Last night, Holly and I were given the incredible opportunity to spend time with several kids from the Littleton Church of Christ youth group. This visit was the first time we have been able to meet any members from Littleton since we have accepted the preaching position. In addition, we got to meet the interns who are spending their summer serving the kids of Littleton.
Rick Odell, the youth minister, had asked if I would be willing to meet the group in Abilene on their trip across the country and lead a devotional for them. If these youth group kids are any indication of the entire church (and I have no doubt that they are), God has certainly blessed us with an incredible group of Godly men and women who seeks after God with all of their lives. It was a special night for us to get a taste of our future.
The excitement is building! I was grateful for the chance to pray for the students in the youth group, but I was especially blessed by the words of encouragement and blessing we received from them in return. God used our new friends that we met last night to impart his grace and joy to us. Though it was a small taste of what is to come, we thank God for such a wonderful blessing last night! As I went to bed last night, I could not sleep as I dreamt of the ways God would work in the coming weeks, months, and years! And the amazing thing is that he can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us. The future is bright!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Thursday, June 05, 2008
One of the Joys of My Life
One of the most amazing transformations in my life over the past six years has been my growing love for reading. In high school, I dreaded homework and I certainly was not going to sit down and read a book over the weekend. It is possible that my love for video games got in the way. I received good grades, but no one would have described me as a focused student who loved to learn.
However, as I began my freshman year at ACU as a Christian Ministry major, I developed a new joy for education and reading. Instead of dreading my school work, I could not put down the books. I loved learning more about Scripture and church history. I read books that challenged me to grow spiritually and others that challenged me to dream more about God's intentions for his church.
One of the most exciting benefits of graduation from my master's work is that I get to read the stack of books that have intended to read for a long time. During school I read many good books that I was forced to read. But now, I get to read books that I have chosen to read, which is always an added benefit.
In the future, I plan to suggest certain books for those who might be interested in a good read. Some of the books I get excited about would only be worth reading for those who are admitted "Bible nerds." These are the kinds of books I would never pass along to Holly. But there will be other books that I think others might be very excited about.
Today, I want to suggest two books for your future reading schedule.
The Shack is the first book I would suggest. While many people might think of the Trinity as an antiquated notion without much relevance today, William P. Young authors an incredible story that Eugene Peterson has dubbed the Pilgrim's Progress of our generation. This book is sure to widen your perspective about God and "his" presence in our lives. I would certainly encourage you to pick up this book when you get a chance.
The other book I have recently finished that I would pass along for your reading pleasure is Same Kind of Different As Me. This book weaves the stories of an African-American sharecropper and a white, upper-class art dealer who become close friends because of the impact of one woman in both of their lives. This book has widened my view of God's kingdom.
I hope these books will benefit your lives as you seek to be people who embody the values of the kingdom in your everyday lives. God wants to use each of you for his glory today! As God blesses you, commit to giving him the glory for the ways he shines through your life.
If you have any books that you would suggest for me to add to my future reading list, please let me know.
However, as I began my freshman year at ACU as a Christian Ministry major, I developed a new joy for education and reading. Instead of dreading my school work, I could not put down the books. I loved learning more about Scripture and church history. I read books that challenged me to grow spiritually and others that challenged me to dream more about God's intentions for his church.
One of the most exciting benefits of graduation from my master's work is that I get to read the stack of books that have intended to read for a long time. During school I read many good books that I was forced to read. But now, I get to read books that I have chosen to read, which is always an added benefit.
In the future, I plan to suggest certain books for those who might be interested in a good read. Some of the books I get excited about would only be worth reading for those who are admitted "Bible nerds." These are the kinds of books I would never pass along to Holly. But there will be other books that I think others might be very excited about.
Today, I want to suggest two books for your future reading schedule.
The Shack is the first book I would suggest. While many people might think of the Trinity as an antiquated notion without much relevance today, William P. Young authors an incredible story that Eugene Peterson has dubbed the Pilgrim's Progress of our generation. This book is sure to widen your perspective about God and "his" presence in our lives. I would certainly encourage you to pick up this book when you get a chance.
The other book I have recently finished that I would pass along for your reading pleasure is Same Kind of Different As Me. This book weaves the stories of an African-American sharecropper and a white, upper-class art dealer who become close friends because of the impact of one woman in both of their lives. This book has widened my view of God's kingdom.
I hope these books will benefit your lives as you seek to be people who embody the values of the kingdom in your everyday lives. God wants to use each of you for his glory today! As God blesses you, commit to giving him the glory for the ways he shines through your life.
If you have any books that you would suggest for me to add to my future reading list, please let me know.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Whoever Has Ears to Hear...
Recently I changed my blog title from "Collin Packer's Blog" to "Sightings, Sounds, and Sniffs of the Kingdom." While I thought my old title got the point across, I thought a little more creativity might be worth my time.
I like the new title. I believe God is still very much at work in the world today. Scripture does not describe our God as one who created the world only to let it spin without his hands at work in the world. From the beginning, God has remained among his people. He always seems to show up in different ways though. For instance, off the top of my head I can remember God showing up as a gardener, a bush on fire, a cloud, a pillar of fire, a group of strangers, a presence among the Tabernacle, and as the God-man (Jesus). Apart from these specific instances, he also shows up in a variety of other ways. He sends manna and quail for the Israelites, fire down on the altar on Mt. Carmel, tongues of fire on the heads of several people at Pentecost, etc. Yet at other times, he shows up in a whisper to Elijah or he remains silent for hundreds of years. It's really all a mystery to me.
Signs of God continue to show up in all of our lives. At times, he is easily sensed through miraculous healings. At other times, we pray to him and wonder why he never chooses to show up. I believe if we are honest, we have all sensed God's obvious presence in our lives and sensed that he has completely forsaken us at other times.
In Mark 4, Jesus says to the Twelve, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom - you know how it works."
For those of us who have committed our lives to Christ and become transformed into his image, God has given us insight into the kingdom. As we live in the world, we must be committed to always looking for sightings, sounds, and sniffs of the kingdom in our own lives. At times, we will be amazed by God's kingdom when we praise God in a worship assembly. At other times, we will be amazed at the way God shares his kingdom through secular movies and music where we might expect never to find glimpses of his reign.
God is at work in the world! We are his representatives and ambassadors to people who seek him without even knowing the object of their pursuit. As detectives of the reign of God in the world, may we all begin to sense the ways he is active in our lives.
How have you seen, heard, or smelled the kingdom this week?
I like the new title. I believe God is still very much at work in the world today. Scripture does not describe our God as one who created the world only to let it spin without his hands at work in the world. From the beginning, God has remained among his people. He always seems to show up in different ways though. For instance, off the top of my head I can remember God showing up as a gardener, a bush on fire, a cloud, a pillar of fire, a group of strangers, a presence among the Tabernacle, and as the God-man (Jesus). Apart from these specific instances, he also shows up in a variety of other ways. He sends manna and quail for the Israelites, fire down on the altar on Mt. Carmel, tongues of fire on the heads of several people at Pentecost, etc. Yet at other times, he shows up in a whisper to Elijah or he remains silent for hundreds of years. It's really all a mystery to me.
Signs of God continue to show up in all of our lives. At times, he is easily sensed through miraculous healings. At other times, we pray to him and wonder why he never chooses to show up. I believe if we are honest, we have all sensed God's obvious presence in our lives and sensed that he has completely forsaken us at other times.
In Mark 4, Jesus says to the Twelve, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom - you know how it works."
For those of us who have committed our lives to Christ and become transformed into his image, God has given us insight into the kingdom. As we live in the world, we must be committed to always looking for sightings, sounds, and sniffs of the kingdom in our own lives. At times, we will be amazed by God's kingdom when we praise God in a worship assembly. At other times, we will be amazed at the way God shares his kingdom through secular movies and music where we might expect never to find glimpses of his reign.
God is at work in the world! We are his representatives and ambassadors to people who seek him without even knowing the object of their pursuit. As detectives of the reign of God in the world, may we all begin to sense the ways he is active in our lives.
How have you seen, heard, or smelled the kingdom this week?
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Tremendous Welcome
To those of you who commented on my blog over the past week, I want to thank you so much!! Holly and I could not imagine the incredible welcome we have received. We are so blessed to be welcomed so greatly by the congregation at Littleton!
Holly and I are currently on vacation in California. We are traveling with our best friends from ACU and it has been a wonderful trip. When I finally returned to check my e-mail and blog, I was amazed by the overwhelming response from Colorado. From Littleton members alone, I had 41 messages welcoming Holly and me and letting us know we are being prayed for. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
It's so exciting to think about the future. What will be the focus of my first sermon series? Can I really preach every Sunday for the next 40 years? Have I been prepared for this task?
Yet, as I consider these questions, I am continually comforted by God's overwhelming power, mercy, and grace. His power is made perfect in weakness. It would be a sign of being unprepared if I didn't ask these questions. When we are called into ministries and situations that cannot be accomplished without God's help, we know we are in the will of God. He has called each of us to extend ourselves beyond our abilities and gifts so that he will receive the glory.
O Lord, grant us the willingness to step out beyond our comfort zones. Grant us enough failure to know how much we need you. Do not give us so many gifts, that we forget our need for you. May your Spirit guide us and lead us in the way of Christ. This is my prayer!
Holly and I are currently on vacation in California. We are traveling with our best friends from ACU and it has been a wonderful trip. When I finally returned to check my e-mail and blog, I was amazed by the overwhelming response from Colorado. From Littleton members alone, I had 41 messages welcoming Holly and me and letting us know we are being prayed for. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
It's so exciting to think about the future. What will be the focus of my first sermon series? Can I really preach every Sunday for the next 40 years? Have I been prepared for this task?
Yet, as I consider these questions, I am continually comforted by God's overwhelming power, mercy, and grace. His power is made perfect in weakness. It would be a sign of being unprepared if I didn't ask these questions. When we are called into ministries and situations that cannot be accomplished without God's help, we know we are in the will of God. He has called each of us to extend ourselves beyond our abilities and gifts so that he will receive the glory.
O Lord, grant us the willingness to step out beyond our comfort zones. Grant us enough failure to know how much we need you. Do not give us so many gifts, that we forget our need for you. May your Spirit guide us and lead us in the way of Christ. This is my prayer!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Ministry To Which We Have Been Called
If you have not heard the good news yet, I have accepted an offer to become the preaching minister at the Littleton Church of Christ in Littleton, Colorado (a suburb of Denver)!! We have such great peace and excitement about this decision. Though our search process has been long and uncertain at times, I could not imagine a better place to begin my ministry.
Though we will certainly enjoy this beautiful location, the most attractive part of my new job is the incredible people of LCC. During the entire interview process with the elders at Littleton, Holly and I could not have felt more loved and supported. The ministerial staff has an incredible reputation among churches in our tradition and I have heard nothing but good things about the administrative staff as well. In the coming weeks, Holly and I cannot wait to meet more of the congregation.
In the past week, my own discernment of my calling to ministry has been affirmed twice. A week ago, the professors of ACU acknowledged my call to ministry and blessed my future as a leader in God's kingdom. And just a few days ago, I got the call I had been waiting on for six years now. All of my education means very little without the calling of a church that discerns my gifts of leadership and preaching. With the call from Littleton, I feel completely sure of the ministry to which I have been called. Praise God for the work he has done in my life and for the ways he has called me into a position of impact in his kingdom!
To those who have mentored, befriended, taught, and prayed for Holly and me in our preparation for ministry, I want to thank you for all you have done for us! We will continue to covet your prayers, advice, and friendship in the future. God has placed you in our paths for a reason and we will never take for granted the blessings you have given us.
And to those at the Littleton Church of Christ, Holly and I want you to know how excited we are to minister alongside you. We have prayed for God to lead us in the direction of his choosing. We feel confident that he has done just that! We are excited to meet every one of you. We have been praying for each of you for the past few years now. May God bless you with his grace, passion, and peace.
To those who will be come to know Christ through God's ministry of grace spread through this weak vessel, I pray that God will open your hearts to his message. I know the Holy Spirit is already at work in your lives. God, help me in my role as a missionary among lost people.
God, may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And may we join you as your reign increases on the earth. Use us as your hands and feet among the hurting. Use us as your salt and light to infect a world of darkness with your light!
Though we will certainly enjoy this beautiful location, the most attractive part of my new job is the incredible people of LCC. During the entire interview process with the elders at Littleton, Holly and I could not have felt more loved and supported. The ministerial staff has an incredible reputation among churches in our tradition and I have heard nothing but good things about the administrative staff as well. In the coming weeks, Holly and I cannot wait to meet more of the congregation.
In the past week, my own discernment of my calling to ministry has been affirmed twice. A week ago, the professors of ACU acknowledged my call to ministry and blessed my future as a leader in God's kingdom. And just a few days ago, I got the call I had been waiting on for six years now. All of my education means very little without the calling of a church that discerns my gifts of leadership and preaching. With the call from Littleton, I feel completely sure of the ministry to which I have been called. Praise God for the work he has done in my life and for the ways he has called me into a position of impact in his kingdom!
To those who have mentored, befriended, taught, and prayed for Holly and me in our preparation for ministry, I want to thank you for all you have done for us! We will continue to covet your prayers, advice, and friendship in the future. God has placed you in our paths for a reason and we will never take for granted the blessings you have given us.
And to those at the Littleton Church of Christ, Holly and I want you to know how excited we are to minister alongside you. We have prayed for God to lead us in the direction of his choosing. We feel confident that he has done just that! We are excited to meet every one of you. We have been praying for each of you for the past few years now. May God bless you with his grace, passion, and peace.
To those who will be come to know Christ through God's ministry of grace spread through this weak vessel, I pray that God will open your hearts to his message. I know the Holy Spirit is already at work in your lives. God, help me in my role as a missionary among lost people.
God, may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And may we join you as your reign increases on the earth. Use us as your hands and feet among the hurting. Use us as your salt and light to infect a world of darkness with your light!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
One More To Go!!!
One more paper to go. I cannot believe it. After this paper, I will have completed:
212 hours of undergrad and graduate work
18 hours of Greek
6 hours of Hebrew
9 hours of Preaching
15 hours of Church History
Countless Papers
4 incredible internships
6 years of life at ACU
An entire chapter of my life story
Guess what my last paper is about?
Wrong! It's not about my systematic theology or my philosophy of ministry. Instead, I am currently researching about sexual addiction in an effort to construct a model of Crisis Intervention for families and churches suffering from this growing epidemic. Who knows? Perhaps this paper will lead to some kind of important men's ministry in the future.
It's almost time to turn the page.
What will be written on the next page? The ink is ready and I'm as ready to read the words on the next page of my life story as anyone else.
Where will Holly and I end up? How many kids will we have? Will we be able to have kids? What will my ministry look like 5 or 10 years from now? What will my passions be? What joys await us? What tragedies will we have to endure?
While I have many questions, there are many things I expect to remain the same. (It might be funny to look back at this post 20 years from now!)
I will be more in love with my perpetually beautiful wife, Holly.
I will still enjoy sitting on the couch as I root on my favorite sports teams.
I will enjoy reading books I want to read rather than books I have been forced to read.
I will passionately preach the message of the kingdom of God so that Christ might transform the hearts of people.
I will continue on the journey of faith without reaching my destination.
I will worship God in times of joy and times of intense pain.
I will continue to love the church for all of its blessings and in spite of its blemishes.
These things I am confident of.
So, I ask for the author of my story to pick up the pen and continue writing. While his pen has been known to write tragedies, I know his heart! He longs for me to worship him with all of my life! He loves me and has called me to be transformed for the sake of the world. He will take care of me just as he does for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. It's time to turn the page!
212 hours of undergrad and graduate work
18 hours of Greek
6 hours of Hebrew
9 hours of Preaching
15 hours of Church History
Countless Papers
4 incredible internships
6 years of life at ACU
An entire chapter of my life story
Guess what my last paper is about?
Wrong! It's not about my systematic theology or my philosophy of ministry. Instead, I am currently researching about sexual addiction in an effort to construct a model of Crisis Intervention for families and churches suffering from this growing epidemic. Who knows? Perhaps this paper will lead to some kind of important men's ministry in the future.
It's almost time to turn the page.
What will be written on the next page? The ink is ready and I'm as ready to read the words on the next page of my life story as anyone else.
Where will Holly and I end up? How many kids will we have? Will we be able to have kids? What will my ministry look like 5 or 10 years from now? What will my passions be? What joys await us? What tragedies will we have to endure?
While I have many questions, there are many things I expect to remain the same. (It might be funny to look back at this post 20 years from now!)
I will be more in love with my perpetually beautiful wife, Holly.
I will still enjoy sitting on the couch as I root on my favorite sports teams.
I will enjoy reading books I want to read rather than books I have been forced to read.
I will passionately preach the message of the kingdom of God so that Christ might transform the hearts of people.
I will continue on the journey of faith without reaching my destination.
I will worship God in times of joy and times of intense pain.
I will continue to love the church for all of its blessings and in spite of its blemishes.
These things I am confident of.
So, I ask for the author of my story to pick up the pen and continue writing. While his pen has been known to write tragedies, I know his heart! He longs for me to worship him with all of my life! He loves me and has called me to be transformed for the sake of the world. He will take care of me just as he does for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. It's time to turn the page!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Preaching Search
The time is coming! I have been involved in intense education, internships, and church ministry for nearly six years preparing myself for the coming weeks and months. God has definitely been involved in the process all along.
Although, I can't say my expectations have been met in some ways. When I began my undergraduate degree, I believed that I would have all of the answers for faith and church leadership. And while my education, experiences, and internships have matured me more than I can say, I must admit that I have more questions than answers at this point. Christianity is a funny thing. The more you know the more you don't know. And the more you are formed into the image of Jesus Christ, the more you are able to see the untransformed areas in your life that you were once unable to see.
I must say I am excited. Holly and I cannot wait to enter a church and start loving the people there. We cannot wait! We have been in prayer for years that God would prepare the hearts of the church that we will minister to, and we believe that he is already at work.
There are many exciting things ahead. I look forward to preaching each week and helping a church realize its gifts and vision. We look forward to settling down in a city and starting a family. We are excited about making new friends and building relationships. But most of all, we are excited about living out the life that God has called us to.
Holy God, grant us the wisdom to see you at work in our lives. I pray for the church that we will choose to work with. Bless their transition. Give them a heart for the lost. Transform their lives. May they be a community of mission, care for one another, and love. Grace and peace to them. And may you grant us grace and peace while we wait for the opportunity to begin our ministry!
Although, I can't say my expectations have been met in some ways. When I began my undergraduate degree, I believed that I would have all of the answers for faith and church leadership. And while my education, experiences, and internships have matured me more than I can say, I must admit that I have more questions than answers at this point. Christianity is a funny thing. The more you know the more you don't know. And the more you are formed into the image of Jesus Christ, the more you are able to see the untransformed areas in your life that you were once unable to see.
I must say I am excited. Holly and I cannot wait to enter a church and start loving the people there. We cannot wait! We have been in prayer for years that God would prepare the hearts of the church that we will minister to, and we believe that he is already at work.
There are many exciting things ahead. I look forward to preaching each week and helping a church realize its gifts and vision. We look forward to settling down in a city and starting a family. We are excited about making new friends and building relationships. But most of all, we are excited about living out the life that God has called us to.
Holy God, grant us the wisdom to see you at work in our lives. I pray for the church that we will choose to work with. Bless their transition. Give them a heart for the lost. Transform their lives. May they be a community of mission, care for one another, and love. Grace and peace to them. And may you grant us grace and peace while we wait for the opportunity to begin our ministry!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
I Don't Like People Like Me
Well, this summer has been a great summer. I've been able to preach so many times and I have received so much encouragement. Most of all, I have been reminded why I am going to be a preacher. I love the church. I love envisioning a future for a group of people. I love spending time with God and listening to what he thinks the congregation must hear in order for it to grow. During grad school, I have had moments in which I have questioned my calling because I have gotten caught up in the papers and forgotten that this thing is really all about people. But being back in ministry this summer, I can't imagine any other kind of work that I could do. This summer I have been reminded that I can still preach and that I still have a love for being with people.
However, I have had an interesting revelation this summer. Perhaps it began when my brother told me what he tells others about the kind of preacher I will be one day. He said, "You know your stuff. You have studied and you know what you believe about many things. But, you are so confident in everything you believe that it will leave you inflexible as you deal with people who do not agree with you in every area." This was truly a wake up call for me. In some ways, I think he is right. I have developed many ideas about how the church should be. I have an intense desire for unity and the mission of God. But unfortunately I have become as inflexible as the people I had hoped to not be like. For instance, I don't want to be sectarian in any way like some in Churches of Christ, but in some ways I have moved away from conservative sectarianism to a new form of academic, progressive, elite sectarianism.
This summer I have been a part of a hospital chaplaincy. The head person over the program has been very critical of the church and really has nothing good to say about it. I have met several people this summer who are very critical. And to be honest, I can't stand to be around them. Unfortunately, when I take a look at myself, my hyper-critical nature developed through my time in school, has made me like the people I don't want to be like most.
I want to be a positive person. I want my kids to think of me not as a person who looks at the glass half empty, but as a father who always encouraged them in everything they did. I want my wife to be able to say that she never experienced a critical moment with me, but unfortunately I think I am rubbing off on her in some negative ways in these areas. How do you stop being like people that you don't like?
I guess it will be a God-job. As a perfectionist, I have always been a bit hyper-critical. I don't think I will ever be the Barnabas at a congregation, but every critique should also have with it an opposing robust view of what is right and good. When people come in line with the positive opposite of my critique, I should be the first to praise it and value when people's lives reflect God's unity and mission.
However, I have had an interesting revelation this summer. Perhaps it began when my brother told me what he tells others about the kind of preacher I will be one day. He said, "You know your stuff. You have studied and you know what you believe about many things. But, you are so confident in everything you believe that it will leave you inflexible as you deal with people who do not agree with you in every area." This was truly a wake up call for me. In some ways, I think he is right. I have developed many ideas about how the church should be. I have an intense desire for unity and the mission of God. But unfortunately I have become as inflexible as the people I had hoped to not be like. For instance, I don't want to be sectarian in any way like some in Churches of Christ, but in some ways I have moved away from conservative sectarianism to a new form of academic, progressive, elite sectarianism.
This summer I have been a part of a hospital chaplaincy. The head person over the program has been very critical of the church and really has nothing good to say about it. I have met several people this summer who are very critical. And to be honest, I can't stand to be around them. Unfortunately, when I take a look at myself, my hyper-critical nature developed through my time in school, has made me like the people I don't want to be like most.
I want to be a positive person. I want my kids to think of me not as a person who looks at the glass half empty, but as a father who always encouraged them in everything they did. I want my wife to be able to say that she never experienced a critical moment with me, but unfortunately I think I am rubbing off on her in some negative ways in these areas. How do you stop being like people that you don't like?
I guess it will be a God-job. As a perfectionist, I have always been a bit hyper-critical. I don't think I will ever be the Barnabas at a congregation, but every critique should also have with it an opposing robust view of what is right and good. When people come in line with the positive opposite of my critique, I should be the first to praise it and value when people's lives reflect God's unity and mission.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Honduras
Holly and I just got back from a trip to Honduras. We went with Southern Hills, but we joined some students from ACU and two other church groups from New York City and Memphis. It was a wonderful trip. Our group treated nearly 1000 people in our medical clinic, and we also helped people in our optical clinic and with our construction on the church.
I met so many wonderful people. These people have very little, but somehow they understand joy and it exudes from them. This often seems to be the case. Those who have much seem to never be content, while those with very little seems to understand contentment. We experienced hospitality from people who had nothing to be hospitable with. It was frustrating not to be able to communicate with the people because I do not know Spanish (I wish I had payed more attention in my two years of high school Spanish). However, the language barrier did not keep me from loving the kids there and receiving love in return.
My third world experience was disorienting enough, but I also was disoriented by a book I read on the plane. I read The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. His radical community (the Simple Way) is doing some incredible things. His challenges included living lives of radical simplicity, creative nonviolence, fully committed discipleship, and responsible living in God's creation. He challenged Christian wealth, redemptive violence, nationalism, just war, church expenditures, and many other of the church's accepted practices. But rather than being an assault, he wrote in story form, which allowed his radical lifestyle to quietly destroy any argument for what we've come to understand Christianity to be. It's a wonderful book. And as I thought about it in the context I was in, I wondered how it was ever ok for my bank account to accrue more and more while the people of Honduras don't have enough. No wonder they don't have enough. We have it all stowed away in our mutual funds and bank accounts. Tough stuff to sift through, but a needed challenge for my faith.
All in all it was a great week and I enjoyed seeing Holly's interaction with the other kids. She is so wonderful and those kids understood her love more than they could ever understand mine. She is a blessing!
I met so many wonderful people. These people have very little, but somehow they understand joy and it exudes from them. This often seems to be the case. Those who have much seem to never be content, while those with very little seems to understand contentment. We experienced hospitality from people who had nothing to be hospitable with. It was frustrating not to be able to communicate with the people because I do not know Spanish (I wish I had payed more attention in my two years of high school Spanish). However, the language barrier did not keep me from loving the kids there and receiving love in return.
My third world experience was disorienting enough, but I also was disoriented by a book I read on the plane. I read The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. His radical community (the Simple Way) is doing some incredible things. His challenges included living lives of radical simplicity, creative nonviolence, fully committed discipleship, and responsible living in God's creation. He challenged Christian wealth, redemptive violence, nationalism, just war, church expenditures, and many other of the church's accepted practices. But rather than being an assault, he wrote in story form, which allowed his radical lifestyle to quietly destroy any argument for what we've come to understand Christianity to be. It's a wonderful book. And as I thought about it in the context I was in, I wondered how it was ever ok for my bank account to accrue more and more while the people of Honduras don't have enough. No wonder they don't have enough. We have it all stowed away in our mutual funds and bank accounts. Tough stuff to sift through, but a needed challenge for my faith.
All in all it was a great week and I enjoyed seeing Holly's interaction with the other kids. She is so wonderful and those kids understood her love more than they could ever understand mine. She is a blessing!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
It's Thursday?!?
Well, it's Thursday and not a word of the sermon is written yet. I'm not a last minute procrastinator. In fact, I started studying Monday of this week, but the Lord speaks his word when he is ready and not when I am. There's no magic button for the Spirit to start speaking. So I will wait. And read the text. And wait. And read the text. And wait. And read the text.
My sermon's title this week is "It's Sunday and Friday's Finished," which plays off the title of Tony Campolo's sermon "It's Friday, But Sunday's Coming." But right now, it's Thursday and Sunday's coming and I have no sermon. My prayer is that the hard work of sitting with the text will bring a flood of insight this afternoon.
So here I wait. In an office in Abilene, Texas waiting for a sermon that I will preach in Dallas. I have no doubt that the message will come, but here I wait. Father, I wait in eager expectation for what you will bring. I do not worry for you alone are my God and you are the one who has authored the story I will tell Sunday.
Speak, O Lord.
My sermon's title this week is "It's Sunday and Friday's Finished," which plays off the title of Tony Campolo's sermon "It's Friday, But Sunday's Coming." But right now, it's Thursday and Sunday's coming and I have no sermon. My prayer is that the hard work of sitting with the text will bring a flood of insight this afternoon.
So here I wait. In an office in Abilene, Texas waiting for a sermon that I will preach in Dallas. I have no doubt that the message will come, but here I wait. Father, I wait in eager expectation for what you will bring. I do not worry for you alone are my God and you are the one who has authored the story I will tell Sunday.
Speak, O Lord.
Monday, June 18, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
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?
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?
Monday, August 28, 2006
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.
- 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.
Friday, August 04, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, June 09, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, May 12, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, May 01, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, April 03, 2006
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?
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?
Friday, March 10, 2006
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!
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!
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