Brokenness Lived: Transference

Today I wish to repost about an important topic- the deadly problem of transference in ministry.  What is transference?  It is when people latch on to an authority figure and transfer their feeling about another relationship onto the one in authority.  It is a result of the fall.  It is often not a conscience choice.  Yet, it is all too real.  

Let me explain it by quoting at length a section of David Hansen's The Art of Pastoring.

I'm gun-shy of people who like me too much.  I like compliments, but when someone starts treating me like I'm the best thing since indoor plumbing, I step back.

They get this look in their eyes when they say thank you.  It isn't adult gratitude or childlike delight.  It isn't a fair exchange of human love.  They're thanking me, but their eyes are focused past me.  They're thanking someone or something else.  Maybe an ideal I've resurrected.  It's unreal.

The relationship can appear normal.  Then, without warning, it shifts.  Their talk gets contradictory.  They thank Jesus but give me the credit.  Their speech is thick with spiritual lingo, but they treat me like I'm their savior.  I don't think they're talking about me or Jesus.  They're talking to someone or something I symbolize to them.  Psychologists call this transference.

Psychotherapists recognize that their relationship with patients run on a "double track."  "All feelings in relationships as we know understand them run on a double track.  We react and relate to another person not only on the basis of our conscious experience of the person in reality, but also on the basis of our unconscious experience of him in reference to experience with significant people in infancy and childhood- especially parents and other family members.  We tend to displace feelings and attitudes from these past figures onto people in the present, especially if the person in the present has features similar to the person in the past."

Pastors like therapists, evoke feelings in people that go way back into people's pasts.  "Feelings toward the therapist therefore stem not only from the real, factual aspects of the therapist-patient interaction, but also from feelings displaced onto the therapist from unconscious representations of people important to the patient early in his childhood experiences.  These displaced or transferred feelings tend to distort the therapist, making him appear to be an important figure in the patient's past; they create in one sense an illusion." ...

It is of no little consequence that in some traditions pastors are called "Father."  We are authority figures with love, so like it or not, we symbolize parents to people.  For adults who have had positive relationships with their parents, this creates little problem.  They have respect and love for their parents.  Likewise, they have a natural respect and love for pastors.

But in cases where the relationship with the parent was deeply faulted, people develop something like an ideal parental construct and transfer this to anyone like a parent- and especially someone who gives them love as their parent should have in the first place.  Parishioners can superimpose this ideal parental figure over the pastor; they "fall in love"- not with the pastor, but with the pastor as the incarnation of their ideal parental figure.  Then they shift the monumentally important childhood desire to please their parent, which was never satisfied by their natural parents, onto the pastor.

The compliments come fast and thick, and they express a strong and unreasonable desire to "help out any way they can."  They try to work harder than anyone else- and make sure the pastor knows it- to earn the pastor's love.  They want the pastor to appreciate them more than all others.

Parishioners caught in this unconscious process may undergo "conversion" experiences.  They may experience romantic changes and testify that they have been touched by God (never forgetting to add that it was through the pastor's ministry).  In psychotherapy this is called a "transference cure."  They do experience dramatic change, but it is motivated by the desire to please the pastor.  The results of these "conversions" diminish with time, especially once the period of intense positive feelings toward the pastor wanes.

And those feelings do disappear.  Alongside the deep reservoir of childhood desire to please the parents there exists a deep reservoir of anger at parents for all the hurt they caused.  This anger has no fixed object.  It is anger at parents, but children are not psychologically able to be angry at their parents for long.  Children cannot divorce themselves from the parental love they desperately need by showing or even admitting that they are angry.  But they can cut loose on someone who represents their parent.

Things can do along for quite a while, even years.  These people are accustomed to forgiving parental figures, so pastors can fail them now and then and they will forgive.  In fact, they will vehemently defend their pastor to others, even when the pastor is dead wrong.

Until something snaps.  There is no way to predict what will set it off, but suddenly, without warning, the pastor violates some code.  The pastor must pay.  These people's anger at their parents is unleashed on the pastor.

The pastor still symbolizes the parent, but now the parent being symbolized has shifted.  The pastor is no longer the ideal parental figure the parishioner loves.  The pastor is now the failed parent the parishioner hates.  Without warning, the pastor who yesterday represented all that was right in the world today represents all that is wrong in the world.  From Jesus to the devil in one hour.

Hansen, The Art of Pastoring, 124-127.

I told you it was a long quotation!  I think it is also an important point: in a fallen world, all is not as it appears or should be.  Even the most basic of relationship can become twisted and contorted.  We must be aware of this potential or we run the risk of ramming our life and ministry upon the shoals of brokenness and being ruined in the process!

Because of transference, most pastors, particularly ones who survive in ministry, are rather guarded about people who like them too much.  How do we judge "too much?"  There is no easy answer.  It is a weird feeling that something is wrong.  Often after being burned by the switch turning to "counter-transference" the pastor or leader is a bit gun-shy of people bringing too much praise.  Through time and experience, one begins to recognize that "look in the eye" of a broken person.

If you have been in ministry and you have been hurt by this process, please realize it was caused by brokenness and it is not all your fault!  I know the first time I experienced transference, I thought it was great.  I had made a friend and someone who truly appreciated by effort!  Then, when I experienced that "something snapped" moment, I wondered what I did wrong.  I really beat myself up over it!  You might react the same way.

If you do experience transference, I strongly recommend that you find an experienced pastor or leader to talk it over with.  It is likely they will share similar experiences.  Most importantly, learn from it!  A wise leader does everything possible to avoid the same mistakes.  Love but do not be anyone's savior.  Only Jesus can fulfill that job!

So, what do you think?  Do you struggle in your relationship with "authority figures" because you engage in transference?  Ask the Lord to give you some wisdom with this.  Find someone to talk to if this is your tendency because relationship wreckage will mark your life if you do not!

Transference is real.  It is a consequence of living and ministering in a broken world.  May the Lord give wisdom and grace to live through it, grow past it, and see true healing for those suffering with its consequences.

Are we a faithful witness?

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward,

and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person 

will receive a righteous person's reward.

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of water because he is a disciple, 

truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Matt. 10: 40-42

This passage has puzzled me for years.  What does it mean?  It is tucked into a chapter of Matthew where Jesus sends out his Apostles to learn ministry.  In the context, Jesus gives them a mission with instructions (vss. 5-15).  He then tells them they will face persecution (vss. 16-25), but they should not worry because whoever acknowledges him before men He will acknowledge before the Father (vss. 26-33).  Then he concludes with the promise that He came to bring not peace, but a sword (vss. 34-39).  (This is another tough passage!)  His final instructions are included in our passage.  These include a promise that whoever does receive the disciples will get a reward.

In this passage, the controlling verse is 10:40 "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me."  After affirming that His person and message would cause divisions even within families, Jesus promises that those to receive the truth of His person and message will share in the blessings of God.  In other words, receiving the disciples illustrates folks received their message.

Here is where I find the passage extremely interesting.  Why would Jesus say such a thing?  The obvious answer is that His disciples will be telling about and performing miracles to prove the Kingdom of God is here in the person and message of Jesus.  Thus, to receive them means to believe them.  At the very least it means to affirm an openness to listen.  To such openness, Jesus promises blessing and reward.

How does this square with a statistic I heard several years ago that the average Presbyterian USA member invites someone to church every 17.5 years?  This statistic is rather old now, but I doubt the gist of it has changed!  

Let me put it another way, is there enough evidence in your life to convict you of being a sincere and dedicated follower of Jesus if such faith became illegal?  You might be a great person, but what sets you apart from your co-workers and friends who are also often great people?

We are a blessing in society when we live and declare the reality of the Kingdom as we found it in Christ.  Some will be shocked and dismayed by this testimony.  Jesus says fear not for I am with you!  Such a testimony might cause division.  Jesus tells us that such division is part of the game if you wish to be part of the growth of the Kingdom!  He tells us,

"And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." 

Matt. 10:38-39.

In other words, why are you protecting your reputation with others and not concerned with your faithfulness to Jesus?  He is worth some division and persecution!  In fact, as we testify to the reality of His Kingdom, we will find true life as we take our reputation from His love for us.

When we declare who Jesus is with love and integrity, most people respond favorably.  Some do not, but most will listen.  Particularly those who know you!  As they listen with openness, God will call some to faith.  The promise of this passage is that you will be a blessing.  You will be salt and light.  

Do you wish your life to count for something in building the Kingdom of God?  Be open to declaring what God has done in Christ!  Fear not for He will go with you!

Making Sense of our Experience through the Gospel

As I see it, the gospel is really a story of life.  It is an explanation for why we are here and what we experience.  In the past hundred years, (post) modern philosophy has told us that grand "meta-narratives" are impossible and should be abandoned.

What does this mean?  It means that for post-modern folks, any story beyond our small individual story is an imperialistic attempt at control.  When Nietzsche declared "God is Dead" he argued that each individual could not look to anything outside of themselves for meaning and definition.  Instead, the individual (or at least the heroic individual) had to make their own "narrative" (or story) to define themselves, their desires, their meaning.

Nietzsche was not alone in advancing this argument.  He was merely one of the most colorful.  His philosophy undercut any belief in universal morality, truth, or meaning.  As a system of thought, it leaves the individual alone.  I know it is an ad hominem argument, but in the end, Nietzsche went mad.

Pictures of Nietzsche.  Does he look like someone to trust?  At least he does have a cool mustache!

At least in essence, much of our postmodern thought and philosophy holds to Nietzsche's philosophy.  It can and has been used to emphasize both pragmatic political philosophy and complete human liberty in all matters of sexuality and morality.

The question to ask is two-fold.

First and most importantly, is this philosophy true?  In other words, do these ideas match reality?

Second, at the risk of soundly like a complete pragmatist, does this philosophy bring satisfaction and joy in life?  In other words, does this philosophy work for you, for others, and for society?

On both accounts, I strongly say no!  While it is the philosophy of this age, our age lacks a basis for discovering true love, meaning, purpose, and life.  Nietzsche hated the God of the Bible, but I believe he did not understand that God.  He did not really understand the story.  In fact, most people today who dismiss Christianity do so on the basis of what they have been told about the faith instead of an understanding of the faith as expressed in scripture.

Our world system mocks the Christian faith.  Our churches are full of folks who do not understand the implications of the faith so we do not present the truth of Christ with all its force and weight.  Consequently, most folks in our culture are satisfied to join in the mocking and dismissal of the gospel instead of investigating the life and truth found within its story!

Contrary to postmodern thought, the gospel story is full and rich in its implications and applications.  It is the basis for all great stories in literature.  It resonates with people from every continent.  It has the ring of truth within it.

Why?

Because it is foundational truth!  It is an understanding of the world that makes sense of the often senseless experience we have.  It is not just "personal" as postmodern philosophy would wish to make all truth, but it applies to every situation.

So what is the gospel story?

It begins with God- a creative, loving, and holy being.  God loves His creation and He made it all to be in relationship with Him.  God creates everything from nothing.  This is vitally important.  In most religions, God uses the substance already present to fashion a world.  In the Biblical gospel narrative, God speaks through the Word to bring everything into existence.  This makes God above and beyond all the so called 'gods' of the ancient world.

God creates the entire universe good.  In fact, when he is through with the foundations of creation, He declares everything very good (Gen. 1:31).  Included in this creation is man and woman, who together reflect the image of God.  We were created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.  We were created for relationship with God, others, and creation.  Furthermore, we were created to be stewards of creation- exploring, protecting, preserving, and using creation wisely.

This explains why sensitive people love the beauty of creation.  It explains why we enjoy the fellowship of others.  It explains why we value elements of culture, art, and music since human creation continues the creative work of God.  As all of these dimensions of our experience reflect the created good, they are beautiful.  As all of these dimension of our experience stray from their created good, they move in the direction of ugliness and distortion.

So how do we move away from our created Good?  The Gospel declares that creation is fallen because of the fall of humanity from a state of perfect relationship to a state of animosity toward God because of sin.  

I know we do not like being called "sinners" but what word better explains our situation?  We often know the good we ought to do, but we lack the will to carry it out.  This is the state of fallenness.  As we move further and further away from the way were made to be, we find it easier and easier to walk in sin without blushing.  Why?  Because sin piled upon sin leads to hardness of heart.  Such a condition refuses to acknowledge its need for God, need for others, or need for being in good relationship with creation.

Does this not describe accurately where most of us live?  Does this not describe your life?  This post is getting very long, so I will pick up here tomorrow.

Pastor and Visionary Leader?

"When a pastor primarily feeds, people enjoy the church but lack a corporate sense of destiny.  They graze comfortably in the valley and never climb to new heights.  The church has a warm fuzzy feeling, and people enjoy the inspiration and fellowship, but they're not trying to achieve anything.  Sheep don't want to climb mountains.  They're happy as long as they have a patch of grass.

If a pastor emphasizes leading, on the other hand, he or she may drive the sheep into the ground, pushing them up the mountain without allowing them to stop and eat.  If the flock makes it to the top, they're dizzy with weariness, and the burnout quotient increases.

I want to be the warm and gentle pastor who comforts and the visionary leader who challenges.  I've found, although difficult at times, it's possible to do both."

Jack Hayford, "How to Lead and Feed," found in Who's in Charge? Standing Up to Leadership Pressures, 28.

I think the above quotation from Hayford is extremely insightful.  How do we balance being a challenging, forward-focused leader with being a warm and gentle pastor who comforts?  

It seems that this is a question that every pastor and every church should ask often.  Yet, it is so easy to remain busy keeping the programs going, preparing for next week, meeting with the "urgent" needs of parishioners, and trying to find personal space amidst all the chaos, that working toward balance seems impossible.  With all of this going on, who has time for strategic planning, visionary prayer, and space to gain perspective on what God wishes for the future?

I think the real reason why this balance appears to be so difficult is because it does not match the expectations of many pastors or parishioners.  In fact, how well a pastor does often is directly related to the experiences of the one "judging" performance (either the pastor or the parishioners).

What if our expectations were set so that we looked for and encouraged pastors to be balanced between challenging leadership and pastoral presence?  What would we look for?  How would we judge whether this balance is being kept?

Furthermore, how would a church community be able to help promote this type of leadership?  It appears to me that many church communities actually discourage such leadership by setting and promoting different expectations.  How do we change the "church culture/expectations" to promote and encourage this type of leadership?

I guess I have more questions than answers today.  Too many discussions with fellow pastors are ringing in my ears!  Would love any comments.

Church Capacity

This past week I enjoyed an encouraging time with fellow pastors and church planters.  As is always the case when we get together, we talked shop.  How are things going?  What is happening?  What are our disappointments?  What are our successes?

One item of discussion came up continually.  "My church is stuck.  We talk about outreach and being open to new people, but according to new people we aren't doing it.  How do we regain/retain our missional emphasis?"  These comments came from established churches and from "establishing" church plants.

Another item that came up often was praying for wisdom on where to invest our time.  Why?  Because as pastors and leaders we saw the need was greater than our limited personal resources.  What will help us the most?  What will help our ministry the most?  How do we balance family, life, and ministry?

As we were discussing, I was thinking how we ought to combine both sets of questions.  Yes, we as individuals have a capacity.  We cannot go past that capacity without losing something!  Some of us have great capacity, and some of us have small capacity.  The key is to know yourself and protect your limits.  I can assure you that no one else will do it for you!

Yet, when we talk about churches and ministries, we feel guilty and depressed if we are not continually moving forward, growing, and doing more with positive effect.  We go through seasons of intense ministry and then recovery, followed by repentance and a "getting back to real ministry."  What is the problem was not our effort, but our system?

What if churches or ministries also have a capacity?

In other words, a church is a system of individuals gathered together and combined to a certain capacity level.  If this level is superseded then something gets lost!  Thus, the reason why ministries and churches stop moving forward, growing and doing more with positive effect is because they have reached their capacity.

How is capacity formed and shaped?

It is determined by a host of factors.  The most important is who is in the organization.  A church full of nurturing folks who hate conflict will not be able to integrate new people into their system.  Why?  Because new people are untidy, different, and so often disagreeable!  While no one says "leave!," new folks feel their life and perspectives aren't welcome.  Thus, the church says they want to grow, but they only will grow if the right type of people come in.  Similarly, a church full of and run by cautious folks will not nor can it embark on new and bold paths without a miracle.  Even a church of talented missional people can become stagnate because they do the ministry to people not with people because they have created a culture of "professionalism" that only they can meet.

All of these examples set a level of capacity.  When the capacity is reached, the vessel can hold no more.

Another major factor is how a church or ministry functions.  How one does ministry, approaches people, thinks about God, all determine the capacity of an organization.  Our process determines our capacity.

What does this mean?  I will answer the question with a question.

Many churches wonder why they have no 20 or 30 somethings within their church.  Could it be that how you function and approach life and ministry severely impacts the church's capacity to love and disciple these folks?

Our capacity determines our size.  It determines our ministries.  It determines the ultimate success of these ministries.  

How do we enlarge our capacity?  Tricky question.  Most of us as individuals and as churches/ministries don't like the process of expanding our capacity.  At first, it feels so painful!  Yet, if we are to grow in outreach we must increase our capacity.

I would love some feedback.

What is True Manhood?

"Brace yourself up like a man and I will question you,

and you will make it known to me."

The Lord speaking to Job

Job 40: 7

What a confusing statement!  At least in our current culture this statement is confusing.  What does it mean to "Brace yourself up like a man?"

I think our culture would have had a solid and consistent answer to this question 40 or 50 years ago.  I think now, most men under the age of 40 have little to no clue as to what this means!  Brace yourself up like a man?

I believe there has been a concentrated and pernicious attack on men and young boys for the past forty years.  With the rise of the Feminist movement, came a prolonged attack on boys and men.  I could go into the many, many statistics to back this up, but defending this claim is not the aim of this post.  All I will say is that much like our modern political debate, instead of positively stating why women are different, special, and so needed in every realm of life, we were told why men were enslavers, manipulative, and content to keep women down.

The result?  We have leveled all of society as best as we can so as to diminish differences between men and women.  Want strange proof?  I recently read that our new aircraft carriers will no longer have urinals in the men's bathrooms.  This follows a worldwide trend.  I know several years ago a Scandinavian country tried to outlaw men urinating while standing since it was a means of showing dominance over women! 

What has been our message?  Boys and men, stop acting so "manly"!  Be calm, civilized, stop fidgeting, and stop acting like there is a difference between men and women.  We have disparaged being "macho" to the point where we have huge confusion over how a man should act, think, and be in society.

I believe we have done so to a great peril to individual men and women, the Church, and our society as a whole.  I know I have spent way too much time working with young men (and some not so young) encouraging them to act like a man.  I have found so much confusion among young men as to who they should be, how they should act, and what they should do.  For the past twenty years at least: 

1.) Thoughtful men do not wish to be a "chauvinist pig" so they become passive around women;

2.) Many young men struggle with their "failure to launch" so they retreat to video games, extreme sports, and they settle for part-time jobs to pay for their pleasures while they depend upon others to provide for their daily needs;

3.) We have so emphasized our need for egalitarian relationships that men get married, but do not know how to lead a family, a Church, or a business.  Instead, they differ leadership decisions to "consensus" decisions.  Such a lack of leadership often leads to resentment, anger and broken relationships with spouses, significant others, and in all of life;

4.) Finally, there appears to be a true lack of understanding that delayed gratification is necessary for maturity and true manhood.  If our reward is not immediate, it is not coming.  Thus our relationships, business and career decisions, life decisions, and all choices are based on our need for immediate reward.  We seem to have lost the will to live in light of next year, let alone eternity!

So what does it mean to be a man?  Our culture is so confused!  So are many in the Church.  What does the Bible have to say about it?  What does it mean to "brace yourself up like a man"?

I just read a great article in the summer 2002 Leadership magazine that I think gives some insight.  I like this following quote from Robert Lewis because it states positively what it means to be a man.  How I want my boys to hear this message!

What is your definition of manhood?

We compared the first Adam with the last Adam, Christ, and we found four differences.  They are our four foundations stones for authentic manhood.

A real man is one who rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously, and expects the greater reward, God's reward.

What do you think of this definition?  Is it helpful?  How do we incorporate this understanding into our lives?  Into the life of our family?

The first place to start is always in repentance and faith.  If this makes you angry since I must be a "chauvinist pig" for saying it, repent and believe!  I am an imperfect person and often shallow thinker, what do you have that is better?  Share it with us!  

If you find that you have not lived as a man, repent and believe.  Confess to God, to others, and to yourself that you fall short.  Ask Jesus to help you live an authentic life.  Also, share this idea with others.  Perhaps others share your frustrations!  Let us press on to know Jesus and what He has for us.

The Heart of Effective Outreach

"Apologetics is not a set of techniques for winning people to Christ.  It is not a set of argumentative templates designed to win debates.  It is a willingness to work with God in helping people discover and turn to his glory."

Alister McGrath, Mere Apologetics, 41.

I know Alister McGrath is a famous apologist, so of course he would make such a statement about apologetics.  I think if he were a church planter, a church revitalizer, a pastor, or anyone in ministry, he would say the same exact thing about that ministry.  In the above quote, he makes a universal statement.

In other words, church revitalization is not about techniques or arguments.  It is a willingness to work with God, using whatever means necessary that does not compromise the gospel (1 Cor. 9: 19-23) to help people discover and turn to God's glory.

Same goes for church planting.  Same goes for youth ministry.  Same goes for outreach to my neighbor.

What is the real key to effective outreach?

We must have a heart for people that overrules all.  A heart that seeks God's glory in their life.  A heart that beats and throbs for God's kingdom and glory.

Do you have such a heart?  If not, repent and ask God to grant you love for the lost, for the weak, for the helpless that is greater than you love for your own comfort.  

Effective outreach is not primarily about techniques and tips.  It flows from a heart in tune with God's heart.  When our hearts match God's heart and desire, we will do all we can, including learning various techniques and tips, so as to see people come to know Jesus.

In other words,

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.  To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win the Jews.  To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.  To those outside the law I because as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak.  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.

1 Cor. 9: 19-23

Postmodern Outreach

We are living in EPIC times.  To connect with postmoderns, the church will become more

Experiential

Participatory

Image-Driven

Communal

Leonard Sweet, Soul Tsunami, 185 ff. (1999).

I have often felt those who call themselves "futurists" struggle with incredible hubris.  These folks claim that they can see into the future, and they write to help folks who cannot to "get ahead" of the business/ministry curve.  I think most "futurists" are just as reliable as meteorologist's 15 day forecasts.

Recently I picked up an old book by a "futurist."  As I re-read and pondered Leonard Sweet's book Soul Tsunami, I was impressed with his vision for the future.  Writing in 1999 at the turn of the millennium, I think he nailed some important concepts for ministry that have marked the last 10 years.  Perhaps it is because he is a church historian writing for the church! (I just love those guys!)

What I find most interesting is Sweet's EPIC prescription for how to reach out to a postmodern and technology driven culture.  He claims that people in the past ten years would be experience driven.  They would not want to be merely entertained (like the seeker-sensitive baby boomer churches were doing), but they would want to be part of something bigger.  These folks would be greatly influenced by the use of images to communicate truth.  Most importantly, they would live, breathe, determine truth and viability within community.

If more churches would have understood these ideas and put them into practice, our outreach to this generation would have been more effective.

I am well aware of the argument that the medium of communication can change the message.  I took several classes with David Wells, the great herald warning of this truth.  I do not think he would wish to claim me as a student, but I learned much from him.  

I do not think that changing the medium of communication always means a compromise of the message of the gospel.  In fact, I think the message of the gospel resonates well within the framework articulated by Sweet.

What would it take for your church to become more experiential?  Perhaps a more engaging worship experience?  Does this mean compromise?  For so many, they like it the way it has always been, so there is not desire to change.  We are all happy, so why cannot new people adjust to us?

To this objection I raise two points.  First, do you think worship in heaven does not engage all the senses?  I think worship in heaven is more than a mental activity.  It engages every part of us (body, strength, heart, mind, and soul) as we are captured by the beauty of the God-head.  Should not our worship here be a reflection of that worship?

Second, the church does not exist for itself.  It exists to contain a community of believers who are constantly growing by adding new people into the community.  This community grows deeper in grace and truth through discipleship, worships together to express praise and thankfulness to the Great God, and serves together to reach out to those not yet believers who God calls to faith.

As I see Sweet's observation, that takes care of EP and C.  These marks of the church "work" in our postmodern culture not because they compromise, but because they understand and live out the gospel in community and worship.

What about image-driven?  Here is where many could find fault with Sweet.  Does not image-driven change the message from text and logic driven messages?

Maybe, but not necessarily.

Unfortunately, what many people know (or think they know) about the Church, the bible, and the gospel they learned from The Simpsons, Family Guy, and the TV news.  In other words, our culture is spiritually and biblical illiterate. Like the pre-modern (read Enlightenment) church, images can help convey the gospel.  The key is to make sure the gospel is always reinforced and that its message is central to the purpose of the images!

Want a solid biblical example?  How about the sacraments of baptism and communion?  Images that contain, communicate, and perhaps even clarify the gospel!

Does this mean that everyone will see these images in the same manner?  Of course not.  But, this does not change anything.  I have been constantly amazed in my life how often my words, when clearly spoken, can be heard and interpreted far differently than I intended.  When miscommunication occurs, we must humbly work to communicate again and again.  I think the same process can and must be used for image-based communication.

So that takes care of the I in EPIC.

Now, I look in judgment on whether Sweet was correct.  I believe fully he did understand our culture and where the church needed to head in the past 10 years.  Those churches that followed this advice, have grown not merely from transfer, but in conversions.  Those who have not are still looking for the silver bullet that will help them grow.

This post is getting long, so I will end with a question.  What will be needed to change in our methods of outreach and ministry in the next 10 years?  I don't know.  I have some ideas.  What do you think?

Why the New Perspective on Paul is Deadly to True Spirituality

"Only a fraction of the present body of professing Christians are solidly appropriating the justifying work of Christ in their lives.  Many have so light an apprehension of God's holiness and of the extent and guilt of their sin that consciously they see little need for justification, although below the surface of their lives, they are deeply guilt-ridden and insecure.  Many others have a theoretical commitment to this doctrine, but in their day-to-day existence they rely on their sanctification for justification, in the Augustinian manner, drawing their assurance of acceptance with God from their sincerity, their past experience of conversion, their recent religious performance or the relative infrequency of their conscious, willful disobedience.  Few know enough to start each day with a thoroughgoing stand upon Luther's platform: you are accepted, looking outward in faith and claiming the wholly alien righteousness of Christ as the only ground for acceptance, relaxing in the quality of trust which will produce increasing sanctification as faith is active in love and gratitude."

Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, 101.

In my humble opinion, this is one of the most important passages written in the last century.  It is not a new idea, but it is an often forgotten idea.  It was written in the late 1970s by a man I had the privilege to study under early in my academic career.

Unfortunately, in recent years much of the scholarly literature concerning the gospel has undermined Luther's re-discovery of the basis for authentic spirituality.  It has moved from being accepted to emphasizing our faithfulness as central in our relationship with God.  While I think this theological move is rife with error on a number of fronts, such an emphasis is deadly when engaging in the process of spiritual growth.

Why?

Our modern emphasis on our faithfulness dooms Christianity to be a religion for the strong- those who can get their act together through their will-power.  Such a theological move makes spirituality shallow, and it denies hope to those who are not smart enough or strong enough to make surface changes.  In a brief paragraph, Lovelace diagnoses the symptoms of shallow spirituality, and he describes the basis of true spirituality. 

What is authentic spirituality?

It is an understanding that there is only one God, and this God is perfectly holy.  Many of us do not understand the true holiness of God.  We have made God in our image instead of letting His image challenge and confront our sin.  Thus, we believe that surface changes are all that is needed to be "right with God."

What is needed is a heart transformation not just surface changes!  Because we cannot change our heart, we feel guilt-ridden and insecure.  Instead of understanding the real issue of our heart, we blame others or events for our condition instead of confessing our need for God.  At other times, we profess belief in God’s work in Christ, but we judge our relationship with God by how well we are doing.  Again, we feel guilt-ridden and insecure, but what can we do about it?

Luther's answer is simple yet profound.  He consistently encourages us to believe the gospel.  The gospel is not just a ticket to heaven, but a way of daily life.  God does not just accept me, but He loves me!  Why?  Because of Jesus: His perfection and life have been given to me.  My righteousness comes wholly from Him.

From this point the entirety of Luther's and Protestant spirituality makes a consistent refrain: take time to remember and believe the gospel!  This is Paul's encouragement in Ephesians 6:10-20 when he directly discusses spiritual warfare,  

We often want something deeper, but what is deeper than the gospel?  Pray.  Read the Word of God.  Confess your sins and needs.  Repent of your self-effort and lack of faith.  Ask for grace to love others.  Make all these activities Gospel-centered.  Repeat daily.  

As this truth moves from our heart to our head, we are ready to engage in the battle against our flesh, the world, and the devil.  If and when we lose this foundation, we must get it back!  Without such firm footing, we are easy targets for the devil's schemes.   We do not have the personal strength to defeat the temptations toward self-centered unbelief and the resulting condemnation that we hear from failing.

May we cling to the hope and power of Christ's finished work. 

Coming Revival or Coming Anarchy?

Where are we headed as a people?  Apart from God's reviving spirit, the world system sits at the edge of a great cliff.  Why?  Because the next generation, here and abroad, have been so negatively effected by our worldwide economic policy.  

One generation of hopelessness either leads to revival or it leads to anarchy, revolution, and revolt.  Which option will happen?  God only knows!  

The following is an article I ran across on Zero Hedge today.  Some good stats to ponder.  What do you think?

Submitted by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog,

Why are young people in America so frustrated these days?  You are about to find out.  Most young adults started out having faith in the system.  They worked hard, they got good grades, they stayed out of trouble and many of them went on to college.  But when their educations where over, they discovered that the good jobs that they had been promised were not waiting for them at the end of the rainbow.  Even in the midst of this so-called "economic recovery", the full-time employment rate for Americans under the age of 30 continues to fall.  And incomes for that age group continue to fall as well.  At the same time, young adults are dealing with record levels of student loan debt.  As a result, more young Americans than ever are putting off getting married and having families, and more of them than ever are moving back in with their parents.

It can be absolutely soul crushing when you discover that the "bright future" that the system had been promising you for so many years turns out to be a lie.  A lot of young people ultimately give up on the system and many of them end up just kind of drifting aimlessly through life.  The following is an example from a recent Wall Street Journal article...

James Roy, 26, has spent the past six years paying off $14,000 in student loans for two years of college by skating from job to job. Now working as a supervisor for a coffee shop in the Chicago suburb of St. Charles, Ill., Mr. Roy describes his outlook as "kind of grim."

"It seems to me that if you went to college and took on student debt, there used to be greater assurance that you could pay it off with a good job," said the Colorado native, who majored in English before dropping out. "But now, for people living in this economy and in our age group, it's a rough deal."

Young adults as a group have been experiencing a tremendous amount of economic pain in recent years.  The following are 30 statistics about Americans under the age of 30 that will blow your mind...

#1 The labor force participation rate for men in the 18 to 24 year old age bracket is at an all-time low.

#2 The ratio of what men in the 18 to 29 year old age bracket are earning compared to the general population is at an all-time low.

#3 Only about a third of all adults in their early 20s are working a full-time job.

#4 For the entire 18 to 29 year old age bracket, the full-time employment rate continues to fall.  In June 2012, 47 percent of that entire age group had a full-time job.  One year later, in June 2013, only 43.6 percent of that entire age group had a full-time job.

#5 Back in the year 2000, 80 percent of men in their late 20s had a full-time job.  Today, only 65 percent do.

#6 In 2007, the unemployment rate for the 20 to 29 year old age bracket was about 6.5 percent.  Today, the unemployment rate for that same age group is about 13 percent.

#7 American families that have a head of household that is under the age of 30 have a poverty rate of 37 percent.

#8 During 2012, young adults under the age of 30 accounted for 23 percent of the workforce, but they accounted for a whopping 36 percent of the unemployed.

#9 During 2011, 53 percent of all Americans with a bachelor’s degree under the age of 25 were either unemployed or underemployed.

#10 At this point about half of all recent college graduates are working jobs that do not even require a college degree.

#11 The number of Americans in the 16 to 29 year old age bracket with a job declined by 18 percent between 2000 and 2010.

#12 According to one survey, 82 percent of all Americans believe that it is harder for young adults to find jobs today than it was for their parents to find jobs.

#13 Incomes for U.S. households led by someone between the ages of 25 and 34 have fallen by about 12 percent after you adjust for inflation since the year 2000.

#14 In 1984, the median net worth of households led by someone 65 or older was 10 times larger than the median net worth of households led by someone 35 or younger.  Today, the median net worth of households led by someone 65 or older is 47 times larger than the median net worth of households led by someone 35 or younger.

#15 In 2011, SAT scores for young men were the worst that they had been in 40 years.

#16 Incredibly, approximately two-thirds of all college students graduate with student loans.

#17 According to the Federal Reserve, the total amount of student loan debt has risen by 275 percent since 2003.

#18 In America today, 40 percent of all households that are led by someone under the age of 35 are paying off student loan debt.  Back in 1989, that figure was below 20 percent.

#19 The total amount of student loan debt in the United States now exceeds the total amount of credit card debt in the United States.

#20 According to the U.S. Department of Education, 11 percent of all student loans are at least 90 days delinquent.

#21 The student loan default rate in the United States has nearly doubled since 2005.

#22 One survey found that 70% of all college graduates wish that they had spent more time preparing for the "real world" while they were still in college.

#23 In the United States today, there are more than 100,000 janitors that have college degrees.

#24 In the United States today, 317,000 waiters and waitresses have college degrees.

#25 Today, an all-time low 44.2 percent of all Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 are married.

#26 According to the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of all Americans in the 18 to 24 year old age bracket lived with their parents during 2012.

#27 One poll discovered that 29 percent of all Americans in the 25 to 34 year old age bracket are still living with their parents.

#28 Young men are nearly twice as likely to live with their parents as young women the same age are.

#29 Overall, approximately 25 million American adults are living with their parents according to Time Magazine.

#30 Young Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated that previous generations have saddled them with a nearly 17 trillion dollar national debt that they are expected to make payments on for the rest of their lives.

And this trend is not just limited to the United States.  As I have written about frequently, unemployment rates for young adults throughout Europe have been soaring to unprecedented heights.  For example, the unemployment rate for those under the age of 25 in Italy has now reached 40.1 percent.

Simon Black of the Sovereign Man blog discussed this global trend in a recent article on his website...

Youth unemployment rates in these countries are upwards of 40% to nearly 70%. The most recent figures published by the Italian government show yet another record high in youth unemployment.

An entire generation is now coming of age without being able to leave the nest or have any prospect of earning a decent wage in their home country.

This underscores an important point that I’ve been writing about for a long time: young people in particular get the sharp end of the stick.

They’re the last to be hired, the first to be fired, the first to be sent off to fight and die in foreign lands, and the first to have their benefits cut.

And if they’re ever lucky enough to find meaningful employment, they can count on working their entire lives to pay down the debts of previous generations through higher and higher taxes.

But when it comes time to collect… finally… those benefits won’t be there for them.

Meanwhile, the overall economy continues to get even weaker.

In the United States, Gallup's daily economic confidence index is now the lowest that it has been in more than a year.

For young people that are in high school or college right now, the future does not look bright.  In fact, this is probably as good as the U.S. economy is going to get.  It is probably only going to be downhill from here.

The system is failing, and young people are going to become even angrier and even more frustrated.

So what will that mean for our future?