Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Herding cats

Several nights ago I came home with a bunch of things in my arms.  When I got through the door I could smell the unmistakable odor of natural gas.  I put everything down and ran to the stove.  Sure enough the left burner was partially on.  With my son in his room and my wife downstairs, they had not smelled the dangerous fumes. 

Well, the result of my frantic effort to take care of things was a partially closed front door.  All seemed well until Paula (my wife) and I came up stairs to the kitchen to get a snack.  We noticed it was quite cold but thought it was due to windows we had opened earlier to let the gas smell out.  Wrong!  As we came through the kitchen, we noticed the front door was wide open. 

For some that may not seem like a big problem, but we have a golden retriever and 5 cats.  The dog was accounted for, but we had to search for the cats.  We needed to find the cats so I wouldn't have to sleep in the dog house.  After about 10 minutes, we determined that P, our youngest cat, was unaccounted for. 

I took it upon myself to take Buddy, our dog, and go look for the cat.  We searched the front yard, both sides, and the backyard.  There was no sign of Pumkin.  Until . . . on one trip from the side to the front, P ran out from under the car and around the side of the house.  The chase was on.

I ran around to where he was and trapped him in a corner.  He ran around me but had to evade the 80 pound golden retriever.  He then ran into my neighbors backyard.  I made it to within about 18 inches of the cat when Buddy came bounding up beside me.  Needless to say, the cat ran away. 

By this time I was screaming for my wife to come and get the dog so I could get the cat.  Have I mentioned that the cats are hers. 

As I am trying to herd this cat into a position where I can catch him, my wife comes out and joins me with a bowl of catfood and tells me to take the dog and let her get the cat.  Two milliseconds later she has the cat in her arms and the adventure is over.

I could have chased P all night and spent a lot of energy with no real assurance that I would ever catch him.  The end result would have been an exhausted husband, an anxious wife, a scared cat, and an always happy dog. 

My wife knew P better than I did and was able to accomplish what I tried to do in 20 minutes in about 60 seconds.

THE POINT

We spend a lot of time in the church chasing people.  We expend a lot of energy and believe that means we are doing something.  We take great pride in our long hours and demanding programs.  We run ourselves and our prey ragged in this cat and mouse game called "church."

Perhaps we need to learn a lesson from my wife.  If you know those you are pursuing, there is probably a better way to "capture" them than chasing them.  Think about it.

The problem for me is that I sort of enjoy the thrill of herding cats.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

They will know you are my disciples . . .

Several weeks ago I responded to a question on an FB ministers group.  I just thought I would weigh in on the question.  I gave my little shot at the answer and was berated as "unBiblical" and condescended by "Where did you come up with that?"  Honestly, I thought about a response for a day or so and then decided to just let it go.  My words of wisdom were not worth wasting on such a brother.  What did happen as I watched FB was an avalanche of people who agreed with me falling down upon my brother in Christ.

I almost posted a response to a question from a friend of mine on the same FB forum today.  Almost is the operative word.  I chose not to join in on the fun today.  Frankly, I don't need that in my life.

Then it hit me.  An epiphany.  A bright light shining upon us.  The curtain pulled back.  The mystery revealed.  I have to admit that I am rather sad at this new revelation of mine. 

How will the world ever look at us and take us seriously if we treat one another "just like the pagans do" and sometimes worse?

Ironically, my friend's question today was about unity in the body.

I think the problem with us is that we have the notion that if we believe the same things then we will have unity.  Orthodoxy does not seem to bring such unity.  Perhaps that is due to the many variations of the same truth that we can all delineate.  Maybe it is because the promise of orthodoxy does not really offer what we seek to find in it.

Our movement has also pushed the idea that if we do things the same way that we will certainly have unity.  Right?  The New Testament pattern and all that.  Such orthopraxy rarely brings us to such unanimity.  Most Restoration Movement churches practice church and ministry the same, but we are far from united. 

My take on the unity thing is that we need to listen to the Master and aquiesce to His teaching.  "By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV)  Orthopathy is the key.  The issue is not do believe the same thing or do we do the same things.  The real important thing is love.  Do we have the same heart?

This gets to the crux of the issue.   Where is your heart?  Where is your will?  Where is your passion?

We should have the same beliefs.  We should practice the same actions.  However, without the proper heart, we can be as "whitewashed tombstones" or today's version of Jesus' Pharisees. 

I believe in the importance of an integrated spiritual self.  Jesus' radical call did not ask for the surrender of my thoughts or actions or feelings.  This is no multiple choice request.  He demands all of us-our head, our hands, and our heart.  "All of the above."  This reality is lived in our communal reality known as the church.  The church will always be a reflection of those who make up its composition.

Perhaps if we get over our arrogance as the only ones who believe correctly and practice the ancient faith appropriately we can get down to the real work of the Kingdom.  Maybe, just maybe then we can see the desire of Jesus fulfilled.  "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and Have loved them even as you have loved me.  Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.  Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

They will know you are my disciples . . .

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Evolution or Revolution

Paula and I have watched the new show, (R)Evolution, for several episodes now.  The series' premise is that something has taken the worlds power and our world has been thrown into chaos.  While I find the show mildly entertaining, I find the juxtaposition of revolution and evolution fascinating.  (I can rarely enjoy anything for its face value.  My mind tends to go other places.)

Evolutionary theory has so totally won the day in our lifetime that the implications can be felt in almost every arena of life.  The greater prowess of athletes today is chalked up to evolution without mentioning the environmental factors of research, health, sports physiology, etc.  Contemporary views about morality and ethical behavior almost certainly deny the truth within the old ways of thinking and extol the higher order of a new evolved morality. 

I am not one to deny the implications of biological evolution or even social evolution, but I must scream from the mountain tops that this is not the fundamental nature of the Kingdom.  This current thought process is so ingrained within our psyche that even ministerial and congregational practice is determined by a pseudo-evolutionary theory.  "If we do this, then we can do this, then we will become that."

I see more of a revolutionary pattern within the Kingdom of God.  From the prophets of the OT to Jesus in the Gospels to the apostles on the Day of Pentecost, God seems to prefer revolution or revival to progressive, systematic change.  Don't misunderstand me.  I certainly see a place for such change in the Kingdom.  I just believe that it tends to be what we choose as opposed to what God would like to deliver.

The inbreaking of the Spirit and the working of God are not evolutionary ticks in our progressive development.  God moves in and turns things upside down and inside out.  God makes sinners priests and lost people guides.  He lifts up the weak and brings down the mighty.  He demonstrates the faith of a child who cannot explain herself and defies the confessions of the haughty who feel they have intellectually tamed the God of the universe. 

We spend so much of our time focused upon the momentary steps that we may very well miss the more important moments when God is trying to change and reform.  Deconstruction may be to revolution what construction is to evolution.  The chaos of revolution vies against the order of evolution.  The ABC's and 123's of evolution are disturbed in the alphabet soup of God's revolutionary work.

Becoming is one of my favorite words in Scripture.  The real issue may not be what we are but what we are becoming which is never so easy to quantify, qualify, or control.  The question is "How do we become?"  Progressively or radically? 

I must say that I have progressively changed during my time with Christ.  There is no doubt.  I understand more, live a better life, practice devotion more faithfully, hear Him more.  But, the greatest moments of change in my life have been seismic, titanic, spectacular movements of God.  Jesus moves us from sinner to saint, cripple to long jumper, thoughtless to thoughtful, hatred to love, self-centered to Christ-centered. 

Lord, send revival!  Lord, bring a revolution to my life!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down

Yesterday was a great Sunday!  Big crowd, great worship, simple sermon, awesome fellowship, second time visitors, good adult Bible school, fine Bible study last night, the Detroit Tigers and Lions both won.  What more could a person ask for?

Monday is still Monday though. 

Back to the grind.  Work on another profound, moving sermon.  Develop a great adult Bible school lesson.  Check up on all the missing and sick.  Plan for future events.  Worry about . . . 

The cycle of the ministry week can get daunting after a few decades.  The need to outdo and out perform can wear on a soul.  The joys of good Sundays and the pains of poorly attended celebrations move me through endless cycles of hope and despair.  Weeks without end with no breaks except for the all too infrequent vacation.  In fact, planning for being gone is sometimes worse than getting away.

Getting caught in the cycle can be a bit like getting caught in a revolving door.  We are always moving but going nowhere.  We can become so focused on the movement of the moment that we never consider the destination.  Where are we going anyway?

I am going to take a sabbatical today.  Oh, I will still be in my office and in the hospital, but I am not going to start the cycle until tomorrow.  Sermon prep will wait.  Lessons can formulate tomorrow.  Planning can be done later.  On Mondays, I need to refocus, digest, and let go.  Today, I will collect and center myself.  Tomorrow I will tackle Tuesday like it was Monday.

I sure hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Send us a Temple Grandin

Last year, Paula and I watched Temple Grandin and were amazed how the perspective of an autistic woman changed the cattle industry.  Where convention proclaimed great wisdom and highly touted paradigms, the perspective of an outsider brought revolution.

I pray God will send us people who can look at what we do and challenge the very foundation of our practices and programs.  I am not looking for someone who has the newest way to do the same old thing.  I am asking for someone to see beyond what we do to what we need.  I desire a person who will challenge and stand up to the forces of the status quo.

Temple gained insight by watching how cattle moved through rows and gates.  She discerned the inner thoughts of cattle.  Her ideas were based upon the manner in which the cattle moved through the existing process.  Her paradigm shift transformed a scared animal into a cooperative cow.  She looked at participants and processes and preferred outcomes and divined a new way to do an old thing.

While I see a need for such vision, I also know that the system does not like change.  I have personally witnessed the the thumb applied to adherents of Orange.  I felt the skepticism of the "right-minded" when I ventured into the multi-generational church movement in the late 90's.  I have seen the scowling faces of those who know what works.  I have stopped talking even when I knew I was right because no one else would listen.  I have been there before.

God, give me eyes to see what you would have me see.  Give me the heart of a revolutionary.  Give me the hands of a craftsman.  Give me the mind of an inventor.  Give me the courage to stand up and the humility to shut up. 

Give me the insight of Temple Grandin.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Immoral pragmatism-the cancer of thought for church leaders

"If it works, do it."

The first minister I worked with taught me a saying, "Plagiarize or die."  In other words, find something that works that someone else is doing and do that yourself.

We tend to define churches by their "effectiveness."  Strong, good, impactful, growing, healthy have traditionally been reserved for churches that are growing numerically.  More people=more effective.  The thought goes that if we have more people it must be that what we are doing works. While, intuitively, this seems to make a lot of sense, there are cases when growth/effectiveness do not equate to good or appropriate practice. 

My favorite sport, baseball, has been taken to the brink of ruin by players who could perform at unbelievable levels via steroids.  While on the one hand, Barry Bonds performed at a level never before seen; the other hand was distasteful and destroyed what could have been an incredible career.  Pragmatists argue that "It doesn't matter how he did it.  He did it."  He was effective, but bad practice does not become good practice because of positive results.

In a different manner, growth does not always demonstrate health.  Steroids demonstrate this truth, but there is a much more common occurrence within the human spectrum that should remind us of this fact.  It is a terrible condition that has effected far too many of us.  This demon is cancer.

In cancer, cells deviate from their normal state and grow in a manner inconsistent with the intended pattern.  Steroids allow for the continued growth of good tissue.  Cancer allows for the continued growth of malignant and invasive tissue.  The resulting growth of either are against the natural plan for the individual.

I have to say that my notion of the local body is a bit different than most people. I see the church as an organic creature.  As such, their are various sizes, temperaments, flexibilities, designs, and patterns.  There are big and little churches, aggressive and passive, strict and easy going, liturgical and free.  With so much variation, why do we assume that the same practices would work in so many different environments?  What is good for one church may not be good for another.

Growth in and of itself is a measurement, but it does not always have to be positive or beneficial.  I have often said that "Growth is like a barometer.  It tells you something, but it doesn't tell you how hot it is."  In light of this position, I would like to propose a new way of looking at practice. 

We need to ask if a particular practice is good or bad practice.  Practice is not amoral.  Immoral or moral pragmatism is differentiated not by effectiveness but my appropriateness.  The challenge is that we think theologically as we consider any practice.  Certainly we should pick practices that work, but we should never choose practices that are inappropriate no matter how effective.

In a judgmental example, the congregation I serve has worked with a senior high rise for many years.  We have a monthly worship service for them that has been a blessing to all.  Over the past couple of years another church has come in on our Sunday.  We have coexisted fine.  We don't feel like we are the only group working for the Kingdom; however, they have recently resorted to offering a $25 raffle for anyone present including an extra chance if you bring a friend.  They have more people show up than we do, but we will never buy participation from those residents.  If that curbs our effectiveness in comparison to the other church, I am prepared to accept that.  Interestingly, we get the calls from the apartment complex when help is needed.  Sorry for being judgmental.

Please don't write this off as someone who has a vendetta against large congregations.  I love very large churches.  If my family were not involved in my congregational obligations, we would almost certainly be involved in a mega-church.  We like big, really big.  My problem is with immoral pragmatism, not large churches. 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Profanity

We must at all points translate the gospel into the language of people.  We must share the Good News in direct and indirect ways.  Direct-speaking, teaching, conversation, electronic media, billboards, etc.  Indirect-demonstration of godly behavior, ethics, selflessness, humility, prioritization, holiness, martyrdom, etc.  An uncommunicated gospel is a hidden treasure that cannot be appreciated.

The gospel has a nature, a flavor, a distinctiveness.  When we do the work of translating the gospel into the language of any people group, we must keep the nature true.  While we endeavor to translate the message, we work diligently to not change the gospel.

We, the modern American evangelical church, have gone to great lengths to translate the gospel into the language of the American culture.  We have marketed a successful Jesus, a self-actualized Jesus, a best friend Jesus, a coach Jesus, an entrepreneur Jesus, a hip Jesus, a counter-cultural Jesus.  Jesus has become a spiritual Barbie.

I actually have no issue with our "translation" of the gospel and Jesus into our culture.  That has been the task of every evangelist since the beginning of the church.  We want to share a message that is relevant and understandable.  With this, who could argue?  I must say that some variations of Jesus do not fit as well into the Scriptures as they do our culture.

I believe the Body has a certain quality about it that is unique as well. Peter reminds us that we are aliens and strangers in this world. We are distinct. We are different. We don't fit in.  We are peculiar.

One of the distinctives of God's church is holiness-that separateness and disconnectedness from the common or ordinary that marks the new creation.  There is a sacred character and quality of God's people that should not be lost in our translation of the gospel.  Our message must malleable; but our nature must remain immutable.  We may dress up the church, but we must never change who we are.

I have great concern when we make the church seem as common as a theater, ordinary as a lecture hall, similar to a self-help program, cozy as a coffee shop, or multipurpose as a gymnasium.  If you think my beef is with architecture, you are missing my point.  (I honestly don't care and don't even think it is that important where we meet although I do believe there is benefit in sacred architecture which is another post for another day.)  My heartburn comes from our tendency to change the church as we translate the gospel.  The use of unacceptable language, inappropriate methods, incongruent stylizing, and syncretization with secular culture profanes God's holy church, His bride.

When the vehicle of communication changes, great care must be taken to ensure that the vehicular change does not impact the translation.  Could it be that we lose some of the gospel when we change who we are in order to communicate our message? 


How much of our nature can we exchange for the hope of greater acceptance of our message?