I have not blogged for a long time. There are multiple reasons for this as the last many months have been full of events, full of life, and low on extra time. I hope that anyone who ever looked here took the time to visit www.mayawinnifred.com to keep up with my wonderful niece.
I still miss her.
It's been a couple months since she passed, and I still catch myself wondering when I will be able to go over to my brother's and hold her again. Instead, I'm left to wait for a time when I will meet the speaking, walking, creating, perfect Maya at the end of my life. That will be a good day.
Maya to me represents hope. One may wonder how a baby dependent on extra oxygen and a feeding tube, struggling to develop, represents hope. If you met her you would understand. Those of you who know me, know that the Bible is where I turn to better understand this crazy world. I read this the other day ...
"And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame"
Maya and her parents had suffering, they persevered, they built character, and it resulted in enormous hope. They were not ashamed. They loved. And they taught me more about hope than almost anything I have ever experienced. They took a situation that could be accurately described as hellish and turned it into a little bit of heaven on earth. Turning hell into heaven is the hope of the glory of God - and they gave us all a peek.
Thank you Maya. Thank you JJ and Erin. These words are inadequate - I know. Love you guys.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Maya update - 12/16/10
Here is a quick update from Michelle -
After several scary incidents Tuesday night, Maya is still with us. The hospice nurse feels that it may be too strenuous for her to suck so she replaced Maya’s feeding tube. The nurses told J.J. and Erin that it could be a week to a month that she will still be with us. The really scary part is that she will continue to have episodes where she stops breathing but then starts again. They even said this could happen for as much as 15 minutes. I haven’t seen this myself yet, but I can imagine how completely awful it would be to see your baby stop breathing and turn blue. I know that everyone’s emotions are completely spent. We all said our goodbyes yesterday, and are happy she is still here, but scared about how to function knowing that one of the times she won’t come back. Please continue to pray that God would give J.J. and Erin the strength and comfort they need to care for Maya and also that they would know how to care for themselves. Pray that they would be able to rely on God and each other. I can’t imagine anything more emotionally and physically straining than what they are experiencing right now.
Thank you,
Michelle
After several scary incidents Tuesday night, Maya is still with us. The hospice nurse feels that it may be too strenuous for her to suck so she replaced Maya’s feeding tube. The nurses told J.J. and Erin that it could be a week to a month that she will still be with us. The really scary part is that she will continue to have episodes where she stops breathing but then starts again. They even said this could happen for as much as 15 minutes. I haven’t seen this myself yet, but I can imagine how completely awful it would be to see your baby stop breathing and turn blue. I know that everyone’s emotions are completely spent. We all said our goodbyes yesterday, and are happy she is still here, but scared about how to function knowing that one of the times she won’t come back. Please continue to pray that God would give J.J. and Erin the strength and comfort they need to care for Maya and also that they would know how to care for themselves. Pray that they would be able to rely on God and each other. I can’t imagine anything more emotionally and physically straining than what they are experiencing right now.
Thank you,
Michelle
Friday, December 10, 2010
Maya is home
(An update from Michelle)
Hello friends,
I'm sorry to keep you out of the loop for so long. The last few days have been such a whirlwind I haven't had time to think enough to be able to relay what is going on. Yesterday evening J.J. and Erin took Maya home. It was a very scary time for them and we are praying that God would give them peace and a feeling of knowing exactly how to care for Maya. The doctors really have no idea how long Maya's fragile heart will be able to keep her alive. All babies have a valve that remains open on their heart until about a week after they are born. When that valve closes Maya's heart will have to work much harder, and we do not know if it is going to be strong enough to sustain her. She is eating well and able to keep her temperature up, and K.C. and I have been able to hold her. Our kids haven't had that chance yet so we are taking them over to her house today in hopes that they can hold her and love on her. They have been pretty afraid of touching her because she is so small and fragile.
It is extremely difficult for all of us to understand how it is possible that such a beautiful and perfect little baby has absolutely no ability to survive. We are still trying to grasp the exact nature of her condition. We found out yesterday that additional genetic tests revealed that she has full (not partial) Trisomy 18. It is a miracle that she made it full term and is doing as well as she is given that fact. It is very, very rare for a full Trisomy 18 baby to survive to term.
Please continue to lift up J.J. and Erin's entire family in your prayers. Everyone is completely exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. We will be taking shifts over the next week so that someone will be there with J.J. and Erin at all times. Thankfully we have a very large family with most everyone in town, so it shouldn't be too hard to accomplish that. A hospice nurse will be checking in on them each day.
Pray that Maya's heart will be able to keep her little body alive at least through Christmas. Of course feel free to pray for much more than that. Every moment we have with her is a blessing. Pray that J.J. and Erin would be able to experience the joy of their little girl even through all the sorrow. Please also pray that God would give K.C. and I the strength we need to care for our children and J.J. and Erin even through our own sorrow. It is difficult when we have to be apart so much in order to care for J.J. and Erin.
Blessings to you all,
K.C. and Michelle
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Maya was born this morning shortly after 7:00am. Mother and baby are doing well. She is requiring oxygen, but is in her mother’s arms to stay warm. We do not have very much information yet. It will be this afternoon or evening before the test results come back. Right now we are all just enjoying taking pictures with her and loving on J.J. and Erin. Please continue to keep everyone in your prayers. There is still a lot of uncertainty.
The good news is that although Maya’s heart does have some problems, the cardiologist said that all but one should heal on its own and that the other one just requires medication. As long as the tests come back negative for Trisomy they will be able to give her the medication.
In a few hours we should know if we can rule out two of the most common types of Trisomy. Unfortunately they do not have test for all types, but anything that comes back showing that she doesn’t have a chromosomal defect is great news. Please pray that the tests come back negative!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Please pray for baby Maya
Dear Friends ,
Our family needs your prayers in a big way for our niece Maya Allen. She will be born by C-Section on Tuesday morning. A few days ago our sister in law Erin went in for a sonogram and the sonogram showed there were some problems in several of the baby’s vital organs. All the problems by themselves were considered treatable, but in combination they indicated a chromosomal defect called Trisomy. In all cases this condition is fatal. There is no way to find out if Maya has this condition until she is born. Please pray that she does not have Trisomy.
Of course you understand how devastated we are. We are trusting God for his miraculous healing for little Maya. Please join us in this prayer. Please lift up J.J. and Erin and our entire family this week. It is a very scary time of waiting until Tuesday to find out exactly what is happening with Maya.
Thank you so much,
K.C. and Michelle
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"Make Disciples" --Jesus
Just before heading up to heaven, Jesus gave his followers a clear command. He said "Go and make disciples of all nations ...". In this concluding remark, he tells us clearly what we should be doing.
It seems simple. So why is it consuming my thoughts of late? Here's my problem, honestly, I'm not sure that I know how to do it! In fact, it seems like there are very few people around me who know how to do it. I suspect that if I asked many of my Christian friends, maybe even my pastor friends, how to make disciples, they would struggle with the answer.
I've been involved with the church my entire life. I even lived overseas for two years with the singular purpose of sharing Jesus. How is it that after all this time I'm still struggling with how to make disciples? It's not like my involvement with church has been a waste. I've learned many wonderful things, and in the process fallen in love with a God and Saviour. However, through all of it, I don't think I've learned how to make disciples.
AND THIS IS THE MAIN THING JESUS TELLS ME TO DO!
If you know me, you know I can't let things like this rest. I continue to think, ponder, read, and research until I come up with something that makes sense to me. Well, that's what I've been doing of late. Here's the premise I'm starting with: I don't think Jesus would tell us to do something and not show us how to do it. If that's the case, then instructions on how to make disciples must be in the Bible. More than that, I think it must be in the words and example of Jesus himself. How else could he tell his followers to do it?
In order to find the answer, I've talked to many people (some who I think have it figured out) and I've read several books on the subject, but most of all I've spent much of my time reading the Gospels. I've got to think that the Gospels are where the answer is.
Through all of it, a pattern is starting to form so I thought I'd share it with whoever reads these ramblings of mine and see what you think.
1. Love people. This is attractional. It draws people in. If we are truly loving people, people should be attracted to that, and start to come our way. The Gospels are full of Jesus doing this.
2. Pay attention. Jesus was always looking for the people who were responsive to spiritual things. In the midst of the people attracted by caring, there will be people who are interested in more.
3. Ask. Jesus consistently asked the responsive people a question. He asked them to do something. He challenged them. He asked something that revealed if their interest was serious.
4. Watch. Jesus watched to see how people responded to his questions. He looked for a willingness to obey God.
5. Mentor. Jesus mentored people who obeyed. He did this in the middle of real life. It was a relationship more than a teaching time, meeting, or program. His level of involvement varied depending on the person, but it almost always involved the person being asked to reach out to others.
6. Release. Jesus always released people. He freed them to go. More than that, many times he commanded them to go. They often were told to go back to their village, but sometimes they were told to go into the world.
I'm seeing this pattern everywhere. I see it in scripture, and I see it in the middle of movements toward Jesus happening around the world. I see it in raising my kids. I see it in the historical rise of most major denominations.
This is all intriguing to me, but I can't stop here. My challenge to myself is to begin living my day to day life in a way that loves people, that pays attention, that asks people important questions, that watches people's actions, that mentors people, and that releases people.
Easy, right?
On a side note, it's interesting to me that I don't think much of this can really be done within the weekend church service ...
It seems simple. So why is it consuming my thoughts of late? Here's my problem, honestly, I'm not sure that I know how to do it! In fact, it seems like there are very few people around me who know how to do it. I suspect that if I asked many of my Christian friends, maybe even my pastor friends, how to make disciples, they would struggle with the answer.
I've been involved with the church my entire life. I even lived overseas for two years with the singular purpose of sharing Jesus. How is it that after all this time I'm still struggling with how to make disciples? It's not like my involvement with church has been a waste. I've learned many wonderful things, and in the process fallen in love with a God and Saviour. However, through all of it, I don't think I've learned how to make disciples.
AND THIS IS THE MAIN THING JESUS TELLS ME TO DO!
If you know me, you know I can't let things like this rest. I continue to think, ponder, read, and research until I come up with something that makes sense to me. Well, that's what I've been doing of late. Here's the premise I'm starting with: I don't think Jesus would tell us to do something and not show us how to do it. If that's the case, then instructions on how to make disciples must be in the Bible. More than that, I think it must be in the words and example of Jesus himself. How else could he tell his followers to do it?
In order to find the answer, I've talked to many people (some who I think have it figured out) and I've read several books on the subject, but most of all I've spent much of my time reading the Gospels. I've got to think that the Gospels are where the answer is.
Through all of it, a pattern is starting to form so I thought I'd share it with whoever reads these ramblings of mine and see what you think.
1. Love people. This is attractional. It draws people in. If we are truly loving people, people should be attracted to that, and start to come our way. The Gospels are full of Jesus doing this.
2. Pay attention. Jesus was always looking for the people who were responsive to spiritual things. In the midst of the people attracted by caring, there will be people who are interested in more.
3. Ask. Jesus consistently asked the responsive people a question. He asked them to do something. He challenged them. He asked something that revealed if their interest was serious.
4. Watch. Jesus watched to see how people responded to his questions. He looked for a willingness to obey God.
5. Mentor. Jesus mentored people who obeyed. He did this in the middle of real life. It was a relationship more than a teaching time, meeting, or program. His level of involvement varied depending on the person, but it almost always involved the person being asked to reach out to others.
6. Release. Jesus always released people. He freed them to go. More than that, many times he commanded them to go. They often were told to go back to their village, but sometimes they were told to go into the world.
I'm seeing this pattern everywhere. I see it in scripture, and I see it in the middle of movements toward Jesus happening around the world. I see it in raising my kids. I see it in the historical rise of most major denominations.
This is all intriguing to me, but I can't stop here. My challenge to myself is to begin living my day to day life in a way that loves people, that pays attention, that asks people important questions, that watches people's actions, that mentors people, and that releases people.
Easy, right?
On a side note, it's interesting to me that I don't think much of this can really be done within the weekend church service ...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Women, Ministry, and Pastors
I posted the following quote to Facebook from the book Untamed by Alan and Debra Hirsch.
"in just about every outbreak of a missional church movement in history, women have played a critical and up-front role ... interestingly, God doesn't appear to have the same hang-ups certain sections of the church currently have regarding women's involvement in official church ministry." - UNTAMED
Well, the quote sparked quite the conversation amongst friends. The comment section of Facebook isn't sufficient to explain my thoughts so I thought I'd do it here. Here we go ...
I will start with Ephesians 4:11 which lists the spiritual gifts that are given to believers to build up the church (apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, pastoring, and teaching). I think these gifts are given to all believers including women, and as such all believers (including women) should be using them in some way to build up the church. In my opinion, the current American church culture seems to value these backward. Teaching is most valued, followed by pastoring, followed by evangelism and so on. We in the States have no idea what to do with apostleship and prophecy! My observation is that in large Jesus movements around the world, the opposite is true. Apostleship is valued highest, followed by prophecy, and so on. Pastoring and Teaching are intended as church 'maintenance mode' gifts so when they are emphasized disproportionately, you get what the American church has largely become - a non kingdom expanding institution. Churches like Willow Creek and Saddleback started to emphasize evangelism over the last 20 years and structure their gatherings around it. This led to church growth. However, I think that in order to get true multiplication, and a true kingdom expansion movement, we will need to figure out how to emphasize apostleship and prophecy in the American church.
But I digress ...
So I believe women have these gifts and should use them. I agree with the quote above that the church is operating at a severe disadvantage and will never be what God intended as long as women are not allowed to use their gifts. I think that is why we see women deeply involved in most of the major Jesus movements around the world - because that is the way God intended it. However, this will call into question by some people (like some of my friends) passages like 1 Timothy 2 and 3. Here is how I reconcile all of that.
In all of the 'letter' books of the Bible, we must take into account the situation the book is being written to. Paul expresses core principles, but he also expresses specific practices. I think it is important that we not confuse the two. We should not make the specific practices a new sort of law. I think those practices were written to apply to that situation and we should read them as such. The principles, however, are universal.
For example, in 1 Timothy 2 and 3 we see several specific practices that should be applied in a situation like what Timothy was facing at the time (a growing church experiencing false teaching and disorder). I don't believe that for a church to be a church it has to have formal Overseers and Deacons as described in 1 Timothy 3. However, for churches who grow to a certain size and begin to experience disorder, this would be a really good idea - and we see most churches follow that model today. Paul is not defining church here. He is instructing Timothy on how to manage a specific church body and bring order to that church. We can learn a lot from it, but it is a specific practice, not a universal principle.
We would be good to take the specific instructions given here and use them when we appoint Overseers and Deacons. However, I believe these roles (Overseers and Deacons) are ones of accountability and service - not specific giftings. These 'offices' of accountability and service are intended to bring order and structure to the church. When we use these offices, we should follow the Biblical instruction and appoint men to these positions. However, I think verse 3:11 strong hints (particularly when translated deaconesses) at the fact that it should be a partnership with spouses being included in the role as well. After all, a married couple has become one. I don't see how these specific offices of Overseer and Deacon in any way would inhibit a woman from using her gifts like the gifts described in Ephesians 4:11. I also don't believe that Overseers and Deacons are required for every church - particularly one like a small house church.
So Overseers and Deacons are offices, not gifts, that a church can implement to bring order. When implemented, the Bible seems clear that they should be men (or couples).
Now - what about verses like 1 Timothy 2:11-12? Surely they limit a woman's gifts, right? I don't think so. I think we need to carefully separate the universal principle from the specific practice. Verse 11 contains the principle: women should practice an attitude of quietness and submission. This is consistent with principles given to women in other places in scripture. However these qualities are often inaccurately viewed and used to suppress women which is completely not Biblical. Accurately viewed, the principle incorporates verses like 1 Cor 11:11-12 and Ephesians 5:21. There is so much misuse of this principle! For example, I believe a woman could teach or lead while maintaining these attitudes just as I could teach or lead with an attitude of submission toward my church’s elders. I don't think it limits their gifts at all. It just provides a certain attitude that should be present when using the gifts.
Verse 12 is the specific practice: in that time and that place, the principle was best represented by not allowing women to teach and having them be silent. There could have been many reasons why this was appropriate at that time that I won’t go into here. Paul distinguishes this from a core principle by using the word ‘I’. To me this indicates that this is what he does … and it is not a universal principle. To put it in perspective for us, I think the early church much more resembled our small groups of today (where anyone could speak up) rather than our weekend services. There are very few people that would argue women shouldn’t speak at small group - which is where I'd believe you'd have to take this if you were arguing it was a universal principle.
You can find the same structure with a less controversial issue in 1 Cor 11 regarding head covering. Very clearly Paul is directing the practice that women use a head covering. He compares it to long and short hair, and many people use that comparison as an out to not apply these verses, but apply other ones like 1 Tim 2. But it is clear to me that hair is not what he’s talking about. He is just using it to emphasize his main point about head coverings. In India you can still see this practice of head coverings, and it is a beautiful symbol by the women of their godly attitude as they worship and pray. Why don’t we do that in the States? Because the core principle (a quiet and submissive attitude) is not well displayed by that specific practice (additional head covering) in our culture. Hardly anyone would argue that a woman should cover her head during small group or during the weekend gathering. That is because this was a practice for that time, and not a universal principle.
I'm not an expert, but this is what I believe and how I am able to work it all out logically in my little brain. The most beneficial thing for me is to realize that Jesus almost always spoke in principle, and not in specific practices. In fact, we see him ask wildly different practices of different people to reveal the core principles. He didn't ask everyone to give all they had to the poor - he just asked the rich young ruler. He was always going after the core - the heart. That is why I spend most of my time reading the Gospels. I think everything written in the New Testament we need to be very careful not to turn into more rules and regulations. We need to make sure we view it as it was written - advice to specific situations that demonstrate the core principles of Jesus. Personally, if I can't tie it to a core principle of Jesus, then I suspect that I'm probably reading it wrong. That's how I approach it. Don't know if it is right or wrong but it is helpful for me.
Let the comments begin ...
"in just about every outbreak of a missional church movement in history, women have played a critical and up-front role ... interestingly, God doesn't appear to have the same hang-ups certain sections of the church currently have regarding women's involvement in official church ministry." - UNTAMED
Well, the quote sparked quite the conversation amongst friends. The comment section of Facebook isn't sufficient to explain my thoughts so I thought I'd do it here. Here we go ...
I will start with Ephesians 4:11 which lists the spiritual gifts that are given to believers to build up the church (apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, pastoring, and teaching). I think these gifts are given to all believers including women, and as such all believers (including women) should be using them in some way to build up the church. In my opinion, the current American church culture seems to value these backward. Teaching is most valued, followed by pastoring, followed by evangelism and so on. We in the States have no idea what to do with apostleship and prophecy! My observation is that in large Jesus movements around the world, the opposite is true. Apostleship is valued highest, followed by prophecy, and so on. Pastoring and Teaching are intended as church 'maintenance mode' gifts so when they are emphasized disproportionately, you get what the American church has largely become - a non kingdom expanding institution. Churches like Willow Creek and Saddleback started to emphasize evangelism over the last 20 years and structure their gatherings around it. This led to church growth. However, I think that in order to get true multiplication, and a true kingdom expansion movement, we will need to figure out how to emphasize apostleship and prophecy in the American church.
But I digress ...
So I believe women have these gifts and should use them. I agree with the quote above that the church is operating at a severe disadvantage and will never be what God intended as long as women are not allowed to use their gifts. I think that is why we see women deeply involved in most of the major Jesus movements around the world - because that is the way God intended it. However, this will call into question by some people (like some of my friends) passages like 1 Timothy 2 and 3. Here is how I reconcile all of that.
In all of the 'letter' books of the Bible, we must take into account the situation the book is being written to. Paul expresses core principles, but he also expresses specific practices. I think it is important that we not confuse the two. We should not make the specific practices a new sort of law. I think those practices were written to apply to that situation and we should read them as such. The principles, however, are universal.
For example, in 1 Timothy 2 and 3 we see several specific practices that should be applied in a situation like what Timothy was facing at the time (a growing church experiencing false teaching and disorder). I don't believe that for a church to be a church it has to have formal Overseers and Deacons as described in 1 Timothy 3. However, for churches who grow to a certain size and begin to experience disorder, this would be a really good idea - and we see most churches follow that model today. Paul is not defining church here. He is instructing Timothy on how to manage a specific church body and bring order to that church. We can learn a lot from it, but it is a specific practice, not a universal principle.
We would be good to take the specific instructions given here and use them when we appoint Overseers and Deacons. However, I believe these roles (Overseers and Deacons) are ones of accountability and service - not specific giftings. These 'offices' of accountability and service are intended to bring order and structure to the church. When we use these offices, we should follow the Biblical instruction and appoint men to these positions. However, I think verse 3:11 strong hints (particularly when translated deaconesses) at the fact that it should be a partnership with spouses being included in the role as well. After all, a married couple has become one. I don't see how these specific offices of Overseer and Deacon in any way would inhibit a woman from using her gifts like the gifts described in Ephesians 4:11. I also don't believe that Overseers and Deacons are required for every church - particularly one like a small house church.
So Overseers and Deacons are offices, not gifts, that a church can implement to bring order. When implemented, the Bible seems clear that they should be men (or couples).
Now - what about verses like 1 Timothy 2:11-12? Surely they limit a woman's gifts, right? I don't think so. I think we need to carefully separate the universal principle from the specific practice. Verse 11 contains the principle: women should practice an attitude of quietness and submission. This is consistent with principles given to women in other places in scripture. However these qualities are often inaccurately viewed and used to suppress women which is completely not Biblical. Accurately viewed, the principle incorporates verses like 1 Cor 11:11-12 and Ephesians 5:21. There is so much misuse of this principle! For example, I believe a woman could teach or lead while maintaining these attitudes just as I could teach or lead with an attitude of submission toward my church’s elders. I don't think it limits their gifts at all. It just provides a certain attitude that should be present when using the gifts.
Verse 12 is the specific practice: in that time and that place, the principle was best represented by not allowing women to teach and having them be silent. There could have been many reasons why this was appropriate at that time that I won’t go into here. Paul distinguishes this from a core principle by using the word ‘I’. To me this indicates that this is what he does … and it is not a universal principle. To put it in perspective for us, I think the early church much more resembled our small groups of today (where anyone could speak up) rather than our weekend services. There are very few people that would argue women shouldn’t speak at small group - which is where I'd believe you'd have to take this if you were arguing it was a universal principle.
You can find the same structure with a less controversial issue in 1 Cor 11 regarding head covering. Very clearly Paul is directing the practice that women use a head covering. He compares it to long and short hair, and many people use that comparison as an out to not apply these verses, but apply other ones like 1 Tim 2. But it is clear to me that hair is not what he’s talking about. He is just using it to emphasize his main point about head coverings. In India you can still see this practice of head coverings, and it is a beautiful symbol by the women of their godly attitude as they worship and pray. Why don’t we do that in the States? Because the core principle (a quiet and submissive attitude) is not well displayed by that specific practice (additional head covering) in our culture. Hardly anyone would argue that a woman should cover her head during small group or during the weekend gathering. That is because this was a practice for that time, and not a universal principle.
I'm not an expert, but this is what I believe and how I am able to work it all out logically in my little brain. The most beneficial thing for me is to realize that Jesus almost always spoke in principle, and not in specific practices. In fact, we see him ask wildly different practices of different people to reveal the core principles. He didn't ask everyone to give all they had to the poor - he just asked the rich young ruler. He was always going after the core - the heart. That is why I spend most of my time reading the Gospels. I think everything written in the New Testament we need to be very careful not to turn into more rules and regulations. We need to make sure we view it as it was written - advice to specific situations that demonstrate the core principles of Jesus. Personally, if I can't tie it to a core principle of Jesus, then I suspect that I'm probably reading it wrong. That's how I approach it. Don't know if it is right or wrong but it is helpful for me.
Let the comments begin ...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Yes - We're Strange
If you didn't know it, Michelle and I are a little strange. I didn't ask her permission to say that - so don't tell her. (I don't think she reads this anyway!)
Our strangeness is found in Ephesians 4:11 which lists the five leadership gifts that God gives to people in order to build up the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
There is varied opinion on if this is an exhaustive list, if these gifts apply to every believer, if they are listed in some sort of order, or if every leader has at least one of them. I don't want to get into those issues. Instead, I want to complain (vent) a little, and tell you why we're strange.
You see, Michelle and I tend to have the apostleship and prophet gifts. Before you think we've gone beyond strange to certifiably looney, let me define those gifts for you. (It doesn't mean we can see the future or we are one of the original 12!)
Here is our struggle: if you reverse the order of the list in Ephesians 4 (putting prophet and apostle last), it roughly estimates the importance the current church structure in the USA puts on each gift. Teachers are highly valued - after all what's church if you can't learn something new. Pastors are also highly valued, but if they can't teach well, they are always looking for a job. Evangelists are around - but make everyone uncomfortable and often end up striking out on their own. Then there are the prophets and apostles ... which most people in the church wouldn't even be able to define.
So, Michelle and I are here in the States trying to live out leadership gifts that we can't even define well under a church culture that usually doesn't think the same way as us. And we wonder why we're always frustrated! It seems that most people who think like us drift away from church. They go to work in non-profits somewhere or maybe they just give up on the local church altogether. We don't think God is asking us to be those people. He wants us where we are.
So whether you're working with us trying to figure out how to help our community at Engage, trying to help Indian women in poverty at Renew, trying to start church planting movements in India or South Africa, or even working with us on the ever exciting finance team, bear with us ... we're just weird people trying to figure this whole thing out.
Our strangeness is found in Ephesians 4:11 which lists the five leadership gifts that God gives to people in order to build up the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
There is varied opinion on if this is an exhaustive list, if these gifts apply to every believer, if they are listed in some sort of order, or if every leader has at least one of them. I don't want to get into those issues. Instead, I want to complain (vent) a little, and tell you why we're strange.
You see, Michelle and I tend to have the apostleship and prophet gifts. Before you think we've gone beyond strange to certifiably looney, let me define those gifts for you. (It doesn't mean we can see the future or we are one of the original 12!)
- Prophet - someone who sees in black and white and is constantly pulling the church back to the basics. They are able to look at the culture as a whole and see where it is going astray.
- Apostle - someone who has a big vision for the kingdom of God outside of any one individual organization. Someone who focuses on the needs of a culture rather than the capabilities of the church, and would rather train other leaders to be successful than have their own organization. Think about Paul in the Bible.
Here is our struggle: if you reverse the order of the list in Ephesians 4 (putting prophet and apostle last), it roughly estimates the importance the current church structure in the USA puts on each gift. Teachers are highly valued - after all what's church if you can't learn something new. Pastors are also highly valued, but if they can't teach well, they are always looking for a job. Evangelists are around - but make everyone uncomfortable and often end up striking out on their own. Then there are the prophets and apostles ... which most people in the church wouldn't even be able to define.
So, Michelle and I are here in the States trying to live out leadership gifts that we can't even define well under a church culture that usually doesn't think the same way as us. And we wonder why we're always frustrated! It seems that most people who think like us drift away from church. They go to work in non-profits somewhere or maybe they just give up on the local church altogether. We don't think God is asking us to be those people. He wants us where we are.
So whether you're working with us trying to figure out how to help our community at Engage, trying to help Indian women in poverty at Renew, trying to start church planting movements in India or South Africa, or even working with us on the ever exciting finance team, bear with us ... we're just weird people trying to figure this whole thing out.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
5 Transitions
At Engage** last week, I introduced 5 transitions that believers need to make in order to effectively and Biblically share Jesus. It is my belief that much damage has been done by people not sharing Jesus in the way the Bible teaches. All you have to do is look at the prevailing opinion of 'church' and 'evangelicals' to see the results of this.
These five transitions pretty much come straight from David Watson - someone who actually knows what he's are talking about. (http://www.cpmtr.org/) These may seem kind of 'out there' to some of you. I challenge you put aside your traditional understanding, and read the Gospels and Acts for yourself looking for these patterns. You will see them all over the place.
Transition #1 is from Comfort to Calling.
We need to live our life as if we are sent by God into the world to obey his commands resulting in making disciples. We live as 'sent' people because that's what we are. Obedience becomes the norm rather than just the gathering of knowledge.
Transition #2 is from Ministry Only to Searching for People of Peace
We obey commands such as 'love your neighbor', but we don't stop there. We also begin to look for responses from people that show God working in their life. We realize that God works in people's lives, not us. We don't force God on people who aren't interested, but we look for people who show interest.
Transition #3 is from individual to group
We don't look to pull one person from their group of family and friends into ours. Instead, we seek to develop relationships with that person's family and friends in hope that they will all discover God together. [Only 3 people came to know Christ individually in the New Testament. Individual salvation was the exception to the norm.]
Transition #4 is from group to Bible study group
We point the 'Person of Peace' to the Bible and let him/her work with their group to discover God together. We don't teach or convince. We guide and let them discover God for themselves.
Transition #5 is from Bible study group to Church
As the group discovers God, they develop habits of listening to Him and obeying his commands. This results in baptism, and eventually in Church.
These five transitions pretty much come straight from David Watson - someone who actually knows what he's are talking about. (http://www.cpmtr.org/) These may seem kind of 'out there' to some of you. I challenge you put aside your traditional understanding, and read the Gospels and Acts for yourself looking for these patterns. You will see them all over the place.
Transition #1 is from Comfort to Calling.
We need to live our life as if we are sent by God into the world to obey his commands resulting in making disciples. We live as 'sent' people because that's what we are. Obedience becomes the norm rather than just the gathering of knowledge.
Transition #2 is from Ministry Only to Searching for People of Peace
We obey commands such as 'love your neighbor', but we don't stop there. We also begin to look for responses from people that show God working in their life. We realize that God works in people's lives, not us. We don't force God on people who aren't interested, but we look for people who show interest.
Transition #3 is from individual to group
We don't look to pull one person from their group of family and friends into ours. Instead, we seek to develop relationships with that person's family and friends in hope that they will all discover God together. [Only 3 people came to know Christ individually in the New Testament. Individual salvation was the exception to the norm.]
Transition #4 is from group to Bible study group
We point the 'Person of Peace' to the Bible and let him/her work with their group to discover God together. We don't teach or convince. We guide and let them discover God for themselves.
Transition #5 is from Bible study group to Church
As the group discovers God, they develop habits of listening to Him and obeying his commands. This results in baptism, and eventually in Church.
**For those of you who don't know, Engage is a weekend service at our church (Westside) that Michelle and I lead. The intent is to form a community of believers who reach out to share Jesus with the community. Stop by at 6:30 on Saturday nights and check it out!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sheep, Goats, and Snakes
Is it possible to have salvation and not be on mission with God?
Careful how you answer that!
Here are two contrasting (and shocking) parables from Jesus that help me understand the relationship between mission, belief, and salvation.
Sheep and Goats
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about the coming kingdom of heaven. He says that when He is on his throne, He will be like a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and welcome them into His kingdom. He will put the goats on his left and send them into eternal fire.
When the sheep ask "why am I a sheep?", and the goats ask "why am I a goat?", Jesus tells them it is because of what they had done to the 'least of these'. HE JUDGES THEM BY WHAT THEY DID. (Gulp!) If they had joined his mission of loving the 'least of these' (the poor, lost, and oppressed), they were in. If not, they were out.
You must join God's mission to enter into His kingdom! This is truth number one. (Notice, this does not at all negate the idea of grace - grace is still necessary. Just because you joined His mission doesn't mean you deserve to enter his kingdom; it just means you get to enter. You enter by grace.)
Snakes
In John 3:14-15, right before the famous John 3:16 verse, Jesus references an event from the time of Moses. In that time, the people of Israel had a snake problem. They were being bitten by poisonous snakes and dying. Eventually, the Israelites confessed their sin and Moses prayed for them. In response, God directed Moses to create a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. From that point on, if anyone was bitten by a snake, they could look at the pole, and live.
In verse 15, Jesus says that in the same way the bronze snake was lifted up, he must be lifted up so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. HE JUDGES THEM BY WHAT THEY BELIEVE. If people believe in him for salvation, they are in. If they don't, they are not.
You must believe in Jesus to enter His Kingdom. This is truth number two. (Notice, this also does not at all negate the idea of grace. Just because you believe in Him doesn't mean you deserve to enter his kingdom; it just means you get to enter. You enter by grace.)
Putting the sheep, goats, and snakes together
Truth #1 - You must join the mission of Jesus to enter His Kingdom.
Truth #2 - You must believe in Jesus to enter His Kingdom.
So which one is it? It is both! They are not opposed. True belief coincides with mission. True mission coincides with belief. They go together.
Jesus puts the truths together for us
For those of you who don't agree with Truth #1 (mission is required for salvation), look at Jesus words in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
For those of you who don't think you need Truth #2 (belief is required for salvation), look at Jesus words in Matthew 7:22, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons, and perform miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers!' "
If you didn't notice, the two verses above are in sequence (Matthew 7:21-22). Jesus ties it together for us! We need both mission and belief to obtain salvation by grace.
Do you agree?
Careful how you answer that!
Here are two contrasting (and shocking) parables from Jesus that help me understand the relationship between mission, belief, and salvation.
Sheep and Goats
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about the coming kingdom of heaven. He says that when He is on his throne, He will be like a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and welcome them into His kingdom. He will put the goats on his left and send them into eternal fire.
When the sheep ask "why am I a sheep?", and the goats ask "why am I a goat?", Jesus tells them it is because of what they had done to the 'least of these'. HE JUDGES THEM BY WHAT THEY DID. (Gulp!) If they had joined his mission of loving the 'least of these' (the poor, lost, and oppressed), they were in. If not, they were out.
You must join God's mission to enter into His kingdom! This is truth number one. (Notice, this does not at all negate the idea of grace - grace is still necessary. Just because you joined His mission doesn't mean you deserve to enter his kingdom; it just means you get to enter. You enter by grace.)
Snakes
In John 3:14-15, right before the famous John 3:16 verse, Jesus references an event from the time of Moses. In that time, the people of Israel had a snake problem. They were being bitten by poisonous snakes and dying. Eventually, the Israelites confessed their sin and Moses prayed for them. In response, God directed Moses to create a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. From that point on, if anyone was bitten by a snake, they could look at the pole, and live.
In verse 15, Jesus says that in the same way the bronze snake was lifted up, he must be lifted up so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. HE JUDGES THEM BY WHAT THEY BELIEVE. If people believe in him for salvation, they are in. If they don't, they are not.
You must believe in Jesus to enter His Kingdom. This is truth number two. (Notice, this also does not at all negate the idea of grace. Just because you believe in Him doesn't mean you deserve to enter his kingdom; it just means you get to enter. You enter by grace.)
Putting the sheep, goats, and snakes together
Truth #1 - You must join the mission of Jesus to enter His Kingdom.
Truth #2 - You must believe in Jesus to enter His Kingdom.
So which one is it? It is both! They are not opposed. True belief coincides with mission. True mission coincides with belief. They go together.
Jesus puts the truths together for us
For those of you who don't agree with Truth #1 (mission is required for salvation), look at Jesus words in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
For those of you who don't think you need Truth #2 (belief is required for salvation), look at Jesus words in Matthew 7:22, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons, and perform miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers!' "
If you didn't notice, the two verses above are in sequence (Matthew 7:21-22). Jesus ties it together for us! We need both mission and belief to obtain salvation by grace.
Do you agree?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Multiplication vs. Addition
Multiplication is a natural tendency in the world. Whether it is population growth, the spread of a cold, or the spread of weeds in my yard, multiplication is the norm.
Jesus knew this. That is why he knew that if the Kingdom of God was ever going to make an impact it had to multiply. He told stories about yeast spreading through dough, about a mustard seed, about a seed in good soil that multiplies 30, 60 or 100 times, and about how a seed falls to the ground before another tree can grow. It is why he started with 12 disciples instead of 12,000. Jesus understood the power of multiplication.
This is a concept that business world and church world are rediscovering. If you ever want to grow at a rate faster than population growth, you must multiply. The church in China and India has experienced this seeing millions of believers were there had previously been thousands. Business has seen it happen with Facebook and Twitter - words we wouldn't have recognized a few short years ago which are now a part of our everyday life. The idea that each individual person can invite others into the process who then in turn invite others is a powerful one.
However, I fear as we try to implement the concept, we are too easily tricked. Whether we are talking about multiplying leaders, customers, churches, or trees, we often miss the key point. Namely, that for multiplication to be multiplication it has to continue past the second generation. The second generation must reproduce.
I think we too often see that 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4, and we say 'we multiplied four times'. But this is inaccurate. We only added. Multiplication looks like this 1 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 8. We can be easily confused because the early stages look similar, but look what happens if you keep going.
4 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 7
8 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64
Now we see the difference emerging. So what's my point? If you want to change the world, do something that multiplies. The way to tell if you are multiplying is to look at the 3rd generation and beyond. Don't be fooled by looking only at the generation you started. If that generation doesn't reproduce, you are only adding.
Jesus knew this. That is why he knew that if the Kingdom of God was ever going to make an impact it had to multiply. He told stories about yeast spreading through dough, about a mustard seed, about a seed in good soil that multiplies 30, 60 or 100 times, and about how a seed falls to the ground before another tree can grow. It is why he started with 12 disciples instead of 12,000. Jesus understood the power of multiplication.
This is a concept that business world and church world are rediscovering. If you ever want to grow at a rate faster than population growth, you must multiply. The church in China and India has experienced this seeing millions of believers were there had previously been thousands. Business has seen it happen with Facebook and Twitter - words we wouldn't have recognized a few short years ago which are now a part of our everyday life. The idea that each individual person can invite others into the process who then in turn invite others is a powerful one.
However, I fear as we try to implement the concept, we are too easily tricked. Whether we are talking about multiplying leaders, customers, churches, or trees, we often miss the key point. Namely, that for multiplication to be multiplication it has to continue past the second generation. The second generation must reproduce.
I think we too often see that 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4, and we say 'we multiplied four times'. But this is inaccurate. We only added. Multiplication looks like this 1 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 8. We can be easily confused because the early stages look similar, but look what happens if you keep going.
4 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 7
8 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64
Now we see the difference emerging. So what's my point? If you want to change the world, do something that multiplies. The way to tell if you are multiplying is to look at the 3rd generation and beyond. Don't be fooled by looking only at the generation you started. If that generation doesn't reproduce, you are only adding.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Making Disciples vs Building Church
I've been spending some time reading the Gospels ... and had an interesting thought this morning.
Jesus gives us a clear command to 'go and make disciples' (Matthew 28:19). But, who did He say would build His church? He said 'I will build my church'. (Matthew 16:18)
Maybe we should spend less time worrying about how to do church, and more time worrying about how to make disciples. Seems like Jesus has said 'I'll take care of the church part.'
Just a thought.
Jesus gives us a clear command to 'go and make disciples' (Matthew 28:19). But, who did He say would build His church? He said 'I will build my church'. (Matthew 16:18)
Maybe we should spend less time worrying about how to do church, and more time worrying about how to make disciples. Seems like Jesus has said 'I'll take care of the church part.'
Just a thought.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Global Neighbors
For the first time in history the entire world is our neighbor. Isn't that amazing?
I'm reading a book called 'The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, the President of Worldvision. At one point in the book, Stearns reflects on the well known parable of the Good Samaritan. Realizing, that the Good Samaritan story is Jesus' response to the question "Who is my neighbor?", Stearns emphasizes that Jesus is telling us 'neighbor' has nothing to do with race, social status, or economic status. Instead, neighbor is simply defined as any person we see in need.
If I can see the need, I am a neighbor - and therefore should use whatever resources I have to help.
This challenged me as I watched the horrific destruction in Haiti. My initial response, and unfortunately my most common one to these type of disasters, was to try and ignore the situation. I did not want to stop and see what was going on there because I didn't want to feel bad. After all, why should I ruin a good week of feel-good K-State basketball?
Then I slowly began to realize that according to Jesus, these Haitians are my neighbors, and there is no excuse for ignoring them. God has blessed me with resources and if I don't help out, I am no different than the Priest who walked by the injured man on the other side of the road.
For the first time in history the entire world is our neighbor. TV and the internet allow us to see their need. So the question becomes, will we be good neighbors?
I'm reading a book called 'The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, the President of Worldvision. At one point in the book, Stearns reflects on the well known parable of the Good Samaritan. Realizing, that the Good Samaritan story is Jesus' response to the question "Who is my neighbor?", Stearns emphasizes that Jesus is telling us 'neighbor' has nothing to do with race, social status, or economic status. Instead, neighbor is simply defined as any person we see in need.
If I can see the need, I am a neighbor - and therefore should use whatever resources I have to help.
This challenged me as I watched the horrific destruction in Haiti. My initial response, and unfortunately my most common one to these type of disasters, was to try and ignore the situation. I did not want to stop and see what was going on there because I didn't want to feel bad. After all, why should I ruin a good week of feel-good K-State basketball?
Then I slowly began to realize that according to Jesus, these Haitians are my neighbors, and there is no excuse for ignoring them. God has blessed me with resources and if I don't help out, I am no different than the Priest who walked by the injured man on the other side of the road.
For the first time in history the entire world is our neighbor. TV and the internet allow us to see their need. So the question becomes, will we be good neighbors?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Merry Christmas!!
It is amazing to me the impact that a baby boy who was born about 2000 years ago had on the earth.
No matter, what you believe about Jesus, it is undeniable that he has changed the world.
This year people in China will exchange gifts and sing songs. People in India will attend Christmas events around the nation. People throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and even here in the States will all celebrate. Many may not even know they are celebrating the Savior's birth - yet they still celebrate. The impact of Jesus is amazing.
Who could have imagined this when He was killed on a cross? At that time he had a handful of close followers, and a mixed reputation. Who could have even comprehended the impact he would have on billions of people?
Jesus is amazing.
Merry Christmas.
No matter, what you believe about Jesus, it is undeniable that he has changed the world.
This year people in China will exchange gifts and sing songs. People in India will attend Christmas events around the nation. People throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and even here in the States will all celebrate. Many may not even know they are celebrating the Savior's birth - yet they still celebrate. The impact of Jesus is amazing.
Who could have imagined this when He was killed on a cross? At that time he had a handful of close followers, and a mixed reputation. Who could have even comprehended the impact he would have on billions of people?
Jesus is amazing.
Merry Christmas.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
I Hate All Your Show and Pretense --God
There is a song called 'Instead of a Show' written by Jon Foreman. It is direct, convicting, and I imagine to a lot of people, controversial ... just the kind of thing I like. The theme is that God hates all your shows, pretense, and noisy hymns. Instead, he desires justice and righteous living.
I have often wondered about it. It sounds right, but I wasn't quite sure about the 'hate' word. Does God really hate all the things he commanded us to do like gather together, celebrate, sing, and have festivals? Then I found it in the Bible.
So there it is ... When we make following God all about attending a worship service, we have completely missed the point, and He hates it.
The tragic thing is that our first response to this passage is to think we need to fix our shows. We think we need to make them more flat, boring, and uninspiring, or do away with them completely. (Everyone knows that boring is more authentic, right?)
I guess in some ways this is accurate. If we're not following God, cancelling the show is probably the best thing we could do. However, if we want to address the core issue, we need to look at what God tells Amos in verse 24 - following God should be about justice and righteous living. The 'show' is intended to flow out of that.
Festivals and assemblies were commanded by God - we should not do away with them, but they must become a celebration of our justice and righteousness rather than take the place of it.
I confess, that too many times I make following God all about participating in the shows rather than doing justice and living righteously. I don't think I'm alone in this regard. Americans as a whole are on a dangerous path. Think about it. When we hear the word 'church', we automatically think 'a meeting on Sunday'. We measure our spirituality based on attendance. We feel good about ourselves for just showing up (particularly if we sing something heart-felt while we're there). This is exactly what God hates.
I have often wondered about it. It sounds right, but I wasn't quite sure about the 'hate' word. Does God really hate all the things he commanded us to do like gather together, celebrate, sing, and have festivals? Then I found it in the Bible.
Amos 5
21 “I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of
your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. 22 I will not accept your
burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your
choice peace offerings. 23 Away with your noisy hymns of
praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous
living.
So there it is ... When we make following God all about attending a worship service, we have completely missed the point, and He hates it.
The tragic thing is that our first response to this passage is to think we need to fix our shows. We think we need to make them more flat, boring, and uninspiring, or do away with them completely. (Everyone knows that boring is more authentic, right?)
I guess in some ways this is accurate. If we're not following God, cancelling the show is probably the best thing we could do. However, if we want to address the core issue, we need to look at what God tells Amos in verse 24 - following God should be about justice and righteous living. The 'show' is intended to flow out of that.
Festivals and assemblies were commanded by God - we should not do away with them, but they must become a celebration of our justice and righteousness rather than take the place of it.
I confess, that too many times I make following God all about participating in the shows rather than doing justice and living righteously. I don't think I'm alone in this regard. Americans as a whole are on a dangerous path. Think about it. When we hear the word 'church', we automatically think 'a meeting on Sunday'. We measure our spirituality based on attendance. We feel good about ourselves for just showing up (particularly if we sing something heart-felt while we're there). This is exactly what God hates.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Church, Death, and Multiplication
What would happen if local church institutions were willing to add dying and multiplying to their mission?
I stumbled on this article today. It details some of the recent events in China between large unregistered churches and the government.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091210/ap_on_re_as/as_china_mega_church
Here is the crazy thing. Although it sounds like this is bad for the church, I believe that government actions like this are precisely the reason the church is thriving in China.
Think about it. The government just broke up a 50,000 person church. So what will be the likely result? It will result in an energized and supremely dedicated group of tens of thousands that will now likely form hundreds or thousands of new individual churches.
In 5 years, many of these new churches if not most will likely have doubled or tripled in size. If the large church were left alone, it is highly doubtful that it would experience this type of growth.
Jesus knew this and explained over and over again that the kingdom would grow through multiplication. We in the church tend to forget this when left to our own decisions.
I have often heard it said that a church is 'organic' and that organic things grow so a church should be focused on growth. However, this is a very incomplete and somewhat dangerous thought, particularly when applied to a single local church institution. In addition to growing, organic things also multiply and on an individual level, they die. While everything in our world is busy living, dying, and multiplying, the local church is busy trying to exist and grow - and losing ground in the process.
So think about it ... What would happen if local church institutions were willing to add dying and multiplying to their mission?
I stumbled on this article today. It details some of the recent events in China between large unregistered churches and the government.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091210/ap_on_re_as/as_china_mega_church
Here is the crazy thing. Although it sounds like this is bad for the church, I believe that government actions like this are precisely the reason the church is thriving in China.
Think about it. The government just broke up a 50,000 person church. So what will be the likely result? It will result in an energized and supremely dedicated group of tens of thousands that will now likely form hundreds or thousands of new individual churches.
In 5 years, many of these new churches if not most will likely have doubled or tripled in size. If the large church were left alone, it is highly doubtful that it would experience this type of growth.
Jesus knew this and explained over and over again that the kingdom would grow through multiplication. We in the church tend to forget this when left to our own decisions.
I have often heard it said that a church is 'organic' and that organic things grow so a church should be focused on growth. However, this is a very incomplete and somewhat dangerous thought, particularly when applied to a single local church institution. In addition to growing, organic things also multiply and on an individual level, they die. While everything in our world is busy living, dying, and multiplying, the local church is busy trying to exist and grow - and losing ground in the process.
So think about it ... What would happen if local church institutions were willing to add dying and multiplying to their mission?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Start of Something Big in India
I apologize that it has taken this long to update you on what happened with the Pastors Conference in India. I know many of you were praying for it consistently, and I am very excited to report that your prayers were answered.
For those of you who don't know, we kicked off our church planting strategy during my recent trip to India. We have a dream to facilitate the finish of the spread of the Gospel in the Visak district. To us, this looks like a home in every village where people are regularly gathering together to follow Jesus.
Our first challenge is to find some core leaders. We started that process by holding a Pastor's Conference where we taught the 'First Steps' church planting training developed by E3 Partners. In a few months, we will follow-up and see if anyone is implementing what they learned. When we find the 'doers', we will have our core leaders.
I was praying for 50 pastors to attend, but more than 200 pastors showed up. We focused our teaching on the barriers to multiplication. This was a tough message with the pastors. We told them that the Gospel would not spread in this area as long as they tried to maintain control. The church could not center on their salary, their people, and their building. It had to change from an institution with them in the lead to a movement with them playing a part.
The Spirit of God is an interesting thing. There are a handful of times in my life where I truly felt that I was a part of something much bigger than myself - where it was almost as if it wasn't me doing the work. This was one of those times. I can't describe what happened under that tent in India, but God showed up. We delivered a tough message, but the pastors felt the presence of God and were excited about the teaching. How humbling that I even got to be a part of it!!
We counted commitments, and tallied up the numbers. They were very significant, but all that pales in comparison to the fact that God's Spirit was evident. The truth is that I don't know if 100 people will follow through or 2 people will. Number are important, but can often be misleading. For this reason, I am not near as excited about the numbers as I am about the presence of the Spirit of God. That presence confirms that we are working with Him, and if we are working with Him, some good things are just around the corner.
Thanks to all of you who prayed while I was gone. Your prayers were answered. Wouldn't it be cool if this was the beginning of a church planting movement in Visak ...
a movement where nobody knows who we are or what sparked it
a movement where churches were not concerned with authority, denomination, or money, but instead with the love of Jesus and of people
a movement that sees poverty lessen, orphans and widows cared for
a movement where the followers of Jesus multiply exponentially in the area
a movement where isolated villages who have never heard that any God or any person cares about them, hear that for the first time
This will be cool!
For those of you who don't know, we kicked off our church planting strategy during my recent trip to India. We have a dream to facilitate the finish of the spread of the Gospel in the Visak district. To us, this looks like a home in every village where people are regularly gathering together to follow Jesus.
Our first challenge is to find some core leaders. We started that process by holding a Pastor's Conference where we taught the 'First Steps' church planting training developed by E3 Partners. In a few months, we will follow-up and see if anyone is implementing what they learned. When we find the 'doers', we will have our core leaders.
I was praying for 50 pastors to attend, but more than 200 pastors showed up. We focused our teaching on the barriers to multiplication. This was a tough message with the pastors. We told them that the Gospel would not spread in this area as long as they tried to maintain control. The church could not center on their salary, their people, and their building. It had to change from an institution with them in the lead to a movement with them playing a part.
The Spirit of God is an interesting thing. There are a handful of times in my life where I truly felt that I was a part of something much bigger than myself - where it was almost as if it wasn't me doing the work. This was one of those times. I can't describe what happened under that tent in India, but God showed up. We delivered a tough message, but the pastors felt the presence of God and were excited about the teaching. How humbling that I even got to be a part of it!!
We counted commitments, and tallied up the numbers. They were very significant, but all that pales in comparison to the fact that God's Spirit was evident. The truth is that I don't know if 100 people will follow through or 2 people will. Number are important, but can often be misleading. For this reason, I am not near as excited about the numbers as I am about the presence of the Spirit of God. That presence confirms that we are working with Him, and if we are working with Him, some good things are just around the corner.
Thanks to all of you who prayed while I was gone. Your prayers were answered. Wouldn't it be cool if this was the beginning of a church planting movement in Visak ...
a movement where nobody knows who we are or what sparked it
a movement where churches were not concerned with authority, denomination, or money, but instead with the love of Jesus and of people
a movement that sees poverty lessen, orphans and widows cared for
a movement where the followers of Jesus multiply exponentially in the area
a movement where isolated villages who have never heard that any God or any person cares about them, hear that for the first time
This will be cool!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Pornography Addiction
I was pulling some stats together for a group I'm speaking with tonight ... listen to this:
It is interesting that even though we as Christians know that following Jesus is about forgiveness, we quickly equate our self-worth to appearing to be a good person rather than actually becoming one. The beautiful thing about the forgiveness Jesus provides is that it should give us the ability to face our sins honestly - and in the process to be changed. We should not have to pretend! So why do we?
If more than 50% of men struggle with pornography now, that means almost every man has at some point in their life - particularly the younger crowd who has grown up with porn only an anonymous mouse click away. Practically everybody is struggling or has struggled!
So what are you doing to be honest about this issue? Are you honest with anyone?
And for Parents ...
If you have teen children who have access to unfiltered internet at home or at a friends house, they HAVE VIEWED pornography. You do not have to wonder about it! The stats say 90% ... and that includes those 8 years old! They have viewed it. It has happened. Are you speaking with them about it? If you have never spoken with them about it, it is not their fault that they don't know how to deal with it.
I hope this isn't overly direct or harsh. It is something I feel passionate about. We believers, seem to be quick to protest these things publicly or politically, but very slow to address them in our own life. Let's start with us ... and we start by talking about it.
- In a 2002 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers two thirds of the lawyers present said that pornography played a large role in more than half of their divorce cases ... and that it was almost non-existent only 7 to 8 years earlier.
- 53% of Christian men consume pornography
- 90% of 8-16 year old children have viewed porn online ... yes 90%
It is interesting that even though we as Christians know that following Jesus is about forgiveness, we quickly equate our self-worth to appearing to be a good person rather than actually becoming one. The beautiful thing about the forgiveness Jesus provides is that it should give us the ability to face our sins honestly - and in the process to be changed. We should not have to pretend! So why do we?
If more than 50% of men struggle with pornography now, that means almost every man has at some point in their life - particularly the younger crowd who has grown up with porn only an anonymous mouse click away. Practically everybody is struggling or has struggled!
So what are you doing to be honest about this issue? Are you honest with anyone?
And for Parents ...
If you have teen children who have access to unfiltered internet at home or at a friends house, they HAVE VIEWED pornography. You do not have to wonder about it! The stats say 90% ... and that includes those 8 years old! They have viewed it. It has happened. Are you speaking with them about it? If you have never spoken with them about it, it is not their fault that they don't know how to deal with it.
I hope this isn't overly direct or harsh. It is something I feel passionate about. We believers, seem to be quick to protest these things publicly or politically, but very slow to address them in our own life. Let's start with us ... and we start by talking about it.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
A Girl Named Durga Bhavani
A couple years ago our family decided to sponsor a child in India. Honestly, I didn't give much thought to it at the time. It just seemed like the right thing to do. For just over $30 dollars per month we could provide food, housing, and safety for a street child in India. Why wouldn't we do that?
After we signed up, we received a picture of our girl, and we learned that her name was Durga Bhavani. We put her picture on our refrigerator, but the magnitude of what we were doing never sank in to me. Outside of a sentence prayer while grabbing something out of the fridge, I really didn't give her much thought.
Then I met her and she became real to me.
One night, the leaders at the orphanage prepared a campfire for us. I'm not entirely sure why as it was over 80 degrees outside, but it did provide a nice backdrop, as we sat in chairs and listened to a couple members of our team play guitar and lead us in worship. I was enjoying the moment of rest and relaxation when I looked across from me and saw another member of our team with a child on his lap. I thought, I wonder if Bhavani would like that?
One of the things I love about Bhavani is that she is always respectful, yet always available. Many of the kids would bum rush us for hugs and photos every time we stepped out of the little cottage we were staying in, but not Bhavani - she waited. She always waited for me to come towards her, but amazingly every time I stepped off the small porch, she was there - and usually she had brought friends to introduce to me.
When I was sitting by the fire, it was no different. As soon as I turned my head I saw her standing right behind me with several of her friends. I motioned for her to come over and lifted her up on my lap. She smiled.
After a few minutes had passed, I began to wonder if she was doing this out of obligation. I didn't want her to feel forced to stay there if she preferred to go play with her friends so I moved my arm which was wrapped around her so she could get up. As soon as I did it, she looked up at me, grabbed my arm and wrapped it back around her. I felt tears welling up in me - the fire, the worship, the music, and a little girl who just wanted to be held was almost to much for me.
As we sang a little more, I noticed her wiping a tear from her eyes. I thought to myself. I bet she has never been held like this. I bet she has never had someone hold on to her for 15 minutes before. What an incredible blessing to be able to provide for a child, and now to hold her.
Bhavani is tough - she doesn't like to show emotion. She didn't want me to see the tears. At 8 years old, she has already experienced the death of her father, and the attempted suicide of her mother - who tried to burn herself alive. She knows the tragedy of life, but maybe for a few minutes on this night, she was able to experience the joy of life. Maybe this will help her to always know that there is someone who cares, and more importantly, that there is a God who cares.
I don't know when I will see Bhavani again. I don't know what God has in store for her. All I know is that I now love her. She is no longer just a child on our refrigerator. She has moved from my refrigerator into my heart. That $30 a month is now going to my girl instead of some girl, I am now praying for my girl, instead of a girl. I feel so fortunate to be involved!
I expected my first post after returning from India would talk about the Pastor's conference, and it was amazing, but I think maybe a more amazing thing happened in my heart and in Bhavani's. I won't get to see her often, but she knows she has a dad - and I get the privilege and blessing and honor of being that dad ... all for just $30 a month. What an amazing blessing!
If you are interested in sponsoring a child check out www.onelifechild.org.
After we signed up, we received a picture of our girl, and we learned that her name was Durga Bhavani. We put her picture on our refrigerator, but the magnitude of what we were doing never sank in to me. Outside of a sentence prayer while grabbing something out of the fridge, I really didn't give her much thought.
Then I met her and she became real to me.
One night, the leaders at the orphanage prepared a campfire for us. I'm not entirely sure why as it was over 80 degrees outside, but it did provide a nice backdrop, as we sat in chairs and listened to a couple members of our team play guitar and lead us in worship. I was enjoying the moment of rest and relaxation when I looked across from me and saw another member of our team with a child on his lap. I thought, I wonder if Bhavani would like that?
One of the things I love about Bhavani is that she is always respectful, yet always available. Many of the kids would bum rush us for hugs and photos every time we stepped out of the little cottage we were staying in, but not Bhavani - she waited. She always waited for me to come towards her, but amazingly every time I stepped off the small porch, she was there - and usually she had brought friends to introduce to me.
When I was sitting by the fire, it was no different. As soon as I turned my head I saw her standing right behind me with several of her friends. I motioned for her to come over and lifted her up on my lap. She smiled.
After a few minutes had passed, I began to wonder if she was doing this out of obligation. I didn't want her to feel forced to stay there if she preferred to go play with her friends so I moved my arm which was wrapped around her so she could get up. As soon as I did it, she looked up at me, grabbed my arm and wrapped it back around her. I felt tears welling up in me - the fire, the worship, the music, and a little girl who just wanted to be held was almost to much for me.
As we sang a little more, I noticed her wiping a tear from her eyes. I thought to myself. I bet she has never been held like this. I bet she has never had someone hold on to her for 15 minutes before. What an incredible blessing to be able to provide for a child, and now to hold her.
Bhavani is tough - she doesn't like to show emotion. She didn't want me to see the tears. At 8 years old, she has already experienced the death of her father, and the attempted suicide of her mother - who tried to burn herself alive. She knows the tragedy of life, but maybe for a few minutes on this night, she was able to experience the joy of life. Maybe this will help her to always know that there is someone who cares, and more importantly, that there is a God who cares.
I don't know when I will see Bhavani again. I don't know what God has in store for her. All I know is that I now love her. She is no longer just a child on our refrigerator. She has moved from my refrigerator into my heart. That $30 a month is now going to my girl instead of some girl, I am now praying for my girl, instead of a girl. I feel so fortunate to be involved!
I expected my first post after returning from India would talk about the Pastor's conference, and it was amazing, but I think maybe a more amazing thing happened in my heart and in Bhavani's. I won't get to see her often, but she knows she has a dad - and I get the privilege and blessing and honor of being that dad ... all for just $30 a month. What an amazing blessing!
If you are interested in sponsoring a child check out www.onelifechild.org.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Lepers and Aids victims
Thanks so much for your prayers for K.C. I spoke with him last night and he sounded great. Their travel went very smoothly and everyone was pumped and ready for the youth conference. He said that our little girl we sponser at the children's home was attached to him every second. I am so glad that she can feel a little bit of what it is like to have a family.
While we are sleeping tonight the team will be spending the day with the lepers and the women with HIV/Aids. That is always a very emotional but very spiritually rewarding day. The lepers have so much joy despite their situation. They are true examples of the joy that comes from a very real relationship with Christ.
Please continue to lift up the pastors conference. It will be the last two days of their trip, and we want it to be thoroughly covered in prayer.
Here are today's requests:
While we are sleeping tonight the team will be spending the day with the lepers and the women with HIV/Aids. That is always a very emotional but very spiritually rewarding day. The lepers have so much joy despite their situation. They are true examples of the joy that comes from a very real relationship with Christ.
Please continue to lift up the pastors conference. It will be the last two days of their trip, and we want it to be thoroughly covered in prayer.
Here are today's requests:
Saturday, October 24 Acts 17:11
- Pray that God would be preparing the hearts of the Indian people to receive the message from these pastors with obedience and great joy upon their return home.
- Pray for time with Raja, who we at WFC hope to be our point person in India , to understand his passion and what God is asking him to do in relation to church-planting.
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