Gifting, Church Growth, and the Body of Christ

"What's your role as pastor in this?  An indispensable element, or insignificant as God works with or without you?

Stuart: You have to understand that gifting is all about the Giver, not the receptor.  And so if I am gifted, which I am, there's no reason for me to get any grandiose ideas about it; I'm simply the receptor of what God has sovereignly given me.  This says nothing about me; it says much about him.

At the same time, there are gifts of wisdom and insight scattered throughout the whole church and you need to reckon with those as well.

So the pastor does have a significant role.  It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise.  I am gifted and called to this.  But everyone else in the church is also gifted and called to their role.  My role key, but it's only one the necessary parts of the whole.  THe pastor must also be encouraging, discerning, developing the giftedness of all the people around him.

"In This Together: an interview with Stuart and Jill Briscoe," Leadership Spring 2001, 66.

Amen to this!

It has taken me decades to learn and embrace both sides of the equation that Stuart Briscoe describes.  Surprisingly, I think the first part has been the hardest to understand.

I am gifted because of the grace of God.  This should not be denied.  His gifting reveals His grace, mercy and love.  It also reveals His intensity, His stubbornness concerning His Kingdom, His strength.

For years, I was told that the first set was the only role of the pastor.  "Be the loving, merciful, loving pastor."  I was told by many that my intensity, my single-minded stubbornness for the Kingdom, my strength were weaknesses that must be improved before I could be used by God.  For years, I believed this lie!

God does not make mistakes when He gifts us.  He forms our basic personality.  He sovereignly works through the good and the bad to make us who we are today.  God uses it all!

Our response should be repentant faith.  We repent of our arrogance, which includes taking ourselves too seriously.  We repent of our sin and our unbelief.  Then we believe the promises of scripture.  God loves us!  He promises to "make all things work for the good of those who are called according to His purposes."

In other words, we believe and move out in faith to use our gifts to build His kingdom.  This part of the equation has always made sense to me.  I find it often does not make sense to many people.  We grow deeper as we use whatever we have to honor and glorify God through our life and our witness.  If you are not growing, awake from your sleep and use your gifts to reveal the beauty of the giver of gifts!

God uses all kinds of people: the shy and the bold; the strong and the weak; the talented and those without great talents.  He made you because He wants to use you to reveal His great creativity, variety, love, and mercy.  We are His hands and feet.

Such truth should humble us and empower us for ministry.  He does not make junk!  You are a great treasure and He can reveal Himself through us.  Repent of your unbelief and walk in faith as you move out in life and ministry.

Developing the Heart of God for the Lost

"Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?  It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile.  It is thrown away.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.  And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."

Luke 14: 34-15:2

I love how the gospel writers put their narratives together.  Each of the authors took the same material and information, and they crafted it for different audiences.  These gospels were not read with their chapter divisions.  Those were added much later.  Instead, the narrative of Jesus' life and ministry read like an action packed play.

In Luke 15, Jesus declares the heart of God for the lost.  With the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons, Jesus declares God great concern and pursuing love for the lost.

What is often missed is how he concludes what we read as Luke 14.  "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall it be restored?"  What is he talking about?  In the context, this small section is told by Luke between Jesus' teaching on the cost of being a disciple and the reality that the "sinners" of the day loved him (found him "salty') and the religious teachers grumbled at this fact.  

Matthew uses this teaching of Jesus concerning salt in a different way, and it is found in a different place.  Does this show an error?  No!  I am sure Jesus used this phrase often in its ministry.  It has many applications.  I believe it is clear that Luke is using it here to illustrate the reality of disciples being the preserving influence to the sinners that God is passionately pursuing.  Jesus is the perfect example of a follower of God.  He pursues and is attractive to sinners.  Unfortunately, this also means the religious folks sometimes do not understand him!

I love the topic of evangelism.  Yet, I am always concerned when I share my thoughts with others.  Why?

Most believers are tired of talking about evangelism.  They feel guilty for not doing it.  The result is predictable, but sad.  In my experience, 90% of churches say they wish to grow, but 90% of these churches are not really willing to follow through to grow.  In addition, 90% of believers claim they want to reach out to friends, neighbors, and co-workers, but about 90% of them rarely follow through.  

See why I am nervous?  These claims are rather controversial!  Yet, in my experience I have found it to be true.  One of my favorite stats I have seen to illustrate this lack of personal evangelism was a survey taken of mainline Presbyterians.  The findings concluded that on average a Presbyterian congregant invites someone to church once every 17 years!  Wow.

I will say that I moved from a church in Maine that was willing to change so it could grow to a church in Seattle that I believe is willing to change so it can grow.  The problem is that change within a church or an individual is so difficult and full of pitfalls!

Why is this the case?  As individuals, I often hear excuses about their gifting, the difficulty of the culture, their work environment, their desire to answer questions if asked but not to be pushy.  Honestly, I have offered all of these excuses myself!  

In a good starting book concerning evangelism by Rick Richardson called Evangelism Outside the Box, he affirms that all of the above excuses fall into what he calls the self-perception box.  Richardson argues that all of us develop "boxes" that we put around God and how God can work through us in evangelism.  I believe for most of us, our self-perception boxes greatly hinder our personal evangelism.

Richardson also mentions several other boxes that hinder effective evangelism.  These include the theology box, the sacred practices box, and the strategies and structures box.  While each of these boxes can apply to individuals, I think they particularly apply to churches and groups of believers.

What does this mean?  I agree with Richardson that often our churches say one thing, but their practical theology, their sacred practices, and their outreach strategies belie their claims.  In other words, what we actually do and believe put roadblocks in the way of effective outreach!

I do not have space in this post to describe all that this means for each box.  Lord willing, I will deal with each of these boxes with examples in upcoming posts.  Instead, I would like to ask several questions that will serve as diagnostic tests for our ability to do outreach.

First, do pre-Christians find you and your church environment compelling?  "Sinners" were attracted to Jesus during his time on earth, and they are still attracted to Jesus in our postmodern world!

Second, do you, perhaps even subconsciously, shy away from inviting people to your church because you know its worship and practice are not attractive to people today?  Why is this?  Is the gospel proclaimed?  Are you ashamed of the gospel or are the "sacred practices" of the church more geared to the culture of the 1950s than our current postmodern culture?

Last fall I presented this material and asked these questions to my church in Seattle.  Afterward, we had a question and answer time.  Two questions/observations posed during this time and after the meeting have stuck with me.  I wish to share them to help kick off the discussion on evangelism in our postmodern world.

The first was a statement that personal evangelism seems so much harder in Seattle than it did when this individual lived in Atlanta.  She shared that in Atlanta even people at work were more than willing to talk about spiritual things.  In Seattle, it is not only harder, but also dangerous.  You could lose your job, clients, and respect if you mention spiritual issues.

I could not agree more!  In a secular culture like Seattle, we are much more postmodern than Atlanta.  Religion is seen as irrelevant and perhaps an immoral imposition on culture.  For someone raised in the Church, attending Christian schools, and surrounded by our Christian "bubble", this change is most likely confusing and disorienting.  

I must be honest, I find it exciting.  Our postmodern culture looks more like first century Roman culture than the American culture of the 1950s.  It appears that Paul and the disciples did a good job reaching that ancient culture.  By the grace of God, we can also!

Yet, if we wish to reach these folks with the gospel, we most likely will need new methods, strategies, and even practices that deal with the questions of the day.  Knowing these questions and then answering them effectively in community is why I am teaching the class and why I am the pastor of a church that wants to be effective in ministry in a postmodern culture.

This leads to the second statement/question.  On the way out, I was told that about 20 years ago, being "seeker-sensitive" was all the rage.  This individual did not think this movement was helpful and he did not want to return to these ideas.

What does this mean?  Does it mean we should not copy Bill Hybels and Willow Creek?  Of course this is true!  Each church must be who God has made them to be.  Copying other ministry styles and leaders does not work most of the time.

Yet, Jesus tells us in Luke 15 that God's heart is to pursue and search for those who are lost.  If we wish to be a disciple of Jesus, should we not have the same heart?  Should we not seek to be the salt that preserves and saturates this culture?  Again, of course this is true!

As I see it, one of the biggest problems with copying "seeker-sensitive" church was they misunderstood what the pioneering leaders in the movement wanted to do.  These pioneers sought to take the gospel to the lost.  In their particular places and local cultures, they were successful.  Yet, Atlanta, Chicago, and Seattle are all so different!  Taking a effective ministry to a suburb of Chicago and applying the ministry strategy to downtown Seattle is foolish.  In fact, I have heard that "seeker-sensitive" church have found they are ineffective in reaching the 40s and under postmoderns.  They thought their strategy was universal, but instead they are finding it was only very effective in reaching suburban baby-boomers (and I would add those marked by consumerism).  As a result, they are changing their strategies to reach a new generation.

What is the constant?  The gospel is a life-changing message.  It applies to every culture throughout time.  It is the source of our power and our hope.  The gospel is needed by all, and it compels us outward to others.  In other words, the gospel is always seeking pre-Christians because God is always seeking the lost.

Returning to my diagnostic questions, is your church and your personal message of what God has done in Christ (the gospel) compelling to not-yet-believers?  It should be.  If it is not, the way we communicate most likely hinders the message from challenging and transforming individuals and communities.  

Thankfully, we can change the way we communicate by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit.  It may be hard.  In fact change is always hard.  Yet, it can be done.

I do hope to return to this topic often in the coming weeks and months.  May the Lord transform us so we can proclaim Jesus so others can hear.  Amen and amen!

Hang-ups to Effective Outreach

Why do as as individual believers struggle so much to share our faith?  Why do we as churches talk about outreach and constantly feel guilty about not doing enough outreach, yet at the end of the year we see little growth through evangelism?

I think there are some easy explanations for these all too common problems.  I just wonder if we really want to hear these explanations?  Notice the following statement and diagnosis of the problem.

"We want to see people come to know Jesus.  We want to see people in heaven with God forever.  We want to see people become devoted followers of Jesus Christ.  That's what you and I long for.  That's way you're reading this book.  You and I won't be satisfied until God's hand is stretched out and we're seeing more fruitfulness.

This chapter is about identifying and taking down barriers- old ways of viewing and doing evangelism. If we don't first understand what's holding us back, we won't be ready to embrace important new ideas.

Often when we start to make witness a passion and a priority, we run into a major barrier: our "boxes," mental models of ministry and evangelism that keep us from pouring our passion into new ways of witness.  If we are growing in our passion for witness but pouring our efforts and energy into the same structures and strategies we've always had, we will see little increase in fruitfulness.  After a time we will get discouraged and our passion will disappear."

Rick Richardson, Evangelism Outside the Box, 17.

So what is a key problem?  We mistake methods that worked decades ago with the message that applies  in every age.

We need to re-think our methods.  We need to re-think false ideas that hold us back from sharing the incredible love of Christ.

How so?

We have many common issues in talking about evangelism.  I think many of us are scared to death of witnessing for Jesus because we believe it is confrontational.  I think others are so self-consumed that they figure once they get their life in order they will begin witnessing (unfortunately this will never happen).  I also think that many of us have false and misleading views of evangelism and outreach.  We think of a method or a knowledge base that we must know and understand so we can be effective witnesses.  We know what worked (sort of?) in the past, and we hold to this method as the best way to move forward in outreach.  Yet, the conditions never appear to be just right.  In time, we talk about evangelism and outreach, but we do very little to make it happen.

The beginning of Richardson's book helps us identify the "boxes" or categories we have firmly in mind when we think about "proper evangelism."  I say proper, because most of us have some notion of how it should be done.  This is particularly true in churches.  

It is my belief that most churches do not engage in effective evangelism and outreach because we corporately have invented, maintained, and enforced methods of thought and ministry that actually work against effective outreach.  

This is quite a mouthful and it could be taken as quite accusative.  I do not intend it to be!  I work as a church revitalizer.  I love the Church.  I wish to see each local body of Christ moving forward in effective ministry.  I believe following the NT pattern, a healthy church will be constantly growing deeper in the gospel and outward in ministry.  Such a church will be marked by at least 5-10% growth in new converts per year, and it will have many young believers who need to be discipled.

The problem is I work in a denomination where this is seldom the case with our established churches.  I also find that my denomination is not alone in our struggles for healthy growth!

So, what do we do?  We talk about outreach.  We spend money on programs.  We look for and reward those individuals and churches who have effective ministry.  Yet, nothing seems to change.  In fact, our churches grow older, we find less children in the pews, and we can see strange and scary handwriting on the wall that says something has to be done.

So, we talk more about outreach, we get a new leader/pastor, we spend money on programs, and often still nothing changes.

Is it hopeless?  Is growth and outreach into this culture impossible?

Perhaps it is if we expect that God will and must work through the same means as He did generations ago.  Perhaps the problem is not our passion for the lost, but our way of thinking about how to "do church" and "do outreach."  

I honestly do not believe that individual and corporate evangelism is particularly hard in today's world.  I find that people are open to talking and very needy!  The problem is that our methods of operating need to "fit" with the way people dialogue and think.  Notice I did not say our theology should adapt!  Most of the time this is not true.  If we lose the gospel, we have no real purpose and no real message.  

What needs to change are our methods of ministry.

Some individuals and churches will change easily while others just cannot make the transition.  In 20 years, those that change will still be going strong while those that refuse to address their ministry "boxes" will be ineffective and possibly closed.  Thankfully God in His sovereign love will raise up other churches and other denominations to reach this generation!

What methods do you think need to change?  What do we need to change to?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Elements of Worship Renewal

What is worship all about?  I have found that in America there are two different schools of thought concerning how to answer this question.

The first group answers that worship is a "service unto God."  The object and goal of worship is to honor and glorify God.  As a result, worship is God-focused.  It is not about the worshipper, but the God who is worshipped.

The second group answers that worship is a "time to lay your burdens down and be encouraged."  The object and goal of worship for these folks is to provide excitement, emotional release, and a feeling of God's presence.  Here worship is about the worshipper having their needs met.

Anyone who has eyes to see can and should understand that I just set up a straw man argument.  I presented two views of worship that are easily torn down because both are not complete.  Who actually holds these views and articulates them this way?  The answer is virtually no one.  Yet, ... the proof of what we believe is not merely what we say, but also what we do.  While virtually no one would articulate either of these two extremes about worship, many churches and individuals act like they believe it!

How about a new definition?  One that provides a balance?  Worship is a time for individuals and communities of faith to meet with God.

Worship must be God focused.  It also must be done in such a way to encourage and promote active engagement with God's presence.

Is such worship possible?  Of course it is!  It is also necessary for revival and renewal both individually and corporately.  Notice the following quote from a contemporary writer.

"This extra "glimpse of God" is what most of us crave.  With any experience of God's nearness comes all the blessings of God's divine nature: renewal, power to change, deliverance, comfort, joy, and peace.  It is no coincidence that these are the very things for which the world is longing and searching." Sally Morgenthaler's Worship Evangelism: 

Inviting Unbelievers into the presence of God, 97-98

Are you in a worshipping community where you enter into the presence of God each week?  I find it interesting that many of us are not worshipping in such a place.  Instead, we rationalize that we are "not one of those worship junkies" who insist on feeling God's presence.  We are more mature.

I would challenge that if we do not find God's presence in worship and we are content with it, then we might not be as mature as we think!  

I love how scripture affirms a biblical desire for God.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

Ps. 42:1-2

As people we were made to enjoy the presence of God.  When you get a taste of God's presence in Christ, it is addicting.  It is satisfying.  It is life.  Who does not want more life, peace, joy and love deep within their soul?

One of the greatest attractions of worship is when a community create a place where individuals can meet with God.  I know we can meet with God anywhere, but the time and space of worship together in community is often where we experience God's presence in a deep and real sense.  I believe such an experience can be felt and experienced even by non-believers.

My actual experience verifies this claim.  At my former church, Grace Bible Church in Maine, I often heard from visitors that they "felt" the presence of God while with us in worship.  This observation was made from believers and unbelievers,  first-time visitors and long-time attenders, and everything in between.  We were not a "large church" by the standards of worldly judgment, but God did work through and in our worship.

I also have experienced this phenomena in many other growing churches.  In fact, I could argue that such an experience of God's presence in worship is a mark of a growing and thriving church.

So, how do we move/grow a church so this experience of God's presence is felt even by unbelievers?

This is a tricky question.  God cannot be manipulated to "show up" like magic.  Yet, I think and I have experienced several traits of churches that have worship renewal.

First, these churches pray for this experience and presence.  They also come anticipating meeting with God.  These churches are filled with people who ask that the Lord's presence be known, and they are marked by a directed prayer ministry that asks the Lord to work through and in worship.  There is also an expectation that God will move and speak.

Second, these church have people who are called and gifted to lead worship.  These folks may not be the best musicians in the church, but they love to worship.  They have all the traits above, and they ask the Lord to work through them to touch hearts.

Please notice, I said gifted and called.  How do we tell this?  These folks have an inner call to lead worship, they have external call from a group to help them lead worship, and the Lord blesses their work by showing up!

The last mark of calling is the trickiest.  Who determines this?  Does someone's best friend get to say, "The Lord blessed your leading/playing today"?  Is it only the Elder's job to determine this?  Unfortunately/fortunately churches are often full of encouraging folks.  They encourage effort as much or more than results.  Could this skew the data in determining God's blessings on their work?

Of course it can!  The real and ultimate proof is God's presence being known to believers and un-believers, long-time members and first-time visitors.  Such proof cannot be ascertained in any given Sunday, but should be measured over the course of time.

What does this mean?  Finding, developing, and encouraging worship renewal is essential for a growing church.  As individuals we can pray.  As churches we can lovingly search for and encourage those who are blessed to help lead such renewal.  Is this easy?  No.  Is it fool-proof?  No.  Yet it is essential for worship evangelism and worship renewal to take place.

I would love thoughts and opinions on this topic.  As you can see, I am working through my thoughts, so help me grow by sharing yours!

Conversion, Prayer, and Witnessing Difficulties

"All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore and make disciples ...
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20

"A disciple is not above his teacher, not a servant above his master.

It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher,

and the servant like his master.

If they called the master of the house  Beelzebul, 

how much more will they malign those of his household."

Jesus in Matthew 10: 24-25

Where is God and why is He not working through me?  I wish to see people come to know Jesus.  Why is no one interested?

Last year, I had a message from a young lady in south east Asia who shared her desire to see people come to know Christ, but her deep concern for the lack of conversions and spiritual interest she was experiencing.  She shared about hearing of God working in and through others in great ways, but she was not seeing the action of God in her life.  I could tell she really wanted to see God work in and through her!  Yet, through her witness, only a few had expressed interest in Christ.  She asked, "Is there something wrong with me?"

I replied to her message, but I wanted to give a fuller explanation.  I believe her experience marks the experience of many!  I know for times and seasons in my life, it matched perfectly with my experience.

So, is she doing something wrong?  I would guess the answer to be no.  While she probably could be better at knowing and presenting the gospel, I can read between the lines to see that her heart is in the right place.  She desperately wants to see God's name exalted in her life and in the lives of her not-yet-believing friends.

This heart attitude is where most believers fall short in being used by God.  For many, complacency and selfishness drive our Christian life.  We view Jesus and the Holy Spirit as our personal saviors and helpers.  We seek to be healed of our hurts and hang-ups, and then we might tell others about Jesus.  

Unfortunately, this attitude is why so many people do not grow in their faith!  The Holy Spirit must go somewhere in our life.  His purpose is to exalt the name of Jesus and the bring glory to the Father.  As we share about Jesus' work in our life and the truth about who He is, the Holy Spirit shows up to bring glory to Christ.  In the process, we are changed and transformed!  

Yes, the biggest reason most of us do not grow and do not see people come to faith is that we do not share the life-changing message of the gospel!  Our "fear of rejection" illustrates a profound lack of faith.  Our desire to "be made right and holy" before we share our faith illustrates a profound misunderstanding of how we grow in grace.

So, what could be wrong?  If she is sharing her faith with a right heart, why is there so little fruit?

For the past nine years I have worked in two places in America known for their secularism (Maine and Seattle).  For eight years I labored in Northern New England, an area with the lowest percentage of church attendance  in the USA that boasts in having the highest level of "noners" (those claiming absolutely no religious affiliation or preference) in the United States.  New England, and Maine in particular, has been called the grave-yard of preachers because of the rocky spiritual soil.  I know many sincere pastors and Christians who have seen little or no conversions through their witness.

Does this mean we are all failures?  I know many need to get past the fear of rejection and witness.  Others need to stop thinking of Christ as their personal savior and see Him as the answer to virtually all human questions and needs.  Their friends and co-workers need Jesus!  But there is something more at work here.

Their is often a spiritual component to spiritual blindness and to ineffective/slow growth witnessing.

In scripture, we are told that Satan has blinded the eyes of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4).  In my experience and in the book of Acts, I have seen some groups of people responded more favorably to the gospel, while other entire groups of people rejected the gospel.  Even Paul witnessed little conversions in Athens (Acts 16:16-34), while seeing great revival in Berea (Acts 16:10-15).  Did he do something wrong in Athens?

Some would argue yes, but I think not!  The people of Athens were more worldly and secular than the people of Berea.  By this I do not mean "evil" but instead I mean that they looked and believed in natural cause more than spiritual answers.  Secular folks rule out the work of God from consideration.  Obviously it is harder to witness to these folks!

For example, the Stoics mentioned in Acts 16:18 most likely would have been very moral people marked by great self control.  They might be "more righteous" in their conduct than anyone we know!  Yet, they rejected the supernatural as superstitious "babbling" from a weak mind.  Of course they reject Paul's message.  They probably did not even listen to it.

I would argue that such thought is the very definition of worldliness.  It is also the mark of those controlled and dominated by the blinding influence of the Evil One.

This young lady labors to witness for Jesus in an area dominated with the same worldly and secular thought.  I also labor in such an area!  What can we do?

First, pray like your life depends upon it!  In fact, pray like the lives of those to whom you witness depend upon it.  Ask for the Lord to send a spirit of revival and transformation.  Pray that the veil will be lifted so they may see their real need and embrace Christ.

Second, do not give up!  Keep praying, witnessing, and most importantly washing yourself in the gospel.  It will be easy to forget the gospel if you do not have others around you to remind you of its beauty and truth.  Find a community of like-minded believers to encourage and pray with you.

Finally, rejoice in the spiritual interest and conversions you do see.  It may not match the volume or experience of others in different towns or place, but who cares!  You do not live in those places.  God has called you to your specific place and to these people.

In other words, please remember that there is nothing wrong with you!  In fact, God has shown great trust in you by placing you in such a difficult environment.  Keep witnessing to the truth and praying for God to send His Spirit to open the eyes of unbelievers.  Immerse yourself in the gospel.  Gather with a community of believers who share the same Lord and the same struggles.  Remember that today may be the day the revival starts through your witness.  To God be the glory in that wondrous revival!

Prayer Summit Part 2

"In my first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach..."

Acts 1:1

Jesus is at work building His Kingdom.  He has poured out the Holy Spirit to continue the work He began to do.  Through that Spirit in His people, Jesus is still at work!  Nothing- I mean absolutely nothing- will stop God's plans and purposes.

I praise God for this truth!  Jesus is at work.

Yet, it is easy to become discouraged.  When we look around at the world, it looks like total chaos.  In this week's news we see a bomb went off in Boston, a huge explosion in Texas, a divided country over guns, and about 10,000 other headlines that illustrate chaos, confusion, and despair.

In addition, within my denomination the statistics say chaos, confusion, and despair.  In a rather unhelpful lecture we were told the CRC will be dead in 50 years if these statistics stay the same.  Given the numbers and the decline, this is obvious.  Yet, where is the hope?  Where is the understand that God is at work?  (the lecture was unhelpful and full of partisan politics because nothing of this truth was ever mentioned!)

The key is that we need to lift our eyes above the chaos, the confusion, and the despair.  We need to lift our eyes to look upon Jesus.  We need to repent of our unbelief and place our faith in the one who is building His Kingdom.  Jesus is at work!

How?

At the Prayer Summit, 600-800 people (I do not know the exact totals) came together to lift their eyes to gaze upon the true King.  They worshipped.  They prayed.  They walked together to encourage each other's faith.  It was beautiful!

Just as importantly for the CRC, this group was exceedingly diverse.  It was not the "Dutch enclave" that would have marked such an event 30 years ago.  It was hosted by Koreans.  It was attended by men and women from many tribes, nations, and tongues.  He also brought folks from every socio-economic strata.  At this Prayer Summit, God brought together a tapestry of His people.  A tapestry that reflects our overall North American culture.

What held us together?  A mutual faith in Jesus as Lord and a desire to see Him exalted and lifted up.

Again, it was beautiful.

As a denomination, we have made great strides to eliminate the foolish belief that "if you are not Dutch, you are not much."  I remember the first time I heard that phrase.  It almost made me wretch!  This is not inspiring to anyone.  Even said in jest is angers the Living God by its foolishness.

As a denomination, we cannot be held together by our "Dutch-ness."  We are held together by our faith in Christ and His Word.  We are held together by a common faith that His Word and His Will teach the Reformed faith.  

We have to know that we are Reformed because God's Word teaches the Reformed faith.  I have always preferred to say that we are "Radically Biblical" and not Reformed.  Why?  While Reformed is a technical distinction, it is misunderstood by 95% of those in the Church universal and by 99.9% of those outside the Church.  

What does it mean to be Reformed?  It means that we allow the Bible to govern our doctrine and our life.  This is a principle that inspires and does not divide!  It provides a platform for discussion.  It defines but also invites.  Come to Jesus and live under His rule and Kingdom.  Such a life is what each of us were created to do and be.

What did I take from the Prayer Summit?  Many things.  Most importantly, I was reminded that God is at work.  He is using His people to build His Kingdom.  There is such hope in this promise!

By repentance, turning away from trusting in anything but Jesus, and by faith, turning to worship and live in Jesus, there is security, clarity, and hope.  For three days, folks from all over the CRC had the privilege to pray together, to encourage each other's faith, and to lift our eyes to our true hope, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God will be exalted and praised.  Jesus is building His Kingdom.  Lord, we pray for eyes of faith to see Your work and to know Your presence.  Give us a renewed Hope and power in the Spirit to proclaim and live "Your Kingdom come and Your will be done."

Prayer Summit 2013 Part 1

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, 

and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, 

then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

2 Chronicles 2:14

I just finished a three day prayer summit with the Christian Reformed Church that was held in All Nations Church in LA.  In fact, I am still on the prayer summit and retreat as I do not fly out of LA until late afternoon, so I get more time humble myself, pray, seek God's face, and turn from my wicked ways.  I am so thankful for this time!

I know that many of my readers of CRC folks, so I wanted to give some observations from the time.

First and foremost, I think there is legitimate hope for revival and renewal within the CRC.  The first and most important element of revival and renewal is humble prayer.  It is coming before the Great King and Lord and praying for His arm to act.

In fact, the real work of ministry is always prayer!

This has been lacking within the CRC even though it is such a part of our theological heritage.  How did this get lost?  I am sure it is a long story, and I can guess at many parts of the tale.  Yet, I think what just happened and what I pray continues to happen is a step toward correcting this loss.  Dependent, humble prayer must be part central in any renewal and it is the heartbeat of every revival.  I am thankful to see it, to experience it, to be part of it, and by God's grace I plan to continue to help lead it!

My second observation is not quite as rosy.  Our denomination still, as a whole, lacks in its understanding of the message of the gospel.  

The gospel, which is the power of God for salvation, for life-change, for revival, and for renewal, is about repentance and faith.  Even in the above passage from 2 Chronicles where Solomon is dedicating the temple, the Lord spells out the criteria for revival.  

Repent in the fullness of repentance!  Repentance is not what someone does to enter the Kingdom and then they are done with it.  Repentance brings us to right relationship with God and it is what keeps us in that relationship.  Anything that we trust to bring us righteousness, transformation, and satisfaction apart from God alone can be and probably is an idol.  We need to repent from this trust in other things and return to the Holy covenant keeping God!

In other words, our sin is not merely against "the other" as we were reminded at the Summit.  Our sin is against the Living God.  We prefer our tradition, our comfort, our thoughts to the great Holy fire that is the Living God.  We are starting to see, just starting, how we sin against others.  We were called to repentance for our attitudes toward "the other," which included those of different races, sexes, ethnic backgrounds, and socio-economic backgrounds.  This is well and good.  We also heard that this is an unnerving time for many within the CRC because "everything is changing."  Again, this is well and good because such change might well be brought by the Spirit.  

What we lacked at this summit was a confession, a repentance, an understanding that our true sin is against our Lord.  All of us, from the newest believer at the Summit to the most seasoned saint, have hearts that wander.  All of us need God to change our heart toward Him!  Such transformation is found in repentance and faith.  When God brings us to this place, then we also get off our knees with a new attitude of love toward "the other."  I think what we do is that we get up and see that the other is just like us- a needy sinner in need of Grace!

I truly felt like there were some with this gospel understanding.  Yet, often the words spoken from up front and mentioned in conversation with me focused less on this vertical repentance to the Father and more on the horizontal repentance with other people.  

Still, I am very hopeful!  Why?  When people enter into real, intentional, and focused prayer, God will lead them to true repentance and faith.  "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand," (Matt 5:17) was not only Jesus' first public message, but it remains the heartbeat of God's advancing Kingdom.

This post is getting long, so I will continue with my observations tomorrow.

Sluggard Tendencies within Each of Us

"I passed by the field of the sluggard, and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense;

and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles,

its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked and received instruction.

'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.'

Then your poverty will come as a robber, and your want like an armed man." 

Pro. 24: 30-34

As I have shared before, each day I read a chapter of Proverbs.  This book has been my constant friend, companion, and instructor for over 20 years!  Proverbs is a book in the OT located just after the Psalms.  It is a very practical book that gives pithy statements of general truth.  In the ancient near eastern cultures, such statements amounted to important cultural intelligence.  To know these proverbs well and to apply them in life illustrated good education.  Solomon was the wisest man in the world because he knew, composed, and passed on these proverbs.

As I was heading to the Proverbs for today (chapter 12), my eyes caught this passage.  I have met this sluggard.  I have known him in every church I ever served.  This sluggard, whether a man or a woman, often wants much in life, but they just lack the energy to do anything about it.  It is not like their intentions are wrong or bad.  They merely lack the ability to put any plan into action that will help them achieve their desires.

I have seen the sluggard lose everything.  I have seen people who literally live in homes that are falling apart on a piece of property that is falling apart.  I have also seen folks who desire a better relationship with their spouse or children, yet they spend all their spare time doing nothing but watching sports on TV.  I have witnessed people who eat themselves to poor health and even death because they lack the will-power or desire to begin to exercise and change their eating habits.

I have also closely observed folks who do none of the above, yet have definite sluggard tendencies.  I know first-hand that one can be a sluggard by not following the leading of the Holy Spirit.  I am afraid that all too often, I am that type of sluggard!  How so?  

I have a horrible tendency to put off to tomorrow what I could do today.  Each of us are given 24 hours to live each day.  No one has more time than others.  So why do some of us get more done than others?  They use their time wisely!  As I look back on the first half of my life, I sure have wasted a ton of my God-given time!  I have spend it on amusements, laziness, and non-Kingdom based activities.  I have folded my hands in rest and said to myself, "Tomorrow I will start."  The problem is that tomorrow never comes!

When I was a kid, we had an old bar called the Trading Post where we loved to eat dinner.  It had great food and homemade pies!  It also had a sign outside that said, "Free Beer Tomorrow."  If asked about it, the owner would say, with a sly smile on his face, "Come back tomorrow and all the beer is free."

Tomorrow never comes.  Take the five minutes to start that new project today!  Be in motion for the Kingdom.  Call that friend the Lord lays upon your heart.  Do not put it off!  As you follow the Lord's leading He will give you more strength to face the day.

Our characters are formed by repeated choices.  We can be transformed by God's grace and by asking the Spirit to apply what we hear from the living God.  Ask Him to use you!  You will be amazed what He can do!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think, 

according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory..." 

Ephesians 3: 20-21

Gifting, Calling, and the Open Door

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; 

but often we look so long at the closed door 

that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

Helen Keller

Today is another day of vacation.  By mind is slowly becoming less cluttered as I spend time with my family, in sleep, and in fun outdoor activities.  I am thankful for the time off!  

Today I wish to share two related quotes.  The first is at the top and it is by Helen Keller.  I want to focus this quote toward the topic of vocation, calling, determining God's will, and joyful living.  I completely agree with Keller that so often I stare at closed doors instead of having the faith to look for what God is opening.  How about you?

The second selection is from Dan Miller's website, www.48days.com from the February 22 post.  This selection is a storyline I have heard often.  I will let it speak for itself.  I will say that I believe it overlaps perfectly with the Keller quotation because so often as the door is shutting, we keep banging our heads against it demand that it open as we wish.  Where does God fit into such actions?

Here is Miller's post.

Last Sunday night, after speaking at a church, a lady approached me with her question. She was obviously very discouraged with low self-esteem, poor eye contact and overall weak personal presentation.  But her question was – “Why should I keep trying when God keeps closing the door on my calling?”  Wow – now there’s a question designed to stump even a theologian – which I am not.  If God “calls” us to something, wouldn’t He open the doors to make that happen?  Is this like asking if God can make a rock so big He can’t move it?

Frankly, I don’t think her question is that complicated.  I think she needs to take a fresh look at her 

“calling.”  She said she’s always wanted to be a counselor.  She got a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and then was rejected from entering graduate school in counseling.  So she spent three years and went deeply in debt to get her Masters of Divinity (MDiv) degree, thinking that would open the door.  She then applied for the graduate counseling program again but was rejected once more.  She took an entry level job with a community counseling agency but was let go after a couple of months.  She told me she has never married, lives alone and has few friends.  I asked her if people were coming to her for her advice and opinion now.  To which she replied – No – that’s why she needed the degrees in counseling.

I think this is a mis-interpretation of “calling.”  If God’s calls us to something there will be affirmation of that in many ways.  If God is calling you to be a musician you will likely already have shown talent in that area and have lots of people telling you to move in that direction.  If God is calling you to counsel or coach, I’m confident people are already telling you their problems and you are surprised by the wisdom you are frequently able to offer.

Yes I do think it requires work and struggle to be effective even in our “calling.”  But I don’t think God “calls” us to something that does not line up with our passions, talents, personality traits and dreams.

– Thomas Merton said:

 “A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him….  The more a tree is like itself, the more it is like Him….” 

Don’t try to be a rose bush (as good as that may be) if you’re a tree.  Be a great tree.

What areas do you have strong natural talents?  How has God put you together as a person?  What experiences have you enjoyed or merely endured that have shaped you in a certain direction?

God uses it all.  He also will use you, as you are shaped and formed, to achieve His glory.  What doors has God opened to you?  Why are you afraid to walk through them?

Stress, Community, and Authentic Living

Be at rest once more, O my soul,

for the Lord has been good to you. 

Ps. 116: 7

Last week I began to repost some material from Richard Swenson regarding stress, overload, and our need to find margin in life.  This week I am on a much needed vacation where I hope to live out some of these principles.  I often find I am better at helping others deal with their stress than I am at diagnosing and working through my own stress.  Alas, I think most of us struggle at this point!

I wish to conclude this discussion with some comments on the nature of stress and how to best deal with the effects of stress.

When it comes to stress, I find that many people misunderstand the whole concept.  There is a great difference between good stress and bad stress.  Good stress is temporary, it sharpens our focus, and it can actually increase our performance.  It is that temporary rush that helps us deal with a crisis.  

Bad stress is different.  It arises from a lifestyle of living as a "stress junky."  It can also be caused by those feelings of being trapped in a job or a situation where you feel powerless.  Bad stress is a chronic condition.

Bad stress causes elevated "fight or flight" hormones within the body.  This in turn has been strongly linked to heart disease, strokes, and other major problems (such as death).   To me, all of this makes sense.  The question is how do we avoid such stress?

To begin, we should make some obvious life-style changes.  If you are in a job that makes you feel trapped and not respected, change.  Also, increase your exercise levels as this makes a major positive change in the body's response to stress.  Swenson also recommended the drinking of wine with dinner, as moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to lower the stress chemicals in the body.  If you have listen to the news, all of these positive factors have been mentioned for quite some time even in popular media.  These are changes that we can and should make!

What I found interesting was his emphasis on developing good social networks and friends.  He observed several groups of people with what we would call horrible eating habits who have very low levels of heart disease.  He argued that these people have one thing in common: they are well integrated into a community where they have love, support, and fun.  

In the past thirty years, studies have shown that Americans increasingly are not integrated into authentic communities.  We isolate ourselves with our families from others.  I believe we do so to our own harm!  The problem is that friendship and community take time to develop and nurture.  With all the kid's activities, work responsibilities, and general busyness of life, how do we find the time to develop and nurture friendships?

First, we have to admit and confess that we need real friends and community.  We need to ask God to help us find real friends and true community.  Most of us do everything we can to live in denial of our need for others.  We remain so busy, and we allow our children to be part of every activity under the sun so they are not deprived.  Even at church, we go and leave without really engaging people.  This is one great draw of the large church in that it facilitates the feel of many friends and fellow travelers without making any of them engage.  It is also the draw of Facebook and other social networks that promote "connectedness" without really helping us connect.  We need real friends!

Second, we have to be intentional in searching for friendships and community.  We have to find people that we can "be ourselves" around.  Wow is this hard!  Where would we find such people?  How about in our church communities?  This presupposes that we will develop church communities that are not fake or shallow.  Places where it is O.K. to be known with all of our issues, needs, and strengths.  We will find people in these churches that we do not "click with," but we should continue to search until we find folks who will love us and relate to us where we are.  Again, ask God for wisdom in finding friends and companionship!

Third, we have to continue to develop and nurture friendships and community.  This takes commitment on our part and on our friends part.  Get together and laugh.  Enjoy time together not necessarily "doing stuff" but being.  I think this is becoming a lost art.  True friendship and community is found in spending time.  In today's age, time is our most precious commodity.  We horde it to our own detriment.  Spend time with friends and lower your chances of heart disease!

Stress and Depression as Signs of Information Overload

For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading Richard Swenson's book, In Search of Balance: Keys to a Stable Life.  I find that his book is not one to quickly pour through because it is somewhat repetitive.  Still, I have enjoyed reading the book, and I recommend it as great food for thought.

Swenson's primary thesis is that our modern world has proliferated the amount of information and activity in which we can and seemingly must engage.  Such proliferation causes great stress because we as human individuals have not really changed in our ability to do or process more.  In other words, we have a limit!  

Meanwhile, the amount of  technology, information, options, and work has increased exponentially in the past fifty years and promises to continue to increase moving into the future.  Technology and our global society demand such proliferation.

So, how do we deal with this modern condition?  Most of us don't.  We just accept it.  Then we wonder why so many people are depressed, full of anxiety, and overwhelmed.  In my experience as a pastor, depression, anxiety, and overly full lives are epidemic!  

I have often been asked if I think we have more depression, anxiety and overload now than in the past.  I believe we have much more of these conditions now than people experienced fifty or one hundred years ago.  It is not because we are better at identifying the conditions, but because the proliferation of technology, information, and options have overload our systems.  It might be the new normal, but it is obviously not healthy.

So what should we do about it?  In answer to this, Swenson gives many helpful suggestions.  I know I have heard many of these suggestions before.  The real issue is implementing the suggestions. 

One of Swenson's best points is that each of us need to take an inventory of the stress in our life.  I think many of us keep purposely busy so we can avoid such an exercise!  I believe the following quote provides a good illustration of two different ways of dealing with stress.

A friend and I were discussing the pressures of life, and I asked how his stress was doing.  He has a national leadership role in a denomination and is required to make difficult decisions on a daily basis.  He said there are two quantitative ways of handling stress.  The first is when we keep stockpiling it in a warehouse.  The warehouse fills over time and finally the roof explodes and the walls fall down.

The other strategy involves a train station.  As the train moves down the tracks, the stress builds.  But when it comes into the station, we unload our accumulated pressures onto the platform.  Then we get back on the train as it pulls out of the station.  I asked which illustration described him.  He was a train-station guy.  Personally, I'm a recovering warehouser.

Balance, 148.

How do you deal with stress?  Is your warehouse almost full?  Do you build into your life a train station approach where you deal with emptying the stress out of your life?

Today, more and more people do not take vacations.  If they do, it is a weekend away, which actually adds to the stress of life!

Today, the idea of a Sabbath seems crazy.  My kids have to play hockey and Sunday is the best ice time for the little ones!  

Can you remember when your parents had complete weekends off?  When they would relax at home after work?  Why don't we have these weekly times of rest anymore?

I challenge you today to take an inventory of your life.  Come before the living God and ask the Spirit to give you some wisdom with the stress in your life.  I find the best way to do this is with a pen in hand so you can write down what you think about.  Maybe it is time to let some of "the new normal" go.  

A balanced life provides the emotional energy to love well.  It allows you to enjoy each day.  It gives you space to deal with unplanned events.  It also reflects a trust in the Living God to provide for you and take care of you.

Peace in a world of Overload

Richard Swenson has made a living preaching the values of Margin a person's life.  I believe he has written four books on the subject!  Margin is the space on the outside of the pages.  It is the area not written upon.  Swenson, who is a medical doctor, argues that giving 100% of our energy and resources is pure foolishness.  It is like writing on every square inch of a page!  Unfortunately, life without margin is the new normal.  As Swenson states,

As a result, like in modern-day America is essentially devoid of time and space.  Not the Star Trek kind- the sanity kind.  Overload is the new normal.  We have too many choices and decisions, too many activities and commitments, too much change creating too much stress.  We have too much speed and hurry.  We have too much technology, complexity, traffic, information, possessions, debt, expectations, advertisements, and media.  And we have too little margin.

But if overload is the disease, then margin is the antidote.  To balance today's lifestyles, restoring our margin is a needed first step.  The vast majority of us are healthier if we draw a line somewhere short of overload, i.e., if we preserve some margin.

In Search of Balance, 90-91.

So how do we know if we struggle with not keeping margin in our life?  I find it is always easier to see how others struggle with this concept than it is to see it in ourselves!  Swenson gives us a great test to help us gain an accurate diagnosis.

When our margin is depleted and our reserves are gone, we shift emphasis.  Instead of being compassionate and caring in our attitude, we become apathetic or rude.  Instead of being outwardly focused in our service, we become self-protective.  Instead of pursuing innovation and productivity in our job, we become irritable and fatigued. (91)

I know at times in my life, I have really struggled maintaining proper margin.  In my life, one of the big causes of my lack of margin was my health.  For years, I struggled with a gluten allergy that I just did not know about.  In the past five years, it got so much worse!  The result was that my physical strength was limited because I was poisoning my body with the food I ate.  I tried to eat well, but what is good for others (whole wheat grains!) was death to me.

I share this because many people confuse how their spirituality works.  As humans in a fallen world, we are so interconnected between our physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional dimensions.  I meet so many who struggle with their faith, but I think the reason for this struggle is a physical, mental, or emotional problem.  In my case, the physical issue robbed me of margin and left me without the energy to engage as I would wish.  No amount of spiritual, mental or emotional fixing was going to change my physical problem!

So, as we pursue margin in our lives and as we seek a deeper walk with God, check your physical, mental and emotional resources!  If you struggle with depression for chemical reasons, seek to fix the physical problem.  If you have emotional scars from past abuse, find a pastor or counselor to help you work through these emotional and mental bottlenecks!  Having issues in any area of life is not a sign of inability or laziness or lack of spiritual depth.  It is a mark of living in a fallen world.

I will conclude with Swenson's word about regaining margin.

Margin, rightly conceived, is not about laziness, mediocrity, and noninvolvement.  It is about focus, discipline, and self-control.  But mostly is it a prioritizing space where we concentrate on the things that matter most (balance!).

Restoring margin to overloaded lives is possible if we are willing to think creatively, live differently, act intentionally, and stop following the crowds to the malls.  Hundreds of practical margin suggestions have been written elsewhere to assist in such a lifestyle direction.  But the first step, as always, resides within each human heart. (93-94)

Pray for the grace to see if you need to regain margin.  Pray for the grace to see what is robbing you of your margin.  May the Lord bless you as you regain capacity to love others well!

The Easter Gospel Part 2 Repentance

"Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and 

on the third day rise from the dead,

and that repentance and the forgiveness of sins 

should be proclaimed in his name to all nations."

Luke 24: 46-47

Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!

In yesterday's post, I described in brief the objective nature of Christ's victory.  I attempted to describe what this means in light of the scriptures.  Today, I wish to explore what this means for us.

So, Christ has the victory over sin and death.  How does that transform my life?

Here is where the above passage in Luke is so helpful.  The first half talks of Christ's work.  The second half tells us how to apply what Christ has done.  Christ's objective work is applied by active repentance and faith knowing that in Christ there is the forgiveness of sins.  

Repentance is the means of applying Christ's work.  It is both a confession of sin against God, others, ourself, or creation and a cry for mercy to change.  Why have we made this understanding the means of salvation, but not the means of life?  

First, I think we have accepted and believed a false view of humanity in the West for about 250 years.  The Enlightenment taught that humanity was "sin sick" and not really "sinners in desperate need of grace" who are dead in sin.  As a result of this understanding of humanity, it was taught that proper education will free us from sin (as well as poverty, evil, and everything else).  This understanding was particularly important in America.

What does this mean for Christianity and the Church?  Well, by and large, the church uncritically accepted this view.  Most in America just assumed that the proper education included Jesus and accepting Him as the Lord and Savior of your life.  When you did, you had the proper education to change.  It might take some discipleship and accountability, but you can and should do it!

So what happens when four years later you find yourself struggling with some sin tendencies?  Even worse the same sin tendencies you thought you put aside four years earlier!  Let's say control, anger, or lust?  You could find more accountability.  You could just memorize more scripture.  Or you could just try to change the subject!

What the scripture teaches is that while accountability and scripture memory/knowledge are important, repenting of our real sin is more important!  Do not deny the reality of the struggle, but confess and cry out for mercy to be transformed.  Since we have the forgiveness of sins because of Christ, we can be honest that our struggle has not ended, and it will not end until we die and we are set from from this body of sin and death.

In other words, we need to wholeheartedly deny our cultural assumption that proper education or knowledge will change our behavior.  It is simply not true!  How many of us know we should eat properly and exercise, and we still do not do it?  Education is not enough.  

No, we need a change of heart.  Such a change of heart does not happen instantaneously when we accept Jesus, but it is a process marked by continual repentance and faith.  Because our faith is based upon Christ's finished work and the forgiveness found in that work applied by faith, we can confidently face our sin and our incredibly complex and tangled hearts.

As Jesus finishes this brief teaching on the gospel, He tells his disciples, "You are witnesses of these things." (vs. 48)  Remember these disciples had recently abandoned the Lord.  They had doubted His resurrection.  They had fought over who was the greatest.  

"You are witnesses to these things."  How were they restored?  They repented and believed in Christ's love and mercy.  Why was Judas so different?  He was sorry for the consequences of his sin, but he never repented of his sin against God and believed in Christ's mercy.  In other words, the disciples lived and believed the life of continual repentance and faith because they knew first hand they needed it.

Are you witnesses also the amazing grace of God found in Christ?  Are you walking today in continual repentance and faith?  May God's mercy lead us all to this place of joy and freedom!