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Archive for the ‘Community’ Category

Follow the Leader

Posted in Community, Formation, Leadership on January 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »

As  a minister, it is not uncommon for a children’s class to do some project to show their appreciation for the church staff.  Several years ago, one of our children’s classes did just that.  They made book marks from regular copy paper.  On the paper they wrote a verse and included some artwork along with a three word reminder.

It still hangs above my desk on my bulletin board.  The verse comes from Hebrews 13:7 and says, “Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you.  As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.”  Below the verse is a hand-drawn cross and the symbol of the fish.  Then below the multi-colored artwork is this phrase, “Follow the Leader.”

What a humbling reminder that children (adults as well) are watching what I do and how I live as a model for their own faith.  Knowing myself as I do, at times I want to say, “Don’t look to me.”  But I know that God planned the Christian community this way – to learn from and lean on one another.  I also realize that as a minister, for better or worse, I am more in the spot light than many.  So I am tremendously humbled.

But as I think about this reality today, I also know that who I want people to see in me is Jesus.  So while the children who made this bookmark for me were telling me that they are watching me so as to imitate my faith, I must always be watching Jesus to be able to imitate him.

Who are you watching today?

Follow the Leader!

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Jesus Isn’t Looking for Converts

Posted in Community, Formation, Motivational on January 20, 2010| 2 Comments »

Tonight I am beginning a study on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.  We are going to look at several things over the next few weeks on Wednesday nights dealing with discipleship.  As I have been reading and preparing for this first session, something very startling has become very clear to me.  2000 years ago, Jesus was not looking for converts.  Jesus isn’t looking for converts today either.

The majority of those who proclaim to be believers stop short of what Jesus is really looking for in a follower.  Jesus’ ministry was centered around a group of 12 people.  Obviously he touched many thousands of people during his short 3 years on earth, but his most devoted followers were few – but that was just fine.  In fact, Jesus designed it that way.

You see, for Jesus’ mission to be carried out, he needed fully committed, passionate and disciplined followers.  Nominal followers would not have carried out his mission once he was gone.  He needed people he could entrust with the very plan of God.

Today is no different.  Jesus is not looking for mere converts.  Jesus is looking for committed, passionate and disciplined people to carry out his mission – people who are so focused on following and serving Jesus that nothing else will do.

Are you that person today?  Did you ever have that passion – that drive?  What happened?

If you are in the Levelland vicinity, stop by First Baptist Church tonight at 6:00 and join the conversation.

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Terrifying Change

Posted in Church, Community, Grace on January 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Do new ideas make you nervous?  How about the thought of change?

Now before you get pious and think, “I am ready for change – the church needs to change;” let me suggest to you that all of us resist change.  Change is not an issue as long as the change does not touch on areas that are dear to us.  All of us have levels of comfortability and as long as the change is not encroaching on that untouchable area of comfort then we are fine.

The problem is, each one of us has a different threshold when it comes to change.  You might say, “We should be more inclusive in our church,” and be completely honest in your suggestion.  But what if a woman convicted of indecency with a child wants to join the fellowship – and teach Sunday School?

Granted, that is an explosive topic and would present many varied issues, but I throw that example out to get us to think about the ramifications of change.

Matthew 2:3-4 speaks of the fear of change.  You can read here that Herod and all of Jerusalem were frightened when they heard that God was coming to Earth.  Herod was the leader of the Jews and Jerusalem was the center of Judaism.  Now why would the religious leaders of the time be frightened at this news?

When it comes to religion, change is difficult.  We don’t like it when God wants to move us into the unknown.

I ran across this prayer from Eugene Peterson this morning and want you to think about it today and pray it if you can:

Prevent, O God, the Herodian spirit from filtering into my life: the spirit that uses religion to protect itself, and jealous of any hint of rivalry, responds to your Spirit only with suspicious fear.  Amen.

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Christmas Can Bring Pain

Posted in Community, Family, Hope on December 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Christmas time brings a lot of joy – not only from the meaning of Christmas but also from everything else that comes with it, the food, the gifts and friends and family gathering together.  It is a fun time of year.

But today I have a burden and I want to share it with you.  While this time of year brings joy – for many, it also brings sadness and grief.  For those who have lost a spouse or child or parent  this year, along with the Christmas joy comes a sense of loss and mourning.  This is especially difficult the first Christmas after the loss.

If you are one of those who is living this experience, take heart.  God loves you and you will endure.  Allow yourself to remember and grieve, but also surround yourself with family and friends you love and simply rest.

For those of us who know friends and family who have lost loved ones this year I offer us a challenge:  Go out of your way this Christmas to let them know you love them and that you are here for them.  God calls us to laugh when our brothers and sisters in Christ are laughing and cry when they are crying.  Live that out this Christmas season.

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Counter-Culturally Relevant

Posted in Church, Community, Missions on December 22, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Yesterday, the topic of discussion was centered around the attitude we have toward reaching people with God’s message of love and hope.  Today, I want to pick up the discussion with our attitude toward how we go about reaching people.

One of the catch phrases today is “culturally relevant.”  I must admit, I am a big proponent of a church being culturally relevant in the sense that church needs to meet people where they are and be able to meet relevant, real life, real time issues we all face on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, all too often, in an attempt to be culturally relevant, churches focus their attention on superficial things trying to appeal to those outside the church.  What can happen is a move to entertainment as opposed to worship.  I have touched on this issue before – you can read that post here.

When we look at the life and ministry of Jesus we find that much of what he did was counter-cultural.  He came and taught us to love our enemies, not try and hurt them.  He taught that we should live humbly, putting others’ interests before our own, not to live seeking to get ahead.  He taught not that seeing is believing but rather that believing should be enough.  The things Jesus taught and modeled did not fit the culture of his day – nor the culture our today either.

So what do we do with this?  Is striving to be culturally relevant important?  Or should we work at being counter cultural?  Do you see the tension?

I think we need both.  The age-old task of the church has always been to take timeless, counter-cultural truth and present it to current generations in relevant ways and with relevant, meaningful application.

The key is to present the Gospel message without losing the message of the Gospel.

So how will you be counter-culturally relevant today?

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Take It To Them or Stick It To Them

Posted in Community, Formation, Missions on December 21, 2009| 1 Comment »

There is always big talk in church circles about being culturally relevant.  The question normally surfaces at some point in the conversation (in some form or other), “Why would people come to XYZ Church if it is not appealing?”  Regrettably, many churches have become more of a production than a worship service.

I want to talk more about that issue tomorrow.  But for today, I want us to think about something more foundational than this issue.  And it has everything to do with this current season – the season of Advent – Christmas.

We must never forget that God chose to strip away all glory and majesty, and enter into this world as a lowly peasant.  Entering with no triumphal entry or big parade, but rather quietly in the backstreets of a little town, in a relatively insignificant country.

The model that has been given to us is that we should take the message of the Good News to the people.  It may be uncomfortable.  It may cost us something.  But we are tasked with sharing the Good News of God’s love  by taking it to them where people live.

However, through the years we have adopted a different mentality – we want people to come to us, take up our likes and dislikes, become like us so that they can receive the Good News.  In other words, we have taken the position that our comfort and our security is more important than telling the world that God wants a relationship with them.

Here is my question for you to ponder today, and I would love to hear your feedback:  Do you have a “take it to them” attitude or a “stick it to them” attitude?

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Christmas Shopping

Posted in Community on December 18, 2009| 1 Comment »

It is that time of year.  Do you have all your shopping done?  Me either!

In fact, Kristi and I are both off today and are going to try and get all of our shopping done today.  I will have to let you know how that goes.

I am really excited about spending the day with my lovely bride – just the two of us.  But I am not looking forward to shopping.  I am a commando shopper and Kristi is a browser.  I want to get in and get out with just what is on the list – Kristi doesn’t normally take that approach.

At any rate, all of this has caused me to think a bit about Christmas today.  What if we spent the resources; time, energy and money that we use on shopping and making sure we are going to have a Christmas to remember, what if we focused our resources on helping others?

I am not saying we should not celebrate Christmas – I am just asking the question.  Let me know what you think.

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Love Is My Name

Posted in Community, Formation, Hope on December 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »

I have mentioned this before but one of my favorite spiritual thinkers and authors is Thomas Merton.  I was reading some of his work this morning and was overcome by this passage:

To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love.  Love is my true identity.  Selflessness is my true self.  Love is my true character.  Love is my name.

If, therefore, I do anything or think anything or say anything or know anything that is not purely for the love of God, it cannot give me peace, or rest, or fulfillment, or joy.

To find love I must enter into the sanctuary where it is hidden, which is the mystery of God.

The book of Genesis tells us that we are all made in the image of God.  But have you thought about the fact that because we are all created in God’s image, that we are created for the purpose of love?  Love for God displayed in how we live, worship and relate to one another?

This short little passage dumbfounded me this morning.  All of life can be boiled down to one word – love.

In this season of the year, (or any season for that matter), don’t let a day go by in which you do not live out the reason for your existence.

Love fully today!

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God Desires Unity

Posted in Church, Community, Leadership on December 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »

God loves you – God desperately wants a relationship with you – so much so that God became a man and lived among people in order to build that relationship.  None of this is new news really.  All of us have heard the Christmas story most likely.

But have you ever come to grips with the truth that just as God wants a relationship with you and with me, God wants each of us to have a relationship with one another!  I don’t know about you, but that causes me to pause.  The thought that our relationships with each other are just as important to God as our individual relationships with the Almighty.

John 17:20-23 tells us that Jesus prayed that we would be one as he and God are one.  Why?  So that the rest of the world would see that unity and be drawn to God.

Jesus wants us to be unified – one body.  Now we all know that there are divisions among God’s people.  But do you think that brings honor and glory to God – does it draw others to the One who desires us all to be one?

In reality, we are human – we have different likes and dislikes, different ideas and different ways of doing things.  Diversity is a good thing.  But when we focus on what divides to the detriment of what unites, we have lost our way.

What separates you from other followers of the Way?  In the grand scheme of eternity, do those things that separate really matter?

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I’m Going to Jail

Posted in Community, Hope, Missions on November 30, 2009| Leave a Comment »

At the risk of seeming self-serving, I have a request for you today.  I promise, it is not for me.  And I also promise that this platform is not designed to push an agenda save that of the honest and transparent sharing of the spiritual life together.

But please indulge this exception today.  I am going to jail!

OK, not a real jail – but I am being arrested this morning as part of an MDA program to raise awareness and funds to fight Muscular Dystrophy.  You can learn more about the program and even donate by clicking here.

Again, I do not plan to make a habit of using this avenue to push any agenda but I do believe as followers of the Way, we have a calling to try and make a difference in any positive way we can.  So I am asking you to go to my MDA home page through the link above to learn more.  Pray about how you might get involved in this or any other worthy cause to further the hope of Christ in a hurting world.

Blessings to you today!

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