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Reversing Polarity and the Future of the Western Church

2013-05-18T11:07:00.002-06:00

There is a phenomenon known as Geomagnetic Reversal (you can read more about it here). In this natural and ongoing phenomenon, the earth’s polarity is reversed every several hundred thousands years. Although there are scientific disagreements as to the effectual magnitude of these reversals, there is no question that it has effects. Whatever the specific case and effects of Geomagnetic Reversal, it is a naturally occurring phenomenon that takes something we rely upon for navigation and direction, and reverses it.

I would like to suggest that we are on the verge of a polarity reversal in the global Church as we face a massive shift in the power and density of the Christian witness. Over the last several hundred years, the Church was been strongest in the West and the West has been, largely, the leader of global mission (in good and bad ways) for the spreading of the Gospel to Asia, Africa, etc. This polarity is now rapidly reversing.

As the Church in the West faces the reality of post-Christendom in our post-colonial and post-modern world, it must face its future and its future will look radically different than its past. As the western church moves into its future, the quality it will need most is humility. For the sake of the Gospel, it must be willing to ask and accept help. As long time help givers, resource providers and power holders, this will be incredibly difficult.

The Christian world is shifting and the global shape of Christianity is reversing polarity. Just as it does in nature, this shift will occur over time and will involve confusion as old paradigms breakdown and effectiveness of current models wane. In the midst of the shifting, will the western church be willing to, in humility, accept help from other parts of the world? Will it be willing to have groups from Latin America or Africa come and do Vacation Bible Schools (Children’s ministries) for us, help with Church renovation projects that need to be done but can’t for lack of resources, host groups to do evangelism in our communities, etc. Basically, will it be willing to reverse our view of missions and accept help from others with the same enthusiasm as it has given it in the past.

The fact is, the poles are shifting, it is undeniably happening; ignorance is not bliss, nor is arrogance acceptable. The question we must ask ourselves is: As we move through this polar reversal in the church, will we be able to, in humility, accept help as willingly as we have offered it?

I am not sure how I will enter this new emerging, reverse polarity world, but I hope I enter it full of humility and fully ready to engage with what God is doing and wants to do in our Global world.

Will we, in humility, open the door to those whose feet are beautiful with the Good News (Isaiah 52:7)? Or, will we close the door in arrogance and pride? I hope and pray, we will be willing do the former and be a global Church filled with beautiful feet!

More Than Zombies

2013-03-26T08:54:00.000-06:00

The following was also published in the Vermilion Standard.

If you have kept an eye on movie and television trends, you would have noticed the current fascination with zombies. Zombies are humans who have had the unfortunate experience of being bitten (infected), and as a result of that infection, die and come back to physical ”life” without any sense of memory, love, selflessness, care, concern, etc. Zombies are “The Walking Dead” whom function completely out of instinct (eat and spread their infection). Their physical bodies operate purely out of the instinctual need of self-survival, looking for uninfected people to feed on and infect.

I think our cultural fascination with zombies exists for a couple of reasons. First, it feeds off of our fear of infection and a potential future pandemic. With increased population and new increasingly contagious viruses, we are constantly under threat of a potential pandemic. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has even used the popularity of zombies as a fictional and exaggerated means to educate people about how to be prepared for a potential future pandemic.

Second, I think it critiques the perspective that views human beings as simply animals with complicated instincts. This view understands humans as no more than instinctual creatures.

Humans, I would argue, are more than the pursuit of their primordial desires. Being human is more than just about procreation and self-survival. If this were our purpose and chief end, then people would not on a global level seek out love, higher purpose, meaning, and have an overwhelming belief in god.

One of the distinctions of being human is the ability to love sacrificially, help others generously, hope, seek meaning in life, and believe in something bigger than ourselves.

God created us as humanity and He wants us to live fully human lives. He wants us to be in relationship with Him and with others. He didn’t create, nor does He desire, a “Walking Dead.” He wants people fully alive in Him. Consider the evidence of those who follow Jesus, given in Scripture (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). This is God’s description of those who are fully alive in him. These are the evidences of humans living fully human lives, devoted to God, living in relationship with others and empowered by His Spirit.

This description is more than the instinctual behavior of animals. We are called to be more than zombies (controlled simply by animal instincts of survival and reproduction) but fully alive human beings (loving God and loving others).

This is the message of Jesus. Jesus came so that we could experience life – abundant and eternal life. Are you living a fully human life – devoted to God and empowered by Him? If not, you need to know and experience Jesus!

The Pilot and the Preacher

2013-03-12T12:56:00.001-06:00

On multiple occasions, I have attempted piloting a virtual aircraft with a computerized flight simulator. Although these have taken place in different places, environments and contexts, they have all ended with the same predicable result – virtual destruction.

Unlike the perceived simplicity of flying, it is a complex reality with complicated instruments, controls, aerodynamics, gravity, weather, etc. What on the surface seems simple is, in reality, quite complex.

As someone who has preached regularly for years, I’ve learned a number of important things in the process. I want to share them here using the metaphor of piloting an airplane.

Flight Check List
Any pilot, when preparing for takeoff and the upcoming flight, has to meticulously prepare for the journey. They file flight plans, check gages, brief their crew, study their plane, know the weather, etc. They meticulously prepare! The same must exist for the preacher. The biblical communicator must know the Scripture he/she is preaching from (biblical exegesis), interpret it effectively (hermeneutics), study their unique context (cultural exegesis), and consider the best possible route for their sermon (methodology), etc.

To preach meritoriously, one must prepare meticulously.

Air Traffic Control
When a pilot prepares for take off, is in flight and prepares to land, he/she must be in constant communication with air traffic control. The same must be true for preachers as they pray before, during and after the preaching journey they take with their congregation.

To preach effectively, one must pray endlessly.

Take Off
One of the roles of an effective pilot is to prepare the travelers for take off, telling them to buckle up and preparing them for the journey ahead. The same is true for the preacher. As the preacher prepares to take off, they must communicate to the congregation, and prepare them for the journey. This will be different depending on the preaching methodology used, but the same principle exists regardless. The effective preacher invites the congregation to enter the journey ahead with preparation, expectation and anticipation.

I must be noted that the pilot, as with the preacher, is only effective if he/she knows his/her passengers, understands them and even, I would suggest, includes them in the planning and preparation for the journey ahead.

To preach commendably, one must commence communally.

Aware of Passengers
As a pilot constantly keeps aware of the state of his/her passengers through the journey, the same must be true of the preacher. As the preacher journeys through the content of the message, he/she must keep the congregation engaged and aware. This is not to suggest that the goal is to keep the passengers comfortable but the preacher must be constantly aware that he/she is not taking this journey alone!

To preach well, one must know and be aware that they are not on a solo flight.

Turbulence
Sometimes a pilot will have to fly through turbulence and when they do, it is helpful and imperative to have people put up their tray tables, buckle-up, and prepare for the rough, and often uncomfortable, ride ahead. The same is true for preachers. There will be times when the preacher will preach through difficult texts and/or difficult topics. When this is the case, it is helpful to let people know what is coming, to be prepared for it and journey through it together. Personally, I have found I can preach on very difficult topics if I prepare the congregation for it. If I let them know that turbulence is ahead, there is, in my experience, a collective desire to work through it together, allowing the opportunity to pilot through difficult passages and topics together. This is where I find it helpful to remind the congregation that we, together, submit to God’s authority and discern truth together in community under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

To preach successfully, one must preach through turbulent topics securely.

Landing
For pilots, the one area that is often the most challenging, memorable and exciting is the landing. If there is going to be a problem, there is a good chance it will be in the landing. This is the area where, in my experience, most preachers struggle. In many cases, preachers look to approach the runway and land “on a wing and a prayer.” They pour hours of preparation into the take off (introduction) with the false assumption and fleeting hope that the landing will take care of itself. Good preaching should end the journey of the sermon with a distinct ending that calls for a response and leads to mission.

To preach sufficiently, one must land the sermon steadily.

Disembarking
It is my usual practice to do a benediction at the end of the service. This is when I give a charge to the congregation as they engage the world on mission. I always end by calling people to “GO in peace” because, like a pilot who greets people as they leave the plane, I know as people will engage their world, the scripture we journeyed through will collide with their circumstance in challenging ways.

To preach effectively, the exit is engaged intentionally.

When it comes to preaching there are different kinds of pilots with different piloting skills and abilities. Some are stunt pilots who are extraordinarily gifted in their ability and people come in droves to see them in person or download their podcasts. In addition, there are private pilots who faithfully serve smaller churches as well as commercial pilots who serve larger churches. All follow the same process with different contexts and all have vital importance.

If you preach… Keep learning. Keep growing. Try new things. Get better at your craft, art and skill!

If you are a member of a congregation… Recognize that what might seem easy is, in reality, quite complex and, like flying a plane, when done well is not just a skill but also an art form that takes years of practice. Therefore, pray for your pastors, encourage them and invest in them!

The Future of Privacy in a Digital Age

2013-03-07T07:27:00.003-07:00

Google recently unveiled Google Glasses for beta testing (see the news story here), bringing up a number of questions regarding the future of privacy.

In the pre-digital age (before the Internet, social media and mobiquity (ubiquitous use of mobile technology)), a sign of one’s wealth and power was demonstrated as public fame. Although we are still riding the crest of this wave, it is beginning to break on the shores of the present. As that wave breaks on the present’s shore, it will begin to pull back into the ocean of history, reversing direction and changing culture’s landscape in the process. One of the many impacts of the retreating waves of history is the reversal of public and private. As the crest retreats, privacy will become a sign of wealth and power rather than public fame.

The controversy and conversation that Google Glass is creating highlights this shift. The future of technology will, increasingly, compress everything into the public sphere with accumulative complications. Google Glass is the latest manifestation of this increasing reality, conjuring several privacy related questions:

Where is it appropriate for the average person to film and publicly broadcast, and where is it not?
What is private and what is public?
Are private and public distinctions an increasingly archaic and obsolete distinction in an emerging digital society?

It is an interesting observation that although the general populace is, typically, infuriated by the government’s video surveillance, they are largely ignorant of the pervasive cameras in their possession, sharing videos, pictures, audio and text that are filtered through private companies’ servers (this information is then sold to the highest bidder – remember with free services (Gmail, Instagram, Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), you are the product being consumed). Consequently, we have moved away from cities with thousands of cameras (owned, operated and regulated by governments and corporations) to cities with millions of cameras (owned and maintained by individuals, filtered through private companies’ servers, with little to no regulation).

In our emerging world of DUB (this is an acronym for my phrase “Democratized Ubiquitous Broadcasting”), will privacy, rather than public fame, be the new sign of wealth and power? Will wealth be shown through the ability to hide? Will wealth create privacy behind virtual digital fences the way it does with physical mansions and estates? Will a sign of wealth be anonymity, in a way the vast majority of the populace can’t experience?

I am, intentionally, posing questions rather than answers. As we enter the digital future, in mobiquitous fashion, we need to be asking these questions – recognizing the ubiquitous effects of social media and Internet technology.

My Cup is Full of You

2013-02-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

The following was simultaneously published in the Vermilion Standard.

I had a privilege of traveling to Israel in 2012 and one of the many amazing experiences was participating in a presentation by a Bedouin man. This ancient desert culture has a unique way of welcoming and treating a stranger in the desert. One of the many practices they follow is that when someone has outstayed their welcome, they fill their coffee cup completely full. This, in their culture, is a sign that “my heart is full of you.” In other words, thanks for coming, but I have had enough, it is time to leave.

Perhaps you have had visitors like this. I don’t know about you, but I think that this year’s winter needs a full cup of coffee. My heart is full of winter and I find myself longing for spring! This year, it seems, we are in perpetual winter. Although this can happen at times with nature’s seasons, it also can happen in our lives. Have you ever had one of those seasons of life that doesn’t seem to end? Maybe you have been sick for an extended season, you are struggling with depression, relationships continue to struggle, etc. Whatever it is, you feel that you are in the midst of a long protracted winter and you long for spring, for the flowers to burst forth and for the days to get longer.

The Scriptures talk about this reality in numerous ways. Psalm 23 reminds us: “…though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) Although those who follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd, are never promised perpetual summer (there will be parts of the journey that go through the dark valley), they are promised a God who is with us. In fact, one of the names of Jesus is “Emmanuel,” meaning “God WITH us.” Thus, God promises hope, comfort and peace during the prolonged winters but he doesn’t promise to remove them nor trade them for perpetual summers; instead, he promises to be with us through them - to never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)

You need Jesus! Jesus does not promise immediate and perpetual summer in this world; a world in which he said we would have trouble, but he does promise hope. He promises hope that he has overcome this world and the hope that, if we follow Jesus, he will always be with us.

“I [Jesus] have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

If you don’t know Jesus, the living hope (1 Peter 1:3), I would challenge you to know him by faith. God desires to walk with you through the long seasons of life because in and through him, there is hope, truth, peace and love. I would challenge you know Jesus because in him and through him (John 14:6) there is abundant (John 10:10) and eternal life (John 3:16). Take heart! In Jesus, there is hope - hope that he will not only walk with us in this world but that he has overcome the world.

Can I Get a Witness?

2013-02-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8, NIV

The Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit and led by Jesus (the head of the Church), is called to be Christ's witness in the world. To that end, I would suggest that followers of Jesus, individually and collectively, are called to be, at least, three kinds of witnesses:

Character Witness – We are called to be Christ’s character witness and, like all character witnesses, we are to share about someone other than ourselves. We are called to share about Christ – who he is, what he is like, what he has done, etc. We have, typically, done a poor job at this. We often err in one of two ways. First, we like to tell bear witness to our own accomplishments and boast in ourselves rather than Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Second, we like to focus our witness on other people’s failure, sin and mistakes rather than bear witness to Christ. Too often, the church is known more for what it is against rather than what it is for.
Expert Witness – We are called to be expert witnesses, testifying to what God has done in and through our lives. We are called to share the story of God at work in us. We are the experts and we need to bear witness to our family, friends, neighbours and the world. There are two kinds of temptations in being an expert witness: Perjury (testifying to something that hasn’t happened – bearing false witness) and Hearsay (testifying to something that happened to someone else). We are called to authenticity in our lives and bear witness accordingly. We do not have to be afraid of honesty. The church needs a more honest witness. Sometimes the story of longing, suffering, and pain is the very witness we are called to bring. The church needs more honest expert witnesses.
Eyewitness – We are called to bear witness to what God is doing all around us. Leonard Sweet talks about this in his book Nudge, arguing that evangelism is less show and tell and more shut-up and listen. Therefore, listen to what God is doing and bear witness to it. Join in to where God has already been working and help people see and act on it. Furthermore, we are called to be eyewitnesses of beauty and truth wherever and whenever they present themselves. We need to have eyes to see and ears to hear beauty and truth in our world and draw people’s attention to it. We love to say that the church is the hands and feet of Jesus, which is true, but she is also his eyes and ears. She should be constantly on the lookout for beauty and truth and bearing witness to it.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to bear witness to the ends of the earth. To GO into all the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19 & Mark 16:15). Unlike popular belief and practice in North America, the Church is NOT a witness protection agency; rather, it is a witness sending movement, working towards bearing witness to Jesus everywhere.

Jesus is asking: “Can I get a witness?”

The North American Church’s Journey Through the Stages of Grief

2013-02-09T11:46:00.002-07:00

As a pastor, one of the things I am privileged to do is walk with people (shepherd them) through the stages of grief. As every pastor has experienced, some people successfully journey through these stages over time, while others get trapped along the way, often leading to dysfunction in their life.

I would suggest that the church in North America is going through the stages of grief as it comes to grips with the end/death of Christendom. As the church grieves the loss of its once held societal power, cultural influence and moral authority, it needs guidance and direction. The church is in need of pastoral shepherds who will help guide it through these stages into health and effectiveness within its new reality - post-Christendom. The challenge of this generation is to lead the church through the stages of grief, emerging with health and the reengagement of mission within its new environment.

The fact is, all churches and Christian traditions in North America are going through this grieving journey; however, they are all at different places in it. Consider the five stages of grief:

Stage 1: Denial - There are churches that are still stuck in denial. They believe that culture has not changed. They are still doing ministry in the same way they did at the height of Christendom.
Stage 2: Anger - Churches in this stage are angry at the change our culture is experiencing and have focused their attention and energy at expressing that anger. These churches are often known solely for what they are against, rather than what they are for.
Stage 3: Bargaining – Churches stuck in this stage believe that if they do ______ then things will go back to the way they use to be. In many cases, there is a focus on recreating past programs and ministries in a futile attempt to recreate past results.
Stage 4: Depression - Churches in this stage believe all hope is lost. They are beyond denial, anger or bargaining but the weight of the challenge ahead has brought depression, manifested in hopelessness.
Stage 5: Acceptance – Churches who have successfully journeyed through the previous stages end with acceptance, beginning to think through what it means for effective ministry and mission in our new post-Christian environment.

The church in North America is in a unique situation and journey. It needs men and women who are committed to God’s mission, seeing the whole Church bring the whole gospel to the whole world. The challenge ahead is for church leaders to be committed to Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, helping congregations, denominations and movements journey through these stages in order to begin meeting the unique challenges of our changing world. A post-Christian culture will need radically different ministries, need to ask profoundly different questions, and will need very different paradigms. The Church needs to move beyond conversations that simply grieve the loss of once was, to conversations of what could be, as it engages in God’s global mission. These conversations are why organizations and movements like Lausanne, Missio Alliance, etc. are vital and important for our time in history. The Church in North America is at the precipice of possibility and Jesus, the head of the Church, is leading His Church forward with hope and mission.

Canadian Swimming

2013-01-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

The following post was also recently published in the Vermilion Standard.

A few weeks ago at Christmas, in a spontaneous act of temporary insanity, I put on my swimming suit, opened the front door, entered the icy air and jumped off of my front step into the snow (I even have the pictures to prove it). I called it “Canadian Swimming.” It was one of those events that caught my kids off guard and will be now be one of our family legends. It was a crazy act, done partially out of rebellion of our long winter season and partially as a spontaneous act of joyful fun.

Upon reflection, and after warming up in a hot shower, I came to the conclusion that we all need to have more spontaneous acts of fun in our lives. I am not suggesting that we all jump off our front steps into a mountain of snow but there are times when you need to break the cycle and routine of life and engage in some spontaneous fun. It might be my own experience, but it is precisely these times of spontaneous fun that create memories and sometimes jar us out of our routines and ruts.

As a Christian, and as a pastor, it is often assumed that I must have given up on fun to live the calling I have. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love to have fun, love to laugh, enjoy times with friends, and do silly things like jump in snow banks in just my swimming suit. At the same time, I’m normal (although after Canadian Swimming, this is debatable) and sometimes I get caught in the routine of life, the stress of work, and the busyness of responsibility and I lose track of the joy that I am invited to experience.

I think we can forget that life was created by God to be full of joy. Even in the creation account of the Bible there is a sense of joy and play in the Garden of Eden. This is what God intended when he created humanity and what God calls us to. God calls us to life, abundant and eternal life through Christ Jesus (John 3:16; John 10:10), and this life is not a life intended to be devoid of play and joy but rather filled with it. There is nothing shameful in laughter and clean humor; God has given us humor and laughter as a beautiful gift, a gift that we are called to embrace rather than erase or suppress.

I think we all need more spontaneous jumps of playful joy as we celebrate the life we have been given and enter into the eternal and abundant life available to us in Christ Jesus.

Book Review: "The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails"

2013-01-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

There is a select group of people in my life that, with a conversation over a cup of java, make me feel smarter and wiser. Randal Rauser is one of those people. I have had the privilege of sitting down with him on several occasions over coffee talking life, movies and theology and I have always left feeling smarter and wiser as a result.

Randal’s new book, The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails, is a unique project, inviting the reader to listen in on one of those types of conversations. Although it deals with weighty apologetic subjects, it does so comfortably and conversationally, making it approachable for the average reader. Using inviting language and playful prose, Randal invites the reader to eavesdrop on a thoughtful conversation over a cup of coffee.

If you are interested in exploring the current apologetic debate, this book will help introduce you to the conversation in an inviting way without compromising the content of the arguments. Randal demonstrates his unique blend of gifts through this book: his vast knowledge, his ability to teach and his writing skills. This unique blend creates an inviting aroma that warmly and inclusively invites the reader to join the conversation.

*Note: Although the good people at IVPress, as part of the book’s promotion, mailed a complementary copy of this book to me, at no time was I obligated to write a positive review.

Holy Interruptions

2012-12-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

The following article was also published in The Vermilion Standard.

Be honest…interruptions are annoying! Whether it is an interruption in your schedule, an interruption in the middle of a great night sleep, an interruption to your travel plans by a flight delay or an unscheduled construction detour, interruptions can be very annoying.

We are trained to hate interruptions. Consequently, we have “do not disturb” options on our cell phones, office phones and signs for our hotel rooms. We have been conditioned to see interruptions as negative, unpleasant and unwelcomed detours in our scheduled lives. All that being said, what if all interruptions are not bad? What if our conditioned despise for interruptions has made us ignorant of what God might be doing around us?

As we prepare for Christmas, I want to reflect on a passage of Scripture where an interruption was welcomed, leading to some everyday people experiencing the extraordinary and being changed as a result. I want to reflect on the story of the angel’s interruption to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth.

In the biblical account of Jesus’s birth (Luke 2), we find a group of shepherds tending their flocks. They were working the night shift, doing what they normally did. They were protecting and watching over their sheep by night. In midst of the ordinary, the extraordinary happens. Breaking into the darkness is the shining light from the Glory of God and an angel who announces that the Savior has been born in Bethlehem.

When the angel leaves, the scripture says that the shepherds decide to go out of their way and look for this child. Upon their arrival in the small town of Bethlehem, they discover things exactly as the angel described. The scripture then describes that they praised God and amazed many people with the stories of the things they saw and witnessed.

Imagine if the shepherds were not open to being interrupted. Imagine what they would have missed. Throughout the scriptures, we discover that God often works through interruptions; God is an experienced interrupter.

Are you open to being interrupted? What if the ‘annoyances’ of interruptions this Christmas were the very path towards seeing and experiencing something extraordinary? In the Bible, extraordinary things happen to ordinary people all the time – it is how our God works and in in his working, he uses interruptions as opportunities.

What are the interruptions God has planned for you this Christmas? Are you prepared to embrace them as possible opportunities for the extraordinary to break into your ordinary?

Another Facebook Prediction

2012-12-17T17:12:00.002-07:00

As Facebook forges ahead into the undiscovered social media landscape, it has and will continue to push boundaries on many levels affecting and shifting culture as a result. Consider the cultural change to online pictures and privacy in the last couple of years. It was only a couple of years ago when people were concerned about people seeing images of their children on Facebook and they initially refused to post them. This privacy concern emerged again with the addition of the GPS tagging and location sharing. It was considered an invasion of privacy at first and now has been adopted into our collective and ubiquitous use.

Inevitably, the next stage of this development is what I call: "auto-tagging." I predict that Facebook will soon release a software upgrade allowing face recognition to automatically tag your pictures based on the facial profiles of your friends. This technology already exists on a consumer level with Apple's iPhoto and it will be inevitably utilized by Facebook in the near future.

In fact, you may have recognized this already beginning to develop. Still in its infancy, it is already utilized by Facebook. Just try tagging someone. When you place your cursor over the image, Facebook already can identify what is a face and what is not. The next inevitable evolutionary step is to utilize facial recognition software and "auto-tag," saving the user time and effort.

People will, as they always do, cry foul at first; however, people will, as they always do, eventually accept it and welcome it into their ubiquitous social media experience.

This reality highlights the cultural shift that is occurring regarding our concepts and perceptions of privacy. In people's desire to narrate their lives with social media and mobile technology, privacy is being eroded into the public sphere. As more and more of our lives are lived online with open transparency, it is creating sweeping cultural impact and societal change.

In the pre-digital age, people longed to be wealthy and famous, living public lives on a public stage, but this is changing and so will people's desires. As the future unfolds and privacy erodes for the average citizen, people will desire what only the wealthy and select few will be able to experience - privacy.

A shift is occurring and privacy is experiencing a tipping point.

Loving Others And Caring For The Planet

2012-09-25T12:57:00.003-06:00

The following article was also published in The Vermilion Standard.

The colours of Fall are everywhere, reminding us of the beauty of the world in which we live. The world is phenomenal, the diversity of ecology and the majesty of landscapes are breathtaking. This world is our home, a home we are not only blessed by God to live in but also to steward and care for. For whatever reasons, Christians do not have the greatest track record with caring for or stewarding the beautiful creation we call home. I want to share three biblical reasons why humanity should care for the environment.

First, Jesus called His followers to love God with all they are and to love their neighbours as themselves (Matthew 22:39). As such, since our world is a finite resource, we need to be sure that what we consume personally is not beyond what is possible for the rest of world, our neighbours on planet earth. In other words, we can't consume all of the resources at the expense of someone else's well being, whether that person is on the other side of the planet or a future generation. The biblical call to love our neighbour beacons us to use the earth resources with concern for all people and for future generations. The fact is, at our current rate of consumption in North America, driven by our insatiable appetite to consume, we would need several earths for the entire planet to live as we do. Encouragingly, technology is rapidly evolving. Through sustainable energy, new food production techniques and greater medical care, the ability for everyone on the planet to eat and live with a comfortable and sustainable lifestyle is on the horizon. This does not diminish the need for us to recognize the impact our current lifestyles are having, but it does give us hope for the future.

Secondly, the Bible teaches that the whole earth is God's (Psalm 24:1), entrusted to us rather than seen as ours to use as we selfishly desire. Scripture clearly teaches here that the world is not ours but God's and we should treat it as His. The Bible also teaches in the first chapter of Genesis (first book of the Bible) that God gave humanity the role to steward and care for creation.

Thirdly, we are constantly commanded to be good stewards in Scripture. This can extend to our finances, our time, our talents and our resources but surely it also extends to the limited resource of the earth. As such, we should be concerned with how our resources are stewarded and, consequently, Christians should be the first ones to care for the planet and steward God’s creation.

I am not saying this as someone who does all this well. I am challenged with how to consistently live this out in my life, but it is something that I am becoming increasingly concerned about as I reflect on the impact of my choices on those around me, as well as the legacy I am leaving for my children and future generations. This is an area we should be concerned with, an area we should be aware of, and an area where followers of Jesus should be seen as advocates and change agents in our world.

God Looks At The Heart

2012-09-04T21:09:00.000-06:00

This article was also publish in the The Vermilion Standard.

I am currently [this was written two weeks ago but just published today] in the middle of helping out at Parkview Alliance Church’s Vacation Bible School – a week long kid’s program filled with Bible stories, games, music, crafts and lots of fun. The Bible memory verse for one of the days came from 1 Samuel 16:7 that says:

“…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Although this verse was written thousands of years ago, it is equally true today. Think of this verse in our present-day culture. Perhaps a contemporary way of translating that verse would be:

“…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at your Facebook Timeline but God looks at your heart."

We have always been about perception and outward appearance. It manifests differently in different cultures at different times. In some cultures, as is the case in the context of the Bible verse, it is physical appearance that can take precedence over the heart. In other cultures, socio-economic appearances can take center stage at the heart’s expense. In our culture today, where we are increasingly living our lives through social media in an online virtual world, it has predictably manifested itself here as well through Facebook status updates. No matter what culture or time, this reality has been a struggle for humanity.

We all have personal experience with this in our daily lives. We all know that the exterior we show does not always match the interior of our lives. Our smile can often mask deep pain and our dress can often mask deep hurt. God knows this and calls us to something better. God calls us to examine others and ourselves not by outward appearance (which can be deceiving) but by the heart.

This reality is true in our personal lives. How often do you believe, subtly but powerfully, that God looks at your outward appearance rather than at your heart? How often do you judge others based on outward appearances (either positively or negatively) instead of looking at their heart?

Remember: “…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Social Media Church Podcast

2012-08-25T12:18:00.002-06:00

Last week, I had the privilege of being on the Social Media Church Podcast with DJ Chuang. We had a great conversation about the effectual nature of social media and how it is/will effect preaching. It was great talking with DJ and, subsequently, with members of his audience via Twitter. I sense a healthy and growing awakening around this conversation, affirming my direction for my doctoral dissertation and further writing and research around this topic.

If you are interested in the conversation I had with DJ, I'd encourage you to visit the Social Media Church Site and listen to it there. Even better, leave a comment on their site and start a conversation around this topic. I would love to hear what you are thinking and practicing.

A Marriage Full-Court PRESS

2012-08-09T09:26:00.001-06:00

This article was also publish in the The Vermilion Standard.

In a recent sermon at Parkview Alliance Church, I spoke about marriage and the need for married couples to actively pursue a healthy marriage. Marriage, like a healthy garden or a crop, needs to be tended regularly to be healthy. Unlike popular thought, healthy marriages don’t occur spontaneously but take constant hard work and diligent effort. To help people reflect upon and apply this in their lives, I came up with the concept of a Marriage “Full-Court P.R.E.S.S.”

As a former competitive basketball player, I am familiar with the need for good defense at times when the game gets close and the pressure mounts. When this is the case, the most common, and arguably, the best course of action is a full-court press. I want to take that metaphor and use it in the context of marriage, suggesting the following five practices (not comprehensive) that can aid in producing a healthy marriage.

The Full-Court Marriage P.R.E.S.S.:

Pray Together. Prayer is the intimate conversation, existing within relationship, between humanity and an Almighty God, made possible through Christ. At the heart of prayer is intimacy. It is impossible to have a healthy prayer life without being open and honest with God. If you pray with your spouse, not only will you grow in your relationship with God but also with your spouse as you share intimately together and before God. If you are going through difficulties, try praying together! Invite Christ in to your situation and your struggle and see what God will do. Recognize that if things are difficult in your marriage, this will be the last thing you will want to do but I would argue, for a variety of reasons, that it is also the most important thing you can do together and for each other!
Recreation. This is a simple and often neglected part of a healthy marriage. You need to have fun with your spouse. It is hard to be angry and annoyed with each other when you are having fun together. It is an important part of growing intimacy together and enjoying life with one another. Find an activity you both enjoy and do it together!
Extend Forgiveness. Admittedly, it is difficult to extend forgiveness in big things but it is easier to do so when you have extended it in small things. Do not do what is called “Gunny Sacking;” in other words, do not hold on to things until they blow up and unloading all your carried grievances at one time. Instead, seek and extend forgiveness often! This is why the Bible says we are not supposed to let the sun go down on our anger (Ephesians 4:26). Extend and offer forgiveness frequently!
Say “thank-you” & “I love you” lots. This seems simple and is frequently stated but it is also absolutely true and foundational to a good marriage. You can’t say it too often and you need to find different ways of expressing it (words, gifts, cards, physical affection, time, etc.).
Seek Help. A common mistake many couples make when things get rough, when something bad happens, or when communication begins to break down is that they delay getting help until it is the last resort. Don’t make this mistake! Seek help from a pastor, mentor, or counselor before things get worse. Remember, the process of counseling is confidential and the counselor is an advocate for your health and success!

Jesus affirmed the teaching that, in marriage, two people become one. In marriage the husband and wife leave their families and join together in a life long commitment together. This is a commitment that takes work as couples P.R.E.S.S. themselves, with God’s help, towards health and vitality. Whether your marriage is good or struggling, put on a full-court P.R.E.S.S. and experience a healthy marriage together. Remember, a common enemy of a great marriage is a good one. Don’t settle for good, P.R.E.S.S. on towards great.

Mobiquity: Part Three of Three

2012-08-08T10:59:00.004-06:00

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass

Part Three of Three

This is the last of three posts (to view the first post, click here - to view the second post, click here) presenting a semiotic analysis of Google Glass and the ubiquity of mobile technology (Mobiquity). Note: these posts have been edited and reformatted from a paper I wrote for my doctoral program at George Fox Seminary with Dr. Leonard Sweet.

Google’s Use of Metaphor

It is interesting to note that in the video, the main character, after he begins his day with a reminder of his anticipated virtual meeting that night with Jessica, journeys to buy a book in order to learn a new skill (to play the Ukulele) that he later uses to connect relationally and emotionally with her. This is a metaphor for the video itself. Through the video, Google Glass is portraying itself as a technology that, if learned and adopted, can help one connect with others in new and emotive ways. Whether or not this promise is possible, it highlights the important, subtle and effective use of metaphor to communicate this reality. As Geary argues “Though we encounter metaphor every day, we typically fail to recognize it. Its influence is profound but takes place mostly outside our conscious awareness. Yet once metaphor has us in its grasp, it never lets us go, and we can never forget it.”1

Google brilliantly does what the church needs to embrace. The church needs to learn and sharpen its skills at communicating with metaphor as Jesus brilliantly did. As Liu argues in Imagination First, the ability to employ and mix metaphors is an important part of the imagination process, allowing us to see things differently and explore the world in radically different ways.2 Google employs a metaphor to tell the story, evoking the imagination and by doing so, they open possibilities and allow the viewer to imagine what connections are possible if they adopted Google Glass mobile technology.

As the Church moves forward, it needs to re-adopt the use of metaphor in preaching and its discipleship methodologies. Metaphors are pathways to the imagination3 and “A metaphor that rings true is more powerful than logic or a mathematical proof.”4 The re-embrace of the metaphor, particularly in preaching, would result in evoking imagination, increased reflection and application, as is the case with this viral video.

CONCLUSION

Mobiquity is upon us; we are “… now living in a world of information and communication abundance.”5 This abundance is having profound effects on us and between us. As highlighted, the viral Google Glass video uniquely demonstrates many of the shifts we are seeing in culture as we move into a Secondary Orality.6 We are moving to a culture that increasingly embraces narrative and metaphor as ways of learning and reflection. As a result, culture is shifting to new modes of learning and educating. In addition, mobiquity is creating a culture that has never been simultaneously more connected and more alone. These trends are brilliantly displayed in this viral video, highlighting so many of the cultural changes that are occurring.

As mobiquity continues to shift culture, these trends will not only continue, they will expand and evolve with increased public adoption and acceptance. As we move into this new frontier of cultural change, the church will need to continue to change and shift its interface for interacting with culture in order to serve and speak into the changing world that God deeply loves. Culture is constantly changing. Consequently, the Church has the choice between two questions: Will it grievingly weep for the change the world is experiencing? Or, will it weep over the world that is constantly changing?7 I hope the church and its leaders choose the second option and as a result, effectively love God and love others in the midst of mobiquity.

Footnotes
1 James Geary, I Is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See the World (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), Kindle, 104.
2 Eric Liu and Scott Noppe-Brandon, Imagination First: Unlocking the Power of Possibility (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009), Kindle, 80.
3 Ibid.
4 Leonard Sweet, Real Church in a Social Network World: From Facebook to Face-to-Face Faith. Kindle. Location 1040.
5 Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, Abundance: The Future Is Better than You Think, Location 304.
6 Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word (London: Methuen, 1982).
7 This is based on Leonard Sweet’s challenge of whether, like Jesus at the Triumphant Entry, we are willing to weep over our Zip Codes (Postal Codes for Canadians).

Mobiquity: Part Two of Three

2012-08-07T08:47:00.002-06:00

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass

Part Two of Three

This is the second of three posts (to view the first post, click here) presenting a semiotic analysis of Google Glass and the ubiquity of mobile technology (Mobiquity). Note: these posts have been edited and reformatted from a paper I wrote for my doctoral program at George Fox Seminary with Dr. Leonard Sweet.

Connected but Alone

As many skeptics have pointed out, the protagonist in the Google Glass video is depicted as living alone, meeting a friend for a short meeting at a portable coffee shop and then having a virtual meeting with his female friend over a video connection. Many have noted that the future being presented is lacking of human contact, demonstrating the proliferation of social technology to the place where one is more connected than ever and yet, also, more alone.1

This concept video brings into view the reality that people desire connections; this desire for connection is what has driven the proliferation of the Internet and Social Media technology.2 “The Internet may be a virtual community, but still it’s a community that’s readily available in a disconnected world.”3 As we move forward into a virtual world, there will be increased need for relational connection. Dyrness points out “In a world where we struggle not to “lose touch” with one another, Christ has given us this image of himself to hold on to, and by which we orient ourselves...”4 Technology offers Facebook, effectively and successfully providing connection, but people will increasingly desire Face-to-Face time (relationship).5 As the Google Glass video demonstrates, the protagonist is connected like never before, but the skeptics make a solid argument that he simultaneously seems alone. In our increasingly connected but alone world, the church has an amazing opportunity to provide face-to-face community and relationship in a Facebook world.

Instant, Simultaneous and Constant Access to Information

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Google Glass video is the fact that it demonstrates how technology will increasingly make any and all information available on-demand visually (personal schedule, weather, web search), sometimes without prompting (example of the automated suspended subway services announcement in the video). This evolution is simply another further step in information technology’s mobiquity.

In Steven Levy’s In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives, Google cofounder Larry Page describes the future of search in similar terms: “It [Google] will be included in people’s brains. When you think about something you don’t know much about, you will automatically get the information.”6

Google Glass’s emerging step in mobile technology announces the emergence of the next stage in evolution for mobile devices. This next stage will radically effect how we learn. Just as the calculator continues to change how we learn and teach math, the constant access to seemingly infinite information will change how we learn history, geography, literature, etc.7 The need to memorize dates, times, figures, etc. will increasingly become unnecessarily. Even the skill of writing will continue change as texting and typing become increasingly dominant.8 With this seemingly limitless amount of information, it will become increasingly important to teach critical reflection and discernment skills to skillfully sift though the flood of information being fed on the Google Glass display.9

This effect of technology will radically affect discipleship in the similar way it has education. The traditional way of disciplining and evangelizing Christians (in fact, all religions over the last several hundred years) has been through education defined as the teaching of information. "All religious evangelism is premised on the conviction that you can change people's beliefs by educating them on the issues."10 This shift in education is not coincidental to the discipleship crisis many see on the horizon. In relation to the Church, this will have massive effects on the crumbling state of discipleship within North America and will spark a major shift in how we view and facilitate discipleship within the local church.

Interestingly, just as the Church had an instrumental role in the creation of higher education at the height of the Medieval Period, the church has the possibility to seize this opportunity and, once again, be on the cutting edge of education. Many see the state of discipleship as a major crisis; however, in the spirit of the book Abundance, it is also an amazing opportunity that could be fashioned by God for revival and renewal in the church that could, once again, be on the cutting edge of education.11

This is the second of three posts...to read the next post, click here.

Footnotes

1 URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/opinion/sunday/douthat-the-man-with-the-google-glasses.html

2 Leonard Sweet, Real Church in a Social Network World: From Facebook to Face-to-Face Faith (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2012), Kindle, Location 699.

3 Ibid.

4 William A. Dyrness, Poetic Theology: God and the Poetics of Everyday Life. Kindle, Location 798.

5 Leonard Sweet, Real Church in a Social Network World: From Facebook to Face-to-Face Faith.

6 Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, Abundance: The Future Is Better than You Think (New York: Free Press, 2012), Kindle, Location 1111.

7 The calculator is another example in how mobile devices have taken this technology to the next stage of its mobiquitous evolution. The smart phone has placed a calculator in the hands of most North Americans (as well as many other continents) available at every given moment. Google Glass technology will take this one step further with real time, artificial intelligence initiated, calculations.

8 Leonard I. Sweet, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press, 2012), 17.

9 This tsunami of information will continue the journey into the recognition of the subjective nature of information and the continued rejection of modern sciences claim to objectivity. This reality is effectively introduced and argued my Michael Polanyi.

Michael Polanyi, Personal Knowledge; towards a Post-critical Philosophy.(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1958).

10 Kathryn Schulz, Being Wrong (New York: HarperCollins Publishing, 2010), 107.

11 Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler, Abundance: The Future Is Better than You Think.

Mobiquity: Part One of Three

2012-08-06T09:08:00.000-06:00

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass
Part One of Three

This is the first of three posts presenting a semiotic analysis of Google Glass and the ubiquity of mobile technology (Mobiquity). Note: these posts have been edited and reformatted from a paper I wrote for my doctoral program at George Fox Seminary with Dr. Leonard Sweet.

INTRODUCTION

With the introduction of the cellular telephone in 1973 by Martin Cooper (Motorola) and its subsequent evolution into the exponentially expanding realm of information technology, the way people communicate, relate and understand the world around them has drastically changed. Mobile technology has evolved and proliferated significantly over the last forty years to the point where the technology has reached ubiquity - “Mobiquity.”

This evolution experienced a climatic moment on April 4, 2012 when Google publicly presented its Google Glass concept video resulting in wide spread attention and a viral response. The viral video was simultaneously accepted by some with a hopeful embrace, while rejected by others with a fear of societal collapse. Although the debate about what life would be like with this emerging and democratized technology has been intense, all sides agree it is on the immediate horizon and will continue information technology’s propagation into our lives and relationships.

The following is a semiotic analysis of this cultural catalytic event, making semiotic connections with specific emphasis on the effect it will have on the Christian faith and the Church.

The Introduction of New Technology Expressed Through Narrative

Before looking at the specifics of the Google Glass video, it is fascinating to note that Google has chosen to present its new technology concept in the form of a narrative told though a YouTube video rather than a press release, presenter or through a list of bullet points of specifications. This expresses something about how culture is changing regarding how it conceptualizes and understands new ideas and concepts. Google understands the need to weave the exploration of its new product concept through the narrative of someone’s life from morning to evening. Precisely, it is not just a glimpse of life but it narrates an arching story of a young man’s quest to learn and perform a ukulele song for Jessica (we presume to be his girlfriend). Google brilliantly utilizes narrative, showing how the Google Glass technology assists, aids, effects, and alters the protagonist’s experience throughout his quest (Even the slight detour to make a note about buying tickets to the Monsieur Gayno concert is related to the arching narrative as Gayno is shown as a Ukulele artist).

This phenomenon is, in part, what Ricoeur would call a series of “emplotments.” In other words, “…the tendency to make sense of one’s life as a kind of poetic activity.”1 Encapsulated within narrative circle technique, Google is using the narrative to put together little stories (“emplotments”) to create a larger narrative, drawing the audience in and presenting the technology in a way that is, presumably, assisting the protagonist’s life, connecting these smaller narratives together, helping to form meaning and relational connections.2

As the church moves forward, it will have to re-learn what it means and provide opportunities to allow people to fulfill their God-given need to fit their narrative into God’s redemptive metanarrative, helping people find meaning and purpose. As technology futilely seeks to fulfill humanity’s God-given need to be in a larger story, it promises what it cannot deliver, providing the church with a unique opportunity. The church has the opportunity to help people see that their story is part of a greater story (God’s redemptive story) and tell that story better and more effectively to a story-starved world and culture. People are increasingly using mobile technology to narrate their lives, to place their emplotments alongside others and through that process, find identity, meaning and purpose.3 The challenge for the church moving forward is to pose and empower its people to be story-listeners and storytellers.4

This is the first of three posts...to read the next post, click here.

Footnotes

1 William A. Dyrness, Poetic Theology: God and the Poetics of Everyday Life (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2011), Kindle, Location 1043.
2 There is a form of circle narrative in this video. It begins with a reminder about meeting Jessica at 6:30pm and ends with the encounter, both notified through Google’s technology. Mary Douglas, Thinking in Circles: An Essay on Ring Composition (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Kindle.
3 For more on this, see the following post I wrote about my prediction on the future of Facebook's Timeline.
4 Leonard I. Sweet, Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who's Already There (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2010).

A Week Filled With Hope & Mission

2012-08-04T11:31:00.001-06:00

Picture taken by Gordon Govier

Recently, I had the tremendous opportunity to participate in the Lausanne North America Young Leaders’ Consultation in Madison, Wisconsin. For those not familiar with Lausanne, it is an evangelical movement birthed in Lausanne Switzerland at the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelism in 1974. The following description is from the Lausanne website:

Lausanne is a global Movement that mobilizes evangelical leaders to collaborate for world evangelization. It grew out of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization convened in Lausanne, Switzerland by Rev. Billy Graham and Bishop Jack Dain. The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization (October 2010) in Cape Town, South Africa, brought together 4000 Christian leaders, representing 198 countries. The resulting Cape Town Commitment serves as the blueprint for the Movement's activities.

Lausanne’s vision is to: See the whole church take the whole Gospel to the whole world. If you have never read the Cape Town Commitment, I would encourage you to do so, it is breathtakingly beautiful in both language and tone.

I am a big believer in what Lausanne is about and what it is doing. Too often we see only part of the church (inevitably, our part) take only part of the Gospel (the part we are most comfortable with) to only part of the world. The Great Commission is so much greater than this and is only possible if we put our denominational differences aside and humbly work together. We can never see the whole church take the whole Gospel to the whole world if we keep ourselves and our organizations isolated in safe and comfortable denominational silos. This is where Lausanne has been a catalyst movement, breaking down the silo ministry mentality and facilitating mission bridge-building and collaborative partnerships to see world evangelization happen. This is the context and backdrop of the consultation I had the privilege to be part of.

Picture taken by Gordon Govier

The North American Young Leaders’ Consultation involved the consultation of 120 select thought-leaders and change-agents from across North America to discuss key elements of the Cape Town Commitment from a North American perspective (there will be several other Young Leader Consultations in different parts of the world culminating in a world consultation at some point in the future). Within the consultation, I had the privilege of being in the Media and Art’s Working Group (my passion and growing area of expertise) where we discussed the areas of the Cape Town Commitment related to the Media and Arts.

In terms of reactions, my time in Madison was phenomenal on several fronts:

The people I met were amazing, resulting in the creation of some life-long friends, partnerships and connections.
The discussions were profitable, fruitful and honoured Jesus.
The experience was incredibly hopeful. I meet some amazing change-agents, authors, and leaders, resulting in an extraordinary hope for the future of the church in North America. My new friend Adam Jeske (@adamjeske) skillfully expresses this hope here.
The collaborations and discussions that occurred will lead to catalytic partnerships, ministries and future dialogue that will have an enduring impact on world evangelism.

My participation in Lausanne (this consultation in particular) has helped to re-orientate my life, ministry and passion around the mission of God to see the whole church bring the whole Gospel to the whole world. It my joy and privilege to join with others to serve our Triune God in His mission for His beloved world and for His glory alone.

You are NOT a Machine: Post-Industrial Discipleship

2012-07-10T20:21:00.001-06:00

Introduction

In Willy Nelson’s brilliant rendition of Coldplay’s “Back To The Start” (graphically narrated by Johnny Kelly and brilliantly employed by Chipotle) we are introduced to the concept that has become part of society’s collective consciousness as we move away from the apex of industrial society, increasingly wary of its negative effects.

"The film, by film-maker Johnny Kelly, depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system." (From the YouTube description)

Specifically related to food production, North Americans are increasingly aware and alarmed by how industrialization has coopted agriculture to the point where food is genetically engineered, chemically induced and artificially flavored.

This pervasive phenomenon has extended itself to the church and has extensively infected our thinking. Specifically, it has created an industrial view of discipleship. In fact, I have come to believe that this is one of the biggest problems facing the church and why our (industrialized) discipleship models are failing. Even when we seek to solve our discipleship problems, we end up using re-engineered models based on previously held and universally accepted industrial paradigms because they have so infected our consciousness. We can simplify things, we can created better programs at different times with creative graphics and materials, but if these are all created under the same industrial metaphors and paradigms of an industrial model of thinking, they will continue to lead us in unhealthy directions. As Albert Einstein famously said:

“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Before the church begins to rethink its discipleship models, it must recognize the fundamental and effectual nature of our pervasive industrial metaphors, language and methodologies that frame many of our concepts. In a beginning attempt to critically reflect on our industrial paradigms, I want to suggest four (garden) stakes of Post-Industrial Discipleship (Note: These stakes are not intended to be comprehensive and others are welcome).

Four Stakes of Post-Industrialized Discipleship

Efficiency does NOT Equal Effectiveness

A core tenant of industrialism is the elevation of efficiency. In industrialization, the goal is to create something in less time with less effort (efficiency). This thinking has seeped into the DNA of the Church through our discipleship models and methodologies. The goal of our industrialized discipleship ‘processes’ is to make disciples with the least amount of effort, cost and time (evaluated with similar metrics as a factory).

But what if discipleship was viewed through the lens of a pre-industrial agricultural paradigm, the dominant metaphors and paradigm Jesus used, void of industrial baggage? What if we viewed discipleship as something that is often completely inefficient and in that inefficiency, it finds its effectiveness?

An example of this is found in “spiritual disciplines.” Spiritual disciplines were understood for centuries as key practices for Christians and a means to grow in devotion and maturity in Christ. A tenant of spiritual disciplines is found in the world “discipline,” implying continual practice and focus even when it is not efficient. It is not a coincidence that spiritual disciplines have become less understood and practiced in our industrialized discipleship models.

The same principles that govern success in a factory should NOT govern success in a church or in a believer’s life. We are not machines! The church is not a factory for making machines! Jesus used pre-industrial agricultural images such as vine, branches, soul, seeds, etc. because they communicated something about discipleship. As a result, we must begin to increasingly recognize the inefficiency that is inherent in disciple making and reject the paradigms that trumpet efficiency as effectiveness.

Pastors are NOT Factory Managers and the Church is NOT a Discipleship Factory

The role of the pastor has been an increasing topic of conversation and debate in church circles. Questions of what the pastor is called to do and whether this lines up with the North American church’s practice are commonplace.

I would like to suggest that the role of pastor has also been coopted by our industrialized metaphors. The pastor’s role has radically changed in the last fifty years. As churches have grown in size, scale and functionality so too has the pastor’s job description. There was a time where a pastor’s role would have been analogous to a farm hand. Using the metaphor of a farm, the pastor would have worked the fields, planted, harvested, and would have served the Good Gardener (Jesus who is the head of the Church). Or using shepherd language, the pastor is a shepherd of a flock following together the Good Shepherd (Jesus who is the head of the Church).

As culture has moved further into industrialization, the role of pastor has also evolved. The common contemporary pastor’s job description would be analogous now to that of a factory manager, making sure the machine is running and that profits are being made. I am in no way trying to be draconian here, just making an observation based on cultural changes and the impact of industrial metaphors and influences.

100% Organic and Natural Discipleship

As we move past the apex of industrialization in our agricultural environments, we have begun to see an increased desire and push towards things being 100% Organic and Natural in our grocery store’s produce aisles. Just as the Chipotle video demonstrates, people want to go back to the start and eat foods that are pesticide free, unaltered genetically and grown sustainably. Notwithstanding the benefits of industrialization on agriculture (which also exist), the impact of the industrialization on our consciousness is demonstrated in and through our discipleship vernacular.

Recently, I’ve seen several discipleship seminars/books/articles using the word “greenhouse,” describing how our churches need to be “greenhouses for disciples.” On the surface, this sounds good but consider the industrialization language/paradigm it employs and the resulting effects. A greenhouse’s very purpose is to shelter plants, specifically seedlings, from nature’s elements (storms, pests, diseases, etc.) protecting them until they are mature enough to be planted in the “natural” environment. Although this may sounds noble, could this philosophy be part of the problem with our current discipleship models and paradigms? Should we be sheltering people from culture, friends, information, etc. as they grow in their faith? Should we be protecting them from potentially negative influences or is nature’s environment part of the maturing process? Is our sheltering of them during their maturity process doing more harm than good? Are our churches filled with people suffering from “Greenhouse Disease” (The phenomena of “Greenhouse Disease” exists in agriculture, stemming from a large population of one plan in a confined location)?

I think we see this manifested in how we have, over the last couple decades, separated evangelism from discipleship. We have come to believe in the compartmentalized idea that if we disciple people (note that most people wrongly assume this solely means educate) then they will, as a result, go and evangelize (share their faith) with others. In other words, if we keep believers in the greenhouse, they will eventually decided to go out into the elements thriving and reproducing as a natural progression in their maturity. This, I believe, is false! Instead, what if this mentality is the problem? What if the world, with its spiritual storms, pest and diseases, etc.), is part of the maturing process? What if evangelism, sharing one’s faith, wasn’t the result of growing in your relationship with Christ but a key and foundational part of this process? What if, by keeping new Christians confined in an artificial environment, we infect them with “Christian Greenhouse Disease?”

The church must begin to critically reflect on its discipleship language and metaphors and begin to shift towards discipleship that is 100% Organic and Natural, void of artificiality. Although this process may be messy and exist outside the greenhouse, this might actually be the fertile ground disciples are grown and matured.

Uniformity and Yield are NOT Goals to be Sought

With the apex of industrialization, particularly in the area of agriculture, two goals emerged: uniformity and yield. To be efficient and increasingly profitable, the crop produced must have a high yield and must be as uniform as possible to increase the efficiency of the machines involved in harvest and the process of shipping. This is evidenced in a recent LA Times article that reports genetically tomatoes are lacking in flavor because of the increased value of uniformity. (My favorite quote in the article: “’If I see this tomato is not uniformly ripe, that means that it's not the cardboard junk that they've been producing for the past 30 years,’ Klee said. ‘It's almost like a badge of honor.’” There are so many connections to our uniform discipleship models in this statement.)

This mentality has influenced the church when it comes to discipleship. The bigger a church gets, the more complex the discipleship process and the more it has to be based upon the two values/goals of industrialization: yield and uniformity. As a result, people have become caught in the cogs of our programs that have served to create a one-size-fits-all discipleship process. We have created processes and models under the influence of industrialization to the place where people are forced into uniformity, even if it means they lose their taste and uniqueness (or as Jesus said in Matthew 5: salt and light). Additionally, we evaluate the success of our programs and methodologies based on industrialized goals of increased yield. In other words, the more people attending a program, activity, or event the more successful it must have been.

Moving forward, we need to recognize our tendency toward the values of uniformity and yield in our industrial paradigms, seeking to allow for diversity and uniqueness in the lives of people and their relationships with Christ. People will learn differently, connect with God in different ways, and live out their faith with uniqueness. All of which is not a sign of disorganization or failure, but a sign of God’s creative genius.

Conclusion

When it comes to discipleship, we need to “get back to the start!” We need to recognize the impact our industrialized metaphors have had on our discipleship concepts and reawaken the pre-industrial organic metaphor of ‘growth’ within our mechanistically mastered methodologies of ‘make.’ We are not machines, created by a factory in order to create more machines. We are relational beings, created by a relational God, created for relationship with God and others. Our discipleship concepts and understandings must reflect this reality.

We must get back to the start!

A Common Myth

2012-07-10T11:04:00.001-06:00

The following post was recently published in the Vermilion Standard.

We’ve embraced a myth in our culture. It is a myth that we all wish was true. In fact, we operate our lives and schedules around this myth in search of its illusive and tempting claim, consequently robbing ourselves of the very thing we are searching for. This myth is called “Planned Isolated Quality Time.”

Let me explain…

In our culture, we have come to accept that the illusive and mythical reality of planned isolated quality time is possible and so we schedule our lives around creating this mythical time in our various relationships, futilely attempting to compensate for the lack of quantity time we have in our busy schedules. I believe we accept and embrace this myth specifically because it means we can live without boundaries or margins, perceivably skipping those realities because we have scheduled quality time.

We seek this mythical quality time with our spouses, believing that if we just schedule special times where we will be together alone, it will make up for the hours spent apart through our daily routines of busyness.

We seek the mythical planned isolated quality time with our kids, believing that if we just schedule special events and holidays (planned isolated quality times), they will offset the lack of quantity time spend because of our overfilled schedules.

I want to suggest that planned isolated quality time is a myth! My experience has always been that quality time always happens spontaneously in the midst of quantity time and is often unplanned and never isolated. Said again, quality time does exist, it is just very difficult to plan it. When we attempt to plan quality time, at the expense for quantity time, we end up starving those we love and ourselves from the quality time we all desperately desire and need.

I write this article with full disclosure that I am not an expert in this and am constantly learning what this means in my every day life. I, too, am at times a believer in the myth of planned isolated quality time and am constantly (re)learning to reject this myth.

Quality time exists spontaneously within the selfless gift of quantity time. We all desire what can only be accomplished through quantity time with those we love and those who love us. This takes effort and self-sacrifice but it is worth it – the ones we love are worth it. Reject the myth and accept the hard truth that time is an expensive gift worth giving and sacrificing for those we love.

Invite Christ In

2012-06-18T11:52:00.001-06:00

The following was recently published in the Vermilion Standard.

As a pastor I have the privilege and challenge of guiding people through some very difficult situations in their lives. If anyone ever questioned whether life is complicated, I can say, with some authority, that it is! Life has its moments filled with difficulty, trials, challenges, mourning, grief, disappointment, rejection, confusion, etc. This is, of course, not news to you and something each of us is intimately familiar with. It is in these times where I am often called upon to provide guidance and direction.

Although this often seems like a daunting task, I am reminded of my role as a minister: to simply, but profoundly, invite Jesus Christ in. My role is not to provide a simple answer, but to invite Christ in. Through prayer and the ministry of Scripture (the Bible), I can lead the action of inviting Christ Jesus into the pain, sorrow, grief, relationship, conflict, struggle, and temptation, reminding people of the fact that God offers comfort, wisdom, peace, joy, and strength.

In your life today, what does it mean to invite Christ in? When things feel like they are being pushed apart, what does it mean to invite Christ in? When your marriage is falling apart and you are not sure what to do next, what does it mean to invite Christ in? When you have no idea what to do in a situation or with a relationship, what does it mean to invite Christ in?

Sometimes this means an opening to what the Bible (God’s Word) would say in the situation. Sometimes it means praying and verbally expressing a desire for Christ to come into the situation and give His guidance and direction.

The Bible is filled with reminders that Jesus, God, never forces his way into anyone’s life but He is always waiting to come in! God allows us to have the free choice of participation, because love is never love when forced.

Scripture tell us that God loves extravagantly (perfectly expressed through Christ) and can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Therefore, where do you need to invite Christ in today? What are you waiting for?

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we askor imagine, according to his powerthat is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^”(Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)

Life Lessons From The Coffee Bean

2012-05-15T15:21:00.002-06:00

The following article was recently published in the Vermilion Standard.

A few weeks again I was in the drive-through at Tim Horton’s with my beautiful wife and three great kids. After making the customary order of two large coffees, our kids petitioned that we go home and have a family meeting about our coffee “problem.” I believe the actual word they used was “intervention.” They joked about our addiction to coffee and we laughed about the incident. Although their real issue was about them having to patiently wait in line at Tim Horton’s while we got coffee, they were right about our love of the java bean and it’s aroma filled, caffeine infused, goodness.

As a lover of coffee, I have been intrigued with different blends and coffee roasting practices from around the world. Many people don’t realize that the process of harvesting and processing coffee beans takes time and is not gentle. Coffee beans begin as a harvested cherry that must have its fleshy covering removed. This removal and subsequent appropriate aging and roasting of the coffee bean take time and effort.

What makes coffee so flavoursome is the process the coffee bean goes through. This same principle is true of our lives. Our lives are filled with hardship, pain, struggles and disappointments. Agree? Jesus does! One of the most forgotten promises of Jesus is “In this world you will have trouble…” (John 16:33a). Jesus promised that you would have troubles, hardships and problems! It’s a guarantee.

However, the Bible also teaches that God can use those troubles for our good and for His glory (Romans 8:28). He can take what could be used to harm us and allow it to grow us and shape us. The challenge is: the decision of how trouble will be used is up to us. We can allow these things to create bitterness and resentment or we can allow God to use them for our growth in faith, patience and understanding. The choice is ours.

When Jesus makes the statement that “In this world you will have trouble…” he ends it with the following promise: “…But take heart. I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b) The reality is, in this world we will have trouble and we have a choice of whether we will face the challenges with hope that Jesus has overcome the world or we can face those challenges with anger, bitterness and resentment.

What challenge are you facing? What trouble are you going through? Take heart! Christ has overcome the world. Choose today to believe in that promise and allow God to use your challenges to form you and mold you into the man or woman He has created you to be. The choice is yours! Take heart, my friend!

Distracted Living

2012-03-28T09:33:00.000-06:00

The following article was recently published in the Vermilion Standard.

We live lives full of distractions. Our lives are now so crowded with distraction that we need laws to prohibit our overuse and abuse of those distractions (the distracted driving law is a great example of this). Think for a moment about your day and the myriad of distractions that routinely flood your life: email notifications, phone calls, Facebook/Twitter updates, TV, movies, etc. Our lives are now bursting with distractions. Interestingly, Piers Steel has recently written a book that argues the distractions in our lives are costing us vital productivity and efficiency. Whether or not this is true, it is analogous to our lives when it comes to getting distracted away from areas of even greater concern and of utmost importance.

Life is filled with tough circumstances, questions about meaning and purpose, as well as issues of eternal significance. These are important questions that have been reflected on since the emergence of humanity. These are questions that Google or iPhone’s Siri can’t answer (interestingly, if you ask Siri “What is the meaning of life? She responds with a variety of different and funny answers such as: “I don’t know. But I think there’s an app for that.”) These questions are important and no mobile device application, search engine, tweet, or status update can fully answer them. The fact is, most people would rather be distracted than seriously reflect and wrestle with questions of eternal significance.

As we approach Easter, this is the ideal time to deal with our obsession with, and reliance on, distracted living. In fact, Christian churches everywhere practice the season of Lent (40 days before Easter) in preparation for the Easter season (the season of remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection). One common practice for Lent is to give something up for a month, to purposely focus on Christ and our need for Him preparing our hearts for the Easter Season. This practice, among other things, is about purposely removing distractions from our lives so we can focus on issues of eternal significance. It is about reflecting on the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Savior and what faith in Christ Jesus means for our salvation.

As we approach Easter, think about your life and how many distractions you have embraced. Consider for a time/a season, some questions of eternal significance, those question we, too often, ignore. Think about the purpose for life, your belief in God, your understanding of the afterlife and consider experiencing the Easter story at one of the Christian churches in Vermilion this Easter season. Experience the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and what it can mean, through faith, to have new life in Christ that is both abundant and eternal. Come and look deep into life’s big questions, purposely pressing ‘pause’ on life’s distractions.

Art From Old Technology

2012-02-20T13:51:00.001-07:00

This is one of the many examples of the Book Surgeon's art.

I came across this picture (one example of many by the artist) via social networks on the art of "The Book Surgeon." It reminded me of a great thought from Marshal McLuhan: If it works, it is obsolete and if the obsolete still works, it becomes an "art form." (McLuhan via Duggan in "Zuckerberg Galaxy")

With the rise of ebooks, the old Guttenberg technology of mass published books has been usurped by the rising tide of the exponentially democratized ebook era. Personally, I was wary of ebooks but after using them for almost a year, I now prefer them (they are, in my experience, faster to read, easier to carry, convenient to reference, and my notes are instantly accessible). I know others prefer the tactile feel of paper books, but even they have to admit that their preference is based on a nostalgic experience that won't be equally held by future generations. We have entered what Len Sweet calls the TGIF era (Twitter, Google, Iphone and Facebook - I would just add Kindle to the list but that would throw-off his great acronym) and the speed of change and its impact are exponentially growing.

Ebooks and the technology it represents, are changing culture. As prophetically warned by Marshall McLuhan: "Art at its most significant is a distant early warning system that can always be relied on to tell the old culture what is beginning to happen."

BryceAshlinMayo.com

Reversing Polarity and the Future of the Western Church

More Than Zombies

The Pilot and the Preacher

The Future of Privacy in a Digital Age

My Cup is Full of You

Can I Get a Witness?

The North American Church’s Journey Through the Stages of Grief

Canadian Swimming

Book Review: "The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails"

Holy Interruptions

Another Facebook Prediction

Loving Others And Caring For The Planet

God Looks At The Heart

Social Media Church Podcast

A Marriage Full-Court PRESS

Mobiquity: Part Three of Three

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass Part Three of Three

Google’s Use of Metaphor

CONCLUSION

Mobiquity: Part Two of Three

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass Part Two of Three

Connected but Alone

Instant, Simultaneous and Constant Access to Information

Mobiquity: Part One of Three

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass Part One of Three

INTRODUCTION

The Introduction of New Technology Expressed Through Narrative

A Week Filled With Hope & Mission

You are NOT a Machine: Post-Industrial Discipleship

Introduction

Four Stakes of Post-Industrialized Discipleship

Efficiency does NOT Equal Effectiveness

Pastors are NOT Factory Managers and the Church is NOT a Discipleship Factory

100% Organic and Natural Discipleship

Uniformity and Yield are NOT Goals to be Sought

Conclusion

We must get back to the start!

A Common Myth

Invite Christ In

Life Lessons From The Coffee Bean

Distracted Living

Art From Old Technology

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass

Part Three of Three

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass

Part Two of Three

Mobiquity: A Semiotic Analysis of Google Glass
Part One of Three