comity

A Missional Church

2010-01-18T11:58:00.002-05:00

Milfred Minatrea in his book, Shaped by God’s Heart talks about churches who are not just “mission minded,” but are “missional.” These churches are much more than interested or even passionate about missions projects. Every member of the congregation of a missional church conceives of themselves as a missionary who is “determined to bring the transformational influence of Jesus Christ into their world every day.” Some of his descriptions of missional churches are listed below. I share these in the hope that they will compel you as they have me:

Missional Churches…

are specialists at extending invitation and create multiple entry points through which the spiritual inquirer can begin the journey toward faith
tirelessly equip their entire membership to live as authentic followers of Christ
seek to be real, not real religious.
understand faith as something that is not just held, but is to be lived.
believe that authentic worship invites participants, not spectators. Worship is not just learning about God, but it is encountering God. It is not just hearing about God, it is hearing God.
passionately and relentlessly seek to intersect with the lives of people who do not know the love of Christ and serve them.
fully expect to change the world!

One of our members recently sent me a message describing her vision that our church would help God’s people “find their fire and their passion for God” so that we will “want to explode out into the community, and the world for that matter, with our new found fire.” Now that’s a vision you can sign me up for!

My Brand of a(pseudo)theism

2009-05-14T14:19:00.000-04:00

I love to read and Amazon.com, I’m sure, loves me for it. Each time I go to their website, they have recommendations for me. Since I read a lot of religious and theological books, one of their recommendations caught my eye. It was a book that was written by a “former Christian” pastor, now atheist, on why he had given up his belief in God. Then I noticed that there was at least another former Christian pastor who had also made the same claim and written a book about it.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that there is something about what these persons have done that compels me. Like them, I’ve grown disenchanted with religion. I am really fatigued with the religious enterprise that much of my experience of the church has become. I’ve given up on believing in a god that either is good, but not powerful or is powerful, but not good or is neither powerful, nor good. I just can no longer follow a passionless, uninvolved, perpetually silent god who allegedly cared and interacted with human beings twenty centuries ago, but who seems an awful lot like an imaginary friend nowadays. In fact, I can’t even believe in that god anymore.

I am sick of a religious belief system that majors in shame and offers an anemic collection of “positive thinking,” temporary emotional “worship experiences,” and superficial churchy relationships as a remedy. I reject grace that aims at justifying, but not removing my sin and leaves me unchanged and powerless in the face of temptation.

I decided to share this development with God about my new disbelief. In the midst of this time of prayer, I came to discover that I think God agrees with me. In fact in 1st Timothy 3:5 we are warned about people who have a “form of religion” but who aren’t experiencing its power. I honestly believe that God’s Spirit is bearing witness with my own, that what I’ve been lacking is the genuine power of God that resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead, to resurrect me from my own death and sin!

These guys beat me to the book deal, so I guess I won’t get rich with the shock value of publishing my claim. I found myself praying for these former pastors, now atheists. I applaud their rejection of an idol god and an ineffective religious world view. I hope that they and others somehow become confronted, as I have, with the real God Who is neither silent nor uninvolved. I pray that the Pentecostal power of the genuine Holy Spirit of God falls upon them and us and produces in us a current and transforming relationship which forgives our sin and justifies and truly redeems us sinners!

I praise the living, passionate, interested, powerful, loving God for this development in me and I pledge my belief in Him and my commitment to live in relationship with Him made possible by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. Praise God!

Pastoral Priorities

2009-04-14T17:31:00.003-04:00

I borrowed much of this from a friend who shared this in his first newsletter after a new appointment as Senior Pastor of a local church. I think there is much wisdom here for pastors and churches.

1. Worship and preaching must be my first priority. I cannot sacrifice my time for planning and preparation for secondary demands that bid for my time. A worship service that is alive and eventful is central to all we do.

2. Leadership is my second priority, both in terms of being a leader and developing leaders. Understand that leaders are supposed to lead, not just facilitate, coordinate, or enable. I will accept the privilege, responsibility, and accountability of leadership.

3. Pastoral care is my third priority. Teaching, visitation, prayer, counseling, writing, telephoning, being present with you in your daily joys and sorrows—all this assures that ministry for me remains people-centered rather than activity-centered.

4. I am committed to moving forward. Churches have the tendency to develop a “maintenance” posture, dealing only with their problems rather than opportunities. I will not settle for the status quo. I will encourage you to pioneer new areas, to take creative leaps of faith, and not to be bound by the problems of the past.

5. I am committed to speaking the truth in love, without compromising one for another. I will not back off difficult issues. I will try to be clear about where I stand and what I believe. But I will seek to do everything in love and respect for you, and welcome your dialogue.

6. I will learn to use you in the ministry of this church. Delegation and leadership development have been hard for me to learn, yet I realize many pastors end up spinning wheels on matters they have no business or expertise in doing. My job is to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” and not try to do it all myself.

7. I will be a servant to your spiritual needs, but not a slave to your whims and prejudices. I am learning that I cannot be everything to everybody.

8. I value quality and quantity. I want us to do all things well, yet to be a faithful church, we must unapologetically always reach beyond ourselves. Growth is a key factor by which we must measure the effectiveness of our ministry.
I look forward to our ministry together. By God’s grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can accomplish much to His Glory in the coming years.

Reification

2009-01-18T20:40:00.002-05:00

Reification is a fancy philosophy concept that I don't completely understand, HOWEVER, part of the meaning has to do with how we take abstract ideas and make them concrete.

A simpler issue is when we take VERBS and turn them into NOUNS. For example, when we take character qualities and activities of God like LOVE, FAITH, GRACE, HOPE, and JOY and consider these something like commodities that we can trade in. What does it mean for us to have more or less faith? ...more or less love? ...more or less grace? Is that possible?

I suspect that if we love as God loves, there is no quantity to our love. It isn't a person, place, or thing that can be measured. It is a quality of God that either characterizes us or doesn't.

How might it change our prayer if we took a break from those words and prayed what they really represent? Prayer that asks that God help us to put God first and to care about others as much as we care about ourselves. Prayer that confesses our belief in God and asks that we might trust him ever-more. Prayer that expresses our gratefulness for God's unmerited favor for ourselves and asks that we might take on that kind of character to extend unmerited favor upon our sisters and brothers.

It isn't that any of these words aren't wonderful words or that they represent anything bad. It just might be that they become such easy labels that we slowly start to forget all that they are really supposed to mean. What does it really mean to LOVE, to be persons of FAITH, to transact PEACE, to be GRACEFUL in our relationships with God and others? Shouldn't these words really always be verbs?

Holiness of Heart and Life

2009-01-08T17:11:00.003-05:00

This is an excerpt from a paper that I am submitting in response to my reading of a book by Scott Jones entitled, John Wesley's Conception and Use of Scripture. I'm just curious if any of you who read my blog might have a reaction to my reaction to this book:

Holiness of Heart and Life

This is an area where I have often wished that my denomination (United Methodist) had more closely followed John Wesley’s teaching and example. I fear that much of our preaching, and much of our congregation’s expectations of preaching is based on grace that Dietrich Bonheoffer termed “cheap.” There seems to be little in the way of accountability for “going on to perfection” for the average lay person in membership of the UMC (or for post-ordained clergy for that matter).

I truly doubt that one could preach Christian perfection as presented in Wesley’s sermons and letters as illustrated by Jones (author of above book) without more than a little objection from laity and eventually even from ecclesial executives who love harmony perhaps even more than they love scriptural authenticity. This kind of preaching, in the context of much prayer and by the power of the Holy Spirit, is what I believe brought about the last Great Awakening. Our culture, and that of Great Britain’s as well, is I fear in just as dire a spiritual and cultural predicament as they were prior to that great revival.

Broken World -- Broken People

2009-01-03T10:00:00.007-05:00

If you decide to follow the attached website link (by clicking this blogpost title), please be prepared for some pretty sad pictures. The article is about the drinking culture of Great Britain, particularly as experienced over New Year's Eve night. As I viewed the pictures and read the captions, I began to experience a powerful wave of genuine sorrow for the people in them.

It appears to me that Satan must compete with his own personal best for just how much God-given dignity and value he can strip us of in exchange for as little benefit as possible. I wonder what these people anticipated when they set out for their evening? I doubt they anticipated being beaten bloody in a drunken brawl or passing out in a street in a pool of their own vomit.

These were the conditions of most of Europe in the mid-1700's just before the Great Awakening in which genuine Holy Spirit-empowered revival broke out throughout Europe and then America and literally saved their and our culture from self-destructing.

I was just thinking that if all this breaks my heart, how much it must break God's heart, Who created these people in His own image and likeness. I pray for another Great Awakening for all of our world.

What a mission field we live in!

Defeating a Critical Spirit

2009-01-01T10:06:00.005-05:00

When I was in college the dean of the school of business really pushed for our curriculum to require a class in critical thinking. She complained that young people don’t possess the ability to think critically.

In some ways she was right. We do need the skills to evaluate an argument or position before we agree with it or reject it. Not everything that we read is true just because it is in print, or because somebody famous said it. It is helpful to be able to evaluate what we encounter with a basic logical critique.

In many other ways, however, I believe that our culture is incredibly predisposed to critique everything. It seems as if: Nobody can rise to the level of hero nowadays without every fault being investigated and exposed. If anyone does anything that might appear truly altruistic, we immediately wonder what their real motivation might have been. I am amazed at how automatic the vilification of a candidate for public service is just by virtue of which party she or he chooses.

Maybe we could use those critical thinking skills a little better by choosing not to listen to allegations which are offered without a basis in provable fact (like at least 75% of the allegations I have heard about our new President-Elect). Maybe we could assume that people are people before they are republicans or democrats or liberal media or fundamentalist or right wing or whatever other label they wear. Maybe we could give people we don't agree with at least enough credit to assume that they love their families, their country, and God as much as we do.

I believe that there is truly room for critique and disagreement. I believe that we often need to contend with others for what we believe. I also believe that if we aren't careful, we exceed these values and descend into a truly (unconstructively) habitually critical perspective about everything and everyone. I have excused much of my own critique of others, particularly in the Church, as an expression of my passion to be an effective leader in an effective Church. While I have no intention of any apathy with regard to my love of God, my core values, my faith, or my ambition for the Church or myself; I do purpose to value others and to be more free with affirmation and more reserved with critique. I purpose to assume the best rather than the worst about those I disagree with, at least until when and if I'm proven wrong. I purpose to value collaboration at points of agreement over seeking to defeat those I disagree with. I want to live by the conviction that love truly does prevail!

Watch Night Thoughts

2008-12-30T19:40:00.001-05:00

This time of year provides a kind of vantage point for me to look back at the previous year and reconcile my actual behaviors and commitments to what I believe are my real values. I often use my calendar, my journal, and my checkbook register as tools to get a real picture of how I've lived out my values. As usual, this year, I've discovered several things that I am proud of and several things that I believe I really need to change (for example, do I really need to spend over $500 per year on cups of coffee???).

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, borrowed a tradition from the Moravians of a "Watch Night" service. They did this several times throughout the year initially, but particularly on New Year's Eve night. Judging from what I've read, this service wasn't necessarily a celebration for ringing in the new year, but was instead a somber time of taking real inventory about one's values, relationships, and spiritual maturity.

I've been thinking of some of the things that God may be calling upon me to add in, to give up, to keep, or to change as I move into 2009. I'd love to hear from you in the "comments" about what God may be saying to you along these lines.

I am particularly inspired by a prayer that John Wesley modified from the Pietists:

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

What Should We Spend Our Time Doing?

2008-12-20T08:54:00.002-05:00

I have a friend who seems to worry constantly about what the UM church is going to do with regards to the homosexual agenda. I know others who are very concerned about a “fairness doctrine” as it relates to talk radio programming. Another is very concerned about immigration enforcement. Still others are concerned about whether we should be able to pray in schools or post The Ten Commandments in public places and about those who wish to post atheistic statements alongside Christmas decorations. There are many who are very concerned about holiday greetings versus Christmas greetings.

As a Christian leader, there seem to be so many things that vie for my time, energies, and general leadership capital. There are sermons to prepare and preach, Bible studies to prepare and share, staff to lead, finances to manage, etc. There is the Discipleship plan for our ministries to be considered and implemented. There are connectional leadership opportunities. I sit on the Board of Directors of a wonderful senior living community. There are continuing educational pursuits, the investment back into the lives of those who are still in the academy preparing for pastoral ministry. We are working on a capital campaign and a building program.

Then there are social issues of justice such as: advocacy relating to capital punishment, the aching needs of immigrant communities all around us, runaway drug addiction, domestic abuse, teenage pregnancies, etc.

Sometimes I feel that there either are, or should be, a kind of prioritization of opportunities and issues for me to concentrate on so that I don’t become “a mile wide and an inch deep.” At other times, I wonder if by being a pastor, I simply cannot remain silent on particular issues regardless of how demanding my other ministry responsibilities may be.

I wonder a lot about what issues are truly the ministry responsibilities of Christians in general and of Church leaders specifically. What can we simply not ignore without being negligent? Thoughts?

Food for Hungry People

2008-12-19T16:13:00.001-05:00

Today about a dozen members of our church, ranging from age 20 to age 81, got together and spent over $4000 of money donated in special offerings from this December on groceries. A local grocery store kicked in a discount also. We loaded all this food on or in personal cars, trucks, and a trailer and transported it to our building where we separated it into 130 bags to be given to senior citizens and hungry families in Mercer County. We are coordinating with a local food pantry to identify those who need the food the most.

Left brained people did left brained things like counting, quality checking, and organizing. Right brained people did right brained things like sing songs, cheer-lead, and encourage. There were very few arguments and generally great attitudes (morning caffeine helped). It took about 5 hours and we're all ready to distribute tomorrow morning.

I love the Body of Christ at work!

Complementary versus Critical

2008-12-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

It is interesting to me that there seems to be a great deal of credibility being placed upon the perspectives of people who are "young" and can speak for "emerging generations" or who can critique the efforts of the established church over against the prevailing culture's expectations. It also seems that many of these people are hypercritical of anything they perceive as being "old paradigm." The critical hyperbole often seems to drip with condescension.

I hear and read their critiques of everything from the forward they read in a book by an older church leader who seems out of touch with today's culture, to church signs they feel are misguided, to the way that an older person witnesses which seems presumptuous to them. I hear critiques about liturgy, about 18th century music, about blue-haired old ladies, about how churches measure success by numbers, about whether a leader is techie enough, etc. It never ends.

My perspective is a little different. I see "young" christians, "emergent" churches, old saints, contemporary worship, liturgical worship, inside the walls nurture, outside the walls missions, churchy language, plain english language, King James, Today's English Version, suits, jeans, casual, formal, etc. as representations of the incredibly beautiful and diverse Body that Jesus Christ is the Head of. We are as different as fingers are from ears or eyes are from noses -- different not better -- different not worse -- different not always right or wrong.

I believe that the efforts and the styles and the perspectives of all these people are very often inspired and commissioned by the same Holy Spirit. I believe that these very different people and these very different perspectives are necessary and even complementary in the work of the Kingdom to which we are all called. Sure we can learn from each other. Sure we can challenge one another to expand our vision. But I get really tired of the apparent presuposition that "they" have to be wrong in other for "us" to be right. Why can't we challenge one another in a complementary way, rather than in a constantly critical way?

Transformation

2008-12-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

The Church is often stereotyped by many who don't have any relationship with Church as being judgmental and self-righteous. I think in our efforts to reach out to people who have this perspective, those of us inside the church have really majored in a kind of seeker-sensitive grace. We present the unconditional love of God. We proclaim the truth that God is full of grace to meet anyone exactly where we are.

This is grace. It is a characteristic of God. God does wish that no person perish. However, God isn't just interested in resolving our feelings of guilt so that we can go on living in self-destructive and relationship-damaging ways.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer claimed that grace that simply deals with sin alone is cheap. He contrasts this with "costly grace" that deals with not only our sins, but that is transformative of the sinner as well.

I'm not sure that we proclaim and teach that kind of surrendered position before a holy and redemptive God very well.

I'm working on a teaching series that might begin with the encounter between a rich young ruler and Jesus where the young man asks, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?". Jesus' answer is ultimately to require that he divest himself of everything in which he trusts and follow Jesus. That demand proves too much for him and he leaves in sorrow.

I'm wondering how you might organize a teaching/preaching series on "the marks of the Christian life" or holiness, Christian discipleship, "fitness for heaven" etc.? Thoughts? Ideas?

There has been Born for You a Savior

2008-12-01T14:08:00.000-05:00

The King had issued a decree … it was time to count his subjects and assess their taxes. This was before computers and the internet, before automobiles, television, pollsters, and even a postal service. In order to comply with the decree, every family had to go to their hometown and be counted and pay taxes.

Oh, imagine the incredible flurry of activity this caused. People from all over the known world were making and executing travel plans. The livery stables, motels, cafés, and street vendors were hustling for all they were worth. The streets and highways were jammed with travelers. Government bureaucrats were setting policy and lawyers were debating decisions and feverishly preparing their cases to be heard by the judges of the land.

The air was filled with the sounds of money being counted and change being made, of arguing and boasting, selling and buying, entertaining, begging, threatening, laughing, crying and all the other hubbub. Amidst all of the fray, a young couple picked their way through the crowded streets of one such village, hunting for a place to spend the night. Their search made urgent by the fact the she was about to have a baby. Their search made desperate because the inns were all filled to capacity.

By now, if you are at all familiar with the story, you know that this is a portion of what we often call “The Christmas Story.” We know the village as Bethlehem and the man and woman as Joseph and Mary. Now these names have become literal icons of religious faith, but not then. Then it was just an obscure village and a humble carpenter and his betrothed wife.

The greatest gift ever was about to be born into this world through a peasant virgin girl. Emmanuel, that is “God with us” born in a livery stable and laid to sleep His first night in a feed trough. Yes the announcement was trumpeted and proclaimed by the angels, but not to the King or any other “important people,” just to a bunch of shepherds tending their sheep outside of town. His location was heralded by a great star in the sky, but only noticed by a few astronomers in a foreign country.

You know, it’s not so amazing to me that so many people that night were oblivious to the importance of what was going on in their midst. They were busy with their own important affairs. They had lodging to find, food to prepare, taxes to pay, among all of their other responsibilities. Surely any of them would have done everything in their power to make welcome and comfortable, the very Son of the Living God; had they known that He was to be born right in their midst that night.

Similarly, we have the demands of bills and taxes, business and travel, politics and foreign affairs, school, etc. Thanksgiving comes and we’ve got to get the place ready for guests and prepare that wonderful meal. Christmas comes and we prepare to travel home for the holidays. We’ve got gifts to purchase and cards to pick out and send. There are parties to host or attend, decorations to put up, and those aggravating lights to untangle once again. Our streets are crowded and the air is filled with the sounds of holiday shoppers, busy shopkeepers, honking horns, bells ringing, carol music playing and all of the other hubbub.

Could it be, in spite of the Bible and the Church and a whole special holiday just for celebrating His birth, that all of our busyness eclipses the true Gift we celebrate. I love Santa Claus and Christmas dinner and fellowship with my family as much as anybody; but none of that should ever be allowed to obscure our celebration and witness of the fact that God loved you and me so much that He chose to reconcile us to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ!

I challenge you to do something this holiday season to honor the Christ that Christmas is all about. Make time for a Christmas service at church, read the Christmas story to a child, pick out cards that share more than just “Seasons Greetings,” but a message about Christ, bake a cake and celebrate Jesus’ Birthday…there are innumerable ways that we can celebrate God’s greatest Gift! Above all, allow Him to be born into your life this Christmas.

~Ken

Keeping Sabbath

2008-11-20T17:11:00.001-05:00

One of the values of my faith that I believe is so important is keeping Sabbath. It is so important in fact, that it is one of the “Ten Commandments.”

Sabbath is presented throughout the Bible as principally being about true rest. When we choose to rest each week we demonstrate our respect for our Creator who commanded that we do so. We are reminded that we are not valuable simply because of what we produce in our work and that this applies to others as well. Rest is not a human weakness, necessitated by our work, but rest is a characteristic of God just as work is. Rest has great value!

Whenever I want to “take stock” of my financial values, I often take a look at my check register. This often serves as an indisputable record of my real financial commitments. I believe that our schedules are another of those valuable records that could help us take stock of our values. Does your schedule reflect Sabbath time for God, for yourself, and for those around you?

I am hoping that some of the following questions might help us reflect and evaluate about the important value of keeping Sabbath: Can you give yourself and others permission to truly rest? Is it possible that we can schedule even our recreation endeavors so tightly that they become work rather than restful? How important is worship as part of your weekly Sabbath? What does your schedule communicate to children (your own or others around you)?

Hebrews 10:24 admonishes us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” It is my hope that as we encourage one another to examine this important value of Sabbath, that it will serve to spur us on toward the love of God and of others.

Great Perspective from Jim Heidinger @ Good News

2008-11-18T07:34:00.000-05:00

"Greetings to you in the strong name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior.

With all that is going on in our nation, it is surely no understatement to say that we are living in uncertain times. The temptation in days like these is to allow fear and worry to overwhelm the hearts and minds of God’s most faithful people.

In the midst of it all I am reminded of King David’s good word, “Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil” (Psalm 37:8). I do not cite this verse glibly. As the leader of a faith-based, non-profit ministry, I am more than sensitive to the anxiety and difficulties families are feeling in this pinched economy.

With God’s help, it is my prayer that we resist fear and worry. Let us persevere even when the days are difficult. Paul told Timothy that “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7)"

http://goodnewsmag.org/

My Own Recipe - Good Eatin'!

2008-11-10T19:14:00.000-05:00

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients:

2 – 1 lb packages of Andouille or Kielbasa sausage

1 whole boiled chicken – deboned or 1-2 lbs of boiled chicken breasts (I prefer dark meat)

(you can add boiled shrimp if you wish, I like lots!)

1 or 2 bell peppers (green is fine, red adds color), chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped (don’t use too much of the green, it gets bitter)

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh garlic

2 -3 cups chopped celery

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (absolutely essential ingredient, can be found at Liquor Barn)

Gumbo Roux – 6 T’s if powdered (I buy powdered roux also made by Tony’ Chachere at Liquor Barn, but you can make your own roux with the recipe at the bottom)

1. Cut up all meat in bite sized pieces. I bring the sausage to a boil to melt off some fat, then drain and add a few shakes of Tony’s seasoning and put the lid back on and let that sit.

2. Wash and chop all vegetables.

3. Bring 2 – 3 quarts of water to a boil and stir in roux. Then reduce to a simmer.

4. Sautee vegetables in oil and butter, starting with garlic, then onions, then celery and bell peppers. Not too long so that they are still a bit crunchy.

5. Return roux and water to a boil, stir in sautéed vegetables and meat.

6. Gumbo is now ready to ladle over rice and enjoy with some seasoning added to taste!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roux is pretty simple, but has to be constantly attended to!

2 cups oil and 2 cups flower mixed in a pot with a thick bottom.

1. Stir constantly over low to medium heat until roux turns the color of hot chocolate. This takes a long time. Use a long wooden spoon to keep from burning your knuckles.

2. Mixture may occasionally become frothy, too much froth is a sign you have it too hot and are in danger of scorching.

3. When the roux is ready, you must SLOWLY mix it into BOILING water, stirring like crazy. Look out, water and hot oil don’t mix well. The roux should be slightly cooler than the boiling water when you mix it in.

This is why I use powdered roux. Much simpler.