- Disciplined Prayer
- Hospitality
- Stewarding the manifold grace of God given through spiritual gifts.
That sounds like a strategy for missional renewal to me. Join us tonight as we talk about this powerful passage of scripture.
The End is Near: I Peter 4:7-11
Growing up in the South has given me an appreciation for the folk art that decorates the interstate highway between Dallas and Atlanta. REPENT! Get right or get left. THE END IS NEAR!!! All these slogans and many more call out to the prodigals of Dixie to straighten up. I'm not sure that reminders of life's brevity are all that bad. Peter spoke up and said years ago, "...the end of all things is at hand" (I Peter 4:7). Sometimes we need to be reminded of the fragility of life and the need to focus on the big things. Peter instructed the church to spend the little time they had focusing on tree things -
"Doubting" Thomas' Scarred Up God
The Apostle Thomas is widely known for his doubting. I'm glad we don't all have to carry names binding us to our weak moments. There was a kid in our church in Monticello that called me Fat Matt for a number of years. Yes, it fit. No, it did not speak to other aspects of my life and devotion. I'm fat and Thomas doubted but that's just part of the story - the part to be restored by God's grace.
If you read John's gospel with care you will find that the strongest affirmation of Jesus' divinity came from the lips of "Confessing" (?) Thomas. Eugene Peterson tells it like this - Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe." Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"
"My God!" That was Thomas's affirmation. "My God!" He declared the divinity of Jesus AFTER he touched his scars. Thomas confessed the craziest notion the world has ever known - God has scars. The God of blazing fire has scars. When it comes to brokeness - God gets it. We do not have a God that is unmoved by our challenges and suffering. Therefore we can join with the writer of Hebrews and encourage each other as Jesus encouraged Thomas -
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
If you read John's gospel with care you will find that the strongest affirmation of Jesus' divinity came from the lips of "Confessing" (?) Thomas. Eugene Peterson tells it like this - Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe." Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"
"My God!" That was Thomas's affirmation. "My God!" He declared the divinity of Jesus AFTER he touched his scars. Thomas confessed the craziest notion the world has ever known - God has scars. The God of blazing fire has scars. When it comes to brokeness - God gets it. We do not have a God that is unmoved by our challenges and suffering. Therefore we can join with the writer of Hebrews and encourage each other as Jesus encouraged Thomas -
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)
From Great to Good
I appreciate the fact that Thom Rainer is now leading Lifeway. I think that he is a good researcher and believe that he will do good things at the Southern Baptist institution. Rainer and Ed Stetzer are two reasons that I can't give up totally on the SBC.
I, like many others, have been influenced by Rainer's book Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap. This book was based on the Jim Collins' Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. Both works are filled with important information for churches seeking to increase their missional impact. Greatness is a noble goal but I was reminded today the goodness must not be left behind in pursuit of it.
On of my favorite pastors is Robert Creech of University Baptist Church in Houston, TX - www.ubc.org. I watch his sermons when I clean up my office. Recently Eric Swanson preached a sermon at UBC, Houston titled, From Great to Good, based on Acts 10:36-38. He talked about Jesus' ministry of goodness and how we need to follow his model. He pointed to three aspects of Jesus' good works -
I, like many others, have been influenced by Rainer's book Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap. This book was based on the Jim Collins' Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. Both works are filled with important information for churches seeking to increase their missional impact. Greatness is a noble goal but I was reminded today the goodness must not be left behind in pursuit of it.
On of my favorite pastors is Robert Creech of University Baptist Church in Houston, TX - www.ubc.org. I watch his sermons when I clean up my office. Recently Eric Swanson preached a sermon at UBC, Houston titled, From Great to Good, based on Acts 10:36-38. He talked about Jesus' ministry of goodness and how we need to follow his model. He pointed to three aspects of Jesus' good works -
- Ministry of Mercy - making someone's day better
- Ministry of Empowerment - making someone's life better
- Ministry of Evangelism - making someone's eternity better
As a child I learned to pray - God is great! God is good! Let us thank him... In an effort to be truly Christian our desrire should be greatness AND goodness.
And God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38 (KJV)
Receiving One Such Child
And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." Mark 9:37 ESV
Walter Brueggemann writes about "constituences of evangelism." I have come to think of these as the pre-churched (children that are part of the church but not yet members), the un-churched (those outside the church), and the de-churched (those that have left the church). I read a blog post by Art Rogers www.twelvewitnesses.com that is relevant to ministry to both the pre and de churched and highly recommed the short piece.
In the post titled, Leaving Church, pt 1, Rogers sites Joe Ball's (Kentucky Baptist Convention) insights into teenagers that walk away from church after High School graduation. He asserts -
80% are from families who are NOMINAL Christians
50% are from unchurched homes
20% are from from churched families whose members are pursuing personal relationships with God
Rogers gleaned some conclusions that are worth reading. It seems clear that the insights listed above also speak to the way we minister to the pre-churched and suggest the de-churched would not be as big of a challenge if we did a better job living the faith in front of our children. There is another issue here . Those children that come from totally unchurched homes and are active in the ministries of the church have a BETTER chance of remaining than those from nominal families. The kids we sometimes label as "drop offs" or "pick ups" have a good shot if we receive them as Christ. This should be ample reason to reach out to kids and teenagers even if their families never follow.
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. Matthew 12:50 ESV
Walter Brueggemann writes about "constituences of evangelism." I have come to think of these as the pre-churched (children that are part of the church but not yet members), the un-churched (those outside the church), and the de-churched (those that have left the church). I read a blog post by Art Rogers www.twelvewitnesses.com that is relevant to ministry to both the pre and de churched and highly recommed the short piece.
In the post titled, Leaving Church, pt 1, Rogers sites Joe Ball's (Kentucky Baptist Convention) insights into teenagers that walk away from church after High School graduation. He asserts -
80% are from families who are NOMINAL Christians
50% are from unchurched homes
20% are from from churched families whose members are pursuing personal relationships with God
Rogers gleaned some conclusions that are worth reading. It seems clear that the insights listed above also speak to the way we minister to the pre-churched and suggest the de-churched would not be as big of a challenge if we did a better job living the faith in front of our children. There is another issue here . Those children that come from totally unchurched homes and are active in the ministries of the church have a BETTER chance of remaining than those from nominal families. The kids we sometimes label as "drop offs" or "pick ups" have a good shot if we receive them as Christ. This should be ample reason to reach out to kids and teenagers even if their families never follow.
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. Matthew 12:50 ESV
Messy but Worth It
Our magnolia tree is blooming. Summer is knocking on the door. We have already been to some baseball games and I'm itching to jump into the baby pool with Molly Katherine and Wes. The magnolia invited us to summer in all its messy glory and I'm ready for it.
Summer is full of messy things that are worth it. The ole magnolia is one of them. Mrs. Sara, our neighbor, was concerned that I was going to cut it down when we moved in. She asked/dared me when I met her, "You're not going to cut down that tree are you?" It never occured to me to cut down a magnolia. I was sure there was a state law against it or maybe a verse condemning the practice in the book of Leviticus. I know you can't pick sea oates in Florida, I figured magnolias were off limits in Mississippi. I asked Mrs. Sara, "Do people cut down magnolias?" She said, "O sure they do. Magnolias are a terrible mess." I found that to be true the first time I tried to cut the grass. Magnolias, in fact, are difficult - but worth it. Summer provides other messy but worth it things: snowballs, watermelon, baseball, and barbecue.
When you stop and think about it life offers another list of messy but worth it things - faith, children, marriages, the church you go to or could go to, friendships, etc. Before you cut down any trees because of the mess stop and consider the blooms.
Summer is full of messy things that are worth it. The ole magnolia is one of them. Mrs. Sara, our neighbor, was concerned that I was going to cut it down when we moved in. She asked/dared me when I met her, "You're not going to cut down that tree are you?" It never occured to me to cut down a magnolia. I was sure there was a state law against it or maybe a verse condemning the practice in the book of Leviticus. I know you can't pick sea oates in Florida, I figured magnolias were off limits in Mississippi. I asked Mrs. Sara, "Do people cut down magnolias?" She said, "O sure they do. Magnolias are a terrible mess." I found that to be true the first time I tried to cut the grass. Magnolias, in fact, are difficult - but worth it. Summer provides other messy but worth it things: snowballs, watermelon, baseball, and barbecue.
When you stop and think about it life offers another list of messy but worth it things - faith, children, marriages, the church you go to or could go to, friendships, etc. Before you cut down any trees because of the mess stop and consider the blooms.
McCarthy and the Prize
Cormac McCarthy won the Pulitzer Prize this week for The Road. I wrote a blog post earlier this (November 17th "Cormac McCarthy and the Bible) year about this important work. It is essentially a religious novel containing powerful biblical images. It is hopeful in that it explores the mystery of iniquity and refuses to dabble in the myth of inherent human goodness. We will never embrace the light until we acknowledge the darkness. Virginia Tech should remind us of this.
Read The Road as soon as possible. Read the bible. Become a "carrier of the fire."
Read The Road as soon as possible. Read the bible. Become a "carrier of the fire."
Inspections
This week has been a week for the inspectors. The health department came by the kindergarten and the Mississippi Food Network payed a visit to our food pantry mininstry. This, coupled with April 15 (on the 17th), reminds us that people are looking and pronouncing judgement. We don't live on an island with a vollyball as our only friend, although sometimes ole Wilson looks pretty inviting.
We live in a world where our performance is evaluated on a regular basis. Sometimes we are aware of being measured up. Most of the time we are surprised by the arrival of inspectors and must face their verdict without the benefit of putting on our best face. As the Boy Scouts would advise we must, "be prepared."
Jesus advised his disciples to inspect the lives of others for authenticity. He said, "Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?...Thus you will recognize them by their fruits" Matthew 6:16b;20 (ESV). We would do well to remember that people are watching our lives to see if we give figs or thistles. We need not be unprepared for inspection - Jesus told us it was coming! We will live with inspectors - let's make them our friends.
We live in a world where our performance is evaluated on a regular basis. Sometimes we are aware of being measured up. Most of the time we are surprised by the arrival of inspectors and must face their verdict without the benefit of putting on our best face. As the Boy Scouts would advise we must, "be prepared."
Jesus advised his disciples to inspect the lives of others for authenticity. He said, "Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?...Thus you will recognize them by their fruits" Matthew 6:16b;20 (ESV). We would do well to remember that people are watching our lives to see if we give figs or thistles. We need not be unprepared for inspection - Jesus told us it was coming! We will live with inspectors - let's make them our friends.
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