The Power of Preaching?

Well, the sermon seems to have gone well by the response. I get so hyped up when it comes time to preach! Each morning before I preach, the excitement is so great that I can't imagine doing anything else. (Well, I could imagine playing in the US Open on Father's Day and maintaining a schedule on the PGA Tour if I was good enough, but that's beside the point.) But as I thought more about what I plan to do (preach), I began to wonder how much of a difference will I make?

I had prepared my sermon on Wednesday of last week and I was excited about the coming Sunday. After all, it is a pretty big deal to preach at Southern Hills. But when I entered the haircut store that afternoon I began to question myself. As sat down in the chair the conversation went well until I mentioned where I am working this summer. Then, it turned to silence. That put my Sunday experience in perspective. How small a thing it is to preach each week! That's not going to make a difference for the lady cutting my hair and at times I wonder if it makes a difference for the people at church. Do sermons form people in any significant way? Or is it just a bunch of language put together to entertain? My prayer each week is that God will pour through me the gift of preaching so that Christ might be formed in the hearts of those present, but does it make a difference?

My theory of language says that it does. I believe the word itself makes an impact on the hearer - that language is in some way performative at times. But is that all just theory or are our sermons making a difference? Surely the pastoral parts of ministry make a difference in lives, but does the sermon itself form people. I'd like to think so. Let me know about your experience.

Internship

I have started a new internship at the Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, TX. It has been two full years since I have been in the middle of full-time ministry. During my summers in undergrad, I spent every one of them doing preaching internships. It was through those internships that I received my call to the ministry of preaching. I love school so much, but there is something about getting my hands dirty in day-in-day-out ministry that revives my spirit.

Two out of the past three weeks I have been in classes and I still have papers to write for those classes, but this internship will allow me to leave the academy in order to let God remind me what all of my schooling is really about.

The next three weeks I will preaching. The first two I will preach at Southern Hills and the third I will preach at my home congregation, Highland Oaks. I am more than excited about these opportunities. I will be preaching on Simon of Cyrene and Peter's healing of Dorcas. I can't wait to meet God in the text in the powerful ways he always meets me when I spend time in study and sermon preparation. It has been over a year since I last wrote a sermon so I am a bit anxious to see if the gift is still there, but God is faithful and he will show up if I open myself to his word.

For three weeks, I get to do exactly what God has gifted me to do. What more can a person ask than to delight in what God has gifted him or her to do. This is what life is all about and I am excited to depart on the journey. This morning I enter the text. Who knows how it will shape me in the coming weeks? God, I'm ready for the journey. Guide me as I help others enter the text in ways they might have never considered it before.

Once A Semester Musings

I start with an apology as I have the last five posts or so. I have to admit, I'm responsible with many things, but with blogging I am irresponsible. It's definitely not first on my list.

One thing that has turned me off to blogging recently is the negativity present in most of the blogs I frequent. We need prophets who continually critique the church's current practice. My Old Testament class has convinced me of this, but if all we do is critique, who is there to pick up the pieces and do something about? (Wow! This is a great argument. I am being critical of those who are critical.) I just tire quickly of those who critique without any praise and I would rather not post if all I have to say is prophetic. The church has a lot wrong with it. Everyone who knows me knows that I believe that, but the church has a lot of good going on as well. This is not a sufficient excuse not to blog, but it has kept me from writing much lately.

This semester has been difficult for me. I am currently in Christian Spiritual Formation, Ancient & Medieval Church History, Advanced Introduction to the Old Testament, Narrative Evangelism and Supervised Practice of Ministry. As has often been the case in school, God usually brings certain passions to my life through the course of each semester. Somehow the material in all of my classes and the rest of my life causes me to become passionate about something. In past semesters, this passion has been for church unity (denominational and racial), Missional Church, the issue of civil religion in America and preaching. This semester I have been challenged to become more involved in social justice and make it an emphasis in my life.

Christian spiritual formation has caused me to see my spiritual life as a broader thing than I have seen it as in the past. I used to believe prayer, Scripture reading and going to church were the practices of formation, but this semester has forced me to see how many more things are formative. Social justice and contemplative spirituality have not been emphases of our tradition in Churches of Christ, but they are integral parts of a person's formation. Intro to the Old Testament has forced me to struggle with parts of the prophets I have never really thought much about. Scripture cares deeply about justice for the poor and oppressed and worship without an ethic of justice is worthless to God. This flies in the face of our tradition where we have focused on correct practice rather than worship that demands an ethic to follow it out the door of the sanctuary. Ancient & Medieval Church History has also challenged me to think about asceticism and ethical living. The church made a huge difference in Roman culture because of its care for the poor. Following is a quote that continues to haunt me from Jerome:

"All riches come from iniquity, and unless one person suffered loss another would not make gain. Hence the popular saying seems to be true: A rich person is either wicked himself or the beneficiary of someone else's wickedness."

How are we complicit in the plight of the poor? What is our responsibility as Christians to the poor and oppressed? Surely, we don't think our political views and voting are the answer. It takes getting our hands and feet dirty in order to meet more friends who are not like us.

If Jerome is right, Americans have a lot of explaining to do. How can I responsibly argue for having lots of money in the bank when there are so many that could use the money that I invest so that I can be secure when I retire? There seems to be a disconnect somewhere. God help us! We save so that we don't have to have faith that you can provide. How can we better help the poor with our abundance? How can we believe it is perfectly fine to put so much money into our cars and homes while so many have no food to eat while our pantries are full. These are disconcerting matters that I would rather not think about, but people are dying as we begin to move this matter to the back of our minds.

Just something I've been thinking about. What do you think?

What time is it again?

Ah, yes. You know it's school time when you have...

- 13 hours (grad school none the less)
- 27 books
- 5 new syllabi
- weekends filled with papers
- to pay for all of this

Can't live with it, can't get a job without it. Yet, somehow I love this time of year. Maybe it's the school and the books that I've grown to love. Or, maybe it's the college football season coming on. Well, here it goes.

Summer

It's been a strange summer for Holly and me. For the past three summers, I have been doing internships. This summer has been different. We are spending our first summer in Abilene, which is definitely a shift from our summers in Houston and Dallas. It is a different town without the college kids. All of our friends from undergrad are gone for good. Eric and Sarah moved to New York and Chad is only miles from the powder keg in the Middle East. We miss them so much. And Holly doesn't even have a summer for the first time. Who knew that adults didn't get the summer off? Holly is having to learn the hard reality. We really are growing up!

I have not been without church work this summer. It has been an honor to work beside three other friends from grad school to prepare and teach "Lessons From the Front Porch" on Wednesday nights. We have spent so many hours planning and God has been faithful to teach us as we led the church in its worship. It has been such a growing experience. Also, I've preached many times this summer at churches in Buffalo Gap, Aspermont, Abilene and Snyder. These have been great experiences, but we are ready to rejoin our family at Southern Hills in the fall.

I took two classes at the beginning of summer, Pastoral Ministry Skills and the Gospel of John. I learned so much, as I always do, in my grad school classes. Fortunately, I have finished with all of my work.

Summer is coming to an end. It's been strange, but God has been faithful and formed me in the midst of change. We are building great, new friendships with couples at Southern Hills. God always brings people into our lives that even make Abilene feel like home. Now, we can look forward to our cruise. After, all it is Holly's only week of summer so we better make the most of it.

Which Terrorists?

As I walked into class today, I was informed of something that made the class cheer in approval. As I turned on the radio, I heard that it was a good day. As I turned on the tv, I was forced to look at the face of a man who was supposed to bring me joy.

Normally a seminary class cheers when God has answered a long awaited prayer request. Usually my radio makes me feel good when my sports team wins or when one of my favorite songs comes on. Most of the time I rejoice when I look at the tv and see the hopes of the homeless being answered on Sunday nights on ABC.

However, today was not such a day. In fact, I might sound un-American, but that is not my biggest worry right now. Today a man was killed and millions rejoiced for that reason alone. Al-Zarqawi, the second greatest threat in the Eastern World, expired. No, I take that back, he died by means of two 500 pound bombs. Pardon me if I don't rejoice. Pardon me if I don't feel like singing praises to my God right now for upholding the cause of America. My veins don't bleed red, white and blue when my country's best news this year is found on a tv screen showing a dead man's face.

I have to admit that my ideas have changed in the past few years. Four years ago I would have thought this was a great thing, but as I am mastered more and more by Scripture and God's Kingdom, it becomes more difficult for war and fatalities to bring a smile to my face. The Kingdom of God asks different questions than how can we preserve our lives best in America. I have stopped pretending that God favors America any more than anyone else. I have stopped praying for God to bless America and start blessing the world.

Call it pacifism if you want. Call me a coward, but I don't think justice is served in retaliation and I don't think this endless string of violence will end with one more assassination of an Arab person (or Arab target as many call it). I don't have many answers, but I have a model to follow in all of this. Christ has taught me to follow his path down the road to the cross. I am called to turn the other cheek and pray for my enemies.

Sure, we need to uphold the cause of the oppressed and there may be justification somewhere in all of this, but surely we can hold our cheers when we hear of the loss of a person's life. We must mourn for those the terrorists murder, our troops and our enemies. I can't quite see Christ rejoicing in this news today.

The best news I heard tonight was from a father whose son was beheaded by al-Zarqawi a couple of years ago. Larry King interviewed him and asked him some volatile questions. He asked him if al-Zarqawi's death brought any closure. The father said (paraphrase), "No, any loss of life is a loss for all of humanity." King went on and on trying to get the father to admit some joy or relief in this death, but the father obstinately denied feeling any relief or vindication. Al-Zarqawi's death would not bring his son back and vengeance wasn't the answer.

Wow! What a testament. Perhaps we can learn from this father. I'm not sure what I really believe. I don't condone terror or rejoicing in the death of another person, but what do I do with with the murder of an unrepentant sinner? Is it ever right to condone and rejoice in the death of another? I need more time to reflect and think, but I'm not sure I can do this.

It was sickening to hear the applause of classmates today. It was gross to hear a radio personality claim victory in the death of another. It was appalling to continually see the face of a dead man on tv tonight. I am a part of the Kingdom of God. My goal is for all people to be transformed by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. We must lay down our lives for the sake of others. We must share the good news with those easy to love and those difficult to love. In short, we must be Christ to a world in the midst of suffering, terror and murder. We must proclaim, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!" not only to the Arabs but to ourselves when we condone acts of terror abroad and among our friends and relatives.

Father,
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.

The Journey to God Knows Where

This is the title of my sermon I am preaching Sunday at Southern Hills Church of Christ. This year the church's theme is "The Journey to God's Horizon," so I thought I would take a stab at what that journey is.

What is our journey as the people of God? As I've thought about it, I've realized that is new language in some ways. Christians have not always perceived themselves as being on a journey, but at our most faithful, we are pilgrims who do not call this world home. However, all too often, we have been comfortable here forgetting our journey at times.

I have always seen Hebrews 11 as the "Hall of Faith," but there is a tremendous amount of journey language there as well. Abraham was an alien who lived in a tent who sought a city designed by God. Moses left the confines of the Moses' palace to suffer disgrace for the sake of Christ (thousands of years before Christ was here). These people were on a journey and did not stay stationed anywhere for much time.

But, the journey stopped for many of God's people. The Israelites asked for a king and a temple and God allowed them to have these things, but these are the first things that keep them from their journey. Israel becomes a sedentary people who forget to journey on.

The people of God are most faithful when they are pilgrims on a journey, but they are most unfaithful when they settle for an earthly kingdom rather than an eternal, lasting city.

In the fourth century, Emperor Constantine created Christendom (Christianity was the state religion). And for 1600 years, Christianity has been at the center of culture. The church was built in the town square not by accident. This reality symbolized the social location of Christianity. But, in the last few decades, the church has moved to the margins. We are losing our place as the powerful church. Some would even say we're losing our influence and for some that is scary.

Many want to regain our position at the center of society. There are two main ways to do this. Many try to seek political power. These people try to legislate through the courts what has already been lost in society. Others try to market the church and these churches become vendors of religious goods and services for consumers. Both of these possibilities miss the mark. If we seek political power as the church did in Western Europe, we risk losing the story of Christ exhanging the spiritual city for an earthly kingdom. If we market the church, we risk losing the uncomfortable and challenging message of Scriptu8re in an effort to gain people through attractions.

Hebrews 13:11-14 gives us the response of those who want to rejoin the journey. We are to follow Christ who went outside the city bearing disgrace and we are to join him on that road. We must leave the safety and security of the city to rejoin God on the journey. We drop all attempts at regaining power because we follow the one who accepted his role at the margins of society ministering to the marginalized.

This is the church's call. To become a pilgrim people who forsake power as we continue the journey that Abraham and Moses began. We are to leave the city. We are to live in tents. And we are to follow Christ outside the city on the path of disgrace. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

WATS Day

Yesterday was WATS (We Are The Sermon) Day. Southern Hills, with several other Abilene area churches, left the building early and went to do acts of service in the name of Jesus throughout our community. What a blessing it was!

I had the opportunity to be our group's team leader, which gave me the chance to meet the lady we would be working with beforehand. Josephine was the owner of the house we worked on. She was an older woman who had no family to help her. In fact, we heard story after story about how she had been mistreated by them. Her son had come by earlier in the week for the sole purpose of cutting her air conditioning line in 90 degree weather. She was in need of so many things.

We decided to take on the task of painting her house because it was very run down. It was great to see our young marrieds' class working together outside of the church building in the community. There were over 50 projects just like ours throughout the town of Abilene going on simultaneously. What a work of God. I will never preach a sermon in all the years I have ahead of me that will make such a difference in so many lives.

Yesterday, I saw the church as God intended it. We were salt and light. We were the hands of feet of God bringing cold water and shelter for dozens. Many might say the work we did could not possibly further the name of Christ, but I want to say the work we did was more powerful to Josephine than any tract or sermon could have ever been. Instead of being a church that waits for people to come into our fortresses, we were "sent out" to the lost. This has to be the model for the church in the future.

There is a picture from yesterday that will stick in my mind forever. On the corner of Josephine's street was a Church of Christ. Her house was next door to the church, but she said she had never met anyone from that church in all the years she had lived there. This woman, living in poverty in a house that is needing to be condemned, had not been visited or helped in all of these years. I was amazed, but then I was convicted. How many neighbors has Southern Hills neglected? How many neighbors struggling to get by has your church looked past? There are so Josephines in our communities who can see Christ through us if we take the time to see them and meet their needs.

Josephine couldn't have heard a message of Jesus without her house being fixed. Meals on Wheels had been planting seeds for years with her, and I believe that we have watered those seeds and I am confident God will bring the growth. What a blessing it was to serve Josephine yesterday. Yesterday was what church is all about.

The DaVinci Code: A Christian Response

The DaVinci Code. One of the most popular books in recent history. It weaves a great story together of part-history and part-fiction. Many have read it! Have you read it?

The other day, my dad was in the auto shop getting new tires put on the car when The DaVinci Code became a lightning rod that attracted an interesting conversation. My dad was only 50 pages into it, but as he read, a man waiting with him began to ask him questions about the book. What does the Bible say about Jesus? About Mary Magdalene? This man was an admitted non-Christian who seemed to be searching for truth. He valued what science and history would have to say about the book's historical claims. His questions for my dad centered around who Jesus was and the validity of The Davinci Code's information about Christianity. I don't know about your conversations at the auto shop, but mine rarely center around any Christian topic.

But in walked Satan to disrupt the conversation. OK, maybe it wasn't Satan. But a disruptor overheard the conversation and tried to break up any hope for an evangelistic conversation. OK, that may be too strong also, but stay with the story. As my dad and this other gentleman talked about issues in the book, a woman piped up and said, "Why don't you just read the Bible to get your information on this subject!!!" If I were my dad in this conversation, my fundamentalist Christian radar would have gone off as I said, "Whoa! Settle down there missy. I happen to be in the middle of my Master of Divinity planning to preach one day. I happen to read the Bible too. Leave the evangelizing to me please." (My dad has a Masters and Doctorate in Bible, by the way) But, my dad kindly answered her question. Unfortunately because of her interjection, a conversation possibly heading towards redemptive places was halted and an opportunity for God to work possibly missed.

And this whole conversation got started through a book that many in the church call heretical. (Don't get me wrong there is heresy in the book that is dangerous.) If we were in a different era, there would be book burnings by the church. Who knows, there is still time for that to happen. But, I am calling for Christians not to burn the book or even refuse to buy it. I'm calling for every Christian to read this book. Christians are in a great position to have many more conversations like the one my dad had if we just read the book.

It's too easy to label the book heresy and not read it, but God is presenting us with an opportunity. The book has sold over 40 million copies and a movie is coming out soon that will spread its popularity and hype even more. In our Postmodern society, this can be the very thing that can foster Christian conversations. People are extremely interested in spiritual matters. That is part of the reason why so many copies have been sold.

So, I encourage you to read it for yourself. I'm currently reading it a second time and highlighting any heretical sections. Don't just read a response to The DaVinci Code and why it is wrong. Read The DaVinci Code itself so you can be a full participant in the conversation.

I plan to write more on this. There is dangerous fiction cast as fact in the book. I want to write more about these subjects. But, let's not be outside of this conversation. If we close our eyes and ears to this opportunity, then people will settle for the answers Dan Brown gives in his book. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Let's get to work!

P.S. What questions do you have about the book? What possibilities might this bring to our churches?

21

Well, I stand three days from turning 22 and I suppose another chapter of my life has been completed. Looking back, it is easy to see the way God has transformed my life in the past 21 years. There's something about the age 22 that makes you realize you are not a child anymore. It's time to put aside the childish ways and move on to bigger and better things, though I have had a blessed life thus far.

I could not have asked to be born into a better family than I have. My life says nothing about who I am, but everything about my genes and the parenting I was given. I often hear stories about the wonderful people my great-grandparents were and I am blessed to have known all of my faithful grandparents. I thank God for each one. I miss Papaw and Grandmom especially when I hear wonderful stories about them. Although it is a blessing to know that I will see them again one day. My parents are also incredible people of faith. I was born as a preacher's kid into a family of love and faithfulness to God. I knew no life outside of the church. Christian men and women have been my teachers from Kindergarten through my current work in grad school. Like any good Church of Christ boy, I was baptized on my 13th birthday by my Bible preaching father. If I only knew then, what I know today, my Christian walk might have looked a little different. If I only knew that day was an inauguration into a life of mission rather than baptism being the end goal of faith, I might have walked differently through my teenage years, but I appreciate the process and journey as much or more than the destination.

In my early teenage years, I was a good child. I honestly sought God. I only wish I would have developed spiritual disciplines in those early years that might have made my current devotional life that much better. The move to Dallas was tough. All I knew was San Diego. Why would God move me from such a wonderful place? Now I know. I would have never met Holly were it not for my grandfather's stroke and our subsequent move. Now, I am thankful, but then I could not understand. (Perhaps I should keep this understanding in mind throughout my life. It might come in handy!)

In Dallas, the theme must have been fitting in because I went to great lengths to do it. Sports were a great way into the mainstream of the guys at Dallas Christian. There are so many good memories on that football field and on the golf course. I shed tears at the end my careers because of the memories I will forever treasure. My youth group was good. I was a leader, but deep within me faith was on the back burner. Faith was not lived out, it was separated from my daily routine and behavior. I never got into deep trouble, but I never lived deeply into God either. Why did it matter so much for me to fit in? Why was faith not lived out? Why was I so sectarian about a faith that did not matter enough to implement in my daily life? These are questions I can only consider today because they were not even on my radar then.

And oh Holly! The beautiful girl I picked out my first day of school. She didn't notice me for almost three years, but it is all worth it now. Head cheerleader, beautiful smile, popular. Dating her was only a dream in my mind, but God somehow brought two totally different people with totally different agendas into a relationship that would one day foster great faith, spirituality and deep love in a marital relationship. I can safely say she is one of the best choices I have ever made. I can only wait to see my perspective 50 years from now when she has mothered a family, nurtured a preaching husband and lived a life of faithfulness. The wrinkles she will one day have will not be because of wrong decisions, but because of the tender, loving service she will have rendered to so many through her years of service for the Lord. I can only wait in expectation to see the woman she becomes!

College has been a life-changing endeavor. The Bible department has been a huge factor in my spiritual growth. Though I have struggled with many things in college, I can safely say that these four years have brought me to real faith. I have changed from a slave to sin to a slave to righteousness. I have changed from a disinterested student to a passionate grad student who cannot stop reading, thinking and dreaming about how God will use me in his church. I have changed from a single guy to a married man. I now sense a calling and purpose in life.

I feel like everything has been leading up to this moment in my life. I am now comfortable with who I am. Fitting in matters less to me than proclaiming the word of God faithfully and boldly despite persecution. I have a message to share with the world that I cannot keep silent about. Nothing will detract me from the mission I have been given. Sin no longer has its deep roots in my soul. My wife fights the fight of faith with me. Professors are taking me on a journey to deeper faith and understanding. My parents's prayers have always been a grace that has surrounded me. I may be 21, but I have been transformed by the grace of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God has brought me from the kingdom of darkness into his light. He has called me to proclaim freedom for the captives, for that is where I have been. I have been called to lead the blind, for that is what I once was.

I am happy and content with my place and purpose in life. What can be better than that? I want to thank my parents for their faithfulness that has been passed down. I want to thank my grandparents for how they have always walked in the truth and how they taught my parents to do what is right. I want to thank Holly's parents for working in Holly's life to form her into a deep woman of faith that is loyally devoted to me as I am to her. I want to thank my professors for the way they faithfully form students to become ministers not only in knowledge, but in spirituality. I want to thank Josh Ross for the impact he has been on me in example and speech. I also want to thank Prentice, Tim and Ronnie for the mentoring and friendship that you have provided. Each of you has been a servant of God sent to me in order to confirm his call on my life.

Ultimately, I thank God for the work he has done in me because of Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. I am still early on in my journey with much to learn. However, for the first time in my life and I can say I am content in myself and in my life. Thanks be to God! Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Lectureship

My favorite time of year has come and gone. Lectureship at ACU. Most students cringe at the thought of parking being hectic because of a crowded campus, but I can't think of a better time in the four years I have been in Abilene. I love the classes, lectures and most of all time with my family.

This year, ACU focused on unity with Christian churches and the theme was the Gospel of John. It is amazing to think that we have no idea who our Christian Church brothers are because we have been divided for so long. We have similar theology and are conservative on the grand scheme of theological standing, but musical instruments have divided us mostly. It's crazy to think that such a puny matter in Scripture has divided us and kept us from being faithful to the greater doctrine of unity. There is much to be done not just with these brothers, but with all who hold up Christ as their Lord.

I was blown away by several lectures. David Fleer's sticks out to me. What an innovative, inductive preacher. David brought everyone into the text by describing a slideshow of his text. I felt like I had entered the Biblical world in a new and fresh way. What if every Sunday we read and preached in a way that made people enter the text in transforming ways? He truly has a gift that he gives to the students at Rochester. These sermons excite me again about the future and how God will use me as a voice for him. I can't wait for all of the sermons that will be written. God continue to work on me so that I am mastered by the text you have given.

All in all, it was a great week. My favorite week of the year. I only wish I could make it to Pepperdine and Tulsa yearly. Maybe in the future.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

For some reason this song ran through my head over and over again last night. What an amazing hymn! Check out verse 3. That ranks up there with "It is well With My Soul"'s 2nd verse. We talk a lot about grace, but what about the desire to be enslaved by God because of his grace?

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Father,

Thank you for your love exhibited through your grace. Just as you brought the Israelites from slavery to Pharaoh to slavery yourself, you have brought me from being a slave of sin to become a slave of righteousness. Never let me wander from thee, never leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

Church as Culture

Monday night in my Leading Congregational Transformation course we had another professor come in to talk about ethnology. She brought up a wonderful way of conceiving church I had never thought of before. She introduced the church as a culture of its own and her studied involved ethnology.

A church is a culture that has its own language, customs, rituals, etc. Every church has its own culture that encodes the story of God in their culture. For instance, an inner city church in Houston will have a completely different culture from a suburban church in Frisco, TX. As a new preacher to a church, it is vital to begin to understand a church's culture before making an impact.

In overseas missions, it is a grave error to plant an American church with American cultural norms and beliefs into an African church. Different symbols mean different things. God's story must be translated into the culture. This is why anthropology and the study of culture are so important for any missionary. You cannot plant an American church in an African culture.

Just so, I cannot plant a church conceived in a seminary in Abilene, Texas, in whatever church I end up at. Any model for church that is one-size-fits-all is not appropriate for church work. Culture and location matters. Each church has a different culture and needs a different way to do church. This is what makes church work so interesting to me. Every church will need a different kind of minister and symbol to get across the same message of Jesus Christ. The mosaic of Christianity points to the same thing but in different ways. How illuminating!

Flexibility is the key word for the next three years. May God continue to keep my plans and dreams for the church flexible because the last thing the church needs is a set of clones on a mission to take over the church for one agenda. I must become an observer of culture and symbol over the next three years and hopefully that will transform me into a preacher that allows dreams to come from within a church rather from without.

The Spirit of God is among the people of God. The mission of God is wrapped up in the gifts of a given community of faith. The mission may look different in every church, but the message must remain constant: God is the one who continues to seek the lost despite every human's reaction of sin. Jesus Christ is the only reason for our hope and in him is life!

Oh, Larry...

Last night I sat in bed flipping channels and stumbled across Larry King Live. He was having a discussion about gay marriage with two homosexuals and two heterosexual "Christian" voices. It was quite a heated discussion. The proponents of gay marriage seemed to be well-spoken, patient and agreeable people, while the opponents seemed to to be overly condemning and confident as they looked down at the homosexuals. Larry King, like most media moguls, was out to make the Christians look like bigoted jerks who wanted nothing more than to ruin the lives of these great homosexual citizens. As the callers called in, they were very upset with the Christians who chose to make a stand for what they believed. It was an interesting dialogue to say the least.

It brought me back to another Larry King I saw months ago with Joel Osteen. Joel is doing many great things with the Lakewood Church that I have written about in the past, but on the show Joel refused to say there was one way to heaven and he got many Christians upset who believed he had not been strong enough in his beliefs on the show.

Where and how can we build bridges in this society to a world of people who do not know Jesus Christ? There seems to be no way to be a bridge builder with the liberal media without giving up the most vital parts of our faith. There is only one way to heaven, but how can that be said in our society that is so filled with intolerance for the intolerant. What should be the stance for Christians in politics and on shows like Larry's? I agree with these Christians last night that there is only one way to heaven, but I disagree with the way they said it. I also disagree with Joel for not being strong enough in his statements, but I applaud the way he sought to build bridges. Where is the middle ground? What would Jesus do?

This morning I received an e-mail asking me to join a group at ACU on the internet site "Facebook" called "Keep 'Brokeback Mountain' Off of Our Ranches." The group's intent, though mostly to be humorous, is " to complain about all the gayness in movies and to help people dealing with enough problems of 'brokeback people' just being around. I know many of the people in this group and many of them harmlessly joined just to be funny, but as I decided to reject my invitation, I thought what does that say about us as Christians? Gay jokes are easy and have been since elementary school, but is that the way of Christ? Is that this mission we are about? It is when I see things like this that I begin to ask myself, "Is the liberal media more correct about us as Christians then I want to believe?"

My political views are in flux at the moment. I grew up a good Christian Republican home (catch the sarcasm), but as I think more about what it means to be a Christian in all facets of life my views have begun to open up. Surely God is not Republican or Democrat nor does he care to join either side. And I am sickened by the right's "Christian" agenda. In this post-modern, post-Christian world, we must stand up for what we believe, but we must also never equate legislating morality with the great commission. Legislation is not where the battle for hearts and souls can or will be won.

I'm not sure where I am on the subject of voting and politics yet. I know I never want to support and candidate from the pulpit, but what are we called to as Christians in the political arena? And how would I begin to build bridges while standing firm in my beliefs as a Christian if I were called someday to be the "Christian" voice on a liberal media show such as Larry King that seems out to get me. These are questions worth pondering and discussing.

Hook 'Em Horns

What a great break it has been. Holly and I got to be in Dallas for about almost three weeks with our families. What a blessing our families are and continue to be. God has truly blessed our lives through the ones who have brought us up faithfully.

Not only has God blessed me with a great family and wonderful in-laws, but he has blessed my life most through the one I call my wife. We started dating five years ago Jan. 5. These years have been wonderful and I love you with all of my heart. I love that you long to grow close to the Lord and I ask that God will continue to bless our marriage and ministry in the future. You are a blessing Holly and I am especially thankful that you will be getting me through grad school. And you are still the most beautiful woman in the world!!

Grad school begins a week from today. I am excited and nervous. In this new year, I want to commit to being more spiritual in all areas of my life. I pray that the Holy Spirit will more fully lead me in the way of righteousness. Most of all I am thankful for Jesus who gives me a new breath, not just each new year, but each new moment. I am blessed to learn and grow at a place like ACU. Preaching is my passion and gift and I pray that God will continue to lead me in his direction and mission in the world.

Last night, Holly and I went to the hospital to be with Timm and Heather Dilling who should have a baby today. It is so exciting to be a part of something like this with close friends. Exciting times! We pray for the day she will take on Christ for herself.

But most of exciting of all, how about them Horns! I could not believe the performance Vince showed in the National Championship. I wish he would stay for his senior year but it will be exciting to see him on the next level. Trade up to get him in the draft Cowboys!

For all who read this, may God bless you in this new year not just in spiritual and physical ways, but may he bless you to join him in his mission as his will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Don't get caught just going to church. Don't think it's enough to read your Bible and pray everyday. A checklist faith is not enough for our God. Be in prayer that God will use the gifts he has given you in real ways this year for the sake of his kingdom. May every small group and church be more focused on the ways God is moving in this world because there is so much God wants to do through each of our broken vessels.

Toby Packer

We have a new addition to the family. Toby, our little "baby" dog, has now been added. He is a maltese puppy and only weighs 1 1/2 pounds. I'm learning many things about myself with the addition of a new family member. My patience needs to grow and I need to learn to communicate better because that puppy understands everything Holly has to say and nothing I have to say. I guess it is because my voice is two octaves too low.

Holly and I also graduated on December 9th. I should be so pleased to graduate, but with three years of graduate school ahead, there is little time to rest. I can't wait to see and spend time with our families. Holly and I are so blessed to have families that take care of us and love to spend time with us.

And again I am thankful for Holly and her love in this, our second Christmas. Holly, you are the love of my life and I pray you are able to find a job soon to get me through grad school. So many things to be thankful for. I love you and Merry Christmas.

But most of all I am thankful to my God who sent Jesus who is the reason for this season. Though there is great debate over whether Jesus is being taken out of Christmas this year, this is all meaningless. Jesus will be celebrated in my house and in our family. To force him on the world is worthless. There will always be those who will not believe and that is ok, but there is no doubt that Jesus is the reason for the season and is worthy of all praise.

Praise God!

Preaching With Vision

Sorry blogworld, however big or small you might be, for my lack of writing lately. It is hard to balance blogging and schoolwork. But I still want to continue the conversation with those of you out there.

I am looking forward to the Missional Church Conference coming up in a few weeks. For one weekend, I will get to spend time with many from Churches of Christ and outside, as well as my dad, discussing a model for church for this century. And this leads me to my current quandary.

Right now, I am thinking a lot about the church. Many around me do not have much hope for the church. My generation has seen the corruption and poor focus of the many churches and have lost all hope for the institution, but I refuse to do this. Sure, the church is made up of humans that distort what it was intended for and the media will continue to highlight these excesses, but I will continue to hold out and hope that God will use the church in the future.

Many my age our putting hope in planting house churches and doing missions. These are important things and need to be done; However, if we forget about the current church and do not think about how to make the bride of Christ more faithful, we are jettisoning an important avenue that God has worked through for so many years. I have a vision for the church and I am excited to think more about this vision as I begin grad school in the spring. These are formative years and I look forward to dreaming and praying that God will continue to give me a vision for the church.

But as I think about this I wonder, whose job is it to set a vision for the church? Is it right for me to dream of a vision for the church and come in and institute that vision in the life of a church? Should that task be for the preacher to decide, the elders, or the congregation? I don't want to be presumptuous and think I am the only one in a church God can speak to, but I am excited about this part of preaching. I see a church in the future that can be used by God as he furthers his kingdom. I see a church in the future more concerned about the lost than internal matters. I see a church in the future that is less homogeneous. I see a church in the future that is less concerned with meeting felt needs and more concerned with meeting real needs of people.

This is an exciting time for me and I look forward to working with a community to make these things happen.

A Tale of Two Journeys

This morning I went to Cisco. Sounds mundane to many, but when I say this morning I mean this morning. At 2:50 A.M. I went with 3 students and 4 professors to meet evacuees of Katrina in Cisco, Texas.

As I rode with strangers from ACU on the way to this new home for several people from Louisiana, I wondered what I would see. As I was in a van silently pondering what the campsite would be like and unsure of what my task would be, I could only imagine how different my life would be if I were an evacuee on a bus with strangers to an unknown place I would call home for months. To evacuees without a map, Cisco, TX, must be just as foreign as another country. They were in a bus with people who they didn't know trusting that they were going some place where they would be taken care of.

This was truly a tale of two journeys. I came knowing I would go home to see my wife hours later, while these evacuees went with their families to a new home with every unknown imaginable.

When I got there, one busload had already gotten there and the people were already sent off to bed. An hour later another busload of about 30 got out. These were the faces of a tragedy I had seen on tv. TV never does justice. Their eyes were yellow and red, they smelled terrible and their stories were amazingly vivid.

One family I spent time with was made up of a husband, wife and 7 kids who were all under the age of 14. As we talked to these people we heard their amazing stories. This family was from New Orleans and was evacuated Tuesday of this week. They had spent over a week in the second story of their flooded house. Halfway through the week, the roof collapsed on them. After a week, finally they were airlifted to Baton Rouge and shipped off to Cisco. What a journey it had been? They were not bitter. They were not desiring to loot as many of the television stations might portray them. Rather, they were thankful people who needed people to talk with and share their amazing stories.

Now, I have faces to go with this tragedy. I will go back, you can be sure of that. Money is a good thing to give, but I believe this morning was the first time I actually gave a cup of cold water to a thirsty man and his son. This morning was the first time I had ever personally given clothes to the near naked. This morning was the first time I was able to give shelter to a family who had none. It feels good to give people hope and give in the name of Jesus.

Is social justice important? Just ask this family who thanked us over and over again for just water, sweaters, blankets, and a roof. You could tell clearly from the looks on their faces that they would say, "Yes, it does matter!"

As I came back to Abilene, I realized how blessed I truly am. I was able to go back to my warm shelter, comfortable clothes and cold water, but these people remain all over the United States. Get involved in the lives of these evacuees because I can tell you that Jesus is waiting to be fed and clothed!

The Trinity

Yesterday in Church History we discussed the topic of heresies and the Trinity. Today in Systematic Theology we are discussing the Trinity. I don't have any idea what the Trinity is after reading page after page. Sure, I know the church answer. We believe in the Trinity. That's easy enough to say, but what does it really mean to belive in the Trinity and how does that affect our lives as Christians? Does it really matter?

It's easy to throw out easy analogies to help us understand it. Several of these have been easy ways to understand heresies. For example, the Trinity is like an egg. There are three parts: the yolk, the egg white, and the shell. We tend to use these analogies to help us understand the incomprehensible, but this example only explains a heresy of the early church. I know some of this is important. I realize that theology shapes our worldview and every church needs a trained theologian to help get through its tough times and questions, but it's easy to say it doesn't matter that much.

I'm struggling and the Trinity will not be the end of my struggle. Theology is difficult mostly because no one knows the right answer. Let me end with this statement. I'm struggling to figure out these matters, but I continue in this quest because I hear that it does matter.

If anyone else out there can sympathize with me. Help me out. Or if you have an answer for the Trinity let me know. Until then, let us live in the faith of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was fully divine and fully human and who has given us eternal life. That sounds good but what does it really mean? Wow, I really am confused!

War In Our Backyard

I can't believe the scenes on the news! I cannot believe them! If I didn't know about Hurricane Katrina, I would swear the scenes all over our news channels are scenes from the Middle East or Africa. As I hear of looting, raping, and setting fires in a time of great need, I cannot imagine that we are talking about a city about 600 miles from where I sit. It is a war zone. Survival of the Fittest. It is a modern day city of Atlantis hanging in the balance. I ask myself, how can people be so callous to need the military to come in and settle things down?

I am taking Systematic Theology right now, which you may think has nothing to do with Katrina, but in a sense, it has everything to do with Katrina. Now is the time more than any other when people are asking ministers to do theology through questions of why and how that are directed at God. So, I ask the question like so many others, "Why, God? Surely if you didn't cause this disaster, you didn't prevent it, which I believe you have the power to do. Why did you not just put your thumb over the broken levees to stop this disaster from growing worse and damaging lives?" And creation moans together in unison, "How long, Oh Lord?"

How can people be so callous that they would loot, rape and pillage a city? But then I say to myself, "Collin, surely you aren't asking this question. Surely, you are much the same when you call yourself and Christian and fail to live up to that name much of the time." I think we only have to look within ourselves to see that we are fallen creatures who seek after things that make God moan in the same way we do about this situation. As David says in Psalm 51, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." We are all sinners in our inmost being.

Fortunately, we serve a God who offers grace if we only confess our sins and let Jesus' blood cover over them.

God work in your ways that we cannot understand. Work to make good out of something we couldn't dream to make good out of even if we tried. Be with those who will hurt for years and for those who will never recover. Give them your grace as only you can and mourn with us as we mourn for those who need comforting, for you will surely give it to them.

Ah! The History of the Church

For some reason I get really excited about Church History. In fact, my favorite class thus far in school has been Restoration History. Currently, I am in Church History and it is once again exciting. It's hard not to be excited with a teacher like Doug Foster.

So many students try to opt out of Church History because it is hard or seemingly boring. This is definitely a mistake. We must learn from our pasts and learn why we do what we do today. Too many youngsters don't know the reasons why we do the things we do and this can only lead to bad things. Either we will drop our valuable traditions or we will continue on in needless traditions for the sake of tradition alone. History is a vital study and a needed spiritual discipline in our lives.

You can expect to hear quite a bit about this subject this semester because I know it will get me excited and frustrated with our past. However, it is exciting that despite the good and bad in our past, God continues to use the church, his beloved, as his hands and feet in the world. I agree with Hybels, "The local church is the hope of the world," and this can only be so if we let Jesus be the head of it. Our conversation toward a post-modern, post-Christian church must not just look to the future. It must take into account our shameful and rich past. May our memories serve as springboards to our bright future!

Back To School

I am of a rare breed today. I am a senior college student excited to get back to school. Sure, there are many who look forward to getting back to see friends and that is exciting. But many seniors at ACU started today with a fear of today.

There are several reasons why a normal senior might be frightened with their last first day of school.

First, in the marriage factory called ACU, many are without the mates they came to school in order to find. I, however, have found the perfect mate and love every minute of my time with her. Thanks again Holly!

Second, many fear leaving school. That may sound silly at first, but it is true. It sounds great to get out of a situation that has hassled you for 16 years of your life. No more homework. No more getting ready for the future. The future is here and in your face. But at a closer glance, many seniors dread that step into the unknown mostly because it is.....the unknown. However, I have delayed this fear by committing to three more years of grad school. Even more incredibly, I have a wife who not only secured fear number one, but is going to help me get through grad school by getting a job. Thanks again Holly!

Third, most college seniors love the college environment and friendships but despise school. However, I once again am an anomaly. I love school and learning and dreaming about the church. Grad school is a bit exciting and scary but this semester is exciting.

Fourth, many college seniors have no idea what they want to do in life still after three years of preparing for something. I believe God has called me to the ministry of preaching. I pray that God will use me to help churches engage the world in dynamic ways in the future. It is all so exciting.

I am a rare breed. You may thank I'm strange. But I'm happy to be a college senior today in my last first day of undergraduate schooling. Back to school!

Hope You Haven't Missed Me

I don't like it at all when my favorite bloggers fail to blog for days at a time. I am not a daily blogger, but I try to do it as much as possible. I have to say I understand and need breaks myself. This past week I went with Holly and the rest of my family to Disney World. What a needed time of rest before school gets started! Hope you haven't missed my thoughts too much. The seeming lack of comments must account for the lack of readers. Oh well. One day I will have a captive audience who will have to listen. Thank God for direct communication. Until then thanks for reading and thanks for allowing me time off.

By the way, thanks for the prayers for the funeral. No funeral is a good funeral. However, I did experience the peace that passes all understanding in this time of mourning. Continue to pray for the family. Thank you Lord for doing through me what I couldn't do myself.

Asking For Prayer

Today I am doing my first funeral. It's not the most fun one. No one minds doing the funeral of a great man or woman of God who has lived a full life of faith with a great expectation of heaven. That's somewhat easy, but God had other plans for my first and I need your prayers.

I am doing the funeral of a 9-day old baby today. Christian's parents are unmarried and unchurched and they are hurting. What do you say to a family who doesn't know about the hope of eternity? What makes them feel better? How can I help?

As I went over to their apartment earlier this week, it was tough. Here I am, a 21-year old minister without kids trying to comfort a family who has seen things I have rarely even thought about. Yet in this scary situation, God was faithful. People were praying for me and God gave me that peace that passes all understanding. I am pretty arrogant to think I can do many things, but this time I knew I had no business being there. It humbles you to know you are doing something you otherwise couldn't do without God. The young couple expressed a desire to make their spiritual life more of a priority after this. I was blown away. I was expecting questions about why God would do this, but instead they said, with a faith most churched people don't have, "I think God is trying to focus our priorities. We want to go to your church this Sunday." I'm pretty sure the Holy Spirit was working on this one way before I came to the doorstep.

Please pray for this family and for me. The service is at one o'clock this afternoon. God will be faithful.

My Experience at Lakewood

I have to admit I have been conditioned through my experiences to be against most things at the Lakewood Church in Houston. Many in our churches are spending much of their time putting down churches like Lakewood for their megachurch theology and systems. I went to Lakewood this past Saturday with 1/3 of me looking to criticize, 1/3 trying to figure out what works to bring so many people into one church, and the last 1/3 praying that God would open me up to the see what he is doing at this church.

Through this summer, I have been in many conversations concerning Lakewood and most of them have been negative. Many are upset that Lakewood would spend so much on a building. Others disagree with Joel's gospel of positive thinking and abundance. There are so many things that can be critiqued at every church and it seems like even more at the big churches because there is so much more going on.

As I entered the building, I was greeted by so many people. But the most amazing moment came when I walked out of the lobby and into the arena. Thousands of people were already there and it was 20 minutes early. By the time the service started there were probably over 8,000 people. I really enjoyed the worship. It was energizing and exciting to worship with so many others in a former basketball arena. I expected more of a concert atmosphere with more people watching the performers on stage, but most of the people seemed to be deep in worship praising God. I came out of the service uplifted not for what I got out of it, but because the name of God was praised. Actually, I didn't come out of the service feeling like I had received as much as I felt like God was praised as Lord. Their prayer time was also very effective.

Then, Joel got up and he was positive to the core. There has been a lot of controversy over his interview with Larry King. Joel didn't come out very strongly on the issues of how one is saved in the interview. In fact, Larry King asked him point blank some important questions that he seemed to dodge. I don't agree with all of what Joel says. I don't think it addresses people who may never receive physical healing or success in a worldly kind of sense. However, despite my difference in theology, there is no reason for me to come out and condemn him. Luckily for me as well as Joel, God does not judge us on the basis of correct doctrine for who could stand? Our salvation never rests on what we do, but on what Christ has done. As long as Joel Osteen and Lakewood hold up Christ Jesus as Lord and proclaim that, I will not condemn and speak harshly about their ministry. If the amount of time that some have spent arguing over Lakewood's ministry had been used to spend time in the mission of God rather than bickering over correct theology and practice, God might would be more pleased with us. I will not accept anyone's message who denies Christ as Lord and our only hope of salvation. There is absolute truth when it comes to this, but I will not condemn others for a difference of opinion on theology.

May God bless the Lakewood Church. May he bring more people to a saving relationship through Joel Osteen. And may I begin to recognize that he is not the enemy that many make him out to be. The megachurch is not the enemy. Satan is.

Allow me to use a ridiculous analogy. I can assure you that we would work with terrorists and they would be happy to work with us if aliens from space tried to invade earth. We would do this because we could look past our differences in order to fight with those who share this planet in common. In churches, we must see the same thing. Though there are many differences in churches, we are all Christians if we proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior. Let's not forget who the enemy is and let us never forget the reason for our salvation. It is not in how perfect we work out our theology and practice. It is only found in the perfect Passover Lamb who was slaughtered in order that we might have forgiveness. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

An Impressionable Young Man

I don't know about you, but I am a passionate young man. I believe God has given me passion as a spiritual gift. I'm passionate about my family, preaching, the church and God's kingdom, sports, and so many other things. It seems like every new experience I have and every book I read gives me a bigger vision of the world. But the problem is that every well written book and impressive experience is difficult for me to critique. Everything makes a huge impression on me and my vision for the world.

This is hard for some of you to believe. Mom and dad, you probably wonder who is writing this post because this doesn't sound like the same senior in high school who argued over and over again about what was wrong with everything with your parenting, with the church, and everything else in the world. I once had an eye that found what was wrong with everything. I could debate anything from either side of every issue just for the cause of argument.

I can also remember that during my senior year in Bible class at Dallas Christian, I argued with the Baptists in the class every day about doctrinal issues. We would argue about "Once saved always saved," the necessity of baptism, and other "crucial" issues. It's amazing to think now of how off based that was. But fortunately God is in the process of changing me. I'm still very critical of myself and my own work, but I have dropped many debates and arguments with others because they seem so illogical and harmful to me now. But now I wonder if I have gone too far the other way.

Maybe I have just read great books with nothing wrong in them, but it seems to me that I accept and get excited about every book about the church that I read. Every new book gives me more ideas about the church I will one day lead.

During my sophomore year, I became passionate about unity in the church. I saw the problem with our division and God gave me a passion for seeing how churches can come together despite their diversity under the name of Jesus Christ. We must seek to bind broken ties and seek the unity that Christ prayed for us. What a vision for the church!

But then came a new passion and vision. During my junior year, I began reading books from the Gospel and Our Culture Network about the missional church. This became a passion. We need more churches who see mission not just as another facet of the church, but as its lifeblood and purpose. What a vision for the church!

This summer God has given me yet another passion and vision. I've already talked about The Church of Irresistible Influence. It has made an impact on my vision. Now I see a church that works not for the name on the outside of its building, but to further the name of God in the corner of the world that church is in. The church should not build walls, rather the church must build bridges to the world. What a vision for the church!

Which is right? What does God call the church to? How does a church seek to do all of these wonderful things? All of these books have made impressions on me.

I've also had experiences that have been hard to critique. This past Saturday night, I went to a service at Lakewood Church here in Houston where Joel Osteen preaches. This church is the biggest church in America. They just moved into the old Compaq center and they average about 30,000 in attendance a week. Lakewood and Joel have received a lot of criticism for many things and I had many questions about some of the church's theology and ideas. I went into the experience asking God to open my heart and to help me understand what He is doing there. The church made an impression on me and it was difficult for me to critique. (I'll talk more about this tomorrow.)

Now I am passionate about everything and more confused than ever about what God wants for the church. I see many good ideas and discuss them with people wherever I can, but I don't know what God wants. Every experience and book makes an impression on me that will stay with me throughout my life. What is worth being passionate about? What kind of vision is worth putting a passion behind?

I come into my last semester of undergrad influenced by many good things, but unsure of everything. I have grown so much. I want to seek discussion, not argument; unity, not legalism; love, not pharisaical truth; mission, not programs; and kingdom, not the small vision of just "doing church." But in all of these things there are so many more questions I have. Where does God want me? What is the purpose of the church? How do we help God as He builds and furthers his kingdom? How does theology impact practical ministry? How do we stay truthful yet relevant in a post-modern, post-Christian, post-denominational world? Basically, how can the most people's lives be changed to live into a relationship with Christ in this world? These are some of my many questions I hope grad school can help with, but I know at the end of my masters, there will be more questions I can't even conceive of now.

How do I, a young man that God has given vision and passion for the church, fulfill God's purpose for the future? Everything makes an impression on me, but not everything is beneficial.

God give me a vision for your church bigger than ever before. Maybe not bigger in numbers. Maybe not bigger in budget. Maybe not even bigger as I conceive it now. But grant me passion for things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and admirable. Shape me into the man you need for the future through whatever that takes. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Are there wrinkles on my face that I'm not seeing?

Yesterday was my first taste of being seen as old. It is so fun to be young. When you hit a golf ball 300 yards right down the middle of the fairway as a 12-year old, people seem to notice and think you're the next Tiger Woods. Actually come to think of it, I guess it was Jack Nicklaus at that time. But when you're 21, people don't proclaim you as the next golf champion. Many things are this way.

Yesterday, I was looking at several of my friend's blogs and there was a young girl up at the office who said to me, and I quote, "I didn't know OLD PEOPLE had blogs." I couldn't believe what she said. Am I really considered old?

Then last night, I went skating with Holly at a kids' skating event with the church. As we were skating the Macarena, the theme song of 1993, came on. Holly, Ashley (the other children's intern), and I were excited, but all of the other kids had never heard the song. In fact after thinking about it, they were not even born when the Macarena was in its prime. As I skated, I had a flashback to when I once skated as a young lad. I remembered skating around many old people and wondering why they were so slow and awkward. Well, last night I felt like the old man wondering why these kids were skating so well and so fast around me.

I'm not sure how I feel about all of this. Kind of old I guess. Things move and you get older. My question is when do you stop with the spiked hair and T-shirts. There comes a time when this all must change. Hopefully yesterday was not the first sign that these things must change. We shall see!

A Church Built For More Than Itself

Lately in my thoughts about unity, I have thought a lot about what the church is for. What is the purpose of the church? What should its impact be?

I am looking forward to Thursday night because at the FC college devo we are going to talk about the church. Some of the questions I hope to pose to the college students are: Is the church relevant today?, Why do your friends not continue to go to church?, Why do you continue to go to church?, In a post-denominational age, do you find any significance in your background in Churches of Christ or would you be excited to worship anywhere?, What is the purpose of the church?, and How is our generation of Christians going to make an impact in our post-modern world? These are questions that I think of often that I am excited to discuss with others my age who may not think so often of these things.

There are many purposes of the church. Many today find successful churches to be those in which their numbers are growing and budgets skyrocketing. I guess this is a way of judging things. Others have tried to chart their growth by the spiritual transformation of their membership. This has to be one goal of the church to make disciples of all who are regular attenders.

However, I believe there is a significant problem with many ideas of the church's purpose. Most churches are trying to further the name on the sign in front of their building than the kingdom of God. This aim is subtle, yet real. No one verbally states their purpose as this, but the actions prove otherwise at times. There is no sin in wanting to grow, but the purpose is not to further a certain church or denomination. The purpose is to lead more people on the journey of the Christian life. The purpose of a church is not to gain numbers or notoriety, it is to partner with God and others in adding people to the kingdom.

Worship is all about re-envisioning the world as it should, and as it truly can be. Then, worship must lead to a mission led by the ambassadors who have been apart of the worship experience. Worship leads us to action wherever we are whether it be our jobs, at the supermarket, or at our kids' ballgames. The church is not sent out for the sake of the church. The church is sent out of church for the sake of the world. We don't share our message in a selfish effort to have more members. We share our message to make an impact in the corner of the world God has placed us.

This is why partnering with other faith communities is so important. Every community should have a group of churches, despite their background, working together in the name of Christ not in order to boost attendance at their particular location, but in order to further God's kingdom. This is the subtle difference. Do we evangelize under the name of Christ or under the name "Anywhere USA Church of Christ?" Is this about a numbers game in our churches or is it about a real desire to be sent out as Christ has called us for the sake of the world? This means we are not in competition with other churches to the point of not talking and working with them. We are partners with others who share the name Christian because it's about more than bringing others to our church.

I hope I have communicated this clearly. Simply put, are we looking to bring people to saving relationship with Christ even if they don't attend our church or denomination? Even if it doesn't benefit the numbers of our buildings, any real missional church will work for God, not for its own name.

Is Jesus' Prayer a Possibility?

In John 17, Jesus prays that we may be one as he is one with the Father and Holy Spirit. I believe this prayer is an essential part of a missional church. Is this prayer for us to be one a possibility and how do we go about it? And what does it really mean to be one?

In our age of denominations, it is hard to imagine the body of Christ as one. Some people, including some from our tradition, have claimed unity by naming all denominations as lost and separate from "the true church." I specifically remember reading a document written by Moses Lard in which he said "the true church" cannot divide. He claimed that every other group did not divide from the church but were never a part of the church. This seems a bit insane.

Is the unity Christ calls for an organizational unity or just a loose unity in Christ? What does it mean to be one? Some ecumenical organizations have aimed at bringing denominations into fellowship with one another. Other groups have tried to have unity without having to formally unite in any way.

All I know is that Christ calls us to unity. Unity does not mean uniformity. Unity can be done amid the diversity of many religious backgrounds. I believe our fundamental questions are the reason for our division in the past. We have always asked what we have to do to in order to be united, but a better question might be how can we work with other faith communities in our area to bring the good news of God to the city we find ourselves in?

Our focus should not be to help our churches be in better unity. It should be to further God's kingdom and bring him glory through our mission of the gospel to the lost. If we can work together on that, we can be in unity. A missional church must be about bringing the message of God to the lost community surrounding its building, not furthering its own name. We must unite with as many other churches as we can to make a greater impact in the world. A cord of one strand will break, but a cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Evangelism is not always easy amongst many denominations. We have many different ideas about being saved and being right with God. It's not easy to evangelize with other churches when you can't come to an agreement on how to evangelize, but working together even in our diversity can bring a great harvest. When people come together amongst great differences, that in itself is great evangelism. We cannot drop our understandings of what we believe for the sake of unity, but if the core of our message, Jesus Christ, is held up, then God will be pleased. Let us be about the sake of bringing people to Christ among others who are different than us.

Is Jesus' prayer a possibility in our day? With optimism, I say yes, but it will take some work. The best I can hope to do is make unity happen wherever I find myself. To partner with others despite their religious banner under the banner of Christ. Let Christ be our head, not the name Churches of Christ.

To my beautiful bride of one year...

This Sunday is my first anniversary so I thought I would take some time to write some special notes to the woman of my dreams.

Holly,

What a year it has been! It's hard to believe that it was eight years ago that I first saw you and were struck by your beauty. And now, a year into our marriage, I get to share life with you daily. God has placed such a blessing in my life through you. Your smile penetrates every room you walk into and your love has pierced my heart. I am the luckiest man in the world. And though I can never know what is ahead, I pledge my love again to you a year after making the same vow that I will be faithful to you in whatever circumstances we find each other.

It seems Scripture desribes you better than I can in Proverbs 31:

10"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12She bring him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 17She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 20She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 23Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders. 25She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26She speaks wisdom, and faithful instuction is on her tongue. 27She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28Her children (will) arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' 30Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 31Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

What a legacy you will leave and have already left with me. If God gives us kids in the future, they will be blessed to have a mother who loves them like you will. You are the love of my life. You are beautiful, but mostly you are a Godly woman who is loyal to me like few people in my life have been. That is what I find so attractive and lovely about you.

Holly, I look forward to this weekend of celebration, but even more I look forward to every day in our future, however many that may be, that God will bless me with through your love, laughter and joy. I love you Holly!!

How's the lock on your door?

John 20:19-23 recounts the story of the disciples encountering Jesus for the first time since the crucifixion. The disciples are huddled behind a locked door fearful of the Jews when Jesus comes to greet them and bless them with words of peace. After Jesus grants them peace, he gives them an apostolic or missional calling. Jesus says (paraphrased), "Be at peace and unlock the doors. God has sent me and now you are to continue this mission." Then, Jesus breathed on them and gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit.

It seems that we are due for such an encounter. We, who lock our doors and huddle on the inside of our buildings, need an encounter with Jesus and words that implore us to unlock the doors once again and be at peace. We are good at locking the doors. In fact, our lock is beginning to wear out from its continual use.

I am included in this. I love church. I love Christians. I love fellowship. I love Bible studies. I love small groups. I love accountability groups. I love staff meetings. I love all of these things, but I rarely love to unlock the doors. I've got the inreach and upreach, but the outreach side of my spiritual life is malnourished and unused. I think we've had enough of throwing money at the problem and stiff arming the lost by hiring missionaries and community outreach ministers to ease our worn consciences. Short term mission trips are good, but do they really help people or do they make us feel better about ourselves. All of these things are good, but if they are the focus of our outreach our locks are still on the doors. We need to build relationships with the lost more than help them on a short term basis.

The church is meant for more. The church is meant to be a bridge to the community. The church meets as a means to an end. The assembly is not the end of the Christian faith. Eternal assurance through baptism is not the end to faith. The end to faith is furthering God's kingdom in whatever way allows us to enter into his reign. We go to church in order to be commissioned again with the rest of the body to make an impact outside of the locked doors.

In your church, are you more comfortable sitting with Peter and the rest of the disciples in fear? God is telling you to be at peace, to receive his Spirit, and to be sent out as he was sent out. This is what it's all about. So go ahead, unlock that worn lock. Give it a rest from protecting you from whatever fears you have and step into a life on mission for God.

A Lesson Learned

God has taught me a lesson this past week I thought I would share with you.

Let's face it. I'm a control freak. I want to know everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen in the future whether it deals with school, family, the church, or life in general. I also have a tough time giving up control to God. So, I guess God thought it was time to teach me a lesson. I generally think God is not as involved in the world as many believe. For instance, I don't believe God answers prayers for parking spots, etc., but this week he had his hand in my life.

Holly and I are house sitting for a family in Houston and last week I lost the key to the house. Then, as I was looking for a CD, I found out that 24 of my CD's were gone from my car. I never lose things, but this week I was losing everything. Then, my car got sick and wouldn't turn on. Everything was going wrong and I began to get angry with myself about my lack of control in these areas. Finally, my mom and Holly talked some sense into me and got me to see that I need to give up control and ask God to help me in these areas.

And, of course, in God's perfect timing, a week later I found out the key was left at a house where I had been at a Bible study the previous week. Then yesterday, I had to use our host family's car because mine wasn't working and guess what I found. My CD's. I would have never found them had it not been for my car not working. Do you think God was trying to tell me something? I came home hoping God had fixed my car too, but so far that has not been the case. I guess he has to punish me sometimes for my lack of submission.

God, thanks for the lesson I hope to have grown from. You have done your part. May your Spirit work in me to give up the control I so desperately want to hang onto. Thanks for putting people in my life who are willing to tell me when I mess up. Thank you for your provision. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!

The Booming Church?

I sense a growing restlessness with the status quo in churches. We hear that our numbers are decreasing even though many of our larger churches do not sense this decline yet. Just this past week here in Houston, Joel Osteen moved Lakewood Church into a former basketball arena. They probably had about 50,000 people attend in one weekend.

We also hear that the evangelical America is influencing the political scene in numerous ways. Many in the "religious right" demand that George Bush push a religious agenda because it is them who put him in office.

Are we really losing our influence in culture? Is the church dying or thriving?

I think the answer has to be some of both. This is a moment of crisis. In fact, the church is always in a moment of crisis. Every generation is another chance at losing the faith forever. I think it is obvious that though we have influence in some areas, non-Christians have never been more turned off to Christianity than now. Why do we continue to build walls between "us" and "them?"

I think the answer to this post-Christian world is not to build bigger arenas and continue to invite "them" to come to "us." Rather, the church must change its language and direction. It is no longer "we" versus "them." It has to be us. The church is not to be set up against the world, but set up for the world. The church cannot be a city with a wall and a moat. It has to be a light among the world, a bridge to the world. People are not going to continue to come to church, the church is going to have to go to the lost. We cannot keep up our Constantinian model with the church at the center of culture because our world will not allow it. Disestablishment is not pretty but it is needed. We must become the church that seeks not power and prestige, but a marginal existence. Our steeples in the town square must not turn into arenas in the suburbs. We must become a growing influence in our city wherever we find ourselves.

I dream of a church moving in this direction and I sense a church ready for the task ahead. It's a church not so concerned about numbers and budgets, but a church focused on the mission of bringing the gospel to a broken and hurting world. A church that seeks the stranger and doesn't accept a homogeneous body. A church that accepts its position at the margin of importance and making a difference among the disenfranchised. That is a booming church!

The Strange World of Proverbs

I've spent the last month working through Proverbs one chapter a day and it has been interesting to hear these tidbits of wisdom. As wisdom literature, these are not foolproof promises but general truths about how the world works. But I struggle with differentiating these with other parts of Scripture because they are a part of God's living Word.

As I've been reading I've found four main themes throughout Proverbs:

1) True wisdom accepts discipline from our earthly parents and heavenly father rather than choosing to ignore it.

2) The wise man or woman keeps their steps far from sexual immorality or even the appearance of it. The world celebrates impurity, but the wise man keeps his steps far from the house of the wayward, seductive woman.

3) The wise man keeps his tongue from any trouble. Many gossip, slander, and say all kinds of harmful things, but the wise man keeps his tongue secure.

4) The righteous prosper and the wicked perish.

The first three seem like wise words. It's good to listen to parents, sexual impurity brings down great people (especially in the church it seems), and our tongues our powerful tools for good or bad as James points out.

But I'm having a hard time with the fourth theme. Do the righteous prosper and wicked perish, because all around me I see signs that say otherwise? Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. That seems like better logic and wisdom. Wouldn't the writer of Proverbs be better off putting a disclaimer on this proverb? He could say this is generally true, but the opposite is true at times. But the writer refuses to say it. I shy away from and condemn a prosperity gospel many times, but does Scripture teach some of this? I don't know. This is just another question in my seemingly endless bag of questions I am writing for God to answer when I enter the pearly gates. We shall see.

I sense that people are starting to get it!

Last night I was at a young married men's Bible study. We are studying If You Want to Walk On Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg. The book focuses on Peter's willingness to walk on the water with Jesus. And last night I sensed people starting to understand what I have been hoping for in my dreams for the church in the future: a missional church. I want to see a missional church, but I have never been sure if others are willing to get on board and get out of their comfortable consumeristic chairs. Last night I saw a glimpse of it.

We were talking about our fears and how evangelism is hard for us and all of a sudden the conversation turned towards mission. One guy asked, "Have you ever wondered if we should continue to do this study on Monday nights? We go to church to focus ourselves on Sunday and Wednesday and we spend time creating community on Monday nights? We are so inwardly focused. Maybe this time weekly should become a time for outreach." That is what I am talking about. That is the message that I couldn't have stated better myself. We continued on for several minutes and it excited me to know there are people wanting more for the church than just letting it be a fortress set apart from the world.

What is the church truly working for? Are we trying to bring others to Christ? Sometimes we think we need to get ourselves better with God before we can really reach others, but we are never going to be right enough to evangelize with that attitude. God calls imperfect, sinful people to get his gospel out. We are called to mission where we are. May this kingdom not just be one of powerful talk but of powerful action.

I Keep Finding Myself in Prisons

Last night, once again, I was in a prison. I went with a group from First Colony to the Carol Vance Unit. This unit is an all-Christian unit that came into existence because of George Bush's faith based initiative while he was governor. What an experience it was!

I met Robert. Robert was a man like any other who just happened to be serving a 30 year sentence for some kind of crime. He was a college grad and a well-spoken man who knew Christ personally as his Savior. It was amazing to hear about the change that had been made in his life. He said that his time at Carol Vance had been given him a chance to study God's word daily around men who had become his brothers. This church he had been apart of in the prison had been a place where many had come to God and flourished. He said there were several who faked their faith to get out early, but most of the men truly were seeking God. No longer do I see prisoners as people who cannot be touched. When I think of a criminal, I think of Robert E. Lee. (Yes that was his name.)

And I met Gerald who had been shot in his leg and God had miraculously healed him. God is at work even in the prisons, but his hands and feet in the world, the church, are lagging behind. Why are there so few prison ministries? Why are we so scared of this population? I think it's because we don't have faces to put with this label. I grew up, as many did in Churches of Christ, unsure about Baptists until I married one and put a face with someone different from me. I grew up unsure of criminals until this summer as I have put faces with this label. We all fear the unknown until we are able to put a face with whatever label our society leaves us with. Our job as Christians is to get to know every unknown and break down the labels our society uses to separate us.

Get to know a prisoner. Get to know people different from you because you might just find out there is more in common than you once believed. There are differences between everyone but if we can agree on the core of our faith, Jesus Christ, then we can overcome many of the labels society brands us with. Instead of man, woman, black, white, poor, wealthy, prisoner, free man, republican, democrat, old, young, we can all be called Christians. Isn't that a vision for the church?

The Church of Irresistible Influence

I am halfway through The Church of Irresistible Influence and I really like it. I have read about 5 missional church books that are very strong on the sociological dimension of what the church needs to be about in our changing context, but this book gives a more concrete example of how a church in Little Rock, AR is becoming an influence in their community.

I think we all sense there is something changing about our world. We have heard about our shift to a postmodern, postchristian, postdenominational, and every other post you could imagine kinds of world, but the true question we must ask is, "How can we be faithful to God in the church's new place in society?" I don't care what you call the next great thing in the church, but I certainly don't want to be a part of any fad or movement without it being God's real plan for the world. However, I don't see the missional church as a fad because I believe it is a call for all churches to make God's mission our mission. It doesn't call us to growth, it calls us to faithfulness. It doesn't call us to power, it calls us to the wisdom of the cross that beckons us to come and die to our desire for power. The church has always needed to take this as its call.

Sometimes I am too accepting of books and don't read them with a critical enough eye, but I believe the missional literature and The Church of Irresistible Influence to be books that are calling to the church to faithful living beyond itself. That is good news and a good direction for any church.

Father, we know you want people to be saved. That is your character. Help the church to be a community that doesn't become a fortress against the world, but becomes a bridge for the wrold. Some people might come to the church, but so many more need to the church to come to them because of a variety of factors. Let us become a seeking people who receive your kingdom and help to further it as you allow us to. Amen!

Aftermath of a tragedy

The sermon seems to have gone well. It was great to have my parents in and to hear so many encouraging comments afterwards. I cannot see myself doing anything other than preaching. God has put a passion for preaching his word in my bones that cannot be shut up. It's strange to already be finished with the highlight of the summer already.

As I awoke this morning to the news of a bombing in New York I thought, what would Paul write to the church in London after today's events? What does the wisdom of the cross say to the victims of senseless violence? The wisdom of the world would be resolute in its assurance that those who brought this destruction would receive due punishment for their actions. As many were outraged after 9/11 and wanted to bring war on the terrorists, so many today would like to pay these people back.

But, I think it is good to ask the question, "What does the wisdom of the cross tell us to in this situation?" I haven't fully concluded where I am on the subject to war. I lean towards pacifism, but I'm not sure yet. But as I think through the lens of the cross, I can only think Jesus would have prayed for these people and not fought back. What do we do when faced with such a situation? How do we respond to people with such hate and animosity? The answer surely cannot be to fight hate with hate. Is there such a thing as a just war? Is self-defense even justified by Jesus? What is the answer?

God grant us peace in this world of violence. Grant peace to the families of the victims and guide us in the wisdom of the cross.

Here I raise my Ebenezer

As I read this morning, I think I figured out what an ebenezer is. We sing about raising it in church, but what does it mean to raise my ebenezer?

This has become an issue in modern worship. How do make relevant songs that have become outdated not so much because their language is archaic, but because biblical literacy is at an all-time low in churches?

As I read 1 Samuel 7 today I read, "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far has the Lord helped us.' Israel has experienced God's victory and Samuel raised this ebenezer as a monument to mark a restoration in the heart of Israel.'" The ebenezer is a reminder to all who pass by it of God's mercy and covenant. What a message of hope!

We must not move on to new worship music just because people, like myself, lack Biblical literacy because many of our old hymns are wonderful if their significance can be explained in a new and helpful way. Let us continue the ministry of Jerry Rushford. We must keep our history of hymns alive for a new generation. There are many wonderful songs being written today, but let us not write off the hymns of the past. As I have found today, the symbols of our past continue to speak volumes today.

Family: one of God's greatest gifts

This weekend has been a wonderful weekend mostly because of the time Holly and I have had with our families. Holly's whole family came in Friday through Monday and traded places with my family who came in Monday and are staying through Thursday. What a blessing it is to see and have fun with familiar faces.

As I reflect on times with family, it reminds me how the years go by so quickly. It's hard to imagine that I will never live at home in Dallas in my house again. Life goes on and things change for the better most of the time. It seems that in my race to grow up (that probably began as I sat listening to the adults during lunches after church rather than coloring with the kids at the other end of the table) my early years passed so quickly. The memories are ingrained in my head and will remain there tempting me to want to go back to what was, but I know that great memories are still to be made. Good times are ahead and that is worth looking forward to.

Mom, dad, Greg, Cathy, Clark, Heather, Morgan, PJ, thanks for all of the memories and Holly and I look forward to the many things that are ahead. The future is bright and full of great experiences so let us trek on together and not apart for our memories are most special when we are all together. And let us not forget that we strive forward for a time when we will be together with those of us who have already passed on. Let us not forget this.

God thank you for families that have passed on faith to us. May we be faithful to tell your stories to generations in the future. This is exciting and scary. Help us, O God. We love you and thank you for putting us in families that have loved us. And remind me to sit with the kids and forget about the adult table at times. Amen!

Doing Church

This summer I am a part of my third internship in a church and I've found there to be a big difference between many churches and the world of academia. In university, we are dreaming dreams for the church, studying all about God, and trying to develop a healthy theology as well as a healthy look at the church. As I read more about how God wants to develop churches of mission, it consumes me often. I want to step into a church some day and create an environment where mission is the lifeblood of the church. I feel called to bring churches through this transition from consumer orientation to becoming a missional church.

As I think about this often and come into churches for summers, I find that many churches are not even thinking about how they can be more faithful to God's call and dreaming about the possibilities for renewal and mission. Instead, they are just "doing church." There are no staff meetings with a conversation for vision or conversations over staff lunches about whether we are faithful to the call of God in our corner of the world. Somehow, the mundane things of church have crowded out this important part of receiving God's call for a church. At first glance, I am critical of this situation, but as I think more about it, I wonder if this is all a church can do to stay alive. If you forget the mundane, though important things, the church will fall apart. However, without a vision the church will never become what it can be. I wonder what it will be like 10 years into my ministry. Will I still dream dreams? Will I still seek exciting visions with the staff and leadership of a church? Or am I just an overexcited university student whose hopeful dreams about the church need to be tamed down through day-to-day grind of ministry? I hope this is not the case.

God grant us all visions for your church that are bigger than tomorrow and in line with your will. As we seek your calling in our churches, give us hopes and futures that you promise and desire. We love you and we want to see things as you do. Praise you for all of the good you bring.