Awakenings

CA's Shower quiz

2013-05-12T19:25:00.001-07:00

This Quiz video was shown at ChristianAnn's wedding shower, enjoy...

CA's Shower Q&A from JD Larson on Vimeo.

CA's Response

Movie on 5-11-13 at 3.52 PM from JD Larson on Vimeo.

Generosity Quotes & Thoughts

2013-02-23T09:11:00.001-08:00

I recently attended a generosity Generous Church workshop Lead by Patrick Johnson at Woodridge Church. The following is a compilation of quotes and thoughts I gleaned:

"Stare at Jesus long enough and you'll become a giver, give for a while and you'll start becoming like Jesus." - Randy Alcorn

"The Church has thrived when the church moves from declaration to demonstration"- Andy Stanley

"You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving."

"Generosity is not just an act it's a way of life."

Leaders: "Do the people you lead know what Christ wants for them…or do they just know what you want from them" - Andy Stanley

Humbling truth: we, as leaders, have the tendency to try to program people into lifestyles we don't necessarily fully live into ourselves. (WHAT DO YOU THINK??)

"Everyone wants to see miracles, but they rarely want to live a life where they might need a miracle"

Meaning > Happiness

"The Culture of the church reflects the culture of the leadership"

"Money may not be an ideal, but it will show you where your ideals are" - Tim Keller

Here is one I'm not sure I agree with fully, but I agree with the intentionality behind it:

"Generosity is the new evangelism"

What do you think?

Tweet at me @jdlarson_

**uncredited quotes were either my thoughts or quotes I wrote down but did not catch the author of**

Why it's Better to Tell a Story Then Give Ten Story-less Sermons

2013-02-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Below is an exurb from Culture, Inculturation, and Theologians by Gerald Arbuckle

I love this articulation of the power of Story (or narrative) among a group of people... like the church"

"Paul Ricoeur writes that narratives can evoke the revitalization of the moral imagination of people because of their singular power to revision reality. This is because narrative allows people to “try new ideas, new values, new ways of being-in-the-world.”35 The reader’s world is suddenly questioned by the narrative. New and imaginative possibilities of being and acting are presented to them. What is found in the story’s plot has the radical ability to “disturb and rearrange”36 the reader’s own relation to life. Listeners or readers are drawn into the teller's experiences; they are invited to enter the narrator’s perspective on life and to participate in profound individual and cultural changes.
This describes the narrative of refounding, the process whereby people relive the founding mythology of a group and are so inspired by the experience that they imaginatively and creatively search for ways to relate it to contemporary life. When Blessed Mother Teresa told of her care of dying individuals she would return to the founding mythology of her faith, a story of Christ’s compassion for people on the margins of society. This motivated her to change her own life. Many observers were so disturbed by her stories that they also felt impelled to alter their own lives and challenge society’s neglect of disadvantaged people."

Arbuckle, Gerald A. (2010-12-17). Culture, Inculturation, and Theologians (p. 76). Liturgical Press.

The Bethel Papers Series: Participatio Missio Dei - A Strategy for A Church Missions Program

2012-03-19T20:00:00.001-07:00

Participatio Missio Dei

A Strategy for A Church Missions Program

If a typical Christian were to ask me “what is the missions program like at your church,” they would most often mean, “What kind of short terms missions trips does your church go on, and who are the missionaries you support abroad?” Frankly its kind of said that the church in the west has minimized "missions" to mean youth trips and raising money to send people. In this paper I want to outline what I think is a strategy for church missions that recaptures what it means for a church to participate in the mission of God....click here to keep reading

KONY 2012

2012-03-06T21:08:00.001-08:00

"Get a Real Job you F#*%ing Hippy": Reflections on Sign Waving

2012-03-04T21:13:00.001-08:00

The Deal: $9 haircuts The Job: 6hrs of Sign waving Locations: Burnsville, St Louis Park, and Maple Grove MN The Employer: Street Factory Media The Employee: Me

Being a poor seminarian has its perks. Not withstanding is the phenomena of "odd" jobs as supplementary income. This weekend (and a few in February) i've been "odd-jobbing it up" with Street Factory Media, as a "Brand Manager" (i.e. waving a sign on the side of the road... not quite this... ). Being a contemplative/reflective type ( a perfect candidate for filling the job description: "enthusiastic sign waiving") I wasn't satisfied with just wearing my arms and smiling muscles out to make a few extra bucks... the brain had to be engaged. So I seized the opportunity to do some people watching on steroids, as thousands of cars rolled by over the weekends. What follows is an attempt to distill a circumspect reflection on what was an otherwise monotonous job....

"Get a real job you F#*%ing hippy," yelled the shaggy brunett jock with his face protruding through a half rolled down passenger window, as he zipped by my sign waving post. My reprisal was a teeth exposing grin. Not like the one I'd been wearing all day which was provoked by loyalty to instructions to be "enthusiastic," but one that came along with a quick burst of air through the nostrils and a baritone giggle from the belly. I was genuinely amused. I was amused for two reasons: his immaturity was laughable, but he also had vocalized in a brash and explicit way, what many others had thought and communicated with their eyes and facial expressions. Though this dude was the out spoken one, hundrands before him in the hours I had spent on the street corner had communicated similar message with their response to my eye contact and wave. Few communicated such vulgarity, but many communicated the same conclusions: "Get a real Job" was all over the faces of those I was split second soliciting for a $9 haircut. Through raised eyebrows, cold stares, and slightly shaking heads I heard snap judgements; "I guess the economy is real tough for that kid... probably has a felony, can't even get a job at McDonalds or something... probably just doing that for pot and boos." All this left me wondering how different those faces might have been if they knew before encountering me that I have a Bachelors degree... am working on a Masters with a full tuition scholarship... or that I'm making $20/hour as I wave at them. In humanities defense not all people responded this way, actually not even most. A fair many would return a wave, a smile, and sometimes even a honk or two.

Though out the weekends I made many observations and gleaned some interesting insights, but the one that is most strikingly clear is:

Passing judgment isn't confined to words, it happens with a glance
As I'm sure you gathered form the remarks above, people can be quick to mis-read, mis-understand, and mis-judge situations. Weather this comes from bad information, bad interpretation, or just a bad heart, the out come is the same: Judgement. I had always read about, and tried to imagine, what it feels like to me judged for the color of your skin, gender, physical handy cap... but standing on the side of the road was the closest I've come to empathizing.

There's more that could be said about the reality that we speak with glances, and a prone to quick judgements of others. But when I sense judgement of the faces of drivers, I'm not moved to grumble about how judgmental the world is, I'm moved to smile more... to use waves generously... to give others the benefit of the doubt.

After this experience I found my self stung by, and ruminating on Jesus' words:
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." - Luke 6:37

I hope this gets you thinking... and I hope the next time you pass a sign waver you get your grin on :)

Other light hearted observations:

The bigger the price tag for the ride, the bigger the shades of the driver ( don't ask me why)
Vehicles adorned with Packers garb are 2 to 3 times more likely to be generous wavers! no lie... (this could be do inpart to my increase in enthusiasm upon seeing Packers garb on vehicles in Minnesota)
Kids & mentally handy cap are the quickest to a wave, and most likely to be supporting a beaming smile. ( I think that speaks volumes)
The Chinese Fire Drill is still alive and well
People actually make spit second decisions: this sign waving stuff works.

A few times I made eye contact with a dude coming down the road 30 miles an hour.... he would get a "oh man good deal" look on his face... start scanning the horizon for Pro Cuts... then bob and weave through traffic to make the quick turn into the parking lot... sometimes within seconds of seeing the sign. Consumer impulse is still alive and well!

Church- A sermon @ Mountain Christian Church

2011-10-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Click Here to Play Sermon

The link above will navigate you to a sermon I gave on my last sunday on staff at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa MD. It feel towards the end of a summer series called "Story" a metanarritive series.

Unexpected: a Milligan College Senior Sermon

2010-05-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Unexpected: a Milligan College Senior Sermon from JD Larson on Vimeo.

There's Still time Left on the Clock

2010-04-27T18:56:00.001-07:00

Clothes... What are you wearing?

2010-04-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

A sermon preached in Homiletics Class Spring 2010
Scripture: Colossian 3:12-14

The Tour and Its Guide: a Theology of Preaching

2010-03-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Tour and Its Guide

By far the best job I’ve ever had was during my summer spent in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a Jet Ski tour guide for dolphin tours. My roommates evened me every day when they got up and put on their McDonalds uniforms while I put on my board shorts and shades. As you can imagine the best part of the Job was the tours themselves. My tour consisted of a cruise down the inter-costal water way, and out through the jetties to the big blue to track down some dolphins. Being a tour guide was thrilling to say the least but it was not the easiest job in the world. As I reflect on my time as a tour guide I am intrigued by how much the task of leading tours and preaching a sermon are similar.

Think for a moment of a sermon or preaching event as a tour. A sermon well prepared and presented guides people through and experience that they participate and engage in. In sermon, as in a tour, the people travel along with the tour guide to a destination and back again. Different parts of the journey involve different things, go at different paces, and search different places. The first leg of my dolphin tour was down an inter-costal water way. This provided and easy environment for learning how to use the jetski, and to get use to the surroundings. An orientation if you will. The sometimes of pause and wonderment at the treasure found in the wild dolphins or on the remote beach. Also there were times of extreme hast and slowed pace. A sermon is much like this. It has features of orientation, an introduction or a story, and also of pause and fluctuating pace. Also like the tour the sermon has a vocal point, an attraction which the whole sermon is centered around. For the tour this is the wild dolphins, for a sermon it’s the word of God. I planned my whole tour around the dolphins, the whole purpose of the trip was to dwell in their midst with the jet skies. If we didn’t spend time with the dolphins the tour failed, it was just another fun ride. Like the absence of dolphins in the tours leading to a failure the absence of the scripture as the vocal point leads to just another public speech.

The other crucial peace to the tour is the tour guide him/herself. The tour guide must be someone of stability, knowledge and character. Certainly the pastor must be someone worth following as well. The individual must know the way because they have traveled there before. The people who I guided, only followed my because the trusted that I knew the way and I would lead them to something meaningful. The same is true of those involved in listening to the preaching event. Additionally the tour guide is at the mercy of the dolphins, he must plan he or she must plan their tour around where they lead. Just like the tour guide is subject to the direction of the dolphins the preacher is subject to the direction of the text. Not only was I trust worthy and knew the way but I also took the people with me. As simple as that might sound It makes all the difference. This is so true of preaching. A preacher could come Sunday morning and simple tell the congregation what he/she found in their travels this week through scripture. Or like a real tour guide he/she can guide them along the way so the discovery of the week is just as much the congregations as it is the preachers.

People certainly wouldn’t have tipped me that much if all we did was stand on the dock by the jet skis gazing out into the water as I explained what the dolphins looked like. How will a congregation be effected if they never leave the dock? It’s precisely when a preacher leaves the dock in a sermon that the workshop ends and worship begins. The sermon should be a continuation of a worship service. It becomes such when the preacher shows people the truths of God and the result is praise and adoration.

The tour serves as much more than a just a one and done event, it’s transformative. The tour acts as a sort of training in a way. It does so in two ways. First the tour teaches people how to travel, how to journey to the dolphins and how to travel to find other treasures. If a sermon is anything like a tour it does the same work. By traveling with people to a scripture and dwelling in it, we are demonstrating and practicing how they might do the same in their own daily lives. By riding along side and demonstrating and teaching how to travel to the scriptures and back again preachers are equipping people to make journeys of their own and experience the journey individually as well as corporately. Secondly, the tour infuses a love and passion for jet skiing and for being with the dolphins. Still to this day I dream of getting back on the water as soon as I can and seeing those dolphins again. To experience the ocean air, the wind on my face, the majesty of the dolphins, it’s all so compelling. A sermon seen and implemented as a tour does the same with the journey to the scriptures. After dwelling in the truth of the scriptures, and traveling with the guide through the passage, a congregant should be compelled to return again and again. This is surely God’s purpose for the sermon, to give people the tools to return to the word and to compel them to continually do so. Yet God’s purpose for the sermon as a tour demands that the tour guide also lead the congregation in a way that they can make their way to and from the scripture and remember how they got there so they can return.

With out fail after every tour I would hear stories from my travelers of things that they say and experienced while we were out on the water that I didn’t plan for or control. They would catch a glimpse of a shark or catch a wave just right and get some air. There wasn’t anything I did or could do, there were elements of the journey that were out of my hands. I simple planed the tour based on the dolphins and the elements and guided them as best I could. The Holy Spirit will be at work in and through the scripture regardless of what we plan for. He works and makes everyone’s journey distinct and personal. Yet there are things that a tour guides or preacher can do to distract people from this experience. The best tour guide is one who leads in such a way as to take the focus off him or herself and create a journey where in the travelers can be freed to experience the journey for themselves. When a traveler is tracking with the tour guide they have the freedom to experience the tour for all its worth. It’s in the circumstance where the preacher creates the same sort of journey with his sermon where the Holy spirit can work in the individuals to create a personal experience. When a traveler is freed to take his eyes of the tour guide and experience his or her surroundings they find elements of the journey that touch them specifically.

During my summer on the water leading people on the tours I learned what it meant to be a good guide. The guide mentality permeates my perception of the sermon. My time as a preacher will be as a tour guide leading people to the unfathomable treasure found in the scripture. Though the Jet ski tour guide gig was about as good as it gets, I know that the guiding job we as preachers have is by far the most thrilling yet challenging of all the guiding occupations one could ever dream of.

What is ministry really?

2010-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

My understanding of ministry is moving ever towards the image of servant hood. Ministry is not power, control, and not even necessarily the use of a given talent in a Christian setting. Ministry is a half naked Jewish carpenter on one knee with a basin and towel at the ready. In the image of Christ, his incarnation, earthly ministry, and teaching about servant hood our model for ministry is found. It’s to this end that I have tried (with success and failure) to aim my own ministry at. This endeavor at the fundamental level is my call, as a Christ-follower and as one moving towards vocational ministry. It’s not my intention to chase “super star pastor” status, grasp for control of positions, power, or people, or upward mobility. Rather my vision for ministry is one of downward mobility; a life of increasing servitude and leading by being lead more and more by Christ.

Consider It Crap Cause You're Already Dead

2009-11-24T10:23:00.000-08:00

This was a sermon preached at Milligan College Vespers on Sunday November 22nd 2009.

Have you ever been studying the NT and wondered to your self... is the Church missing the Mark? Well your not alone.... Join with me as we look at Jesus' words in Luke 9:18-25 to try to recapture what it really means to follow Jesus.

I how this is edifing, please let me know how it impacted you!

Grace and Peace,

The Jesus and Syndrome

2009-10-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys... Thought I would share a practice sermon with you... this one is about adding things to the gospel... it was preached to a bunch of old folks at ACV an assisted living home in Johnson city.... it is practice (thank God! ) so laugh with me and cry with me... there is a pretty funny verbal blupper... and a supprise ending! Let me know what you think... I have a lot to learn and I'm all ears.

In the Name of Jesus

2009-09-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

I think the phrase “one of the best book’s I’ve ever read” is sometimes grossly over used, I know this because I have personally used it more than I should (this might be because my library is so small and inadequate). So I find myself in a quandary of sorts when trying to relay my enthusiasm about Henri Nouwen’s book entitled “In the Name of Jesus.” In every way this is one of the best books I have ever read, yet by me saying that I know I don’t do it proper justice. Therefore urge you to take my ( though slightly tainted) word and add this to your reading list: ESPECIALLY if you are a Christian leader or aspiring Christian leader of some sort!!! This is a must read for anyone participating, or planning to participate in any kind of ministry. Regardless it would be extremely beneficial to read in order to understand the call of your minister more thoroughly, so that you can nurture him or her accordingly. This is a great book, it will always be on my shelf, and will habitually be on my reading list. What follows is my personal “commentary” on Nouwen’s thoughts. For those who want the skinny enjoy….

It makes perfect sense that the most devastating temptations in the arsenal of the enemy are aimed towards Christian leaders. What Henri Nouwen does in “In the Name of Jesus” is address some of these temptations by cutting to the heart of Christian leadership (specifically those virtues that transcend time, and trend). By doing so he uncovers what it might look like for Christian leaders to lead in the future. He accomplishes this by addressing the temptations (which are characteristic of the temptations of Christ) to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful. In doing so Nouwen calls leaders of the future towards prayer, ministry, and leadership by being led.
The first of these temptations is the temptation to be relevant. This is alive and not-so-well in our world today (in and outside Christian leadership). With many respected leaders of the church singing the “be relevant” mantra with good intentions. This of course is not all bad, but the danger, as Nouwen explains, is when the desire and aspiration to be relevant drowns out a life of prayer, and ipso facto a deepening relationship with God. As I was reading this section of Nouwen I was refreshed because my mind kept continually returning to the phrase “you live for an audience of one.” This is painfully and powerfully true. We are first and foremost called to be relevant (real and in-tune) with Christ and his story. Then and only then can we be truly relevant to our world. What can be more relevant that the work of the Holy spirit and Christ building his church? If we are not in-tune with this we will be spiritually sick and in hindsight ineffective.
In close relation to temptation to be relevant is the temptation to be spectacular. When an aspiring minister (especially an evangelical) looks at the scope of Christianity today it’s nearly impossible not to get distracted by the “superstars” of the church. I am as guilty as the next dude of this. It seems I can’t go through a season of my Christian walk and progress in ministry, without a subtle infatuation with a particular preacher, pastor, or scholar. The trouble in practically minister then is that this creates an unattainable “super pastor/ Christian leader” ideal (and maybe idle). Sadly this “super pastor” ideal has become a watermark on every pastoral job description in the church today. It’s because of this that ministers shy away from real authentic relationships with the people they are ministering to, avoiding real ministry all together in the process. The fear of being discovered as something short of spectacular nudges any possibility of confession and forgiveness out of the pastoral equation.
This sort of leadership has an insecure foundation. It’s out of this insecurity that the thrust for power is cultivated. This is an issue Nouwen addresses by illuminating our sinful desire to be power packrats. We want control of our ministry for our own ends (in most cases this means for our own Glory). Nouwen’s (and really Christ’s) solution is manifested beautifully in this idea of “downward mobility.” When the sections argument came to fruition in this phrase it stopped me in my tracks, mostly because seemingly everything in my life pushes me towards upward mobility: success, affirmation, accolades, splendor, relevance, and power. Nouwen personally demonstrates this in his story of moving to the handicapped home, yet he is quick to point to Christ ultimate example in his incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.
This book will be one to which I continually return. It will be a trustworthy whisper in my sinful ear. This is not because they are just great words form a great man (though they are) it is because those words are just intimations of scripture, and of Christ’s example, and this is key.

Why ministry?

2009-09-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

Reflections on the call

The crux of John Pipers hit book ~Desiring God~ could be summed with his statement, "God is most glorified when you are most satisfied in him." I believe this to be the case, in my life and my calling into ministry thus far. From the subtle beginnings of my calling in BAYNET (the local church youth ministry I participated in) some of my most satisfying times in my relationship God have been in the midst of ministry. Similarly, John Eldridge states in his book entitled ~Wild at Heart~ "find what makes you come alive, and do that for Christ's Glory." My youth minister Joe Mousseau had a similar saying that he always raddled off in discussions about vocational direction (especially before I left for college), he said "make your passion your profession, and you'll never work a day in your life." All these statements have become validated in my journey in ministry. Yet despite these statements from people I respect the question still looms "why go into ministry." My answer to this question is threefold: a biblical calling, a character calling, and a passion driven calling.

   To address the question we must first ask a similar question "why, should anyone, go into ministry." The answer to this question must first be found in scripture. When we search the scriptures examples of arguments for going into ministry abound. One common example is the great commission(s) (Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:8). This alone would be grounds for giving ones occupational (and really whole) life to ministering to others for the sake of Christ and His Gospel. There is of course also Matthew 9:35-38 marked with the famous words of Jesus "the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." Another that calls us to minister is Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"Its verses like this that stir my heart towards actions.

    Another verse often referenced in regards to ministry is Ephesians 4:11-13. Chapter four is a fantastic chapter in regards to a calling into ministry. What I particularly enjoy is that paul tells us that God has enabled each of us to do a work to bring his church to unity, which includes some (I emphasize the some) apostles, profits, evangelists, teachers, and preachers. God has given all of us gifts, and ongoing discovery of his doing so in my life, has confirmed my calling into ministry, let me explain. When we look at the qualifications of an elder in 1 Timothy and Titus (which in my mind doubles as the best prototype for anyone in active ministry as well as an elder or pastor) we see a certain skill set, gifting, and Character come through Paul's pen. By God's Grace I look at those descriptions and see the man God is calling and making me to be. In my life with Christ I have begun to gain insight into the gifts God has given me for the use of his purposes. Gifts like leadership, teaching, encouragement, faith, and compassion. It's reassuring to me to notice that these are qualities that Paul sees fit to characterize for a minister (qualities from Christ, and not from myself).

  In a spiritual gifts assessment tool called "Networking" published by the willow creek association, the creators argue that to focus on ones gifts without consideration of one's passions is irresponsible and an incomplete assessment. They would go so far as to say that to better understand our vocational direction we must first define or understand your passions. From there they suggest finding an outlet in ministry where one could use these gifts in accordance with where one's passions lie (this is in much the same mindset as John Eldridge and My friend Joe Mousseau). I agree completely with this approach, and it's in this search to understand my passions I have seen my calling become ratified most vividly. My heart longs to see the local church in unity, and alive in Christ. My passion is transformation; to see someone who is far from God be pulled close to him in a metamorphosis of sanctification because of the sacrifice of Christ, and through the work of the spirit, has become my obsession! My Father once told me "JD, there are three things that last in God's economy; Him, His word, and the people He has created." It is for this reason my passion lies with God, his word, and his people. This Passion is what drives me to tears, it's what drives me to my knees, it's what drove me to Milligan, it what will drive me to ministry (in whatever capacity), and it's what will ultimately drive me to eternity with my maker, and with those whom He loves. God is on the move, and in my life time He will do something Great, that's just who He is. I pray often that God would so humble me that I might be used in whatever way he chooses, to see his kingdom come.

"Oh that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more raise up unto Himself certain young men whom He may use in his glorious employ. And what manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace. They will be men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions; men who are willing to be 'fools for Christ's sake', who will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth's accolades, but to win the Master's approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat. They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness 'signs and wonders following' in the transformation of multitudes of human lives"
George Whitefield
May it be so…

2009-08-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Subtle Awakening
A part of wisdom is reflection. Reflection awakens us to understanding, particularly the understanding of the narrative that is our life. This endeavor of reflection is one of subtle awakenings. As Douglas Foster explained in his article entitled Ignorance is not bliss, “To Know how we were formed… is liberating! Such an understanding frees us from the notion that we are self-made-- that we arrived at the ways we act and think apart from a long chain of Influences.” In the midst of reflection we are awakened to the fact that our personal theology is not the product of merely our own intellectual conclusions. We are never more (actually more often less) then co-authors in our own life narrative. Of course this is equally true in my life in regards to my theological and ecclesiological heritage. The foundation for my theological and ecclesiological heritage, ironically, is found in Cornerstone Community Church of Redwing Minnesota. Born a preachers kid (or PK for short) in 1988 I was ushered into a life and household that revolved around Christianity. For the first thirteen years of my life I grew up in a Christian community that promoted a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the Son of the living God. The Bible was used in many areas of my life: home, Sunday schooling, VBS in the summer, and preaching on Sunday. From my beginnings I was taught of its importance. Cornerstone was a non-denominational congregation with strong ties to the BGC (or Baptist General Conference out of Minneapolis/Saint Paul). Cornerstone was an exciting Place to be as a young child, it was characterized by creative and vibrant teaching, dancing, Baptism, communion (though not weekly), church picnics, emotionally charged church camps, and sometimes even the rear occurrence of speaking in tongues (which was memorable for a young child). Out of this experience I constructed a frame work for how “church” was suppose to happen. Also, though I did not know it at the time I had developed a strong cornerstone, if you will, for a theological belief system.
When I was thirteen my father, who had sense moved from being a youth minister to adults pastor, took a senior minister position with Salem Baptist Church in Ashland Wisconsin (the Church of my grandparents and the Church he had grown up in). The Transition from Cornerstone to Salem was smooth. Salem and Cornerstone were alike in many ways, and in others they were different. Salem comes from a stoic Swedish background. The church has since undergone reformation. Initially on arrival Salem was characterized by hymns, a tie in first service, preaching, Sunday school, baptism, potlucks, and monthly communion. Over the 6 years I attended there Salem has changed in the direction of a contemporary church, much like Cornerstone (minus the dancing and the tongues… you can hardly get sweeds to clap their hands let alone mover their hips). My time at Salem built upon the foundation I was given through the community at Cornerstone, both theologically and ecclesiologically.
The X factor in the development of my heritage during this time was BAYNET (or Bay Area Youth Network). BAYNET was turning point in my theological and ecclesiological development. Joe Mousseau, a youth for Christ worker in the area partnered with Salem’s youth and meet in Salem’s facilities and acted as our youth minister, and also a youth minister to the bay area as well. Because of the semi ecumenical (meaning mostly Baptist and Assemblies of God, and some Catholic, Lutheran, and Presbyterian) nature of BAYNET I was exposed to other expressions of the Christian faith. This most vividly came through my attendance to Assemblies of God hosted youth conventions. To a boy who had become accustomed to the “hands in the pockets worship” of Salem it was eye opening. The mix (ironically the name of our Wednesday night gathering) of traditions quickly became a part of my ecclesiological identity. BAYNET also provided for me a place of theological learning. Because of the ecumenical nature of BAYNET Joe was careful to enlighten us on as many angles of any issue as he could. This forced me into reflection and study. It was the beginnings of my theological independence (of course complete theological independence can never be attained, but what I mean here by independence is a ownership of my theological positions, weather they were inherited from my heritage or not. This process is still underway). In my time with BAYNET I was also empowered to lead, and I loved it. This was the birth place of my calling into ministry. Out of this calling I became mildly obsessed with the study of the “the Church” today. This calling and obsession lead me to enroll at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with the intention of pursuing a business degree and going on to seminary and then possibly a Executive Minister position somewhere in a church setting following my studies.
For two years I pursued this path, and it was filled with personal study of theology and ecclesiology. My personal ecclesiological study consisted of reading books such as Rick Warrens “Purpose Driven Church” and scrutinizing every congregation I attended to squeeze every ounce of knowledge I could from the experience they provided. As in these years I was a part of four Christian gatherings and fellowships: Campus Crusade for Christ (or Cru), Valley Brook Church, Jacobs Well, and a South Korean house church. Valley Brook Church and Jacobs well served as a continuation of my ecclesiological observance from birth. Each varied slightly from the other in worship and preaching style, but they were in much the same strain theologically and ecclesiologically as Cornerstone and Salem (and both were Baptist: BGC (VBC) and SBC (JW)). Campus Crusade built mostly upon my theological heritage. I remember one of the first exercises I did in my involvement with Cru was a bible study called “Essentials.” The nature of this exercise was to review the foundations, or essentials, of Christian theology. This was nothing new to me but in strengthened the pillars of my faith as I went through it and eventually lead others through it as well. A key theological position that I inherited form them was my theology of evangelism. I should state more clearly that I did not entirely inherit their evangelistic methodology but their theology. I grown in the knowledge of the need for evangelism and developed a heart to do so. Yet I did not come away with their tangible methods (i.e. the “door to door evangelism” or otherwise known as non-relational evangelism). Though the residue of cru that still resides in my life is in nature mostly theological, there are some hints of ecclesiological rub off. For Example, in cru I learned the idea of a winning, building, sending ministry as a model for discipleship in the church. This is still very foundational aspect of my personal ecclesiology.
Amongst the three experiences of Cru, valley brook, and Jacobs well was an outlier, The House Church. The House Church was lead by Abraham Nahm, a missionary to the United States from South Korea (which was initially eye opening for me). Each week about 15-20 people gathered at Abraham and his wife Sarah’s (Their given biblical names) house to have a worship service. The worship service was held in the couple’s living room and consisted of hymns lead by a piano, and a weekly message given by one of the men in the congregation. It’s in this context that my ecclesiological heritage was inriched. Coming from churches ranging from 350-1000 to a worship setting with just 15 people was an enlightening experience. I learn the fundamentals of a Christian fellowship in the midst of the house church. Love, fellowship, and caring were central to a Sunday morning. “You knew everybody and everybody knew you” seemed to be the mantra. Here I saw a new kind of preaching: one from the members not just a preacher, and only expository (preaching through the bible). Communion was viewed in a different light as well. Instead of partaking in the juice and the bread every Sunday, we would have a meal together every Sunday, breaking breads of all kinds. The whole experience of The House Church was enlightening.
Fast forward to fall semester of 2008 where I found myself at Milligan College. At Milligan the subtleties of my awakening were brought to my attention. Prior to my attendance of Milligan I had never really engaged the Christian faith on a academic level it had always been devotional. This shift in focus along with new encounters in new theology conversations plunged me into reflection. Part of this had to do with the clash of things that had been brewing in my mind for some while. Earlier in my college carrier I dove in to theological exploration of Calvinism. I read and listen to voices like Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Tim Cellar, and Calvin himself. In this endeavor I found myself plunging and ascending to different levels of belief and subscription to the Calvinistic mindset (and the effects there of). This was challenged in some way in my studies at Milligan and plunged me deeper still in my theological pursuits in general along with an understanding of Calvinism.
The semester following my first semester at Milligan, I took an internship position at Mountain Christian Church (from the background of Christian Churches/Churches of Christ). My time at Mountain was life shaping and made a deep imprint on my theological and ecclesiological identity. There I learned about the current wake of the Restoration Movement. A movement deep in my heritage on my mother’s side of the family ( Grandfather Dan McCall a Christian Church minister, Counselor, Professor, and Chaplin; and my uncles Ross Brodfueher and John Sichting both ministers of Christian Churches and Milligan Graduates) but something I had never reflected on until then.
The past few months of my life are characterized by a progressing courtship with the ideals of the restoration movement. My theological and ecclesiological heritage is becoming ever clearer as I am subtlety awakened to the reasons why I believe what I believe. My Brother once told me when reflecting on his first months of marriage “you understand the family from which you came much better when you start your own family with someone form a completely different family.” I find that the same thing is becoming true as I am becoming awakened to the heritage of the restoration movement.

.... So whats your Theological and ecclesiological heritage?

Inner Geography

2009-08-19T20:43:00.001-07:00

My response the question…"where in the world are you?... Emotionally, Interpersonally, Spiritually, Academically?"

Emotionally: I'm like an athlete who blow out his knee a few years ago, virtually recovered, but occasionally pledged with the inconvenience of the frailty of his knee.

Interpersonally: Developing: prideful, insecure, but willing and able to grow stronger in lover for others… "Love those who you feel uncomfortable around" is becoming my motto.

Spiritually: Awakening…. Ever awakening: to my sin, and his grace, to my pride and his humility, to my selfishness, and his love, to my ignorance, and his omniscience.

Academically: I can now (16 years in) truly say I am a student. By that I mean one who willingly pursues learning.

"be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

This is a great exercise… take time to assess your own inner Geography….Where in the world are you???

The Millennial Views for auditory learners

2009-08-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

... if it was hard to follow my post on the Millennial views a while ago check this out... It might serve you better to hear it...enjoy

A Tribute to my parents on their 25th Anniversary

2009-08-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

A Burnt Bull or a broken heart

2009-08-18T18:19:00.001-07:00

Spiritual Formation in the Semester in Ministry Experience

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

Psalms 51:16-17

In my walk with Christ I often find myself offering up meaningless sacrifices to my creator. Sometimes it's empty words in a prayer, singing eloquent words of praise on Sunday morning while pondering the Packers new defensive scheme, or dragging myself to a chapel service with everything but Christ on my mind. When I think about it my life is often full of futile sacrifice. This is not what God desires of me, or anyone else for that matter. This was a growing point for me last semester.

As an Intern at Mountain spiritual formation came to me in many different ways. Conventionally, it came through; weekly meetings with the semester in ministry director (this included many discussions and learning times about how to minister well, but also how to grow in faith as a minister), formatted mentorship time with the Men's minister (Rob meet with me bi-weekly to support me and see how I was doing spiritually), attending various bible studies, and the weekly attendance of the Sunday services at Mountain. Though these experiences shaped the foundation for my spiritual formation last semester they were by no means the extent.

The substance of my spiritual formation was brought about by circumstance. What I mean by this is that the circumstances, positions, responsibilities, habits, and rhythms that I was thrust into last semester were the catalyst for my sanctification in Christ. I had always heard it said (and intellectually believed) that a minister needs to feed his own soul in order to feed others (makes sense right). Well you know when you find yourself doing that thing that you "know" has an undesirable result, but despite what you "Know" you do it anyway ( your like "yeah Jd it's called sin! And were not natural avoiders of it"… humor me for a sec ) . Well, because of my competitive nature, desire to do the best I can, and the natural pressures of any internship I found myself cutting into my structured devotional time/life with Christ in order to excel as a "minister" ( I know this is getting ridiculously ironic). This, as I dearly learned, in the immediate sense improved my performance ministry wise, but soon began to wear on my soul and my relationship with God. I learned the importance of guarding my personal spiritual formation times. He kinda broke my heart… let me wander away a little bit…. So I could taste the bitter failure that comes with separation from him. What schemes the Evil one imposes on our lives… and I…we fall for it when we have are Guard down.

One of the truths that I have affirmed through this experience is that no matter how many prayers I pray, worship songs I sing, chapel services I attempt, SFP(Spiritual Formation Program [a Milligan thing]) credits I accumulate; if these "sacrifices" are not paired with a broken and contrite heart, its meaningless and even detestable to the Lord. By God's grace he brings us to a posture of the heart, in which we can worship and serve him in a spirit of Truth… and brokenness. I am ever thankful that Christ, in his mercy, brought me to this place last semester. And it's by his Grace that I pray that he will humble me further in this matter.

Lets hold tight to Him… and the truths he has showed us.

God is so Good

2009-07-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

Watch... be aware...pray

2009-07-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

“My Father and many of my relatives died many years ago. They knew nothing of God, And for me, it’s too late! I’m too old to read my own talk…..” “ did you know a long time ago, when you were a little girl, that there were people here in Papua New Guinea like me?”…Yes I read books and knew about Papua new Guinea… “Then, Marilyn, why did it take you so long to come?” (Nokiyin, Hauna village elder)

Mission Possible is a compelling read about Marilyn Laszlo’s missionary journeys in Papua New Guinea with Wycliffe Translators (a mission group concerned with the task of translating God’s word into all languages http://www.wycliffe.org/ ). This book is evidence of God’s miraculous power in our world today.

Mission Possible touched my heart by opening my eyes to the many people (remote or near) that have not tasted the word of God, and what an important task it is to remedy this dilemma. Through the Example of this book and God’s work through Marilyn Laszlo I was shown two key elements of world evangelism… Service, and the word of God! This is a great read, very encouraging, and up lifting. If there is even a spark of passion for evangelism and world missions in you by the end of the last page it will surely be fanned into a holy blaze!

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=2338810&item_code=WW&netp_id=120723&event=ESRCN&view=covers

“People like you had the bible hundreds and hundreds of years ago. But people like us, we didn’t. Tonight I am very proud because I have my own bible (in my own talk), and I can witness to my own people.” (Jonah, Hauna village pastor)

Praise God.

Thousand years…kinda

2009-07-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

In my preparation for a short speech on the Millennial views I thought I would Blog a little about it… If your slightly nerdy… hunger for a little grocery store old lady sample size theology feel free to take a bit.

There are three predominate “Millennial” views in modern theology. These views spring out of the book of Revelation, more directly Chapter 20 (take a quick glance it might but things in context). The “Millennial” is in reference to the Millennium (1000 years) that is mentioned in regards to Christ’s reign (Vs. 3, 4, 5, 6,7,). Due to a diversity of Interoperation over the life of the Church there have been three major subsequent theologies regarding this passage, and also consequently much bickering over the years as well.

In my explanation of each I display four main categories of explanation: Definition, Roots, Manifestations (in history (i.e. whom, and when)) and a brief comment.

The first of the three that I will explain is Pre-Millennialism.
Definition: The belief/ interpretation that Jesus will return and establish a specific thousand-year kingdom.
Roots: Pre-Millennialism is rooted in a literal interpretation of chapter 20, revelation, and much of biblical prophecy. Meaning the natural tendency to take scripture at its face value. Also rooted in the mindset that a saving work of Jesus is the only means to bring a peaceful kingdom (i.e. human works are futile). It is also Strongly associated with dispensationalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispensationalism), or simply put the theology that Revelation (and other prophetic books of the bible) layout a “divine timeline” of the past, present, and most particularly in Revelation’s case the future.

Manifestations: According to Dr. Craig s. Kenner, a well respected commentator and professor of theology at Palmer Theological Seminary : the pre-millennial view was most prevalent in the earliest stages of Christianity (this is disputed) being upheld by church fathers such as Papias, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, but was then condemned as superstition and heretical in 431 at the council of Ephesus. Not until the recent century has this theological position made a resurgence into popular theology. This is due impart to the publishing of the wildly popular Scofield Bible published in 1917, where in this theological school was highly promoted. The publishing of the Scofield Bible has been referenced as the birth of dispensationalism, thus the close relationship between the two.

Brief Comment: Although this view seems “legit” when a reader just glances over chapter 20 of revelations, many would argue the interpretive approach to Revelation (or an Apocalypse such as Revelation for that matter) is in congruent with the literary Genre (that is Apocalyptic literature, and specifically a work that has been come to be know as an “apocalypse (e.g. Revelation, Parts of Daniel, Ezekiel, and other canonical and non canonical works). In layman’s terms Traditional these sorts of passages (as much of revelations) were originally intended to be read symbolically. You can see then why this might be a problematic interpretation.

Post Millennialism (have you zoned out yet)

Definition: the Belief/ interpretation that Christians help establish the thousand-year kingdom on earth prior to Jesus’ return (almost opposite (in regards to timing) as the Pre-millennial view).

Roots: the Post-m view is rooted in the same theological interpretive mindset as that of Pre-m view, yet it springs it seems to spring out a spirit of progress and the notion that humans have the ability to make a profound impact on the creation of a peaceful reign on Jesus kingdom.

Manifestations: This view has manifested it’s self in times of progress the most prevalent case is that of during the world wide reveal movements of the 17 and 18 hundreds. Embraced by names such as Jonathan Edwards and Charles Finney (both prominent voices of this time) this view has been fuel to many of the greatest evangelical movements of the church. You can imagine why when one holds the view “I am in responsible for ushering in this 1000 year reign of Christ and the church” people were motivated to go out and win souls for Christ, and make a difference in their world.

Brief: because of its foundational approach to interpretation (like the Pre-m view) it encounters some of the same problems as the pre-m view.

A-Millennial

Definition: The general belief that the thousand-year kingdom is symbolic for the present age.

Roots: The A-M unlike the Pre and Post –m views arises form different lens from which to look at prophetic scripture. Keener again puts it well when he explains in his commentary on revelation “A-millenialists, by contrast (to Pre, and Post-m), suggest that John is not predicting true future events, John is simply using this literary device (a symbolic 1000 years) to communicate Christian truth (namely the kingdom Jesus has ushered in by his victory on the cross. The Kingdom of Heaven/ God as found in the gospels and in the NT). This is rooted in and interpretive school that tries very hard to consider the literary genre in interpretation, and Also subscribes to an interpretive role (or one much like it) that states “A verse, passage, or book can not mean today what it couldn’t have meant back then (i.e. its original hearers).”

Manifestations: The A-Millennial view has dominated most of the theological history of the church and presently stands, along with Pre-millennialism, as the most predominant theological interpretation of this scripture. This view fist appeared in the 4th century and there after has been affirmed by theologians and saints such as Saint Augustine, John Calvin, and Martin Luther.

Brief Comment: In my view this theological position and interpretive approach is most loyal to the literary genre of revelation and its original meaning. As one commentator asserts “This approach (A-m), in many ways is the most sensitive to the nature of the prophetic genre that Revelation develops.”

Theological gems

It has often been the sin of many a over zealous bible student or church leader to make to much of this diversity of millennial views and over look the core of what Scripture is telling us through the pre, post, and a-millennial view. And that is this “ that Revelation and chapter 20 Tell us that there is a future hope for those who suffer in Christ, the God is sovereign and the devil cannot act with out God’s permission, those who don’t submit to Christ will parish, and most of all our God is triumphant! If we get to easily caught up in the meaningless bickering that entangles some of the church today

“Apart from Billy Graham and perhaps Luis Palau, Bill Bright, and some others like them, few of us today have had the direct impact that John Wesley, Charles Finney, or D.L. Moody had on their generation: yet all three of them held quite different views about the end times. It seems clear, at least to many of us, that God does not dispense his blessings based on our views about the end times, and that we out to learn from his example a lesson about charity towards those who hold other views on this matter”
Dr. Craig Keener

The Spice Girls rule

2009-06-17T19:07:00.001-07:00

Remember that spice girls song that went “if you wanna be my lover you got to get with my friends.” That is so spot on, lol! Recently I have been awaken to the fact that the affirmations of a relationship by your closest friends and spiritual leaders is absolutely vital. In the past week I have been in to scenarios where close friends of mine were engaged in a serious relationship (one a couple days form marriage). In each scenario I (or a group of friends) have come to the friend to discuss their relationships out of love and concern. In both conversation the comment was made (is some form) “you pursuing marriage and I don’t even know who this Girl is!” Our hearts were heavy laden at the fact that we as deer friends did not know the soon to be spouse. There is something wrong here…and its painful ( I should say that this was acknowledged and there is and understanding and a desire to change the circumstance).

In this case the spice girls rule was violated. Proverbs 31 (in vs. 23 and 31) alludes briefly to both sides of this rule:
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

This hints that the ideal relationship has a element of publicity, and that it is not a private and individual matter. Dating (especially with the intention of marriage) can not me a private thing in the body of Christ. I my wildest dreams I could not imagine not seeking the affirmation of a woman by my closest and most respected friends (given that they are Christ followers and like minded).

This brings me to conclude that “if you wanna be my lover you gotta get with my friends.” Because its healthy, biblical, and wise. And who wouldn’t want a spouse that people delight in and respect, if you chose not to “get with the friend” you are choosing the lesser of two paths.

Peace,
JD

Tip/thought: I think Hitch (the movie) has it right when he advises his clients to focus on the best friend on the second date…but maybe I will take that one step further, maybe redeem it a little: take the time and effort to get to know your “lover’s” friends because it might tell you a little about who you getting to know in your lover. And if you are dating someone who doesn’t want to put the time and effort into getting to know your friends, think deeply about what that might mean!