And we have certainly seen some of those folks come and be blessed. But what if our mission really is to and for those who have no one speaking life into their lives right now? Those, who come home from school to an empty house. Those whose parent or parents can't spend time with them because they're working multiple jobs? Is there any way we can help strengthen the family by providing a safe, nurturing, and life-giving environment in which children can be taught to thrive? I believe we can.
I would like to see a shift take place in the way we do ministry at Promise Church. We've been really good about providing small groups and places of nurture for adults who want to experience healing in their lives. This is important ministry. The shift, however, that I would like to see is for these adults who are receiving life begin pouring life into the lives of others. How many of us know that a body of water that just has water coming in but never flows through becomes stagnant over time?
Would a shift take place in the predominantly secular culture of the United States if there were a movement to educate and nurture 1 million children with the good news of Jesus Christ who have been left spiritually orphaned?
Find a moment today to read James 1:27 and then pray this prayer, if you would.
Lord, how can I be a life bringer to a spiritually orphaned child in my city?
And see what the Lord reveals to you. I'm praying this prayer as well and will be working with the Vision Team to design a way we can do ministry and worship that reaches the "orphans" of Jackson.
The question, really, is how.
Of the "mission-ministries" I've visited in other countries - Hopegivers in India, and Have of Hope (actually Templo Christiano is the name of the church!) in Mexico - the focus has always been on children. I saw this in Mexico the very first day I was there. The Sunday morning service wasn't an adult service at all. It was designed especially to attract and disciple children and youth. The songs were songs children would want to sing. The praise team consisted of high schoolers and young adults. They had a dedicated team of adult volunteers who viewed it as their MISSION to make disciples of children and youth!
In India, M.A. Thomas sends his recent Bible school graduates out with a Bible and a Bicycle and they go to a village and what's the first thing they do? It often isn't setting up a Bible Study, or creating a church. They will begin gathering orphan children into their families and caring for them. Dr. Thomas's dream was to raise 1 million orphans in India each filled with a passion for serving Jesus Christ. He possessed a vision of what 1 million Christ-filled orphans might do in that predominately Hindu country.
Closer to home, we see the effects of "spiritual orphans" daily. School dropout. Crime. Drug abuse. Broken homes. Divorce. General hopelessness and lack of vision. Is there anything we can do?
That's the question I've been taking to God recently. When we first started Promise Church, I believed our mission would be to reach people who had little or no experience with church. And we have certainly seen some of those folks come and be blessed. But what if our mission really is to and for those who have no one speaking life into their lives right now? Those, who come home from school to an empty house. Those whose parent or parents can't spend time with them because they're working multiple jobs? Is there any way we can help strengthen the family by providing a safe, nurturing, and life-giving environment in which children can be taught to thrive? I believe we can.
I would like to see a shift take place in the way we do ministry at Promise Church. We've been really good about providing small groups and places of nurture for adults who want to experience healing in their lives. This is important ministry. The shift, however, that I would like to see is for these adults who are receiving life begin pouring life into the lives of others. How many of us know that a body of water that just has water coming in but never flows through becomes stagnant over time?
Would a shift take place in the predominantly secular culture of the United States if there were a movement to educate and nurture 1 million children with the good news of Jesus Christ who have been left spiritually orphaned?
Find a moment today to read James 1:27 and then pray this prayer, if you would.
Lord, how can I be a life bringer to a spiritually orphaned child in my city?
And see what the Lord reveals to you. I'm praying this prayer as well and will be working with the Vision Team to design a way we can do ministry and worship that reaches the "orphans" of Jackson.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
It's funny how the prospect of having one's reality changed can wake you up to what you should already have recognized as one's spiritual and moral obligation. John Gilbert sent me today a link to a video on You-Tube depicting demographic changes that were taking place in Europe in fertility rates that would over a short period of time lead to those countries becoming dominated by Islam. (View here)
It was frightening. The solution (according to the video)? Christians having more children, of course. But also, evangelizing Islamic people and culture.
Evangelism in the west - particularly in the United States - hasn't been something that the church has shown much passion for. Largely, the United States is viewed already as an evangelized nation. So our efforts have been much more along missional lines in other countries or what we might call "social" missions at home. Evangelism in mainline churches is almost non-existent. Evangelism in non-mainline churches more resembles a trip to Disneyland than it does a sacrificial commitment of one's life to Jesus Christ - through good times and through times of suffering.
Part of the reason for that is that we're not too sure what it is we're supposed to be evangelizing about. In liberal churches, seminarians have been taught to avoid language or thinking that denigrates the identity and value of another. Sounds great in theory. But this has led to questioning whether Christians have any basis at all for critiquing the value systems of others. That has not been particularly helpful.
Conservative and charismatic churches have been all too willing to make that critique - but often its been from the standpoint of an historical and highly dogmatic point of view - often that has no real relevance to scripture or the gospel (or history, for that matter) and done in a spirit of arrogance and spiritual elitism rather than compassion for others.
I'm not so sure I even want to consider a "middle ground" as much as I want to ask God to reveal a completely "out-of-the-box" manner of sharing the story and power of Jesus with others.
The key, for me, is found in 1 Corinthians 2:1 where Paul tells the Corinthian church that he didn't come to them with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. I don't think anyone today has any clue what that looked like specifically. We have hints of it throughout Paul's letter to the Corinthians because of the corrections he felt like he needed to make within that church's practice of the faith.
But here is what we can be certain of.
1. Believers have experienced life transformation through Jesus Christ that is worth sharing with others.
2. We can be confident of what God is doing with us as we measure our experience against the "law of love." The check against arrogance and elitism is - Do we love others? (Not in a "we'll love them as long as they become like us" sort of way).
3. If we hunger and pray for it - God will gift believers for the ministry of sharing our encounter with Christ with others. In Matamoros - God's display of His power might look different than it does in Jackson, TN - but we can be confident that God will grant the gift. He wants the good news to be shared.
4. We have a mission, if not an outright mandate, to share the experience and teaching of Jesus with others. Our God is a relational God. He revels in connecting people with each other. Sure, God could choose to download into the memory banks of every person absolute knowledge of Jesus's teachings. Instead, God chose to use "jars of clay" to communicate the good news. If God knew that ahead of time, He also knew our imperfections, our doubts about our being "up to the task", our lack of resources at times, and even that at time we might "get it wrong." Still He chose us. Blows my mind, actually.
5. And finally, if we don't share our message, someone else will certainly share theirs. There exist a number of versions of what life ought to look like in the world - some of which are growing at exponential rates. Ask yourself - does the version I've been taught and now live bear any truth to it? Whether liberals want to recognize it or not, there are versions of truth in the world that are fast growing acceptance that would seek to eliminate entirely any "liberal dream" of an open society. Whether conservatives want to recognize it or not, there have been times in history that believers have tried to impose something other than the gospel on other people.
How important is your story - the story of your experience of Jesus - to share with the people you know who don't know Jesus in any meaningful way? Can we avoid sharing it any longer?
It was frightening. The solution (according to the video)? Christians having more children, of course. But also, evangelizing Islamic people and culture.
Evangelism in the west - particularly in the United States - hasn't been something that the church has shown much passion for. Largely, the United States is viewed already as an evangelized nation. So our efforts have been much more along missional lines in other countries or what we might call "social" missions at home. Evangelism in mainline churches is almost non-existent. Evangelism in non-mainline churches more resembles a trip to Disneyland than it does a sacrificial commitment of one's life to Jesus Christ - through good times and through times of suffering.
Part of the reason for that is that we're not too sure what it is we're supposed to be evangelizing about. In liberal churches, seminarians have been taught to avoid language or thinking that denigrates the identity and value of another. Sounds great in theory. But this has led to questioning whether Christians have any basis at all for critiquing the value systems of others. That has not been particularly helpful.
Conservative and charismatic churches have been all too willing to make that critique - but often its been from the standpoint of an historical and highly dogmatic point of view - often that has no real relevance to scripture or the gospel (or history, for that matter) and done in a spirit of arrogance and spiritual elitism rather than compassion for others.
I'm not so sure I even want to consider a "middle ground" as much as I want to ask God to reveal a completely "out-of-the-box" manner of sharing the story and power of Jesus with others.
The key, for me, is found in 1 Corinthians 2:1 where Paul tells the Corinthian church that he didn't come to them with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. I don't think anyone today has any clue what that looked like specifically. We have hints of it throughout Paul's letter to the Corinthians because of the corrections he felt like he needed to make within that church's practice of the faith.
But here is what we can be certain of.
1. Believers have experienced life transformation through Jesus Christ that is worth sharing with others.
2. We can be confident of what God is doing with us as we measure our experience against the "law of love." The check against arrogance and elitism is - Do we love others? (Not in a "we'll love them as long as they become like us" sort of way).
3. If we hunger and pray for it - God will gift believers for the ministry of sharing our encounter with Christ with others. In Matamoros - God's display of His power might look different than it does in Jackson, TN - but we can be confident that God will grant the gift. He wants the good news to be shared.
4. We have a mission, if not an outright mandate, to share the experience and teaching of Jesus with others. Our God is a relational God. He revels in connecting people with each other. Sure, God could choose to download into the memory banks of every person absolute knowledge of Jesus's teachings. Instead, God chose to use "jars of clay" to communicate the good news. If God knew that ahead of time, He also knew our imperfections, our doubts about our being "up to the task", our lack of resources at times, and even that at time we might "get it wrong." Still He chose us. Blows my mind, actually.
5. And finally, if we don't share our message, someone else will certainly share theirs. There exist a number of versions of what life ought to look like in the world - some of which are growing at exponential rates. Ask yourself - does the version I've been taught and now live bear any truth to it? Whether liberals want to recognize it or not, there are versions of truth in the world that are fast growing acceptance that would seek to eliminate entirely any "liberal dream" of an open society. Whether conservatives want to recognize it or not, there have been times in history that believers have tried to impose something other than the gospel on other people.
How important is your story - the story of your experience of Jesus - to share with the people you know who don't know Jesus in any meaningful way? Can we avoid sharing it any longer?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Back from Mexico
Our mission team had an amazing trip to Matamoros, Mexico where we worked closely alongside Pastor Lalo Castro and his wife, Patty. The days were filled meeting with Pastor Lalo and listening to him describe what God is doing in Matamoros as the church moves to a new location and builds an orphanage on the outskirts of town. The evenings were filled with praise and worship and members of our team were asked to bring messages each night and then pray for members of their church.
What I observed most from the church was their incredible hunger to experience the power and presence of God in their lives. They didn't have a lot of resources to "do church" but what they had was a longing to see God at work. And where there's that longing, amazingly, God shows up providing exactly what's needed to love and minister to others.
Isn't that awesome? When we find ourselves being extended beyond our abilities and resources to do what God has placed before us, God shows up to help us do what we can't do ourselves. The glory then is God's glory and not our own. The big question is - Are we extending in faith toward that calling? Are we hungry for God to move through us? To work through us? To minister through us?
The question applies to us individually (are we risking so that we have to rely on God?) and as a church (are we reaching out past our walls and saying whatever you have for us God, we gladly receive!). I know that the times I've grown in a big way in my faith are those times I said yes to the invitation to walk in unkown, unmapped places and put my trust in God's leading and provision to see me through. When we do this we will always grow. It might stretch us a little. It might stretch us a lot. But God is growing inside of us the heart of a warrior - ready to do battle, ready to bring the peace, ready to risk it all for God's eternal kingdom. Don't become cynical or despairing when these growing times occur. Keep your sights focused on the promise of God's goodness and trust in what God is building in you.
What I observed most from the church was their incredible hunger to experience the power and presence of God in their lives. They didn't have a lot of resources to "do church" but what they had was a longing to see God at work. And where there's that longing, amazingly, God shows up providing exactly what's needed to love and minister to others.
Isn't that awesome? When we find ourselves being extended beyond our abilities and resources to do what God has placed before us, God shows up to help us do what we can't do ourselves. The glory then is God's glory and not our own. The big question is - Are we extending in faith toward that calling? Are we hungry for God to move through us? To work through us? To minister through us?
The question applies to us individually (are we risking so that we have to rely on God?) and as a church (are we reaching out past our walls and saying whatever you have for us God, we gladly receive!). I know that the times I've grown in a big way in my faith are those times I said yes to the invitation to walk in unkown, unmapped places and put my trust in God's leading and provision to see me through. When we do this we will always grow. It might stretch us a little. It might stretch us a lot. But God is growing inside of us the heart of a warrior - ready to do battle, ready to bring the peace, ready to risk it all for God's eternal kingdom. Don't become cynical or despairing when these growing times occur. Keep your sights focused on the promise of God's goodness and trust in what God is building in you.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Why Do We Call This Friday "Good?"
Why is it exactly that we call this Friday good? If you run through in your mind the course of the day’s events there is nothing in this day – two thousand years ago – to remotely refer to this day as a good day. It begins the evening before as Jesus shares his last meal with his apostles and tells them that his body will be broken and his blood shed. He is betrayed by one of his disciples who has walked closely with him throughout his short, three-year ministry. And for what? For power, prestige, for fame? No, for money. For thirty pieces of silver and lasting infamy.
He is taken into custody not by the Romans, at first, but by his own people – the Jews. They have been the ones most threatened by his ministry. Put yourself in their shoes. They have worked out a nice arrangement with the Romans – the Romans receive their tribute money and in return the Jewish temple authorities and king remain in power. It’s a sweet deal. Except for one, small thing. Jesus has promised those who would listen to him that they no longer need to go through power or the temple to know and serve God. In fact, they may know God as “Abba, Father.” Papa.
Well, that’s not going to work in the nice, sweet, deal that the Jews and the Romans have worked out. Because everything hinges on the people living in dependency on the temple and the priests and the political power of their day. That very last thing that anyone would want would be actual "freedom."
Why is it exactly that we call this Friday good? Those same Jewish authorities arrest the trouble-maker Jesus and bring him before their own rigged court. And in that court, what happens is perfectly predictable –they find Jesus guilty. Oh they trump up some charges against him because they realize that they really have nothing to hold him on. They quote back to him some of the things that Jesus talked about in his ministry – out of context, of course. But that doesn’t matter; they’re the ones asking the questions. And then they wait for Jesus’ reply knowing that anything he says will be something they can jump on – “See we told you all along he was a blasphemer, a bandit, and a rebel.”
But Jesus is mostly silent. There’s no arguing with power in power’s court.
Jesus is handed over to from the religious leaders to the Roman governor – Pilate. Pilate had been given the ominous task of preventing Jewish revolt and maintaining order in their capital city. He answered to Caesar in Rome. He, too, had lines of power that must be followed and structures that must be kept in place. Order must be maintained for the sake of empire. But he saw this man as no threat to Roman power. You can almost hear the sneer as he asks Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” is Jesus’s only reply. Jesus is mostly silent, because you see there’s no arguing with power in power’s court.
Pilate can’t be bothered and determines that this is a Jewish matter. Let their political puppet Herod decide this case. It really is a Jewish matter, after all. Let the consequence rest in Jewish hands – this man is no threat to Rome.
Herod – not even a Jew but an Idumean - had been installed by Rome to keep peace in volatile Judea and make sure the tribute continued to flow. But Herod was intrigued by Jesus. He had been informed of what Jesus had done. The miracles. The healings. The teachings. And he was hoping that maybe Jesus would do some of that for him. But before Herod – the shadow of power – Jesus is silent.
It’s against the backdrop of religious authority and political power that Jesus remains deathly silent. What was it inside of the hearts of those seated on the Jewish council that prevented them from seeing the very presence of God in Jesus? What was it inside the heart of Pilate or Herod that prevented them from recognizing someone who could bring real justice and kingly leadership to the people? What was it inside of the hearts of the Sanhedrin, or Pilate, or Herod, that needed to hold so tightly to their power, their version, their authority, their control, their structure in the face of one who was in fact, the Life-Bringer? Of what, or of whom were they so afraid?
Do we miss the Life-Bringer when he stands before us? Do we become blinded by our own need to protect what we have that when real life is offered to us, our eyes are pressed shut and our hands clasped tightly over our hears?
You know the rest of the story. Jesus was crucified shamefully on the cross on a hill outside of Jerusalem for all to see – this is what happens to those who try to thwart the system. This is what happens to those who offer the promise of real freedom to those who dare to dream that they may one day be free.
It would be a sad story, repeated so often throughout history if it ended there. Freedom fighters dying for their ideals against earthly and spiritual forces of oppression and greed. We resonate with the story of the freedom fighter because something deep down inside of us desires real freedom. We quietly recognize the places where we have given up hope or given in and said “well, that just how things are.” “That’s life in the real world.” “Better just to get used to it.” And we say these things as our spirits sink and we become further dulled.
It would be a sad story were it not for what happens on the third day. Because it’s there, on that day, that the lie is exposed that it always has to be like this. There, on that day the promise is fulfilled. God reigns, his power prevails over the powers of darkness and oppression. And we get to be part of that victory. We have tasted it. We live in it. We rise to new life in it. And it’s in the victory that we look upon any mere earthly power and ask “would you presume to have power over us when we stand in the presence of the Risen King?” It’s in that victory that we have been released to real freedom.
And so it is that a Friday otherwise destined for darkness and misery can be seen through the light of the victory as Good. We call this Friday good because it was power’s last stand against the victory that Jesus would bring. For ever since then, all exercise of power or influence whether it be earthly, spiritual, or emotional has been weighed and judged against the victory of the cross.
He is taken into custody not by the Romans, at first, but by his own people – the Jews. They have been the ones most threatened by his ministry. Put yourself in their shoes. They have worked out a nice arrangement with the Romans – the Romans receive their tribute money and in return the Jewish temple authorities and king remain in power. It’s a sweet deal. Except for one, small thing. Jesus has promised those who would listen to him that they no longer need to go through power or the temple to know and serve God. In fact, they may know God as “Abba, Father.” Papa.
Well, that’s not going to work in the nice, sweet, deal that the Jews and the Romans have worked out. Because everything hinges on the people living in dependency on the temple and the priests and the political power of their day. That very last thing that anyone would want would be actual "freedom."
Why is it exactly that we call this Friday good? Those same Jewish authorities arrest the trouble-maker Jesus and bring him before their own rigged court. And in that court, what happens is perfectly predictable –they find Jesus guilty. Oh they trump up some charges against him because they realize that they really have nothing to hold him on. They quote back to him some of the things that Jesus talked about in his ministry – out of context, of course. But that doesn’t matter; they’re the ones asking the questions. And then they wait for Jesus’ reply knowing that anything he says will be something they can jump on – “See we told you all along he was a blasphemer, a bandit, and a rebel.”
But Jesus is mostly silent. There’s no arguing with power in power’s court.
Jesus is handed over to from the religious leaders to the Roman governor – Pilate. Pilate had been given the ominous task of preventing Jewish revolt and maintaining order in their capital city. He answered to Caesar in Rome. He, too, had lines of power that must be followed and structures that must be kept in place. Order must be maintained for the sake of empire. But he saw this man as no threat to Roman power. You can almost hear the sneer as he asks Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” is Jesus’s only reply. Jesus is mostly silent, because you see there’s no arguing with power in power’s court.
Pilate can’t be bothered and determines that this is a Jewish matter. Let their political puppet Herod decide this case. It really is a Jewish matter, after all. Let the consequence rest in Jewish hands – this man is no threat to Rome.
Herod – not even a Jew but an Idumean - had been installed by Rome to keep peace in volatile Judea and make sure the tribute continued to flow. But Herod was intrigued by Jesus. He had been informed of what Jesus had done. The miracles. The healings. The teachings. And he was hoping that maybe Jesus would do some of that for him. But before Herod – the shadow of power – Jesus is silent.
It’s against the backdrop of religious authority and political power that Jesus remains deathly silent. What was it inside of the hearts of those seated on the Jewish council that prevented them from seeing the very presence of God in Jesus? What was it inside the heart of Pilate or Herod that prevented them from recognizing someone who could bring real justice and kingly leadership to the people? What was it inside of the hearts of the Sanhedrin, or Pilate, or Herod, that needed to hold so tightly to their power, their version, their authority, their control, their structure in the face of one who was in fact, the Life-Bringer? Of what, or of whom were they so afraid?
Do we miss the Life-Bringer when he stands before us? Do we become blinded by our own need to protect what we have that when real life is offered to us, our eyes are pressed shut and our hands clasped tightly over our hears?
You know the rest of the story. Jesus was crucified shamefully on the cross on a hill outside of Jerusalem for all to see – this is what happens to those who try to thwart the system. This is what happens to those who offer the promise of real freedom to those who dare to dream that they may one day be free.
It would be a sad story, repeated so often throughout history if it ended there. Freedom fighters dying for their ideals against earthly and spiritual forces of oppression and greed. We resonate with the story of the freedom fighter because something deep down inside of us desires real freedom. We quietly recognize the places where we have given up hope or given in and said “well, that just how things are.” “That’s life in the real world.” “Better just to get used to it.” And we say these things as our spirits sink and we become further dulled.
It would be a sad story were it not for what happens on the third day. Because it’s there, on that day, that the lie is exposed that it always has to be like this. There, on that day the promise is fulfilled. God reigns, his power prevails over the powers of darkness and oppression. And we get to be part of that victory. We have tasted it. We live in it. We rise to new life in it. And it’s in the victory that we look upon any mere earthly power and ask “would you presume to have power over us when we stand in the presence of the Risen King?” It’s in that victory that we have been released to real freedom.
And so it is that a Friday otherwise destined for darkness and misery can be seen through the light of the victory as Good. We call this Friday good because it was power’s last stand against the victory that Jesus would bring. For ever since then, all exercise of power or influence whether it be earthly, spiritual, or emotional has been weighed and judged against the victory of the cross.
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