Leadership Thoughts from Nehemiah - Pt 2

As I shared in my previous post, I have begun reading through the Old Testament book of Nehemiah during my devotional time. As I am reading and thinking about Nehemiah, who was given the task by God to go back to Israel and help rebuild the fallen wall around the city, I cannot help but see what I think are helpful insights for leadership.

Today I read the second half of chapter two and all of chapter three. Again, I saw some leadership insights from Nehemiah. Here's what I saw today:

(1) Nehemiah 2:19-20 - But when Sanballot the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?" I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,..."

Thoughts: This interaction between Nehemiah and his antagonists takes palce after he inspected the wall and spoke to the people about the plan to rebuild the wall. This interaction points out something that was pointed out previously in the the first post on this series. Whenever a leader seeks to follow God's will there will be opposition. Sometimes this opposition will be from within the leader's own community. OTher times the opposition will come from outside of the leader's community. But a leader seeking God's heart and will can expect opposition from somewhere. But notice how Nehemiah deals with the opposition here. This is another point that was also previously mentioned in the last post. A leader will always lean upon God in all circumstances. Nehemiah acknowledges that the success of the Israelites will only come from God, not from any human authority. This is an important concept for leaders to grasp. I think of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 3:6 - "I planted the seed, Apollos water it, but God made it grow." Growth and succes of from God, not humanity.

(2) Nehemiah 2:18 - I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

Thoughts: There are two points to mention from this verse. First, again we see Nehemiah continuing to tell of God's activity in his own life. A leader is not afraid to share how God is working in their own life. In fact, I think this is vital for leaders. Leaders need to demonstrate openness and transparency in their leadership. A leader is not above the flock, rather, they are one of the flock. And I love how Nehemiah continually points to God not only in his own life, but in front of others as well. Secondly, After Nehemiah talks with the people there is a great response. The people agree and begin to rebuild the wall. In fact, chapter 3, which some may take as boring and try to skip over it, is actually a powerful chapter. In chapter three we have an account of the many families, leaders and priests all chipping in to help rebuild the wall by rebuilding the section in front of their own house. The phrase "Many hands make light work" comes to my mind. I think this is a pisture of leadership that we see in the New Testment as well. The church is "a kingdom of priests" and each Christian has been given a gift to use to help build the body of Christ. If Christians refuse or negelect to use their gift for this purpose then that possibly leaves a whole in the "wall" somewhere. And as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12 using a body metaphor, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it." Leaders need to understand that all Christians have a role to play in God's economy.

Do these verses or thoughts prompt any other insights? Do you agree or disgree with my insights? Any discussion would be appraciated.

Leadership Thoughts from Nehemiah

In my devotional time I started reading through the OT book of Nehemiah. As I was reading the first two chapters a few verses stuck out to me. I think that these verses could possibly apply to leadership. I will share the verse then I will share my thoughts on it each verse and its possible applications.

(1) Nehemiah 1:4 - "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven."

Thoughts: This verse depicts Nehemiah's response upon hearing about his fellow Israelites who have returned to their homeland and their difficult situation therein. First, Nehemiah wept. This demonstrates his heart for his nomeland and the people their. I know that for us today we line all over the world and we are all interconnected. But do you (or I) weep when we think of children eating in garbage dumps? Do we weep when we think of little children being sold into slavery around the world (even in America)? Jesus said that those who mourn are blessed. They mourn over the things that God mourns over--sin and the state of things in this world. But this mourning is a precursor to action. Nehemiah mourned but he also turned to God in behalf of his troubled nation--he fasted and prayed before God. This was not done for himself, rather, this was done for the sake of others. A leader's heart will break for what breaks God's heart. A leader will not be content with doing nothing while difficult situations abound around the world.

(2) Nehemiah 1:11b - "Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man."

Thought: This verse is part of Nehemiah's awesome prayer. What strikes me is his full reliance upon God. Nehemiah acknowledges that if he is going to be useful to others it will be because God has opened the door. Even before he is successful Nehemiah is giving God the glory for it. A leader relys on God to open the doors rather than trying to force open the doors themselves.

(3) Nehemiah 2:4-5 - "The king said to me, 'What is it you want?' Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, 'If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."

Thoughts: When the king asks Nehemiah what it is that is bothering him, Nehemiah's first response is to God--he prays to God before answering the king. A leader should always be seeking and communicating with God before everything else. When a leader reverses this that is when situations can get mixed up and human desires and responses come to the fore rather than God desire for a given situation. Also, when Nehemiah responds to the kings he does not mince any words. As Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, we need to speak plainly by letting our yes be yes and our no be no. Nehemiah is clear and plainly tells the king what is on his heart. When a leader is unclear, then others will be unclear as well. A leader needs to speak plainly and honestly.

(4) Nehemiah 2:8b - "And because the gracious hand of God was upon me, the king granted my request."

Thought: This point is similar to point #2 above. When the king grants Nehemiah's request to go back to Iareal and rebuild the wall Nehemiah acknowledges that this was possible because God was guiding the situation. A leader can see where God is working and leading others to go for His glory and honor. A leader is obedient to God's desire for their life and the life of the community in which they lead.

(5) Nehemiah 2:10 - "When Sanballot the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite officially heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites."

Thoughts: When a leader follows God and is obedient to His will there will always be others who disagree or argue against what is taking place. A leader will be obedient to God inspite of this. Also, a leader cannot be thin-skinned. People will disagree and maybe even try to counter the direction God is asking you to go. This is why it is important to be in regular prayer and communion with King Jesus. If is clearly doing God's will then they can proceed with a humble confidence. But if the leader is disconnected from God and they face opposition then things could get ugly. Regularly connecting with God and seeking His will is of utmost importance.

What do you think? Are there other possible applications for these points? If you are a leader what are some important guidelines that you seek to follow? Please feel free to share your thoughts.

The Simple Life Challenge

It is nothing new to say that those of us who live in America today, even in the midst of tough times, live in relative comfort and ease. Consumerism is rampant in our culture and this has subtly (or not so subtly) entered the church. I remember a few years ago hearing a statistic that American teenagers spend more money each year on bubble gum than the American churches spend together on world missions. We don't have to look far to see that something is broken.

In light of this reality I am laying down a challenge to my fellow brothers and sisters that I regularly gather with (and others if they so wish). This challenge I am referring to is the "Simple Life Challenge." Beginning on Ash Wednesday (March 9) and leading up to Easter Sunday (April 24)I am asking my fellow brothers and sisters to implement the spiritual discipline of simplicity into their daily lives. The purpose is this: to take the focus off of ourselves and to truly seek to love God and love others. I think this is part of the problem with the consumerist mindset. We are so focused on ourselves (myself included) that we are missing so many ministry opportunities around us and we are not growing into the Likeness of Christ as God calls us in the Scriptures (cf. 1 Thess. 4:1, 3).

At the heart of simplicity are the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:25-33. In this passage Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about the necessities of life, God knows our need and will provide for our need. When we do think of these things we tend to worry and then anxiety becomes a reality. And as someone once pointed out, anxiety is a mild case of atheism. The discipline of simplicity counters anxiety. Simplicity focuses on Jesus words in Matthew 6:33 specifically, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness." A consumerist mindset seeks first one's own desires and dreams.

In the book Right Here, Right Now by Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford, Ford writes regarding this issue, "Most Americans have developed lives of excess to the point that we cannot even dream of doing some of the things we would really love to do for others because our lives are just too fat and bogged down for others with excess in so many ways." As a case in point the book provides an example. In America there are over 52,000 self-storage locations. These locations produce over 23 billion dollars annually--just by storing all of our stuff! Things need to change.

In the classic book by Richard J. Foster, A Celebration of Discipline, shares three inner attitudes of simplicity that essentially assist in the transition from anxious worrying to freedom in Christ. They are: (1) to receive what we have as a gift from God; (2) to know that it is God's business, and not ours, to care for what we have; and (3) to have our goods available for others.

Furthermore, Foster shares ten outward expressions of the discipline of simplicity. These are important because a life of simplicity will affect how we live. Here are the ten outward expressions: (1) Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status; (2) Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you; (3) Develop a habit of giving things away; (4) Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry; (5) Learn to enjoy things without owning them; (6) Develop a deeper appreciation for creation; (7) Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes; (8) Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. "Let you 'yes' be yes and your 'no' be no" (Matthew 5:37); (9) Reject anything that will breed the oppression of others; and (10) Shun whatever would distract you from your main goal.

Each week we will seek to implement these points in our daily lives. We will also meet regularly for sharing/testimony, encouragement, prayer and then send each other back out into the world to shine the light of Christ and be transformed into His likeness.

Here's Richard Foster's prayer for the simple life, let's make it ours too:

"God give us the courage, wisdom and strength always to hold as the number-one priority of our lives to 'seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,' understanding all that that implies. Help us to live in simplicity."

Book Review: Right Here, Right Now

Right Here, Right Now is a new book that was just released in 2011. It is co-authored by Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford. Hirsch wrote the first and last chapter while Ford wrote the body of the work. This book was timely for me. Personally I have wrestling with the question of how do I live out a missional life for God in my context? This book touches upon that question and attempts to provide the "nuts and bolts" of how to live out such a life. Right Here, Right Now emphasizes living a missional lifestyle rather than just doing some missional things.

In the "Briefing" section at the beginning of the book written by Hirsch. In this section Hirsch points out that he believes that Christianity in the West will not thrive unless it becomes a "people movement" again. And he goes on to point out four aspects that can help foster this: (1) move out (into missional engagement), (2) move in (burrowing down into the culture), (3) move alongside (engaging in genuine friendships and relational networks) and (4) move from (challenging the dehumanizing and sinful aspects of our culture.

In chapter one Ford takes up the pen and He begins his part by touching on the issue of "viewing life with a missionary's eye." Essentially, it is a call for a paradigm shift in the way we currently look at the world and our place in it. Ford also emphasizes the scriptural truth that all who call upon the name of the Lord are called out missionaries.

Ford takes the contents of chapter one a step further in chapter two. In this chapter Ford demonstrates how people "behold others." As much as we don't like to admit it, the moment we see another human we have already summed them up. We prejudge everyone whether we realize it or not. Ford points out the cost involved with prejudging others and the impact this will have on the mission of the church. He points the reader to the examples of Jesus who looked on others with love and compassion, not the preconceived notions that we use today.

In chapter three Ford continues by focusing on "believing and being the gospel." For example, Ford writes, "It's not about trying to do what Jesus would do. Rather, it has to do with thinking the way Jesus thinks in order to live the way Jesus lived" (pg. 103). He goes on to explain that he believes Christians need to shift from feeding on the word of God to fellowshipping with the word of God. He goes on to write, "Approaching the Bible in this way turns into a daily invitation for Jesus to join us in our routines. My day becomes our day when we seek to incarnate the Word in the here and now of our days and weeks" (pg. 106). He also delves into our tendency to compartmentalize things, especially our faith. To think and live like Jesus in this world this cannot happen.

Chapter four also begins section two of the book. In this chapter Ford the affects of our affluent culture on the church in the West. Ford touches on the words of Christ to the church at Laodicea as found in Revelation ch.3. Jesus called this church "lukewarm" largely due to their wealth and affluence which appeared to drown out their faith. The same thing appears to have happened in the church of the West. Ford writes, "I think it is fair to say that for most Christians in the West, the dominate forces that shape their lives run counter to the values of Jesus" (pg.126). Ford goes on to point out some of the ills of today that appear to be directly related to our affluent culture. For example, he writes, "In fact, depression and mental illness have increased in direct proportion to our wealth index...Bigger and better have not equated to happy and happier" (pg.127). Selfishness and consumerism seem to shape not only our culture but the church in the West as well.

Chapter five, titled "Losing for Winning," takes chapter four a bit further. In this chapter Ford points out that in the West we have so much stuff that it literally keeps us from living missionally. As an example he brings up self-storage units. He writes, "Labeled by some as catacombs of consumption, there are currently over 52,000 self-storage locations in the United States with revenue of over 23 billion dollars...One in ten American families rents self-storage units. Storage units have become the 'spare tire' around the waistline of American consumption" (pg. 139). Ford's point in bringing this up has to do with our outward focus on others. The stored goods could be given away and the money spent (23 billion!) could also be given away or used in other ways that are more beneficial than just merely holding all of our stuff. This chapter calls for us to change our focus from worldly economics to kingdom economics.

In chapter six Ford takes on the suburbs. He brings up a word that is used by sociologists--"social capital." Social capital is used to measure the degree to which people are connected in social networks as well as the value of those relationships overall. Apparently there are direct connections between social capital and suburban living. The social capital of those in the suburbs is much lower than those living elsewhere. For example, when most people lived in the city social capital was much higher. This is because people shopped locally and more often than not went to the same butcher, tailor, etc. Thus people got to know one another because they regularly had contact with one another. This has changed by and large in today's culture. Ford mentions, "Modern suburban life does not foster such a mindset of hospitality. Quite the opposite, it reinforces the desire for privacy" (pg.163).

Chapter seven begins the third section of the book which deals with "missional action." In this chapter Ford focuses on what it means to be a genuine church community. He touches on scriptural passages such as Acts 2 and Acts 4 and the lessons we learn there regarding deep fellowship. From this Ford goes on to point out the importance of the body of Christ actually being the body of Christ. And he discussed the importance of the outward witness the body of Christ should have on the community in which it is placed. Ford quotes from the late Francis Schaeffer who wrote that the true Christina community is the "final apologetic" (pg.189).

In chapter eight Ford calls Christians to rediscover the joy of hospitality. He draws on both the OT and the NT writings that call God's people to show love to the foreigner, alien and widow. And even more so he points out that the word hospitality means that we do this to strangers. As Christians, hospitality is a call to welcome strangers into our home. We have become very good at rationalizing why we shouldn't do this: "It is too dangerous." "It makes us vulnerable." However, Jesus said that if we give a cup of cold water to a stranger, then we are giving that cup to him!

Chapter nine is Ford's last chapter of the book. It is titled "Salt Blocks and Salt Shakers." Ford draws on the example of a salt block. People often put salt blocks out for animals, such as cattle or deer. The animal will come and lick the salt block and it provides the animal with needed nutrition. Ford thinks this is how we have been viewing the church. We have followed and attractional model of church. This model makes Sunday morning the "big day" or the "big event." Everything goes into making Sunday morning attractional. However, he points out that Jesus calls his followers to be salt in the world, and Ford draws a parallel with the salt shaker. A salt shaker scatters the salt. The salt goes to the food or to the soil. It is the opposite approach of the attractional model. This model is based on the incarnation himself. We go and as we go we think and act like Jesus in our communities and the places we go. Thus, he reminds Christians that we are all called to go into the world and be salt and light.

The final chapter is again written by Hirsch. One of the things Hirsch touches on in the final chapter is the credibility of the church in the West. Hirsch writes, "Another absolutely central issue we face in a world that is largely turning away from Christianity is that we have to reestablish credibility...As far as I can discern, the only way for Christians to overcome our credibility gap, after centuries of Christianity, is by reactivating an authentic discipleship...at its core, discipleship is becoming more like Jesus,..." (pgs. 242-43).

One other thing I liked about this book was the "Ideas and Suggestions" sections. Throughout the book, at the end of many of the chapters, there were many sections that practical advice on the topic found in the chapter. This helped to make things clearer and helped the reader bring what was being written about into their own context. It was a very helpful addition.

Overall it was a good book and I think it will help many Christians who, like me, are asking the questions about how, what, etc. regarding living a missional life for Christ in our own community.

One particular critique of the book has to do with its material. Maybe it is because I have been reading books related to the similar topic as this one, but a bit of the material overlapped with other books that I have read. In reading some sections I thought, "I could have written this section." But it was still a good book.

Neil Cole on Dysfunctional Leadership

I have started reading Neil Cole's book Organic Leadership: Leading Naturally Right Where You Are. I'm only a few chapters into it at this point, but so far I am enjoying the book and finding it helpful. Particularly helpful to me was something he wrote about how leaders in the church often walk a fine line between being needed and being needy. Here's what Neil Cole has to say:

There is a very subtle difference between being needed and being needy. When it comes to leadership, this subtlety is often trampled over. What we think of as being needed can in reality be our own neediness. While the rest of the church may need leaders for the ministry to carry on, the leaders may be just as needy, and some serve to satisfy this longing. A drive to feel significant compels them and being needed affirms their sense of importance. Their identity is found in the neediness of others.

We have all met people who are part of a dysfunctional family. Often there is one person who, despite constant vows to change, is never able to mend his or her ways to benefit the family. The husband who is a drug addict is one example. His addiction seizes control of his life and devastates everyone close to him.

There is more to the story, though. From the outside, the drug addict's wife seems to be in a much better condition. She doesn't do drugs, she is faithful in attending church, and she is responsible in paying the bills and keeping the family business going, even when her husband is out wreaking havoc. But she also contributes to the dysfunction. She is codependent.

Her husband is dependent on drugs; she is dependent on him. She needs to feel needed, and her husband's irresponsible behavior engenders that feeling. Thus she thrives on enabling her husband's irresponsible behavior. No matter how awful he behaves and what devastating actions he inflicts, she always takes him back, fixes the problems,and in essence gives him a kind of permission to do it all over again. She has become his safety net, and he feels free to fly irresponsibly through life.

The wife also enjoys the sympathy and admiration of others who believe she is the most patient and long-suffering person on earth. People comment, "I could never be as strong as you are." But strength has nothing to do with this ugly cycle her life has become. It is all about weak will, not strong ones.

The church in the West functions in a pattern similar to that of a dysfunctional relationship. It is locked up in an unhealthy cycle in which the Christian leaders and the regular Christians are codependents. The Christians who are not the church leaders prefer not to take responsibility for the kingdom of God. They want to be free to invest in their own plans rather than God's. They are the irresponsible party in this dysfunctional relationship.

The Christian leaders, on the other hand, want to be responsible--to a fault. They continue to do all the work of the church, which enables other Christians to be irresponsible. Leaders need to be needed and admired, and often this is the result when they take all the responsibility for kingdom work. People place them on a pedestal because of the important things they do. Thus a cycle developes.

The cycle of codependency must stop, and it begins with the leaders refusing to to enable the irresponsible behavior of others. Christian leaders must step off the pedestal and no longer allow the average Christian to do nothing. As long as the leaders continue to fulfill all roles of responsibility, the others will not be able to do what God has called them to do" (pg. 39-40).

I have to admit that I pretty much agree with Neil Cole's assessment here. I think this explanation is a key to many things that I have often heard in the church. For example, I have heard people ask things like, "Why is the church so apathetic today?" And, "Why does 20% of the church do 80% of the work?" According to Cole leaders have enabled this and now we wonder how we got here. We can blame the culture, and many leaders often do because that's the easy thing to do, but according to this assessment the fault lies with how church leaders have been leading the church. We have fostered a codependent relationship and we struggle to break free from what we have fostered. I think this may account for what I brought up in another post about the role of the pastor today (you can read it here). Pastors have essentially taken on roles that were meant for other Christians but our codependent leadership dynamic has allowed this to happen, then we wonder why thousands of pastors leave the ministry each year.

Something must change, but as we know, change is never easy especially when it involves codependency. How do we begin to turn the ship around, so to speak? How do we start to mend this brokenness and actually live out the priesthood of all believers again?

A Faith That Makes an Impact

The title of this blog is "The Amplified Life." I got the title from one of my favorite passages of scripture. Here's the passage:

3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thess. 1:3-10; NIV)

I am particularly drawn to v.8 because I love the description that we find there. The believers in Thessalonica were apparently living out their faith in such a way that their faith (i.e., their lives lived out for God) became known throughout the surrounding region. Paul writes that their faith "rang out" and it has "become known everywhere."

The Greek word used here for "rang out" is execheo which can mean to thunder. It carries the idea of "echoing like thunder or sounding out as a trumpet (Cleon & Cleon, 472). From this the sense that we get here is that the faith of the Thessalonian believers had an affect on their surrounding region that "echoed" or "rang out" (per NIV). Their faith was in some sense amplified for others to witness or at least hear about.

I think there is another thing we must mention too. Paul mentions what the Thessalonians did that resulted in this faith amplification. They lived changed lives. In v.9 Paul writes that they "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." This is no small thing. In fact, in Thessalonica there were many temples dedicated to so-called gods and goddesses. Temple worship in regions like this was a major part of life. The fact that these believers turned from this to God was huge. This is not something that could not have remained hidden from others.

I think that potentially there are many applications and implications that can be drawn from this. One thing that comes to my mind pertains to church communities. Many churches in America attempt to use the current culture to draw people to the church. We see this in the mindset of "bigger is better", etc. But apparently the Thessalonians turned from the culture to God's upside down kingdom and this is what rang out for others to see and hear. Is there a lesson for us in this?

Also, on the individual believer front, I want my life to "amplify" Christ. Does my community know I am a Christian because my service and attitude and lifestyle "ring" out loud for all to see and hear? What might an amplified life look like in today's American culture?

This is what I keep asking and seeking. What about you? What do you think about these things? Are you seeking to amplify Christ? If so, what and how are you doing it?

Worship "Service"

The other day I posted about worship (you can read it here). Scripture indicates that worship involves action. To love God is to love others. If I profess to love God then that will also come out in a life that is lived in service to others. This is one of those "both/and" things. Worship is not either/or in this instance.

My reason for sharing this again is this: this morning I had a great time of worship. My good friend and his young family currently live over a garage. Imagine having two young children, living above a garage in an apartment that has five small room, two of those rooms being a bathroom and a kitchen. Anyway, they have an opportunity to move into another house. In order for this to happen they needed to move all the furniture currently in the house into the attic. So that is how I spent my Saturday morning. It meant my family had to do some shifting around. My wife had to take our daughters with her to her fitness class which broke up our routine a bit. But it allowed me to help a brother in Christ and his family prepare for what is an important step for them. I worshiped God this morning while carrying boxes, beds, dressers, etc. into an attic.

In the previous post mentioned above, I asked a question: Do you need to rethink what worship means? How have you worshiped God today? Who have you served?

Life in the Pastoral Bubble

I know that it not considered wise by many to share your struggles openly, but maybe I'm not that wise. I pastor a rural church in the northern Pocono Mountains in northeast Pennsylvania. I love the area and I love the people and I absolutely love what I do. I hope to remain here for many years to come. But...I have an issue, a personal issue that I need to work on. I regularly find myself in the "pastoral bubble."

What is this bubble? Let me try to describe it the best way I can. The pastoral bubble is as follows:

1. you spend time with only those who are a part of your local church

2. you rarely, if at all, spend time with non-believers

3. you preach the importance of the "Great Commission" often, but see a disconnect when it comes to your own life

4. if you are not with your "own" people, then you find yourself in your office "working" on other things

Now, please don't misunderstand me. I know it is uber important to spend time with other believers. Fellowship, sharing the common life together, encouraging one another, etc. is all a part of the Christian life. I know that pastors are to be equipping the saints and encouraging them to use their gifts to build up the body of Christ (Eph.4:11-13). But aren't pastors also to live out the injunction to go into all the world and make disciples? I think so, but again, I see a disconnect in my own life in this regard. I struggle with this too, because in a rural area like ours there is no soup kitchen, etc. to go and spend time at. I have to get creative about it but I find myself not doing it.

I wonder how many other pastors find themselves living in the "pastoral bubble"?

God, help me to step out of this bubble and go into the world for Your glory and honor. Amen.

Going through the Motions

Is it possible to think that we are worshiping and honoring God with our life, meanwhile we are actually not worshiping and honoring God? Can we sing together on Sunday morning, read our Bible everyday, go to prayer group every Wednesday and listen to sermons every day of the week all the while never really worshiping God? Alan Knox thinks so. Here is what he thinks:

It is possible to go through motions that are called “worship” (singing, praying, preaching, professing, etc.) without actually worshiping God. It is possible to think you are worshiping God without actually worshiping God.

It is possible to do things for others that are not actually serving in Jesus’ name. It is possible to feed, clothe, care, and heal without doing so in the power that God provides and without giving honor and glory to God through Jesus Christ.

However, it is impossible to actually worship God without serving others. The two go hand in hand.

To read the entire post go here.

Worship involves loving God and loving others (i.e., serving them, being with them, etc.). As James shares, we cannot say we love God if we curse our brother or send them away with a need when we have the means to assist in their situation (James 2:14-17; 3:9-12). Jesus even said that whatever we for the least, we do for Him.

In light of this do you need to change your view of worship? Who have you served lately?

"Good News" People

I have been reading Right here, Right Now by Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford. First, the book is filled with practical discussion and ideas about how we as the church can live missionally in our day to day lives. Lately, I have hungered more for this in my own life. I don't want to merely give God lip service. I want to give him "life-service"--my whole life lived in obedience to him, for his glory and honor.

How often do we read the Bible with a mindset on others? I have to admit that for me I often have the attitude that I want to be feed by the words. That is very good and even necessary, but I have come to realize that is only part of how we are to read and understand Scripture. We are called to love God and love others. This should also be forefront in how we read the Bible.

In the book Right Here, Right Now Lance Ford expounds upon this point:

"Compartmentalizing the Christian life into church attendance and church activity and between the covers of our Bibles is an incapacitating straightjacket that pervades Christianity. It not only limits our ability to get the message across, in many ways, it is counter productive. It parks, or stores, the movement ethos that lies within the very message of the gospel in the first place. But as we allow the Word of God access to out hands, our lips, out time and resources, it is unleashed. It moves freely and powerfully into the streams of our daily lives and throughout neighborhoods and communities. And so we become God's good news people, giving Jesus the right to live through us right here, right now.
This is the very essence of what it means to have a missional approach to the Bible. As we study the Scripture we ask, "How does God's Word call, shape, transform, and send me out into the world today?" We are praying, "Lord, I don't want to just read this passage and leave unchanged by it. Let me feed myself from this daily bread but help me feed others with it also." (pg.109-110)

This reminds of something else I heard recently. Someone made the point that we as a church culture are far more educated, biblically speaking, than the level of our actual obedience. In other words, our lives are not matching up with what we know or profess to know. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is empty. But knowledge applied is a dangerous thing because that is where the growth happens (for us and others). In the words of James, knowledge that is not applied is "dead" (James ch.2).

I would love to hear from others who have applied this appraoch to their reading of Scripture. How has it affected your life? Are their any drawbacks to this approach?

An Apparent Lack of Forgiveness in a Culture of Tolerance

I often don't comment on popular culture (well, honestly, I don't comment on much according to my lack of posts), but two things happened that are related to the super bowl that I think they are worth mentioning. I also think that they are related items in at least one way.

The first issue has to do with Micheal Vick. Most of America knows of Michael Vick as the very talented football player who was tried and convicted on animal cruelty charges in relation to dog fighting. During the time of the trial people were protesting with signs stating that what happen to the dogs should happen to Vick. A little harsh, I think. What Mike Vick did was definitely wrong. I do not think that people should mistreat animals and I believe Scripture actually backs that up. For example, in the Old Testament even the animals were not permitted to work on the Sabbath. They needed rest, too.

I bring this up because during the week of the super bowl in Dallas, Texas Michael Vick spoke to a group of children and shared his story. The mayor pro-tem subsequently gave Vick a key to the city. This apparently was a bad move and the still acting mayor withdrew the key to the city and distanced himself from Micheal Vick and the situation.

The next incident came when the national anthem was sung at the beginning of the super bowl by Christina Aguilera. Apparently she missed some of the lyrics and sang some other lyrics twice during the performance. By the media reaction you would think she really did something serious.

I bring these issues up for one main reason--the apparent lack of forgiveness in our culture. Yes, what Micheal Vick did to those dogs was disgusting and I do not condone it in the least. But didn't he pay his time in federal prison? Yes, Ms. Aguilera make a mistake and botched the national anthem. This isn't the first time that a singer has done this and I would bet it won't be the last.

Have we forgotten something? I think maybe so. Let's refresh our memory together. According to John 8:1-11 Jesus is at the temple and the teachers of the law bring to him a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. This was an act punishable by stoning. They want Jesus to condemn her but he responds with the well known words, "If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7). I think we would do well to remember these words in relation to not only the above mentioned incidents, but in all of life. Which one of us has never made a mistake? Which one of us is, dare I say, perfect? Sometimes how we react to a situation speaks more loudly than the words that come out of our mouth. What adds to this is that in America the cry of the day is "tolerance". Apparently that only means we tolerate those we agree with.

We cannot forget that God is in the business of redemption. All people who call on the name of Jesus will be saved. All people. Child molesters, rapists, murderers, cheaters, liars, gluttons, the selfish, etc., etc., etc. If they call on Jesus they will be saved. The only people who will not be in heaven are those who reject Jesus and his atoning work and refuse to submit to his lordship. I don't think that forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgetting. But forgiveness does mean that we stop holding grudges, stop dwelling, stop pointing out the mistake that God no longer sees because of Christ's work on the cross.

We can learn a huge lesson from what took place in Nickel Mines in Lancaster County, PA a few years ago. A man burst into an Amish school house and killed a few of the students and took his own life as well. The response of the Amish community was to go the new widow and minister to her! They also said that they have forgiven the man who did this act. The subsequent response of the media was interesting. Many media outlets lambasted the Amish community for this. The media was astounded and set off because the Amish community did not get angry, did not sue, did not condemn the widow but ministered to her instead. This forgiveness was completely different from what the world knows and is use to seeing.

Remember, those who have been forgiven much also forgive much. Let us pass on that same forgiveness that we have received. Freely you and I have received, now let us freely go and give.

How Far Would You Go?

I just finished reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Overall I thought it was a good book. My main reason for liking the book has to do with Francis' style. What I mean is this: He pulls no punches. Essentially, one either takes God at his word and seeks to obey Him or one attempts to make God fit into their own plan for life.

In second to last chapter Francis share stories of men and women who have radically followed Christ. Some we have heard of such as Rich Mullins. While others we have never heard of. Probably the one account that really spoke to me was about a saint named Nathan Barlow. Nathan Barlow was a medical doctor who chose to live and work in Ethiopia. He dedicated his life to helping people with mossy foot. This is a debilitating condition that can cause swelling and ulcers in the feet and lower legs. It can also lead to infections and selling and apparently those with mossy foot are essentially treated as lepers in their community. Here is what Chan shares of Nathan's life and ministry:

"I met Nathan shortly before he died. His daughter, Sharon Daly, attends my church and brought him to her home from Ethiopia when his health started to fail. After only a few weeks, he couldn't handle being in the States. The people he loved were still in Ethiopia, so his daughter flew him back home so he could spend his last days there.

Once, Nathan got a toothache, the pain of which was so intense that he had to fly away from the mission field to get medical attention. Nathan told the dentist that he didn't ever want to leave the mission field for the sake of his teeth again, so he had the dentist pull out all of his teeth and give him false ones so he wouldn't slow God's work in Ethiopia" (pg. 150)."

Here is a man who loved God so deeply that he was willing to trade his full set of adult teeth for the sake of the Ethiopian people whom who also loved so much. WOW! A few posts ago I asked the question: "What are you willing to trade for God and His kingdom?" Nathan Barlow not only traded a life in the States, but he also traded in his teeth for the love of God and others. What an example for Christians everywhere.

John Wesley believed that spiritual growth was not just for a few zealous elite within the the church. Rather, spiritual growth is for every man, woman and child who calls upon the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus traded His position at the Father's right hand. He traded in a throne for a cursed cross. Nathan Barlow traded his teeth. What are you holding onto too tightly? What do you need to trade in?