Life Can Be Radically Different

I've decided to do my personal Bible reading in The Message at least for 2006 if not indefinitely to further jar my senses from what I think I know about God. Today, I was reading in Mark 6 where Jesus sent out the Twelve in pairs. The passage really challenged me that our calling to be on Mission with Jesus is the same.

Missional is a buzz word that you often see affiliated with Emerging Christianity. The three passions of EC that attract me the most are: spiritual formation, community formation, and missional action. I think Jesus' commission of the Twelve really breaks down the missional component for me. I love the simplicity of Jesus' plan. Listen to His instructions:

"Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple. And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave. If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way."

That so describes the type of relational evangelism and community formation that I believe we are called to fulfill. No extra equipment, no fundraisers, no gimmicks, no luxury, no sales pitch, etc. Just be the you God made you to be. Be content. Be humble.

Verse 12 really describes our calling: "Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different." We are definitely on a journey without a particular destination in sight, other than to follow our Guide. The simplest description of our task is to live and preach "with joyful urgency that life can be radically different." That's it. We're not pushing a denomination or a religion, no list of rules, just hope. There is a another Way, a better Way, to live.

I love that in the wake of their journey they left lives touched by the grace of God. "They sent demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits." That is such a beautiful description of the end product of living on mission with Jesus and following His lead. Darkness is dispersed and lives are made whole, not the least of which are our own.

I hope and pray that we may never assume to be more than we are and that we hold out hope to the world that life can be radically different. We have no greater proof than the difference He makes in our lives.

Organic Church

Next Wave has a great interview with Neil Cole discussing the Organic Church. Cole's recent book on the same subject is entitled Organic Church, Growing Faith Where Life Happens. He says you can't buy a church or set it up using a cookie-cutter approach. Rather he emphasizes replicating DNA in communities where lostness is evident and Christ is needed. He also has some great points on church finances in the Organic Church as it relates to staffing and ministry resources.

Life Cycle for Church Planting

I wanted to share an article that I found at Missional International Church Network on "Starting Churches Missionally" by Neil Tibbott. In the article he describes a life cycle approach to church planting that he describes as "a more organic, spirit driven approach... that honors a process we can all learn from as we follow Christ together."

Lessons in the Gifts

Welcome to the 21st century! Yes, I know it started six years ago, but I just got my first iPod for Christmas. I wanted an .mp3 player just so I can listen to my favorite music in my car while working. After doing my research and seeing the depletion of .mp3 players from store shelves leading up to Christmas, I came to only one conclusion. iPod is the way to go. I discovered that the 30GB iPod video/photo model was only $50 more than the 4GB iPod Nano. It became a no brainer for me. I realize it's bigger and has a hard drive versus a compact flash player, but it's perfect for me and way more storage than I need (I'll regret that statement in 3 years). With my new iPod I've also discovered the world of podcasting. Now that is first class.

We also got a junior tent, sleeping bags, lanterns, and the like for our two boys, in addition to other things. I did my fatherly duty of laying in the tent Christmas afternoon with my boys playing on top of me, making my outdoor nap a pipe dream. While laying there enjoying the lazy sun and cool breeze, I remembered how fun it was to go camping as a kid and just be outdoors in general. For a split second I thought maybe I should buy a bigger tent and take my family camping. I'm still trying to psychoanalyze where that thought came from.

As I laid in the tent, I began to think about how opposite the two gifts were. The iPod represents the cutting edge of technology and the hottest trend, while the camping gear was definitely retro, even primitive, but I enjoyed them both. It reminded me of this conversation that we are having about emerging ecclesiology and the reality that in order to go forward sometimes you have to go backwards.

I have to come to believe that this new move of God among His people is paved with core truths of scripture tested in the authentic faith of the saints of the ages. I have long been fascinated by spiritual disciplines, early confessions of the Church, and simple practices of the first believers. It has been very reassuring to me to find so many of those engaged in this conversation on the same path back in time to find the roots of our Christian tradition. It reminds me of discussions we had in college (Louisiana College, Alumni 1999) trying to deliniate the traditions of the church and our own preconceived notions from what really happened in the Bible. Most of the people I have encountered in the emerging church are simply trying to know Christ more fully so that they might be more like Him in every area of their lives. I saw that they are encouraging friends of the emergent church to display the new emergent logos on their sites, books, conferences, etc., so here's my contribution for the time being:



While I had a precusory introduction to many of these ideas in college, I did not fully engage this dialogue until the fall of 2004. Since that time, I have begun reading the Bible differently. It is fresh again, and its boldness takes hold of me. I come to the words with an open mind reading with different lenses. I made the misunderstood comment several weeks ago in church that the longer I am a Christian the less answers I think I have. When I was younger and more indoctrinated, I had an answer for everything, and of course, there was only one right answer. Now, I am humbled in awe of the greatness of God, the love of Christ, and the nearness of the Spirit. It doesn't bother me to gladly tell someone, "I don't know." Over the years, I've learned to be content, even thrilled, with the mystery. I can be satisfied with not knowing because I know the One who knows, and He knows me.

Thank You

A special thanks to our local paper, The Town Talk, for choosing to share my recent article, Speaking the Same Language, with their readers as a guest spot in the op-ed section on Christmas Day.

Christmas Hypocrisy

An excerpt from an article "To save Christmas, change the date" by Charles C. Haynes, senior scholar at the First Amendment Center:

Because Christmas falls on Sunday this year, some prominent evangelical churches canceled worship services, expecting low attendance. This surprising turn of events might inspire Christian warriors fighting to "save Christmas" to rethink their strategy. Rather than condemn the "happy holiday" speck in Wal-Mart's eye, they might notice the Yule log in their own.

Well, worth a read. I'm not in the camp of rock throwers railing against churches that canceled some or all of their services for Christmas, but it is ironic that it is most likely those same parishoners and pastors who are protesting the omission of Christ from Christmas. Any way you slice it, it's hypocritcal.

Speaking the Same Language

A recent article in our local newspaper caught my attention and made me laugh. It is a syndicated op-ed piece by Leonard Peikoff of the Ayn Rand Institute called "Why Christmas should be more commercial." It gives a brief history of the secular origin of Christmas and its transition into a religious holiday. The premise of the article is that "It is time to take the Christ out of Christmas, and turn the holiday into a guiltlessly egoistic, pro-reason, this-worldly, commercial celebration." While I disagree that the religious aspects of the holiday should be removed, I think the article puts a spotlight on the culture war in America between religious fundamentalists and secular humanists. I can only imagine many Christians that I know in our little notch of the Bible belt crying out "blasphemy" as they read the article. Most people have little knowledge of history, let alone church history, but rather have assumptions and interpretations that have little or no basis in fact. Many would be surprised to know that Jesus' birthday is not 12/25/0.

Peikoff uses historical record to show the secular origins of Christmas which predated the Christian celebration. After failed attempts to steer the faithful away from such pagan celebrations, he says, "the Christians came to a decision: if you can't stop 'em, join 'em. They claimed (contrary to known fact) that the date was Jesus' birthday, and usurped the solstice holiday for their Church." I would like to think the adoption of the secular celebration as the Christmas holiday was not a concession of defeat by the church but rather a bold effort to reach the culture that followed a Biblical model.

This kind of theological hijacking is no new phenomenon in church history. King David and the prophets borrowed Canaanite tradition and imagery and adapted it to form a new Zionist tradition that would rally the Israelites as a people and bind them to Jerusalem and the land of Israel. This kind of borrowing and improvising occurred numerous times in the Old Testament, especially in Creation accounts and the flood narrative. Jesus Himself adapted known images and stories from His culture to communicate a new message that people could both understand and long remember.

For example, in Luke 13:1-9 Jesus told a parable about a landowner who threatened to chop down a barren tree if it did not bear fruit. Jesus' illustration reflects an interesting folk tale that had been already told for centuries. A father once said to his son, "My son, you are like a tree which yielded no fruit. Although it stood by the water, its owner was forced to cut it down. But the tree said to him, 'Transplant me, and if even then I bear no fruit, cut me down.' But its owner said to it, 'When you stood by the water you bore no fruit, how then will you bear fruit if you stand in another place?'" There was also an Arabic tale about how to cure a barren palm tree. A man would take a friend with him to the barren tree. He would tell his friend how disappointed he is with the tree and how it must be cut down. He would then tap the trunk of the tree three times with the backside of his ax, and his friend would stop him saying, "Give it one more year to bear fruit."

In the first folk tale the tree had no excuses for being barren. The verdict was final. In the second tale the tree was given one more year to bear fruit or be chopped down. How striking then that Jesus changes these familiar stories, and has the gardener intervene personally saying, "Leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it," (13:8). In Jesus' version the gardener uses his relationship with the owner to intercede for the tree, and it is that twist in the story that would be most memorable to those who heard it.

Jesus always started where people were. He spoke in a language they could understand, speaking not only their dialect but in stories and images that even children could grasp. Jesus also did not speak in vague religious abstracts but actually demonstrated in His life and actions the message that He preached. Perhaps, instead of decrying that "they want to take Christ out of Christmas" and "we should remember the real reason for the season," true believers should strive even harder to be more Christ-like during this time of the year and stop relying on the media, the government, and the marketplace to do it for them.

Open Hearts vs. Narrow Minds

A few days after predicting that many in the mainstream church will react to the emerging church with either denial or attack, I have seen a couple examples of the latter. It is really very sad when the only way someone has to support their viewpoint is to attack someone else's. I guess many people need to believe the world is flat in order to sleep at night. It's just amazing that some of the most unloving people are those that claim to be Christians.

I have not tried to convert any "believers" to my understanding of the church and its mission. I respect their viewpoint, even if I don't agree with it and don't see a positive impact that it is having on reaching our culture for Christ. I have no desire to take people out of the local church. We want to reach those who aren't pre-programmed with institutional Christianity. Nonetheless, many people that we know feel threatened just because we are not participating in the traditional life of the church as they are. They believe we must be "backslidden" or out of the will of God... that we are in need of prayer, witnessing, or a good kick in the pants.

I've come to understand that even many Protestants rest their salvation and favor with God in their connection to the life of the local church. They view their participation in the church services and programs as their service to the Lord. Personally, my standing with God rests upon the finished work of Christ on the cross and the empty tomb. I believe the church is vital in the life of a follower of Christ for encouragement, fellowship, and worship, but our real service is done outside of four walls of the church showing the love of Christ to others. I think that also is another major distinctive: persuading people to right-believing versus demonstrating the love of Christ.

Being able to give all the right answers in Bible trivia is not a sign of spiritual maturity. Being able to show the love of Christ to those who are difficult to love is the sign of a true follower of Christ. That is the pattern that Jesus set for us in His life and death. He did not impact the world by winning them over to His viewpoint. He altered the course of human history by a sacrificial act of love that was so powerful that it compelled millions to meet this man from Nazareth for themselves. So we should not be surprised when we face ridicule, for He warned us such is the fate of all who dare to pick up their cross and follow Him in the pursuit to know their Father and love their neighbor.

A Great Introduction

This article on Emerging Values by Brain McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian, is an awesome introduction to the emerging church and the three elements that comprise it: spiritual formation, community formation, and missional action.

Life Out There

I've spent much time in my life contemplating things that are bigger than myself, such as God, time, space, and where I belong in all of them. Like all good Star Trek fans, I've wondered if there really is intelligent life beyond our own solar system or our own galaxy. Scientifically, mathematically, it is highly likely that life in some form must exist elsewhere. It would seem that such a discovery would decimate the coddled world of Christian Orthodoxy. Personally, I believe that God created each of us for the enjoyment of loving and knowing us. I don't feel any less unique or loved because He loves you too, nor would it shatter my faith to learn that God's creative hand is at work in the heavens millions of light years from here.

After 10 years of being completely absorbed in ministry and the life of the local church, it's easy to become isolated and disconnect from the world. For years I've been alone in the solitude of my thoughts asking questions that exceed Sunday School answers. This past year has been a journey of discovery for me about who God is and who I am, and through this process I have rediscovered that there is life out there beyond the Bible belt and mainstream program Christianity. I've met many socially rebellious thinkers in life, especially in the world of academia, whose worldview rationalizes away the mystery, but there are genuine Christ followers out there asking similar questions as I am and deriving similar answers from going deeper in their faith and not farther from it.

This past year an ongoing conversation with a like-minded friend at Sim Church has encouraged me that I'm not losing my mind. In the midst of wading into deep waters together, our faith has been strengthened not demoralized. Connecting with other seekers has been a tremendous encouragement on this journey for both of us. George Barna's book, Revolution, really crystallized the reality that we are not alone nor are we spiritual deviates. It is possible and altogether necessary at times to leave the church in order to be the church, and I have discovered that some of the most passionate followers of Christ are not plugged into the traditional church at all.

Barna has documented that many believers are running hard after Christ but fast from the mainstream church. He might has well announced that life has been discovered on Mars, and they are coming to dinner. The mainstream church will have one of two similar knee-jerk reactions: denial or nuke 'em. This trend is not as simple as a more contemporary worship style in vogue at the moment. Just as gazing at the stars gives us a view into creation past, the emerging church movement gives a glimpse into creation to come. Our own experience in the local church confirms the departure of the faithful and the cry of the heart for more of God than can be packaged into three services a week, three points, and a poem. This is not just an alternative to church as we know it. It is the arrival of a fresh move of God stirring up people whose hearts are longing for Him.

Recent documentaries I've seen described how stellar nursuries are formed from the debris left from the violent explosions of dying stars. The same core materials are regrouped and reshaped into new stars nurtured and incubated until they are ready to shine. I think its time for the light of the church to shine brighter to overcome the prevailing darkness in our culture. I don't celebrate the decline of the church's influence, but I hope that through this transition God can raise up even more passionate followers of Christ to usher in a new move of God that will reach our culture. While none of us have a complete picture of where God is leading us, each of us must do our best to follow hard after Him wherever He leads. The words of Mordecai to Esther echo in our ears, "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14 NKJV

Just Showing Off

Timothy wrote his name for the first time! Way to go, Timothy! He just turned 4. (The first one is mom's example.)

An Exercise in Sanity

The last thing it would seem the world needs is yet another website. I'm not even sure how many sites I have floating aimlessly in cyberspace from time past. Yet here I am to add another. As a student of history and voyeur of culture I have an opinion to offer, which admittedly makes no difference in the grand scheme of things, but this outlet may serve as a much cheaper alternative to therapy.

I resonate the humble but proud declaration of Brennan Manning, "I am the one Jesus loves." My life is a pursuit to grasp His love for me and work out its implications in every area of my life. This blog picks up late in my journey of faith near the end of my detox from the mainstream church and will no doubt chronicle my revolution, as well as musings on all things sacred and absurd. Among the heavier subjects pondered, you can also expect lighter offerings on food, wine, music, books, aviation, news, geneology, or anything else that inspires me to write "Words Less Spoken."