guccilittlepiggy

GLP has Left the Building

2008-10-07T15:30:00.001-07:00

www.yanceyarrington.com

Moving On...

2008-10-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm about to jump ship...details in a few weeks...or days...or hours.

Helping Those Hurt By Ike

2008-09-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

Grace and Peace

2008-09-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I was blessed by a blessing. In fact, I found myself with arms raised and tears streaming down my face as I listened to the blessing given by Paul to the church as Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 1:2 as sung by Fernando Ortega. It was a song I had not heard before, but I really like Ortega and his quest to recapture hymns for today, so I wanted to check it out.

I listened, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV) and slowed myself down to focus on the goodness of God to me in the midst of troubling times. I've been given his Gospel. The Crucified One is my testimony. The Cross my confession.

The time of reflection and reception was a gift of grace to me. My heart has found buoyancy for the day.

***If you get a chance, go to Ortega's website here and click through the songs on his jukebox located in the upper right corner to listen to "Grace and Peace." Close your eyes. Think upon the blessings given to us in Jesus Christ. Enjoy.***

yIKEs...the Aftermath

2008-09-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

You think it would be a really cool thing to see the President of the United States flying in a helicopter until you realize he's attempting to see the devastation of the terrain that you call home. Yup. I was back from my evacuation from Ike, standing on the grounds of my church office (see pic) with our elders surveying the damage from a much lower altitude when I saw the POTUS skirting the sky above us. I realized then and there that I wasn't just watching the news you don't want to be on...I was the news you don't want to be on.

Let me begin by saying that I've been called, texted, Facebooked, Bloggered, et al. by friends checking in on me to see how I was doing. Thank you very much! I deeply appreciate it.

My house has sustained relatively little damage. I'll need my roof repaired. A backyard fence has a section that has fallen. Outside of those two issues I'm free and clear. I wish I could say the same of some of my friends - silt in their living room, water lines in the five foot range, some have no homes left to go to. Driving into Houston had an eerie feeling to it as we saw a long line for FEMA's ice, water and food "Point of Distribution" (there's one less than a quarter mile from my house), tattered and torn signage dotting the landscape and the buzz amongst neighbors and friends with their assessments of Ike.

This won't be a quick story with a short ending. We will have work that will last months, some maybe even more than a year. But I'm reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 16:9, "...for a wide door for effective work has opened to me..."; I am very encouraged at the fact that I think a great door to the Gospel has been opened by the violent hands of Ike. Self-security and presumption have been trumped by 110 mph winds of an eyewall that went, literally, through my neighborhood...and the neighborhood of those I believe God has called us to reach through our local church. This may sound funny to say, but I'm excited about the future. I'm excited to see how wide the door will open for the grace of God in Christ in the Bay Area. I'm excited at how many people will decide to become Followers of Jesus or recommit to their followship of the Lord. I'm excited I get to be a part of it all by the grace of God.

And what's even better is that I believe I have an entire church that's feels the same way!

Thanks Ike.

We're Outta Here! Go Away Ike!

2008-09-10T19:44:00.001-07:00

My family and I are leaving for our ranch house in Kerrville due to hurricane Ike. Let's hope that bad boy leaves Houston alone.

Disproportionate Grace

2008-09-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

I was reading through John Piper's devotional book Taste and See this morning and was struck by a prayer he suggested to pray: O Lord, make the fruit of our lives utterly disproportionate to the measure of our faithfulness.

I love that. May my life be a bewildering display of God's grace in light of my inability to do the right things at the right times. To be honest, I truly feel this way quite often. I look over my life and realize that the sheer goodness of God to me as evidenced in my family, my work, my health and so on could not be dependent on my obedience. I'm just not that good, fastidious or intelligent. Frequently I'm humbled by the fact that God has manifested his power to me and continues to do so in my life and ministry. I deserve none of it and yet, like the grace he poured out upon that rascal Jacob, God still gives.

I believe my life is testimony to Piper's suggested prayer. Often it leaves me in humble gratitude instead of arrogant presumption. I know God can choose to remove his hand of blessing at any time and still be completely just. But he hasn't. My heart is that I would live in such a way that would demonstrate fidelity and love for my gracious King, and yet I know that because of Jesus, not me, he will show me his ultimate goodness. For that, I am forever grateful! But I am also thankful for the daily blessings and fruitfulness he has chosen to pour into my life, even in spite of me. His disproportionate grace is amazing!

O Lord, would you continue to make the fruit of my life
utterly disproportionate to the measure of my faithfulness.
Amen.

I'm Gucci Little Piggy and I Endorsed This Post

2008-08-25T19:43:00.001-07:00

I recently ran across a video which had a somewhat prominent pastor and author endorsing one of the presidential candidates. The message centered around the candidate's commitment to family and how, in this pastor's words (and other religious leaders'), he would be committed to America's families as well.

It made me sick.

Yes. Maybe I have a lot to learn when it comes to pastors and politics. I admit, there's probably a lot of room to grow for me. I'm open to the fact that I may need to learn better and repent.

However with that said, I can't stand when pastors put their name behind a candidate of any party because in the end, it's not just their name they've put out there but (in my humble opinion) the name of Christ as well. Granted, they aren't Jesus but they are supposed to shepherd his flock in his name "for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account." (Heb. 13:17b) To a great extent pastors represent more than themselves.

So when I see a pastor promoting a candidate for either party via pulpit, rally or video I just wish I possessed a magic remote that could "mute" them at the touch of a button because I think in the end they are hurting, not helping, themselves, those outside the church and those inside. Instead of helping people see through our pastoral leadership that Jesus is neither Republican or Democrat, we encourage people to make rather simplistic choices on complex situations by letting them know who they need to vote for. Pastors who unfortunately take those steps preempt the discerning decision-making process that Followers of Jesus need to walk through.

What's incredibly ironic, and would be funny if it wasn't so hurtful, is that so many left-leaning Christians who rightfully blasted church leaders for publicly endorsing the conservative Republican candidates of the 1980's and 1990's now find themselves drinking the same Kool Aid in pushing their Democratic candidate. But just because it's colored blue (and is super hip these days) instead of red doesn't mean it is any less poisonous. Or hypocritical.

Again, let me be clear. This is not about being politically active as a believer. This is not about liking one candidate over another. This is about pastors pushing politicians. I think it is the duty of pastors to attempt to discern what the Bible says about the pressing issues of our day - abortion, homelessness, war, poverty, the family. That's not only fair ground, that's simply trying to help your congregation follow Jesus in obeying what his Word teaches (cf., Matthew 28:20). Let's just make sure that it's Jesus we're encouraged to follow, not any one politician. My hope is that pastors who deeply care about the Gospel and its centrality in both our people and our pulpits will be careful seeking to remind everyone that there is only one Savior and his name is not Obama or McCain.

To do any less is to settle for something less.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."
- Psalm 20:7 (ESV)

Suburbia and The Idolatry of Sports

2008-08-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

"You shall have no other gods before me."
- Exodus 20:3 (ESV)

You see them blanketed on the windows of minivans and SUV's darting to and fro in the suburbs - stickers in the form of basketballs, baseballs, cheerleader megaphones, ad infinitum - adhesive messages which, for many, unfortunately proclaim to the oh-so-disinterested masses what recreational idol has consumed their child's life. And because many suburbanite parents hazardously revolve their world around their kids, the entire family is caught paying homage to these false gods of gridiron, diamond and tumbling mat.

Exaggeration? I'd like to think so but when I watch parents magically transform into over-caffienated bus drivers zipping their kids around to every event that has a jersey and a final score for each and every one of their progeny, it looks more like family NASCAR than family fun. Recently I spoke with a parent in my congregation who was extremely agitated at the number of weekly practices his kid would have to participate in when pee wee football began this fall. The number? Four, plus games on Saturdays. You have to be kidding me! Others who have their kids in club-related sports say the time commitment can be even worse. Add another brother or sister and you've got the making for a lifestyle that may already teeter on the verge of insanity.

What's more frightening is that many a Follower of Jesus doesn't even blink. Like lemmings they undiscerningly follow the masses over the cliff to dash their spiritual health on the rocks of suburbanite expectations of kids and sports duped into the myth that this is "normal life". This frequently forces them to drop something from their weekly schedule. Often church and anything related to it becomes the first causalties. If I've seen it happen with one family I've seen it happen to a hundred of them: a family is faithful and energetic for living out the mission of Jesus both personally and corporately then Lil' Jonny and Jill reach an age where they can get in organized sports (which in suburbia seems to be almost disturbingly younger and younger). So they join this or that club sport and then "POOF" - the family essentially vanishes. They show up at church maybe once every other month, their personal devotion takes a nosedive and while the kids excel in hitting a ball and sticking that landing, they have little hearts for the things of Jesus.

It is idolatry. Plain and simple. It is giving your heart and life to that which only should be reserved for God. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the damage it takes on the Christian soul, in both a personal and familial sense. No question, it is one of the great golden calves of suburbia.

Am I anti-sports? Not at all. I grew up playing sports with my two other brothers. My parents are both great athletes and coached us throughout our childhood. I love sports and think kids should play them. (See my earlier post Hope on the Hardwoods) Participating in team sports helps children learn about community, dealing with success and failure, and so very much more. The problem is that instead of being an aspect to life sports become our life - both kid and parent. As a result, these activites become a black hole which continually holds families within its disastrously powerful grip.

That's why my family has chosen to limit how much organized sports our kids will participate in. I currently have three boys and we are seeking a rotation, if you will, that will have one child in an organized sport at a time. What we've found is that gives us margin to have lifestyles with a healthier pace. We don't look at other aspects of our lives (e.g., church involvement) as burdensome. Will we ever have times where mutilple kids are playing in the same seasons? Probably, but hopefully that will be few and far between.

Our sincere aim is to fight against the suburban legend which says our lives should have a huge chunk of it given to our kids involvement in sports. But if you can sit still and gain some clarity, I believe many would realize that the demands it makes on our lives time-wise exposes it for the idol it truly is. Parents look at the trajectory of your family concerning this area of your lives. Does this help grow or retard growth? Is the pace of your family glorifying to God? Are your kids stronger for Christ and his cause as a result of the lifestyle you lead them in living? Do you get more bent out of shape that they didn't perform very well on the field or that they didn't spend time in God's Word throughout the week?

Hopefully, Followers of Jesus who live in suburbia will make wise, even if countercultural, choices that might leave us with images of sports covering our windows without covering our hearts.

The Suburban Christian

2008-08-18T20:06:00.001-07:00

Often I find myself seeking out how I can make sure that while I live in suburbia that suburbia doesn't live in me. In other words, how can I make sure I'm following Christ in a land given to rich young rulers? Unfortunately, more than I'd like to admit, I find my heart wandering into paths carved out by the self-centric ease of suburban life instead of the small, narrow trail created by the feet of Jesus.

Thankfully I was reminded of that struggle as I finished Albert Hsu's The Suburban Christian over the weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hsu's book is loaded with insight into the mindset behind suburbanites, stats and studies which at times reveal a surprising picture of suburbia, and helpful suggestions on how people can both follow Jesus and live in the suburbs.

As a pastor of a church in the suburbs (check that, I technically live in an exurb, which is an "edge [city that is] economically autonomous and no longer dependent on the older cities"), any insight on how we can better make disciples of suburbanites is worth receiving. For what it's worth, I believe The Suburban Christian carries the baton well in this endeavor. I likely will read through it again and again. I think this book should be read by both staff and layperson. If you seek to live out the Gospel in the suburbs, this book will be an asset for you. Thanks to Chuck Land, Lead Pastor of Crossbridge Church in Sugar Land, for suggesting it.

Me and the ESV...Study Bible

2008-08-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Almost four years ago, January 2005, my church adopted the English Standard Version (ESV) as our official translation to be used in all adult services (both weekend and midweek). That decision was the terminus of an interesting journey.

Since college I had used the New American Standard Bible (NASB) as my translation of choice both personally and in the pulpit. When I began as the Teaching Pastor alongside with the Senior Pastor (whose name is Bruce) in 1998 that preference didn’t change even though he primarily used the New International Version (NIV). Thus the congregation would be exposed to my NASB when I taught and the NIV when the senior pastor was in the pulpit.

Then one day, my birthday to be exact, Bruce walks in my office with a gift. I open it up to find a Thinline NIV Bible with a note written on the inside of the cover saying, “Yancey, I give you this with an agenda. I want us to move to one translation.” I couldn’t have agreed more. My only problem was that I didn’t want it to be the NIV. Do I hate the NIV? No, it has served well many a Christian. It’s just that when you teach expositionally like I do, you don’t want to undermine your congregants confidence in their Bibles by repeatedly saying, “Now I know your Bibles say X but in the Greek it actually reads Y.” I found that the NIV had me facing that situation more than I felt comfortable. So while I was excited about moving to a common translation for our church, I wasn’t excited about it being the NIV.

I shared those feelings with Bruce adding that I wanted to try and search out a translation that would marry well the characteristics of both accuracy and readability. Essentially, I wanted our church to be exposed to a translation that “said it right” like the NASB and “said it well” like the NIV. Thankfully, Bruce was all for it! In researching numerous different translations I discovered the ESV. After studying its background, philosophy and, not the least of which, the text itself, I was convinced I had found the perfect translation for us.

I remember calling Good News Publishers/Crossway Books and talking to Bill Jensen, who at the time was Vice President for Bible & Product Development, about if they would consider working with us if our church decided to move solely to the ESV. Bill assured me they would and was incredibly gracious by giving each of our elders an ESV Bible so as to help them make a well-informed decision. A few months later our elders, impressed with its powerful combination of accuracy and readability, consented to adopt the ESV as our church’s translation. Everyone was incredibly excited about this “new” translation! We shipped in hundreds upon hundreds of ESV’s for our members to purchase (which they did in droves), they could now easily follow along with the teacher when we read from our Bibles during the services and the teaching team could finally stack hands on one translation.

It was early in the game for us and frankly, for the ESV as it intersected working with churches. Bill asked if I would personally endorse the translation to which I didn’t hesitate. In fact, I felt honored to do so (even though I caught endless grief from my buddies who saw my name along with Sproul, Piper et al. on the ESV website). I truly believe it simply is the superior English translation today for preaching, studying, reading…for it all.

Now looking back on that decision we couldn’t be happier. The ESV has continued to hold up its end of the bargain by faithfully delivering the biblical text with accuracy and readability. I hear it’s the fastest growing English version today. Good. It should be. The men and women at Crossway Bibles have done an amazing job! May God continue to bless them and the continued expansion of the ESV in the homes and churches around the world.

Funny. I wasn’t going to write this story at all. I really wanted to scratch up a short post about the new ESV Study Bible coming out October 15th. I’m excited because many in my congregation initially asked me in 2005 if there was an ESV Study Bible. I would point them to the Reformation Study Bible but now I’m happy to say that the ESV has their “own” study Bible. I’ve seen a glimpse of it at a conference in Seattle. I believe it will be the “Mother of All” Study Bibles. I can only trust that if the guys at Crossway handle it as well as they’ve handled the ESV itself, then for those who love study Bibles, this will one you shouldn’t be without.

I guess I’ve written “my story with ESV” instead of simply promoting the ESVSB because I’m proud of them and their work, grateful for the gift they’ve given the church, happy I crossed paths with them when I did and grateful that God has raised them up for a time such as this.

PS - Watch the video below for an intro to the new ESV Study Bible

Postcards From The Hilltop

2008-08-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was told something which caused me to bristle a bit. The offending remark? I don't understand the hardships of ______ ministry because I don't serve in that ministry, therefore I am incredibly hindered, if not outright impotent, in giving good leadership to that ministry. In essence, because I'm not in the trenches I miss too much.

While I'd be the first to say that serving side-by-side with someone gives a you an incredible advantage for sympathy and understanding, it by no means automatically opens up a better track to leading that ministry in light of its integration to the entire church. In fact, I would argue that the best organizational leadership for ministries comes from those who are not three feet deep in it. Why? They may miss too much.

Often such immediate proximity has the potential to over-inflate both the good and bad a ministry experiences, lead to an unhealthy sense of independence from the other ministries, and as a result, any and all issues related to that ministry can easily dominate the immediate horizon for the leader. That's why when it comes to alignment to the general direction and strategy of the church at large, ministry leaders need oversight from people outside that ministry - not because serving "in the trenches" isn't valuable (when, in fact, many executive leaders/elders who don't oversee a specific ministry have led those types of ministries before), but because it pays to have oversight from someone above the fray.

Throughout most history, battles have been fought under the purview of leadership that observed the fight from a nearby hillside allowing them to strategically see the engagement in its entirety. From this position, commanders were better enabled to send commands to the troops on the ground hopefully taking advantage of the enemy's weakness or shoring up their own areas of vulnerability. Those decisions simply could not be made as well if the leadership in charge with the overall conflict was at the front lines with swords drawn.

I assume that positioning has usually been a given over the centuries. I doubt the general rule of thought by those of who led the cavalry, artillery and infantry in the field of battle was to naturally regard their high command (literally, being perched upon a hilltop) as calloused, arrogant or unable to grasp the severity of the situation simply because they weren't physically next to them. They knew they needed them in order to be successful. The truth is everyone had the same goal - victory. And because that was the goal, armies as a given had their highest leadership in very high places, above the fray, so they could see things their valiant soldiers couldn't. Someone needed to swing the sword and someone needed to direct its aim. Like two wings on an airplane, both were needed to be effective.

I don't have to serve in a specific ministry to know that it's difficult, weighty work for that specific ministry. I can see what's going on. I can hear from their words. Would I appreciate their situation all the more if I picked up a sword and rattled it with those particular troops? No question. However, just because I'm not in the trenches in that particular ministry doesn't mean I don't get what's going on. In fact, I'd say that because I'm blessed to be on the hilltop for some of them, I might know what's going on better than they think because, ironically, I'm not close to it. I might just be able to see things they simply can't.

Maybe, just maybe, I might understand more than they think.

The Christian and Suburbia

2008-08-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

For quite some time I've wrestled with what it means to be a Follower of Jesus living in suburbia. I've preached series on it, dialogued with other staff about it, heck, even the title of my blog touches upon the idea of trying to follow Christ in a culture given to consumerism (which, if anything, describes suburbia. See my inaugural post).

However, I'm not sure I've discovered a lot of answers as much as I've generated more questions. That's why I'm excited to begin reading Albert Hsu's (pronounced "Shee") The Suburban Christian. I've had friends recommend this book and can't wait to see if it will give me greater insight into how we can better make disciples of those living in the suburbs. Stay tuned.

A Good Morning

2008-07-31T08:52:00.001-07:00

There are days where I come to my office and spend my time doing things like planning, having meetings, working on this, that or the other...things which don't directly intersect into the lives of people. Those activities aren't bad, far from it; they are needful to position our ministry for its greatest effectiveness. However, sometimes I have days that are pleasantly interrupted with happenstances that give my meetings, preparations, etc. their motivation and reason for being.

Late last night I received word that one of the guys in my singles’ ministry at the church I previously served had been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that started in his stomach, went to his lymph system and now is in his bones (all this apparently over two weeks). Not surprisingly the oncologist has told him there is nothing they can do.

My friend is a solid, solid believer. Recently, after going to places like Egypt, China and Mexico, he and his wife thought of becoming missionaries. So committed were they to that end they downsized to a smaller house four years ago in anticipation of being ready to leave for mission-work as the Lord led them. Again, they are both great Followers of Jesus. I spoke with him this morning and through a brittle voice and constant pain he said he is humbled that God is using his cancer to impact so many people. He is also trusting the Almighty to heal him either by removing his cancer or taking him home, noting that whatever happens, “Blessed be His name.”

I was both grateful and humbled in speaking with him, and that he allowed me entrance into the blessing the Lord has for him in the present. I took it as a gift. (By the way, if you have a moment, would you say a prayer for my friend? Thanks.)

I also received an email this morning from a lady who has been attending my church. She considers herself a "seeker", someone who is not a Christian but is kicking the tires on who Jesus is. She noted:

I wanted to share this with you and tell you that you and your community have made God and his Son “alive” to me in these last months and I have learned so much. I don’t know how else to describe it, so I use the word “alive” in the context that yes I knew about God and his Son Jesus, but I knew them as a “memories” so to speak and not as “alive” persons (and if that makes any sense at all to you, then you are truly blessed in deciphering me – ha!)

I used to say each morning when I woke up, God thank you for this day, but now I say this, God, please meet me where I am at, and now I’ve added this....God, I ask you to help me to know you the way you want me to know you.

Overjoyed at seeing a person sincerely trying to seek after Jesus, I thanked her for sharing her story, encouraged her to read the Gospel of John to help her in her journey and told her she would be in my prayers this morning. Then I concluded my note with my name preceded only by a Christian blessing so often found in the New Testament letters: Grace to you.

I was so pumped! This is why I do what I do - trying to help people both know and follow Jesus. With her response, my day only got better:

Yes I will read the Gospel of John, thank you for your suggestion, as well as your encouragement and your inclusion for me in your prayers this morning.

Grace back to you too! (I really like that phrase) and hope you have a good day!

Oh, if grace might alight upon the doorstep of her heart and she give it entrance what these words might truly signify someday! And grace has come to me today, in the form of two conversations!

In crossing paths with a friend seeking to glorify God in the throes of cancer and a seeker in the throes of darkness trying to find the Light of the world, I was reminded how this is what it's really all about! Everything I do must revolve around a singular passion of knowing (and glorifying) God through the Person and Work of Jesus and helping others people both come to know and grow in the same.

Thank you Lord for the grace gift of those two conversations this morning and reminding me of what matters most.

It's been a good morning.

The Religious Affections

2008-07-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

"Assurance is not to be obtained so much by self-examination as by action."
- Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections

This evening I finished reading Jonathan Edwards' book The Religious Affections. Edwards was a minister from the Puritan tradition who served in the New England area during the 18th Century. While he's arguably (and somewhat unfortunately) most famous for his sermon "Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God", his writing in Affections on the nature of what real faith looks like is a Christian classic. After completing it tonight I find myself joining the chorus of praise.

I'm amazed that a book well over 250 years old is as relevant today as it was when it was penned in 1746. I found myself hearing words from this New England divine that would hit the mark with contemporary issues like prosperity theology, seeker-sensitive church strategies, the "free grace" movement, etc. Not only did I think Edwards to be relevant, often he was better than anything I'd read by modern-day authors.

Frankly, one of the by-products of reading works like Edwards and others from the riches of the historical Church, is the growing awareness of how vapid and shallow most contemporary "Christian" books really are. In a world where many believers are bombarded with well-touted books which are overly sentimentalized, doctrinally weak accounts which seek to move us more emotionally than spiritually, Affections easily stands out with it's robust theology and penetrating expositions, not to mention its archaic language, demanding use of logic and sentences that are intricately composed. And it's all a joy. A hard joy due to my powder-puff abilities of both concentration and cognition which have been honed to a dull, blunt "edge" thanks in no small part to the ADD culture I've allowed myself to be too influenced by, but a joy nonetheless.

Frequently, I found myself putting Affections down simply to more deeply ponder a sentence I had read...not because I didn't understand it...but because it so effectively and efficiently highlighted the Christ-honoring truth it was trying put before the reader. Even quotations from other Puritan pastors Edwards cites had me reading (and pondering) them over and over. I also wrote notes in the margins, something I never do. But I started this practice because I felt like I would better comprehend the flow and content of Edwards' thought.

The truth is I didn't want to miss anything because this book is rich stuff. I'm both grateful and hopeful in finishing it. Grateful that God's grace brought me to reading this fine work, hopeful that Affections will find itself bubbling into my life and ministry over the years. If it does I will be more than well-served both personally and ministerially.

Now if I can just crank Dostoevsky back up... ;)

No Drumroll Neccessary

2008-07-24T12:32:00.001-07:00

I don't promote this blog. I don't send my URL to other people. In fact, I originally began this blog to get my thoughts out somewhere I could read them. The only place I think you can even access my blog is from my Facebook account (which that alone was a step for me).

However, things change. I'm under no illusion that most people don't know the identity of GLP. On the contrary, I think most everyone does. So with that, plus the fact that enough people have chastised me for not putting my name on this blog, I just thought I'd make the obvious more...well, obvious.

As for promoting the blog, I'm generally sticking to keeping my mouth shut for the present.

Yancey (a.k.a. GLP)

Ruminations of a Tome

2008-07-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

For quite some time I've had a folder on my computer at home entitled "Ruminations of a Tome". In it are ideas, articles, outlines and rough draft of a preface and first chapter of a book I started writing...three years ago (if not more). Frankly the folder should be called "Reminder of a Disappointment" because I had intended to complete a book before I was thirty. Seven years from my 30th birthday and I'm face-to-face with the same haunting challenge.

For the past several weeks the gnawing in my gut and the promptings from more people than my two hands can count has got me thinking about re-booting my writing endeavor. So I think for the next month or two I'm going to seriously sit down and noodle through the "what" and "how" of accomplishing that feat. I think putting this in a blog post kind of gets my toe in the water commitment-wise (which is somewhat ironic seeing that I began blogging partially to see if I would like writing at all).

So there you go. Now only time (and discipline) will tell.

PS. - What's funny is I'll post this and think to myself, "Man, why did you do that?!?!"

The 'Burbs Get Some Lovin'

2008-07-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I got word that a couple guys have started a website dedicated to churches who want to be "missional" in a suburban context. (For a great definition of "missional" see Joe Thorn's post here.) The website is called sub•text and I'm pumped it's here!

For quite some time it seemed that most of the talk about missional churches centered on urban congregations. This naturally gave birth to helpful conferences, articles and messages detailing how those churches could be positioned both theologically and practically "for the city" (an oft-repeated rally cry). While I believe it's a very important discussion, at times it may have left some suburban church leaders scrambling to figure out how to apply what they were hearing to their own environmental contexts. Not that it was an entirely huge issue (good leaders often do well at discerning and implementing what they are learning to their own contexts...that's what makes them good leaders), but I must admit it's refreshing and exciting to see ministries created like sub•text.

Now growing numbers of suburban churches have a place to dialogue about trying to reach souls and contextualize the Gospel "for the suburbs". Only time will tell if it is an effective instrument in helping suburban churches become more Gospel-centered in who they are and what they do, but I think it's a promising start.

Go get 'em sub•text!

Another Reformation, Please

2008-07-11T11:42:00.001-07:00

For quite some time I've been an enthusiastic proponent of local churches writing, recording, producing and publishing music to be used in corporate worship. There are a lot of reasons behind my thinking. Here are some off the top of my head:

There is greater theological and doctrinal accountability with the leadership concerning the lyrics. We start moving away from having "free agents" leading and writing music for the local church which they, in all honesty, may have little to no accountability with. I realize there are those who do. I fear they are the exception rather than the rule. (This goes for "speakers" as well but that's another post)
Songs don't need to be "one size fits all" but explicitly shaped by experiences and distinctives within the specific community of faith. Thus the lyrics don't have the requirement to be vague and doctrinally bland so that multiple strands of Christians (Methodists, Baptists, etc.) can be able to sing them (a likely requirement for many Christian radio stations and industry subscribers); on the contrary, songs created by a local church's music team may be so specific that those who don't subscribe to that congregation's distinctive beliefs might just pass on that tune. For example, how many worship songs have you heard on the radio that exalt God for the grace of election, the beauty of believers' baptism or the gift of prophecy? Now while that might not make it available for airplay on KSBJ (which isn't and should never be the aim of music written for corporate worship), it is a song tailor-made for the congregation that produced it. Oh how we need more music which doesn't play to the lowest common denominator of Christendom but leverages the richness of the work of Christ in the local church!
It can help galvinize an important relationship between two ministries in the church - teaching and music (which is not as separate as some might think - music always teaches). Music leaders and teaching leaders can team up for an incredible "one-two" punch of helping teach through music as they work together to create songs (I'm assuming the teaching team gets to help with the creation of lyrics), which I believe with only serve to strengthen the relationship both personally and pastorally between music team and teaching team.
Songs aren't created with the goal of being a chart-topper but an instrument for the local congregation to better expresses musically their corporate worship to God. There's less temptation to be seduced by everything that's wrong with the moden-day "worship" movement: no one's got a table selling t-shirts and various Christianity, Inc. pieces of "flair" in the lobby as the "leader" speedily pulls up his stakes ready to move to the next "gig" as soon as possible.

Like I said, there's more in my grey matter on this issue but you get my drift. We need another
Reformation, one in which the church takes back that which rightly belongs to her, namely, the music that is sung when she gathers to adore her bridegroom. Why would we want it any other way?

I know not every local church has the resources or giftings to become publishing houses (my church has no excuse with all the musicial thoroughbreds God's blessed us with...just know we're working on it), but maybe one of the ways we can apply this is by looking at the church first when we're searching for good congregational music instead the Top 25 section of Lifeway Bookstore. I'm sure someone out there will find a great way to network like-minded churches in this venture (The Vineyard is the only denomination I know of that seeks to do this. I love their motto: By the church, for the church.). However until then, it will take a little more work to discover songs for your congregation but I believe it can be very much worth it...for you...and your church.

With that, I'd like to heartily recommend Sojourn Community Church's "Behold the Throne". It's the best CD I've heard this year. While you might not be able to use every song, one can't help but appreciate what the church can be and do when it comes to helping her worship our great and wonderful Savior. Thanks for leading the way Sojourn. Hopefully more of us will follow.

I'd be remiss if I didn't add a few links of guys who I think are trying to make headway into creating music for the church by the church.

Think Worship by Brad Loser of Clear Creek Community Church, Houston, TX
Doxologist by Tim Smith of Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA
Sojourn Music by Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, KY
Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin of Covenant Life Church, Gaithersburg, MD

Let the Reformation begin.

Meet Me In Saint Louie

2008-07-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

"The City of St. Louis has affected me more deeply than any other environment has ever done,
I consider myself fortunate to have been born here, rather than in Boston, or New York, or London."
- T.S. Eliot

I had the pleasure this past weekend to preach at a wonderful church in St. Louis known as The Journey. Not only was I able to speak but, more importantly, I was able to reconnect with friends both new and old. Making it even better was the fact that my wife was able to accompany me. It was the first time in years that we left our kids and got away just the two of us. This had all the makings of a highlight for us in 2008. It didn't disappoint.

I was able to renew my friendships with beloved college friends (Kevin & Nikki Rutz, Andy & Julie Kerckhoff) and build upon relationships that have come to me later in life, namely Darrin & Amie Patrick. Darrin is the Lead Pastor of The Journey and done a remarkable job guiding his church to accomplish the mission of Jesus in the world, and Amie is truly as genuine a person as they come! Spending time with them along with my old college roommate and his wife (another college friend as well) was completely refreshing for my soul. Most of my weekend was taken up at my roomie's lake house with boat trips, sleeping late, good food and great conversations simply being par for the course.

The end of the weekend had me preaching five times (my only regret being that I wished I would've taught better...oh, well...that's where faith comes in), catching a Cardinals game and meeting the great guys that serve at The Journey. My wife and I returned Monday afternoon worn out but deeply blessed. Here's to doing it again in the future!

Some pics of the weekend: the lakehouse group (I was a dunce and didn't get any pics with the Kerckhoffs...my apologies) and of course, baseball pics!

We stayed in my college roommate's lakehouse on Lake Perry which was a little over an hour south of St. Louis. It was relaxing, beautiful and refreshing for the spirit.

I must say, New Busch Stadium is both a beautiful and entertaining experience. St. Louis is, without a doubt, rightfully dubbed "Baseball City". While it's an added benefit that the Cards are in the pennant race, you get the feeling this town would root for them regardless of where they are in the standings.

Much blessings and thanks go to The Patricks, Rutzs and Kerckhoffs for making our stay in the Gateway City a memorable one!

The 4th of July and Two Kingdoms

2008-06-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’”
– The Gospel of John 18:36

With the July 4th holiday approaching next week you can be assured of one thing – churches around the United States will have services devoted to the theme of America and liberty. Activities like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, singing God Bless America and salutes to the armed forces will be dotted in orders of worship throughout the country. If I could get a dollar for every sermon that deals with “freedom” in our nation's pulpits a weekend from now I’d become a very wealthy man.

And I think for some churches it can be a very scary thing!

Let me preface this by saying I am grateful to God to be an American. While I don’t think our country is perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I wouldn’t choose to live anywhere else. I consider myself patriotic as well. In high school I wrote a piece on the great gift of being an American for a scholarship competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. It went all the way to state as a finalist. My wife and I have been to a Presidential Inauguration. My uncle fought in Vietnam. My great uncle in WWII. My father served in the Army. I even have a brother who worked in the White House in the role as Special Assistant to the President of the United States. So rest assured, I love the good ole US of A.

I just get really leery of churches that devote entire worship services to the greatness of America. It’s not that one can’t consider America great, it’s just not as great as God. In fact, it is so “not as great as God” that it (or anything else) doesn’t need to be worshipped. Remember, for most churches the Sunday service is a worship service, and that worship is reserved for no one else than Almighty God. However, I believe many churches walk a very thin line by conducting services that leave people with the impression that America is worthy to be given that which only God deserves…worship! It's won't be uncommon in many churches next weekend to have a service where people will pledge their fidelity to our nation, sing songs of praise to her and raise her colors high in a space that is supposed to be set apart as “God’s House”. Does anyone see, if not a possible contradiction, at least a sizeable tension here?

Only the Lord is to be worshipped. Nothing, not even our wonderful nation, gets that kind of billing. In fact, there are numerous texts that show how impotent America (and any other nation for that matter) is in front of the Most High God.

Psalm 47:7-8, “For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.”
Daniel 2:21a, “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings…”
Daniel 4:34b-35, “For his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"
Psalm 33:10, “The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the people.”
Acts 14:16-17, “In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."
Revelation 12:5, “She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron…”

Make no mistake, when it comes to an arm wrestling match between America and God for worthiness of worship, there is no competition. America's existence in this world of ours ultimately rests not on its economical or military prowess but upon the sovereign wishes of God. Therefore, now that we know everyone’s place in the grand scheme of things, it seems churches (who represent God’s Kingdom and not the nation where they happen to be located) would be wise to put together services next Sunday in such a way that there is no guessing on the part of the congregants on who/what is to be the rightful object of worship!

The great Reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin taught that Christians were citizens of two kingdoms: God’s Kingdom and man’s kingdom. As such we have responsibilities to both. For example, we obey the laws of the United States of America AND we seek to follow Jesus Christ. While these kingdoms are not equal (always God before man), when we can obey both, we should. But somehow over time many churches have tended to blur the line. Even today you can hear people talking in one sentiment or another about how America is God’s nation. Unfortunately, this is a confusion of kingdoms and becomes worsened when churches add to that confusion by hosting services which drift into more America-centric worship than Gospel-centered worship.

Can a church recognize liberty and America in a church worship service? I think it can but I’d strongly encourage it to happen within the context of a God who ultimately and unreservedly is the object of worship in that service. Let there be no confusion on Sunday! However, I’d put money on the fact that many churches likely cross the line from a biblical appreciation for the state to an idolatrous adoration of it when they gather on weekends such as the one we’re approaching. Again, I’m not saying American Christians shouldn’t celebrate their nation, I just think there are better arenas for doing that than a Christian worship service held by a those who have been given a new identity in Christ as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) While our natural birth has made us Americans, the Gospel has made us “sojourners and exiles” in this world (1 Peter 2:11), thus believers are to reserve their highest allegiance for the One who has given them an identity that transcends any earthly citizenship.

How does that affect us? Well, at my church every Memorial Day, July 4th and other patriotic seasons we will continue to have people angered at our leadership because we don’t fly flags in the auditorium, or sing the National Anthem or have everyone stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. But let it be known, we as Followers of Jesus Christ have pledged our allegiance ultimately to the One who rules over every nation, including the United States. I will have many Presidents over my lifetime, but only one Lord. And because that is so, it means there is only One who is rightfully to be worshiped – one Kingdom over all kingdoms. At least for my local church to that end, we want that to be perfectly clear on Sunday!

My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man.
My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood.
It's to a King and a Kingdom.
- Derek Webb, A King and A Kingdom

Joy of Life

2008-06-24T08:11:00.001-07:00

I don't know who these two adults are but I really like this kid!

NOTE: You should probably know that when a child gives his/her testimony on video he/she is reciting their story that they have already written down and brought with them to the video shoot. The stories are edited because of a child’s propensity to get distracted (an especially good strategy when it comes to the kiddo being baptized). Nevertheless, the words they use are their words. The edited video spares the congregation from having to watch for a torturous 20 minutes instead of two. ;)

This was filmed on June 4, 2008, at the worship service known as The Gathering.

What Fires Your Passion?

2008-06-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today as a staff we worked through how our schedules should reflect our desire for self-leadership. In essence, what things do I need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly basis in order for me to be the very best I can be as one who vocationally serves God through the local church? Most of us had similar thoughts - eating well, exercise, retreats, and the like filled up the conversation. But in thinking about what activities I would add into my life, bigger questions rose to the surface of mind, not the least of which was: What keeps me passionate in life?

In other words, what things do I do that fire me up to live the life I live? For me, I can't think of very many personal evils worse than living a dispassionate life. It's not how I'm wired at all. I love living with an intensity, an edge...and being fired up about it all is simply par for the course. Call it hyper or being too revved up, it doesn't matter to me. I'd much rather be faulted for being too amped up than coming in day after day with barely a pulse. For me, living passionately is a vital cog in the machine of my self-leadership.

So I began to write down things that throw fuel on the fire of my passion for life. I'll give you a couple that I wrote down...

1. Hanging out with "Soul Friends".
The irony of ministry is that for very good reasons, while a pastor is around tons of people he can still be very lonely (I'll leave that for a potential post). Often, he will need to find close friendships outside the circle of his congregation. Now I should sayI feel that I am very, very good friends with many on my staff. In fact, I would consider a handful of them "soul friends" - friends who no matter where you are or what you're doing, almost always energize you. However, with that being said, I believe most of those friendships will come from the outside than inside of a pastor's congregation. That's been the case for me. But no matter how those relationships come about I've seen one truth demonstrably projected over the course of my life, when I hang out with "soul friends" I find myself more rejuvenated and impassioned for life. They are not optional. When I have time with them spaced too far out in the rhythm of my life, things go south for me.

2. Being a part of a "Learning Community".
I love to learn. My day is filled with learning. I can't stop it. I just do it. I can't escape the fact that I'm an eternal student. In fact, I really like that about me. The world feels much more alive to me knowing that there's so much out there to know. When it comes to God and his Church you can multiply that feeling a bazillion times! And what I've learned over the course of my life is that I like learning with others. I like journeying through issues and ideas with fellow pilgrims. It's stimulating to me. It fires me up and gets my passion engine running hot. I can't explain necessarily why, I just know it does. In fact, one of the reasons I love the leadership team I work with is that they are learners too! So if I know we're going to go into a room to discuss how this idea or that issue is going to affect, for example, how we make disciples at our church, I'm good to go for the long haul! Frankly, it's hard for me to let those things go when our time together has concluded. I like learning with others!

As I look over how I can better lead myself I know one thing - I need to have these types of experiences dotted throughout my year. That's probably a better indicator on how well I'll "perform" than how much sleep I get or how well I eat (not that those are unimportant). I want to live life passionately!

What feeds the fire of your passion for life?

"Wordling" a Message from 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

2008-06-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

First off, this is my 100th post. I was thinking about doing something special but then that thought passed. Oh well...

I stumbled upon a web program called Wordle that provides a "word cloud" out of text you supply with greater prominence given to words that appear more frequently. You will be messing with thing for hours if you're not careful. I've only done one so far and I think it's absolutely, totally cool! Here is the wordle from my sermon outline on 1 Corinthians 15:12-34. The title of my message was "The Importance of Resurrection".

Now, try not to waste half your day doing some wordles of your own!

HT: Justin Taylor's Between Two Worlds

Home Sweet Hill Country

2008-06-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

"Don't ask a man where he is from.
If he is from Texas he will tell you so.
If he isn't...well, don't embarrass him."
- Anonymous

Man, can I tell you how much I love getting away to my little ranch house in Kerrville?!?!! On Monday I texted my wife asking her if she wanted to take off for a brief respite with the kiddos at the place I have spent most of the summers of my childhood - the Texas Hill Country. She didn't miss a beat and by Wednesday we were on the road (leaving at 4AM) with a Suburban full of kids and Willie Nelson's "Red Headed Stranger". Kerrville didn't disappoint!

Most people don't know my background when it comes to Kerrville with story upon story of time spent riding horses, dancing at Crider's, playing "pitch" with my cousins, swimming and fishing in the Guadalupe River and making memories with my relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins and all). I might've grown up in the groomed plains of West Texas but my summers were all Texas Hill Country. And now I get to pass on that heritage to my boys.

Our place is actually not in Kerrville or anywhere else to be exact. The closest town (if you can call it that) is Hunt, Texas, but Kerrville is the closest "large" city. It's like saying you live in Houston when you really live in League City. However, our place is right in the middle of camps where families spend literally thousands of dollars to send their children (in fact, our neighbors will send their girls to a camp this summer not even five miles from our ranch house), and I'm blessed to get to do it all for free!

The last four days were chock-full of long hours in the waters of the 'Lupe, searching through the rough terrain of Big Bluff looking for who-knows-what and even had a little bit of Crider's thrown in. We missed the dance and rodeo (had to leave a little too soon) but did hit Crider's catfish cookout with the locals. Fortunately, all of my aunts and uncles happened to be around to invest in my kids over the week with old stories, swimming buddies and rides on the tractor. Standing around in the midst of it all, seeing the smiles and wonder ignite on the faces and in the hearts of my boys was pretty special for me. I knew the feeling.

In fact, I still feel it today.

Memorable Moment

2008-06-04T20:06:00.001-07:00

Tonight my church took about 15 minutes to celebrate my ten years of being on staff as the Teaching Pastor. It was funny, touching and memorable. My wife and I were dearly blessed! They even rigged up our website for a season in honor of my anniversary. I love my church!

Here's to many more years...

Hairathon

2008-06-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

One thing I've been consistent in...is that my hairstyles have never been consistent. Some guys have had the same cut since 5th grade. I've had five different types of cuts in one grade. I dunno. I guess I get easily bored.

I remember growing my hair out a couple years back and someone asked our Lead Pastor if he minded my long hair. He replied, "It really doesn't matter what I think, he'll get tired of it and change before you know it." I must say he knows me well.

Tonight I was running through a file (mind you, one small computer folder file) with random photos and amusingly noticed how many different hairstyles I've had within a short period of time. Feel free to laugh...

*Click to enlarge photo

C'mon Dad, It's Mendelssohn!

2008-06-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

Tonight I was laying in bed next to my son Thatcher before he went to sleep for the evening. With the lights off, we spent time talking about our days and ended our time together humming classical music tunes seeing if we could guess the other's song. Now I must add that my son has been studying different composers at school (his mother is his fabulous teacher). We traded songs for a few minutes.

"Thatcher, that's Mozart's 40th?"
"That's right Dad."

"Dad, you're doing Beethoven, right?"
"You got it, son!"

Then he starts humming through a song for which I had no clue. He turns to me afterward. Silence.

I tell him I didn't know the song and he says, "Dad, it's from the Romantic period." like that was going to be the hint which would easily get me over the top.

After a few more moments of silence he exasperatingly says, "C'mon Dad, it's Mendelssohn!"

"Oh yeah," I reply not letting him see me silently laughing, bemused at the fact my kid thinks everyone (including his dad) should know Mendelssohn, and correspondingly, the Romantic period of the mid-19th Century by memory.

I'm giving his mother a raise.

Penal Substitutionary Atonement....7 Year Old-Style

2008-06-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

This week my middle child Haddon got in trouble for saying something he shouldn't have. The punishment was vinegar in the mouth (a result of his third "infraction" for the same bad behavior for the day). My eldest son Thatcher, seeing that his younger brother was about to suffer, piped up and said, "Mommy may I please take Haddon's punishment?"

"Why would you want to do that?" Jennefer inquired.

"Because it makes me sad to see my brother punished," he replied.

So she went ahead and gave Thatcher the cap full of vinegar on the tongue.

I don't know if Jen or I have had an easier "pitch" to hit in pointing out the beauty of the Gospel to my kids than that moment.

Oh and by the way, I'm baptizing Thatcher this Wednesday.

Twelve (and Ten) Years and Counting....

2008-06-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today marks my 12th wedding anniversary. I am truly blessed by God to have been given Jennefer as my spouse! This also happens to be the day (10 years ago) that she and I loaded up our cars and moved to Houston to be the Teaching Pastor at the church I currently serve. Can I also say I've been blessed to have been given the church I'm privileged to pastor? God's grace has truly been rich to me!

Summer Reading and Community

2008-05-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not a book club guy. I don't sit down with a group of like-minded bibliophiles and discuss the plotlines, themes and denouement of various pieces of literature. Not that it's a bad thing. I just don't do it.

However, I do believe that when reading books which deal with things like leadership philosophy, Christian issues or theology in general, doing it in community is hard to beat. This summer I'll be walking through Bob Kauflin's Worship Matters (my last post) with a group of people. Additionally I'm planning on reading Jonathan Edwards' The Religious Affections with guy home from college for the summer. It was a book I'd heard he wanted to read and thought, "Here's my chance to walk through Edwards' classic with somebody!"

Here are some benefits to reading books in community:

You see what they might miss, they see what you might miss. That's the power of more "eyes" on the same pages.
You've also added more brains to further dissect, ruminate and assimilate the ideas of the text. Some people think creatively, others linearly and still others may think in a way that defies definition - but the more "different thinkers" you have - the better potential there is for really breaking down a book's contents.
You multiply the potential applications that get put on the table to think through. Instead of one life pressed up against the matrix of a book, you have multiple situations that are intersecting with what you're reading.
There is better accountability to keep plugging through the text when it gets dry or dense, knowing you've got to meet with someone in a few days to talk about what you don't want to read at the present. That 7AM meeting tomorrow morning at the local coffee shop with your reading buddies may be the only thing that keeps your nose in the book at times...and that's a good thing.
Now you get the added blessing of how the Holy Spirit chooses to use the truth of what you're reading to affect more than just you. For example, maybe the conviction someone in your group begins to work through will be something you need to ponder in your own heart. Community can be a great instrument for the grace of sanctification.

Summer usually means hot days, swimming pools and for many, reading books. Consider the benefits of reading a solid Christian book with a group this summer, then make the commitment by grabbing a friend or two (or seven) and read! Surely you have some names of people that pop into your head who would be excited to do it?!?! I believe reading in community will not only enhance your reading but also your relationships...both with God and your friends.

Worship Matters: A Brief Review

2008-05-13T16:52:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons I like to read books on matters concerning the faith is that periodically I find an author who has so well articulated what I believe about said topic (but I haven't articulated well) that I not only find myself overjoyed and grateful for coming across his work but keep it in my staple of books I eagerly recommend when the appropriate time arises. Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin is one of those books.

For quite some time I've lamented the current day worship scene (see my posts "Flying A Little Lower" and "'Christian' Music"). I cringe at music leaders who have a propensity to focus on "catchiness" of congregational music at the expense of both theological accuracy and Gospel clarity. I also can't stand when someone walks to the mic after the music is over and says to the effect, "Now that worship is over our pastor is going to come and teach." When did worship become confined to only singing songs? Likely the music leader doesn't realize what he is saying, but that's half the problem. I've always thought, outside the teaching team, those who lead music need to be as theologically astute as anyone else who leads the church. Why? Songs teach. They always have and always will. And if you are at a church where the music minister/leader/pastor selects the songs, having someone who can discern the best music that is good both musically and lyrically is critical. Oh to have a reformation in corporate worship where both artistry and doctrine aren't on different sides of the spectrum.

Okay, I can see this is turning into more of a rant than a post...sorry for the digression...back to Kauflin's book.

I don't know if I've read a book of recent that excited me with every page turned as Worship Matters did. Kauflin, the director for worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries, breaks down his book into three sections: the leader, the task and healthy tensions - each of them chock-full of insightful, gracious and most importantly, biblical teaching about worship. From explaining why the Cross is crucial to worship to how to choose the right songs, Kauflin excels both theologically and practically (can those really be separate anyhow?) when it comes to leading corporate worship. After each section I found myself saying how grateful I was for Worship Matters. Unlike many books, I don't believe there was one wasted chapter. No filler or fluff. One will likely get the feeling that this book has been years in the making for Kauflin and the Western, contemporary church (of which I'm a part) will be richer for it.

I don't know what excites me more, knowing there is a book which so well addresses the issues involved with corporate worship or that each of those on our music team have a copy and will be reading it as a team over the summer (some have already finished it and gratefully felt reaffirmed by it). If you're a pastor (like me), get this book not only for your music team, get it for yourself. Believe me, it's at the same time encouraging and convicting. You may not agree with every conclusion he comes to (e.g., use of prophetic gifts in congregational worship) but I think most of your disagreements will lie on the periphery. If you're planting a church use it as both a touchstone and educational piece for those you might consider adding to your music staff.

Years ago I was asked by Good News Publishers if I would publicly endorse a Bible translation which I and our elders had chosen to use for all adult church services. I didn't hesitate because I think the English Standard Version is the best translation around. No question. (I'll leave exactly why for another future post) For what it's worth (which admittedly isn't much), I feel the same way about Bob Kauflin's Worship Matters. It's simply the best book I've ever read which so aptly addresses the current state of church worship with biblical fidelity, theological clarity and pastoral insight. I warmly and highly endorse it! Thanks Bob for a great and needful contribution to today's Church! May God continue to bless you and the ministry he is working through you.

Need I say more? Get this book.

Every sin?

2008-05-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I briefly skimmed through a book I had read (at least part of it I'd read) about a year ago just to see if I could grab a nugget of wisdom or two. Within a few moments of turning the pages I was brought face to face with a sentence that put an exclamation point on something I believe the Holy Spirit has been nudging me about for months.

For some time I've struggled with (or rebelled against to be more accurate) the sinfulness of owning music that really isn't mine. Yes, that's right, I'm talking about having copied mp3's. You probably know what legal issue I'm talking about. It's that funny little emblem on all CD's which informs you that unauthorized duplication is breaking the law.

Like most sins I struggle with, I've tried to rationalize having them a thousand different ways. In fact, I know some music groups have no problem with their fans having copied mp3's. However, I didn't really seem to care about any band's convictions when it came to listening to a certain track - I just knew I wanted that mp3 now. Somehow the illegal and stealing aspects of my actions got minimized in the process. Go figure.

Yet for a long season my conscience has been pricked on this issue. For reasons I can't finger, the burden has been heavier on me of late. The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back arrived with the words of a man who lived roughly 400 years before the iPod was ever invented. His name was John Owen, a English Puritan pastor who wrote a little diddy entitled On the Mortification of Sin. I read it a year or two ago in The Works of John Owen, Vol. 6.

For some reason (again, go figure) I decided to reread some of my initial highlights just to catch up with what Owens was saying in dealing with sin and temptation. Almost immediately I read this sentence marked in green highlighter:

Without sincerity and diligence in a universality of obedience,
there is no mortification of any one perplexing lust to be obtained. (Owen, 40)

In essence, if I'm to really see sin killed (mortified) in my life to any degree I need to have my heart set with "sincerity and diligence in a universality of obedience" - I must desire to obey Christ in every aspect of my life. That did it for me! It was inescapable for the next steps I needed to take. Jerry Bridges writes about "respectable sins" concerning those areas of disobedience that we tolerate. I haven't read the book, but on my list is stealing music. It had to go.

So I'm trying to repent of it. I spent well over an hour trying to clean up my computer, iPhone and iTunes from all the illegal stuff I've kept. Yup, it was a lot...Gigs of music. And yet now I sense a clearer conscience and greater peace, one that I'd like to think the Holy Spirit is using in this all-too-grey area of my life. I'm not putting this on anyone else. I just know for me, most of the music I copied played a different tune in my heart than the one in my ears. It was anything but a melody for my soul.

Maybe this will be a harbinger of things to come. Maybe I'll have the courage to repent of other "respectable sins" I tolerate. For now, my music (which now is really mine) has come under the desire for universality of obedience. May other areas in my life follow for there is no question there is more of them. I guess I'm not as universal as I thought.

Just a question: Do you read this and feel any conviction? Yeah, me too.

What a Wonderful...

2008-04-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

“The reason men worship God in a slight way is because they do not see God in His glory.”
- Jeremiah Burroughs, 17th Century Puritan pastor

This past week one of the worship leaders at our church recommended a message by C.J. Mahaney given at the 1999 conference on worship for what is now Sovereign Grace Ministries. It was a wonderful message on Cross-centered worship and the need for church leadership and worship ministries to reject cultural models and methods that obscure the Cross and for that leadership to resolve to build exclusively on the Cross.

Mahaney closed with a wonderful story about the well-known English pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon to highlight the truth that in a world given to churches which prop up methodology over theology (and the Cross at its center), we should devote ourselves to having services preoccupied with preaching Christ and him crucified (cf., 1 Cor. 2):

During the 1880s a group of American ministers visited England, prompted especially by a desire to hear some of the celebrated preachers of that land. On a Sunday morning they attended the City Temple where Dr. Joseph Parker was the pastor. Some 2000 people filled the building, and Parker's forceful personality dominated the service. His voice was commanding, his language descriptive, his imagination lively, and his manner animated. The sermon was Scriptural, the congregation hung upon his words, and the Americans came away saying, "What a wonderful preacher is Joseph Parker.

In the evening they went to hear Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. The building was much larger than the City Temple, and the congregation was more that twice it's size. Spurgeon's voice was much more expressive and moving and his oratory noticably superior. But they soon forgot all about the great building, the immense congregation, and the magnificent voice. They even overlooked their intention to compare the various features of the two preachers, and when the service was over they found themselves saying, "What a wonderful Savior is Jesus Christ." (Arnold Dallimore, Spurgeon: A New Biography)

May our churches and those who lead them through preaching, singing and others elements of the service work hard to clearly reveal Christ and his glory without reservation so that people find themselves saying as they exit, "What a wonderful Savior is Jesus Christ."

Form and Function

2008-04-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Ever get to be a part of a group that has the ability to see beyond the form as they seek to grasp the function? I do and am very, very grateful for it.

Let me explain.

The past couple of months for me has been full of weighty thoughts and deep conversations about the way we do what we do as a church. It's been completely refreshing because they've happened at the highest levels of leadership. Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves you must know that we are simply dialogging about what is and what should be. The future could range from radically different to no difference at all. The point is: we are talking about how we best maximize our redemptive potential. I think that's a critical question to repeatedly ask over time as people lead a local church.

Unfortunately, many churches get all too enamored with some model (of church) they saw operate with great effectiveness and adopted it, never to look back. At first, maybe even for decades it worked well for them and the context they lived in...but then something changed. Maybe it was the leadership, maybe it was the context, maybe it was everything in between but something changed that made their current model less effective for reaching and discipling people in their neck of the woods. But they don't change. They like the form (the model). It gives them comfort because of its familiarity, its easier because all your systems revolve around it and most of all it takes less courage to change (I mean, think of all the people you might lose if you shifted gears now).

The only problem is the function of the church has left them with little more than a crowd who comes to be either entertained or feel better about checking the "I went to church" box for the month. Disciples...real ones...are hard to find. That scenario necessitates the need to discover a better way to function - and that takes courage to ask the tough questions about form because it just very well may be the major player in the inability to "produce" better disciples for Jesus. It might not, but it might be.

In some churches the form/model is sacrosanct. Not in mine. I didn't say it was easily exchangeable, just that it wasn't created out of granite. One of the most invigorating aspects of my ministry at the church I serve is the fact that we're asking the questions about form and function. Will things change? Maybe, maybe not. But the fact that we're asking the question brings me much hope for today...and the days to come.

Church leader, look in the mirror and ask yourself,
"Is the way we do church maximizing our redemptive potential in the area God has placed us?"

What's the answer?
What do you need to do about it?
Who do you need to dialogue with?

A Very Brief Review: Tim Keller's "The Reason for God"

2008-04-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

I like books on apologetics because not only do they serve me in evangelism but also build up my faith on a personal level. It's nice to read the fruit of someone's labor when that labor is given to sharing compelling reasons why a person should give their life to Jesus Christ. Toward that endeavor, there are fewer books I've read that are as good as Tim Keller's The Reason for God. In fact, I would say only C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity would prevail in a apologetics arm-wrestling contest...and TK would most assuredly give Clive Staples a run for his money with 21st Century audiences. Thankfully they're both on the same team (incidentally, Keller rightfully quotes Lewis often).

In The Reason for God Keller is characteristically disarming, intellectually engaging and easily accessible. It deals with the "big" issues like suffering, eternal torment and science like other apologetical works but it's done in such a fresh contemporary fashion that the Christian reader may feel he's never heard this stuff before. Yes (all you who've read people like Ravi Zacharias, Hank Hanegraaff, etc.), it's that good!

While reading the book leaves one with the impression that Keller is incredibly well-read if not brilliant it more so highlights the truth that, outside of Jesus the Christ, there is no name under heaven by which men may be saved.

[Okay, I just finished the book and wanted to post something quickly before I teach tonight. Sorry this isn't very in depth or thorough. I'll leave that to the big boys.]

Today is World Autism Day

2008-04-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

10 years ago: 1 in 10,000

5 years ago: 1 in 1,000
Today: 1 in 150
Got your attention?

Many people have a "cause" which is close to their hearts for obvious reasons. I'm no exception. I have a son with an Autism Spectrum Disorder called Asperger's Syndrome. I've blogged about it before and simply wanted to throw my hat in the national ring on World Autism Day reminding people this is a real issue for many families (1.5 million Americans have some form of autism). In fact, the entire month of April is given to Autism awareness. For example, among other businesses and corporations joining the emphasis, CNN will be highlight stories about autism on both television and internet the entire week.

For more info on this condition and the issues surrounding it click here or watch this brief video.

Can't vouch for HBO's part in this with their showing of "Autism: The Musical" (because I haven't seen it) but it looks like it might be worth watching...

Fandango 2008

2008-03-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

For the past five years I have annually gathered with a group of my college buddies (see above photo from last year's trip to Banff, Canada) for a handful of days. We call it Fandango. There's a long story behind it that I'll save for another time. Suffice it to say, Fandango is one of the highlights of my year. I get to spend some real time with real friends - men I have known for twenty years.

This year we will be spending Fandango in St. Louis, home to one of our 'Dango crew. I've never been to the 'Lou but am so looking forward to it. My excitement flows from not only visiting a new city but reconnecting with old friends. Frankly, we could have this in Backwater, U.S.A. and I'd still have the best of times simply by hanging out with these brothers.

I leave this Monday and return, God-willing, on Friday. Hopefully I'll have some stories to tell when I get back. I pray God's grace will be rich to me and my 'Dango boys as we share koinonia throughout the week.

Jesus for the World

2008-03-19T08:57:00.001-07:00

I stumbled across this video (Brooke Fraser's Shadowfeet) and this passage came to mind...

"Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals, for you were slain,
and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth."
- Revelation 5:9b-10 (ESV)

Using a Teaching Team

2008-03-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

This week our church received the invitation from a good friend and former staff member, who happens to be one of the top-notch church leadership consultants in the country, about speaking with another congregation interested in applying the team concept to preaching. When we were a very young church (age 4) the Senior Pastor decided to add me as the Teaching Pastor so the teaching load would be both shared and expanded (to our current system of a midweek worship service and weekend seeker services).

What’s astonishing is that there was only a handful of full-time staff and yet our lead guy decided to pull the trigger early-on for another teaching pastor. I personally don’t know of another congregation where the teaching reins were shared that soon in a church’s life. It would seem most lead pastors would’ve filled other positions of need but we decided almost from the beginning that teaching/preaching would be done by more than one man. And I think that’s paid off.

Let me briefly give reasons why I think that’s the case…

1. It keeps us away from being a personality-driven church. It’s not all about one guy with his face and name plastered everywhere, so when he leaves, dies, gets raptured, etc., the church doesn’t go into a tailspin not knowing where to turn. I bet you can count on both hands how many churches you think would be in deep trouble if the Senior Pastor all of a sudden left the picture. Team-taught churches are less exposed to the Achilles' Heel of personality-driven congregations.

2. Our congregation has learned to appreciate different styles of teaching. One teacher is a fork, the other a spoon, the other a knife…you get the picture. It’s natural for people pick their favorite teacher but they’re reminded early and often through our teaching schedule that you may be “served” God’s Word by someone else any given Wednesday or Sunday. Hopefully in the end, we’re highlighting that what matters most from the teaching perspective is that God’s Word is being expounded with passion and excellence – the focus is on the “what” and not so much the “who”.

3. A teaching team has a sharpening effect on each other. Just imagine having other teachers along side you doing exactly what you do – joys, struggles, and everything in between. Who better to help you do what you do with loving evaluation, closed-door gripe sessions/confessions and the very common “Hey, do you have a second to listen to what I’ve got so far for this weekend sermon-wise?”spot. I can’t imagine how much weaker I would be as a preacher/teacher if I didn’t have godly and gifted teachers journeying with me. Many preachers go to conferences to meet up with guys who do what they do. I walk down the hall.

4. We don’t stress about getting sick or…yes, even a little burned out. Teachers are real people. That means they get fatigued and in need of a season of rest. When you have a teaching team other men can carry the load when you’re in need of a break. What a great thought knowing you’ve got backup if you feel a fever coming on and it’s Thursday. Just make a call to the bullpen so your boy can get warmed up as best he can. You stay home. He breaks open the Word of Life. Church goes on as normal. No last minute calls to friends hoping they can not only spell you but do a decent enough job that you won’t worsen your condition worrying about their ability in the pulpit.

5. Teaching rotations provide better rhythm for the life of a teacher. This is closely tied to point four but is focused more on the preventative. Teaching week after week can take a lot out of a pastor. Now imagine (you pastors out there) what your life would look like if you were regularly on for six weeks and off for three. Mix up the numbers a little but you get the point. How much better of a church leader would you be? I’m always amazed how much leadership work I’m able to accomplish the weeks I don’t speak. It’s like I can do about 5X the work. Seriously! How much better of a husband would you be? Father? Neighbor? Human being? Teaching rotations enable the individual teacher to take periodic breaks increasing both his health and pastoral effectiveness.

I’m sure I could say more but I’ll stop for the time being. Just know this all you younger (and older) pastors out there doing all the teaching all the time; consider multiplying yourself for not only the sake of your church…but for your sake as well.

Getting "Reviewed" In The Chron

2008-03-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

This morning I was alerted to the fact that I (and my church) made our city's local rag, the Houston Chronicle. They've got a pastor from a Unitarian Universalist church who is visiting different congregations (temples, mosques, churches) in the area during his sabbatical and "reviewing" them in addition to other topics he posts on the paper's religion section blog . This past Sunday he happened to attend my church where I was preaching.

After reading his post, I thought the gentleman's tone to be congenial and honest. My assumption is that he's a very nice guy. It didn't appear he had an axe to grind or agenda to push. But when it was all said and done, he just simply didn't agree with what I said.

Here's a couple of quotes:

What I heard over and over during the 30+ minute sermon was that people shouldn't listen to those scholars or "other preachers" who are trying to promote a new Jesus--that there is only one gospel and one Jesus (the son and savior), and the rest is just an attempt to deceive. He even quoted Galatians 1:6-8, stating that anyone preaching a message other than the one Paul preached, should be cursed....
.......
Ultimately, I left with a feeling that he was telling his congregation that revelation was sealed. He said more than once that there was only one gospel--that there was only one truth.

Wow! Some have asked if his "review" irks me? It doesn't. I was a little bummed because I believe he misunderstood some lesser parts of my message but when it came to the heart of it, I think he pretty much nailed it. So, instead of being upset I'm quite excited that a UU minister walked into my church on a Sunday and heard exactly what I was attempting to say: there is one Gospel, one Jesus, one truth.

And better yet, he told his readers that I "even" used a Scripture to support my stance. Yup, I look to the Bible as the final authority for what I believe. Heck, he even got my interpretation of Galatians 1:6-8 down pat! Yes, Paul said if someone else comes preaching a different Gospel then he is anathema. Dude, my preaching professors from seminary should be rewriting my grades as we speak! The audience-in-question understood (though didn't agree) exactly the big idea I was trying to communicate.

In the end, if a guy from a background that denies the salvific uniqueness of Jesus and the Gospel doesn't agree with my conclusions then that's probably a very good sign I'm on the right track.

Ain't that right, Paul?

The gentleman concluded saying: So, I thank [GLP]for his message, and the entire amazing group of ministers and volunteers at [GLP's church] for the honesty of their message, the quality of their worship experience, and for reminding me how important my convictions are to me....

Mine too.

Keller & Google - Rockin' the House

2008-03-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

I don't know if there are a bunch of Followers of Jesus at Google but they had Tim Keller, a brilliant pastor from New York City, speak there as a part of their Authors@Google program. Keller is promoting his new book The Reason for God which many are saying is a 21st Century Mere Christianity. While I personally wouldn't get too far ahead of myself with that type of hype, I do think Keller's got it goin' on!

Much props to Google (like I even need to link Google) for having TK come and talk! Way to go for the best search engine on the face of the planet! Much love to all the Followers of Jesus there!

I also need to give a "hat tip" to Chuck Land for informing me of Justin Buzzard's reporting of this event. Check out Buzzard Blog here.

I am so getting this book!

UPDATE: Grabbed it at Borders today (3/7/08).

Opening Day X

2008-03-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

Scored tickets for Opening Day! I haven't missed one since I moved to Houston ten years ago. I simply love America's pastime and the Astros are my favorite team! My wife and I will attend the game with another couple who are friends of ours. Jerseys will be worn, hot dogs will be consumed and our lungs will be tired from yelling so much - I can't wait!

We open at home with the St. Louis Cardinals after a couple away series. I think this is at least the second or third Opening Day where we've played the Cards in recent history, and if memory serves me correctly we haven't won those openers.

Here's to breaking with history...

Go 'Stros!!!

An Evening with Piper

2008-03-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

One of the wonderful things about my time in Seattle was getting to spend an evening (about fifty of us total were there) with a man who I’ve looked up to for quite some time. His name is John Piper. He is a pastor in Minneapolis and has written many books that have profoundly impacted my walk with Jesus. His passion for Christ is unparalleled and his mind concerning how that faith is to be understood and lived out is a gift to the church.

With great thanks to Darrin Patrick, our church crew was invited to an Acts 29 Network Church Planters get together which included dinner. It provided us a chance to speak with the leadership of this great church planting network to see if there might be a possibility of a future partnership. We had a great time talking with Scott Thomas and Tyler Powell discovering more about who they are and what they do. Wow! It seems that A29 is chock-full of great leaders!

Towards what seemed to be the end of the meeting Darrin invited us to stay for dinner. We had eaten earlier due to the fact that A29 hadn’t initially planned on us coming and we didn't want to burden them by taking up three more plates. We just wanted to attend so we could get to meet as many of the guys we could. Little did we know that the dinner was to be with John Piper. Mark Driscoll, who had Dr. Piper as a guest speaker for the conference, had graciously arranged it so the man, who has impacted many if not an entire generation (or two) for Jesus, could spend an evening pouring himself into these church planters. For the next two hours he fielded questions and was a combination of being graciously admonishing, intensely passionate and painfully transparent - qualities I've admired in him for quite some time. While I’d like to share what was said, the private and personal nature of the gathering guides me to refrain but rest assured, from my humble vantage point, there is no duplicity between who John Piper is publically and who he is privately.

Needless to say, it was a memorable evening and I'm grateful for Acts 29 and DP for allowing us to be a part of it.

Back from Seattle

2008-02-29T10:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve returned from the beautiful mosaic of industrial buildings, patchwork neighborhoods, dizzying roadways and clear waters of Puget Sound that is Seattle. The conference is over but my thoughts have only just begun. When I return from a conference I usually try to review what I learned and circle a few things to apply and work through. This conference has been different for me in that instead of writing down bullet point after bullet point I simply listened more for my heart instead of my head. This season I’m in has been one of deep stirrings, questions and thoughts that mostly have yet to surface. In other words, I don’t know what I’m thinking/feeling, I just know it comes from the depths of who I am.

I wouldn’t read too much into that because I can’t. Frankly, it’s another story for another time, a story whose plot has yet to materialize. There’s some cooking which still needs to be done.

However, I would say this, The Resurgence Conference was good for my soul. The theme was preaching but outside the initial message given by Mark Driscoll very little was said about preaching in my opinion. Like most conferences, the men who came to speak addressed what they wanted to address. For the most part, each did a great job! I was glad and blessed to hear what each had to say. But that wasn’t what made the conference for me. Like my last post alluded to – it focused mainly around relationships.

I got to meet and hear men I deeply respect – C.J. Mahaney (I want to hang out with this man!), John Piper (a huge influence on my life), Mark Driscoll (I so appreciate both his boldness and sincerity).
I hung out with guys I deeply appreciate – Bruce and Greg (fellow staffers and good friends), Chuck Land and Brandon Baca (sorry we missed you Tim, but Chuck and Brandon were blessings to be around), Darrin Patrick (you never know what a breakfast can turn into – here’s to hoping a partnership may be in the future by God’s grace – no matter how God lays out the future, I’m blessed to know you), and my brother Scott James (thanks for time, albeit brief, that you allowed me to have with you – seeing you made the trip for me).

The conversations, the laughs, the discussions – all of it was food for my spirit. Spending time with men like you makes the trip all worth it. It's fellowship I not only want…it’s fellowship I need. In the coming days and weeks I’ll blog more about the different things I’ve learned but I wanted to begin breaking down my experience by writing about what mattered most to me - people.

More thoughts from my trip to follow…

Old Friends, Friends, New Friends and Friends Yet To Be

2008-02-21T11:24:00.001-08:00

This Sunday after preaching I will fly to Seattle to be a part of a preaching conference put on by The Resurgence which is a "movement that resources multiple generations to live for Jesus so that they can effectively reach their cities with the gospel by staying culturally accessible and biblically faithful" or you can simply know it as the ministry led by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church and Acts 29 Network.

While there's no question I can improve my preaching and will learn about doing so at this conference, I'm most excited about being able to take a break from what I do, come up for air from the rigors of ministry and spend time with friends. Actually, it's the "friends" part I'm most pumped about!

I've got planned (at least on paper) to get some time with all different kinds of friends...

Older Friends: I've got a cherished older friend named Scott who I hope to see. He's "older" not because of his age but because of how long I've known him - since college to be exact - which makes that close to twenty years (man, I am getting old). He has always inspired me with how his life has followed his mission. His mission statement? Help others while having fun. Hey, you may like the way he has decided to help others and want to help too. His job/ministry/mission is Fair Trade Sports.

Friends: These are the guys I see and hang out with all the time. I so look forward to hanging out with Bruce and Greg who are a part of our leadership team. All of us preach at the church we serve and I can't think of any better men to do it with. I don't just like them as pastor-teachers but more so as guys who are trying to follow Jesus. They're fun and lighthearted but also serious about what's serious. If I didn't see anyone else but just hung out with them it would still be worth going. Add Chuck Land and his crew to the mix and my smile just broadens knowing these guys are coming too. Chuck (plus buddy Tim Barosh) has moved from the new friend to friend stage as time has passed and I'm very grateful for it!

New Friends: This conference gives me a chance to spend some time with Darrin Patrick, a person who I'm developing a friendship with...at least as much of a friendship you can develop when you both serve as pastors at different churches. We've got a breakfast scheduled with each other during the conference, and I'll preach a couple of times at his church this summer so hopefully we'll get to know each other even more. My old college roommate attends his church and for years has prodded me to get to know DP telling me how much we are alike. So I was able to catch up with him when he came to Houston a year or so ago and was glad I followed my ex-roomie's advice. Darrin's a great guy and I look forward to hanging out with him too.

Friends Yet To Be: This conference is put together by people who I respect and admire both pastorally and personally, so I assume that I may find many kindred spirits there among the attendees. Thus I hope God allows me to meet future friends whose company and fellowship I can enjoy for years to come as we seek to share the Gospel to the world.

Needless to say, I can't wait to leave.

May God in his grace watch over us as we leave, attend and return to our families. Amen.

Looking For The Real God

2008-02-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

To know something like this came from a well-known secular TV show is quite amazing, adding to my wonder is how well the writers have put together a stinging indictment on the hollowness of liberal theology which seeks to give people a "one-size-fits-all" god that's not really worth following...or fearing.

(HT: Between Two Worlds)

Study the Bible? Arrrggghhhh!!!!

2008-02-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
- Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

This past week I began a seminar on how to study the Bible. I was super excited to see we had 14 small groups sign up and attend. It didn't take long for me to get the message that this is something we definitely needed to do. As groups would huddle together to complete various exercises phrases like, "I'm stuck," "We're not sure what to do," and "Boy, this is hard," permeated the evening. Contrary to what some may think, the frustration was a good sign because it highlighted the fact that we were teaching people to use tools which maybe some, if not most, hadn't really used before - and yet these tools were for the most foundational of spiritual disciplines, the study of the Bible. In a culture that is increasingly becoming more and more post-Christian, I would think seminars like this would be essential for spiritual formation. Just another reason that frustration and learning how the study the Bible go hand-in-hand.

Bible study done well takes work. It is usually measured in long hours not short minutes. It forces us to be an active thinker instead of a passive recipient. It demands concentration, and sometimes that's a tall order for generations who've been raised by ADD television programming which pounds our brains with a thousand images a minute. Therefore, it shouldn't surprise us that struggle and difficulties arise after someone puts a passage of Scripture before us and says, "Study this text. Observe, interpret and apply what you read."

Again, the discomfort vocalized last evening only served to remind me that we're doing a good work. We're trying to get Followers of Jesus to learn to feed themselves - to cook their own food, properly handle utensils and enjoy the feast God has for them in his Word. Frankly, I know of nothing more important for a person's spiritual growth than that! So I'll lead another session Thursday night and remind myself that in helping people overcome their fears and frustrations of Bible study by giving them tools for that very work and being patient with the entire process, we're putting people in a position to receive God's grace in a way they may never have experienced before.

And that's definitely something worth working through.

Appreciating Tradition? A Lesson from Church History 101

2008-02-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
-George Santayana

While I like learning history in general, the story of the church through the ages has especially captured my attention. I can remember in college taking church history courses as electives and sitting there furiously writing notes and listening as best I could, fascinated with how the church has become the church today. It always humors me when I hear others pshaw the past ignorantly celebrating the vain perception that their orthodox beliefs about God are completely self-originating. "All I believe is simply a product of the Bible and me," they proclaim as if, like a duck's feathers to water, their doctrine (and it's development) is impervious to any penetration from sources and influences outside the Scripture.

Yeah, right...and I learned reading, writing and arithmetic from Day 1 because they're so incredibly intuitive.

The truth is what we believe has been influenced greatly by those who have come before us. Dare I say, there is a place where tradition comes into play? Now before I'm raked over the coals and my Protestant card pulled, let me explain what I mean. The word tradition comes from the Latin tradit which means "to entrust" or "to hand down". It's the same word used in the Vulgate (the Latin-translated Bible) when Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:2, "...what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." In other words, "Hey Timothy, take the biblical, orthodox truth I shared with you and pass that down to others, and let those pass it down to the next generation, etc." Tradition.

And church history is really about how faithful (or at times, how faithless) the church has been at handing down the traditions begun by Jesus and the apostles. Admittedly, talking about tradition tends to bug the Protestant in me, but my adverse reaction isn't so much a response to tradition (if it's simply the biblical truth being passed down in ways the church can learn and grow from it) but traditionalism. Traditionalism celebrates the form not the function, the husk not the heart, the ceremony for ceremony sake without any justification from God's Word. Traditionalism sometimes makes tradition equal to Scripture, sometimes (in practice) over Scripture and sometimes departing from Scripture altogether. I have no stomach for traditionalism.

However, learning about tradition, at least in the 2 Timothy 2:2 sake, is something one will cherish as they study church history - how did the church keep its fidelity to Jesus and his Word throughout the centuries? The list is long of the those who faithfully carried the baton: Ignatius, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Athanasius, The Cappadocian Fathers, Ambrose, Leo, Augustine and so on. These men kept to the heart of 2 Timothy 2:2 by developing the traditions for the church which would keep her faithful to Jesus and the Gospel, things such as formulations on the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the Creeds (e.g., Nicene). These traditions were essential for the survival of a church continually attacked doctrinally from both outside and in.

Maybe that's why I see church history as so important today. Once again the Church finds herself plagued with the enemies of orthodoxy (another word for biblical fidelity). It is amazing how much is passed off as solid, evangelical teaching only to be material which takes people further away from the God and Gospel revealed in the pages of Holy Writ. What's the Church to do? I humbly suggest that a good step would be to reengage the study of church history, to reexamine the traditions handed down by the church fathers. I'd bet that most of the heretical and heterodoxical attacks we see today were dealt with by the Church well over a millennia ago. When I study early church history two things impress me: first is how brilliant and exacting these men were in formulating the biblical understanding of the issues of their day. Secondly, I was blown away with how the church fathers fastidiously appealed to the Scriptures to defend and articulate their position - which is a good thing if you're arguing for orthodoxy!

Now that's a tradition I can get behind.

P.S. - The genesis of this post comes from my completion last week of a wonderful little book on the history of the early church by Stephen J. Nichols entitled For Us and for Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church. I highly recommend it for those who want a brief glimpse into what was going on in the Church during first four centuries after the apostles had passed away...and passed down their traditions. So take a chance and temporarily set aside a book enjoying its 15 minutes of evangelical fame for the story of those whose writings will demonstrate their relevance long after others have been forgotten.

Hope on the Hardwoods

2008-01-31T18:18:00.001-08:00

I know this makes three of my last five posts dealing with my son Thatcher but hey, it is what it is...

My son has Asperger's Syndrome. It's somewhat mysterious in that doctors aren't sure how it happens or even how to classify this neurological disorder. Most experts lump it in with autism labeling it an "autistic spectrum disorder" because children who have it display autistic tendencies like underdeveloped social interaction, motor clumsiness and acute fixations that go well beyond normal. Bottom line, my kid is the one with quirks that make him stand out as weird and awkward to other kids his age. Throw in the fact that he's clinically ADHD and you've got a lot on your hands as a parent who trying to find places where his son can fit.

Like basketball.

I come from a family of athletes. My father had the opportunity to play in the NBA, my mother was a tennis player and regional director for the USTA, my middle brother a tennis standout and my youngest brother went to the state tournament in basketball. I, like the rest of my siblings, played every sport under the sun. My father coached me in basketball until junior high. Up to that point we had gone to the championship every year. I cherish the fact I played basketball as a little child growing up. I developed relationships, improved my abilities and generally loved hitting the hardwoods. When I was on the court I felt at home.

Until my son started to play basketball.

We're three weeks into the season now and I can easily see the difference between Thatcher and the rest of his teammates. What takes them relatively no effort to do with blossoming skills he slowly labors with results that, at their best, are half as productive as his peers. They run through layups, he still has a coach guiding him to the basket. They shoot from fifteen feet out, he barely draws iron at four. They pass it to everyone on the team, Thatcher runs up and down the court without ever touching leather.

His teammates know Thatcher is different. Practices come with giggles and teasing at his expense. Little pushes, pokes in the side and the occasional basketball punched out from his hands as he stands in line are par for the course for a child whose impulsive behavior leads him into more trouble than praise. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to notice. Needless to say it's very tough for a dad with my kind of history, but something happened tonight to put things into perspective.

Thatcher's two coaches huddled the team on the floor at the end of practice, a practice in which he'd been teased...again, held everybody up in their drills...again, and run several laps for his behavior...again. But circle-up time showed Thatcher's prowess on a different "court". Thatcher is in a church basketball league where the coaches at some point in the season sit the kids down to share the Gospel with them. So with tracts and a script in hand, his coaches spent the better half of 15-20 minutes talking about Jesus and his work at the Cross. I was watching from a distance when I saw my son raise his hand. One of the coaches said something to him and then the most interesting thing happened.

He began to talk for a few moments...just him...to them...to all of them, coaches and kids. I was too far away to hear but I knew it was something special because each and every kid looked at Thatcher with mouths agape and eyes wide open. They were still. They were riveted. They were in awe. His coaches smiled in bewilderment. It was this "I can't believe this kid can do this" kind of smile. The smile fathers dream their sons would create in others. When Thatcher, who was completely still and reserved during the entire episode, had finished talking, kids were turning to look at each other in amazement and both coaches were giving my son pats on the back and loads of encouragement.

After practice was over I asked one of the them what happened. With a big smile he said, "We started talking about the Gospel and your son volunteered to recite John 3:16 - and he quoted it to us!" The other coach overhearing our conversation excitedly chimed in, "Yeah, and Thatcher didn't miss a word! Not only that but he quoted other Scriptures we used to share the Gospel."

Whoosh! Nothing but net.

When you put it all together, basketball practice becomes quite a large mountain to climb. I know unless something dramatically changes, he'll probably never win MVP of his team or even make the team for that matter. But what Thatcher demonstrated tonight with a group of his peers far outstrips any of his father's lost dreams on the hardwoods. Tonight reminded me that I have been given a great grace and blessing in a son who's received that which is most important. He has the Gospel, not only in his mind but in his heart, and I would gladly trade a thousand dreams for the reality I experience in him.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
- John 3:16 (NIV - Thatch's translation)

Breaking News: Hybels Brings New Teaching Pastor to Willow!

2008-01-29T10:53:00.001-08:00

Senior Pastor Bill Hybels introduces GLP as Willow Creek Community Church's new teaching pastor,
holding in his hand a list of how many of Willow's 7,000 members actually voted for him.

BREAKING-BREAKING NEWS: World renown author and pastor Bill Hybels has added Gucci Little Piggy as the new Teaching Pastor at Willow Creek Community Church. In a move reminiscent of a university after its football season has just finished, GLP was immediately added to the staff within 24 hours of the departure of former teaching pastors Gene Appel and Randy Frazee. Rumors swirled that GLP was at the top of Hybels list for quite some time, even before teaching pastor Mike Breaux departed. An inside source spoke on the condition of anonymity said Hybels had his sights set on GLP ever since reading his blog in 2006. "Bill would wake up everyday, run to the church well before daylight, fire up the computer in his office waiting in gleeful anticipation for the next bit of wisdom Gucci Little Piggy would post," confirmed the insider. A major press conference is scheduled for tomorrow at 10AM where Hybels is expected to introduce GLP as Willow's new teaching pastor and perform the traditional giving of the jersey with subsequent photo op. Hybels is also expected to reveal the new teaching schedule showing GLP to have all the midweek and weekend services while Hybels will devote his time to winning the America's Cup. Stay tuned for new developments.

*All in the name of a little levity...please Bill don't pull our WCA account ;)

Teaching Pastors Leaving Willow

2008-01-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

Some breaking news for those who take interest in Willow Creek Community Church: Willow Creek Community Church loses two more pastors

With Teaching Pastor Mike Breaux leaving earlier, the departures of Randy Frazee and Gene Appel subtracts two more teaching pastors away from the Willow team - essentially leaving Bill Hybels by his lonesome (Nancy Beach does teach some but not nearly like the four men have). There is no question that these are big waves in a church which has influenced thousands of churches around the world (including mine).

I also know it's easy to jump to conclusions (admittedly not good ones with these types of situations). It won't take long for the blogosphere to be abuzz with empty speculation, unfounded judgment and "holier-than-thou" opinions before anything really is known - if there really is anything more. However, I would suggest praying for Willow (Hybels & Co.) during this season that God would be glorified through it all. Whether or not you're a fan of Willow Creek (or the seeker-sensitive movement as a whole), I believe we would do well to intercede on behalf of a church which has held a very strategic place on the Evangelical stage.

Trying to withhold judgment and waiting (in hope) to see what happens,
GLP

Oops, He Did It Again!

2008-01-25T19:28:00.000-08:00

Last night I had to discipline my oldest which entailed, among many things, going to bed early. Before turning his light off I spent time with him telling him how much better he could have behaved and how disappointed I was in his actions. Upon leaving the room I added that his mother would be by to kiss him goodnight. A few moments later my wife stepped inside his room and spoke with him at length about his poor behavior. The door was cracked so I nestled up to eavesdrop curious to see what Thatcher would tell his mother. When asked why he didn't obey, the first words from his mouth forced me to put my hands over mine...

With reserved heaviness Thatcher replied, "I know Mom, I wish Adam and Eve had never eaten that apple."

A theologian in the making (apple reference aside)! Way to pin your bad behavior on original sin. I was so taken with his comment that I didn't know whether I needed to let his mom finish what discipline I started or break out a brief seminar for Thatcher on the doctrine of federal headship.

Now that's Conviction

2008-01-20T15:52:00.001-08:00

An excerpt from a conversation I had with my eldest son Thatcher this week after I told his younger brother Haddon he couldn’t go with me down the block to get the mail (he hadn’t finished his dinner). With the tearful protests of his brother as background music, Thatcher, crossing his arms, began:

"Dad, I’m going to stay here until you let Haddon go with us." His face twisted in displeasure, feet planted firmly, frozen in determination.

"Okay, stay here," I nonchalantly replied, walking out the door.

"Naw, I’m going with you," Thatcher said without a nanosecond of pause, quickly rushing out the door, shutting it behind him and running to me, the airs of heroism and loyalty evaporating with every step.

"A brazen face and a Karamazov conscience."
- Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

The Gospel According to Shiner

2008-01-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

"For freedom Christ has set us free;
stand firm therefore do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."
- The Epistle to the Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

This past worship service I opened up a bottle of Shiner Bock. Yup. You heard it right! In the beginning of my message I pulled out the iconic Texas brew and cracked it open saying, "Some of you are angry, others of you are thirsty." I used it to illustrate there are certain liberties some of us feel free to exercise where others decline, and while people may not like the choices we make it doesn't nullify those freedoms. There was much more to the message but can I just say one thing? I really, really love my church!

It wasn't what happened during the service that prompts me to proclaim my devotion to my congregation, it's all the conversations I had after the service was over (including those via email throughout the week). While I'm sure I probably got booted off the Christmas card list from some in the audience who didn't like me twisting open a beverage handcrafted at the Spoetzl Brewery, many came up to me that evening earnestly seeking to get a heartfelt grasp on how the Christian should use his or her freedoms well. In other words, they got it. Not only did they not get hung up on a Shiner in my hand, they didn't even care - heck, scores wondered if I could smuggle out one for them.

That levity stirred within me such a deep appreciation for a congregation who understands that if we're going to get irked about something it's going to concern the Gospel, not whether a Follower of Jesus decides to imbibe alcohol responsibly. That's a freedom he may choose to use or not use (the same with movies, music, etc.), but we've got a bigger fish to fry - helping spiritually dead people find life in Jesus. I know far too many churches who've decided to major on the minors and miss the mission, where issues like beer become shibboleths for weak spirituality and engender fruitless causes that exasperate more than redeem. While I've personally fallen into that pitfall in years past, I thank God we haven't done so as a congregation. May it never happen.

Thus it warmed my heart to hear from the mouths of those who call my church their church as well, that it's the Cross that counts. If you want a Shiner that's up to you. Be wise. Be discerning. Be loving. But in the end, the Gospel in your heart is much bigger than a beer in your hand.

Now that's a Gospel that truly is Good News!

Family - The Ultimate Discipleship Tool

2008-01-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members
another law waging war against the law of my mind
and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
- The Epistle to the Romans 7:21-25a (ESV)

Today was "just one of those days" where I acted like anything but a follower of Jesus and it all centered around my family. I self-destructed with my kiddos in Fuddruckers. We were having lunch after my oldest's basketball game and it seemed all three of my boys decided to push my buttons by yelling, running around and throwing fits. Then it was my turn.

I'm sure there are times where my wife believes she lives with four boys instead of three plus a grown man. Today had to have been one of them. I responded to my kids by "powering up" on them at the restaurant. It didn't look good. It didn't feel good. It didn't do any good. Man I hate when I blow it by blowing up! You would've thought I learned my lesson for the day, right?

Nope.

In the late afternoon I switched my targeting systems to my wife. I was irked at something she did and instead of calmly and graciously talking with her about it I decided to let her have it. Missiles launched, bullets flew, swords were drawn. It didn't look good. It didn't feel good...

Am I repeating myself?

Well, after an evening spent repenting to the day's casualties, I painfully realize more and more there's a whole lot of sanctification still needing to take place in my heart. Sometimes when I look into the mirror of my family I see some pretty ugly spots of mine. Spots that need dealing with. Spots that don't come off with easy promises of "I'll do better next time" or vapidly regurgitating "I'll just try harder". I need to trust the power of the Gospel to do what I simply cannot.

I think I've got a pretty decent mind and periodically a fairly strong will, but my solution isn't primarily intellectual or volitional, it's spiritual. So instead of trying to depend on a new strategy or the quality of my resolve, I'll hit my knees asking God to help me trust not in myself but in him. I'll seek to discover the hidden idols of the heart that are paid homage every time I inappropriately react in frustration with my wife or anger to my kids. I'll basically try to muster up spiritual measures to address a spiritual problem.

Now, as I finally wind down from the day of drama, I thank God for the gifts he's given me in my family. Of the many blessings they have become, one is that God has used them in my life to expose some things in my heart that need exposing - things that would for the most part stay hidden. They have become a wonderful, albeit sobering, tool for my growth in Jesus. They have become an indispensable instrument in my discipleship.

O God, may your great Gospel continue to work deeply in me. Amen.

How Times Are Changing...Us.

2008-01-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

I spent Christmas holiday with my wife's family in Dallas, and during our stay they gave us a photo of when we were just beginning to hang out with each other - 1995.

Boy how the years go by, and over, us. ;) Actually my wife is more beautiful now than she has ever been. But me...well...

"So teach us to number our days that

we may get a heart of wisdom."
- Psalm 90:12 (ESV)

Church Planting - Lesson 4

2008-01-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

In every society among the many things shared in common is language. Go to Spain and hear Spanish, in Russia you’ll find Russian, in China Chinese…you get the idea. Along with a particular language a people group shares are phrases or sayings which carry meanings other people groups wouldn’t catch. We have them in America. For example, terms and phrases like “home run”, “crying alligator tears”, “sawing logs last night” and, from my West Texan roots, “being in high cotton” are readily understood by native audiences without any need for translation. The reason is because these words and phrases were birthed in the communities (or groups of communities - i.e., nations) where they are used. Culture became the womb where these terms received their life.

They are also valuable in that they are able to communicate ideas or paint a vision without having to explain it over and over again – a community shorthand if you will. The power behind this shorthand is that, depending on how it’s framed, can imbed powerful ideas or truths for the listener in a way commands or directives can’t. For example, “being in high cotton” springs forth the image of a field brilliant white with cotton, so much cotton in fact, that a person is awash in it. For the West Texan who is surrounded by cotton fields, this phrase is pregnant with power and memorability. Furthermore, they give a silent nod of affirmation to the community by using terms forged in that community. It’s like the smile that creases my lips when I hear someone use the term “being in high cotton” in Houston. I know that’s not from the Houstonian dictionary, it’s from an agrarian one – likely one from where I grew up. Knowing that warms my heart because of my love for my community of origin.

That idea of having language which can become shorthand for a community is very valuable to the church leader who is seeking to inculcate a vision and mission to his newly planted church (a new community). That’s why a good lesson for the planter/pastor is to create a dictionary. That’s right, get along side Noah Webster and put together a dictionary. But this dictionary is not composed of all the words you know but of all the terms and phrases you want to coin for the community you lead (It may be better to call this a glossary but we’ll stick with dictionary for the present).

What are the key ideas or strategic truths you want you people to live out that best dovetails your vision and mission as a redemptive community? Whatever they are your task is to wordsmith phrases and terms which will paint a vibrant picture in the minds of your congregation of what they are to be and do. Let me give you some examples from our dictionary…

“Be on foreign soil in the name of Jesus” – This phrase is constantly mentioned when we speak about missions. We want all of our people to at least once (but preferably many times) in their lives to go out of the United States for church planting endeavors. When people share their stories of being overseas in Ukraine more times than not we hear things like, “I never knew exactly what God’s will was for my life until I got on foreign soil in the name of Jesus.” “When I got on foreign soil in the name of Jesus at Ukraine, my faith deepened in a way I couldn’t imagine.” “Let me encourage you if you can’t make it to Ukraine this spring, find a way soon to get on foreign soil in the name of Jesus.” We don’t make our people speak this way, they just do – it’s our culture’s shorthand – and the image of someone’s New Balance shoes resting on the cobblestone pavement of L’viv, Ukraine is powerful for our people.

“2AM Friends” - Our Lead Pastor brilliantly put together a message on the power of small group/community by asking the congregation how deep their relationships really were. He said, “If an emergency came up, who would you call at 2AM?” Wow! It was an incredibly powerful moment because many had experienced that type of situation. Shortly after that message we began to hear our people using that term to describe their inner circle of friends. “Hey, that guy over there is one of my 2AM friends.” Bingo!

Bene Nota – sometimes you get to pick what goes into your dictionary and sometimes your church picks it for you. This was a case of the latter. “2AM Friends” was such a strong term that people used it without any promotion from the leadership. Do you have terms or phrases your church uses like that? If so, you already have something to go into your dictionary.

The point of having a dictionary is now you have something you can go to time and time again whenever you want to cast vision. Don’t hesitate to use those terms repeatedly throughout the years – consider it part of your cultural vocabulary. And that really is what you want to build – a culture. The truth is your church will have a culture with or without your help. The point is to intentionally create a culture that is given to the mission, vision and values of the leadership to make disciples of Jesus.

Start working on your dictionary. Get with your leadership team and ask, “What do you think would go in there now?” If you discover there are some phrases and terms you use with regularity that carry strong images for your people of what you believe God wants them to do, go or become then you’ve got the makings of a dictionary already.

Once you get your dictionary going, the next thing to create is a storybook, but that’s for another time…

What's the Mission, Pastor?

2007-12-30T21:17:00.000-08:00

There's no question that engaging in social ministries is the hot thing for the evangelical church today. Some might even argue it's the line of demarcation for being missional or emerging or emergent...sorry, I tend to get it all mixed up. I've briefly posted on this issue before but ran across some great thinking in a little book I read over the Christmas holiday (thanks Jeff) which I believe is very germane to the discussion of what the church (specifically the pastor) is called to do with the Gospel. The book is Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy & Fairy Tale by Frederick Buechner.

What's also great about this book is that it was written in 1977 by a minister/author whose denomination (PCUSA) was learning to make waves in the "Social Gospel" waters and today could easily teach swimming lessons to other churches and denominations. C.S. Lewis once wrote, "Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books." While Lewis was calling us to read books outside our century, Buechner's work has had enough birthdays to put it outside the current circle of debate on what the church should be doing in order to be missional. With that being said, Buechner's thinking is insightful in word if not prophetic in spirit.

Read and ponder...

To speak the truth with love is to run the risk always of speaking only the truths that people love to hear you speak, and the preacher's temptation, among others, is to deal with those problems only to which there is, however complex and hard to arrive at, a solution. The pressure on the preacher is to be topical and contemporary, to speak out like the prophets against injustice and unrighteousness, and it is right that he should do so, crucial even, and if he does not goad to righteous action he fails both God and man. But he must remember the ones he is speaking to who beneath the clothes they wear are the poor, bare, forked animals who labor and are heavy laden under the burden of their own lives let along the world's tragic life...For the preacher to be relevant to the staggering problems of history is to risk being irrelevant to the staggering problems of the ones who sit there listening out of their own histories. To deal with the problems to which there is a possible solution can be a way of avoiding the problems to which humanly speaking there is no solution. (34-35)

It is not the great public issues that Jesus traded in but the great private issues, not the struggles of the world without but the struggles of the world within. (62)

I believe these are good words for preachers who feel the temptation tailor what they preach solely for the need to be seen as relevant by either their parishoners (maybe they'll think our church actually is making an impact, see us as culture current, like my sermons better because they are so practical, etc.) or other preachers (maybe the cool, "with it", hip pastors will see me as a [insert whatever aspirations of ego you have here] missional? emergent? emerging? "with it" leader too!).

May we, as pastors and those pastored, live for God's Kingdom by sharing with all the Good News of how Christ's work at the Cross has overcome their humanly hopeless condition of the soul.

Andreas Kostenberger's "God, Marriage, and Family": A Brief Review

2007-12-22T19:52:00.002-08:00

This evening I finished Andreas Kostenberger's God, Marriage, and Family. It was a book I recommended to my congregation from the pulpit a few weeks ago and I try as much as I'm able to only do that with books I've actually perused myself. I'm glad I both recommended and read because Kostenberger's work is a biblically well-rounded piece on marriage, family and the pertinent issues surrounding them. It also has a section devoted to additional study resources, a discussion guide and answers to that very guide.

While not having the current literary characteristic of defending a position by shallow slogan-crafting or anecdotes full of pathos without a point, I deeply appreciated the author's interaction with the divergent views and interpretations which so often are at the heart of the matter for today's ethical and biblical struggle with culture. Time after time Kostenberger takes a refreshingly ad fontes approach to issues such as divorce, remarriage, and homosexuality by continually looking at the Scriptural testimony. It is for that primary reason I believe this book would be good for small groups who wanted to build a biblical foundation for marriage and family.

While some, looking for a book aiming to move them emotionally, might pass on GM&F due to its rather forthright and detailed exegesis and studied theological approach, I believe it is exactly those critical qualities that make it such a sterling choice for reading...and recommendation.

Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

2007-12-21T18:54:00.001-08:00

I'm a huge John Piper fan. In fact I finished his "What Jesus Demands from the World" this past Wednesday - what a wonderful reflection on the words of Jesus in the Gospels. Piper's passion for Christ is inescapable and God uses his words, more times than not, as a salve for my soul...and at times a scalpel.

Also, in our nation where most think of one church (I'll let you guess...it's not hard) when Houston is mentioned, let it be known that most of us haven't swallowed the "Health & Wealth" Kool-Aid and have warned our flocks of this damning teaching. So while these words stand on their own, you could put my name (and a countless number of H-Town pastors) right there with Piper's.

(HT: Keystrokes of a Worship Pastor)

Church Planting - Lesson 3

2007-12-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

One of the values we've cherished through our church’s lifetime is sanity. Most planters know all too well the slippery slope of doing way too much in too many areas for far too long. Do you see heavy rotation of “too” here? Often what is true of you is true of the volunteers in your young church. It’s not uncommon to see a sold-out parishioner move chairs and setup the coffee table on Sunday morning, lead music for the student ministry on Wednesdays and facilitate a small group on Monday evenings. The plate can quickly fill.

And isn’t that a great thing? I mean, church-planters need all the help they can get! While bigger, more established churches may have ministries that are “luxuries” which get staffed with all kinds of people, fledgling congregations usually only have ministries which are seen as necessities in beginning a church – and the bottom line is they need people to serve. Period!

However, more times than not, the sobering reality of burnout surfaces with many of your best and brightest volunteers. Far too long they ran the ministry race without a “restrictor plate” and pushing them to opt for no more laps around the track. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t have names of people right now who fit this description running through your head. I've got a few.

This is where the moment of truth comes. You must decide early on if you want to shepherd people or use people. Using people may give you the illusion of helping get you where you want to go more quickly but in the end you likely wind up hurting their health, their family, even their faith. Choose to shepherd people. At time that means dialing back on the commitment of others to a level which helps them, and not just the church, grow.

The way we tried to help people see their over-commitment and our (hopefully) commitment to their spiritual, emotional and physical well being was what we call the “two sticky” rule. One evening when we had our core volunteers and leaders together we gave everyone two little Post-it notes with their names on them and displayed a huge whiteboard with all our ministries listed on it. Then we told them that, in the name of sanity and shepherding, they could choose which areas they wanted to serve – but they could only use their “stickies”. Yes, that meant they only could participate in two ministries. We didn’t hold a gun to anyone’s head who desired more (many wanted a third sticky), but we strongly held our ground, “Two stickies, that’s it. Two stickies, we love you. Two stickies, for your health…and the church’s.”

Some didn’t like what we did. It ticked them off. They kept arguing about how high capacity they were, how important it was to their spiritual growth that they do more. We held our ground – two stickies. Ironically, many of those same people came back to us after some time had passed and thanked us for making the hard call. While disappointed at first, they soon discovered how much their retooled involvement in serving positively impacted their life. They had more quality time with their families, there was less rush and hurry in their week and in the end, they had greater energy and enthusiasm in the two ministries they chose to serve. They clearly saw AND FELT cared for. It was a win for us in more ways that one!

Two stickies may sound like a leap of faith for a planter, especially when he continually feels under-resourced in so many areas, not the least of which is with people. But in the end you must ask the question, “Do I want to use people or shepherd people? Do I want my focus to be on growth or health? Will I be responsible for those God gives me early in our church’s life so that possibly he might grant me more to be faithful with in the future?”

If shepherding people, focusing on health and wanting to be responsible for those God has presently given you is important, consider introducing the “Two Sticky Rule”.

Wayne Grudem's "Systematic Theology": A Brief Review

2007-12-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

I like studying theology. In fact, I've read a handful of systematic theologies throughout the years and liked every one of them. If theology simply means "the study of God" then it would figure that most Followers of Jesus should engage in theology at some level. So if you find yourself wanting to better ground your mind and heart theologically let me highly recommend Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology.

It is clear, accessible and sincere. When you read it you don't feel like you must have an interpreter with a seminary Ph.D next to you whispering what the text says in a layperson's language. And yet for all of its "down-to-earth" nature it is robustly comprehensive, fair-minded when presenting diverging views and saturated with Scripture (not just Scripture references). It is a serious theology for serious Christians.

Grudem is upfront about his perspective (biblically-based and defended) being Reformed. He is responsibly (and I stress responsibly) charismatic and follows a Baptist perspective on baptism. Yet along with these convictions he graciously highlights other views from the church on these issues leaving you with a corpus that feels both focused and ecumenical.

This fall I've led our church's Spiritual Formation Team through this book. I think I can say with confidence that each person thoroughly enjoyed his work. Even those who had never studied systematic theology before were greatly taken with Grudem's effort. His theology so well mirrors our church's that we've used his smaller Christian Beliefs as the doctrinal instruction for our small group leaders. Needless to say, we feel very blessed to have encountered Dr. Grudem's work.

This evening I finished the last two chapters (the entire book is around 1200 pages in length) and thought I'd give it a plug before putting it on the shelf (though I'm confident it will come down from it frequently).

Go pick yourself up a copy, read it in community and grow in the grace and knowledge of God.

UPDATE: Here is the reading schedule I put together for our team.

Church Planting - Lesson 2

2007-12-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

No matter where you are on the church-model spectrum few would argue that growing a congregation is something most church planters keep their eyes on. From your initial “public service” to the attendance ebb and flow of the year, emotions (and unfortunately esteem and worth) can easily rise and fall with how many more plastic, “easily stackable” blue seats you’ve put out on the rented elementary school’s “cafetorium” floor than when you first began. Far from being unspiritual as some might have you believe (see book of Acts), growing numerically is a chief concern for a planter. That is if he desires to add staff, meet monthly church expenses, increase ministry resources, not to mention paying a home mortgage, supporting his family and continuing to eat. I’m sure there may be a few more reasons that have slipped my mind. Needless to say, having a newly planted church gaining in attendance is a big factor in said church staying in existence.

However a caution must be issued and a suggestion extended. Before you build a crowd you should first build an army.

Many planters know this but several dismiss it in pursuit of adding to their membership roll way too soon. The idea is simply that until you do anything to really promote or market your church, you first build into a core group who “lock, stock and barrel” buy into your vision, values and ministry model. These men and women will go to the wall for you. They’ll defend you even if they don’t have all the information. They’re loyal, committed and put their service where their mouth is. Usually armies like this aren’t assembled, they’re forged – with your blood, sweat and tears being the catalytic mixture. In other words, forging takes intensity and time…a lot of it. You can’t build an army at an “established church”-pastor’s pace. You’re a church planter which means an insanely inordinate amount of front-end work to get your core to where they need to be – a lot of dinners in the homes of others, grabbing breakfast with a different collection of guys at the local Denny’s every other day and a bunch of work in between. Tiring? Yes, but remember you’re building an army not a crowd.

Think of your core group as your church’s antibodies. The more you have the less exposed your congregation is to the illnesses of renegade lay leaders who want to change the church’s mission, pockets of “hobby horse” groups who bring disunity over what the pastor (and his team) haven’t done ministry-wise and a whole host of other malignant attacks church plants usually suffer. Remember that when you’re about to explode from eating out so much, or when you forget what day it is due to the breakneck pace of the last seven days (or was it the last fourteen?) or when you find yourself in a message-prep “cram session” on Saturday night because important meetings filled up most of the day, you are doing the hard work now so when potential congregation-destroying “germs” hit your church during its fragile infancy you’ll come out the other side intact and focused on your mission because you’ve given it a robust immunity system. Don’t worry, you’ll likely have enough examples of how church planters didn’t do this well – they’ll either painfully meander the ecclesiastical desert of strip malls with about 100 people for years, raise the white flag and merge with another church or just close up shop altogether.

I would also encourage the church’s first public service (and maybe even the next couple following weekends) to be dedicated to extolling and explaining the mission and vision of the church. Set the tone early for those who’ve just shone up and are wondering if they want to pitch in with the rest. Tell the people who you are AND who you are not. The message should both attract and repel - it should aim at inspiring the people who will stack hands on the church's mission and push away those who want something different from you and the church. This kind of sermon (or sermon series) will also galvanize your army even further as they see that all the leadership you’ve given to this point wasn’t just smoke and mirrors but truly the DNA of the lead pastor (and by association…the church he is beginning). By the way, I hope you like giving these kind of messages because you’ll be preaching them to the congregation for the rest of your life with the church. At least you will if you’re a good leader.

So remember, fight the idea of building a crowd in lieu of an army. It’s not worth it. The penalty may be far more congregational fires than you are willing, or even able, to put out. Don’t prematurely shoot the starting pistol until you’ve done all you can to forge a group who will be willing to cross the line in the sand for the church’s mission and your leadership in it.

Build an army before a crowd.

Church Planting - Lesson 1

2007-12-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

One of the earliest lessons learned when starting a church is that while a lead pastor (and his staff) may have a big vision, usually the resources at the church’s disposal to match that vision aren’t quite so extensive. That hard truth rears its head quite early and often in the daily ins and outs of the church leader…

“Man, what we really need is that HD video screen to run our Sunday morning slides. Can we get one?”
“Hey Pastor, I think we need to do a Singles’ Outreach Concert. Don’t you think that’s a good idea?”
“If we’re going to go to the next level as a children’s ministry we definitely need another staff person.”
I could go on ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

A good leader should constantly be mindful of two circles (one inside the other) – the vision circle and the resources circle – and how your vision should always determine the focus and intensity of the resources circle. Vision is always larger. Pastors usually have tons of vision. Ask them about their vision and they should be able to spout “vision” all day and night. The needle for vision is often past the F on the tank of a pastor’s heart. But vision is also cheap. It doesn’t cost anything to think of what you want to be, where you want to go or what you want to do. Resources? Well, that’s another story.

Resources by definition are limited. And for some who are beginning a new congregation, “limited” can be putting it modestly. I would guess planters are limited in time, money and people probably more in the seminal years of the church than any other season. That’s why it’s critical to understand the two circles very early in the game.

Think of your vision as the bigger outer circle (and really the furthest edge of the circle is our concern) and your current resources as the inner circle. [See fig. 1] In a perfect world our resource circle matches, if not exceeds, the size of the vision circle. If we see it we can do it. Ah, what a nice world in which to live! When you arrive tell me how it feels because I’m nowhere close. I don’t think any of us are. Most of us have ever-increasing vision. Our resources, on the other hand, for the most part are fixed in size. Yes, we want them to grow and hopefully they will but it’s so incremental that for all intents and purposes the inner circle we draw is normally much smaller.

Question: What happens to your resources as you try to move them toward your vision? The circle flattens out a bit – more oval than circle.

This should help us see that in order for us to “resource the vision” other things which don’t serve your particular vision (possibly new ministries, additional but not essential staff, etc.) may need to be taken off the table financially speaking. This sometimes tough leadership call is critical or you’ll find yourself throwing time, money and people at distracting endeavors that will keep you from meeting your vision. You may be doing a lot of things as a result, but rarely will you be doing the best things – things that move you down the road toward your vision. In the end you wind up with the same circle you began with because it's stretching toward every direction trying to meet everyone else’s passion, focus and vision.

The most effective churches I know are led by those who work hard at moving the resource circle to the right vision and fighting off attempts to do anything less.

So how do you best stretch the resource circle? Here are a few ideas:

Know your vision. Know your vision. Know your vision. If you can’t articulate your vision in a heart-inspiring, troop-rallying, dig-in-for-the-long-haul fashion, you better fix that quickly! If you didn't learn this in Church Planting 101 you may need to go back to school. Seriously, if you need help you might check out Acts 29 Network. These guys are solid.
Learn to say “No” early and often. You don’t have to be a jerk but you do have to be “graciously tenacious” in redirecting the gaze of those you lead to better paths. This is where your ability to communicate the vision will come in handy! It takes hard work to shepherd (and not manipulate or domineer, cf., 2 Cor. 1:24) people to your spot on the vision circle.
Work at enlarging the resource circle. Teach giving early and with regularity. Don’t be apologetic or embarrassed when you’re in the pulpit. It’s biblical. Get over it. If you can’t muster the courage, don’t complain when your resource circle hasn’t kept up with the congregation’s spiritual growth in other areas. I appeal to you that it is for Western Christians just as much about discipleship as anything else.
Regularly evaluate how you’ve done. Does your spending overlap well with your vision? Have the financial, staffing and other leadership decisions you’ve made recently stretched the resource circle or pulled it back to its ineffective roundness in an attempt to meet additional (read:lesser) visions? Ask the hard questions. Get the brutal facts. Then, like a great football team at halftime, make the right adjustments.

Lessons Learned on Church-Planting

2007-12-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not a church planter. I came to the church I presently serve when it was 4 1/2 years old. It is now 14 years old. While I did contemplate planting a church prior to coming, the young age of the church was motivation enough for me to join the team as Teaching Pastor. I knew I could still be someone who could influence the direction of the church in a strategically foundational way - something which for me was a deep thirst whose slaking was non-negotiable.

To keep the story short, let me just say that's exactly what happened (and by God's grace continues to happen).

Over the next few posts I'd like to share some lessons learned about being a part of a church plant. I don't promise anything earth-shattering or even insightful. These are ideas and thoughts that helped me and my team. With that being said, please know I'm not sure how many of these lessons are mine and how many belong to others on our team. Time and teamwork have wonderfully blurred the lines. No matter where they originated (as if anything is original) they are beliefs, ideas and insights that have shaped our church, honed the leadership quotient of our team - one which I believe rivals any around - and continue to guide us in many respects.

As I have the opportunity to counsel (and be counseled) by those who, like me, have been given the great honor and responsibility to shepherd relatively new congregations, these lessons continue to resurface in my conversations. So I thought I'd put them down...for better or worse.

Stay tuned...

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-25T20:59:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving holiday was good. Time at the ranch in Kerrville with my extended family, some of which I hadn't seen in years. Watching my kids run up and down the Hill Country with their plastic rifles acting like they were the new sheriffs in town. Feeling the chilly breeze of a good northerner and seeing the tall grass shudder in concert with every gust. Hanging out with my wife and not having to mess with cleaning the dishes, leaving for work or the other things that take away from being with her. Getting home safely after driving in flash flood rains for three hours straight after San Antonio. (By the way, thank you Lord for the state car of Texas - I love suburbans!) Did I mention that Thanksgiving was a good holiday?

And yes...my wife is hot. ;)

Expulsive Power

2007-11-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

"The love of God, and the love of the world, are two affections, not merely in a state of rivalship, but in a state of enmity, and that so irreconcilable that they can not dwell together in the same bosom. [It is impossible] for the heart, by any innate elasticity of its own, to cast the world away from it… the only way to dispossess it of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new one."
- "The Expulsive Power of a New Affection", a sermon by Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847)

These sentences are so pregnant with the truth many churches need to heed today. Being at a seeker-targeted church we've had more than our share of criticism that fellowships of our ilk water down the truth and distance people from true transformation because teaching is predicated on giving people what they want to hear...which is usually not the biblical Gospel. Unfortunately, I think those who've painted seeker-targeted churches with such broad strokes have missed at more than what they've hit - but that's grist for another mill.

With that being said, I believe our pastor-teachers try very hard to make sure we aren't giving our people the "new law" of moralism or trying to paint for them a Christianity which is simply a God-approved upgrade in the American Dream. On the contrary, we vigorously aim to hit the Gospel-mark. We have no choice! I've seen the emptiness of Dr. Phil-esque approaches churches take to life change. I've watched how people will sizzle with excitement of learning three practical ways to change only to fizzle mere weeks later when there is no power behind their ephemeral, consumer-crippled motivations. Thus we call upon all to discover a power which can give a man a new love and new loves. We exhort all to turn to the expulsive power of the Gospel.

So I thank God for recently running across the soul-mending words of the old Scottish divine Thomas Chalmers. They are a good reminder that for those who find themselves hard pressed with worldly infirmities, there is no true medicine which can be found but in Christ's Gospel-provisions. They are also a shot across the bow to all pastors who seek to take others down other paths hewn by the hands of men when only one road to real, expulsive power life change can be found.

“Yeah, I know, I know...Repent.” [Sigh]

2007-11-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

Want to bum people out who come to you for spiritual guidance when they have sin in their life which becomes a barrier to their spiritual growth? Tell them they should rid themselves of those sins by turning away from them and strive to follow Jesus. That’s right, call them to repent.

Do that and I can almost guarantee you won’t be the “cool’ pastor in their eyes anymore. It happened to me this week. I spoke with a guy who stumbled into our church and asked if I (and a few others) would pray over him and ask God to “pop” him with the Holy Spirit. “I really need a strong one,” he told me. Apparently he wanted some of the pastors to pray over him and be “slain in the Spirit” or be delivered from the demonic because his life had gone south and he wanted God to intervene. In the past I probably would’ve strategically suggested he try a different type of church but I felt the need to spend more time with him to get to the bottom of where he was coming from.

A lengthy dialogue revealed some serious pockets of rebellion in his life, areas he knew to be wrong but didn’t really want to give up. It was at that point I humbly suggested that in order for him to find greater “deliverance” in his life he needed to turn from those sins which were seriously quenching his spiritual life. I’m not sure that was the answer he was looking for.

Frankly, he wanted something much more “sexy” – some kind of supernatural quick fix that demanded more of God than him. He wanted something to happen to him that would let him see how high the Holy Spirit caused him to jump, but he was much less concerned with the Holy Spirit’s work in how straight he should walk when he hit the ground. I have a feeling he didn’t recommend me to many of his friends because the only guidance I really gave him, outside of connecting with fellow believers for strength, was to repent. Needless to say, he was rather nonplussed by the suggestion. Each time I would call him to repentance he would try to coax me into another route – cast out a demon, slay him in the Spirit, etc., and each time I would give him the same answer.

“I know. Don’t tell me. Repent.” His head buried in his hands.

Sensing his frustration I tried to let him know that I wasn’t trying to be naïve to his situation or calloused to his story, but based on what he had told me, repentance seemed to me the most appropriate path for him to walk. And to each call to repentance he’d reply, “But…” You can fill in the blank. It doesn’t matter, the answer is still the same, “But I still want to do what I have been doing.”

I’ve come to see in the pastoral part of ministry that repentance is the great equalizer. It takes on all who want spiritual guidance and separates the contenders from the pretenders by exposing those who really want to change from those who just want you to do it for them.

Touchdown! (The Other Kind)

2007-11-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks for those of you who prayed for the STS-120 flight. Discovery landed at 12:00PM (CST). The mission lasted 15 days, 2 hours, 24 minutes and 2 seconds. We can't wait to get the skinny from our boys Doug and George on the trip many considered the most aggressive and difficult in recent Shuttle history.

Bella - It's a "Beautiful" Thing

2007-11-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

This evening I watched Bella. It is a movie shot in twenty-four days and with a cost of a measly $3 million. However, not only did it have all the trimmings of a regular feature film you would see on any given weekend but it beautifully dealt with issues of substance...and from a robustly biblical viewpoint. I won't tell you the story of Bella, you need to see it for yourself.

I mention the movie because in seeing it I was reminded about how people of faith can make significant contributions to culture that doesn't cheaply imitate secular counterparts (e.g., much contemporary Christian music) but submits original, artistic and God-honoring creations. Bella even won the prestigious People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival. Not too shabby.

But for as much of a gem this movie is, it lives in rarefied air. All too often some of the best movies dealing with themes (redemption, struggle, meaning, etc.) important to Followers of Jesus are created by those who, if not placing themselves on the outside of Christianity, dangerously tread its periphery. Oh what a world it might be if Christians, once again, led the way in literature, painting, drama and other spheres of art!

Thanks to the creators of Bella reminding us that the arts, like everything else, can...and should bring glory to God.

Happy Birthday & Reformation Day

2007-10-31T08:45:00.001-07:00

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
- The Epistle to the Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

We know today as Halloween but for many Followers of Jesus, October 31st is an important day because it marks the time the Church sought to return to the Gospel. On this date in the year 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The theses detailed the doctrinal corruption of the church and opened the door for the Protestant Reformation. It was a good day.

It also happens to be the day my local church began in 1993. We are fourteen years old today! I've been here for close to ten of those fourteen years and am grateful for every day.

So Happy Reformation Day (#490) you Followers of Jesus Christ! And Happy Birthday those of you at my church!

In honor of these two great events, we've worked it out with the nation that if you go to people's homes, most of them will give you candy. ;)

A Kid Who Gets It.

2007-10-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

The following is a phone call into our local Christian radio station KSBJ. It is from a 12 year old kid named Logan who listens on Sky Angel because he lives on a ranch in a remote Nebraska town. He called the station distraught because he had to "put down" an animal. After numerous requests to place this online KSBJ graciously posted it. It is quite remarkable. Listen to the call from the kid they refer to as the Sky Angel Cowboy.

Logan's call

Having a "Moment"

2007-10-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today I had the chance to speak very briefly with the leadership and volunteers of our children's ministry and experienced one of those "moments" of what it's like to be a part of a church who, while far from perfect, is trying to fulfill the mission of making disciples.

In December we will kick off a second campus and the children's ministry will have a space station theme in the new location. In light of that, the children's director showed a video from our two church members who happen to be in space at the moment (see earlier post). Both gentlemen spoke of the importance of the volunteers' service in light of eternity compared to their own fleeting fame. It was really an incredible sight - watching a video from two guys who were literally nowhere on earth. It was cool. But it wasn't the "moment" for me.

That came when after the video we had another person briefly address the team. She too was an astronaut, quite an accomplished one at that. As she introduced herself, in trying to give context to the space theme of the children's ministry, she noted her numerous space flights, NASA duties and current space responsibilities. Then she said, "But greater than that I'm a member of the church," and proceeded to talk about the mission of making people fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

I was done. I didn't need to say anything to these volunteers. They had all they needed in what they had just heard! It actually choked me up to hear a person who many admire and adore for all she has contributed to space exploration clearly communicate that while those things are wonderful they pale in comparison to making disciples. She spoke so matter-of-factly. It was simply true for her. Helping others know Jesus was more important than anything she had done in her spectacular career. It wasn't that what she had accomplished in a rocket ship was worthless, it just wasn't greater than her work for the Kingdom.

That was a "moment" for me! All I could think of us was, "Wow! I'm so very glad and incredibly grateful to serve with people like her!"

O God, thank you for missionary-astronauts, missionary-teachers, missionary-stay-at-home-moms, missionary-accountants, missionary-engineers,
and everyone who chooses to make your name in Christ known!

I Kissed "Once Saved, Always Saved" Goodbye

2007-10-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you sound in doctrine my title may disturb you. Let me calm your fears. I believe that when a person is genuinely saved their salvation is secure forever. However, like Joshua Harris with dating, while the teaching of “once saved, always saved” isn’t inherently bad, it’s lost its luster for me. For quite some time I’ve ditched that angle on eternal security for the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (where God will ensure the faithfulness of the faithful). It's a much better and biblically defensible alternative. You could say it’s the courtship of dealing with the security of someone’s salvation.

“Once saved, always saved” while having merit (because it’s true) far too often gets used by Christians and church staff trained on the denominational party line as a false sense of security for people who’ve shown no demonstrable sign of regeneration but can stir up a yarn of how they said a prayer when they were little. This view of eternal security mistakenly places the weight of salvation in the wrong thing– the person’s decision. However, it seems the New Testament’s idea of helping people feel secure in their salvation revolves around their present-day faith and practice. A cursory glance at 1 John, which was written for those “who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”(5:13), highlights areas like submission to God’s Word, trusting in the Gospel, love for the church, etc. (e.g., 2:23-24; 3:9-10, 24; 4:6; 5:18)

From a biblical perspective, the focus is always on the current obedience of the believer, not a decision he made years, if not decades, ago. Thus I believe the perseverance of the saints is a much better road to walk when helping other Followers of Jesus understand their eternal security (a term who's usefulness I question in light of this discussion). It should grant confidence and peace to the one who pursues Jesus and deliver uncertainty and sober introspection to the one who doesn’t. There is nothing better than "Perseverance" to best frame and give perspective to that biblical tension on the issue of eternal security, something “once saved, always saved” fails at miserably. You've got a better chance with helping others avoid false confidence, empty confessions and cheap grace.

Therefore, while not rejecting “once saved, always saved” in principle, I have essentially jettisoned it from my vocabulary in pastoral discussions with those under my care. In my humble opinion, the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is a much better (and biblical) alternative to others teachings on eternal security.

"They went out from us, but they were not of us;
for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.
But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us."
- The Epistle of First John 1:19 (ESV)

3...2...1...LIFT OFF!

2007-10-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

One of the blessings I have in serving at the church is that I get to bump into the best and brightest this nation has to offer. Living next door to NASA has filled our church with people like rocket scientists, spaceship engineers and astronauts. When a ship goes into orbit it's not just a national event, for us it's personal. Tomorrow will be another example.

At 10:38AM (CST) the crew of the Discovery will launch from Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Two guys who belong to our church will be part of the crew - astronauts Doug Wheelock and Geor ge Zamka. My wife and I were invited to attend this launch but unfortunately were unable to go.

Please pray for these men and the entire crew as they prepare for their fourteen days in space. This mission will be to bring the Harmony module to the International Space Station which will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules.

For our friends, Doug and George, this will be their first trip into space and what they have dreamed about since they were accepted into NASA's Astronaut Candidate Training Program in 1998. May God be glorified in the journey they are about to undertake. Blessings upon them.

Discovery's Crew for STS-120

*UPDATE: Flawless liftoff!!!

My Family Portrait - Simpsons' Style

2007-10-18T22:49:00.001-07:00

Dealing with the Pharisee in Me

2007-10-14T19:16:00.001-07:00

"...but set the believers an example in speech,
in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
- The First Epistle to Timothy 4:12b (ESV)

I hate the fact that I'd much rather tell someone what to do than do it myself.

This evening was a perfect example of my Pharisaical heart. I spent the better part of an hour telling (berating, really) my wife how she needed to share the Gospel with a specific person. I was overly intense, unrelenting and unforgiving. More claws than compassion, more grit than grace, speaking more at her than with her.

Adding to my hypocrisy is the cold hard truth that there are more than enough people God has put in my life with whom I should share the Gospel. Why am I not as fired up when I look at myself? It's because it's easier to call other people to be obedient to Jesus than to do it yourself. When you talk to others about what they need to do you can look mature, bold and fearless - "Man, that guy can tell it like it is!" - but if there's no personal commitment to those same things then you've become a paper tiger only a few raindrops away from being exposed.

In reflecting upon this unfortunate conversation with my wife (of which I repented to her), along with a good sense of humility and contrition, I'm soberly reminded that the first person who needs to hear (and practice) my sermons is me.

In Rainbows

2007-10-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhhh...

The greatest band in the world, Radiohead, has released their new album In Rainbows via the internet a few minutes ago.

Of course, I downloaded my copy right away. Now I'll surely be up to the wee hours of the morning listening with glee (it's already 1:15AM).

Image Problems

2007-10-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time."
- The Epistle to the Colossians 4:5 (ESV)

Time magazine recently ran a story about the Christianity's "image problem". Leaning heavily on David Kinnaman's new book UnChristian, the piece relates how more and more Americans negatively perceive Christians.

Kinnaman says non-Christians' biggest complaints about the faith are not immediately theological: Jesus and the Bible get relatively good marks. Rather, he sees resentment as focused on perceived Christian attitudes. Nine out of ten outsiders found Christians too "anti-homosexual,"

While the statement is contradictory (the Christian understanding of homosexuality is directly tied to theology), the point is quite clear. Non-Christians don't like the latest version of Christianity they see.

I think many Christians would agree with them.

Yet we must be careful in our response because their angst with the church is more complex than we may think. Some of their belly burn may come from stances we hold (e.g., homosexuality) because they are clearly biblical while other issues may be because the church is dropping the ball due to hypocrisy, ignorance, etc. Thus, while I might nod my head in agreement to some of their grievances, I might also find myself graciously and lovingly disagreeing with them.

This article is another sober reminder to continually examine our beliefs and behaviors to see how much of what we do is shaped by the Bible or the culture. Because if we are going to suffer an "image problem" let it be for the right things.

Advice to a Timothy

2007-10-01T19:45:00.001-07:00

By no stretch do I think I'm over the hill or some big shot in ministry, but I have been able to share and counsel with many who, by nature of their age, are a little further back in the road of teaching ministry. The following is an excerpt from a recent note I sent to a "young gun" (and collegiate baseball player) with advice about how he should use his time ministry-wise. Let's call him "Jim"...

So the plan for the year is no school, just ministry? Alright here's the deal. Teach your tail off! Hone your skills/gifts during this season as much as you can. Work hard at it! Think of it like taking some time in the batting cage...working on your swing. So when you reach an old age of 30-something you'll be light-years ahead of your contemporaries who decided to start learning how to teach/preach later on in their ministry. When people think of Jim and teaching God’s Word they’ll say, “Man, that guy can bring it!”

What to do in the cage-phase? Evaluate! As you spend this time speaking/teaching be relentless evaluating yourself. Remember this is the cage! (Not that this season isn't important and real for the people you teach but I'm thinking of the long-term perspective) You want to try to rid yourself of as many bad habits you can which are so easily picked up in teaching. Grab mp3's of yourself. If the places you speak don't do that, ask them to, or grab your own recorder. Once you've got yourself recorded, listen to it a day or two later. This extra time away from the preaching-event will give you more objectivity. Okay, now here's the tough stuff...

When you listen to it, be as painfully honest/critical as you can be. Ask yourself stuff like, "Did that transition work? What was the one thing I was trying to communicate? Did I address the 'why' they needed to hear this message? Did I deal with their next step? What was my emotional level like? Did it match the moment? Did I faithfully exegete the Scripture? Did I teach in context and not sellout by forcing the Scripture into my message?" Stuff like that. I know of fewer things that are as helpful becoming a better teacher than that. By the way, if they can get you a video it's even better.

Just know that you'll hate doing this stuff! Teachers are their worst critics. Frequently I'll listen to myself and think, "You better find a new job brutha because you’re terrible at this!" Seriously! But that's where you must believe a very essential truth...

God calls us to this, empowers us to do it and enables our listeners to respond. In short, it's up to him anyhow. Therefore, we preach by faith. Let that counter-balance any hard feelings you might have after evaluating (or after a sermon you just gave that makes you want to stick your head in the sand). I can't tell you how many times I felt like I put a "poor swing" on a sermon only to have God move mightily in people's lives as a result. It's God's way of saying, "Don't get too big for your britches. If I don’t do it, it doesn’t happen!” That shouldn’t surprise you but it will. When I’ve depressingly thought I hit a weak single with my message, it became a homerun for someone else listening. That’s humbling and reassuring that when it comes to the teaching/preaching event, it’s not about me.

Jim, I’m proud of you! I’m grateful that you’re staying the course and diggin’ in with all you’ve got. Grace to you as you grow in him. There is no better place than being in the center of his will! Love what you do and who you get to do it with. Settle for nothing less!

Now get out there and take your hacks!

Gucci Little Piggy

The Glory of the Cross - Whose Glory?

2007-09-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- The Epistle to the Romans 5:6-8 (ESV)

Ever notice humanity’s penchant to make everything about us? You don’t have to look far to see our culture’s narcissistic bent; TV celebrities reminding our children through Saturday morning PSA’s how great they are, advertising which traffics in the currency of the almighty consumer, even the church is not immune from the unhealthy love of self.

For some Christians, the Cross has become a symbol of the lovability of humanity. "Oh how wonderful we must be because Jesus died for us!” Just look through some of bestselling Christian books, music and television programming and often you’ll hear how great we are because of the Cross.

That's missing it to say the least! The only greatness displayed in the Cross doesn’t revolve around us but God. The Cross isn’t a declaration of how wonderfully loveable humanity is but how wonderfully gracious and glorious God is. Romans 5:6-8 clearly says that it is God’s love which is displayed in the Cross not our worthiness to receive his love. As a matter of fact the text says that the contrast between the love God displays and the lack of loveliness in humanity is exactly why the Cross is a testimony to God’s grace and glory. Thus the Cross tells us not how good we are but how great God is in that he extends his love to those who have only merited wrath.

Frankly, he is good to us in spite of us! Now whose glory is displayed in the Cross?

So be alert the next time you hear a sermon, read a book or listen to a song that essentially makes the Cross a mirror reflecting our greatness. Trust that there is only one glory reflected at Calvary and it is not ours.

Fear and Loathing in Church Leadership

2007-09-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

I must begin by saying I'm not against learning from the world of business and secular leadership as it intersects church. I've read more than my share of books from that sphere with all their buzzwords, catchphrases and sayings. I found many, if not most of them, very helpful for insights about leading.

It's just that lately I've found myself being more protective of letting the church devolve into an spiritually impotent, crowd-chasing, goods and services supplying organization which takes unhealthy pride in its well-oiled systems, clean org chart and articulate vision statement. Now let me be clear. I don't believe my church is like that...at all! It's just that when I swim in the waters of marketing strategies, brand development and all the bells and whistles associated with that arena for a long period of time there's a part of me which says, "This is all for naught if it threatens the main thing from remaining the main thing!" What is the main thing? The Gospel, of course.

The Gospel is the only reason I do what I do. It's the lifeblood of the church and sometimes, frankly, after a spending a lot of time examining business models, discussing the value of "values" and wondering if our goals are big, hairy or audacious enough, I reach my fill. I want to push back from the table and say, "If I hear one more discussion on our 'brand functional impact' I'm going to scream because the Gospel cannot get lost in the morass of systems and schemes! It can't be trivialized or trite! It can't be managed or massaged! It's not always 'positive' and 'happy' because it beckons men to take up their cross and die. It's not the fix-it-all answer to everything because somehow sin still exists on this planet. It doesn't make us better 'Rich Young Rulers", it makes us slaves!"

Then I realize I've overreacted, made some straw men and was getting excited at the prospect of burning them up. But there's still a little voice inside telling me that my little internal emotional blow up was a good sign because when I take for granted that my church keeps the Gospel central to what we do and say (especially as leaders) that may very well be the day my church has become the very thing I loathe.

Blessings and Bad Churches

2007-09-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
- The Epistle of First Corinthians 1:3 (ESV)

At first glance this seems like a simple greeting from Paul to one of his many churches he ministered to. But when you consider what type of church he was dealing with his words of blessing are quite striking. Corinth, simply put, was a very, very messed up church. This congregation with its lascivious behavior would’ve been the talk of the denomination, probably had a few write-ups in the national Christian magazines and definitely been the topic of discussion for the local radio talk shows. For example, members at Corinth Community Church were getting sloshed (that’s the Greek term) at the Lord’s Supper. Now that’s some type of worship service, eh? Not only does that tell us they weren't Baptists, it also tells us they had some pretty deep issues going on.

And yet when Paul gets word about the train wreck that was Corinth (a church that he planted by the way), the first thing he gives to them is a blessing. A blessing? How about a butt-kicking or something along the lines of “You better get outta there because I just asked God to ‘Sodom & Gomorrah’ you screw-ups!” Okay, okay…I’d be a bad apostle but c'mon, these guys are totally blowing it!

But Paul’s words help me see the truth that no matter how messed up the church is it’s still the church. It’s still the primary way Jesus has chosen to work in the world, and our hearts should be for its success…even if we’ve been disappointed or even burned by it!

This little verse of blessing instructs me on how I handle messed up churches? I should pray God would bless them! And that blessing could be God removing bad leaders, it could be him closing the doors of a church that’s forsaken the Gospel, but it also might be reviving them for the mission of Jesus in the world, of them repenting and realigning for the Kingdom. Unfortunately, I’m too trigger-happy in writing them off when I should be humbled by the fact that if it weren’t for God’s grace my church might be a Corinthian congregation as well.

So next time, instead of pointing a finger or two, I should work on folding them and whisper a blessing that God would bring his grace to them.

Tats and a Fire in the Belly

2007-08-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got to hear a cool story about a guy and his tattoos. You see, we're doing a sermon series called "Inked" and our church video team was filming him as he got his company's logo inked in his inside right forearm. He owns his own clothing company and the logo is this sweet-looking eagle. (See picture)

So before he gets the tat he says that one of the reasons he is doing this is that when he gets older, say 50 or so, and complacency fights for more real estate in his heart and life, he can look down at his tattoo and be reminded that there was a time when he had "a fire in my belly". And when he said it, he didn't say it in an "I wish for the old days"-kind of way but a "I hope that fire's still burning" fashion.

Man, that impressed me so deeply. I spent some time with him today at his warehouse telling him how I absolutely loved the way he expressed himself! That is so where I want to be - to make sure that twenty years from now I'm still, if not more, passionate about doing what I do. I don't want to be the guy who's on cruise control in life - playing way too much golf, always seeking ways to build his portfolio and griping about the weather to his buddies while there is still great Kingdom-work to be done. I don't know if I need to sport a tat or not to remind me to keep my kindling dry, but if there ever was a reason to embed ink under my skin, this might be it.

O God, let the fire still burn for you.

Formulas and Presumptions

2007-08-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
- Isaiah 55:9 (ESV)

"We've been dating for almost a year, surely God wants us to be together."

That was the rationale given to me by a someone in my congregation as to why he should still pursue a woman who wanted time away from him to "think things over" about the future of their relationship. While this person, I believe, has a honest heart about the situation I cautioned him about his reasoning because it risks crossing the line of presumption and seeing God's work as formulaic.

Hear me, I'm not the one to throw stones. I think many, if not most of us, are tempted to "know" what God wants by seeing only one interpretation of events before everything got complicated...and use that interpretation to say that if God did A then surely he will do B. The only problem is that we presume that we know what B is. The truth is by making God work by predictable formulas we tread the faithless ground of presumption.

Again, to be fair, most of our reasoning flows from logical conclusions; however, when our hopes/dreams get a kink in them we tend to go back to "surely this is what God wants" like a young child seeking after his blanky. We do it because it brings us comfort. The problem is it doesn't change reality, nor the heart of God.

I don't need to give examples of how people thought God should do something for one reason only to see him do something else - they're all over the Bible. Thus, there is a very real chance that God's will is to have a person date someone for a year not so that they might wind up married but for something else that will be for each of their good (Rom. 8:28). The point is no one but God knows.

That's why it's wisest to steady your trust in God when the "kinks" come, not using the past as justification as to why God must act one way or another. That is usually just a sign you've succumbed to the temptation of emotion instead of letting the bedrock of God's truth lead you. Leave the predictable formulas and faithless assumptions to others, instead, as difficult as it may feel, be open to the possibility that there are other outcomes God may bring. And whatever the outcome is we must look with the eyes of faith to trust that it will be for our growth and his glory.

James 4:13-17, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Making Friends or Making Disciples?

2007-08-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a thought...you must decide which holds a greater preeminence in your life: making friends or making disciples. (When I say "making friends" I mean that in the most popular sense: trying to make people feel good about themselves, staying away from controversy, packing up the hard conversations in favor of the peaceful surface.) In my experience, there will be times where you must decide which is your ultimate aim because, for one reason or another, you cannot have both.

Sometimes making disciples means we graciously and truthfully drill down deep on someone's sinful patterns in their life, patiently calling them to repentance and pursuing them like a shepherd running after a wayward sheep. It may mean conversations not typified by smiles, laughter or an easiness of spirit but a quiet intensity, sober resolution and slow, steady, stern words. Making disciples may turn your stomach into knots, make you feel a little queasy or cause you to break out in a nervous sweat as you anticipate the "hard conversation" you've got in about an hour from now, hoping somehow they might have to cancel on you at the last minute.

This isn't to say you can't make disciples and have friends. This is to say that in the realm of helping people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, one will influence the other.

Which one will it be for you?

O Canada!

2007-07-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

Over the next week I, and six of my college buddies, will be off to the Canadian Rockies for a new set of adventures. I will post when I return (God willing). If I happen to fall off a cliff or get eaten by a bear, let it be known...

Jesus is Lord.
His love is supreme.
His kingdom has no end.
His cross is my confession.

Trying to Be Real...Or Just Another Kind of Cool?

2007-07-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

"I have become all things to all people,
that by all means I might save some.
I do it all for the sake of the gospel,
that I may share with them in its blessings."
- The Epistle of First Corinthians 9:22b-23 (ESV)

Isn’t it interesting how “authenticity” for some is really just pining for a different type of cool? I find it somewhat funny how some, especially those a generation younger than me, critique many “contemporary”-styled churches as being too slick because their weekend service happens to be tightly programmed and runs smoothly but a church is much more real, “organic” and authentic if, for example, what takes place on Sunday seems as if it’s just happening and put together on the fly. The “More Authenticity” movement says, “Don’t give us theatrical lighting or well-timed, seamless transitions in the service, we should just throw a band out there that ‘knows’ how to worship and some guy who can ‘bring the truth’.” Really?

I guess then we shouldn’t pay any attention to the fact that the “worship team” (read: band) always seems to be dressed in the guise of any number of one-hit-wonder rock groups on the cover of SPIN magazine? Sport some disheveled hair, a well-worn skinny-T (preferably of a secular band the fundamentalist church of your adolescence would hate), a few tats, throw in a piercing or two, and don’t forget to give some obscure writers/theologians as your influences and BAM, you too can have insta-worship-cred for many in the “More Authenticity” movement. But what do we do with the fact that both types of churches often sing the same songs? Hmmmm...

Nor should we ever think to ourselves that the pastor of the “More Authenticity” church, with his frayed jeans, leather wristband and earthy sandals, always seems to look like he just came from a photo shoot for a Hollister catalog. Maybe those “attire desires” are the product of someone who is genuinely more in tune with the Kingdom of God than the poor souls who’ve committed the sin of donning socks and slacks in the pulpit (being the superficial people they are). I’ve forgotten, but can someone please tell me the reference where Jesus took off his mother-of-pearl-buttoned cowboy shirt and used it to wipe the feet of his disciples?

Okay, okay, maybe (just maybe) this is somewhat overstated, but it’s not as hyperbolic as some might think. The truth is, while some banter about the idea that the contemporary church is too inauthentic what they really mean is that the people on stage and the environments where they gather aren’t as cool as they’d like. The bottom line is that these critics, in their noble quest for authenticity have simply taken the lesser (and ignoble) route of image management – which is as far from authenticity as you can get!

Listen, I don’t have a problem with a band who thinks guys wearing eyeliner is cool or a speaker inked with some obtuse looking tattoo on the inside of his wrist that takes him an hour and two philosophers to explain, but don’t tell me it’s more authentic than the guy who wears a sweater-vest with a local golf course crest stitched on it or the worship team where everybody sings in a line with microphones in their hands. Frankly, while I prefer probably the former to the latter, hopefully both are an attempt to contextualize the presence of the church (and the Gospel) to their community. They are simply trying to reflect what the people in their communities look like, talk like, live like - trying to live amongst them (as “normal” as they can be) to lead them to Jesus. Now that sounds authentic regardless of your style palette.

So be careful when you hear someone spouting off about how much more authentic their church is than the one down the street all because they’ve lit candles while the others have chosen to utilize Edison’s discovery! They're just promoting another kind of cool.

I close with a story. A friend of mine (who leads a contemporary church) asked a “More Authentic” devotee, who was critical about the “slick” programming of my friend's services, if being more authentic meant the church staff didn’t need to work on putting a coherent, well-ordered service together. The response: “No, they can plan it out, just don’t make it look like it was planned out.”

Authenticity indeed.

Causes and the Cause: A Case of Means and Ends

2007-07-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

***Okay, this is bubbling in my head currently. I'm not sure if my thinking is completely straight but I reserve the right to get smarter. So let me share my semi-baked thoughts...

"And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them..."
- The Book of Acts 4:33-34a (ESV)

Right now the rage for evangelical churches is to engage in more social causes - global poverty, slavery, children militias, etc. What had been the agenda of theologically liberal mainline denominations for the past several decades has now been adopted by the wider ecclesiastical crowd.

Before I go any further let me say that I believe engaging these causes can be a very worthy endeavor. As a matter of fact I have good friends who are leading the way in a few of these causes (Fair Trade Sports, Tom's Shoes, Invisible Children). One would do well not only to look at what they are saying but consider if he or she should dig in and help. But as church upon church jumps on the social cause bandwagon I humbly suggest they should pause and ask a question: Will these become a means or an end for us?

To discover the mission of the church is to look at the Book of Acts. Page after page describes how followers of Jesus went into all the ancient world declaring that the kingdom of God had come in the person of Christ. Their strategy was quite simple - share what you have heard, seen and experienced in Jesus. Listen to the Commander-In-Chief giving the orders in Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." The initial call of nascent Christianity was clear: go into the world and proclaim who Jesus is and what he has done through the Cross...be a witness. That was, if you will, the end toward which Christians were working, a soulish-end where people received forgiveness by grace through faith in Jesus as Lord (cf., Acts 2:41). Everything else the church did - healing diseases, making the lame to walk, giving sight to the blind - only served as a means towards this end. Like their Master before them, they saw these causes as supporting the greater purpose of proclaiming the Word.

We would be wise to keep this in mind today as more and more churches go for the land-grab of cause after cause. As far as the church and her ministry is concerned, these social justice endeavors should be understood in light of the Gospel and not the other way around. Is helping feed the hungry important? Yes. Is clothing the naked? Yes. Is giving aid to the sick? Absolutely. But they are important tributaries that flow from the very powerful and preeminent river of seeing others give their heart and life to Christ Jesus and his saving work of the Cross! I'm not arguing we can't give a blanket to someone who is cold unless they first read a tract we shoved in their face; I am arguing that all the blankets in the world won't mean very much for anyone's soul a thousand years from now unless, like the Book of Acts, we connect our causes to the great cause of repentance and faith in Jesus.

When the weight of what a church says and does devolves to only (and I stress only) dealing with AIDS in Africa, eliminating the debt in underdeveloped countries or building a fresh-water well minus the framework of the Cross then we've made ends out of means. Frankly, we've been there and done that - it's called the liberal church who gutted the Gospel in favor for social issues. Should it surprise us that they are drying up as quick as spit on a summer sidewalk? To embrace social causes at the expense of the Gospel is like quitting a journey halfway into it because you've convinced yourself you've arrived. This won't do. With our apostolic and ancient forbears as inspiration, the church should engage in causes because of the Gospel not in addition to it.

To do so is to confuse the means with the end...and possibly those wondering what the church is all about.

Acts 5:42, "And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

I Dream...

2007-07-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Today we had a staff getaway where we looked over a document which outlined a vision for the staff of my church. You might call it a "dream page" as each paragraph began with the wording "I dream of..." followed by the hopes of what our staff would become (e.g, people who passionately love Christ, are the best in their respective fields, have a loving rapport with each other). At the getaway we were asked to reread it and offer any edits or additions. The following is an addendum I wrote:

I dream of a staff that seeks to be sound doctrinally, where everyone considers themselves to be a theologian instead of ceding it to the academic and ecclesiastical elites. I dream of working with people who desire to be theologically astute so that both God and man might be loved with increasing intensity, frequency and fidelity. I dream of a staff who knows, believes, proclaims and defends the essentials, who is magnanimous in the non-essentials, seeking to bring every thought and action captive to Christ. I dream of a team where liberty is our flag and responsibility the staff on which it waves.

Reformed Resurgence

2007-07-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

“I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that,
if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him;
and I am sure He chose me before I was born,
or else He never would have chosen me afterwards.”
– Charles Spurgeon

Lately I’ve noticed the upsurge of Reformed theology in the evangelical church. It seems that, especially in the eyes of the twenty and thirty-somethings, historically Calvinistic understandings about salvation are on the rise (for example, see one of the seminal articles addressing this growing Reformed wave). But is this just the theology du jour, a trend ("Calvinism is cool!") that hip pastors and parishioners want to be a part of simply because it's trendy? I don’t think so.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a (super)natural response to the fruits of a self-centric Christianity of the last quarter century with its inch-deep (read: trivialized) worship choruses, therapeutic (read: new law) sermons and over-sentimentalized (read: near idolatrous) view of the Holy. In the end you have a painting that claims it is about God but unfortunately amid all the brilliant colors and broad strokes the only image that seems to rise from the canvas looks a lot like us.

I like Mark Devers' quote: Where'd all these Calvinists come from? Quietly, all over the world young Christians, young ministers have had their spiritual tummies rumbling after they've been reading many of the spiritual bestsellers, books that are full of jokes and life tips, whose height of profundity have been something like "Lighten up and Live!" And someone has turned them on to [Reformed teaching]. And, by God's grace, they have learned about the grace of God, and the God of that grace.

The reality is, today, that younger generations are seeking a better frame in which to view God, one where God is displayed as the God of the Bible. And it appears many have found it in the Doctrines of Grace.

That surely was the case for me. Early in my journey with Jesus I learned about comprehensive depravity, unconditional election and the other doctrines which revolve around the fact that salvation is entirely of God alone. For that I am very grateful and indebted to the Lord because those truths have increased my sense of awe, reverence and humility toward him like few other avenues have. Needless to say, I am encouraged to think this is going on around churches throughout our nation.

For what it's worth...
I don’t like to define my understanding of what I believe as Reformed or Calvinistic. I feel that doesn’t do justice to them. I’d rather say I am attempting to believe what the Bible teaches as best as I can understand it…period. I use the term Reformed because I acknowledge there are many who have arrived at different positions than mine who would say the same thing about their pursuit of biblical truth.

Hopefully, one day they'll come to their senses. ;)

PS - At any place where a system for understanding what the Bible teaches conflicts with the Bible teaches you’ve got a problem. But let it be known that I hold to a Reformed view of theology ultimately because of what I believe the Bible, not any one particular man, has said. Big boys get that. Only the immature Christian tends to accuse others of being led astray by personalities (e.g., Luther and Calvin) instead of the Bible. The truth is all of us are taught by others. Of the teachers we embrace, we do so precisely because we believe they have interpreted the Bible most faithfully. The more spiritually mature understand that and refuse to accuse others of blindly following a person. They've learned that many who stand on the other side of the theological street do so because they believe the Bible brought them there. Keeping that in mind should help us dialogue with both fervor and respect.

Searching for a Spark

2007-06-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

“The Cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough to it for its sparks to fall on us.”
- John Stott

This past month there's probably been no truth more in the forefront of my mind than the one which Stott is addressing. Unfortunately, I'm finding how all too often I tend to live for something else than the Gospel and how much vigilance I'm to muster in trusting that my approval, security and identity flow from Calvary. I always thought of myself as a fairly steady and sure person but after some introspection I've begun to notice a thread of doubt which runs through the fabric of my responses to people and things. Whenever I find myself uttering self-justifying statements or sense that I'm overly-critical in my assessment of a peer, I can be confident most of that flows from my unbelief, my lack of faith in the Gospel to be my sufficiency. The result is a lame (but pretty shrewd) attempt at trying to control my image.

Stott's words are a good measure of the medication I need. I need the Gospel. I need it again...and again...and again. If I'm going to make any headway into a Cross-centered life I must "take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5) by unleashing the Gospel upon anything I'm trusting in to build me up besides the Cross.

It's the best way I know of getting close to the fire.

A Prayer

2007-06-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

O God,

Forgive me for wanting to be
more celebrity than slave,
For desiring the bigger and brighter
instead of the holy and healthy

May I look to offer support and love
for fellow under-shepherds who are my peers
Instead of trying to tell myself all the ways
I supposedly am superior to them.

Still my confidence in the Cross
and my identity in the Gospel,
Fleeing any reliance in what I do,
who I know or any future endeavor

Blot out my transgression of filling
my day with the work of the ministry
When the truth is I am simply
beating around the bush of meeting with you.

Continue to cast your favor upon me O Lord
Thus far I have not deserved it
(and never will)
and yet still you give

I feel as Jacob who merited no advantage
and yet blessing was his portion
For you sovereignly declared,
“Jacob I loved.”

In the midst of all my failings
(and there are many)
I still hear your voice
and its declaration of love for me.

O God, you are my God.

Don't Overlook the Seemingly Insignificant

2007-06-18T05:37:00.001-07:00

Wrestling, Britney and Systematic Theology

2007-06-11T19:33:00.001-07:00

"What comes to mind when we think about God
is the most important thing about us."
-A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

Want to see people roll their eyes at something you say? You can defend wrestling on television as being real, you can proclaim how Britney Spears is an incredible singer or you can simply affirm the importance of systematic theology. Each of those testimonies will bring all kinds of negative reactions - from a magnanimous fake smile and slow nodding all the way up to a good old-fashioned yelling match. The sad thing is that only two out of the three actually merit a challenge.

If theology means the study of God and systematic means an arranged or orderly system of understanding, it is beyond me why any Follower of Jesus would harbor any amount of disdain towards it. And yet, I've heard not only Christians but Christian leaders decry how systematic theology is too academic, dry and impractical for the modern-day follower. That last critique is my "favorite". Theology is "out" because it's not pragmatic enough. "How is this going to help my marriage? What is this going to do for my business? Is this going to help me find a mate? Those are the things I want to understand from the Bible! How does knowing the Trinity impact those issues? What does "homoousias" have to do with me? Why waste my time with communicable and incommunicable attributes of the Holy when I can read this bestseller that's going to tell me how to be healthier, wealthier and wiser spiritually?"

Straw man? I wish. While many of those indifferent to theology might not express it in those exact terms the end result still holds. Systematic theology is seen as the property of naive, ivory tower Christians who only want to debate free will versus predestination at Starbucks until closing. This shouldn't be! We should desire to grow in our knowledge of God so that we might grow in our love and service of him. That's it. If God has revealed who he is then doesn't it follow that we should seek to know as much as we can of that revelation? Do we do it to become walking theological encyclopedias who spout obtuse and obscure bits of dusty information that only seeks to alienate everyone around us? Not at all! We do it to become better lovers of God, better followers of Jesus, better instruments for the Holy Spirit in his mission of reaching those far from the Father.

Listen up, reclaim that which is yours! Don't let studying theology be something for the ecclesiastical Illuminati. God, through his Word, has pulled the curtain back on who he is and, mind you, this is not just some high school buddy, chummy neighbor or even your sweet spouse that's letting you in on who they are. This is the God of the Universe inviting you to know him more. This should help us see that systematic theology is very practical. So don't cede it to others when it is divine gift for you too.

Let's leave the rolling of eyes for the men in tights and the mouseketeer.

Simple Joys

2007-06-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

“We are nowhere forbidden to laugh, or be satisfied with food…
or to delighted with music, or to drink wine.”
– John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

I don’t know about you but sometimes I lose sight of the simple joys God has given – food, drink, music, conversation. Sometimes they are concealed by techno-explosion that is my life. IPods, laptops, television, DVD, gizmos ad infinitum seem to crowd out the stuff I used to do before Bill Gates, Steve Jobs & Co. turned the world on its ear.

Yesterday (while staring at a computer) I called my wife (on my cell) and asked her if she would like to completely change plans for the evening (which for me was sitting at home watching TV or probing the deep recesses of the internet) and go out for dinner, just the two of us. Within a few hours we had finished dinner and were sitting down at the Kemah Boardwalk, eating overpriced but extremely tasty Marble Slab ice cream, conversing about the going’s-on of each of our lives and watching kids happily scurrying through the water spouts anxious to be the latest victim of an unannounced burst of water. All of this on a summer evening whose clear blue sky was dotted with clouds of amber, gold and crimson as the sun was bidding its farewell for the day.

Simple joys.

Even though relatively inexpensive, they seem to fill me up more often than the “shiny, digital, on/off button” stuff I let crowd my life. Maybe I need to take a step back. Maybe I should push away from the tech-table for a while. Maybe I’d be better if I picked up the phone and called a buddy or two for a drink, a bite and meaningful conversation. So I’ll try to reduce the strain on my eyes and my energy bill as I turn the shiny things off a little bit more than usual in order to carve out additional time for the simple joys.

Filling Station

2007-06-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

"For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you--that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine."
- The Epistle to the Romans 1:11-12 (ESV)

This Friday I had the opportunity to meet a guy I'd been invited to know for a long time. He's my age and pastor of a church in St. Louis which happens to have as parishioners some close friends of mine (an old college roommate and his "girl" to be exact). For years, my "roomie" had wanted me to meet with him saying how alike we both were in passions, personalities, etc. So when the opportunity surfaced to meet with him in Houston I jumped at it. I wasn't disappointed.

I wanted to write this in light of my last post. Yes, there are times when those who have given their lives in full-time ministry immensely disappoint you with their selfish and reckless actions. But there are also times, much more frequent in my experiences I might add, where you run across fellow pastors who inspire, encourage and challenge you. You leave your time with them more fired up to serve Jesus with greater fidelity and intensity at the church he has placed you. For me, those are moments that feed my spirit. They are cool drinks of water in the sometimes arid landscape of ministry. I depart those times of fellowship with my tank fuller (or is it "more full") than it was when I shook hands in greeting.

Friday just reminded me of how important it is for me to get around guys my age, who essentially do what I do and share how the journey is going. If that's my weakness so be it. I need that time. I crave that time. There are fewer things I do that fill me up the way that does!

If you find yourself in a little slump or low on gas (or neither - you should do this no matter how good or bad it's going), grab a buddy who sails the same type of ship you do. Hit him up for a cup of coffee, a game down at the ballpark or (as in my case) breakfast. You may find yourself a little more "filled up" after it's all said and done!

Sobering News

2007-05-29T19:52:00.001-07:00

Today I received some grave news. A friend of mine quit as pastor of his church due to moral failure. It hurt me deeply because not only was this man my friend but a mentor and leader for a significant time of my life. As a matter of fact, I would consider him one of my spiritual fathers.

With the sobering revelation I'm reminded of two things. First, our heroes all have feet made of clay. No matter how highly we regard them, it doesn't change the fact that they can bomb, implode, lock up, freak out, go off the deep end and ruin their life (and witness). I'm sure you can name some people yourself.

Secondly, it reminds me that I better watch my life, safeguard my heart and take care of my soul. It's funny how when my heart and soul get weak so does my resolve. Actually it's not that funny - it can be the difference between leading a ministry and being a recipient of it. So take care of that which needs taking care of; spend time with others in good fellowship, dig deep into the disciplines so that God may pour out his grace to you and keep watch over what's going on inside of you.

Everybody is playing for keeps.

Confession

2007-05-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hi. I have a problem. Okay, I know that’s not new. I’m a sinner. Sinners and problems go hand-in-hand like Elvis and a velvet canvas. The difference is that sometimes, when we get slow down, meditate on God’s Word and allow His Spirit to speak to our heart, we can receive enough grace to discover problems we possessed but couldn’t put a finger on. So when I say I have a problem, I mean I’ve seen something in my life that’s I didn’t before.

It’s the sin of self-promotion.

It’s almost funny that I was so oblivious to this in my life, but now as I’ve narrowed down the problem in my heart I see it everywhere!

Over the past few weeks I’ve talked with a friend of mine who said that when he struggled through stuff like that it came down to him trusting (or not) the Gospel to be his validation and security. They were good words. Adding to that line of thought was a message I heard this week by Pastor Tim Keller on preaching the Gospel. One of the key thoughts he addressed was that the sin we exhibit usually has a deeper root sin as its cause whose cure is almost always the Gospel. Again, for what was going on in me, they were especially good words.

I’ve come to realize that when you boil it all down, my sin of self-promotion is due to my inability to trust the Gospel. Wanting others to see me a certain way emanates from my lack of faith that Jesus is my identity and the Cross my confession. As a result, I feel the need to validate myself before others even though that question has already been answered by the Gospel.

So I thank God for the past seven days. I’m grateful he gave me eyes to see that which kept me from living the Gospel out in my life. I know there’s more stuff in me to be dealt with but at least one stone was overturned in me that, up to now, hadn’t been. Now I simply ask that he might give me the grace to mortify that problem, and all others, which keep me from trusting in the Good News.

What are you trusting?