My daughter is teaching third graders over the summer. They're wild, wooly and drama-filled. It's summer vacation. They don't want classrooms, rules, or structure. They want freedom! It's my daughter's job to facilitate some semblance of order in the middle of this chaos.
Recently, she weathered a particularly rambunctious day with the students (read: she wanted to quit). I was proud of the way she handled the behavior cyclone. Instead of blowing up, yelling at the kids, and chucking the whole mess, she assessed the situation. As she navigated the turbulence of 16 rebelling eight-year-olds, she did her best to communicate with them and serve them. She realized that many of them have no foundation of discipline at home. She understood that she still had to get her job done, care for these little human beings, and help them understand what boundaries and good behavior are.
In other words, instead of struggling poorly, she struggled well.
Oh, the temptation to struggle poorly! As you serve Christ and His people, it is so enticing to lash out when they rebel. It feels so natural to give up, become disheartened, and walk away. When hard times hit, you feel weak and weary, disheartened and depressed. It's during those times you want to abandon your calling, tell God to find someone else, and take a permanent vacation. Or you lose your temper. Or you lose yourself in destructive behavior. There are so many ways to struggle poorly.
But Jesus opened a new way through struggle. The Apostle Paul said, "Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings" (Romans 5:1-3). Why? How? Because "hope does not disappoint us." Yes, we struggle. But in Christ Jesus, we can struggle well.
Jesus shattered the barrier of hopelessness when He rose from the dead. When grief fills our hearts, when depression envelops our souls, when temptation wracks our bodies, when frustration strains our emotions, we've been given a way through it that brings glory to God and bears witness to His name. In Christ, we struggle well.
Paul captured that divine dynamic in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."
As you serve Jesus, you will be tempted to struggle poorly. You'll be tempted to conform to the behavior of the world. But you are called to something better. The Spirit dwells in you for a greater purpose. You are here to struggle well, and to see that light of Jesus Christ shine in the hearts of those who are lost in darkness.
Read more about struggling well in my new book "Struggle Well: Living Through Life's Storms." Click the link on this page to take a look at the book--complete with study guide.
(Church Planting Series, Part forty)
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Should You Invite People to Church?
When one of my daughters was in high school, she invited me to go to a high school baseball game. The main reason she invited me was that she needed me to drive her there so she could watch her boyfriend play. Needless to say, I wasn't all that excited about attending the game. I could see much better baseball in other venues. The game was being played at an inconvenient time after a long day at work. And I didn't want to cozy up to the boyfriend too much. But I went. I went because I wanted to spend time with my daughter and show my support for her.
During those same high school years, I was invited to attend a meeting of the Principal's Council. This was a group of parents who got together with the principal to hear the latest news and to help shape the direction of the school. This was a worthy cause. My children were in high school. I wanted to help make a difference. I went willingly and with a sense of purpose.
Which scenario is most like an invitation to church?
It may be scenario number one, the ball game. You invite your friend Bob to church. He isn't that enthused about going. He's one of the more than 80% of the people in our culture who doesn't think faith or church attendance is all that important. He can hear better speakers and better music in other venues. The time of the service is in the middle of his restful weekend. And he doesn't want to be pestered by a bunch of religious people. He may go because he cares about you, but he doesn't wake up in the morning with a deep desire to attend a church.
But what if you aimed for scenario number two? What if you didn't invite Bob TO church, but to BE the church? What if your church was so committed to transforming your community that you could invite your friend Bob to help mentor and tutor kids twice each month in a program that meets in the local public school? Bob, like the vast majority of all human beings, wants to make a difference in the world. He wakes up in the morning and wonders why he is here. He wants to leave a legacy and help make people's lives better. So Bob enthusiastically agrees. He's in! As he volunteers, he gets to know you. He asks why you and others are giving their time away like this. He finds out that it's rooted in the self-sacrificial Spirit of Jesus. After a couple months, he is intrigued. He wants to meet more people like you--people who give themselves away to help others. He asks if he could go with you to church.
Do you see the difference? There will be people who are receptive to an invitation to church. But percentages show that most people who don't know Jesus won't want to start there. That means you have to figure out a way to infiltrate the world with Christ's love. You have to show the world how good, right, helpful, and life-changing the Savior is. Once they see the Spirit of Jesus, they won't be able to stay away.
What kind of invitations are you offering? Keep inviting people to church. Keep asking people who are interested in God to hear His life-changing Word. Keep bringing people with you so they can experience the miraculous reach of the Gospel.
But will you also invite people to BE the church with you? Will you help develop your outreach to the lost, lonely, disenfranchised, forgotten, and weak? Will you be a church that cares about your community and makes an effort to lift it up in the name of Jesus? Then, will you invite people who crave purpose to be part of the greatest purpose there could ever be?
It will make church much more than a high school baseball game.
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-eight)
During those same high school years, I was invited to attend a meeting of the Principal's Council. This was a group of parents who got together with the principal to hear the latest news and to help shape the direction of the school. This was a worthy cause. My children were in high school. I wanted to help make a difference. I went willingly and with a sense of purpose.
Which scenario is most like an invitation to church?
It may be scenario number one, the ball game. You invite your friend Bob to church. He isn't that enthused about going. He's one of the more than 80% of the people in our culture who doesn't think faith or church attendance is all that important. He can hear better speakers and better music in other venues. The time of the service is in the middle of his restful weekend. And he doesn't want to be pestered by a bunch of religious people. He may go because he cares about you, but he doesn't wake up in the morning with a deep desire to attend a church.
But what if you aimed for scenario number two? What if you didn't invite Bob TO church, but to BE the church? What if your church was so committed to transforming your community that you could invite your friend Bob to help mentor and tutor kids twice each month in a program that meets in the local public school? Bob, like the vast majority of all human beings, wants to make a difference in the world. He wakes up in the morning and wonders why he is here. He wants to leave a legacy and help make people's lives better. So Bob enthusiastically agrees. He's in! As he volunteers, he gets to know you. He asks why you and others are giving their time away like this. He finds out that it's rooted in the self-sacrificial Spirit of Jesus. After a couple months, he is intrigued. He wants to meet more people like you--people who give themselves away to help others. He asks if he could go with you to church.
Do you see the difference? There will be people who are receptive to an invitation to church. But percentages show that most people who don't know Jesus won't want to start there. That means you have to figure out a way to infiltrate the world with Christ's love. You have to show the world how good, right, helpful, and life-changing the Savior is. Once they see the Spirit of Jesus, they won't be able to stay away.
What kind of invitations are you offering? Keep inviting people to church. Keep asking people who are interested in God to hear His life-changing Word. Keep bringing people with you so they can experience the miraculous reach of the Gospel.
But will you also invite people to BE the church with you? Will you help develop your outreach to the lost, lonely, disenfranchised, forgotten, and weak? Will you be a church that cares about your community and makes an effort to lift it up in the name of Jesus? Then, will you invite people who crave purpose to be part of the greatest purpose there could ever be?
It will make church much more than a high school baseball game.
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-eight)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Mercury and Missions
The Ford Motor Company recently announced it was shutting down the Mercury line. For over 70 years, Mercury provided a mildly upscale automobile between the Ford and Lincoln brands. Was anyone surprised Mercury was phased out? I don’t think so.
Everybody could see that Mercury had become meaningless. It duplicated Ford models. It offered nothing unique to the public. Buyers of Mercury came from an insider pool—people who would have bought Fords. No vigorous product identity existed. When the announcement of the shutdown was made public, no one expressed shock. I don’t even know if anyone objected.
Can the church learn anything from Mercury? Let's try.
First, a vigorous and unique product identity offered in a vibrant way is essential. Who has a better "product" than the church? The true God, the living Word, the forgiveness of sins, eternal salvation, the presence of the Almighty, deep purpose and meaning for life--is there anything better? Can we not help speak of what we've seen and heard (Acts 4:20) or are we bored, listless, and distracted?
Second, appealing only to insiders will destroy you. A dear older lady said to me recently, "I know what I prefer to experience in church, but the church doesn't have to worry about me. I believe in Jesus already. They need to appeal to the people who don't believe!" A focus on preserving the organization, the institution, or the already convinced will slowly destroy the church. In business, that inside focus may be a chosen strategy. In the church, it's a sin. Jesus said to the church leaders of the day, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former" (Matthew 23:23). Maintaining an inside emphasis while neglecting the mission is wrong, hypocritical, and deadly.
Third, a meaningless organization is never mourned. There may be some sentimental farewells to Mercury. We'll probably see photos of the last Mercury as it rolls off the assembly line in the fall. There will be a few people who buy one of the final autos for their car collections. But because losing Mercury is not a loss to many people, not many people will care. Is the church like Mercury? Eighty percent of the population in Texas does not consider faith important and does not attend church with any regularity. More churches are shrinking and closing than are opening and growing. More and more, the culture considers the church irrelevant, hypocritical, snooty, weird, and meaningless. Its decline is not being mourned.
Can we learn from Mercury? Will we become moved and compelled by the miraculous Gospel to lift it up as the light of life in a dying, darkened world? Will you, without shame and with great boldness, bring Jesus to the lost? Will we break the bonds of insider comfortableness and get outside the walls of the church to form relationships and take risks? Will you sacrifice your comfort levels so people of this generation can meet their Savior? Will we serve Christ in such a way that people crave the impact and influence of the church? Will you represent Jesus so clearly that people urge you to stick around--not to go because they need you?
It's happened before. The Samaritans from Sychar urged Jesus to stay with them after they heard what happened to the sinful woman at the well. Jesus hung around for two days. John 4:41 says that "because of his words many more become believers." God's mission plan is much better than Mercury's marketing plan. Which will you follow?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-seven)
Everybody could see that Mercury had become meaningless. It duplicated Ford models. It offered nothing unique to the public. Buyers of Mercury came from an insider pool—people who would have bought Fords. No vigorous product identity existed. When the announcement of the shutdown was made public, no one expressed shock. I don’t even know if anyone objected.
Can the church learn anything from Mercury? Let's try.
First, a vigorous and unique product identity offered in a vibrant way is essential. Who has a better "product" than the church? The true God, the living Word, the forgiveness of sins, eternal salvation, the presence of the Almighty, deep purpose and meaning for life--is there anything better? Can we not help speak of what we've seen and heard (Acts 4:20) or are we bored, listless, and distracted?
Second, appealing only to insiders will destroy you. A dear older lady said to me recently, "I know what I prefer to experience in church, but the church doesn't have to worry about me. I believe in Jesus already. They need to appeal to the people who don't believe!" A focus on preserving the organization, the institution, or the already convinced will slowly destroy the church. In business, that inside focus may be a chosen strategy. In the church, it's a sin. Jesus said to the church leaders of the day, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former" (Matthew 23:23). Maintaining an inside emphasis while neglecting the mission is wrong, hypocritical, and deadly.
Third, a meaningless organization is never mourned. There may be some sentimental farewells to Mercury. We'll probably see photos of the last Mercury as it rolls off the assembly line in the fall. There will be a few people who buy one of the final autos for their car collections. But because losing Mercury is not a loss to many people, not many people will care. Is the church like Mercury? Eighty percent of the population in Texas does not consider faith important and does not attend church with any regularity. More churches are shrinking and closing than are opening and growing. More and more, the culture considers the church irrelevant, hypocritical, snooty, weird, and meaningless. Its decline is not being mourned.
Can we learn from Mercury? Will we become moved and compelled by the miraculous Gospel to lift it up as the light of life in a dying, darkened world? Will you, without shame and with great boldness, bring Jesus to the lost? Will we break the bonds of insider comfortableness and get outside the walls of the church to form relationships and take risks? Will you sacrifice your comfort levels so people of this generation can meet their Savior? Will we serve Christ in such a way that people crave the impact and influence of the church? Will you represent Jesus so clearly that people urge you to stick around--not to go because they need you?
It's happened before. The Samaritans from Sychar urged Jesus to stay with them after they heard what happened to the sinful woman at the well. Jesus hung around for two days. John 4:41 says that "because of his words many more become believers." God's mission plan is much better than Mercury's marketing plan. Which will you follow?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-seven)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
What Are You Giving Away?
I was watching television the other day and saw one of those commercials that gave you not one, not two, but three magic vegetable slicers for the price of one. Wow, that company is losing money! They’re giving away their stock. They’re going to close down if they keep that up. Giving things away free will drain them! Or will it?
Clearly, free is not free. The scales still tip to the profit side. The company is a profit-making business. They’re getting something out of all this.
We know this and become skeptical patrons. “What’s the catch?” is the question we’ve learned to ask. Usually, we read the fine print or wait a few minutes to find out that free really isn’t free.
This is the mindset people bring to the Gospel. “What’s the catch?” they wonder. Unfortunately, we can fall into the trap of adding catches to the Gospel. We can scribble fine print below the message of grace. Unintentional “profit-making” attempts can interfere with Christ’s free gift.
We may proclaim salvation by grace alone, but do we express that a person really belongs only when they conform to certain outward habits and appearances?
We may preach the unconditional love and acceptance of God, but do our lives communicate that acceptance has its limits? Certain people are not welcome.
We may talk about the beautiful fellowship in the body of Christ, but do our social and organizational structures show that there is no additional room for anyone else in the club? There are no openings for new friendships.
We may claim flexibility in that which is not commanded—and even use the term “adiaphora,” but, in reality, are we idolizing and giving priority to the “indifferent things”? Is our rigidity based in tradition rather than on enduring truth?
We may wave the banner of grace, the free gift of God, but do we put a collection basket by every coffee pot, at every doorway, and by every resource rack? Are we teaching selling rather than stewardship?
What are you giving away? Is free really free? Are people finding “catches” to your presentation of the Gospel? Could there be better ways for you to reflect the lavish generosity of God so more of His goodness can be given away?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-six)
Clearly, free is not free. The scales still tip to the profit side. The company is a profit-making business. They’re getting something out of all this.
We know this and become skeptical patrons. “What’s the catch?” is the question we’ve learned to ask. Usually, we read the fine print or wait a few minutes to find out that free really isn’t free.
This is the mindset people bring to the Gospel. “What’s the catch?” they wonder. Unfortunately, we can fall into the trap of adding catches to the Gospel. We can scribble fine print below the message of grace. Unintentional “profit-making” attempts can interfere with Christ’s free gift.
We may proclaim salvation by grace alone, but do we express that a person really belongs only when they conform to certain outward habits and appearances?
We may preach the unconditional love and acceptance of God, but do our lives communicate that acceptance has its limits? Certain people are not welcome.
We may talk about the beautiful fellowship in the body of Christ, but do our social and organizational structures show that there is no additional room for anyone else in the club? There are no openings for new friendships.
We may claim flexibility in that which is not commanded—and even use the term “adiaphora,” but, in reality, are we idolizing and giving priority to the “indifferent things”? Is our rigidity based in tradition rather than on enduring truth?
We may wave the banner of grace, the free gift of God, but do we put a collection basket by every coffee pot, at every doorway, and by every resource rack? Are we teaching selling rather than stewardship?
What are you giving away? Is free really free? Are people finding “catches” to your presentation of the Gospel? Could there be better ways for you to reflect the lavish generosity of God so more of His goodness can be given away?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-six)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
What is Productivity?
Are you a person who likes to get things done? To cross things of the list? If you don’t accomplish a certain quota of tasks do you get frustrated? Do you feel like a failure? Like your day was wasted? Are you the kind of person who likes to measure progress and see results?
A healthy number of leaders are task oriented. They like to see things get done. Unfortunately, this desire for productivity can lead to creating and living in an illusion of accomplishment. The hunger for productivity can lead to the trap of meaningless busyness.
What is productivity in mission and ministry? Is it simply keeping up and catching up? You know how it goes: you work to keep the e-mail inbox clear; you try to keep up with snail mail and reports, you keep your website up to date, you compose your latest blog, you return phone calls, you scramble to meetings, you outline strategic plans, you make sure worship services are set to go, you communicate with church leaders and staff, you set up for your next event. Work, work, work. Busy, busy, busy.
But is it productive? These are good things, but at the center of mission and ministry are people. The ultimate measure of productivity in the church is redemptive relationships. Who is lost but now is being found? Who is weak, but now is being strengthened? Who is idle, but now is being equipped and sent out? Who is hopeless, but now is being brought to the Shepherd of their souls?
When I was serving a mission church in suburban Chicago, there were stretches of time when all I seemed to do was spend hours on the phone with people, handle walk-ins, go to hospitals and nursing homes, and spend time meeting people in the community. On some days I felt like I got nothing done! But a few years before that season of ministry, I determined that my number one priority in ministry would be people. Even though I felt as if I never kept up with all the tasks, I was going to connect with people. It felt completely unproductive at times, but God showed me otherwise.
Every month I visited a woman who was bedridden because of severe arthritis. Her sister and brother-in-law took care of her. We talked, drank 7-Up, laughed, prayed and celebrated God’s gifts. It took most of the afternoon. I loved this dear lady and her family, but sometimes I wondered if this was a productive use of time. God showed me it was. In addition to caring for a dear and precious child of God who had no other access to Christian fellowship, this sweet lady and her family had a network of family and friends who I got to know gradually. The synergy of our relationship resulted in remarkable opportunities for witness, consolation, and service to the Lord. God showed me that, ultimately, relationships move the Kingdom forward.
I’ll never forget how meeting a homeless man connected me to a Roman Catholic nun, who connected me with a network of community leaders, who ultimately banded together to reach several key high-risk and high-need areas of the community, allowing me to bring Christ to thousands of at-risk young people and disenfranchised adults. What seemed like a distraction from productivity resulted in the most productive Kingdom work ever.
How could I miss this simple truth? How could I think that a list of tasks and an empty e-mail inbox rivaled relationships with others? After all, Jesus spent time with people. He sought relationships. His web of people connections opened the door of new life for thousands. And Jesus still seeks people.
I am in full support of responsible administration and organizational leadership. I hope that every servant of Christ is able to get certain things done in a timely way. But what if you started to measure your productivity in terms of relationships? What if you reserved large chunks of time to see what the synergy of redemptive relationships can accomplish? What if you redefined productivity and reveled in its new freedom and opportunities?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-five)
A healthy number of leaders are task oriented. They like to see things get done. Unfortunately, this desire for productivity can lead to creating and living in an illusion of accomplishment. The hunger for productivity can lead to the trap of meaningless busyness.
What is productivity in mission and ministry? Is it simply keeping up and catching up? You know how it goes: you work to keep the e-mail inbox clear; you try to keep up with snail mail and reports, you keep your website up to date, you compose your latest blog, you return phone calls, you scramble to meetings, you outline strategic plans, you make sure worship services are set to go, you communicate with church leaders and staff, you set up for your next event. Work, work, work. Busy, busy, busy.
But is it productive? These are good things, but at the center of mission and ministry are people. The ultimate measure of productivity in the church is redemptive relationships. Who is lost but now is being found? Who is weak, but now is being strengthened? Who is idle, but now is being equipped and sent out? Who is hopeless, but now is being brought to the Shepherd of their souls?
When I was serving a mission church in suburban Chicago, there were stretches of time when all I seemed to do was spend hours on the phone with people, handle walk-ins, go to hospitals and nursing homes, and spend time meeting people in the community. On some days I felt like I got nothing done! But a few years before that season of ministry, I determined that my number one priority in ministry would be people. Even though I felt as if I never kept up with all the tasks, I was going to connect with people. It felt completely unproductive at times, but God showed me otherwise.
Every month I visited a woman who was bedridden because of severe arthritis. Her sister and brother-in-law took care of her. We talked, drank 7-Up, laughed, prayed and celebrated God’s gifts. It took most of the afternoon. I loved this dear lady and her family, but sometimes I wondered if this was a productive use of time. God showed me it was. In addition to caring for a dear and precious child of God who had no other access to Christian fellowship, this sweet lady and her family had a network of family and friends who I got to know gradually. The synergy of our relationship resulted in remarkable opportunities for witness, consolation, and service to the Lord. God showed me that, ultimately, relationships move the Kingdom forward.
I’ll never forget how meeting a homeless man connected me to a Roman Catholic nun, who connected me with a network of community leaders, who ultimately banded together to reach several key high-risk and high-need areas of the community, allowing me to bring Christ to thousands of at-risk young people and disenfranchised adults. What seemed like a distraction from productivity resulted in the most productive Kingdom work ever.
How could I miss this simple truth? How could I think that a list of tasks and an empty e-mail inbox rivaled relationships with others? After all, Jesus spent time with people. He sought relationships. His web of people connections opened the door of new life for thousands. And Jesus still seeks people.
I am in full support of responsible administration and organizational leadership. I hope that every servant of Christ is able to get certain things done in a timely way. But what if you started to measure your productivity in terms of relationships? What if you reserved large chunks of time to see what the synergy of redemptive relationships can accomplish? What if you redefined productivity and reveled in its new freedom and opportunities?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-five)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A Life-changing Event
I was walking in a parking lot in Florida a few weeks ago and saw something I had never seen in my life.
It was early morning. Sprinkler systems had shut off fairly recently and the pavement was puddled but drying. About a foot from the grass was an earthworm. He was stranded on a dry patch of pavement, wiggling slowly. Death was not far away as the sun rose, the temperature grew warmer, and the moisture disappeared.
Suddenly, the worm jumped! Yes, it leaped about an inch off the ground, springing closer to its grassy goal. With a mighty contraction, the worm got some air. Unbelievable.
I’m not sure if the worm made it back to a moist and muddy haven, but this was an unusual action for an earthworm. Trying to free itself from certain shriveling, dehydration, and death, the worm was pushed to go where no earthworm had gone before. It was a catalytic occurrence in the life of that worm. It was a life-changing event.
The church is being ignored more and more. Fewer people are deciding to go to church. The reputation of the church is suffering. By some it is considered boring and irrelevant. By others it is viewed as corrupt and cliquish. The organized church, it seems, is like a worm on drying pavement.
Mind you, the Bride of Christ is alive and well. Christ’s body will advance so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. But the outward organization and expression of the church is hurting. My questions are: Will it jump, and where will it land?
Will the church lay down and die or will it spring into a catalytic, life-changing event that renews its relevance, outreach, and vigor?
Will the church leap from dry outmodedness into the living water of Christ crucified, risen, and reaching a lost world?
What will that jump look like? Where will the church land? Will the church be less building centered and more community saturating? Will the church be more servant focused and less consumer driven? Will the church release people for ministry instead of controlling a group for maximum uniformity? Will the church rejoice in Biblical truth instead of watering down its uniqueness and blending with the culture? Will worship services be means of celebration, refueling, and encouragement as believers are sent to their people and communities instead of being the end point of what a believer is supposed to do?
What will the earthworm bride do? We know that God will preserve His Church no matter what. Will the old worm have to die or will it burst into the air to live another day?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-four)
It was early morning. Sprinkler systems had shut off fairly recently and the pavement was puddled but drying. About a foot from the grass was an earthworm. He was stranded on a dry patch of pavement, wiggling slowly. Death was not far away as the sun rose, the temperature grew warmer, and the moisture disappeared.
Suddenly, the worm jumped! Yes, it leaped about an inch off the ground, springing closer to its grassy goal. With a mighty contraction, the worm got some air. Unbelievable.
I’m not sure if the worm made it back to a moist and muddy haven, but this was an unusual action for an earthworm. Trying to free itself from certain shriveling, dehydration, and death, the worm was pushed to go where no earthworm had gone before. It was a catalytic occurrence in the life of that worm. It was a life-changing event.
The church is being ignored more and more. Fewer people are deciding to go to church. The reputation of the church is suffering. By some it is considered boring and irrelevant. By others it is viewed as corrupt and cliquish. The organized church, it seems, is like a worm on drying pavement.
Mind you, the Bride of Christ is alive and well. Christ’s body will advance so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. But the outward organization and expression of the church is hurting. My questions are: Will it jump, and where will it land?
Will the church lay down and die or will it spring into a catalytic, life-changing event that renews its relevance, outreach, and vigor?
Will the church leap from dry outmodedness into the living water of Christ crucified, risen, and reaching a lost world?
What will that jump look like? Where will the church land? Will the church be less building centered and more community saturating? Will the church be more servant focused and less consumer driven? Will the church release people for ministry instead of controlling a group for maximum uniformity? Will the church rejoice in Biblical truth instead of watering down its uniqueness and blending with the culture? Will worship services be means of celebration, refueling, and encouragement as believers are sent to their people and communities instead of being the end point of what a believer is supposed to do?
What will the earthworm bride do? We know that God will preserve His Church no matter what. Will the old worm have to die or will it burst into the air to live another day?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-four)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Even Better Than Twitter
A new communication tool has been unveiled recently. It’s a mass media monster that will transform society. The battery life is endless. It’s in 3-D (no glasses needed). And it truly can change your life. Is it a new gadget? The latest social networking site? No, it’s bigger than that.
It’s conversation.
This is how it works: two or more people meet personally. They boot up their voice boxes and minds—perhaps with some java. Then they talk. With each other, they engage in what has been called a lost art. They exchange ideas and experiences. They express opinions. They share news. They laugh. They may even cry. But after the uploading and downloading, their lives are never the same.
I got to spend the afternoon with my daughter at a “Dads Day” hosted by her sorority. There were lots of dads there with their sweet daughters. We tailgated and went to a baseball game. It was really fun. But it wasn’t the activities that made it fun for me. It was spending time talking with my daughter. She’s a conversationalist. The baseball game lasted for 2 ½ hours. We talked the whole time. After the dad’s day festivities we went out for dinner. For another two hours, we talked. It was great.
But it was great for me, not because of what I was able to say, but because of what I was able to hear. I loved hearing my daughter’s opinions, thoughts, and experiences. I was thrilled to hear how she was growing, what interests she was developing, and what struggles she was facing. We didn’t solve the problems of the world or finish our to-do list, but something very good happened. That’s what conversation does.
This is where relationships begin. This is how you become close to people. This is one of the basic building blocks of sharing Jesus with someone. This is how news spreads best (word of mouth). But this is also one of the greatest challenges you will face.
Conversation requires listening and thinking. Listening requires sacrifice. Thinking calls for engagement. We live in a culture that plays on our need to need. We need stuff. We need attention. We need notoriety. We need to make our mark. We need to be busy and do our stuff. This neediness cuts us off from each other. When all we do is want and take, we will never be available to engage and give. If we’re never available to engage and give, we cut off God’s work through us.
The mission begins with conversation. But you will face barriers—many of them within yourself.
First is the unwillingness or inability to listen. It is so easy to want to talk about yourself. It’s so easy to dive into your life instead of asking about someone else’s life. It is so tempting to speed past someone else’s comments and get to what you want to share. Conversation requires the discipline to be quiet, to think about what another person is saying, and to dig deeper into what that person is sharing and experiencing. A good response to someone in conversation is a question that seeks to understand and find out more. If you listen well, you’ll find out that you end up receiving exactly what you need. Someone will listen to you, too.
Second is being too busy and distracted. You know how it goes: cell phone, TV, computer, newspaper, your thoughts, your agenda coursing through your brain. Conversation requires engagement. Look a person in the eye. Think about them, not you and your stuff. Be with one person in the moment.
Third is being competitive instead of compassionate. You don’t have to prove yourself all the time. You don’t have to trot out your resume and let people know how great you are. In addition, you’re not in competition with the person you’re speaking with. Just be there. Let your care show who you are. Let your selflessness lift the other person up. After all, what is your mission? Do you exist to exalt yourself? Or are you here to bring the presence of Jesus to a hurting and dying world?
How is conversation going in your life?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-three)
It’s conversation.
This is how it works: two or more people meet personally. They boot up their voice boxes and minds—perhaps with some java. Then they talk. With each other, they engage in what has been called a lost art. They exchange ideas and experiences. They express opinions. They share news. They laugh. They may even cry. But after the uploading and downloading, their lives are never the same.
I got to spend the afternoon with my daughter at a “Dads Day” hosted by her sorority. There were lots of dads there with their sweet daughters. We tailgated and went to a baseball game. It was really fun. But it wasn’t the activities that made it fun for me. It was spending time talking with my daughter. She’s a conversationalist. The baseball game lasted for 2 ½ hours. We talked the whole time. After the dad’s day festivities we went out for dinner. For another two hours, we talked. It was great.
But it was great for me, not because of what I was able to say, but because of what I was able to hear. I loved hearing my daughter’s opinions, thoughts, and experiences. I was thrilled to hear how she was growing, what interests she was developing, and what struggles she was facing. We didn’t solve the problems of the world or finish our to-do list, but something very good happened. That’s what conversation does.
This is where relationships begin. This is how you become close to people. This is one of the basic building blocks of sharing Jesus with someone. This is how news spreads best (word of mouth). But this is also one of the greatest challenges you will face.
Conversation requires listening and thinking. Listening requires sacrifice. Thinking calls for engagement. We live in a culture that plays on our need to need. We need stuff. We need attention. We need notoriety. We need to make our mark. We need to be busy and do our stuff. This neediness cuts us off from each other. When all we do is want and take, we will never be available to engage and give. If we’re never available to engage and give, we cut off God’s work through us.
The mission begins with conversation. But you will face barriers—many of them within yourself.
First is the unwillingness or inability to listen. It is so easy to want to talk about yourself. It’s so easy to dive into your life instead of asking about someone else’s life. It is so tempting to speed past someone else’s comments and get to what you want to share. Conversation requires the discipline to be quiet, to think about what another person is saying, and to dig deeper into what that person is sharing and experiencing. A good response to someone in conversation is a question that seeks to understand and find out more. If you listen well, you’ll find out that you end up receiving exactly what you need. Someone will listen to you, too.
Second is being too busy and distracted. You know how it goes: cell phone, TV, computer, newspaper, your thoughts, your agenda coursing through your brain. Conversation requires engagement. Look a person in the eye. Think about them, not you and your stuff. Be with one person in the moment.
Third is being competitive instead of compassionate. You don’t have to prove yourself all the time. You don’t have to trot out your resume and let people know how great you are. In addition, you’re not in competition with the person you’re speaking with. Just be there. Let your care show who you are. Let your selflessness lift the other person up. After all, what is your mission? Do you exist to exalt yourself? Or are you here to bring the presence of Jesus to a hurting and dying world?
How is conversation going in your life?
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-three)
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