God’s Big Picture…

God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible is a simple and accessible book that provides a great framework for grasping the greater story of the Bible.  It’s basically a  primer on Biblical Theology, the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity.  This subject was new to me, but has already been helpful in personal study, reminding me to not miss “the forest for the trees”.  The authors establish the paradigm of an overarching “kingdom” story that permeates all of Scripture.  This serves as a key to unlock the smaller stories of men like  Abraham, Moses, David, and Paul as well as my own.  Viewing through the lens of a larger narrative to help discern the implications for my own has been refreshing and deeply insightful.  It has also rekindled a passion to view life missionally.  As you begin to hear the whispers of this ancient story and find God’s invitation to join Him in even the most mundane of life’s moments life seems deeper and more beautiful even in the midst of brokenness.

If your looking for something to help kick-start your devotional journey in 2009…I’d recommend checking out God’s Big Picture.

The mess we find ourselves in...

This Sunday I'm teaching from Jonah 2 and the study has had a significant impact on me. Almost the whole chapter is made up of Jonah's prayer to God from the "belly of the whale". It's actually a beautiful psalm/prayer of someone who is the middle of suffering the consequences of their idolatry and turning in desperation to the only place they know to turn...God. In many ways Jonah is the anti-missional prophet. I've learned a lot from his story, and unfortunately see a lot of myself in it as well.

Jonah's prayer is not for deliverance from trials, suffering, or persecution, but from the consequences of his poor decisions and his running from God. Something this passage has made painfully clear to me is I am NOT like God! God's pursuit of Jonah in the midst of his open rebellion is humbling and convicting. I would've given up, but God is relentless in His pursuit of Jonah and limitless in His grace once He has him. As I transfer that into my own life I'm humbled by God's reach through time and circumstance to rescue me; and convicted of my judgement of who else God should extend His mercy to. Callousness, prejudice, self-righteousness, and hate are ugly in all their forms...even if they wearing a W.W.J.D. bracelet.

Dental Theology...

Okay...so I went to the dentist today for a filling.  No matter how you package it, not something you exactly look forward to.  I had a short, but insightful conversation with the dental hygienist about the similarities between dentistry and ministry that has stayed with me.

As a pastor, particularly a pastor trying to live and lead missionally, there was something in this exchanged that moved me.  I honestly believe that God has not only rescued us from Hell, but from living for ourselves (i.e. Hell on earth).  Fundamental to our calling is participation with God in His redemption of His creation for His glory.  Living outside of this gives us "life-cavities", places where excess and self-indulgence causes rot and decay.  It's never fun to find out you have a cavity, but denying you have one is even worse...it's stupid!  Decay doesn't fix itself, it has to be cleaned out and replaced.  The dentist's role is to find the decay and replace it before it get to the nerve and does real damage.  There is decay in the church...I find it in myself.  We've forgotten our role as ambassador's for the gospel of peace.  We've been called to participate in the answer, not merely point out there's a problem.  As much as I hate to admit it, there is still a lot of "me" that needs to "decrease so He can increase".  It's painful, but I'm thankful for the grace to see it.

Things must change.  I'm not sure what that means fully, but I'm grateful God does and that His persistence is greater than my resistance.

Missional Fathers

"For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel."

Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:15

We live in an era of many "guides" and few "fathers", but in the midst of my own longing for "fathering" I must admit that I usually choose to seek a guide. A guide is someone you hire, let them lead you for a while, thank when you're done and then move on. You don't have to take the good with the bad. There's no relational connection, purely functional. Maybe that's why reading has replaced mentoring, the interaction is clean, easy, and one-sided.

Luke at Desiring Life has a thoughtful post on this topic, "Forgetting the Gandalfs", that I still think about. I do wonder if the bed we find ourselves in is not of our own making. That's not to say that there isn't responsibility on the part of older men to give their lives away to others. Paul is such a strong illustration of this. I usually view Paul as an evangelist verses a pastor, but these are pastoral words. Words of encouragement and life filled with sincere love. Wether they are received or not doesn't seem to bother Paul, he simply shares and trusts God with the rest.

So this morning I'm left with a few thoughts. First, missional living is not task-driven, but relationship-driven. While that is definitely harder and messier, it is also deeper and richer and that depth and richness is what fosters transformation. Secondly, I have to ask myself if I'm willing to become that which I seek. Just as it's easier relationally to follow a guide, I recognize it's easier to be a guide rather than invest as a father. Which leads me to my final thought, "fathering" begins with being a good dad in my own home. In my opinion there's nothing more missional than parenting. With that in mind...I'm going to go fix some breakfast and start following my own advice.

Life is too short...

The Blind Beggar has a thoughtful post today.  Spurred by the Phillip Brooks phrase "Life is too short," and an article in the newspaper about people making "Life is too short" lists, he started his own and challenged us to do the same.  Mine so far is...

Life is too short...

• to not saturate my life with the Scriptures and follow the lead of the Spirit no matter the cost
• to not "be" Jesus where I am right now
• to not embrace my wife every time I leave and upon every time we reunite...no matter the time between
• to not be intentional about the legacy I leave for my children
• to not invest in relationships sacrificially
• to not forgive and release
• to not walk in a warm spring rain
• to not dream big and live with the integrity to be an instrument of seeing that dream become reality

Okay...your turn.  What would your list look like?

Engagement (Thoughts from "Call To Commitment")

"Some of you," she would say, "have got to stay home and make the same sacrifices as those who got to Indochina and take years to prepare, learning the language, the customs and such things. You must learn a new language also, the language of the world, so that those who are worldly and sophisticated, but spiritually illiterate, can understand you. You must do everything they do, and do it better - but without sin. Read better and more broadly than they do, entertain better and more charmingly, dress better and have a knowledge of all the things in which they are interested, so that you can understand their point of view. If you do not do this, you will speak not only a foreign language in this pagan country, but one that repels."

- Elizabeth O'Conner, Call To Commitment

The quote above was spoken to Gordon Cosby, Elizabeth-Anne and Mary Campbell by Mrs. Campbell while they were contemplating missionary service. After I read her comments I was whisked away to the courts of Babylon and four young men enslaved by an evil empire...

"As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. ... And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom."

- Daniel 1:17, 20

Turning all this as a light on my own life as a "suburban missionary" complexity seemed to melt away into the simple reality of engagement. Following Christ is not our removal from the World but movement toward it. How much does the "Christian Sub-culture" alienate us from those we are here to give our lives to? What does it look like for us to excel with purity? How do we become "students of our culture" while maintaining our "kingdom citizenship"? Tough questions that need solid, practical answers.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

- James, Book of James 1:26-27

Quote for Thought

"The dignity of man stands in proportion to his obligation as well as to his rights."

- Abraham Heschel, God in Search of Man

 

He has told you, O man, what is good;
   and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God?

- Micah, Micah 6:8

Who is as important as what...

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

- Jesus, Matthew 5:14-16

I'm going to be teaching on this passage next week and as I've studied many things have struck me about these words of Jesus.  Today what has stirred me the most is not the words, but the audience they are spoken to.  The "you" here isn't the religious elite (though He gets to them shortly), it isn't the social elite; it's a broken people in captivity to an evil empire, the oppressed, the marginalized, those who think they've been forgotten and bear no "light".  Here, in the love-thick words of this fiery young rabbi they learn the truth...God sees them and they matter!  I wonder what Jesus saw in the faces staring at him as he tells them "It's you...YOU are the light of the world!  Don't give up, keep fighting for what is good...it matters!"  In a world of darkness where celebrity is valued over authenticity, even in Christian circles, Jesus' words still ring with hope.  Each of us play a role; each of us are designed for impact; there are not "spare parts".  The impact of this truth not only on how I view myself, but how I view everyone else has been both refreshing and convicting.  What a message...what a hope...

Quote for Thought

"What Jesus wants from us is not admiration, but imitation."

- Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing

Lessons From the Jesus Movement - A Post from The Blind Beggar

In my morning perusing of things popping in the blogosphere I came upon a short but insightful post from the Blind Beggar. As a participant in the "Jesus Movement" and finding a lot of similarities in the Missional & Emerging Movements, the Beggar has some wisdom on keeping things from going awry as we push for much needed change. He highlights five areas of awareness:

• Politics
• Aberrant Groups
• A Culture of Being Against
• The Power of the World
• Evangelism

To check out the article CLICK HERE.

(HT: The Blind Beggar)

Missional Living....Trying to Figure It Out

This past Sunday we started a series on Sunday mornings focused on missional living.  It is another step in a long process of creating a missional culture.  An ethos that is warm and encouraging, but also empowers and propels people to be transforming agents in their world.  Helping people make the transition from an "attractional" model to a "missional" model is humbling, especially in suburbia.

As I was reflecting on our kickoff yesterday and ideas for the next couple of weeks I began to ponder the relationship between mission, sanctification, and story.  I sense they are symbiotically connected, but find them to be disconnected in the church at large.  Without the concept of mission, sanctification can become nothing more than glorified narcissism.  Without sanctification, mission can become another cause that has no impact on our lives.  Both of these without story is more noise in an already deafening life.  Another set of "to dos" that squelches our longing for transcendence.  But...to marry these three together, to see them actually fuel each other rather than be at odds, is transformational.  Integration of these tree "strands" would make a powerful "cord" that would rescue us from the mundane and trivial and call us up to impact our world, actually make a difference.  Not a bad way to spend a life.

Holy Ambition

A friend recently gave me Chip Ingram's book "Holy Ambition: What it Take to Make a Difference for God." Chip is not exactly part of the "emerging/missional" conversation...but I used to listen to Chip's radio program when I worked as an engineer and grew significantly from his teaching. It's funny how you get locked into certain types of authors/teachers/speakers. I hesitated to start the book because of other "missional" books I want to jump into and he doesn't exactly fit the "author profile". Then as I looked through the book I was both convicted and excited to see how appropriate it is to where I'm at. The concepts presented flow so well with other things God is stirring in me right now. I've only just begun, but look forward to sharing my journey through the book.

Moral of the story...be careful you don't become a become a book snob!

Article :: A New Missional Era

Just finished an enlightening article from Patrick Keifert. Here's a sample...

"This is God’s mission, not ours. This is God’s mission and not just the church’s, for it is the reign of God that is near, not just the church. The reign of God is far more than the church, though of course the church continuously experiences the breaking in of the reign of God. Imagine the reign of God as the space and time, will and movement of God that is at hand (but not in hand), that is present and creating the church but always more than, and even at times over against, the church and culture."

For the full article click here.

(HT: Allelon)

Streams of Living Water

I started reading a book I've had for a long time but forgot about. Richard Foster's "Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith." I mentioned last week the burden to achieve greater integration in life. Life can be so fragmented, and I feel like that fragmentation is hindering my desired growth and maturity in Christ. I don't want to merely learn more...I want to be more. A being that leads to action that works as a catalyst for faith, hope, and love.

As I looked through "Streams" what struck me was the holistic nature of Foster's ideas and the sense of grounding in the life of Christ that he draws them from. His thoughts are divided into 6 streams of tradition...

• Contemplative Tradition - The Prayer-Filled Life
• Holiness Tradition - The Virtuous Life
• Charismatic Tradition - The Spirit-Empowered Life
• Social Justice Tradition - The Compassionate Life
• Evangelical Tradition - The Word-Centered Life

If you've read it I'd love to hear your thoughts. If your interested and can pick it up it'd be great to have a running discussion.

Missional Living & American Idol

It's pretty funny to me how well the entertainment industry wields it's influence. I believe the church could learn something. If you haven't gotten to see American Idol's "Idol Gives Back Campaign" you should check it out. The video interviews are pretty powerful. You can see them at American Idol Web Site.

Living Missionaly in Suburbia

Wisdom is gaining insight or knowledge, assimilating that into a new perspective, and then choosing to live from that new perspective. Knowing more isn't the point, living more is. So I find myself on Monday morning longing to apply what I learned on Sunday. I don't know about you, but sometimes things get lost in translation from Sunday to Monday. This morning I read an article that has helped to bring some alignment.

"Two years ago this was how I viewed our suburban world. It was a zoo. It was a prison. I hated this place: the strip malls, the individualism, the consumerism. Certainly, I thought, Christianity is best lived in the city. I figured if I wanted to really serve God and follow the radical call of Christ I would have to move to the city. There I could better live in proximity and community. There, I could do a better job of taking care of the poor and needy at my doorstep. The city was the place where following Jesus would easily be lived out on a daily basis. This is how I thought. But God has a way of shaking things up."

- Todd Heistand, The Gospel & The God Forsaken: The Challenge of the Missional Church in Suburbia

For the full article CLICK HERE. I would like to hear your thoughts...

(HT: Todd Hiestand)

Reflection on Luke 7:36-50

This past Sunday I spoke on extravagant generosity from the passage in Luke that describes a powerful scene where a "sinful woman" crashes a dinner party to get to Jesus.  It is one of the most extravagant displays of worship, acceptance, and new life in the Gospels.

 

As I've continued to sit with this passage I've found myself asking the question "So...which character are you - Jesus, Simon the Pharisee, or the sinner?"  Today I realized, usually I'm not either of those.  You see there is a fourth option that I think typifies the weakness of my faith more accurately.  Rather than the judging Pharisee, or even the sinful woman, I find myself the passive disciple.  The text doesn't directly state that the disciples are there, but considering the relationship between a rabbi and his disciples in the first century it's hard to think they would be any place else (for a great look at this relationship check out Follow The Rabbi).  I can't help but wonder what they are thinking.  I'm also convicted by their silence and lack of action.  Convicted because I see my reflection in them.  I wonder if silent apathy is not more painful than open rebuke.

 

If missional living is anything, it is forsaking not only being like the Pharisee, but also the the comfort of passivity.  Throwing stones of morality isn't good enough, people need healing and hope.  I have no desire to condone sin, but rather feel a burden to be an agent of transformation.  For that to happen engagement is required.  Transformation is not a passive experience, nor is it one way.  We change as we become instruments of the change we long to see.

 

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:27

Why is Cultural Relevance a Big Deal? - Ed Stetzer

Preaching against culture is like preaching against someone's house—it is just where they live. The house has good in it and bad in it. Overall, culture can be a mess—but (to mix metaphors) it is the water in which we swim and the lens through which we see the world. And the gospel needs to come, inhabit, and change that and every culture (or house).

Ed Stetzer

Check out the full article here.  If you have any thoughts or comments please post, it would be great to discuss.

(HT:The Resurgence)

The Death of Christendom? (Thoughts from "Exiles" by Michael Frost)

I just jumped into Michael Frost's "Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture" and one of the first things Frost does is hail the fall of "Christendom."  So what is "Christendom"?  Christendom, in the widest sense, refers to Christianity as a territorial phenomenon: those countries where most people are Christians, or nominal Christians, are part of Christendom.  Frost expresses it this way,

"the cultural phenomenon that resulted when Christianity was established as the official imperial religion, moving it from being a marginalized, subversive, and persecuted movement to being the only official religion in the empire."

Frost goes on to comment,

"The death of Christendom removes the final props that have supported the culturally respectable, mainstream, suburban version of Christianity."

 

I would like to hear from you, what is your experience of this phenomenon?  Do you find it true in your context?  If so, what does it look like?  How do you see this affect the way you live out your faith?

First Steps in Living Missionally

I've been thinking a lot lately about "living missionally." I think one of the first steps is acknowledgment that leads to action. Acknowledgement of God, my need for Him, the plight of others, and our role as a bridge between the two. Acknowledgement alone doesn't change anything, next follows the action of realignment of all of life to that reality. This may seem self evident, but I think it is a more elusive truth for followers of Christ in the west than we would like to admit.

The reason I have come to accept acknowledgement as the first step is the lack of acknowledgement in my own life. It is more evident than ever that I am a product of a very "personalized" Gospel. While the greatest joy in my life is my restored relationship with God through Christ, stalling at that idea has handicapped my impact in my world. The message of the Gospel isn't ultimately about me. I am reconciled, redeemed, and restored in order to be an agent of reconciliation, redemption and restoration. So simple, yet so absent in daily life.

As I reflected on this today the thought that kept echoing in my mind was "so where do I begin?" The answer was delivered in the tender eyes of our oldest child, Avery...it begins at home. That is one think I have found lacking in the "missional conversation", the importance of being missional not just with your family but in your family. So...rather than thinking and writing about it, I'm going to hang out with Avery. Carpe Diem!