The Principle of The Messy Ox

 

Here's the word of encouragment I offered the Baptist General Convention of Texas staff last week. I hope it encourages you as well.
http://texasbaptists.org/2013/03/podcast-the-principle-of-the-messy-ox/

Pray For A NEW OUTLOOK on Mission

 

                Eugene and Annie Jenkins Sallee heard the “Go” of Jesus and the “Come” of China. God used them to renew missions in their generation. Their call began as students.  A recent graduate, Mr. Sallee gave a talk on his call to missions and, “That whole community was given a new outlook on the missionary enterprise…” That happened in 1903. It is 2013 and the needs of the hour again require a new outlook.

                Missional and educational are two of our root values. Our heritage affirms that we are at our best when these roots intertwine. In 1933 J.M. Dawson wrote of Mrs. Sallee, “That Mrs. Sallee should have such sympathy for missions may possibly be understood more readily when it is recalled…that she received her degree from Baylor University, which has supplied the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board with one out of nine of all its missionaries to the foreign fields; that she grew up in the First Baptist Church, Waco, under the ministry of B.H. Carroll and other pastors, which undoubtedly sent forth more preachers and missionaries than any other church in the South…” We have a “sending forth” legacy. New paradigms in missions are pressing us to reclaim it!

                We have much dreaming and planning to do. Our church has and I believe will make a vital contribution to the movement of God in the world. We have in our midst bright and godly men and women called to the nations. We must pray fervently. I ask you to join with me in praying three things as it relates to a new outlook on missions:

1.       Pray for a vision as big as the world. Acts 1:6-11

2.       Pray for a bold strategy that rises to the opportunities of the hour. Acts 16:6-10 It was said of Eugene Sallee, “He was a worldwide missionary but his place of labor was Interior China. Vision is for the nations and strategy for people and place.

3.       Pray for the called. Acts 13:1-3

Made Alive to Live

The Organized Organism

              The church you serve is an organization. Evidence of this includes budgets, flow charts, roles, groups, methods, power bills, coffee, etc. You may be part of one of those really cool anti-organizational, we just follow the Wind groups. You still are an organization. Just run out of coffee and you’ll see. Someone will have to get some more. Someone will pay for it. Organization, every church is one.

                The church you serve is an organism. It is Voice, Angel, Myth, and Person. The church grieves, works, sins, celebrates, prays, seeks, longs, regrets, hopes – as one. The church is alive.

                The organism and organization are interactive yet distinct. The church’s organizational structure is designed to serve the values and mission of the breathing organism. The organization can get crossways with the organism. The organism can be ignored, thinking that the organization is the seat of life. This gets everything mixed up. This is idolatry. There are lots of proper organizational structures for churches. Organisms are very similar. Organisms all need the same food for life.

                I have been part of two interviews over the last two months that illustrate this. Ron Cook, Jamie McCallum and I spoke with Roger Fredrikson and David Fisher. These two men have both had fruitful ministries. They both love pastoral ministry and have written about aspects of it for others. They were both extremely gracious and insightful. I doubt if either of them would have been successful in the other one’s context.  Their approach to church organization is different. The commonality between this is seen in the life of the organism. They both love God and maintain friendships. They are aware of their own need for grace and pursue the Spirit. They prayer for the health of the organism and labored for a functional organization. They reminded me that a healthy spirituality is the most important aspect of pastoral ministry. Organic functioning must precede thoughtful organization.

                Young congregational leaders are wise to note the value of both the organization and organism. We should care about organizational needs and work for wise and efficient methods and structures.  . We should lay down our lives for the organism.   I thought I’d scribble this down so that I wouldn’t run away.

               

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Breathe

I am grateful for the men and women that I share life with.  I’m indebted to these friends. Some are mentors, some peers, and some protégés. Each mediates the presence of God and teaches me as I (hopefully) add a little something to their experience.  This week I was reminded that breath is important.

                I met with an undergraduate ministry guidance student from Baylor yesterday and we discussed Brother Lawrence’s notion of practicing the presence of God. This very bright student was a little stumped about how to get this going so I suggested stopping eight or ten times during the day to simply take note of the fact she was breathing. Breath is symbolic of the Spirit. God is present and our breath can prompt us to recognize the goodness and mercy that hounds us all day long.

                I went immediately from this meeting to a meeting with Ron Cook (I think of Doc Cook as my pastor), Jamie McCallum, and Roger Fredrikson. Dr. Fredrikson joined us by phone. The purpose of the call was to discuss ministry with the 90+ year old pastor. Jamie read his book, The Church That Refused To Die as part of her ministry mentoring experience and I tagged along for the ride. It was a special phone call.

                Dr. Fredrikson imparted wisdom, gave a word from God, and prayed. He closed our conversation with a brief encouragement from John 20. He pointed to John 20:21b as our mandate, “…as the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” Then he said, “And then Jesus breathed on them. That’s what will happen in your churches. God will breathe again and again.” There’s the hope of renewal!

At the end of his book Dr. Fredrikson talks about the posture of the kneeling, open, repentant, expectant spirit. He says that it is only in this posture that we receive God’s greatest gift – the intimacy of Himself. When we come before God like this, “Then, He fills, baptizes, and immerses us in His own life.”

                Breathe on us Holy Spirit. Renew Your Church. Renew your churches. Amen

Friendship: The Unfinished Story

This is the last message in the series, Frienship. This series touched a deep place in my heart. I pray it did the same for my friends called FBC Waco.

…lead me to a rock that is higher than I.

 

                We find our voice in the book of Psalms. The psalms give us words in the seasons when our own words fail. The psalms crack open our hearts to let in the joy and pain of our sisters and brothers. The psalms are mine. The psalms are yours. The psalms are ours. The psalms are God’s.  

                The psalms weep and shout.  The psalms patiently instruct. The psalms refuse to hurry. The psalms do not blush at repetition.

                Above all, the psalms stake turf on the planet. They serve as a storm weathered steeple pointing to God. They direct us to the biblical God of comfort and consternation. I have been driven to tears reading many of your reflections on the psalms. You have met the Easter Lord in the midst of the words. I am excited about us hearing from these words as we make our way to Advent. Let us cleave to the rock that is higher.

If you have not sent in a response to the questions – What is your favorite psalm? Why? please consider doing that today.

My email is msowden@fbcwaco.org.

Our mailing address is 500 Webster Waco, TX 76706