No Way Back From Here

ReJesus Part Four

2009-02-11T14:48:00.003-06:00

Lots of good stuff here, so I'll just put up some quotes without my editorializing.

Regarding the Shema ("Hear O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is One"):

"In radical contrast to the belief in many gods, Yahweh is the one and only God who redeems his people and subsequently requires that they love him as he had already loved them. And the nature of this God and the form this love of God should take is made known to us in Scripture, nature, and history. He is good, holy, just, and compassionate, and he requires us to be the same. To be in relationship with him therefore brings meaning, focus, moral vision, and an ultimate reality to human life."

"There must be no limitation to the claim that Jesus makes over all of life. When we get this right, Jesus' lordship takes on a missional edge. "Jesus is Lord" is more like a rallying war cry than a mere theological statement."

Regarding worship, discipleship, and mission:

"Worship is nothing less than offering our whole lives back to God through Jesus. It is taking all the elements that make up human life (family, friendships, money, work, nation, etc.) and presenting them back to the One who gives them their ultimate meaning in the first place. But what is discipleship if it is not the same type of action? Surely, discipleship is taking all that is me (body and soul) and over a lifetime, directing it to God through Jesus. But the discerning reader would immediately notice that this sounds like a good definition of mission as well, because mission, insofar that it involves us, entails the redemption of a lost world and bringing it back to God."

Regarding how we understand God by understanding Christ:

"As startling as this sounds, we can say with confidence that the thinking about God in the early church did not begin with reflecting on God, it focused first on Jesus. Jesus reveals himself not only as the door into salvation (John 10:7) but also the entry point into the knowledge of the one true God. Kinlaw makes this clear: "Logically this means we should begin our theological studies with Jesus, who, as John said, "has made him [God] known" (John 1:18).""

From N.T. Wright: "My proposal is not that we know what the word "god" means, and manage somehow to fit Jesus into that. Instead, I suggest, that we think historically about a young Jew, possessed of a desperately risky, indeed apparently crazy, vocation, riding into Jerusalem in tears, denouncing the Temple, and dying on a Roman cross - and we somehow allow our meaning for the world "god" to be recentered around that point."

My reactions and takeaways:

1. I like the idea how mission and worship and discipleship are all the same thing, really. My tendency is to try to over-complicate things, to standardize whatever I touch. This helps to keep it simple.

2. I like the idea of thinking about God by thinking about Jesus. It puts a more tangible understanding that isn't so esoteric that you can't really "know".

3. I notice that I often say "Christ" rather than "Jesus" when referring to him. I'm working on calling him by his name rather than his title.

ReJesus Part Three

2009-02-03T14:18:00.002-06:00

I've had several posts and numerous conversations that expressed my disdain for "church" as we commonly know it. I think that this might lead some to believe that I have little value for the church. That is not the case at all. In fact, I love the church! But I'm not content to stick my head in the sand and pretend that nothing is wrong. And while I think there is value in all church expressions, I think it is appropriate to evaluate our way of ordering our life and churches.

Hirsch and Frost echo this passion for reJesusing the church. We must "[evaluate] the validity of our preferred expression of church by cues offered by Jesus the Messiah. Unless we can validate who we are and what we do by lining ourselves up with the measure that Jesus laid down in his life and work, then what in God's name are we doing?"

My passion for church used to lie in raw pragmatism, the "whatever it takes" attitude to get people to show up. While I'm still opinionated, my passion is no longer about WHAT we do but WHY we do it.

Hirsch and Frost say that Christianity without Christ equal Religion. Religion in the worst sense of the word: rote, meaningless, and "outsourced" to the institution. Hence, the need to continually reJesus. In fact, if anything Christianity is anti-religion. The authors examine the Pharisees and conclude "they are us, or at least what we can become if we are not attentive to the dynamics involved in the slow erosion of faithfulness into religion. They are living mirrors of what can happen to all well-meaning and sincere people when they lose focus on the central issues of faith....The horror of this realization is complete when we remember that these fine, upright, devoted, religious people - people not unlike us - were hell-bent on murdering Jesus."

"The world of difference exists in how we inhabit the theology we adhere to - how we believe it. Divorced from love, humility, and mercy, it readily becomes a dead and/or oppressive religion."

There's a way of life that Jesus brings that no longer needs religion. Jesus upset the religious order of the day, and continues to do so. Those who use religion for power and personal gain will oppose this radical call of Christ because he invalidates their system of control.

In Lost, the Islanders have found themselves skipping through time. This nearly killed Desmond, until he discovered his "constant", the one person who could realign himself and the world around him. For the church, Jesus is our constant. And we must frequently remind ourselves of the mission of Christ and trust that his mission will bring about the impact that he promises.

What I've taken away from this chapter:

1. My leadership at Resonate Community requires me to personally and corporately remind us of Jesus and his mission.

2. "What we do" must constantly be informed by Christ within our context. Specifically, this means calling on others to take the mission of Christ for themselves and their families.

3. The "scorecard" for us as a church must reflect our understanding of Christ's mission first and foremost. This means that traditional means of measurement (attendance, finances, buildings) are no longer viable to determine the health of our church. And the lack of these things doesn't necessarily mean we have it right.

Baby Grey

2009-01-30T17:57:00.001-06:00

Baby Grey was 8 lbs. 6 oz. and 21.5 inches long!

Sent from my G1 phone.

Kathryn Names Her Superheroes

2009-01-28T14:05:00.000-06:00

ReJesus Part Two

2009-01-26T14:26:00.002-06:00

So, now that we see God, the church, and the world differently, how does that vision impact the dynamics of our relationship with Christ?

First, Hirsch and Frost examine the competing forces that vie for our imaginations. Modern distractions of economic security and consumerism have drawn us away from truly following Christ. We have co-opted God into this realm, using him as a means to getting "my best life now" or "financial freedom" or whatever. Our minds need to be "reJesused", that is, brought back into knowing and following Jesus.

To do that, we must become "little Jesuses", and to illustrate the point, the authors refer to the film "V for Vendetta". The film takes place in a future-Britain, ruled by a totalitarian government who has captured the imaginations of its people using fear and consumerism.

V's call for action succeeds, even though he dies in the process. He has inspired the imaginations of others to follow him, and the government is reformed.

In a similar way, we are called to become "little Jesuses", striving to become like Christ. That is the focus and goal of discipleship. It goes beyond going to a Bible study and memorizing some verses of Scripture. "We possess Christ's truth only by imitating him, not by speculating about him."

"The critical role of discipleship in the mission of the church once again highlights the role of the radical Jesus in the life of faith. And this bond cannot merely involve a cerebral, objective, indirect understanding of Jesus and the Christian faith. This substitution of thinking about Jesus for existential encounter with Jesus is a constant temptation for the follower. This is partly because a living relationship with the Lord of the universe is a risky, disturbing, and demanding experience. We never get the better of him, and it is a whole lot easier, and less costly, to think than to do."

And so, we are called to become more and more like Christ, and in doing so discover more and more what it means to be fully human. We don't become like Christ by wearing sandals and learning carpentry. We become Jesus in our context, in our culture. And doing so requires more than just imitation through observation. We must KNOW Christ, like we would know a loved one. The gospels provide a compass for this journey.

Some thoughts and implications I gained . . .

1. My role in communicating to others needs to help them discover the joys of imagination in Christ. "We've heard too many sermons about how to be better citizens (or have better marriages, or better kids, or whatever). Too much preaching is concerned with a fostering of a capitulation to the mores and values of a post-Christian empire rather than a call to allow our imaginations to be overtaken by Jesus and focused on treasures in heaven."

2. I'm doing personal studies around the life and teachings of Christ, and letting them be the driving factor in my sermons and teachings. I hope that it helps others to understand his mission (and, therefore, ours).

3. I want to continually challenge our church to stand against the pricking of consumerism. That begins with me to quit worrying about money for the church (it seems I can do this just fine for personal finances, but have a hard time for the organization).

ReJesus Part One

2009-01-24T13:10:00.003-06:00

A year ago I read through "The Forgotten Ways", an exploration into the missional expression of the church. It's a life-changing look at following Christ. ReJesus follows these considerations up by examining the life of Jesus (without all of the perceptions that 2,000 years of church history can give). While much of this book underscored a lot of my thinking, I was also challenged by some of the implications. My imagination has been awakened!

"We readily acknowledge tha tnone of us have within us the fortitude, the grace, the courage, and the imagination to actually be like Jesus. It is a lost cause. But it's a lost cause made worth it by the forgiveness and grace shown us in Jesus' death on our behalf. By dying for us to set us free from the penalty of our sinfulness, he doesn't nullify the call to good works and godly living. Rather, he elevates from an endless and hopeless attempt to impress God to a joyful adventure of enjoying Christ's presence by imitating him."

Part of the reason why following Christ seems different is that we have made him "otherworldly", an alien from another world that is wholly different and beyond us. This is only partly true. Following him is something we do in a metaphysical sense, but genuine action is considered optional.

The authors (Hirsch and Frost) conclude that, when we truly "reJesus" ourselves, we will see God differently (missio Dei), we will see the church differently (participatio Christi), and we will see the world differently (imago Dei).

"Those who are taken captive by Jesus see mission not merely as a practice preferred by God but as an aspect of his very character. He IS mission. Core to understanding God's nature is the realization that God cannot NOT be about the business of mission....In effect, he is both the sent and sending God."

Jesus said that he is about the work of the Father, that he simply does what he sees his Father doing (John 5:19). In turn, we are sent by Christ (Matthew 28:18-20) to do what we have seen Him doing. God sent his Son, Father and Son sent the Spirit, and now Father, Son, and Spirit sends the church into the world.

"Through Jesus' death God has entered into our world for good. God will now no longer dwell in temples, but in the hearts of those who serve God."

This is the understanding of Paul when we says that we are temples, ambassadors, and the body of Christ.

Regarding the church, "When we are taken captive by the Nazarene carpenter, we can no longer see ourselves as participants in a similar system to the one he came to subvert." Religion holds no sway over followers of Christ!

I meet people who say they are skeptical of organized religion. Me too! And I think Jesus would agree with them. Instead, the church should be a gathering of people within the community who seek to make the community a better place.

"As Robert McAfee Brown once said about the meaning of life, it is "our task to create foretastes of [the Kingdom of God] on this planet -- living glimpses of what life is meant to be, which include art and music and poetry and shared laughter and picnics and politics and moral outrage and special privileges for children only and wonder and humor and endless love.""

Finally, we will see the world differently: "To say that we are all made in the image of God is to acknowledge that there are certain, special qualities of human nature that allow God to be made manifest in us. It is a statement about God's love for humans but also a statement abou tthe uniqueness and beauty of humans."

Some thoughts and implications I gained from this reading...

1. I need to communicate the missio Dei more often to Resonate Community Church. We should never lose sight of the sent and sending God. "To do what pleases God is not simply a matter of morality, but of sharing in God's life and mission."

2. I'm glad we structure our Sunday gatherings as we have. I think that the life of our church is so much more than what happens on Sundays. However, I want to begin communicating that EVERY encounter we have with one another IS "church". The stuff we do as a church (Bible studies, serving the community, Sunday gatherings, hanging out) is central to what we do, but just as important - and just as spiritual - are the neighborly pop-ins, impromptu coffees, and running into each other at the store. Do our conversations reflect this? Do these encounters remind us and others of Jesus?

3. I desperately want others in our church to be as inspired and motivated by the mission as I am. I hope that I can be the kind of leader and example that inspires them to engage in the lives of people - to infuse their lives with faith, hope, and love in a way that is different from "church as usual". I love how we have such an eclectic mix of people and backgrounds, and how there's little shock about peoples past (or current) struggles. We genuinely love people, and even if there's some other stuff lacking in "what we do", I'm pleased with that.

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-01-09T23:12:00.002-06:00

Wow. What a great movie. It works on a lot of different levels, and I would say that the less you know about the plot the better off you'd be. It's a fun, disturbing, poignant, and tense movie. But, I think it captures how, even though this world can be all kinds of messed up and evil, hope and love and faith endures.

In Case You Missed It

2009-01-06T12:12:00.002-06:00

For everyone who's not on Facebook, here's a video Erika put up last night. That's my girl!

The Difference

2009-01-05T20:38:00.005-06:00

First, a primer on missional churches. Go check that out and then come back here.

...

Back already? OK, so you probably didn't read it, but promise you'll bookmark it and read it later.

In the past month, there's been quite the conversation about the roles of attractional churches versus missional churches. Read more here and here and here.

For me, it's beyond the "form" of church, and really lies in the "function". Most of the past conversations about the nature of church focused on form: worship styles, casual dress, whatever. But, the function remained the same: attact people to a central campus, have them passively sit and listen, compare the numbers to the church across town. At first they came because they were expected to, then because we stopped wearing ties, then because we threw in some drums and U2 songs. We were cool and postmodern.

But the function remained the same.

I guess part of my thinking is based on ecclesiology (the nature of the church). I'm sold out on a missional approach and (this is a personality thing), I believe it's the best (and, for me, only) way to do it. At Resonate, the "attraction" isn't found on Sunday, although we try not to be teh suck.

There's a place for attractional churches, I'm not saying there isn't. But my fear is that missional will become a buzzword, just another program to assuage our guilt when we look around us and find that we've trapped ourselves in a church we helped to create but no longer enjoy.

So, I find myself raging against the dying of a missional mindset. I won't go softly into the "you catch 'em, I'll clean 'em" mentality. I'd rather just live among the people, sharing life and truth as it comes.

I talked about that here.

I'm really writing this for myself, just as a reminder. :)

UPDATE: One more thought. I like this question: How do the structures of your church shape and train people in discipleship and mission. This is a question for both attractional and missional. And my answer to the question is why I'm committed to missional church.

Mr. Tootyhead

2008-12-17T12:17:00.003-06:00

Last night at bedtime Kylie and I had a conversation.

Kylie: Did you know the red on the candy cane means that Jesus bled when the soldiers killed him?

Kyle: Wow. Did you know that the soldiers also called Jesus names and made fun of him (I was hoping to lead into how we don't make fun of others).

Kylie: Did they call him Mr. Tootyhead?

I quickly changed the subject and we said our prayers. Kylie had one more comment.

Kylie: What if someone's Mom and Dad named them Mr. Tootyhead. Then you won't be ugly when you call them that.

Generous

2008-12-11T22:25:00.003-06:00

Last night and tonight we hosted Photos with Santa to benefit the Orange Santa program for kids in need in Hutto. Santa was awesome (as usual). We had a lot of help from other groups in the community, which really made it a great event.

With the economy tanking, we fully expected to run low this year. But last night and today, some people came through in BIG ways. It's encouraging to know that, even in hard times, people can show generousity. It's a blessing for both parties.

On a different note, as I was heading out the door for our event, I got a call from a man in Ontario who is excited about our Sister City relationship. He grew up in Chililabombwe, is a Canadian citizen, and is of Indian descent. I love the global village! His passion was contagious!

What joy we have when we give ourselves away.

Making Dough

2008-12-08T13:39:00.003-06:00

In our ongoing attempts to be frugal (we've cut our grocery budget almost in half), I spent an hour today making pizza dough. After making 12 full-size pies, I'm pretty good at tossing them in the air without punching a hole in them on the way down.

Also on the plate are freezer cinnamon rolls. Put some out the night before and in the morning they are ready to bake. This should limit trips to the donut shop.

I'm intrigued about the bread making process. My grandpa used to own a bakery in the days where you bought your bread fresh and not from Wal-Mart. Almost every culture has a type of bread as a staple.

The process is very relaxing for me. Hard work, focused thought, and you can eat it when you're done. What's not to like?

Courageous Sucking

2008-12-02T10:56:00.002-06:00

I just read an interesting post from Merlin Mann about the "Tolerance for Courageous Sucking". He's writing about learning to take better photographs, but I think the lesson is great for church planting as well:

"Nobody likes feeling like a noob, especially when you’re getting constant pressure on all sides to never stick out in an unflattering way. And, in this godforsaken just-add-Wikipedia era of make-believe insight and instant expertise, it’s natural to start believing you must never suck at anything or admit to knowing less than everything — even when you’re just starting out. Clarinets should never squawk, sketch lines should never be visible, and dictionaries are just big, dumb books of words for cheaters and fancy people. Right?

I think finding your own comfort with the process (whatever that process ends up being) might just be the whole game here — being willing to put in your time, learn the craft, and never lose the courageousness to be caught in the middle of making something you care about, even when it might be shit and you might look like an idiot fumbling to make it. What’s the worst thing that could happen?

Well, you could quit, because it’s too hard to make stuff you aren’t already great at. You could convert all that pointless effort and practice back into MySpace updates and the production of funny cat pictures. No, it’s not technically the worst thing that could happen, but it’s a damned common pathway for fear to molder back into an emotional impulse to put on jammies and watch Judge Judy."

I've been working on managing my expectations and enjoying stuff more. Rather than just looking for that day I arrive at perfect execution (any day now!), I'm joining myself for the ride. So, while some of our tries may be "teh suck", at least we're trying. Right?

If I'm going to suck at something, at least it should be something worth it.

Stories of Thanks

2008-11-23T18:58:00.002-06:00

We did something a little different this morning at our gathering. Rather than have me talk, I wanted to have others share some stories of thankfulness. But, my concern was that we would just stay on the surface and share the same old stuff (I'm thankful for my family, job, friends, etc.).

So, instead, we talked about the story of God in our lives. As we reflected on our history with God, we tried to identify some themes that were consistent in those times. And then, we described God in those terms (my friend, my savior, my father, my foundation, etc.).

It was a very meaningful time for me, to hear the stories of those that God has us crossing paths with. Not to mention the FANTASTIC food following our gathering. A great day with great friends.

Let's Give Presence

2008-11-12T11:20:00.000-06:00

This is What Real Change is About

2008-11-05T19:48:00.004-06:00

On Holiness and Mission

2008-11-04T16:44:00.003-06:00

I think that, for the most part, we get holiness wrong. OK, it's defined as "set apart", but that can be a lot of things. For most "hard-core" Christians, it means I'm set apart by homeschooling, hating Harry Potter, not watching TV, voting Republican, homophobia, and just holding on until Jesus comes back to destroy this wicked world.

Hmm.

I think holiness has more to do with what we are turning toward than what we are turning from. What really sets us apart is our capacity for authentic faith, genuine love and concern, and hope in God as redeemer. All these things are only made possible through Jesus Christ and his transforming our hearts and minds.

I found this quote from Tim Keller:

Jesus’ teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day. However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishoners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.

I've gone to homes that have a welcome mat at the door and a ravenous pit bull in the yard. I think, oftentimes, that's what we communicate. "Oh, please, come on in, Jesus loves you. Oh, no? That's a shame, at least we tried!"

Here's what Paul had to say to people like this:

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

OK, I'm done...

Fatty Melt with Grilled Onions

2008-11-02T19:33:00.003-06:00

I made this for dinner tonight (for myself, Erika didn't want one). It's a hamburger with grilled onions and mayo, with grilled cheese sandwiches as buns. That's right. And it was even better than it sounds.

The Perfect Storm

2008-11-01T09:43:00.003-06:00

Erika gone for the weekend + Post-Halloween sugar rush + Extra hour as we "fall back" = ???

A.) No sleep for 36 hours.

B.) House catching on fire.

C.) No one bathes or cleans anything.

D.) The terrorists win.

Reign

2008-10-27T21:22:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted. I'm on Facebook now, which is helping me to micro-blog via status updates, photo uploads, etc. So, this one is falling away.

I think I'll save this blog for long posts, or stream of consciousness blogging.

Our Sunday gatherings this month have been wonderful, milestone-type celebrations. We've had seven families visit us for the first time, including two musicians who played for us yesterday. Pitch perfect I might add. Just the right addition for my talk on worship and God as King.

This is the most often I've ever had to preach. I've actually wondered how people do it every week (still do). But, I've found a secret that has helped me develop what I think is some of the best communicating that I've ever done: I'm speaking to myself.

Basically, my sermons are just allowing the crowd to listen in on the thoughts and discussions that I've been having with God over the text. The points where Scripture is intersecting my life, my worries or fears, the things that make me excited or happy, all of that is just packaged in a "sermon."

So, lately I've been pondering the reign of God in my life and what that means for the church. The basic thought? Jesus is Lord and Caesar isn't. Neither is money or stuff or politics or "free-time" or anything else. And that's freedom.

Baa

2008-10-09T21:38:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week, I celebrated 12 years in ministry. It's been full of a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but I have to say, God led me here. I've been reflecting on Psalm 23 (my passage for Sunday), and I think that's the psalmist's feeling, more or less.

God led me here.

I had a good friend remind me that God isn't calling me close to him so I can get a church off the ground. He's calling me close to him (and that's that). For his name's sake. Because he loves me.

David's conclusion is that goodness and mercy will pursue him for the rest of his life. Anyone can look in the rearview mirror and get a glimpse of the crap that seems to chase you. But David makes a different decision.

So, here's to enjoying green pastures.

Camping Weekend

2008-10-05T16:26:00.003-05:00

Last night we had our first camping trip as a family! I grew up in the Boy Scouts, so I have had my fair share of campfire cooking, setting up tents, and general discomfort.

We had a great time. The weather was great, nice and cool. Jon made some killer ribs, and we roasted corn on the grill too.

The best thing is, Kylie and Kat slept (for the most part) through the night! Before going to bed, Davey entertained us with his guitar skills and everyone else tried to sing along.

Maybe in the future we'll do it again.

Living the Dream

2008-10-02T13:18:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed this article in Inc. Magazine regarding Harmonix, the developers behind Guitar Hero and Rock Band. My favorite part:

Last year, when fawning organizers of a video game conference asked Rigopulos to give a speech about "living the dream," he wistfully marked up a PowerPoint chart of Harmonix's annual profits and losses. He labeled the company's breakout year, 2006, as "The Dream." The years 1995 through 2005, shown almost entirely in red ink, were "The Part Before That."

My takeaway from this is that we can never give up on our dreams. It was more than the bottom line that was pushing these guys. It was commitment to realizing their dream (getting non-musicians making music).

Sometimes it can feel like we're living in "The Part Before That", but I think that it's required for the dream to feel, well, dreamy. No matter how frustrating church planting can be (and it can), there's still much there to savor.

And, when it's time to realize the dream, you're grateful that you kept true to it

Bailout

2008-09-30T22:07:00.002-05:00

It seems that, in the midst of a convergence of politics and economic difficulties, fear has taken hold. Nothing like "end of the world" type thinking (I'm sure there's some of that out there), but this subtle "what's next" sort of thing.

The trouble is, it's easy to think that "my guy" will save us from all of this mess and "you're guy" (if he wins), will just lead us further into trouble.

It's been helpful (for me, anyway) to think of this: "Some trust in horses, some trust in chariots, but we will trust in the name of the LORD our God."

We hope that there's a messiah out there that will come to fix all of our problems, but we fail in placing that hope in human hands.

The Fireside Chat

2008-09-26T18:46:00.002-05:00

How I long for a president with the ability to communicate like FDR.