Pastor's Corner archive March 21, 2022-Jan. 7, 2023
Week 1: Suffering and Evil
This week is around suffering and evil. While I was at Fort Carson, I counseled a Soldier who at one point said they didn’t understand why God was causing them so much suffering and torment. This is something I have heard countless people say when it comes to suffering and evil in the world. They blame God. It can be for many reasons, and they often credit Christians for instilling this because of the view that God is in control and knows all things, thus he must be at fault. But is it that simple? Is God unjust because there is evil and suffering? Is God at fault? How do we as Christians respond when people blame God for their misfortune or the suffering that exists in our broken world?
We can approach these questions with long answers or short ones, but for the purpose of this newsletter, we will keep it simple. Bad things happen to good people and bad people, suffering is something that is common to all humans, and evil is found throughout the earth. The reason for this stems from the first pages of the Bible when humankind rebelled against God and sinned. Once sin entered the world and Satan and his dominion had power over humans, evil and suffering accompanied mankind wherever they went. The vast majority of suffering and pain found in this world is a result of the effects of the Fall. In some specific and rare instances, God does cause suffering to specific people(s), but for today's sake we are talking about general suffering. If God is not the one causing suffering, then is God sovereign? God's sovereignty and all-knowing nature does not mean that he has to be the own to cause things like suffering. Instead, God is aware of what can and will happen in the world, and allows it to happen until his return. That does not mean God condones or approves of it. As you read this, I encourage you to think about something in your life that was traumatic or difficult, or maybe think about what is happening in Ukraine, or possibly slave labor and oppression in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, etc. As you think about these things where suffering exists, ask yourself "Does God approve of what is happening? Is he the one causing it?" I hope you see God in the light of what we have read the last few weeks. If God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love like we believe, would he cause suffering like this? I think it is fair to say that YHWH would not do that, but is lovingly pursuing each of us to rescue us.
The message we have for the world as Christians is one of hope. Jesus is the suffering servant, the great high priest who sympathizes and empathizes with our weaknesses, our Savior who rescues us from sin and death. He gives us His Spirit to dwell among us and suffer with us as we endure the pain, joys, highs, and lows we find in this amazing earth. Our response to the world when they blame god for suffering ought to be rooted in the redemption, love, and transforming power of Jesus who helps us endure the suffering of this world knowing that we have a hope in Jesus that is greater than any relief we can find in this world. God in his justice allows suffering and evil, but went to the cross to save a people for himself. We may not see his full justice now, but there will be a day. We must remember God's kingdom is both now and not yet. We see glimpses now; soon it will be a reality for each of us for eternity.
Week 2: The Church as a Suffering Community
This week's topic is "The Church as a Suffering Community". Why is the church a suffering community? Last week, we discussed why there is evil/suffering and if God is the one causing them. So naturally, we ought to discuss our own sufferings and how they can be redeemed.
The Church: A Suffering Community?
The church is a suffering community for several reasons, but I would like to highlight three big ones. The church global is comprised of humans. Part of the human condition and experience on earth is sin, suffering, and death. Of course there are many things in between these three, but these three are common experiences for most, if not all, people. The first reason, then, is because the church is comprised of people who have experienced suffering in some way and have now found home and refuge in God and His Kingdom Community the church. The message of hope and reconciliation that Jesus brings leads all of us into a community of sufferers who have found the perfect place for healing and family. The second reason ties this common suffering with a specific, one of a kind suffering. Jesus. Jesus suffered, died, and resurrected for His people in their place. We as Christians identify with Jesus in his suffering, in his death, and in his resurrection. As Paul says, without this resurrection there is no hope for us. And without us identifying with Jesus in these three, we are merely seeking the church to be a social club for our social needs. Instead, when we trust in Jesus' finished work and identify with him in suffering, death, and resurrection we are identifying with him as suffering servants. We are saying we know Jesus suffered throughout his earthly ministry and we are likely to suffer with him. And that brings us to number three. We suffer with Jesus because the church is a persecuted community where suffering will occur. Throughout church history, the church has endured physical violence, political oppression, spiritual evil, and so much more that we know and don't know. The church is a suffering community because we have all suffered before we came into the church, while we are in the church, and we see suffering in our church around the world. But we have a beautiful promise.
Jesus, Our Shared Sufferer
We have been studying God as he declares himself in Exodus 34, Psalm 103, and now the I AM statements in John. One of the things God declares himself to be arek (aw-rake) in Hebrew. One translation for this word is longsuffering. You may recall that I mentioned slow to anger coming from a Hebrew expression for long of nostril. Well that is what arek means. Slow to anger is how many modern translations put it but older ones liked longsuffering. Longsuffering means "patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship." God shows longsuffering in dealing with human rebellion and sin. But we must remember that beyond this Jesus came to earth to reconcile humans with God. And he did this through constant suffering. In Hebrews, we see this portrait of Jesus as the great high priest whose role is to mediate between God and humans. However, this portrait of Jesus shows him to be the greatest high priest because he put himself in our place, he can sympathize and even empathize with our weaknesses and our suffering because he endured what we have endured and what we could not endure. He went to the cross for us. He was covered in our dirty rags, the sins, the evil, the wickedness from all of us and suffered in our place. What a beautiful God we serve that he saw us humans resisting his rescue during his life and death, yet he did not refuse to rescue us in spite of our further rebellion. He did it knowing all of his closest friends and family abandoned him, knowing that much of the world would reject him. But he did it knowing that his global church, his family would grow to the ends of the earth and it would one day consist of you and I, brothers and sisters in a global family, a suffering community.
Week 3: The Communal Church
Dr. Paul Louis Metzger (one of my favorite professors) and Dr. Brad Harper wrote a book on Ecclesiology (study of the church). In their book they had this to say, "The church exists to love God, its own, the world, and the whole creation because it is loved in covenantal communion with God. This relational orientation signifies that the church is being-driven. A church that begins with a missional purpose before it begins with its identity as communal reality in relation to God is problematic. This orientation is very American but is not biblical. Biblically speaking, the missional purpose flows forth from the church’s communal identity and is the inevitable outcome." (Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical and Ecumenical Introduction, 2009)
I start with this excerpt because it is important to consider during our current journey at LCF. It would be easy to come in as the new pastor and put us to work with a missional purpose. This is something we have discussed especially as you all asked what my vision and plans for the future are. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that. But that is not our starting point. If you have noticed, the preaching, the meetings, and our planning has not been geared toward mission just yet. That will come soon enough and it will be a natural byproduct of our being with Jesus. You may recall that during the weekend Rob Storey officially installed me as pastor that I said I like to simplify the Christian life into three movements or regular practices. They are: Be With Jesus, Become Like Jesus, and Join Jesus in His Kingdom Work. We must always remember that our Christian journey throughout life begins with and constantly returns to Be With Jesus. Being with Jesus is our fundamental identity as Christians. By being with Jesus, we become like Jesus, and as we become like Jesus, we will naturally proclaim his kingdom leading us to join Jesus in his kingdom work. But this all sounds individual. Or does it?
This aspect of communion with Jesus and being with him is not limited to each of us as individuals. Instead, it must be incorporated into our communal life as a church. As we look to the future and what this next season will be at LCF, at the very least it must involve a committed and regular communal life centered around life with Jesus. It does not need to be a grandiose or forced thing. It begins with intentional time with one another that involves time with Jesus then it leads to small group gatherings, prayer gatherings, meals together, etc. This work has already started and will continue to be the foundation at LCF. I say this knowing that some of these things were here before I came, so I am not reinventing the wheel or "saving the church," instead we are pursuing life with Jesus intentionally together.
Our drive and purpose for communion stems from our Triune God who exemplifies communal love. As you read this, consider how each of the members of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit) faithfully and continually love one another. Then consider, are you loving the church globally? Are you loving the church locally? Are you loving individuals within the church? Or are you causing strife, anger, hate, or division within the church? How can you better exemplify Christ's love to the people around you? How can you proclaim life with Jesus by being with Him and inviting others into that communion?
Week 4: Army update
This week is a non-traditional week. Due to my Army service, I am unable to spend enough time to develop something worth reading. Instead, I will provide an update on what God is doing through me in Kansas. We have been running very long days. I leave my barracks at 6:30AM and get back after 9:30PM. In that time, I am immersed in real life and an exercise scenario where there is plenty to do. I spend most days talking to Soldiers to care for them and understand the morale of the unit, I provide encouragement in meetings, relay morale to the command team, and we have a daily Bible study. Our Bible Study time has been incredible. We have had amazing discussions that could last for hours. In the scenario, I am deployed to a nation that has been invaded and I have Soldiers fighting throughout the country. I respond to religious needs, deaths, and helping teams understand the religious sites, leaders, and groups in the area of our Soldiers. We are outside in tents all day with a long walk back to any buildings. It has been very cold and windy. There have been a lot of obstacles, things to be frustrated with, and things that aren't going well. But, it has been a wonderful time of ministry. I have had some great conversations with Soldiers and fellow chaplains. Yet, I still miss the LCF family and look forward to being with you all on Resurrection Sunday.
Week 5: The Assured Community
This week's topic is the Church as the "Assured Community." If you are like me, you may be unfamiliar with the doctrine of Assurance. I had never heard of it until seminary and until recently, I had never thought much of it. Whether you come from an Arminian or Reformed background, assurance is there for the church and the individual Christian. The doctrine of assurance comes primarily from the book of 1 John. Like the Gospel of John (20:30-31), John declares to the reader the purpose of his book. 1 John 5:13, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." Throughout the earlier chapters of 1 John, he continually reminds his reader that they have assurance as a believer to have eternal life. For many Christians, including people who have spent their whole lives in the church, this idea of assurance sounds crazy. Some may fear that they can lose their salvation, and some may believe in "once saved, always saved." But that isn't the focus on John's writing either. Instead, the focus is that those within the church, who have trusted in the finished work of Jesus that has brought reconciliation between they and God have eternal life. They can have assurance of eternal life both in the future (new heavens and new earth) and in the present. Therefore, we should have confidence and can have assurance that we are secure in the work of Jesus. This may lead some to think they can do whatever they want and they will still be saved, but we know in Paul's writing he addresses this idea and tells us to sin no more. This same sentiment is present in 1 John as well when he emphasizes obedience, righteousness, and love. What is the big so what? Why does this matter?
Well, the doctrine of assurance can be explained through a great idiom. In the words of Reverend Jeff Kreisel, assurance is like two people getting on an airplane. One person is confident when they get on, the other is a little wary. Once they are in flight, turbulence comes and the plane starts bouncing up and down. The confident person is unfazed and unbothered. The anxious person is terrified. They begin breathing in a brown paper bag. Maybe the confident person is unbothered because they know the pilot, or they are a pilot, or they know planes. Regardless they know they will be just fine. Eventually when the plane lands, they both get off the plane and are welcomed. So it is with eternity and assurance. Those who are unsure of their salvation but who are in Christ will still have eternal life, they'll just be anxious during the journey. Those who are confident in their assurance of salvation will be there with the other group, yet their journey through life is much more stable and enjoyable. This doctrine matters because it can impact how we relate to God and to the world.
The church is an assured community or really THE assured community because they have a guarantee of eternal life, of being with God both now and forever. We can have assurance and confidence that Jesus has saved us and will save us. We can be assured of our salvation because it is not according to our works, our righteousness, our obedience. Instead it is according to the person and work of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to read 1 John over the rest of April and consider what implications assurance have on your life with Jesus. May you encounter God's love, grace, mercy, and assurance in doing so.
**If you want additional information, resources, etc. please email Pastor Robbie
Week 6: What happens when we die?
This week, I'm taking a break from "The Church as _____" series and talking about something different. This week's topic is a prelude to next week. Next week is the Church as the Resurrected Community. But for now, I want to discuss what happens when we as Christians die. Are we resurrected right away? Do we go to our eternal paradise right away? What happens?
I am almost hesitant to discuss this simply because there is so much misinformation out there on the subject. We as Christians often focus on Heaven more than anything and think that we go to Heaven when we die. I am going to try to be brief in this discussion at the expense of providing quotes and references. I'm going to start with the concept of heaven. Throughout the Old Testament the word for heaven is actually plural (heavens) and conveys an idea of all that is above and around the earth. There is an aspect of God's transcendence and nearness in the contrast of heaven and earth. When we get to the New Testament, we don't really see it mention people going to heaven after death. We see Jesus proclaim the Kingdom of God and that the people in the kingdom will inherit eternal life. The focus on eternal life is a little different than "going to heaven." What we see instead is people go to "be with the Lord." This statement or idea is found in both the Old and New Testaments. This is what happens when Christians die. This may seem like semantics or an insignificant point. However, the reason I highlight this comes from our current culture. Today, heaven is such a weighty concept with lots of baggage that includes a desire for heaven often over God. But you can never have a kingdom without a king. We cannot emphasize heaven without understanding what makes eternity so great for us. Eternity would be empty and terrible if it were just the church, or just good people, or just our friends and family, or just Americans, or just "civilized" people, etc. What makes eternity amazing is the presence of our God and there no longer being a divide between God and the church. It is a worship filled celebration of mutual delight between God and his people.
We cannot miss the significance of being with the Lord. If you were to summarize the entire Bible in one word, I think the best word would be "Immanuel". God with us. Jesus came to rescue us from our sin and God's wrath so that we could be united with God and in right relationship. Last week, I discussed the church being the assured community having the assurance of salvation and eternity. We can be assured that we are with God now and will be with him forever. So then, it would make sense that the concept the church had for what happens after death being "Going away to be with the Lord." We go to be with God, enjoy his presence, and worship most likely in disembodied spirit form.
At the time of resurrection, we are resurrected with all people to stand before God. Those outside of God's people face judgment, but those within his kingdom are welcomed with open arms and celebration. We then enjoy God's loving presence and all that he has for us within the new heavens and new earth in the garden like city that we see in Revelation 21.
Week 7: The Resurrected Community
This week, we're discussing "The Church as the Resurrected Community." Last week, we discussed what happens when we die. The last two Sundays, we've looked at Jesus' statements: "I am the Good Shepherd" and "I am the Resurrection and the life." We celebrated Jesus' resurrection and we saw Jesus' power and identification as the Resurrection in raising Lazarus. We discussed how for the Christian, death is just the beginning of the greatest and most incredible part of life with Jesus as we move to being with him forever. So what then does it mean for the church to be the resurrected community? I haven't physically died and been raised and I suspect no one reading this has either. What then does it mean?
Let's go to Romans 6. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
This text discusses how our baptism symbolizes and reflects that we have died with Christ and have been raised with him in newness of life. Paul even says we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like Jesus's. The gravity of Paul's teaching here in Romans extends beyond our baptism to both our life with Christ and our eternity at the end of time. We live transformed, new lives because we have been risen with Christ into a renewed life. We as the church ought to live alive to God in Christ Jesus knowing that we are with Jesus having been reconciled to God through His life, death, and resurrection. Death no longer has dominion over Jesus and likewise over us. This is what we discussed this past Sunday. The church as the people victorious over death who live in newness of abundant life no longer fear death.
The Church as the resurrected community extends beyond the current life. Like we discussed last week, when we, those within the church as followers of Jesus, go to be with the Lord in an intermediate state. But when Jesus returns and at the last day at the resurrection of the dead, we enter eternity with Jesus in our bodily form. Like I mentioned on Sunday, this resurrection continues the best part of our existence as humans where we are perfect unity and relationship with God worshipping him at all times. We experience his love and blessings in every moment. Our resurrection hope is for now and forever. This is the hope we declare to the world!
Week 8: The Abiding Community
This week, we're discussing "The Church as the Abiding Community." This past Sunday, we discussed how Jesus declares to his disciples that he is leaving to prepare a place for his disciples and in his kingdom there are many rooms or really abiding places for people to dwell with Jesus. This idea will be of even more importance in this week's text as we look at the text where Jesus says, "Abide in me, and I in you." Without spoiling too much of this week's sermon, I want to examine the significance of this text for the church's identity. Later in the text, Jesus says that if you abide in him, you will bear fruit, but if you don't you will bear nothing. The illustration here is like that of a plant. If you take a branch from a plant and throw it on the ground, it will not produce anything. It must be part of the plant or grafted onto another plant.
Let us begin with looking at the word abide again. This past Sunday, I explained that it can be translated to mean "to remain in, to dwell in, [or even] not to depart from." So we can say Jesus is telling the disciples, "If you remain in me, dwell with me, or don't depart from me, you will bear fruit. If you do not remain in me, dwell with me, or depart from me, then you will produce nothing." We know the church continues the work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, so therefore it must be abiding with Jesus. And if the church is comprised of individual Christians, then each one of us have to play a role in abiding in or with Jesus. So what then does this mean? To abide with Jesus goes beyond definition and involves action. As you have likely heard me mention, there are three continuous movements of following Jesus: Be with Jesus, Become Like Jesus, and Join Jesus on his kingdom/missional work. Abiding is being with Jesus. As we are with Jesus we become like Jesus, and as those two things happen, joining Jesus on mission becomes a natural byproduct. And thus fruit is produced. Therefore, it begins with abiding. The church must abide for it is an abiding community as it communes with Jesus and produces fruit through Jesus. But what does abiding or being with Jesus look like?
For most, it is quite simple. A great example of this kind of being with Jesus can be found in the story of Brother Lawrence found in the book, "The Practice of the Presence of God." The story is of a 17th century friar who works in the kitchen at a monastery. Brother Lawrence was often responsible for some of the most mundane duties in the monastery. It would have been easy for him to feel like Nacho Libre (comedic movie if you have not seen it) who lived at a monastery/orphanage who never got any good or fun priestly duties. He was often responsible for cooking and cleaning. But unlike Nacho, Brother Lawrence made it a regular practice to sense the presence of God in all things. His focus in life was to be with Jesus. His lifelong pursuit was to cultivate the presence of God in his daily life regardless of what he was doing. It was not only in prayer and bible reading, not only in mass (church service) or music, in confession or communion, Brother Lawrence found God's presence in everyday life. For most of us, that is both the greatest challenge and the greatest need. We are in deep need of God's presence but often do not or cannot make the time to pray, to read, to worship, etc. But what if we could simply invite and recognize Jesus in the everyday affairs of our life knowing that he is with us and delighting in us? What if we chose to delight in the presence of God in every aspect of our life? Personally, I love to be in nature and simply delight in God. It is one of my weekly aspirations for my Sabbath. It does not always happen but I intentionally pursue and invite Jesus into the little, boring, mundane aspects of my life. How can you invite or embrace Jesus throughout your day so that you are abiding in Christ? We abide in him because he abides in us and is welcoming us with open arms. Be the Abiding Church!
Week 9: The Church as the Unified Community
This week's discussion is on the church as "The Unified Community." The last few days, Lauren and I were in Omaha, NE for our MidAmerica District Conference. If you didn't know, LCF is part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance MidAmerica District. Every two years, "licensed workers" or ministers within the district gather to hear stories from churches and church leaders across our five state area. We also hear from missionaries who are already abroad and those who are being sent in the coming months. It is a great time of fellowship, worship, communion, celebration, and anticipation. We vote to decide certain leadership positions as well. This year's text that was the focus and source of the theme was Ephesians 4. One of the things that came out of this text and teaching on it was unity. We looked at most of the chapter, but below you will find the text on unity.
Ephesians 4:2-6, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
During our banquet night, Pastor Jameson from One Hope church in south Omaha shared on unity. He said a lot of good things, but one quote that he said became a theme throughout the conference. It was this, "Disagreement is inevitable, but disunity is a choice (or decision)." The church is supposed to be a place of unity, but unity is not easy. Churches are to be some of the most diverse places we see on earth, and if you know diversity, you know differences exist everywhere. Pastor Jameson talked about he and his wife's marriage and their differences in who they are, their families, their perspectives, their desires, everything. They are different just like each of us reading this are different. And as we recognize and learn differences, we see differences of opinions, thoughts, everything. It is easy to recognize differences, it is easy to get annoyed at them, and it is easy to disagree. Even disunity is easy. But what is not easy is unity. LCF has shown unity in the recovery and fight to get through Pastor Jeff's departure, COVID, dwindling numbers, etc. LCF has shown unity, but I am sure there are areas of not only disagreement but possibly disunity, not that I have seen any. But it is our individual decision to strive for unity or disunity. What will you choose? Thankfully, our striving for unity is not what makes us the unified church.
So with that, let us examine the text. With complete humility, complete gentleness, complete patience, choosing to give love as our response regardless of the other's expression, we are to make every effort to keep unity through the bond of peace by the Spirit. Paul then says, this is what provides us with unity: there is one church and one Spirit within the one hope that we have through Jesus, one Lord (Jesus), one faith (there is no other), one baptism (we are not baptized into anything else. We are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus); one God and Father of all, who has power and dominion over all, can work through all, and is in all. So what makes us unified? How does a local church like LCF or the global church maintain or achieve unity? Only when we recognize what makes us the church, what makes us Christians, what makes us who we are. It is not what we do, it is not our differences, it is not our individual gifts or talents, it is not a building, a neighborhood, a country, nothing else. It is only because of our Triune God. Jesus has come and reconciled us to God and one another, Holy Spirit has come to dwell in us and lead us, our Father has given us the faith and drawn us to him. We get to share in the abundance of Jesus that came through his death and resurrection at the cost of him bearing our sins, shame, and punishment. The same God that once made his dwelling or abode with Israel in the tabernacle, the temple, and as the incarnate son Jesus now calls his dwelling within each one of us, the church. He dwells in each of us, so how can we willingly choose disunity with our brothers and sisters who are not only in Christ but are also the dwelling place of Jesus. We find unity in recognizing how we are one with God through Jesus and how we are one with another through Jesus. We still carry our differences and disagreements, but we put our identity as individual and communal Christians above all else. It is in this same way that we ought to find unity with our spouses in our marriage as our marriage is a direct reflection and illustration of God's love for his church. Don't choose disunity, embrace the reconciliation and restoration given to the church by Jesus. Embrace one another in loving unity!
Week 10: How do we approach abortion?
This week the discussion is abortion. Yep, you read that correctly. The thing that every Christian seems to know and every non-Christian can assume the church's position.
Bottom line up front: Pro life is correct, but the world isn't black and white. We should also be more loving and compassionate to those who have had abortions and those who consider them.
Abortion. Controversial, maybe, but this is a topic worthy of discussion within context. If you are like me, you have always heard churches proclaim a stance of pro life that excludes any form of abortion. It is one side or the other -- pro life vs pro choice. We have seen these positions become as though they are polar opposites and there can be no middle ground. But what if I told you that that the current extreme pro life choice has not been the historical position of the church when it comes to abortion. In order to understand the past view of the church, let's begin with a simple understanding of child birth. Prior to the last one hundred years, in some places nearly half of all babies died before one year. There was also high mortality rates for mothers. Some of these deaths could be attributed to unsanitary conditions, disease, and even famine. But at times, the fetus was in a location within the mother that could result in both of their deaths, we see this nowadays with pregnancies where the fetus is outside of the womb and in another part of the sexual organs (trying to keep it PG). Historically within Catholicism and Judaism, abortions were permitted if it was the safest way to preserve the life of the mother. There were certain precautions they undertook, but they valued the life of the mother who had already survived this far in life. There were unknowns and no guarantees that the child would survive. In their "pro life" stance, they chose the life of the mother. With some legal bills in some states, even these circumstances do not allow for a legal abortion. There are situations where the pregnancy can and most likely will lead to the death of the child and mother if no interventions are made. So in our pro life stance, are we choosing life or death? Eventually this view and allowance of abortion in order to preserve the life of the mother was adopted in protestant Christianity as well. We saw the shift in the late 20th century to polarized views that place people far apart in pro life or pro choice. I must say I am pro life. However, the science and conversation on abortion is highly nuanced. I am no expert; however, I believe there needs to be room for specific instances where abortion not only preserves life, but reduces human suffering upon others. Imagine the experience of a husband who loses both his wife and child because she could not get an abortion despite the doctors knowing the fetus was in a position to kill the mother and die itself. We want to preserve life and uphold it. One caveat I want to say here so that you do not misread what I am saying. There are abortions for fetuses that show signs of genetic, developmental, and other conditions that many countries and people are pushing to eradicate through abortion. I strongly disagree with that entirely. Every human has value and every human is made in the image of God. We pursue the preservation of life and seek to uphold that. But we should also be aware of instances that bring about more death than life such as complete bans on abortion.
Proponents of abortion especially toward fetuses that present the likelihood of deformities, genetic conditions, etc. like to throw out the term "quality of life." Richard Dawkins says this, "Abortion to avoid birth defects is not about eugenics. It’s about the avoidance of individual human suffering.” The problem with this statement and the idea itself is the standard by which they judge quality of life and human suffering. They use these terms when referring to people who have down syndrome especially. But, they often look at the toll it takes on the family around them and society as a whole in order to care for them. Since they can produce very little to consumerism, they lack purpose and only take rather than contribute. However, the individual would always choose life over death. The families often remark how their loved ones are blessings that they cherish and adore. Strikingly, people with children with disabilities (especially genetic) report higher levels of happiness, quality of life, and satisfaction. While these parents and families would often be the first to admit the challenges and hardships they face, there is no doubt that they recognize these people made in the image of God to be worthy of love and care. They wouldn't have it any other way.
The second issue I have with the current views of abortion within our Christian culture is found within hate and condemnation. What many non-Christians expect when they come into a church or engage with a Christian is a message of hate rather than love. When considering such delicate social matters such as gender, sexuality, abortion, and things like that, they expect Christians to be condemning and hateful telling people they are going to hell for their sin. But, I must ask, was this the emphasis in Jesus' teaching or the preaching of the disciples? Did he and they tell people, "You are a sinner, you are going to hell"? Not quite. While yes, they proclaimed a message of repentance going all the way back to John the Baptist. However, the call to repent was due to the kingdom's inauguration. Jesus being here on earth. The repentance was to get right with God, and they were usually talking to the Jewish people who already had a religious framework for repentance and God himself. We are encountering a culture that views god through a lens that is far from accurate at who God says he is. Jesus said that the world would know us to be his followers because of our love for one another. Some translations expand that to love for all people. I think that is accurate based on how Jesus lived and ministered to sinful people. Take for example the story of the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees and religious leaders are ready to stone her and are condemning her for her sin. They are basically saying "you are going to hell and we are sending you there." What Jesus did was remarkable, he said "let he without sin cast the first stone." No one threw a stone. Jesus offered compassion instead of condemnation. Consider also the woman at the well. People often to think Jesus is critical of her for her previous marriages and her now living with a man to whom she is not married. However, in that culture and time, women had little to no choice in marriage and even less in divorce. When I read that story, I see Jesus showing empathy and compassion and telling her that he sees what she has gone through. She even declares him to be the messiah! So then, should we as Christians emulate the character and behavior of the religious leaders or Jesus? Do we show women who have had or are considering abortions compassion, grace, mercy, love, and care? Or do we simply tell them they are going to hell, they have no hope, they are murderers? Before you decide, consider the response you would desire if you were not a Christian, if you were in their shoes: scared, pregnant from God knows what kind of sexual experience, concerned for your own health, the health of the child, how you are going to raise it, how you will have the money to raise it, and you see people telling you that you are going to hell, that you are a sinner. Oh and by the way calling someone else a sinner is a great form of hypocrisy, we have all sinned. Or maybe, they are getting an abortion or had one because the fetus had an incredibly serious and dangerous genetic condition. They made the choice to preserve their own life or maybe they were worried that they would not be able to help that potential child have a life where they get the necessary medical treatments. How would you want to be ministered to in that situation.
I think we can learn a lot from Jesus. When I read the stories of Jesus ministering and healing people individually, I see a God who is tender-hearted, compassionate, empathetic, caring, loving, gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love. I see the God who created that person and sees them for who they really are: a child of God who has experienced more than they could bargain for in a world ravaged with sin and human rebellion. He sees children in need of a helping hand, a caring touch, and a warm embrace. We proclaim the good news that our sin doesn't define us anymore, that we are no longer bound to the grave, but we have everlasting life in and through Jesus and Jesus alone. We proclaim hope and love. So when you look at abortion in the news, when you consider the people around you that may have had an abortion, when you consider the difficulty and ever polarizing views of pro life and pro choice, consider the things above. Consider Jesus. Consider how we can best love the people around us while seeking to preserve life knowing Jesus offers abundant life.
References
Gary L. Albrecht and Patrick J. Devlieger, “The Disability Paradox: High Quality of Life Against All Odds,” Social Science & Medicine, no. 48 (1999): 977-988
Immanuel Jakobovits, “Jewish Views on Abortion,” Case Western Reserve Law Review17, no.2 (1965): 482
Week 11: The Church as the Generous Community
This week the discussion is on "The Church as the Generous Community." Prior to serving here at LCF, I was at City Church Pueblo for nearly three years. The mission statement there is: "We exist to intentionally share the hope of Jesus with all people through relentless love and generous lives!" But what does generosity look like and why is it part of the identity of the church? As we celebrate Great Commission Day on May 24 and look forward to our Great Commission Sunday on May 28, I think it is fitting to consider the church as the community known for its generosity.
2 Corinthians 8: "We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us." Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, who despite their own struggles in life and in finances gave beyond their means to support the churches and their efforts in Jerusalem basically during a time of struggle.
The church is called to expanding the kingdom and in today's world, money is so vitally crucial to getting Kingdom workers to hard to reach places to do effective ministry. Consider with me what the cost would be for ten people from LCF to go to Indonesia on a two week short term mission. After a quick search, I found the cheapest possible tickets around $1200 a piece with ten people that is already $12000, and it would likely be more with baggage fees. Then food costs during travel and in Indonesia would add (low ball) $300 per person which comes to $3000. Lodging would add $60 per night per two people if we had two to a room if we went by average hotel costs in Jakarta, Indonesia. That comes out to $4200. Two rental vans to accommodate the ten people is rounded up to $1200 per vehicle for the two weeks, so it comes out to $2400. Not including gas, incidentals, or anything else, that trip is going to start at $21,600. Now in most situations it would actually cost even more than that because there are a lot more fees associated with the trip and the area is not usually a huge city like Jakarta. But you get the point, short term trips are very expensive. Many full time missionaries live on a yearly budget that is around that amount, yet if they come home or when they are sent, they have a lot of upfront costs if they have no support. The point is this: sending out people is costly, but it is much more cost efficient and I would argue more effective than short term trips. Therefore, when we consider the costs and needs associated with sending out missionaries, we ought to live generously.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance prides itself in being global ambassadors for Christ who seek to declare Jesus to all nations with the hope that they come to trust in Jesus and make disciples in their countries. We do this by sending people to every part of the world in a number of ways, but funding it isn't always easy. In order to send people, we have to have senders. And to have senders means the church gets to live out its generous identity. We live in a world where people are most often looking out only for themselves, so generosity can be foreign and strange to them. Yet the generosity of the church stands in contrast to culture and shows the world that we love others and love our God more than our own passions, pursuits, and fears of not having enough. The church lives out its identity of being generous when it fully realizes that everything they have comes from Jesus. Salvation, right relationship with God, eternal life, joy, peace, and so much more is only because of what Jesus has done, because of God drawing them to himself, and because God dwells within them now through the Holy Spirit. Then that extends into everything material that we possess. Because we are not our own, but have been bought at the highest price, Jesus' blood, then what we think we own is not ours. Instead, we get to steward it, and with the help and wisdom from God, we use it for his kingdom and his glory. We live generously because He has given more to us than we could ever imagine giving or receiving. We live generously because everything we have has been given to us and it is not our own, we could be called home at anytime. We live generously because we want to see those separated from God be reconciled to Him. We want to fulfill the mandate we received from Jesus to make disciples of all nations by going to each part of the world.
This generosity is not just for overseas as you are probably well aware. We live generously in giving to the local church, the district, the national denomination. We live generously in giving to the poor, tipping servers well, giving of our time and energy, giving our things away instead of seeking profit. We live generously in our everyday lives hoping that we steward our lives and what we have well, as well as hoping to see it be such a shock to the world that our God receive glory. Living generously does not mean we live foolishly or recklessly, but that we consider what we can give rather than what we can get.
How can you live generously in your everyday life? This Great Commission Tuesday and Sunday, how can you make a kingdom impact through generosity? What are you passionate about that you can give toward? Would your coworkers, family, fellow students, etc. view you as a generous person? Have you considered the costs it takes to be a globally impacting family of God as members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance?
Week 12: Purpose
This week, I have been thinking about purpose but more specifically why or how I live out my identity in the purposes I have. Let me explain. This week, Lauren and I met with the officiant of our wedding who is a close friend for a one year marriage counseling. Jeff invests in the couples he marries to where he gives us premarriage counseling and postmarriage counseling as regular checkups at one year and five years. We knew this was coming up so while I was thinking about going to this counseling, I began to think about why I am married. Now don't mishear me and Lauren as you read this, do not think I have any doubts or anything like that. I don't. But I began to think if in the first year, I lived out the purpose of marriage. Now the purpose of marriage is to glorify God as I love my wife in the same way Jesus loves the church. This means I love my wife sacrificially, selflessly, and considering her needs above my own. I can admit that I did not do this all the time, so it served as a reminder that I need to love my wife even better and I need to consider the purpose of my marriage.
Another recent example: I have been dreading and disliking my Army service for the past several weeks for lots of reasons. I won't go in to them here, but I will at least say that I have asked God to release me from this ministry and burden much sooner (like immediately) rather than later. But last week, as I was in Columbus, Ohio with fellow Alliance Chaplains, chaplain candidates, and chaplain applicants, I was reminded of why I am a chaplain. We went to a war museum in Columbus, and on display was a set of murals from an artist who now lives in Colorado. The murals were life-sized portraits of 23 men who died in Iraq between May and August 2005. They were all assigned to a national guard unit in Columbus. 22 Army, 1 Navy Corpsman (medic). They ranged in age from 18 to 33. We heard stories of how these murals have helped veterans suffering from PTSD find solace and help due to seeing themselves in the portraits and opening up about their experiences. They had a statue of a man bent down who found that hope when he needed it most. He came to a site where they had these traveling murals the day before he had planned his suicide. He found hope and did not end his life. Years later he did due to the struggles he encountered daily from what war did to him. The statue is in his likeness and they have dog tags people write on all around the statue. Some asking for help, some sharing the names of people they have lost to PTSD and suicide, and some messages of hope. This exhibit reminded me why I am a chaplain: to love and minister to the men and women who are often neglected, unreached, and uncared for. My purpose is to bring the only God to them who can bring healing and who can sympathize with their illness. It was a reality check. I still hate the bureaucracy and so many other things about the Army, but this trip refocused my sight on why I put on a uniform.
Finally, I talked with someone about ministry. They were nervous to be seen by the church and to lead people knowing that they are young and that they struggle with sin like any other person. Just like I have to remind myself, I reminded them what our role and purpose in ministry is. We discussed how it is all about Jesus, proclaiming him, and glorifying him. We can only do what he has called us to because of his equipping and indwelling Spirit. The purpose of why we do what we do is centered in Jesus. It is not about us, it is not about being seen, it is not about getting across our own agenda, it is not about what we want or think. It is only about Jesus. We must constantly remind ourselves why we do what we do and what our desired end state is. For me, I must remind myself why I came to LCF and why I am in ministry. Jesus called me to be an undershepherd to shepherd his church and he specifically broke mine and Lauren's hearts for the LCF family and community. We knew we needed to be here. I also know that he has called me to do very specific things in my ministry and in how he has wired me, so I must remind myself of those things. But the gospel is always center stage. It is the driving force behind all that I do.
What is the purpose in the big things and little things that you do? What do you need to remind yourself of as you consider serving Jesus in everyday life?
Week 13: The Church as an Inclusive Community
This week, I want to discuss the church as an inclusive community. In recent years, those outside of the church and often those who have left the church view it as a place that is not inclusive, that is not loving, and that is often full of hate. Oh how this is the exact opposite of what the church is supposed to be! The church is supposed to be a place known for it's love, hospitality, care, and grace where all people are seen as image-bearers of God who are worthy of love and forgiveness. Yet the message that is portrayed to the world is not this one. Many see the church as a place that does not accept people who have an atypical view of sexuality, gender, or even political views. It is not always these big things, though. Sometimes churches are not inclusive in shocking ways. I have read and heard stories of churches not being inclusive to people with disabilities, people who have children with special needs, and even simply parents with small children. I could tell dozens of stories that I know of where people left a church or the church all because they had a negative experience where the church was not accommodating, welcoming, or considerate of the circumstances of the person(s) involved. Now I recognize the sensitive nature of this conversation because many people when they read this will immediately think of scenarios where there is a homosexual couple coming to the church seeking acceptance of their relationship, or a transgender person who wants to use the restroom for the gender with which they identify, or a belligerent drunk who is violent. Some of you may be thinking of those scenarios. I'll ask you to hold on to them for a moment.
Allow me to provide an example of what I am talking about. I recently heard a story of a family that went to a church with their infant child. From the beginning of their experience at this church, they were treated like an outsider. It was an "othering" experience for them. Their child had a hard time quieting down after worship and they were directed to a room for parents. Yet even then someone came in and asked them to leave and told them that it was in their best interest to find another church. Now imagine if that was you and you had never been to a church before. Would you give a different church another chance?
The child in the story was not abnormally loud or anything like that, but this church viewed the child as a distraction to the point that the whole family could not attend the service. So let me ask you, who was the focus of the service then? Who was the object of worship? Was it God or was it the comfort and experience of the individuals around the family? We live in a culture obsessed with entertainment, self, and individual experience. Therefore, it probably isn't uncommon for this to happen in churches where individual experience and self-gratification is prioritized above all. But is that how it is supposed to be? Should the church be accommodating and inclusive?
I will tell you my thoughts. Children just like adults should have the full right to be in service to praise and worship God (the sermon is an extension of worship). God is the center focus of all that we do. God is the object of our worship and praise. Would he rather us be self-focused, or inclusive of others? As we worship and seek God, we should encourage one another and lead one another in worship. To do so, we have to sacrifice some of the self-centeredness that exists within us and instead delight in the distractions of others. We should encourage people to seek God as we do it with them. When we have the kids' gospel moments at LCF or when we have kids fussing during service, it is okay for them to be kids. It is okay if they are not perfect because none of us are. It is okay if they want to move around, fidget, cry, laugh, sleep, whatever. We should be like Jesus and invite kids to come to God regardless of how "messy" it might be.
Now let's go back to the scenarios from before. Should we be inclusive to people coming to our building if they do not align with our theology? If a homosexual came to church, what should be our response? Would it be like the story of the family above? Do we politely ask them to find another church? But allow me to ask this. Would you ask an unmarried heterosexual couple to do the same thing? Your answer might be yes, but I think for many, it would not. Here is the deal. If we have people coming into our LCF building wanting to seek God, are we getting in their way with "stances." Consider how Jesus engages the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, or most stories of Jesus interacting with individuals. Does Jesus tell them his stance or theology on things right away? I would argue he cares for them, listens, and engages them where they are hurting most. Sometimes he eventually tells them the rules for things, but only after first giving them love, compassion, and care. I think our response ought to be the same. If anyone comes to Jesus and is not yet a believer, is not our role to shepherd them, disciple them, and journey with them in the lifelong challenging walk of faith? I wonder and grieve at the amount of opportunities to live out the gospel with people that have been missed or ignored because it didn't match up with our stance or theology. Now let me say this, there is a place for our theology and stance. And there is a difference between being inclusive with welcoming people in the church and journeying with them versus condoning sin while the person claims to follow Jesus. God is our judge and yet he gives authority for Christians to judge fellow Christians in the sense that we call out sin in one another's lives while pointing them to Jesus for help, reconciliation, and love. Therefore, those who do not know or have not trusted in Jesus' finished work are outside of our judgement. Should we not then love them even more so that they might know Jesus? Should we not be absolutely thrilled that they are coming to our church building because they are hungry for God. Now sometimes, people come to confirm their suspicions or even fears of the church. But that is still a great opportunity to show them love when they are expecting hate, to give them grace when they are expecting condemnation, to give them value when they are expecting devaluing. When they come to church, it should be as though they are meeting Jesus for the first time. It should be as though they are someone Jesus ministers to, heals, and transforms.
Are you willing to journey with and love people that are different from you? Are you willing to be inclusive by possibly sacrificing your own desires in order to help others seek and praise our wonderful God? How can you or all of us be more welcoming, more inclusive, more engaging with those who come to our church building, but also those we encounter in our daily lives? You may disagree with me on any of this and that is okay. I still love you. And it won't change my desire to serve you, the LCF family, and our slice of the Denver metro area. In case anyone is not aware, it is okay for there to be differing views and opinions within the church. It is when there are no differing views or disagreements that the greatest problems exist within any organization. Be blessed this week, know that I would rather be with you all this Sunday than be at Fort Carson!
Week 14: Not needed in Archive
Week 15: The Church as the Guided Community
This week's topics is the Church as the Guided Community. If you heard my sermon this past Sunday, you heard me talk about the person of the Holy Spirit. As we sought to understand the Holy Spirit as the person within the triune God who "reaches out personally to relate to mankind," (Simon Ponsonby), there were a couple texts that showed the Holy Spirit as the one who directs and guides the church. We saw specific texts in Acts and in Paul's writings, but you can see it throughout the story of the early church we see in our New Testament, but also in much of church history. So what exactly does this mean and what is our role in this?
I do want to note that there have been dark times in church history when humans were directing the church in evil, political, and selfish directions. One could consider the crusades, the doctrine of discovery in imperialism, and so many other things that the church global has done when not seeking the Spirit's guidance while also not allowing the Holy Spirit it to lead.
Among many things to celebrate the early church for, one is their reliance, obedience, and submission to God's Spirit. When we look at the book of Acts, for example, we see the leaders of the church constantly praying, waiting, and obeying God's directions. I imagine that they remembered what Jesus said to them that they must abide in him to produce fruit. They were told they would do greater things than Jesus did in his earthly ministry particularly in seeing his kingdom grow. But in order for this growth to happen, they had to abide in Jesus and his will. That is where the Helper comes in. As the Holy Spirit dwells within each individual believer and the church as a whole, abiding in Jesus is made possible, available, and potentially constant. They knew they had to rely on the Holy Spirit for the church to grow and for good fruit to be produced. In the darkest parts of church history, it is easy to look back with hindsight and see that they were not thinking with God's heart and desires first in their lives. Instead, we see greed, pride, arrogance, racism, sexism, xenophilia, sexual immorality, power hunger, and more. Those became the primary motivations for many within church leadership during those disappointing times. Yet there have always been those who are faithful to Jesus who carried his love and message well. The church saw growth in some places even during those difficult times. Why? Because even though many who were running large portions of the church were wolves in disguise, there were still faithful Christians who sought God's Spirit to lead them. But what does that look like for us? How do we live out our identity as the people who are led and guided by God himself?
As I mentioned above, some no longer sought God or to walk in His will while others remained faithful and sought his guidance. It is within that framework that we find how we are to live this out. It sounds easy doesn't it? But is it actually easy? I personally believe that living out the Christian faith is one of the most difficult things any human can attempt. The Gospel may be simple but it is not easy. The work is done for us and Jesus has atoned or covered our sins giving us forgiveness and reconciliation with God and humanity. However, living out the daily battle of obeying Jesus, choosing to abide in Him rather than all of the distractions available to us, choosing to love our enemies, choosing Jesus over own selfishness, and so much more is the challenge we all face. It is not easy. Yet we have a God who made his dwelling place within us to help us and equip us to do it. What we have to do is seek His help, allow Him to help, and pursue his leading with humility. Our God not only wants to lead the church as the global bride of Jesus and kingdom here on earth, but also each one of us, His children.
So then, we should seek His presence, guidance, and to obey Him not only for the church as a whole's sake but also our own individual selves. Who else knows the way in which we should go, how we should live, or what is best for us than the God of the universe who created all existence, created you uniquely and in His image, who died on the cross covered in your sin, your shame, your guilt, and who then put His Spirit to dwell in you and every member of His Kingdom. Seems appropriate, then, that he should be the one to lead us, right? Do you seek God's presence everyday? Do you ask Him to guide you and lead you? Do you pray for Lakewood Christian Fellowship and ask that God lead and guide this church well? Do you pray for the church and Kingdom here in Denver, in Colorado, the US, or church global? How do you think you could best pursue God's guidance in all these areas and more?
I encourage you to embrace God's Spirit and rely on His leading as you face the challenges of today, tomorrow, and next week. May God fill you with His Spirit so that you might walk in the fullness of His joy, His presence, and His love. May He guide each of you and may He guide our little church in the little slice of His Kingdom that He has given to us.
Week 16: The church as the Woshipping Community (Part One)
If you were to ask a roomful of theologians, or pastors, or church leaders what the first or greatest priority of the church is, the most common answer would likely see is worship. The Westminster Larger Catechism states that the chief end of humanity is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. "We would contend that worship, a response of love to God for his love to us in Christ through the Spirit, is the primary task and highest end of the church."^1
Worship in general is the specific and primary activity of the church when it gathers for its weekly services, small group gatherings, and other fellowship times. What does worship involve, then? Do we worship the Father and the Son, and not the Spirit? What does it mean to worship?
Before we get to all of that, I want to first talk about who we worship. Seems simple enough, but I believe it is important for us to realize we worship a Triune God. We are Christocentric or Christ centered but we embrace our God as being Triune or three in one. To help us understand this, I'm going to turn to Dr. Metzger and Dr. Harper.
"Trinitarian worship is the gift of participating through the Spirit in the Son's communion with the Father. And as we participate in this communion, God engages us in worship that authenticates what it means to be truly human. For personhood at its best and fullest is being 'in relation, in love, in communion.' (James Torrance) Non-trinitarian views of God, which typically focus [solely] on Christ as example, are in danger of turning worship into a response to God's call for behavior modification in order to placate him. For a non-trinitarian God, who is ontologically (at the core of his being) nonrelational, remains either distant and austere or immanent and impersonal. But the Triune God is neither distant nor impersonal in worship. For through his eternal relational love, the Father sent the Son to become one of us and, through the Spirit, one with us. To take this one step further, trinitarian worship begins with the eternal community of Father, Son, and Spirit, which calls the church into worship as participation in the divine life. This, then, results in a horizontal community of worship. Worship is not merely the church, eyes toward heaven entering into the life of God, but it is also the members of the church declaring God's worth to each other ('speaking to each other in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,' Colossians 3:16). Worship is an activity, indeed the activity par excellence of true human community."^1
This worship then that they are talking about and that I see in our Bible is more than simply singing songs on Sundays. Worship is communion, participation with God, response to His love, and pursuing Him. It involves bringing Him glory in how we live, and it involves leading those around us in worship by declaring God's goodness and worthiness to one another. After the destruction of the first temple, Jewish leaders were trying to figure out how they would worship God and follow his commandments without being able to offer, sacrifice, and sing in the temple. Eventually they developed the synagogue structure of villages or cities having a synagogue or building where they would worship by singing Psalms, reading/memorizing/reciting scripture, and honoring the Sabbath together. But before that and during that development, some Rabbis came up with something called kavanah. If you were to google that word and read wikipedia or something like that, you would see it described as being in the right frame of mind or heart posture before one recites prayers, reading scripture, or something along those lines. However, early forms of kavanah centered around the idea of living one's life in a way that was full of worship, honor, and glory to God. They recognized the need for a change in worship and realized that much of the Old Testament's underlying message for obedience involved a heart posture of obeying God and being mindful of Him in all that you do.
Over the next couple weeks, we will look at various aspects of worship and what it entails. But this week, think about how you worship in your everyday life. Do you honor God with your lips? With your thoughts? With your time? Are you seeking intentional time with him in communion? Do you worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit equally? Or even at all? How do you consider the Triune God while being Christ centered and being attentive to what He has done for you and how God is with you in every moment? How can you honor God in your daily activities? If worship is the primary activity and possibly even identity of the church (and thus individual Christians), are you actively living that out? How can you give it greater priority?
^1. Paul Louis Metzger and Brad Harper in "Exploring Ecclesiology."
Week 17: The church as the Worshipping Community (part two).
Before we go into the individual ways we participate in and are invited to worship, I think we should see worship as eschatological (end times) in nature. To help make sense of this and to explain it best, I will again turn to Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper from their book, "Exploring Ecclesiology."
“In his institution of the Eucharist, Jesus designates the meal as an eschatological (end times or eternity focused) celebration, proclaiming, ‘I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom’ (Matt. 26:29). Paul continues this theme for the church, explaining that whenever the church takes the bread and the cup, it proclaims Christ’s death until he comes (1 Cor. 11:26). And the redemptive work that the church celebrates, having been accomplished by Christ, still looks forward to its final application for a broken humanity. So when the church worships, it celebrates its future, already fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection, but not yet fully realized in his corporate body (The church)” (pg. 87).
We even see worship focused around the eternal promise and reality of our King Jesus in the Psalms, particularly in book five (Psalms 107-150). Psalm 107 serves as the introduction to this section and it reflects upon Israel’s captivity in Babylon, its return to the land, and the future hope that they look to. Psalm 110 may be a small psalm, but it packs rich eschatological and messianic statements.
1The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion, your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses, he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. 7 He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.
“In Psalm 110, we see Hebrew worship looking forward to the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, yet the affirmations of this psalm go way beyond David. Verse 1 speaks of a king who is coregent (joint ruler) with YHWH. This prophecy of one who would be both king and Lord is attributed to the Messiah by Jesus (Matt. 22:44), and to Jesus by Peter (Acts 2:34). Verse 4 looks forward to a king who would also be a legitimate and enduring priest, according to the order of Melchizedek, whose priesthood was seen as coming from a higher order predating that of Aaron (this is discussed in the book of Hebrews)” (pg. 88).
“In John chapters 1, 2, and 4 we see a temple imagery that harks back both to temple worship in general and to the eschatological anticipation of renewed temple worship found in passages like Ezekiel 43. In his graphic visions of the temple, the prophet watches, stunned, as YHWH responds to idolatrous priests by removing his glory from the temple. Then God shows Ezekiel the future, looking forward to a day when YHWH’s glory will return to the temple: not the temple built by Solomon, or even Herod, but one described in terms that transcend bricks and mortar. This is most likely the image in John’s mind as he connects Jesus to the temple. In John 1, the eternal Word of God takes on flesh and ‘tabernacles’ among human beings, and as he does, the disciples become witnesses of his glory. In John 2, he is the temple who will one day raise himself up after destruction. And in chapter 4, he is the new temple to whom all true worshippers will come to worship the Father. In Christ, the glory of God returns to the temple, which is Christ himself. Thus, it is now through Christ that all true worship will come to the Father. For John, Christian worship is fulfilling the Old Testament promise of a renewed worship, but as we would expect, it does so in a here and not-here kind of way. The worship of God through Christ, the new temple, reaches its apex for John in the New Jerusalem, where there is no temple, ‘because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.’ And the city does not need the light of the sun, ‘for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:22-23)” (pg. 89).
With all of that said, then, we can see that our worship is not merely in a building, not merely in the present. Our worship of the living God spans time and space in many ways. When we live out lives of worship, of glorifying God in what we do, spending time with Him, celebrating together as a church, and faithfully pursuing Jesus, we worship the Risen Savior as we look back at what He has done, as we look forward to what He will, and as we taste the future forever that is greater than our imaginations can capture! Our worship is eschatological because it involves our future reality both here and now! Our God is good, our God is with us, and there is more in store than we even know. As you seek to obey, worship, and follow our Triune God this week, I invite you to consider what it might be like to worship Him, delight in Him, and feel His love in our future reality where there are no more boundaries between God and His people. Between God and you. Consider how you can live your daily life in light of your future promise and assurance of eternity.
Week 18: Worship Part Three. Love at the center of worship.
Love at the center. "Humans can rightly worship God only after they understand his love in the midst of his holiness, so humans can truly glorify God only in response to his love. For humans with no awareness of God's love can respond to him only in terror or fear." Dr. Metzger and Dr. Harper emphasize love as the primary form of worship to God even before glorify. And you see above that they mention that we can only glorify God when responding to His initiating love. They go on to say, "As a relational activity through and through, worship must be more than a corporate declaration of the greatness of God, and even of his great acts of salvation on our behalf. Such worship can be too objective, lacking the subjective, relational component that is also important for true worship. What God initiates in his encounter with humanity, before all other things, is not a decree to save, but an objective and personal act of love that saves us. As John puts it, 'we love him, because he first loved us' (1 John 4:19)."
God initiates this relationship of love. You might be surprised to hear this, but even in the Old Testament law centering around the covenant, love is the central idea of why the Israelites received the law and why they were supposed to uphold the law. In Deuteronomy, the word for love is used over 20 times! Metzger and Harper claim, "Most of them are for human love for God. But clearly, that human love is in response to God's initiatory love. For his covenant with Israel is a covenant of love (Deut. 7:9, 12) and he promises to love his covenant people for a thousand generations (Deut. 5:10, 7:9)."
We see this emphasis on reciprocal love throughout the Bible. Paul even takes it to the point where we are now sons and daughters who get to call God father in an intimate, childlike way (Romans 8:15). "The Spirit, engaging the gathered church with the relational love of God in Christ, elicits a response of love in return, which leads of the desire of the church to glorify God." Next week, we will talk about glorifying God, but here in this quote, we see Dr. Metzger and Dr. Harper connect the Holy Spirit, love, and worship all together. And as mentioned above, this loving relationship is not only in the context of corporate gatherings, but also individual time with God. As we will mention later and have mentioned before when talking about community, worship needs to happen in community, but cannot be left to only that time.
When we love, we worship. When we worship we love.
So what does all of this mean for us as individuals? I think it involves intentional pursuit to love God. I think it involves obedience as Jesus told his disciples, "if you love me, you will keep my commands" (John 14:15). It certainly involves loving others, keeping God in the place of primary worship and attention in your life, and proclaiming your love to him. As mentioned above by Metzger and Harper, love is in response. When someone shows you love, is it not natural for most of us to reciprocate that love? When someone does something unselfish for us, do we not express gratitude and love? When we consider what Jesus has done for us, the love that led him to the cross to die covered in our sin and shame, the love that led him to victory over sin, death, and the grave, the love that led him to pursue you and all of us the church, should we not respond with love, adoration, gratitude, and devotion? This week, ask yourself if you are showing love to God. Are you showing love to your friends, family, and those around you? Are you reflecting the love that has led you to worship and follow our God? May we be known for our love, but first may we respond with love by living lives of love dedicated to God!
Week 19: Worship part three. Glory.
Below you will find an excerpt from "Exploring Ecclesiology" by Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper. It will help us in our discussion today.
"It is here that we talk of worship as the act of declaring God's immeasurable worth by proclaiming the glory of his person and works. Now glorifying God takes the form of celebration and thanksgiving. We celebrate and thank him for who he is -- for being the God who loves us, after which we can joyfully praise him for his holiness, and for all his other glorious attributes. We praise him for being the Creator, the one who has given us existence and who has manifested himself in our creation (Rev. 4:11; Psalm 29:3-10). We also celebrate and thank him for what he has done and will do. The people of Israel consistently rehearsed and rejoiced in the saving acts of God on their behalf, especially the paradigmatic redemption of the exodus, prefiguring the work of the Messiah, who would redeem his people from slavery to sin. Imagine the celebrative atmosphere of the Israelites as they find themselves separated from Pharaoh's army by the Reed Sea. Hundreds of years of slavery to Pharaoh are put behind them as God invites them into a new relationship as his 'captive' covenant people. There, on the shores of the Reed Sea, Moses and Miriam lead the people in a song of celebration and thanksgiving, both for who YHWH is and for his great act of salvation (Exodus 15:1-18). Stanley Grenz summarizes the matter this way: 'Above all... the people of God were to worship him for his saving acts... Through its corporate worship life, the community gathers to commemorate the foundational events of our spiritual existence, at the center of which is the action of God in Christ delivering humankind from the bondage of sin.'"
So then, we glorify God by telling, declaring, and living out what Jesus has accomplished. To glorify involves speaking of what God has done for you and for all of us. It leads us to recognize our place in the process as those who need grace and could not get it themselves but received it by the finished work of Jesus. Humanity's primary purpose on earth is to glorify God. This means that we are to worship him for who he is, we are to declare with gratitude what He has done for us, and we are to live our lives with the desire and intention to please him.
As I said at the end there, to glorify God is so much more than simply while at church, while praising Him with music, even more than simply meditating on His written word the Bible. To glorify God is to live for Him. It is to declare his goodness and likeness to the world around us. It is to live lives of thankfulness and gratitude at not only what God has done, but who God is.
As you read this, stop and consider how often you praise and thank God for who He is. We are often focused on what God does or what people do in our lives as the reason why we respond to them with good or bad intentions. Yet when we love someone, it is more often for who they are. Take your parent, spouse, friend, children, or whoever it may be and consider why you love them. If it is merely for what they do for you then it is surface level, but if it is for who they are and is not dependent on their actions, then it reflects the genuine love we receive from God. Therefore, we ought to love God, glorify God, declare God's likeness to the world for who He is, not only what He does. Consider how you can live a life of glorifying God daily that reflects a life of loving worship.
Week 20: Worship part four. The Word.
In our modern world, we often see worship existing in the form of music, art, or glorifying God. We have discussed love and glory the last two weeks, and while I have mentioned scripture reading briefly, there is more to it when it comes to worship. What we have seen in recent decades in various church traditions is either a hyper focus on the word and the preaching of the word to the point where it is not part of worship but above it. Or on the other hand where it is secondary to music, art, and tradition. I think there is a balance to be found.
Since the beginning of church history, the reading of God's word has been a regular part of worship both in smaller gatherings and larger church gatherings. They would often read from a prophet or Old Testament text then an epistle or from Acts then a Gospel. And in between each of these readings, they would sing, chant, or recite Psalms. Worship services centered around God's word. For each of the readings, someone would offer a homily (teaching or explanation of the text). This is why we have preaching today. However, we center much of our service around preaching and it is typically in a single text. In some liturgical backgrounds, people still do the readings like those mentioned above. In Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and others you would see some of these old traditions alive and well.
Reading God's word, proclaiming it by explaining what it means, and proclaiming the message of Jesus that is in the text and leads us to Him is vital aspects of church service because it is worship. You may have noticed that I often will pray or mention that the time of preaching is an extension or continuation of our worship. I am intentional with that because our church gatherings are worship services. Like we have mentioned before that the primary purpose of the church and humanity is to worship God, then our church gatherings should be saturated or filled with worship at all times. From our time of music, call to worship, prayer, reading of texts, announcements, preaching of God's word, and even the benediction or closing should all reflect worship. We are declaring God's worthiness to one another. We are centering our hearts, minds, spirits, and bodies on Christ. I think of each of our tenets in worship should have equal standing. The music, the preaching, the reading of God's word, prayer, and communion are all important pieces of our collective worship of God together.
But reading God's word, studying it, explaining it, talking about it is not and should not be limited to church gatherings whether those be our large worship services, our small group gatherings, prayer nights, or anything like that. The reading of God's word and all of these aspects of meditating upon it should be regular practices in our daily lives individually and with others. If you are single, it can be with a friend. If you are married, your spouse. If you are a parent, your kid(s). You get the idea. Reading and meditating on God's word should happen in our private lives as part of our worship, commitment to, and following of Jesus. Yet it also needs to be part of our communal life of walking with both the believer and non-believer in making disciples of the people around us. God's written word points to the living word Jesus and it shapes and reshapes us to be like Jesus. Reading and understanding God's word can be intimidating and difficult. There are countless resources to help with this and I am one of them. In the coming months, we will have a small group that will dive into understanding scripture better and it is my hope to make it easier and clearer through what I speak on Sunday mornings as well. Please don't let the challenges of understanding our ancient texts be an obstacle when it comes to spending time with God and worshiping Him through the word.
Response questions:
Have you unevenly prioritized aspects of worship in church services? In your personal time/life?
In what ways can you make reading and studying God's word a bigger aspect of your worshiping life?
How can I better help you to understand and grow from your reading of God's word?
Week 21: Worship part five. Communion.
This coming Sunday we will have the typical church communion consisting of a table at the front of church service with grape juice and a wafer like bread. This past Sunday, we had a church BBQ that some Christian leaders would consider solely fellowship, but some like me would consider it a time of communion. For most of us, our church experience of communion has primarily or maybe only consisted of communion as a time in a church service with a wafer or piece of bread with grape juice or wine. But this is a little different from what we see in the New Testament and in some early church traditions. A significant part of Jesus' ministry was around the meal table with people where he would have conversations, teachings, and prayer. We see the last supper where he institutes communion take place around a meal during a holiday feast. We see in the Corinthian church that there were large meals that were part of the church service as well. (It must be said however, that Paul does not celebrate how they did their time of communion as it consisted of economic segregation, gluttony, and drunkenness). Now I am not proposing that communion for church services can only be by the way of a large corporate meal or even the table with some form of bread and some form of grape drink.
Instead, I want us to see that communion is worship. At the core of what communion represents, celebrates, and brings together is worship. Communion cannot be separated from worship. It is innately part of worship because of the way it facilitates an encounter with Christ for us, it is celebration to what Jesus has done and thus it brings him glory, and it proclaims Jesus' death and resurrection while looking forward to his return. Communion is a beautiful glimpse of God's kingdom in understanding the kingdom to be now and not yet. We celebrate and remember what Jesus has done in reconciling us to God, we also encounter Jesus as being part of our time together, and yet we know there is more to come as it is just a glimpse of God's eternal presence with us. We encounter and praise God in the present with the hopeful anticipation of the future reality that we will experience with Him. Finally, one more reason it is worship according to Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper, "The sacrificial ethos of the bread and wine as the body and blood of the Lamb of God calls to the participant to offer himself or herself as a living sacrifice God for the sake of Christ [see Romans 12:1-2]" (Exploring Ecclesiology, page 107).
Whether communion takes place in our worship service, in our church small groups, in your home with your family, or wherever, consider it an extension of worship to God. I challenge you to think about and consider how a typical meal with other believers can be a time of communion and worship. I think each meal is an opportunity to consider the God who provided that meal and to consider what Jesus has done for us so that we are not simply enjoying food alone, but instead we are enjoying food with God and possibly others. How can you invite others into that experience of oneness and worship through the meal?
Week 22: Worship part six. Prayer.
While I have mentioned prayer in this series in passing, it is necessary to discuss it as a very important aspect of Christian worship. What is the point or purpose of prayer? If you and I were to go to 5 churches, 5 mosques, 5 synagogues, 5 buddhist temples, 5 hindu temples, 5 secular university classrooms, and 5 megachurch pastors and asked the question what is the purpose of prayer, we would get an array of answers. I suspect some would answer that it is to receive insight and answers to problems. Some would say inner peace and tranquility. Some would say it is to obey what their god(s) commanded. You may wonder why we would ask all of these various groups. Well, according to Barna in 2017, prayer is the most common faith practice of Americans regardless of their faith background or identity. According to a poll conducted in 2014, the majority of prayer in America is aimed at self or close family/friends. How many do you think would say the purpose of prayer is worship? In that poll, only 37% say that their prayer ever involves the greatness of God.
Throughout this look into the church as the worshipping community, I have emphasized how our role as humans is to glorify, praise, and celebrate who God is and what he has done in our everyday lives, our large church gatherings, and our small gatherings with others. Worship is supposed to be at the center of the Christian life. And yet prayer has become focused on self. According to this poll, the majority of prayer takes place alone. So it seems prayer in America takes place alone and is self-centered. Does that line up with what we see in God's scriptures? Is the purpose of prayer for oneself and to be done alone?
No. What we see in the Old and New Testaments are times of corporate and individual prayer. And the prayer almost always consists of some form of worship or praise. Even in laments (psalm or poem of mourning/grieving), the vast majority include a response back to worship, praise, and thanksgiving. But beyond all of that, I would argue the purpose of prayer is communion. It is not to get an answer, it is not for inner change, it is not blind obedience. Yes answers do happen sometimes, yes, we should obey God's charges for us to pray, and yes God's Spirit does transform us often in times of prayer. But these byproducts of prayer do not make up the purpose. The purpose is meeting with God and entering into His presence. We have discussed in the past the importance of abiding in Christ. We remain clinging to Jesus when we seek Him, whether it be by reading Scripture, taking part in communion, praying, seeking to glorify Him, seeking His presence throughout the day, and even more. But prayer ought to be among the foundations of worship. I would argue it goes Scripture then prayer then songs as the three most vital components of Christian worship and engagement with God. That does not mean we choose one over the others. It means we seek to worship God in what we do. Our prayers should be individual and communal, and they should focus on bringing praise and giving thanks to God for all that He is and all that He has done.
As you consider all that I have stated, I encourage you to meditate on the two things below. Consider how they tie in with what we have discussed and keep them in mind as you pray in response to God by engaging with Him in worship.
Matthew 6:5-15
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.[a]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,[b]
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,[c]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.[d]
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper: "All the world worships. And worship is always relational. From the pagan cultures of Abraham’s day to the present, the worship of religious idols has always been about connection with and favor from the person of power represented by those idols. And as Americans worship at the altar of consumerism, bowing down before more and more stuff, worship is still about relationships. From the college guy who saves his money for a sports car to ‘impress the chicks,’ to the woman who hopes for a bigger house in order to run in a more elite social strata, we are all willing to sacrifice ourselves for and pay homage to whatever will make us more well connected. God wants to be well connected to his people, and his people to be connected to one another, for they together, are his beloved bride. It is in the church’s worship that the communal God engages his communal bride.
Week 23: Baptism.
This past Sunday, we celebrated Sarah Soto's baptism and sharing of her testimony. It was a beautiful celebration of what incredible things God has done in her life. Leading up to her baptism and now after, I have been thinking about the significance of baptism. It is such an important aspect of our Christian faith as we identify with Jesus in His life, death, and resurrection, as we recognize the regeneration His Spirit has done in us, and as we therefore declare outwardly the inner transformation God's Spirit has done in us.
Before Sarah's baptism, I read from Romans 6. As I reflected on that text in the weeks leading up to her baptism and now in the last couple days, I can't help but think of the connection between our baptism and communion. They are very different, and yet they are two ordinances Jesus gave the church that we are to do regularly. (Baptism, I believe is a one time thing for each individual, maybe twice but when I say regularly I mean the church as a whole). What I see in comparison; however, is the call to remember, the call to celebrate, and the call to look forward. When we take part in communion, we look back to all Jesus has done, we evaluate ourselves, we celebrate Jesus' work and His presence with us, and we look forward with hopeful anticipation at His return. I think we can do the same with our baptism. We can look back at it and celebrate that we have identified with Jesus in His life, death, and resurrection, that He has rescued us, that He has put His Spirit in us, and that we have been raised to new life. When we celebrate baptisms like Sarah's, it should stir in us a celebratory reminder of our baptism, and yet give us a desire to look forward with hope and trust that what Jesus has given us and started in us will one day become a fully reality. We have eternal life because of the eternal presence of Jesus that has been offered to us because of Jesus once and for all death on the cross and resurrection power over death.
Have you been baptized? Do you remember it? Were you excited? Scared? Anxious? Indifferent? Do you look back on your baptism with joy? How can you remind yourself of your baptism to spur you on in faith and obedience to Jesus?
If you have not been baptized? What is holding you back?
Week 24: Army update; transition
I just want to give everyone an update as this past weekend was bittersweet for me. There are always transitions in life, and this past weekend involved an important one for me. I had been with the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion since I joined the Army Reserve. I knew the majority of my Soldiers, I loved the unit's mission set, and it was a great place to be. This August was my 5 year anniversary of serving at that unit. But this weekend was my last time with them as their Battalion Chaplain. My transfer paperwork is being submitted for me to go to the 321st Engineer Battalion. I won't have Army in September, which will be a welcome break, but by October, I should be the Battalion Chaplain of the 321st. This past weekend was bittersweet as I said goodbye to many Soldiers who I will likely never see again, I welcomed a new chaplain who I trained all weekend, and I thought of all the memories I have of serving alongside and learning with this unit. But it is sweet because I can look back on this unit with fondness and look forward to the new unit with excitement and uncertainty.
The new unit has its headquarters in Boise, Idaho with several engineer companies (subordinate units) across several states (Ogden, UT; Missoula, MT; Spokane, WA; Hayden, ID; Tacoma, WA, and I believe one other location in Oregon). So you might be wondering why I would change units when I currently only had to drive to Fort Carson. Fair question. I would have been moved without choice in about 8 months. However, I have felt it was time to move on for the last few months. As I considered leaving the unit and where I would go, I began by considering what the best unit would be for where I would transfer. My mindset focused on the type of unit and their mission set, where they were located, and if it were good for my career. But quickly, I realized that this mindset is the same for most people in the Army. However, chaplains should be different from everyone else in the way that we view where to go. Instead of thinking of where I want to be, I had to consider where I need to be.
If you were at church on Sunday, you met Christian Rainbolt. Christian is a friend of mine and a chaplain candidate in the Army Reserve who is assigned to the 321 EN BN. As Christian has faced many challenges serving this unit without a supervisory chaplain, I spoke with him regularly. The 321st has faced lots of challenges and hardships in the last year or two. It became clear that I needed to go there to be able to serve their Soldiers. It may involve more travel, it may involve more field training, it may involve a completely different type of mission, but it is where I need to be.
Why am I sharing this? One, to give an update. But two, because I think we can apply this thinking to ourselves as Christians. When we follow Jesus, it involves selflessness that puts others first. So instead of asking what I want to do, where I want to be, or how can others get me what I want, we can say I am going to do what is best for others, I will be where I am needed, and I will serve as God's messenger wherever I am.
How can you reframe decisions in your life that reflect obedience and submission to God's will? I know I would not have selected the 321st. I would not have pursued that opportunity. But God works things in mysterious ways quite often.
Week 25: Equip the saints for ministry.
Over the last several days, I have spoken to people in churches in various US states. Many of them shared frustration over a lack of volunteers, leaders, and even being able to recruit qualified youth pastors, children's ministry directors, and more. No matter the church size, volunteers and leaders seem to always be needed. As I discussed with each of these church pastors and leaders, we considered different people we knew who could help recruit young people for pastoral or paid positions. Even at LCF during board meetings, we try to think through who could or would lead various things, both big and small. The needs of the Kingdom are great, not because God is lacking, but because he wants us to partner with him and he chooses to use us for his purposes. And yet, I would argue one of the most pressing concerns in the American church is marginal commitment and association. This marginal association and commitment is both to Jesus and to community. It should be no surprise that our consumer driven society has created consumer driven church where the primary focus of church is individual benefit. Volunteering and leading should always come from a heart of selfless service. But before we can even discuss that, I think we should better understand one of the primary purposes of teaching and preaching in the church.
If you were to ask American Christians about the top five purposes of preaching and teaching in the church, I seriously doubt that "Equip the saints for ministry" would be mentioned by even 33%. A quick google search did not appear to show any polling for this particular question, but it did show a few sources that claimed over 80% of people in the US find the quality of preaching as the most important aspect of an individual church and whether or not they will attend there. I would imagine that most of those people are desiring personal edification and what they personally want to hear. I would take issue that most people want to "attend" a church not commit to one but that is for a different day.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Here in Ephesians, Paul is talking about the specific gift roles found within the church and he states that he says God gave to the church "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." I would argue that this work is ministry to Jesus directly, to the church community, and to those outside the church with hope that they turn and trust in Jesus' finished work. This work of ministry involves volunteering to serve the local church body, leading them well when in leadership, and proclaiming the gospel to those outside the church. Many modern Christians expect full time church staff to effectively minister to and reach those outside of the church despite the fact that they spend most of their paid time interacting with and planning for time with the church. Paul envisioned the church as a whole ministering effectively to those outside of Jesus' church so that they would come to faith. Going back to the problem posed in the first paragraph. Instead of looking for people in Christian schools, other churches and their ministries, we should be equipping those within the church for ministry. I say this recognizing that over the last few years, so many of you at LCF have stepped up in big ways to serve, lead, and care for God's flock at LCF. But we cannot lose this idea that one of my roles is to equip YOU for the work of ministry and the building up of the church. As we move into small groups and various sermon series, keep in mind that one of my goals is to equip you for ministry. But just like sanctification, you are not to be passive in the process. I invite you to consider and seek ways that you can serve LCF, minister to those outside LCF, and help lead Christ's movement in this part of the Denver area. How can you equip those around you? In what ways can I better equip you? Know that I am here to serve, equip, and love you all, but I don't have all the answers or solutions.
Week 26: Testimonies.
Last week, I had a former coworker reach out to me saying he wanted to talk about the Bible. He became a Christian in the last couple years but was relying on a book other than the Bible to shape his ideas, thoughts, and theology concerning Jesus. He realized this book helped him in many ways but could not replace the Bible. He and I got lunch on Saturday and talked for a few hours. We talked about a whole host of things including some high level doctrine and theology. He feels that one day God will call him into pastoral ministry, but yet he stated his embarrassment over his testimony.
It was a very specific aspect of his testimony. He wasn't embarrassed for his overcoming of addiction and sin, but more of his story of coming to Christ. His experience with this non-biblical book had shaped much of his theology and experience with God. While it did bring good by leading him to trust in Jesus' atoning sacrifice, he was unsure how he could share his story to others and not get weird looks or criticism. My response to him during our conversation and even through texts before getting together was this. We all bring our own ideas of who God is when we come to the bible. Sometimes it is cultural influence, other religious influence, and even our own personal influence that shapes how we think of God and how we interpret the bible. I told him that it wasn't something to be embarrassed of, but instead something to celebrate as God pursued and rescued him from the false notions of who God is. His testimony also has power for those who have relied on false doctrines of salvation as well. I told him about Mormons, Jehovah's witnesses, works based righteousness, and other false forms of what is claimed to be Christianity. There are people who read other books and believe in the wrong things and yet Jesus finds them. There is power in his testimony regardless of what he thinks right now.
I also shared with him my own story and testimony, then told him that part of the reason why we share testimonies is to stir up a testimony and faith in those who don't have one yet. There was a point in my life where I was embarrassed of aspects of my own story. Maybe you have experienced that or still do. But that is okay. There is power in your story and faith in Jesus. If you are afraid or embarrassed to tell it, is it out of pride, fear, or something else? For some of us, we don't think that God could use our story to help others find theirs, but I think that is a deceiving thought not from God. God is capable of more than we know.
How can you use your story to help someone this week? How can you look at your story or testimony not with embarrassment but with gratitude for all God has done? I encourage you to look for opportunities to share Gospel stories with the people around you. Your story matters just like you matter. You are more than your story, more than what you have done, and more than what has been done to you. You are a child of God. Going back to this week's sermon, you are an adopted child placed in the position of the firstborn heir, which is a remarkable story. Maybe you can start there and tell someone about that.
Week 27: Seek the gift.
This past Saturday at Coffee Talks, we started our conversation by looking at the Spiritual Gifts found in our New Testament. This led to us discussing a number of things, but one thing in particular become a focal point and something that has stuck with me. Ken Brisco brought up the fact that in many of the non-western countries in the world where the church is growing, new or younger believers are encouraged to seek and ask for God's gifting/equipping. This led to us discussing how it differs from the US and the west. For many people, they are told to seek the calling and identity in this world and whether they are called to ministry, a particular career, a life of celibacy, a life of marriage and possibly children, or even called to being a volunteer, an elder, or a deacon/deaconess. We have put so much pressure on feeling called to something rather than seeking God and saying use me in whatever way you want. Oh, how often it is that God uses people who are ill-equipped in the eyes of the world, but gifts and equips them so that they can carry out the work he has for them. Imagine that they simply waited for the calling or a feeling that they should do something.
Have you ever asked God to equip or gift you for the church and the world so that God could use you? We often gravitate toward the gifts of the Spirit and those who operate in them as though the gift itself is something incredible and personal. But the gifts of the Spirit are not merely for the individual, they are for the church and to demonstrate God's loving power to the world. Even the father of the Pentecostal movement said, "The Pentecostal power, when you sum it all up, is just more of God's Love. If it does not bring more love, it is simply counterfeit" (William J. Seymour). We would likely all state that we are to love God and love others. And yet how often do we pray and ask God to gift or equip us to love people better via his power? Probably not often enough, right? In the past, we have talked about a lack of volunteers. And in the US, we can see a lack of disciplemaking and evangelization apart from paid ministers, and missionaries from other countries. We often think we have to be called, educated, or trained enough in order to minister to others, disciple others, and to serve in church leadership. But instead of questioning and waiting for a Samuel like moment where God audibly calls him, we should be saying, "Jesus we already identify with you, we seek to follow you, and so we offer ourselves to you for you to use us however you want. I know I cannot do much of anything of kingdom value apart from you, so I not only need your presence, but I also need your Spirit to fill me, equip me, and gift me so that you can use me effectively." Are you bold enough to pray that prayer?
I encourage you to consider how God can and wants to use you wherever you are in life. Consider what gifts he has already given you, and humbly ask for more. Commit yourself to God's kingdom and allow him to work through you in whatever way he desires. Be willing to partner with the Holy Spirit in receiving power that leads to bringing more love. Love to God and love to others.
Week 28: The Privatization of the Christian Life.
Before reading below, please click this link and read the Barna article. This article speaks about the current state of private and communal aspects of Christian lives. What I found striking and surprising is that the Boomer generation is the one who sees their spiritual life as private more than the other generations. Over the last 25-30 years, the increase of private/individual Christianity has seemed to skyrocket. For arguably the first time in church history, faith in Jesus has become so personalized that discipleship and community have become optional or at the very least marginal. But, this is not the picture of the early church or the church in history.
Don't get me wrong, there is a personal, private aspect to following Jesus. Even Jesus would take time away from his disciples to pray and rest. There is nothing wrong with having a good, private rhythm with God. However, life as a Christian is not purely personal or private. When we read the Old Testament and New Testament, we see people live out faith in community. Worship is primarily conducted communally. Communion is almost exclusively seen in a small group or church gathering. Confession is lived out communally. Reading scripture was done orally and in gatherings. Praying for one another was done in groups or church services. Preaching and teaching was only done in community. Discipleship required friendships, mentorship, accountability, and more which all occurred face to face. Now, it must be said that throughout much of church history, most people were illiterate, thus they relied heavily on church leaders and those who could read, communicate well, and could teach them to be disciples without being able to read the Bible for themselves. Having a personal Bible, books, and more is not bad, but they cannot replace life in community. Now are our lives are busy, somehow sometimes busier (or seemingly) than the past when people would work 6, sometimes 7 days per week. We simply prioritize and fill our schedules with other things. And I am certainly guilty of this. Living out faith in the context of community requires intentionality, humility, ownership, selflessness, and love. Things that are not easy.
My challenge is this: do you define your faith or spiritual life as primarily being a private matter? Does that represent the life of Jesus and what he has called you to as a disciple? How can you be more intentional to live out your faith with others? Are you being discipled? Are you discipling? Who in your life could disciple you? Who can you disciple? Who can you walk beside and share your spiritual life with? If you are married, is you and your spouse's spiritual life solely private, or do you both spend time with Jesus together and with others?
There are a number of things you can do in community at LCF and outside LCF. I encourage you to avoid falling into the hyper-individualism of our culture and seek to live out following Jesus with a loving family/community such as LCF. We are not perfect at this and we don't claim to be. But we can figure it out and walk it out together!
Week 29: Kingdom effectiveness.
Yesterday, Lauren and I found ourselves discussing various things involving finances, evangelism, discipleship, missions, and even schooling. It led us to discussing kingdom effectiveness and how we can best impact the world and what we have for Christ. Before we get into determining what is effective or ineffective and what questions to ask, let us first consider what effectiveness means. In our day and age, we prioritize efficiency: how quickly you get things done, how much profit can be gained with the least amount of employees, the number of tasks you can get done in a given day, and so on. But what is more important, efficiency or effectiveness?
Let us consider an example from the life of Jesus. The preaching to hundreds or thousands in large crowds would be the most efficient way to see his teachings spread across the land. But instead, Jesus teaches large crowds and yet spends most of his time with just 12 young men who he disciples by living life with and among them. His death and resurrection that brings the good news of restoration between God and men is then proclaimed and lived out by these 12 young men and others who embraced Jesus before and after his resurrection. One could argue that what Jesus did was then inefficient, and yet it was effective.
Let's consider an example often used by Stephen Covey (an author who looks at effectiveness in business and personal relationships). There are two lumberjacks who start and end their days at the same time doing the same thing. They go out and cut trees all day. One stays out and does it all day while the other one disappears in the middle of each day for about an hour. The one who stays out all day is always shocked to find that at the end of each day, the other lumberjack has chopped down more trees than himself. Finally, after many days, he goes to the other lumberjack and asked him where he goes everyday for that hour. The other lumberjack tells him that he goes and sharpens his axe.
What is more effective, continuously striving and working, or taking time away to make your work easier and more effective? Efficiency does not equal effectiveness. When I worked in sales, it may have been more efficient to quickly get customers in and out by selling them only what that person came in for and helping more people in a day. But when a salesman does that, they usually end the day and month with worse metrics and lower pay than someone who took time with their customer to determine their needs and recommend solutions that fit those needs. Effectiveness resulted in more profit and sales than efficiency. Now, don't mishear me, God's kingdom is not about profit or sales, but I would argue that it involves effective discipleship, evangelism, stewardship, and more.
Over the next few weeks, this corner will consist of ways of measuring effectiveness in the church, but today let's consider a few questions to ask ourselves. My mother-in-law was here this past weekend and while we were driving at one point, she asked me what I want to see at LCF in the future. Initially, I stumbled over my words because I got stuck in my head considering how we often measure success or effectiveness in pastoral ministry. Most often, church attendance is the primary focus where we want to see numerical growth. And yet here in the US, most church growth is found in church transfers meaning people coming from other churches. Therefore, one church is growing, another is shrinking, and God's kingdom remains the same size. I have often stated my primary measure of success in church is spiritual growth not numerical growth by God's transformation of people's lives then launching them in ministry. Therefore, what is your measure of success as a church member? As a disciple? As a disciplemaker?
Here are some other questions Lauren and I considered. What is the most kingdom effective way to use your finances to see people receive the gospel? Do you know how to effectively share the gospel with unbelievers? If not, are you willing to learn? Do you effectively disciple others? Are you being discipled? Are you satisfied to simply sit by as a member of the church? Or do you want to be the church by living out and proclaiming the gospel through effective ministry?
Week 30: Measuring growth.
What is effective church growth? Much of our society is shaped by numerical growth whether it be the size of a company, the financial profits of individuals and corporations, and more. This attitude has also swept its way into the church where church growth and ministry effectiveness is often directly tied to numerical growth. But is this growth effective?
Short answer: yes and no. Long answer: it's complicated. Let's start by considering numerical church growth. "Growing churches are primarily growing through transfer growth. Only 6 percent to 7.5 percent are growing through conversions. The majority of growing churches are simply recirculating the saints." The data here has to do with a study of Southern Baptist churches, but other studies I looked at had the numbers often even lower. This means that the overwhelming majority of church growth has nothing to do with new people receiving the gospel. The article above states that the churches that are seeing new conversions are incredibly intentional in their evangelistic efforts. So if only 6-7.5% of church growth in the US is from new believers, is measuring church growth effective? Many churches report that they rarely have new converts on a yearly basis, so if we are measuring church effectiveness in the US by the rate of new believers, we are failing massively.
If the majority of church growth is transfers, does that mean measuring effectiveness by numbers is ineffective or simply bad? Not necessarily. Here is why. If we measure numerical growth by itself and view church transfers alone, then it seems ineffective. But, if we measure by spiritual growth and see church transfer growth as places where people are growing closer in their walk with Jesus and are then living out their discipleship through loving the people around them, serving and worshipping Jesus, and seeking to share the gospel with others, then it can be effective. We know that not all churches are the same and that many people are not involved in church life, are not being discipled let alone discipling others, and maybe don't have a foundation in their faith. If they leave to go to a different church where they start to receive the things above and live out their discipleship, then that would seem effective, right?
Church growth numerically can be good and bad, it can be a measure of effective ministry and it cannot be. Here is the point, if it is the primary measure of effectiveness, it probably is lacking. But if another measure of success such as: spiritual growth and involvement in discipling/being discipled, then numerical growth can have a role and positive impact in seeing lives transformed as the church effectively lives out its identity.
So what do we do with this information as individuals and the LCF family? 1. Are you measuring LCF's effectiveness of ministry by numerical growth or spiritual growth? 2. Are you yourself committing to deeper spiritual growth in both being discipled and making disciples? 3. Are you embracing the idea that Spiritual Gifts and church leadership roles are there to equip you for ministry (Eph. 4) meaning both discipleship of others, worship, evangelism, and more? 4. Are you praying for spiritual growth at LCF, in your friends and family's lives? 5. How can LCF's leadership better help you grow in your spiritual walk as a follower of Jesus?
Week 31: Effective Discipleship.
Going back to our conversation on efficiency vs. effectiveness, let us evaluate church discipleship. Most churches rely on Sunday services, small group gatherings including prayer nights, bible studies, and other group gatherings. However, much of the time, these gatherings do not consist of deep discipleship or one on one discipleship. Sunday services center around worship, teaching/preaching, and fellowship. Discipleship is not a regular aspect of most church Sunday gatherings. Small group gatherings can involve discipleship, but it is often a surface level encouragement and teaching. Prayer gatherings, Sunday school, and house small groups are great, and yet they often lack in personal discipleship. Looking at our church, each week we have a Sunday service and at least one other group gathering. In those gatherings, there can be fellowship and communion, but not always effective discipleship. In our modern world, the church interacts less and less. Is this model efficient? Is it effective?
What is the model of discipleship we see from Jesus? He spent his three years of ministry primarily living among 12 young men, teaching small groups of people with very occasional large crowds, and eating meals with people. Jesus spent much of his personal ministry with people around the dinner table speaking with them and teaching them. As for the disciples, as he went place to place, he taught them, did life with them, and lived as their example in how to live in dependence to God. He did this by teaching them, praying in front of them, reading the Old Testament and interpreting it, healing people, proclaiming the kingdom of God both to them and to people around them, and even more. What Jesus' example shows us, then, is that effective discipleship involves doing life with people. It is a comprehensive approach of being an example, caring for one another, and pursuing God's presence together. Let's take a look at a couple definitions.
Our MidAmerica District defines a disciple as: "a follower of Jesus -- becoming like him in character and priorities." The definition of disciplemaking is: "Intentionally engaging in the life of another for the purpose of helping them know Jesus, become more like Him in character and priorities, and then helping the new disciple do the same with yet another." This idea of disciplemaking involves two things, then. Being discipled and making disciples. If we are to intentionally engage each other with the aspiration of helping them know Jesus and become like Him, then that intentionality ought to occur more than simply at a church service or small group gathering. While those gatherings are easy to involve others to make us think that it is efficient, it seems ineffective in seeing lives transformed.
Therefore, my hope is that in the coming months our small groups will continue to foster a discipling culture that will also involve one on one intentional discipleship. As LCF seeks to integrate this into our DNA and life together, I encourage you to be proactive by taking initiative now.
How can you best be discipled? Are you asking someone or seeking ways to be discipled? Are you finding others to disciple? Effective discipleship involves good mentorship and instruction that will come later, but for now how can you effectively disciple those around you? It can be as simple as inviting them into your walk with Jesus to help them be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and eventually join Jesus in his kingdom work.
***NOTE*** - This conversation is not a critique of our church services, small groups, or other group gatherings. Not at all. Instead, it is a recognition of their purpose. Most of those gatherings have multiple purposes and aspirations in serving both Jesus and others. Discipleship is not their primary emphasis (usually) but is a byproduct of the gathering. If you know me, you know that I am a huge proponent of small group gatherings and Sunday services, but these gatherings often center around fellowship, communion, worship, teaching or preaching, and more. The emphasis on one on one discipleship is to intentionally embrace Jesus' model and command of making disciples with the added possibility of evangelism. You can disciple someone who doesn't know Jesus through discipleship of showing them Jesus. Getting someone who doesn't know Jesus to come to a small group or Sunday gathering is much more difficult. ***NOTE***
Week 32: Effective finances part one: justice, ethics, and our financial choices.
Over the next couple weeks, I want to talk about effective finances in regards to God's Kingdom. I am not a financial expert nor do I want to be one. There are a number of those who you can turn to. The purpose of this conversation is to discuss how we decide to spend our finances separated from our financial standing; it is more to do with how financial decisions might impact God's Kingdom. What if our individual decisions to buy certain clothing, certain foods, and from certain retailers/outlets have a major impact on social justice? Much of our food, clothing, and other things we buy come from sources using human manipulation that can consist of slave labor, human trafficking, and unsafe work environments. And yet we can contribute to this problem based on what and from where we buy our goods.
Here is a background on forced labor. "The International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote decent work, reports that at any given time, an estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery . By many accounts that’s the highest number of people in modern slavery than at any other period of time. Modern slavery takes many forms, including domestic servitude, sex trafficking, forced labor, child labor, and criminal exploitation. Of those in modern slavery, 24.9 million are living in conditions of forced labor, and of those 24.9 million, 16 million are exploited in the private sector . Forced labor refers to work undertaken involuntarily, often through manipulation, and typically enforced by threat of physical violence, deportation, or financial obligation. The most common types of forced labor in the apparel industry are bonded labor, labor resulting from trafficking, and state-imposed forced labor." (source: https://humanrights.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/reyes_mullins_an_investor_guide_to_addressing_forced_labor_in_the_apparel_industry_mdp_july_2020.pdf there is much more in this study that speaks to this problem)
Here is a site with some ethical/sustainable clothing options: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing (NOTE: I do not endorse or sponsor any of these companies or websites).
Here is a site with some of the big name fashion companies known to use forced labor. https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/fashion-brands-that-still-use-sweatshops
The use of forced labor in clothing is seen across the board in the US with most of the largest clothing and shoe companies having been found to source items from forced labor factories in one way or another. There has been recent attention to Nike and other companies with the Uyghur people in Western China, and yet the problem extends far beyond that. Fast fashion and cheap products has created this injustice. As Christians specifically in the US where we are far and away more wealthy than most of the world, we must ask ourselves if we want to be indifferent to this injustice or if we want to see change. Change can be as small as changing how we decide to spend our finances.
But before we get to that, let's talk food. "Sourcing data from both governments and non-profits, Blackstone and her co-authors looked at where 93 different fruits and vegetables were sourced from, and cross-referenced this data with what different countries’ labor laws looked like... In the end, 85 percent of food-country combinations had a high risk of incorporating forced labor somewhere in the supply chain. Seven percent scored as having a very high risk. To those of us accustomed to only considering our foods’ environmental impact, this is quite a staggering percentage."(https://www.earth.com/news/forced-labor-is-a-big-part-of-the-food-supply-chain/)
You can refer to the following links to see some of the food items and companies where forced labor is often found in supply chains. https://civileats.com/2016/10/25/did-slaves-produce-your-food-forced-labor/
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods
There are labels like Fair Trade Certified that can tell us if companies are compensating their laborers properly and avoiding forced labor; however, not all ethical companies purchase the certification. There are also labels for produce as well that you can research.
The bottom line is this: what we buy can have a positive or negative impact on social justice. Ethical decision making as Christians calls for us to consider the source of our purchases and whether we are contributing to evil or not. I say these things not to condemn anyone, nor to tell you to throw away anything you have purchased in the past. Instead, I encourage each of us to consider the purchases we make and the impact of those purchases on others.
I started my journey of trying to purchase only ethically sourced clothing and goods a few years ago. While some goods may be more expensive, they typically last longer than fast/cheap fashion options. As we continue looking at effective finances in the coming weeks, we will continue to ask ourselves if our decisions negatively or positively impact our Christian witness. When it comes to clothing, food, and goods, we must ask if what we purchase is creating further injustice while also praying and considering how God might use His church to redeem those stuck in the modern bondage of forced labor. We also must ask ourselves how God might want us to use the finances He has provided to us. I encourage you to consider these things as you purchase your weekly groceries and the upcoming Christmas holiday for gifts.
Week 33: Effective finances part two: Missions and kingdom advance
My goal in this discussion is not to shame how money is spent nor to critique charitable giving, but instead to ask what is most effective. Charitable giving and requests of charitable giving come to us every single day. I get texts, emails, and letters constantly requesting financial support whether it be a political campaign, a dog rescuing agency, various non-profits, or Christian organizations. Being generous with money is a significant aspect of life as a Christian, and we ought to strive for a life of generosity through finances, hospitality, and more. But where we send our money can have various impacts.
Last week, I discussed how spending money on food, clothes, and goods can have an impact on people around the world. The point is where and how we spend our money reflects our values. The thing is, when it comes to charitable giving, where and how the money is used is not always equal.
For example, everyone sees the pink ribbons and pink sports uniforms in October for breast cancer awareness month which is primarily sponsored by Susan G. Komen. This organization receives millions of dollars in charitable giving each year. But when it comes to cancer research and cancer focused charitable organizations, they are not as effective in using their funds for research, they also have focused their finances and attention on trademarking phrases and research to exclude other cancer research organizations from using them (https://www.charitywatch.org/charities/susan-g-komen-breast-cancer-foundation ; https://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/172683.pdf).
It can be similar at times with Christian organizations and how funds are used. It is important to consider and even pray about what organizations to give to. One thing I would recommend considering is how you give to missions. What I am about to say may be controversial. This is based on anecdotal evidence along with what I remember from missiology courses (studying missions). Giving to and even going on short term missions is often ineffective in impacting global missions. It can cost tens thousands of dollars to send a small team on a short term mission trip for one to three weeks. These trips are often more impactful on those going than both the missionaries there and the local populace.
We as Christians often encourage and support short term missions despite the cost of sending an individual or team where the total could often support an entire missionary family in the same country as their trip. I have heard several stories from missionaries where short term trips are more harmful than helpful in their local ministry. This is for a number of reasons that include: savior mentality, cultural insensitivity, being unprepared, having unrealistic expectations and standards of food/lodging/etc., and more. Now I must acknowledge that service oriented short term trips are often impactful when they involve constructing buildings or wells, medical missions that involve education and prevention, local church leader training, and support/encouragement trips to long term missionaries.
Here is the point: when we give money charitably, we should ask ourselves and God how we can give in the most effective and impactful way to see the gospel advance here in the US and around the world. Most missions organizations, denominations, and charitable organizations have their financial reports available on the internet for us to examine how funds are managed. There is a faith filled aspect of giving especially when prompted by God, but when we are unsure, it is important to understand how the funds are being used. There are some organizations that do more than others and some that use funds differently from others. In whatever ways we give, we should be kingdom minded and oriented to think about how we can support God's global movement family that we are part of.
Like I said last week, I am not a financial expert nor do I want to be one. I want to personally steward the finances God gives me well and I want to see the global church fulfill its role in taking the gospel of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Finances are needed for that and we as Americans have to recognize that we are in the top 1% of global wealth, so we have more to offer financially than we may realize. But with that being said, we must also recognize that the US is one of the few countries in the world where church growth (new Christians) is in significant decline. While global missions is crucial, we have a ripe harvest here in the US where we need more workers, more initiatives, and creative engagement of people groups from around the world who find themselves coming to this country. Therefore, we should consider giving both to global missions and impactful ministries here in the US. Missional emphasis of global evangelism is not reserved for any particular part of the earth, but instead every people group and language.
How are your finances impacting the kingdom, abroad and in the US? Do you consider how your charitable giving and spending reflects your values? In what areas do you want to see your finances impacting the global church?
Week 34: Effective hospitality.
While more could be said on finances, I think what we discussed the last two weeks is enough for now as I wanted to challenge all of us in how are spending reflects our values and our focus on contributing to God's Kingdom here on earth.
I believe that hospitality is one of the central ways in which the church can live out its values and mission in relation to internal communion and external engagement. What does that mean? Internal communion is the family aspect of love, relationship, trust, and more among those who identify as Christians who live their lives out together in the context of community within the local church. External engagement is the act of intentionally connecting with those outside of the church to proclaim the love of Christ through relationship, love, compassion, and more. Hospitality is central to this pursuit of community, discipleship, and life as a follower of Jesus.
Efficient hospitality would focus on being hospitable to as many as possible with the least amount of personal involvement. For efficient hospitality, consider cheaper hotels or motels where the emphasis is on getting as many clients as possible on the lowest possible cost to the company. Effective hospitality emphasizes quality, care, personalization, and a standard of excellent service. Take a moment and consider your best and worst experiences as a guest from a business within the hospitality industry (restaurants, hotels, casinos, amusement parks, events, cruises, entertainment, and other tourism-related services).
The church is not in the hospitality industry. Not at all, in fact. The hospitality industry focuses on profit, individual satisfaction, and sometimes luxury. Such is not the way for the church. Instead, hospitality in the church centers around taking the position of a servant posture, putting others first, going out of your way for other people, and lovingly caring for those around you. Let's consider briefly the life of Jesus.
Jesus was basically homeless during his three years of public ministry where he traveled from place to place to teach, heal, prophesy, and more. In those three years, we see that much of the time, he would eat with people in their homes, teach people over the dinner table, serve and care for the disciples, and engage certain individuals in a one to one interaction where he cared for them, listened to them, and did something for them (healing, teaching, demonic deliverance, resurrection, etc.). Jesus even teaches us that we ought to take the position of servant (Mark 10; Matthew 20). Later what we see in the life of the early church consisted of house church gatherings that centered around a meal, worship, teaching, prayer, and time for God's Spirit to operate in the lives of believers through Spiritual Gifts. Those who hosted these gatherings practiced hospitality. φιλονεξια (philoxenia) is the Greek word from which our word hospitality comes. It translates as hospitality or more literally "love to strangers." The concept of biblical hospitality involved turning a stranger into a friend by choosing to care for them, love them, and consider them first. This could involve inviting strangers into one's home, feeding them, providing them lodging, possibly providing them clothing or blankets, etc.
Hospitality may look different for us in today's world as I see it necessary to show this love to both the stranger and the familiar. We ought to invite people into our lives, into our homes, and choose to serve them, to love them. But the posture of hospitality is not limited to one's home. Hospitality can be demonstrated in our everyday interactions with people by considering their needs ahead of your own, by actively listening and engaging with others through conversation where you first seek to understand before being understood, and where you intentionally ask or consider how you can encourage them, help them, pray for them, and invite them to be in your life.
In engaging new people at church services, talking to people at work, school, etc., or even people we encounter in public, we can embrace the posture of a servant or of the hospitable host to represent the loving, caring embrace of Jesus to those around us. Effective hospitality makes people feel included, special, welcome, understood, and cared for. Effective hospitality is not thinking about the next person you are going to see, not thinking about what you want to say, or being distracted. Effective hospitality is focusing on the person(s) around you that you are with and being intentional in loving and caring for them beyond what may be expected. It is to embrace a posture of selflessness.
How can you live out this idea of effective hospitality? In what ways can you incorporate hospitality in your daily life? Do we live out this hospitality at LCF? Are you contributing to that? What can you do that would make strangers in your life feel included, loved, or cared for? And if you feel ill-equipped for living out hospitality in this way, are you willing to learn? Consider the times you have seen people show you incredible hospitality. Consider times when you have been treated poorly or neglected by a stranger or a friend. How can you be more hospitable than the person(s) in those scenarios?
Week 35: Let's talk politics.
Yep, you read that correctly, politics. The taboo topic that often brings division, fear, anxiety, or pride all depending on the political climate. With the midterm elections wrapping up this week, you may find yourself being indifferent, overwhelmed, excited, or something else. Whichever emotions you are experiencing, they are likely valid. But what should our response and involvement be in election times?
A scripture we have discussed before is 1 Timothy 2:1-6. In these verses, Paul urgers Timothy and the church at Ephesus to offer "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, [so] that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV). We may not have kings, but we do have those in high positions, governors, senators, presidents, etc. whom we should pray for so that they might come to know Jesus as Savior. Regardless of their or our political affiliations or views, we should desire them to come to know Jesus. I would argue that is of greater importance than hoping that they do what we want politically. We should want them to come to faith in Christ.
There is a theme in the Bible involving exiles. The Jewish people become exiles and the Christian church is often referred to as exiles. Let's turn to one such place in Scripture. Jeremiah 29. And no, not Jeremiah 29:11 that everyone knows.
Jeremiah 29:4-7 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."
God is telling the exiles in Babylon to prepare for the long haul of being there for a long time and they are to seek the welfare of the city and in its welfare, you will find yours. What better way to see the place where we live be blessed and do well than to not only pray for its leadership, but also to pray for them to know Jesus. Peter refers to Christians as exiles recognizing that the kingdom to which we belong is not an earthly one, but one that is usually at odds with human kingdoms.
1 Peter 2:11-17 "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor."
What we see here is the instruction that whether or not we agree with leaders or rulers, we are supposed to subject ourselves to them. We are to live as free people who are free servants of God to God and humanity. And we are to honor the emperor. Election times are opportunities for us to live out these principles of honoring our political leaders, respecting them, subjecting ourselves to them to live peaceably, and most importantly pray for them, but not just pray in general but for them to know Jesus.
As you reflect on these elections, I encourage you to examine yourself. Do you submit to government without compromising on your faith? Do you pray for your elected officials? Do you pray for them to come to faith? Do you seek and pray for the welfare of your city? Do you recognize that you are an exile no matter the nation you find yourself in?
Week 36: Ministry of Presence
This past week/weekend, I had Army service as I transitioned into my new unit. I am very excited for this new unit and the opportunities/challenges it brings! One of the things that I worked on is a Religious Support Plan where I mapped out the next 12 months of religious support, unit visits across 6 states (9 cities), logistics, staff work, and ministry. One of the main things I talked about in the plan is ministry of presence. Most military chaplains would say that the big three areas of our Christian ministry as chaplains fall into three categories: chapel services, counseling, and ministry of presence. While we do significantly more than these three things, these three are our bread and butter. They provide us the greatest opportunity to share about Jesus and our faith in him.
Yet, I don't think ministry of presence is reserved for only chaplains, pastors, missionaries, or anyone in vocational ministry. I think we can all practice ministry of presence in our lives. But first, what is ministry of presence? For a brief discussion and devotional on the subject of ministry of presence, please click HERE for a resource from one of my favorite sources, Ligonier Ministries.
I hope you clicked the link, but if you didn't here is my definition of ministry of presence: intentionally coming alongside people and asking to hear their story, sharing their burdens, and providing encouragement and hope. It is more than this and it may sound easy. At times, it can be easy, but it usually is difficult. Fostering a ministry of presence requires intentionality, selflessness, and a word we talked about a few weeks ago, hospitality. It is likely due to my background in chaplaincy and seminary, but I tried to incorporate ministry of presence into my work at Verizon while I worked there. I will be honest and say sometimes I fostered and developed a ministry of presence there, and other times I failed miserably.
Allow me to share some of the ways I effectively cared for people and fostered this ministry of presence. During my 6 years there, there were only a couple of Christians who worked there and that was for relatively short periods of time. My coworkers knew I was a Christian, a pastor, and a chaplain. So they always had their own thoughts on who I was and what I did. However, I was able to care for them when they were down. I worked with many of them long enough to be able to recognize when they were having a bad day, when they needed encouragement, when they needed to complain, and things like that. There were countless times, I had coworkers share things with me that led to them opening up and even crying just while I did inventory in the back room. It allowed me to encourage them, pray with them, and share stories from Scripture. I often had to ask questions of how they were doing and maybe even challenge them and say that I could tell something was off that day. I would be intentional to get to know my coworkers and their families so that I could ask about them. This developed rapport and when I would remember minor details, you could tell it was huge to them and created opportunities to love them. There were other times when I was frustrated by my work, frustrated with customers or managers, and would only want to complain with my coworkers. I certainly did not always have a ministry of presence attitude and I know I didn't always walk the walk in that way, but that doesn't mean I failed entirely. Sometimes it would actually help develop relationships as my coworkers saw I was human and prone to frustrations and disappointment just like them.
With customers, I often spent too much time with them when I was in the ministry of presence mindset. This often frustrated some coworkers and managers. Even though it sometimes led to sales, I often knew when I needed to provide care to a customer regardless of whether it helped the store or company. There were countless times that I heard Vietnam veterans open up about their PTSD and horrific experiences simply because my name tag said US ARMY RESERVES, and they would ask what I do there. There were even more times where I would intentionally help those who came in to disconnect an account due to someone having passed away. I would take it upon myself to provide the best service possible while also encouraging them to talk with others about their loved one as part of the grief process. I often told widows and family members that it is okay to grieve and that it is normal to not have it all figured out. Then there were a handful of times where I would learn about customers and their medical situations. I was bold enough to ask a few of them if I could pray with them depending on whether I felt God leading me to do so. I would clock out, tell someone I would be back in a moment, and would go outside of the store and pray for them. Towards the end of my time there, I was even bolder by praying with customers in the middle of the store while on the clock. I am not saying to do that, but I knew I wanted to leave anyway. But there were also times I was impatient, frustrated, or annoyed with customers. I am not perfect, nor do I have it figured out.
The point is this, wherever we go, we represent Jesus. Often, we represent him to or around people who don't know Christians let alone Jesus. We have a great opportunity to demonstrate the love, compassion, and care of Jesus to those around us. I could talk for hours about stories and experiences when practicing a ministry of presence, and maybe I will share more in the coming weeks. But for today, I want you to consider your situation in life. Are you fostering a ministry of presence? Do the people you interact with daily or weekly know Jesus? Do they know you are a Christian? Do they know you as someone who is hospitable, caring, loving, kind, or compassionate? How can you better live out a ministry of presence to those around you?
Week 37: Thanksgiving
This week is Thanksgiving, which means this weekend is Black Friday weekend where hundreds of thousands of people go crazy to buy goods slightly cheaper than usual. I have always found it ironic that Thanksgiving is a holiday of gratitude around the blessings we have, and so (un)naturally the day(s) after should include excessive spending by consumers, overworking by employers, and competition between shoppers for goods. I do not wish to condemn anyone for partaking in Black Friday weekend whether it be in person or online, but I want to encourage each of us to consider some things.
https://adventconspiracy.org/
I encourage you now or after reading the rest of this to click the link above and visit the Advent Conspiracy website.
The point of Advent Conspiracy consists of four tenets: worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. I want to highlight spend less and give more. On their website, spend less is to "Free up your resources to support things that truly matter." They also say, "Give more intentionally and relationally." Many of the things that are purchased over Black Friday weekend are things we will likely forget that we purchased during that time in a few months, a year, let alone longer than that. We ought to consider what we purchase and what that purchase contributes toward. What if we used the same money used for material goods to instead give to missions, buy gifts for less privileged children, or to give food to those in need? Take a moment and define what values or things truly matter to you, and how you can use money this holiday season to reflect those values.
This corner is short this week because I encourage you to explore their website, explore their devotionals and resources, and consider how you can worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. Consider these things not just for Thanksgiving Day, not just for Christmas Day, but all the days in between as people buy gifts for others and themselves. How can adopting Advent Conspiracy draw you to Jesus and sharing His love with others?
Week 38: Holy Spirit Series Q&A
As we get closer to the end of our sermon series looking at the person and work of the Holy Spirit and now as we have specifically looked at the gifts of the Spirit, I want to engage your thoughts. At the end of this series, some time after the new year, we will have a question and answer time instead of a sermon. This is not to replace Biblical preaching, but instead to supplement it by answering the questions, concerns, and thoughts present in our church. Down below, you will find a link where you can begin to submit your questions. If you think of something later, that is completely fine as we will have the link open for at least one month. While there are more sermons to come in the series, I want to make sure you have time to reflect on the past teachings and to consider these questions in the coming sermons.
As you consider aspects of our series, here are a few questions from me that may spark your questions.
Is there anything I have communicated on the person of the Holy Spirit that requires clarity?
Is there something on the work of the Holy Spirit that didn't go deep enough or only brought more questions than answers?
Did the teachings on the Gifts of the Spirit go deep enough while providing a quick overview?
Are there practical aspects of applying these teachings that were not clear or missed?
Has this series strengthened your relationship with our Triune God?
Do you feel prepared to walk in the Spirit and operate in the Spirit's Gifts as you are equipped? If not, how do you think we could help?
How can you incorporate this series into your daily life?
As you use these questions to think of things you desire clarity on during our Q&A, I encourage you to take a look at the book "Everyday Supernatural" by Mike Pilavachi and Andy Croft. I referenced this book this past Sunday when discussing the practical sides of prophecy as well as in the sermon on healing. This book is very easy to read and looks at incorporating how to Walk in the Spirit in everyday life. "Open to the Spirit" by Scot McKnight is another one to read if looking for a shorter and easy to read book. The more academic book that I have used throughout the series is "God Inside Out: An in-depth study of the Holy Spirit" by Simon Ponsonby. We will continue our series during this Advent season, so I challenge you to find ways to incorporate these teachings into meditating on the Advent season that leads us to the celebration of Christ's birth.
Question link
Week 39: Reflections with gratitude
This week, I am grateful. I am grateful for all of those who have stepped up over the last two weeks for our worship services, grateful to be recovering from COVID, and grateful for this time of year. Some of you may know that I tested positive for COVID last Sunday, Dec. 4, and I was miserable with debilitating symptoms for 12 days. Pounding headaches with brain fog, cold chills, fever, sore throat, relentless cough, sinus pressure, and total exhaustion overwhelmed me during this time. I am grateful for so many of you praying for me during that time. While I never needed hospitalization, I can say this was the worst sickness I have ever experienced. My wonderful wife took care of me and eventually became ill as well. Fortunately, her symptoms were mild.
I am beyond excited that I am feeling better and get to be with you all this coming Sunday and that I get to meet with some of you throughout the week. To those who stepped up in my absence the last two weeks, thank you so very much. I will be thanking each of you in person, but each of you did more than I could have asked. I recognize the burden and headaches that occurred with my illness coming so close to last Sunday. It is a great relief that so many stepped up and helped to make sure we as a church body could worship Jesus and spend time together in fellowship and worship. You all are a great blessing.
The time of advent is a great time to reflect on life, what we can be thankful for, the gift we have in Jesus, and more. This advent, I am grateful to be on the other side of COVID, to have my amazing wife by my side, to have two goofball and crazy dogs, and to serve such an incredible church. In the midst of not feeling well at all, it was encouraging to receive emails and texts from you all, to see the board of ministries run a board meeting with me sidelined, and to be able to worship with you all through the livestream knowing I had capable people helping pull things together. This time last year, I had interviewed with the church search committee and while Lauren and I felt confident this was where God was calling us, we had no idea what we were getting into and if it would come to fruition. I was on a sabbatical and enjoying time without work and distraction to seek God's presence while asking for clarity of where he was calling us. I can say the adventure of us pastoring LCF was more than we could have imagined. I am excited that we are nearing one year of ministry here, but I am more excited to see what God has in store for each person in the church, those who are here and those who haven't come yet.
This advent, I am grateful to be your pastor and to know each of you. With that being said, if I do not see you before Christmas, I want to wish you a very merry Christmas. May God bless you this Christmas with a warm embrace of love, care, and hope. And if you do not have a place to be this Christmas, I would like for you to let me know as we will be opening up our home to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus with His family, the church.
Week 39: Christmas Hospitality
This week, as you celebrate Christmas, I encourage you to consider how you can practice hospitality and love for others. Yesterday for our Missions Moment, we discussed the need for support, ministry, and housing for incoming migrants to the Denver region. I presented the needs and opportunities to serve and help people in great need. This opportunity of ministry is centered around hospitality. We have discussed hospitality in the past, but I want to challenge each of us to intentionally practice hospitality this Christmas.
Yesterday, I also discussed the importance of understanding Christmas and the revolutionary fact that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. When celebrating Christmas and living as Christians everyday, we need to live in light of the incarnation of Christ, the atoning sacrifice he provided, and the teachings he gave us. In the Gospels, we see Jesus gathering with others around the dinner table quite often. He was criticized for eating and drinking instead of fasting like John the Baptist. Jesus' defense of this is that like a wedding party being with the groom, they must celebrate and feast instead of fast. We also see Old Testament traditions of regular feasts. So this Christmas, feast! That is a command from me. Feast, but not for the sake of overeating or anything like that, feast in celebration that Jesus is our incarnate Emmanuel (God with us) who has saved us now and forever. This time of feasting is also a great opportunity to serve others with hospitality. Even if people are not gathering at your home, you can live hospitably by helping clean, serving others, and putting other's needs ahead of your own.
How can you practice hospitality this Christmas? What things can you do to put other's needs ahead of your own? After Christmas, how can you intentionally and regularly practice hospitality for those in your life? This Christmas, how can you share with others the true meaning and significance of Christmas? Today, I saw a commercial for a department store that talked about the "reason for the season" and it had absolutely nothing to do with Jesus but instead material goods for yourself and others. This pervasive thinking or perspective of Christmas surrounds us, and so we must be bold and brave enough to share the gospel centered reality of Christmas.
Week 40: A new year. Change or no change? Old habits, new habits, resolutions, what's the big deal?
2022 is coming to an end, another year that has flown by, at least for me. But with a new year, do things really change? Do resolutions work? Do we change all that much as the month and year on our calendar changes? I am not against new year resolutions or against people wanting to better themselves with the hope that they find as the year changes. But, I want us to consider the past year and the next year.
What went well for you in your relationship with God in 2022? What did not? What about with other people, maybe with coworkers, friends, family, etc.? What was the greatest challenge in your life in 2022? How did that impact your walk with Jesus? Did you share that challenge with him or try to handle it on your own? In 2022, did you grow spiritually?
What would you like to be different in 2023? Are there daily rhythms you could incorporate to foster a greater relationship with Jesus? What spiritual gifts do you want God to gift you with in 2023? In what ways do you want to see God use you for His glory and kingdom? What relationships do you want to see grow with other people? What do you want to see from LCF and what is your role in that?
As you consider these things, I encourage you to pray through some of these questions and ask God what he wants from you in 2023 and how you can daily walk with Him. We as Christians should be living in light of our faith every single day. A new year, a new day is not a complete change in how we walk with Jesus, but each day and new year is an opportunity to intentionally pursue a life of walking with Jesus in the highs, lows, and in-betweens of life.
Week 41: New Year reflections
What do you want for LCF in 2023? As I have spent the last several weeks thinking through and planning what I want to see at LCF in 2023, I recognized that while the pastor casts vision, the congregation must embrace the vision and it's role in carrying it out. Today, I am not sharing my vision, goal, or dreams for LCF, instead I want to ask you questions to engage you in thinking about your role at LCF.
If God told you that He was going to do something incredible in and through LCF in 2023, and said you get to help decide what it is, what would you want it to be?
If you want numerical growth at LCF, what can you do to help make that happen? Can you pray that new people come? Can you invite people in your circles of life? Can you help new people feel welcome and part of community?
If you want spiritual growth, how can you foster that growth? What can you do in your personal life and in your church communal life to pursue spiritual growth? How can you encourage and walk alongside others to help them in their walk with Jesus in pursuit of spiritual maturity? Are you currently encouraging others in their faith? How else can you encourage and support them?
If it is being a light in our neighborhood with community engagement and gospel proclamation, how can you help in that? Is there something you are passionate about that you want to move the church toward in service and ministry? What ways can you personally engage with and support the local neighborhood?
It could be something different from some of these suggestions I have listed. Whether it is one of these or not, I encourage you to think through how God wants to move in and through LCF and what your role might be in His Kingdom work at LCF. And beyond all of that, what do you want this year in your personal life with God? In what ways, do you want to see your discipleship grow?
This week is around suffering and evil. While I was at Fort Carson, I counseled a Soldier who at one point said they didn’t understand why God was causing them so much suffering and torment. This is something I have heard countless people say when it comes to suffering and evil in the world. They blame God. It can be for many reasons, and they often credit Christians for instilling this because of the view that God is in control and knows all things, thus he must be at fault. But is it that simple? Is God unjust because there is evil and suffering? Is God at fault? How do we as Christians respond when people blame God for their misfortune or the suffering that exists in our broken world?
We can approach these questions with long answers or short ones, but for the purpose of this newsletter, we will keep it simple. Bad things happen to good people and bad people, suffering is something that is common to all humans, and evil is found throughout the earth. The reason for this stems from the first pages of the Bible when humankind rebelled against God and sinned. Once sin entered the world and Satan and his dominion had power over humans, evil and suffering accompanied mankind wherever they went. The vast majority of suffering and pain found in this world is a result of the effects of the Fall. In some specific and rare instances, God does cause suffering to specific people(s), but for today's sake we are talking about general suffering. If God is not the one causing suffering, then is God sovereign? God's sovereignty and all-knowing nature does not mean that he has to be the own to cause things like suffering. Instead, God is aware of what can and will happen in the world, and allows it to happen until his return. That does not mean God condones or approves of it. As you read this, I encourage you to think about something in your life that was traumatic or difficult, or maybe think about what is happening in Ukraine, or possibly slave labor and oppression in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, etc. As you think about these things where suffering exists, ask yourself "Does God approve of what is happening? Is he the one causing it?" I hope you see God in the light of what we have read the last few weeks. If God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love like we believe, would he cause suffering like this? I think it is fair to say that YHWH would not do that, but is lovingly pursuing each of us to rescue us.
The message we have for the world as Christians is one of hope. Jesus is the suffering servant, the great high priest who sympathizes and empathizes with our weaknesses, our Savior who rescues us from sin and death. He gives us His Spirit to dwell among us and suffer with us as we endure the pain, joys, highs, and lows we find in this amazing earth. Our response to the world when they blame god for suffering ought to be rooted in the redemption, love, and transforming power of Jesus who helps us endure the suffering of this world knowing that we have a hope in Jesus that is greater than any relief we can find in this world. God in his justice allows suffering and evil, but went to the cross to save a people for himself. We may not see his full justice now, but there will be a day. We must remember God's kingdom is both now and not yet. We see glimpses now; soon it will be a reality for each of us for eternity.
Week 2: The Church as a Suffering Community
This week's topic is "The Church as a Suffering Community". Why is the church a suffering community? Last week, we discussed why there is evil/suffering and if God is the one causing them. So naturally, we ought to discuss our own sufferings and how they can be redeemed.
The Church: A Suffering Community?
The church is a suffering community for several reasons, but I would like to highlight three big ones. The church global is comprised of humans. Part of the human condition and experience on earth is sin, suffering, and death. Of course there are many things in between these three, but these three are common experiences for most, if not all, people. The first reason, then, is because the church is comprised of people who have experienced suffering in some way and have now found home and refuge in God and His Kingdom Community the church. The message of hope and reconciliation that Jesus brings leads all of us into a community of sufferers who have found the perfect place for healing and family. The second reason ties this common suffering with a specific, one of a kind suffering. Jesus. Jesus suffered, died, and resurrected for His people in their place. We as Christians identify with Jesus in his suffering, in his death, and in his resurrection. As Paul says, without this resurrection there is no hope for us. And without us identifying with Jesus in these three, we are merely seeking the church to be a social club for our social needs. Instead, when we trust in Jesus' finished work and identify with him in suffering, death, and resurrection we are identifying with him as suffering servants. We are saying we know Jesus suffered throughout his earthly ministry and we are likely to suffer with him. And that brings us to number three. We suffer with Jesus because the church is a persecuted community where suffering will occur. Throughout church history, the church has endured physical violence, political oppression, spiritual evil, and so much more that we know and don't know. The church is a suffering community because we have all suffered before we came into the church, while we are in the church, and we see suffering in our church around the world. But we have a beautiful promise.
Jesus, Our Shared Sufferer
We have been studying God as he declares himself in Exodus 34, Psalm 103, and now the I AM statements in John. One of the things God declares himself to be arek (aw-rake) in Hebrew. One translation for this word is longsuffering. You may recall that I mentioned slow to anger coming from a Hebrew expression for long of nostril. Well that is what arek means. Slow to anger is how many modern translations put it but older ones liked longsuffering. Longsuffering means "patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship." God shows longsuffering in dealing with human rebellion and sin. But we must remember that beyond this Jesus came to earth to reconcile humans with God. And he did this through constant suffering. In Hebrews, we see this portrait of Jesus as the great high priest whose role is to mediate between God and humans. However, this portrait of Jesus shows him to be the greatest high priest because he put himself in our place, he can sympathize and even empathize with our weaknesses and our suffering because he endured what we have endured and what we could not endure. He went to the cross for us. He was covered in our dirty rags, the sins, the evil, the wickedness from all of us and suffered in our place. What a beautiful God we serve that he saw us humans resisting his rescue during his life and death, yet he did not refuse to rescue us in spite of our further rebellion. He did it knowing all of his closest friends and family abandoned him, knowing that much of the world would reject him. But he did it knowing that his global church, his family would grow to the ends of the earth and it would one day consist of you and I, brothers and sisters in a global family, a suffering community.
Week 3: The Communal Church
Dr. Paul Louis Metzger (one of my favorite professors) and Dr. Brad Harper wrote a book on Ecclesiology (study of the church). In their book they had this to say, "The church exists to love God, its own, the world, and the whole creation because it is loved in covenantal communion with God. This relational orientation signifies that the church is being-driven. A church that begins with a missional purpose before it begins with its identity as communal reality in relation to God is problematic. This orientation is very American but is not biblical. Biblically speaking, the missional purpose flows forth from the church’s communal identity and is the inevitable outcome." (Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical and Ecumenical Introduction, 2009)
I start with this excerpt because it is important to consider during our current journey at LCF. It would be easy to come in as the new pastor and put us to work with a missional purpose. This is something we have discussed especially as you all asked what my vision and plans for the future are. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that. But that is not our starting point. If you have noticed, the preaching, the meetings, and our planning has not been geared toward mission just yet. That will come soon enough and it will be a natural byproduct of our being with Jesus. You may recall that during the weekend Rob Storey officially installed me as pastor that I said I like to simplify the Christian life into three movements or regular practices. They are: Be With Jesus, Become Like Jesus, and Join Jesus in His Kingdom Work. We must always remember that our Christian journey throughout life begins with and constantly returns to Be With Jesus. Being with Jesus is our fundamental identity as Christians. By being with Jesus, we become like Jesus, and as we become like Jesus, we will naturally proclaim his kingdom leading us to join Jesus in his kingdom work. But this all sounds individual. Or does it?
This aspect of communion with Jesus and being with him is not limited to each of us as individuals. Instead, it must be incorporated into our communal life as a church. As we look to the future and what this next season will be at LCF, at the very least it must involve a committed and regular communal life centered around life with Jesus. It does not need to be a grandiose or forced thing. It begins with intentional time with one another that involves time with Jesus then it leads to small group gatherings, prayer gatherings, meals together, etc. This work has already started and will continue to be the foundation at LCF. I say this knowing that some of these things were here before I came, so I am not reinventing the wheel or "saving the church," instead we are pursuing life with Jesus intentionally together.
Our drive and purpose for communion stems from our Triune God who exemplifies communal love. As you read this, consider how each of the members of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit) faithfully and continually love one another. Then consider, are you loving the church globally? Are you loving the church locally? Are you loving individuals within the church? Or are you causing strife, anger, hate, or division within the church? How can you better exemplify Christ's love to the people around you? How can you proclaim life with Jesus by being with Him and inviting others into that communion?
Week 4: Army update
This week is a non-traditional week. Due to my Army service, I am unable to spend enough time to develop something worth reading. Instead, I will provide an update on what God is doing through me in Kansas. We have been running very long days. I leave my barracks at 6:30AM and get back after 9:30PM. In that time, I am immersed in real life and an exercise scenario where there is plenty to do. I spend most days talking to Soldiers to care for them and understand the morale of the unit, I provide encouragement in meetings, relay morale to the command team, and we have a daily Bible study. Our Bible Study time has been incredible. We have had amazing discussions that could last for hours. In the scenario, I am deployed to a nation that has been invaded and I have Soldiers fighting throughout the country. I respond to religious needs, deaths, and helping teams understand the religious sites, leaders, and groups in the area of our Soldiers. We are outside in tents all day with a long walk back to any buildings. It has been very cold and windy. There have been a lot of obstacles, things to be frustrated with, and things that aren't going well. But, it has been a wonderful time of ministry. I have had some great conversations with Soldiers and fellow chaplains. Yet, I still miss the LCF family and look forward to being with you all on Resurrection Sunday.
Week 5: The Assured Community
This week's topic is the Church as the "Assured Community." If you are like me, you may be unfamiliar with the doctrine of Assurance. I had never heard of it until seminary and until recently, I had never thought much of it. Whether you come from an Arminian or Reformed background, assurance is there for the church and the individual Christian. The doctrine of assurance comes primarily from the book of 1 John. Like the Gospel of John (20:30-31), John declares to the reader the purpose of his book. 1 John 5:13, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." Throughout the earlier chapters of 1 John, he continually reminds his reader that they have assurance as a believer to have eternal life. For many Christians, including people who have spent their whole lives in the church, this idea of assurance sounds crazy. Some may fear that they can lose their salvation, and some may believe in "once saved, always saved." But that isn't the focus on John's writing either. Instead, the focus is that those within the church, who have trusted in the finished work of Jesus that has brought reconciliation between they and God have eternal life. They can have assurance of eternal life both in the future (new heavens and new earth) and in the present. Therefore, we should have confidence and can have assurance that we are secure in the work of Jesus. This may lead some to think they can do whatever they want and they will still be saved, but we know in Paul's writing he addresses this idea and tells us to sin no more. This same sentiment is present in 1 John as well when he emphasizes obedience, righteousness, and love. What is the big so what? Why does this matter?
Well, the doctrine of assurance can be explained through a great idiom. In the words of Reverend Jeff Kreisel, assurance is like two people getting on an airplane. One person is confident when they get on, the other is a little wary. Once they are in flight, turbulence comes and the plane starts bouncing up and down. The confident person is unfazed and unbothered. The anxious person is terrified. They begin breathing in a brown paper bag. Maybe the confident person is unbothered because they know the pilot, or they are a pilot, or they know planes. Regardless they know they will be just fine. Eventually when the plane lands, they both get off the plane and are welcomed. So it is with eternity and assurance. Those who are unsure of their salvation but who are in Christ will still have eternal life, they'll just be anxious during the journey. Those who are confident in their assurance of salvation will be there with the other group, yet their journey through life is much more stable and enjoyable. This doctrine matters because it can impact how we relate to God and to the world.
The church is an assured community or really THE assured community because they have a guarantee of eternal life, of being with God both now and forever. We can have assurance and confidence that Jesus has saved us and will save us. We can be assured of our salvation because it is not according to our works, our righteousness, our obedience. Instead it is according to the person and work of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to read 1 John over the rest of April and consider what implications assurance have on your life with Jesus. May you encounter God's love, grace, mercy, and assurance in doing so.
**If you want additional information, resources, etc. please email Pastor Robbie
Week 6: What happens when we die?
This week, I'm taking a break from "The Church as _____" series and talking about something different. This week's topic is a prelude to next week. Next week is the Church as the Resurrected Community. But for now, I want to discuss what happens when we as Christians die. Are we resurrected right away? Do we go to our eternal paradise right away? What happens?
I am almost hesitant to discuss this simply because there is so much misinformation out there on the subject. We as Christians often focus on Heaven more than anything and think that we go to Heaven when we die. I am going to try to be brief in this discussion at the expense of providing quotes and references. I'm going to start with the concept of heaven. Throughout the Old Testament the word for heaven is actually plural (heavens) and conveys an idea of all that is above and around the earth. There is an aspect of God's transcendence and nearness in the contrast of heaven and earth. When we get to the New Testament, we don't really see it mention people going to heaven after death. We see Jesus proclaim the Kingdom of God and that the people in the kingdom will inherit eternal life. The focus on eternal life is a little different than "going to heaven." What we see instead is people go to "be with the Lord." This statement or idea is found in both the Old and New Testaments. This is what happens when Christians die. This may seem like semantics or an insignificant point. However, the reason I highlight this comes from our current culture. Today, heaven is such a weighty concept with lots of baggage that includes a desire for heaven often over God. But you can never have a kingdom without a king. We cannot emphasize heaven without understanding what makes eternity so great for us. Eternity would be empty and terrible if it were just the church, or just good people, or just our friends and family, or just Americans, or just "civilized" people, etc. What makes eternity amazing is the presence of our God and there no longer being a divide between God and the church. It is a worship filled celebration of mutual delight between God and his people.
We cannot miss the significance of being with the Lord. If you were to summarize the entire Bible in one word, I think the best word would be "Immanuel". God with us. Jesus came to rescue us from our sin and God's wrath so that we could be united with God and in right relationship. Last week, I discussed the church being the assured community having the assurance of salvation and eternity. We can be assured that we are with God now and will be with him forever. So then, it would make sense that the concept the church had for what happens after death being "Going away to be with the Lord." We go to be with God, enjoy his presence, and worship most likely in disembodied spirit form.
At the time of resurrection, we are resurrected with all people to stand before God. Those outside of God's people face judgment, but those within his kingdom are welcomed with open arms and celebration. We then enjoy God's loving presence and all that he has for us within the new heavens and new earth in the garden like city that we see in Revelation 21.
Week 7: The Resurrected Community
This week, we're discussing "The Church as the Resurrected Community." Last week, we discussed what happens when we die. The last two Sundays, we've looked at Jesus' statements: "I am the Good Shepherd" and "I am the Resurrection and the life." We celebrated Jesus' resurrection and we saw Jesus' power and identification as the Resurrection in raising Lazarus. We discussed how for the Christian, death is just the beginning of the greatest and most incredible part of life with Jesus as we move to being with him forever. So what then does it mean for the church to be the resurrected community? I haven't physically died and been raised and I suspect no one reading this has either. What then does it mean?
Let's go to Romans 6. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
This text discusses how our baptism symbolizes and reflects that we have died with Christ and have been raised with him in newness of life. Paul even says we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like Jesus's. The gravity of Paul's teaching here in Romans extends beyond our baptism to both our life with Christ and our eternity at the end of time. We live transformed, new lives because we have been risen with Christ into a renewed life. We as the church ought to live alive to God in Christ Jesus knowing that we are with Jesus having been reconciled to God through His life, death, and resurrection. Death no longer has dominion over Jesus and likewise over us. This is what we discussed this past Sunday. The church as the people victorious over death who live in newness of abundant life no longer fear death.
The Church as the resurrected community extends beyond the current life. Like we discussed last week, when we, those within the church as followers of Jesus, go to be with the Lord in an intermediate state. But when Jesus returns and at the last day at the resurrection of the dead, we enter eternity with Jesus in our bodily form. Like I mentioned on Sunday, this resurrection continues the best part of our existence as humans where we are perfect unity and relationship with God worshipping him at all times. We experience his love and blessings in every moment. Our resurrection hope is for now and forever. This is the hope we declare to the world!
Week 8: The Abiding Community
This week, we're discussing "The Church as the Abiding Community." This past Sunday, we discussed how Jesus declares to his disciples that he is leaving to prepare a place for his disciples and in his kingdom there are many rooms or really abiding places for people to dwell with Jesus. This idea will be of even more importance in this week's text as we look at the text where Jesus says, "Abide in me, and I in you." Without spoiling too much of this week's sermon, I want to examine the significance of this text for the church's identity. Later in the text, Jesus says that if you abide in him, you will bear fruit, but if you don't you will bear nothing. The illustration here is like that of a plant. If you take a branch from a plant and throw it on the ground, it will not produce anything. It must be part of the plant or grafted onto another plant.
Let us begin with looking at the word abide again. This past Sunday, I explained that it can be translated to mean "to remain in, to dwell in, [or even] not to depart from." So we can say Jesus is telling the disciples, "If you remain in me, dwell with me, or don't depart from me, you will bear fruit. If you do not remain in me, dwell with me, or depart from me, then you will produce nothing." We know the church continues the work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, so therefore it must be abiding with Jesus. And if the church is comprised of individual Christians, then each one of us have to play a role in abiding in or with Jesus. So what then does this mean? To abide with Jesus goes beyond definition and involves action. As you have likely heard me mention, there are three continuous movements of following Jesus: Be with Jesus, Become Like Jesus, and Join Jesus on his kingdom/missional work. Abiding is being with Jesus. As we are with Jesus we become like Jesus, and as those two things happen, joining Jesus on mission becomes a natural byproduct. And thus fruit is produced. Therefore, it begins with abiding. The church must abide for it is an abiding community as it communes with Jesus and produces fruit through Jesus. But what does abiding or being with Jesus look like?
For most, it is quite simple. A great example of this kind of being with Jesus can be found in the story of Brother Lawrence found in the book, "The Practice of the Presence of God." The story is of a 17th century friar who works in the kitchen at a monastery. Brother Lawrence was often responsible for some of the most mundane duties in the monastery. It would have been easy for him to feel like Nacho Libre (comedic movie if you have not seen it) who lived at a monastery/orphanage who never got any good or fun priestly duties. He was often responsible for cooking and cleaning. But unlike Nacho, Brother Lawrence made it a regular practice to sense the presence of God in all things. His focus in life was to be with Jesus. His lifelong pursuit was to cultivate the presence of God in his daily life regardless of what he was doing. It was not only in prayer and bible reading, not only in mass (church service) or music, in confession or communion, Brother Lawrence found God's presence in everyday life. For most of us, that is both the greatest challenge and the greatest need. We are in deep need of God's presence but often do not or cannot make the time to pray, to read, to worship, etc. But what if we could simply invite and recognize Jesus in the everyday affairs of our life knowing that he is with us and delighting in us? What if we chose to delight in the presence of God in every aspect of our life? Personally, I love to be in nature and simply delight in God. It is one of my weekly aspirations for my Sabbath. It does not always happen but I intentionally pursue and invite Jesus into the little, boring, mundane aspects of my life. How can you invite or embrace Jesus throughout your day so that you are abiding in Christ? We abide in him because he abides in us and is welcoming us with open arms. Be the Abiding Church!
Week 9: The Church as the Unified Community
This week's discussion is on the church as "The Unified Community." The last few days, Lauren and I were in Omaha, NE for our MidAmerica District Conference. If you didn't know, LCF is part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance MidAmerica District. Every two years, "licensed workers" or ministers within the district gather to hear stories from churches and church leaders across our five state area. We also hear from missionaries who are already abroad and those who are being sent in the coming months. It is a great time of fellowship, worship, communion, celebration, and anticipation. We vote to decide certain leadership positions as well. This year's text that was the focus and source of the theme was Ephesians 4. One of the things that came out of this text and teaching on it was unity. We looked at most of the chapter, but below you will find the text on unity.
Ephesians 4:2-6, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
During our banquet night, Pastor Jameson from One Hope church in south Omaha shared on unity. He said a lot of good things, but one quote that he said became a theme throughout the conference. It was this, "Disagreement is inevitable, but disunity is a choice (or decision)." The church is supposed to be a place of unity, but unity is not easy. Churches are to be some of the most diverse places we see on earth, and if you know diversity, you know differences exist everywhere. Pastor Jameson talked about he and his wife's marriage and their differences in who they are, their families, their perspectives, their desires, everything. They are different just like each of us reading this are different. And as we recognize and learn differences, we see differences of opinions, thoughts, everything. It is easy to recognize differences, it is easy to get annoyed at them, and it is easy to disagree. Even disunity is easy. But what is not easy is unity. LCF has shown unity in the recovery and fight to get through Pastor Jeff's departure, COVID, dwindling numbers, etc. LCF has shown unity, but I am sure there are areas of not only disagreement but possibly disunity, not that I have seen any. But it is our individual decision to strive for unity or disunity. What will you choose? Thankfully, our striving for unity is not what makes us the unified church.
So with that, let us examine the text. With complete humility, complete gentleness, complete patience, choosing to give love as our response regardless of the other's expression, we are to make every effort to keep unity through the bond of peace by the Spirit. Paul then says, this is what provides us with unity: there is one church and one Spirit within the one hope that we have through Jesus, one Lord (Jesus), one faith (there is no other), one baptism (we are not baptized into anything else. We are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus); one God and Father of all, who has power and dominion over all, can work through all, and is in all. So what makes us unified? How does a local church like LCF or the global church maintain or achieve unity? Only when we recognize what makes us the church, what makes us Christians, what makes us who we are. It is not what we do, it is not our differences, it is not our individual gifts or talents, it is not a building, a neighborhood, a country, nothing else. It is only because of our Triune God. Jesus has come and reconciled us to God and one another, Holy Spirit has come to dwell in us and lead us, our Father has given us the faith and drawn us to him. We get to share in the abundance of Jesus that came through his death and resurrection at the cost of him bearing our sins, shame, and punishment. The same God that once made his dwelling or abode with Israel in the tabernacle, the temple, and as the incarnate son Jesus now calls his dwelling within each one of us, the church. He dwells in each of us, so how can we willingly choose disunity with our brothers and sisters who are not only in Christ but are also the dwelling place of Jesus. We find unity in recognizing how we are one with God through Jesus and how we are one with another through Jesus. We still carry our differences and disagreements, but we put our identity as individual and communal Christians above all else. It is in this same way that we ought to find unity with our spouses in our marriage as our marriage is a direct reflection and illustration of God's love for his church. Don't choose disunity, embrace the reconciliation and restoration given to the church by Jesus. Embrace one another in loving unity!
Week 10: How do we approach abortion?
This week the discussion is abortion. Yep, you read that correctly. The thing that every Christian seems to know and every non-Christian can assume the church's position.
Bottom line up front: Pro life is correct, but the world isn't black and white. We should also be more loving and compassionate to those who have had abortions and those who consider them.
Abortion. Controversial, maybe, but this is a topic worthy of discussion within context. If you are like me, you have always heard churches proclaim a stance of pro life that excludes any form of abortion. It is one side or the other -- pro life vs pro choice. We have seen these positions become as though they are polar opposites and there can be no middle ground. But what if I told you that that the current extreme pro life choice has not been the historical position of the church when it comes to abortion. In order to understand the past view of the church, let's begin with a simple understanding of child birth. Prior to the last one hundred years, in some places nearly half of all babies died before one year. There was also high mortality rates for mothers. Some of these deaths could be attributed to unsanitary conditions, disease, and even famine. But at times, the fetus was in a location within the mother that could result in both of their deaths, we see this nowadays with pregnancies where the fetus is outside of the womb and in another part of the sexual organs (trying to keep it PG). Historically within Catholicism and Judaism, abortions were permitted if it was the safest way to preserve the life of the mother. There were certain precautions they undertook, but they valued the life of the mother who had already survived this far in life. There were unknowns and no guarantees that the child would survive. In their "pro life" stance, they chose the life of the mother. With some legal bills in some states, even these circumstances do not allow for a legal abortion. There are situations where the pregnancy can and most likely will lead to the death of the child and mother if no interventions are made. So in our pro life stance, are we choosing life or death? Eventually this view and allowance of abortion in order to preserve the life of the mother was adopted in protestant Christianity as well. We saw the shift in the late 20th century to polarized views that place people far apart in pro life or pro choice. I must say I am pro life. However, the science and conversation on abortion is highly nuanced. I am no expert; however, I believe there needs to be room for specific instances where abortion not only preserves life, but reduces human suffering upon others. Imagine the experience of a husband who loses both his wife and child because she could not get an abortion despite the doctors knowing the fetus was in a position to kill the mother and die itself. We want to preserve life and uphold it. One caveat I want to say here so that you do not misread what I am saying. There are abortions for fetuses that show signs of genetic, developmental, and other conditions that many countries and people are pushing to eradicate through abortion. I strongly disagree with that entirely. Every human has value and every human is made in the image of God. We pursue the preservation of life and seek to uphold that. But we should also be aware of instances that bring about more death than life such as complete bans on abortion.
Proponents of abortion especially toward fetuses that present the likelihood of deformities, genetic conditions, etc. like to throw out the term "quality of life." Richard Dawkins says this, "Abortion to avoid birth defects is not about eugenics. It’s about the avoidance of individual human suffering.” The problem with this statement and the idea itself is the standard by which they judge quality of life and human suffering. They use these terms when referring to people who have down syndrome especially. But, they often look at the toll it takes on the family around them and society as a whole in order to care for them. Since they can produce very little to consumerism, they lack purpose and only take rather than contribute. However, the individual would always choose life over death. The families often remark how their loved ones are blessings that they cherish and adore. Strikingly, people with children with disabilities (especially genetic) report higher levels of happiness, quality of life, and satisfaction. While these parents and families would often be the first to admit the challenges and hardships they face, there is no doubt that they recognize these people made in the image of God to be worthy of love and care. They wouldn't have it any other way.
The second issue I have with the current views of abortion within our Christian culture is found within hate and condemnation. What many non-Christians expect when they come into a church or engage with a Christian is a message of hate rather than love. When considering such delicate social matters such as gender, sexuality, abortion, and things like that, they expect Christians to be condemning and hateful telling people they are going to hell for their sin. But, I must ask, was this the emphasis in Jesus' teaching or the preaching of the disciples? Did he and they tell people, "You are a sinner, you are going to hell"? Not quite. While yes, they proclaimed a message of repentance going all the way back to John the Baptist. However, the call to repent was due to the kingdom's inauguration. Jesus being here on earth. The repentance was to get right with God, and they were usually talking to the Jewish people who already had a religious framework for repentance and God himself. We are encountering a culture that views god through a lens that is far from accurate at who God says he is. Jesus said that the world would know us to be his followers because of our love for one another. Some translations expand that to love for all people. I think that is accurate based on how Jesus lived and ministered to sinful people. Take for example the story of the woman caught in adultery. The Pharisees and religious leaders are ready to stone her and are condemning her for her sin. They are basically saying "you are going to hell and we are sending you there." What Jesus did was remarkable, he said "let he without sin cast the first stone." No one threw a stone. Jesus offered compassion instead of condemnation. Consider also the woman at the well. People often to think Jesus is critical of her for her previous marriages and her now living with a man to whom she is not married. However, in that culture and time, women had little to no choice in marriage and even less in divorce. When I read that story, I see Jesus showing empathy and compassion and telling her that he sees what she has gone through. She even declares him to be the messiah! So then, should we as Christians emulate the character and behavior of the religious leaders or Jesus? Do we show women who have had or are considering abortions compassion, grace, mercy, love, and care? Or do we simply tell them they are going to hell, they have no hope, they are murderers? Before you decide, consider the response you would desire if you were not a Christian, if you were in their shoes: scared, pregnant from God knows what kind of sexual experience, concerned for your own health, the health of the child, how you are going to raise it, how you will have the money to raise it, and you see people telling you that you are going to hell, that you are a sinner. Oh and by the way calling someone else a sinner is a great form of hypocrisy, we have all sinned. Or maybe, they are getting an abortion or had one because the fetus had an incredibly serious and dangerous genetic condition. They made the choice to preserve their own life or maybe they were worried that they would not be able to help that potential child have a life where they get the necessary medical treatments. How would you want to be ministered to in that situation.
I think we can learn a lot from Jesus. When I read the stories of Jesus ministering and healing people individually, I see a God who is tender-hearted, compassionate, empathetic, caring, loving, gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love. I see the God who created that person and sees them for who they really are: a child of God who has experienced more than they could bargain for in a world ravaged with sin and human rebellion. He sees children in need of a helping hand, a caring touch, and a warm embrace. We proclaim the good news that our sin doesn't define us anymore, that we are no longer bound to the grave, but we have everlasting life in and through Jesus and Jesus alone. We proclaim hope and love. So when you look at abortion in the news, when you consider the people around you that may have had an abortion, when you consider the difficulty and ever polarizing views of pro life and pro choice, consider the things above. Consider Jesus. Consider how we can best love the people around us while seeking to preserve life knowing Jesus offers abundant life.
References
Gary L. Albrecht and Patrick J. Devlieger, “The Disability Paradox: High Quality of Life Against All Odds,” Social Science & Medicine, no. 48 (1999): 977-988
Immanuel Jakobovits, “Jewish Views on Abortion,” Case Western Reserve Law Review17, no.2 (1965): 482
Week 11: The Church as the Generous Community
This week the discussion is on "The Church as the Generous Community." Prior to serving here at LCF, I was at City Church Pueblo for nearly three years. The mission statement there is: "We exist to intentionally share the hope of Jesus with all people through relentless love and generous lives!" But what does generosity look like and why is it part of the identity of the church? As we celebrate Great Commission Day on May 24 and look forward to our Great Commission Sunday on May 28, I think it is fitting to consider the church as the community known for its generosity.
2 Corinthians 8: "We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us." Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, who despite their own struggles in life and in finances gave beyond their means to support the churches and their efforts in Jerusalem basically during a time of struggle.
The church is called to expanding the kingdom and in today's world, money is so vitally crucial to getting Kingdom workers to hard to reach places to do effective ministry. Consider with me what the cost would be for ten people from LCF to go to Indonesia on a two week short term mission. After a quick search, I found the cheapest possible tickets around $1200 a piece with ten people that is already $12000, and it would likely be more with baggage fees. Then food costs during travel and in Indonesia would add (low ball) $300 per person which comes to $3000. Lodging would add $60 per night per two people if we had two to a room if we went by average hotel costs in Jakarta, Indonesia. That comes out to $4200. Two rental vans to accommodate the ten people is rounded up to $1200 per vehicle for the two weeks, so it comes out to $2400. Not including gas, incidentals, or anything else, that trip is going to start at $21,600. Now in most situations it would actually cost even more than that because there are a lot more fees associated with the trip and the area is not usually a huge city like Jakarta. But you get the point, short term trips are very expensive. Many full time missionaries live on a yearly budget that is around that amount, yet if they come home or when they are sent, they have a lot of upfront costs if they have no support. The point is this: sending out people is costly, but it is much more cost efficient and I would argue more effective than short term trips. Therefore, when we consider the costs and needs associated with sending out missionaries, we ought to live generously.
The Christian and Missionary Alliance prides itself in being global ambassadors for Christ who seek to declare Jesus to all nations with the hope that they come to trust in Jesus and make disciples in their countries. We do this by sending people to every part of the world in a number of ways, but funding it isn't always easy. In order to send people, we have to have senders. And to have senders means the church gets to live out its generous identity. We live in a world where people are most often looking out only for themselves, so generosity can be foreign and strange to them. Yet the generosity of the church stands in contrast to culture and shows the world that we love others and love our God more than our own passions, pursuits, and fears of not having enough. The church lives out its identity of being generous when it fully realizes that everything they have comes from Jesus. Salvation, right relationship with God, eternal life, joy, peace, and so much more is only because of what Jesus has done, because of God drawing them to himself, and because God dwells within them now through the Holy Spirit. Then that extends into everything material that we possess. Because we are not our own, but have been bought at the highest price, Jesus' blood, then what we think we own is not ours. Instead, we get to steward it, and with the help and wisdom from God, we use it for his kingdom and his glory. We live generously because He has given more to us than we could ever imagine giving or receiving. We live generously because everything we have has been given to us and it is not our own, we could be called home at anytime. We live generously because we want to see those separated from God be reconciled to Him. We want to fulfill the mandate we received from Jesus to make disciples of all nations by going to each part of the world.
This generosity is not just for overseas as you are probably well aware. We live generously in giving to the local church, the district, the national denomination. We live generously in giving to the poor, tipping servers well, giving of our time and energy, giving our things away instead of seeking profit. We live generously in our everyday lives hoping that we steward our lives and what we have well, as well as hoping to see it be such a shock to the world that our God receive glory. Living generously does not mean we live foolishly or recklessly, but that we consider what we can give rather than what we can get.
How can you live generously in your everyday life? This Great Commission Tuesday and Sunday, how can you make a kingdom impact through generosity? What are you passionate about that you can give toward? Would your coworkers, family, fellow students, etc. view you as a generous person? Have you considered the costs it takes to be a globally impacting family of God as members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance?
Week 12: Purpose
This week, I have been thinking about purpose but more specifically why or how I live out my identity in the purposes I have. Let me explain. This week, Lauren and I met with the officiant of our wedding who is a close friend for a one year marriage counseling. Jeff invests in the couples he marries to where he gives us premarriage counseling and postmarriage counseling as regular checkups at one year and five years. We knew this was coming up so while I was thinking about going to this counseling, I began to think about why I am married. Now don't mishear me and Lauren as you read this, do not think I have any doubts or anything like that. I don't. But I began to think if in the first year, I lived out the purpose of marriage. Now the purpose of marriage is to glorify God as I love my wife in the same way Jesus loves the church. This means I love my wife sacrificially, selflessly, and considering her needs above my own. I can admit that I did not do this all the time, so it served as a reminder that I need to love my wife even better and I need to consider the purpose of my marriage.
Another recent example: I have been dreading and disliking my Army service for the past several weeks for lots of reasons. I won't go in to them here, but I will at least say that I have asked God to release me from this ministry and burden much sooner (like immediately) rather than later. But last week, as I was in Columbus, Ohio with fellow Alliance Chaplains, chaplain candidates, and chaplain applicants, I was reminded of why I am a chaplain. We went to a war museum in Columbus, and on display was a set of murals from an artist who now lives in Colorado. The murals were life-sized portraits of 23 men who died in Iraq between May and August 2005. They were all assigned to a national guard unit in Columbus. 22 Army, 1 Navy Corpsman (medic). They ranged in age from 18 to 33. We heard stories of how these murals have helped veterans suffering from PTSD find solace and help due to seeing themselves in the portraits and opening up about their experiences. They had a statue of a man bent down who found that hope when he needed it most. He came to a site where they had these traveling murals the day before he had planned his suicide. He found hope and did not end his life. Years later he did due to the struggles he encountered daily from what war did to him. The statue is in his likeness and they have dog tags people write on all around the statue. Some asking for help, some sharing the names of people they have lost to PTSD and suicide, and some messages of hope. This exhibit reminded me why I am a chaplain: to love and minister to the men and women who are often neglected, unreached, and uncared for. My purpose is to bring the only God to them who can bring healing and who can sympathize with their illness. It was a reality check. I still hate the bureaucracy and so many other things about the Army, but this trip refocused my sight on why I put on a uniform.
Finally, I talked with someone about ministry. They were nervous to be seen by the church and to lead people knowing that they are young and that they struggle with sin like any other person. Just like I have to remind myself, I reminded them what our role and purpose in ministry is. We discussed how it is all about Jesus, proclaiming him, and glorifying him. We can only do what he has called us to because of his equipping and indwelling Spirit. The purpose of why we do what we do is centered in Jesus. It is not about us, it is not about being seen, it is not about getting across our own agenda, it is not about what we want or think. It is only about Jesus. We must constantly remind ourselves why we do what we do and what our desired end state is. For me, I must remind myself why I came to LCF and why I am in ministry. Jesus called me to be an undershepherd to shepherd his church and he specifically broke mine and Lauren's hearts for the LCF family and community. We knew we needed to be here. I also know that he has called me to do very specific things in my ministry and in how he has wired me, so I must remind myself of those things. But the gospel is always center stage. It is the driving force behind all that I do.
What is the purpose in the big things and little things that you do? What do you need to remind yourself of as you consider serving Jesus in everyday life?
Week 13: The Church as an Inclusive Community
This week, I want to discuss the church as an inclusive community. In recent years, those outside of the church and often those who have left the church view it as a place that is not inclusive, that is not loving, and that is often full of hate. Oh how this is the exact opposite of what the church is supposed to be! The church is supposed to be a place known for it's love, hospitality, care, and grace where all people are seen as image-bearers of God who are worthy of love and forgiveness. Yet the message that is portrayed to the world is not this one. Many see the church as a place that does not accept people who have an atypical view of sexuality, gender, or even political views. It is not always these big things, though. Sometimes churches are not inclusive in shocking ways. I have read and heard stories of churches not being inclusive to people with disabilities, people who have children with special needs, and even simply parents with small children. I could tell dozens of stories that I know of where people left a church or the church all because they had a negative experience where the church was not accommodating, welcoming, or considerate of the circumstances of the person(s) involved. Now I recognize the sensitive nature of this conversation because many people when they read this will immediately think of scenarios where there is a homosexual couple coming to the church seeking acceptance of their relationship, or a transgender person who wants to use the restroom for the gender with which they identify, or a belligerent drunk who is violent. Some of you may be thinking of those scenarios. I'll ask you to hold on to them for a moment.
Allow me to provide an example of what I am talking about. I recently heard a story of a family that went to a church with their infant child. From the beginning of their experience at this church, they were treated like an outsider. It was an "othering" experience for them. Their child had a hard time quieting down after worship and they were directed to a room for parents. Yet even then someone came in and asked them to leave and told them that it was in their best interest to find another church. Now imagine if that was you and you had never been to a church before. Would you give a different church another chance?
The child in the story was not abnormally loud or anything like that, but this church viewed the child as a distraction to the point that the whole family could not attend the service. So let me ask you, who was the focus of the service then? Who was the object of worship? Was it God or was it the comfort and experience of the individuals around the family? We live in a culture obsessed with entertainment, self, and individual experience. Therefore, it probably isn't uncommon for this to happen in churches where individual experience and self-gratification is prioritized above all. But is that how it is supposed to be? Should the church be accommodating and inclusive?
I will tell you my thoughts. Children just like adults should have the full right to be in service to praise and worship God (the sermon is an extension of worship). God is the center focus of all that we do. God is the object of our worship and praise. Would he rather us be self-focused, or inclusive of others? As we worship and seek God, we should encourage one another and lead one another in worship. To do so, we have to sacrifice some of the self-centeredness that exists within us and instead delight in the distractions of others. We should encourage people to seek God as we do it with them. When we have the kids' gospel moments at LCF or when we have kids fussing during service, it is okay for them to be kids. It is okay if they are not perfect because none of us are. It is okay if they want to move around, fidget, cry, laugh, sleep, whatever. We should be like Jesus and invite kids to come to God regardless of how "messy" it might be.
Now let's go back to the scenarios from before. Should we be inclusive to people coming to our building if they do not align with our theology? If a homosexual came to church, what should be our response? Would it be like the story of the family above? Do we politely ask them to find another church? But allow me to ask this. Would you ask an unmarried heterosexual couple to do the same thing? Your answer might be yes, but I think for many, it would not. Here is the deal. If we have people coming into our LCF building wanting to seek God, are we getting in their way with "stances." Consider how Jesus engages the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, or most stories of Jesus interacting with individuals. Does Jesus tell them his stance or theology on things right away? I would argue he cares for them, listens, and engages them where they are hurting most. Sometimes he eventually tells them the rules for things, but only after first giving them love, compassion, and care. I think our response ought to be the same. If anyone comes to Jesus and is not yet a believer, is not our role to shepherd them, disciple them, and journey with them in the lifelong challenging walk of faith? I wonder and grieve at the amount of opportunities to live out the gospel with people that have been missed or ignored because it didn't match up with our stance or theology. Now let me say this, there is a place for our theology and stance. And there is a difference between being inclusive with welcoming people in the church and journeying with them versus condoning sin while the person claims to follow Jesus. God is our judge and yet he gives authority for Christians to judge fellow Christians in the sense that we call out sin in one another's lives while pointing them to Jesus for help, reconciliation, and love. Therefore, those who do not know or have not trusted in Jesus' finished work are outside of our judgement. Should we not then love them even more so that they might know Jesus? Should we not be absolutely thrilled that they are coming to our church building because they are hungry for God. Now sometimes, people come to confirm their suspicions or even fears of the church. But that is still a great opportunity to show them love when they are expecting hate, to give them grace when they are expecting condemnation, to give them value when they are expecting devaluing. When they come to church, it should be as though they are meeting Jesus for the first time. It should be as though they are someone Jesus ministers to, heals, and transforms.
Are you willing to journey with and love people that are different from you? Are you willing to be inclusive by possibly sacrificing your own desires in order to help others seek and praise our wonderful God? How can you or all of us be more welcoming, more inclusive, more engaging with those who come to our church building, but also those we encounter in our daily lives? You may disagree with me on any of this and that is okay. I still love you. And it won't change my desire to serve you, the LCF family, and our slice of the Denver metro area. In case anyone is not aware, it is okay for there to be differing views and opinions within the church. It is when there are no differing views or disagreements that the greatest problems exist within any organization. Be blessed this week, know that I would rather be with you all this Sunday than be at Fort Carson!
Week 14: Not needed in Archive
Week 15: The Church as the Guided Community
This week's topics is the Church as the Guided Community. If you heard my sermon this past Sunday, you heard me talk about the person of the Holy Spirit. As we sought to understand the Holy Spirit as the person within the triune God who "reaches out personally to relate to mankind," (Simon Ponsonby), there were a couple texts that showed the Holy Spirit as the one who directs and guides the church. We saw specific texts in Acts and in Paul's writings, but you can see it throughout the story of the early church we see in our New Testament, but also in much of church history. So what exactly does this mean and what is our role in this?
I do want to note that there have been dark times in church history when humans were directing the church in evil, political, and selfish directions. One could consider the crusades, the doctrine of discovery in imperialism, and so many other things that the church global has done when not seeking the Spirit's guidance while also not allowing the Holy Spirit it to lead.
Among many things to celebrate the early church for, one is their reliance, obedience, and submission to God's Spirit. When we look at the book of Acts, for example, we see the leaders of the church constantly praying, waiting, and obeying God's directions. I imagine that they remembered what Jesus said to them that they must abide in him to produce fruit. They were told they would do greater things than Jesus did in his earthly ministry particularly in seeing his kingdom grow. But in order for this growth to happen, they had to abide in Jesus and his will. That is where the Helper comes in. As the Holy Spirit dwells within each individual believer and the church as a whole, abiding in Jesus is made possible, available, and potentially constant. They knew they had to rely on the Holy Spirit for the church to grow and for good fruit to be produced. In the darkest parts of church history, it is easy to look back with hindsight and see that they were not thinking with God's heart and desires first in their lives. Instead, we see greed, pride, arrogance, racism, sexism, xenophilia, sexual immorality, power hunger, and more. Those became the primary motivations for many within church leadership during those disappointing times. Yet there have always been those who are faithful to Jesus who carried his love and message well. The church saw growth in some places even during those difficult times. Why? Because even though many who were running large portions of the church were wolves in disguise, there were still faithful Christians who sought God's Spirit to lead them. But what does that look like for us? How do we live out our identity as the people who are led and guided by God himself?
As I mentioned above, some no longer sought God or to walk in His will while others remained faithful and sought his guidance. It is within that framework that we find how we are to live this out. It sounds easy doesn't it? But is it actually easy? I personally believe that living out the Christian faith is one of the most difficult things any human can attempt. The Gospel may be simple but it is not easy. The work is done for us and Jesus has atoned or covered our sins giving us forgiveness and reconciliation with God and humanity. However, living out the daily battle of obeying Jesus, choosing to abide in Him rather than all of the distractions available to us, choosing to love our enemies, choosing Jesus over own selfishness, and so much more is the challenge we all face. It is not easy. Yet we have a God who made his dwelling place within us to help us and equip us to do it. What we have to do is seek His help, allow Him to help, and pursue his leading with humility. Our God not only wants to lead the church as the global bride of Jesus and kingdom here on earth, but also each one of us, His children.
So then, we should seek His presence, guidance, and to obey Him not only for the church as a whole's sake but also our own individual selves. Who else knows the way in which we should go, how we should live, or what is best for us than the God of the universe who created all existence, created you uniquely and in His image, who died on the cross covered in your sin, your shame, your guilt, and who then put His Spirit to dwell in you and every member of His Kingdom. Seems appropriate, then, that he should be the one to lead us, right? Do you seek God's presence everyday? Do you ask Him to guide you and lead you? Do you pray for Lakewood Christian Fellowship and ask that God lead and guide this church well? Do you pray for the church and Kingdom here in Denver, in Colorado, the US, or church global? How do you think you could best pursue God's guidance in all these areas and more?
I encourage you to embrace God's Spirit and rely on His leading as you face the challenges of today, tomorrow, and next week. May God fill you with His Spirit so that you might walk in the fullness of His joy, His presence, and His love. May He guide each of you and may He guide our little church in the little slice of His Kingdom that He has given to us.
Week 16: The church as the Woshipping Community (Part One)
If you were to ask a roomful of theologians, or pastors, or church leaders what the first or greatest priority of the church is, the most common answer would likely see is worship. The Westminster Larger Catechism states that the chief end of humanity is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. "We would contend that worship, a response of love to God for his love to us in Christ through the Spirit, is the primary task and highest end of the church."^1
Worship in general is the specific and primary activity of the church when it gathers for its weekly services, small group gatherings, and other fellowship times. What does worship involve, then? Do we worship the Father and the Son, and not the Spirit? What does it mean to worship?
Before we get to all of that, I want to first talk about who we worship. Seems simple enough, but I believe it is important for us to realize we worship a Triune God. We are Christocentric or Christ centered but we embrace our God as being Triune or three in one. To help us understand this, I'm going to turn to Dr. Metzger and Dr. Harper.
"Trinitarian worship is the gift of participating through the Spirit in the Son's communion with the Father. And as we participate in this communion, God engages us in worship that authenticates what it means to be truly human. For personhood at its best and fullest is being 'in relation, in love, in communion.' (James Torrance) Non-trinitarian views of God, which typically focus [solely] on Christ as example, are in danger of turning worship into a response to God's call for behavior modification in order to placate him. For a non-trinitarian God, who is ontologically (at the core of his being) nonrelational, remains either distant and austere or immanent and impersonal. But the Triune God is neither distant nor impersonal in worship. For through his eternal relational love, the Father sent the Son to become one of us and, through the Spirit, one with us. To take this one step further, trinitarian worship begins with the eternal community of Father, Son, and Spirit, which calls the church into worship as participation in the divine life. This, then, results in a horizontal community of worship. Worship is not merely the church, eyes toward heaven entering into the life of God, but it is also the members of the church declaring God's worth to each other ('speaking to each other in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,' Colossians 3:16). Worship is an activity, indeed the activity par excellence of true human community."^1
This worship then that they are talking about and that I see in our Bible is more than simply singing songs on Sundays. Worship is communion, participation with God, response to His love, and pursuing Him. It involves bringing Him glory in how we live, and it involves leading those around us in worship by declaring God's goodness and worthiness to one another. After the destruction of the first temple, Jewish leaders were trying to figure out how they would worship God and follow his commandments without being able to offer, sacrifice, and sing in the temple. Eventually they developed the synagogue structure of villages or cities having a synagogue or building where they would worship by singing Psalms, reading/memorizing/reciting scripture, and honoring the Sabbath together. But before that and during that development, some Rabbis came up with something called kavanah. If you were to google that word and read wikipedia or something like that, you would see it described as being in the right frame of mind or heart posture before one recites prayers, reading scripture, or something along those lines. However, early forms of kavanah centered around the idea of living one's life in a way that was full of worship, honor, and glory to God. They recognized the need for a change in worship and realized that much of the Old Testament's underlying message for obedience involved a heart posture of obeying God and being mindful of Him in all that you do.
Over the next couple weeks, we will look at various aspects of worship and what it entails. But this week, think about how you worship in your everyday life. Do you honor God with your lips? With your thoughts? With your time? Are you seeking intentional time with him in communion? Do you worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit equally? Or even at all? How do you consider the Triune God while being Christ centered and being attentive to what He has done for you and how God is with you in every moment? How can you honor God in your daily activities? If worship is the primary activity and possibly even identity of the church (and thus individual Christians), are you actively living that out? How can you give it greater priority?
^1. Paul Louis Metzger and Brad Harper in "Exploring Ecclesiology."
Week 17: The church as the Worshipping Community (part two).
Before we go into the individual ways we participate in and are invited to worship, I think we should see worship as eschatological (end times) in nature. To help make sense of this and to explain it best, I will again turn to Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper from their book, "Exploring Ecclesiology."
“In his institution of the Eucharist, Jesus designates the meal as an eschatological (end times or eternity focused) celebration, proclaiming, ‘I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom’ (Matt. 26:29). Paul continues this theme for the church, explaining that whenever the church takes the bread and the cup, it proclaims Christ’s death until he comes (1 Cor. 11:26). And the redemptive work that the church celebrates, having been accomplished by Christ, still looks forward to its final application for a broken humanity. So when the church worships, it celebrates its future, already fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection, but not yet fully realized in his corporate body (The church)” (pg. 87).
We even see worship focused around the eternal promise and reality of our King Jesus in the Psalms, particularly in book five (Psalms 107-150). Psalm 107 serves as the introduction to this section and it reflects upon Israel’s captivity in Babylon, its return to the land, and the future hope that they look to. Psalm 110 may be a small psalm, but it packs rich eschatological and messianic statements.
1The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion, your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses, he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. 7 He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.
“In Psalm 110, we see Hebrew worship looking forward to the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, yet the affirmations of this psalm go way beyond David. Verse 1 speaks of a king who is coregent (joint ruler) with YHWH. This prophecy of one who would be both king and Lord is attributed to the Messiah by Jesus (Matt. 22:44), and to Jesus by Peter (Acts 2:34). Verse 4 looks forward to a king who would also be a legitimate and enduring priest, according to the order of Melchizedek, whose priesthood was seen as coming from a higher order predating that of Aaron (this is discussed in the book of Hebrews)” (pg. 88).
“In John chapters 1, 2, and 4 we see a temple imagery that harks back both to temple worship in general and to the eschatological anticipation of renewed temple worship found in passages like Ezekiel 43. In his graphic visions of the temple, the prophet watches, stunned, as YHWH responds to idolatrous priests by removing his glory from the temple. Then God shows Ezekiel the future, looking forward to a day when YHWH’s glory will return to the temple: not the temple built by Solomon, or even Herod, but one described in terms that transcend bricks and mortar. This is most likely the image in John’s mind as he connects Jesus to the temple. In John 1, the eternal Word of God takes on flesh and ‘tabernacles’ among human beings, and as he does, the disciples become witnesses of his glory. In John 2, he is the temple who will one day raise himself up after destruction. And in chapter 4, he is the new temple to whom all true worshippers will come to worship the Father. In Christ, the glory of God returns to the temple, which is Christ himself. Thus, it is now through Christ that all true worship will come to the Father. For John, Christian worship is fulfilling the Old Testament promise of a renewed worship, but as we would expect, it does so in a here and not-here kind of way. The worship of God through Christ, the new temple, reaches its apex for John in the New Jerusalem, where there is no temple, ‘because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.’ And the city does not need the light of the sun, ‘for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:22-23)” (pg. 89).
With all of that said, then, we can see that our worship is not merely in a building, not merely in the present. Our worship of the living God spans time and space in many ways. When we live out lives of worship, of glorifying God in what we do, spending time with Him, celebrating together as a church, and faithfully pursuing Jesus, we worship the Risen Savior as we look back at what He has done, as we look forward to what He will, and as we taste the future forever that is greater than our imaginations can capture! Our worship is eschatological because it involves our future reality both here and now! Our God is good, our God is with us, and there is more in store than we even know. As you seek to obey, worship, and follow our Triune God this week, I invite you to consider what it might be like to worship Him, delight in Him, and feel His love in our future reality where there are no more boundaries between God and His people. Between God and you. Consider how you can live your daily life in light of your future promise and assurance of eternity.
Week 18: Worship Part Three. Love at the center of worship.
Love at the center. "Humans can rightly worship God only after they understand his love in the midst of his holiness, so humans can truly glorify God only in response to his love. For humans with no awareness of God's love can respond to him only in terror or fear." Dr. Metzger and Dr. Harper emphasize love as the primary form of worship to God even before glorify. And you see above that they mention that we can only glorify God when responding to His initiating love. They go on to say, "As a relational activity through and through, worship must be more than a corporate declaration of the greatness of God, and even of his great acts of salvation on our behalf. Such worship can be too objective, lacking the subjective, relational component that is also important for true worship. What God initiates in his encounter with humanity, before all other things, is not a decree to save, but an objective and personal act of love that saves us. As John puts it, 'we love him, because he first loved us' (1 John 4:19)."
God initiates this relationship of love. You might be surprised to hear this, but even in the Old Testament law centering around the covenant, love is the central idea of why the Israelites received the law and why they were supposed to uphold the law. In Deuteronomy, the word for love is used over 20 times! Metzger and Harper claim, "Most of them are for human love for God. But clearly, that human love is in response to God's initiatory love. For his covenant with Israel is a covenant of love (Deut. 7:9, 12) and he promises to love his covenant people for a thousand generations (Deut. 5:10, 7:9)."
We see this emphasis on reciprocal love throughout the Bible. Paul even takes it to the point where we are now sons and daughters who get to call God father in an intimate, childlike way (Romans 8:15). "The Spirit, engaging the gathered church with the relational love of God in Christ, elicits a response of love in return, which leads of the desire of the church to glorify God." Next week, we will talk about glorifying God, but here in this quote, we see Dr. Metzger and Dr. Harper connect the Holy Spirit, love, and worship all together. And as mentioned above, this loving relationship is not only in the context of corporate gatherings, but also individual time with God. As we will mention later and have mentioned before when talking about community, worship needs to happen in community, but cannot be left to only that time.
When we love, we worship. When we worship we love.
So what does all of this mean for us as individuals? I think it involves intentional pursuit to love God. I think it involves obedience as Jesus told his disciples, "if you love me, you will keep my commands" (John 14:15). It certainly involves loving others, keeping God in the place of primary worship and attention in your life, and proclaiming your love to him. As mentioned above by Metzger and Harper, love is in response. When someone shows you love, is it not natural for most of us to reciprocate that love? When someone does something unselfish for us, do we not express gratitude and love? When we consider what Jesus has done for us, the love that led him to the cross to die covered in our sin and shame, the love that led him to victory over sin, death, and the grave, the love that led him to pursue you and all of us the church, should we not respond with love, adoration, gratitude, and devotion? This week, ask yourself if you are showing love to God. Are you showing love to your friends, family, and those around you? Are you reflecting the love that has led you to worship and follow our God? May we be known for our love, but first may we respond with love by living lives of love dedicated to God!
Week 19: Worship part three. Glory.
Below you will find an excerpt from "Exploring Ecclesiology" by Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper. It will help us in our discussion today.
"It is here that we talk of worship as the act of declaring God's immeasurable worth by proclaiming the glory of his person and works. Now glorifying God takes the form of celebration and thanksgiving. We celebrate and thank him for who he is -- for being the God who loves us, after which we can joyfully praise him for his holiness, and for all his other glorious attributes. We praise him for being the Creator, the one who has given us existence and who has manifested himself in our creation (Rev. 4:11; Psalm 29:3-10). We also celebrate and thank him for what he has done and will do. The people of Israel consistently rehearsed and rejoiced in the saving acts of God on their behalf, especially the paradigmatic redemption of the exodus, prefiguring the work of the Messiah, who would redeem his people from slavery to sin. Imagine the celebrative atmosphere of the Israelites as they find themselves separated from Pharaoh's army by the Reed Sea. Hundreds of years of slavery to Pharaoh are put behind them as God invites them into a new relationship as his 'captive' covenant people. There, on the shores of the Reed Sea, Moses and Miriam lead the people in a song of celebration and thanksgiving, both for who YHWH is and for his great act of salvation (Exodus 15:1-18). Stanley Grenz summarizes the matter this way: 'Above all... the people of God were to worship him for his saving acts... Through its corporate worship life, the community gathers to commemorate the foundational events of our spiritual existence, at the center of which is the action of God in Christ delivering humankind from the bondage of sin.'"
So then, we glorify God by telling, declaring, and living out what Jesus has accomplished. To glorify involves speaking of what God has done for you and for all of us. It leads us to recognize our place in the process as those who need grace and could not get it themselves but received it by the finished work of Jesus. Humanity's primary purpose on earth is to glorify God. This means that we are to worship him for who he is, we are to declare with gratitude what He has done for us, and we are to live our lives with the desire and intention to please him.
As I said at the end there, to glorify God is so much more than simply while at church, while praising Him with music, even more than simply meditating on His written word the Bible. To glorify God is to live for Him. It is to declare his goodness and likeness to the world around us. It is to live lives of thankfulness and gratitude at not only what God has done, but who God is.
As you read this, stop and consider how often you praise and thank God for who He is. We are often focused on what God does or what people do in our lives as the reason why we respond to them with good or bad intentions. Yet when we love someone, it is more often for who they are. Take your parent, spouse, friend, children, or whoever it may be and consider why you love them. If it is merely for what they do for you then it is surface level, but if it is for who they are and is not dependent on their actions, then it reflects the genuine love we receive from God. Therefore, we ought to love God, glorify God, declare God's likeness to the world for who He is, not only what He does. Consider how you can live a life of glorifying God daily that reflects a life of loving worship.
Week 20: Worship part four. The Word.
In our modern world, we often see worship existing in the form of music, art, or glorifying God. We have discussed love and glory the last two weeks, and while I have mentioned scripture reading briefly, there is more to it when it comes to worship. What we have seen in recent decades in various church traditions is either a hyper focus on the word and the preaching of the word to the point where it is not part of worship but above it. Or on the other hand where it is secondary to music, art, and tradition. I think there is a balance to be found.
Since the beginning of church history, the reading of God's word has been a regular part of worship both in smaller gatherings and larger church gatherings. They would often read from a prophet or Old Testament text then an epistle or from Acts then a Gospel. And in between each of these readings, they would sing, chant, or recite Psalms. Worship services centered around God's word. For each of the readings, someone would offer a homily (teaching or explanation of the text). This is why we have preaching today. However, we center much of our service around preaching and it is typically in a single text. In some liturgical backgrounds, people still do the readings like those mentioned above. In Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and others you would see some of these old traditions alive and well.
Reading God's word, proclaiming it by explaining what it means, and proclaiming the message of Jesus that is in the text and leads us to Him is vital aspects of church service because it is worship. You may have noticed that I often will pray or mention that the time of preaching is an extension or continuation of our worship. I am intentional with that because our church gatherings are worship services. Like we have mentioned before that the primary purpose of the church and humanity is to worship God, then our church gatherings should be saturated or filled with worship at all times. From our time of music, call to worship, prayer, reading of texts, announcements, preaching of God's word, and even the benediction or closing should all reflect worship. We are declaring God's worthiness to one another. We are centering our hearts, minds, spirits, and bodies on Christ. I think of each of our tenets in worship should have equal standing. The music, the preaching, the reading of God's word, prayer, and communion are all important pieces of our collective worship of God together.
But reading God's word, studying it, explaining it, talking about it is not and should not be limited to church gatherings whether those be our large worship services, our small group gatherings, prayer nights, or anything like that. The reading of God's word and all of these aspects of meditating upon it should be regular practices in our daily lives individually and with others. If you are single, it can be with a friend. If you are married, your spouse. If you are a parent, your kid(s). You get the idea. Reading and meditating on God's word should happen in our private lives as part of our worship, commitment to, and following of Jesus. Yet it also needs to be part of our communal life of walking with both the believer and non-believer in making disciples of the people around us. God's written word points to the living word Jesus and it shapes and reshapes us to be like Jesus. Reading and understanding God's word can be intimidating and difficult. There are countless resources to help with this and I am one of them. In the coming months, we will have a small group that will dive into understanding scripture better and it is my hope to make it easier and clearer through what I speak on Sunday mornings as well. Please don't let the challenges of understanding our ancient texts be an obstacle when it comes to spending time with God and worshiping Him through the word.
Response questions:
Have you unevenly prioritized aspects of worship in church services? In your personal time/life?
In what ways can you make reading and studying God's word a bigger aspect of your worshiping life?
How can I better help you to understand and grow from your reading of God's word?
Week 21: Worship part five. Communion.
This coming Sunday we will have the typical church communion consisting of a table at the front of church service with grape juice and a wafer like bread. This past Sunday, we had a church BBQ that some Christian leaders would consider solely fellowship, but some like me would consider it a time of communion. For most of us, our church experience of communion has primarily or maybe only consisted of communion as a time in a church service with a wafer or piece of bread with grape juice or wine. But this is a little different from what we see in the New Testament and in some early church traditions. A significant part of Jesus' ministry was around the meal table with people where he would have conversations, teachings, and prayer. We see the last supper where he institutes communion take place around a meal during a holiday feast. We see in the Corinthian church that there were large meals that were part of the church service as well. (It must be said however, that Paul does not celebrate how they did their time of communion as it consisted of economic segregation, gluttony, and drunkenness). Now I am not proposing that communion for church services can only be by the way of a large corporate meal or even the table with some form of bread and some form of grape drink.
Instead, I want us to see that communion is worship. At the core of what communion represents, celebrates, and brings together is worship. Communion cannot be separated from worship. It is innately part of worship because of the way it facilitates an encounter with Christ for us, it is celebration to what Jesus has done and thus it brings him glory, and it proclaims Jesus' death and resurrection while looking forward to his return. Communion is a beautiful glimpse of God's kingdom in understanding the kingdom to be now and not yet. We celebrate and remember what Jesus has done in reconciling us to God, we also encounter Jesus as being part of our time together, and yet we know there is more to come as it is just a glimpse of God's eternal presence with us. We encounter and praise God in the present with the hopeful anticipation of the future reality that we will experience with Him. Finally, one more reason it is worship according to Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper, "The sacrificial ethos of the bread and wine as the body and blood of the Lamb of God calls to the participant to offer himself or herself as a living sacrifice God for the sake of Christ [see Romans 12:1-2]" (Exploring Ecclesiology, page 107).
Whether communion takes place in our worship service, in our church small groups, in your home with your family, or wherever, consider it an extension of worship to God. I challenge you to think about and consider how a typical meal with other believers can be a time of communion and worship. I think each meal is an opportunity to consider the God who provided that meal and to consider what Jesus has done for us so that we are not simply enjoying food alone, but instead we are enjoying food with God and possibly others. How can you invite others into that experience of oneness and worship through the meal?
Week 22: Worship part six. Prayer.
While I have mentioned prayer in this series in passing, it is necessary to discuss it as a very important aspect of Christian worship. What is the point or purpose of prayer? If you and I were to go to 5 churches, 5 mosques, 5 synagogues, 5 buddhist temples, 5 hindu temples, 5 secular university classrooms, and 5 megachurch pastors and asked the question what is the purpose of prayer, we would get an array of answers. I suspect some would answer that it is to receive insight and answers to problems. Some would say inner peace and tranquility. Some would say it is to obey what their god(s) commanded. You may wonder why we would ask all of these various groups. Well, according to Barna in 2017, prayer is the most common faith practice of Americans regardless of their faith background or identity. According to a poll conducted in 2014, the majority of prayer in America is aimed at self or close family/friends. How many do you think would say the purpose of prayer is worship? In that poll, only 37% say that their prayer ever involves the greatness of God.
Throughout this look into the church as the worshipping community, I have emphasized how our role as humans is to glorify, praise, and celebrate who God is and what he has done in our everyday lives, our large church gatherings, and our small gatherings with others. Worship is supposed to be at the center of the Christian life. And yet prayer has become focused on self. According to this poll, the majority of prayer takes place alone. So it seems prayer in America takes place alone and is self-centered. Does that line up with what we see in God's scriptures? Is the purpose of prayer for oneself and to be done alone?
No. What we see in the Old and New Testaments are times of corporate and individual prayer. And the prayer almost always consists of some form of worship or praise. Even in laments (psalm or poem of mourning/grieving), the vast majority include a response back to worship, praise, and thanksgiving. But beyond all of that, I would argue the purpose of prayer is communion. It is not to get an answer, it is not for inner change, it is not blind obedience. Yes answers do happen sometimes, yes, we should obey God's charges for us to pray, and yes God's Spirit does transform us often in times of prayer. But these byproducts of prayer do not make up the purpose. The purpose is meeting with God and entering into His presence. We have discussed in the past the importance of abiding in Christ. We remain clinging to Jesus when we seek Him, whether it be by reading Scripture, taking part in communion, praying, seeking to glorify Him, seeking His presence throughout the day, and even more. But prayer ought to be among the foundations of worship. I would argue it goes Scripture then prayer then songs as the three most vital components of Christian worship and engagement with God. That does not mean we choose one over the others. It means we seek to worship God in what we do. Our prayers should be individual and communal, and they should focus on bringing praise and giving thanks to God for all that He is and all that He has done.
As you consider all that I have stated, I encourage you to meditate on the two things below. Consider how they tie in with what we have discussed and keep them in mind as you pray in response to God by engaging with Him in worship.
Matthew 6:5-15
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.[a]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,[b]
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,[c]
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.[d]
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. Brad Harper: "All the world worships. And worship is always relational. From the pagan cultures of Abraham’s day to the present, the worship of religious idols has always been about connection with and favor from the person of power represented by those idols. And as Americans worship at the altar of consumerism, bowing down before more and more stuff, worship is still about relationships. From the college guy who saves his money for a sports car to ‘impress the chicks,’ to the woman who hopes for a bigger house in order to run in a more elite social strata, we are all willing to sacrifice ourselves for and pay homage to whatever will make us more well connected. God wants to be well connected to his people, and his people to be connected to one another, for they together, are his beloved bride. It is in the church’s worship that the communal God engages his communal bride.
Week 23: Baptism.
This past Sunday, we celebrated Sarah Soto's baptism and sharing of her testimony. It was a beautiful celebration of what incredible things God has done in her life. Leading up to her baptism and now after, I have been thinking about the significance of baptism. It is such an important aspect of our Christian faith as we identify with Jesus in His life, death, and resurrection, as we recognize the regeneration His Spirit has done in us, and as we therefore declare outwardly the inner transformation God's Spirit has done in us.
Before Sarah's baptism, I read from Romans 6. As I reflected on that text in the weeks leading up to her baptism and now in the last couple days, I can't help but think of the connection between our baptism and communion. They are very different, and yet they are two ordinances Jesus gave the church that we are to do regularly. (Baptism, I believe is a one time thing for each individual, maybe twice but when I say regularly I mean the church as a whole). What I see in comparison; however, is the call to remember, the call to celebrate, and the call to look forward. When we take part in communion, we look back to all Jesus has done, we evaluate ourselves, we celebrate Jesus' work and His presence with us, and we look forward with hopeful anticipation at His return. I think we can do the same with our baptism. We can look back at it and celebrate that we have identified with Jesus in His life, death, and resurrection, that He has rescued us, that He has put His Spirit in us, and that we have been raised to new life. When we celebrate baptisms like Sarah's, it should stir in us a celebratory reminder of our baptism, and yet give us a desire to look forward with hope and trust that what Jesus has given us and started in us will one day become a fully reality. We have eternal life because of the eternal presence of Jesus that has been offered to us because of Jesus once and for all death on the cross and resurrection power over death.
Have you been baptized? Do you remember it? Were you excited? Scared? Anxious? Indifferent? Do you look back on your baptism with joy? How can you remind yourself of your baptism to spur you on in faith and obedience to Jesus?
If you have not been baptized? What is holding you back?
Week 24: Army update; transition
I just want to give everyone an update as this past weekend was bittersweet for me. There are always transitions in life, and this past weekend involved an important one for me. I had been with the 440th Civil Affairs Battalion since I joined the Army Reserve. I knew the majority of my Soldiers, I loved the unit's mission set, and it was a great place to be. This August was my 5 year anniversary of serving at that unit. But this weekend was my last time with them as their Battalion Chaplain. My transfer paperwork is being submitted for me to go to the 321st Engineer Battalion. I won't have Army in September, which will be a welcome break, but by October, I should be the Battalion Chaplain of the 321st. This past weekend was bittersweet as I said goodbye to many Soldiers who I will likely never see again, I welcomed a new chaplain who I trained all weekend, and I thought of all the memories I have of serving alongside and learning with this unit. But it is sweet because I can look back on this unit with fondness and look forward to the new unit with excitement and uncertainty.
The new unit has its headquarters in Boise, Idaho with several engineer companies (subordinate units) across several states (Ogden, UT; Missoula, MT; Spokane, WA; Hayden, ID; Tacoma, WA, and I believe one other location in Oregon). So you might be wondering why I would change units when I currently only had to drive to Fort Carson. Fair question. I would have been moved without choice in about 8 months. However, I have felt it was time to move on for the last few months. As I considered leaving the unit and where I would go, I began by considering what the best unit would be for where I would transfer. My mindset focused on the type of unit and their mission set, where they were located, and if it were good for my career. But quickly, I realized that this mindset is the same for most people in the Army. However, chaplains should be different from everyone else in the way that we view where to go. Instead of thinking of where I want to be, I had to consider where I need to be.
If you were at church on Sunday, you met Christian Rainbolt. Christian is a friend of mine and a chaplain candidate in the Army Reserve who is assigned to the 321 EN BN. As Christian has faced many challenges serving this unit without a supervisory chaplain, I spoke with him regularly. The 321st has faced lots of challenges and hardships in the last year or two. It became clear that I needed to go there to be able to serve their Soldiers. It may involve more travel, it may involve more field training, it may involve a completely different type of mission, but it is where I need to be.
Why am I sharing this? One, to give an update. But two, because I think we can apply this thinking to ourselves as Christians. When we follow Jesus, it involves selflessness that puts others first. So instead of asking what I want to do, where I want to be, or how can others get me what I want, we can say I am going to do what is best for others, I will be where I am needed, and I will serve as God's messenger wherever I am.
How can you reframe decisions in your life that reflect obedience and submission to God's will? I know I would not have selected the 321st. I would not have pursued that opportunity. But God works things in mysterious ways quite often.
Week 25: Equip the saints for ministry.
Over the last several days, I have spoken to people in churches in various US states. Many of them shared frustration over a lack of volunteers, leaders, and even being able to recruit qualified youth pastors, children's ministry directors, and more. No matter the church size, volunteers and leaders seem to always be needed. As I discussed with each of these church pastors and leaders, we considered different people we knew who could help recruit young people for pastoral or paid positions. Even at LCF during board meetings, we try to think through who could or would lead various things, both big and small. The needs of the Kingdom are great, not because God is lacking, but because he wants us to partner with him and he chooses to use us for his purposes. And yet, I would argue one of the most pressing concerns in the American church is marginal commitment and association. This marginal association and commitment is both to Jesus and to community. It should be no surprise that our consumer driven society has created consumer driven church where the primary focus of church is individual benefit. Volunteering and leading should always come from a heart of selfless service. But before we can even discuss that, I think we should better understand one of the primary purposes of teaching and preaching in the church.
If you were to ask American Christians about the top five purposes of preaching and teaching in the church, I seriously doubt that "Equip the saints for ministry" would be mentioned by even 33%. A quick google search did not appear to show any polling for this particular question, but it did show a few sources that claimed over 80% of people in the US find the quality of preaching as the most important aspect of an individual church and whether or not they will attend there. I would imagine that most of those people are desiring personal edification and what they personally want to hear. I would take issue that most people want to "attend" a church not commit to one but that is for a different day.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[e] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Here in Ephesians, Paul is talking about the specific gift roles found within the church and he states that he says God gave to the church "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." I would argue that this work is ministry to Jesus directly, to the church community, and to those outside the church with hope that they turn and trust in Jesus' finished work. This work of ministry involves volunteering to serve the local church body, leading them well when in leadership, and proclaiming the gospel to those outside the church. Many modern Christians expect full time church staff to effectively minister to and reach those outside of the church despite the fact that they spend most of their paid time interacting with and planning for time with the church. Paul envisioned the church as a whole ministering effectively to those outside of Jesus' church so that they would come to faith. Going back to the problem posed in the first paragraph. Instead of looking for people in Christian schools, other churches and their ministries, we should be equipping those within the church for ministry. I say this recognizing that over the last few years, so many of you at LCF have stepped up in big ways to serve, lead, and care for God's flock at LCF. But we cannot lose this idea that one of my roles is to equip YOU for the work of ministry and the building up of the church. As we move into small groups and various sermon series, keep in mind that one of my goals is to equip you for ministry. But just like sanctification, you are not to be passive in the process. I invite you to consider and seek ways that you can serve LCF, minister to those outside LCF, and help lead Christ's movement in this part of the Denver area. How can you equip those around you? In what ways can I better equip you? Know that I am here to serve, equip, and love you all, but I don't have all the answers or solutions.
Week 26: Testimonies.
Last week, I had a former coworker reach out to me saying he wanted to talk about the Bible. He became a Christian in the last couple years but was relying on a book other than the Bible to shape his ideas, thoughts, and theology concerning Jesus. He realized this book helped him in many ways but could not replace the Bible. He and I got lunch on Saturday and talked for a few hours. We talked about a whole host of things including some high level doctrine and theology. He feels that one day God will call him into pastoral ministry, but yet he stated his embarrassment over his testimony.
It was a very specific aspect of his testimony. He wasn't embarrassed for his overcoming of addiction and sin, but more of his story of coming to Christ. His experience with this non-biblical book had shaped much of his theology and experience with God. While it did bring good by leading him to trust in Jesus' atoning sacrifice, he was unsure how he could share his story to others and not get weird looks or criticism. My response to him during our conversation and even through texts before getting together was this. We all bring our own ideas of who God is when we come to the bible. Sometimes it is cultural influence, other religious influence, and even our own personal influence that shapes how we think of God and how we interpret the bible. I told him that it wasn't something to be embarrassed of, but instead something to celebrate as God pursued and rescued him from the false notions of who God is. His testimony also has power for those who have relied on false doctrines of salvation as well. I told him about Mormons, Jehovah's witnesses, works based righteousness, and other false forms of what is claimed to be Christianity. There are people who read other books and believe in the wrong things and yet Jesus finds them. There is power in his testimony regardless of what he thinks right now.
I also shared with him my own story and testimony, then told him that part of the reason why we share testimonies is to stir up a testimony and faith in those who don't have one yet. There was a point in my life where I was embarrassed of aspects of my own story. Maybe you have experienced that or still do. But that is okay. There is power in your story and faith in Jesus. If you are afraid or embarrassed to tell it, is it out of pride, fear, or something else? For some of us, we don't think that God could use our story to help others find theirs, but I think that is a deceiving thought not from God. God is capable of more than we know.
How can you use your story to help someone this week? How can you look at your story or testimony not with embarrassment but with gratitude for all God has done? I encourage you to look for opportunities to share Gospel stories with the people around you. Your story matters just like you matter. You are more than your story, more than what you have done, and more than what has been done to you. You are a child of God. Going back to this week's sermon, you are an adopted child placed in the position of the firstborn heir, which is a remarkable story. Maybe you can start there and tell someone about that.
Week 27: Seek the gift.
This past Saturday at Coffee Talks, we started our conversation by looking at the Spiritual Gifts found in our New Testament. This led to us discussing a number of things, but one thing in particular become a focal point and something that has stuck with me. Ken Brisco brought up the fact that in many of the non-western countries in the world where the church is growing, new or younger believers are encouraged to seek and ask for God's gifting/equipping. This led to us discussing how it differs from the US and the west. For many people, they are told to seek the calling and identity in this world and whether they are called to ministry, a particular career, a life of celibacy, a life of marriage and possibly children, or even called to being a volunteer, an elder, or a deacon/deaconess. We have put so much pressure on feeling called to something rather than seeking God and saying use me in whatever way you want. Oh, how often it is that God uses people who are ill-equipped in the eyes of the world, but gifts and equips them so that they can carry out the work he has for them. Imagine that they simply waited for the calling or a feeling that they should do something.
Have you ever asked God to equip or gift you for the church and the world so that God could use you? We often gravitate toward the gifts of the Spirit and those who operate in them as though the gift itself is something incredible and personal. But the gifts of the Spirit are not merely for the individual, they are for the church and to demonstrate God's loving power to the world. Even the father of the Pentecostal movement said, "The Pentecostal power, when you sum it all up, is just more of God's Love. If it does not bring more love, it is simply counterfeit" (William J. Seymour). We would likely all state that we are to love God and love others. And yet how often do we pray and ask God to gift or equip us to love people better via his power? Probably not often enough, right? In the past, we have talked about a lack of volunteers. And in the US, we can see a lack of disciplemaking and evangelization apart from paid ministers, and missionaries from other countries. We often think we have to be called, educated, or trained enough in order to minister to others, disciple others, and to serve in church leadership. But instead of questioning and waiting for a Samuel like moment where God audibly calls him, we should be saying, "Jesus we already identify with you, we seek to follow you, and so we offer ourselves to you for you to use us however you want. I know I cannot do much of anything of kingdom value apart from you, so I not only need your presence, but I also need your Spirit to fill me, equip me, and gift me so that you can use me effectively." Are you bold enough to pray that prayer?
I encourage you to consider how God can and wants to use you wherever you are in life. Consider what gifts he has already given you, and humbly ask for more. Commit yourself to God's kingdom and allow him to work through you in whatever way he desires. Be willing to partner with the Holy Spirit in receiving power that leads to bringing more love. Love to God and love to others.
Week 28: The Privatization of the Christian Life.
Before reading below, please click this link and read the Barna article. This article speaks about the current state of private and communal aspects of Christian lives. What I found striking and surprising is that the Boomer generation is the one who sees their spiritual life as private more than the other generations. Over the last 25-30 years, the increase of private/individual Christianity has seemed to skyrocket. For arguably the first time in church history, faith in Jesus has become so personalized that discipleship and community have become optional or at the very least marginal. But, this is not the picture of the early church or the church in history.
Don't get me wrong, there is a personal, private aspect to following Jesus. Even Jesus would take time away from his disciples to pray and rest. There is nothing wrong with having a good, private rhythm with God. However, life as a Christian is not purely personal or private. When we read the Old Testament and New Testament, we see people live out faith in community. Worship is primarily conducted communally. Communion is almost exclusively seen in a small group or church gathering. Confession is lived out communally. Reading scripture was done orally and in gatherings. Praying for one another was done in groups or church services. Preaching and teaching was only done in community. Discipleship required friendships, mentorship, accountability, and more which all occurred face to face. Now, it must be said that throughout much of church history, most people were illiterate, thus they relied heavily on church leaders and those who could read, communicate well, and could teach them to be disciples without being able to read the Bible for themselves. Having a personal Bible, books, and more is not bad, but they cannot replace life in community. Now are our lives are busy, somehow sometimes busier (or seemingly) than the past when people would work 6, sometimes 7 days per week. We simply prioritize and fill our schedules with other things. And I am certainly guilty of this. Living out faith in the context of community requires intentionality, humility, ownership, selflessness, and love. Things that are not easy.
My challenge is this: do you define your faith or spiritual life as primarily being a private matter? Does that represent the life of Jesus and what he has called you to as a disciple? How can you be more intentional to live out your faith with others? Are you being discipled? Are you discipling? Who in your life could disciple you? Who can you disciple? Who can you walk beside and share your spiritual life with? If you are married, is you and your spouse's spiritual life solely private, or do you both spend time with Jesus together and with others?
There are a number of things you can do in community at LCF and outside LCF. I encourage you to avoid falling into the hyper-individualism of our culture and seek to live out following Jesus with a loving family/community such as LCF. We are not perfect at this and we don't claim to be. But we can figure it out and walk it out together!
Week 29: Kingdom effectiveness.
Yesterday, Lauren and I found ourselves discussing various things involving finances, evangelism, discipleship, missions, and even schooling. It led us to discussing kingdom effectiveness and how we can best impact the world and what we have for Christ. Before we get into determining what is effective or ineffective and what questions to ask, let us first consider what effectiveness means. In our day and age, we prioritize efficiency: how quickly you get things done, how much profit can be gained with the least amount of employees, the number of tasks you can get done in a given day, and so on. But what is more important, efficiency or effectiveness?
Let us consider an example from the life of Jesus. The preaching to hundreds or thousands in large crowds would be the most efficient way to see his teachings spread across the land. But instead, Jesus teaches large crowds and yet spends most of his time with just 12 young men who he disciples by living life with and among them. His death and resurrection that brings the good news of restoration between God and men is then proclaimed and lived out by these 12 young men and others who embraced Jesus before and after his resurrection. One could argue that what Jesus did was then inefficient, and yet it was effective.
Let's consider an example often used by Stephen Covey (an author who looks at effectiveness in business and personal relationships). There are two lumberjacks who start and end their days at the same time doing the same thing. They go out and cut trees all day. One stays out and does it all day while the other one disappears in the middle of each day for about an hour. The one who stays out all day is always shocked to find that at the end of each day, the other lumberjack has chopped down more trees than himself. Finally, after many days, he goes to the other lumberjack and asked him where he goes everyday for that hour. The other lumberjack tells him that he goes and sharpens his axe.
What is more effective, continuously striving and working, or taking time away to make your work easier and more effective? Efficiency does not equal effectiveness. When I worked in sales, it may have been more efficient to quickly get customers in and out by selling them only what that person came in for and helping more people in a day. But when a salesman does that, they usually end the day and month with worse metrics and lower pay than someone who took time with their customer to determine their needs and recommend solutions that fit those needs. Effectiveness resulted in more profit and sales than efficiency. Now, don't mishear me, God's kingdom is not about profit or sales, but I would argue that it involves effective discipleship, evangelism, stewardship, and more.
Over the next few weeks, this corner will consist of ways of measuring effectiveness in the church, but today let's consider a few questions to ask ourselves. My mother-in-law was here this past weekend and while we were driving at one point, she asked me what I want to see at LCF in the future. Initially, I stumbled over my words because I got stuck in my head considering how we often measure success or effectiveness in pastoral ministry. Most often, church attendance is the primary focus where we want to see numerical growth. And yet here in the US, most church growth is found in church transfers meaning people coming from other churches. Therefore, one church is growing, another is shrinking, and God's kingdom remains the same size. I have often stated my primary measure of success in church is spiritual growth not numerical growth by God's transformation of people's lives then launching them in ministry. Therefore, what is your measure of success as a church member? As a disciple? As a disciplemaker?
Here are some other questions Lauren and I considered. What is the most kingdom effective way to use your finances to see people receive the gospel? Do you know how to effectively share the gospel with unbelievers? If not, are you willing to learn? Do you effectively disciple others? Are you being discipled? Are you satisfied to simply sit by as a member of the church? Or do you want to be the church by living out and proclaiming the gospel through effective ministry?
Week 30: Measuring growth.
What is effective church growth? Much of our society is shaped by numerical growth whether it be the size of a company, the financial profits of individuals and corporations, and more. This attitude has also swept its way into the church where church growth and ministry effectiveness is often directly tied to numerical growth. But is this growth effective?
Short answer: yes and no. Long answer: it's complicated. Let's start by considering numerical church growth. "Growing churches are primarily growing through transfer growth. Only 6 percent to 7.5 percent are growing through conversions. The majority of growing churches are simply recirculating the saints." The data here has to do with a study of Southern Baptist churches, but other studies I looked at had the numbers often even lower. This means that the overwhelming majority of church growth has nothing to do with new people receiving the gospel. The article above states that the churches that are seeing new conversions are incredibly intentional in their evangelistic efforts. So if only 6-7.5% of church growth in the US is from new believers, is measuring church growth effective? Many churches report that they rarely have new converts on a yearly basis, so if we are measuring church effectiveness in the US by the rate of new believers, we are failing massively.
If the majority of church growth is transfers, does that mean measuring effectiveness by numbers is ineffective or simply bad? Not necessarily. Here is why. If we measure numerical growth by itself and view church transfers alone, then it seems ineffective. But, if we measure by spiritual growth and see church transfer growth as places where people are growing closer in their walk with Jesus and are then living out their discipleship through loving the people around them, serving and worshipping Jesus, and seeking to share the gospel with others, then it can be effective. We know that not all churches are the same and that many people are not involved in church life, are not being discipled let alone discipling others, and maybe don't have a foundation in their faith. If they leave to go to a different church where they start to receive the things above and live out their discipleship, then that would seem effective, right?
Church growth numerically can be good and bad, it can be a measure of effective ministry and it cannot be. Here is the point, if it is the primary measure of effectiveness, it probably is lacking. But if another measure of success such as: spiritual growth and involvement in discipling/being discipled, then numerical growth can have a role and positive impact in seeing lives transformed as the church effectively lives out its identity.
So what do we do with this information as individuals and the LCF family? 1. Are you measuring LCF's effectiveness of ministry by numerical growth or spiritual growth? 2. Are you yourself committing to deeper spiritual growth in both being discipled and making disciples? 3. Are you embracing the idea that Spiritual Gifts and church leadership roles are there to equip you for ministry (Eph. 4) meaning both discipleship of others, worship, evangelism, and more? 4. Are you praying for spiritual growth at LCF, in your friends and family's lives? 5. How can LCF's leadership better help you grow in your spiritual walk as a follower of Jesus?
Week 31: Effective Discipleship.
Going back to our conversation on efficiency vs. effectiveness, let us evaluate church discipleship. Most churches rely on Sunday services, small group gatherings including prayer nights, bible studies, and other group gatherings. However, much of the time, these gatherings do not consist of deep discipleship or one on one discipleship. Sunday services center around worship, teaching/preaching, and fellowship. Discipleship is not a regular aspect of most church Sunday gatherings. Small group gatherings can involve discipleship, but it is often a surface level encouragement and teaching. Prayer gatherings, Sunday school, and house small groups are great, and yet they often lack in personal discipleship. Looking at our church, each week we have a Sunday service and at least one other group gathering. In those gatherings, there can be fellowship and communion, but not always effective discipleship. In our modern world, the church interacts less and less. Is this model efficient? Is it effective?
What is the model of discipleship we see from Jesus? He spent his three years of ministry primarily living among 12 young men, teaching small groups of people with very occasional large crowds, and eating meals with people. Jesus spent much of his personal ministry with people around the dinner table speaking with them and teaching them. As for the disciples, as he went place to place, he taught them, did life with them, and lived as their example in how to live in dependence to God. He did this by teaching them, praying in front of them, reading the Old Testament and interpreting it, healing people, proclaiming the kingdom of God both to them and to people around them, and even more. What Jesus' example shows us, then, is that effective discipleship involves doing life with people. It is a comprehensive approach of being an example, caring for one another, and pursuing God's presence together. Let's take a look at a couple definitions.
Our MidAmerica District defines a disciple as: "a follower of Jesus -- becoming like him in character and priorities." The definition of disciplemaking is: "Intentionally engaging in the life of another for the purpose of helping them know Jesus, become more like Him in character and priorities, and then helping the new disciple do the same with yet another." This idea of disciplemaking involves two things, then. Being discipled and making disciples. If we are to intentionally engage each other with the aspiration of helping them know Jesus and become like Him, then that intentionality ought to occur more than simply at a church service or small group gathering. While those gatherings are easy to involve others to make us think that it is efficient, it seems ineffective in seeing lives transformed.
Therefore, my hope is that in the coming months our small groups will continue to foster a discipling culture that will also involve one on one intentional discipleship. As LCF seeks to integrate this into our DNA and life together, I encourage you to be proactive by taking initiative now.
How can you best be discipled? Are you asking someone or seeking ways to be discipled? Are you finding others to disciple? Effective discipleship involves good mentorship and instruction that will come later, but for now how can you effectively disciple those around you? It can be as simple as inviting them into your walk with Jesus to help them be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and eventually join Jesus in his kingdom work.
***NOTE*** - This conversation is not a critique of our church services, small groups, or other group gatherings. Not at all. Instead, it is a recognition of their purpose. Most of those gatherings have multiple purposes and aspirations in serving both Jesus and others. Discipleship is not their primary emphasis (usually) but is a byproduct of the gathering. If you know me, you know that I am a huge proponent of small group gatherings and Sunday services, but these gatherings often center around fellowship, communion, worship, teaching or preaching, and more. The emphasis on one on one discipleship is to intentionally embrace Jesus' model and command of making disciples with the added possibility of evangelism. You can disciple someone who doesn't know Jesus through discipleship of showing them Jesus. Getting someone who doesn't know Jesus to come to a small group or Sunday gathering is much more difficult. ***NOTE***
Week 32: Effective finances part one: justice, ethics, and our financial choices.
Over the next couple weeks, I want to talk about effective finances in regards to God's Kingdom. I am not a financial expert nor do I want to be one. There are a number of those who you can turn to. The purpose of this conversation is to discuss how we decide to spend our finances separated from our financial standing; it is more to do with how financial decisions might impact God's Kingdom. What if our individual decisions to buy certain clothing, certain foods, and from certain retailers/outlets have a major impact on social justice? Much of our food, clothing, and other things we buy come from sources using human manipulation that can consist of slave labor, human trafficking, and unsafe work environments. And yet we can contribute to this problem based on what and from where we buy our goods.
Here is a background on forced labor. "The International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote decent work, reports that at any given time, an estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery . By many accounts that’s the highest number of people in modern slavery than at any other period of time. Modern slavery takes many forms, including domestic servitude, sex trafficking, forced labor, child labor, and criminal exploitation. Of those in modern slavery, 24.9 million are living in conditions of forced labor, and of those 24.9 million, 16 million are exploited in the private sector . Forced labor refers to work undertaken involuntarily, often through manipulation, and typically enforced by threat of physical violence, deportation, or financial obligation. The most common types of forced labor in the apparel industry are bonded labor, labor resulting from trafficking, and state-imposed forced labor." (source: https://humanrights.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/reyes_mullins_an_investor_guide_to_addressing_forced_labor_in_the_apparel_industry_mdp_july_2020.pdf there is much more in this study that speaks to this problem)
Here is a site with some ethical/sustainable clothing options: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing (NOTE: I do not endorse or sponsor any of these companies or websites).
Here is a site with some of the big name fashion companies known to use forced labor. https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/fashion-brands-that-still-use-sweatshops
The use of forced labor in clothing is seen across the board in the US with most of the largest clothing and shoe companies having been found to source items from forced labor factories in one way or another. There has been recent attention to Nike and other companies with the Uyghur people in Western China, and yet the problem extends far beyond that. Fast fashion and cheap products has created this injustice. As Christians specifically in the US where we are far and away more wealthy than most of the world, we must ask ourselves if we want to be indifferent to this injustice or if we want to see change. Change can be as small as changing how we decide to spend our finances.
But before we get to that, let's talk food. "Sourcing data from both governments and non-profits, Blackstone and her co-authors looked at where 93 different fruits and vegetables were sourced from, and cross-referenced this data with what different countries’ labor laws looked like... In the end, 85 percent of food-country combinations had a high risk of incorporating forced labor somewhere in the supply chain. Seven percent scored as having a very high risk. To those of us accustomed to only considering our foods’ environmental impact, this is quite a staggering percentage."(https://www.earth.com/news/forced-labor-is-a-big-part-of-the-food-supply-chain/)
You can refer to the following links to see some of the food items and companies where forced labor is often found in supply chains. https://civileats.com/2016/10/25/did-slaves-produce-your-food-forced-labor/
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods
There are labels like Fair Trade Certified that can tell us if companies are compensating their laborers properly and avoiding forced labor; however, not all ethical companies purchase the certification. There are also labels for produce as well that you can research.
The bottom line is this: what we buy can have a positive or negative impact on social justice. Ethical decision making as Christians calls for us to consider the source of our purchases and whether we are contributing to evil or not. I say these things not to condemn anyone, nor to tell you to throw away anything you have purchased in the past. Instead, I encourage each of us to consider the purchases we make and the impact of those purchases on others.
I started my journey of trying to purchase only ethically sourced clothing and goods a few years ago. While some goods may be more expensive, they typically last longer than fast/cheap fashion options. As we continue looking at effective finances in the coming weeks, we will continue to ask ourselves if our decisions negatively or positively impact our Christian witness. When it comes to clothing, food, and goods, we must ask if what we purchase is creating further injustice while also praying and considering how God might use His church to redeem those stuck in the modern bondage of forced labor. We also must ask ourselves how God might want us to use the finances He has provided to us. I encourage you to consider these things as you purchase your weekly groceries and the upcoming Christmas holiday for gifts.
Week 33: Effective finances part two: Missions and kingdom advance
My goal in this discussion is not to shame how money is spent nor to critique charitable giving, but instead to ask what is most effective. Charitable giving and requests of charitable giving come to us every single day. I get texts, emails, and letters constantly requesting financial support whether it be a political campaign, a dog rescuing agency, various non-profits, or Christian organizations. Being generous with money is a significant aspect of life as a Christian, and we ought to strive for a life of generosity through finances, hospitality, and more. But where we send our money can have various impacts.
Last week, I discussed how spending money on food, clothes, and goods can have an impact on people around the world. The point is where and how we spend our money reflects our values. The thing is, when it comes to charitable giving, where and how the money is used is not always equal.
For example, everyone sees the pink ribbons and pink sports uniforms in October for breast cancer awareness month which is primarily sponsored by Susan G. Komen. This organization receives millions of dollars in charitable giving each year. But when it comes to cancer research and cancer focused charitable organizations, they are not as effective in using their funds for research, they also have focused their finances and attention on trademarking phrases and research to exclude other cancer research organizations from using them (https://www.charitywatch.org/charities/susan-g-komen-breast-cancer-foundation ; https://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/172683.pdf).
It can be similar at times with Christian organizations and how funds are used. It is important to consider and even pray about what organizations to give to. One thing I would recommend considering is how you give to missions. What I am about to say may be controversial. This is based on anecdotal evidence along with what I remember from missiology courses (studying missions). Giving to and even going on short term missions is often ineffective in impacting global missions. It can cost tens thousands of dollars to send a small team on a short term mission trip for one to three weeks. These trips are often more impactful on those going than both the missionaries there and the local populace.
We as Christians often encourage and support short term missions despite the cost of sending an individual or team where the total could often support an entire missionary family in the same country as their trip. I have heard several stories from missionaries where short term trips are more harmful than helpful in their local ministry. This is for a number of reasons that include: savior mentality, cultural insensitivity, being unprepared, having unrealistic expectations and standards of food/lodging/etc., and more. Now I must acknowledge that service oriented short term trips are often impactful when they involve constructing buildings or wells, medical missions that involve education and prevention, local church leader training, and support/encouragement trips to long term missionaries.
Here is the point: when we give money charitably, we should ask ourselves and God how we can give in the most effective and impactful way to see the gospel advance here in the US and around the world. Most missions organizations, denominations, and charitable organizations have their financial reports available on the internet for us to examine how funds are managed. There is a faith filled aspect of giving especially when prompted by God, but when we are unsure, it is important to understand how the funds are being used. There are some organizations that do more than others and some that use funds differently from others. In whatever ways we give, we should be kingdom minded and oriented to think about how we can support God's global movement family that we are part of.
Like I said last week, I am not a financial expert nor do I want to be one. I want to personally steward the finances God gives me well and I want to see the global church fulfill its role in taking the gospel of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Finances are needed for that and we as Americans have to recognize that we are in the top 1% of global wealth, so we have more to offer financially than we may realize. But with that being said, we must also recognize that the US is one of the few countries in the world where church growth (new Christians) is in significant decline. While global missions is crucial, we have a ripe harvest here in the US where we need more workers, more initiatives, and creative engagement of people groups from around the world who find themselves coming to this country. Therefore, we should consider giving both to global missions and impactful ministries here in the US. Missional emphasis of global evangelism is not reserved for any particular part of the earth, but instead every people group and language.
How are your finances impacting the kingdom, abroad and in the US? Do you consider how your charitable giving and spending reflects your values? In what areas do you want to see your finances impacting the global church?
Week 34: Effective hospitality.
While more could be said on finances, I think what we discussed the last two weeks is enough for now as I wanted to challenge all of us in how are spending reflects our values and our focus on contributing to God's Kingdom here on earth.
I believe that hospitality is one of the central ways in which the church can live out its values and mission in relation to internal communion and external engagement. What does that mean? Internal communion is the family aspect of love, relationship, trust, and more among those who identify as Christians who live their lives out together in the context of community within the local church. External engagement is the act of intentionally connecting with those outside of the church to proclaim the love of Christ through relationship, love, compassion, and more. Hospitality is central to this pursuit of community, discipleship, and life as a follower of Jesus.
Efficient hospitality would focus on being hospitable to as many as possible with the least amount of personal involvement. For efficient hospitality, consider cheaper hotels or motels where the emphasis is on getting as many clients as possible on the lowest possible cost to the company. Effective hospitality emphasizes quality, care, personalization, and a standard of excellent service. Take a moment and consider your best and worst experiences as a guest from a business within the hospitality industry (restaurants, hotels, casinos, amusement parks, events, cruises, entertainment, and other tourism-related services).
The church is not in the hospitality industry. Not at all, in fact. The hospitality industry focuses on profit, individual satisfaction, and sometimes luxury. Such is not the way for the church. Instead, hospitality in the church centers around taking the position of a servant posture, putting others first, going out of your way for other people, and lovingly caring for those around you. Let's consider briefly the life of Jesus.
Jesus was basically homeless during his three years of public ministry where he traveled from place to place to teach, heal, prophesy, and more. In those three years, we see that much of the time, he would eat with people in their homes, teach people over the dinner table, serve and care for the disciples, and engage certain individuals in a one to one interaction where he cared for them, listened to them, and did something for them (healing, teaching, demonic deliverance, resurrection, etc.). Jesus even teaches us that we ought to take the position of servant (Mark 10; Matthew 20). Later what we see in the life of the early church consisted of house church gatherings that centered around a meal, worship, teaching, prayer, and time for God's Spirit to operate in the lives of believers through Spiritual Gifts. Those who hosted these gatherings practiced hospitality. φιλονεξια (philoxenia) is the Greek word from which our word hospitality comes. It translates as hospitality or more literally "love to strangers." The concept of biblical hospitality involved turning a stranger into a friend by choosing to care for them, love them, and consider them first. This could involve inviting strangers into one's home, feeding them, providing them lodging, possibly providing them clothing or blankets, etc.
Hospitality may look different for us in today's world as I see it necessary to show this love to both the stranger and the familiar. We ought to invite people into our lives, into our homes, and choose to serve them, to love them. But the posture of hospitality is not limited to one's home. Hospitality can be demonstrated in our everyday interactions with people by considering their needs ahead of your own, by actively listening and engaging with others through conversation where you first seek to understand before being understood, and where you intentionally ask or consider how you can encourage them, help them, pray for them, and invite them to be in your life.
In engaging new people at church services, talking to people at work, school, etc., or even people we encounter in public, we can embrace the posture of a servant or of the hospitable host to represent the loving, caring embrace of Jesus to those around us. Effective hospitality makes people feel included, special, welcome, understood, and cared for. Effective hospitality is not thinking about the next person you are going to see, not thinking about what you want to say, or being distracted. Effective hospitality is focusing on the person(s) around you that you are with and being intentional in loving and caring for them beyond what may be expected. It is to embrace a posture of selflessness.
How can you live out this idea of effective hospitality? In what ways can you incorporate hospitality in your daily life? Do we live out this hospitality at LCF? Are you contributing to that? What can you do that would make strangers in your life feel included, loved, or cared for? And if you feel ill-equipped for living out hospitality in this way, are you willing to learn? Consider the times you have seen people show you incredible hospitality. Consider times when you have been treated poorly or neglected by a stranger or a friend. How can you be more hospitable than the person(s) in those scenarios?
Week 35: Let's talk politics.
Yep, you read that correctly, politics. The taboo topic that often brings division, fear, anxiety, or pride all depending on the political climate. With the midterm elections wrapping up this week, you may find yourself being indifferent, overwhelmed, excited, or something else. Whichever emotions you are experiencing, they are likely valid. But what should our response and involvement be in election times?
A scripture we have discussed before is 1 Timothy 2:1-6. In these verses, Paul urgers Timothy and the church at Ephesus to offer "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, [so] that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV). We may not have kings, but we do have those in high positions, governors, senators, presidents, etc. whom we should pray for so that they might come to know Jesus as Savior. Regardless of their or our political affiliations or views, we should desire them to come to know Jesus. I would argue that is of greater importance than hoping that they do what we want politically. We should want them to come to faith in Christ.
There is a theme in the Bible involving exiles. The Jewish people become exiles and the Christian church is often referred to as exiles. Let's turn to one such place in Scripture. Jeremiah 29. And no, not Jeremiah 29:11 that everyone knows.
Jeremiah 29:4-7 "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."
God is telling the exiles in Babylon to prepare for the long haul of being there for a long time and they are to seek the welfare of the city and in its welfare, you will find yours. What better way to see the place where we live be blessed and do well than to not only pray for its leadership, but also to pray for them to know Jesus. Peter refers to Christians as exiles recognizing that the kingdom to which we belong is not an earthly one, but one that is usually at odds with human kingdoms.
1 Peter 2:11-17 "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor."
What we see here is the instruction that whether or not we agree with leaders or rulers, we are supposed to subject ourselves to them. We are to live as free people who are free servants of God to God and humanity. And we are to honor the emperor. Election times are opportunities for us to live out these principles of honoring our political leaders, respecting them, subjecting ourselves to them to live peaceably, and most importantly pray for them, but not just pray in general but for them to know Jesus.
As you reflect on these elections, I encourage you to examine yourself. Do you submit to government without compromising on your faith? Do you pray for your elected officials? Do you pray for them to come to faith? Do you seek and pray for the welfare of your city? Do you recognize that you are an exile no matter the nation you find yourself in?
Week 36: Ministry of Presence
This past week/weekend, I had Army service as I transitioned into my new unit. I am very excited for this new unit and the opportunities/challenges it brings! One of the things that I worked on is a Religious Support Plan where I mapped out the next 12 months of religious support, unit visits across 6 states (9 cities), logistics, staff work, and ministry. One of the main things I talked about in the plan is ministry of presence. Most military chaplains would say that the big three areas of our Christian ministry as chaplains fall into three categories: chapel services, counseling, and ministry of presence. While we do significantly more than these three things, these three are our bread and butter. They provide us the greatest opportunity to share about Jesus and our faith in him.
Yet, I don't think ministry of presence is reserved for only chaplains, pastors, missionaries, or anyone in vocational ministry. I think we can all practice ministry of presence in our lives. But first, what is ministry of presence? For a brief discussion and devotional on the subject of ministry of presence, please click HERE for a resource from one of my favorite sources, Ligonier Ministries.
I hope you clicked the link, but if you didn't here is my definition of ministry of presence: intentionally coming alongside people and asking to hear their story, sharing their burdens, and providing encouragement and hope. It is more than this and it may sound easy. At times, it can be easy, but it usually is difficult. Fostering a ministry of presence requires intentionality, selflessness, and a word we talked about a few weeks ago, hospitality. It is likely due to my background in chaplaincy and seminary, but I tried to incorporate ministry of presence into my work at Verizon while I worked there. I will be honest and say sometimes I fostered and developed a ministry of presence there, and other times I failed miserably.
Allow me to share some of the ways I effectively cared for people and fostered this ministry of presence. During my 6 years there, there were only a couple of Christians who worked there and that was for relatively short periods of time. My coworkers knew I was a Christian, a pastor, and a chaplain. So they always had their own thoughts on who I was and what I did. However, I was able to care for them when they were down. I worked with many of them long enough to be able to recognize when they were having a bad day, when they needed encouragement, when they needed to complain, and things like that. There were countless times, I had coworkers share things with me that led to them opening up and even crying just while I did inventory in the back room. It allowed me to encourage them, pray with them, and share stories from Scripture. I often had to ask questions of how they were doing and maybe even challenge them and say that I could tell something was off that day. I would be intentional to get to know my coworkers and their families so that I could ask about them. This developed rapport and when I would remember minor details, you could tell it was huge to them and created opportunities to love them. There were other times when I was frustrated by my work, frustrated with customers or managers, and would only want to complain with my coworkers. I certainly did not always have a ministry of presence attitude and I know I didn't always walk the walk in that way, but that doesn't mean I failed entirely. Sometimes it would actually help develop relationships as my coworkers saw I was human and prone to frustrations and disappointment just like them.
With customers, I often spent too much time with them when I was in the ministry of presence mindset. This often frustrated some coworkers and managers. Even though it sometimes led to sales, I often knew when I needed to provide care to a customer regardless of whether it helped the store or company. There were countless times that I heard Vietnam veterans open up about their PTSD and horrific experiences simply because my name tag said US ARMY RESERVES, and they would ask what I do there. There were even more times where I would intentionally help those who came in to disconnect an account due to someone having passed away. I would take it upon myself to provide the best service possible while also encouraging them to talk with others about their loved one as part of the grief process. I often told widows and family members that it is okay to grieve and that it is normal to not have it all figured out. Then there were a handful of times where I would learn about customers and their medical situations. I was bold enough to ask a few of them if I could pray with them depending on whether I felt God leading me to do so. I would clock out, tell someone I would be back in a moment, and would go outside of the store and pray for them. Towards the end of my time there, I was even bolder by praying with customers in the middle of the store while on the clock. I am not saying to do that, but I knew I wanted to leave anyway. But there were also times I was impatient, frustrated, or annoyed with customers. I am not perfect, nor do I have it figured out.
The point is this, wherever we go, we represent Jesus. Often, we represent him to or around people who don't know Christians let alone Jesus. We have a great opportunity to demonstrate the love, compassion, and care of Jesus to those around us. I could talk for hours about stories and experiences when practicing a ministry of presence, and maybe I will share more in the coming weeks. But for today, I want you to consider your situation in life. Are you fostering a ministry of presence? Do the people you interact with daily or weekly know Jesus? Do they know you are a Christian? Do they know you as someone who is hospitable, caring, loving, kind, or compassionate? How can you better live out a ministry of presence to those around you?
Week 37: Thanksgiving
This week is Thanksgiving, which means this weekend is Black Friday weekend where hundreds of thousands of people go crazy to buy goods slightly cheaper than usual. I have always found it ironic that Thanksgiving is a holiday of gratitude around the blessings we have, and so (un)naturally the day(s) after should include excessive spending by consumers, overworking by employers, and competition between shoppers for goods. I do not wish to condemn anyone for partaking in Black Friday weekend whether it be in person or online, but I want to encourage each of us to consider some things.
https://adventconspiracy.org/
I encourage you now or after reading the rest of this to click the link above and visit the Advent Conspiracy website.
The point of Advent Conspiracy consists of four tenets: worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. I want to highlight spend less and give more. On their website, spend less is to "Free up your resources to support things that truly matter." They also say, "Give more intentionally and relationally." Many of the things that are purchased over Black Friday weekend are things we will likely forget that we purchased during that time in a few months, a year, let alone longer than that. We ought to consider what we purchase and what that purchase contributes toward. What if we used the same money used for material goods to instead give to missions, buy gifts for less privileged children, or to give food to those in need? Take a moment and define what values or things truly matter to you, and how you can use money this holiday season to reflect those values.
This corner is short this week because I encourage you to explore their website, explore their devotionals and resources, and consider how you can worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. Consider these things not just for Thanksgiving Day, not just for Christmas Day, but all the days in between as people buy gifts for others and themselves. How can adopting Advent Conspiracy draw you to Jesus and sharing His love with others?
Week 38: Holy Spirit Series Q&A
As we get closer to the end of our sermon series looking at the person and work of the Holy Spirit and now as we have specifically looked at the gifts of the Spirit, I want to engage your thoughts. At the end of this series, some time after the new year, we will have a question and answer time instead of a sermon. This is not to replace Biblical preaching, but instead to supplement it by answering the questions, concerns, and thoughts present in our church. Down below, you will find a link where you can begin to submit your questions. If you think of something later, that is completely fine as we will have the link open for at least one month. While there are more sermons to come in the series, I want to make sure you have time to reflect on the past teachings and to consider these questions in the coming sermons.
As you consider aspects of our series, here are a few questions from me that may spark your questions.
Is there anything I have communicated on the person of the Holy Spirit that requires clarity?
Is there something on the work of the Holy Spirit that didn't go deep enough or only brought more questions than answers?
Did the teachings on the Gifts of the Spirit go deep enough while providing a quick overview?
Are there practical aspects of applying these teachings that were not clear or missed?
Has this series strengthened your relationship with our Triune God?
Do you feel prepared to walk in the Spirit and operate in the Spirit's Gifts as you are equipped? If not, how do you think we could help?
How can you incorporate this series into your daily life?
As you use these questions to think of things you desire clarity on during our Q&A, I encourage you to take a look at the book "Everyday Supernatural" by Mike Pilavachi and Andy Croft. I referenced this book this past Sunday when discussing the practical sides of prophecy as well as in the sermon on healing. This book is very easy to read and looks at incorporating how to Walk in the Spirit in everyday life. "Open to the Spirit" by Scot McKnight is another one to read if looking for a shorter and easy to read book. The more academic book that I have used throughout the series is "God Inside Out: An in-depth study of the Holy Spirit" by Simon Ponsonby. We will continue our series during this Advent season, so I challenge you to find ways to incorporate these teachings into meditating on the Advent season that leads us to the celebration of Christ's birth.
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Week 39: Reflections with gratitude
This week, I am grateful. I am grateful for all of those who have stepped up over the last two weeks for our worship services, grateful to be recovering from COVID, and grateful for this time of year. Some of you may know that I tested positive for COVID last Sunday, Dec. 4, and I was miserable with debilitating symptoms for 12 days. Pounding headaches with brain fog, cold chills, fever, sore throat, relentless cough, sinus pressure, and total exhaustion overwhelmed me during this time. I am grateful for so many of you praying for me during that time. While I never needed hospitalization, I can say this was the worst sickness I have ever experienced. My wonderful wife took care of me and eventually became ill as well. Fortunately, her symptoms were mild.
I am beyond excited that I am feeling better and get to be with you all this coming Sunday and that I get to meet with some of you throughout the week. To those who stepped up in my absence the last two weeks, thank you so very much. I will be thanking each of you in person, but each of you did more than I could have asked. I recognize the burden and headaches that occurred with my illness coming so close to last Sunday. It is a great relief that so many stepped up and helped to make sure we as a church body could worship Jesus and spend time together in fellowship and worship. You all are a great blessing.
The time of advent is a great time to reflect on life, what we can be thankful for, the gift we have in Jesus, and more. This advent, I am grateful to be on the other side of COVID, to have my amazing wife by my side, to have two goofball and crazy dogs, and to serve such an incredible church. In the midst of not feeling well at all, it was encouraging to receive emails and texts from you all, to see the board of ministries run a board meeting with me sidelined, and to be able to worship with you all through the livestream knowing I had capable people helping pull things together. This time last year, I had interviewed with the church search committee and while Lauren and I felt confident this was where God was calling us, we had no idea what we were getting into and if it would come to fruition. I was on a sabbatical and enjoying time without work and distraction to seek God's presence while asking for clarity of where he was calling us. I can say the adventure of us pastoring LCF was more than we could have imagined. I am excited that we are nearing one year of ministry here, but I am more excited to see what God has in store for each person in the church, those who are here and those who haven't come yet.
This advent, I am grateful to be your pastor and to know each of you. With that being said, if I do not see you before Christmas, I want to wish you a very merry Christmas. May God bless you this Christmas with a warm embrace of love, care, and hope. And if you do not have a place to be this Christmas, I would like for you to let me know as we will be opening up our home to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus with His family, the church.
Week 39: Christmas Hospitality
This week, as you celebrate Christmas, I encourage you to consider how you can practice hospitality and love for others. Yesterday for our Missions Moment, we discussed the need for support, ministry, and housing for incoming migrants to the Denver region. I presented the needs and opportunities to serve and help people in great need. This opportunity of ministry is centered around hospitality. We have discussed hospitality in the past, but I want to challenge each of us to intentionally practice hospitality this Christmas.
Yesterday, I also discussed the importance of understanding Christmas and the revolutionary fact that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. When celebrating Christmas and living as Christians everyday, we need to live in light of the incarnation of Christ, the atoning sacrifice he provided, and the teachings he gave us. In the Gospels, we see Jesus gathering with others around the dinner table quite often. He was criticized for eating and drinking instead of fasting like John the Baptist. Jesus' defense of this is that like a wedding party being with the groom, they must celebrate and feast instead of fast. We also see Old Testament traditions of regular feasts. So this Christmas, feast! That is a command from me. Feast, but not for the sake of overeating or anything like that, feast in celebration that Jesus is our incarnate Emmanuel (God with us) who has saved us now and forever. This time of feasting is also a great opportunity to serve others with hospitality. Even if people are not gathering at your home, you can live hospitably by helping clean, serving others, and putting other's needs ahead of your own.
How can you practice hospitality this Christmas? What things can you do to put other's needs ahead of your own? After Christmas, how can you intentionally and regularly practice hospitality for those in your life? This Christmas, how can you share with others the true meaning and significance of Christmas? Today, I saw a commercial for a department store that talked about the "reason for the season" and it had absolutely nothing to do with Jesus but instead material goods for yourself and others. This pervasive thinking or perspective of Christmas surrounds us, and so we must be bold and brave enough to share the gospel centered reality of Christmas.
Week 40: A new year. Change or no change? Old habits, new habits, resolutions, what's the big deal?
2022 is coming to an end, another year that has flown by, at least for me. But with a new year, do things really change? Do resolutions work? Do we change all that much as the month and year on our calendar changes? I am not against new year resolutions or against people wanting to better themselves with the hope that they find as the year changes. But, I want us to consider the past year and the next year.
What went well for you in your relationship with God in 2022? What did not? What about with other people, maybe with coworkers, friends, family, etc.? What was the greatest challenge in your life in 2022? How did that impact your walk with Jesus? Did you share that challenge with him or try to handle it on your own? In 2022, did you grow spiritually?
What would you like to be different in 2023? Are there daily rhythms you could incorporate to foster a greater relationship with Jesus? What spiritual gifts do you want God to gift you with in 2023? In what ways do you want to see God use you for His glory and kingdom? What relationships do you want to see grow with other people? What do you want to see from LCF and what is your role in that?
As you consider these things, I encourage you to pray through some of these questions and ask God what he wants from you in 2023 and how you can daily walk with Him. We as Christians should be living in light of our faith every single day. A new year, a new day is not a complete change in how we walk with Jesus, but each day and new year is an opportunity to intentionally pursue a life of walking with Jesus in the highs, lows, and in-betweens of life.
Week 41: New Year reflections
What do you want for LCF in 2023? As I have spent the last several weeks thinking through and planning what I want to see at LCF in 2023, I recognized that while the pastor casts vision, the congregation must embrace the vision and it's role in carrying it out. Today, I am not sharing my vision, goal, or dreams for LCF, instead I want to ask you questions to engage you in thinking about your role at LCF.
If God told you that He was going to do something incredible in and through LCF in 2023, and said you get to help decide what it is, what would you want it to be?
If you want numerical growth at LCF, what can you do to help make that happen? Can you pray that new people come? Can you invite people in your circles of life? Can you help new people feel welcome and part of community?
If you want spiritual growth, how can you foster that growth? What can you do in your personal life and in your church communal life to pursue spiritual growth? How can you encourage and walk alongside others to help them in their walk with Jesus in pursuit of spiritual maturity? Are you currently encouraging others in their faith? How else can you encourage and support them?
If it is being a light in our neighborhood with community engagement and gospel proclamation, how can you help in that? Is there something you are passionate about that you want to move the church toward in service and ministry? What ways can you personally engage with and support the local neighborhood?
It could be something different from some of these suggestions I have listed. Whether it is one of these or not, I encourage you to think through how God wants to move in and through LCF and what your role might be in His Kingdom work at LCF. And beyond all of that, what do you want this year in your personal life with God? In what ways, do you want to see your discipleship grow?
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