A fantastic opportunity

I wanted to take a quick, biased moment to tell you about a great opportunity happening in OkC this weekend. This Saturday & Sunday Our Lord’s Community Church is hosting their missions celebration. This weekend is going to be really great. Here’s a list of different groups that will have a presence there this weekend:

• 111 Project
  
  

• Anna’s House Foundation
  
  

• The Spero Project

The Spero Project | Spero:Voice from Jonathan Meisner on Vimeo.

• Mission Possible
• The OkC Dayshelter 
• The Mentoring Project
  
  

All of these groups are doing PHENOMENAL stuff. The keynote speaker for the weekend is Dr. John Sowers from the Mentoring Project. TMP recently opened an office here in OkC, and they have an incredible vision for bringing mentors into the lives of kids that need them. They deal directly with the issue of fatherlessness, and if you want to have your mind blown and your heart stomped on, look up the data on that. What TMP is seeking to do is a real game changer.

I’m sure a lot of you are in a church already, or work for one, or whatever, but this is a GREAT chance to get a vision for what the Church is doing, a great way to get a glimpse at what God is doing, and a way for you to find places to plug into. Whether it’s you, your youth group, or your church, this weekend looks incredible. I am incredibly excited for what will happen this weekend, and for the conversation that will happen. 

Find more about the weekend here, or on facebook.

Is your heart in it?

At the risk of sounding redundant, I keep seeing/hearing this same conversation going on. Here is a great read, check this out. And I can say from my time in church employment (so maybe I am generalizing and only speaking of the UMC, but I feel it’s broader than one denomination), this is one of the critical identity problems of the Church.

I remember my freshman year of college at a christian university, intro to ministry revolved around a (then) popular book on “how to do ministry.” That semester, I walked away from the beginning of learning ministry feeling like everything I believed was to be a heart engagement in the progress of God’s Kingdom was actually just demographics, and targeting people to recruit them for things. It felt very corporate. And I vividly remember coming to the decision that it was entirely possible for a church to be wildly successful (by modern standards) completely independent of what God was doing in the Church or the city in which a church was located. And I still think that is true. I think a church can get locked in on doing things a certain way that they forget to listen to what they should be doing, or they forget what God calls them to in the midst of hitting a demographic instead.

I looked today online at a group that I think understands this tension, and something they said was really profound to me:
”Pastors in our network generally make the following commitments as part of the covenant relationship with fellow pastors:  a disproportionate commitment to prayer; a growing relationship with the other members in our network; a commitment to genuine accountability, shared values that shape our ministry…” (emphasis mine)

This is crazy to me that this paragraph is rare. I read this and thought “these guys are so unique and great!” What I am convinced of is that guys like this that pursue these sort of thing, will not grow massive mega-churches with multiple campuses & tens of thousands of members (please hear me correctly, I’m not saying that is a bad thing, but I think people who don’t aim for that will be successful in not hitting it). But, what I think they WILL do, is grow places that are beautiful. They will have people who are fiercely loyal to following Jesus in a relational way, and as such will be deeply committed to each other as well. To me, it looks a lot more like a band of brothers, in a good and deep way. And I believe (for myself) those places are the places I want to be. The communities that are communities and not crowds. Followers, not volunteers. Actively involved because they love the Kingdom deeply, and it inspires them to serve, rather than people who get signed up and can’t get out of their commitment without it being awkward or leaving their church.

The people chasing God’s heart, and His heart for the church they find themselves in, are the ones that I want to be around, and thankfully, the ones I think I am surrounded by.

Live deeper.

things that matter should cost us

So, I’ve had this floating in my head for a few weeks now, haven’t really had time to get it down on paper yet for various reasons (and you know, there’s that whole new baby thing happening around the house too), but I want to get it down, because I want to think through it, flesh it out, and make it something I live from. (ps, I know 2 people occasionally read what I write, but for me, writing is a form of thinking/accountability for myself. I just leave it out there for you to view too.)

Here’s the thought (spoiler alert, the title tipped my cards):If something we do/believe/say/trust doesn’t cost us something, it’s not true/worth our time, and we are likely doing it wrong. (I leave this broad, b/c I want to flesh it out beyond the theological argument later, b/c it’s turned into something bigger than that)

For me, this began bubbling up when thinking about my theology & conversations I’ve had with friends lately about following Jesus. This conversation hinges a lot on the relational/program driven tension. In other words, we seem to fall into throwing money/structures/programs at needs rather than seeing needs as people. We see needs, and address issues, but don’t get to know the people in need. We don’t know their heart, their struggles, don’t walk with them into a better place. We simply give them a bag of food so we feel better about ourselves, and better that they won’t be hungry for the week.

The more I follow Jesus, and the more I lean into really believing in the Kingdom of God, I am reminded and challenged over and over that it is made up of flesh and blood, dirt and sweat, grit and beauty. Like a wood shop full of scraps, sawdust, and jagged blades, as well as finished pieces or pieces in progress, all of which look beautiful. It’s the sound, sight, & smell of taking something rough & destroying it, chopping off pieces of it, taking grit and sweat to it and sanding it into something smooth. The Kingdom is made up of scraps of us, our mess, worthless pieces that have been lobbed off, and ultimately, some beautiful things that are being completed in time. And I read through things like Philippians 3, which is often reduced to something that fits all cute on a t-shirt/greeting card/random crap that a junk store would carry, I realize we’ve got it all wrong. 

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…”
(Ph 3:8, but seriously, read from verse 1. The whole thing is good)

And here’s the tension: it’s easy to read that and say “oh, yipee Jesus! I’ll sacrifice everything (like a couple hours a weekend) for you (as I hop in my gas guzzler to hit a drive thru on my way to go shopping), and not really mean it. Or to think it means, I make Christ a priority and He will (in essence) reimburse me for my time & effort somehow.

I think all of that is utter crap. 

Here is where I feel the pull. To suffer the loss of all things means I need to know that following Jesus should cost me something.

It means that I scrap my selfish tendency, and make every effort to be fully present when I am at home (and I list this first because I suck at it & need accountability).

It means that I make a conscious effort to be more patient with my kids, even though I want to overpower when they argue with each other and force them to act how I think they should (which I also suck at, but am trying to improve quickly). 

With my kids, it also means that I actively make a choice to enjoy tiring things with them (like playing in the back yard after a 10 hour day, or helping get them to sleep, etc), because I won’t always have that chance, and there may be something massively important in making that decision that means the world to them.

Or that if I see/hear about a place that is close by, doing important work that I think matters (click that sentence, it’s a link) and more importantly matters to the Kingdom, I should find a way to get involved, even if it’s as simple as knowing what is going on, and being aware of ways I can help.

It means that when my wife requests something, regardless of how minor/major it is, I act on it. Period. And that’s everything from saving her from getting up when she’s tired and doing something with our new infant son to big decisions like school stuff, things in the family that need attention, anything. If it’s something she thinks needs attention, I act on it. Not consider and maybe get to it. Hear the need, respond to the need. (As she’s one of my 2 occasional readers, she’ll tell you I need lots of accountability in this too)

Come to think of it, hearing a need and responding to it should be something I (or we) do in general. All the time.

What’s great is, as this is sitting in my head/heart shaping my theology, it’s shaping my day to day values/dreams/aspirations too. More on that for another time, but it’s not just how I follow Jesus. I find it in what I buy, what I value, who I value, how I spend my time, my work ethic, etc. It’s an all encompassing thing rather than a theological platitude. 

I tend to think that’s the beauty of the Gospel really. We sit in it, it shapes how we view God & how God views us, but then it shifts and spins and (like a saw blade cutting a big piece of wood) it cuts off the slough, and we find that our view of the truth is far too small, and that the Gospel is about every aspect of our lives, not just how we feel about God.

Enough rambling from me for now. But chew on this: If following Jesus was to cost you something, what would it cost? What do you think He would ask of you? Are you doing that thing currently? Maybe you should be.

Live deeper.

the pushback brings the vibrance

I heard an interesting comment today at work. With all the hype about the fiscal cliff and all the tax junk up in the air, one comment was made about how if deductions shift away from being write offs, a lot of non-profits will disappear. I do agree that this will pose a great challenge for NPO’s that depend on people/businesses seeking a good write off for tax purposes. but what was interesting too was the comment that a lot of churches will take a massive hit because a lot of people tithe for the write off too (same as a donation to your NPO of choice is).

I’m not looking to debate any of those comments. I think they have a lot of merit, and I think they’re worth considering.

What struck me was the idea that a lot of tithe money would disappear if not for the write off has me wondering about what WOULD happen. As the Church struggles for “relevance” (which is a problem all it’s own), and to continue on amidst all sorts of hurdles & challenges, successes & failures, I am reminded of something I heard Francis Chan say back in October:

         ”We probably don’t want everyone in this room making disciples because some of
          you don’t really act like Jesus. When people look at your life, are they reminded of
          Jesus? 
         I think Satan is actually quite pleased with what we do in church. We say we heard a
         tough message and act like we did something because we walk away sad. That is
         what the rich young ruler did. Zacchaeus heard and gave away all he had with joy.”

I hear things like this, hear things like what I heard at work, and think about my time in ministry, and think that maybe a challenge like this is something that would be good for the church.

Do I think it would be terrible for the Church to financially suffer, and lose some employees? To lose the ability to fully financially support all it’s missional endeavors? Sure. Is it bad of me to think that there could be a future where the Church is a tiny, struggling, decentralized & building/staff free place? Possibly.

Here is where the push comes for me: I’ve done a lot of growth & good reflection when I am under pressure. When I feel my fears rising, my panic growing, and my sense that things are on the line, then I am much more aware of what needs attention, and I am deeply aware of my need for Jesus to be in the seat of importance He should always be in. The Church has been losing credibility and merit with people for decades. 

Could this kind of pressure bring us to our knees? And could us being brought to our knees suddenly put us in the posture we should’ve been in all along?

See, part of the problem now is the western Church wants to create programs. Attractive worship services, missional events for people to serve, transitional/assimilation events/programs that bring people into a church and keep them “in our church.” 

But what if all that misses the point?

What if the point is to create disciples, like Francis says? What if sharing life and chasing Jesus together is what we need to pursue, rather than a committee that decides if we need new carpet or debates the color of the choir robes? What if we embraced knowing & loving each other - in spite of differences and/or differing views of theology or politics - and saw that as more important than if we serve hot dogs to homeless people or ditch the choir for a band?

What I’m getting at in all of this is that a lot of the Church has lost their deep rooted identity, and we’ve replaced it with programming methods. And the people who’ve left church know it. A lot of them say they love Jesus but won’t go to church (that’s old news). And part of me wonders, if the church came under this kind of fire, if we lost our financial power, would we find ourselves focusing in again on what truly matters? Would the educational power structure of churches/seminaries fall apart, and would we find ourselves in house churches because the building is no more (or at least is no longer the hub from which we do everything)? Would we be investing in each other, in the things that really matter? Is that even the right way to handle it, or is this all just the thoughts of a jaded heretic and I don’t know it yet?

Who knows really? What I do know is that there is a great deal of challenge for the church in the coming years, and for the Church to endure, we will need a new way of doing things. Making disciples as one of our first priorities will shape that in a massive way for the better. To ignore our calling, to focus on the building & what happens in the building over what happens in people will end us faster than we can imagine. Frankly, I feel like the churches I see thriving are the ones that focus on making disciples already. And the thought of that, and of being able to love Jesus in community regardless of the building is deeply encouraging.

live deeper

how it all turned

It has been strange to think about the last year of my life. I’ve been chewing on it for weeks now, and I can only say that I am grateful for the last year.

Just over a year ago, I started a job that I was incredibly excited about. About 4 months into the job, that job ended. At the time I was pretty bummed about it. It was a gig that I had hoped to stay in for a long time, but it was not to be. At the same time, my family was struggling to be healthy & what it should be. I was in a lousy place, and was being a lousy husband & dad. The fortunate thing was that the things that I was wrestling with were things that some of the guys I worked with had been through too. Their input and conversation was really invaluable in a lot of ways.

And I’ve talked about all that I learned in that job, learning in a tangible way how to deal with fears (like a fear of heights while hanging out in a bucket 25 feet in the air), but I think the best thing that happened there was a conversation I had in the truck going home to our hotel with my boss about the struggles of marriage, and about fighting for your marriage. It was a good encouragement I needed, and I can’t say that I’m sure where the same conversation would have happened outside of those guys. 

I’m not one to get all hokey and say that God put me in an awesome job for 4 months to encourage me to fight for my marriage and send me on my way, but I would be willing to say that there was a deep benefit to my time there, even if it was short.

In the time I had between Skylark & Blu, I was fortunate to have a good piece of time to try and straighten myself out, and let God kick my ass so to speak. It has been a very difficult journey at times, and while I’m far from finished, I have learned a lot of deep truth of what I value, what I need to value more, and that I need to actively say no to lots of good things because I need to pursue the best things (being my wife & kids first, a job I love, finding ways to utilize my strengths & use them whether it’s in a career or not, trusting God’s timing deep down in my heart).

It’s been a crazy year, and there is a lot that has been recovered. My wife & I fight to work back to each other, and we’ve been blessed with a 3rd kiddo, and I am beyond excited about it. I’ve found a job that was something I didn’t really know existed, and have even found that I am good at it. I get to work with people who want to love their community well, and I get to help them do that, which is deeply gratifying. And I have abilities and skills that fit what they’re doing well, and so I feel good about the job I have been fortunate to have come my way. It’s again proof that trusting God to provide for the journey, but also to trust that God’s path for me on the journey is also the right way to go.

Please hear me right when I say that. I have an aversion to people who just make everything all glitzy and “oh yeah God,” because a lot of those people don’t actually deal with things. But in the tension that I’ve walked, there is a trusting that God knows the big picture and that the brush strokes in the picture that I represent are ones that I don’t always see until after the brush is laid down and the line is made. What I trust is that the brush is always making a line that will be important. It may be a pattern or a color I don’t enjoy, but when the strokes are finished, I believe it will look better than I could’ve ever planned it myself. 

I still have a lot to do, a lot to repair, a lot to trust God to restore. But for now, I am grateful, because the last year taught me that the last 3 years were hard and painful, but that there is grace & redemption and a true artist putting together a beautiful piece of story & art that I get to help tell.

live deeper.