There's Energy Out There

Last Thursday evening I had a chance to participate in a community-wide meeting in the town in which I live. It was the first meeting of lengthy visioning and planning process into which our community has entered. Somewhere around a hundred people gathered to take an honest and hopeful look at our area, and to dream about the town's possible future. It was a very candid and positive gathering.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. And I noticed how energizing it was for me. In the three years I've been here I haven't had a lot of time and opportunity to get outside the church walls and machinery to get into the community. Our church has had a lot of the normal internal needs churches face, such as finances, debt-retirement, staff, worship, scheduling, programming, etc. They've all been important matters, but they've kept a lot of my time and energy contained within the congregation. It has just felt real refreshing and exciting to get out into the community as a whole and to see how my faith, my discipleship, my witness, and my priorities fare in the non-church-dominated world.

If we who are Jesus followers reach points where we feel weary or unmotivated in doing church, it may be that we need to get outside of the church and take our faith into the communities/mission fields into which the Holy Spirit of God has placed us. It's not the case that God is at work only in the structures of Christian congregations. In fact, God is at work in the world around us, inviting congregations to get outside of themselves and join God in God's work. Ironically, vitality for Jesus-followers and churches lies in focus outside of our walls rather than within them.

All I know is that I'm feeling a burst of fervor getting outside the church some, and I believe that fervor will make be better within the congregation as well. What do you think? I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Be Still, And Know That God Is God

Someone once suggested to me that most of us work too hard on prayer. That threw me for a loop at first. How is it possible to work too hard at prayer? I always thought most of us didn't work hard enough at it.

Yet the same person said that all too often people who pray act as though all the impact of prayer depends on us. We have to get the right formula of words, the right frequency, the right posture, and the right effort for prayer to work. It's as if God is an ATM machine, and we just have to enter the right debit card and pin number to get the Machine to give us what we want. No wonder people give up on prayer.

This individual suggested that essentially God initiates prayer. The very fact that we want to take the first halting steps toward prayer is God at work in and around us already. Before God wants words and requests from us, God wants us. Prayer is first and foremost about being in the presence of God.

Prayer begins with being still before God...no agenda, no requests, no formulas; just being quiet and with God. That's hard to come by in our noise/distraction/stimulation-addicted world. As we begin to pray for our churches and communities, asking God to reveal what God is doing and God wants us to join in, the first thing to do is to just be quiet and to let God be God.

Let's just float for a while. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Ordinary People

For much of my life as a Jesus-follower, I've prayed in the following way: "Lord, what is your will for my life?" or "Lord, what do you want me to do." It took the words of Henry Blackaby to help me see that this is the wrong question, well intended as it may be. The right questions is, "Lord, what is your will?" As I was formerly praying, that kept the focus on me. It's about that which would fulfill me and give me purpose. The latter question keeps the focus on God. That phrasing invites me to seek what God wants and what God is already doing, and how God invites me into a relationship with God through which God accomplishes God's own purpose.

Initially, I imagine that most people are reluctant to put their lives and their futures that fully out of their own control and into the control of Another. Yet that is exactly what God in Christ seeks. We are conditioned to want details about the way ahead of us before starting out on a journey. Jesus says essentially, "I am the way. A relationship with me is all the detailing you need." We are taught to avoid attempting anything for which we feel ill equipped. God promises to equip us with everything we need for that to which God calls us. We learn to trust our own skills and resources alone. Jesus invites us to rely on gifts that come only from the Holy Spirit of God.

We are called to be servants of God. We are not servants in the classic sense of doing what a master dismisses us and sends us to do. In this relationship, God works with and through us; we join with the Master in the accomplishing of the Master's will.

This radical level of faithfulness, though, is not given just to the extraordinary personalities among us. Over and again, God seeks and empowers the most ordinary of people, who then see and accomplish the most extraordinary of things. God will call us to do things that are explainable and do-able only by the intervention of God.

Is all this the stuff of fantasy, or is this real discipleship leadership? Is it wishful thinking, or has God really empowered the Body of Christ for this level of faith? Are we really ready to say, "Lord, what is your will?" then to fling ourselves into the unknown?

These rapids can be rough, but it beats stagnant water. I'll see you around the next bend.

A Brilliant Sermon on the Church's Mission

This weekend, church happened in the fellowship in which I am privileged to serve. It occurred by way of my friend and colleague in pastoral ministry here, the Reverend Jeremiah Reeve. He offered a message which was, quite simply, the most clear and challenging presentation of the mission of the Body of Christ that I've heard in a long time. He focused on Martha Grace Reese's trinity of necessary relationships for disciple-making: our relationship with God, our relationship with each other in the Body of Christ, and our relationship with those who have yet to meet Jesus. (See her book, Unbinding the Gospel.) With emphasis on the latter of the three, he noted that the first thing Jesus-followers need to do is to listen to those living far from God. Too often churches presume that we know what yet-to-be-reached people need. All they have to do is to find their way to us, and they'll get what they need. To people outside the Body of Christ, this process and posture sends a message that says, "We don't care about you and what you need," whether we who are church people intend to send that message or not. Reese says, "If you grew up in the church, no matter how cool and young you are, don't assume that you know what people outside the church are thinking or what they want." (Page 74.)

We have to get outside the comfort zone of our church walls and start asking questions and taking notes. We need to listen more than we talk. If the love of Jesus is going to be real to people, it has to start by taking affording them the dignity of taking them and their issues seriously, rather than offering them an aloof assumption that we know everything about what they should need and want.

I commend Pastor Jeremiah's message to you. We hope to have a podcast of the message available soon at www.sikestonfirstumc.org. Or you can contact me by posting a comment on this blog.

The river was great on Sunday; running wild, fast, and clear! I'll see you around the next bend.

Prayers We'd Rather Not Lift

Faith-sharing and disciple-building begins with prayer. Churches who genuinely want to grow in numbers and discipleship must do so on a foundation of prayer. These days we hear this from practiced experts in evangelism who represent a variety of places on the Christian map. Henry Blackaby, a conservative Southern Baptist says this. Paul Borden, an American Baptist from the northwest says this. Martha Grace Reese, from a mainline denomination (Disciples of Christ) says this. We start by asking God for God's own heart toward those we are called to reach. We ask God to align our minds, our hearts, our priorities and our resources to that which God is already stirring in the lives of men, women, and children. We ask God for the grace and power to join in that which God is doing. We listen for God's direction. We wait patiently and prayerfully; as long as necessary.

And we pray for those for whom we would rather not pray. This may be the most important block in the prayer foundation. You know who these people are; we've all got them - the individuals or groups who really deserve God's judgement, in our humble (self-righteous?) opinions. I have such a group, if I'm honest enough with myself to admit it. They are people in our land who receive my blame for circumstances as they are and the struggle and suffering of others. Because I believe them responsible for that which is wrong, I've convinced myself that my ill-will toward them is justified, and my anger is surely righteous. Certainly it's in line with God's anger, right?

And then I remember how it was that Jesus made so many people angry. He embraced the poor, and powerful people got angry with him. He embraced non-Jews, and righteous Jews got angry with him. He embraced a woman condemned for adultery, and law-abiding citizens got angry with him. He embraced ritually unclean people, and folks who lived sanitized, protected lives got angry with him. He embraced the people of means and religious authorities who would come to him, and revolutionaries got angry with him. In short, he embraced those who were demonized and dismissed by others. This is the heart of the one who gave his life on the cross for us.

And this is exactly where my prayer should begin, if I really want the church to be about the business of growing disciples. I need to pray for those whom I find easiest to judge and dismiss.

These waters are not always easy. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Knowing God

How do you know someone is a Jesus-follower? Lots of people claim the title, "Christian." Let's be honest, though; that can mean anything. Depending on the person, the use of the label can convey, "I'm going to heaven," or "I obey the 'golden rule'," or "I go to church," or "I'm saved," or "I'm better than you," or "I just said that so you'll think well of me."

A Jesus follower is known more by life evidence than verbal claim. It has been said that "Christianity is more caught than taught." There are ways to tell if a person is in a significant relationship. A Jesus follower is in a growing relationship with God, as revealed in Jesus. We are created for relationship with God. Nothing else in this life ultimately will provide purpose and fulfillment. God wants us to experience a relationship with God that is real and personal. God doesn't want us just to know about God. God wants us to know God. In the final analysis, eternal life is not about just getting to heaven. Eternal life is about knowing God, now and forever. It is all relational.

To know God is to know God's nature. God is love. It isn't just that God loves us. God is love itself. Any way God connects with us is out of love for us. Sometimes we don't understand the way God does things or that to which God calls us. But we can trust that God's ultimate aim is love for us. We trust that whatever it is to which God calls us, God will make us able to answer that call. As my friend and fellow faith-journeyman Keith Colley says frequently, "God doesn't call the equipped; God equips the called."

Jesus-followers are known by a continually growing trust in this relationship. It doesn't make them perfect; far from it. It does give them a constant and deepening yearning for God, and a longing to see themselves and others through the eyes of God.

Who do you know who is like that? Let's see who we meet around the next bend in the river.

Where Is God At Work?

Where is God at work, primarily? Where would you lean along the following continuum?

At one end is the presumption that God is at work in the Church, mostly. God moves most strongly among those who have already made a commitment to Jesus and to the Body of Christ. Therefore, to experience what God is doing, people must get into congregations. They must go to worship, become members, and get involved. That is how people experience God's activity.

At the other end of the continuum is the belief that God is at work in the world outside the Church. It is not the task of Jesus-followers just to get people inside congregations so they can experience God. Jesus-followers must get outside the walls of church to join in what God is already doing to draw people to Him. Church is not the origin of God's activity. It is the result of God's activity and faithful people aligning themselves with God's activity.

If you had to pick one end or the other, which one would you pick? I believe the answer makes all the difference in the world.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Praying For Your Community

Here's a way to pray for your community. Through this prayer posture, the Holy Spirit of God might guide your attention toward those who need to encounter Jesus through your direct involvement and witness.

Spend time in quiet, eyes open or closed. As much as possible, relax your body and free your mind from thoughts and distractions you brought with you into this prayer time. (In your mind's eye, set these anxieties at the foot of the cross of Jesus. After your prayer time, take them back, if you really think you can handle them better alone than you and Jesus can together!) Now, in your mind's eye, wander through your neighborhood or your community. Literally envision yourself walking through the streets. Who do you see? What buildings or businesses catch your attention? What houses or neighborhoods come up on your mind's screen? After ten to fifteen minutes or so, stop and jot down all the people, places, and areas that captured your attention.

Now look over this list. Why did all these sights grab you? What did you think about or sense as you took this mental tour? Were you excited, comfortable, nervous, discouraged, or what? For the next few days, pray about those people, places, and areas on this list. Pray for God to be known among them. Ask God why your attention was drawn to them. Seek what the Holy Spirit wants to do through you, so that Jesus may be known in their midst.

If you're like me, your mind's eye may have taken you to areas in your community with which you already have some familiarity. Next Friday we'll focus on praying for the areas around us that our unknown to us. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Leadership's Roots

From now through August my Wednesday posts will invite thought and conversation about leadership in the Jesus movement. What does it mean to lead, if the movement is about developing disciples of Jesus and transforming lives and communities? How is that different than leading an organization whose primary aim is to maintain and perpetuate itself?

Those who would lead others in discipleship must themselves exhibit that discipleship looks like. This can be expressed in a variety of ways. In our congregation, we teach this as The Eight Marks of Discipleship. A disciple has become committed to Jesus Christ, though their own decision and through public proclamation of that decision. A disciple maintains a daily walk with Christ, through prayer - continual listening to and speaking with Jesus. A disciple is deeply anchored in the Word - delving into the Bible not just for information, but for transformation. A disciple experiences growth through small groups. Every follower of Jesus needs a group for encouragement, mutual learning and growth, support, and accountability. A disciple has a servant's heart; a willingness to check one's ego at the door, to roll up one's sleeves, and serve the least, the last, and the lost. A disciple gathers with others to worship, not just to fulfill an obligation, but to focus on the wonder of a forgiving, transforming God. And disciples tithe. This refers to what we give of our financial resources. The percentage is important, but the order is more important. Out of the abundance of what God has given to us, we give back to God first. Finally, disciples share Christ with others. As Bill Hybels says, the greatest gift a Jesus-follower can give is an introduction to the God who made us, who loves us, and who has a plan for our lives.

How does this description strike you? If you buy into it, which mark of discipleship is the strongest one for you? Which one needs the most attention? No one is perfect, and we're not going to hit on all cylinders in all eight. These are signposts and directions for our continual growth.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Perspective

Sometimes the God who loves me convicts me with overwhelming force. By God's grace, and not by my intelligence or effort, God enables me to see life's context as God sees it.

I am currently attending our denomination's statewide annual assembly in one of our large cities. As with any organization our size, we will discuss and debate a number of structural, missional, and financial matters. We are in the middle of a difficult decision about the way in which we will provide health insurance for our retirees. In the hallways and lobbies, many people lament the increasing costs of keeping a church running, and the high price we all had to pay for the gasoline to get here.

Yesterday, just after lunch, the assembly was surprised by a visit from a Christian singing group that came from Uganda. I believe the ministry is called "Wapoto." African Jesus-followers are trying to rescue, house, educate and love the thousands of children who are orphaned by war, A.I.D.S., and other manifestations of poverty. This particular group of children and their adult leaders raise awareness of this need by providing praise and worship in song, dance, and testimony. It was the most explosive, transforming experience of worship Jesus I've had in years. These children leaped and whooped and gloried God with pure, utter Christ-focused exuberance and abandoned. It was beyond glorious.

Sitting next to me, our youth minister said, "We're fighting about insurance premiums; they don't have homes!" And they don't have mommas and daddies. I'm complaining about the price of gas and whether or not the temperature in the auditorium is high enough or low enough. They haven't reached their 12th birthdays, and they've seen the bowels of hell, yet they fling their arms in the air for joy and confess through unbridled smiles that Jesus is Lord.

Perspective. Head on down the river. I'll catch up. I'm staying here for a while.

Odd Leadership

Leadership is a mixed bag in the Jesus movement. On one hand, natural leadership ability comes into play. Charismatic personalities draw people. Take-charge people get things done. Not too many years ago, when speaking about starting new gatherings of Jesus-followers, many in our denomination spoke openly called for "entrepreneurial" leadership. I would suspect that many of the lead pastors of our newest, fastest growing mega churches now would be fantastically successful (and rich) business persons, had God's Holy Spirit not led them into ministry. God uses natural leadership skills and attributes, to be sure.

There is another dimension of Jesus movement leadership, though, that runs counter to obvious leadership profiles. God often has this frustrating, almost mischievous propensity to choose the least likely people to lead. Seriously...a childless old man and woman, chosen to be the parents of a great nation through whom all nations would be blessed...a reluctant escapee/shepherd, whose own people hate him, chosen to defy the world's greatest empire, and to lead his people to freedom...a smallish young man armed with only a leather sling, chosen to overcome a great warrior and to be a great king...a poor carpenter from a backwoods town, born to save us all, and to bring us home to God...the most fierce and hateful opponent of Jesus-followers, chosen to bring spread the good news of the risen Jesus throughout the Roman Empire...The list goes on. Time and again, people who never conceived of themselves as worthy of God's attention, much less as chosen by God to lead, are chosen nonetheless.

Odd thing, this Jesus movement is. It uses the best of the world's capabilities, but for anything but the world's goals and values. And it seems to raise up the least likely and capable people, to do extraordinary things.

I'll see you around the next bend. NOTE: The next post will be a week from today, Wednesday - June 11. For the next several days I'll be at our denomination's statewide annual conference.

The Scooter

In my experience, God frequently speaks through a commonplace object lesson.

I can become like a heat-seeking missile with regard to outreach. I can be pretty pushy about congregations making the necessary changes to become focused more on disciple-building and less on insulating and maintaining themselves. Change, however, is hard. It is messy, scary, and unpredictable. It is painfully easy for people to set things in stone, and assume they will always be the way they are. Case in point...

Many weeks ago a small child's scooter appeared alongside the west side of our church facility. It's a little pink thing; cute, but showing considerable wear and tear. No one knows where it came from. Everyone assumed some child left it and will come back for it. It's been nearly three months. It's in the same spot. The mowers have come and gone several times, and they either mowed around it, or moved it temporarily, then put it back in its original spot. Beginning with me, all of us assume that someone else will do something with or about the scooter, and none of us should be the one to move it. It could be taken to a thrift shop, offered to a child in need, or even junked. Yet we all assume it's there for some reason, though we don't know what reason is. We don't know why the scooter occupies the space it does, but, for causes not at a conscious level, we all are uncomfortable with changing it. Maybe someday we'll assume the scooter has always been there.

That's how fast something becomes a fixture in the landscape of our existence. It's just part of being human. That's why it's hard to move the sanctuary piano, to change the time worship starts, to start a new service, or to bring new people into our gathering. Change is necessary, especially where the mission of the Body of Christ is concerned. But change is hard.

Let's be gentle with one another as we negotiate the scary, unknown rapids of these times. I'll see you around the next bend in the river. We'll see how long the scooter lasts.