The Most Dangerous Safe Place

Erasing Hell - The Book

2012-02-10T16:01:00.000-06:00

Rob Bell has given me months of material to chew on in his book 'Love Wins'. Yesterday Francis Chan's book, 'erasing hell', arrived at our house. My wife ordered it to read one of the many rebuttal's to Bell's book. I'm only a few pages in and already I'm taking issue with his direction. He insists that our understanding of hell and its existence is a life and death issue. He trembles at the thought of tackling this issue because if he gets it wrong that's terrible and if he gets it right it's terrible. The study of hell is not to be taken lightly.

Why?

Maybe I'm a simpleton, but the older I get the more convinced I am that nothing about our eternity is dependent on our understanding, intelligence or proper grasp of scripture. Our eternal disposition is wholly and completely in the hands of God. Our salvation has been accomplished by Jesus Christ through his death on the cross. And even though I've taught through the Bible many times over, read it cover to cover and continue to marvel at the things within its pages I have yet to discover, I still don't fully grasp what Jesus did. But I believe he did it. I believe I'm a broken, sinful, fallen human being incapable of achieving perfection by my own effort. I can't by my own will or strength overcome the sin in my life. And if that sin; separates me from God, destroys my ability to be in human relationships, bankrupts me emotionally, ravages me physically and devastates me spiritually then why wouldn't I want to be saved from that? Especially when that salvation comes as a gift freely given by God through the sacrifice of someone other than me...namely, his son...and not through any effort or contribution of my own.

So I don't really need to believe there's a literal hell to know I need to be saved. I don't need images of flames and pitchforks and demons to flee a life of misery and live in the joy God intends for me. Do you? If Francis Chan can prove to you convincingly that there really is a hell where you will spend eternity if you don't accept Jesus will that motivate you to rush into his arms (Jesus, not Francis Chan)? I say 'no'. Based on what I've seen of human behavior, the threat of pain or even actual suffering, isn't enough to turn people from bad habits. Witness the lifelong smoker laying in a hospital bed having just lost a lung to cancer and jonesing for his next cigarette.

Future peril, eternal or otherwise, will never trump current pain as a motivator to find freedom from the effects of sin. Being told there's a hell isn't nearly as powerful as empathizing with someone who's suffering the consequences of a life soaked in sinful behavior and knows they can't bear that pain any longer. Jesus didn't come to save us from hell. He came to save us from sin, death and the power of the devil. All those are current concerns not future threats. Sin and its effects on my life is a current threat to my marriage, my job, my health and my physical well being. Death as final separation from God was the curse visited on me at the time of Adam and Eve's fall and a condition in which all humanity lived until Christ defeated it on the cross. The power the devil has is limited to this world - he is prince of this world, after all - but it is fearsome and he is driven to destroy me. He does it with pleasure, selfishness, isolation and all the temptations of the flesh.

So, again I ask, why is it so important that we understand hell? In my opinion it's much, much, much more important to know, fully and intimately, what God says about loving others, serving those in need, caring for widows and orphans, sharing the resources he's blessed us with to see that pain and suffering on this earth is dealt with. I think it's far more important that we strain ourselves to end hunger, eradicate poverty, provide clean water and secure shelter, and end disease. It's time to stop building multi-million dollar complexes and calling them worship centers. It's time to stop investing countless hours and endless dollars producing thousands of glitzy stage productions every Sunday. It's time to stop threatening people with eternity and start challenging them to live in the present as a light to the world.

And do all of this in the name of Jesus Christ who we represent and who, by his Holy Spirit, moves within all who believe.

If there is any teaching to be done it should be to help people realize that Jesus did not die on the cross to save them from a bad hair day. We are saved from sin, death and the devil so that we might shine the light of Christ's love to those who are still in the grip of sin, death and the devil. Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God. Care for widows and orphans. These are Biblical injunctions worth our time and attention along with Jesus' greatest command, 'Follow me.' Do this and hell becomes irrelevant no matter what people think.

What if it's Not About Salvation?

2011-12-19T21:27:00.000-06:00

Something has occurred to me recently. It has to do with the Christian church's obsession with salvation. It comes out in all sorts of ways like altar calls and church services. There are sermons on salvation and records of how many people were 'saved' this week, month, year. But I think we're missing the point.

I hope I can clearly communicate what I've been thinking.

Jesus' death on the cross achieved salvation for all of humanity. Right? So, if that's true then everyone is saved. Salvation of the human race is settled or, as Jesus famously said, it is finished. We didn't achieve our own salvation. It was done for us. All of us. Isn't that what the Christian Church believes and teaches. We cannot by our own power or understanding save ourselves hence the need for a Savior, Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sin. All of sin for everyone.

So about now you may be thinking that I'm jumping on the 'everyone goes to heaven' bandwagon. I'm not. In fact I'm bold enough to say that salvation and who goes to heaven are two completely different issues. The former is settled and we can be confident of that because there is overwhelming evidence and writings announcing that. The latter, if scripture is accurate, isn't known to us. Frankly, there's scriptural evidence that it's none of our business who goes to heaven and who doesn't. That's totally and completely up to God. So, to sum up, everyone is saved and we have no idea who goes to heaven and who doesn't.

The work of the church then is twofold. First, tell everyone they are saved and not through any work of their own. Keep telling everyone who hasn't heard it that they are saved by the work of Jesus Christ. Some will believe that and some won't. Whether they do or not is none of our business either way. We're not in the convincing business we're in the telling business. The second job of the church is to equip those who believe Jesus saved them to go about serving everyone...e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e.

When speaking to believers there's no need to talk about salvation. They, by definition, believe that Jesus has saved them. It's done, settled. If we keep talking about it we risk communicating to believers that maybe it's not completely done. Maybe, just maybe, there's something more that needs to be done to seal the salvation deal. Maybe I need to attend more bible studies, or take communion, or pray harder, or... then my salvation will be really, really secure. So I'm saying we should stop talking about salvation with believers. Let's proceed as if it's a done deal...because it is. Jesus saved all of humanity from sin death and the power of the devil by his death on the cross. If you believe that I don't need to keep harping on it.

Now we can get busy equipping believers to be about those things we find throughout scripture that are God's expectations for those who believe. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, housing the homeless. We can spend our time making a difference in the lives of people in this world. We can witness the love of Jesus to people in need because we get it that all of us are lost and all of us are saved. So there are no classes. No one is greater and no one is lesser than anyone else. We can stop sitting around congratulating each other that we're saved because EVERYONE IS SAVED so none of us is special in that regard.

When we talk to those who don't believe we can talk about salvation. We can explain how it was accomplished. We can help them understand those feelings of loss, separation and hopelessness and point them to the fulfillment that comes from knowing that you're saved. Just like everyone else. And some will get it. Hooray! Some won't and we can be sad about that. But we can't tell them they're not going to heaven. Because we don't know that. And that's not our call. We don't get to say who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. We. just. simply. don't. God does.

Let's stop sitting around with other believers talking about how saved we are and start challenging each other to get busy responding to the call of the one who saved us...and everyone else.

Let's tell everyone they're saved and let God sort out who really believes that and who doesn't and what happens to everyone one way or the other. What might church look like if we did this? I wonder...

Live From Kenya - Another Great Adventure

2011-08-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

Our mission team has finished it's first full work day in Kenya! What a day it was. We worked in the Jehovah Jireh orphanage doing medical check-ups and pouring a new concrete floor in the big boys dorm. Seventy-two orphans live at Jehovah Jireh ranging in age from 7 to 20 and cared for by five very dedicated people. We had a blast today interacting, talking about Jesus, sharing about America and listening to the stories of the children. They are so inquisitive and humbled the whole team with their joy in difficult circumstances. I wish everyone could come to Kenya and meet these kids. We have one more day with them before going on to Kitui where we'll work with blind children at St. Luke's.

The team is awesome, as well. Sixteen of us from six different states all with a love for the Lord and a heart for these children. Our youngest is just 13 years old and traveling with her grandmother. This is what living the Christian faith looks like in my book. Helping those in need as a community of believers in concert with our brothers and sisters who are different but the same!

And Now the Very LAST Minute

2011-08-11T13:50:00.000-05:00

Any adventurers out there willing to join a mission to Africa on two week's notice here's your chance! We've just had two cancellations for our trip to Kenya. That makes us a team of 16...still larger than any previous team I've led, but we have rooms set aside for 18. If you can join us and want to know more (including special last minute pricing) please contact me right away at 847-287-6678 or by email at timkurth@lutheranchurchcharities.org. The 14 day window for airfare is closing tomorrow.

Preparing for Kenya

2011-08-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

Later this month I'll be leading another team to Nairobi, Kenya. There's nothing quite like taking Christians on an overseas mission trip. Any mission trip is a blast because you get to put your faith into action. Out of the seats and into the streets as they say. But when you leave this country the experience is exponentially more powerful. The culture shock, the sights, sounds and smells of another country along with the stark reality of how most the world really lives changes people forever.

There's only so much you can do to prepare for a foreign mission trip. Obvious things like vaccinations and visas but there are also not so obvious things like the mental preparation. Facing many hours of travel, being deprived of comforts you've come to expect, spending a lot of time with a relatively small group of people you can't really get away from and seeing some of the neediest people in the world face to face all combine to make this much more difficult than you might imagine.

There is nothing like this whether you do it once or many times. My prayer for all Christians is that they would get the chance, if even for a week, to experience another place, another people and another level of what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Update from Joplin

2011-06-30T20:12:00.000-05:00

Few things excite me more than connecting with church leaders who really get what ministry is all about. When God presents an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a community in need and the church responds enthusiastically and immediately it's a beautiful thing to watch. Immanuel Lutheran Church and Martin Luther School in Joplin continue to amaze me. They are now asking how do we become partners in the rebuilding of Joplin for years to come. What ministry opportunities might grow out of our engagement with this community? Let's make sure we don't miss this chance to boldly proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ through acts of service, compassion and loving kindness.

It's a distinct privilege to sit in on meetings where big dreams grow bigger as the scope of God's providence becomes more and more evident. A relief center in the school gym becomes three semi-truck containers in the schoolyard, four semi-trailers on the front parking lot, a shower trailer right in front of the school. Now it's time to consider a more permanent location where relief, counseling, building development and full community engagement might be possible. And what about money...the perennial concern of some. One of the miracles that follows a horrendous disaster such as happened on May 22, 2011 is the outpouring of financial support to people in need. People may be reluctant to give so you can pay the church's electric bill but they are always generous when people are hurting and the need is painfully obvious.

So the church rises up. God's resources flow like a river swollen with the spring rains. Volunteers put in long, hard hours and God's glory shines in the darkness. This is the church. Gathered to be strengthened by God's Word and Sacraments then sent to be his presence among the people. We mustn't only gather and never go and we dare not only go and never gather. Tomorrow I leave Joplin but my heart remains with the people of this church and school who have found the full measure of God's grace in the wake of devastation.

Last Minute Openings for Kenya Trip

2011-06-22T15:09:00.000-05:00

Good news for those wishing they'd signed-up for our medical/construction mission to Kenya. Two members of the team had to bow out this week so we have two openings available right now. Rooms are already reserved and the orphans and blind children are expecting us. If you are in a position to make a quick decision and can afford the cost ($2295 not including airfare), please consider joining our team. I can promise you won't regret taking this once in a lifetime trip to Africa! Call Lifetree Adventures at (800) 747-2157 and register today. If you'd like more information drop me an email at timkurth@lutheranchurchcharities.org. I hope to see you in Nairobi in August!!

The Church At It's Very Best

2011-06-21T15:23:00.000-05:00

For the last two weeks I've had the privilege of being with some of the greatest people in the world. The staff at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Martin Luther School in Joplin, Missouri are true heroes. Located within the tornado zone where over 150 lives were lost and thousands of homes and many churches were completely destroyed, Immanuel and Martin Luther stands as a testament to what the Church is meant to be. A beacon of hope in the midst of crushing darkness. Pastor Gregory Mech, DCE Jason Glaskey and his wife Lyla, Principal Jeremy Schamber and his wife Kelli and other staff have worked tirelessly since shortly after the storm subsided to rally the people of their congregation and assemble the most awesome relief center I've ever seen. They are providing hot meals, a medical clinic, water & Gatorade, clothing, bedding, diapers, food, cleaning supplies and more to anyone who comes by their door. They are dispensing gift cards and cash to those in need. They are not taking names or making people fill out paperwork. They are being blessed by churches and denominational agencies from all over the country and they're passing those blessings along to those in need. They realize that they are in the perfect location to be the hands, feet and mercy of Jesus for just such a time as this.

It was a humbling experience to be in their presence. To see the smiles on their faces and the determination in their hearts to see that no one was turned away. They've turned their entire facility into one huge center of help and hope. And people come...every day, they come. Some just for a hot lunch and conversation, others for a mattress or clothes or a tetanus shot. Many come to volunteer and the team at Immanuel and Martin Luther find work for them to do and keep spreading the word to the city that if you need help they will provide it. This is the Church at it's very best.

The Church has a choice with each new day. And I'm not just talking about Immanuel and Martin Luther. I'm talking about the Body of Christ. We can see the need (which is usually less obvious than one quarter of your city being blown away...literally) and strive with all our energy to meet it in the name of our loving Lord Jesus OR we can close our doors, tell people to look elsewhere and see that we simply take care of those who happened to be around when the doors were shut. That's a choice many churches make every day. They insulate, isolate and vegetate hoping that they can hold on to the few, stalwart, aging members they have until they can no longer continue to function. Serving those around is just too scary and unpredictable. Kind of like a tornado. But I wish every church in America would look at Immanuel Lutheran Church and Martin Luther School to see what's possible when you ask this simple question, "How can we help?" and listen for God's answer. The resources come, the people come and His light shines in the darkness. I pray every church follows the example of Immanuel Lutheran Church and Martin Luther School without waiting for an EF5 tornado to move you.

An Amazing Day

2011-05-10T16:48:00.001-05:00

It's taken me a couple of days to recover, but not in a bad way. Have you ever done something that required a ton of effort, involved lots of people and pushed you to your limits? Doesn't it feel great? As the inimitable George Peppard used to say on the A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

And come together is exactly what happened last Saturday when the 1 By Youth day of service came to the Austin and West Garfield neighborhoods of Chicago. The efforts of dozens of people culminated in a day where over 600 volunteers worked on nearly 100 sites where they painted, landscaped, cleaned, repaired and built. Christian teens and their adult leaders made a remarkable difference in a single day and showed a distressed neighborhood what the love of Jesus looks like. Click here and see for yourself what it looks like when Jesus shows up.

It was a blessing beyond words to be a part of something so meaningful. This is what church is all about. Out of the seats and into the streets, as they say. And we went into the streets. Streets that just the day before...and I'm guessing the day after...were populated by drug dealers and gangstas. But on Saturday, May 7, 2011 it was the scene of harmony and unity. Youth groups of all types, black, white, Hispanic and Asian filled the streets with the love of Jesus and in that light darkness could not stand. There was even one man who had been cursing us from a distance earlier in the day then joined us for the block party and shared in our meal. The power of Christ's love is overwhelming that way!

There is power in the love of Jesus Christ. Power to change lives for eternity. We dare not lock that power in a building or limit it to the occasional service event. As I write this Christians are pouring into the Southern states to clean up after the tornadoes there. Christians are poised and waiting to help those affected by the Mississippi River flooding. Christians are joining me on a mission to Africa in August to help orphans and blind children. The Church is the Body of Christ and you are part of that body. Come join us and see amazing things for yourself. God never intended for his body to be a pew potato!

Big Day Coming

2011-04-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

A little less than two years ago I was part of launching a dream. The dream was to see one million Christian teens involved in a single day of service in cities across the U.S. Eventually this dream came to be known as 1 By Youth. The very first event happened in Manassas, VA in April of 2010. Since then other cities have joined the movement of youth service. But one big part of the dream was to see 1 By Youth come to one of the largest cities in the country.

On Saturday, May 7 that dream will become a reality when 1 By Youth comes to the west side of Chicago. The inaugural Chicago event will bless the people of the Austin and West Garfield neighborhoods. I'm particularly excited about this because God's blessed me with a unique opportunity. In January I left Group Cares and the team that created 1 By Youth to join the team at Lutheran Church Charities. On the day of my departure pieces fell into place for me to take on the role of Community Director for Chicago 1 By Youth on behalf of Lutheran Church Charities. So now I've gotten to see this awesome event from both the national and local sides.

Here's what I can tell you...1 By Youth IS AWESOME! It's an awesome concept, an awesome mission and an awesome opportunity to change all sorts of lives with the love of Jesus. It's the simplest way to engage young people in service within the context of a big event with lots of Christian youth. It deserves to become the next big movement of youth service...and I'm not just saying that because I had a hand in creating it! This event is local, powerful, simple and effective.

I encourage you to become a fan of 1 By Youth and work to bring it to your town if it isn't there already. The goal of one million youth is very real but will take the energy and excitement of many to make it happen. Join us and change lives everywhere.

Never Too Late

2011-04-12T11:32:00.000-05:00

The deadline for the early price for our mission trip to Kenya has passed. That doesn't mean you can't go with us. It just means that, in order to keep costs in line we need to charge $100 more per person for future registrations. I'm hoping this doesn't deter those of you who just needed a little more time to consider joining the team. There are still spaces available and there is still great need among the orphans and blind children of Kenya. If we reach 20 registered folks there could be a rebate available for those registering late. I can't promise that, but it's not my intention to take advantage of anyone. We just need to be able to cover our costs and have sufficient funds for the work we'll be doing in Kenya.

I hope you'll still consider joining this team. It's never too late...

What's It Worth to You

2011-04-11T14:58:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying, again, that I know $3500 is a lot of money. But only when you look at it separate from any frame of reference. For example, if I offered you a 2011 Mercedes Benz SL550 hard top convertible for $3500 you might just do anything possible to come up with that money. Or maybe I'm the only one who dreams of that car. How 'bout if I offered you a seaside vacation home in Costa Rica for $3500. Don't you think you could find the money somewhere to take that deal?

So, what if I told you that for $3500 you could forever change the course of a child's life? What sort of effort would you make to get that money if you knew it would provide an opportunity for you to change the lives of nearly 200 children? Would you ask friends and family to contribute? Would you invite your church to sponsor your efforts? We go to extraordinary lengths all the time to see that we can get the best possible bargain. Just think of all the times you found something you wanted and did whatever it took to acquire that thing.

I'm inviting you to be a part of something that you won't be able to drive or live in or put on a shelf or plug-in and watch. I'm asking you to consider joining me on a mission of mercy and compassion to children in Kenya who desperately need to be cared for. I'm asking you to sacrifice a little more than a week of your time and find about $3500. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I guess the only question left is...what's it worth to you?

At Our Very Best

2011-04-07T17:54:00.000-05:00

Spent a great day today amongst mission minded pastors and their spouses. Met and heard the President of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Matthew Harrison, speak today. He stressed that mission is an expression of our faith. As one who spends much of his life planning, organizing and leading mission - whether a single day of service in the city of Chicago for 1000 or more volunteers or a medical mission trip to Kenya with a team of 20 - it's so refreshing to spend time with folks who get it. We are created by God to be relational, to care for others and to express the love of Christ in real, tangible and meaningful ways. Sitting in our churches waiting for people to come to us is unacceptable! Writing checks and expecting others to do the dirty work is not much better. We Christians are at our very best when we are serving people in need driven by the love of Christ. It's my dream that the day will come when the church is always...always at her very best.

Deadline for Kenya Extended!!

2011-03-30T14:05:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to announce that our partners in Kenya have extended the first deposit deadline so we have a 10 DAY EXTENSION for you to register and join us in Kenya August 27 - September 5. You now have until April 10 to get your $200 deposit in and hold your place on the team.

Join us as we make a difference in the lives of orphaned and blind children in Kenya. We'll provide basic medical checks and do some simple construction projects. The trip concludes with an awesome two day fly-in safari to the stunning Masai Mara National Park. These dates coincide with the end of the Wildebeest run, one of the last great migratory events on the planet. Click here to get all the details on the trip. Invite friends and get a discount on your trip cost (see my most recent post for details).

I hope you'll join the team before April 10. After that date you're still welcome to join but the price will go up by $150 to $2445 (not including airfare). My co-leader Deb and I hope you'll be part of this life changing experience! If you've been feeling God tugging at your heart to go take this deadline extension as your sign that it's time to respond.

Go to Africa - Save Lives, Bring Friends - Save Money

2011-03-25T15:33:00.002-05:00

The early price deadline to register for our trip to Kenya August 27 to September 5 is fast approaching. We want you to join us as we provide medical check-ups for orphans and blind children and take on some construction projects. We'd like you to invite friends and family. We're serious...so serious that if you bring friends we'll give you a break on your trip cost! Here's how it works:

You come with us: $2295 (not including airfare)
You bring 3 friends: $2095 (friends pay full price)
You bring 5 friends: $1795 (friends pay full price)

Add to our team and we'll make it worth your effort. For details on the trip check previous blog posts here or call Lifetree Adventures at 1 (800) 747-2157. That's the number to call to register, too. Secure your spot on the trip for a down payment of just $200. Register yourself and three other people at the same time and we'll waive your registration fee (fees for the other three are due when you register). Register yourself and five other friends and we'll waive your registration fee and give you an additional $300 off your remaining balance. If you've already registered and invite friends this offer applies to you, too. Just make sure your friends tell us "I'm going on the trip with..." and we'll give you credit.

That's how it works. We need 20 people registered by Friday, April 1 to hold the current trip price. Call your friends today and invite them to join you on the adventure of a lifetime! Change lives - maybe even yours.

A Time to Consider and a Time to Act

2011-03-03T11:59:00.000-06:00

Well, we're now less than a month away from the registration deadline for the medical/construction mission trip to Kenya from August 27 to September 5. Funny thing about deadlines is that if we meet our goal of 20 registered participants by April 1 we can continue to take registrations until we reach our limit of 30. However, if we miss the mark of 20...due to cost concerns...this trip opportunity may be lost altogether.

I hesitate to share that, because it might cause some to think, 'well they won't get enough people so I guess I won't register'. So sharing a deadline actually has the opposite effect from what I desire. On the other hand, some might think, 'Wow! I don't want to miss a life changing opportunity to make a difference for orphaned and blind children in Africa so I better register now!' So sharing the deadline is crucial to communicating the urgency of need and the hope we'll have a team.

I'm not naive enough to think that a trip to Kenya is something people undertake lightly. I know there is much to consider. From cost to personal safety to ability to make a contribution and more. I want you to consider...prayerfully consider...whether or not God is calling you to go to Africa. And if he is calling you, is this the trip that answers his call. Consider, pray, seek the counsel of others.

Then act.

There is a time for everything. There comes a time for action. Recently my wife and I made a life changing decision. A decision we deliberated over for eight weeks. We prayed, journaled, sought wise counsel separately and together. Finally we had to make a decision. Our decision came down to drawing one of two options out of a hat! You might call it a modern day version of casting lots. In part we did this because neither of us could come to a clear conviction that either choice was the one we should make...but we knew it was time to act. And we did.

If you've been wrestling with the decision to join this trip and you've worked it through prayer, conversation, and deliberation maybe it's time to put 'go' and 'don't go' into a hat and bring closure to the process. Of course I'm hoping you'll go. I'd love it if you would join me and my co-leader Deb on a mission of mercy and compassion that will change children's lives. Trip details can be found in other posts on this blog. So, take the time consider joining this mission team.

Then act.

Africa - You CAN Go There

2011-02-16T13:04:00.000-06:00

I grew up mostly in rural Wisconsin with brief forays into Iowa and Indiana. When I went to college I selected a school in the Chicago area. It was quite an adjustment for a small town/country boy. Two things from my small town experience have stuck with me all these years. The first was meeting Cecil Buckby. Cecil was a neighbor whose farm was across the street from one of the homes where we lived outside Marion, WI. Cecil was about 80 years old when I met him in the mid-1970's and he had never traveled out of the county. That's not a typo. I didn't miss an 'r' in the word. Cecil had never been out of the county limits in his life. He lived in the farmhouse he'd been born in and was perfectly content to end his days right there.

The second experience happened a few years later after I'd moved to Chicago for school. I took a semester off and found a job at a factory in Richland Center, WI where my family had relocated. Every other weekend or so I would jump in the car and drive the three hours back to Chicago to hang out with friends and stay in touch with college life. One Friday after work a few of my factory buddies...all local boys...were kicking around what to do for the weekend. I suggested we all drive to Chicago. Right then. They were shocked at the suggestion. Why, Chicago was so far away, so foreign, how could anyone just jump in a car and drive to Chicago? Ultimately I convinced them that a three hour drive wasn't so daunting and three of them agreed. Thirty plus years later some of them may still be talking about 'that time we drove to Chicago!'

All these years later this small town country boy who went off to the big city for school has now visited 17 countries and nearly every state in the union. My son studied in Germany, my daughter in Austria and she now lives and works in Cairo, Egypt. Last fall when I stopped by Cairo on my way home from Kenya my daughter and I mused about how small the world really is and how our perspectives have changed as we've become international citizens.

Much like my shock at my Wisconsin friends who thought Chicago was an unthinkable trip and Cecil Buckby's 80 years inside a single county, I'm amazed at folks who consider a trip to another country an impossible dream. When I invite people to join me on a mission trip to Kenya in August some of them look at me like I've just grown a second head. Africa!! It's so very far away and such an effort to get there. Let me assure you, just as I did my friends all those years ago, that it's not as big a deal as you might think. Get a passport, come up with some money (your own or raise some support), get on a plane and in less than 24 hours you'll be in Kenya with me changing the lives of orphaned and blind children. Once you've done it you'll see it's not that daunting and certainly not impossible. A lady on our trip last year goes a couple times a year. You may not ever get to the point where you fly to Africa for a quick two day visit like I once did, but I guarantee that just one 10 day trip and you're perspective on the world and your place in it will be radically altered.

You CAN go to Africa. Go here and register today. The first step will only cost you $200. I'll see you in Nairobi on August 27th. Check my earlier blog posts for all the trip details and the scoop on where we'll be serving. Go ahead and commit today before you talk yourself out of it!

Don't Live a Useless Life

2011-02-15T12:55:00.000-06:00

Our people must learn to spend their lives doing good,in order to provide for real needs; they should not live useless lives. - Titus 3:14

As many times as I've read the Bible I never really caught this verse in Titus. Not sure why as it resonates with my core passion of doing good in order to provide for real needs. I find it interesting that St. Paul in this letter to Titus defines a useless life (in some translations an unfruitful life) as the result of not doing good. Doing good is defined as those things that provide for real needs. So, let's deconstruct this verse to discover one Biblical definition of what we, as Christians, are to be doing with our lives.

Paul urges us to do good. Good is done in order to provide for real needs. If we want to figure out what real needs are we need look no further than Matthew chapter 25:35-36...

'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

Continuing to unpack the Titus verse, then, providing for real needs means feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting (caring for) the sick and imprisoned. We can safely assume that similar activities would fit here like bringing clean water to people who are dying from water borne disease, repairing the homes of elderly, needy and disadvantaged folks, going to poor neighborhoods and taking care of the people there. Is it too strong a statement to say that if you're not involved in doing these things your life is useless?

I'm going to say it's not a stretch to say that. Unfortunately we live in a culture that tells us your life is useful if you earn big money, drive a nice car, live in a fine home with a vacation home on the side, and collect savings, retirement accounts and investment portfolios. But look again at Paul's words to Titus...

"Our people must learn to spend their lives doing good..." (emphasis mine) Based on Paul's other writings and the placement of Titus in the canon of Scripture I can only assume that when he says 'our people' he's talking about those who follow Jesus Christ. Christians, according to Paul, must spend their lives doing good. If you're not engaged in providing for real needs in some way on a regular basis then your life is useless. I've never met anyone who consciously wants to live a useless life. So, how about you? Is your life useful? Would you like it to be? Go here to find all sorts of opportunities to live a useful life. There is something for everyone from one day simple service events to overseas mission. Some cost money and many do not. If you're looking to live a useful life it's not hard to do. There is need everywhere and God has ordained you to meet it in His name.

Consider This

2011-02-09T16:48:00.000-06:00

It is my personal mission to get everyone in the United States out of the United States...even if for just one week. Now, I know that's a big, hairy, audacious goal that I may never accomplish. But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying.

I know there are good reasons folks can't leave the country...even for just one week. Perhaps you have a medical condition that prevents you from traveling. Maybe you're afraid of flying. It could be that you've reached an age where overseas travel just isn't an option for you (though I have dear friends in their late 70's who make a regular habit of going on overseas mission trips). One reason often cited for not being able to go on a mission trip is cost. This is the one that doesn't stand up. There are more than enough resources available to all of us in the U.S. that money is never a reason not to go on a mission trip.

Consider this...you might be one of those people with a truly legitimate reason why you can't go overseas. Sitting right next you in church might be someone who would love to go overseas on a short term mission trip but they aren't financially able to afford it themselves. What if folks who weren't able to go on their own provided a little help for those able to go but financially strapped? I'm not suggesting one person pay the entire cost of another person (unless you're able to do that), no, I'm suggesting that if you have some bit of money to spare for missions that you consider inviting others to pool resources and send someone from your church on a mission trip.

I first heard about this while on a recent visit to New Orleans to prepare a trip for this summer. There was a missions team working in the Lower Ninth Ward and someone on the team told me that there are qualified trades people in their church who are out of work right now. Skilled individuals suffering during this recession. Their skills are greatly needed in New Orleans so members of the church paid the expense to send these skilled workers on a mission trip that changed their lives.

From August 27 to September 5 of this year I'm leading a trip to Kenya where we'll help orphaned and blind children. This is a medical/construction mission so we're looking for doctors, nurses and folks with construction skills. If you can join us, please do. You can register through this website. Take a look at some of my earlier posts here for more trip details. If you can't make the trip, consider someone you know who could and think about making a contribution for them to go and invite others to do the same. Together we can change the world whether you do it in person or give someone else the chance.

Joining Forces

2011-02-07T11:46:00.000-06:00

Today I started my new job and a new adventure with Lutheran Church Charities. It was very difficult to leave my old job with Group Cares (formerly Group Workcamps Foundation) but it isn't so much a leaving as it is a joining together. Though I now work for LCC (we Lutherans must condense everything to an acronym) there are two exciting projects that we'll be doing together with Group Cares. One is a 1 By Youth single day of service in the Chicago area coming up May 7. I'm looking for folks to help me put this exciting day together as we anticipate over 1000 volunteers to flood a single neighborhood for a single day.

The other big joint venture is a medical/construction mission trip to Kenya with Lifetree Adventures set for August 27-September 5. In Kenya we'll be working with orphans and blind children as we improve their living conditions. In other blog posts there are details about the two agencies we'll work with along with other details. The trip costs $2295 not including airfare to Kenya. It does include a two day fly-in safari and the chance to change lives for the better. We need a team of at least 20 volunteers to commit to this trip by April 1. If you can't join us, consider sponsoring someone who can. Perhaps there's a doctor or nurse in your congregation who could help us if you'd invite them. The registration fee to secure your spot on the trip is only $200.

Kenya is a stable anchor in East Africa but there is tremendous poverty. The AIDS epidemic that continues to plague all of Africa has certainly left its mark on Kenya. Both Lutheran Church Charities and Group Cares are committed to bringing the love of Jesus to people in need through real, meaningful and relational service. I encourage you to put your faith into action and find out what a difference you can make.

St. Luke's Home for Blind Children

2011-01-24T10:22:00.000-06:00

Everyone I know is invited to join me on a mission trip to Kenya from August 28 to September 5 of this year. We plan to provide medical clinics and construction work to improve the lives of orphaned and blind children. I've written previously about our work for Jehovah Jireh orphanage in Nairobi. Now here's a bit about the home for blind children.

St. Luke's is located in the small town of Kitui about a two hour drive outside Nairobi. There are currently more than 120 children living at St. Luke's, a residential facility that cares for blind and partially sighted children ranging in age from five to eighteen years old. More than 20 of the children are albinos as one of the symptoms of albinism is vision impairment. During our visit last year we discovered that, due to a lack of adequate funding, the children often do not receive sufficient medical attention. Many...if not all...currently suffer or have in the past suffered from malaria. Some have contracted cerebral malaria. All of them have worms. One little boy had suffered a severe burn on his leg that had been treated initially but had not been properly tended to. We were able to care for his wound and improve his condition.

Reliant on charitable dollars and fees from what few parents are able to pay, the home is terribly underfunded. The charitable dollars have been dwindling in the current global economic downturn. The manager of the home and his staff have gone as long as five months at a stretch without pay. They struggle to keep food in the pantry on a consistent basis.

The reason the school exists is to provide a place where blind children can stay as they're mainstreamed into the school system. Kitui has the only schools in the region with teachers equipped to work with children with disabilities. Without the opportunity for an education there is no hope for blind children in Kenya. More children arrive at St. Luke's all the time in order to seek a better life. The dedicated teaching staff there do all they can to prepare the younger ones to enter the regular school system. There are adults supervising dormitory buildings for girls and boys. They provide three meals a day...though often it's just a simple fare of beans and rice.

For the albino children St. Luke's also offers security. In the East African culture albinos are prized for their body parts. Those who practice native religions and mysticism believe the body parts of albinos have magic powers so they are routinely kidnapped, killed, dismembered and sold off in pieces. It's a horrible thing to share with you, but this is the reality of life for the children at St. Luke's in Kitui.

Join us in August and change the lives of these children. We need doctors and nurses who can provide basic medical checkups. We need donations of medicines that can be left with the local doctor who does his best to attend to at least the most urgent cases. We need workers to help set-up a sustainable, income producing business venture for the home so they don't need to rely solely on donor dollars. We need you. If you can't join the team yourself consider sponsoring someone from your church. Invite your doctor to join the team. Spread the word among medical professionals in your town. Please do what you can to see that we have a team of at least 20 people who can make a difference for the children of Kenya. Read my previous posts for all the trip details.

Jehovah Jireh Orphanage

2011-01-20T10:20:00.000-06:00

There's a great opportunity for twenty or more folks to join me on a mission trip to Kenya in August. One of our project sites is located in Nairobi. Jehovah Jireh orphanage is home to over 60 children, most of whom have lost their parents to AIDS and some of whom are HIV positive themselves. For two days we'll offer basic medical check-ups for these children while some on the team will work to improve their living conditions.

Jehovah Jireh started as a vision of the Anglican Archbishop of Nairobi. Unfortunately he died soon after taking the first steps to open the orphanage. Since that time a dedicated handful of people have struggled to keep Jehovah Jireh open. The orphanage was a personal project of the Archbishop and, as such, has never been supported as a ministry of the Anglican Church itself. Recently a nearby Anglican congregation, St. Catherine Tumiani, has agreed to support the orphanage but they have very limited resources, as well.

As of today Jehovah Jireh is managed by Florence as the only real full time staff person. That's right, an orphanage of over 60 children with only a single full time staff person. The facilities are actually an abandoned rock quarry headquarters and definitely not designed as living quarters. The children sleep in bunk rooms that are no more than brick and concrete storage rooms where bunk beds have been set up in rows. In an adjacent room each child has a small trunk to hold all their earthly possessions.

On my most recent trip to Kenya this past September the wonderful and generous people on the team offered financial aid for Jehovah Jireh. Some of this is providing a couple of tutors for the children (they attend the public school in the area) and money for food and mosquito nets. There is so much more need here and our trip in August will be another step in helping this orphanage become a better place for these children with nowhere else to go.

If you're a medical professional please consider taking a week of your time to change the lives of children in desperate need. If you're not a medical professional you can make a difference in other ways as we work to improve the bunk rooms this year.

I hope you'll join us on this mission trip from August 28 to September 5. A deposit of $200 by April 1 is required to secure your spot on the team with the remaining balance to be paid in two installments. Read my previous posts to see more details about costs and what's covered. I really hope you'll join us in Kenya this year.

Kenya Trip Details

2011-01-19T12:56:00.001-06:00

Okay, so here are some details on the Kenya Trip I'll be leading with my friend Deb Bornholdt this year.

Dates: August 27 - September 5 (over Labor Day weekend to save vacation days!)

Cost: $2295 double occupancy with fly-in safari included. $1695 without safari. This is when the wildebeest are running!

The Mission: Run medical clinics for orphans in Nairobi and blind children in Kitui. Also some construction projects for our non-medical participants. I'll post more detail on Jehovah Jireh orphanage and St. Luke's Home for Blind Children in future posts.

Includes: Lodging, ground transportation, certain meals, in-country airfare for safari, some tools and materials.

Doesn't Include: Airfare to Kenya, certain meals, drinks, tips, souvenirs.

We need at least 20 people registered by April 1 to hold this price. This is a mission trip so I would encourage you to consider soliciting donations from your church and others to support this effort. This is a life-changing opportunity.

Calling all Doctors and Nurses! The children we'll serve are all in desperate need. Your medical attention will make a world of difference in their lives. We're particularly interested in eye doctors as there are 125 blind children living at St. Luke's who get very minimal medical attention.

Lifetree Adventures is managing this trip. All payments will be made through them. Call 800-747-2157 today and register. All it takes is a $200 registration fee to join the team. Payments after that are in two installments. Join me.

Go With Me to Kenya

2011-01-18T23:17:00.000-06:00

Consider this your invitation to go with me on a mission trip to Africa. From August 28 to September 5 of this year I'll be leading a trip, along with my friend Deb Bornholdt, to Kenya. There we'll be serving orphans and blind children through medical clinics and construction projects. We're looking for doctors and nurses to join the team along with those with experience or interest in learning basic construction skills. I'll be sharing much more about the trip here soon. For now I can tell you that the price is very reasonable, the work is hard, the experience is life changing and the people of Kenya would love to meet you. We need commitments from at least 20 people by March 1 so start praying about it now. I really hope you'll join us.

Is This the Bride of Christ?

2011-01-18T23:07:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I had the regularly scheduled pleasure of talking with my son and his family over Skype. Among other things we had the chance to talk about workplaces that take advantage of employees to such an extent that they exhibit the same symptoms as an abused spouse. The conversation got me reminiscing about my years in church work and how, in every case, my experience was consistent, in some ways, with abused spouse syndrome.

What does that mean. Well, it revolves mostly around the discrepancy between what church leaders say to their workers and what they do when it comes to compensation. A common behavior among abusive spouses is to profess great love for the one they're abusing while regularly destroying their spouse's self-confidence, individuality and humanity. It is widely known...and often joked about...that church work is a low paying profession. This is often justified because the 'reward' for a church worker is in heaven. No one seems to remember that the reward of heaven is for all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Accepting low wages on the supposition that your good work will be rewarded after you die isn't just insulting, it's incredibly bad theology. The fact is the Bible specifically instructs that workers in the church should be well compensated for their labor.

Okay, before you click away because you think this is a rant about paying church workers better, let me explain how the abused spouse syndrome plays into all this. From both personal experience and many conversations with professional church workers, I'm here to tell you that the issue is rarely only the level of compensation. Instead it's about the attitude and behavior of lay leaders in the church. It's the praise heaped on you when you're doing what they want and the attacks that happen when you're not. It's the promise that they will take care of you because you're highly valued then refusing to pay a living wage as they cite any one of a number of reasons...none of which have to do with your actual performance of your assigned duties. This behavior wears away at the humanity of people. Ultimately you begin to accept that you're not that valuable, that your skills aren't necessarily exceptional, that you're just lucky to have a job so why would you jeopardize that by expressing concern about working conditions, unrealistic expectations or compensation. The best is when people question your faithfulness and trust in God because you're not willing to be on call 24/7 for what often amounts to minimum wage.

A friend of mine once confronted this head-on at a church voter's meeting as they considered the need to hire a new janitor. My friend was a teacher in the church's school with several years experience and a masters degree. To his amazement the pay package they were considering for a janitor exceeded his own. When asked how they determined the salary package the response was that they couldn't get a good janitor for less than that amount. My friend promptly rose to offer to take the position as it would mean a salary increase for him. Of course the leadership laughed at his suggestion as they were certain, with his level of education, shoveling snow off school walks and unplugging toilets was beneath him. He then pointed out that, in the absence of a janitor, he was already doing those things in addition to his teaching duties. I think they still missed the point but he got a clear lesson on what the church considered his value to be.

Last week in New Orleans I met a man who began his career as a Christian school teacher working for a church. He told me that he quit and went to the public school system because he couldn't afford to live on the salary he was paid. One of the benefits of moving to the public schools was that he was free, as just a regular church member, to advocate for better teacher pay at the church school. He observed that when you're on staff and bring up fair compensation people think you're just trying to line your pockets. But when you're just a member of the church people will listen.

So how about you? Are you a member of a church? Does your church treat its staff well? Do you advocate for the staff to be fairly compensated, given ample time off, have their professionalism and passion for ministry honored? Do you genuinely respect the staff of your church and communicate it consistently with what you say and what you do? A dysfunctional church system strips the humanity from its workers. It wears them down and crushes their spirits. I encourage you to take a hard look at the systems in your church and how they impact those who serve you week in and week out. If you see evidence that your church is acting like an abusive spouse take a stand to change it. Do it now.

The Other End of the Spectrum

2011-01-14T22:58:00.000-06:00

I just returned from a scouting trip to New Orleans. By scouting I mean looking at a site for future youth mission trips. That's what I've been doing for the last five years. Arranging trips and locations for home repair and community service mission trips for Christian teens. If you've been following my blog you know next month I'm transitioning to a new ministry but still involved in missions.

In New Orleans I crossed paths with a team of adults from Illinois and New York there to repair homes and convert a church into a community ministry center. I haven't done much with adult teams so it was fun to see the other end of the spectrum. Quite a few of these folks were retired. We met Walt who has dedicated his life full time to managing work projects for teams that come to New Orleans. He spent his career as a teacher then retired and started traveling the country with his wife to build churches. In '06 he suffered a massive heart attack that nearly killed him and left him unable to do the physical labor needed for construction. So he moved to New Orleans to teach others and set up work for teams coming to town. I can't tell what an inspiration Walt is.

Among the short term (one week) volunteers were several Lutheran pastors. Most of them are retired or semi-retired. Again, my heart was lifted seeing these men who have dedicated their lives to leading churches swinging hammers, building brick walls and reaching out to the community. The best part is that I only knew they were pastors because I happened to know several of them personally. Anyone from the community only saw men dedicated to restoring the Lower Ninth Ward and bringing them hope. That they were also pastors was coincidental.

Seeing people of any age serve is exciting for me. Seeing them serve regardless of vocation reminds me that regardless of calling there are wonderful, Christ filled servants willing to sacrifice for those in need. I need to remember these great experiences when I get exasperated with the knuckleheads out there that put on the collar...and there are quite a few. But today I'm encouraged by those who aren't.

Let's Read 'Radical' by David Platt Together

2011-01-08T14:32:00.000-06:00

Just started reading "Radical:Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream" by David Platt. It came highly recommended from a friend of mine. It's starting off well. I'm sure there'll be posts here about this book. If it's as challenging as I expect, it could impact my ministry dramatically.

If you'd like to read this book with me, pick-up a copy at Amazon or your local bookstore. As I comment, I'd love to hear your comments. It's no Oprah's Book Club, but it'll be fun to read this together.

Back Into the Fire

2011-01-07T18:01:00.000-06:00

This week I resigned my position at Group Publishing, home of Group Cares, the non-profit I've served for the last five years organizing mission trips in the U.S. and abroad. It is a bittersweet parting as I love Group and the work I've been doing there. However, the Lord has called me back into a ministry position in the Lutheran Church. Not at a church but with a missions agency that is a Recognized Service Organization of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

Called Lutheran Church Charities, this mission of mercy and compassion is rapidly expanding its scope of ministry. Started in the 1940's as purely a fundraising organization, LCC has been transformed over the past 10 years into an incredible missions organization. Now nearly all funds raised go to help people in need. From disaster response teams to comfort dogs to clothing, furniture and car distribution, LCC is impacting lives in Northern Illinois and far beyond. Their international work includes building homes and delivering clean water in Haiti, drilling wells in Ghana and much more that I have yet to learn about.

What's most exciting for me is the opportunity to grow this mission in current and new directions. We are just now looking at ways to implement water filtration sources in developing countries. We hope to seed microbusiness/microfinance ventures that will lift whole villages out of poverty. There are opportunities to bring encouragement and support to Lutheran Pastors and congregations.

This is a move back into full time ministry for me. My work at Group has been ministry, but more often it was a step removed from day to day ministry. Group is a Christian business that supports ministry and does an excellent job of it. I always thought I'd retire from Group after waiting 13 years to join the staff here. God, as he often does, had other ideas. So it's time to leave the beautiful mountains of Northern Colorado and return to the flatlands of Northern Illinois. It's back into the fire of ministry within a denomination and all the joy and struggle that comes with it. It's good to be in the Lord's hands and each day I seek to be in the center of His will. With Him it's always an adventure.

And so it continues...

What Recession?

2011-01-04T17:02:00.000-06:00

It has always been my considered opinion that when a church has a compelling vision people will rally around it and make it happen. A compelling vision is one that is clear, bold, rooted in scripture and clearly communicated. Churches that have such a vision and the leadership to clearly communicate it are growing and, unfortunately, rare.

I have a friend in Illinois who pastors a church that...in the midst of this recession...has launched a second site that includes an upscale coffee house, an awesome kids space, a cool worship space and came at a cost of over one million dollars. Opened just a couple of months ago this bold, visionary move has seen church attendance grow by more than 400 people a weekend. The energy and excitement at this church is palpable. The vision for ministry is compelling with plans to see five new sites like this one launched by 2020. Weekly attendance at this church is now in the 1600 range give or take. Large, but not a mega church.

At my own church here in Colorado the leadership has cast a compelling vision to help the orphaned, lost, exploited and hurting of the world. Both at home and abroad. Sound familiar? If you've read the book of James chapter 1 verse 27 it should. "True religion is this, that you care for widows and orphans." Our leadership is taking that seriously and challenging all of us to do so, as well.

In less than two months time, presented with a clear, compelling vision to provide housing for orphans in Ukraine and Colorado and to support members of the church struggling in this difficult season our church collected and distributed over $111,000. That's over and above regular giving to support the operations of the church...which also ticked up in the same time period, by the way. Let me say that again...in less than two months time the members of our church contributed over $111,000 to provide housing for orphans, fix homes, replace cars, pay rent, and meet many other needs in addition to regular giving. If I had to guess, the total weekly worship attendance is about 1000 people give or take. It's not a 10,000 member mega church.

One church is located in suburban Chicago and the other in mostly rural/small town Colorado. Two distinctly different regions and two distinctly different types of churches. What they have in common is visionary leadership not afraid to challenge their people with bold, outrageous ideas. They are not intimidated by the current recession because they listen to the voice of Him who holds the universe in his hands and is the maker and owner of all the earth. There is never a recession in God's economy.

Is your church seized with a compelling vision? Are you leading a church that's lost its way, floundering, shrinking, and timid? Are you wallowing in a spiritual recession? Or are you seeking God's will for your ministry and boldly proclaiming it? Are you challenging your people with a scary, ridiculous image of a preferable future? Are you wholly dependent on God to supply everything you need to accomplish everything he's calling you to? Why not?

Welcome - Other Churches Suck

2010-12-23T20:49:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday I dropped in on a church I like to visit occasionally. It's been nearly a year since visiting and a new pastor has come on board. So I filled out a visitor card. In part I wanted to let them know I visited and in part I was curious to see what their follow-up process was. Thankfully, they did follow-up with a letter that came today. But there's something strange about the letter and thought it was worth sharing here. It's another one of those things that highlights how weird church can be.

After a brief opening paragraph thanking me for visiting and making the church part of my weekend plans the very next paragraph was this...

"In an age and culture when many church services seem to lose their focus on Jesus Christ, we are grateful for the opportunity to gather each week and receive the gifts our Lord has for us all in His Word and Sacraments. At [church name] we are proud of our heritage and unashamed of our confession, and so we make use of a historical form of worship that invites meaningful participation from the congregation and unites Christians of all generations and cultures. Most importantly, the service focuses all that we do and say on Jesus Christ and Him crucified for our sins."

Okay, let that soak in for a minute. Remember, this is a letter sent as first contact from a church to a visitor...very possibly a first time visitor. Here's my question, and it's one of several. If you had a chance, maybe just one chance, to introduce your church in a winsome and invitational way to a visitor would you, after dispensing with pleasantries, slam other churches right out of the gate? Forget churches. If you had a new customer visit your store would you start by telling them how other stores suck? If you had someone visit your home would you tell them how the other neighbors don't get how to be truly neighborly? It makes no sense to me. It puts me in a position to want to defend other churches.

Let's take the opening salvo. 'In an age and culture when many church services seem to lose their focus on Jesus Christ...' The letter is from the pastor. If you're the pastor of a church aren't you pretty much committed every Sunday morning? And if you're busy leading worship at your church every Sunday how do you know that many church services seem to lose their focus on Jesus Christ? Are you watching those churches online? Maybe. If you're committed to your worship style and presentation of the Gospel why would you bother watching other churches online? Unless you're looking to pick a fight. Why would you look to pick a fight with other Christian churches? See what I mean? That first sentence sends me off on a rabbit trail and now I really couldn't care less about the church I visited and I'm becoming convinced this church is unsure of itself. Why else would you present a defense of yourself in a welcome letter?

The next line that really catches me is, '...we are proud of our heritage and unashamed of our confession, so we make use of a historical form of worship...' I guess I assume that when a church and a pastor puts all their time and effort into presenting a worship service each week they are content with what they present. By making a point of saying you're proud of your heritage and unashamed of your confession makes me think, 'thou dost protest too much'. What do you really have to be ashamed of? What about your heritage do you find embarrassing enough to cause you to announce how proud you are?

This is truly the most inept, clumsy and ridiculous way to welcome a visitor. Let me rewrite the paragraph the way it really reads...

"Other Christian churches suck and really don't have anything to do with Jesus. We're really grateful we got it right and don't suck. We know people don't like old liturgical worship formats because churches using these are mostly shrinking, aging and dying but we're going to stick it out because someday people will come back around to our way of doing things...we hope. What we do is really, really meaningful, we promise. Even if it doesn't seem meaningful to you. Finally, since we say it's all about Jesus it's okay to be old, boring and irrelevant and hope you're convinced."

Now, even if you believe all that, would it be the first foot you put forward to a newcomer? I guess if you wanted to thin out the numbers that might return for a second visit, this would be the way to go. Let's put it right out front that we're an old church that clings to old liturgical formats, will never use contemporary resources, and will stay culturally irrelevant. If that appeals to you, please come learn more and join us.

I'm not saying this church should change it's worship style or anything else. I'm saying let your pride shine in what you do and let your words be welcoming. Be winsome and gracious. Talk about all you do that's driven by your passion for Jesus and commitment to whatever you're committed to. That is if you're really looking to reach the unreached. But I'm not sure this church is interested in that. The reason I say that will be more fully explained in another post.

Does God Exist?

2010-12-21T11:05:00.000-06:00

There's no season like Christmas to stir the public debate about all things related to God. The role of religion in the public square. Whether or not the founding fathers were Christian and intended this country to be based on a Christian foundation. If God even exists. This season atheists in America have stepped up their efforts to speak their views to the broader public.

Sunday I heard a message that referenced this billboard in the New York City area. The pastor talked about the tag line, "This season celebrate reason." In my humble opinion he didn't do a very good job at all of presenting why belief in God becoming man and dwelling among us is actually reasonable. He also did something I absolutely hate. He spoke as if everyone in the room was a committed Christian who found that billboard just as ridiculous as he did. What a blown opportunity to intellectually challenge the people. The truth is compelling arguments can be made on both sides of this.

God doesn't exist. Look no further than the 24 hour news cycle that feeds on the depravity of mankind. War, poverty, starvation, bad water killing children, serial killers, despotic tyrants, a church fractured into a million shards that fights amongst itself, multiple religious beliefs all claiming to have a handle on the 'truth' of who God is. Anyone with a brain and five minutes to reflect on the human condition can clearly see that God doesn't exist. If there was truly an almighty, powerful, all knowing, loving, compassionate and kind God there's no way all the aforementioned things would be allowed for a day, much less for all of human history.

God does exist. Man is so obviously stained by sin. He separated himself from the nurturing, life giving relationship with God falling to the temptation that he could be equal with God. Since the severing of that relationship humanity has sunk further and further into depravity, selfishness and self-destruction. Left to our own devices it's so obvious we need salvation. Throughout human history man has demonstrated an inborn urge to seek a higher power and the basics of right and wrong cross all cultures. Those urges are an obvious sign we've been created by something bigger and higher than ourselves. Not to mention the order and beauty of creation, the delicate balance of where the planet floats in space, the exquisite engineering of our bodies that are perfectly built to survive here. Of course God exists. Apart from that truth there would be no hope for humanity since it's God's call to care for widows, orphans, poor, imprisoned, lost and hurting. Without God and his call to look outside ourselves there's no telling how much worse this life would be.

So it looks like I can be a reasonable person and stand firmly convicted there is no God. And I can be a reasonable person and stand firmly convicted there is a God. Evidence abounds on both sides of the argument if I want to look at it. So it comes down to how I interpret the evidence I choose to look at. What I tell myself, where I was born and raised, my life experience and one last and ultimate thing. Faith. And either conviction finally depends on that. Faith.

Why Men Don't Go To Church

2010-12-20T10:50:00.000-06:00

Here's a very provocative post that I mostly agree with. There are some nuances I could argue about, but overall I have to agree that the church has been feminized. Much like our society, by the way. The parts of being masculine that we applaud in movies like Braveheart are increasingly frowned upon in current culture.

The Road Back to Remarkable

2010-12-13T17:18:00.000-06:00

There are discussions all the time about how the church needs to return to its roots. Some declare they are striving to be an 'Acts church'. Which simply means they're striving to replicate the energy, excitement and behavior of the earliest churches as described in the Biblical book of Acts.

The truth is, to be an Acts church a couple of things would have to happen. First, you'd have to return to communal living. Read the book. Everyone sold what they had, pooled all their resources and worked diligently to see that all members of the church were taken care of. While there were some communes in the 1960's and '70's that pulled this off for a time, I'm not aware of any churches that are accomplishing that today. The only exception is the ministry of Jesus People USA based in Chicago. They truly live as a community and if you want to know what that looks like, check it out.

The other thing the church in Acts had going for it was that it was remarkable. By that I mean it was operating so out of the mainstream of the culture that it caused people to remark about it. Not only to remark, but to attack it, persecute it and fear the changes it brought to the human experience. Over time it seemed that the culture adapted to having Christians around. But I'm wondering if it's more true that the church adapted itself to the culture. In truth it was probably a little bit of both.

For whatever reason, eventually the church became unremarkable. Governments co-opted religion to accomplish their purposes. Churches went along to get along. Christianity became one of the respected world religions. Along the way the church was the flash point for amazing art, architecture, music, drama and other cultural expressions. Nevertheless, it still became unremarkable.

The question that occurred to me this morning is, how do we get back on the road to remarkable as a church? What will it take for the Christian church to shake the foundations of the culture as it once did? It is happening in other countries, but what about here in the United States. One answer that came to me is that we truly return to living as Jesus did. We uncompromisingly serve. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, speak truth to power, address injustice, care for widows and orphans. What if the church reclaimed hospitals (a hospital named after Christ wasn't originally a for profit enterprise!) as places of mercy and compassion for the sick and dying. What if churches opened exemplary schools that returned education to a foundation of Biblically based values.

Those are some initial thoughts. I'd love to hear how you would put the church back on the road to remarkable. Share examples of remarkable ministries if you have them. Always love to see examples of radically effective ministries.

The Decline of Marriage in America

2010-12-13T11:09:00.000-06:00

This morning I came across this article that documents the shocking decline of marriage in middle class America. We ignore this news at our own peril. And, for me, it leads to some sobering questions for the church.

What role has the church played in this decline...if any? Is it possible that by not holding young people accountable for their relational choices, whether it's premarital sex, living together or other choices that disregard the importance of marriage, have we communicated that marriage isn't necessary? If there is any role the church has played by keeping silent while the culture merrily trotted people down a path of reckless and selfish relational behavior then is there a role for the church in bringing us back from the precipice?

As the article points out, the collapse of marriage has far reaching implications for culture and society. In my opinion Satan would like nothing more than the total collapse of the family. So let's stop pretending like relationships outside of a God ordained marriage are not aberrant behavior that leads to bad things. More to the point...sex outside of marriage (regardless of your age) is wrong. Living together without benefit of marriage is wrong. People of the same gender being sexually active with each other and pretending it's a marriage is wrong. The church either actively or passively giving license to any of these aberrant behaviors is wrong.

And there is a price to be paid for engaging in, accepting and/or ignoring wrong.

Merry Christmas?

2010-12-10T16:05:00.002-06:00

It seems every year the 'joy' of Christmas in the United States revolves around giving and...more importantly...getting gifts. Church leaders are a voice in the consumerism wilderness calling for people to spend less and consider how to better use the resources God has blessed them with. But this effort has very little real impact on the culture.

My church, Grace Place, is participating in the Advent Conspiracy this year. It's a wonderful idea that started small and seems to be growing. I hope that it continues to grow. If you're interested, go to the Grace Place website and catch-up on Pastor Clay's messages. But there's another truth about the holidays that doesn't get much airtime. The time between Thanksgiving and New Year is an intense time of depression, pain and loneliness for an awful lot of people.

Collectively the holidays are a time where family is trumpeted, traditions are honored and joy is expected. For those who've suffered the death of a loved one, the dissolution of a marriage through divorce, the loss of family or, more likely, a family that is painfully dysfunctional, this time of year is something you grit your teeth and suffer through. A friend of mine actually escapes to a seaside resort in Mexico over Christmas in part to avoid the pain he experiences at this time of the year.

While I loved Christmas when our kids were little because of the wonder and joy they experienced, I'm finding as I get older it just doesn't mean as much to me. Part of that is knowing that it's one of the few times a year people pay any attention to Jesus. And at Christmas we reflect on the baby Jesus so there's not much chance you're going to be open to the challenging words the adult Jesus had to say to his followers. At Easter we focus on the dying Jesus. So for those who only turn their attention to Jesus at Christmas and Easter it's the equivalent of visiting a person at their birth and never seeing them again until you visit their deathbed. How strong might you consider that relationship?

I'd much prefer we do away with the high holidays when we pause just long enough for a fleeting glimpse of Jesus and instead start living in a genuine relationship with him every single day. A relationship that includes talking to him, listening to him and really following him. What would the world think of a church full of people who did that I wonder?

Faithful Followers Forever

2010-12-08T11:50:00.002-06:00

What I like to call the big 'C' church, that is the body of believers in Jesus Christ across all denominations around the globe, will never go away and will always be growing. As in the earliest days we can truthfully say still today, "they added to their numbers daily."

Every day new believers come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. At the exact same time many mainline denominations (perhaps all) are experiencing decline. Their numbers are shrinking, giving is going down, denominational offices are cutting staff and scaling back ministry. Some would have you believe that since, "the road is narrow and the way difficult" that it's natural to experience shrinkage when you hew to the true doctrine of the church. The truth is hard and people will leave.

Poppycock!!

Every single day the Holy Spirit is bringing people into life changing relationship with Jesus Christ. Every day people are coming out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. Every day the number of the faithful is growing. I know this because the population of the earth is growing, the Word of God is being taught, broadcast, discussed and God promises his word does not return empty. Jesus told the disciples to cast their nets even when they'd had no success all night and they obeyed. Their nets were full to the point of tearing and sinking the boat! Our nets cast in the name of Jesus will not come back with nothing but seaweed and an old shoe.

The small 'c' church may be declining and dying but the Body of Christ is vibrant, growing and eternal. If your church is in decline stop justifying and pontificating and start seeking God's vision, intention and will for your ministry. Admit that you are failing. Look to where God is working and join him there. The fields are ripe unto harvest...Jesus once said...so if your barn is empty it's time to start asking why.

The Collapse of Denominations

2010-12-06T12:09:00.002-06:00

Fast Company is one of my favorite magazines. In the latest issue there's a great article entitled "Mayhem on Madison Avenue" about the future of advertising. Now, you might wonder what that has to do with the church, but there's a quote in the article that struck me. It's related to tectonic shifts happening in the advertising world but has echoes for the church. Here's a snippet:

"Earlier this year, technology observer Clay Shirky argued that 'complex societies collapse because, when some stress comes those societies have become too inflexible to respond.' Societies like the Romans and the lowland Mayans fell because further reductions became too uncomfortable for those in power. 'Collapse is simply the last remaining method of simplification,' writes Shirky. After disintegration, he explains further, the members of a society disperse, experimenting with new ways of doing things. 'When the ecosystem stops rewarding complexity,' he writes, 'it is the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future'."

So that got me to thinking about the current state of denominations in the Western Christian Church. Has the church ecosystem stopped rewarding complexity? Is the church tottering toward collapse (or already there) under the weight of centuries of theological thought, doctrinal treatises, hundreds of thousands of books, sermons, commentaries and more that have rendered simple scriptural truth nearly indecipherable? I'd suggest that pastors, seminarians, theologians and others who've made study of Christian doctrine and dogma their life's work are people who have mastered the complexities of the past. And are, by and large, happy to live there and wish others would come back and join them.

They are the ones in 'power' who are finding any further reduction of the complexity of religion too uncomfortable to bear. They insist on maintaining the complexity in an ecosystem that no longer rewards it. People are leaving the church in droves while still claiming faith in Jesus. According to Shirky, "collapse is simply the last remaining method of simplification."

Here's what I think, the Church (all believers regardless of denomination) is an ecosystem (organism not an organization) that has stopped rewarding complexity. And I believe Shirky is right when he says, "the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future." Further, I think in some ways we are experiencing the earliest post-disintegration days of the church as members of the society disperse, experimenting with new ways of doing things. Those folks experimenting with new ways of doing things are meeting withering hostility and criticism from those who have mastered the complexities of the past and feel power slipping away from them. That won't stop what's happening. But it certainly makes for an interesting era we live in. As Aaron Reitkopf, North American CEO of ad agency Profero, is quoted in the Fast Company article as saying, "ohhh, the carnage is going to be awesome."

The Great Divide

2010-12-03T15:08:00.002-06:00

During the Civil War one of the great tragedies was that families were split between North and South. The spectacle of brother fighting against brother was heart breaking. As I reflect on the current state of the church and, actually, it can probably be said it's been this way for hundreds of years, the fracturing into denominations has some very personal impact.

It's an ugly thing when followers of Christ attack other followers of Christ. It makes no sense and must absolutely delight Satan to see the body of Christ at odds with itself. Both across denominations and within denominations the rancor and bitterness repulses people who are literally going to hell apart from Jesus Christ. But worse than that is when the divisions split families.

My dear departed mother-in-law and father-in-law attended separate churches for many years. For all the years I knew them the exercise of their faith took them away from each other rather than toward each other. Thankfully they didn't fight over this...as far as I know...but they certainly weren't united. Worse than that are families where everyone is Christian but attending different churches and that causes conflict and anger. I've experienced that kind of pain up close and personal and can tell you it tears families up.

On the other hand, I've worked for the past five years with an organization that brings churches of all denominations together for a week at a time to provide help and hope to people in need. For those single weeks I've seen Christians lay aside the need to champion their particular doctrinal view, come alongside other believers and change lives. It's a beautiful thing. When we can work from the base truth that we are followers of Christ who believe he is our Lord and Savior so much positive stuff happens. In Biblical terms, we bear good fruit.

If you've read my blog you know that I can sometimes be a Pollyanna about the whole body of Christ getting along. So, I want to acknowledge here that I don't expect for every Christian to link arms and sing kum-ba-yah. There are important issues that divide us and must be discussed in the appropriate places. There are certain things we shouldn't be doing together because we can't agree. Things like communion and baptism are best done with others who are in full agreement with each other about what those things mean. It is important that we debate vigorously the proper interpretation of scripture, how to interact with culture, proper expressions of doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with our God as we're called to do by the Prophet Micah. But differences of opinion should not keep us from loving each other and finding ways to work together for the sake of all those who don't know Christ. The divide between those who claim Christ and will all be in heaven by faith is not so great as the divide between them and those who face eternity separated from God in hell. Let's get our priorities straight.

Can't God Take Care of Himself

2010-12-01T17:21:00.003-06:00

Every once in a while I get distracted reading stuff from ultra orthodox pinheads who think it's their calling to defend God. Of course always according to who they think God is. They rant about worship styles or proper doctrine or whether or not small groups are 'Biblical'. They seem to be operating from a base of fear. Fear that some poor soul might get to thinking they need to be good to get to heaven (works righteousness) or that a room full of suckers might accidentally stumble into bad theology (like pietism).

So these people take up the crusade to make sure everyone within earshot gets lambasted with what's 'right' and 'true'. They throw around words like heretic and apostasy. Often they trample all over any Biblical directive to put the best construction on everything, don't gossip, love your enemy, etc., etc. Of course they do this in the name of protecting God's truth. What unabashed arrogance.

Now I'm all about truth and seek to learn and know it more and more every day. I never think that I have fully attained a full understanding of what is true. Further, I would never take it upon myself to harangue others to accept what I believe to be true or be labeled a heretic. If asked I will speak what I understand to be truth and exercise what I believe to be the true forms of worship, service and a life of faith. I hope that all those who feel a need to attack others live out their understanding of truth, too. I just wish they'd do it without hurling soul destroying accusations and vicious attacks at those devoted Christians who are different from them.

Even St. Paul recognized that there are those who didn't preach Jesus from the same motivation he had. He disagreed with their methods and motivation but conceded that as long as Christ was preached good was being done. Until all Christians...especially those in leadership roles (Pastors are you listening?) can live from their faith and best understanding of truth and do away with all the rancor the hope for winning souls to Christ will never be fully realized.

God is bigger than our understanding of him or what's true and right. The Holy Spirit draws us into a relationship with Christ 'while we are still sinners.' In my humble opinion he can correct our misunderstandings and reveal truth to our hearts. Sometimes he does this through scripture as we're diligent to study. Sometimes he does this in relationships with other Christians seeking truth. There are even times when he does it through our pastors. But it is always the work of the Holy Spirit that informs, strengthens and grows our faith. He doesn't need knuckle headed, pious windbags enforcing their opinions about him and the 'right' way to relate to him (in worship, or anywhere else) on the rest of us. God is big enough to take care of himself. How about the rest of us go on about being the hands, feet and love of Jesus to a world that desperately needs a Savior. How awesome would that be?

In Time for Christmas

2010-11-30T14:08:00.001-06:00

This video post is not only timely, it's dead-on and should be shared with every Christian in America! Watch and pass it on.

Evidence in Support

2010-10-20T11:54:00.002-05:00

My very good friend, Doc, recently posted this article on his Facebook page about the same time I was writing my observations about the detrimental effect on the church when it aligns itself with politics. This reinforces my concern that the church needs to disentangle itself from politics if there's any hope to reconnect with the younger generations. Perhaps this is one more manifestation of what I've been calling the "New Reformation" for the last ten years. Still not sure what shape it's taking but I can tell you it's happening. The Body of Christ is eternal...the current manifestation of the western church is not. It's high time to move on.

Fruit That's Unstoppable

2010-10-19T17:00:00.004-05:00

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:21-23

In a follow-up to my post yesterday despairing the fate of the church if it aligns itself with any particular political party, I want to reflect on fruit. Through the years I've been fond of saying that an apple tree never wakes up in the morning and decides to bear oranges. It bears apples because of what it is. It doesn't define the fruit, the fruit defines it. To the untrained eye an apple tree without apples is unrecognizable. Someone who claims to have sold you an apple tree is proven a liar if peaches appear on the branches.

In Galatians Paul gives a succinct and elegant description of the fruit that the Holy Spirit bears in the life of someone filled with said Spirit. To the untrained eye there is no other way to identify those possessed by the Holy Spirit but to see the fruit. Anyone who 'sells' themselves to be a Spirit filled follower of Christ whose branches subsequently sprout anger, hatred, division, selfishness, fear, and judgment is proven a liar. And I don't care if that person is a pastor, deacon, elder or bishop. If you are surrendered fully and possessed by the Holy Spirit you will bear the fruit of that Spirit. You can't not.

Notice, '...against such things (these fruits) there is no law.' Governments can outlaw worship, church services, Bibles, prayer in school and all the cherished symbols and external trappings of the church. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control function apart from law, politics, governments and the pettiness we humans so often allow to consume our lives.

Let the Spirit have his way with you...and bear fruit. That's unstoppable!

A Sad Consequence

2010-10-18T16:43:00.005-05:00

Last week I was all around Kentucky and Indiana meeting with folks about bringing Workcamps and 1 By Youth to their towns. It's always exciting to share the possibility of partnering to bring 400 or more teens and adults to repair 60 to 70 homes in a week with Workcamps. Or the chance to see over 1000 volunteers transform a single neighborhood in a single day through 1 By Youth. I get the privilege of talking with many interesting people. One conversation I had last week, though, made me sad.

One lady in Louisville shared with me that the people she works with are reluctant...even hostile...about inviting Christians from outside the neighborhood (read the suburbs) to come in for the day and help. Their resistance, in her opinion, is political. Many of the neediest neighborhoods are populated most heavily by those who identify themselves as Democrats. They see many Christians, especially suburban Christians, as Republicans. In our current political climate they see Republicans as angry, hostile enemies working hard to take away all that the current Democratic leadership has finally given them. It is a sad consequence of a deeply polarized nation.

What makes me truly sad is that over the last 30 years or more the Evangelical Christian Church has been so co-opted by Republican politicians...and willingly so with the work of the Moral Majority, Focus on the Family and other entities...that we may have done irreparable damage to our ability to effectively be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need. Here is yet another reason why the church must operate completely above the political fray.

While Christians should, and must, participate in the political process by voting, advocating and holding elected office, the church must remain neutral. Christians gathered as bodies of believers align politically on one side or the other at their own peril. Whether it's Jim Wallis and Christians like him that run to the political left or James Dobson and the late Jerry Falwell who run to the political right all are doing a grave disservice to the name of Christ by lowering His Body into the mud of political gamesmanship.

When people in need refuse the help of loving Christians citing politics as the reason for their refusal that should be a major wake up call. We need to exercise our love, our values, our compassion and our concern through acts of service that have no root or reference to a political bent. We have not accomplished this and it seems it is bearing rotten fruit. My fear is it may be too late for us to reclaim higher ground.

Is It Possible?

2010-09-15T15:39:00.002-05:00

Here I am in Nairobi, Kenya getting ready to welcome a mission team that will be working in the Kibera slum, visiting orphans, spending time with blind children and enjoying a safari on the Masai Mara. I love Kenya and the Kenyan people. I love bringing Americans here to open their eyes to the larger world.

One special side benefit to this trip is that I had the chance to meet with the General Secretary of Church Army Africa (an Anglican mission agency) for the whole continent of Africa. Richard Mayabi and I got talking about how to move people out of poverty and into self-sufficiency through a whole new way of doing church. It's a dream come true to meet someone at Richard's level of leadership who is committed to engaging the church to lift people out of poverty with micro-business, micro-finance and other strategies that bring accountability and ownership.

Richard has connected me with Mark Royster from Kentucky to join the conversation about the possibilities for Kenya and beyond. It's almost more than I can hope for to think we might actually find a way to bring the church back into the center of people's lives. This conversation coupled with my reading of The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, while flying here has my head swimming with possibilities. Can't wait to see what God's up to.

Back to Kenya

2010-09-08T14:26:00.004-05:00

Next week I'll be in Nairobi, Kenya. This is my fourth visit and first time since 2002 that I'll be going with a missions team. I love Kenya. The people of Kenya are so wonderful. That's a broad generalization and the truth is there are Kenyans who aren't wonderful. But the ones I've had the privilege to work with are amazing.

Maybe that has more to do with faith than nationality. The Kenyans I know live out their Christian faith every day. It drives who they are and what they do. In Kenya you'll hear Christian music on the radio mixed right in with secular music. They don't separate faith from life. It's all rolled in to one big ball. The true, relational nature of faith is tangible.

A week from Sunday I'll have the honor of preaching at a church in Nairobi. I don't feel adequate to the task. There is so much I need to learn about genuine, intimate relationships with people and with God. And I feel like my friends in Kenya are way ahead of me on that. Maybe I'll tell them that...how much I admire the way they live out their faith. We in the west could learn a lot.

It's Not the Mosque I Worry About

2010-08-27T11:43:00.003-05:00

There is such an uproar now about the building of an Islamic Mosque at Ground Zero in New York. While I certainly understand the passionate opposition by people who were deeply wounded by the attacks of 9/11/01, my concerns go far beyond the building or its location. I'm concerned with the eventual Muslim takeover of the United States.

Before you write me off as a complete nut case, allow me to explain. In a culture like ours where people get impatient if it takes more than 2 seconds to download a feature length movie, we don't fully grasp the idea of a 10 year plan and can't even fathom a 100 year plan. The long slow process of transforming a culture escapes our notice entirely. Just because we don't understand it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

In 1999 I made my first trip to Kenya in East Africa. Our team served a missionary training college that included students from eight different African nations. One day we had the chance to go with some of these students on an evangelistic foray into a local neighborhood. As we walked the several blocks a student from Sudan struck up a conversation with me. He shared his fear that Kenya was at risk of being taken over by Muslims and converted into a Muslim nation. Curious, I asked why he feared this. Here's what he shared with me...

Many years ago Sudan was a predominately Christian nation. Over time...decades...Muslim people began moving into Sudan. At first they were ridiculed, persecuted and oppressed. Slowly they began to fit in. Marrying Sudanese women, opening small businesses, running for local political positions. Eventually these Muslims were accepted into the Sudanese culture. They continued to seek positions within the government and many rose to greater and greater levels of power. The day finally came when they held a majority control of the Sudanese government. They began passing draconian laws outlawing Christianity. They fully implemented Sharia Law. They ruthlessly stamped out Christianity and began wholesale persecution of Christians. Perhaps you've heard of Darfur.

Make no mistake about the intentions of the Muslim faith. It has at its core an unwavering dedication to see that all people everywhere submit to Muslim law. They tolerate no other faiths in those countries where they dominate the government. Whether 'moderate' or 'extremist' the Muslim religion is dedicated to the eradication of all other faiths and toppling skyscrapers in New York City isn't the only way they pursue this agenda. The more effective way is to invest decades becoming acceptable members of our society. They will cry out for tolerance and understanding. They will weep at being discriminated against and plead for us to accept them as peace loving people of faith. They will make a compelling case for us to allow them to practice their religion in peace because, after all, who are they hurting.

Then, ten or twenty or thirty years from now, while we're all watching reruns of Glee over a microwaved dinner government officials will show up at our door to enforce the removal of all Bibles and Christian symbols from our homes. Christian owned businesses will be shut down and churches will be boarded up. And somewhere inhospitable (Amarillo or Phoenix) a Christian refugee camp will be established for all those who resist the Muslim controlled government of the United States of America.

The longer we wait to realize that we're involved in a faith based holy war the more likely the scenario I paint is to happen. We Americans can pretend that religion doesn't affect our day to day lives but there are people who actually allow their faith to dictate their every move, to inform their lives and to set the course of history. We ignore this truth at our own peril and we invite the growth of the Muslim faith in this country at the risk of losing our religious liberty.

Don't dismiss me as a crackpot.

The Real Deal

2010-07-14T20:25:00.002-05:00

This week I'm visiting some of our mission locations for the Week of Hope program. Today it's Charleston, South Carolina. I had the privilege of talking to three agencies we serve and each one was so very grateful for the help. One told me how wonderful it is to have such enthusiastic young people who are eager to make a difference.

Most young people are eager to make a difference and truly believe they can. If every church would seize that energy and empower youth to put faith in action it would change the world. I know the 1500 or so churches that go on mission trips with us are committed to changing their kids lives. And there are many more that go with other organizations. It's my heart's desire to see many, many more young people putting faith into action at the invitation of their church.

Holy Discontent

2010-07-01T12:58:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday our Pastor wrapped up his series "Comfortably Numb". An awesome challenge for all of us to get out of the seats and into the streets with the love of Jesus. The final message included a video of a talk given by Bill Hybels of Willow Creek. He talked about the passion God gives to us that sometimes comes out as pain at seeing something that needs to be fixed. It might be homelessness or poverty or abortion, etc. Whatever 'it' is when we experience it we're 'wrecked' by it, to use Hybels' words.

What wrecks me is the state of the church in America. A church that has been abundantly blessed but is so turned in on itself as to have become irrelevant to most people. The church has lost it's authority to speak truth into people's lives. Church leaders that hide behind theology and stacks of books only popping out on Sunday morning to philosophize about faith and doctrine to a mostly disinterested audience that forgets 90% of what they say within a day or two. I'm wrecked by people who call themselves Christian then proceed to trash the name of Jesus by their arrogant, prideful, selfish behavior. Particularly those who call themselves Christians and serve in the role of pastor.

The church has lost it's way. This morning a friend and I were sharing our common frustration with this fact. He made a great point about church leaders that, by and large, hang out with other church leaders. It's an insulated community that rarely interacts with the real world. Yet every week they address people living in the real world without ever asking those folks how they can best help them face the reality they live in. My friend made the point that maybe it's time for church leaders to shut up and listen. It's time to engage folks where they are instead of always expecting them to come to them. It was a very convicting conversation for me.

For years I was one of those church leaders with lots of stuff to say and not much ability to listen. I still make the mistake of talking too much and listening too little. So today I launched a new blog that invites everyone who has ever been to church, never been to church, left the church, hates the church to tell me how we can make church better. I hope you'll pop over there and join the conversation. I'm listening.

Long Time Gone

2010-05-25T09:28:00.001-05:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged here in all of 2010. It's been a very busy year. Right now I'm up in Estes Park training nearly 100 college students to lead our mission trips across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico this summer. It's always an inspiration to see these young people so committed to serving the Lord and making a difference in the lives of people through service. More later...gotta go train!

Another Loss

2009-12-29T09:53:00.002-06:00

About two years or so ago I was involved in a project to create a resource that would help 'stuck' churches get 'unstuck'. Simply put, we were trying to replicate the work an expensive consultant might do with a tool church leaders could use to do it themselves. It was a really good idea and we made great strides with things like clarifying your purpose, identifying your strengths, creating motivational imagery and more. Then it came to the most crucial piece of all, moving ineffective leaders out and putting effective leaders in. At this point the project came to a crashing halt.

Once again we ran into the immutable truth that an organization of any sort cannot thrive with poor leadership. Not only that, but poor leaders that refuse to see themselves as part of the problem won't proactively move out of the way. To make matters worse in a church setting poor leadership will actually drive out those who have good leadership skills thereby denying the church options. Since church is a volunteer organization those with strong leadership skills will only stay for so long under bad leaders before they pack up and go on to another church. Any church unwilling to move bad leaders out of position and allow good leaders to take their place will suffer the loss of good leaders until there aren't any left. It won't be long until such a church collapses and dies.

This isn't just theory. It has happened once again. A strong leader with a heart for his church and a willingness to give time and abundant resources resigned from leadership in his church this week. After a three year struggle to get the Pastor to do something resembling leading...anything...he finally threw in the towel. This wasn't a man who sat in the seats every Sunday complaining and doing nothing. He was active in leadership, provided lots of resources, sought the aid and counsel of many outside experts, encouraged the Pastor and was constantly seeking ways to make the church an effective member of the community. Many churches would pay to have this sort of enthusiastic and talented leadership. This man's church, more pointedly, his pastor, refused almost all the help offered and worse. One of the few proactive things the pastor did was to call the people the man was seeking counsel from and tell them not to meet with him!

That is actively bad leadership. Sadly, this sort of behavior is repeated time and again in churches. I wish it were an isolated incident, but I'm sure that it's not. So, perhaps a bit quixotic, I forge ahead trying to find out how we can get bad leaders out of leadership and invite strong leaders in for the sake of revitalizing churches. It may just be an impossible dream.

Missions

2009-12-27T20:23:00.002-06:00

I'm in St. Louis at Intervarsity's Urbana Conference. It's a work thing hosting a booth about our various mission opportunities. Although I'm here for work, it's personally rewarding to be surrounded by 20,000 college aged young people excited about mission work. Once again, it is the younger generation leading the way. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know one of my main concerns is that the Christian church spends too much time sitting around in our buildings and not enough time out doing what Jesus asked us to do.

A word about the mission work of the church is in order. When it comes to disaster response around the world, none do it better or more efficiently than Christian missions organizations. Much of the meaningful recovery work after Katrina and Rita was done...and continues to be done...by Christian churches and organizations. The relief and aid I've seen in South and Central America and Africa by indigenous and visiting Christians is truly inspirational.

There's a sense of adventure and purpose when it comes to missions. Going out to help others is energizing. Making a difference in the lives of others gives a sense of purpose to our lives. I believe churches that aren't fully engaged in a variety of missions (and I don't mean giving money to others doing missions) are cheating those who attend those churches out of the full measure of the Christian experience. And mission doesn't have to involve traveling to far away lands. It can be helping a neighbor. It can be hosting a small group and inviting your friends. To me, mission is a fancy word for caring about other people and doing something to help them.

This help is driven by our faith in and love for Jesus Christ. He's done it all for us and, out of overwhelming gratitude, we do for others. Not to gain God's favor, but because we already have it. This should drive us out of our buildings to address the pain and suffering in this world. Not just when it's dramatic, like after a hurricane, but in every little situation where the love of Christ can make a difference.

I'm going to enjoy this week.

Yeast Infection

2009-11-20T23:44:00.002-06:00

I was reading Matthew chapter 16 this morning. It's not new to me. I've read it countless times over the years. But this morning something stopped me. Jesus warned his follower to beware the yeast of the Pharisees. Again, not a new verse to me. But this time I stopped to think about just what the yeast of the Pharisees actually is.

This warning is tucked in with a harsh rebuke to the Pharisees for giving their own rules the same weight as the word of God. It dawned on me that much of the Christian church today has a terrible yeast infection. We've built a fortress of rules and doctrines that we claim are rooted in scripture. These man made rules often carry as much or more weight than the actual scriptures. These rules keep the people inside feeling very self-righteous and those on the outside feeling very rejected. If that sounds familiar, it's because the church of today is almost a mirror image of the Pharisaical culture of Jesus' day.

We haven't been vigilant and the result is the yeast of the Pharisees is folded into our Christian culture so completely that we don't even recognize all the places into which it's crept. From our buildings to our classes to our worship services to our seminaries it's amazing how much we look like those Jesus railed against and accused of being the blind leading the blind. Will we ever wake up and realize just what kind of ditch we've fallen into? I sure hope so.

I Have This Question

2009-11-05T16:01:00.004-06:00

This morning I was struck with a question. What can we do to reverse the decline of the Christian church in America? I believe revival is a work of the Holy Spirit. However, I also believe that people can actively seek and pursue revival. I'm talking about revival of a scale that will rank up there with the historical revivals since the birth of the church.

I posed this question to my friend Thom Schultz and he had a really insightful response. He's attending a church outreach convention and listening to church leaders talk amongst themselves. His observation is there's a lot of pride among pastors. They continue to pursue old and ineffective ways of doing church but think all is well. Essentially, they're the band on the deck of the Titanic playing away as the ship sinks (my comment not Thom's). Thom has lots of great thoughts on the decline of the church on his blog. You should check it out.

How would you answer the question? What can we do to reverse the decline of the Christian church in America? I know this, we can't keep doing what we've been doing unless we're content to watch the church slowly slip into the dark night of irrelevance in our country.

FINAL NOTE: This post is about the Christian church in America NOT Christians. Those who follow Christ will always be a vibrant, dynamic force in this world. The Church, that is the body of Christ, will always thrive, grow and change lives. Is the pride, arrogance and lethargy of the American church pushing the Church to some other place in the world? If it is, how do we bring about revival here?

Must We Reinvent?

2009-10-26T11:57:00.002-05:00

I've been back in the Chicago area for the past few days. I say back because this is where I spent nearly 30 years doing ministry at various churches. Got the chance yesterday to return to the church where I served for over 12 years. It was so wonderful to see all the people again. It was great to enjoy a familiar worship service. It was shocking to see how old people are getting while I'm sure I'm not aging a bit!

The sad part of the visit was having the sense that the church is now in decline. The attendance is down and the energy seems to be dwindling. Sadder still is that I'm not surprised. Churches seem to have an arc. They rise as a new church with lots of energy and excitement. They do things that are edgy and reach a whole new population of people that had come to expect the same old thing from church. Then, slowly, over time they become entrenched in what they're doing. They get comfortable and the people who come week in and week out get comfortable. The energy fades, the edginess becomes threatening and goes away.

Two things happen to churches like this. They slowly die while holding annual events to remember how awesome they once were or they get an infusion of leadership that reinvents the church for a new era. The third thing that happens is new, edgy, energetic churches pop-up in the area drawing people who are still interested in ministry that takes them places and gives them an opportunity to make a difference. But that's not happening to the existing church so I'll stick with my theory that there are only two things that can happen. Death or reinvention. Both are painful. So my question is this...if your church is going to go through a protracted period of pain ending in it being dead or different and you could choose which it would be, which would you choose?

It's okay to choose dead, by the way. It gives definition to how you move forward. As with any dying thing you do things to provide comfort...anesthetic, some pillows, gentle music, soothing words and maybe a hospice nurse to empty the bedpan. In other words, keep doing things that won't upset the patient. Things they're familiar with. Things that don't cause any exercise or raise in blood pressure. No sudden moves and maybe Jeopardy playing quietly in the background.

Should you choose reinvention that sets a whole different course. It will probably necessitate a complete change in leadership. It will require a full review of everything that's currently being done and a ruthless elimination of things that aren't creating energy, enthusiasm and attraction to those who've yet to know Jesus Christ. It demands a willingness to see most of the people in the seats right now get upset and go elsewhere. That's okay because there are a lot of churches providing comfy pillows, an IV drip of morphine and the aforementioned Jeopardy playing softly in the background. Those who stay are the seedbed of edgy, relevant, powerful ministry.

There's the answer to the question posed in the title. We must reinvent or we die. Those are the only two options. And, as always, the choice belongs to those leading the church.

Why My Idea Won't Work

2009-10-08T23:53:00.002-05:00

The call to action I shared earlier this week is based on a very optimistic view of the Christian church. As critical as I often am on this blog, I'm a hopeless optimist when it comes to the church. I really believe that Christians can get their act together, cooperate with each other, share the love of Jesus with the world in ways that are winsome and bring about real change. My idea about every church starting a school is predicated on the idea that churches would be willing to allow full and open discussions from all different viewpoints knowing that some may never choose to become Christ followers. I envision the establishment of an educational opportunity where free thinking and vigorous debate might take place.

The public schools are no longer such a place. Certain topics are completely off limits. Free thinking and reasoned debate that honors and respects all opinions has been banished from our schools and has set-up an adversarial environment for those who hold conservative Christian and political views. I'd love it if the church could establish safe havens where real learning could take place.

The reason my idea won't work is because most churches still see themselves as obligated to convince people that they must become Christian. So most churches will never consent to starting a school that doesn't have evangelizing children and their families as it's main purpose. I, on the other hand, believe that if Christians follow Christ's lead, serving everyone, loving everyone, praying for everyone, that many will be eager to know more about this Jesus they follow. And if they're not eager and never become eager, that's okay. We still love them and serve them and pray for them...because Jesus loves them and calls us to follow his lead.

So, as much as I'm thoroughly frustrated with the public school system believing it has become it's own secular religious institution, to have churches establish schools that will be just as hard-headed in the other direction would be fruitless. I'm left to wonder if there's any way to restore sanity and balance to the way we educate our children. And I hope we can figure it out before it's too late.

It may already be...

Let Me Clarify

2009-10-05T09:52:00.002-05:00

My last post was a call to action driven by frustration with the collapse of public education and the viciously anti-Christian agenda among the educational elites of this country. Please don't see it as an attack against teachers. My daughter is completing her student teaching semester right now and will be, Lord willing, an elementary school teacher next year.

My call to action was for churches to start schools in their communities. Schools that find a way to offer a free education to children in the community, in part to drive the public schools out of business...or change their ways. Here's where the clarification comes in. I'm not urging Christian churches to start Christian schools. I'm not inviting Christians to flee the culture and hide in a cocoon of all-Christian security. Far from it!

I believe the Christian church has retreated from the culture far too often for far too long. What I'm calling the church to do is launch real, regular, effective schools that return to the roots of what public education was meant to be...and was in this country...less than 100 years ago. Schools that invite but don't force children to pray. Schools that engage in open honest discussion about the different ideas about how the world was created. Schools that embrace the traditional core studies of science, math, reading, social studies, languages, etc. Schools that are open to anyone who wants to come to school...Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, atheist...for a quality education. Quality that's driven by the love of Jesus Christ in a way that is winsome, loving and accepting.

This kind of movement to offer effective schools built on a solid foundation of Christian morals and standards would stir a revolution in this country. Last night our Pastor preached about the early church and the accusation leveled against Paul, Silas and Timothy that they were "turning the world upside down." He asked if that charge was still being leveled against Christians today. Sadly, we have to admit that, in this country, it's not.

So what if we launched an alternative school movement that directly confronted the corrupt culture of public education? What if we re-engaged the culture right at the heart of it by reclaiming the education of our children? What if we did it in a way that was open to all and was genuinely effective? Would that turn the world upside down? Would that meet stiff, angry, violent opposition?

I can guess...but let's just do it and find out. Who's with me?

A Call To Action - NOW!

2009-10-01T11:17:00.002-05:00

The rapid descent into abject depravity in this country is truly beginning to alarm me. The current administration in Washington is embracing people and policies that are in stark opposition to traditional Christian values. I'm particularly concerned about our schools.

I saw first hand the negative influence public schools have on the morality of our children when I was in youth ministry working with kids who were primarily public school students. I'm not going to recount the stories here, but I hope you trust that I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that there is an organized effort to indoctrinate our children into a culture of tolerance of anything and everything with no filter as to whether or not those things conform to any historic moral standard.

Many well-meaning, but horribly uninformed Christian parents have argued in favor of the public school system through the years. But I'm here to tell you that public schools are the lynch pin in the moral collapse of our society. And it's the result of a decades long intentional effort by people determined to strip any identifiable Judeo-Christian moral foundation out of the educational system. If you doubt this, wake up and start doing some homework. The institutionalized corruption of our children's minds is an ongoing campaign that is gathering steam.

Read this article first, then tell me that at the federal level they aren't committed to destroying the moral fiber of our society as historically understood by a Christian culture.

It is time for the Christian Church in America to take action. Every single Christian Church should open a school. Regardless of cost and whether you can accommodate 10 students or 1000 students it's time to reclaim the founders original intention for public education. We need to offer FREE alternatives to the corrupt public school system. Whatever it takes...volunteer moms and dads as teachers, creating our own curriculum and resources, supporting homeschoolers by opening our buildings for them to use for special events.

I'm dead serious about this. We can no longer send our precious children to spend the largest part of their days in places that sing praises and chants to the President, applaud homosexuality as one of several acceptable lifestyles, promote other religions as equal to or superior to Christianity, denigrate or outright deny the fact that God created the universe in favor of a flawed theory of evolution as absolute truth and all but ignore the basic skills they should be teaching.

It occurs to me this morning that if the church really wants to reclaim it's place in this culture and become relevant again, it's time to take back our children. Not for an hour a week in Sunday School. But 30 hours a week providing a classical education rooted in truth and founded on historic Christian morality. It should be our goal to put public schools out of business.

Why

2009-09-16T22:55:00.002-05:00

Sunday I was in the Chicago area and had the chance to visit the church I've often written about here. The one that is small, dying and poorly led by an incompetent pastor. I wasn't disappointed. The service was awful. The music was dated and not very well presented. The sermon was nearly unintelligible and there were about 35 people in the seats.

I was there mostly out of curiosity and because I was the guest of my friend who desperately wants the church to grow. But I wondered why the other folks were there. There truly was nothing appealing about the church. And with enough seats for over 200 the 35 or so people scattered about made the place feel like a mortuary. The most amazing thing is that morning they welcomed six new people into membership.

Why, I kept asking myself, would people join this church? Why is anyone coming? Part of the answer is that the new members are really just transferring from another church where they don't like the pastor and the direction that church is taking. Others are die hard Lutherans who will hang in there until the church dies.

Is that a good enough reason for a church to exist? To provide a comfortable place for complacent old people to gather and where disgruntled Christians can retreat. I truly find nothing in scripture or the life of Jesus or the record of the early church that indicates church should ever serve those purposes. Yet there are many across the American landscape that are plodding along in ways very similar to the church I visited Sunday.

Why?

On the Road Again

2009-08-31T15:13:00.002-05:00

I'm in the airport at Nashville on a layover as I head to Philadelphia. Still amazed at the decision the ELCA made and watching as the rest of Lutheranism in America strives to distance themselves even further from the ELCA.

Sometimes my travels provide the opportunity for thoughtful reflection on all things church. If such inspiration hits, I'll be sure to share it. For now I'm just enjoying another afternoon in an airport!

Voting on the Truth

2009-08-26T23:11:00.003-05:00

I mentioned in my post on the disastrous decision of the ELCA last week that I'd say more about putting God's Word and his truth to a vote. Hey, we're a democratic nation and that's what we do, right? Voting gives us a sense of empowerment as we participate in our own governance. It's a great privilege to have a say in who represents us and the ballot box should, ultimately, hold them accountable to those they represent. But here's the problem when it comes to the church...God isn't our representative.

God is the sovereign Lord, Creator and Owner of the universe. All of heaven and earth are His. That includes all that we possess, even our very bodies. How, then, can we subject the maker and owner of our bodies and all of heaven and earth to a democratic vote? Is it just me, or is that concept ludicrous on the face of it. Yet, in denomination after denomination we see votes being taken to validate or invalidate the core truths of Scripture.

Don't get me wrong. I think there are most certainly things that an assembled body of believers can vote on. Church budgets, building renovations, hiring and firing staff, missions contributions, and the list goes on. The same kind of accountability we ostensibly have with our elected officials can be exercised over volunteer leadership in the church. It's when the democratic vote runs amok that the whole system starts to tumble down. It's when we begin to use our vote for the purpose of giving ourselves favors that the inevitable slide into anarchy has begun.

A dear friend of mine, Harry Wendt, has worked passionately against Biblical illiteracy around the world for most of his 79 years. He's still working tirelessly through his Crossways! ministry to see a true understanding of scripture continue to spread. Recently he sent me some wonderful papers he's written. In one he offers this quote from Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor written in 1787:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage "

I would propose a paraphrase of this very insightful quote that applies to the church going back to the first century church described in the book of Acts. It goes something like this:

A church body is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of organization. A church will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves a different sort of truth than that found in Scripture. From that moment on, the majority always votes for a god who makes them comfortable, never confronts their sinful nature, never challenges them to put their resources to the service of the poor, naked, imprisoned, hungry or homeless and never asks them to endure hardship or peril in his name. The result is that every organized church will finally collapse due to loose morals, a weak grasp of Biblical truth and a surrender to the loudest voices of public opinion. This is always followed by dissolution and division.

The average span of an effective church organization is about 500 years. The last such great disruption in church history was the Reformation most notably triggered by Martin Luther. I believe we are in another such upheaval now. It goes something like this:

1. From zeal to explosive growth;
2. From explosive growth to great opposition;
3. From great opposition to social acceptance;
4. From social acceptance to comfort;
5. From comfort to complacency;
6. From complacency to cultural integration;
7. From cultural integration to scriptural relativism;
8. From scriptural relativism to collapse
9. From collapse to reformation

When we reach the point of putting God's truth to a vote according to what makes us comfortable or even makes sense to us we are very near the end of the cycle. I pray the new day of Reformation comes quickly.

Wit's End

2009-08-24T09:56:00.000-05:00

Stories like this one make me so angry I can't see straight. My only consolation is that God is holding these people accountable for what they're doing in his name.

Self Destruction

2009-08-24T08:20:00.003-05:00

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America took a page from the Episcopal playbook over the weekend voting to allow gay and lesbian clergy to serve in their churches. This triggers the heart-wrenching process for hundreds of churches across the U.S. of having to decide whether or not to leave the denomination. No matter what decision churches make there will be a traumatic process of losing members, hurt feelings, and, most tragic of all, those who'll leave church all together connecting this stupidity to Christian faith.

Yes, I said stupidity. For decades now several protestant denominations have pretty much abandoned the teaching of the Bible. They've opted instead for the pursuit of a social justice, feel good, self-help, mushy "God is your friend who would never confront your rebellious sinful lifestyle" kind of approach to faith. This has led to all sorts of behavior being overlooked...or worse, sanctioned...by church leadership.

Loving, serving and caring about others comes straight out of an intimate knowledge of God's Word and being surrendered to His Holy Spirit. Trying to manufacture that outside of Biblical understanding and being anchored on a bedrock foundation of truth leads to the kind of foolishness the Lutherans fell into last week (foolishness toward which they've been sliding for years). There's nothing unloving about holding people accountable to a standard. There's nothing unloving about saying that God sets the standard for human behavior to which all of us should strive.

I have a sister who has consistently made extremely poor relationship choices since she was a teenager. I'm convinced she has a history of having been abused as a child. She's the most loving, caring, considerate person you could ever meet. However, for whatever reason, she has no standards when it comes to relationships and over and over and over and over for the past 30+ years she's repeated the same painful mistakes. Never, at any time have I given her the impression that she's making good choices. Never have I considered applauding her choices. On the contrary, I have chastised her, spoken harshly to her, been critical of her choices and given her advice on other options she could pursue that would result in her achieving health and becoming able to make healthy choices ultimately getting her what she really wants, a truly healthy relationship. I've never once stopped loving her or caring about her so deeply that it makes my heart ache.

If, instead, I chose to demonstrate my love for her by telling her all her bad, hurtful choices are now okay by me and she should pursue them with gusto, it wouldn't make my heart hurt any less. In fact it would make it worse because I would now be complicit in her self-destructive behavior.

She called me yesterday and opened the door, yet again, for me to speak directly and honestly about my opinions regarding her choices. Toward the end I apologized if I took a harsh tone. She said that's what she needed to hear and knew that I loved her and was speaking truth to her. She wasn't looking for license to keep going on the same path. She was looking for someone to confirm that she had a hand in her current situation and that there was hope for a better life if she'd pursue a healthier path built on a foundation of truth.

Telling someone that their wrong behavior is okay doesn't make it okay. The homosexual community has, for years, been screaming at the church that accepting their lifestyle is the only thing that will demonstrate that we truly love them. Yet another denomination has buckled under the onslaught. Purporting to demonstrate love for people by changing the fundamental definition of right and wrong is actually among the most destructive things we can do. And putting God's Word to a vote...well, that's a topic for another time.

For There Is Now, Therefore...

2009-08-18T08:23:00.002-05:00

For all of my life, and well before, the church in America has often defined itself by listing what Christians can't do or shouldn't do. I grew up and served most of my adult life in a denomination that had an impressive set of written and unwritten rules by which to live. All the while they proclaimed that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. But that wasn't how it worked day to day.

What was really communicated was that you had to have a right understanding of baptism or your salvation wasn't certain. You had to properly understand communion or you were taking it to your own damnation. It was a denomination steeped in education, which is great, unless people start to believe that you have to understand the Bible properly in order to be saved...which many people came to believe. Throughout the church we have somehow communicated that there is a personal performance component to salvation.

"Don't drink, don't dance, don't go to movies, don't play cards, don't, don't, don't and if you do, God will not be happy with you."

Translation - God is a stern parent constantly looking to catch you with your hand in the cookie jar and making sure you eat your broccoli. As I began to really read the Bible and ask lots of questions the book of Romans became more and more precious to me. Ultimately Romans 8:1 rose up as my most favorite verse. "For there is now, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

How often is that message communicated in church? No condemnation. Or as Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you."

What do you think might happen to a church that loves people into a relationship with Jesus proclaiming forgiveness of sins, freedom from oppression, sight for the blind, release for the captives, the abundance of the Lord's favor and the assurance that when you are in a relationship with Jesus THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION? I think it would shock people who grew up in churches proclaiming "There is now 'NO'"!

The End of Denominational Christianity

2009-08-14T00:31:00.002-05:00

It's a dream, I know, but one that seems to be getting closer to being reality. I promised to post last night on what I heard at the Celebrate Recovery Leadership Summit at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. Sorry for the delay. Yesterday Pastor John Pollard made the whole conference for me.

He spoke most pointedly to the nearly 400 senior pastors among the 3600 participants in the conference. He told them that it was time to take off the masks, start getting real with the people in the seats and become the church Jesus intended. A church that is real, loving, accepting and serving all those broken, hurting, lost and desperate people out there. In short, a church that is anchored in recovery because everyone is broken and suffering under the burden of their hurts, hang-ups and habits. If church isn't a place where you can bring these things to find healing in the arms of Christ, what hope is there?

It was so great to hear a pastor who gets it. I've been getting messages from multiple sources over the past week that tells me the Body of Christ is reforming itself outside the traditional denominational constraints. Not only that, but this reforming is happening around the concept that we're to be serving and loving the outcasts, rejects and invisible. Imagine that...a church that actually serves as the hands and feet of Jesus operating from a place humility and grace.

I'm afraid to hope...but here I go again getting optimistic about the future of the church in America.

No Surprises...Unfortunately

2009-08-11T07:47:00.002-05:00

Last week we wrapped up another summer season of our domestic mission trips. As is always the case, most of the problems at camp were generated by adults. These are Christian adults who have intentionally agreed to participate in an event targeted to impact teens and serve other people.

Yet there are always those who complain about being uncomfortable, complain about the food, complain that the work is too hard or not hard enough or below their skill level or doesn't require all the tools they brought along or...

Don't get me wrong. I'm not that upset with the adults who don't get it. I'm more upset with churches that have somehow given people the impression that they're entitled to comfort. How can you go on a mission trip serving those in desperate need and not expect to be uncomfortable unless you've embraced a version of Christian faith that is, for the most part, about you and your needs? It seems to me that far too many people have heard a message that God exists to take care of them. Often in high style.

If you want to be challenged to change this I highly recommend the book "Your God is Too Safe" by Mark Buchanan. He does a great job of helping us understand the malaise that's pervasive in the western church.

Another Perspective

2009-07-30T20:46:00.002-05:00

A good friend of mine is going through some struggles with our church. He's been pretty deep into a leadership role. That's often where pain and frustration happens at church. When you get "behind the curtain" and start dealing with all the real people involved in leadership. I was always cautious never to let a new Christian into a position of leadership at my church. The deeper you get the more dangerous it can be to your faith!

So my friend has discovered this book that's been out a few years now titled, "So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore". It's written by a couple of pastors under a single pseudonym. Because of my history in the church and my avid search for a better way to do church, I'm going to be reading the book with him. I'll be blogging about the thoughts I have on it.

I invite you to consider reading it, too. If you do, I'd love it if you would comment here and let me know what you think. I also found a website with a lot of podcasts by these two guys. I don't know if I'll have time to listen to these, but some of the topics are just interesting enough that I might.

Anyway, the overall frustration with the way church is done in Western culture is spawning a lot of interesting conversations. It's irritating to traditionalists but I think this is important as the church continues through it's new reformation.

Cowardly Lion

2009-07-28T20:25:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the delay in getting to this third of three posts on the Wizard of Oz theme. The Cowardly Lion lacked courage. Although he was born to be King of the Jungle, his lack of courage caused him to hide in fear rather than claiming his rightful place. When it came to intimidating young girls he was all roar and bluster at first but quickly dissolved to tears at the first challenge.

How is it the Church, the Bride of Christ, has become such a pitiful laughingstock in the U.S.? It seems increasingly that church is most often the place where women gather and men occasionally stop by. How have we missed the truth that we are children of the King? We have been declared co-heirs with Christ. That makes us royalty. But like the Cowardly Lion we choose not to live in that reality.

How can the church better communicate to all those who follow Christ the nature of their true identity? How do we overcome the lies and help Christians live fully convinced of their God-given place? The answer isn't in better sermons or more inspirational worship services. I'm convinced that confidence comes from experience. The church must provide opportunities for people to experience the reality of being children of the King. In my opinion this means regular and challenging opportunities to serve others. Service to others has the power to change lives.

When given the challenge to attack the fortress of the wicked witch the Lion rose to the occasion and his life was changed. Ain't it the truth, ain't it the truth!

Scarecrow

2009-07-23T08:13:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I wasn't intending to do a little mini-series on Dorothy's three traveling companions. But this morning I woke up with another thought on the struggles of the Christian church in America that could be illustrated with the Scarecrow. And, yes, a Cowardly Lion analogy has also come to mind...but you'll have to wait for that one.

The Scarecrow lacked a brain. Or, at least he thought he did. I won't go down the rabbit trail of how you can think you don't have a brain if you don't have a brain. Anyway, one of my frustrations with the church in America for decades now has been the utter Biblical illiteracy of the people in the seats. In a country with such an immense educational system and a Sunday School system in most denominations that is very well developed, why do we have so many people who are so ignorant when it comes to the Word of God? What has the church done to "teach" people that reading the Bible isn't a matter of life and death?

In my humble opinion we've inadvertently communicated that Biblical knowledge is the bailiwick of the pastors. No need for you to dig deep into scripture because there's someone who's taking care of that as their full time job. It's so ingrained in our culture now that even when pastors, in sheer frustration, beg, plead and cajole their people to read the Bible only a handful actually do. Bible classes are poorly attended and those who do come still aren't really digging into scripture like it was the best meal they'd ever experienced.

I'm convinced that until people become intimately familiar with the Bible itself...not books about the Bible, or study courses, or Christian fiction but the actual Bible...we'll continue to hear the theological equivalent of "if I only had a brain" from those who call themselves Christians.

Tin Man

2009-07-22T20:49:00.003-05:00

Just a few days ago I returned from Scotland where I attended the British Open golf tournament. Now I'm visiting locations for our community service events on the East coast. I've had a lot of time in planes and cars. Inevitably my mind turns to the church. Sometimes it's personal...like why did I leave church work and should I go back to it. Sometimes it's reflections on what the church does and why.

Over the last couple of weeks I've finished the book Wicked upon which the smash Broadway musical was based. There's a surprising bit of conversation in the book about religion and belief. There's very little about the tin man.

But the story of the tin man is that he didn't have a heart. Have you ever felt empty inside? Purposeless? Today I got to thinking about the role the church plays in dealing with this. Did you know that scripture tells us that the role of church leadership is to equip the saints for ministry? Then I got to thinking that in most churches the leadership hoards the ministry instead of equipping others and giving it away. I finally put the two together. Maybe all those people in the seats on Sundays who are listless and unmotivated aren't being equipped for ministry. Maybe they lack the heart because no one in leadership is uncovering, nurturing and encouraging the gifts God's given them. Maybe we in church leadership aren't following Biblical counsel and are cheating all those people out of the chance of living full and fulfilling lives.

Maybe we're holding on to the tin man's heart and it's time to give it back to him.

Frustrating As Always

2009-07-11T18:48:00.002-05:00

Had the chance today to read another persons review of a dying church that I've been trying to help. Pretty much the same assessment as I've had. The church isn't welcoming, the services are muddled and confusing, the music is poorly done and...this is my addition...the pastor really doesn't care.

How can anyone take money from people to lead a congregation and truly not care about what happens to the church and still sleep at night? I truly don't get it. He seems like a nice guy, but the reality of what he's doing is devastating this church. But he keeps cashing the checks. Worse, the church keeps paying his salary and benefits.

I don't know what's worst of all, a congregation that won't hold their pastor accountable or a pastor who seriously couldn't care less the church he leads is going down the toilet.

P.S. I'm headed out of the country for a week so won't be posting, most likely.

The King is Dead

2009-07-07T22:07:00.003-05:00

In case you hadn't noticed, Michael Jackson, The King of Pop died suddenly at the age of 50 on June 25th. I thought I'd mention it because you may have missed the worldwide media frenzy, the tweets that temporarily shutdown Twitter or the overwhelming surge in sales of anything having to do with Jacko.

I'm fifty myself born just nine days before Michael in August of 1958. I really enjoy his music and thought he was a very special talent. My daughter is crazy about him which her 20 something friends don't really get. I get it because my friends didn't get it when the death of Elvis rocked my world in 1977. But this post isn't about Michael or Elvis. It's about a world that worships and idolizes frail, broken, sinful human beings. We keep looking for the divine in other human beings. It's a natural urge we humans have because we know there's something better than ourselves. Our Creator built it into us to look for Him.

But while nearly all the world was trying to catch a last glimpse of the greatness of Michael Jackson, thousands of people across the U.S. were truly reflecting the glory of the true King, Jesus Christ. If you're hungry for the divine and you want to see what people filled with the Holy Spirit look like, I invite you to take a look at any of the Workcamps or Weeks of Hope happening right now across the country.

Young men and women are giving up a part of their summers and a substantial amount of money to help elderly, disabled and disadvantaged people they've never met in communities they've never been to before. They're sleeping on classroom floors, eating cafeteria food and working in rain, heat and humidity. All of this because they're followers of Jesus Christ. Bit by bit, little by little they're changing lives and making a world of difference. Just tonight some of them are being so deeply affected by the experience that it's redirecting their lives.

I doubt any of these people will get a gigantic memorial service at Staples Center when their lives come to an end. But if you're looking for the truly divine skip the pop icons and take a look at people living out their faith with genuine passion and commitment. That's the church at her best and you'll never find better.

The Real Thing

2009-06-26T07:54:00.002-05:00

In just a couple of hours I'll board a plane for Utah. Next week I'm leading a Workcamp for my company serving the Ute Nation in northern Utah. It's the highlight of my year to be able to work with Christian teens making a real difference in the lives of people in need.

One of the things I like most about this work is that we're not doing street theater or handing out tracts. We're actually impacting the lives of people by meeting their basic needs. That kind of thinking really upsets a lot of people who believe the most basic need is eternal salvation. In my experience people who don't have secure shelter, sufficient food or a bed to sleep in aren't much impressed with your concern for their eternity. When you help people because you love Jesus it may make them curious to know this same Jesus...or it may not. That's not really the point.

We help because Christ calls us to the task. We demonstrate love to these people and expect nothing in return. We put our faith into action, not as a recruitment tool or a sales gimmick, but out of genuine concern for the least of these. At the end of the day I'm more concerned about lives touched than a salvation body count. It's all about motivation and I truly believe people can tell the difference.

A Departure

2009-06-18T01:52:00.002-05:00

For all my readers who have their own blogs or websites I just wanted to take a moment and let you know about an amazing free advertising service I found. It really is free and you'll have the opportunity to drive traffic to your website or blog. And if you're serious about sharing your thoughts with the world, as I am, you really should check it out.

When Hollywood Gets it Right

2009-06-15T00:13:00.002-05:00

I'm up late watching Sister Act on TBS. There's a lot to admire in this movie. The underlying theme of a church being revitalized by a woman from the "outside" is very moving. It also reveals the prevailing world view that many Christians isolate themselves hiding from the real world behind walls and prayer.

It's an older movie, but that opinion is still strong in our culture. Church doesn't really have anything to do with real life. We Christians are responsible for some of that perception. In my experience organized religion, as a rule, takes so very long to catch-up with the culture. Centuries ago the church was the cultural center of the world. All the best art, music, literature and more came directly from the church. Some of the finest beer in the world is brewed in monasteries.

I believe the reflective, prayerful, holy life can, in fact coexist and even more, effectively interact with the culture. We can get outside the walls and make a huge difference in the neighborhoods right around us. And beyond.

It doesn't just happen in the movies. And today it's more urgent than ever that we find a way make a real impact in the name of Jesus.

Helping No One

2009-06-09T23:57:00.002-05:00

Today I was once again reminded why I started this blog in the first place. There are just so many churches out there being led by people who lack leadership skills. Granted, leading is hard. Leaders have to rally the troops. Leaders have to exercise discipline, both personally and corporately. Leaders must confront individual wrongdoing for the sake of the integrity of the larger ministry.

There are far too many people in church leadership (pastors) who lack the requisite skills to deal head-on with uncomfortable situations. Fear of offending folks or causing people to leave the church ends up crippling a pastor's ability to accomplish good ministry. We settle for mediocre, or worse, as long as no feathers are ruffled.

The truth is that when a pastor refuses to confront blatant misbehavior and allows people to continue as if nothing was out of order no one is helped. The person engaged in reckless and destructive behavior is enabled. People affected by the behavior are wounded. People watching the behavior and lack of any action are confused. Eventually the whole mess collapses while people claim there was nothing they could do.

Good leaders take action that is appropriate, timely and well considered. Rarely will you find difficult situations going unaddressed in a healthy church.

Praise for a Friend

2009-06-06T00:05:00.002-05:00

One of my best friends from college is the senior pastor of a church in Illinois. I stopped by to visit him today as we headed back to Colorado following my mother-in-law's funeral. I have to say I'm consistently impressed with his church and the way in which he's leading.

The church is developing new locations with new formats and my friend, Mark, is raising up pastoral leadership from within the congregation. No fewer than three men are currently pursuing ordination while they lead ministries within the church. They've developed a cool little coffee shop area on the main floor, they have an awesome video producer (who also happens to have come out of my youth ministry) and so much more. They put on a clinic for people in the neighborhood offering simple exams, and more.

There's a dynamism to the place and I credit pastoral leadership for this. He's casting a big vision for how this church can truly make a difference. It's hard work and it pushes the comfort level of staff and members alike. But real ministry is seldom easy. It's fun to visit places where they're mostly getting it right.

Moving to the Front of the Room

2009-06-04T00:58:00.004-05:00

I haven't blogged in a bit because my Mother-in-Law died last Friday and my wife and I are on an unexpected trip to Chicago. It's been an interesting few days as we've navigated through the traditional rituals surrounding death in this culture.

As strong believers in Jesus Christ both my wife and I find this to be a time of great joy as her mother was struggling with dementia and has been steadily losing her capacity to remember anything for the last few years. Her sudden and unexpected death from a perforated bowel was such a blessing and a release from the slow death from Alzheimer's that we were expecting. That and our certain knowledge that she's been released from this temporal life of pain to an eternal life of freedom in God's amazing presence made for more celebration than mourning.

Lots of people...even fellow Christians...don't quite get that. How can you be okay with the death of a parent? The simple truth is that none of us gets out of this existence alive, physically anyway. We will all die. It struck me more this time than any other, that we're all moving to the front of the room. (For those who've not attended any funerals, the front of the room is occupied by the dead body in the casket!)

If scripture is true, those who truly know Jesus are actually longing for the day when they get to the front of the room. There's an anxious longing to be shed of this body and to get on with eternity free from the pain and oppression of sin we experience here.

I wonder if the church were doing a better job of expressing the joy, peace and freedom that is ours both in this life and in the life after this one if there wouldn't be more people excited about moving to the front of the room. If we were really living out the incredible life Jesus accomplished for us on the cross there might be more celebrating and less mourning when our faithful loved ones make the transition from this life to the next. Churches should be full of people living out the victorious life regardless of physical circumstances and eagerly awaiting their turn at the front of the room. Since that's not usually the case, I'm left to wonder...yet again...if those who lead our churches are doing all they can to help us fully grasp this truth.

A New Season of Hope

2009-05-27T20:30:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again. The time when I get the chance to gather with nearly 100 college aged young men and women preparing to serve as Group Workcamp and Week of Hope staff in locations all across the country. These dedicated Christians will facilitate life-changing mission trips for over 21,000 teens and their adult leaders. Putting faith into action as they coordinate lodging, supplies, programs and more all focused on connecting people to Jesus.

Hundreds of homes will be repaired. Thousands of lives will be touched. Ministries, non-profits and social agencies will be flush with volunteers moved to action by their faith. All this work and the impact it will make is being accomplished by around 1300 church youth groups. With similar organizations doing the same type of work the number of churches involved in this kind of domestic mission is probably over 5000. This gives me hope as we engage young people in actively living their faith. Now imagine doubling or tripling that number! Then imagine that it wasn't just for a week or just in the summer.

There are so many great things happening and great opportunities for the church to truly make a difference in this American culture. At this time of year I am always most hopeful that the Spirit's fire will spread and the church will rise to it's holy calling to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Spirituality or Christianity

2009-05-20T16:33:00.002-05:00

With this post I am almost certainly going to offend someone. In a recent post I asked for people to let me know about ministries they considered radically effective so that I could highlight them. For the record the near-silence in response did not inspire a great deal of hope in me. Either no one is reading this blog or those who are reading have no knowledge of a radically effective church.

It was near silence because the one response I did get was from my youngest sister's fiancee. He's a really great guy and I'm thrilled for my sister and him as they plan their wedding. They're great together and lots of fun to hang out with. The church he encouraged me to look into is Mile Hi Church in Denver. When I checked it out I found a church that is certainly steeped in spirituality. It's not a Christian church but it claims a membership of over 20,000 people. If you dig into their pages you'll find that they have a great respect for Jesus and even declare his divinity...in the same way that all of us are divine. I'm not sure how they deal with Jesus' declaration, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." Herein lies the problem.

We are all spiritual beings. We are all hard wired by our Creator to know that something bigger than us exists. Most seek this "higher power" and the truth of God's existence is reflected in every religion on the face of the earth. But when we embrace all expressions of faith as equally valid we render none of them valid...including Christianity. Since each world religion presents a worldview and a view of humanity that contain elements that are diametrically opposed to the other world religions it simply cannot be true that all of them are right.

Now, most of us hate conflict and rancor. The declaration of Christ that he is Lord and the only path to the Father is problematic for many people. It makes Christianity seem exclusive when it's not. Christ's death on the cross paid the price for the sin of all humankind that has separated us from our Creator. The Christian Church is open to everyone and should reflect the love and acceptance of Jesus to all people regardless of color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else.

Pay close attention here. The Christian Church does not, can not and should not accept all belief systems, wrong thinking, sinful behavior masquerading as lifestyle choices, or any of the myriad of mistaken thoughts and ideologies embraced by spiritually seeking people. We love the people and confront untruth with truth. Mile Hi Church seems to be a place that happily embraces truth, untruth, half-truth, sin, rebellion and ignorance all the while calling it enlightenment. And many, many people flock to have their ears tickled by this.

I write this blog for the sole purpose of challenging the Christian Church to wake-up, get real with both speaking the truth of Jesus and sharing the love of Jesus without reservation, without limits and without fear. Radically effective churches find a way to be fully engaged in their communities with every member of those communities while standing firmly rooted in the truth of scripture. The whole truth embraced unapologetically. That will upset some. So be it.

Check Out the Resources --->

2009-05-19T13:58:00.002-05:00

The links on the right side of the page includes some things I thought might be helpful. If you're looking for ideas to grow your church attendance, there's a link for that. If you're struggling financially and looking for a Christian based resource to get out of debt, there's a link for that. If you find help here, I'd love to know about it.

A Summer in the Park

2009-05-19T13:52:00.002-05:00

This isn't what you think. Two Rivers Church in Des Moines, Iowa has a great program during the summer. They show up at one of the most dangerous city parks that's off the beaten path and have a weekly cookout. They also run a Vacation Bible School program with the help from other churches like Rechurch where our daughter attends. These are the sorts of things that radically effective churches do. Where's the most dangerous city park in your town?

Looking for Great Examples

2009-05-15T01:05:00.003-05:00

I realize I've invested a lot of time on this blog exposing the weaknesses and poor performance of the Christian Church. There's no shortage of excellent examples to support these criticisms. There are also great things Christians do in our world. Some of them do it with their churches and some do it in spite of their churches!

I'm looking for stories of churches getting it right. If you know a church that's truly, radically effective (see my earlier post for the definition) I'd love to highlight them here. I'm working to drive more traffic to this blog and hope to become a strong voice encouraging the church to do much better than it's ever done.

Additionally, if you're looking for an effective church to join eventually we can build a network of churches around the country and let you know where they are. That's an ambitious goal, but I don't want to just rail against what the church is doing wrong but, as my subtitle says, reimagine how it could be.

Please share your applause for churches getting it right!

Another Radically Effective Ministry

2009-05-14T15:09:00.003-05:00

I'll start with a disclaimer here. This ministry started out of Saddleback Church, the wildly successful and groundbreaking ministry launched by Rick Warren. One of the great benefits of being a megachurch is that so many people find that reason enough to take you seriously. The various ministries of your church can become their own brands. Such has happened at Saddleback with Simply Youth Ministry and with the ministry I'm highlighting today, Celebrate Recovery.

This amazing ministry anchored in the traditional 12 steps of recovery has exploded around the world and is helping millions of people deal with their addictions. In Celebrate Recovery language, their hurts, habits and hangups. This ministry is now planted in churches and is reaching communities of people who might never have otherwise set foot in a church. That's another mark of radical effectiveness, do ministry for people whether they join your church or not.

If you're interested in learning more about recovery from addictions check out Recovering Life, my musings on the process of recovery.

Speaking of Doing It Right

2009-05-13T00:48:00.002-05:00

A Church here in Loveland, Colorado sponsors a day of service every spring. This year over 1300 people repaired over 100 homes in a single day. This is the kind of thing that makes a community impact. They call it Project One and it got the attention of the local press making front page news. Radically effective churches do these sorts of things.

Laundromats

2009-05-11T17:06:00.002-05:00

This friend of mine who heads up an incredible charity and is one of my most cherished mentors had this brilliant idea. As with most ideas it's stunning in its simplicity. In response to the desire of some in a Bible class he teaches to put their faith into action he proposed this concept. Laundromats.

Often the people who go to laundromats are in transitional housing or in a transitional place in their lives. He suggested going on Sunday morning because the people who are in the laundromat on Sunday morning are most likely the target audience of the church...the unchurched. Bring along a pot of coffee, a box of doughnuts and rolls of quarters. When people come in to do their laundry you jump up and offer to buy, placing quarters in the machine. Then go back and sit down.

Naturally the person will be curious and ask why you did that. Your simple response is "because I love Jesus." That's all. When it's time to dry the clothes you pay again. Offer coffee and doughnuts to the person and any of their children. If they want to talk, engage in conversation. But let them start it.

The next week show up again. After a few weeks you'll start to get to know the regulars. Soon, you can tell them you're out of quarters but you have a washer and dryer at home they can use for free and their kids, if any, can play and watch TV at your house. Over time this kind of service will make a difference in these people's lives and they'll be open to hearing about this Jesus who you follow. Even if they never become that curious you still serve because you love Jesus.

What did I tell you? Brilliant, simple, powerful.

Radically Effective

2009-05-08T16:42:00.004-05:00

Okay, I promised a post specifically defining what a radically effective church might look like. Instead of pointing to any individual church here's a set of standards that I would consider the marks of a radically effective church.

1 - Regularly serves the immediate community. By immediate community I mean being directly engaged in the lives of the people living within a one mile radius of your church building. By regularly serving I mean that everyone within one mile of your church knows you exist because at some point within the last three months someone from your church has served the people. Service could be mowing lawns, washing dishes, repairing plumbing, providing babysitting at no charge, delivering meals, in some way attending to the real, physical needs of those close to your church.

2 - Provides resources to others. By others I mean people who are not members of your church or, for that matter, even necessarily Christian. God has blessed the church with buildings, computers, copiers, kitchens, etc. Invite those who could use those resources to use them. This could be in a structured way like hosting homeless folks one or more nights a week or opening an employment support center. It could be in an unstructured way like allowing folks to use the space for family reunions or birthday parties. Do this without charging a fee for use or for maintenance. And don't freak out if the kitchen utensils aren't put away in the right drawers.

3 - Serve the larger community. The larger community is defined as the city or county where your church is located. Service could be training and equipping members to be after school tutors for the public schools or assistant coaches. You might adopt a road and keep it clean. Visit local nursing homes. Plan an annual community-wide home repair event.

4 - Lovingly receive everyone. Receiving everyone is not accepting their sinful behavior, bad theology, or destructive life choices. It is being winsome and invitational so that the curious, hurting, angry, wounded, belligerent, and lost people can find the love of Christ in ways that they will eventually hear the truth of Christ and ultimately know the salvation of Christ.

5 - Anchor everything in the Word. The service of a radically effective church is driven exclusively out of the Word of God. Engage people in deep Bible study that ignites a passion to respond to all God has accomplished for us through Jesus Christ. Challenge those who claim to be Christian to get into the Word thoroughly, regularly and fervently. Build a culture soaked in the Word seven days a week.

Each of these five points can be expanded with all the many details needed to make these things happen. Every church striving to be radically effective will work out their own ways to accomplish these five things. You may notice I didn't say anything about great sermons, killer music or impressive worship services. In my humble opinion there are many, many churches already providing those things while still completely missing out on being radically effective. So maybe those elements aren't crucial to achieve what I'm talking about.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you would define radical effectiveness.

Don't Get Me Wrong

2009-05-06T17:16:00.002-05:00

I still think the Church (notice the capital C) is God's body on earth. The Church is comprised of all those who follow Christ. I just think that churches in America aren't necessarily truly the Church. That confuses those who are standing on the outside of it all. They think places that call themselves "church" are all representatives of Jesus Christ. Consequently I have a burning desire to challenge all churches to truly reflect Jesus in their communities.

Why Is It So Hard?

2009-05-06T11:12:00.004-05:00

If you've gone back through the archives on this blog you have a glimpse of my frustration with the way church gets done. There are certainly success stories out there but they are rare. That may seem harsh, but keep in mind that there are 300,000+ Christian churches in this country. Places like Willow Creek and Saddle Back rise to the top when you talk about making a meaningful impact. There are certainly many others but is the number 1,000? 5,000? Are there 30,000 revolutionary, life-changing, radically effective churches out there? That would be 10% of all churches in the country.

Think about that. If just ten percent of all churches were radically, revolutionarily effective in impacting their communities and changing lives that would be 30,000 churches. Now follow me here...there are fewer than 2000 cities with a population of 10,000 people or more (that includes the giant cities like New York and Los Angeles). But if there are roughly 300,000,000 people in the U.S. and there were 30,000 radically effective Christian churches in this country each church could serve a community of 10,000 people and we would be serving the entire U.S. population. How hard is that? Well, if the average weekly attendance of a radically effective, life-changing church is 500 people, over the course of a year each of those attenders would have to directly touch the lives of 20 people. Is each person attending your church directly affecting the lives of 20 people in your community?

Based on the way this country is going and the declaration of Newsweek that Christianity is pretty much over in the U.S. I'm going to hazard a guess that there aren't 30,000 radically effective churches in this country. In fact, I'm going out on a limb to say that there might not even be 3,000 radically effective churches. Maybe I should say more about what I consider to be radically effective. That's a topic for another post. In any case, if less than ten percent of our churches are making a genuine difference in their communities and it could be as little as one percent, I'm left to wonder what makes being effective so hard? I welcome your thoughts.

The Fish Stinks From the Head Down

2009-05-05T17:03:00.002-05:00

It's been a good long time since I posted here. I must admit that I originally started this blog as a way to share my frustration with the seeming ineptitude of the Christian church. I had a lot to say at the beginning but eventually felt like I was tilting at windmills. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure very few people were reading my blog.

Now I'm on Twitter and Facebook and linked to all sorts of people so I figured it's time to get back to blogging. I hold no great hope that what I have to say will revolutionize the church as we know it, but I'd sure love to play a part in the conversation. Plus, I've have a fresh experience that is so typical of the problems so many churches face.

My best friend has spent the better part of two years serving as a volunteer leader at his church. It's a small Lutheran church in suburban Chicago that has struggled with really bad pastoral situations for well over 10 years. Frankly, it's a wonder the place is still open. Anyway, my friend is quite comfortable financially and has a heart to help this church. He's not satisfied to only throw money at the problems so he took a key leadership role, as well.

He sought my advice and even brought me in to consult with the pastor and other staff. I had the chance to preach there last year. I've regularly advised my friend by phone. However, it's now becoming apparent that the new pastor either lacks the ability or the interest to revitalize this church. I'm not here to air all the concerns...there's really not room. But a firm conviction of mine has, once again, been reinforced.

"The fish stinks from the head down!" It truly doesn't matter how many dedicated volunteers, enthusiastic supporters or tenacious long-time members a church has. A pastor sets the course for a church. A pastor who lacks vision, enthusiasm, a good work ethic, integrity, etc. will surely bring a church to its' knees and...eventually...to its' death. I'm an eternal optimist, but I'm ready to concede that it is the rare church that can overcome a bad pastor. Especially if that pastor refuses to leave gracefully. He will stay on to close the doors or will trigger a battle that will tear the church apart. Why is this so? If I could answer that question I would launch a crusade to save all the churches suffering under bad pastoral leadership.

Quick Clarification

2008-09-09T09:28:00.002-05:00

Having reread my post of yesterday I realize that I did not clearly indicate that the pastors are preaching that faith in Jesus Christ is our sole hope for salvation. Further, this faith is not anything we can acquire by our own effort. Salvation is our by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. So, they preach that, apart from God, we are hopelessly lost sinners unable to earn God's favor by our own effort or understanding. All of these things I wholeheartedly agree with. However, I believe that we're saved for a reason. God does expect us to be active and effective. Encouragement...even urging from the pulpit for people to examine their lives to see if the faith they proclaim is showing itself in their daily lives isn't a bad thing. It's okay to celebrate all that Christians gathered in community can accomplish with the gifts God gives them.

My experience is that these New Pharisees present themselves as the protectors of truth and, out of concern to not mislead people into believing they must work for salvation, communicate that the people in the pews have no responsibility to exercise their faith in real, tangible ways that can be measured or seen by others. That leads to churches full of people who have a strong grasp of right doctrine, believe their pastors are beyond reproach, think that getting baptized and taking communion from an ordained clergyman is all that's necessary to strengthen faith and ensure salvation and pretty much keep their faith from ever intruding on how they actually live their lives day to day.

I know this isn't the intention of the pastors. But it would be nice if they could see this "hidden curriculum" lurking behind their good intentions and consider there might be other approaches. However, the Pharisees never were much good at taking constructive criticism and considering where they may have misunderstood what God actually wanted from them. The New Pharisees may struggle with the same myopia.

New Pharisees

2008-09-08T15:55:00.002-05:00

It's been a long and very busy summer. Enjoyable but quite hectic. Late in the summer I stumbled on this website. It's a place where a relatively small group of Lutheran pastors share their opinions on what's wrong with the Lutheran Church. Particularly the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. They seem to be relatively intelligent fellows. Some of them even hold doctorates.

They hold to a system of belief that, as far as I can tell, dictates that there are certain functions within the church that can only ever be performed by the ordained clergy. They contend that the primary...and perhaps...only role of the church is to preach the Word of God and administer the Sacraments (in protestant understanding those would be baptism and Holy Communion). If these two things are properly done, they insist, the people in the seats will become virtuous doers of good deeds, keepers of the truth, beacons of light in their communities, etc. All without ever being encouraged from the pulpit to actually do anything. Why not encourage, you might ask?

Good question. As far as I can tell they're extremely concerned that someone knowingly doing a good deed or being invited to do good deeds by the pastor might somehow stumble into thinking this is necessary for salvation. If you start thinking your work somehow saves you then you diminish the work of Christ. If you add to the work of Christ you demean it making it worthless. If you start thinking you're responsible for your own salvation you are, by extension, rejecting the salvation of Christ thereby condemning yourself to hell.

To avoid such dire consequences these good hearted men are happy to preach strong, deep theologically accurate sermons in the midst of services full of organ music and choir anthems (sung from behind you in the balcony lest any person should be seeking glory), and follow ancient liturgies pulled directly from Scripture. This is done in ways that are, as much as they're able, kept culturally irrelevant and completely disconnected from the reality of people's day to day lives. Wouldn't want anything secular polluting the sacred. The result of all this is the sanctification of people who, based on my experience, never quite make the connection between what happens on Sunday morning and the lives they live the other six days of the week. They are, however, encouraged that their salvation is secure without any effort or expectation on their part.

All of this is built on the notion that the men in the pulpit's have it all exactly right. They argue that they are the keepers of the Keys to the Kingdom and as such they must rightly preach a balance of Law and Gospel. They must exercise spiritual discipline over their flock. This assumes their knowledge of scripture is infallible. Now, I agree that the Word of God is infallible. I believe the Lutheran Confessions are quite an excellent human exposition of scriptural truth. But I don't agree that the men who have been ordained by a human institution built on the 500 year old teachings of another sinful human and explained by countless other human beings are infallible. I think there's room for discussion.

I see very little invitation for spirited discussion among these men. Instead there is an awful lot of finger pointing, belittling, accusation and hostility toward anyone who fails to agree 100% with their point of view. And a lot of demands that you seriously read scripture to deal with your ignorance of the truth. So, it occurs to me that these men insisting that the truth as they espouse it is the only truth, the sacraments as they bless and distribute them are the only legitimate sacraments and salvation on the narrow path they designate is the only true way to heaven are really nothing more than modern day Pharisees.

While decrying legalism and pietism (the idea that you have to follow a strict code of behavior to please God and assure salvation) these men passionately embrace a system that puts them completely in charge and condemns anyone who doesn't buy their approach lock, stock and barrel. How is that a demonstration of grace and where is the admission that they might, now and again, be dead wrong about something...or lots of things? Maybe someone can help me understand.

Into Battle

2008-06-04T10:52:00.002-05:00

The ministry I work for is about to send over 100 19-24 year old college students out across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Belize and Peru where they'll lead mission experiences for junior high and high school students and their adult leaders all summer long. They are a wonderful group of people who are energetic, idealistic, enthusiastic and amazingly faithful Christ followers. As we prepare them for all the details there is one caution that is oft repeated. Be ready to be mistreated by church people. Often they're shocked to hear this warning but those who are veterans of previous summers confirm it.

The most difficult situations these young people will face are often triggered by the Christian adults who chaperon their youth on these trips. Christians who belittle our young leaders for being too young. Christians who angrily insist on getting their own way in the midst of a mission trip. Christians who threaten to quit early and go home with their young people because they're dissatisfied about something. Christians who insist they'll sue our ministry because the experience has disappointed them in some way. Christians who will make some of our enthusiastic and idealistic young people wonder why they would want to associate with Christians if this is how they behave!

I don't expect people who claim to be followers of Christ to be perfect. I do, however, expect them to be civil. I expect common courtesy and polite language and an attempt to understand all sides of a situation. I don't expect Christ followers to always be "nice" (whatever that means), but I do expect them to handle frustrations, disappointments, anger and dissatisfaction with us or anyone they encounter with graciousness that befits someone carrying Christ's name. A quick reading of 1 Corinthians 13 might provide a decent outline for how we who follow Christ should consider behaving in relationship to other people. That's my sincere hope.

For now, though, I'll continue to train these wonderful Christ followers to be prepared for all sorts of misbehavior and mistreatment at the hands of Christians. I've witnessed too much over my years in the church to do otherwise. Still, I hope and pray for the day when those who carry the name of Christ might actually live and look like him!!

Focus

2008-05-31T11:07:00.003-05:00

Spending time in the mountains with college students always gets me thinking. It's that time of year again where we train and equip college aged folks to lead mission trips all summer. The energy and idealism of 19 to 25 year-olds is such a breath of fresh air. It's also sobering to be with people who are deeply committed to Christ but quite willing to question and criticize the church. There really is an attitude of genuine concern that much of the church doesn't look much like what they're reading in the Bible.

Last night a bunch of us went out to the movies. Two rode along with me to the theater...about an hour ride one way. On the way back, as we climbed the mountain pass back to our training facility questions came up about the differences between certain Christian denominations. The two were truly uninformed about the issues that separate Christians into these closed systems that often seem hostile to one another. They both expressed great joy at the chance to work for an organization that provides opportunities for interdenominational missions. They've both benefited from working and spending time with other Christians outside their denominational upbringing.

As I shared the differences I was once again struck by just how ridiculous the things we as Christian denominations have chosen to focus on must seem to most people. Frankly, much of it seems ridiculous to me and I worked in one of those denominations for most of my adult life. It gets harder and harder to explain...much less defend...the behavior of denominations, and those who cling to them, to young people who are on fire for Jesus and wishing all of us would get off our doctrinally accurate and theologically sound butts and make some sort of difference in the world. While there is much good that comes out of the church, the damage done by our fractious nature often overshadows, if not obliterates, that good work. At least when it comes to the perception of those who'll have nothing to do with the church they see from the outside.

So, this morning upon waking it dawned on me that, in explaining denominations last night I spent much of the time talking about what we disagree about. Or at least what one group thinks as OPPOSED to another group. That word opposition is what hung me up this morning. Far too often we define ourselves as separate from others by focusing on what we disagree with or what we don't like about them. It's no wonder, then, that we can't work together. If I'm always looking at what I don't like about you or those points where we don't agree I'll never consider working alongside you. I'll never see the great qualities you have or the wonderful gifts you might bring to a relationship.

Here's what might be a dangerous experiment. For one week try focusing on the shortcomings of those you're closest to. Think about all the things you disagree about with your spouse, siblings and relatives. Don't soften or balance your thoughts with how much you might like them or any qualities you admire. Strictly keep your focus on where you differ and what bothers you about them. After one week I'd love to know how your attitude toward your family members has changed. After just one week I'd hazard a guess that there might be some significant damage that might need to be repaired. Not because the people you love are any different, but because you chose...consciously chose...to ignore all that was good and focus on the differences and irritations. Now imagine doing that same thing, not for weeks but for decades, centuries! It's not hard to see why denominations find it so difficult to play nice together.

Isn't it time to shift our focus? For the sake of the body of Christ shouldn't we start finding ways in which we agree? Isn't there a big wide world out there that could benefit immeasurably if this family could truly love, respect and, yes, even cherish each other? I, for one, think it's past time for denominations to get on with collapsing and dying so we can have a big reunion and get busy with what really matters.

Nicely Done

2008-05-23T11:34:00.003-05:00

We joined a church here in town about four months ago. It was quite a process for us to finally find a place where we felt we belonged. Last Sunday I dropped a check in the offering plate. It was the first check since we became members. A couple days later I got a letter from the Senior Pastor. It was a delightful letter. It didn't acknowledge the amount of our gift...which leads me to believe that he doesn't even know how much it was. It simply said, "I've asked our treasurer to let me know when someone begins to contribute to our ministry...and I wanted to thank you." There were some other encouraging words about giving and supporting the work of the Lord and the blessings that come from giving.

What impressed me most about this letter is that, having gotten to know the pastor just a little bit, it seemed genuine and heartfelt. He really appreciates people supporting the ministry and goes out of his way to say so. It obviously helps the church but he knows it's an even greater blessing to those who give. He didn't have to say anything about our gift. We don't tithe to get a tax write-off or letters from the pastor. But the letter tells me that he has his head on straight about giving and those who give. He's positive, affirming and encouraging.

Years ago I sat in a church board meeting where people actually suggested that we leave the lights off and not play the organ on Sunday morning to let people know that if they didn't start giving more money we wouldn't be able to pay our electric bill! True story!! That's just one of many plans I've heard through the years from church people who were frustrated that the giving wasn't paying the bills. They missed the point completely that giving isn't about paying bills! Along the way those types of approaches give the impression that the church is desperate for people's money while not caring too very much for the people themselves.

I'm happy to be involved with a church that seems to communicate care for the people and gratitude when those people choose to bless the church financially, as well. It's nice when I get the chance to say to a church...nicely done.

The Power of a Pastor

2008-04-30T10:55:00.004-05:00

Just when we got to thinking that churches in general and pastors in particular may have lost some influence in our culture along comes Jeremiah Wright. The controversy surrounding what Barack Obama may or may not believe based on whether or not he sat in church every Sunday for the last 20 years listening to inflammatory sermons from Pastor Wright demonstrates, on some level, that people value what pastors have to say...doesn't it? Is this just politics or is it some strange affirmation for pastors that they are in fact people of influence in the lives of people in their communities? I think it's probably a little of both.

It's obviously politics as evidenced in the furor over Obama's candidacy. But if what a pastor said to a potential presidential candidate is that important doesn't it make sense that it's equally important to every other person sitting in the seats around that candidate? Pastor's get the unique opportunity every single week to speak into the lives of hundreds and even thousands of people. We willingly place ourselves in front of men and women who share their perspective on God's word. People we admire and respect. People we take seriously as Biblical scholars and spiritual mentors. In case there are any pastors out there who are discouraged or feeling unimportant I'd say you should be greatly encouraged by this whole Jeremiah Wright controversy.

Coincidentally I got a phone call yesterday from a good friend of mine. He's considering a network marketing opportunity. One of the intriguing parts of the opportunity is the chance to help churches raise funds. He has some familiarity with predominantly black churches in Chicago and he's convinced that if the pastor promotes any idea that the majority of the people will accept it. This is actually an old tactic among network marketers. Get the pastor to sell Amway or Shaklee or anything and you'll get the ear of the entire congregation. I can't tell you how many times I was approached by network marketers back when I was working in the church. People know that the pastor is a person of great influence. Pastors know that they are in a place of great responsibility.

So, if a pastor is worthy of respect and aware of the responsibility why is the church losing its influence in society? Why are congregations shrinking and denominations struggling? Is there something in what pastors are saying that's not being taken seriously anymore? Are there things pastors are not saying, for whatever reason, that they should be saying for the sake of their people and their communities? If we live in a society that still takes pastors as seriously as it appears in light of Jeremiah Wright what does that mean? These are questions I'm not sure I can answer but I sure hope we'll wrestle with them.

Just Visiting

2008-04-23T15:33:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday I had the chance to visit a church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida while I was there on business. I chose a church in the denomination I worked in for 22 years. The message was delivered by the vicar (a seminary intern) who appeared to be a second career guy. I imagine his heart's in the right place but the message was very unsettling...and not in a good way.

I think his point was that, in the end, Jesus is the only way and he will triumph. But the way he got to this point was to give some statistics and history on the advance of Islam. He talked about battles and war and the dominance in the world of Muslim thought and political control. I think he was trying to demonstrate the ways in which Christianity has come under attack as a way of addressing concerns people might have so that he could assure all of us that, in the end, Christianity wins. It seemed very militaristic to me. I kept thinking that this kind of war rhetoric didn't seem to sync up with what Christ intended.

Language is so important. The words we use have incredible power. For decades, perhaps centuries, the church bearing Christ's name has used militaristic and war language in ways that are wholly inappropriate. Yes, we are at war. It's a spiritual war, however, not a war against other human beings. Jesus called his followers to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. It seems to me that pointing to Islam in a sermon about who wins in the end makes it much, much harder for Christians to love Muslims. It makes it even more challenging to reach out in loving service to those who are not Christian.

I believe we who follow Christ should be loving, serving and helping fellow human beings regardless of what they think of us, how they treat us, whether or not they ever come to a relationship with Jesus. Our service to other human beings is driven by our love of Jesus and his love for all human beings and should be absolutely unconditional. Expecting someone to come to Jesus, join your church or stop hating you are all conditions!

What would happen if Christian leaders, pastors, preachers and teachers completely abandoned battle and war metaphors? What would happen if all our talk was beneficial, loving, service oriented and encouraging when talking about those who don't believe in Jesus? What if our hearts ached for all mankind, even...maybe especially...those who hate us? I wonder.

On Being Human

2008-04-15T10:27:00.003-05:00

Last week I had the chance to attend the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. For those who don't know, it's a golf thing. It was due to the very gracious gift of a friend that I was able to be there as it's not something I could ever afford on my own. It was about the best vacation I've ever had. It didn't beat some of the vacations I've had with my family, but as a strictly personal good time I can't remember a better one in my adulthood. Since most of my adulthood was spent working in the church I'm wondering if that had anything to do with it.

Anyway, part of the joy of the week for me was just being around other people and not having any sense of being responsible. By that I mean it wasn't up to me to see that anyone behaved, or had a good time, or stayed with the group...or anything. I was finally able to let go of my need to see that everything went well and everyone got along. I had a good time and I think everyone else did, too. But if they didn't that's not my concern. So, what does this have to do with being human?

One of the people in the group I was with is a pastor of a fairly large and successful church. I'd not met him before and we spent very, very little time talking about church or religion or God stuff. He and I took turns praying at a couple of the meals but that was about the extent of anything that might have looked pastoral. We were just two of the guys in the group having a great time at the Masters. A couple of times I found myself wondering what the members of his church would think if they saw him enjoying himself at the Masters. Now, I'm not implying in any way that he did anything immoral at all. He was just a guy hanging out with friends at a golf tournament. The fact that it occurred to me at all is a reminder of what it's like to be in leadership in a church. Very often pastors are not allowed to be human. An off color joke or enjoying a sophomoric movie or having a drink with friends are all little human pleasures that many pastors deny themselves, at least in public, for fear they might be "found out" by members of their church.

I see this as just one more symptom of what's wrong with the church. So many people come into a church building thinking they need to hide the reality of their lives from those sitting around them. They can't be real in church because they might be rejected. This is a legitimate fear because the church has a track record of villifying folks who dare to honestly share their struggles, shortcomings and basic humanity. Often the pastor is held high above everyone else as the person closest to God in behavior, demeanor and lifestyle. This is a burden no real human being should have to carry. It's a burden other human beings should never put on another person. Many pastors will tell you what an irritation it is when someone who's told an off color joke or used foul language around them then turns around and apologizes as if their tender ears can't bear such offense. People are different around those who work in the church and, frankly, it pisses off a lot of us.

Maybe the church would once again become attractive if everyone was allowed to be human. If we could all loosen up a little and enjoy one anothers company without having to monitor, evaluate, critique and control the church would become a place people want to be because they can be real. Maybe this starts by letting pastors be human.

Here's a Model

2008-03-25T13:15:00.003-05:00

Check this church out! It's a new church plant doing what I've been saying churches should be doing. The actual name of the church is The Point is to Serve. What a cool name! I think this is where the church is...or should be...heading. Signs of hope are everywhere.

The Declining Church

2008-03-17T16:46:00.003-05:00

The latest issue of Rev! Magazine, published by the company where I work, has a cover story on the American Church in crisis. Here is yet more evidence of the changes that are happening in the church. Yesterday our pastor's sermon included some discussion about the difference between following Christ and getting involved in "organized religion". For years I've made no secret of my disdain for organized religion and the damage it's done to the good name of Jesus Christ. In fact, this entire blog has been dedicated to pointing out where the organized church has missed the mark when it comes to faithfully presenting Jesus to the world.

It's in our nature to organize. It could even be argued that it's Biblical that church happen in an orderly fashion. It's no surprise that when people start to organize we start to sort ourselves and, eventually, everyone get's assigned a position. Next thing you know there are desirable and less desirable positions within the organization. The Church is not immune to this very human proclivity. Over time, almost every individual church will turn in on itself and begin existing just for the sake of existing having lost all sense of it's original purpose. There will be leaders bent on protecting the church and it's rules, standards, doctrines and history. These are not bad people...usually...just people who've lost sight of what it means to be a follower of Christ. It doesn't take much from there for the larger church denomination to follow suit. Pretty soon local churches and whole denominations become inbred hotbeds of self-perpetuating dysfunction.

This process seems to take anywhere from 400 to 500 years. From the exile in Babylon to the coming of Christ it was between 400 and 500 years. Jesus confronted a religious system so entrenched and self-protective that they were blind to the fact that he was the chosen Messiah. About 500 years later the church had become entrenched with government. By the 1500's the church, primarily represented by the Roman Catholic denomination once again needed to be confronted with the truth of Jesus and went through a painful reformation.

So, here we are another 500 years into the story and organized religion is in crisis. Once again there are those pointing to the words of Christ and the truth of his ministry to offer correction to the official church...in all it's denominational forms. Those offering alternative thoughts on following Christ are, once again, being demonized and disregarded by the organized, corporate, church. It's not as bloody a battle as the last reformation...at least not yet. But, based on my study and observation, we are in the early days of the new epoch and what is challenging, new, even heretical is most likely laying the foundation for the church that will need reformation 400 years from now, should Christ delay his return. Thanks to Brian McLaren, Donald Miller, Rob Bell and others who are blazing a difficult but necessary trail into the future.

Disturbed

2008-03-11T23:29:00.002-05:00

This morning I woke up in Jamaica and tonight I'm in Puerto Rico where I went to the circus and sat right behind Sigfreid! Yes, that Sigfreid. Anyway, that's not what disturbed me. I just finished Brian McLaren's book "A New Kind of Christian". I love what he's writing and I find myself agreeing with most of it. But it is making me think long and hard about what's happening to the church. It confirms a lot of what I've been seeing and calling the "new reformation". This won't be easy, but there's nothing that will stop the changes that are coming.