Here is a great book that will challenge the way you look at and think about disciple-making. Bill Hull, in his book The Disciple-making Church, strongly urges the church (people who have put their trust in Christ) to take on their God-assigned role in discipling others. Hull provides a clear definition of what he believes discipling to be:
The intentional training of disciples, with accountability,
on the basis of loving relationships (pg. 32).

From here, Hull launches into a full-scale investigation of the principles and preferences of the first Christian churches (e.g., the Jerusalem Church, the Mission Church at Antioch, and the Discipling Church at Ephesus). Each church is explored through out the book of Acts and Paul’s writings.

Hull contends a movement is needed from Christocentric leadership (Jesus as the leader), the style found throughout the Gospels, to churchocentric leadership (leadership team), is found in Acts and the epistles. The Christocentric model, though effective while Jesus ministered, is not the most effective model for making disciples today according to Hull. Hull points to five changes needing to take place in the church in order to be effective in making disciples. Hull believes these changes to be essential in order to keep discipleship a process that involves the whole church rather than an event involving one person. The direction the rest of the book takes is the “how-to” of implementing these changes. The following are the changes Hull suggests along with a short explanation of each (take from chapter 2 of The Disciple-making Church).

1. Leadership – A change from Christ leading Apostles to elders leading the congregation. While Christ was on earth, authority remained in one person. That person was Jesus Christ. When He ascended into heaven the leaders shared it. The Christocentric model is master-pupil. The master is Jesus, Himself, and anyone under him would be His pupil. The churchocentric model is elders-congregation. In this model disciple making is in the hands of the church. Hull points out that individuals cannot completely disciple another person. It must be done by the variety of gifted believers known as the church. Only the body of Christ can fully provide an environment capable of creating challenges and experiences a believer needs to grow into full maturity. Hull reminds us on page 36, “Anything that helps a person move forward in Him fits the label of discipling.”

2. Guidance – We move from Christ's personal presence to the Holy Spirit living in us. We also have the ministry of the Word, Prayer, and others. Our purpose is to serve God through an obedient lifestyle. Through obedience we come to know God and His leading. Part of this obedience to God involves being disciples and making disciples. When it comes to guidance in the church, the churchocentric model of leadership is a shared experience. Hull points out in the end of his book that guidance comes through elders (leaders) and their apprentices.

3. Training – Here we move from Christ preparing leaders alone to a leadership community engaged in multilevel training. This means the church is doing various things (e.g., small group Bible studies, special classes, Sunday school) to disciple and train future leaders. Where does discipling begin? According to Hull, discipling begins when a member of the discipling church makes contact with a person. Making disciples begins with introducing men and women to Christ.
Hull states three things that the church is:
1. A hospital for sinners.
2. A greenhouse for the growth of new believers.
3. A training center for the eager and well.

Church leadership should be engaged in three primary areas of training/discipling:
1. Preaching/teaching track (Come and see). The Word of God must be preached to the world. How will people hear if no one preaches?
2. Leadership track. Church needs zealots (or people dedicated to the vision of the church) to be produced. Their fire and passion will draw others.
3. Small-group track. This gives seekers and those hungry for God’s Word a chance to develop and grow.

4. Outreach – A move from individual evangelism to team evangelism. Each member of the body has different gifts and can more effectively reach the lost by working together. Evangelism is and must be shared by the church. The corporate witness of the church's love for one another creates a power and attraction that make verbalization a natural result (pg. 45). The Holy Spirit must be allowed to creatively work through different people to reach the lost. Evangelism is not a bounty hunter job and suffers if it is left to individuals (in that it isn’t as effective).

5. Pastoral care – Here movement is from Christ meeting the needs of all people to Christ meeting needs through gifts of the body. What Jesus was to the disciples, the disciples are to one another. Hull elaborates in chapter 11 on the role of a full-time pastor. There he suggests:
- A pastor is one who is committed to God’s Word and the studying of God’s Word.
- A pastor’s primary role is communicating God’s Word to others.
- Through Paul’s pastoral epistles (i.e., Timothy and Timothy 2) we learn a little more of what is expect of pastors. They teach, rebuke, correct, and train.
- Pastors also have the responsibility to develop faithful leaders (elders and deacons) in the church.

Hull’s book is very insightful and challenging in light of our individualistic society. Personally, he challenged my view of discipleship and how it is done by broadening it to include the entire church body (I previously thought of discipleship in terms of small groups and one-on-one meetings). I was right in regards to discipleship being intentional and a process but that is only a small part of discipleship. When we involve the whole church we make the kind of disciples Jesus asks us to make (Matt 28:19). To incorporate the church into the discipling of others is a challenge, especially when statistics say only twenty percent of church members actively involve themselves in serving God while the other eighty percent watch comfortably from the bleachers. How do we change this?

Hull holds in high esteem the church at Ephesus as an example.[1] By this time, the apostle Paul was able to hone his skills and gifts in disciple making. This model disciple-making church did a wonderful job of inviting people in and attracting people (come and see). This was followed by getting them all involved (come and follow me), and then handing over responsibility (come and be with me), and finally letting the reigns of power down so someone else could pick them up (remain in me and go and make disciples). Once implemented this would continue the disciple-making process Jesus commanded in the Great Commission.

To apply the principles gleaned from this book one must evaluate his/her own perception of discipleship and the church. Are the two separable? Can one be done without the other? What exactly is discipleship? How is it done? For me, answering questions like these has led to some brainstorming of ideas for implementing what I have learned into practical steps.

æ Set up church activities (e.g., fellowship dinners, small groups, cookouts, mentoring, Sunday school, mission trips, training seminars) that call all people into participation. If the Body of Christ is responsible for making more mature and fully developed disciples, then participation of everyone is essential. Sermons and teachings of the church must back this up and confirm it to all church members. So, maybe a good starting place is restructuring how one’s church views discipleship through sermons and teachings. If the majority of your church sees discipleship as primarily the leaders’ job and responsibility they need to be taught that all Christians have that responsibility. Maybe sermons on the book of Acts and the Epistles would be helpful.

æ Search for ways in which all people in your church can participate in discipling. Since discipleship covers everything the church does, what are some things currently being done or that could be done to incorporate more of the Body of Christ in the process? What are some things your church could do to utilize the spiritual gifts of others? Here are some discipling/ministry opportunities a pastor could make available:
§ Teachers for VBS, Sunday school, small groups, special seminars
§ Mechanical work (e.g., oil changes, minor tune ups, etc.) available to anyone needing it
§ “How to play golf” workshops taught by church members
§ Van drivers willing to pick up kids and teens needing rides to church
§ Sound and video technicians for worship service
§ Coffee makers for the Sunday School hour
§ Grounds keepers willing to serve by landscaping and/or mowing church yard

æ As a pastor one of my responsibilities is to look for/identify leaders (zealots if you want to call them that) on fire for God in my church to hand over responsibility to. These people need to be given responsibility. Investing in their lives allows the process of discipleship to continue, as they will in turn invest in someone else’s life. I guess you would call this leadership development. Hull provides an appendix in his book giving guidelines and expectations of such leaders that could be useful to encourage commitment from such leaders.

These are just a few of the practical ways I came up with to change the church’s approach to leadership, guidance, training, outreach, and pastoral care.

Bill Hull’s The Disciple-making Church is not a difficult scholarly read, but a down-to-earth and practical book. This book is a good launching pad for pastors wanting to further study principles of discipleship because it gives a complete summary of principles used by the early Church that is easy to follow and understand. I highly recommend to every pastor, layperson, and congregation member Bill Hull’s The Disciple-making Church.

[1] The church at Ephesus combines and synthesizes nicely the principles and preferences of the two churches (Jerusalem and Antioch) mentioned and studied earlier in Hull’s work (pg. 51-148).

R & R

It's been an exciting week. New President of the United States sworn in. New season of Lost began last night (I'm a huge fan!). How can the human mind keep up with everything? I'm trying not to do too much thinking (that comes easy!), so this post will be short.

I'm on vacation this week down in Tennessee. You can't beat the beauty of snow covered mountains. Yesterday we took the fam to Ripley's Aquarium. Walking under the sharks was the fav. I was surprised my daughter wasn't more afraid than she was. I think I would have been. I was holding her most of the time, so that might have helped calm her fears a bit. I couldn't help but feel like the shepherd in Psalm 23. For most of my adult life I've been trying to see and feel His presence, yesterday I was helping somebody else feel His presence and calm. That's a huge change in perspective.

So, have you ever been the shepherd of Psalm 23 to someone?

I change my mind

How do we begin to change and take on the new life we have in Christ after we receive Him? What is the first thing we should do? What role does the Spirit play in this life-long process of renovation?

The mind acts as the entry point for our way forward to Christ-likeness. The mind is such a powerful thing. Paul urges us to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds" in Romans 12. What does this mean? How does it work? We must begin by thinking correctly and logically about God and His Word. According to Dallas Willard, this leads to loving God. This way of thinking involves the filling of our minds with the truths of scripture and dwelling (i.e., meditating, studying, wrestling, and questioning) on the content and message of it.

I believe Paul gives some general direction, or a framework, in Philippians 4:8-9 for how we can begin to put this into daily practice and take our first step forward. I throw verse 9 in there because “thought” is supposed to be connected to action in Hebrew thinking. Here are some of the first nitty-gritty activities I would do.

Step #1 – Examine thoughts for an hour, a day, or a week. How? Keep a journal to keep track of thoughts throughout the day (or start a blog to do it!). I would try and write as many of my thoughts throughout the day down on paper. If images affect us as much as Dallas suggests, we need to jot down what we are watching and what kinds of things we are seeing in a day (e.g., TV shows, pictures, magazines, etc.).

Step #2 – After compiling a list of thoughts and images do some dissecting of those thoughts. Question what thoughts certain images, from TV to magazines, bring to your mind or how they make you feel and write them down. Question why they brought those feelings up or made you think that way? Take notice of the times of day, or day of the week that you had certain thoughts and write those down. Maybe all of this will lead to the discovery of a pattern for when you are most susceptible to sinful thinking and acting.

Step #3 – Come up with a plan of how you will try and avoid certain thoughts or images that would be sinful or hinder your relationship with Christ. The plans made here would be different for each person, but would center on the idea of being proactive in our spiritual formation and taking back our minds for the good they were intended for.

I’m a visually oriented learner and so I like to surround myself with pictures and images of Bible stories and characters. If I can see scripture or get an image of it in my head I’ll remember it forever. I love the icons of the Orthodox Church! I don’t pray to them, but I have found them to be a very helpful tool in the transformation of my mind. They bring scripture alive to me (the same goes for stained-glass windows) in a beautiful way. On the other side, because I am so affected by images, I have to be extremely careful and guard what I see.

Any thoughts?

Renovation of the heart

In my class this semester I am reading again (third time now) Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard (one of my all-time favorite authors!). I love the book and don't mind diving into it again. The book is deep enough that there's no way you can truly get all of what he's trying to say in just one read. I think Dallas has some God-given wisdom for our day and age on change and how we truly change as we walk with Jesus. If you get only one book to read this year as a serious book this is a eye-opener!

Here's a quick synopsis of the book.

In Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard explores spiritual growth and transformation in the lives of followers of Jesus. “We live from the heart,” Dallas writes in the introduction to his book (pg.13). The heart (will/spirit) is where our outlook on life, our choices, and our actions are formed. The problem is that our heart has curved in upon itself and, “has been formed by a world away from God.” (pg. 14) Dallas points out that Jesus came to change us from the inside out through a relationship with Him. Through constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit, God works a change in our heart. This is renovation of the heart and God is willing to renovate any heart submitted to Him. Dallas defines spiritual formation for the Christian as, “the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself.” (pg.22)

In the following chapters (2-5), Dallas sets forth the basic human aspects that need renovation. The six basic aspects are: Thought (mind), feeling (mind), heart (will/spirit), body, social context, and soul. Explanations of each aspect follow. All human action flows out of our heart and this is why Jesus worked a change from within. Dallas sets forth the ideal life ordered by God and what it would look like: God, spirit, mind, soul, and then body. This is almost opposite for those living in darkness. Without God present in their lives, their life order looks like this: Body, soul, mind, spirit, God. To start the process of spiritual renovation, “our spirit (heart) must come alive to God,” Dallas writes (pg.41).

Dallas is quick to point out that spiritual renovation involves both human and Divine effort. We are to be diligent and persistent in our spiritual growth, but our mere human efforts will not bring about transformation, that is the job of the Holy Spirit working through the grace poured out on those who have accepted Jesus Christ into their lives by God the Father. We also learn the importance of coming face to face with who we are and how far we have fallen from God. Pride (which is taking things into our own hands), rooted in the heart, can keep/does keep many from embarking on spiritual renovation of the heart.

The following chapters (6-13) deal with a hands on approach to spiritual formation of the different aspects of humans (e.g., mind, heart, body, social context, and soul) and the processes involved in that transformation. Some important highlights from each chapter include: spiritual renovation begins with transformation of the mind (chp.6), mastering our feelings involves submission to God and acceptance that our feelings don’t have to be fulfilled (chp.7), “temptation to sin originate in desire,” (pg.154) and an enslaved heart will in turn enslave the mind (chp.8), our body is the primary target of temptation (chp.9), “spiritual formation is always profoundly social” (chp.10), the soul (which even God has) dictates everything in our life, this is why soul renovation is so important (chp.11). Chapters 12 and 13 focus on what a renovated heart looks like in our world, sanctification of believers, personal discipleship, and community discipleship.

I'm feeling like Santa!

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Hope you all have a great Christmas!

Fav Christmas Album

What is your favorite Christmas album(s)? I grew up listening to the Oak Ridge Boys Christmas tape (that’s right, a heavy plastic cassette tape). Dad always cranked it up on the way to grandmas. That was a classic album our whole family loved! All us kids, for the most part all grown up now, still like listening to it.

Another favorite Christmas album of mine is the Squirrel Nut Zippers Christmas album (called Christmas Caravan). If you haven’t ever heard of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, you are missing out on one of the most creative bands around. Their style? 1930’s style swing and jazz, I call it hot jazz. Their Christmas album became an instant classic the moment I laid ears on it. I still have some convincing to do with my wife on how great this one is, she’s stuck on the name being too weird, but I think she secretly likes it.

So, besides listening to a band that makes people scrunch up their face and say, “Squirrel Nut what?!?”, I’ve been chewing my way through Scot McKnight’s book on the mother of Jesus; The Real Mary. So far it has been a great book! Fairly short and an easy read too. It does a good job of revealing that Mary was a real person, like us, who struggled a bit (understatement) with her Son’s identity and mission. We are doing a special study on Mary in our Sunday School class the week before Christmas and this book has been an excellent preparation guide and provided plenty of fodder to keep the fire of my curiosity burning.

So, to close with my opening, what is your favorite Christmas album?

The Advent of my life

Well, four and a half years of youth ministry is behind me now. Youth ministry was an incredible learning experience for me and I’ll miss it and the wonderful people I built relationships with. However, like Christians looking forward to what’s to come during this Advent season, I’m looking forward to what’s to come as I transition into the direction I believe God has been nudging me. I have officially transitioned into a new area of ministry at my church, discipleship and sr. adult ministries. It probably sounds funny to some of my youth pastor friends that I’m moving from one end of the age spectrum to the other (I jokingly tell people I have a fountain of youth group now!), but it’s exactly what I have been wanting to do for a little while now.

One of the things I’ve begun to do in discipleship ministries is teaching on conversational prayer. This isn’t something new in that this concept of praying was developed fifty years ago by a woman named Rosalind Rinker, but it is new in that I’ve never heard of it or practiced it until I read her book this past summer. Her book, Prayer: Conversing with God, is an excellent guidebook if you want to pursue conversational prayer. It was even named by Christianity Today as the #1 book that has shaped evangelicals. She bases conversational prayer on Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them.”

Here is a summary of the three stories that led to Rosalind’s discovery of conversational prayer.

Story #1 – 15 years old and has a choice to go to a party or a cottage prayer meeting on a cold snowy night. Chooses the latter and is amazed by everyone praying. She feels she should pray out loud during prayer meeting but is scared to death to do it. She finally does it and feels Jesus’ presence in a special way. This teaches her that when you pray out loud with a group you can feel God’s presence in a special way. She understands Matt 18:20 better now.

Story #2 – Now not afraid to pray in public. Goes to a prayer meeting in China and realizes everyone is making little speeches to God, feels like she has to start her prayers in a special way, use lofty language, to top the person that just prayed. She talks about how easy it was for her to get distracted while someone else was praying. She gets a desire to pray in way that is different and more inclusive.

Story #3 – She is praying with a close friend and realizes while her friend is praying that her prayer has already been answered (praying for peace between a lady and her sister-in-law). So, she interrupts her friend’s prayer and says, “We thank you God for already answering that prayer. This lady has already forgiven her sister-in-law”. They both stop after this and a moment of revelation comes. What if they prayed one or two sentences and then stopped to let the other person add something to the prayer? What if they went back and forth for several minutes talking/praying over the same person and/or situation?

All of this leads her to discover conversational prayer. In a nutshell, here are the basics:

The basics to conversational prayer

1. Bring up one person and/or situation at a time.

2. Each person prays two or three sentences only about the particular person and/or situation. Everybody in the group will go back and forth praying only 2-3 sentences.

3. Only move on to next person and/or situation when you feel at rest, or peace, about the person and/or situation. It helps if you have person in the group act as the leader and when there is several seconds of silence the leader thanks God for hearing their prayers and closes in a final word of prayer. When the leader finishes, another individual in the group brings up another person and/or situation to pray for.

It really was a neat thing to be a part of a group that prayed conversationally. You are all involved and in-tune with one another and God’s Spirit. When you finish praying you feel as if you have really prayed thoroughly for the person. It’s an awesome experience! I think this would work for any age group and is also a great teacher of how to pray. If someone struggles praying aloud or in front of people (which most people do), this helps them overcome that fear and learn to pray. It’s easier to say 2-3 sentences of prayer than to pray for 3-5 minutes. I encourage you to buy the book and practice it!

You will be rewarded.

God's presence (part 4)

A big happy Thanksgiving Day to you all! After the meal tomorrow, I’ll be settling in to watch some Lions football. Who knows, we may even get to see the Detroit Lions keep their perfect season (ha!). I hope you enjoy the time with family and friends. We conclude this series on how we can experience God’s presence with the last step, a conversational relationship.

4. A Conversational Relationship
Before Jesus was crucified He told them (15:15 NIV),

I no longer call you servants,
because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends,
for everything that I learned from my Father
I have made known to you.

What does it mean to be a friend of God? What does that involve? The answer leads us to the last way we can experience God’s presence. This is through a conversational relationship. Friends talk to one another; this is how Jesus revealed everything from the Father to His disciples in John 15. Since God is a Person, the question becomes, why wouldn’t He talk with us? Maybe we should ask ourselves if we even believe such a relationship with God is possible? Is it possible to come to a point where we are in a conversation with God and actually hear Him speaking on a regular basis? I think scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, presents an overwhelmingly convincing case that we can.

Example of a Conversation Relationship
One of the best examples of this is Abraham. His life can be read about in Genesis chapters 11 –25. He was called by God to leave his country and go to the land God would show him (12:1-3). God spoke to Abraham and told him he would be a great nation and a blessing to all the other nations (12:2-3). If you glance at Abraham’s life you see a pretty common occurrence, God speaking to him and Abraham speaking back. In fact, it is interesting that the New Testament holds Abraham up as the greatest example of what real faith in God is to look like. It is not Moses, or David, or any of the prophets (major and minor), it is Abraham. Why? Abraham didn’t have the Law, the written Word, or the Temple. So, what did he have? He had a conversational relationship with God. Abraham spoke to God and God spoke to Abraham. They communed on a regular basis with each other.

How?
So, how do we get to the place of having a conversational relationship with God? I think there are a couple of things we can do.
1. We need to learn how to talk with (not at) Him meaningfully. Maybe we start in our prayer life by learning how to pray conversationally. Maybe we pause after requests and listen for Him to answer.
2. We need to learn how to listen to Him and discern His voice. This will come with practice and patience. The longer we walk with Him the better we should be at getting to hear and discern His voice.

The greatest thing about all of this is that the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, the Comforter, is willing to help us. The great chink in the Enemy’s armor is that we were made to live like this. We were made to live in a conversational relationship with God. When I sold auto parts, the parts that were made for the vehicle fit it best. It may have taken some work to get them to fit, but they were made for that.

May you enjoy God and may He enjoy you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

God's presence (part 3)

We continue looking at the different ways in which a person can experience God's presence. This series started, in case I failed to mention it, from examining Psalm 139:7-12. The psalmist asks the questions,

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?"
(Psalm 139:7 NIV)

The third way is the God who acts. Here is a diagram I created to help you see where this fits in with everything.

3. The God Who Acts
This is when God does something, when God intervenes in such a way that is just unexplainable. This is God transforming and changing our reality in ways we could never do. This is seeing His power at work in our world around us.

Example of The God Who Acts
You can get plenty of examples of this if you read through the book of Acts. To narrow things down a little, and be a bit more specific, Acts 16:25-28 is an excellent illustration of what the God who acts experience looks like. You have Paul and Silas, who were thrown into the most secure part of a Roman prison, singing and praying to God (maybe they were singing Psalm 139?). God shows up, an earthquake happens and we have a jailbreak. All the prisoners’ chains become loose enough for escape and all the prison doors fly open. This is God doing something Paul and Silas could never do in their own power. This is just one of the many instances of the God who acts experiences recorded in Acts.

I believe there is another way we can experience God’s presence that is more complete and rich for our spiritual growth (this will be next week's). These three ways that we have just discussed (e.g., blind faith, sensing it, the God who acts) miss the message of Jesus’ farewell discourse in John 15. Here we have Jesus in His last hours talking intimately with His disciples. Before Jesus was crucified He told them (15:15),

I no longer call you servants,
because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends,
for everything that I learned from my Father
I have made known to you.

Your thoughts?

God's presence (part 2)

We continue with the discussion about the different ways we can experience God's presence in our lives. The second way Dallas Willard mentions in his book Hearing God is sensing God's presence.

2. Sensing God’s Presence
Sensing God’s presence is about feeling God is present in a special way. This is the strong impression an individual or groups of people get when they believe God wants them to do something or say something to someone. We had an example of this a few weeks ago in our morning worship service. People felt led, right in the middle of service, to stand and testify about God and they were obedient to that feeling. As a result, the rest of us felt God’s presence in a special way during that service.

Examples of Sensing God’s Presence
Luke gives two beautiful examples of this when he shares the story of Jesus, the young boy, being presented at the Temple. A devout follower, who was patiently awaiting the Messiah, by the name of Simeon was able to sense God’s presence in a special way and recognized Jesus the little boy as the Savior of humankind. Verse 27 in Luke 2 says the Spirit moved Simeon. If Simeon weren’t able to sense God’s presence in his life he would have missed the Son of God.

In the following verses (36-38), we have the prophetess Anna, who lived and worshiped night and day at the Temple. She experienced God’s presence in a special way that allowed her to have an encounter with the Christ-child.

I bet you have stories you have lived or heard of special encounters with God’s presence. I would love to hear them if you care to share!

God's presence (part 1)

Have you ever considered if there are different ways to which we can experience God's presence? I want to begin a 4-part series on the ways in which we can experience His presence. To help us understand the different ways, I want to refer to a philosophy professor and author at USC by the name of Dallas Willard. In his book, Hearing God, he outlines four different ways[1] a person can experience the presence of God. The following is a diagram I put together to give you a visual picture of the four ways we can experience God with us. For this first week, we will discuss blind faith.


1. Blind Faith
The first way mentioned by Dallas is what he calls “blind” faith. I find this to be the essence of Hebrews 11:1,

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.

This faith is about believing despite not seeing or feeling God’s presence. We just have this confidence and trust in God’s presence.

Example of Blind Faith
There is a great example of this in the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter 3 tells the story of the three brothers (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) who exemplified this way of experiencing God’s presence on their way to the fiery furnace. They were on their way to being martyred for not bowing down to an idol. They believed in God even if they didn’t feel or sense His presence. They believed in God even if He didn’t step in and save them. This is the essence of verses 17-18,

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,
the God we serve is able to save us from it,
and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.
But even if he does not, we want you to know,
O king, that we will not serve your gods or
worship the image of gold you have set up.

This is a legitimate way to experience God’s presence, but I believe our hearts will be restless if we stop here. If you really believe we are made for a relationship with God, then there has to be more to the relationship than just an intellectual belief that God is with us. I believe my wife loves me, but if that was all I had to go on, if she never said anything or showed her love for me, or if I didn’t feel her love for me, or talk with her regularly, I think I would start to get the impression that I was getting short-handed in our relationship. Is it any different with God?

Why we need more than just blind faith
The relationships we long for are a direct result of being made in His image and likeness. We serve a God who is three Persons, but at the same time one God. There is something in each individual Person of the Trinity that cannot be found in the other. There is something in the Son that is not in the Father or Spirit. There is something in the Spirit that is not in the Father or Son. There is something in the Father that is not in the Spirit or Son. God’s completeness is in the fact that all three Persons live in relationship with each other. We serve a God who finds His completion in relationship with others. He had made us in His image (Gen 1:26,27).

I find it interesting that Jesus, when forced to go on blind faith alone because He couldn’t feel or sense God’s presence while hanging on the cross, cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” For Jesus, blind faith was not enough. His relationship with God needed more. This leads us to the next way we can experience God’s presence in which we will talk about in 2 weeks. I'm taking next week off for a pastor's retreat.

[1] Dallas Willard, Hearing God, (Downers Grove, IL. IVP), pp. 46-52.

The Good God

Remember the classic chorus God is So Good?

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He’s so good to me!

Why sing it?
This song helps us understand some of the dynamics of life within God’s kingdom. In order to have a kingdom you obviously have to have a king. Our King, the One in charge and ruling over us, is that good King we sing about in God is So Good. I love the response of Mr. Beaver in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when the children ask him if the Lion (Aslan, which represents Christ) is safe. Mr. Beaver tells the children, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.” How do we know He is good? Because He has revealed it to us through revelation. We have general revelation (e.g., the order of nature) which points toward a Creator and we also have special revelation (e.g., the Word and Jesus).

Through revelation we come to know Him. Through revelation the psalmist of Psalm 139 came to know God. How do we know that? You can tell there is a personal relationship between the two by the vocabulary used in this Psalm (e.g., You have searched me and you know me (v.1), always there for me (vv.7-12), intimately involved in my life (vv.13-18), I’m loyal toYou (19-24), and I offer myself up to You (vv.23-24)). The fruit of this relationship is that the psalmist’s eyes are open to the kingdom of God. His eyes are open to the unseen world.

Change I can believe in!

No, this isn’t a post about Obama’s campaign slogan. You hear and see enough of that these days that you’ll probably think something is wrong when the yard signs and TV ads come to an end in November. No, this is a post about facing change and believing in it. I don’t normally like to write too much in regards to personal matters, but I decided to face a fear and do something a little different. Anyways, getting a story out in the open can be therapeutic, you know?

My wife and I found out recently that our daughter is far-sighted (means she can’t see things up close). She is one and half years old and now has to wear glasses. Initially, I was bothered by the whole thing. I was irritated, even a little angry at God, over this. I was asking under my breath, “Why should a kid so young have to wear glasses?”, or “There’s no way she’ll keep those things on!”

It was change. Change I didn’t like. Change I didn’t want to like.

Seeing her in glasses for the first time was challenging. They changed her whole appearance. She wasn’t the same looking little girl I was used to looking at. Feelings of unfairness and frustration boiled to the top. This was such an injustice. To top it off, we had to hold our daughter down, and force the glasses onto her tiny head; all the while she screamed and cried. It was just too much. Before I knew it, I was praying Psalm 143,

O LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
(Psalm 143:1 NIV)

If only God would touch her and heal her so she wouldn’t have to wear glasses anymore. That was my idea of how God could hear my prayer and come to my relief. Somehow God was able to help me see the bigger picture. This was about helping my daughter live a better life. God is not going to heal her, not that He can’t or won’t, but that is not the change He is bringing about in all of this. Actually, now that I think about it, in a way God did heal her by giving her glasses. She can see now. Apparently she can see pretty well too with them on, because she is now to the point where she lets us put the glasses on her. She has also been looking in between her toes for toe jam. I guess she can see that now and wants to take care of it herself. The glasses are working and I believe in them. The glasses did change her appearance, but for the better. She’s a cutie!

The glasses also changed me. They unmasked selfishness in my prayers and behavior, which led to the discovery of selfishness in my heart. This led to me praying verse 2 of Psalm 143,

Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
(Psalm 143:2 NIV)

For young men only

Attention guys! Your guidebook to the thinking of the opposite sex is here. For Young Men Only by Jeff Feldhahn & Eric Rice is a book explaining what girls really think about men. This book is geared towards teenagers, but older men would benefit from reading it too. The book tackles the question of what women think about relationships and guys. More than 1,000 young women were surveyed for this book. The answers will certainly surprise you young men out there.

Here are several things guys think about girl’s thinking and how girls actually think.

Section 1: Abercrombie Boy vs. Our Hero, Average Joe

- Guy’s thinking: The best girls always go for guys who are rich and ripped.
- Girl’s thinking: A girl is most attracted to a guy’s hidden qualities.

Section 2: Why Good Girls Like Bad Boys
- Guy’s thinking: Girls have this weird attraction to “bad guys” who come on strong, then usually treat them like junk.

- Girl’s thinking: A girl is secretly afraid she’s not special or attractive, so she’ll be drawn to a guy who affirms her by pursuing her.

Section 3: When Girls Stop Making Sense

- Guy’s thinking: When girls get emotional and irrational, guys are out of luck. There’s nothing a guy can do but run.
- Girl’s thinking: When a girl gets emotional, she’s probably not irrational – and there’s a lot a guy can do.

Section 4: Breaking Up, Breaking You

- Guy’s thinking: Girlfriends are heartless. When they want to break up, they send confusing messages, then dump the guy with no warning.
- Girl’s thinking: Some girlfriends are heartless, sure, but mostly guys are clueless. Once you learn to read the signs, you can protect your heart – and maybe even win her back.

What do you think guys? Girls? Is this accurate in describing how guys think and how far it is from the truth?

Guys, I recommend getting a copy of For Young Men Only and sitting down and preparing for a shocker! This book has potential to save you from a lot of future hurt and embarrassment if you read it. The book is certainly easy to read and short (about 160 pages). There is even a conversational guide in the back you could use with a small group of guys for discussion. You could even ask your youth pastor to do some lessons on it for the rest of your buddies. This could get a good conversation going about dating and relationships. I see this book only helping anyone who reads it.

If you want to learn more about this book here is the website: www.foryoungmenonly.com

What is the church? (part 2)

Analysis
The book was very tightly organized and flowed well from thought to thought. Jim did an excellent job of keeping the information (there was a lot) organized and rooted to his thesis (God’s people are in the world to bear witness to Christ by living among and serving unbelievers. This ministry depends upon every believer using whatever God has gifted them with to serve Him by serving others). Jim attempts to show the ways in which the church has veered off track from its original mission. He points to the Early Church Fathers as the starting point for the downward spiral. He blames them for the separation between clergy and laity and describes it as unbiblical. He did a good job of following and showing the paradigm shift from the New Testament Church to the Catholic Church. What he revealed was eye opening to my thinking about the church and its purpose.

I’m not sure I agree totally with his idea (maybe I misinterpreted what he was trying to say) that it was the Church Father who created the separation between clergy and laity. In the Old Testament priests were established by God to teach the people and offer sacrifices on their behalf before God. God even selected priests to minister in the tent of meeting. So, isn’t there already a separation created between laity and clergy? This was not a job everyone could do. How does Jim reconcile this to what he is trying to say? Maybe he was talking more about the transfer of responsibility (from everyone participating to just the priest) instead of the actual office of a priest, elder, or deacon. I was a bit unsure of where exactly he was going with his idea. What would our churches look like today if that were implemented? I connected some of what he was saying to what he said about traditionalism in the Jewish culture. He addressed the Gentile Christians coming to faith in Christ in Acts and how they Early Church handled that by dropping some of their traditions to not make things harder for the Gentile believers. They had to exclude some of their Jewish traditions (e.g., circumcision) to welcome the Gentiles into the family of God.

Another issue I felt could have been more elaborated on was discipleship (the church building up believers and turning them into disciples of Jesus). He talked about going to unbelievers and if necessary making living rooms, offices, and homes our church, but how would discipleship take place in that context and what would it look like? Was this intended to be included in reaching out to the lost? I thought he could have been a little more specific in what discipleship in that context would look like (maybe that’s another book of his?). To me, the New Testament is clear about hierarchal structure in the church (elders and deacons). What would that look like in a church without walls? Is it even possible?

What is the church?

The following is a brief overview/summary of a book called Church Without Walls. The book was somewhat inspiring and thoughtful on what the church is and its mission.


Summary
In Church Without Walls Jim Petersen challenges the major concept of what we believe to be the church. He begins by addressing the current state of the church here in America and the current state of the culture around us. He addresses the church’s function and questions if the church is doing what it should be doing (reaching out to the lost). This is where the thesis of the book is developed. He states that God’s people are in the world to bear witness to Christ by living among and serving unbelievers. This ministry depends upon every believer using whatever God has gifted them with to serve Him by serving others. Has the church accomplished this throughout its lifespan and is it accomplishing this now?

Tracing the church through history we see where it veered off track. Jim points out that the early church Fathers established the church as an institution, which gave the church power, which lasted through the Middle Ages. There was also the creating of a rift between clergy and laity. The church became a haven for saints and people were expected to submit to its authority and want to come to it. The lost were forsaken. As the church moved through the Reformation a push to reform the church was initiated. This broke the unity of the Roman Catholic Church and began the process of different denominations (never intended by the reformers). The idea of church was a place where God’s people gathered to hear the Word preached and sacraments administered. This belief of what the church is stuck with the Puritans as they pulled away from the Church of England to move to America to live Christianity out the way they thought it should be lived out. Their focus was on the sermon and the preacher.

Much of what we do in church today is a result of thousands of years of tradition. Jim points out the dangers in sticking to form when it has lost its function. He addresses through his thesis that the church should be without walls and intentionally ministering to the lost where they are. He would like to break with the traditionalism of our past and move the church forward by looking back at the New Testament Church. He suggests we do this patiently and not fall into the business model mindset of what church is today. He wants us to reach out while at the same time holding on to our heritage. He wants us to preserve our traditions without falling under their control. He asks the church to adapt to unbelievers but not to adopt their beliefs and value system. He asks us to be a church without walls.

I'll return next week with an analysis (including a critique and some things I like) of this book.

Funny stuff!

I thought I would go to the lighter side of things with a little humor today. My brother-in-law sent me a hilarious video this week and I just have to share it with you all.

Click here to see Sonseed rock the house!


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Helping the lost

Chapter 4 of James Dunn’s book Jesus’ Call to Discipleship tackles Jesus’ ministry to sinners. The Jews defined a sinner as one who disregards or breaks the law. Dunn points out how important the law was (and still is) for Jews. It was what made them who they were; it gave them their identity as a Nation. The law helped them understand how God expected them to live. The Jews, being God’s chosen people, could live as God’s people by obedience to the law. However, the law transpired into outward dos and don’ts. Because of this, the law became all about externals (e.g., what you do and don’t do), which caused a lot of people to fall into the classification of sinners.

When Jesus emerged on the scene He treated sinners differently. He talked to them, touched them, and even ate a meal with them (which was a big deal to the Pharisees and their tradition). When you read through the Gospels it seems as if Jesus actually enjoyed their company and fellowship. He did this because of His love for the lost and hurting. He stirred up a lot of opposition because of the time He spent with such disgusting people, but He had to reveal the heart of God. The heart of God loves, and even likes, people.

I was challenged in how I spend my time and whom I spend my time with. If Jesus found it so important to be with the lost, shouldn’t I? It amazed me how uneasy the religious people of Jesus’ day were with Him spending so much time with sinners. Why were they so upset about this? What did they believe about God and who He was/is to make them so upset? Didn’t they have a bigger picture of God and His kingdom from their forefathers? Shouldn’t have God’s people known better? I guess tradition can be an easy distraction to serving and reaching the lost. Do we have any traditions that barricade us from helping a lost person find true hope? If so, how do we break free?

Are we Dunn yet?

Continuing with Dunn's questions...

What does it mean to speak of God as “God of the poor,” or as biased to the poor? What responsibility toward the poor do the Bible and the Gospel lay upon the well-to-do?

...Answer: God went to the poor because He despises the proud, but give grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:4, James 4:6). In Jesus’ day, wealth and pride seem to be a happily married couple. If you were wealthy you could be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Not much different from today. This caused the wealthy to turn to themselves and their wealthy friends and neglect the poor and hurting.

...The poor were sometimes left on the streets to beg for food and money, or they were thrown out of the towns and left to fend for themselves. Jesus took His message to the poor and oppressed to show the rich that all people matter to God. He believed this because He believed all people were made in God’s image and likeness. The actions of the wealthy go against God’s plan.

...In the Old Testament, God asks the Israelites to take care of the poor and oppressed. Jesus tells his disciples that when they do any act of kindness to the poor or oppressed, they do it unto Him (Matt 25:36). Jesus did not advocate a prosperity Gospel, but a Gospel that changed peoples’ lives from the inside out, making them wealthier than the wealthiest person on earth. So, in a way, I guess you could argue that He did promote a prosperity Gospel of a life filled with Him and His love.

We continue on with the questions from Dunn's book.

How would you define “poverty” as spoken of in the Bible? Is it possible to be both rich and “poor”? What are the dangers of being “poor,” and the dangers of wealth? What relation has material well-being to “salvation”?

...Answer: I define poverty, as spoken of in the Bible, as not having an abundance of money (just enough to get by) or not having any money at all. I guess this could also relate to not having food and other essentials too. It is possible to be both rich and poor. One could be rich in material possessions but poor in spiritual things in that they have no relationship with God.

Material well-being has nothing to do with salvation. To say that it does ostracizes all poor people from God’s grace. Believing this would cause us to look at all poor people as “out of favor” with God. This is not true and a distortion of what it means to be rich in God. If God wanted to, He could bless us with material things (like He did with Job after he had been tested), but it has nothing to do with the salvation He offers. Millions of disciples have accepted God’s salvation with no blessing of material wealth. Does this mean they are not saved? By no means, it just means that wealth and salvation have no relation.

The danger of wealth is that it can cause us to rely totally upon money and ourselves. We begin trusting the material security money brings (e.g., a home, cars, food, friends, and no debt) and lose interest in the things of God and lack genuine trust in Him. Being poor also has certain dangers. It too, can cause one to doubt God’s provisions (for the opposite reason of the wealthy) and lead to sin.

The Olympics: Teacher of the kingdom of God

We continue on in discussing questions about the kingdom of God from Dunn's book Jesus' Call to Discipleship.

What meaning has talk of “the Kingdom of God” today? Is there an alternative image or concept which would be more meaningful to people living in the twenty first century?

Answer: The Olympics going on right now in Beijing China give incredible insight into our understanding of the kingdom of God. This event can also give us something to talk about in terms of kingdoms and what they mean. One thing apparent throughout this worldwide event is that every person belongs to a nation, country, and/or state (= a kingdom). No matter where a person is from or who they are, they belong to some type of kingdom with visible boundaries and ruling authorities. This is one of God’s brilliant built in teaching devices He uses to teach us about His kingdom. We all belong to earthly kingdoms; He invites us to join and be a part of His otherworldly kingdom. His kingdom has boundaries and ruling authorities too. However, His kingdom is not of this world, so it is quite different from our earthly kingdoms. Earthly kingdoms are fully present and established. His kingdom is present while at the same time not fully here. So much to think about with this. As you watch the Olympics unfold, as you cheer for your home country, remember His kingdom is all around you and that you belong to something bigger.

Your kingdom come!

Nothing captures my attention as much as Jesus' talk about the kingdom of God. What does He mean? What is the kingdom of God? So many questions swirl in my head. James D. G. Dunn, a New Testament scholar, wrote a great little book about Jesus and the kingdom of God. At the end of each chapter he asks questions and I have tried to answer them with what little I know.

In what sense can we say that “the Kingdom of God” was present or active in Jesus’ ministry? What are Christians praying for when they say the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Thy Kingdom come’?

… Answer: The Kingdom was present in Jesus’ ministry in the ways He interacted with people. He met the needs of the people through His intimate interaction with them. He touched and blessed the people, even the poor and oppressed. He brought the Kingdom of God to them ina physical way. He also taught about the kingdom in parables that made what He had said easy to remember. He was always seeking to transform the heart through the mind. Jesus also exemplified what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. He displayed to us the type of life we could have in God’s Kingdom. He showed us what it means to be ruled by God, to submit to Him, love others, and live in constant fellowship with our Creator. We also catch glimpses of another world, different from ours, in how Jesus walked on water, became transformed on the mountain, and resurrected from the dead.

… When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are asking for God’s rule to come in our own lives. We want God to rule our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We also want to bring His Kingdom to others we come into contact with. We want them to see what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. We want them to want to join us in this Kingdom by the quality of life we live among them.

Any thoughts? It's always good to talk about this stuff!

Moped Update

I bought the bad boy back at the beginning of May and have filled it up only three times since. I see that envy! I’ve been driving it for 3 months straight and have spent $18 in gas so far. What do you think about those apples? Not so dorky anymore am I? I’ve gotten over the dork factor for the most part. There was this one incident where some guy looked at me and literally laughed out loud as I was driving by. Maybe he was laughing at a political add on the radio?

I’ve put about 350 miles on it and have averaged 75 mpg, maybe a little more. One thing I’ve noticed is that there are a lot more mopeds zooming around Bluffton. I know they can’t all be people who have a DUI. That makes me feel a little better. I’ve even got a few moped buddies I wave to now and again. On a slightly different note, I’ve ran out of gas twice now while driving. Luckily, I was only about a mile from the gas station. Walking is good exercise too! I do have a gas gauge, but have a hard time telling exactly where the empty line is.

Well, that’s the moped update.

iBread 1.8

“God’s Word is food for the mind.”
Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
Take a moment and read slowly the story of Genesis 32:22-32.

Table Talk
- Who is Jacob wrestling with in this story?

- Who does Hosea say Jacob wrestled with in Hosea 12:4?

- How does Hosea describe the outcome of Jacob's wrestling match?
- What does it mean that the man could not overpower Jacob?
- Is this a good thing for Jacob?
- What is Jacob seeking from the man?
- Why is that important?
- What does that man give Jacob in verse 28?
- Why is this important for Jacob?
- Do you wrestle in understanding the point to this story?
- Is it a good or bad thing to wrestle with what a story in the Bible means?

I can't hear you God!

I’m halfway through Hearing God by Dallas Willard. The book was written to help followers of Jesus Christ develop a conversational relationship with God. Willard believes we were designed to live in a conversational relationship with God that includes, “speaking and being spoken to” (p.18). I love this book! This is a classic! I can’t recommend it enough. The tree used to make this book has been redeemed. I keep thinking, if only I would have stumbled upon this book while in high school.

One of the things that immediately grabbed my attention in this book was Willard’s statement, “Only our communion with God provides the appropriate context for communications between us and him” (pg 33). What is he saying here? We can’t spend a week working, watching TV, mowing the lawn, playing with the kids, talking to the spouse, eating, sleeping, and doing whatever else we might do in a week and expect to hear from God. We must consciously choose to spend time with Him (just like we do with our families). We must get alone and be with Him. Out of this being with Him we learn to hear Him and come to know His voice. This is what led the psalmists of our Bible to write such intimate and personal prayers and praises to Yahweh. They spent time with Him. They knew Him. One psalmist declares, “Yahweh, you have searched me and you know me.” (Psalm 139:1 NIV)

Have you been with Him?

iBread 1.7

“God’s Word is food for the mind.” - Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
Take a moment and chew on 1 Chronicles 10:13-14. Read the passage three times through very slowly. Try reading several different translations of this passage.

Table Talk
- Where does Saul turn for guidance?
- Why is this a problem?
- What was Saul trying to force according to verse 13?
- Do you think people today try and force God’s guidance? If so, how?
- How can we make sure we are not forcing God’s guidance?
- What are some things a disciple of Jesus could do each day to be correctly guided by God?

The Witch of Endor (part 2)

If you have an NIV Study Bible, which is a great resource and study tool to have on hand (I keep one on my desk), here is how it attempts to make sense of the events in 1 Samuel. The study notes spell out three possible explanations for the events of Saul’s encounter with the dead Samuel:
- God allowed Samuel’s spirit to be brought up by the woman.
- An evil spirit, pretending to be Samuel, possessed the witch. The problem with this interpretation? You can’t back it up with this passage or the rest of the Bible. There isn’t one instance in this passage or elsewhere in the Bible that would suggest Samuel’s spirit is actually an evil spirit. The only passage that has anything to do with 1 Samuel 28 is 1 Chronicles 10:13-14.
- The woman was able to read Saul’s mind and then pretend to be Samuel to him. The problem? Again, this passage makes it clear that Samuel, or Samuel’s spirit, is the one speaking to Saul.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary acknowledges the fact that there is a wide range of different views on Saul’s encounter with the dead Samuel. This commentary reveals that two of the possible explanations given in the NIV Study Bible (the last two mentioned above) for the event of Saul talking to Samuel, come to us via the early church fathers. They had a hard time believing a medium could call up a righteous man like Samuel from the dead, and so came up with the idea that Samuel’s spirit was really a demon in disguise. Origen and Gregory of Nazianzus seem to be the only church fathers at peace with a literal reading and understanding of this text. The author of this commentary, Ronald Youngblood, goes with Gregory of Nazianzus in the assertion that Samuel was literally raised or brought back from the dead by a medium. This seems to be the best way to read and understand this passage. Are we ok with reading and understanding it like this?

Any thoughts?

Colbert's Curiosity

Hey, sorry to forsake you. Had a week of campmeeting, District Assembly, and then Jr. High Camp. I'll be back Thurs for more on the Witch of Endor.

Until then, I found a video of N.T. Wright on the Colbert Report that is pretty interesting. I was kind of surprised to see him on a Comedy Central show! I've mentioned before, but this guy (N.T. or Tom) is a great spokesman for Christianity and really connects to the 20 somethings. His books are worth checking out!

Hope you enjoy this interview.

N.T. Wright on The Colbert Report

The Witch of Endor

This post may take a couple of weeks to get through.

There is a very peculiar story in the Old Testament that caught my attention the other day (probably because it sounded like something out of Lord of the Rings). I have been reading through 1 Samuel, about Saul and David, and came upon Saul’s visit to a medium/necromancer/Witch of Endor (NIV). The story is in chapter 28 of 1 Samuel.

Summary
Basically, Saul hasn’t heard from the LORD in a while and is terrified because he is about to go to war with the Philistines. Saul, out of fear (see 28:5), goes to drastic measures to hear from his former prophet and friend, Samuel (who is dead, v.3). What does Saul do? He goes and visits a medium/or witch and has her summon up Samuel from the dead. Surprisingly, she does! Samuel appears (he comes up out of the ground, v.13) and enters into a conversation with Saul (vv.15-19). How do we explain such a story? There’s no such thing as ghosts right?

There is nothing in this text (or elsewhere in the Bible) to suggest that Saul is speaking to a demon or angel, that this is all just a vision/dream, or that the women is possessed by a spirit and the spirit is speaking through her. Saul is really conversing with a dead person. Samuel, slightly irritated (?), even asks Saul why he has bothered him (v.15). This story real and it is recorded in one of the historical books of the Bible. I’ll be back next week to discuss some implications this story has for us today. In the meantime, this is definitely a story well worth reading and studying. I would love to hear what you find. I put a link in below to some excellent commentaries/reference works on this passage if any of you feel like diving head first into this.

Excellent commentaries/reference works on 1 Samuel and the Witch of Endor:
NIV Application Commentary, Bill T. Arnold (personal fav!)
New International Commentary (OT), David Tsumura
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (very handy resource)
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Ronald F. Youngblood
Cults of the Dead in Ancient Israel and Ugarit, Theordore J. Lewis

iBread 1.6

“God’s Word is food for the mind.” - Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
Take a moment and feast upon James 1:2-4. Read the passage three times through very slowly.

Table Talk
- Why does James tell us to consider it pure joy when we face tough times?
- Do you think James speaks from personal experience?
- What is God’s role in all of this? What does He do?
- Can you think of how a tough time shaped you into a better person?

Going green (but not very fast!)

Well, I am now the proud owner of a 49cc moped/scooter. This is what I’m doing to cut down on gas costs for the summer. I live only 1.5 miles from work and this will get me back and forth pretty easily. I can also make some small in town runs. Here are some things (good and bad) to consider if you are thinking of buying one of these bad boys:

1. Huge gas savings! I’m working on trying to figure out exactly how much I get, but you can usually get between 70-90 mpg. I only have a 1.5-gallon gas tank. I’m hoping to fill up every 2-3 weeks, maybe a month?

2. Dork factor. There’s no getting around it, you look like a dork on a moped if you are over the age of 17. How do you improve this? Get a helmet with a full-face tinted shield (this way nobody can see you).

3. Helmet. You need to invest in a good helmet. Even though you aren’t going real fast, serious injuries can still happen.

4. Speed. I’ve had the bad boy up to 41 mph going downhill. Normally I run at 30-35 mph. You can’t go real fast on these things. I live in town, so I don’t really need to go over 35 mph. If you need to go faster, buy a motorcycle.

5. Weather. You don’t really want to be riding these things in a storm.

If you are thinking of fighting the gas war this summer a moped is a great weapon to use to do that. Who knows, maybe if more people start riding them, the dork factor will drop a bit (yeah right!).

We read a book in class this last semester entitled The Equipping Pastor by R. Paul Stevens and Phil Collins (not the singer). The book focused on applying systems theory to a church. Systems theory is normally used in family therapy. It focuses on bringing healing to the whole family when problems arise in one person. Why? "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts." (intro, p. xvii). So, I thought I would share a little about why systems theory could benefit the church.

Why is an understanding of “system’s theory” central to the dynamics of how people in a church become mature and productive ministers?

Systems theory is at the core of faith development and productivity in the church because it places the emphasis on the process of the church becoming One Body (Romans 12:5) and sees the whole (the One Body) as more important than the individual parts. Like exercise, systems theory seeks to improve the health of individual parts by improving the health of the whole. Systems theory sees the role of a pastor as an equipper. He or she equips the members of the Body to perform the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). More can be accomplished when the Body reaches out as a whole than when one part tries to go at ministry alone. In order for the church to distance itself from this type of Western individualism, the church must reclaim the interdependence needed for a healthy Body. Systems theory seeks to do just that.

Systems theory focuses on the interdependence among members of the One Body to each other and to God. As a result, relationships are at center stage in systems theory. Three essential components, each related to relationships, are given in chapter one as being parts to a healthy system; wholeness, synergy, and isomorphism (p. 4). The first is wholeness; the idea that the Body is made whole when the distinct parts come together. The second component is synergy. Synergy is the power attained when the different parts work tunefully together. The third is isomorphism. This is about sharing something in common (e.g., vision, mission, purpose); much like the koinonia (fellowship) the early Christians shared after Christ’s resurrection (Acts 2:42). When these components come together in a healthy way, they have the potential to create a vibrant and healthy church.

Your thoughts on systems theory?

Heaven

This was a great news story about life after death that ran on ABC Nightly News. N.T. (Tom) Wright, the man being interviewed, is a highly respectable New Testament scholar and theologian for postmoderns.

I thought you might enjoy this video (click the link below).

ABC NIGHTLY NEWS STORY


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iBread 1.5

“God’s Word is food for the mind.” - Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
As we move toward Pentecost Sunday, I hope you can find some time to enjoy the blessings of God's Spirit. Take a moment and feast upon James 1:1. Read these passages very slowly and at least three times.

Table Talk
How does James describe himself in this verse?
Why does he describe himself in this way? What does this tell us about him?
What does that tell us about his relationship with God?
What is your identity?
How do you identify/describe yourself?
How important is identity to you and why?
Where does a person find identity?

iBread 1.4

“God’s Word is food for the mind.” - Cyril of Alexandria

The Meal
Take a moment and feast upon 1 Corinthians 10:13, 23, 31-32. Read these passages very slowly and at least three times.

Table Talk
- What is the point of each of the passages?
- How do they relate to peer pressure?
- How does God help us in times of temptation or peer pressure?
- How could these verses help you when you are being pressured to do something you don’t want to do?

- Which verse will you commit to memory?