Hungry Enough?

Hunger from Nuru International on Vimeo.

Insights from "The Monkey and the Fish"

Just finished reading The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church by Dave Gibbons. This book really challenged me and it also reinforced some things that I already have been exposed to. Here are some excerpts:

"I believe that today God is calling us in the church to become a different kind of movement, known for our kisses of compassion rather than our condemnations."

"I think we {the church} are preoccupied with big."

"We cannot be fully human alone."

"...questions should lead us. Questions, not answers."

"'You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into the bottle, it become the bottle. You put it into a teapot and it becomes the teapot. The water can flow. The water can crash. Be water my friend' [Bruce Lee]"

"While an answer may fork in a specific situation, questions can guide us to the answers is all kinds of situations."

"Where is the other side of the tracks in your cit or region? In other words, who are the marginalized or the outsiders near you, people whom you feel pain for?"

"What will draw most of the world to Christ is not simply a prosperity gospel but a gospel that takes a real look at the beauty and the bane of suffering."

"Any worthy endeavor is constrained by our worst fears."

"Our {the church's} party should be the best.

"...create unity among diversity."

"We need to learn to walk in the blur and in the intersections of cultures, to bust the walls that separate us from a world of colliding cultures and generations, and the shifting of roles, responsibilities, and influence."

"All of the prejudices we've set up among cultures, among peoples of color, among backgrounds is so alien to the mind of Christ that it is the deepest kind of evil that I know. {Brennan Manning}"

Lessons from a Rant...

As promised, here is the rest of my rant (you can read the first post here):

I believe there are a lot of things we (churches) can learn from businesses--both from their successes and, in this case, their screw-ups. Here are some points I learned from this whole experience:

1) Make sure you have enough room for people. It can be intimidating and frustrating to enter an unfamiliar place and feel like you are in the way. I've been in churches where I always felt like I was in someone's way. Make sure that you have plenty of space for people to mingle and for relationships to be forged.

2) Perception is reality. The reality of both of the restaurants I attended was that they were successful. The Taco Bell had several plaques awarding their accomplishments over the past consecutive years. However, my experience outweighed any good that they were doing. My thoughts and emotions are what formed my opinion, not how successful the restaurant may have been. We have to remember that no matter how successful we may consider ourselves, no matter how many great pastors we've had, or how much we've given to missions...people are going to form an opinion based on what they experience--whether that is just a perception or actual reality.

3) Make sure you let people know that you want them there. Don't be phony or plasticky, but do what you can to let people know that you care about them and want them to be in your church. Make sure the carpet and bathrooms are clean. Leave out some peppermints for people to grab. Have greeters and ushers and parking attendants to show people where to go. And most importantly, teach your people to be friendly and loving and full of grace to EVERYONE who enters your church.

Drive-By Evangelism

This post was inspired by--of all things--a lightbulb. This morning as I searched for a lightbulb to replace the blown one in the children's pastor's office, I found hundred of old bulbs in storage. These bulbs were special though; they were part of an old "evangelism" effort.

I know this for two reasons:

#1) They had a little poem attached to them with the church's service times and phone no.

AND

#2) Because, when I was in High School, we did the exact, same evangelism idea.

I very vividly remember the outreach. The Assemblies of God declared a nationwide Outreach month (or day) and sent a letter of potential outreach ideas. The one my church partook in was giving people lightbulbs and inviting them to church. Being the naive and energized teenager I was, I thought it was a great idea and risked life and limb (I was surrounded by three rottweilers at one man's house, who didn't seem to happy for me to be near their owner). We even had a little catch-phrase: "Just like these bulbs give light, so Jesus is the Light of the world. We hope to see you Sunday." Then we'd get back in the car and go to the next victim.

Now, having gained a little more perspective, I realize how horrid an idea this was. It's like evangelism drive-by. You stop by someone's house, whom you've never met, throw a lightbulb in his/her hands, say a witty (or not-so-witty) poem or invite, hop back in the car and take off. Exchange the bulbs for guns and what do you have...? A drive-by.

The thing is, drive-by evangelism rarely works. More times than not, a person whom you have no relationship with will not respond to your frail attempts to "save" them.

The reality is that evangelism is best served in the context of relationships. Now that doesn't mean you can't share the Gospel with people unless they're one of your closest friends, but it does mean that people don't want to be handled--they want to be loved. Evangelism drive-by makes people think that all you want is to bolster your attendance numbers and raise the offering. But, when you develop a genuine relationship--even a small one--in which the person knows that you care for them, you now have fertile ground in which to plant seeds of the Gospel.

Easter Egg Hunts, Fall Festivals, even door-to-door invites cannot replace people sharing the work that God has done/is doing in their lives, with the people they have relationship with (not that those things are bad, just less effective). If the church is to grow, it will grow through the relationships we have with other people.

Let your light shine!

When People Let You Down

In light of the new controversy surrounding Miss California (click here for article), I wanted to get on my soapbox for a minute.

First off, shame on me for being quick to jump the gun. When I first saw that she had "nude" pics, I was angry. Angry, not because she failed or sinned, but because I was now going to once again be labeled a hypocrite because a "Christian" had a double life. But, now the info I'm reading is saying that these were less severe (but still wrong) pics that she took way back when (maybe she wasn't saved then, who knows?).

Second, this just goes to show that you cannot put your trust in men (or women). Time after time we--especially those of the Christian community--build people up into superheroes. We put expectations and labels on them that they could NEVER live up to. And when they fail, we get ticked off and angry because they made us look bad.

It's not like God didn't give us a heads-up on this. Psalm 146.3-4 says, "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing." And yet we do it every time. Think of all the men and women who have failed, especially people who were considered the "face of the Church" [which is a-whole-nother blog post]. Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard. The list could go on and on, but the story is ultimately the same. Person comes along to do good, people make them a god (despite the warning from Psalms), they crack under pressure and do something really, really dumb, people get ticked and begin looking for the next hero.

So the lesson of all this is simple: Don't build people up to be more than they are. In one way or another they will let you down (hey they're just human too!). There is only one God in whom we can have full confidence that He will never fail us. We need to make sure that our trust and hope is in Him.

Mind Boggling

So I found this website that contains an item called the World Clock. It's a pretty interesting tool. It shows you stats (including births and deaths and total population) from across the globe. It can be broken down into different categories like Year, Month, Week, etc. It's also a sobering reminder of our mission. In the time it took my to type up this post 133 people were born but 51 died.

Check it out:

http://peterrussell.dreamhosters.com/Odds/WorldClock.php

Serving a Creative God

I believe that most people forget that we serve a creative God. The Bible narrative begins with a poem about Creation. "In the beginning God created." Now let's just stop here for a minute. Just think about some of the beauty you see around you. Try to push through the images of concrete and steel and remember the drive past the pond, or the squirrel running up the tree. Think of all the beauty around you. If you are sitting near a window, peak out and see all that's beautiful around you.

If you've ever seen the documentary Planet Earth or seen something like it, then you know how much beauty there is in our world. GOD CREATED IT ALL!

What makes this feat even more amazing is that He did it all with NOTHING! We can create beautiful things--if we're given the right tools. But to create something out of literally nothing--no supplies, no preexisting context or frame of reference...?!?! Simply amazing. God is so creative that He looked out over nothing and from within Himself He brought out all that we see. WOW!

Creativity in the Church

I grew up in a church that was, for lack of a better term, old-school. The church I went to in high school was old-school (the youth service was very relevant and so you can imagine the problems that emerged between the two philosophies). The good thing about growing up in churches like this is that it gives you a deep theological background. The bad thing is that you don't get to see creativity exhibited.

As crazy as it may be, there actually is a debate about creativity in the church (though not a verbal one, unless you are Stephen L. Anderson). In a lot of "old-school" churches there isn't a lot of room for creative expressions. Most churches in the US don't have a band--and most of them probably believe that it is wrong to do so. Musical talent is ignored because it seems to "worldly" (I will make an exception for Church of Christ. Through I disagree with them, they have a theological reasoning for their belief in "no-instruments" praise. I can respect that and agree to disagree).

Now that I'm a part of a church that provides an environment for progressive, creative thinking, it's really showed me how important creativity is to our faith. For the next couple of days, I want to share with you some of the things I've learned about creativity and its relation to our faith.

Tomorrow: "Serving a Creative God"

The WAY of Christ pt. 2

John 14:6:Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

The Greek word for "way" in Jesus' statement is hodos. It can be translated a couple of different ways (two of which we'll look at next time), but one of them is a travellers way, journey, traveling. In his own words, Christ is painting a picture for us of what it means to be "Christian." It's the picture of a man traveling to a distant land. It the image of a woman, with her backpack on her pack, climbing through a mountain range. Christianity is not a static existence. It really isn't a noun. It's a verb. It's something we do and something we are. To be Christian means that you are a traveler on your way to become more like Christ--to go where the Holy Spirit leads and to do the work of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Pt.3 -- The WAY and Our Minds

The WAY of Christ pt.1

For the next couple of posts I want to share a little of what God has been teaching me through various avenues here lately. Modern Christianity seems to have become more focused on events or what I like to call "one shot deals" (ex. altar/salvation call, "getting saved,"). Though there is some validity to these claims (most people can mark the moment when the actually began following Jesus), it fails to capture all that our faith encompasses.

Being a Christian is not about signing a card or reaching different goal levels (salvation, baptism, being filled with the Spirit, making it to heaven); rather, it is a way we live life. Instead of being ends, things like baptism and being filled with the Spirit are simply markers on our spiritual journey the reaffirm the work that God is doing in our lives as we follow His way.

More next Monday!

Babies Don't Quit

"...I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  

Matthew 18.3

I don't know if you are like me, but, there are somethings that Jesus says that don't make a whole lot of sense to me.  Sometimes it would seem like--as a preacher--he would lose His mind.  He has everyone going, and the crowds are drawn in and then *BAM* He hits them up with a line like "unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you cannot be my disciple." [John 6.53 paraphrased]  And the thing that always gets me is that last line, "you cannot me my disciple."  Almost every outlandish thing Jesus says is followed with that phrase.

I grew up with the general teaching that the living under the New Covenant was easier than the Old.  I disagree with that.  Yes, the Old had more technical things, but for the most part, they were doable (just mundane).  However, in the New, we're asked to do things that are basically impossible on our own.  Here are a few examples:

You have heard that it was said...'do not murder'...(Old), But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother is subject to judgement (New).

You have heard that it was said, "Do not commit adultery.' (Old) But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery...(New)

The verse at the top falls into this category in my mind.  How in the world are we supposed to become young again (unless of course you are Benjamin Button)?  Why would we want to become like a child, AGAIN?

I think God answered that question (or at least part of it) for me the other night.  On our way home from the Regional Tournament, the coach's daughter began walking up and down the bus (she's a little over 1 I think).  She's still grasping the concept of walking, so she often fell.  But when she did, she never cried, she didn't just lay there for ever.  She'd always get back up.  And then it hit me, "babies don't quit."  They fall all the stinkin' time, the hit their heads on stuff, and they struggle at doing almost everything that we do without thinking.  But they never quit.  I think that's why Jesus used the illustration of becoming like a child to follow Him:  because babies don't quit!

Everything is Meaningless

The last 24 hours have really re-emphasized for me and for many around Vincent just how short life can be.  Thankfully Tab, Sarah, and Kara are all going to be fine and were mostly just banged up real bad...but we so often get caught up in trivial matters:

*What clothes we're going to wear

*The test coming up in class

*What we're going to eat for dinner

*What we're going to do this weekend

My mind was turned to this Scripture in Ecclesiastes:

Meaningless!  Meaningless! says the Teacher.  Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.

--[Ecclesiastes 1.2]

During times like these, we're are presented with what really matters in our lives:

1. God
2. Family
3. Friends
4. Life
5. Happiness
6. Health
7. A Beautiful Day (this one brought up compliments of Tab)

Thank you Lord for keeping the girls safe.  Let our hearts return to you and let us enjoy all that is good in the world.  Amen.

Stolen Post...285 Years Ago

Mark Batterson posted this today, and I wanted to repost for all to see:

On January 12, 1723, Jonathan Edwards made a solemn dedication of Himself to God. It was one of the defining moments of His life. And I'll share the written vow in a moment.

Few people have left the kind of legacy that Jonathan Edwards did. He is famous for his sermons, including Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, that helped spark the Great Awakening. He graduated from Yale at 13 as valedictorian. After graduating, he is said to have studied thirteen hours a day. He also served as President ofPrinceton. 

But the thing I find most impressive is that he spent one hour every evening with his eleven children. He prioritized his family and the results speak for themselves. Of his known descendants, more than300 have become ministers or missionaries; 120 became university professors; over 100 became lawyers; 60 became prominentauthors; there are 30 judges, 14 college presidents, 3 members of congress, and 1 vice-president.

How would you like to leave that kind of legacy?

Back to January 12, 1723. Edwards gave himself to God with these words:

I made a solemn dedication of myself to God, and wrote it down; giving up myself, and all that I had to God; to be for the future, in no respect, my own; to act as one that had no right to himself, in any respect. And solemnly vowed, to take God for my whole portion and felicity; looking on nothing else, as any part of my happiness, nor acting as if it were; and his law for the constant rule of my obedience.

Quote of the Day

"Sin is not letting God be God"

(I can't remember where I heard this, but it's too good not to post)

Hurricanes in December

I would like to start off stating the obvious: Hurricanes don't occur in December.  And though a meteorological hurricane may be far from present, a "life hurricane" is not.  Last week was--in a word--crazy for me.  Things started off slow.  I had a hard time focusing--especially at the church, I lacked energy, and nothing was going on.  It was setting up to be quite a pedestrian week.  

Then Wednesday came.  I'm not entirely sure that I've ever had a day like Wednesday.  The closest I could compare Wednesday to would be an experience I had in 3rd Grade:  Hurricane Opal.  I lived in Southeast Alabama then, so we lived relatively close to the Gulf.  Hurricane Opal came through and wreaked havoc on our area.  We were without power for a day or two, there were trees down (my granddad lost his barn/shed).  It was chaotic.  Wednesday was kind of like that.  For whatever reason, I felt depressed (I guess that's the right word) when I woke up.  Then the day continued to get worse as several "flare-ups" occurred.  Then there was a mediocre worship service, which got slightly better because I actually didn't feel like the teaching went that bad, then slightly worse because people didn't respond to the altar call.

So I went home and my wife and I unpacked the day's happenings and were about to head to bed, when one of us got the wacky idea to check if Amanda was pregnant.  Three minutes later we went from extremely low to the top of the world...we are pregnant!  

So the rest of the week was spent telling family and friends about our exciting news.  So this week has definitely been like a hurricane.  Turns out the hurricanes in December aren't that bad :)  

The Greatest Life Group EVER!!!

Attention all 20 and 30-somethings at VRC:  the greatest Life Group EVER is coming this February.  By popular demand Shawn and Amy Martin will again be hosting the Life Group for 20-30-somethings.  If you've never been, you do not want to miss out.  We'll meet together every other week--once at their home and once at a restaurant.  It's going to be awesome.

Generation We

Here's a look at MY generation:
Generation WE: The Movement Begins... from Generation We on Vimeo.

The best (?) and WORST of the Presidential Race

Well, the day we've all been waiting on is here.  I must so I couldn't be more relieved that this election is over.  I hate campaign season.  It's divisive and usually ends with people (particularly Christians) making themselves look real shallow, dumb, and hateful.  In celebration of this day, I want to take some time to look at the best and WORST of this election year in regards to the church.

The best:  I got to vote.  This is my first time voting in a presidential election (well any real election--I just registered a month ago!).  I must say, that despite my cynicism, I really enjoyed getting to go to Vincent Town Hall and casting my ballot.  And yes, though my vote--especially for President--doesn't really count (thanks Electoral College), I still had a great sense of pride and responsibility.  I am truly thankful that God has placed me in a country where freedom reigns (mostly).  I believe that God wants to use our country and our vast freedom and resources to reach the world, within and without.

With that being said, I believe that we as Christians missed a great opportunity to set an example of Christ before our own nation.  Citizens of the United States, I apologize for the actions of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I have been very disappointed with the muckraking, bickering, and overall lack of love in this election.  The group that is supposed to bring peace and unity is the main reason for so much division in our country.  It really is no wonder at all that people don't want to be a part of our faith.  If you were always told how horrible, stupid, classless, cold-hearted, misguided, lost, depraved, rejected, anti-everything, etc., you'd probably feel the same way.  I don't think there is anything wrong with Christians voting the way their conscience leads them--that's fine.  But don't abuse someone who sees things differently than you.  God put us in a position to shine His light and tell His story and WE BLEW IT!!!  America we're sorry.

  I really hope that no matter who wins today, that Christians will take the lead in restoring unity within our country and with our fellow humanity around the globe.  Our leaders need our prayers, no matter what political agenda they have.  Remember, God is our Hope and Saviour, not a politician (or any other man/woman for that matter).  This nation is starving for a real relationship with God and they need us to share that with them.  We can't do that if we draw party lines and aren't willing to cross it to reach people on the other side.

God bless America (and the whole world too)!