Methodology for Remembering

As a follower of Jesus, as a preacher, and as a missional leader, I am always trying to find ways to help myself and others be able to think more deeply about their life in Jesus. I am finding that our culture, and therefore many people in this culture find it difficult to reflect deeply about their faith journey. It can be hard to be introspective; harder to be self-evaluative; even harder to make changes that God is prompting us to make.

How do you create space to think about your greatest pursuit? How do you discipline yourself to be aware of God's presence, to be mindful of His Word that instructs and guides and transforms us? Or do you think that that kind of life with Jesus just kind of happens? I think it is of critical importance that we take this part of our lives seriously and devote energy to developing a "methodology for remembering." We are bombarded with so much information today. We are inundated with images all day long. And every one of them is vying for our attention. How will you, in the middle of all the noise, learn to recognize the voice, the presence of God? God frequently shows up in the moment, doesn't He? We see something, read something, experience something, and then....poof......its gone, never to be recaptured. How can we process something that disappears from our memory? This is one of the reasons, by the way, that we take time in lifeGroup to answer questions like: "Where this past week have you experienced the presence of God?" or "What has God been teaching you in His Word this week?" I think I'm beginning to understand why frequently those questions are met with silence. We haven't actually thought about it much! Imagine if you would capture those God-given insights, those God-directed thoughts somehow, and be able to reflect on them with others later? Even better, can you imagine reflecting on those thoughts in real time with others as they were happening? If you don't capture it, you will more than likely lose it. And, if you lose it, it won't become transformational. “If learning doesn’t become conviction and action, it remains only information instead of resulting in transformation.” -- Scott Rische
I have always taken notes. I carry with me a moleskin, and write down anything that strikes a chord with me. Anything that tugs at my heart or challenges my thinking, or clarifies a vague thought I've had; any experience that moves me, sight that stirs me, goes in one of those little books. Then, periodically, in my schedule, I take time to just go through my little books. I ask God how He might want me to use this in my life or how He might want me to share it with someone.

Lately, I have been using twitter in much the same way. What if we would use twitter as we listen to sermons, as we attend lifeGroups, as we go to Bible class, as we spend time in the Word? Before you dismiss it, check out this link from TIME magazine!

Missional Living as Grace

Some would say that striving to follow Jesus and live missionally is a legalistic thing that none of us can achieve. Many hide behind the fact that we can do nothing, only Christ who lives in me can do it! Amen to that! But, let's not hide behind that and use it as an excuse for inactivity!

Jesus, in many places exhorts us to go! The Great Commission is such a command. He also says, "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you." John 13:15 He even says, "Now that you have seen me do these things for you, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13:17 You will be blessed if you do them?

I was reminded this past week in spades that God works and wills where He pleases apart from me! But here's the really cool part, he lets me, He allows me to participate in His work. He lets me partner in His miracles. Now, isn't that grace?

"To do what pleases God is not simply a matter of morality (legalism) but of sharing in God's life and mission." pg. 26 "Re-Jesus" Frost and Hirsch

Attractional vs. Incarnational

With the emergence of the "missional church" today, there seems to be a lively discussion pitting the "attractional" model of church against the "incarnational" model. Perhaps you have entered the debate.

Can you take both approaches? Can a church be both attractional and incarnational?

Interesting question. It certainly stimulated a great conversation recently with a couple of friends. Here's what emerged in our discussion.

Jesus was attractional & attractive. It is impossible for people not to be drawn to Him. The problem with much of the church today is that we have organized our leadership and churches around attraction at the expense of incarnation. We have attempted to attract without incarnation. We have put all of our eggs in the attractional basket and severely neglected the call to serve/ love and live in the world.

It is the incarnational lifestyle that makes us attractive.

We have built our ministries on attraction without incarnational living. This has led to many people in our churches believing that it is the staff's/ pastor's job to provide programs at the church that will yield the fruit of people reached, which has, in turn, led to people believing that it's not their job to go!

We don't have to pit attractional against incarnational. One will lead to the other. If we really want to draw people to Jesus, we are compelled to go. "No servant is greater than His master. As you have seen me wash your feet, and serve you, you will be blessed as you go and do the same." or "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you." John 13 Jesus speaks those words to every Jesus-follower today. Incarnational living is attractive!

100th Post!

However unworthy or unsuitable I think I am, God has chosen me. Read John 15:12-17

On my 100th post, (can you believe it?) I thought it would be good to remember this foundational truth. It's always good to remember this foundational truth. How easily we forget. I was talking with a friend the other day who is really battling through some transitional change stuff in his congregation, and it is this truth, that God called him there to do this specific work, that is keeping him going. He will not give up because God has chosen him...not only as a leader/ missional pastor, but as his son.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you!" Jesus

...to do what?
...for what purpose?

Secret Stadium Sauce

As a leader in the local ministry setting where I am privileged to serve there are a couple of challenges that I am always pushing for greater clarity around.

1) We have to differentiate our message from dozens of other churches in our area. We must stand out in people's minds. What is the "secret sauce" of our church? I think of Miller Park's "secret stadium sauce." Individuals who commit themselves to the mission of "connecting people to life in Jesus" at Christ Memorial should be able to answer the following question: At the end of the day, how does Christ Memorial leave me distinctly advantaged?

2) What is our brand promise at Christ Memorial? Our promise has to be an expression of Christ Memorial's DNA (our vision frame)--who we are; our values, our dreams and aspirations. We can't over promise and try to be something that isn't authentic. We can't promise something that isn't true Christ Memorial.

So, what is our brand promise? What is the "secret sauce" of Christ Memorial? Why would anyone want to drive by other churches to come to ours?

The Inherent Messiness of Nurturing a Missional Culture

Today's missional leaders need to be able to function in an environment of uncertainty.

Roxburgh and Romanuk discuss the reality of the "experimentation stage" in their "Missional Change Model" outlined in "The Missional Leader." they illustrate the truth of this stage by taking us back to our roots as a nation.

Quoting from John Ellis's Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, Roxburgh and Romanuk make the case that our country was founded using the "experimentation stage."

"He (Ellis) argues that it was neither grand vision nor a big plan that formed the American nation but a group of men who, in the exigencies of a moment filled with great stress and without any clarity of outcome, instigated a series of experiments that began to form the nascent republic: 'The real drama of the American Revolution...was its inherent messiness. This meant recovering the exciting but terrifying sense that all the major players had at the time-namely,that they were making it up as they went along, improvising on the edge of catastrophe.'" pg. 100
As a leader who is attempting to lead missional change in a local congregation, this lesson from history is profound and exhilarating. We have permission to experiment, to try, to give it a go. As we do, we learn and grow. Others watch and gain courage to try. All of this, repeated over and over again over time will yield a new life, a new missional culture.

Who have you noticed in your local context experimenting with missional living? What are you discovering? What are you learning?

Struggling to Respond to What God Is Up To

Have you ever struggled to know how to respond to something God was doing in your life? It works like this: you are surprised that He shows up in a way that breaks your paradigms about how He shows up, how He works, where He works, through whom He works. And, simply put, you just don't know what to do with what your experiencing. Is it right?

Perhaps our insistence on doing things the way we have always done them keeps us from His works......His ways.

We can learn allot from those who have gone before us. Check out Acts 15:4-12. We get a glimpse of how the early church struggled to get their minds around how God was working. Non-Jews, called Gentiles were coming to Jesus, and some of the believers were convinced that they needed to become Jews first before they could become followers of Jesus. Acts 15 is the battle ground where this intense conversation took place. It's really an amazing account. Put yourself there. Feel the emotion that must have been stirred up in the room.

After all of the wrangling, and debating, and struggling, there is one final statement that I think becomes the turning point for the whole conversation:
"Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles." vs. 12

Two questions emerge for me as I think about this event in the life of the Church:

1) Our my eyes open to see God working in places I wouldn't ordinarily look, in people I wouldn't normally pay attention to?

2) Do I trust that God Himself will guide change in the Church......in my life?

Church Unique

It was about two years ago. I was tired of attending conferences, weary of reading more books to get ideas. Exhausted from looking at and comparing our ministry to others. I didn't need another idea, or program, or model, or suggesation. At that point I had began to acknowledge who I was as a unique leader, what I needed was to uncover and celebrate our unique place in the body of Christ. And then, I needed to focus on executing that unique vision.

I love the way Will Mancini put in his blog "Clarity Evangelist":

Church leaders don't need more resources or motivation - they need to re-ignite their imagination!!!
1) How many events do we go to get "pumped up" and what kind of change has
that brought to our collective leadership lives?
2) How many resources has the collective church utilized that has led to only
pre-packaged thinking and photocopied vision?
3) Where and when will you as a leader engage your imagination and dream about
what God may uniquely do through your life and ministry?

Missional Roll Call

The term "passion" is over-used in today's culture.

Read this:
Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit.

Barnabas and Saul exhibit genuine passion.

There are very few names mentioned here.

Notice how personal the spread of the Gospel is here in Acts 13. There is no mass communication here, just passionate and focused communication by a few dedicated people.

It made me wonder, if I were to write an account of the spread of the Good News about Jesus in my town, in my neighborhood, in my city, which names would I write down?

The Power of One

Have you ever noticed how new understanding can change a life, can even change the world? Maybe you've experienced this for yourself. Perhaps you have experienced the new dawn of a shattered old paradigm, the release from an old way of thinking.

In working our way through Mark 5:1-20 yesterday with my girls and my friend at what we call faithBuilders, God opened a new doorway to a deeper understanding. Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to encounter a demon-possessed man who was living in the burial caves in the region of the Gerasenes. This is the story where Jesus casts out the demons in this man into a herd of pigs...2,000 of them....and they run themselves off a cliff. Kind of reminds me of what recently happened in Egypt. No wonder the people in the nearby villages wanted Jesus to leave them.

Something interesting happens in this reading as it relates to this man, however. He wants to go with Jesus after he was released from this torment. Quite natural, I would say. Jesus responds, "Go back to your family and to your town and tell them everything I have done for you." Amazing. Reached in his region, sent back to his region. Sounds alot like "One Church, Regional Impact."

Here's the new learning for me, the new understanding that God gave me: The Power of One. Certainly Power in Jesus, the One, without whom none of this transformation is possible. But, also Power in that one man, released from his prison and sent to his region.

We were imagining how tough it might have been for him to go back to his family and share the good news about Jesus. Perhaps the family doubted if he had really been healed. Perhaps they were hesitant to trust him again. And what of the rest of the town? He lived in the burial caves for Pete sake! He was out of his mind living in a community of freaks! And he was dangerous; supernaturally strong, filled with rage, and the strength of many demons. It couldn't have been an easy calling to go back. Maybe that's why he wanted to go with Jesus in the first place.

He went nonetheless....back to his family, and into his neighborhood. The power of one.

sometimes I look to gather a crowd to do the work. Sometimes I wait for strength in numbers before I go. There is power in one person, transformed, set free, who goes in obedience to Jesus to tell people all that He has done for them.

You who have experienced this transforming power of Jesus, where is Jesus sending you today?

Transitions

At a conference the past couple of days Steve Wagner, Executive Leader for The Pastoral Leadership Institute reminded us that "people like change, it's the transitions they have trouble with."

What do you think? Where have you seen the truth of this in your life?

Rest Areas

Yesterday, on my way to a conference just north of Trego, Wisconsin, I stopped at a rest area just south of Eau Claire. This was a noteworthy event. I typically will not stop unless a child of mine, or a wife of mine needs to stop. I am what you might call a "focused driver." Get to the destination as quickly as possible.

After yesterday's experience, I realized that I have most certainly missed many things along life's road becasue of my "focused driver" mindset. The joy is in the adventure. The joy is in the journey. And, some of the most meaningful and enriching times come when you take the exit off the planned path and into the rest area.

I got out of my car. Walked up a long trail to a summit overloosking the area surrounding Eau Claire. It was a glorious 45 minute interruption. Thank you, God, for the prompting. And thank you, Heavenly Father, for the lesson.

Jesus Calms the Storm

Open your bibles to Mark 4. Let's journey with Jesus.


Jesus Calms the Storm
35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

What an amazing story. Can you put yourself there at that moment? Can you imagine the excitement? Here's just a couple of things we picked up yesterday during our time in the Word at Christ Memorial:

1) Jesus is taking the disciples across the Sea of Galilee into new territory, Gentile territory. Up until this point He was in territory that, at the very least, was familiar with "church ways." And, notice the enemy's response. Read a little into chapter 5. Taking any new territory with Jesus? Be alert. The enemy is stirring.

2) Storms happen. Great, unexpected storms arise, threatening to overwhelm us.

3) Jesus sleeps. Who could sleep through a storm like that? Fully trusting His Father, having no fear, He sleeps. Compare this to the disciples' reaction!

4) Why turn to Jesus for help? (vs. 38) Astounding, really. Lenski in his commentary, reminds us: "They were expert sailors & knew all about handling a boat in the fiercest storms. They were used to squalls coming up quickly on this lake. Elevated hills on both sides of the lake. Strong winds like a wind tunnel down the valley. Jesus was a carpenter from Nazareth. These disciples were completely at the end of all of their resources in which they had always taken pride. Now they throw themselves upon Jesus as their last hope."

5) Jesus words were enough. (vs. 39) The storm that was described as a "mega storm" (literally in the greek) is now stilled, and Mark describes it as a "mega calm". Mega is replaced by mega. All with a word. Same words used in Mark 1:25

6) The storm reveals the true depth of the disciples' faith. (vs. 40) I love what Lenski says in his commentary: "Jesus was not rebuking them for lack of faith because He was in the boat with them! They had no right to be afraid even if Jesus had not been in the boat. As followers of Jesus they were ever in the Father’s care, and that is so whether Jesus was physically present with them or not. (Matt. 28:20) In fact, there was no reason to fear even if they died in the storm."


7) Who is this man? Check out Mark 5:7 for the answer, and notice who gives the answer. If, even the demons know who this Jesus is, how do we so easily forget?

We received a couple of questions to ponder in response to all of this. Maybe you can process them with us.

Any storms raging with unnatural strength in your life? How will you respond? “Silence, be still!”

What new territory is God leading you into….”let’s cross to the other side of the lake!” (vs. 35)? In the name of Jesus, with Jesus, practice intentional courage. Put your full confidence in Him. Do not be afraid.

Going on Ahead

It is clear that Jesus has moved into our neighborhoods as the comment on yesterday's post illustrates. Amazing! The question is: Do we understand that we are among the "72" who are sent by Jesus today to "go on ahead" (Luke 10:1), and will we actually go on ahead?

As our friend who commented yesterday helped us see: our going on ahead is not a going to a brand new place, necessarily. It is a being aware and open as we go on ahead to the places where we live and move and have our being.

Lord, open our eyes and let us see. Open our hearts and let us engage. Open our lives and let us share.