Is It in You?

 

Alan Hirsch calls it the “Apostolic Genius.”  The early church had it.  John Wesley had it.  The Church of today explosively growing in China has it.  Do you?

 

He defines it as the “primal missional potencies of the gospel and of God’s people.”  He shares “the awakening of that dormant potential has something to do with the strange mixture of passionate love of God, prayer, and incarnational practice.  Add to this mix the following: appropriate modes of leadership (as expressed in Ephesians 4), the recovery of radical discipleship, relevant forms of organization and structures, and the appropriate conditions for these to be able to catalyze.”

 

“When these factors come together, the situation is ripe for something remarkable to take place.”

 

Is it in you?  Of course it is.

 

This spring we watched a new bloom.  Last summer my son worked for a condo maintenance firm mowing.  Their company had to clean out a flower bed of some under-appreciated perennials.  The owner offered my son two, old, seeming worn-out rose bushes to take home and transplant.  My wife planted them for the following spring just to see what would come up.  As it turns out, we ended up witnessing the unfolding of the most glorious, old fashioned rose we have ever seen.  You should have seen it come into full bloom.  At first, the bud was its own mixture of white and a deep, yet brightest red.  It looked like it was made out of raspberry swirl ice cream.  Then, the more it opened it turned solid crimson with a beaming yellow center.  Though transplanted in totally foreign soil, it was in its DNA meant to be glorious.

 

And so too are you.

 

“Greater is the God who is in you than you who are in the world.”

“We have been crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives within us.”

“We have not been given a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self discipline.”

“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”

 

What can we say?  Acts 2 already lives in you.

 

Over the next several weeks Hirsch will lead us into better understanding what all that means, but consider where you start.  You already have it in you.  You didn’t need to go to a special seminary or church growth conference to have it (maybe if anything just to better untap it).  You don’t need to toss up your hair with mousse and get a tat or ear ring.  The Apostolic Genius is already living within if the Spirit of God is working in your life.

 

According to Hirsch, this new DNA is comprised of six fundamental beliefs or elements:

 

1.  Jesus is Lord.

2.  Disciple Making.

3.  Missional-Incarnational Impulse.

4.  Apostolic Environment.

5.  Organic Systems.

6.  Communitas, Not Community.

 

I am looking forward to the opportunity for further study with you.

 

All to Thrive in Christ,

 

Chris

 

 

 

 

 

"Is It in You?'

Alan Hirsch calls it the “Apostolic Genius.”  The early church had it.  John Wesley had it.  The Church of today explosively growing in China has it.  Do you?

 

He defines it as the “primal missional potencies of the gospel and of God’s people.”  He shares “the awakening of that dormant potential has something to do with the strange mixture of passionate love of God, prayer, and incarnational practice.  Add to this mix the following: appropriate modes of leadership (as expressed in Ephesians 4), the recovery of radical discipleship, relevant forms of organization and structures, and the appropriate conditions for these to be able to catalyze.”

 

“When these factors come together, the situation is ripe for something remarkable to take place.”

 

Is it in you?  Of course it is.

 

This spring we watched a new bloom.  Last summer my son worked for a condo maintenance firm mowing.  Their company had to clean out a flower bed of some under-appreciated perennials.  The owner offered my son two, old, seeming worn-out rose bushes to take home and transplant.  My wife planted them for the following spring just to see what would come up.  As it turns out, we ended up witnessing the unfolding of the most glorious, old fashioned rose we have ever seen.  You should have seen it come into full bloom.  At first, the bud was its own mixture of white and a deep, yet brightest red.  It looked like it was made out of raspberry swirl ice cream.  Then, the more it opened it turned solid crimson with a beaming yellow center.  Though transplanted in totally foreign soil, it was in its DNA meant to be glorious.

 

And so too are you.

 

“Greater is the God who is in you than you who are in the world.”

“We have been crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives within us.”

“We have not been given a spirit of timidity but of power, love, and self discipline.”

“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”

 

What can we say?  Acts 2 already lives in you.

 

Over the next several weeks Hirsch will lead us into better understanding what all that means, but consider where you start.  You already have it in you.  You didn’t need to go to a special seminary or church growth conference to have it (maybe if anything just to better untap it).  You don’t need to toss up your hair with mousse and get a tat or ear ring.  The Apostolic Genius is already living within if the Spirit of God is working in your life.

 

According to Hirsch, this new DNA is comprised of six fundamental beliefs or elements:

 

1.  Jesus is Lord.

2.  Disciple Making.

3.  Missional-Incarnational Impulse.

4.  Apostolic Environment.

5.  Organic Systems.

6.  Communitas, Not Community.

 

I am looking forward to the opportunity for further study with you.

 

All to Thrive in Christ,

 

Chris

 

Candy Coated Donuts

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2  

 

As I mentioned last week, it represented a major paradigm shift for the Wrights:  sustained, heavier than air flight.  As a kid growing up, I learned that if I jumped off the roof of the garage, no matter if I had a cool Superman cape on or not, I would fall to the ground…and hard.    The biggest hurdle to overcome is impossibility.   I stepped into a Tim Horton’s this week for a meeting.  Thought I’d get a little something before we got started so I glanced at the case.  That’s when I saw the world’s most decadent, over-the-top confection…a cream-filled, chocolate icing topped long john covered with crushed M and M’s.  No way!  How can they get away with that?  Candy covered donuts?  My modern, healthy food scruples began to crawl.  Then I thought to myself, “Why do I have a problem with this?  This breaks my paradigm.”   So then I thought, “What makes a paradigm?”  I concluded at least in the moment, my values:  whole grain over white flour, complex carbohydrates over refined sugars, light protein over empty calories, etc., etc.  My wife has trained me well.   Got me thinking, “What are the values I hold onto that keep me from embracing more kingdom values?”    I made a list of things I’ve seen us start to invert for the sake of Christ as I have traveled the district…   The value of one lost over 99 in the fold.  Do a majority of our resources go toward ministering to those in the pew or those still on the streets?  Unfortunately, many congregations today in North America are inverted, and thus one could say, Anti-Christ.  Many in Miami Valley however are shifting.   Humility over entitlement.  Washing feet over climbing the clergy collared ladder.  There is no ideal appointment.  The best appointment is usually the one that’s waiting where we are after we give it our best leadership.  So many of our colleagues are committing to slogging it out for the long, hard-fought haul.  Way to go!   Outreach over building maintenance.  While many are still trying to do both, push may come to shove and we won’t have any other choice but to go missional.  The economy may not ever be what it was.  How should we organize ourselves for the new normal?   With what values do you struggle?   I heard of a church recently that flipped their sanctuary.  Instead of everything focused on the front altar area, they flipped it.  Now, the rear is the old altar, where people come in, and where handicapped seating is now provided.  Everyone faces just the opposite, instead of the high and holy place they turned toward their old doors…to the world.    What new values do you need to embrace to be even better, kingdom agents of change and transformation?   Thriving in Christ with you,   Chris  

The Power of Positive Thinking

“God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.”

I Corinthians 1:27

 

“The Power of Positive Thinking”

A Lesson from Our History as the District of Innovation

 

Did you know Rev. Norman Vincent Peale grew up in our district?  His father was pastor of Greeneville First way back when.

 

Struggling with a debilitating, low self-esteem, Peale recounts the day he accepted Christ in our very own Darke County led in prayer by his dad…

 

Finally Father said, “Norman, are you willing to let this great Doctor, Jesus Christ, treat you for that inferiority complex? If you will let Jesus take charge of your mind, indeed your whole life, you can be freed of this misery which, if it continues, can destroy your effectiveness.” I was profoundly impressed and said I would give my life into the hands of Jesus.   

 

Now I must confess, I always thought Dr. Peale was a little kooky.  My grandma loved him.  I though did not.  On visiting the Crystal Cathedral one day with some colleagues, however, I learned that Dr. Peale was the main inspiration of Robert Schuller.  Now, I had always thought Dr. Schuller could be a little kooky too, but I still respected him nonetheless.  You cannot deny that God has used him over the years especially when, as I knew it for myself, his ministry saved my dad.

 

During high school, my father had been unemployed for almost a year.  If it wasn’t for the Hour of Power every Sunday morning, I don’t know where my dad would be today let alone me.  Our family needed every bit of that “Power of Positive Thinking” that we could get.

 

So, now I have to like Dr. Peale too, especially since he was one of our former M.Y.F. kids.

 

I thank God that the Lord raises up people for a special time and place, despite how the rest of history and even Christendom will judge.  What kind of leader does God need today?  What kind of leader is God looking forward to calling forth in you?

 

You have my permission to be as kooky as you need to win people for Christ.   Maybe, just maybe, God will use you to change someone’s destiny.

 

Thriving in Christ with you,

 

Chris

 

Latest and Greatest God-Stories:  “Signs of New Life”

 

1. “Anchored in Peace” Prayer Rally is planned sponsored by several of our UM churches including Fairview and Grace in Dayton.  May 2, 1:00pm across from Hara Arena at the corner of Wolf and Shiloh Springs.  Did you know sellers do not need to conduct background checks?  Come and show your support.  Work toward peace and justice.

 

2. West Elkton UMC celebrated resurrection morning with great enthusiasm!  We had 48 at sunrise service and a great breakfast after with around 70.  We had 116 for our 10:30 worship service and at 3 PM we had over 60 at our Easter egg hunt.  What a day and what a mighty God we serve!   Sandra J. Apgar

 

 

What is your latest God Story of new life?

 

 

"Controlling Versus Controlled"

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. “  II Timothy 1:7, NAS

 

“Controlling Versus Controlled”

A Lesson from Our History as the District of Innovation

 

Did you know the Miami Valley was the Silicon Valley back in the early 1900s?  Kettering, Patterson, and the Wright Brothers were just some of the more famous personalities.     

 

If God first revealed God’s Self as Creator, maybe we can feel a little more freedom in our experimentation for the Kingdom.   What lessons, therefore, from their days of innovation can we apply in our own as we seek to maximize our service to Christ and His mission?

 

The mind set the Wright Brothers had to overcome was enormous.  It represented a major paradigm shift in their day:  sustained, heavier than air flight.  Imagine getting your mind around that for the first time?  Flying in a vehicle that was heavier than the air around it went against all conventional wisdom.

 

Key to their success was not in the development of a more powerful engine, however, but in the mastery of control.

 

The three critical parameters in flight dynamics are the angles of a plane’s rotation around its main center of mass are known as pitch, roll, and yaw.

 

Pitch...the up and down orientation of the nose as it faces into the wind.

Roll...the side to side tilting or balance.

Yaw...the left to right orientation of it the plane’s overall position in the air.

 

The Wright Brothers figured out a way to control all three of them.  That actually was one of their main inventions, not the development of a more powerful engine, but what became known as “three axis control.” What helped them most in their discovery was their work with bicycles.  Learning to ride a bike is an art of balance as much as it is a factor of how much hoof we have in our pedal.

 

I need to hear that.  God has given us a spirit though that covers both and, in fact, adds a third: “power, love, AND self-control.”

 

The Spirit wants to give us success in all three.

 

As you recover from knocking it out of the ballpark for Christ this Easter, it is just as important to replenish our ministry strategy and the posture of our soul as it is our strength.

 

Thriving in Christ with you,

 

Chris

 

 

 

"Changing Lives"

“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”  Colossians 1:6 (New Living Translation)

 

This was sweet.  Ran into someone this past week who told me for the very first time they made a decision to go into the ministry as the result of a message I gave over ten years ago.  I poured it out for that message.  Truthfully though, I didn’t know it went a-n-y-w-h-e-r-e.   One of those times you didn’t know if you honored God or not.  God showed up anyways, as always.

 

As a result, this person’s life was forever changed.  Their next ten years were changed as well as all the rest.  This weekend when you preach, know that you aren’t just preaching the most high and holy moment of Easter.  It’ll be great no matter what.  It’s Easter.   You might very well though be preaching for the next ten years…of someone else’s life.  Preach, lead, and serve for a ten year track record that you might not ever realize.  Knock it out anyways.

 

Just for fun, read the verse at the heading one more time (just in case you didn’t read it the first).

 

Thriving in Christ with you,

 

Chris

 

 

Latest and Greatest God-Stories:  “Signs of New Life”

You can email me yours if you’d like to share.

 

1. The people of Mechanicsburg and Nation Chapel UMCs have taken the tradition of feeding their congregations on Easter morning and turned it around and upside down this year by feeding the community by going to the community! On Sunday, April 4, the congregations will come together to serve a free community Easter breakfast in an empty former coffee shop storefront in downtown Mechanicsburg.  A local Fair Trade coffee roaster will provide delicious coffees, the local IGA juice and fresh rolls, and the food the churches traditionally cook for themselves on Easter morning will be used instead to feed our neighbors. Live music from the Nation Chapel worship band, special Easter treats for the children along with radical hospitality will surely spread the joy of the Resurrection Day! 

 

2. Tipp City UMC just completed a Paul Borden Consultation weekend.

 

3. Greenville EUM will be celebrating Easter in their brand new building.  Wow is it nice!

 

What is your latest God Story of new life?

 

"Spring Forward"

“If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation.”  II Corinthians 5:17

 

Don’t you just love Spring?  My dad got his fishing equipment out this last week, started to clean it, and got it ready for the first outing of the year.  My son took his first jog in the country.  My youngest daughter got a new pair of cleats for fast-pitch and the other, laid out the other afternoon working on her tan base for prom (for real).  My wife got some Easter colored Hershey Kisses for our candy dish.  And I worked on getting our kayaks licensed for their inaugural trip down the river.  We chunked up the snow drift in front of the house so it could melt faster.  Birdseed is now in the feeder.  We grilled out the first batch of chicken and got the blades on the mower sharpened.  My dog wants to go outside more.  I got a new pair of tennis shoes.  How have you gotten ready for this new season of life that God wants to bring?

 

The following are just some of the more recent God-Stories from throughout our District where new life is getting ready to bust out because people made preparations for Spring.

 

You too can email me yours if you’d like to share.

 

1. Prayers and best wishes are extended to Aldersgate UMC as they partner together with Rev. J.D. Grigsby to launch a new AME Church in Huber Heights called New Visions.  Launch service is scheduled for Sunday, March 28^th 4:00pm at the Wayne High School Auditorium.

 

2. Nation Chapel took a new step of faith and hired a youth pastor, Matt Yoder, who recently started his candidacy process here in the Miami Valley. 

 

3. Vandalia UMC held an anniversary celebration for the incorporation of their city and invited the whole town.  What a great blockbuster type of event to demonstrate a new level of commitment to one’s community.

 

4. Grace UMC of Dayton held a vision and strategic planning seminar for their church to help launch a new season of fruitfulness.

 

5. Several of the ethnic churches in Dayton have been working with a consultant and trusting God as they reach into the future.

 

6. Springfield Faith (the merger of LaGonda, Story Hypes, and Central) is in its first full year of existence laying the ground work in new staff, leadership structure and ministry for a new legacy in Christ and their community.

 

7. Pemberton UMC started a new monthly men’s ministry entitled F.I.R.S.T., after the first Saturday.  The acronym stands for Faith, Integrity, Responsibility, Strength, and Trust.

 

What is your latest God Story of new life?

 

 

 

"Our Unique Call"

Dear Ones, praying for you to experience a glorious, God-filled day.  One of the things that helps me get through my schedule is an e-devotional put out by the Henri Nouwen Society using many of his original writings.  Their material is a good balance for my driven pace and personality.  You too could sign up if you wish at their website...http://www.henrinouwen.org/.
 
The following came to my inbox yesterday.  It always comes at a good time, gives me a fresh perspective, and reminds me of the simple things that I often forget.  I am not the Savior of the world.  I don’t have to be.  Never had to try.  Can’t be.  Would be no good at it on the best of my days.  Jesus already took care of that job.  He did it real well.  Looked bad at first, but turned it all around on the third day.  He will take care of your job too when we stay committed to the work.  Enjoy and thrive, Chris    
 
“Our Unique Call”
 
So many terrible things happen every day that we start wondering whether the few things we do ourselves make any sense. When people are starving only a few thousand miles away, when wars are raging close to our borders, when countless people in our own cities have no homes to live in, our own activities look futile. Such considerations, however, can paralyse us and depress us.

Here the word call becomes important. We are not called to save the world, solve all problems, and help all people. But we each have our own unique call, in our families, in our work, in our world. We have to keep asking God to help us see clearly what our call is and to give us the strength to live out that call with trust. Then we will discover that our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time.

"Make 'Em Jealous"

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples…But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”  John 20, NIV

 

Standing at the fish counter at Meijer’s in Troy, I was privileged to meet a sweet-little-old, Italian woman; her sweet- little-old Italian brother; and his wife.  They were examining the salmon.  In their native Italian, it sounded like a family fight.  Speaking a language I don’t often hear around these parts, I asked where they were from.  While one ended up being a neighbor of mine in Sidney, the others still lived in Italy, but had just come back from attending the Olympics in Vancouver.  I remarked how beautiful the scenes were on TV, especially in HD.  Weren’t they awesome?  They, though, said it didn’t even compare to being there.  I believed them.  You should have seen the glow in their eyes.  They were still beaming like little kids…uh, little Italian kids.  Made me all the more wish I had been there.

 

Make them jealous.  Does your faith in Christ make people want more?  The disciples of old didn’t just fill positions.  They weren’t the local institutional reps of a dying denomination.  They were fellow travelers with Jesus and had actually been there...with Him, in all of the glorious detail.  They not only witnessed it, but had experienced it and were still feasting off the joy. 

 

May your faith illicit the same passionate resolve in others.  If it doesn’t, maybe it’s time to go somewhere in YOUR journey that brings a child’s excitement to your soul all over again.

 

Thriving in Christ with you,

 

Chris

 

 

"It Starts in Laodicea"

A little devotion and dates for your review…

 

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation.”  Revelation 3:14, NLT

 

“It Starts in Laodicea”

 

 The city which held the lukewarm church has become the namesake for mediocrity, and the chastisement for all Christians who have lost their salt and flavor.  I never really noticed it before, but did you catch how Christ introduced Himself?  “This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation.”  Even in Laodicea, God never gave up hope.  In fact, Laodicea is where new creation starts, in the midst of the mediocrity and milk toast.

 

Where do you start?

 

I confess I always want to start well over the hump, when the hard work has already been accomplished.  Here, God starts right where we would all most want to hurl, even where God is ready to vomit it all out of God’s mouth.

 

Notice how God introduces Christ…as…

 

1.  The Amen—the One who begins by saying “so be it,” the One who has already determined its success, no matter how far off the mark it seems.  God begins with confidence, even in the lukewarm.

2.  The Faithful and True Witness—My perspective is sometimes weak and so is my witness.  Christ’s testimony and perspective are flawless.  Don’t run from Laodicea, start in it.  God has already judged it…judged it worthy of new life.

3.  The Beginning of God’s new creation—here?  Anywhere.  God starts where we would most like to run from, beginning a new genesis of faith, where Adam and Eve want to frolic, and new seasons of life break forth every day.

 

In Laodicea?  Wherever.

 

 

Thriving in Christ with you,

 

Chris

 

 

 

Dates to mark on your calendar and watch the District News for more details…

 

March 21…Introduction to Leadership Formation: Character, Competence, and Connection; Effective Models of Leadership Formation; Urbana UMC, 2:30-5:30pm.  Email kgeiling@ameritech.net for more details.

 

April 20…Dr. Pryor Rescheduled; Living in the Passover Dimension; 1-4pm, Fairview UMC.  No charge.

 

April 24…Leadership and Supervision Training…great for PPRC/SPRCs, especially those welcoming new pastors; Fletcher UMC; 9am-4pm; email kgeiling@ameritech.net for price and details.

 

May 4…Come hang out for a Day-Apart with Chris’ Spiritual Director from the Henri Nouwen Society; Teachings on Contemplative Prayer, a L’Arche View of Life, Community Spiritual Direction, and Preparing for a Gethsemane Retreat.  Watch for details. We’re looking for a cool conference room with a view and walking trails.  Got any ideas central to the district?  Email Chris at checkaman@wocumc.org.

 

May 13… B.S. with the D.S.; 10:00-11:30am at the District Offices UTS Campus; Come and chew the fat on all things leadership and important in growing your churches; discuss topics that could be covered in the future (leadership reorganization, stratehic planning, interventions, appointment making, whatever you like); coaching by area mentors, etc; call or email to reserve a spot.

 

 

 

"A Follower's Life's Work"

Maybe the Church you long for is the same one Jesus longed to see?
And maybe the Church you loathe was never in God’s mind EVER meant to be?
 
Some have called it his life message, others a rallying cry.  Mike Slaughter’s new book, entitled “Change the World: Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus,” is already at the top of some publisher lists.
 
Your heart will resonate and find its home in a vision for the church that is immediately intuitive to your own soul.
 
Each chapter covers a key dynamic and paradigm shift that the church is waking up to, finding its true kingdom purpose, a kingdom not unto itself but unto Christ.
 
Missional vs. Attractional
Inclusive vs. Exclusive
Disciples vs. Decisions
Micro vs. Macro
Multiplication vs. Expansion
Mission vs. Mortar
Courage vs. Compliance
 
Which church are you serving?  The one you loathe or the one you long for?  “The Lord still gives the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).”  Is your heart beating for a new kind of church?  You don’t necessarily have to leave the one you’ve got, just trust God to create it using your own hands under your own feet.
 
Longing to thrive in Christ with you,
 
Chris H

"Joyce Still Rocks"

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Hebrews 12, NIV

 

Sitting in Cabinet the other day, Joyce Fry led off with devotions and hit the nail on the head once again.  Sharing her insights from recently reading a Steven Covey book, leadership comes down to four keys…

 

1.  Inspire Trust

2.  Clarify Purpose

3.  Align Systems

4.  Unleash Talent

 

That pretty much says it all does it not?

 

When the Scriptures say, “We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,” they don’t necessarily have to be all dead.  As Miami Valley Methodists, we have so many looking out for us, always on our side, working on our behalf.  Rev. Joyce Fry, one of our former D.S.’s still has a big heart for our region and all that we are trying to do for God, as well as several others around the Cabinet table, not least of which is our Bishop.

 

Miami Valley you are well represented and cheered for!  You can be encouraged.  Run and thrive.

 

In Christ with you,

 

Chris

 

 

 

Let Them Eat Cheesecake

“I gave you milk to drink, NOT solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it.” I Corinthians 3:2, NAS

My wife and I took some date time when both of us had to be in Columbus recently. Got lunch, but then later in the afternoon, I thought we needed some dessert. So, what do you do? Type “cheesecake” in your GPS and you will find a “sure-as-shooting” good match. It turned out to be a pretty interesting experience. If it wasn’t for the GPS we would have never found it!

Tucked away in the back of an out-of-the-place strip mall, the proprietor explained how he specialized in “original, NY-style, pure, unadulterated cheesecake,” not any one of those “candy-bar” kinds (Snickers cheesecake, Oreo, etc.). Well, I’m quite a food lover on ANY given day of the week. And I like the refined things as much as I like my Doritos and even worse sometimes. His cheesecake was awesome, “original, NY-style” cheesecake, but it just wasn’t selling. He said he had a great business plan and everything, but he had been there for two years and business was still slow. Well in my mind, even if you think you have a great business plan and you’re still not selling, it means you need to get a new business plan.

What kind of cheesecake are you selling? Even if we have the best product on the planet, if people aren’t buying it, we need to get a new plan. A little candy-bar cheesecake might not be that bad after all, meeting people where they are instead of where we expect them to be, no matter how noble the cause.

What style of worship are you offering? Is it more for those fine connoisseurs who have developed their taste buds over the years or is it as much for the average Joe off the street too, even more? Adding a little candy isn’t a disgrace if it means we can get them in the door and over time, develop their taste buds for the really good stuff.

Insanity

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Albert Einstein

What has the Haiti Tragedy been teaching you? At the same time I’ve been living through it all myself, I’ve been remembering another tragedy not too long ago too, i.e. Katrina, and how we all responded when it hit. I’m seeing a lot of similarities, you? Have we learned anything since then? To make systemic change to the world sometimes we need to change up our own system first, i.e. the way we’ve always done things. Some of the questions I have been asking myself include…

Have you been scrambling to respond or was your church organized already? Maybe we need to ready ourselves because with ever increasing frequency, these types of tragedies will not stop? [Just a note: these types of events allow the church to really shine. When the world sees the church step up, they see Christ.]

Are you expecting someone to come along and make it easy, or are you willing to go out of your way and truly sacrifice? [We cannot send the Schwann man to pick up every healthy kit. Could our clusters of churches work together at a higher level and get them to our pick up sites?]

Who else do I need to get involved? [As much as the health kits will bless and provide, they are worthless without contacts in the trucking and transportation system to get them there.]

What is the best way to spend my time, donating my spare change or trying to influence the principalities and powers to stabilize Third World Governments and build much-needed infrastructure and industry? Donating a canned good or leveraging our economic power?

What is the most effective thing I can do the next time I go on a mission’s trip? Hand out some food or find a partner to start a micro-loan program?

What other systems do we uphold unnecessarily that we need to look at much differently? E.g. our church’s disciple-making system, the way we handle indigent requests…what things are we doing that aren’t accomplishing as much as we really think?

As much as we want and feel compelled to do something, let’s make sure we are doing big enough things.

Planning for the Parade

A Lesson in Radical Hospitality

If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." Luke 9:5, NIV

I went to our community’s Holiday Parade last week to kick off the season and its many festivities, the one in which Santa arrives giving great hope to all little girls and boys. Stood next to two sweet ladies who got stuck in the traffic passing through town and instead of fighting it, chose to stay and watch. I was though embarrassed.

I don’t know about your local parades, but for ours, you have to be a local to really enjoy it. We have floats and entries “only a mother could love.” The many entries included at least five different tow truck companies (Don’t know why really. All I can think of is their lights were pretty.); eight different scout troops simply marching behind handmade, poster board signs; a motorcycle gang (Their bikes weren’t even decorated this year.); and the local pet groomers with a brood of their clients (Dogs from every color and tribe.).

Looking out of the corner of my eye, I would periodically check to see if my new-found friends were still there. They were so polite, though it was obvious, they weren’t too impressed.

The Scriptures are unequivocal: our welcome of others measures our welcome of God.

How then are you preparing for the parade of people that will come through your church’s doors this Holiday Season?

What if the above admonition from Luke wasn’t originally written for the disciples when they would visit a new town, share their faith and get rejected, but a rule for all in Middle Eastern hospitality who showed up at someone’s door and got treated anything less than kings and queens?

Are we giving people a reason to come back and join us?

How can we go out of our way to extend the welcome of God this holiday season?

I have a feeling, when my two, sweet, little-old-lady friends got back in their car, they didn’t think twice nor look back. Will our guests and visitors in worship?

Some things I tried to do over the years especially at this time of year: Preached my butt off…Sought to make worship as inviting and inspiring as it could be…Formed extra hospitality teams to add another layer of welcome other than just our tried and true ushers…Gave out gifts, often just symbolic, that brought home the message…Planned the worship series to kick-off the New Year early and started promoting it. You see…

Dust doesn’t stick. Give them something that does.

Ichabod's Remains

She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel." I Samuel 4:21, NIV

How would you like to be named “Ichabod?” In Hebrew it means “the glory (of God) has departed Israel.” No thanks. Not me, please.

Eli’s sons were priests, but corrupt. They took all the fat portions of the temple meat offerings for themselves. Eli didn’t hold them accountable. He never called them out on it. So, God did. God’s glory departed. It just up and left. Ouch.

I was sitting in my office a week or so ago and much to my amazement looked up to see the tree right outside my window. It freaked me out. The leaves had long turned their color and were now totally brown. Yet they hadn’t fallen off. The whole tree looked an eerie, droopy dead. Oh, please God, not on my watch. I don’t ever want to be an Ichabod.

Can you tell if you have an anointing?

I don’t want to serve unless I have an anointing. In other words, I don’t want to do this thing for God unless God is in it and all the way. I can try to do it in my own strength, but I will fail miserably. If I accomplish anything it will only be temporary. I need to know that God is with me.

Did you know you can be appointed but not anointed? Saul was. And it was why he had so much trouble.

I notice someone’s anointing when I see…

*Their heart for their people, that despite the challenges they still have a genuine love.

*A special ability to provide the kind of leadership for the right kind of situation.

*A synergy in worship, when a pastor has a gift of connecting God with the needs of God’s people.

*Preaching that isn’t a rambling theological diatribe, but a spiritual dart round straight to the heart.

Eli’s sons felt entitled…to a certain level of benefits. Our appointive system has its own equivalents and comparisons. “Forgive us, God, if we as spiritual leaders care more about what’s in it for us than we do for You, God, getting into the lives of your people.”

Don’t give up on us quite yet.

Go Deep Today

¹⁵For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" Romans 8, NAS

A number of years ago, some really, good friends were sharing about their experience meeting a semi-famous evangelist that was gaining quite a following in our region. Extraordinarily gifted, he could speak like no other, absolutely captivating. One of their remarks I will never forget. “His giftedness, however, seemed to overshadow his spiritual depth.”

That’s an easy spot to fall into. We get so busy taking care of business we forget to take care of self. Ever since then, it’s always been my fear that my competency would outshine my Christ.

The early church was known for its intimacy with God. Known as El Shaddai, Elohim, and Yahweh in the Old Testament, Jesus taught His disciples to address God as Abba. The prayer that He taught, while we called it “The Lord’s Prayer,” and the Catholics “The Our Father,” could best be referred to as “The Abba Prayer.” It was to be a special prayer of intimacy, highlighting a new governing reality.

Is it yours?

Unexpected Consequences

This last spring we built what’s called a “water feature” for a flower bed right by the front door of our home, a “bubbling rock.”  Have you seen one of those?  It’s a large rock from the quarry with a hole drilled through it.  A pump, water, and a little hard work turn it into a fun and pretty nice fountain.  What once was our very normal front door is now an eye catching, extra-hospitable-looking front door. 

 

My dog loves it.  He thinks we built it just for him.  Instead of using his regular old, water dish, now he does his prance to go out just so he can drink out of the fountain, an “unexpected consequence.”

 

Have you built a bubbling rock lately?

 

At our church one year we pulled together what we called Big House, a huge carnival for all ages out on the street.  We had a few thoughts as to what it could do, but God had a few more….

 

We used it as an opportunity to invite the neighborhood.  And some of them actually came.  God had me sit down and visit with them while they were here.  I earned even more… about their perceptions of the church, of why they didn’t come, etc.  It spawned a whole new worship service to reach a whole new group of people.

 

We used it to turn a drab Sunday into a “happening” Sunday.  Wow, was it fun it.  It caused us then to start looking at every Sunday a little bit differently.

 

We used it to reach out to our friends.  We quickly realized just how far we had to go to really turn our church inside out and reach our region.

 

We used it as an opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of the church, the “one-anothering” of the body.  God used it to show us how much more deeply we had to go in truly living a life of authentic, Christian community.

 

Built a bubbling rock?  One event helped changed the entire posture of our church, making us want to drink up more of God and the mission to which we have been called.  What’s the next step from some of the things that you have already done that God wants to build on?

 

 

 

 

Blaze a Trail

“The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full (of) day.”  Proverbs 4:18, NAS

 

Heading out of my little neighborhood this last week off to one of our district’s far corners, I drove right into the morning sun.  It was beautiful, one of those early fall, paint-the-entire-sky-orange sunrises.  I then made my turn and headed west.  It followed me the whole way, coming up more and more as I drove along.  The above verse from Proverbs that I had memorized years ago blessed me.

 

“Lead me in your righteousness, Lord.”

 

The sun was so bright I had to tilt my rearview mirror though.  It shone through the back window, bounced off the rearview mirror straight into the retinas of my eyes (OK, that was a little dramatic).  And then the verse from the 23^rd Psalm, “surely goodness and mercy will follow you,” pierced my heart.

 

What do I really want?  Do I want goodness and mercy to pave my way, keeping life and ministry more easy than hard, or do I want to leave goodness and mercy in my wake for the benefit of others?  The Psalmist realized it couldn’t get any better than for “goodness and mercy to follow” you and me.

 

I guess if push came to shove, I would choose blazing a trail over using one already paved.

 

When we put in the 12 by 12 foot video screen right in front of the monster-sized stained glass window of Jesus and the children for our new contemporary service, I said to myself, “If for no other reason, the new pastor will love me.”  As hard as life might ever get in ministry, God is using us to set up fruitful ministry for years to come.

 

Blaze some trail today.

 

Moldy Bread

"This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is."  Joshua 9:12, NIV

Dear Colleagues and Friends, 
 
Ever accidentally found yourself eating some moldy bread?  Not too long ago I made a sandwich, bit into it, and thought, "I didn't know we had sour dough bread in the house."  When I looked at the bag that the bread came out of I realized it wasn't sour dough bread.  It was MOLDY bread.

 

In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites deceive the Israelites and get them to make a treaty with them instead of risking going to battle.  They pretend that they are from a far off land, that Joshua and the Israelites have nothing to worry about.  "They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy (Joshua 9:4-5), just to make it look like they came from far, far away.  They, however, hadn't come from far away at all.  They came from right next door.

 

Anyone try to feed you a moldy-bread-sandwich lately?  Are you carrying any moldy bread in your knap-sack, albeit unwittingly?

 

Sometimes we ministry leaders end up carrying bags and bags of it.

 

Ministry can be the hardest job in the world.  We work with the best of humanity as well as sometimes the worst.  We can get hurt, frustrated, disappointed, discouraged, forgotten, overwhelmed and otherwise just plain bent.

 

Will you pray for God to show you your moldy bread?

• Bad feelings and frustrations for your church.
• Wounds and hurts from just trying to be like Jesus.
• Anger at the conference, the system, or our colleagues.
• The pain from broken relationships.
• A desire for justice that doesn't come from Christ but from a desire for just plain vengeance.
• A yearning for success, not for the pure joy of making disciples, but so we can look good in front of our colleagues and thus feel better about ourselves.
• Etc., etc., etc.

When all we carry is moldy bread we can't taste Christ's Living Bread.  The Bread of Life wants to replace what you are carrying in your bag.

 

I am truly praying for you: that your soul may taste God's goodness even in the most hurtful place, so you can better meet the true hurt of the world.  Every now and then I wake up and realize I haven't really come that far at all and have so much farther to go. 

 

Trip Tips

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward-to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back."  (Philippians 3:12-14, The Message) 

Just got back from a few days off with my son, taking advantage of an opportunity we had to go to Washington, D.C. and see all that we wanted to see.  I like to travel, especially with my family.  I always learn a little more about the Christian journey when I spend some quality time on the road.

Things like...

1. It's Always God's Time.  Somehow, someway, it's always God's time for something.  If we didn't go on our trip, I would have missed a life-long, memory-maker.  My son and I had a great time sight-seeing and truth-speaking.  Wherever we are, God has something for us too.  Our churches and people are meant to grow and thrive.  We can trust Christ for that.

2. Look for a Better Way.  Visiting D.C. during Health Care Reform Debate Week will do that to you as well as traveling through West Virginia.  An eight hour trip turned into twelve.  There has got to be a better way to organize highway projects!  There has got to be a better way for us to do government.  And sometimes, or often, there is a better way we can do church.  Don't wait for someone else to fix it.  Go ahead and try it. 

3. Establish Your Principles.  The thing though that most stuck with me was seeing the memorials and reflecting on what each of them stood for.  Watching my African-American sisters and brothers at the Lincoln Memorial was more moving than the monument itself.  What will be said of me?  As much as D.C. memorializes all that makes our country great, I want to make sure I establish what has made Christianity great: the power of the resurrection, God's prevenient grace, a passion for the world, etc.  How will I help lock those ideas in to the collective conscience of the world around me?

As you know, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."  (II Corinthians 5:20, NIV)   

 

Bless Them Anyway

Reading through my Bible reading program I came upon the transition of power between Moses and Joshua at the end of Deuteronomy. It was therapeutic for me as I am still working my way through this new season in my life.

Several things struck me…

1. He blessed them anyway. As difficult as the Israelites ever were, as the end approached, Moses took all the tribes aside, and blessed each and every one of them anyway. If anyone ever had an excuse to go negative, I would think it would have been him. They were so contrary: planning revolts, complaining, wanting to go back, etc. Evidently, Moses felt that in the end, it wasn’t worth going negative. I think it is safer for our souls that way. No matter how bad it ever gets, I’m going to refuse to surrender my joy.

2. He knew it was all temporary. When God was going to transfer power, God had Moses and Joshua meet in the Tabernacle. Moses had to have been going through all the typical emotions involved in letting go. God wasn’t letting him enter the Promised Land for a previous discretion. I’m sure that was heavy on his mind as well. And then Shaddai showed up at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting…in the form of a vapor, the pillar of cloud. Even God disclosed Godself in a temporary form. That realization blew me away.

What would our ministry look like if we realized we were just God’s temp? Would we take bigger risks? Would we hold on to things a little less tightly? Would we not take offense so much knowing there is nothing for people to take a stab at when we’re just a cloud anyway? Would we delegate more? Would we let go of some things so we could, for the sake of our long term integrity, give ourselves to some others?

We’re the ones that, in the end, God still blesses…amazing.

Managing the Flood

The emergency broadcast system started going off in our home and this time, it wasn't a test. It had been raining for days. A call for volunteers came through to help sandbag a neighborhood in danger of going under from the nearby river.

I hurriedly put on my rain suit and boots. Grabbed a shovel, ball cap and took off. I arrived only to find about 500 people, standing around, not knowing what to do. Those in charge were somewhere in the know, but they weren't letting anyone else in on the project. I ended up helping about eight people fill and stack another row of sandbags. We soon went home.

As I find myself trying to manage the flood of information and opportunities that I have been receiving just getting on board in the district, God has brought that image back several times to me now.

What I have learned about managing a flood...

1. You can only control what you can control--the river was going to rise no matter what. All we could do was work to channel it when it did. How are you channeling the flood when it comes upon you?

2. Other people are our greatest asset--how are you utilizing those whom God has placed around you? Unless we use them we lose them.

3. Reset the foundations--the water was rising and flooding the banks. We had to add more resources to the banks. What do you need to add to the foundation of the work that God has called you to?

4. Don't drown in it. Channel it--What if the flood is the River of Life overflowing with opportunity? Building better systems in our church (discipleship, assimilation, lay mobilization) is more productive than trying to work harder and faster.

5. Rescue work is sometimes dirty work--sandbags aren't filled with pretty Caribbean sand. They are rather made out of muddy, Ohio pond sand. Dirty work though can still be fun.

How will you manage your flood? Noah built an ark and rode it out. Jesus would often slip away into the wilderness and just pray.

Instead of drowning in it, maybe it's God's way of calling us to be better spiritual leaders.