A Contemplative's Conspiracy

Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

2010-05-28T12:34:00.005-03:00

is a follow up to my previous post. I recently picked up a piece of fiction, Deadline by Randy Alcorn. I've discovered over the years that I am too cheap to buy fiction novels which is why I've only read one over the past ten years until last week. Deadline I bought for a dollar, so I figured that even if I hated it, I wouldn’t have wasted much money. I was pleasantly surprised by this book on the discount pile. First of all, it took a couple of chapters just to build the characters. This can be annoying when you are waiting for the story to start. However, when you get into the story line it is easy to see why this depth of character development was so necessary. The book is about three friends, one, Finney, a follower of Christ, another, Doc, antagonistic to Christ, and the main character, Jake, who is caught in the middle. While Jake lives his life similar to Doc, he has a respect for Finney. A crisis occurs that rocks Jake’s world. If I told any more than this, I would be giving away the book. What impressed me most about the book, was not the general storyline but how it was written. The characters were very real and the book even showed the conversations Jake and the others have even with themselves. The debates and questions in their minds were very real. Alcorn also does a good job at describing heaven or hell. He takes a little liberties with the angels but also has a disclaimer at the back of the book. Even still how he describes different aspects of heaven or hell was well done. Something else impressive demonstrates how to live like a Christian in a world that does not have the same moral standards. It confronts some of the big issues but also portrays a realistic view of persecution for standing up for what’s right. This book covered so many aspects of the Christian life that I actually felt that the book drew me closer to God and strengthened my spiritual walk.

Deadline was so good that I wanted to run right back out and buy the sequel at full price. When I got to the bookstore, I learned that the sequel was not in bookstores - very depressing. So I asked the clerk if she had read any of the fiction books on the shelves. She said she was a Ted Dekker fan and had read all of his books. She recommended a stand alone novel to me and even though it was ten dollars, I bought Three. Three's plot started on page two, Dekker wasted no time. The plot was good, with mysterious main character and twist at the end. When I was finished reading, I felt I had read a good story but I was definitely not drawn to God through it. I had just wasted an entire day reading and thought to myself that it was one day I would never get back. Now in fairness to Dekker, I really should read another one of his works before I judge. But I have to wonder why he is so popular. His books take up almost two whole bookshelves at the store, whereas, other authors only have a couple of books each. Then I was reminded of Christian consumerism. There might not be anything Christian about about a book accept for a label. If something is labelled Christian then we seem to think it is ok. We do not have to be convicted about the use of our time because it is “Christian.” In this sense, “Christian” means simply that they took out the smut and crude language. So it is cleaner, but in reality it wouldn’t necessarily even have to be written by a Christian - any moral person could have written it without being a follower of Christ. Is not using bad words and not sleeping around all it means to be a Christian? Isn’t there a deeper more fundamental teaching that needs to go out?

And so in the span of three days I read two contrasting novels. Both were of the suspense genre. One author took full advantage of the platform writing a novel gave him and preached the gospel. The other wrote a novel that provided a Christian with a little suspense in their lives for as long as they read the book. In Alcorn’s book the characters were strengthened in their faith. In Dekker’s book the characters seemed to weaken in their faith and be more concerned with religion than faith. Alcorn’s book was endorsed by Frank Peretti, one of my favorite authors and Dekker had written a book with Peretti. Funny how there are so many similarities and yet one fundamental difference. And so I ask - Why are we not more discerning with what we buy and how we spend our time? Why do we fall prey to the Christian money making machine?

It's Fun to Stay at the YMCA

2010-05-25T15:07:00.002-03:00

I was listening to CBC the other morning and I was amazed when I heard the Public Service Announcements. The first PSA was for an event held by a group in the city. This was not a Christian organization, but for some reason I knew I had heard this announcement before. I was saying it along with the announcer in my mind. After she finished describing the event that would be filled with music and special guests, she went on to add the last line, one that I new off by heart - “We hope you’ll join us for a time of fun, food and _____.” My mind filled in “fellowship” but the lady said “entertainment.” Even though that last word was different, the announcement itself was identical to the announcements I’ve heard for church events. In most announcements for church events, there is usually nothing particularly spiritual about them. The only thing different is the word “fellowship” - no prayer, no worship, no praise. But what does “fellowship” mean? I have gone to Christian events full of “fun (usually corny jokes and a couple of games), food (stuffing oursleves is something we always do well - it is really the main event and everyone knows that if you don’t have food people won’t show up), and fellowship (the rest of the world calls it hanging out). Very few times does “fellowship” leave me with anything more than the joy that I get being with my friends who do not believe in God. This makes me wonder if our version of fellowship today makes a mockery of what the Bible said when it describes the early church as being “devoted to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Maybe it’s just me but when I hear that we are going to have “fun, food and fellowship,” it makes me not want to attend that event. How different is the church today different than the world we live in? If we are to be a shining light, if we are to expect people to take notice, if we are to point people to Jesus, how will this happen when our light has blended in so well with the darkness. I long for more...

The second PSA was from a church. After hearing the first one, I was interested to hear this one. However, I was sorely disappointed. The announcement was for a fundraising concert for the church building project. The performers were listed and it was stated that the music would be “classical, sacred and secular.” What does that mean exactly? Once again there appears to be no difference between the church and the local community center. What would Jesus say to the church today? I think he would saddened as his body - his hands, his feet - got together for “fun, food and fellowship” listening to “classical, sacred and secular” instead of going out into the harvest fields. Time is short...

“You say that I’m coming back soon, but you act like I’ll never return” - Keith Green

The Ready Reader

2010-04-20T11:16:00.004-03:00

People ask me: So what books are you reading or what are your all time favorite books? Well I've decided to post them here. Some will be current, others will be awesome ones I have read over the years.

A good book on leadership. Only the second one I've ever finished - I usually find them terribly carnal. This one was really good. He challenges some basic church structures and traditions. I found it a refreshing view on leadership. It gets better as you read it too, so you have to finish it. I almost put it down near the middle but kept going and I'm glad I did. I would recommend this to anyone in church leadership because it will stretch you - and its healthy to be stretched - It lets you find out where your limits are and then you have to question them.

This book is not for the easily offended. You will throw it out before you finish the first chapter.

The only annoying thing is that Cole promotes his products, but I just ignore that and take the meat out it. Believe me there is a lot to chew on. Much of what he says matches my personal values of what the church should look like - no paid clergy, multiple leaders, etc. However, this ideal is not always a reality, especially if the church has been in existence for a while and did not start with these principles. I enjoy that he did talk about this and that he's pretty balanced in his expectations of established churches. I found this book primarily written for church planters (which is what he's all about).

The First Commandment

2010-01-19T09:19:00.004-04:00

A great message by Shelley Hundley that we probably need to listen to in this day: http://todayandthatday.podOmatic.com

Eulogy for Civi

2009-06-04T21:33:00.005-03:00

Well today I finally had to retire my 1996 Honda Civic. In her memory, I have written a eulogy.

Loved by me and misunderstood by most it was a very sad day. Civi may have been old and feeble, but she had personality. She (yes my car was a "she") lived to see 13 good years. Well maintained by me and her previous owner, her underneath just got too brittle to keep going. Even in her last days she had comfortable seats and shifted easily. Civi will be mourned by me...and probably only by me. Her final resting place will most likely be the junk heap and her organs (whatever is left of them) will be donated. In lieu of flowers, please send Shawna some money so she can make the payments on her new car!

The View from Here

2009-05-17T18:10:00.004-03:00

I was working on my computer on Friday and I worked right through the morning news, Regis and Kelly, and then The View came on. This snapped me out of what I was doing - not because they were having some loud obnoxious conversation but because of the topic they were discussing. They were talking about the Angels and Demons movie.

**As a side note: I read The DaVinci Code book and then watched the movie. I was glad I read the book first because the movie just scratched the surface. I will do the same thing with Angels and Demons - read the book first.

Anyway, they briefly talked about the movie and then Barbara asked the question about whether or not the ladies believed in an afterlife. Barbara and Joy said they did not. They say we just cease to exist. Sherri said she believed in an afterlife. Whoopi said she wasn't sure but she was going to say yes in order to keep all of her bases covered. Then Tom Hanks and Ron Howard came on and Barbara asked them the same question. Tom said he did not believe in an afterlife. Ron Howard said that he wasn't sure. While he would like to say he did not believe, there was something inside of him that makes him wonder about it.

I find it fascinating that we live in a day and age where the topic of an afterlife is one of the main topics of a talk show and that everyone on the panel can feel free to express their opinions honestly. I also find it interesting that there are so many different opinions among that small group of people. That small group is most likely a sample of our larger society.

I wish I was on The View. I have some things to say...oh wait...I get to have discussions everyday with people I know, who are asking the same questions! The media can pump a lot of crap into our society, but it also provides Christians with great opportunities to share the truth about Christ and most people are very interested in listening.

Simplicity

2009-04-13T10:45:00.005-03:00

Have you ever had so much to blog that you can't get your thoughts straight? I wish I could just transfer what is in my brain right to the page. I suppose that's what I get from taking so long to blog again. I've rewritten this so many times and what I ended up with is this summary of where we are at.

The people of God (at least in our area) are being taught by God in a very deep way right now. Many Christians seem to be getting very serious about their faith, studying the Scripture, and praying less to get God to move and more to hear Him.

As a church we coming to grips with the fact that our great ideas are not what God wants. We can engineer church because we are good at it, but that is not God's way. Church growth models and plans that we read in books are not what God desires. And so we are continually moving toward more and more simplicity.

We can no longer depend on men or men's products to change society. A move of God is the only thing and so we are encouraging people to seek Him. Sounds simple, sounds basic, sounds Scriptural, but how much does the church really do this? And if we do this, is it really the core of our Christian community or an add on? Maybe we need to take away some of our supports and see if we sink or swim...I'll keep you posted.

Getting Sassy Back

2009-01-17T20:04:00.007-04:00

Wow June 17th huh? I am such a bad blogger. I was reading Hurd's blog today and discovered that I have become brain dead. Everytime I read his blog I laugh so hard that my eyes water and my nose runs. As I was reading his blog, I discovered that I no longer get to think for fun. Instead I'm forced to think about things like curriculum, gender, wait time, multiculturalism, inclusion, etc. All of these things would be great if I could think of them on my own time without having an assignment to do on them. Every time I get the urge to blog I think about the time I would be wasting that I could be spending on school work. In fact, I'm thinking about that right now.

Contemplating random things in life was the purpose for this blog and so I need to go back to doing that. Right now I am neither creative nor funny. I really need to get my sassy back. I think my next blog will be written as I watch Obama's inauguration - US politics is usually a good time, although not nearly as funny as Canadian politics... (Dion's cell phone video to Canadians - case in point, totally hilarious).

Gay Haters?

2008-06-17T10:21:00.003-03:00

As I was watching the news this morning and they were talking about how SanFransico legalized gay marriage, I felt angry and sick. Not because of gay marriage, but because there were people outside the courthouse protesting the legalization with signs that said "God Hates Fags" and "Fags Will Burn In Hell." These signs made me disgusted because of what they say to our society. and more importantly, what they say to people we know and love who are involved in homosexual relationships.

I became so angry and disgusted, wondering who these people were. Where do they come from? Who told them that nasty, hateful signs are how we engage our culture? They portray the stereotype of Christians who think everyone (except them) is evil and unloved by God. I do not want to be lumped in with these people, but every time someone pulls a stunt like this it happens to me anyway. In the eyes of many, I become a gay hater even though I am not. I wish these protesters would wake up and gain an understanding of the heart of God. I wonder if they know anyone who is gay. I wonder if they have any friends or family members who are gay. I wonder if they have ever just listened to their gay friend speak about their life.

I personally have a conservative view on homosexuality because there are parts in the Bible that we can't just ignore. We cannot choose passages we like and leave those we don't like. However, I think we need to be careful in how we express our beliefs. We can be open and honest about them, we do not need to hide them. But we need to make sure we are entering into discussion with people who don't agree with us, not just yelling and waving signs. Open dialogue is needed if we are to gain an understanding and the ability to have compassion for our world that is required of us as Christians. We also need to be careful that we don't focus on one issue. In 1 Corinthians 6 where homosexuality is mentioned, heterosexual immorality is also mentioned, as are slanderers, theives, alcoholics and those who are greedy. We need to be careful, when we cast stones at the courthouse, that we are also not among that list. Jesus warned us over and over about the dangers of self-righteousness, so how have Christians, Jesus' followers, become so good at it? Many other issues are mentioned throughout the Bible and I've become convinced over the years that pretty well everyone has their thing that they struggle with. Why have we elevated homosexuality as the unpardonable sin?

It appears to me that the protesters do not care too much about transformation but more about condemnation. But, just like the protesters don't know the people in the courthouse, I don't know the protesters either. So I guess I need to wait to jump to any conclusions until I get a chance to speak with one of them. What I wish the world knew is that NONE of the Christians I know personally (and they are many) hold the belief that "God Hates Fags", nor would they ever hold a sign stating it.

Blogging Democracy

2008-06-12T11:45:00.004-03:00

So why do some people hate bloggers? Blogging is quite possibly the truest form of democracy that exists in our society today. Through blogging, anyone can have their say and others can get informed and hear different points of view. I don't like hurtful blogs or when people plaster their views on the internet without thinking about what they are saying. We need to be thoughtful and considerate in our blogging while at the same time being free to give our opinions. Transparency and asking questions are important to my generation and probably will be to those coming after me. Blogging is becoming a way of life and we need to get used to it. Just look at news programming and political talk shows. These guys are always discussing bloggers' comments because blogs often demonstrate the attitudes of the masses - something that those of us leading the masses must always consider.

Dave sent me the link of Keith Drury's blog (http://wesleyanstuff.blogspot.com/)on the General Conference of the Wesleyan Church. Every four years delegates from the Wesleyan Church worldwide gather to deal with issues affecting the church at large. This is an event that most people will never get to, but Drury delivered a play-by-play on his blog. He talked about elections and which memorials passed. He also talked about the overall atmosphere and attitude of the conference. Drury's blog provides a way for anyone who has access to the internet an inside look into General Conference. To me this is enlightening and important. The shroud of mystery that surrounds GC no longer exists thanks to bloggers. That might make some people uneasy, but isn't it important to have people thinking about important issues and how they relate to their local church?

At the close of the conference yesterday, Drury said that the people he talked to were encouraged by the direction of the WC. He says this is because the people believe they took some of their power back. This is demonstrated by some of the memorials which were not approved by the delegates. The memorials not approved were mostly those which would give more power to headquarters and decrease local autonomy (If you care to know what the memorials were, you can find them at http://www.wesleyan.org/gc/). Local churches and districts want to have their say. Many of the memorials approved increased the power of local chuches and districts. This is a very positive move in eyes of many (obviously, they voted for it!).

Another thing that people apparently felt positive about was the election of JoAnne Lyon to the upper ranks of the WC. You can read Drury's comments about this on his blog as well as the views of those who left their comments. I think I'll comment on this tomorrow because it is an interesting turn of events. Not because she is a woman, but because she is seen as the peoples' candidate - once again, the masses taking a little bit of their power back.

Oh Disrespectful Canada!

2008-02-05T10:21:00.000-04:00

I love living in Canada mainly due to government healthcare and our disrespect for pretty much everything. I was watching the news this morning and they had a live feed announcing the Juno nominees. This was both the lamest and the funniest thing I have watched and was definitely the highlight of my morning.

First of all it looked and sounded like someone set up the backdrop and a sound system in their garage. Then some lady, I think she was the head of CTV, got up to introduce the host for this years Junos. She must have had about seven cue cards for about 4 lines, stumbled through what she wanted to say and mispronounced one of the performer's names so badly she had to appologize. So, I'm thinking why didn't CTV put on someone who is used to public speaking?

The host for this year is a comedian who tells mostly racial jokes. In his comments he mentioned that he was the first non-white Juno host and proceeded to overpronounce and make fun of all of the French names of nominees. THEN as if he wasn't enough on the edge, he said that he would never watch the Junos and made fun of one of the corporate sponsors! He was proceeded by a couple of bands who were reading off nominees but looked as though they had never read the cue cards before (which by the way, had the same 6 names on them each time so they should have been paying attention and they would have picked it up). Measha Brueggergosman was the funniest and the only one who actually spoke as though she had prepared.

I thought this was so funny! As I listened to this I thought, "only in Canada, eh?" In Canada we are not impressed by fame or money. It is almost appauling to our senses. We make fun of the famous and the rich. We make fun of ourselves, our politicians, our neighbours to the south, everyone. If you are in the public eye, you will be made fun of. This makes me glad to be Canadian. I am glad that we do not bow down and worship those with a lot of cash. Comedy seems to be how Canadian peasants take their power back in a weird kind of way.

Here's how I think the Junos started. Two people from CTV were sitting at Tim Hortons one day when one guy said, "So, I was watching the Grammy's last night eh, and I was thinkin' that we could make a lot of money if we made a Canadian version of the show." His friend said, "Yeah, we have some good talent in Canada. My neighbour has a band called "Ice Fishin'" that plays at the bar down the street there, he might like to be in it."

Sore and Lazy

2008-01-28T13:10:00.000-04:00

Well I have nothing deep to write today that's for sure. I am sitting at the university library during a snowstorm. My class has been cancelled and this would be prime paper writing time. But noooooo I choose to blog about nothing becuase I don't want to write the introduction to a thesis or a commentary report about the US media giants. I would much rather read friends' blogs and veg out. I have so much to do this week that my brain might explode and so I justify blogging by claiming I am doing it for my mental health. But really...why do I do this???

I hate philosophy by the way. I have no desire to throw around opinions on concepts that have been chewed on for hundreds of years. People have devoted their lives to these things and still noone knows the answer! How frustrating. I would get an F in a few of my classes if I was caught saying this. "F" is for frustrating.

I went to the gym again today and I'll probably feel it tomorrow. I had a hard time raising my hands in church on Sunday because my arms were so sore from last week's upper body workout. Oh well, that's what you get when you slack off and lose all your strength and have to get it back. T-Rex will have her muscles back.

Speaking of muscles...I love the show American Gladiators. I am stuck with the suspicion that the gladiators rarely truly try to take out the competitor. I mean really, they could beat the snot out of those people if they really wanted to.

Now I must go and get it over with....

Overseas Mission Myth #2

2008-01-11T22:57:00.000-04:00

MYTH #2 - IF WE ARE INVOLVED IN BUILDING ANYTHING, WE TAKE JOBS AWAY FROM LOCAL PEOPLE.

Sometimes this is a myth and sometimes it is not. Just as we cannot go to other countries and do things that may take away from the local economy, we also cannot generalize about what the results of our actions will be.

The way to make sure this is a myth is to check out how your building project works. If you are paying a flat rate for a building no matter how soon it is finished, and if you are hiring the same amount of workers that would be hired if you were not there, then you are not taking money or jobs from the local economy. If you are paying less money or hiring less people, then this myth may in fact be truth. If you check it out first then you can be sure about what you are doing.

When we travel, we pay a flat rate for our building and hire local maestros and workers. Also, the family often works on their own home (similar to the Habitat for Humanity system). We do not care how quickly or slowly we get the job done because it will be built even if we leave. Often our role is to talk with the family or play with the children. I mean really who are we trying to kid?? We do not know how to build with cinder blocks and a machete! The reason we do building projects is to meet the people and have a chance to share the gospel. Our partners in Guatemala see the buildings as a way for the church to make contact with families.

So, no need to worry about this myth if you do your homework first!

Overseas Mission Myth #1

2008-01-04T16:20:00.000-04:00

After a semester long hiatus, I am back to blogging. There have been so many times I have thought of things to write but didn't have the time to do so. We'll see how long this lasts. I'll probably stop when I have to start writing papers again.

Anyway, we are going to Africa on Feb 28th which inspires me to write this series of blogs on church work overseas. There some common myths about overseas work that are floating around out there. These myths relate to short-term trips to foreign countries.

MYTH #1 - IT IS FINANCIALLY WASTEFULL TO SEND PEOPLE ON SHORT-TERM TRIPS OVERSEAS.
This is a total myth. This statement comes from a North American mindset that money is of primary importance. To the majority of the world survival is important and many Christians will sacrifice even their survival for sharing the gospel. What is more meaningful than money is the support and encouragement from believers on the other side of the world. The fact that someone cares enough to spend their money and take the time to come and visit you, speaks more than a cheque ever could. Most people do not want to be charity cases and have money thrown at them. However, they, like us, can use encouragement and support through prayer, acts of service, etc. When we visit other countries even for a short time, we get a glimpse of what daily life is like for the people we meet. We hear their stories and learn about them and their culture. We see their sacrifice and their needs. This makes us pray with understanding, serve where needed, and give when appropriate. It is a lot easier sometimes just to write a cheque, than it is to become a student and learn from others.

When we return to our country we can raise money for what is needed or raise awareness of the prayer needs. It is easier to do this when you have seen and experienced what you are talking about. One thing that our partners tell us is that they want to us to share our experiences with the people back home. For them it is more important that the people here know what is going on with them, than it is for them to only get some cash. Luis Martinez our partner in Guatemala tells of when he was offered thousands of dollars by a businessman. The businessman said that he would never support another person to go overseas short-term again because it was a waste of money and instead he would write Luis a cheque for the amount it would cost to send someone short-term. Luis told the businessman that he should keep his money because "money doesn't have eyes."

Tibetan Flip Flops

2007-09-29T11:49:00.000-03:00

Quite often I think of some very random questions in my mind, and wonder such things as "What is the average lifespan of a squirrel?" - which is 6 by the way, but some live until 10.

Last night I asked Mike whether or not people living in Tibet would wear flip flops. He proceeded to give a thoughtful and scholarly answer to this burning question.

"There once was a guy who lived in Tibet named Chow Yong Meng. Chow Yong Meng liked the looks of the flip flops he saw online, so he ordered a pair from flipflop.com. They were all he dreamed they would be and more. He loved the way the fabric felt between his toes.

But someone else was also attracted by his flip flops. The Yeti loved the bright color and the sound of Chow Yong Meng's sandals - flip,flop,flip,flop. The Yeti began stalking and chasing Chow Yong Meng in order to have the flip flops for himself. Chow Yong Meng found it difficult to outrun the Yeti in his new flip flops, which while fashionable were not exactly functional for running away from Yetis in the snow. Chow Yong Meng could not outrun the Yeti anymore, and soon met his demise.

And so people in Tibet wear boots and not flip flops, but somewhere there is a very stylish Yeti with his very own pair."

Square Peg in a Round Hole

2007-09-27T09:29:00.000-03:00

The question that I have been asking for the last couple of years is why do I carry the title "pastor"? Why do a lot of us carry that title, when in fact, we may not even have the pastoral gift? There are more equipping gifts than just pastors (prophets, evangelists, apostles, teachers) but we only seem to license people as pastors or "special workers".

So what about me? I fall into that other group. Luckily, I am in a place where I can use my giftings as I like, even while having a label that doesn't fit me. But what about those who cannot? Is this maybe while people feel tired in ministry? People expect certain things from you because you carry a certain type of stamp. This can be frustrating and tiring.

I think it would be great if we would recognize church leadership (those who equip the saints for the work of the ministry) as having some variety. A gifts-based ministry where everyone is passionate about what they do, and are energized by it instead of fatigued. I think we are going that way, so that gives me hope.

Barth or McLaren? hmmm....

2007-08-29T12:46:00.000-03:00

You scored as Karl Barth,The daddy of 20th Century theology. You perceive liberal theology to be a disaster and so you insist that the revelation of Christ, not human experience, should be the starting point for all theology.

Which theologian are you?
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The Imaginary Pet

2007-08-27T20:11:00.000-03:00

Here's a question. So get your thinkin' caps on (that includes you Antonio Martinez) cause this one's deep. The nature of the kingdom of God is often debated so let's hear your opinions.

What is the kingdom Jesus talked about?

What implications does that have for us?

P.S. I am reading the book This Beautful Mess by Rick McKinley. I like it so far - refreshing and thought provoking - but I'm not sure I agree with him yet.

Ox Bile Holds No Attraction For Me.

2007-08-24T14:19:00.000-03:00

Check this out! I was at the university running some errands, got lunch at Tim's, and sat in front of the library and picked up this weeks issue of [here]. On the front page, the title is "Generation Wired Gets Loaded on More Than Just Energy". I hate those dumb energy drink things and this article just gave me more ammo. The actual article on the inside is by Melanie Taylor called "A Wired Generation Gets Their Buzz On, But At What Cost? [here] explores crack in a can."

Now here's the gross part...Energy drinks also contain a main ingredient called Taurine, which the article says, hasn't been tested in any long-term studies. Taurine is an acid that is found in human bile and in other tissues. It helps with muscular contractions to break down your food. In the case of energy drinks, it is isolated from ox bile - probably where Red Bull gets its name - Bleck!

It is believed that Taurine can play a role in the development of seizures. A study of rats fed high amounts of Taurine exhibited a high level of anxiety, irritability, increased sensitivity to noise and even self-mutilation. Sound like anyone you know?? Maybe they need to get off the ox bile.

Taurine was just one ingredient - there were others in the article. And there actually is an energy drink called Cocaine.

They'll Have To Kill Me First!

2007-08-08T14:14:00.000-03:00

Usually I am in a pretty good mood when I write these things...as you can tell by the previous blog...but not today. I have discovered I have become too old for the baby having stage and I am now on to the divorce stage. I am convinced of this after learning about what appears to be a rash of separations and divorces of my peers over the last month. No it isn't the hot weather that is doing it, if it were that simple we would all buy air conditioners.

Here's what I figure. No one is immune. A relationship can never be neglected and must always be maintained. Because this whole divorce thing can get you when you least expect it; like a mosquito at a bonfire. Whether you have been married for 30 days or 30 years.

I don't claim to be an expert. I get bitten by mosquitos all of the time, so feel free to add your own advice to this list. But if you are getting married or if you are married and believe you are happily married here's something that might help you take inventory of your marital bliss - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

1. Have things you like to do together and things you like to do apart. Both are necessary, but don't let the apart things overshadow the together things.

2. Have friends of your same sex outside of your marriage relationship. This is good and healthy. Do not spend more time with these friends than you do your spouse. Don't talk to these friends more than you do your spouse either. It is good to have friends who will be totally honest and give you a swift kick in the rear when you need it.

3. If you are planning on getting married, then store in your mind the hints from those who have done it already. Don't take them too seriously but keep them around for the time when you need them. When you need them, you will remember them. Never think that you know all there is to know - That's like going to the bonfire feeling pretty proud of yourself for thinking ahead by wearing your Deep Woods and then realizing you forgot to spray your ankles - woops too late.

4. Don't ever talk about divorce. If you talk about it, it will happen. This is a statistically proven fact - proven by the people I know who have divorced. Even those who joke about getting divorced, have a higher chance of following through. Treat it like the most offensive bad word you know, and just don't say it. Once you start talking about it, it is only a matter of time.

5. If your spouse says that you work too much, then you are probably on really thin ice (pobably a lot thinner than it even appears). Time to make some adjustments - nuf said.

6. Talk about your day. Even if you really don't feel like it, do it anyway. You need to know what each other is up to. You don't need to comment on what the other person says, in most cases you probably shouldn't. Just ask a lot of questions and listen.

7. Don't let yourself go. No I am not talking about continuing to look like Ken & Barbie. Not letting yourself go applies more to behavior and is probably the most important thing on this list. It is not how hot you look that will keep your marriage strong in the end. Old age catches us all - but ignorance and disrespect does not. It is very easy to let ourselves go with someone who knows us the most. We stop paying attention to what we say and how we say it. We have proabably all seen the sarcastic couple who is kind of mean to each other but still in love. They are the exception, not the norm. Those people have always been that way, even when they were dating. It's their way of communicating. They didn't get married and then become that way. Things we say can hurt people. Our mouth can be a weapon of disrespect and abuse. If we wouldn't use a certain tone with people outside of the house, then why should we use it inside with people we say we care about? It's all about respect.

8. Discover that respect and commitment are the two pillars of relationships. Without respect you have a crappy suffering marriage and without commitment, you have an amicable divorce. Without both respect and commitment, you have nothing so just forget it. So if you are planning on getting married, then think about whether or not both of you have respect for each other and commitment for the long haul.

There is something weird about marriage. We maintain our dating relationship because we want to keep someone interested, but often we do nothing about our marriage relationship. When we are dating, either party can decide they don't want to be a part of the relationship anymore and move on. The same thing happens when people live together. There is always the chance to get out so we must work harder to maintain what we have if we want to continue it. But, as soon as people sign on the dotted line and are pronounced husband and wife, there is no way out that doesn't lead to checking the "divorced" box on your income tax forms. It is the commitment of marriage that causes people become slack in their relationship.

I think commitment is great (as I said above, it is one of the two most important things) but if we are going to go for it, we need to get back in the game. If we value the commitment we made and truly respect the person we are married to, then marriage should actually cause us to up our game. It should cause us to go to the bonfire wrapped in mosquito netting and screaming "They'll never take me alive!!"

Life May Not Be The Party We Hoped For, But While We Are Here We Should Dance!

2007-08-07T15:59:00.000-03:00

HA-HA (as said by Nelson Muntz from the Simpsons)

2007-08-07T15:36:00.000-03:00

I am an email horder. I clean out my inbox about 3 times a year. Today I was cleaning out my inbox and came across an old forwarded email. Usually I hate forwarded emails especially the ones that say "If you really love Jesus, send this email to 5 friends to prove it". Does this mean that if I care enough not to spam my friends' inbox, that I don't love Jesus? Does this mean that Jesus wants me to spam my friends??? You can see how weird Chirstian chain letters can be. If I happen to find a hilarious (very hilarious, and most often a video) email, I cut that chain letter thing off, so none of my friends (whom I have chosen to receive this email, not my entire contact list) have to go through the same moral dilema of whether or not Jesus wants them to spam in order to show their our love for him.

So with that rant behind me, here's the quasi-funny email that I found lost in my inbox since April 20th (an email that I am sure has been around since the birth of the internet). It gave me a little chuckle today.

You Know Your A Maritimer When.....
1. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.
2."Vacation" means going to Moncton for the weekend.
3. You measure distance in hours or the number of hills you have to drive over.
4.You know several people who have hit a deer.
5. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.
6.You install security lights on both your house and garage and go and leave both unlocked.
7. You think of the major food groups as: Meat, Fish and Tim Hortons.
8. There are seven empty cars running in the parking lot of the Canadian Tire store at any given time.
9. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit. (I remember this well - tell me how you can really be a punk-rocker and wear a snowsuit. How mortifying!)
10. You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction.

Cell Multiplication and Spiritual Gifts

2007-08-01T16:29:00.000-03:00

Here's a seminar by Gary DeLashmutt, on of the lead pastors at Xenos.

Assumptions
* Home Group multiplication is central to the healthy growth of the church.
* Spiritual gifts are an important resource for healthy church growth (Rom 12; 1 Cor 12:14; Eph 4:1; 1 Pet 4)

It is easy and costly to over-emphasize or under-emphasize spiritual gifts in our ministry philosophy.

DON’T structure the church around programs, and urge people to use their gifts primarily in these programs. The boomer mega-church model is a program model. This approach is based more on the modern corporate business model than on the New Testament.
DO structure the church around home groups, and urge people to use spiritual gifts primarily to help their home groups grow and multiply. 1 Cor 14:26 – What shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation..... Not possible to do this in a large gathering.

DON’T focus people on discovering their spiritual gifts. New Testament neither commands Christians to do this, nor does it tell us how to do this. This is a misguided focus.
DO focus people on embracing a lifestyle of serving love-and affirm spiritual gifts as one expression of this lifestyle. This is both the emphasis of the NT and the context of all NT teaching on gifts. Become others focused and you will discover your gifts.

DON’T promote spiritual gifts as an alternative to/substitute for evangelism, loving one another, and discipleship. These 3 ministries are central to the NT – and crucial for home group multiplication. People avoid living out the basic Christian life by saying things like, “I’m not gifted in evangelism, admonishing others, discipling, etc” or “I like to serve in ways that make me feel excited, confident, etc.” We think our gifts need to make us feel good. In reality, we specialize as a supplement to the basic things all Christians are commanded to do. “The biblical doctrine of gifts is being greatly abused today because it is not being considered alongside the biblical doctrine of the cross” – Ajith Fernando
DO promote spiritual gifts to supplement and enhance evangelism, loving one another, and discipleship. These gifts are special competency that give us special opportunities to build the body. Gifts are built on the baseline – over and above that required for all Christians. If we really like about 20% of the work we do, and generally find about 40% acceptable, then we can handle the 40% we do not like that might be vital in giving relevance and depth to our ministry. Look for ways people can use their gifts evangelistically – building up and growth of the church (qualitative and quantitative). Look for potential gifting in the people you disciple.

DON’T prioritize spiritual gifts over character and a servant lifestyle in home group leader requirements. Deacon requirements make no reference to gifting (1Tim 3). Don’t be deceived by results at the expense of servant character.
DO urge home group leaders to use their spiritual gifts in their leadership. (1 Tim 4:14, 2 Tim 1:6,7) Using gifts helps us overcome timidity. Step out and use them and you will have greater confidence, greater power, greater self-control and greater love. This will unleash God’s power into the home group. This will complement their other leaders. This will help leaders serve in other areas with greater energy and confidence. Gifting seems to work in teams. When we are gifted in certain areas we see needs in that area. A team helps to see what we need to do in many areas. The best leadership teams have people with different giftings.

DON’T try to fit every spiritual gift into a biblical label. The NT gift-lists are not exhaustive. Great diversity of gifts, gift mixes and degrees of gifting. Some NT gifts are ambiguous (eg. word of knowledge). And who cares!
DO draw people’s attention to where you see evidence of ministry talent and urge them to use it consistently. Don’t worry about what to call it.

Supporting Those Who Serve Others

2007-08-01T16:26:00.000-03:00

This session is by Joel Comiskey, world-wide cell church guru. Read on...

Research of 3000 Home Group Leaders in 20 Countries (Jim Egli) - Quality coaching of home group leaders was the most important factor in establishing a successful home group.
1. Make sure people are in relationship with Jesus. Spending daily quiet time with Jesus. This is the key discipline of the Christian life. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you Father, who sees what is done will reward you.
2. Make sure people live a balanced life. Taking a day off. The need for a 24 hour rest period. Lev 23:7-8.
3. Make sure they are successful with those closest to them. Success is having those closest to you love and respect you the most – John Maxwell. Relationship with spouse and other close relationships.
4. Make sure they get support from those closest. Character does count. DL Moody – “character is what you are in the dark”.
5. Make sure leaders are allow to step out and fail with a cushion. Someone is there to help out. Risking for Jesus. Stumbling and learning is normal. Valuable lessons are learned in the process. He who makes no mistakes, makes no progress. God’s grace covers failure but it does not cover passivity. At least Peter got out of the boat. We’ve made misunderstood what makes a person usable. God can only use 100% righteous people and through Christ we are all made righteous. People grow more when they are in useful ministry. God uses people who are dependent. Turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. We are made strong in our weaknesses. Give people the liberty to experiment. Let my people go. Read Roland Allan.
6. Make sure you are listening to people. Listen 352 times in the Bible, hear is 379 times. Most people do not listen in order to understand, but in order to answer – Steven Covey. Prov.18:13. Direct our attention to their needs. We talk much slower than we think. Listen to unspoken words. Look people in the eyes.
7. Make sure you serve them. Serve through encouragement. 1 Thess 5:12-13. Serve those with rough edges. Serve by being a friend.
8. Make sure you challenge people. Eph 4: 15-16. Confronting areas of weakness. Ask for permission.

Spiritual Growth Through Christian Community

2007-07-23T15:42:00.000-03:00

This is a session from Jim Leffel, teacher at Xenos Christian Fellowship on spiritual growth.

There is a wide range of considerations when thinking about spiritual growth through Christian community.

* Theological Convictions - What does spiritual growth look like? What is the relationship between growing spiritually and the church?

* Barriers to Biblical ideals - Are Christians shaped by culture? Are Christians blind to cultural influences?

* The Great Commission - What is the difference between winning converts and making disciples? What is the connection between spiritual growth and winning disciples?

* Practical - How to foster dynamic Christian community?

What does growth look like?

Christianity is not merely credal. It is not a list of things we say we believe and then we move on. The biblical metephors for growth are botany and physical biology (alive, growing, bearing fruit). The vitality of growth is measured relationally, and not by how far we retreat from the world. The greatest commandment is to love God and neighbor.

The fruit of the Spirit demonstrates character change (Gal.5:22-23). All of the fruit are relational. You need to be in relationship with people in order to demonstrate them.

We need to watch for the doors God opens and be prepared for those moments (1Peter 3:15). There is a paradox of discipleship that the more we give up, the more we gain (10:39; 16:25).

Spiritual growth is a fundamental life transformation manifesting the love of Christ. The context for life transformation is the Church.

Individual and Corporate Life

* There is both "me" and "we" in salvation. See the book Community of the King by Howard Snyder and The New Chosen People: A Corporate View of Election by William Klein.

* Individuals matter to God (called, elect, chosen...). These occur in a corporate setting - the Greek word "ekklesia" meaning "called out ones" (Ephesians 1:22, 23). God's work in the world is carried out through the Church.

* We gain a new community (1 Peter 2:9) having radical inclusion: there is a place for everyone in the Kingdom.

* We have an "oikos" meaning household, family. Salvation comes through adoption into the family of God. We have brothers and sisters and we need to be responsible for them (1Peter 4:10).

* We are part of Chirst's body (1Corinthians 12:13).

There are some implications to this:

1) Radical individualism. Isolation is not possible for growing Christians. The cost of individualism is that 25% of people have no one to discuss life with, and of the 75% who do, 80% have only a family member. Only 15% have close friends outside the family. This causes heavy alienation and lonliness. We are less sensitive to the needs of others and can go from apathetic to antisocial. There is increased physical and emotional ill health.
Only 15% of evangelicals have been spiritually mentored. Only 46% feel strongly the responsibility to share Christ. 53% say that their main purpose in life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment (from Barna's book Growing True Disciples).

2) Family life strains. Cultural values and trends are largely reflected in the Church. This leads to too much pressure on marriages, too little support or input, and no models for parenting. The cell provides a biblical context for family. The "household ordinances" are carried out in the context of Christian community. This happens because there is a broad relational base and tangible personal service. This is how we will resolve the tide of selfishness.

Is God calling us to a sense of urgency about spiritual growth?

Becoming a Spiritual Community - Part 2

2007-07-23T15:22:00.000-03:00

Here's Part 2 of Larry Crabb's session:

When reading the Bible, we must not come to the text with our questions but listening to the questions God wants to answer. Questions like....
1. Who is God? God is a community.
2. What’s he up to? Teaching us to move with Him. We are often too afraid of intimacy with the Holy Spirit to let him teach us how to dance.
3. Who are we? Gendered image bearers, bearing the image of God.
4. What’s gone wrong? Sin.
5. What has God done? Providing change coming from looking bad in the presence of love. Providing forgiveness.
6. What is the Spirit doing today? Lifting our denial of desire. Showing us we were built for another world. Until we are empty, thirsty, desiring to see Him. Lifting denial of guilt. So that we value Jesus more than anything else.
7. How do we tag along with the Spirit? Through spiritual community.

The Practice of Spiritual Community
What does it look like to participate in the inner life of the Trinity and to carry that life into our relationships?
It looks like reaching with supernatural power into the depths of another person’s heart so that the evil in our hearts that rules so often unrecognized in how we relate is clearly identified and exposed as hateful. The Holy Spirit is given full permission to release our appetite for the Father. Our reality is not God's reality. God wants to show us our reality until we are helpless before him.

God’s Reality: The Trinity - The Church - Our Reality: Seen and Unseen

How does God’s reality become my reality? - Through the Church. He forms us by how we relate to each other.

How to relate to each other:
We must enter the battle raging beneath the surface. We need to look deeper at the battle between the flesh and Spirit as we relate to each other. Rom 8:7
We must see the vision in the mind of God for the person we are relating to.
We must touch the soul with the Spirit’s power that works in us.

Becoming a Spiritual Community - Part 1

2007-07-23T12:24:00.000-03:00

Here's the notes from a session with Larry Crabb (psychologist and author of The Safest Place On Earth and a bunch more books).

The premis is that what we need is not professional help but spiritual community as the Trinity models it. We may fall short at this type of Christian community but we can work toward it.

“We who offer spiritual leadership often find ourselves not living what we are preaching and teaching. It is not easy to avoid hypocrisy completely because we find ourselves saying things larger than ourselves. I often call people to a life I am not fully able to live.
I am learning that the best cure for hypocrisy is community. Hypocrisy is not so much the result of not living what I preach but much more of not confessing my inability to fully live up to my own words.” – Henri Nouwen

The Trinity exemplifies perfect communion - perfect relationship. There are no relationships in hell. Sometimes the church becomes a picture of hell rather than a picture of Trinitarian community. Isolation and our own needs are what the Bible considers death. In our age, the therapeutic community allows us to sit in our individual emotional needs and not in relationship. It is important that we live in communion with each other.

The GOAL of SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY:

1) Ask - What we need to know about ourselves and God to aim toward it?

Here's a question: When a first time visitor comes to your church, how would they answer “What’s this church all about?”
In the book Jim & Casper Go To Church, Jim took his friend Casper, an atheist, to a variety of well known churches in the US. Casper's response after visiting all of the churches was, “If people who had never heard of Jesus visited these churches, they’d have to conclude that Jesus’ number one priority was that Christians invest the very best of their energy and their money into putting on a church event. Is this what Jesus told you guys to do?” – Matt Casper

The goal of the church is to change us. To make us Christ-like for the Father’s pleasure and for the mission in the world, not for producing a church event.
“I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” – Galatians 4:19
“We proclaim Christ...so that we may present everyone perfect (mature). To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works in me.” – Colossians 1:28, 29

We need to make disciples through conversations that matter. We are called to relate in such a way that gifting and talent does not make possible; that is natural. Loving like the Trinity is supernatural. This is why a PhD in Psychology can leave you still not reaching people. This is often uncomfortable for us because we love our own pleasure and our own comforts. We must love Jesus more than our pleasure.
See the book by John Owen – Communion with God.

2) Ask - What is spiritual community?

In the therapeutic community, people focus on individualism. This defines the health of the individual over the spiritual community.
But in John 17:21, Jesus prays that we would be in communion with the Trinity.
Often the Trinity is more like a problem to solve than a reality to enter. We spend forever studying and learning about the Trinity but do not realize the full application of what all of this means.

Perichoresis – Moving together in perfect harmony with love, with the ruling desire to give another what is alive in ones self for the sake of the other’s well-being.
In spiritual community, we attend to what is most uniquely alive in us that comes from the Spirit and we freely give it to others with their well-being in view. This is difficult because we are naturally self-obsessed. From conception the energy ruling from our center is individualistic.
We live to protect whatever we value in ourselves rather than living to give what might prove valuable to another.

The NEW COVENANT, an arrangement conceived by the Trinity that makes spiritual community possible:
A new purity: absolute forgiveness
A new identity: defined by relationship
A new appetite: outside law becomes inside desire
A new power: the energy to love.

Home Group Conference Notes

2007-07-23T11:26:00.000-03:00

A group of us just returned from a conference on Home Groups at Xenos Christian Fellowship in Columbus Ohio. It was the most useful conference I have ever attended. Most of the conferences I have been to in the past were put on by megachurches. A lot of times the sessions at these conferences are about new ideas that will bring a crowd to the church building. The Xenos conference was refreshing because it was more value based than technique based. Did I agree with everything they had to say? Not always, but they challenged us with a Scripture based value system and exposed us to things that broadened our way of thinking.

I am going to blog my notes on these sessions, but before I do, I should give some background to the Xenos model. This way there will be a context for the session notes.

Xenos was started in the 70's by a couple of hippies. It is amazing to see how this has developed into 5000 people. They are a House Church based fellowship. Each House Cchurch runs somewhere between 20-50 people (in Columbus, homes appear to be able to sustain those numbers). These House Churches - also called Home Groups - are their core structure.
They have also have a Central Teaching time on Sunday mornings. Groups of House Churches meet at different times on Sunday for their Central Teaching time.
Also within the House Churches are Cell Groups. The Central Teaching and Home Groups are open to anyone. The Cell Groups are men and women (divided by gender) who would like to move forward in discipleship. (So if you are from RVWC - the terms Home Groups and Cell Groups are used interchangeably by us, but not by Xenos - this caused some confusion when we were in the sessions and didn't know this).

So the basic flow is this:

Central Teaching - Home Groups- Cell Groups

The core value of Xenos is relational community. Everything is based on this value. Home Groups grow and multiply - thus the 5000 people attending.

Just one of my observations - I saw Dennis McCallum (the lead teacher of Xenos) walking around on many occasions. When he walked into a room it didn't seem like people really noticed - unlike in many of our fellowships where people flock to the pastor to make appointments etc. At Xenos, the people do the ministry. The leadership team equips them for this work - this includes marrying, burying, counseling, etc.

There are many more observations that I will mention as I blog these notes. I believe it is productive to be challenged and even rubbed the wrong way. When we become set in our ways and think that there is a set formula for advancing the Kingdom, we lose sight of the greater Christian community and the variety found within it. I hope you will be challenged to examine what the Scripture says, like I was, as you read the session notes.

The New Cat

2007-06-27T09:14:00.000-03:00

We have a new cat named Gordo. He's affectionate, well-behaved, and cute. Mike likes him and Missy gives him 2 thumbs up. He puts on a good show when people come over. He is a nice cat. Despite all of that, our other cat, Rufus, has no use for him what so ever. Gordo wants to be friends but when he sniffs Rufus' behind he gets hissed at. When he follows Rufus to the food bowl, he gets hissed at. When he jumps on the bed where Rufus is, he gets hissed at. Rufus avoids Gordo as much as he can but when Gordo gets too close - hhhisssssss. Rufus is huge and looks very menacing but he is a big baby and afraid of cats he doesn't know. That is most likely the only reason why Gordo isn't wanking around with one ear and a limp.

There is a reason for Rufus' social problems. We had to put our first cat down because he had cancer. His name was Wally. Wally and Rufus were best buddies. Wally had a bad attitude toward other cats and would protect Rufus even though Wally was scrawny and declawed. It's all about attitude :) Anyway, these two would go wandering in the woods together, sleep together, eat together, and most nights there would be feline wrestlemania on our living room floor in front of the TV. They were hilariously entertaining. When Wally died Rufus didn't know what he was doing. He would hang around the house, going in and out the door. Wally was his only friend because he was afraid of every other cat in the neighborhood.

I think we can learn a lot about people behavior from animal behavior, even though they have no concience and a pea size brain. I think my cats demonstrate resistance to change.

1) Gordo is cute, most people like him, but he's not the same. - A lot of times we love what we had and don't want it replaced by something new. Even though a lot of people like it and we know in our heads that it isn't bad (this is where the analogy breaks down becuase we can reason and cats can't) but we still do not like it because it is not familiar to us.

2) Gordo pushes himself on Rufus. - Sometimes people just need to get used to things and then they'll come around. If we push change on people, they will turn around and hiss at us (figuratively of course). Sometimes in our attempts at trying to get people to change, they can feel that we are violating their personal preferences or their history. Much like butt sniffing to a cat, and no one wants their butt sniffed.

3) Rufus is afraid. - People do not like things that replace things that were important to them. They have nothing to identify with; they are alone. No wonder people hiss at new ideas, especially when it eliminates something they love. Many times instead of hiss, they will just avoid the topic. Especially if there is no one else of like opinion.

So what's the solution then? Wait it out. Here I have two cats who really are very similar, but they just don't know it yet. Instead, they hiss and avoid. I don't know how long they can keep it up but eventually they will have to get along because they live in the same house.

Developing A Theology of Failure

2007-06-25T15:30:00.000-03:00

Here's a great - but fairly long - teaching based on lessons from Dennis McCallum and Gary DeLashmutt from Xenos Christian Fellowship. It was given at a time when some of their home group leaders had or were failing at leading their groups. If you are doing anything in life this is a beneficial read.

Developing a Theology of Failure
The biggest problem with many of us is that we are soft from too much success. We are like a child riding a bike on training wheels who thinks he has actually learned to ride. His parents warn him, "It's a little harder when you take the wheels off," but until you actually do take them off, the kid continues to enjoy a false sense of mastery. Once the wheels come off, the child may have to endure a few nasty crackups that could lead to tears, and even a refusal to ride any more. But without removing the wheels, he will never learn to ride.

In our training, failure has played a prominent role, and in fact a crucial role that success never could have played. We have failed at more ministry attempts than most in our church have ever tried! Bible studies, personal evangelism, discipleship, and overall fellowship direction are all venues where we have tasted deeply of failure, often with embarrassment and disgrace. While we still don't like to fail, we increasingly realize that nothing teaches us more than our failures.

From failure we learn what works. Biblical guidance is important in ministry, but we are still left sto apply biblical teaching in area after area, and these are often judgment calls requiring wisdom and experience. Success in ministry can often lead to the wrong conclusions. We may conclude that because of our success, our ministry methods must be on a especially correct. Meanwhile, our success may be the result of something completely different. Our attribution of success to our superior methods is wrong, but we usually have no way of knowing that until we fail using those same "miracle methods." The experience of failure throws us into state of amazement and disillusionment, and this confused state of mind is exactly what God needs to bring us out of our ego-driven paradigm. Only then can we listen to new ideas, new ways of explaining past success, and engage in original thinking for the future.

Through failure we learn dependence (2 Cor 11:30-33): At the heart of our carnality in leadership is often a self-sufficient attitude. Our shortchanged prayer life is a warning signal, but we find that easy to ignore. Failure is much harder to ignore. As we strike off in first one direction and then another, failing at each turn, God is able to corner us into conclusions we weren't willing to look at before. A growing sense of ineptitude at the deepest level begins to strike a note of caution in all we do. Ironically, this sense of helplessness grows at the same time we know we are increasing our competence in the basic skills of ministry. Such an inner tension is exactly what God uses to convince us that he alone can bring us to ultimate spiritual success.

Through failure we deepen our discernment: One of our problems in ministry that we may be driving for the wrong goals. We often assume that things which bring more results, like greater numbers, are the will of God. We may think certain types of people are best suited to lead. These assumptions may be partly right, but they often overlook important exceptions that could lead to unfairness or corruption in the church. God often shows us through failure that we are looking at things superficially and that we need goals more in harmony with the deeper picture. We may realize that our pragmatism leads to outward results without inward spiritual reality. At other times, we may see that our super-spirituality has led us to ignore the plain facts of our situation. After training in failure, some things that used to impress us as guaranteed to succeed now remind us of times when similar things or people were great disappointments. Our pronouncements become less dogmatic, and more humble. At the same time, we may have viewed certain problems as negative, but not really dangerous, until one of those problems rose up and confronted us with outright failure because we ignored it. We cannot downplay such problems in the future. Therefore, a leader trained by failure may become concerned about things that seem less important to others.

Through failure we learn how to minister under grace: Personal sin often teaches us the urgency of clinging to the grace of God in our lives. In the same way, failure in ministry teaches us how urgent it is that we learn to appreciate and appropriate God's grace in a living way. Most of us come into ministry feeling on some level that the work depends on our competence and personal charisma, and this becomes confusing, because on some level our gifts and abilities are instrumental. God may have to work with us for years to bring us to the place where we understand in our heart how it can be possible that my abilities matter, and yet take no sense of egotism from that fact. Most young ministers insist on taking their identity from their ministry results. Usually, only profound failure will convince us that "apart from the vine we can do nothing," and yet we need to strive all the harder. (I Cor 15:10) This is the paradoxical outlook of the mature worker--an outlook only accessible through a combination of success and failure.

Through failure we develop deep spiritual convictions about ministry: Most of us become excited about doing ministry because of the thrilling experiences we have while doing it. Such profound thrills are hard to find apart from illicit drugs, romance, or materialistic advancement. On one level, God must approve of our feeling good from ministry victory, because he says we will be more "blessed" if we serve. (John 13:17) But feeling pleasure is not the proper foundational motive for serving God. We must learn to do it because God wills it, even if no one else does it, even if we don't succeed at it, and even if it brings us pain and frustration. (1 Cor. 4:2 note, "trustworthy" not "successful") Failure separates the quitters from the servants. Failure is a painful experience that puts the question squarely: Am I going to continue doing something that often brings me pain? God also uses other painful experiences to put this question, such as betrayal by friends, suspicions, lack of appreciation, and accusations from our people, but failure seems to be the supreme negative experience. God wants to know whether we are prepared to serve in failure, or only in success? (II Tim 4:3) Isaiah's call in Is. 6:8-13 basically promised a ministry characterized by failure throughout. But Isaiah was willing and faithful to that calling. God will test each minister on this point (often though failure) to purify our motives.

Leaders thus broken through failure become suitable tools in the hands of the Lord. But unbroken leaders pose a threat to the health and spirituality of the church. Leaders accustomed to nothing but success become, themselves, hard to lead. They are always convinced they are right, and will fight to preserve their base as though their self-worth depended on it, which it often does. In their dread of failure, they may become downright unethical and manipulative. They find it hard to listen to the wisdom of others because they can't help but observe that their own ideas seem to be working perfectly well. Such unbroken leaders not only fear failure in themselves, but also in others. They may become unwilling to let others have the chance to fail, and this leads to poor delegation in discipleship. When success becomes the be-all and end-all in ministry, it is an idol that God must throw down. Note that failure may come in an area other than our main ministry, but it will surely come.

Nothing would advance most of us more than getting some good failure under our belts! It isn't that bad once you get used to it, and the fruit over the long haul is well worth the pain. Consider how fear of failure can affect the church:

Home church leaders who suffer from excessive fear of failure are reluctant to plant new churches. They know the mother church works, so why take risks with an unproven plant? The result is tardy planting or no planting, both of which retard the growth of the church and stifle the development of young leaders.

Young leaders are hardly ever as competent as older ones, and history shows they are more likely to fail. But this observation begs the question: Is such failure necessarily a bad thing? We argue that it need not be bad, especially when our new leaders have been well-trained in their view of failure. The experience of failure is always a crisis, since Satan will move in and suggest God let them down, or that they are unworthy for such work. But as discussed above, failure becomes the occasion for a new questioning of motives and deepening of commitment if properly understood. We should be actively preparing our disciples for failure as well as for success.

Those who dread failure tend toward a conservatism that seeks to protect the existing ministry rather than to open new ministry. When the church becomes conservative and self-protective, it loses the offensive spirit needed in spiritual war. We find ourselves unable to penetrate tough sectors of the non Christian community.

If you suffer from fear of failure, ask yourself, "What is the worst thing that can happen to me if I fail?" Does failure in ministry really endanger our lives, or only our egos? The ego-centered minister dreads failure mainly because he will have to admit it to colleagues or others he hopes to impress. Just imagining himself admitting defeat can send the ego-driven leader into a panic of self-protection. But God calls us to deny self and serve in ministry, not to glorify ourselves through it. Mentally practice shrugging your shoulders before colleagues and saying, "Yeah, that didn't work out, but at least we tried" and don't forget to add, "I guess we'd better try again!" The only defense you need is, "I felt like I did my best."

The Death of "I"

2007-05-20T20:22:00.000-03:00

Here's some more random thoughts for all 8 of you who enjoy my blogs. It's been awhile since I have had a chance to sit down and really think about anything at all, so I am probably full of rants right now.

Have you ever noticed how it is very easy to become convinced that you need to be the best or do the best according to the world's standards? That we can subconsciously compare ourselves to others? We don't even know we are doing it but it is easy to do when we are told what success is. Success is being the smartest, richest, and most respected, right??? Wrong. We are told every day, in a variety of different ways, that these three things are important and then we get to a point of realization. These things are useless. They don't make us feel better about ourself. There will always be people smarter, richer and more respected than us, but for some reason we have convinced ourselves that there is an attainable goal. If you are in this way of thinking, you usually say things like, "When I am less busy, I will _____", "If I do _______ then I will be _______" (you fill in the blank with whatever your thing is). Notice how much this pronoun is used in these sentences: I

The truth is, there is no end. We can do this until we are old and then look back and see how much of life we wasted chasing something. I think this is what Solomon meant when he said, "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Not that life is pointless, but that things we think are important, really are not that important in the grand scheme of things. God's priorities are are very often different than ours. Isaiah 55:8- "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine".

There are many, many, many opportunities in the Kingdom of God. Ways to serve, ways to learn, ways to be a blessing to others. Satan uses our well intended goals as a distraction from what really counts. I speak from experience. I love goals. I love to see things progress and that includes my personal life, my work, and my ministry. I can get lost thinking about and doing things that don't matter one iota to the Kingdom. Really, even though I don't even realize it at the time, they are so I can feel successful. Somewhere along along the way I have to take "I" out of it and think about what God would rather have me invest my time and energies in rather than continue on with Satan's distractions.

This is where the cost of being a disciple is. We seem to think that what Jesus says in Matthew 16:24-27 is only meant for the disciples and not for us, and that it is only about being willing to die physically. Many of us will not of the chance to die physically, but we have a choice every day for our "I" to die.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross (the same discussion recorded in Luke 9:23 inserts the word "daily" here. How can you take up your cross daily? Obviously it is not just talking about physical death here) and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." (Matthew 16:24-27)

Who is the Church?

2007-04-30T19:45:00.000-03:00

It is interesting to read people's comments to your posts. So here's some props to Shannon Marden who had the best comment to my last post - thanks to everyone else who commented too...good to know there are some others who have the similar twisted (although very sane to me) thoughts.

Shannon in the trenches and is still positive (some people in the trenches can get pretty jaded). I think it is great that someone other than me sees the glass half-full when it comes to the church. Many people are negative toward the church (a lot of time for good reason!) and then just check out of the whole thing. I totally acknowledge the way the church has screwed up and is still screwing up (see my last post), but change starts from the inside out. If all those people who are discontented and want change bail, then there is no hope and the baby goes out with the bathwater. The reason we bail really isn't about what was done to us, but rather a misunderstanding about who the church really is.

If we truly believe that the church is the people of God and not not a building, and not a company (most of us say this but do we understand what we are saying?), then we have to cut each other some slack. It is impossible for any of us to go through life and never offend anyone; all of us are dysfunctional at some level. We are deluded if we think the problem is everyone around us.

So yes Shannon, we do live in a day and age where things are exciting for the church. Exciting because, as you say, we are returning to what we should be. So, thanks to everyone who involved in God's church. You are changing things and making a difference in your families, communities and the world around you. I think we underestimate the little part each of us plays, in the grand scheme of things but all those little parts add up. All of our little parts fit together to create big change.

We become critical of the church when we see it as only an institution, an organization, or a corporation. Who isn't critical of all of those things these days, ha! But Scripture is pretty clear about what the church is. Search the word "church" in the Bible and see what it says about it - you won't find reference to any of the three things mentioned above. These are very exciting times. We are heading toward a clearer understanding of the essence of the church - Not mystical, not superior, not faultless - just normal people.

Believing Barna???

2007-04-23T19:48:00.001-03:00

George Barna (US church pollster) says that America's faith community is changing (no kidding....does he think we have been asleep, I suppose some are). The reason he gives for this is that "there are more than twenty million adults who have dropped out of church, not because they've lost interest in spiritual matters or are disconnecting from God, but because they want more of God in their lives. These are believers who are less interested in attending church and more interested in being the church" (A New Kind of Church, Baker Books 2007).

I read this on the weekend and it reminded me of Wednesday night. One of the guests at our home group this week asked how we all got involved with the church. Did we grow up in it and if not, how did we get here? It was interesting to hear everyones stories. A few of us were brought up with the church as an important part of our lives, others of us had been involved in the church and had given up for various reasons, and still some others had not much history with the church at all. There was a common thread that ran through each story - the reason why they are actively involved in the church now is because they feel they are learning more about Jesus and less about the church.

Isn't this the whole purpose of the church's existence? To follow Jesus' command when he said "go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you" (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT).

Am I blind or something? Because I don't see it saying go and make disciples by teaching them rules that will set them above everyone else and church politic so they will eventually run themselves ragged and be driven into the ground. I understand that these are done under spiritual words, such as "holiness" or "commitment." We make ourselves feel better about doing these things to people if we can somehow find an obscure Scripture that "supports" what we are doing.

I believe in holiness, commitment and the church. But we have taken Jesus, his teachings, and his people and turned them into a strange religion where we decide to play God. The truth is we are not playing God because God wouldn't do these things; we are playing puppet master with God's people.

Instead of telling people what to, we need to value their relationship with God and trust God to speak to them and trust them to listen. If we can help people to listen to God and do what he tells them, isn't that the biggest thing we can ever teach. I know people who have done a lot in a church building, and who appear to have it together on the outside, and then flame out miserably. And then I know people who others might look down because they do certain things or look a certain way, and these people have gone on to be huge influences for God in their families and communities. So we never know...and so it's best not to pretend to know...and best to play our parts and not the part of God.

Yippee For Wesleyan World!

2007-04-17T18:36:00.001-03:00

...I never thought I'd say that...

I was encouraged when I read this quarter's Wesleyan World magazine. The concept of partnership between countries and between churches is beginning to be lived out. For so long we have paid money to send people to other countries who don't speak the language and don't know the culture - and that worked in our context for a while. We have often sent them to a country where the local church is already doing a fantastic job. (Don't get me wrong, missionaries from here are still needed where the Church is struggling, but for equipping and support instead of actually doing the ministry). Short-term teams are a great way to encourage and support the local Church worldwide. I am sure that if they had the financial resources, they would want to bring people here to encourage us as well.

I am so glad that we have done away with that superior North American attitude that says we have cornered the market on how the Church should function. Last I read, the Bible was the final word on what should be done in the Church. The whole concept of being in partnership with other countries is more in line with the Scripture than a type of parent/child relationship(there was no heirarchy - Galatians 3:28, an often quoted verse by good card carrying Wesleyans). The Church in other parts of the world would put us to shame.

This partnership thing has been in the works for a while. I think the first I heard of it was 2000, so to seven years later to see it lived out and to see that an International Conference of the Wesleyan Church (made up of various nations, not just North America) would meet in 2008 made me very happy. It is about time we visibly demonstrate what we say. If we believe that all people are created equal, it goes without saying that they should have authority over their own governance and their own future. It is about time that we show we truly do value different cultural perspectives.

And...yes Druh Noj it would be Sregor Anwahs but I think Anwahs Sregor has a better ring to it.

Stupid Kids And Their Stupid Internet! What Do You Want To Know? I'll Tell You Right Now!

2007-04-15T17:58:00.001-03:00

Ok today I'm going to crack techie code talk. So if someone has ever told you anything about a computer and then walked away and you still had no idea what they were saying, then this blogs for you.
So here's the translations...

"I can fix that. It will only take a minute" - means you better have five hours to let me play around with it and I may or may not find out the problem.
"That's your anti-virus interfering" - means I have no idea what the problem is but I can't admit it.
"You'll have it back in a couple of days" - means it will be a couple of days before we get around to looking at it.
"Oh that's bad" - means you better start shopping around.

Can you tell my computer is ready to be thrown out the window??? I have absolutely nothing spritual to say today.

On a different note, one of our friends writes their name backwards on her emails. Mine looks really weird - Anwahs Sregor

A New Kind of Ministry...Period.

2007-04-14T20:46:00.001-03:00

Here's a quote from the book, A New Kind of Youth Ministry by Chris Folmsbee (Zondervan, 2007):

"If young people are to practice faith when they "graduate" from youth ministry, the most important gift the church can give them is lifestyle faith instead of program faith. Of course, that doesn't mean that Christian programs don't have a role to play. But young peple aren't looking for programs; and when the church makes faith into "one more thing to do," we turn the gospel into an extracurricular activity, one among dozens, and in so doing we gut it of its transforming significance" (p.50).

I believe that this is true for adults, children and teens; people of any age. Who needs something more on the list of their already busy schedule? I would rather spend my days living like a Christian and meeting people through my job than worrying about whether or not I have enough people to staff a program, whether or not my idea is interesting enough, or always feeling like I have to top what I did before so people don't get bored. Doesn't just living life as a Christian and making a difference in the lives of people around us sound a whole lot easier and more natural?

Why I Think Blogs Are Stupid

2007-04-13T12:38:00.001-03:00

Ok so I've given in... I used to think people who blogged had no lives and nothing better to do and some probably don't.

However, I really enjoy reading a blog from a pastor from Wisconsin. He has changed my mind because his entries are thought provoking stories that I have enjoyed. So, I figure if people like him can share their little gems with me, then I should share mine with them. Only time will tell how often I will use this thing. It is my hope to keep it interesting by ranting about things I think are important and by providing things that other people can use.

Now I need to go and think of something deep to write in this space so that I don't prove my own theory about bloggers having no lives to be correct!