The Theologian in the Back

What are we Preaching?

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:41:00 +0000

I was at a great seminar recently. As is often the case, I was the youngest pastor in the room. Once I get past feeling like I had to apologize for my age (Thank you Timothy!) I always enjoy soaking up the lessons learned form years of experience. The panel was tasked with answering 5 questions about preaching. They all had different styles but there purpose in preaching was all the same; to bring about life transformation.

If you have the blessing of a church vocabulary we may call this sanctification, but I prefer to speak plainly. The reason these men preach is to encourage their congregation to grow closer to Jesus Christ. It was wonderful to hear them admit that they are often called "shallow" because they focus on applying the text instead of the original language. It was liberating to hear how one pastor had preached a nearly identical sermon twice, and had once been applauded for its depth and once critiqued for his failure to exegete the text. The difference? The first used church language (saved, sanctified, regenerated, etc.) and the later used everyday language.

I too have dealt with many church folk who do not see a difference between preaching and teaching. They want to hear a deep exegesis of the Scriptures, but have no desire to be challenged to apply it to their lives. Some believe that simply be exposed to the teachings of Scripture will force life transformation whether we emphasize application or not. Of course, if this were true Adolf Hitler would have taken to the priesthood. If we are to learn any lessons of the generations before us, it should be that knowledge without transformation is useless. In fact, I'd argue that knowledge without transformation is the source of nearly every evil act committed by the church.

So, is our desire to teach the Gospel or to preach it? If preaching is primarily about life transformation, could we even agree with Saint Francis and admit we are called to "Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary use words"? What would our relationship with Christ look like if we put living Christ's teachings at the forefront of our minds instead of our doctrine? I have to admit I believe we would look a bit more like Jesus, and maybe then our message would actually be received.

Frustration is a God Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:01:00 +0000

First off, I sincerely apologize to my regular readers who have been wondering if I was dead. A lot has been happening at Fellowship Alliance and in all honesty, I'm tragically behind where I'd like to be. But, excuses won't take the place of a blog post this week!

That being said, I have a God thought I'd like to share. In a previous post called, "The New Testament Church... Again?" you may have read that I don't necessarily believe we need to conform exactly to the Ecclesiology of the 1st century church. At the same time, there are certainly some lessons we can learn.

First, to give you an idea of my background, I came to Christ in a church of about 350, went to a college church of about 75, worked at a church of about 100, then at a church of 550, and now I pastor a church of about 50. I used to be content with each pastor ministering as they see fit. I saw a wide gambit of ministry styles in those churches, and the congregation all seemed quite happy with their church.

I've been leading this church for just over a year. During that time I've met dozens of pastors who represent an infinite number of philosophies of ministry. They pastor different sized churches in very different communities, have very different personalities, but there are some commonalities. In the churches that are steadily growing, regardless of size, the pastor believes that there is something more he is called to lead the church towards. He is primarily a shepherd-leader, not primarily a preacher. He spends more time in developing people than developing sermons. He may work long hours, or he may only put in a 45 hour week, but he has a purpose and uses every hour to its greatest effect. He does not mourn, he builds. He does not wait, he anticipates. He does not settle, he envisions. He is always frustrated.

This isn't the kind of unhealthy frustration we normally experience when we have to wait a full 2 minutes for our chicken nuggets, it is the type of frustration that comes with growth, maturity, and development. It comes from the sense that there is something more we are called to and we aren't there yet. It is a tension that was constant in the early church. "I wish I could be there" Paul often said, "But I am ministering here". "We told you when we were with you, but apparently you need a reminder". "Get off the milk, and get to the meat and potatoes!". The early church was driven with urgency, and deeply desired to move further into the center of God's will. That mentality always comes with the frustration born of knowing our destination, but not being able to get there yet.

This frustration isn't a cause, it's the effect of clearly seeing God's will and desiring to be there completely. It happens in nearly every pastor whose church is growing, but is it happening in our own lives? Have we become so intoxicated with God's comfort that we've stopped feeling the frustration of being created for more yet falling so short? Do we feel like we need to go further into the world that is hurting, or do we just feel blessed on our sofa?

So how about it? How is God pushing you forward? Where is He leading you? How do you deal with the frustration? What do you need to do this week, or today, to be where He desires you in three years?

Blessings,
Kris

A Bit About Love

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:13:00 +0000

*The beginning of this post was written in February, during our series, "What is Love"*

Have you ever thought about improving your love life? No, this isn't some kind of e-mail selling you a drug or a commercial about a dating service, but lately I've been thinking about love, the topic of our current series at Fellowship Alliance Chapel.

I think most of us have been able to love our family and our friends, but Christ's love calls us much deeper. The first loving thought I ever had for someone outside of my family was probably about 20 minutes after I accepted Christ and realized there are people out there who haven't. My immediate reaction was to tell people. I hadn't undergone any training, I didn't have a tract, and I hadn't memorized a single Scripture... I was simply compelled to share with others what I was now beginning to understand - God's love.

Something I've noticed about a lot of pastors in the Christian and Missionary Alliance is that we've come to Christ later in our lives. Even our president, Gary Benedict, came to Christ in his 20's, considerably later than your average pastor (which I believe averages at the age of 2 and a half!). There are some down sides to coming to Christ later - I haven't memorized the book of James, I'm unable to sing the majority of Veggie Tales songs, and I'm just not in the loop on a lot of the Christian jokes.

On the other hand, I keenly know what it is to be lost. Because of that, I want nothing more than to make sure I do everything in my power to bring Christ to our community. Perhaps this is the greatest way for us to show our love - introducing others to our God, who is love. If this is, however, the sign of a healthy love life I fear for the church universal. We seem much more concerned with our private affairs than with the billions of our neighbors outside of our family.

*Today*
I'm not sure if I forgot to hit the "publish" button, or if I felt like I wasn't done. Something I appreciate about blogging is the opportunity to come back and review what my thoughts have been. Today, it would be easier than ever to allow myself to measure success by the number of church goers pleased, or merely by attendance. Instead, what if I measure success solely by the number of people who come to Christ through the ministries of Fellowship Alliance Chapel?

I would have to boldly say that we are getting there. Lives are being transformed, but it's not always a quick or easy course. Personally, without having kids in the schools or a secular job it's difficult to even meet pre-Christians let alone develop an authentic relationship.

What is it like for you and your church? What are you doing personally to make evangelism a priority? What has your church done corporately that has been effective? Are you main services the draw for the unchurched, or is it your small group ministries?

Why do we Preach?

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:12:00 +0000

Recently I had my 6 month review. A lot of jobs have regular reviews, but often pastors don't bother. I find that hearing from others, especially the leaders of the church, helps me to not only see where I can improve, but if we think it's in the same category. Everyone needs to better themselves professionally, and I'm always excited to better myself. The danger comes when a pastor believes he is the most sociable pastor in the world but my congregation sees him as unapproachable. He will play to his weaknesses while believing them to be strengths and stunt the growth of his ministry.

This is precisely what I found after the review, and I feel fortunate I found it! While very few things truly surprise me anymore I wouldn't have thought that it would be my preaching that got the consistently worst scores. Fortunately, they weren't necessarily "bad" scores, but they were worse than my average.

I may be boarding on arrogance, but I never would have thought my preaching would be an issue. An experienced pastor once shared a story of when he asked his father, who had been a minister, "When will I stop getting nervous before I preach?". The response was, "Never". This just hasn't been my experience. I've never been nervous, jittery, or worried about it. I've received great feedback from professors and laymen, pastors and congregants. So what's going on?

I've wrestled with this, and I think there are two factors that have to be considered. When evaluating preaching I always look at content and delivery. While an experienced pastor could write a book about both I think I'll make it a bit simpler.

Admittedly, my delivery is far less dynamic than it used to be. I'm tired. Preaching twenty times a year is a lot more appealing to a guy like me than preaching fifty. I no longer get to "rehearse" my sermons to better formulate transitions and conclusions because I just don't have time. I don't have a staff to work together and figure out appropriate responses to each sermon. Fortunately my congregation isn't that demanding. I don't have to be a dynamic speaker for those who are already attending FAC. In reality, if I stand up and give a theologically sound Sunday School class most will be satisfied. While my delivery may have contributed I don't think that's the real issue.

I think what concerns me more, however, is when the content is non-existent or not received well. I've heard plenty of preachers who have no content, but after evaluating my preaching, and receiving great scores on my evaluation regarding theology, I simply don't think that's really the problem.

Maybe it's Biblical content which is delivered, but it isn't being received. I noticed a few months ago that there is always a better response to sermons which are heavy on information and light on transformation. I tend to always relate every sermon back to two things; sanctification and evangelism. While sanctification certainly requires some study, it is primarily about application. Evangelism is 100% application. Is it possible that my preaching isn't hitting home because people are sick of being told to apply the Scriptures to their lives?

Fellowship Alliance Chapel exists to follow God, ask others to join us, and call each other to discipleship. To put it into church language we exist to evangelize the lost and lead believers through the process of sanctification. If we truly embrace that mission, shouldn't the message hit home every time? Why do people seem more interested in Bible Study than learning how we can reach our community?

While I think I'm getting down to the core of the problem I accept I could be way off. It's totally possible I'm just boring. So what am I missing? Have you seen these trends in your church? How do we cultivate a culture more interested in seeing people's lives transformed than exegeting whether Jonah was really swallowed by a whale?

Anticipating Blessing

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 09 May 2011 03:55:00 +0000

About 6 months ago the Elders atp Fellowshi Alliance Chapel came together and began praying for God to bless our church. We intentionally began organizing ourselves as leaders and our church to prepare for God's blessing. We discussed and set goals, sought our purpose in Christ, and began to try to understand what our role in the Kingdom would be.

We discussed our ministry context, trying to understand who our neighbors are. We began focusing on the lost and those outside of our church instead of those already on the inside. We made the commitment to prepare for God's blessing instead of trying to react after the fact. We began considering the unbeliever in everything we do. The sermons stopped being about us, and started being about those who haven't experienced Christ's love. It was uncomfortable, and we didn't seem to be doing a lot of "new stuff". Instead we grew closer as a family, and began understanding that it's all about those who haven't stepped through our door yet.

Then, in just the past few weeks, God did something amazing. He began pouring out his blessing. The congregation is feeling increased freedom in worship, the church is catching its second wind, and the testimonies of God's grace in our lives seem to be never ending. But even with all our preparation, all our planning, all our goal setting (and goal meeting) we have come to a place where we're sprinting to keep up with the Holy Spirit.

And God isn't done yet. We have to find more seats to fit our newest family members, and God isn't done yet. It will be hard to incorporate everyone who is seeking to actively do ministry, and God isn't done yet. The growing demands on the leadership to cast vision and communicate it to our people seems impossible, and God isn't done yet. We've run out of parking spots, and God isn't done yet.

The crazy thing about praying for God's blessing and positioning ourselves according to His will is that he opens the floodgates. God's already decided that His church is going to move forward. For us, it comes down to whether or not we're going to be a part of it. And God isn't done yet.

A Curious Observation - We Really Like Us

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:40:00 +0000

For about the past four weeks I've been struggling with illness, which means I didn't have a whole lot I could do besides sit around and think. One of my most difficult revelations was about how we operate the modern church.

I have worked for 4 churches in my life, and am intimately familiar with about a dozen more. They all have something in common. Each one of them speaks with conviction about about evangelism and winning new believers. Some would even say it is their primary focus, but I've noticed something... they just aren't walking the walk.

Here is a fun exercise: Write down everything your church is currently doing on a regular basis (Weekly, monthly, even annually). Now add in what you would like them to do (Maybe that young adult Bible study, more youth activities, etc.). If you're a small church you've probably got 5-15 activities, but you may have dozens. Now, label each of them as either winning, building, or equipping.

A winning ministry is primarily focused on winning new believers.
A building ministry is primarily focused on spiritual growth and personal maturity of current attendees.
An equipping ministry is primarily focused on equipping believers to do ministry - inside or outside the church, on a relatively regular basis.

No cheating! Sure, that small group is open to everyone, even unbelievers, but let's be honest, it's all about building. Maybe that class was launched for unbelievers, but is it really attracting them, or is it building new believers instead? That event was all about evangelism, but there were 50 people, and 45 of them attend the church and the other five are from first church of so-and-so... that's not a winning event either. The sermons are building people up so they can do ministry, but they really aren't pushing them into ministry and opportunities aren't being given for them to actually do the work - sorry again, it's building.

If you know the finances, you can start estimating what percentage of the budget is put towards each category. Did building win out again? Don't kick yourself too hard, because I sincerely can't think of a single church that less than 90% of their time and energy goes into building.

So what's wrong with that? Well, if you ask 80% of Evangelical (church attending) Christians nothing. Their belief is that the church exists for their spiritual development. Evangelical pastors are better, as only 20% of us think the church exists for those currently attending. The truth is, I suppose you could do church only for those already within the walls. Even when I look at the New Testament church and Paul's writings they seem to mostly focus on believers.

But what if we look at Jesus' ministry? A lot of space in the Gospels is given to Christ's teachings, but what about the actual "Ministry timeline". If we examine it closely we'll find that about 20% of Jesus ministry was calling the disciples, and about 20% was teaching them. Again, we're looking at how long Jesus spent accomplishing these goals, not how much of the book of Matthew is filled with one or the other.

So what about the other 60%? Jesus spent the vast majority of his time preparing the disciples for ministry. Jesus must have been the silliest pastor in the history of the world! He was all about teaching disciples about how to do ministry, and not about holiness! He was busy teaching them how to fish instead of memorizing the Armor of God! He was out telling Peter about what the foundational principles of the church are going to be instead of having Youth Group!

I have to be honest, the church I pastor struggles with this mentality as well. It's not because we don't love the lost or that we aren't serious about the priesthood of all believers. It's because we've been so pre-conditioned with what church is supposed to be we'll always struggle to do something different. Ultimately, the question your church and my church has to ask is one and the same. If we're called to model ourselves after Christ, should we also be modeling our ministry after his?

If we dare to answer yes, everything changes. Let's face it, the idea that we do ministry 6 days a week and Sunday is our day to be fed just hasn't worked. The idea that the church is here to make us holy so we can evangelize the world just hasn't worked. My old baseball coach, Coach Marty used to tell us, "Don't tell me, show me." In other words, if we're going to try to tell our congregations that they are supposed to care about reaching the lost, we'd better show them that we're serious. We have to show we're so serious that instead of spending 90% of our energy teaching them Bible we have to spend 80% of our ministry doing ministry alongside them.

Cultural Relevance

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:30:00 +0000

I've had an interesting back and forth on my review of, "Why Johnny Can't Preach." I thought I'd share my last post, which really digs at the question of cultural relevance.

For background, let me say that there are many people who liken cultural relevance with Biblical Heresy and they are (in blunt terms) carrying so much baggage from their own ministry or church that they are blinded. For the full story, you can see my review on Amazon.com's entry of "Why Johnny Can't Preach"

Cultural relevance means the contextualization of the Gospel for the audience. Another way I'd put it is interpreting the Scriptures in a way which can be easily understood by a contemporary audience AND applied to their life. We're not changing the truth, only interpreting it to be understood. In the same way scholars had to translate Greek and Hebrew so an American can understand the truth, we translate deep theological understanding so that the average 30 year old 21st century American can see it at work in their life. I think the biggest indicator of a relevant church would probably be the language used in worship and preaching. Are they using theological terms that take 15 years of Sunday School to understand, or are they translating their faith into something understandable.

Technically, every church is in some way culturally relevant. Sadly, many churches are relevant to only the "Church culture". Great expositors in the pulpit laud the need for holistic sanctification and ecumenical purity but are speaking to those who are already Christians and should the unbeliever stumble into the sermon they would find themselves adrift in a sea of irrelevance - not because these subjects are not important, but because the sinner isn't so much as convinced of his disposition let alone a need for radical holiness. No where am I doubting a person's desire to see lives transformed, but until they are ready to intentionally invest in understanding their cultural context and interpret everything they do so that the people who are lost can understand and be welcomed into their family they will always fall short. I can give sermons about how much I love lost people, but if my sermons aren't applicable to those lost people I will not make a kingdom impact. It comes down to whether we choose to speak into our church culture or the culture of the lost?

You are dead on regarding Jesus' parables. THIS is the problem with many churches today, we are speaking to the chosen few instead of the masses! He spoke in parables because the masses didn't get it like the closest disciples. Instead of ONLY talking to those who are already walking alongside him, Jesus had to simplify and contextualize his message for those he was seeking. The parables were explanations of truth put into agricultural and other every day terms so that those who were not directly under the tutelage of Jesus could understand. The reason for using them was so he could be effective with these people. It's also a good model of what our church will look like if it's serious about the lost. The majority we have to speak to in parables because the secrets of the kingdom are yet revealed (and will be by God, not by our own efforts), many can handle more serious discipleship and only a few (which I'd usually call the staff and board for a pastor) will be at that highest level of understanding. Many churches stand proudly and say, "We are more mature believers" but it is because they no longer are adding children of the faith to their church. This doesn't mean the church isn't growing, only that it's not by conversion growth.

For listening, I'd recommend Andy Stanley. There are some others that I don't quite jive with theologically, and so I hesitate to recommend them. Also, as far as substantiating the bit about transfer growth, I suggest picking up Barna's "Grow your Church from the Outside In." The basic premise of the book is 80% of all church growth is biological or transfer. This is a book based on statistical research instead of casual observation (which continues to be my primary problem with "Why Johnny Can't Preach").

Stopped up Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:13:00 +0000

Saturday and Sunday were two very "Crappy" days in the Browning home. Somehow my main sewer line got clogged up. Now, we've all had to plunge toilets, maybe put some Drano (yes, I spelled that right) down the sink but that isn't a main line clog. It's inconvenient to not have your sink water drain, but when sewage is coming up from your bathtub it's a whole new ballgame!

I immediately went to work trying to find a "Clean-out". A clean-out is a junction in the piping which allows you to put a plumbing snake directly into your main line and clean out the crud. If my house has one, I can't find it! It isn't under the sink, behind the dishwasher, near any of my indoor plumbing, and if it's outside it's under at least a foot of frozen clay! So, what did my friend Dan and I have to do?

Generally, if you want to fix a plumbing problem you look down, not up. We, however, counter-intuitively went to the roof, stretching our 100-foot plumbing snake up the roof, down into the exhaust pipe, and into my new home. Dan scaled the ladder and I operated the snake from the bottom, until about 80 feet of metal cable later my drains were finally working, and once again we could use water!

I have to admit that at one point in my life my heart was clogged up much worse than my backed up lines. It was, however, clogged up with the same substance - pure sewage. My inability to love or to open myself to God or others made me a stinking mess. Relationships existed only for my own benefit, and I was a user. Anyone who tried to pour themselves into quickly found themselves wading in pools of the most vile smelling "Crap" I've ever seen.

God augered my heart. He came into my life and removed the garbage. Now his holy spirit moves freely through me. Even though it took us about 8 hours and a lot of hard work on Sunday to clear out the clogs I believe it was a lot easier than the work God had to do. The difference? For years, I willfully resisted His prompting something that the backed up sewage wasn't about to do to us.

God cannot force his way into our lives. That is why it's best to make sure we've put a "Clean-out" into our spiritual plumbing. Give God a way in, and he'll make it happen.

I suppose that my purpose in ministry isn't much different than my purpose was last Sunday. Everyone has garbage, junk, and "Crap" that is clogging their relationship with God. What would the church look like if each believer acknowledged the spiritual backup we all have struggled with, and then do everything in their power to allow God to push past that? I suppose it would be a taste of Heaven on earth.

The 21st Century Heretic

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:08:00 +0000

It all started about a year ago. I was searching for some information regarding the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and stumbled on a poorly written but very long article recounting the C&MA's seizure of a church's assets. I think it was written by James Sundquist, but it's actually been really hard to find names. Everyone keeps omitting them or blacking them out, that sort of thing.

As I read the article I have to admit I was rather shocked. The facts are fairly straight forward; in 2008 the South Pacific district exercised their ability to seize a church and redirect its assets (the same power it has over the church I pastor). I suppose if one was to leave it at that, it seems like the Alliance is a pretty evil denomination.

Of course, if you read a bit further into it, the church simply wasn't functioning. The Pastor seemed to be rebelling against the authority in place. And, the church didn't actually close... just moved into the authority of the District, and became a "developing church". They still meet on site, and use the same materials they purchased but under new leadership.

Today, there is a movement (especially within fundamentalism) which sincerely rejects the idea we would be intentional and plan for church growth. Part of me wishes I could agree as a stare at page 5 of my 2-year strategy for my church, feeling a bit helpless and like what I want to happen in a week will take years. Fortunately for the kingdom of God, this simply isn't the case.

Matthew 18:20 tells us that where two or three gather in Christ's name he will be there with them. That means that we just show up and sing some songs and God is there, right? Well... no, it doesn't. Gathering in His name means gathering with a purpose - His purpose. I can get a bunch of Christians together to hang out, but if it's not for his purpose it really won't move the Kingdom forward much.

If we become a church that just shows up to enjoy each other, we lose our purpose. Without a God-centered purpose we're a waste of time and money. Sometimes I wish it was enough to just show up, but God wants more from us - from our churches. He wants us to make a difference, to have a purpose in our lives and for our congregations.

Our purpose will be simple - To follow Christ, to ask others to join us, and to lead them into discipleship.

Update: FAC's X-mas Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:36:00 +0000

In my previous blog, "Oh, X-mas Tree" I talked about a radical way which Fellowship Alliance Chapel has chosen to celebrate Jesus' birth - by giving to others.

I have to admit that when the idea first came up I was more than a little nervous. What if not every child has a gift? What if people don't care about the other families? What if my wife and I end up purchasing the bulk of the gifts?

Now, as we approach Christmas day, I can say that I have been truly blessed and even inspired at how loving this congregation has been. We have given two families Christmas, in addition to feeding two other families and even helping a separate family get their utilities turned back on. No, the truth is if you're from a church of 200+ this may not seem like too much of an accomplishment, but for our family of 40 it truly shows that these folks are getting what it means to "Give away" Christmas.

At first I was concerned I was boarding on pride for what this congregation has done, but I've realized that instead its simply the joy that comes with providing for those who cannot provide for themselves. Many of you know me personally, and understand that I don't come off as a bleeding heart. I don't volunteer for Green Peace, I don't save the whales, and to be honest the very idea of PETA makes me a little angry. What I do have, however, is love. I believe it is this love which has been abundantly displayed by the congregation, and I just couldn't be happier about it.

So, by the grace of God we've been able to impact the lives of 6 separate families this month. What are you up to this Christmas?

O, X-mas Tree!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:23:00 +0000

This year Fellowship Alliance Chapel did something a little bit different, and something I truly believe is unique and special. We put up a Christmas Tree in our sanctuary (before responding with Jeremiah 10:2-3, make sure you read 8-10... it's not a tree their carving!) and decorated it with ornaments. These were not store bought, however, but home made. Each had the name of a gift on it, and the approximate price. The congregation took nearly every star off the tree yesterday so that they could shop for a gift for a family that can't provide them for their children. They will wrap them, and place them under the tree to be delivered to families in need.

Simply put, I believe that what is happening this year is everything that is right about Christmas. Instead of trampling people to death to get the last "Tickle Me Elmo" people are buying selfless gifts for those who can't provide for themselves. People are taking time out of their day and money out of their pockets to go any make a families Christmas joyful. Moreover, they are doing it out of love, not a feeling of necessity as we so often do at our workplace gift-exchanges.

I also made a confession last Sunday; I don't particularly care for the Christmas season. Don't misquote me, I love celebrating the birth of our savior, but it's all the controversy around Christmas. Every year people become furious about whether they are greeted at Wal-Mart with "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas." People drive around town looking for nativity scenes to be offended by, and the Alliance Defense Fund are waiting to pounce on someone who wants their courthouse to be more religiously inclusive.

Every year I hear someone complain about the use of "X-mas" instead of spelling out Christ. I find it interesting that the use of the X (or Chi in the Greek Alphabet) is how Christian's would refer to Jesus Christ while the church was under persecution. I feel like when I write X-mas I'm digging myself into Christian history! We could even add a Rho in there, and we'll have the ancient symbol of Jesus' person!

Christian's scream against materialism (usually on their cell phones which each member of the family has, including data plans and unlimited texting, while driving their 2009 Subaru) even though it's the Christmas season which puts companies "in the black" for the year. Jesus drives our economy!

Maybe we just don't understand the true meaning of Christmas. Maybe Mary and Joseph passed up all the inns because they had "Merry X-mas" on their signs, and the desk attendant said "Happy Holidays". Maybe the magi brought the gifts they did because they refused to be part of the December shopping spree and happened to have them laying around opting for a white elephant gift exchange instead. Or maybe they were so enamored with the very idea Immanuel, God with us, that they didn't notice and if they had they wouldn't have cared!

In the other room my wife is putting away some final things from our move. As soon as she's done she'll be busy looking for, interviewing for, and hopefully beginning a new job. I continue to be pressed to my limits finishing ordination requirements, adjusting to my still new position, and trying to prepare for the season. But in a few weeks all that will slow down for a couple of days while I have time to appreciate my wife. I'll get to deliver toys to families who wouldn't have them otherwise. I'll meet with the people I love to celebrate on Christmas eve, and I'll get to see my extended family Christmas morning at Grandmas. I don't have time to be upset about X-mas, happy holidays, trees, nativity scenes or anything else. I'm too busy doing everything I can to love people around me as Jesus did!

Blessings,
Kris

Forgetting Urgency

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:00:00 +0000

The image you are looking at is the single coolest toy of all time. It's the Technodrome from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The oracles had written that he who held the this toy was by far the coolest kid in the world. So, you can certainly understand my excitement when I got this present for Christmas many years ago.

My parents were always pretty crafty at Christmas and would often reserve the best present for last. In fact, their favorite trick was to have you open up a package containing batteries, and only THEN could you open up the toy that required them. Christmas was always great in the Browning house, but when I got the Technodrome, it was by far the best present I'd ever gotten! I just HAD to have it, and couldn't WAIT to play with it!

Today, I have no idea where my Technodrome is. I couldn't tell you if it's in a box somewhere or some kid is playing with it after his Grandma bought it for him at Goodwill. What I do know is that it wasn't more than a year later that I'd completely forgotten about how special my toy was. I'd bring it back out every now and then to play with it, but it had lost my attention. I was on to the next bigger and more exciting thing to enter my life.

Do we ever make God into our own personal Technodrome? It's part of human nature to do so. Look around your house at how many once precious items are simply lying around no longer earning your attention. Many of us have those items we "couldn't live without", yet haven't thought about for a decade or so. We've often put God on a shelf until we need him again. We forget.

What could possibly be more dangerous to our relationship with God than to forget? I'm not sure anything could be. We're such experiential people that we often forget about God if we're not feeling Him today. We expect him to pick up the phone and give us a call, and generally tell him to leave a message. Sometimes, in our worst moments, we become "bad-weather friends" with God. When things are stormy in our lives we make Him a priority, but when he's given us clear skies we put him in the closet with the umbrella.

Take time to reflect on God today. Make him yours again. He died for you, to solve your sin dilemma. If the only sentence in the entire Bible was John 3:16 it would be enough for us to Worship Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Worship Wars with Ingrid Schlueter

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:00:00 +0000

So, I was preparing my Sunday morning sermon about how it is the content of our worship God is most interested in (vs. the style) when I actually seemed to have come upon someone who disagreed. Apparently there is a radio show out in the central timezone called "Crosstalk" and I had stumbled onto their blog discussing worship music. The entire thing can be found on their official blog, here.

It's based on a discussion about why "Johnny Can't Sing Hymns," which asserts that modern Christian worship music (known as CCM for Contemporary Christian Music) has been so influenced by culture that we no longer value God, but instead are self centered in our worship.

Well, there is some truth to that. I can't help but notice there are a LOT of bad CCM songs out there. But then I pulled out my hymnal and found a few with questionable theology. Then I realized something... Charles Wesley wrote about 6,000 hymns, and my hymnbook only had about 600. So if he wrote every single one, he's batting 100, which isn't exactly hall of fame material. But I actually only found 17 of his songs. Why? We've weeded out the bad ones. We've had hundreds of years to do so, as well.

Sadly I can't really carry on my conversation with Ingrid any further, because once I started posting facts about hymns, CCM, etc. she no longer approved my comments. When I showed how she set up straw men to blow down, and how the reality behind everything is quite different she simply chose not to allow my comments to post. Certainly it's well within her right, but I'm more than a little disapointed that she is more interested in looking right then actually giving a sound argument (PS my facts which she claim come from "Wiki" are actually from two ministry degrees).

What's my point? Well, dear Christian worshipers, worship from your heart. I don't particularly care for Christian rap, but if you can honor God through it by all means do! I'm not terribly fond of David Crowder's hippy look, but if you're touched by God then sing to your hearts content! I personally think that the sound of an organ is like grating finger nails across a chalkboard (which is sad since the music which is sung along with it can be so beautiful). I won't let my preference get in the way of your interaction with God. I won't tell you that your kind of music is "fanny shaking" devil worship, nor will I try to get you to stop. I might enter into a dialogue about the purpose of worship, but I think you'd like that... wouldn't you?

The worship wars are over, and God won. In my church we sing hymns, and CCM. We use only piano, only guitar, and once in awhile we throw it all together and add a drum set. I am blessed that we have many teens from downtown Dayton, and I can't wait to pack them in a van and take them to a Lecrae concert! Sure, I don't care for the music, but what I do care for is watching people worship God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength in a participatory capacity.

My Golden Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:55:00 +0000

If you've ever seen me with a shirt tucked in you may have noticed my watch. It's probably one of the nicest items I own. Like most of my nice things it was a gift. I actually like the watch so much that I picked a wedding ring that matches its dual tone.

It was a gift from my parents when I was in high school. It was actually so nice I hardly ever wore it until I began dressing for my job a couple of years ago. Now I rarely go anywhere without it. It's just one of those items that looks great, even when I don't!

At home we have several cans of home jewelry cleaner. My experience was that they tried to give those things away like candy, probably assuming I'd be more likely to shop there in the future. Actually, I guess it worked since I returned to buy my wife some jewelry from them later...

A few nights ago, my wife decided to clean our niceties. Both our wedding rings, and my watch were dipped into the solution, allowed to sit, and left overnight. When we took them out I was absolutely astonished. My beautiful watch was covered with dirt and grime. My first thought was that the solution must have been old, or mixed improperly. As I dabbed off the grime, however, I saw my watch had a new shine to it.

The truth was that my watch had already been that dirty. I just had never noticed, because most of the dirt was nestled into the cracks and crevices. The solution itself did not clean my watch, it only broke up the dirt so that it could be scrubbed and dabbed away. Now I know that even though my watch looks like new today, it has already accumulated much of that same grime and dirt and that if I cleaned it again, it would look even better.

How many of us have dirt and filth lodged just as deeply into our being? Even through we are filthy we can't see it because it just isn't exposed. How many times have we chosen not to pray for the Holy Spirit to cleanse us because we know how much dirt it will bring to the surface? We think we'll just keep it all inside and manage our sin or our sinful desires.

What would my watch have looked like if I never cleaned it? After five or ten years I suppose it would look pretty ugly. Even though most of the dirt was hidden away from a casual view it would have eventually become so dirty that there would have been no denying it. When it got to that point who knows if it would have even been able to be cleaned to look like new? The only hope to keep it in good condition was to totally cleanse it. I believe in our lives we need that cleansing daily.

But it's so hard to ask for cleansing, or receive it, because before the grime is wiped away it all comes to the surface. It's painful, embarrassing, discouraging, and never easy to deal with. Maybe that's why we ignore it so often. Sure we're all gummed up inside, unable to truly do God's will, but it's a lot simpler to keep our outside looking shiny than truly dealing with our sin nature, isn't it?

Maybe we need to be open with God. Maybe we need to allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin so that it can be washed away. The closer I grow to Christ the more I realize that to refuse to allow him into the deepest part of our life is to refuse him wholly. I believe the, "I'm fine as I am" mentality is what leads us to be "lukewarm" Christians.

So let's be a community of believers who is honest about ourselves. Let's seek to strengthen and encourage each other. To be honest about sin isn't to condone it. Truthfully, it is the first step in getting past it!

Blessings,

Kris

The Other Side of Home Buying

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 14:36:00 +0000

This week has been pretty busy. We looked at houses all day Thursday, and are preparing to look at even more Saturday. Like any prospective buyer today we are looking for that "Perfect Deal". We actually found one, a house for 15-20k less than other houses of the exact same model. No defects, good location... just a great deal.

But I had to sit and reflect for a little bit. I'm the guy who always asks "why" and usually don't stop asking until I come up with an answer. So why was it that even though the market isn't the best there are a few houses that are dramatically lower priced than others. I suppose there are several reasons. We saw one home that was in horrible disrepair, and so it was cheaper. Another was near the interstate so it was cheaper. Yet another had old appliances, and so the seller offered $1,500 back.

Then I walked into an American models, and the owner was there. I won't lie, I was much happier when the owners weren't present. It allowed us to freely express what we thought of the house, point out flaws to each other, and look at the house at our own pace. When we came to our first American model, however, an older man opened the door and showed us around. He told us about the age of the roof, the furnace, and other parts of the house. He showed us a few issues with the electrical wiring. Then he shared why the house was up for sale.

His family had lived in the house since he was a child, and his Mom was sick and in the nursing home. They were positive that she would never be going home again, and so the house was up for sale. As I looked into one of the bedrooms I saw a bass kick, a part of a drumset, and asked if he played. He told me how he used to until he had to sell his drums. As we parted he reminded us that some "minor repairs" would get this house looking beautiful. In truth, it would have taken about $15,000 to get it where I'd have wanted it.

It was on the ride to our next house I realized that so many of these homes were priced so low because the owners had fallen on such hard times. Some were estate sales, which meant the death of a loved one. Some were "priced to go" because the family had been transfered from Wright Patterson Air Force Base to Langley or Germany, or some Air Force base in Nevada. Some were so low because the owner had lost his job during the recession and was trying to avoid foreclosure.

So here is the question for we Christian's, redeemed by the blood of our Savior: Is it wrong for us to prosper and benefit from a neighbor's misfortune? We have to remember that we did not cause it, and in the end we are helping them in some way by purchasing the house at all. With all that in mind are we wrong to offer 75k on a house listed at 90k because we know that the owner will sell low to get the money now?

I've had to come to some conclusion at this time, but I think we all need to figure this out. After all, it's not just in the home market, but it's when we walk past the local grocer who is a part of our community and whose business is doing poorly so we can save $15 on our grocery bill at Wal-Mart. It's when we accept money in the form of education credits that are ultimately coming straight out of someones pocket via taxation. When do we say, "I'm no longer willing to benefit from another person's sacrifice or misfortune" and what does it look like?

There is an old story about a Christian professor at a state university who always taught a class on world religion. He always had a problem showing what the sacrifice of Christ really meant to the devout Christian, and so one day he pulled aside the starting quarterback and devised a plan. The next day of class, he came in with dozens of boxes of donuts for his students. He began at the front of the class and asked the student, "would you like a doughnut?" We all know that no college student would refuse a free pastry! And so he partook, but the professor called down the school's quarterback and asked him to do ten push-ups.

He went to the next in line and asked, "Would you like a doughnut?" This girl who hadn't quite put it together yet accepted, and the quarterback was asked to do another ten push-ups. The next student in line, however, understood that the quarterback was being punished for each person's doughnut, and politely refused. The professor turned to the quarterback and said, "Another ten push-ups please."

The class was shocked. No matter what they chose the quarterback was forced to do another ten push-ups. Of course, most students accepted the doughnuts and when he was done, the professor even asked all that refused again, and several realizing they could not save their classmate enjoyed their frosted breakfast. The professor calmly explained that whether or not you accepted the doughnut there would be a sacrifice paid on your behalf. Finally, the class began to understand what Christ did on the cross.

I guess I really don't know all the answers, but I think we often forget to think about how much our most minor decisions influence the lives around us. I guess my real challenge is simply to be aware of it, and consider my actions more. Perhaps I can even defy the norm and pay a little more to bless someone this week.

My Last Day at Shawnee Alliance

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:23:00 +0000

I am sitting right now in my office. In about five minutes, it will no longer be my office, and I will step out the door for the last time as a minister at Shawnee Alliance. The lighting is rather dim, and I'm listening to "How Deep the Father's Love for Us". I guess the mood is about perfect for remembering the last 1 year, 1 month, and 16 days of my life and my ministry.

This has, for the past 8 years, been my home church. Once when I was truly struggling with walking the Christian life I started visiting other churches. I sent a message to our lead pastor Daniel with a funny "Reverend Fun" cartoon on February 12th, 2005 just a few weeks I'd hit my bottom. The next day he sent me a message that said, "I miss not seeing you at Shawnee. I understand the circumstances, but remember there is no church that can love you and provide you direction the way Shawnee does. Praying for you. Pastor Daniel."

Daniel is a very humble man and probably has no clue how much that e-mail and a few select things he's said to me over the past 8 years have shaped me into who I am today. I share this because I am truly leaving a church that I consider my family. While my last Sunday was a few weeks ago, when I leave this time I most likely won't be returning as anything but a visitor for the rest of my life.

Those who know me well know I'm not terribly good with emotions, but I recognize this one. It's the way I felt when we drove away from Kent State University after dropping my brother off. It's the way I felt when I hugged my grandmother in her back yard the day before I left for college. It's the way I felt when I drove away from my father's house to move to Mount Vernon. It's that odd mix of sorrow, loss, pride, hope, and love.

Daniel was right, to this point in my life there has never been a church which could love me and provide direction the way Shawnee Alliance has. So, I write this as an open letter to thank everyone, especially the staff. My wife and I have been truly blessed by the love and direction we've received, especially in this past year.

I got to learn what a tender spirit looks like by watching Doug interact with his wife, the other staff, and even strangers as we met them in restaurants, the church, or wherever he met for a divine appointment. Bethany blessed me by reminding me behind every task or project there is a person who is more concerned with knowing they are loved than the millennial views. Sara put up with sharing an office with me, which I believe qualifies her for sainthood! Tim always brought a positive enthusiastic energy to everything we did, and gave me his trust from the beginning, reminding me it's okay to trust other people. Sandy brought a great sense of humor (now known as "Glitter Humor") to every staff meeting, and was always ready to help teach. Her openness and honest are probably what I will remember most. Doris and Waneda not only put up with my total ignorance of all office procedures and equipment, but taught me a bit about patience and what love for family looks like.

Shane is one of the best pastors I've ever met, and not only taught me a lot but invested countless hours in me over this past year. I truly appreciate the wisdom, and hopefully was able to have a teachable spirit. I think I most appreciate Daniel sitting with me and listening, sharing, and sincerely loving me. I appreciate when it happened in St. Rita's, and every time since. This past Sunday I was told the the key to being a great pastor is to live a life pleasing to God, love the people you serve, and to lead the people to where God wants them to be. No one in my life has demonstrated these qualities like Daniel.

So, as I pack up my computer, dust my desk, and head out the door I am appreciative that God has sincerely used this time in my life to grow and transform me. While I'm a bit sad to go I look forward to these next challenges with eager anticipation. I'll need to rely on God, but in all honesty there is no other place I'd want to be.

A Lion in Office Depot?

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 07:46:00 +0000

I just woke up from perhaps the most terrible dream of my life (When I say "Just woke up" I mean it's 3:50AM and I just pulled myself out of bed). It began ruffing it in some Alaskan type wilderness, but soon I found my coat insufficient and I was in an Office Depot in Lima, OH - It's a dream so please forgive my nonsensical subconscious.

After waiving a quick hello to Pastor Tim, who was there for reasons I can't remember, I walked to the checkout. As I made polite conversation with the clerk I noticed out of the corner of my eye a female lioness walking in the opposite direction from an "Employee Only" section of the store. I looked at the attendant in disbelief and asked, "You have a lion?"

She answered, "Yes, but the handler is with her, isn't he?". It was difficult for me to answer, since when I looked over there were people walking dogs and the leashes and handlers were far too confusing for me to make out. Soon, however, when the lion laid down and started eating a small dog I figured that no, there was no handler present.

I sprinted (without paying) outside the store, where I saw several ambulances from my hometown of Spencerville, and quickly called to them. I warned them that the lioness was still lose, however, and they needed to call the police. As I turned to look into the glass doors I saw the lioness had it's first human victim, an obese lady in purple, and was doing what lions do.

A small crowd had gathered, and I quickly began checking to see if anyone had a gun. I was hoping someone was armed or had one in their car. I quickly found that no one was going to give me a fighting chance. I looked around for an able bodied man or two to go in with me, as I saw the lioness begin on her second victim, a young man. No one would walk into the store with me, and so I made my way around to a side entrance, and quickly moved myself along the wall nearest the lioness. I motioned for several of the terrified customers who were frozen in fear to move towards me and the doors. I continued to move forward as the customers began piling out of the store, keeping myself between them and the lioness, until she looked up and saw my approach. It was only a dream, but I decided at that moment that I would rather die saving the poor man she now had pinned down then to live knowing I only watched him die. The choice was made for me, however, when the lioness began sprinting towards me and the people running out the doors behind me. I decided to run would only put the other customers in more danger, and so braced myself, crouching slightly, preparing to roll with the momentum of the 400 pounds about to slam into me. I suppose I didn't have the time to contemplate how absolutely beautifully she moved in my dream, but I remember seeing an absolutely amazing power in her in hindsight. My dream ended as she began her leap, mouth wide open.

I can't help but wake up and immediately think of two verses of Scripture which I had never bothered to memorize, but are tonight ingrained in my mind. The first, 1 Peter 5:8, is "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

But what made this dream a real nightmare was my inability to do anything about the situation. I was convinced if I had the proper means or even some people I could have utilized I could have ended the entire incident. That reminded me of when Jesus pleaded to his disciples in Matthew 9:37 that while, "...the harvest is plentiful the workers are few". That is, that the work could be done if only there were enough people willing to do the work.

I have no idea if my subconscious was reminding me of an interesting Discovery Channel special from 8th grade, or if God was reminding me of a Biblical truth, but I know my "take away" from this dream is simple. People are dying everyday without a Savior, and even though I'm ill-equipped and have no backup there is only one way for me to move... forward. My prayer tonight, however, is for people who will go in alongside me, in front of me, and behind me as we make what difference we can in what time we have.

The Three Greatest Barriers to Growth

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:12:00 +0000

I recently attended a free seminar with the man featured to the left, Nelson Searcy. The seminar was offered for free, and so was of course used to plug a lot of his material (which was expected, but took WAY too much time). Overall, however, it was a very worthwhile experience.

We discussed the three greatest barriers to church growth. As Nelson himself mentioned there is nothing new under the sun, so I have no problem stealing his thunder... it's space, spiritual development, and evangelism. What was interesting to me was that he could probably make quite a bit of money by changing the seminar to "The Three Greatest Barriers to Personal Growth". In fact, I may have just stumbled on the title of my first book!

In a church there is a simple rule. At 80% capacity the growth of the church is strangled. I believe it's very similar in our spiritual lives. We so often limit God in his ability to bless us. I'm not arguing god can't bless us in spite of our own attitude, but I will argue he chooses not to. If you're praying for God to bless your marriage but won't take the time to talk to your spouse then don't be surprised God isn't blessing your union! If you don't have any mentors in your life to help you process your spiritual growth don't be surprised when God doesn't reveal as much of himself to you as you'd like. If God doubled his blessing or his presence in our lives would we be ready? Have we prepared the space for him?

Another barrier is spiritual development. This is a pretty obvious barrier to personal growth, but we often are not intentional about seeking after Christ. If I use my marriage example again, when is the last time we picked up a book on marriage? Went to a marriage enrichment retreat? Read over a book like The Five Love Languages? If we aren't intentional about growth it's just not going to happen. In the same way, are we reading people like CS Lewis and AW Tozer? Are we getting into the deep conversations that challenge our faith? Are we actively praying everyday? If we don't intentionally grow in our relationship with God we'll never reach our personal potential.

The last barrier was evangelism. A church doesn't grow if it's members aren't outreach oriented. In the same way, we'll stunt our own personal growth if we choose not to engage in the Great Commission. Some of us don't have the gift of evangelism, and that's okay. I'm not talking about sharing the four spiritual laws with your waitress, I'm talking about sharing what Christ has done in your own life with others around you. If you don't share you'll always limit your growth because you won't be able to pass on what has transformed you!

So I got a free seminar, and thought I'd pass on a few free lessons. We really do need to be intentional about what we do! In the same way I'm passionate about growing a church and reaching the lost I'm passionate about personally growing closer to God everyday and taking people along with me on the same journey.

Welcome to the World, Ava Rose...

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:12:00 +0000

On Sunday morning at 7:08 in the morning my beautiful 7lb 8 ounce niece Ava was born. Unlike her brother, Tyler, she came into the world with no problems, no strife, no worries at all. What a miracle!

My mind always looks towards the future. As beautiful as Ava is today I can't wait to watch her grow up into a lovely young lady. As much as I'll love holding her Saturday morning I can't wait until she's too big for Uncle Kris to pick her up anymore.

Sometimes it's easy to forget why I bother with ministry. Truthfully, I think I'd be a very successful business owner. I'd be happy working just about anywhere. But the reason I love what I do more than anything is because I'm in the business of loving people. It's not just full time, it's 24/7. I don't get time off, not even sick days. The benefit package is amazing, however, as I'm blessed to be able to dedicate myself to making the world a better place for Ava and Tyler. I get to watch people around me grow in the love of Christ, similar to how Ava will grow up into a wonderfully talented adult. I get to hold the hand of the sick, and share families happiest moments with them.

Maybe the best part of it all is that I don't have a monopoly on the ministry. If you call on Christ as your Lord and Savior you are invited into this process with me! How joyfully did Jesus share life with those around him? How blessed are we to be called into the world, to share life with those around us?

Lessons from the Underground Church

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:55:00 +0000

One of the many blessings of serving at Shawnee Alliance Church has been the opportunity to spend time with 5 international workers who are active in creative access countries. For those of us familiar with creative access it is understood why I won't go into much more detail about these individuals. I will say, however, that their stories are inspiring, their mission exciting, and their future shines the light of Christ very brightly throughout the world.

Hundreds of years ago many Europeans considered it their God given "burden" to spread the Gospel throughout the world. They were joined in their efforts soon after by missionaries from Canada in the United States. Together we spread the Gospel (though at times with frustrating methods) throughout many areas in the world. Now, today, we are joined by Korean and Chinese missionaries working in the 10/40 window where many from the western world would be less welcome.

But with opportunity always comes risk. Many of these nations are not only wary of Christian's as we often experience in North America, but they are downright hostile. A good friend got me a subscription to the Voice of the Martyrs magazine. There are still many parts of the world where conversion to Christianity can easily result in the death penalty. It's very difficult for me to get upset that congress won't allow public prayer in school when I realize that brothers in restricted nations often face death for praying in private.

Missionaries in these countries often spend months building a relationship with someone before they can mention the subject of Christianity. That doesn't stop them, however, from sharing when the time is right even though it could mean imprisonment and death. Generally these aren't US missionaries with the power of the state department behind them. They are from countries all over the world, most without a press corp that can bring their plight into the spotlight for a nation to demand their release.

Makes me feel pretty horrible for having a hard time starting a spiritual conversation with my neighbor. My best excuse is embarrassment or that I don't have enough time. Whatever excuses we have just aren't enough when we see the stories of ordinary Christians who are empowered by an extraordinary God. If God can give a missionary the words to speak under the threat of death I suppose he can probably give me the words to speak the next time there is an awkward silence at a barbecue...

Church is a Team Sport

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:01:00 +0000

Jim Putman's book, "Church is a Team Sport" was a surprisingly good read. I'm not one for plugging books, and in truth of the (literally) hundreds I've read in the past five years I'd only put my name behind a few. This book has become one of them.

Now don't expect to see Putman's book lining the shelves of the ivory towers of academia. In truth, he's far too relevant for that. To give you the idea (without taking from Putman's sales!) it draws a beautiful metaphor between ministry and sports. If you are a pastor, or even an involved lay person I hope you've had a chance to play a team sport. Baseball, football, hockey... heck we'll even throw cheerleading in there! If you've played a sport like this, you know that it takes everyone to play well.

In 14 years I caught three no-hitters in baseball. Of course, the pitcher is the one who gets the game ball, as he should. But for every strikeout there were three perfectly framed pitches and no dropped third strikes on my part. Each of those games the batter got the ball in play and it took the shortstop, left fielder, first baseman, and everyone else playing top notch. Not to mention that a no-hitter doesn't even guarantee a win! Only a tie! Good thing the teams bats were swinging to put runs on the board!

If we think of the lead pastor as the coach and the pastoral staff as star pitchers, we still need the entire body to do effective ministry. Now, I'm not much for elevating staff beyond the congregation, but I know that a lot of people see it that way. The truth is that we are all miserably human. Coaches make mistakes all the time. It has always been up to the players to get the job done.

So what am I saying? Well, pretty much what I was saying three weeks ago... get out there and play ball. I'm not much for plugging websites, either, but check out Impact Lima, an opportunity to serve in our community. Find ways to volunteer, serve each other! Get involved in a small group if that's what you're into. Be in community, and more important be ready to be a part of a winning team!

A Quick Apology - And a Sermon

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:44:00 +0000

I must have started about three different posts, failing to finish all of them because I'm simply out of energy. I'm blessed that many have taken time to stay up to date with my theological ramblings, and have tried to honor their commitment by making sure that there was always something to read on Monday.

I'm taking a short break because I'm simply exhausted. I'm hoping to be back with style by next week. In the meantime, please feel free to listen to my sermon from this past Sunday, hosted on www.KrisBrowning.com.

Also, it would be a good idea to pray for Harvest Church, as the area's beloved "Touchdown Jesus" has burnt down. Fortunately, no one (except "Jesus") was hurt.

Fallin and Flyin

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:51:00 +0000

I just watched "Crazy Heart", which may have been the worst movie in the history of film. The one oasis in the sea of drudgery was the song which boosted "Bad Blake" to success; "Fallin and Flyin". You can check out the full lyrics, but the beginning few stanzas say it all:

I was goin’ where I shouldn’t go
seein’ who I shouldn’t see
doin’ what I shouldn’t do
and bein’ who I shouldn’t be

A little voice told me it’s all wrong
another voice told me it’s alright
I used to think I was strong
but lately I just lost the fight

funny how fallin’ feels like flyin’
for a little while

It's always amazed me how quick we can be to change our life direction towards sin. What has surprised me even more is the feeling of the "quick fix" that people experience. When I think about it I suppose it makes sense. After all, if sin wasn't exciting we wouldn't bother with it would we? The truth is that sometimes sin feels like flying, like a heroin fix that puts an end to our nervous jitters. Indeed, we feel like we're flyin'... For a little while.

"To infinity, and beyond!" exclaims Buzz Lightyear before leaping off a dresser, buzzing around the room and finally landing squarely on his feet in front of the amazed toys. Woody the clever puppet quickly sees Buzz's "flight" for what it really is; "That's not flying! That's falling... with style".

It's in our nature to confuse the two. We're experiential beings, and what we think about is the exhilaration of the event, not what it really means. We often mistake God's will for a good feeling. Often, we feel like we're flying, but in reality we're falling. We have to decide to trust in God to provide our flight plan.

When JFK Jr. died, it was decided that there was pilot error. Something called "Spatial disorientation". Even though JFK Jr. was an excellent pilot, he had hardly any night flying experience. At night your horizons can quickly get confusing, and you have to trust your instrumentation. All your senses may tell you that you're flying level, but you're experience is lying... a good pilot will turn to his instruments. In this case it wasn't so funny when falling felt like flying.

We have to learn to trust God's instrumentation to set our flight path. I consider his Word and his Spirit as my gauges. I trust that he will work within me to steer me in the right path. We need to quit longing for the feeling and instead concentrate on our orientation. This is how we'll get to our true destination.

Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:51:00 +0000

My wife and I were laying together last night, and she asked me a very open question; "Do you miss your Mom more on Mother's Day"? I told her I did but the truth is that while I certainly think about her absence more on holidays especially Christmas or Mother's Day I don't actually miss her more. The truth is I miss her every day, whether I am consciously thinking about that absence or if I simply exist in a state of being where that important relationship is absent.

How much harder must it be on God who is ever present, but may not have that vital relationship with his own children. How lonely must God feel when he is relationally separated from his children? But as I've matured it isn't my Mother's absence that hurts the most.

In fact, it is that our relationship was never able to reach into adulthood. While I greatly appreciate my Mom for who she was to me when I was a child I wish I could have related to her as an adult. How much better could I have known my Mom? When I was a child I thought like a child; selfishly. It was always about how my day went, about how I felt today. While I am at peace with my Mom's passing, I do truly wish I could have enjoyed that deeper relationship which adult children enjoy with their adult parents.

How rare is it that a Christian desires to relate to God as a true adult. Sure, we may have been a Christian for 20 years, and sure we have 2 kids and have been married for 15 years but that hardly qualifies us as an adult. Maturity is the true measure of adulthood, and in most of our spiritual lives we are content with being a child. Our relationship with God is so shallow that it has become showing up at appointed times and doing what we feel we must to avoid his anger. I remember running down to the dinner table when called to avoid my parents being frustrated. How disappointed would my mother be if we had the same relationship when I was 23? How disappointed must God be when we don't go further in our own relationships.

I don't know who to point the finger of blame at. Maybe the individual... maybe it's the church. After all, since we've purchased shares in D.L. Moody's "lifeboat" theology we're so obsessed with bringing people into a relationship we've stopped worrying about developing that relationship. We claim we do it now with our small groups and flashy Wednesday night groups, but have we really sold out to the idea that God wants growing and thriving relationships, not cold stagnant ones?

Light Switches and Clocks

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:19:00 +0000

I was blessed to be able to visit my brothers and his family this past week. I love my brother and I love my sister-in-law, (who I just think of as sister) but I was most excited to see my Nephew and Godson, Tyler. Tyler is about 14 months now, and is the most adorable child ever. Yeah, I'm biased, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong!

He's learning his first few words, the biggest two are "Clock" (which is very funny to hear a 14 month old say) and "Off" which is how he says, "I want to play with the light switch".

Any time I was holding Tyler and got within 30 feet of a clock he wanted to see it, examine it, play with it, and ultimately try to understand it. That wasn't nearly as fun, however, as taking him near a light switch. He would flip it on and marvel at the sudden change in lighting! When he got to a switch that didn't have any effect he could see (it turned on the outside light) I supplied a quick boost in the air, which he loved even more than sudden florescence!

When was the last time I simply marveled at how God completely altered my level of spiritual illumination? How long since I've looked at creation and not only wondered, "How did this come to be? How does it work?" but simply took in the complexity and saw God in it! Maybe this is what Jesus means when he suggests we have the faith of a child; not that we continue to sit in oblivious bliss, treasuring ignorance, but that we appreciate the beauty of God and His creation like a child marvels at the inner workings of a clock, or the amazing transformation between darkness and light.

I'm looking forward to sharing life with Tyler and teaching him a little bit about baseball, and all the other important things in life. I'm appreciative now that he's reminded me of an attribute or two of God. As much as I loved holding my Godson and experiencing the world as if it was the first time again, I wonder how much more God loves that time with me... and with Tyler.