The Big Stink

Much has been said of reaching back to orthodox faith and tradition among "emergent" churches and believers. Outcry among bloggers has been for orthodoxy, genuine simple faith, a real faith expelling programs in part or all together in churches and 'gettin' real.' Well, while I really kind of like what I'm hearing, and really do resonate with these voices of passion and seekers of truth, I wonder just how new all this emergent, orthodox, 'give me the Real deal Jesus' talk really is. I know Gen. Y is in search for simple Gospel truth with few bells and whistles like Boomers seem to like. I know Gen. X shares the same passion, but is often mischaracterized as the "selfish" generation. I know all that. I'm just wondering what's the big stink? Why is this trend so novel?

Is it any more novel than what is reflected in the life and days of Bonhoeffer? He seemed pretty emergent to me. Is what we are experiencing as a North American church any more novel than what's taking place in the underground Church of say....China? What's the key issue here? The key issue is that more and more folks are just tired of religious games and religious hoops! My Gen. Y friends are just not putting up with it anymore and so, I think the big stink is that our traditional measurments for how "church" is done and how "church" is defined are now askew.

Seems to me this new generation is fine to leave that for the old heads to figure out. There's just one problem with that. Bonhoeffer's analysis of Christian community in Life Together makes sure to state that community is only community when Christ and Christ only is the centerpiece of that community. Emergent...postmodern..ultra-orthodox with iconography splattered everywhere - it does not matter if Christ is not the center of the faith community. It all is for not if we do not love God and love each other as Christ Jesus showed and taught us. So, emergent folks beware, your not as fresh and keen as you may think if you have not Love and do not show this love to your brother. But don't take this as my word - check out the 1944 emergent by the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Thanks for reading this blog. Hope you know the above thoughts are from a Gen. Xer who's worship and Christian praxis is heavily influenced by the Boomer generation but is heavily in cohoots with the Gen. Y understanding of genuine faith and is just trying to iron it all out.

Grace to You-

Beyond Religion

Cleetus and his wife Nicole (my first cousin) pastor a church in Dallas
called Deliverance Bible Church.
The link below is a video clip that featured on the Dallas Star-Telegram recently.
I'm very proud of both Cleetus and Nicole. They are reaching the "least of these" in fine non-religious fashion.
In other words their praise, devotion, service, and heart life are not about the structure of religion, but rather their lives are a testiment of Paul's encouragement for us to become all things to all men.

If Cleetus ever reads this I hope he knows he's in my thoughts and prayers. We would all do well to follow our Lord with such fervor.

http://www.star-telegram.com/mld/interactivemedia/desperate/desperate.html#movie

Struggling Congregations

While big congregations getting bigger may seem to get the lion's share of media and denominational attention what can we say about smaller congregations getting smaller and even dying?

First, the notion that everything has a lifespan. Everything here on earth eventually dies. This includes churches. Is this to say that this pleases the Lord. Probably not, because I believe the Lord did say at somepoint that he would build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Yet, some churches do die because they 1) are in a small town and the major employer in town pulls out, 2) contain people in them that are too ingrown and inbred to reach out, give up their personal power structure and give life to the church. I think that a church may die 3) because they live in the shadow of a megachurch and "can't compete, or 4) the pastor fails morally and that sends folks packing, or 5) the Message declared is not a message of hope, power and love to a needy people, 6) folks are not investing themselves in a younger generation ("we don't want red juice on our carpets!) and on and on...modernity vs. post-modernity paradigm shifts...yada, yada, yada.

So, what's the solution? A church should never adopt a "give up" mentality if at all possible. Maybe a company pulls out of town? Well, that's a toughy, but all things being equal some churches die by self-inflicted wounds! What!? That's right. Folks are not lovin' eachother and so who wants to be a part of that? This is a tough one too! Oh yeah, I was on the solution track.

Well, it seems some solution can be found in leadership - the pastor. Some of the solution is found in imagination and creativity to try new ways of declaring and sharing God's love..."but we've never done it that way before." I know. Some death prevention comes as folks rethink methodolgy in education, worship and community.

Final thought. Maybe a church is small in size but very alive! Maybe a church is large in numbers and very dead. Congregational size does not always mean a church should die, especially when many congregations who seem alive and well are very much dead. Chew on that for a while.

The Power of Relationship

It's so easy to be a seclusionist in today's world. Just get yourself lost in the shuffle. It's really rather simple if you really aimed at it. Yet, as a follower of Jesus I am asked to go into the world and be relational - reflect Him. Jesus really had something when He came to earth and from inside the womb of Mary related to His cousin John in his mother's womb.

He is saying to us at that point that if we are to be change agents for good in this world it will require the risk of getting out into it and relating to others. Well, for some the risk is great, for some moderate for some non-exisistant. For me I am beginning again, after a pretty tough life blow, to understand and appropriate relationship. What is the prime need of humans? To love and be loved. This involves relationship, listening, hearing, empathy and sympathy, walking in someone elses shoes.

Which is easier to say to a world of people that need to know someone cares - come let's visit a while or get over it that's life? I think if we see Christianity as relgion and church as a place for religious people the world will shun Christ as it has for hundreds of years. Many church folk who consider themselves religious they have become relational assasin's strapping relational time bombs to themselves every time they go to church. It's all about the function for them, without any relational substance. They just blow up everything with their negative, crappy, self-centered selves hindering the power of God in the life of a church.

Yet, for some, who follow the path of Christ, people see a clear vision of Christ only through the relational, authentic, genuine way they live out Christ's teachings and lifestyle. I don't aim to simply be a functional believer. That wreaks. What I want to be is in relation to God and in relation to man so that this world and the next might know what love is - in that I have loved and related in a positive way to my neighbor.

Psalm 51

It's Psalm 51 that I wrestle with this morning. Not so much in the same way David did, but in a way that all the world seems to be tugging at me and my affections and my single focus then becomes many and purity and cleansing become muddied in the stuff of life. Yet, it is the will of the enemy that this happen. He knows Matthew 5:8 is God's absolute and final word that all those who are pure in heart will see God.

Psalm 51 simply speaks of the grace we all stand in need of. We need God's mercy, His cleansing, His purging, His power to blot out sin and iniquity. We need Him to create in us a new an clean heart daily, sweep away the filth of this world and its affections and plant within an increased awareness of himself. Purging with hyssop was the ceremony while the washing of snow was the sacred act. I desire more than ceremony and superficialities, I desire on my knees O Lord this one thing - do not take your Holy Spirit from me, nor cast me away from your presence, but renew this day a steadfast spirit within me. A spirit that is not alays so inclined to steadfastness and singleness of mind and heart.

No guilt trips here, just a reminder that we daily can and need God's cleansing in this world we currently reside.

Ther'e just no way to get around these words. Providing you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God born of the virgin Mary and suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and raised from the dead on the third day - there's just no getting around these words.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you should love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:34-35.

In a world bent on hate, where guys just walk around with bombs strapped to them in hopes of Allah's eternal reward, and in a world where sticks and stones may not break bones but name calling really hurts, in a world where some come to Sunday worship and sing "it's all about You Jesus" but inside it's really all about them, these words from Jesus really press in on a person.

I've been in church all my life. I've been to church houses where this great love of God was truly manifested and the commandment in John's gospel lived out in tender reality. Then I've been among some of God's people who, although they think they know and show this love, man o man, I have a hard time seeing it. You may say that's judging, and perhaps it is, but if we are to be known by the love we have for one another and do not change the pattern of "it's all about me" in our houses of worship and in our hearts, then let the judging begin within.

The Deep Prayer
So, Lord, help us embrace your love, love ourselves for who you've made us to be, and help us to reflect this genuine love to others so that a critical, cynical, hateful, and doubtful world may see You. Amen

He Still Moves

Tonight I'm at Grove City Church of the Nazarene in Grove City, Ohio. They just finished baptizing about, like, 16 people. Brand new Christians most of them! Lots of bikers here tonight. Spreading the Good News to bikers. This ministry is called Leave a Mark. This Saturday night service started two years ago and they've seen 476 people born-again! 134 total services and 104 of those nights people have come to know Christ. Average attendance is over 790 on Saturday night!

I gotta tell ya, God is on these folks and in this place. Satisfied? No, these Christians continue to press on in trying to win people who are without Christ. What a blessing to have been in this place this weekend. So many set free through this ministry, through this congregation.

Praise the Holy name of Jesus!!! He still sets people totally free!

Jesus said, "Go into all the world, preaching, teaching, baptizing in my name." And "lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Oh yeah!