Loving West, Texas

 

 

www.texasbaptists.org/disaster
 

 

Here are a two ways to love our neighbors in West.

Give money though the link on the BGCT website or through FBC Waco. Note "West, TX" on the check and we'll get it there. 500 Webster Waco, TX 76706

Volunteer at the LIFT workshop on Saturday. We are setting up a "West" room to link citizens and help.

Jesus On The Loose

 

                The open tomb is startling scandal and wild possibility. A few years back I stumbled on the idea that Jesus is on the loose and it has motivated me since. It was in a piece written by Beverly Roberts Gaventa on the work of Donald Harrisville Juel. She wrote, “Among the striking observations in Donald Juel’s treatment of Mark 16 is that, ‘Jesus is out, on the loose, on the same side of the door as the women and the readers.’ This unsettling way of putting things builds on Juel’s earlier observation that the tearing of the heavens at Jesus’ baptism declared that the protective barriers between humanity is gone and that God, ‘unwilling to be confined to sacred spaces, is on the loose in our realm.’” The Spirit of Jesus refuses to stay put. God will not be caged. The Spirit is on the loose in the midst of human life. We will be exploring this theme in April and May. We will touch down at several points in Mark. Jesus is on the loose…

among fearful followers. Mark 16:1-8

among the withered. Mark 3:1-6

among the sent. Mark 3:31-35

among the kindred. Mark 3:31-35

among the children. Mark 10:13-16

among the rich. Mark 10: 17-28

Ephesians Series

 
I've been preaching through the book of Ephesians at FBC Waco. I love this epistle and have been challenged and encouraged by it. My prayer is that it will continue to form our congregation.

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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