Cafe Verona

Forced Joy

2011-12-22T10:42:00.000-08:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. - Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities"

2011 has been a hard year in many ways for us, especially financially. And yet, Jill and I agree this has been the best Christmas season we've ever enjoyed together as a family... bar none. There's something real and good about this year that that has always eluded us for the past 22 years. This has been a season of forced joy.

Now, we've never been the type of people to get too caught up in the consumerism of Christmas. It's not like we've ever gotten in a fist-fight with strangers over that last "hot" toy of the season on the shelf at Target. That said, however, we have traditionally gotten caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season... the stress and temptation of spending more money than we really have... waiting in long lines to buy our treasures.. getting just the right Christmas tree (and getting it home, decorated, etc.)... wading through horrible traffic at the mall, going through our list hoping we can find something for everyone so we don't have to come back to this god-foresaken frenzy of people, stuff, cars, overpriced lattes... and lines as far as the eye can see. Stress is in the air at Christmas time! The songs romanticize it, but the reality is that many people are on edge from over-stimulation.

I remember one time getting our tree in early December when we lived in Orting. We were on our way home, driving carefully so as not to spill the overpriced tree tied to the roof of our Ford Escort. We were shocked when a young couple, also loaded down with Christmas goodies and packages... passed us (illegally), honked their horn, gave us the stink-eye, and - in unison - flipped us off as they sped around our car. Wow... merry Christmas to you too!

We've all seen them, right? The bah-humbugs of the shopping mall or cafe or gas station. Songs that celebrate peace on earth playing in the background everywhere you go... but there ain't nothing peaceful or joyous about some folks this time of year. Perhaps we've all been that grumpy person...?

I remember one time when the kids were around six and ten years old. We were broke as broke gets... but wanted to give our kids the "best Christmas ever" So we did what all well-meaning parents do in that situation... used the good old plastic to buy happiness. At least we attempted to use it. Let me tell you, nothing is more embarrassing than having a shopping cart full of toys rung up at Wal-Mart... only to be told that your credit card has been rejected. Like a Southwest Airlines ad... we just wanted to get away! Nothing screams shame and failure quite like the impersonal voice of the (rushed and annoyed) cashier informing us that our card has non-sufficient funds. Talk about humiliating!

However, this year is different. This year we don't have any extra money... so we decided to make an otherwise stressful situation into an opportunity. It may have been forced upon us... but nevertheless, we made a decision together... and it has reaped the surprising harvest of abundant joy within our family. No gifts this year. No (living) tree. No charge cards. No arguments. No stress. No shopping. No hassle. No consumerism... period. Just Jesus, and food... and family... and a quiet, simple, hassle-free holiday season.

For many years now, Jill and I have understood the true meaning of Christmas... and have always wanted to escape the trap of go, go, go. Truth is, we've always just wanted to enjoy the brighter (and romantic) aspects of the Christmas season. But frankly, we've never been willing to do it... it's too easy to give in at the last minute. Consequently, we have never received the joy of simple faith... not like this year. We all talk about getting away from the ugly side of Christmas... the hectic pace that consumerism puts us through unwittingly... but when it comes down to it, most all of us give in to the sin of overindulgence (both with our time and money) sooner or later... and one way or another, suffering the consequences. Nothing's worse than getting a massive Visa bill for a bunch of junk no one really needed or appreciated in the first place. Especially when you consider that the toys and trinkets (not to mention the gift cards) will be used up, forgotten and/or destroyed long before the bill may be paid off.

But this year is different for us. I've not even thought about the stress of Bellevue Square or Southcenter... and all that implies. Heck, I've not even gone to Yakima... the good old shopping stand-by of Ellensburgers everywhere! Our big splurge was a trip to Fred Meyer (the "Mall" of Ellensburg)... to buy an assortment of stocking stuffers for the kids (and dogs). It feels weird, but no lists of gifts for this person or that... no last-minute rush to the store to find gifts. Nothing that smacks of stress or guilt. We don't have it... and (at least for this year), we don't miss it either.

Christmas is about the gift of Christ into the world. Christmas is about celebration of life... real life that is found in the mindset of humbleness and gratitude. Christmas is about relationships with people. Family... even those who kind of drive you nuts... and special friends of all varieties. Christmas is about special foods that make you fat (and happy)! Christmas is about simple pleasures like fresh-fallen snow, tree ornaments, Bing Crosby (and Nat King Cole and so many others). Christmas is about lights, and poems, and touching stories of generosity and kindness. Christmas is about caroling, and blessing, and giving. Sure, giving gifts can be a huge blessing... but somehow, the beauty of Christmas has infected our culture with the curse and bondage of expectations out of control. Maybe our time is more valuable anything else?!


Somehow, I think Jesus had it right when he said that the most important thing we can do is love God and love our neighbor. Essentially, the Incarnation is the ultimate personification of that truth, right? For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son... the Son who loved God so much he did His will... and the Son who loved people so much he came to be the Way... Our Way, Truth and Life. Jesus didn't shop at Macy's or Wal-Mart... but that doesn't mean he wasn't utterly and completely generous. He gave us the ultimate gift of Emmanuel... and He invites us to celebrate the reason for the season... NOT by overwhelming our pocketbooks, but through obedience to the Father, and generosity to our neighbor.

I thank God for the gift of forced joy this Christmas. Circumstances have caused me and my family to look to Him more closely (rather than the things of this world)... and depend on Him more profoundly this season. Though none of us knows exactly where we're headed on this earthly journey... disciples of Christ can know that they know that God is good... and that He cares about people as a Shepherd cares for His sheep.

May you experience the joy of living as you learn to trust in His provision, fully and completely. Merry Christmas.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“ Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” - Luke 2:8-14

Good Friday?

2011-04-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Good Friday Text: Mark 15

Seems weird to call the day Jesus was crucified, "Good" Friday... but oh well. I'm sure there's a historic reason. Not much that was good about it though.

Here's a sample of how it went for Jesus.

²⁵ It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ A sign was fastened to the cross, announcing the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” ²⁷ Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
²⁹ The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. ³⁰ Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
³¹ The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.

So, here's a question... who was responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus? Was it the Jewish leaders, who plotted his death? Was it the Roman soldiers, who enjoyed toying with and torturing Jesus? Was it the crowds, who on Palm Sunday cheered, "Hosanna" to Jesus... only to shout (a mere five days later) "Crucify him!"? Was it the disciples... who turned their back on him in the Garden of Gethsemane when the gang of thugs came to take him away? Or was it you and me... when we rebel against Him?

Seems we all have blood on our hands.

Nope... there ain't much that's good about Good Friday. That is, except we know it's not the end of the story.

Maundy Thursday

2011-04-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Biblical Text: Mark 14:12-72

Today is Thursday of Holy Week. So what does that mean... what could that mean to us followers of Jesus 2000+ years after His crucifixion? Well, if nothing else, it's an opportunity for us to reflect on what happened that fateful night oh so long ago.

Reading the above passage in the gospel of Mark, I have a question I'd like to explore: If Peter was ready to die for Christ, why wasn't he willing to live for Christ?

V. 31 - “No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same.

Vv. 71-72 - Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.
Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.

I am so just like Peter, aren't you? We want to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength... but way too often we find that we don't love Him the same way He loves us. We want to reflect the light of Christ in this dark world... but way too often we find ourselves immersed in the same darkness that covers non-Christians. We want to stand for what is right... but when the going gets tough, we fall backwards and fail to stand at all.

Jesus went through so much for us. Not just the crucifixion itself, but coming to our world in the first place. Enduring hardship. Putting up with our refusal to draw near to God. Experiencing persecution. Suffering an agonizing death. So why do we so quickly deny Him with our words and actions? Why does the spirit of Peter... the spirit of cowardice permeate believers even to this day?

Don't know. But I'm glad Jesus went through with God's plan. I'm glad He's a forgiving God. I'm glad He stepped in through the gates of Hell, so that we don't have to. I'm glad He is faithful to humanity, even though humanity continuously fails to be faithful to Him. I'm glad God loves us even though we don't deserve it.

We are invited to dine at the table with Christ, and some of us plot his death. We are invited to pray with Him in the garden, and all of us scatter when danger comes. We are confronted about our relationship with Him, and most of us deny knowing Him. What a mess we are! What a fountain of grace He is!

Rob Bell: Response to a Concerned Friend

2011-04-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

I admit it... I'm getting worked up all the controversy about Rob Bell. What follows is my response to a friend and brother in Christ who voiced his concern about Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins.

It seems as though a new divide is taking place among evangelicals in recent days and - though I appreciate their passion for Scriptural teaching - I'm getting increasingly frustrated with Christian "celebrity" leaders like John Piper and Mark Driscoll, especially when they decide to call out (and even demonize) pastors and teachers that dare explore what I perceive as extraordinarily Christ-centered (albeit out of the box) ideas about the love of God. There are, and always have been two primary sides to the great debate within evangelicalism... Calvin and Wesleyan/Arminian. Nevertheless, more often than not, the two sides have respectfully (if not always gently) disagreed on issues such as sovereignty vs. freewill, inerrancy of Scripture, etc. When it comes down to it, for many centuries now, many groups of so-called Bible-believing Christians have recognized a core of shared beliefs, most clearly articulated in the ancient creeds. As I reflect on both the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed... neither of which have a lot to say about the afterlife. I think it's safe to say it is not much. Scripture itself veils the whole matter in mysterious language - not at all clear or comprehensive. I'm guessing that is on purpose. Perhaps because it is beyond our human capacity to comprehend, except "through a glass darkly", i.e., the revelation of the Holy Spirit to our spirit. God gives us exactly what we need for our salvation, right? Regardless, I think we can agree that one thing about eternal judgment is very clear: God is in total and complete control. He will surely do it with justice and grace... all motivated by and infused with His perfect love.

Regarding judgment, the Nicene Creed merely affirms:

He [Christ] will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

And, by the way, regarding generosity of spirit among Christians it says:

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

What it all means to me is this: important as it may be, nevertheless, eternal judgment is simply not our domain - it is God's alone. And though we need to be wise and discerning... still, we absolutely must approach the issue with humility, fear and trembling. I don't think I would call anyone a heretic unless I truly felt they were setting up theological barriers, effectively preventing people from receiving the free gift of grace... that is, a renewed and restored relationship with God, available to the "whole world" through Jesus Christ. Our job is to be witnesses to the light of Christ, all while understanding the implications of continuing to live in darkness (both here and in the life to come). Honestly, with that in mind I don't see how Rob Bell qualifies as a false teacher. He doesn't deny the "bad" news of eternal judgment - he only challenges our modern assumptions about the degree and scope by which God will carry it all out in His perfect love.

Unfortunately though, I don't sense very much generosity among fundamentalist Calvinists these days. As a Wesleyan/Arminian Christian... I find that kind of insulting. More and more, I'm hearing and reading some pretty divisive things from leaders among the Reformed camp, which saddens me. Obviously, this has really come into focus with the Rob Bell book. It seems as though they believe they have a corner on truth (Truth?)... and the rest of us are false teachers, leading people to destruction. Where is the generosity of spirit between the differing camps of orthodox Christianity? Where is the gentleness of correction and disagreement? Where is iron sharpens iron? I've read some alarmingly mean-spirited things written by the aforementioned pastors... and of course, their vast crowd of blogger followers. As I said, many of them wrote Bell off as a heretic even before the book was released! All because of a four minute video? Really? Honestly, I wonder if many of the bloggers are merely perpetrating what their heroes tell them they should believe. For the past several years, Brian McLaren has been a favorite target of theirs... and now it's Rob Bell, who dared to write a book exploring the afterlife... a book he audaciously decided to call Love Wins. Yes, I saw the video... and yes, Rob Bell certainly seems to be enjoying stirring the pot just to sell more books... but nothing he has said or done seems to deserve the tone of the attacks by his chorus of angry critics. Come on... why not attack real heretics and false messiahs like Oprah, or Tom Cruise, or any number of New Age spiritual wackos that lead people into the lie of self-glorification? Yes, Bell asked some controversial, thought-provoking questions... and he even inferred the possibility that Gandhi could be in heaven. But does any human being know for certain where God might send someone like Gandhi in the afterlife? Do you or I know? Does Driscoll? I'm pretty sure only God knows. And clearly, God looks at the heart. So, is it evil to ask questions about our time-honored doctrines, so firmly planted in the Enlightenment and rooted in rationalism? Is it so evil to think God may have another way of invoking pure justice on his creation than by sending all non-Christians to hell forever? Does the concept of God allowing "evil" people into His embrace (beyond what we can ascertain from the pages of Scripture) really that offensive to us? Is the Bible crystal clear about these things... or has the Church been shaped by cultural truisms that may not be biblically-based whatsoever? So Piper disagrees on Bell's view of the afterlife... is that disagreement borne more out of what Scripture clearly says, or what contemporary Christian tradition says? Biblical interpretation has always been, and always will be, a difficult, humbling process. But more and more, it seems as though if you don't interpret the Bible the way some people do, then you're labeled a false teacher. And therefore, attacks can be justified. My question is this: at what point does protection of Scripture become Phariseeism? They killed Jesus for his outrageous claims about the love of the Father... all in the name of protecting the law of Moses.

I don't need everyone to agree with me, not by any means. Nevertheless, I do hope and pray that we brothers and sisters in Christ can continue to dialogue, can continue to debate, can continue to encourage one another... and in humility, help one another discover and embrace the love of God more profoundly as we journey along together on this beautiful, yet extraordinarily difficult path called Christian discipleship. In the words of my home-boy, Jesus (found in John 13:35), "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Amen and Amen! What a concept.

The Book of Hebrews

2011-03-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

Focus book: Hebrews (NLT)

Wow,

The book of Hebrews is a fascinating, beautiful, yet extremely troubling book. It's not long, only 13 chapters... but nevertheless, it is very d-e-e-p-! As I read it this week, I couldn't help but think of a symphonic masterpiece... something designed to start out in a hushed intensity... then slowly but surely build to a thundering crescendo that moves the hearer in a profound way. Something like Handel's Messiah, maybe? Anyway, Hebrews does that to me. Rather than comment on a small section, this week I thought I'd share a small snippet of thought from each chapter... kind of a quick overview of what I hear the author sharing with the reader along the way. Hopefully you'll be able to sense the need for reading this book in full context... it was never meant to be picked apart for sound bytes. The brilliance in this book is in it's dramatic unfolding of truth.

(Of course, people often hear me say that about all the books of the Bible... but I really do believe Hebrews has a special quality that makes context even more necessary than most other books.)

Anyway... this is what I heard in each chapter... serious food for thought!

Chapter 1 - Christ is greater than Angels

Jesus is God's Son, through whom everything was created
The Son is greater than angels, who are powerful, but created beings

Chapter 2 - Christ is fully Man

So we must listen carefully to the truth, or we will drift away
Jesus is fully man - made in every respect as we were, and who suffered as we do
He came to help the descendants of Abraham, not angels
For only as a human being could He die, and only through dying could he break the power of the devil

Chapter 3 - Christ is greater than Moses

Jesus is greater than Moses, Israel's savior from Egyptian slavery
The ministry of Moses was the building, but the ministry of Jesus is the Builder - deserving more praise
Be careful not to harden your hearts against Jesus as the Israelites did against Moses
Because of their disobedience (to God), they did not enter the rest of the Promised Land

Chapter 4 - Christ is our Spiritual Rest

Resting in God is not merely Sabbath, that is physical (on the seventh day), but spiritual (through the Son)
Sabbath rest in the Law was a foreshadow of the rest we have in Christ
Resting in God comes about through a softened heart that trusts in Him
Christ is our Great High Priest who understands our weaknesses, and pours out mercy and grace

Chapter 5 - Christ is our perfect High Priest

A High Priest whom the Father qualified Him as perfect, through the obedience of things He suffered
A High Priest in the order of Melchizedek
You who have been believers for a long time now ought to understand these things and teach others
But instead you are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food
Solid food is for those who are spiritually mature

Chapter 6 - Because of Christ, we can persevere in our faith

So let's stop going over the basics over and over again
It is impossible to bring back to repentance those who - once enlightened - reject the Son of God, nailing Him to the Cross all over again
But surely, that is not you - you are meant for better things that come with salvation
Our great desire for you that you will love others - and not become spiritually dull and indifferent
That you will live by faith like our forefather, Abraham
Thus, by faith, we understand that Christ leads us through the curtain to God's inner sancuary
He is our great High Priest

Chapter 7 - Christ is our heavenly priest

Melchizedek is greater than Moses
Abraham gave him a tenth, and Melchizedek gave Abraham a blessing
Unlike earthly priests, Melchizedek lives on
Jesus is like Melchizedek, guaranteeing a better covenant with God
His priesthood is by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed
Because Jesus lives forever, His priesthood lasts forever
He is the kind of High Priest we need, because He is holy and blameless, unstained by sin

Chapter 8 - The new covenant Christ mediates is superior

This is the main point: we have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven
Christ is our High Priest, far superior to the old priesthood
He is the one who mediates a far better covenant with God, based on better promises
Because of what Jesus did, the first covenant - the old one - has become obsolete

Chapter 9 - Christ is the perfect sacrifice, made once for all

That first covenant had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth
This system was only in effect only until a better system could be established
Worship under the old covenant were a shadow of things to come
Nearly everything was purified with the blood of an animal
But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals
Christ is the perfect sacrifice, dying once for all time
He entered into heaven itself to offer to appear before God on our behalf
He will come again, to bring salvation to all who are eagerly awaiting Him

Chapter 10 - The blood of Christ cleanses us forever

The old system of Moses, was a shadow, a dim preview of things to come
Christ canceled the first covenant in order to put the second (new) one in effect
By His one offering, he forever made perfect those who are being made holy
So we too can now enter heaven's most holy place, because of the blood of Jesus
Our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with blood to make us clean,
And our bodies have been washed with pure water
But if we keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord
We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved

Chapter 11 - We can follow the Scriptural examples of faith

Faith is confidence that what we hope for will happen, giving us assurance about things we cannot see
By faith we understand the entire universe was formed by God's hand
Examples: faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, etc.

Chapter 12 - We need to keep our eyes on Christ

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us strip off sin that burdens us
Let us keep our eyes on Jesus
He endured the cross because He had His eyes on the joy awaiting Him at the Father's side
So too can we keep our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith
God disciplines those He loves, so endure it as Christ did
So work at living a holy life
And be careful not to refuse to listen to the One who is speaking
Let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe
For God is a devouring fire

Chapter 13 - We need to remain steadfast in our faith

Show hospitality, love those who are mistreated
Stay on the path, don't let others take your eyes off of Jesus
Earth is not our permanent home
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow
Pay attention to the words of this letter (exhortation)
May God's grace be with you all

Amen and amen!

Jesus Junkie

2011-03-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

This week's focus book(s) to read is: TITUS / PHILEMON

From Titus 1:1-3

¹ This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. ² This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. ³ And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.

That pretty much says it in a nutshell for me. I am a slave of Jesus Christ. And, by nature of my calling to ministry, am an apostle, "sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God- who does not lie- promised them before the world began."

What is a more important role than that for a preacher? Ya, I know as a church-planter I am forced to wear a lot of hats... but frankly, I don't like that part of this job. I suck at administrative tasks... and people remind me of that often. Ya, I know paperwork is important. I know organization is necessary. I know communication is paramount. I know tasks have to be delegated. I know emails have to be answered and phone calls have to be returned, and websites need to be updated, etc., etc., etc.

But when it comes down to it... all I really want to do is two things: (1) spend time with God, listen to God, pray to God, serve God, cry out to God, and seek God's Word for wisdom and revelation... and (2) sit with people, talk with people, laugh with people, cry with people, pray with (and for) people, learn from people, debate with people (sometimes), wrestle with biblical issues with people... heck, sometimes even argue with people! All to accomplish one thing: to stand in the gap as a shepherd between God and the people of my flock to, "proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives." And allow that truth to give them, "confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began."

You see, I believe in the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. I don't always act like a holy man... far from it. I'm a work in process. But nevertheless, I'm a legitimate, authentic sold-out Jesus Junkie... a nutjob for Christ who really and truly believes that...

1. God made us to be whole and good and eternal, but...

2. Individually and collectively, we all have chosen to rebel against God's boundaries. Consequently, the curse of sin that we invited into our world prevents us from living the fulness of life God originally intended, but...

3. God did not give up on us. Through Abraham He called a people, and...

4. Raised a nation. God spoke to them and blessed them, taught them, warned them, and promised to save everyone through their obedience to His law, but they could not live up to their high calling, so...

5. God did the craziest thing imaginable. The Son of God came to our world and obeyed for us vicariously... He lived a human life for us... died a sacrificial death for us... obeyed the Law for us, and was resurrected to fully and completely reveal the power and grace of the Father... all for our sake. Then He...

6. Established His Messianic presence right here on earth. With mercy and forgiveness we can't begin to imagine, through His Holy Spirit God continues to reveal Himself to those who live by faith and trust and obedience to His invitation to EVERYONE to become reconnected to eternity and therefore become whole again (holy), reflecting the gift of His love. Finally, He will...

7. Come again at the right time to fully and completely establish His kingdom. He will create a new heaven and a new earth, fusing the two together He will live among His people (His true disciples) who choose to love Him seek to be with Him for ever and ever and ever.

I know. Crazy, huh?

Spiritual Fitness

2011-02-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

This week's focus book(s) to read is: 1 & 2 TIMOTHY

I re-learned something recently that I already knew intuitively. Fasting is a great spiritual discipline, but a lousy way to lose weight (in the long run). Many of you already know, just less than a couple of weeks ago I completed a 40-day fast, whereas I only drank water, juice, broth, and a lot of yukky tea and some other distasteful things. And I lost 30 pounds in the process. But here's the kicker: since I started eating again, I've gained much of it back already... yep, I'm growing the gut again. :-( Oh well, that's because fasting as a diet is a really lousy, rather unhealthy way of shedding weight. During the famine you lose weight (though not at first, since your body goes in to starvation mode)... but eventually it comes off. However, during the feast you gain it back again in a great big hurry!

I firmly believe that losing weight is more about paying close attention to eating a balanced diet (less carbs in my case)... moderating the portions (listening to my body)... EXERCISE... and frankly, giving my health/vanity over to God (recognizing it first and foremost as a spiritual battle). All of those things are key if I ever want to lose the gut once and for all (and perhaps live longer too).

Want to know the truth? I kinda do the same thing with Daily Bread too... that is, I have a feast or famine approach to chewing on the words of Holy Scripture. I might go a few days without reading a word... then spend several hours immersing myself in seeking what God has to say to me through the stories of His people. Why am I like that? Why do I starve myself for awhile, only to piggishly slop around in it later? Wouldn't a more mature approach be to marinate my soul (to continue the food analogy) in the Word daily... tuning my ear to God's Spirit, and seeking to know the will of God through an intentional, disciplined time of prayer?

⁶ If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. ⁷ Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” ⁹ This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. ¹⁰This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

Man, I really do want to get into shape. I want to look better, feel better, and live life more fully by getting into good physical condition. But more than that... much, much more than that - I want to train myself for godliness - and consequently, teach others how to receive the, "promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." I am not a perfect person... far from it. But God has called me to grow and mature in my faith, and passionately encourage others to bear down, to breathe deeply, and discipline themselves to do the necessary hard work so they can walk in the narrow path... the path of holiness... the Way of our Lord and our salvation... the resurrected life.

Thank you, Cole, for constantly and continually reminding me of my need to feed on the Words of God daily... and spend enough time in prayer to really and truly hear what He wants to whisper into my ear. You indeed are my Timothy, as well as my son.

PHILIPPIANS - Working Out Our Salvation

2011-02-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

This week's focus book to read is PHILIPPIANS (NLT)

There's a passage in chapter two that has always kind of jumped out at me. At first sight, verses 12 and 13 seem to throw a curveball at us "by faith alone" kind of believers.

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Wait a minute. Work out my salvation with fear and trembling? What's there to work out, Jesus? Ahem, I seem to remember the little detail in the four gospel accounts that YOU worked out our salvation already! I mean, you died on the cross for us, right? You paid the price for our salvation, correct? It's not something we could earn on our own... we're not capable of bringing about our own salvation... are you with me so far? SALVATION AIN'T POSSIBLE APART FROM GOD... so how in the world are we supposed to "work out our salvation"? And, for that matter, why the fear and trembling? Didn't Jesus absorb the punishment for the sins of mankind on that same cross (hence, "salvaging" us from God's garbage heap)? What's to fear?

Well... I learned this amazing phrase in seminary that helps to explain this kind of situation. Yes/and. (Wait... I can hear you asking: you went to seminary for the better part of a decade to learn that?) Yep, but rest assured, I learned a couple of other tidbits too. :-) Anyway, yes/and. YES, our High Priest (Jesus) stepped into our world and took our place on the altar of death... shedding his priestly robes and becoming the sacrificial lamb on the cross. Yes, in so doing, he did indeed bring about our salvation. That is God's gracious act in this covenant relationship. AND, we Christians - having accepted the gift of life, now are called to fulfill our part of the bargain... by living our lives by faith, seeking to reflect the nature and character - a.k.a. love - of our Lord and Savior. As it says in Matthew 5:48 (The Message), "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

Exactly... you've been given the gift of salvation... now live like it. Act like it. Believe it. Let that eternal fact saturate your soul. Work it our in your life each and every day. And, while you're at it... do it with fear and trembling. No, not the kind of fear you experience when you watch Saw IV... that's carnal fear. The kind of fear (and trembling) this passage is getting at is the kind that comes from being overwhelmed by the presence of something... or someone that make you draw back in total awe. Like if you met the President or something (hmmmm... perhaps Sarah Palin is a better example if meeting the current president wouldn't get your adrenaline pumping)! You get the idea, right? God is big, He's powerful, He's awesome, He's holy... and because of that, mere humans couldn't help but shrink in His presence. He may be GOOD, but I guarantee you... He ain't safe. He's GOD for goodness sake! If the thought of encountering Him someday (and we all will) doesn't bring about a sense of fear and trembling... then you are what the Palmists would call a fool. An Englishman might call you a bloody fool. But I would just call you very, very brave... or maybe just plain stupid.

Anyway, you gotta admit... this whole thing is a yes/and situation. You and I are saved and salvaged, brothas and sistas who embrace the cross... so let's respond to and confirm the covenant by doing what we ought... by working out our salvation with fear and trembling!

Ephesians - Slaves Obey Your Masters

2011-01-25T00:18:00.000-08:00

So, I'm trying something different, and yes, Glenn... I'm planning on sticking with it for a long time! :-)

As shepherd of the people who claim The River as their spiritual home (and anyone else who may listen), it is my heart's desire to get everyone reading the Word of God regularly - so that they may hear the voice of, and better discern the love and grace continually poured out by our Father in heaven.

So just to keep everyone on the same page... and to make it easy, I've been encouraging everyone to read (at a minimum) one book of the Bible per week. As it is, we've been making our way through the New Testament for a few weeks now, and at our current pace, we'll be on track to finish it by Easter Sunday.

This week's focus book is EPHESIANS (This link sends you to the NLT translation, which, along with The Message, are my personal preferences). My sermons will not necessarily follow the reading schedule, so instead I'll resurrect this blog site to journal about something I read each week... while continuing to blog about the upcoming sermon at River Ramblings. Clear as mud?

Anyway, today, I was struck by Ephesians 6:5-8, as follows:

⁵ Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. ⁶ Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. ⁷ Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ⁸ Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

Okay, so it's not likely anyone reading this is a slave - at least in the sense of slavery as we know it, marked by it's brutality and bondage. However, all of us who claim that Jesus is Lord is considered a "slave to righteousness"... so as far as I'm concerned, this is a passage for you and me just as much as anyone else.

We are willing subjects of God's kingdom, bond-servants of the One who sits enthroned above and has all power and authority to rule over us as He sees fit. So, if we are not "independent" contractors, but indeed slaves to the cause of Jesus Christ (as Paul so often described himself in various ways) - then what do you think it means to serve Him, O Christian? Haphazardly? Once in awhile? However and whenever we want? When it fits our busy schedule? When it's fun? When it stays within our comfort zone? When it doesn't hurt?

Um... no. I don't think so. Serving the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind and strength can be a pretty frightening experience sometimes. And yes, servanthood can potentially bring about a huge amount of pain and suffering on our part. Let's face it... being a disciple of Christ is not easy. Sometimes it's lonely and often it's frustrating doing what you hear the voice of God calling you to do.

But it's worth it. I heard someone say once... "God isn't interested in our happiness, He's interested in our holiness." However, even though that expression may have a ring of truth to it, I tend to think the gospel of Christ goes much deeper than that. I definitely don't think following Christ was ever meant to be easy, but on the other hand, God is eager to pour out His Spirit on His children, to make even the most difficult of circumstances lead to joy. Joy isn't what's felt on the surface when we get what we want out of life... it's what is felt deep down inside when we humbly obey God's will for our lives. Joy is what comes about when we, "Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."

Pathways

2008-06-22T20:51:00.001-07:00

I had a nice conversation with a good friend the other day. We talked about pathways to God and other mysteries of life... you know, some light conversation over coffee. Anyway, according to the well-known religious guru, Oprah Winfrey, there are many pathways to God, and (my interpretation of her words) Christians are rather arrogant to think they know the only way to eternal life.

Hmmmm... I realize Oprah is a very good and very powerful person. She has very publicly, very generously given away many things to needy people, and has poured herself into causes of injustice around the world. But just because she's popular... just because she's giving... just because she's a celebrity (in a culture that worships celebrities)... just because she's a "good" person, I have - and always did have - a problem with Oprah's "many pathways to God" theology. Just who is her god anyway? I submit she believes that "god" is found deep within ourselves. With enough positive thinking, we can tap into our inner god. A novel idea, but one that goes against the Jewish/Christian concept of a powerful creator.

For example, here is an Oprah quote from a 2002 article: "I became calm inside myself and I thought, The outside world is always going to be telling you one thing, have one impression—accusatory, blaming, and so forth. And you are to stand still inside yourself and know the truth, and let it set you free. And in that moment, I won that trial."

Now, I don't pretend to know whether "good" sacrificial, generous, god-fearing (i.e., Christlike) people of other world religions are on the right pathway toward salvation. No one knows the eternal destiny of other human beings... only God alone knows that. As followers of the Way, we are called to discern a person's standing before God perhaps - and be witnesses of His mercy and grace - but never to judge or condemn them to "hell".

Like Oprah, I do not believe that people must (magically) utter the name of Jesus, or bow down to the cross, or read a Bible, or say the sinner's prayer... or (for heaven's sake) be regular church attenders in order to be on the "path" of salvation. So, if Oprah believes Christians are arrogant to think they are the only people on earth who have even a glimmer of hope of eternity (just because they were lucky enough to be born into the right culture)... I would agree with her. I firmly believe salvation is far more complex, far messier than that... part of the divine mystery. Finite creatures attempting to know the ways of the infinite God will never fully grasp Him.

However, unlike Oprah, I don't believe there are many pathways to God... there is only one... and that is right response to the light we have been given (by whatever means that light may be shed). In other words, I believe the One true God can and does have the power and motivation to reveal Himself to humanity... ALL of humanity. And ultimately, He invites every human being to look outside themselves - to walk on the path of eternity - through His Spirit. For many, this light is the gospel of Jesus Christ... that is, an invitation to walk in relationship with the Jewish Messiah - to live as he lived, and believe as he taught. For others, the light... the revelation of God... may be cast in different shades or colors... but nevertheless, the invitation to turn away from self-worship (to repent) and turn toward something far more powerful than themselves... is given. Now, just how and where salvation plays out in the midst of this revelatory transaction takes place is a complete mystery... wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, here's my beef with Oprah. Ultimately, it seems her god is found from within... in other words, we are god. If we just believe in ourselves more, if we search deeply inside our soul... our inner sanctuary, if we seek inner peace and harmony (the goodness within us all)... we will find salvation... bliss... the pathway to God.

But the God I know... the One who whispered my name and revealed Himself to me... The One who was, and is, and always will be... let me in on a little secret: Creation is good, very good... but within the bounds of human history, something very bad occurred... something which profoundly damaged the goodness of creation... In the context of freedom, a wrong choice was made, thereby damaging humanity's eternal relationship with God. But God - knowing our determined desire to find the answer within ourselves - allowed humanity to attempt to fix their own problems... to be "good" and moral beings strong enough and righteous enough to restore the broken relationship (in their own strength... with some help from God). But after thousands of years and countless cycles of failure (as told in the Old Testament stories of God's chosen people)... After it became abundantly clear humanity is "lost" apart from God... In the fullness of time, God revealed Himself more fully, more personally. The Lord Himself joined us in our stead, He came to our world and personally paid the high cost of our salvation. We, therefore - through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ - have the opportunity to live in a restored relationship with our Creator.

The answer is not found within ourselves, Ms. Winfrey... the answer is found outside of us, as we invite Him to come near. The answer is found in the loving, faithful, ever-so-patient, sacrificial, and yet oft-frustrated God who made us, cares for us, disciplines us, goes to the ends of the earth for our sake... and yes, the God - the ONLY God - who provides the Way for our eternity. "god" has a name - He revealed Himself to us as Yahweh. He then chose to more fully reveal Himself to us through His Son, Jesus... and by His Spirit. That is not a statement of arrogance... it is a Trinitarian statement of faith - it is an articulation of hope for those who seek something powerful and grace-filled of which they can cling to... forever.

Cafe Living

2008-05-31T12:10:00.001-07:00

It's been a couple hundred years since I made a post at good ole' Cafe Verona... but I really miss it! And things have certainly changed since the last time I wrote down my spiritual thoughts here in this thoughtful, friendly, cozy, and powerfully aromatic Italian espresso bar at the far reaches of my mind. Actually, there are several reasons I haven't written for so long... one is the Daily Word, which takes a lot more time than I would have ever supposed. But the overriding reason is pure and unadulterated laziness!

One thing I have experienced since I last visited the Cafe is an unforgettable time working for several months as a Barista at Starbucks. Holy cow... that is one butt-kicking (but wonderful) job! I don't know if I miss making endless lines of lattes and caramel macciotos, but I really do miss the people a lot... both fellow partners (employees) and customers! Someday soon, I'm going to post on some of the lessons learned at Starbucks. It's been a couple of weeks now since I've "retired" from the Canyon Road (Ellensburg) location, but my body is still trying to get used to not getting up at O'Dark-thirty. Seriously, I believe a middle-aged guy getting out of bed at 3:30 in the morning to go to work has learned the definition of hell on earth! No biggie for the young kids I worked with - sometimes they came in to work without sleeping at all the night before... a suicidal approach my brain can't even begin to fathom. Let's face it, quad-grande americanos might help (and taste really good), but NOTHING could give me the energy to think and do all the necessary things if I even dared walk in the door with less than six hours of sleep. After a few minutes, they'd send me home in a basket.

So, here I am... all of a sudden I have more time on my hands than I've had in nearly eight years (after a lifetime in seminary, and nearly a year as a bi-vocational church planter)... I'm actually able to read more, think more, and write more. Oh, don't get me wrong... I manage to stay really busy these days, but it's amazing how different it is to have only one full-time job, rather than trying to keep several plates balanced in the air and constantly spinning.

So anyway, my new goal is to post my thoughts here on a weekly(ish) basis. Sounds easy, I know... but do you have a blog? If so, are you consistent with it? Ha... I thought so!

The way I see it, I have about a 12 month (give or take) window of opportunity to see for certain if God has something special in mind for creating a new kind of church in the Burg. After that, things get a bit more complicated, especially financially... but for the next year, I can focus all my energy and effort into The River. As I step back from my job as Barista and once again begin to dream big dreams about this church-planting adventure, I am fearful yet confident, anxious yet relaxed, and overwhelmed yet faith-filled. I'm likely to have a lot of thoughts along the journey... and I'd love to get your input as I write down my random thoughts on church-planting, discipleship, and life-in-general.

So... welcome back to Cafe Verona. Grab a chair, sit back, relax, order your favorite coffee beverage, and join in on the conversation!

Authentic

2008-01-11T11:45:00.000-08:00

authentic | involved | eclectic | missional

Authentic [aw-then-tic]

1.	not false or copied; genuine; real

2.	having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified

3.	entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy

Source: http://www.dictionary.com/

We at The River seek to be a community of faith that is authentic. But what exactly does that mean? Isn't every church authentic? Well, maybe... and maybe not. But we're not trying to presume the motives of other groups in this discussion. We are simply asking what the shape and priorities of our church should be if we're seeking to be (as in definition number one) "genuine" followers of Jesus in this little corner of the world.

One thing that comes to mind for me is that we need to see people here as loved by God - no matter where they are in their beliefs. There is a huge population of spiritual believers and seekers in the Pacific Northwest. But - here's a shock - not all of them are looking for... or finding their answers in Christ. I don't know if that is the church's fault or not... but I do know that we have kind of settled into a polarized society here: Essentially, the Christians and the non-Christians.

We have a decent (if not statistically low) number of Bible-believing, regularly church-attending folks who make it to worship service each Sunday. And then we have a massive group of people who don't fit into that category... probably because there are so many outdoor activities in (or close to) this little valley. Why mess up a perfectly good chance to go skiing or snowmobiling by going to church?

I don't have a great answer to that last point. Sometimes I wish I could go fishing, or skiing, or hiking, or camping, or river-floating (or whatever) on a weekend without having to go to the modern version of church. But hey, that's the price you pay to be a disciple, isn't it? By now, you may be asking yourself... Does Jeff have a point to make here? Actually, I don't know for certain - but I do know I'm kind of sick of the polarity.

Perhaps it's just the nature of the beast, but why do Christians have to be so different than the rest of society? Why do we have to put up so many walls... blocking the way for people to experience what we have to offer... that is, the person of Jesus in our midst? Why have we positioned ourselves as so different from (i.e., out of touch with) our unbelieving friends and neighbors?

I understand that not everyone wants to know about Jesus... BOY do I understand that! But how many people would demonstrate more interest in the Christian faith if they encountered more authentic Christ followers in their daily lives? What if - instead of taking pride in our separation from the "sinners" among us - we took pride in our integration into the lives of pre-Christians... that is, people who don't yet know (but have a destiny with) Christ?

Okay... a controversial point perhaps... but let's say we agree that we need to be more integrated into our local community... Somehow we need to overcome our collective "holier-than-thou" reputation, and earn a new reputation as authentic, empathetic and completely trustworthy. But how do we go about it? How do we change our reputation? Is it even possible? How do we allow others to see that we're real people... with real problems and concerns? How do we live among the people and tell them the truth... the compelling story of God's relentless pursuit of our salvation... without coming across as jerks and self-seeking manipulators?

Wikipedia says that authenticity "refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions" and "a particular way of dealing with the external world." Wow... If we could stop trying to build a church... (yes, that's what I said). If we could stop trying to win more people to Jesus (don't faint... stay with me). Heck, if we could just somehow, some way resist the overwhelming sense of "us and them" syndrome for just a little while... If we could live our lives before God with "truthfulness of origins; attributions; commitments; sincerity; devotion; and intentions"...

Who knows what God could do with that kind of authenticity from His followers!

So, blog reader... what does authentic Christian discipleship mean to you? I know, I know... online comments are about as popular as a root canal... but just this once, give it a try... There is no right or wrong here (well, unless you're really off the deep end). I'm simply curious what people think when they hear the term "authentic follower of Christ." How does a little, emerging, and (hopefully) out of the box gathering of everyday people live in, and connect with folks on a deep level... and find creative new ways to "deal with the external world?"

How do we spread the good news authentically (that is... with our actions as well as our words)? How do we speak the language of "outsiders" so they hear the relevance of Christ... and positively respond to Him? Just what does it mean to be aw-then-tik?

Hmmmmmm... I'm curious to read what you think.

Daily Word

2007-12-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

Ya, I know it's been awhile since I have posted anything at this blog... but trust me, I have been busy! Ever since we have been gathering (at The River) as a small group for the past few weeks, I set up a new blog at the church website with the daily gospel reading from the Revised Common Lectionary. There are some really good resources that teach about the Lectionary at The Voice. Anyway, I have been providing the Gospel portion of the Scriptures along with an image and short devotional thought. It's a quick read (about 5 minutes), and hopefully worthwhile in the lives of busy, overtaxed disciples of Jesus.

The church website is www.kvriver.com and the devotional reading for each day is on the tab (at the top of the page) called "Daily Word". Unlike this blog, there is not a subscription button for email. However, if you'd like me to add you to (or remove you from) the list, I can send you an email each day as I update the blog.

To all my adoring fans (:-) I'll get back to posting more at this site pretty soon... However, I'm having a lot of fun and getting challenged by writing these short, simple devotional thoughts each day. They are not terribly deep or profound, but nevertheless, the discipline is having a deep, profound impact on me... and so are our small group discussions. Your online comments are welcome and appreciated... assuming you're not trying to sabotage our efforts.

Finally, I'm also writing a weekly devotional thought each week for my previous employer (Children's Ministries) in Kansas City. They are posted at http://cmc.nazarene.org. These short sermonettes have proven to be fun (and challenging) as well.

Gee, all this responsibility is causing me to actually read the Bible once in a while!

Who woulda thunk it?

The Lectionary

2007-11-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, I never, ever thought I'd be considering using the Lectionary. I mean, that's just a tool of high church tradition, right? A boring, mind-numbing string of Bible passages that have no connection to one another, and no rhyme or reason to their selection. Besides, this is a complex world. People need help with specific issues in their lives, so in order to do it right, a preacher should exegete his congregation properly and use relevant, helpful topical series to preach where people live - not some ancient, holier-than-thou, outdated, powerless ministry tool.

At least, that's what I used to think.

However, more and more, I'm beginning to appreciate the Lectionary as something powerful, useful - and quite possibly even relevant for use in local church ministry. It's not just the Sunday readings that intrigue me - you know, the Psalms, Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel selections. There's another function of the Lectionary - something I never even knew of until recently - called The Daily Office. The purpose of the Lectionary goes well beyond Sunday mornings (who knew?). It also provides us an excellent resource for daily Bible reading. Generally speaking, it is designed to help students of the Word (i.e., disciples of Jesus) gain a more fully-orbed experience of the biblical stories and teachings through a two-year cycle. Essentially, if you consistently read the Daily Office for two full years, you'd have a solid understanding of the major stories, teachings and doctrines found in God's Word. Not bad.

Not only that, but the Lectionary readings beautifully coincide with the Church calendar, connecting us with a 2,000 year old tradition of attuning ourselves with the major events in the life and ministry of Jesus. For example, there are two major seasons of the church year which make up "Sacred Time", (1) Advent-Christmas-Epiphany, and (2) Lent-Easter-Pentecost. The balance of the year is known as "Ordinary Time." Ordinary in this case does not mean mundane, but rather "counted time." Alternative terms for this season of the church calendar are Kingdomtide and Dominiontide. Whatever you choose to call it, this period begins on the Monday after Pentecost and lasts until the day before the First Sunday in Advent.

I know this may be basic stuff for some of you... and yet completely alien territory for many others. Nevertheless, it's a rather new concept for me, and I'm finding the Lectionary to be an intriguing resource - one in which I'm becoming more and more comfortable reading and utilizing personally. What I'd really like to do is find a way to combine all the daily readings in one place - to make it easy for people to read each section without having to do a lot of flipping back and forth in their Bible or surf the web incessantly. It's a fast-food, sound byte generation, you know. :-)

I may be wrong, but I'm convinced that most Christians today are biblically illiterate. Hey, I struggle to read the Bible consistently and systematically each day... and for goodness sake, I'm a pastor! How much more difficult for people whose living is not at least partially made by studying and interpreting the Bible? Perhaps the Lectionary could help maxed-out generation of busy disciples by providing a timely, communal, comprehensive, and yet mercifully short daily guide through the Scriptures? Is there a downside to this?

However, so far I've not yet found the Daily Office in one convenient place. Perhaps that is what the Book of Common Prayer is all about... I don't really know. (I know... another ignorant Protestant!) Anyway, currently, I use Bible Gateway to look up each text based on the Lectionary resource at CRI Voice. But frankly, that takes a lot of time and energy... more that most would probably be willing to spend each morning. There's got to be a better way.

Do you know of one? What is your plan for daily Bible reading?

Or, maybe I should ask it this way: Do you have a plan for reading the Bible?

Please, don't be shy. Tell me about it.

Doing Church

2007-10-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

I love God. I love that God loves me, in spite of my warts - and I love that He loves loves the whole world, in spite of its collective evil... that is, thanks to His special creation (humanity).

And I love the Church - that is - the gathering of saints, singing spiritual songs and hymns, prayer, Communion, confession, encouragement, laughter, tears, serving others, excitement, brokenness, conversation, breaking of bread, laying on of hands, accountability, sacrifice, healing, forgiveness, redemption, grace. In a phrase... Joyful struggle. I told a listening friend recently that starting a new church is hard... it's a huge, very lonely, sometimes depressing struggle... but somehow, some way there is an inexpressible joy contained within the struggle. I know God has called us here to plant His church... but sometimes I really begin to doubt. Then someone or something comes along and the doubts begin to melt, at least for awhile.

Anyway, I had a nice conversation over lunch today... I was talking with my friend Bill about church. Nothing earth shattering, just trying to articulate what church is and perhaps what it should be. Just why do I want to start a new church in Ellensburg, anyway? I mean, there's already a ton of Christian churches in town... more than enough to handle its relatively small population. Well, not enough for the whole population I suppose, but more than enough to provide a place of community for Christians. So, do I think they're all doing it wrong, and I need to start a new church that does it "right"? No, I really don't think that's my motivation... although in my heart of hearts I do admit I believe there is some truth to that.

I guess my real angst is that (in my experience) churches are designed to go after and do their best to retain existing Christians (by serving their needs) - rather than doing what Jesus told us to do... look for creative, out-of-the-box new ways to seek and save the lost. Yes, I know... laypeople are trained (for better or worse) to evangelize their friends, family, neighbors, etc. to get them all to come to church (where they can presumably experience God). But - this is where it gets messy for me - here is my question: should we try to get unbelievers into our churches to save them... or should we be going to them to preach the gospel (and sometimes use words)?

Perhaps it's not a yes or no, but a yes/and kind of answer. Perhaps it is good to gather as a community of God's people to worship and seek to experience the powerful presence of God together. But in all honesty... is that enough? Is it even the most necessary thing? Doesn't it seem like "church" has become this thing that we do... rather than something we are? Doesn't it seem like typical Sunday morning worship services inspire us to listen (and take notes) and receive (and learn)... rather than converse together (and become vulnerable) and give sacrificially (and grow)? Doesn't Sunday morning church attendance seem like it encourages individualistic mask-wearing rather than participation in the gospel story? Is Sunday morning church all there is to the Christian life...? That is, one hour of sitting and listening to people sing and talk about God? What about the other 167 hours of a person's week? Isn't Christian discipleship supposed to be a 24/7 thing? Isn't following God supposed to be the aim and passion of our whole lives?

Let me ask you... because frankly, I'm curious... If you consider yourself a mature follower of Christ, and yet the sum total of your time each week is spent worshipping God in a Sunday morning (or evening) "service"... how are you able to grow in your walk with Jesus? Are you accountable to anyone about your temptation to rebel against God? Does anyone know your story... your fears... your victories... your failures... your dreams... In other words, does anyone in the Christian community really know the real you? Who encourages you? Who prays for you (no, I mean really intercede on your behalf and stands between you and God)? Who depends on you to join their spiritual battle and seek God's will for their lives?

Maybe I'm missing something, but those things have never happened to me in a "come and see" atmosphere. Oh, don't get me wrong, I have been convicted of my sin, and I have poured out my heart to God during an altar call... but other than the token pray-er who bravely decided to join me and pray for me while I blubbered about my spiritual concerns... no one has ever come alongside me in the midst of my battles with Satan as a direct result of a Sunday morning worship service.

Informal small groups, however, have utterly shaped and formed my Christian experience. Breaking bread with empathetic and trustworthy Christ followers has led to profoundly deep conversations about God's grace... and deep change within my soul. Missional activities, like visiting someone without hope in a hospital, or serving dinner to a bunch of homeless men, have provided me a closeness to God I never thought imaginable. Each of these activities shares common threads I believe are vitally important to discipleship: two-way interaction, and human presence.

Does all my ranting above mean I'm against Sunday morning worship? No... not at all. I guess I'm just trying to say I don't think simple church attendance has the same power to transform hearts that it used to have. I know, I know... small groups are all the rage in churches these days - and good as the idea might be... small groups have the same propensity to grow inward and become cliquish as Sunday morning worship services. Besides... most small group "ministries" seem to be designed to serve the purposes of the church more than its members.

So what would the ideal church look like? What would the ideal church encourage from its members? What would it require and/or enforce? When and how would it gather as a community? How could it get whacked-out busy people to slow down and give more time to God... to make time to establish authentic, self-giving vertical (toward God) worship and horizontal (toward others) relationships? What would its goals and values be as a community of Christ? How could it balance the need for Christian fellowship with the commandment to serve others?

Oh God... How are we to live (and gather and serve and worship) in this confusing, caffeine-enriched, crazy culture we live in? Where are you at work in our world... and how may we join you? How may we serve you... and best represent your holy presence in this place? How are we to be and do Church?

On This Rock I Will Build My Church

2007-10-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

So, I was talking with a friend today (talking with friends always helps me articulate my otherwise random thoughts)... and we got into a discussion about vocational pastoral ministry.

To be honest, I'm pretty confused (but that's okay - so is my friend). On one hand, I track really well with the Emerging Church philosophy and it's desire to "emerge" or rise up out of the paradigm of modernity and it's redefinition of the historic Christian faith. So much of what the church has become in America is rooted in consumerism and individualism and reason (as opposed to communal, kingdom living and tradition). This, in my estimation, has made doing church as much a professional business as it is a lifestyle. And as any fan of Willow Creek or Saddleback can attest (by their endorsement of megachurch)... the bigger the church empire (aka, ministry), the more power and influence it has in the marketplace... and therefore, the more resources it can sell to Christians with an insatiable appetite for finding the newest, best way yet to know and follow God with as little effort as possible.

On the other hand, however, I suppose I'm about as modern as they come in terms of vocational ministry. You see, I wandered my dispassionate way through the wilderness of meaningless jobs for most of my adult life. I was always fairly good at what I did... but I never could put my heart into my job. Let's face it, it's tough to get excited about selling forklifts, or coupon advertising, or office furniture... at least it was for me. But one day, I was talking to an associate pastor (yes, at a big church - I'm full of contradictions) about my thoughts on small groups, and another associate pastor, overhearing our conversation, came up and asked me, "Jeff, do you think God might be calling you into the ministry?"

Wow... with one simple question, that pastor changed the course of my life forever. Yes, it may have taken me until I was 35, but that day, I finally learned what I want to do with my life when (an if) I grow up! Mind you, it took me another 8 years to prepare (formally, at least) for the ministry - but nevertheless, now I can't even fathom ever doing anything but pastoring a church. I firmly believe God created me to be a pastor... that's it, end of story. (Oh, God... somebody please call a doctor... I'm obviously deranged!)

But do you see my dilemma? The modern church is the perfect environment for a lifetime vocational pastor like me... right? After all, the bigger the church, the more accolades (and book deals?) that can be negotiated, and the higher the salary that can be demanded. [WARNING: Long sentence to follow - try to maintain your train of thought the whole way through!] But these so-called emergents - those house-church kind of folks who actually think spiritual formation and Christian discipleship is more likely to take place in someone's living room or out in the public square, than in a massive auditorium with colorful banners and professional worship music - don't think money should be what drives the heartbeat of the church. In other words, I want to pastor a church that - in theory - wouldn't want to pay a pastor.

Arrrrrgggghhh! To quote the Apostle Paul... WAY out of context in Romans 7:24-25, "I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind..."

You know, when it comes down to it, I love the idea of a smaller, organic, missional, communal kind of church... a New Testament kind of church. But there's nothing wrong with the concept of God "adding to their numbers daily" either. I think if the church I'm pastoring ever had to deal with the "problem" of exponential numerical growth... the thing I would try to remember is that we are simply called to love God, love our neighbor, and love our brother... not build a church empire. That, in essence, is His job if He so desires. However, God can move mountains with a community of people sold out to His cause, be it a community of 12 (with an unpaid lay-pastor), or a community of 1200 (with a staff of vocational ministers).

Hmmm, someday, I hope to find where I really belong along that continuum. For now though, I'm pretty content with where God has put me (lonely as it may be sometimes)... and I kind of hope He shows me what can happen here in Ellensburg when ordinary people listen and obey the One who came to redeem all of creation and share the good news. Wow, what if this church-plant rose up to one day become a spiritual oak of righteousness??? What if lives were changed... hope was given... bondage was broken... hearts were turned?

Geez... how audacious is that...? Yet, how humbling... how exciting!

Come, Lord Jesus! We want to see your church grow (deep and wide).

Thursday Mornings with Roger

2007-10-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

In the early days, we met at Starbucks. We'd get up at some ungodly hour, sip coffee, and talk. Frankly, the conversation had no rhyme or reason - just whatever was on our minds. Often, we'd step out of the Starbucks and join the geriatric crowd as they strolled along in the massive empty mall in which the Starbucks was located. On nice days we'd even go outside, and encircle the big, strangely built metropolitan mall located between State Line and Ward Parkway in Kansas City.

Sometimes the conversation was very spiritual - often we'd even drive to a nearby park or walk to one of the many isolated corners of the mall and pray together. But usually, the tone of our conversation was simply about life - sometimes life as two Christian men trying to be light in our world... and sometimes just two guys trying to maintain their sanity in the midst of a busy, overtaxing, meat-grinder kind of world. On any given week, it might be me or Roger (or both) who needed to talk - you know, just sort of unload all the junk stored up in our heart to a caring friend with a listening ear. Confession of sin... griping about something or someone... sharing a victory or key family event... any number of things could potentially set the tone of our mornings together.

Always, however, our mornings tended to revolve around two primary things: God's holiness and good coffee. Everything else may have randomly fallen together, but those two topics provided our conversations with a liturgical order and purpose. That is to say, we always enjoyed a great cup (or more) of steaming hot coffee, and inevitably the conversation always found its way to the personal, profound - albeit sometimes frustrating - grace of Jesus Christ, and the various ways He continually weaves it into our lives as imperfect, yet willing disciples.

After a couple of years at Starbucks, another option presented itself to us, which deepened our commitment to Thursday mornings together - Panera Bread became our new place to meet and talk and pray and laugh and cry. And our new location gave us three very important new motivators to get our butts out of bed on any given Thursday morning: (1) A private booth way back in a corner of the store... right next to the fireplace; (2) free online access (personal gripe: why in the world doesn't Starbucks have this?); and (3) Way-awesome breakfast! Wow, how I miss those bacon and spinach souffles. I admit, the coffee wasn't exactly Starbucks, but what the heck, we found a new home (church?), and it was almost heaven. The wonderfully-aromatic, most comfortable place on the planet (aka, Panera) became our weekly home away from home for the next couple of years.

But then I graduated and moved to Washington State. That's it, no more Thursday mornings with Roger. No more accountability. No more sounding board. No more prayer partner. No more fellow laborer in Christ to just whine to and be encouraged by. No more bacon and spinach souffles. No more iron sharpens iron. No more conversations about the emerging church, pastoral ministry, adoption (as in, Roger is in the midst of adopting a child internationally), parenthood, photography, and whatever else may have been going on in our lives at the time.

Oh, we've tried, and will continue to try other options like video chat... but it's just not the same without all the human and environmental trappings like eye contact, coffee aroma, guys washing the windows in the background (hey, it was part of the morning ritual), and Anna... our favorite waitress who knew us by name and always gave us the best looking souffles.

Lord, please send me another friend. Perhaps no one will ever be like Roger... and no other place will be like Panera... but send me a friend whom I can trust with my deepest secrets and fears... and someone to celebrate my victories with. Someone who'll listen to my stupid ideas without laughing at me (too much). Someone who will pray for me, confront me when necessary, and be my friend even when I don't deserve it. Someone I can laugh with, cry with, occasionally argue with, and always appreciate. Oh ya, and Lord... please send someone like that for Roger too. (Or just make it easy on all of us and Send Roger to the Pacific Northwest)! Amen.

Universal Truth

2007-10-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

So, what is Truth anyway? Is there really such thing as universal Truth? More specifically (and controversial)... does the Bible contain universal Truth? How can we know?

Well, I've been having an email conversation with a couple of friends this past week, and I think the answer is yes... and no. Yes, there are unchanging, universal, non-negotiable, God-given truths which are revealed to His people through Scripture. But no, we can't just isolate and remove any one teaching or principle from the biblical record and universally apply it to any and all human circumstances. In essence, I believe that - rather than universal and transcendent - truth is alive and contextual, wholly dependent on the ever-continuous teaching of God's Spirit.

Modernity would like us to believe that we can read something in the Bible and - once we've properly dissected it into understandable nuggets of truth - overlay those principles to our lives today. I mean, why else would God give us the written record, except to allow us to distill the ancient stories down to timeless principles and moral instruction for our application in today's world? Answer: I don't know... I'm not even certain I believe that interpretation is entirely false. However, I do know that is not a wholly sufficient way to approach the mystery of Holy Scripture.

I don't for a minute believe Yahweh's revelation of Himself to His created beings can be fully manipulated, or digested, or understood, or embraced, or discerned, or grasped apart from His help. I don't believe for a moment that God provided us a logical record of a long history of relationship between the Creator and fallen humanity so we could read (study it, analyze it) it and somehow in our limited capacity, know and understand the fullness of Truth. If that were the case, then what role does the Holy Spirit play in this relational drama? Helper...? Bridge...? Translator...? Puzzle Solver...?

No.

He is the Spirit of Truth, the One who Reveals (present tense) to His people. His role is not reduced to merely teaching us what the Bible meant... He is continuously at work in His Church, continuously revealing new dimensions of truth to God's people wherever they assemble in submission to God's authority. Yes, I know... the biblical canon has been closed - that is, there will never be any further books added or subtracted from the canon of scripture... but that doesn't mean God's Spirit is not still at work, still revealing God's intentions for His people TODAY, through submission to the ancient account of God and His fickle, rather faithless creation. The canon may be closed, but our story of salvation is still being written day-by-day.

I admit, this is probably the most confusing, least clear post I've ever done (or will ever do). But I get so frustrated that my Church, whom I passionately love, is so wacky about universal truth and timeless principles. In my estimation (with a lot of help from other who write about this) - I believe this has led to the dangerous error of elevating Scripture (and reason) above experience and tradition, rather than holding them in tension with one another. It also leads to other errors that get us into big trouble. Can you think of any?

Yes, we are rational beings, but I've got news for you: intellectual reason is not the only channel of capturing truth for humans. We are not just cold, rational animals, we are emotional beings... experiential creatures... sensory-responding humans that have the capacity to discern truth in our mind, heart, and spirit. And God is Spirit. And we are to worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

Truth is not a set of principles... Truth is a person. His name is Jesus Christ... and He cannot (and will not) be reduced to a code of morality, or universal knowledge, or one-dimensional philosophical reason. That would be minimizing the power and ability of God to reveal Himself to us in fresh and creative new ways. Truth then, is organic, messy, problematic. It is not merely taught, but caught - captured through all the experiences and expressions of what it means to be human.

Truth is ongoing. Truth is alive. Truth is contextual. Truth is revealed to us as we submit ourselves to the author of life.

In the immortal words of Lily Tomlin: "And that's the truth!" :-p

The Keys to Success

2007-09-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay... I cry Uncle... really I do. Recently, people have been pretty much telling me the same thing over and over again: (1) They like the way I articulate my thoughts about God and life, and (2) I don't do it very consistently at all. In fact, several times in the past few weeks, I've been encouraged (often with a fair bit of sarcasm) to update my blog more often.

And the truth is, I love to write... especially when I don't have to follow any rules or fear the editor's pen. More often than not, my grammar is likely incorrect, my punctuation is reprehensible, and my believe it or not, I've been known to say (and write) things that occasionally offend people. Yes, I know - big shock. But honestly, I'm not trying to be offensive. I'm just trying to speak my mind about the profoundly easy, and yet profoundly difficult task of following Jesus.

So, after all these weeks away from my blog... here is my incredibly deep thought for today: I am not a very important person anymore.

In the past, I have had big keychains - keys to my car, my wife's car, my house, my work, my church, and even perhaps several other important places (or things) of value and security. But these days I only carry two keys - the one to my car and the one to my rental home. That's it - two lousy keys. No enormous keychain with a dozen keys crowding their way around the metal ring... just two rather simple, rather lonely keys.

You see, as a church planter, I don't have a church door in which to place a key - which is strangely humbling and lonely. When I encounter people and tell them I moved back to Ellensburg recently to plant a new church, the first question most of them ask is, "Where is your church located?" And when I tell them our home is serving as the place for our church - at least for now, most of them get a confused look on their face and say, "Oh, that's interesting." And part of me can't really blame them. After all, a church is a building, right? You know, a steep roof line, stained glass, bad landscaping, well-lit signage, etc. Hmmmm... or is the church more than a physical building after all?

Better question? What is the church? And what are the "keys" to starting a new church (pardon the pun)? In the past, one of the top answers was always rather obvious: secure a physical space that provides adequate room in which to worship as a community of believers. Well, duh!

But how many well-intentioned church planters have immediately implemented this traditional wisdom in their local context, only to find themselves enslaved to a building (and rent) and everything else that implies, such as preaching to no one in an empty sanctuary. How much better then, to be freed and empowered to: (1) gradually and naturally become part of their community, (2) authentically build and develop relationships with a wide range of folks, (3) show hospitality by inviting strangers into their home, and (4) find creative ways to be missional - that is, to share the love of God in Christ with those who don't yet know of His amazing grace - both individually, and as a (growing) emerging new community of disciples learning to live life together as the "church."

In other words, what if worship were more than gathering together once a week (in our Sunday finest) to sing spiritual songs and articulate pastoral prayers, and acquire sermonic, practical help on how to live our lives better as a Christian believer. Note: I'm not down on church in general... (not completely, anyway)... but I guess I'm convinced that church - according to the teachings of Jesus - was designed to be so much more than what we've reduced it to. For that matter, the divine call to live a holy life was designed to be so much more than what we've reduced it to in 21st century USAmerica... but that's another post I suppose.

Well, anyway... maybe the keys to getting back to the fundamentals of the gospel are not found in a grand new building with a killer sound system, but rather in our collective family rooms and kitchens, armed with nothing more than mutual submission, authentic desire, and a biblical discussion about life... Not by going to church once per week (dutifully), but by learning to live out church 24/7 (passionately). Not by (merely) studying Jesus, but by submitting to, communicating with, and expecting the Holy Spirit to generously incorporate the character of Jesus into our lives - powerfully, mysteriously, and supernaturally.

Ahhhh, but regardless of all that - my ego would feel a lot better if my keychain became a bit more populated! Maybe Starbucks will give a key someday to open up shop at O'Dark 30 (?) Then again, maybe I should just follow the call of Christ, be more comfortable with two keys in my pocket, and try not to worry about how people in our culture define success.

Before I Get Drawn and Quartered...

2007-08-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, I thought I'd better provide a quick update to this poor blog site, just so people don't think I've fallen off the edge of the earth. Things are going well, not perfect, but quite well. I can see God's hand at work in so many things throughout this church-planting process.

I know I need to get back to blogging, but I have kept busy with many other things... and besides, I don't have easy access to the internet (so that's my best - albeit weak - excuse)!

I have been working on a website for the new church. It's far from complete (very much a work in process)... so I could use your input as I continue to walk down the path of starting a new community of faith in Ellensburg, WA.

http://web.mac.com/kvriver

Thank you everyone for your positive encouragement and prayers. Since we've found a place to rent (as of August 17), I promise to get back to blogging regularly (and letting everyone know how things are going in our new life).

Gazelle Church

2007-06-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

I picked up a book a while back... not a very great looking book, mind you, but hey, it was fifty cents so what do you expect? Every year, my denominational publishing house has a book sale, and every year, I buy even the dumbest looking books there is the slightest chance I might read someday, just because they are super cheap... it doesn't make any sense, really. But you'd be surprised to see how many people head to the ever-popular "dock sale" to buy books they have no real intention of ever reading... that, and ratty little stuffed animals and other assorted trinkets which didn't sell at full price either.

Anyway, this book I purchased... I kinda sorta had church planting in mind when I thumbed through it, and decided what the heck... surely it's got two quarters worth of material in it, right?

Yes, actually. Maybe even a dollar's worth! It's a big fat textbook I have no intention of reading all of it. However, I was interested in the chapters on marketing, so I decided to sit down during lunch and read the first few pages to get a taste of whether this book was super boring, or only moderately boring. But page two really got my attention. This is what I read (keep in mind, I'm thinking church-planting, not business enterprise):

"Entrepreneurs have seldom received the attention and respect shown to the executives of extremely large corporations" (see, this already parallels the church "enterprise" very nicely).

But it goes on... "Entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks have been the leaders that have produced our recent economic growth... Without the drive, energies, and dedication of entrepreneurs, new business formation would never take place... Entrepreneurs have proven over and over again to be the pioneers who convert ideas into products; dreams into reality. Entrepreneurs blend creativity, innovation, and risk taking with hard work to form and nurture new ventures."

And here is my favorite quote: "J. B. Say coined the term entrepreneur around 1800 in his discussions of the entrepreneur as a person who shifts economic resources out of an area of lower productivity and into an area of higher productivity and higher yield. He postulated that the major role of the entrepreneur was to exploit change, not by doing things better but by doing something different. He viewed the entrepreneur as someone in society who upsets and disorganizes the status quo."

Wow, change out 'entrepreneur' with 'church planter' and the productivity terms with spiritual terms... and you have a pretty good definition of the emerging church: Small, risk-taking, more flexible, willing to do things differently... shifting resources out of lower spirituality into higher spirituality, exploiting change, not by doing things better, but doing things differently! In essence, rejecting the status-quo (just because 'we've always done it that way').

Finally, the interesting, yet rather wordy intro had one more thing to say that I found very appropriate to church planting. Quoting David Birch, the author divides economic companies into three classes: Elephants, Mice and Gazelles. The Elephants are the very big, slow growth companies that are unresponsive to the economy. Mice are the small, self-employment, no-growth 'Mom and Pop' companies. And Gazelles are the new ventures that grow rapidly, tend to locate in select 'feeding places,' and are significantly innovative.

Hmmmm... I don't necessarily want to equate numerical growth of a church with financial growth of a business (though I must admit, there is an inherent connection)... but I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I want the church I serve in to be as fast and graceful in the kingdom as a gazelle in the grasslands. I want to take risks... I want to live dangerously (knowing there are predators about)... I want to analyze my new community and ask God, "What needs to happen in this place so that people who are hostile or ambivalent toward God can powerfully experience the reality of Christ?" I hope people show up in droves, of course... people hungry for something new (yet ancient), something refreshing, something, powerful, something very, very good. However, if only a handful come and want to be a part of this innovative, risk-taking, status-quo busting ministry venture in Ellensburg... then I need to be OK with that as well.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I'm excited... very, extremely, passionately excited to go 'home' again... take some risks, love people in ways they've perhaps not experienced by the Church before... and be a witness to what God intends to do in us and through us. Some Christians may be offended by our desire to be innovative, and some may even be inspired to join us in our spiritual adventure (which would be wonderful)... but frankly, our 'target audience' is not Christians... It's a highly eclectic mix of sinners who may have real concerns about church... but nevertheless hunger for the encouraging, forgiving and empowering love of Jesus the Christ. As my friend Jeff put it recently (since Ellensburg has a unique blend of cultures and personalities)... we should put a sign out front that reads, "Cowboys, Hippies & Co-Eds welcome!"

Amen, Jeff. That definitely sounds kind of weird, but very Gazelle-like to me!

Hungry

2007-06-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been an up and down kind of week, mostly down to be honest. 10 days to go, and we're all feeling the heat. Last night, I wrote a long, pretty negative blog which detailed our fears and concerns about this whole church-planting adventure. But I decided not to post it. Frankly, it was just too blunt and full of fear. Suffice to say things are not going real wonderful at the moment, but regardless of how things may look circumstantially, I continue to believe that everything will work out in the end. Moving issues, building issues, no-place-to-live issues, no-place-to-store-our-stuff issues... you know, everyday stuff (smile)!

I've been thinking about my recent post on personal evangelism, and I want to try to articulate my "method." I must admit though, it's not very structured... in fact, it's rather loose and flabby. There's probably a lot of overlap in my definitions below, but what can I say? Truth to me is not systematic and rationalistic, but inter-relational and organic.

First, I think it's important to become fully saturated with the love of God. It's not my pre-rehearsed speech that will convince someone to enter the kingdom of God, but the authentic love of God overflowing from my heart. So, in my mind, evangelism is rooted in a deeply dependent relationship to, with, and in Jesus Christ. This involves the basic Christian spiritual disciplines such as private and corporate prayer, and passionate consumption (and communal interpretation) of the Word of God. The Bible is read, not to receive "how to tips on evangelism from Jesus and friend," but rather to enter the story of God and allow His Word to shape my character from the inside out. The more I read... and give the Spirit of God permission to saturate my soul through the narrative and propositional truths... the more my heart, soul, mind and strength become mysteriously shaped into the image of Jesus Christ. It's not about principles for living... rather, more like revelation for transformation.

Secondly, I believe it is imperative to become thoroughly immersed in the local community in which I live... where I socialize, go to school/work, shop, eat/drink, play, run errands, worship, and dwell. The light of Christ was meant to be given away to others who are living in darkness, but I cannot shine if I do not engage and intentionally nurture relationships wherever I go and live. I don't need to carry the attitude that I must "get everyone in the world saved." No, I must carry the attitude that God is at work in my community, and I must seek to join Him where He is. As far as I can tell, that "place" is not predictable or measurable or containable. The task of reconciliation is the Lord's alone to carry out, and all He asks of me is to make myself attuned to His will, available to be His presence in the world, and eager to share the story of His resurrection power to forgive and transform with anyone who genuinely seeks Him.

Third, I believe evangelism extends to more than just a one-time conversation or crisis at the altar... into something much bigger and more effective in the context of eternity. Yet it is also messier and less controllable. Incarnational presence goes beyond getting someone to say the sinner's prayer... Incarnational presence is a continual acting out of God's personal touch to those who hunger to grow in their knowledge and experience of His grace. It is reaching out to the powerless. It is giving to the poor and needy. It is spending time to pray for the oppressed and afflicted. It is listening to those who need to spew venom or vent pain that has been welling up in their heart. It's doing what Jesus did when He came to this dark place... It's giving people a better alternative... and empowering them to believe in something (someone) outside of themselves... it's costly... it's self-emptying... it's God-focused and it's powerful.

Fourth, I believe evangelism has to erupt from our best intentions and motivations. I am not on a mission to grow a church, or get another notch in my gun (gunslinger talk)... or even satisfy my own ego to "get someone saved." No, the motive of my evangelistic style must not originate from my modern desire to build a powerful empire... it must originate in the all-powerful, pure, interdependent, ever-continuous love of the Triune God. I'm not here to do God any favors... frankly, He doesn't need me to save the world, or even one person within it. But He does delight in utilizing the overflow of my heart to touch people who yearn for something greater than what their experience has offered up to that point in their lives. I am not a self-automated power-tool, finding people who are broken and taking it upon myself to fix them... I am a hand-tool, placed in the hands of Almighty God, ready to go wherever He call me, and do whatever He bids me to do. I don't have to worry about anyone's eternal destiny... I just have to love people wherever I go, and trust that He knows what He is doing with my life.

Evangelism is not what we tell people, unless what we tell is totally consistent with who we are. It is who we are that is going to make the difference. If we do not truly enjoy our faith, nobody is going to catch the fire of enjoyment from us. If our lives are not totally centered on Christ, we will not be Christ-bearers for others, no matter how pious our words.
--Madeleine L'Engle

Two Weeks

2007-06-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

(Deep breath)...

In 13 days, we'll be heading out on the biggest journey of faith that we've ever taken before. And lately I've been reminiscing about our journey here. Looking back, I guess you could say we stepped out in faith when we sold our home, packed up our stuff and moved to Kansas City six years ago so I could attend seminary. And yes, it was a serious step of faith for us... but it didn't really seem like it at the time... we didn't know anyone in the Midwest, had no place to live, no jobs, very little money... In fact, all we had was a 26 foot U-Haul truck full of stuff and lots of faith that God had called us there.

And indeed He did call us to Kansas City. Not just for a rich, holistic, life-changing master's education and the opportunity to learn new things about God... but also for the practical life experiences and the opportunity to learn new things about ourselves! One lesson we certainly learned (sometimes the hard way) is that yes, indeed, God was there to take care of us every step of the way... even when it seemed like times were very dark and our marriage might fall apart. Things simply fell into place... and we learned to depend on each other in ways that could have not come from our own wisdom or strength... it was truly the Master's hand guiding us. Strange, interesting, and thoroughly unpredictable events unfolded right before our eyes... all in all, those first few months were hard but very special to me and my family. All doubts about whether or not God had orchestrated our move (and our calling) - not us - were erased early on. I often struggle with knowing whether I'm following God's will or Jeff's will. The latter is not pretty... and I have many years apart from God to prove it!

Then, right at twelve months into our new life in Misery... uh, that is, Missouri, after the honeymoon period had worn off a bit and the finances were getting extremely tight... one of the biggest miracles of all took place... God called us to serve in a small church in the southern part of the city. The pastor and church board were looking for a seminary student who would simply be willing to serve part-time in exchange for living in their parsonage... a parsonage mind you, with four bedrooms, a full basement, and in a wonderful older neighborhood. Duh... It took me about three seconds to ponder the benefits of that deal! So, I paid them a visit that same day!

But, here we are, five years from that point, and two weeks from moving back to Washington State... and this revelation is really hitting me hard: I'm not going to miss the house one bit (and it has been a great place to live and raise our kids). Frankly, it's the people we're sad about leaving behind, not the building. Since we have the ever-hectic VBS planned for the last week of our time in the big city, the congregation threw us a big farewell party last night and laid hands on us to carry on the Christian tradition of sending us to our next assignment. The whole night was simply wonderful... and yet, it was terrible. I cried like a baby, and my wife cried even harder... and my nine year old daughter cried even harder than that! My 13 year old son didn't cry as much, but he didn't really say much either... he was too overwhelmed and choked up to speak. Good heavens, it was like an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition... I don't know about you, but I can't make it to the end of that show without tears flowing... Nor can I say goodbye to the people who have been our friends, adopted family members, and our biggest supporters without feeling like my heart is being ripped in two.

It's funny, but I've been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time. I've watched many fellow students, a few fellow associate pastors as they left us for greener pastures, never to return... and oh how I longed for the day when it would be us leaving for a new ministry adventure. And now that it is literally upon us, I'm excited of course... but surprisingly I'm not joyful. There's a whole stew of emotions flooding my soul right now - sorrow about leaving some of the best people in the world behind... fear and trembling about what we're getting ourselves into in Ellensburg (more to come on that topic later)... joy that it's finally "our time" to be heading out into the wild blue yonder... and (this is a paradox)... even a bit of mourning that I'm not in school anymore. I never considered myself a natural student... I have a pastor's heart, and only came to seminary to learn how to think theologically (NOT to learn how to become a pastor)! Even though I hated reading all those books (the boring ones), and dreaded writing all those papers (the difficult ones)... I am mystified to say that there is a part of me that misses the challenge to engage my brain in the marketplace of ideas... and consider how that translates into pastoral ministry in the 21st century.

My God, I've been institutionalized! It's a good thing I'm leaving town, or I might someday get the crazy notion to work toward a D.Min. degree... Nah, I'm not that warped!

Nevertheless... God is calling us, of all things, to come home. The vision has been cast, the deal has been set, the call has been made, and plans have been executed... we are now officially past the point of no return. I know this is the right thing to do, but why doesn't He make it easier to leave one place as we prepare ourselves for whatever he has planned where we're going? Oh well... our old church will move on and we will move on... but not completely. Though time and distance may separate us... the love of God in Christ will bond us to those wonderful folks for all eternity.

Thank you for all generosity, patience, love and grace you have shown me and my family these past five years, Summit View Church of the Nazarene! We are profoundly grateful for what you've done to shape us and prepare us to serve in His kingdom.

Evangelism

2007-05-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

I got myself in trouble with an experienced pastor the other day. Oops, I should probably learn to keep my mouth shut more often! Anyway, we got into a short discussion about my evangelism style, and I told him I don't really have one. After his initial shock, he asked me what I meant, so I told him a story.

When I was in my first year of seminary, I had heard much about the evangelism professor, who was something of a legend in that school and across the denomination... so I immediately enrolled in his Personal Evangelism class. But there was a problem. The more I went to class that semester, the more I became troubled by the whole "evangelism" thing. Great guy... I love the (now retired) professor as a person... but frankly, his methods literally made me ill. His full-court press style of gospel salesmanship was modeled after "Evangelism Explosion, " a massively popular formula for "training disciples" developed by D. James Kennedy in the early 60's. Essentially, this method of sharing the gospel centers around asking two important questions, roughly as follows:

#1 - If you were to die tonight, do you know for sure that you would go to be with God in heaven?

#2 - (if they say yes)... If God were to ask you, "Why should I allow you into My heaven," what would you say?

Then, after managing to get his or her attention (hopefully by scaring the "hell" out of them), you would lead them through a series of pre-selected Bible passages (accompanied by profound illustrations)... all purposefully designed to lead the person through a rational, yet emotionally appealing monologue about God's plan of salvation with humankind. Question, question, Scripture, illustration, Scripture, illustration... etc.

Anyone can do it, my professor insisted, as long as they commit themselves to memorizing the questions, the Bible passages, and the illustrations. That, and an evangelist must diligently maintain the attitude of prayer and "seeing" the lost with Jesus' eyes. If we don't see everyone in desperate need of Christ, then we'll quickly become desensitized, and stop being concerned about people going to hell. Now, tell me, how exactly does a person argue with that?

In those days, I didn't have the words to articulate my building sense of anxiety each time I went to class and had to report on how many times I had shared the gospel with unbelievers the previous week... but with each passing Tuesday night, I came to dread the two and a half hour class more and more. Over and over, the class schedule followed the same basic formula for success: Listen to the professor's highly-charged lecture, take copious notes (or pretend to), watch a home video or two in which he demonstrates every phase of the monologue with unbelievable ease, take a short quiz, turn in a written report, practice our pitch with a partner or small group... and of course, give the class our personal "hit list" of how many people we had gotten to the point of saying the infamous "sinner's prayer" and therefore getting them eternally "saved." We even tracked our overall class hit list per local church throughout the semester with hash marks on a blackboard representing each person won into the kingdom of God! What an impact we were making... and what a migraine I was getting!

Years later, I went to a Brian McLaren conference in Kansas City, and he helped me understand why I had difficulty relating to my legendary professor. For one thing, the two questions were not appropriate for this day and age... (Hmmm, what might a better question be for a postmodern age?)

Anyway, there is good news about the class - I finally got through the semester. The bad news, however? I later realized that the class was a two-semester course. In order to get any credit, I had to take "advanced" evangelism the following semester as well! Oh boy!... More money down the toilet!... More hash marks on the chalkboard!... More sinners saved!... More migraines!

Needless to say, I hated it. Perhaps next time I'll try to explain what my style of evangelism is (yes, I do have one, but it's not nearly as scientific or a "sure-fire" in its ability to bring sinners to their knees)... rather than what it is not. In the meantime, I'd love to learn your take on the whole subject. How you go about sharing your faith in Jesus Christ? What does evangelism mean to you?

The River

2007-05-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

My good friend Eric laid into me the other day for not posting to my blog regularly... so I thought I'd better write something down or I'll hear from him again!

Well, it looks as though the River will be flowing very soon. I'm writing to you from a home in Spokane, where we're staying during our very short trip to Washington State to finalize the details for planting a church in my hometown of Ellensburg. We met in a downtown high rise office building this morning to discuss the financial details and philosophy for starting a brand new work in the 'Burg.' As it turns out, their proposal to us was very different than ours was to them... but in some ways it is more freeing, and certainly more balanced for all parties involved. The people who are sponsoring this new church are so wise and so positive... We were blown away by their sincere affirmation and encouraging feedback. We may be the only ones in our little town as we begin our ministry there, but we will certainly not be alone. There is a whole team of people who deeply care for us and really want to see this new church succeed.

Quite honestly, there is no specific ministry plan... at least not anything that is set in concrete. We have a lot of ideas, passion, and questions... but much of what we do depends on what and who we encounter when we arrive there. We talked it over quite extensively, and as a group, we came to this conclusion: The sooner we begin, the better! So tomorrow morning we'll fly back to Kansas City, give our notice at our respective places of employment, pack up our belongings, and prepare to leave town on June 17. I graduated from seminary on Mother's Day, so it seems very fitting to leave town on Father's Day!

I admit, I have been very negligent in posting to this site... but the past month has, without a doubt, been the longest month of my life. Waiting and praying to see if this is indeed where God is calling us to serve His kingdom. Not knowing for certain has been very frustrating to say the least. However, we left that meeting today with the full knowledge and affirmation that everything we've been sensing in our spirit over the past 12 months has been the call of God on our lives... calling us back to the very place we began our journey together 18 years ago... and of all things, to start a new church! This time around, instead of (trying to) chase girls and abusing alcohol, I'll be sharing the good news of God's grace. Instead of trying to escape my hometown, I'll be seeking to become part of the local culture... to inspire others to serve the poor... to draw near to the One who created them... to become a disciple of Jesus.

The Lord wants to redeem the years the locusts have eaten...

One other thing that became clear in the meeting this morning... we won't be able to take on this project all by ourselves. Obviously, we'll need to depend on God throughout this ministry adventure... but we'll also need a team of people around us... people with passion for Christ, and the gift of thinking through the details... especially in terms of financial stewardship.

No question... It's going to be hard, it's going to be lonely, often times we'll probably want to give up and run away... but it's also going to be wonderful! In a way I can't fully articulate, I know all the way down to the core of my being that God created me for such a time as this... that is, He created US for such a time as this! Though I could certainly do something easier than plant a church in my hometown... or something more financially rewarding... I could never do anything more right or satisfying. It is the right time... the right place... the right circumstances, and the right decision for my family... Somehow I think we'd better buckle-up and prepare for the ride of our lives, 'cause we're about to get on the biggest, fastest, most dangerous roller-coaster ever built... and it makes the adrenaline flow through my veins just thinking about it!

Yikes! Anybody want to move to Ellensburg and get on the roller-coaster with us?