Mike's Musings

To be or not to be .... "accountable" that is

2011-06-01T11:08:00.005-05:00

This question, I am finding, is a "thorny" issue for some (perhaps many?), typically due to previously abusive situations, an innate sense of fear or insecurity or perhaps just indifference. Maybe it's as much a reflection of our culture and how we tend to view our significant relationships, not to mention ourselves. In the last few weeks this issue has come up with me twice. The first time in the words, "I don't want to be accountable to anyone" and then the second time someone looking for someone to help in their growth by holding them accountable.

So who's right and who's wrong? I would say neither, knowing something of the situation of both these people. We should never "put" accountability on anyone, in the sense of demanding or expecting. Accountability should only be invited by the person themselves, when they are ready. I would also personally add, that love without accountability is not really love, in the sense of being fully yielded to one another. I think that this is what the Spirit wants to produce within us with a few people within our 'community' and especially with our spouse (Eph 5:18b-22). It is a relational skill that by definition, ought best to be mutual, 2-way within the Christian community and not top-down, hierarchical.

Accountability requires honesty, and it helps to make us more dependable and trustworthy. It does not imply the need to be perfect but rather, it vital due to the fact that none of us is perfect. In that sense it is best practiced within an environment of unconditional acceptance ... another important characteristic of the Christian community (Rom 15:7). For those of us who see the Christian life as a journey, a journey of ongoing growth and transformation into greater Christ-likeness, then having some such relationships of mutual accountability is really crucial and, I would suggest, biblical (see James 5:15-16) because of the difference our prayers for one another can make. It is God who grows and transforms us (2 Cor 3:17-18), but he often does so within the context of loving community.

Here's some of the things I've been learning about myself that can be a hindrance to fostering healthy accountability, maybe they will help you in your own growth;

Am I a giving person? Do I look for opportunities to express care, meet needs or celebrate with people in my life?
Do I take the time to show appreciation towards people for the things they do, whether I'm a beneficiary or not? Just noticing things and expressing gratitude meets a significant need that all of us share.
Am I growing in my own relational courage both in personal confession and also lovingly confronting others with the truth so as to be able to strengthen that relationship? This one is harder (and avoided by most) and requires sensitivity and care. But is probably the most vital when it comes to our mutual growth (Eph 4:15)

Deep down I personally long for more of this in my life but it's risky business. Such is love.

Walking with Jesus through Holy Week

2011-04-17T10:41:00.006-05:00

Story carries with it an innate ability to impact us as human beings, especially when we tap into the potential of our imagination. I am coming to have an increased appreciation for the place of imagination in our spirituality as part of the means by which we connect with God. The gospels are essentially story-telling (with a purpose) and they each devote the largest share to telling the story of Holy Week, the last week plus one day of Jesus' life.

Today we begin that week with the events of Palm Sunday, most notably Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a colt. It is a powerful image that certainly feeds the imagination, especially so with young children, maybe even the 'child' within each of us. But I want to encourage you to use the whole of this week as a way of reconnecting with Jesus and hopefully coming to a profound appreciation for what he accomplished for us. I've laid out the events of the week day by day to help in this process (thanks to Michael Wilkins for this). I would invite you to use this template to re-tell and reconnect with the story in your families and friendships each day. Us your own words or the words of Scripture provided. Let it lead to contemplation, commiseration and celebration at different times.

Events of Holy Week

Arrival in Bethany (John 12:1)

Saturday

Evening celebration, Mary anoints Jesus (John 12:2-8; cf. Matt 26:6-13)

Sunday

Triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; John 12:12-18)
Jesus surveys the temple area (Mark 11:11)
Return to Bethany (Matt 21:17; Mark 11:11)

Monday

Cursing the fig tree on way to Jerusalem (Matt 21:18-22; cf. Mark 11:12-14)
Clearing the temple (Matt 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17)
Miracles and challenges in the temple (Matt 21:14-16; Mark 11:18)
Return to Bethany (Mark 11:19)

Tuesday

Reaction to cursing the fig tree on the way back to Jerusalem (Matt 21:20-22; Mark 11:20-21)
Debates with religious leaders in Jerusalem and teaching in the temple (Matt 21:23-23:39; Mark 11:27-12:44)

Wednesday

'Silent Wednesday' - Jesus and disciples remain in Bethany for last time of fellowship
Judas returns alone to Jerusalem to make arrangements for the betrayal (Matt 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11)

Thursday

Preparations for Passover (Matt 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16)

After sundown:

Passover meal and Last Supper (Matt 26:20-35; Mark 14:17-26)
Upper room discourse (John 13-17)
Prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42)

Friday
Sometime perhaps after midnight:

Betrayal and arrest (Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52)
Jewish trial-Jesus appears in three phases in front of:

Annas (John 18:13-24)
Caiaphas and partial Sanhedrin (Matt 26:57-75;Mark 14:53-65)
Sanhedrin fully assembled (perhaps after sunrise) (Matt 27:1-2; Mark 15:1)

Roman trial-Jesus appears in three phases before:

Crucifixion (approx 9:00am to 3:00pm) (Matt 27:27-66; Mark 15:16-39)

Sunday

Resurrection witnesses (Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12)
Resurrection appearances (Matt 28:9-20; Luke 24:13-53; John 20-21)

Wilkins talks about how the practice of walking with Jesus through Holy Week serves five important functions in his life:

It solidifies the historical foundation of our Christian worldview
We understand the disciples more clearly
We are held under conviction of our responsibilities as Jesus' disciples
The experience of these events impels us to more sincere worship
We are drawn into a more intimate relationship with Jesus

I hope you can join me on the 'walk' this week . . .

There is one body and one Spirit

2011-03-28T15:57:00.003-05:00

The title above is part of a quote from the letter to the Ephesians, "For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all" [Eph 4:4-6]

This last week I felt I should do justice to the furore surrounding Rob Bell's latest book, 'Love Wins' by reading the source text, if a digital Kindle version can be described as such. I enjoyed the read far more than the running commentary on the 'warfare of words' that has been taking place around our e-world ("e" for 'electronic' rather than 'evangelical'!) Most saddening has been the apparent dismissal of Rob as a serious voice even before the book had been released. I suspect that the 'future' referenced in the Ephesians quote may include a fair amount of 'egg-on-chin' for many.

It is all too easy to point the finger at the 'splinter' over there and yet miss the 'plank' in our own eyes. Recently (as in during this Lenten season) I have been pondering our belief in and commitment to these verses within BridgePoint, our network of simple missional faith communities. I have found myself wrestling with a nagging suspicion that the pendulum has swung a little too far on the organized to organic continuum. One seems to emphasize our corporate identity whilst the other promotes more of an independent free-spirit. There are dangers in both extremes.

Just as it is not good for man to be alone [Gen 2:18], neither is it good for a church community (of any size) to be alone, independent, unsupported and unaccountable to anyone. That would be an approach and a conviction more in line with the flesh than the (one) Spirit. We become more vulnerable and therefore prone to temptation and deceit if we think we can operate as a 'detached limb' of the Body. We live in a culture (& state) that exalts independence and selfish ambition but we truly belong to a Kingdom in which the opposite is true [cf. Psalm 133].

The example of Rob Bell demonstrates that it is not always safe to be real within the Church and that is a tragedy because it means that we tend to remain hidden from one another, out of fear. This happens in our communities when someone disagrees or expresses something with which I disagree and I remain (or go) quiet out of fear. I have been guilty of this myself and guilt is the right word. I am guilty in that moment of not trusting the Father and not being vulnerable with the family of which I am a part. The one Spirit is grieved and I remain unchanged.

So what might all this mean for our shared life within BridgePoint? Well, first and foremost, that we make love (as Jesus loved) a priority in our dealings with anyone and everyone. We are both beneficiaries and dispensers of grace, undeserved favor. We are also to be those who seek to foster with some the kind of close relationships in which mutual accountability is a natural byproduct rather than a fearful imposition.

I would love to see more shared, prayerful and loving leadership teams emerge within our communities where it was safe to hold and express differing passions and priorities. I would love to see leaders 'huddling' with other leaders for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (not unlike the purpose of prophecy [1 Cor 14:3]]. I would love to see us personally reaching out and showing hospitality to those who are different to us and who are unlikely to take the initiative (whether in our community or beyond). I would love to see us occasionally, yet regularly, gathering in celebration and worship of God, bringing delight to our one Father by giving expression to our common identity and purpose - His glory and not ours.

The Christian life is a battle, not primarily externally but internally, between selfish, me-centered living and selfless, God-centered living in the power of the one Spirit. Too many of us fight that battle alone, unobserved and isolated. We need to be known by someone at that level and vice versa. We need to enter the battle for one another's souls as the Spirit leads and guides us. Until Christ be formed in us - one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

"May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering"

2011-03-18T10:48:00.003-05:00

In 1732, two Moravian men decided the best way to win the slaves of St. Thomas for Christ was to voluntarily sell themselves into slavery. As their ship left the harbor, friends and relatives heard them shouting “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.” Those were the last words heard from these brothers. This became the rallying cry of the Moravians for more than a century as they led the way in the evangelization of hostile peoples, often enduring unbelievable hardship and horrific martyrdoms for the name of Christ. A missionary movement was birthed by the Spirit through the united prayers of a once theologically divided community. This is what is possible when we turn our gaze and our focus away from ourselves and surrender afresh to Christ and his purpose.

This week, in one of our readings from Hebrews, we read, "Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest" [Heb 3:1] We too are "holy", which means we 've been set apart for God's purpose. What is God's purpose, this "heavenly calling" in which we share? Well look to Jesus - he is the model, the example, both the messenger (Apostle) and the message (high priest who re-connects us to God through the gospel). Our purpose is to make him known to this end, to all people groups of the world.

A key verse in my own ordination call comes from Romans, "“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”" [Rom 10:13-15] I fear that this has not always remained a consistent priority in my life and ministry. It seems, as I talk with various people in our network, that this outward purpose of God is often missing from our community's rhythm of life. We score highly on the inward dimension of relational care and discipleship, medium on the upward dimension of drawing near to God, but the collective outward dimension is missing. Can we really be a Christ-follower yet not be proclaiming, "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" [Jesus' first recorded words in Mark 1:15]

Tomorrow, someone I know is leaving with two others to travel to Libya for this express purpose. It is dangerous, foolish (in man's eyes) and yet strangely inspiring. I read recently of someone who commented on how exciting it was at how many Christians lived in their community. I understand that sentiment and the difference it can make at home and at work. But I wonder also whether we are collectively broken over how many around us do not know Christ, are not following him and have no assurance of sins forgiven, the Father's loving presence and future hope.

There is much being made of Rob Bell's new book, "Love Wins", and the suggestion of a 'heretical universalism' (all are saved regardless). We love our theological skirmishes it seems. But maybe by our actions most of us demonstrate a 'practical universalism'. The Moravians learned to put aside some of their differences, be reconciled in love and focus more upon the beauty and supremacy of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. It led to a great expansion of the kingdom as Jesus received (some of) the reward for his suffering. We are invited to stand in that same tradition, with our spiritual forebears. As we pray together, he will similarly inspire and guide us, the major question is, will we heed the call?

Oh the joys of sacrifice and suffering . . .

2011-03-09T14:07:00.003-06:00

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent within the Anglican (and other) Church's calendar. Lent is traditionally known as the forty-days (excluding Sundays) preceding Easter Sunday, the resurrection of our Lord, and the climactic feast day on the Christian calendar. The Scriptural basis of this season stems from Jesus’ own forty days of wandering in the desert and subsequent temptation by the devil.

Lent has come at a good time for me this year. I feel a greater sense of purpose and timing this year due to the circumstances of my life and my desire to hear God's call for the next phase of ministry. I therefore feel more compelled to observe this time and use it to devote myself to a season of drawing near, questioning and listening. Most of that will probably be directed towards God, some of it to fellow sojourners. I want to let go of some things (alcohol and TV) so as to be able to take hold of other things (listening prayer, Scripture and friendships).

I sense the call to personal examination but also community examination so my hope is that others within my community will join me in different ways. Over the last few weeks, as we have worked with 2 groups of people looking at the process of spiritual formation and the place of spiritual direction to that end, one Scripture has been uppermost in my mind. "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it." [Mark 8:34-5] These words were spoken to the disciples and the crowd following, and interestingly come just after Jesus' rebuke of Peter for not having in mind the concerns of God (his own crucifixion). Hence the "joy" of sacrifice and suffering! I sense God wanting to speak more deeply to me through these words.

If you are connected with us and the work here in Austin, TX, then I want to invite you along to use this season in your own way so that we might be led to a deeper trust in the promises of God and a willingness to repent of any self-obsessed self-protection that has put us more in line with Satan's rebellion than the Son's submission to the Father. We have been learning about the cycle of transformation for the Christ-follower that always begins with brokenness leading to repentance and a yielding to the Spirit. This brings new revelation (an unveiling of what already is) bringing confidence and a release of the Spirit's life.

For now though, through a time of renewed consecration, our focus is the first part of the cycle - brokenness, repentance and yielding to God. Hence the desire to be still and to listen ... to God and to one another. Let us invite the Lord to speak into our communal life and to reveal his call upon our lives for his glory. I have been thinking much recently about place, wondering where the 'right' place is for this time. Carol and I are currently living in an inbetween place (or so it seems), but maybe that is always the case when we think geographically. The place God wants us is in His Son, following Jesus on pilgrimage and on mission. There's no other place I'd rather be but sometimes I am distracted by rabbit trails, or just simply fall off the path. Fortunately I can continue to lay hold of another promise of God found in the Psalms;

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." [Psalm 16:11]

The Power of "Being With"

2011-02-01T15:57:00.003-06:00

In Mark 3:14 we read that Jesus appointed twelve that they might (first) "be with" him and then later that they might be sent out. We have not learned this well in the church, nor at times within our natural families. "Being with" is a godly trait ... it is even reflected in one of his revealed Names (Immanuel). It is what Jesus promised to his disciples before he ascended to heaven. It is the wonderful gift of "presence", the purpose for which Jesus died on the cross, and for which he ascended into heaven. I want to suggest that it is the foundation for helping form and shape the life of another - be it children in our natural family or believers in our spiritual family.

A friend recently blogged about her thoughts on raising children and fostering authentic spiritual life so as not to "lose them to the surrounding culture" (you can read about it here). I would suggest that behind her positive suggestions for how to best influence them for good, lies the idea of "being with". However this does not simply mean being in the same room or under the same roof, but rather learning how to build intimacy as a foundation for life, meaning and growth. This intimacy must be mutual - a vulnerable sharing of oneself whilst also seeking to deeply know the other person/child. The end of this is not simply knowledge however, but loving care. That is most likely to happen when know one another at an intimate heart level. Someone else once said, 'if you're bored with someone, you've probably not truly met them. If you're irritated with them then you haven't seen their heart.'

Such intimacy and care is what builds trust (aka 'faith') and authentic community. That is a process however, and calls for personal transformation and growth ... from us all. Jesus sought to connect and be with us at the start of this process thank goodness! We know this spiritually but I suggest that he also modeled this as a man in his appointing of the disciples. Another 'hard saying' of Jesus that I read this week as I was pondering these things, was his words in Mark 3:33-34 "Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother."

Jesus seems to be putting a high value on his spiritual family, the family of God. Can we begin to see the parallel between raising our natural children and being a part of the spiritual formation of God's children (or at least a few of them!) and that the principle of "being with" holds for both. Perhaps one of the reasons that so often 'church-goers' are seemingly lost to the culture around us, is that we are not following the example Jesus gave in inviting people to "be with" us and seeing intimate friendship as foundational to our being formed into devoted followers of Christ. It is through this connection that people are best shaped by not only conceptual truth (of the Scripture) but also the experienced truth of love as the energy of the Holy Spirit is released from us (see John 7:38).

Growing in Love for One Another

2011-01-23T13:28:00.004-06:00

I occasionally find myself listening to someone talk about their frustrations about the 'community dynamic' within their home church. Names are not usually shared but the experience often resonates with my own experiences after working with small group dynamics over the last 25 years. Lots of factors contribute towards this but when you 'boil it down', the consequence of genuine needs being neglected is always painful. It hurts and can lead to not just negative emotions but also faulty thinking and unproductive behavior.

We must learn to grow in love and to do so more and more as Paul says to the Christians in Thessalonica. I have come up with my own list of ways we can do this in our simple churches. Love is a choice, so why not take a look, reflect on those that 'hit home' and resolve to put some into practice more often, maybe even sharing that with another trusted friend who can give you feedback in a month or so as to how you're doing. Beware of trying to do too much though and then feeling self-condemned. Better to aim at 2 or 3 for a time.

Ok, so here's the list, in no particular order. Also, think about this in terms of your whole life, wherever and with whomever you find yourself;

Respond to emails promptly about participation and contribution at the meeting
Bring something to share of what is happening in your life
Be more punctual - respect other people's time
Take initiative to connect with others outside the group gathering so as to get to know them
"Give first" - call people more, give a small meaningful gift, etc.
Seek to become more accountable/vulnerable/real - remove the mask with some
Listen well
Be curious/dig deeper by asking open-ended questions and don't move on too quickly
Don't be too quick to write yourself off as to the impact you may have on someone else
Be ready to commit or at least explore with someone why that's hard for you
Offer to help someone you see struggling - a little bit goes a long way
Beware of triangulation - speaking badly about one person to another. If someone does that to you, interrupt and encourage them to address the person directly, offering to help if necessary
Be a peacemaker
Celebrate special occasions (birthdays and anniversaries) and other's achievements
Pray for people - maybe just one a day or as at the Spirit leads you
Offer to make/bring main dish at least once in a while -can be simple, maybe team up with another
Offer to host
Ask for help - shows you're real

Hope this helps us grow together and in the Lord. Let us not withhold the Spirit's life.

Comments and additions very welcome!

Train yourself for godliness

2011-01-10T14:52:00.002-06:00

"Train yourself for godliness ... For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe." [1 Tim 4:7 & 10]

At breakfast this morning with 2 friends and fellow Christ-followers we pondered this Scripture. One friend reminded us that when Paul talks about toiling and striving, it is not about "huffing and puffing" to make something happen, but ultimately about yielding to the Spirit and his work in us. This is meant to take the pressure off of us, especially as we increasingly rest in the knowledge that God is with us (Immanuel) and for us. He is willing as Jesus once said to the leper who said, "if you are willing, you can make me clean". Peter would also want to encourage us by reminding us that through the gospel we have been given everything we need for godliness ALREADY. "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence" [2 Pet 1:3]

The heart of the new covenant message of the gospel is 'Christ in us, the hope of glory'. So we always have hope, we are never totally at a loss, though there is still a part we play in the process of yielding. At Larry Crabb's School of Spiritual Direction we were reminded of this same truth in thinking about how we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. He puts it like this:

Brokenness --> Repentance --> Abandonment --> Revelation --> Confidence --> Release

Abandonment equates to yielding, a turning from a self-obsessed lifestyle to a God-obsessed one. Though we would like to think that this was all done at conversion, when we first turned to Christ as Savior and Lord, the reality is that spiritual formation is a lifetime of repeated repentance and abandonment as God reveals to us new areas of our lives that still need to be conformed. This is not easy 'work' nor something that is meant to be done alone. This is why the Lord sets us in families/communities - the primary place where our self-centredness gets exposed. Hopefully within these communities we will also foster the kind of closer, more intimate friendships where this work can be embraced.

The Truth About Fitness

2011-01-03T14:45:00.003-06:00

Friday morning, 7:30am at a certain Starbucks, is one of my favorite times of the week. For the past year or so I've been meeting with 2 guys who have become good friends. We are "Men of a Certain Age" as the title of the show goes. It's a time to catch up but also a time of spiritual reflection. This last Friday one of the guys talked about a secular article he had been reading in which people in their 50s (I think) talked about the things they regretted most as they looked back on life. Here's the top 3 answers:

(1) About 60% wished they had made wiser choices when it came to money so that at this stage of life they had less debt and more savings.

(2) The second most popular answer had to do with physical health. Today they were living with the regretful consequences of poor diet and lack of exercise.

(3) The third answer was to do with relationships and their regret at not investing themselves enough in building healthy, intimate relationships with family and friends.

It got me thinking about (and threatening to preach about!) the three foundational areas of the Christian life to which we should give significant attention and how they related directly to each of the points above;

(i) Stewardship - the strategic and faithful use of our time, treasure and talents in the service of God
(ii) Spiritual Formation - seeing our destiny as the conforming of our lives to the image of Christ Jesus and our need to be devoted to this process of transformation .... in ourselves as well as in the lives of others
(iii) The New Commandment - given to us by Jesus that we love one another as he loves us.

As we enter a new year, what better time to do some personal reflection on progress through 2010 but also prayerfully seeking a vision for what the Lord wants for you in each of these areas. Growth is a process, a long one for most of us, understanding that can be a liberating truth. But it is also a process to which God is committed and with which he is involved as a loving and compassionate Father.

This week I wanted to share some thoughts about Spiritual Formation or Health. Interestingly enough, later on Friday I went for my regular workout at 24 Hour and noticed that they had some new posters up that picked up the theme of physical health. They were highlighting "The Truth about Fitness" and there were three topics;

(a) Look Around We're All In This Together: working out with a friend will help keep you motivated
(b) At One Point, I Wanted To Throw In The Towel: establish a routine and stick with it, the results will follow
(c) No Matter How You Feel Walking In, You'll Feel Great Walking Out: regular exercise can help relieve stress and elevate your mood

When it comes to our own Spiritual Formation, the development of the inner life with God, where we grow in freedom to love and give ourselves to others, I thought about the importance of having close intimate friends. A saying of another friend of mine is 'you can't grow yourself by yourself'. We have too many blindspots and are easily prone to self-deception. I want to have a few people in my life to whom I can ask the question, 'when you are around me, what do you experience?' Scary though it is, I believe we need this kind of input and people who'll love us enough to be truthful.

There is also a place for spiritual discipline and ritual. We would all like to be spontaneous (well some of us), but daily/weekly/monthly rhythm is important also. For me this year, I would like some of that discipline to include more consistent times of quiet/aloneness/meditation and journaling. I enjoy and am energized by being with people but I also need time alone with God and my thoughts.

Just as physical exercise can make us feel better inside (once the aches and soreness subside), spiritual health and balance in our lives can also bring inner peace and joy. Which can in turn, impact us physically and relationally, giving us greater freedom to reach out and risk ourselves with others. Oftentimes I can sense in myself and others a tendency to withdraw or remain hidden, often motivated by fears within. This is one of the greatest hindrances to authentic community and friendships. Jesus said that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. I wonder if oftentimes our hiddenness is an indication of a certain hardness or 'emptiness' of heart, reflecting our aloneness in that no-one really knows us deep down, something which God says is not good.

School of Spiritual Direction

2010-10-05T13:20:00.005-05:00

This weekend I get to do something that has been on my heart for the last couple of years. It has previously been 'out of reach' due to scheduling conflicts or financial constraints. But at fairly short notice, God has opened the door for me to attend and to do so with Carol as well. We are both excited but also a little apprehensive as I sense that this will be as much about change in us and the preparation of our own hearts as it will be about learning news skills or techniques. The timing could not have been better and we both sense that this is something of a watershed moment in our lives and ministries.

Spiritual Direction or Spiritual Formation is not something with which most Christians are familiar. It was certainly not a part of the tradition in which Carol and I grew up as young believers. But we have come to increasingly see this as an important part of our spiritual growth and development. Our interest has also been piqued by reading some of Larry Crabb's books and reflecting upon his own spiritual journey. Some of these books include;

You can see a short video clip on Larry Crabb's approach to Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation by clicking on this image to the right. I like the idea that this is not just for the "professionals" but that it is something we can all learn to grow in and provide for others through deep spiritual friendships. It is our hope to impart these principles to others so that our Simple Church communities are increasingly places of healing and transformation for our lives.

This is what Larry Crabb says on his website; "As we conceive it, Spiritual Direction is the process of exploring and understanding the interior world of another, recognizing both the work of the flesh and the work of the Spirit, and following the Spirit's work in transforming the person's interior world to become more like Christ." It is really all about helping others develop a deeper and closer relationship with the Lord so that he becomes our chief delight and joy. This is what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives and we're simply partnering with Him in the task with those whom God has put into our lives and communities.

Core Practice #7: Creative Expression

2010-09-23T10:52:00.004-05:00

Our final Core Practice, "Creative Expression", was maybe for some a more difficult concept to grasp. This may be a reflection of how often in the church we have unwittingly stifled people's creativity by being too one-dimensional in our expression. This is not just about art - if so, I for one would consider myself part of the remedial class. Maybe not a bad idea in itself some might say!

The thoughts that came to me caused me to look to the book of Revelation at a part of the picture given to John of the assembled worshippers in heaven, before the Lamb;

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" [Rev 7:9]

When we think of the diversity that is within the church, something we are meant to celebrate and not be intimidated by. When we consider that the same creative Spirit that hovered over the waters in Genesis 1 is at work within each one of us, personally and collectively. When we grasp that the recreation of all things in, through and for, Jesus Christ has begun and that we are a part both of the product and the process. When we see the interplay of both "truth" and "beauty" - their respective importance and necessity in what God is doing through His Son.

We are a part of something much grander than we are often able to give God credit for. This also means that God has purpose and intent for each one of us in effecting his purposes upon the earth. We are to both take responsibility for this within ourselves but also draw this out of one another through the prophetic ministry of the Holy Spirit at work in our communities.

" the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation." [1 Corinthians 14:3]

During our time together, we were led to ponder the condition of our heart before the Lord and one another. Carol had helpfully laid out the display below (see photo) to help with our meditation and reflection so that we might express ourselves through word, picture, song, poem, etc. It led to some vulnerable sharing that become a holy moment of knowing one another more deeply and knowing the presence of the One who makes all things new.

Our conversation on this topic is to be continued next time, so this will hopefully be continued ...

Core Practice #6: Serving Others

2010-09-14T20:09:00.006-05:00

"It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." [Matt 20:26-28]

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." [Matt 5:16]

"And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." [Matt 5:41]

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." [John 15:15]

In many ways these Scriptures speak for themselves. But as we reflected as a community, a number of conclusions were drawn;

service can be described as 'an act of helpful activity; help; aid'
though not the means by which we are saved, according to James, to call yourself a believer/follower of Christ and not to serve others, is to have a faith that is dead. Paul puts it another way in Ephesians, we are saved for good works
the world asks the question, 'what's in it for me?' This is not to be our primary motivation as Christ-followers.
there are over 2,000 references to the poor in the Scriptures reflecting God's special heart for those living on the fringes, in need of help
the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46 amply describes Jesus' expectation that we will feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit those in prison.
service is good news, therefore a significant part of evangelism
the dynamic of our serving as a community does something to us also, it builds something among us, we are changed
we are not to wait until we feel ready or feel like serving, it is in the act of obedience to Jesus' command that our hearts ore touched with compassion and we are changed

We talked about and explored the different ways in which we have had opportunity in the past to serve others - whether as a larger community or as individuals. We wanted to commit as a community to make this a regular part of our rhythm of life, being open to needs as God brings them across our path.

What does being a disciple of Jesus and serving mean to you ... individually?

Where and how can we serve as a group, together?

How can we best maintain a balance of inward growth and outward service?

Core Practice #5: Grow Self, Grow Others

2010-08-31T13:51:00.006-05:00

I was away for the discussion on growing ourselves and others but here are the notes that Steph kindly took:

Job Chapter 1 - 'Does God promise to protect us?' was how the conversation began. This is a difficult book, and a difficult passage, since it sets up the story as God bringing Job to Satan's attention and almost baiting him into testing Job. God praises Job and then allows Satan to take everything from him, with the exception that he may not touch Job himself.

Job did everything right, even God recognized this (Job 1:8). Yet God allowed Satan to test Job in a very harsh way. God refers to Job as his "servant". This was reflected on later in our discussion about how in the Scriptures, people like David, Jeremiah and Job cry out to God. Sometimes in anger and frustration, but also worshipping him in the midst of suffering, and calling themselves God's servants.

Cultural ideas of maturity vs. Biblical - the Biblical model is relying more and more on God in all circumstances
Maturity is driven by a hunger to draw closer to God, or pursue God (David given as an example). A relationship requires effort - commitment beyond our own immediate desires.
Being vulnerable/humble before God and allowing yourself to be open to correction/instruction/revelation.
Forming habits that give time and space to allow God to speak clearly into your life and to see this increase - prayer, solitude, devotional reading, etc. Classic disciplines.
Having accountability, prayer, worship, discipling within the Body of Christ, seeing this modeled by others
Getting out of your comfort zone and accepting that growth can often be (but not always) painful as you work out your salvation
Growth is not about replicating a method, but having a relationship with Jesus Christ, and requires you to be gentle and patient with others and yourself and to listen to the Holy Spirit

What does it mean to increase in the grace, knowledge and love of God in our daily lives?

Addendum:
When it comes to growth, it is important to recognize not just my responsibility to myself, but also to others. A popular refrain I use would be, 'you can't grow yourself by yourself'. A passage I instinctively go to is Ephesians 4:11-16. The ultimate goal is love because this is what God is [see 1 John 4:8]. Maturity is when we learn to live for the sake of others and intentionally look to meet their needs, trusting that in the same way, others will help meet our own. Other key ideas or words in this passage for me would be 'unity', (relational) knowledge of Jesus and the working together of the different roles - apostolic, evangelistic, prophetic, pastoral and teaching - of which we are all a part according to the grace given. It calls for "truthing" (speaking the truth) in love - a connection back to the place of mutual accountability. All this is to be worked out within the context of a loving, forgiving community (family) where we are known and affirmed.

Jesus also seemed to emphasize the importance of smaller, more intimate and focused sets of friendships (as seen with Peter, James and John). We would want to encourage everyone to foster these kinds of 'spiritual friends', threesomes where there is opportunity to share how we are doing (we like to ask the question, 'how are you feeling' as a way of promoting more intimate knowing of one another) and how we sense the Lord speaking to us through our devotional practices (see 'Listening').

In addition to such spiritual friends, there is a great need for father/mother figures in the community - those who fulfill more a role of mentor or spiritual director through their love and their experience of walking in the Spirit. Be encouraged to look for such people in your life. Paul says, "Even though you have ten thousand guardians (teachers) in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel." [1 Cor 4:15]

We best facilitate personal growth and transformation through the following;

Increased meeting of (Relational) Needs (provides MOTIVATION)
Challenging Unhealthy Thinking and resolving Painful and Negative Emotions (bring FREEDOM)
Initiating and learning New Behaviors (developing SKILLS)

Core Practice #4: Love One Another

2010-08-20T09:53:00.005-05:00

"be imitators of God as dear children.
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us,
an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."
[Eph 5:1-2]

"walk in light ... walk circumspectly ...
be filled with the Spirit - submitting to one another"
[Eph 5:8c, 15a, 18b, 21]

This past weekend we tackled the 'thorny' subject of accountability, in the context of loving one another. I say thorny because the word itself carries baggage for some of us. We have had bad, hurtful, even traumatic experiences. Surely it's safer to simply concern myself with being accountable to God but not to other people. I don't think the Scriptures, or love for that matter, allow us to get away with this. True committed relationships naturally imply and call for accountability. The problem has more to do with incomplete or badly applied accountability. So let's correct that (as best we're able), rather than "throw out the baby ...".

Accountability is a Relational Need we all have. If we love one another, we will be concerned for one another's well-being and growth. When we glimpse something of the significance of our unity in Christ, we will understand how much one person's choices affect us all to varying degrees. We must jettison our "independent" mentality as we now belong to one another. We define accountability in this way:-

"giving and receiving (mutual) feedback consistent with the keeping of commitments made"

We must run a mile from accountability without relationship, as expressed through loving commitment. Therefore it needs to happen as we;

Give First (take initiative to think of others and communicate care in some way)
Provide Encouragement (by being there and speaking words that build up - don't just think them)
Grow in 'Relational Courage' (to both give and receive to/from one another) - this is what is needed to do what we're told to do in Eph 4:15 ... "speak the truth in love"

Accountability is not to be imposed upon another but invited from another for ourselves. We are to seek to develop some relationships that provide this kind of security and support, trusting that it will be reciprocated. We are inviting people to hold us to what we are committing ourselves to become. We cannot grow ourselves by ourselves, we are not meant to. That is just a place we often find ourselves due to painful experiences in the past. Such 'aloneness' is not good for us, it never has been, it just may appear that way.

A couple of helpful questions to think about:

What commitments are you making that require accountability/support?
Who do we see as being key relationships in our lives that express this covenantal love?

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
[John 13:34-35]

Core Practice #3: Prayer

2010-08-05T11:29:00.005-05:00

This past weekend we explored together our third Core Practice, that of prayer. We talked about our different experiences when it comes to prayer, both personal and collective. Jesus taught us both to close ourselves away in prayer ... "when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret" [Matt 6:6] - though this was said in contrast to the 'hypocrites' who love to be seen publicly praying - but also how important it is to pray with others "again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven" [Matt 18:19].

The picture of the chief 'practices' of the early church given to us by Luke, includes a devotion to prayer. "They devoted themselves to .... prayer" [Acts 2:42]. Here are some of the other comments (in no particular order) that came out of our conversation and that led us into a time of prayer:-

For some, nature/creation plays a significant part in inspiring us to pray - let's get outdoors, even in summer (editor's comment!)
prayer is the dynamic and expression of our relationship to the Father, through Jesus, and as such is to be without ceasing, throughout the day
it is valuable for us to pray aloud - especially when the emphasis is upon praise and spiritual warfare
prayer helps us to overcome through our connection to the reality of God and his power at work in our lives - so helpful and necessary when we are struggling
we must learn to trust God for who he is before what he does - is this reflected in the balance of our prayers (i.e. less about asking and more about thanking)?
prayer is communication and needs to be both ways
do we have a good balance of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving as well as Supplication (asking) in our prayer lives?
prayer is best when we come with an attitude of openness and surrender to God
remember the promise of Jesus when we agree together in prayer - AMEN!
our imagination, which is God-given, plays a great part in our prayers is helping us to see Christ ministering in and through us - as we lay on hands, effectively so does he
do we come with no preconceived agenda or expected outcome but are we learning to trust in God?
prayer is arguably the principal demonstration of faith - as Jesus taught about faithfulness and perseverance in prayer, he immediately goes on to ask, "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" [Luke 18:8]
how we are with God in prayer will often be reflected in how we are with people - if we're not giving approval, appreciation or acknowledging mistakes with people around us, chances are we're not doing the same with God
for some, the use of music and songs can be real helpful in helping us to focus upon the Lord
the Spirit helps us in our weakness when we don't know how to pray - let us open ourselves up to this "Spirit-reality" - this may include prophetic prayers as we pray into the revelations given
when we are struggling to pray, this is when we need most the discipline of gathering with others (1 or more) to own the struggle and to invite them to pray with us - sadly all too often, these are times when we pull away from one another

I may have missed some things and I certainly invite others to comment. More importantly, unless this leads us to pray it is of no consequence. Jesus desires nothing less than that we become people of prayer who know their God and do great exploits. As a community we want to build patterns into our lives that lead us to pray with each other on a regular basis through the week.

Core Practice #2: Listening & Spiritual Contemplation

2010-07-27T11:14:00.005-05:00

This past weekend we explored the practice of listening (to God and one another) and contemplation. 'One of the highest forms of prayer is listening' yet we often find ourselves all too ready to lay out the laundry list of needs before God, without taking time to contemplate his beauty and love, and simply listen for his voice. I loved that the 2 people leading, got us to experience this before talking about it. That reinforced the truth that learning and growth happen most through experience rather than intellectual study or discussion.

Here are some of the Scriptures we used to help us begin to focus upon the Lord:-

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." [John 10:27]
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!'' [Psalm 46:10]
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" [Psalm 27:14]
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." [Rev 3:20]

(see also John 8:31-38,47)

Here are some of the comments/thoughts that were shared ...

will we seek to hear, recognize and follow?
do I take time to quiet my soul before the Lord so as to be ready?
I sense the Lord calling me back to a regular reading of the Scriptures
I want to make sure that I am abiding in Jesus
who am I loving, nurturing and growing out of his call to "feed my sheep"?
suffering can often preempt our call to kingdom ministry, even helping to define it because this can be the enemy's point of attack (Peter's denial of Jesus and subsequent restoration/invitation to feed/take care of Jesus' sheep)
beware the busyness of 'responsibility' (often in our thinking more than reality) that can take us away from being centered/with the Lord
do we risk placing productivity above relationship?
beware of unrealistic/legalistic expectations when it comes to listening - a time ot take up and a time to 'let go' of the discipline - don't 'beat ourselves up'
let us take time to contemplate the truth already revealed so as not to be overcome by the lies of the enemy
like a baby, who doesn't always ask to be held, do we trust the Father and his love?

I was encouraged to hear the hearts within our community and get a sense of the Spirit's working among us. In devoting our time to silence, song and sharing we experienced the Lord among us and there was encouragement and strengthening that came from this. It led to some opportunities to speak some words of truth and comfort to one another. It caused me to want to keep building a pattern of this in my life and to help others to do the same. It was powerful, thanks be to God!

"Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men" [Psalm 107:3]

The 'Church of Two' (CO2) is a helpful example of how some of this can be put into practice within our communities. Click here for more details.

Constructive Conflict

2010-07-20T12:12:00.002-05:00

Most of us don't like conflict, myself included, although I think that this is often tied to a perspective that is too narrow, not to mention our emotional 'memories' and levels of what I would call 'Relational Courage'. Conflict is an inevitable part of life - a consequence of our differences and inherent selfishness. Jesus recognized this inevitability and commended those who would engage in it's resolution when he said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" [Matt 5:9]. To be a peacemaker is to closely reflect the nature of our Father in heaven. Paul gave a different slant upon the same truth when he said that God had given us all a "ministry of reconciliation" [2 Cor 5:18].

Part of a more healthy perspective is to see that the experience of conflict (and the subsequent healthy resolution of such conflict) is essential for deeper, more intimate relationships and community. Some time ago, I read Scott Peck talking about the journey from 'pseudo-community' into more authentic community. The pathway will almost always take us through 'chaos' (or we might say 'conflict'). But in that moment we have a choice - to either go through the dark waters of chaos, by engaging the conflict with the anticipation of more authentic community, or we take for the 'easier' option of withdrawal or avoidance and settle for superficiality or worse still, aloneness.

So, what will help me (or you) to make the right choice so as to grow in my relationships - be they at home, at work, or with my friends? The 'Jesus' answer to this rather complex issue is to "love one another" [John 13:34]. But that in itself, is not too helpful. It needs some unpacking. So, here is my unpacking of 'love one another' as it relates to handling conflict.

Vision - we need a vision of where we want the relationship/community to get to (whilst acknowledging and celebrating our differences) and a fresh perspective of how healthy engagement of conflict can help us get there
Mutual Commitment - also known as 'covenant' whereby we communicate our commitment to each other's 'success', which can help to give us the relational courage (aka 'security') to be vulnerable
Humility - to recognize first and foremost where our actions and words have caused pain (knowingly or unknowingly) to others by listening, and then to confess and give comfort
Growth - a commitment to our own personal growth of hearts and hands (emotional freedom and learning new skills) so that we can reduce the risk of repeating the same mistakes and better know and support one another

For most of this to happen it will need the loving care and encouragement of others (a challenge for us 'self-reliant' types). All of this is available to us within the community of Christ. More importantly, Christ himself is with us and is on our side, but he won't do it for us.

In our work for the Center for Relational Leadership, we sometimes find ourselves helping people resolve conflict and strengthen relationships within teams in the workplace. We apply these principles in the following manner;

First get each person to verbally express their commitment to the other person's success and invite the recipient to comment on how that feels/sounds to them
Deal first with the past in the following manner. Each person prepares 2 lists. The first identifies everything they have done to contribute to the conflict. The second lists what they think the other person has done. One person (usually the more senior) starts by sharing his first list, dealing with each item with appropriate care and comfort, inviting the other person to express their forgiveness. They then ask, "is there anything else that I have missed?" This gives the other person the opportunity to share anything from their second list that has not already been covered. The process is then repeated with person #2 sharing from their first list.
Deal with the present by getting each of them to talk about their (relational) needs and current growth areas so as to be able to provide support to one another and to better connect and give to one another
Deal with the future by putting into words where they would like to get to in their relationship and also arranging a follow-up meeting to reflect on progress and adjust plans as necessary.

If this is possible in the workplace (and it has been a joy to see even long-standing conflict resolved), then our hopes and expectations for our Christ-centered communities, families and friendships should be even greater.

Core Practice #1 : Hospitality

2010-07-13T14:45:00.003-05:00

This last Sunday we looked at the first of our Core Practices as Christ-followers, that of 'Hospitality'. Our desire in all this is that we grow personally and as a community in these practices such that they increasingly shape our lives and help us build a rhythm into our lives. The Scriptures explicitly command us to practice hospitality [Rom 12:13b]. Interestingly, Paul instructed that for the widows to receive assistance, they should have a reputation for showing hospitality [1 Tim 5:10].

But what is hospitality? We talked about "having your stuff available for others" but that it also carries the sense of "giving care and kindness to those in need". We usually think in terms of inviting people into our home, but it may also mean entering their home/world into order to know and care for them. We see this in the way Jesus entered Zacchaeus and Cornelius' homes.

Peter reminds us to "offer hospitality to one another without grumbling" [1 Pet 4:9] which implies that our attitude or motivation is important, that we should have genuine compassion for people. This does not always come naturally, particularly if we've not been used to receiving from others. This is an important part of our growth.

Our hospitality is an extension of and flows from the Lord's care for us as modeled in the incarnation. God left his 'home' and came to ours (earth) in order to share his love and make it possible for us to experience and participate in the community of the Godhead. As in all of life, Jesus is the one who helps us in this ministry - he's there, it's his 'fragrance' we share, his peace which is why we must keep receiving his offer of hospitality (see Rev 3:20).

It was most exciting to hear one of our group speak of how her experience of hospitality from our community in different forms had helped to draw her back to the Lord and had impacted not just her but her family also. When we demonstrate genuine acceptance and care in this way, it becomes a compelling hermeneutic for the gospel.

"Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." [Matt 5:16 The Message]

What might this look like?

Not just eating alone always (even as a family) but inviting others to come join you
For families to intentionally 'adopt' those who live alone and make space in their lives/at their tables for friendship
Taking meals/other support to those facing particular pressures in life
Going to where others eat or drink in order to be with them
Invite the neighbors around
Make a habit of taking a work colleague (of the same sex) you don't know too well out for lunch ... and buying
Look for opportunities to party!

Our Core Practices

2010-07-06T11:04:00.013-05:00

"As a Christ-follower, what are the core practices that give expression to your faith?" This was the question posed at our last Simple Church gathering. Behind the question was the understanding that the principle way in which we learn about God and his ways and grow as Christ-followers, is through experience. This seems to be the priority Jesus adopted with his disciples. Whereas the Church has tended to focus upon believing the right things, Jesus spoke a lot about living the right way. He not only spoke about it, he modeled it in his own life and expected his disciples to follow his example.

This is not to diminish the importance of orthodox faith but to also recognize the importance of what James was communicating when he said, 'I will show you my faith by my works' [James 2:18] Our plan over the coming weeks is to focus upon one item each week and prayerfully reflect upon what Jesus teaches and how we might seek to grow in this personally and as a community. Jesus gives a dire warning about those who hear his teaching but fail to put it into practice (see Matt 7:26-27). But then again to be doers of the word brings great wisdom and strength into our lives.

So, here's the list (in no particular order, just how they came out);

Hospitality (connecting with people, even @ the pub)
Listening & Contemplation (to God and one another)
Prayer (through the day)
Loving One Another (especially in the area of "accountability")
Growing Self & Growing Others
Serving Others ("no strings attached")
Creative Expression (of our gifts & talents)

We also talked about Worship and felt that in a sense, all of the above represents our worship to God. Interestingly no-one mentioned "going to church". I was pleased about that. Looks like we are grasping the truth that 'Church' is more about who we are than what we do.

I love Simple Church because it means I don't need to give ... or does it?

2010-07-02T14:48:00.006-05:00

Our transition away from a traditional church structure with buildings, budgets and staff to support financially has left some wondering about the place of giving and what it is that God requires of us. What happened to the pledge drive? Aren't we supposed to tithe (give 10% of our income)? Isn't this a chance for the church to prove it's not just after your money?

I have felt lately that in my reluctance to speak much about money, particularly as it relates to the support Carol and I rely upon, we have perhaps missed out on what seems to me to be a foundational aspect of kingdom living ... to excel in the grace of giving (see 2 Cor. 8:7) as a network. Money is a part of all of our lives, when it gets out of place then it becomes a problem. That happens a lot and is perhaps one reason Jesus spoke about money as much as anything.

The first thing I would say is that under the New Covenant, that is for those of us who belong to Jesus, our motivation for giving is to come from within rather than without. It is not meant to be an external rule to be obeyed, but we are to be inspired by the Spirit within who moves us to give generously, even sacrificially, and with a cheerful heart. There are no rules now, but there is loving relationship with a God who gives in this way. As others have said before me, let us be less preoccupied with the percentage we give away and more focused upon the amount we choose to keep and spend on ourselves.

Under the law of the Old Testament, the tithe was a portion of the crops given to support the Levitical priesthood. They were the tribe that received no portion of the land of Israel (unlike the other tribes), so they relied upon the other tribes sharing a tenth of their harvest. This system is now obsolete and so no longer applies. Ironically there were in fact 3 tithes one to support the Levites, one to fund the serious party celebrations that happened in Jerusalem around the Feast Days each year, and one for the sake of the poor (see Deut 14:22-27). I like this mix and believe it should guide us as we prayerfully consider the needs to which we can give.

As you read through the New Testament, again and again you see the priority of meeting each others' needs within the community and giving to the poor, the latter being the primary way we are to 'invest' in a way that lasts into eternity. We get to send it on ahead of us (see Luke 12:32-33). Though we are not bound by external rules as to how much to give, I think that we can benefit from the discipline of learning to give regularly and sacrificially. This is one 'weapon' we have to combat the worldly spirit (very prevalent in our culture) of selfish consumerism and ultimately idolatry, whereby we find ourselves putting our hope in financial security rather than in Christ. When we are honest with ourselves, we find that this often keeps us from the blessing of living in more daily dependence upon the Lord and from experiencing the sheer blessing of giving.

So, what might we conclude from all this? Some ideas that I seek to put into practice in my own life;

Following the principle of "first fruit" (i.e. allocating to others/effectively the Lord - see Matt 25:40 - before ourselves) by setting aside money every time we get paid. This is what Paul would teach in his churches (1 Corinthians 16:2). 10% is not a bad target to aim for or to begin with.
Invest yourself personally in the people, projects and needs you support
Respond to opportunities to give to the three types of needs as identified above - supporting missional/ministry initiatives, relieving poverty and injustice and sharing within your community to meet needs (Acts 4:32,34) and facilitate parties (life is to be enjoyed and celebrated)!
Resolve to grow in this grace of giving so that as the Lord may entrust you with more, you will have greater opportunity to give for the glory of God

My hope for us at BridgePoint, is that over the coming months we will make giving a real priority so that we might develop over time a reputation like the churches of Macedonia in Paul's day;

"And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints." [2 Cor 8:1-4]

Addendum:
The following article based upon 1 Cor 9:1-14 gives a helpful explanation of how the early church financed 'apostolic' ministry. Click here.

Burying "Gran"

2010-06-23T05:00:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we buried Carol’s “mam” in the churchyard at Thornton-le-Moor alongside her late husband Vic, who died almost 14 years ago. So they are now reunited in the Lord and at rest. This is the church where Carol and I were married a little over 31 years ago, although the church building no longer remains, just an outline of the church foundations peeking out through the grass. Requiring too much money to be maintained, the ‘economic’ option was to pull the building down – Carol’s brother Brian was the one awarded the contract.

The funeral itself, though awash with the painful emotion of human grief at the loss of a loved one, was also strangely a wonderful family celebration of Lil’s life. It caused one of the pall bearers to comment that he had never seen a funeral like it, there seemed to be so much joy and happiness despite the sadness and tears. I am sure that Lil would have wanted it like this and that it brought a smile to her face as she ‘looked on’. The sight of her three daughters and one grand-daughter carrying the coffin into the church was a poignant moment that certainly added to the drama and that no doubt surprised many amongst the gathered mourners.

Lil’s life could be summarized in one word – “Family”. She was always surrounded by family, young and old alike, whether literally or just with the photographs, cards and knick-knacks that adorned her home. She exuded love and service. She lived ‘beyond herself’. She had lived her life ‘locally’, in villages that were surrounded by beautiful countryside. Gathered together in the small, old village church and then on to a neighboring village hall for mouth-watering array of sandwiches, pork pie, cheese rolls, cakes and the inevitable pots of tea, we were a long way from Austin, Texas!

It was fitting that some of her 12 grand-children got to play a direct role in the funeral as they paid tribute to her life through words (some recorded and “emailed” from TX and NC), poems, songs as well as a video montage of photographs set to music. It was a privilege to officiate at Lil’s funeral and lead her family and friends in remembering and commending her to God, much as I had done in part 14 years earlier with her husband. It was also emotionally and physically draining.

Despite coinciding with the start of Wimbledon, the weather was spectacular, almost a little too warm. In the late evening sunshine (and here it stays light well past bedtime!) we gathered again for barbecued sausages and burgers, and to celebrate Carol’s sister Lynn’s birthday which fell on the same day. Such is the nature of life.

Rest in peace Lily, knowing that you are truly loved and will be truly missed.

The Forgotten Ways

2010-04-09T10:57:00.005-05:00

In February of this year, I attended 2 conferences in consecutive weeks ... not for the faint of heart! I am out of practice when it comes to conferences, and generally out of desire, so 2 in 2 weeks was a bit of overload. However, they became occasions where I sensed the Lord speaking.

At the first, our AMiA Winter Conference in Greensboro, NC, the theme of Paul's 2nd missionary journey captured my imagination. We have been at this Simple Church thing for about 4 years now during which we have grown, learned some things, and seen God move. It now feels like time to build upon this and go further and deeper.

The second conference was here in Austin - Verge - and was built around Alan Hirsch's book, "The Forgotten Ways". I had read the book soon after it's publication, yet in reconnecting with it's contents, I again sensed that this was a part of the puzzle, and that it's message was important for us at BridgePoint. So, as a leadership community, we have begun a process of prayer, discernment and conversation around the themes raised in the book.

They are as follows:-

Jesus is Lord
Disciple Making
Missional Incarnational Impulse
Apostolic Environment
Organic Systems
'Communitas' not 'Community'

More details on these to follow, but for now we're taking one topic a month, reading, hanging out, talking and praying about the implications of each subject. My hope through this process is that we will get to know each other better, hear God, grow, and develop some community practices or disciplines to help us become what God desires for us.

During our first get together to just introduce the process and set some ground rules, one of our (rather bright) guys who is working on his PhD in Biomedical Engineering, spoke about how he was looking at ways in which he could bridge the gaps that can emerge in people's nervous system that prevent the peripheral parts of their body communicating with the brain (or something like that!) It occurred to me that this is what 'The Forgotten Ways' is all about. Helping us to reconnect with the Church's original identity and purpose, and especially with it's Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are seeking to remember and reconnect with that which God has already placed within us through His Spirit. What Alan calls the "missional DNA or mDNA of the Church. I am excited about the journey and the people God has us with. I look forward to sharing our discoveries and experiences together.

Are our gatherings characterized by more than words?

2010-03-02T09:52:00.006-06:00

"For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power." [1 Cor 4:20]

This Scripture has captivated me over the last couple of days as I reflect upon God's mission and how that impacts our personal lives and community experience within our Simple Churches. Earlier in his letter, Paul has spoken of coming to Corinth with "fear and trembling", humanly feeling very weak. Yet this was precisely so that their faith would not rest upon him and what was humanly possible, but would rest upon the power of God because of the tangible demonstration of the Spirit's power in their midst.

The consistent interplay of God's power being perfected in human weakness. We see this not only in Paul but also in Jesus of Nazareth. It is in the realm of our humility, our brokenness, our dependence through prayer, our willingness to take no glory or reputation to ourselves but simply to serve, that God's power is manifested and his Name is glorified. But let us beware of overly embracing what we cannot do that we lose sight (or faith) of what God is more than able and willing to do through his power. What does this mean for our Simple Church gatherings (amongst other things)?

Later in his letter, Paul will seek to redirect the community in Corinth to correctly understand the purpose of the gifts of the Spirit, and their application during the believers' time together. His emphasis is upon the importance of edification of the believers and the place of prophecy. "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy .. the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding (edification) and encouragement and consolation (comfort)." [1 Cor 14:1, 3] Our love is to be 'empowered' through the manifestation of the Spirit's power, in this case through words from God that have the power to build us up in the faith, to put courage in us to persevere in life and witness, and to heal/comfort us in our pain.

If we are faithfully following Christ, serving Him in the world, then we are engaged in a battle against forces that can overcome us - the world, the flesh and the devil. We are not meant to 'go it alone' but need the fellowship of one another so as to more fully experience the fellowship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are the army that marches on it's knees, knowing that it is only the power of God that enables us to overcome. So, we need to seek this power - not for our personal pleasure, but in order to remain engaged in the battle for God's renown. This will take some vulnerability and honesty in our gatherings. Honesty about our stumblings (without the fear of rejection), vulnerability about our pain, and acknowledgement of our fears.

But this is not that we should wallow here, but rather pray for the power of God expressed through his prophetic word ... that we should speak words of hope, healing, deliverance, forgiveness, anointing that have creative and re-creative power through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. "Jesus appointed twelve .. so that they might be with him and he might send them out .. to have authority to cast out demons." [Mark 3:14-15] There is here a rhythm of being together, but also being sent out to overcome the power of the enemy. Our Simple Churches are meant to be such 'powerhouses' where love is pursued and the Spirit's power/manifestation is eagerly desired.

Liturgy OR Liberty?

2010-02-03T10:42:00.003-06:00

Why does it have to be either/or? What I find in conversation with people, is that they often assume that you have to have one or the other. What we are discovering as a simple church community, is that we definitely need both. There is often an irrational rejection of liturgy, more associated with people's previous (or perceived) experiences in more tradition church worship settings. But let us know make the mistake of throwing out the baby with the bath water.

In our times together as a community, we have been seeking to live into Paul's instructions in 1 Cor 14:26, "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." What we find though is that this does not come easily, even with the more Spirit-filled believers. We have been so used to allowing others to lead from the front that this is a huge change, and calls for a greater degree of security and intimacy (both with one another and with the Lord). This is where I believe that liturgy can really help us. After all, do we not even in our most informal simple church gatherings, still have a liturgy of sorts?

"Liturgy" carries the sense of the 'work of the people', the very thing we are seeking to encourage through corporate participation and contributions. We have begun the practice, beginning in the season of Advent, of putting together a short liturgical flow of prayers, readings and versicle/responses. We have been drawing from different liturgical sources (Common Worship, The Wee Worship Book, etc.) to keep it fresh and engaging, and have also sought to follow the lectionary readings for the day most of the time. We do allow ourselves to veer from this when appropriate, according to what we sense the Lord is saying to us as a community. Though we have some prescribed words, we also have open times for worship songs/prophecy, Scripture reflections (no sermons here) and more spontaneous prayers.

Here are some of the advantages I see from this approach;

We all get used to hearing the sound of our own voices in a more intimate setting and this can help when it comes to the more spontaneous times
We get the opportunity to draw from the witness of the whole Church and from some of the saints who have gone before us
We are more balanced in our time together - including helping us to hear Scripture together from both old and new testament
It helps keep us from honing in on favorite topics/ideas
We get to connect with God's story by following the Church's calendar and celebrating the major festivals
It gives us some vocabulary and concepts that help to feed the more spontaneous times
We also have a sheet that we can take away and use during the week inour more private devotions should we wish

New Year .... New Opportunities .... New Growth

2009-12-30T11:30:00.004-06:00

This Christmas has given me the (much appreciated) opportunity to devote time to reading, reflection and prayer. Part of this is done alongside Carol (who has got used to my frequent 'book quotes') and part is done 'alone'. The end of one year and the start of another often serves me as a good time to look back in remembrance and to look forward in anticipation. 2010 will be the first year we begin with no children at home. But for Brent that would make us officially "empty-nesters". With that comes a renewed desire to consider our priorities and how it is that we can be most fruitful for the Lord. At times such as this, I am easily drawn to the hindrances in me to the goals of which I dream. So today, I wanted to share with you some of what I hope to "become" in 2010, out of which I trust, the Lord will bring forth fruit to his glory. I am a list-maker and so it is most natural for me to list some of the growth goals of what I hope to become ....

More balanced in my life when it comes to what I will call Spiritual Contemplation. Pete Scazzero has helped me with this recently. I am particularly excited to explore ways in which I can build a rhythm of life that incorporates a balance of work, rest, community and contemplation.
More given to a model of shared life within the community of faith.
Living into a team model of leadership across the BridgePoint community in order to encourage and stimulate us towards more effective ministry and mission.
More free within myself, especially in the areas of my emotions by building upon what we have been discovering over the last couple of years
A better friend to the people in my life by doing all I can to develop more intimate relationships (Intimacy in the sense of "deep mutual knowing for the purpose of expressing care")
More attentive to things that will help develop me mentally (reading, conversation, blogging/diary) and physically (diet, exercise, rest) as well as spiritually (above)
Becoming more focused upon the things I feel I do well and through which I can make the greatest contribution. One such area would be that of providing more deliberate Spiritual Direction for those who seek it.

Perhaps this is a good place to stop - 7 being a good number of completion, though it may be as much due to my already feeling overly challenged by what I have written. I am more aware than ever that, as I am often saying to others, 'you cannot grow yourself by yourself'. For that I am grateful for the spiritual friends God has put in my life and I look forward to the mutual encouragement we can share with one another due to the gift of God that is within us. Or as said by the Apostle Paul, "that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." [Rom 1:12]

When the Church was a Family - Part 3 (final!)

2009-12-15T14:09:00.003-06:00

Probably time to be drawing things to a conclusion but I did want to take a little time to reflect on some of the implications (or application) of what has gone before. Hellerman writes a chapter on salvation as a "Community-Creating" event where he concludes, 'It is time to inform our people that conversion to Christ involves both our justification and our familification, that we gain a new Father and a new set of brothers and sisters when we respond to the gospel. It is time to communicate the biblical reality that personal salvation is a community-creating event and to trust God to change our lives and the lives of our churches accordingly.' In that sense our presentation of the gospel needs to clearly include the truth that commitment to Jesus also involves commitment to God's group.

He identifies four New Testament family values that can help serve us as a roadmap as we seek to navigate the choppy waters of Christian community (please excuse 'my' mixed metaphors!);
(i) We share our stuff with one another - most basic to Christian brotherhood is the sharing of material resources. Such a lesson in simplification is a significant challenge to our individualism and materialism,
(ii) We share our hearts with one another - this is what psychologist refer to as 'affective solidarity'. Are we seeking to develop both emotional health and emotional attachment, the affective sense of closeness and intimacy that the Holy Spirit helps to weave into our lives as we spend time together. Can we be real without fear?
(iii) We stay, embrace the pain, and grow up with one another - he quotes from George Barna's summary of the typical attitudes of Christians in America today towards the 'local church';
(a) 'we' prefer a variety of church experiences, rather than getting the most out of all that a single community has to offer
(b) 'we' think that spiritual enlightenment comes from diligence in a discovery process, rather than from commitment to a faith community and perspective
(c) 'we' view religion as a commodity that we consume, rather than one in which we invest ourselves
(d) 'we' are transient - 15 to 20 percent of all households relocate each year
This reminded me again of what he said on page one of the introduction, 'people who leave do not grow'. This is not to say it is never right to leave, but rather we rarely grow through leaving, but through engaging.
(iv) Family is about more than we, the wife and the kids - in the God whether we are single or married, God wants us to subordinate ourselves to our overarching common bond as brothers and sisters in Jesus' kingdom family. I think that so some extent, the lack of this today can often lead singles to think that they are not fully part of the 'family of God' in our churches.

Many of us grew up with a set of relational priorities that went something like this;
(1st) God - (2nd) Family - (3rd) Church - (4th) Others
jesus and his followers view things quite differently as (1) and (3) cannot really be differentiated against. Loyalty to God was tangibly expressed in loyalty to God's family so our priority list should read something like this;
(1st) God's Family - (2nd) My Family - (3rd) Others
It is not our job to create community - God already exists in community and has invite dus in through His Son. We have been saved to his eternal family and so already are, for better or worse, brothers and sisters in Christ. Now we just need to learn to live into our new identity and reality.

When the Church was a Family - Part 2

2009-12-10T14:33:00.003-06:00

I want to follow on from last week’s blog regarding Joseph Hellerman’s book, ‘When the Church was a Family’. The main point coming from last week was that in the New Testament world the group took priority over the individual. Hellerman goes on to define two further principles;

#2: In the New Testament world a person’s most important group was his blood family

#3: In the New Testament world the closes family bond was not the bond of marriage. It was the bond between siblings (central value being undying loyalty towards one’s blood brothers/sisters and therefore the most treacherous act of disloyalty was the betrayal of one’s brother, not spouse).

He looks at several examples in secular, biblical and Jewish writings, of how these principles were demonstrated. He concludes that such an understanding of ancient family (unlike our own contemporary experience) is of great significance when we think of Jesus’ deliberate use of the family metaphor (brothers and sisters in Christ, worshipping one God as father) for his group of followers. The family of the Church has priority over the individual member such that the individual was “responsible to the church for his or her actions, destiny, career, development and life in general”. This is what gave early Christianity much of its social power.

The words spoken by Jesus in Mark 3:33-35, ‘”Who are my mother and my brothers?” He asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”’ Were utterly scandalous in the cultural context in which Jesus lived, where as the oldest surviving male (presuming the death of Joseph), he was responsible for the defense, provision and leadership of his patrilineal kinship group. Those who followed Jesus were to exercise primary allegiance to a new family – just as Jesus himself had done.

Jesus wanted his followers to interact with one another like members of a ‘strong-group’, surrogate family characterized by collectivist solidarity and commitment on every front. Such was Jesus’ vision for authentic Christian community and his followers largely “got it” and put it into practice. Their world was never the same. The whole Roman Empire ultimately bowed its knees to the King of kings and Lord of lords, millions were converted and, for better or worse, Christianity became the state religion of the empire. The opposite seems to happening today in the West.

Hellerman identifies in Paul’s writings four aspects in which he applies this family imagery;

(i) Affective Solidarity – the emotional bond Paul experienced amongst the ‘brothers and sisters’ in God’s family

(ii) Family Unity – the interpersonal harmony and absence of discord Paul expected amongst the ‘brothers and sisters’ in God’s family

(iii) Material Solidarity – the sharing of resources that Paul assumed would characterize relationships amongst the ‘brothers and sisters’ in God’s family

(iv) Family Loyalty - the undivided commitment to God’s group that was to mark the value system amongst the ‘brothers and sisters’ in God’s family

The early Christians of the Roman world, when Christianity was still a small persecuted sect, made tremendous demands of their converts, demands that affected the most important areas of their lives. And people came in droves. People did not convert to Christianity solely because of what the early Christians believed, but also because of the way they behaved. It was not so much about an ideology as it was the social solidarity experienced in the early Christian communities. They practiced love of one’s neighbor more effectively than any other group, whether those ‘neighbors’ were inside or outside the community. Tertullian (c. AD 200) said this;

“We call ourselves brothers . . . So, we who are united in mind and soul have no hesitation about sharing what we have. Everything is in common among us – except our wives.”

Next week I want to bring the focus to today to consider our response to Jesus’ vision for authentic Christian community that will inevitably challenge the radical individualism of much of our thinking – both in the church and outside.

When the Church was a Family - Part 1

2009-12-02T14:12:00.002-06:00

This last weekend I finished reading a book by Joseph Hellerman, professor of New Testament at Biola University who is also involved in pastoral ministry within a church. I very much enjoyed and was challenged by the read and wanted to reflect on the content here over the next few weeks (or so). I think that's it's message has much to say to us as we explore what it means to be an organic community of Christ-followers within the cultural milieu of Austin, TX.

Hellerman starts out the book with the statement, 'Spiritual formation occurs primarily in the context of community.' That resonated with me, which was a good start! But the statement also raises several questions (at least for me) primarily because of our skewed worldview when it comes to the issue of community. Nevertheless the idea that it is long-term relationships that provide the crucible for progress in the Christian faith and that people who leave (prematurely) do not grow, certainly struck a chord.

He points out how Paul's driving passion was to establish spiritually vibrant, relationally-healthy communities of believers in strategic urban centers but that today we tend to have a radical over-emphasis upon a 'personal relationship with God', something he saw as more American than biblical. It is rooted in our 'radical individualism' (a term used by social scientists) where we have been socialized to believe that our dreams, goals and personal fulfilment take precedent over any group (such as church or family). This affects the way we view the Christian life and profoundly compromises the solidarity of relational commitments. So we don't grow.

In the New Testament world, the welfare of the group to which we belonged took priority over our individual happiness and relational satisfaction. Whereas today, we tend to just use the various groups and institutions to which we belong to achieve our individual goals in life. He looks at how this works itself out in three different areas of life - vocation (the job we do), spouse (the person we marry/live with) and residence (where we live). Unlike today, people in biblical times simply did not make major life decisions on their own.

Yet for us this seems an inalienable right, a mark of our 'freedom'. But this very freedom takes it's toll in the significant stress and emotional bankruptcy of our culture - Christian or otherwise. Faced with these kind of decisions which were never meant to be taken on our own, we self-destruct under the pressure emotionally and relationally. We then turn to medication and therapy to hold us up. This works itself out in many contexts, but he identifies the situation of many young mothers, who move away from extended family and their inherent support structure, to find themselves trying to raise children seemingly alone - something that used to take a village to do.

We are born for fellowship - something reinforced in one of my readings this morning from John's first letter. "We declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete." [1 John 1:3-4] Jesus deliberately chose "family" as the defining metaphor for his group of followers because of what he understood the family to mean and because of what was always intended for the family of God.

We will explore the nature of family more next time, but the first principle to be understood, and which strikes us at the very heart of our radical individualism, is that in the New Testament world, the group took priority over the individual.

How does this concept speak to, or perhaps unsettle you? What might this mean for the dynamic of our relationships within our Simple Church communities?

LISTEN FOR THE SHOUT

2009-11-14T11:01:00.003-06:00

The following quote is from Larry Crabb's book, 'Shattered Dreams' and spoke to me powerfully this week. I trust it leads you to prepare your own heart and life for Jesus:

"When a first-century Jewish man fell in love with a woman, he would travel from his father's home to hers to seal the engagement. In that culture, an engagement was not what it is today. It wasn’t a trial period during which premarital counseling would help the couple decide whether to continue on or break off the relationship. It represented rather a legal contract, complete with a price paid by the groom that set the woman apart exclusively for her man.

They were immediately regarded as husband and wife, irrevocably bound. To symbolize their covenant, each would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced. Following that ceremony, the groom would return to his father's home for a period of twelve months. For that entire time, he remained separate from his bride. She would not see him again until it was time to consummate their union.

The bride had one job during his absence-to prepare herself for his coming and for the rest of her life with him. All other activities revolved around that one ruling purpose.

While she waited, she knew what her groom was doing. He was spending the year adding an apartment to his father's home in which they would eventually live together. An honorable man would have an eye for no other woman and would not rest until preparations were made for them to be united. She would rest, secure in the knowledge that all the bridegroom's energies were directed toward their being together.

When the engagement year ended, at an exact day and hour that the bride did not know, the groom would gather his wedding party and, in a torch-lit procession, travel to where his bride was living. His arrival would be preceded by a shout from one of his friends, alerting the woman that her groom was arriving.

She was ready. She had no greater dream than his coming and was confident he would arrive to take her to be with him in the home he had prepared. With her attendants, she would travel to that home. When they arrived, she would walk into a party waiting to happen.

Before the celebration began, the bride and groom would be escorted to the bridal chamber where, for the first time, they would express their covenant to each other with physical union. Then the husband would emerge from the room alone, and a seven-day feast would begin. At its conclusion, his wife, unveiled for the first time, would appear and be officially welcomed to her new home as a member of the family. From then on, the heaven of unhindered intimacy and unrestrained blessing was hers to enjoy.

With that custom in mind, as it was in the minds of the disciples, perhaps we can better hear what our Lord means when He tells us to live now with untroubled hearts.

"I know things are not now as you want them. I know many of your dreams are not coming true. I want you to understand that things are not as I will one day make them. I like neither the distance between us nor the pain you suffer.

"Until I come to bring you to My Father's house, I am devoting Myself to only one thing: I am preparing a place for you. And My Spirit, on My behalf, is devoting Himself to only one thing-preparing you to enjoy Me and all that I will provide.

"I have called you not to the secular journey where you must make everything in your life now as pleasant as possible. I have called you to the spiritual journey, to a process of enlarging your heart to desire Me above everything else.

"Do not be troubled by all the dreams that will shatter while you remain on earth. You will feel deep pain. But every sorrow you experience will be used by my Spirit to deepen your desire for Me. He will speak to you about Me.

“Listen for the voice. You will hear Him most clearly when suffering humbles you enough to want to hear Him, to know you cannot go on without hearing Him.

“This time of distance, when you will feel such disappointment both with your life and with yourself, will awaken your heart to receive me with great joy when I finally come. I will not delay. I will come at exactly the appointed time.

"My Father will give the signal. Listen for the shout.”

And our response is, Come, Lord Jesus; come soon! Until then we wait with untroubled hearts. We scream, we cry, we fail but we wait, abandoned to our Kinsman-Redeemer, to our “Boaz”, confident that he has paid a price for us that guarantees our eventual intimacy. No one, not even Satan, can prevent us from entering the bridal chamber with Jesus where our greatest dream will be realized.

Beauty in Brokenness

2009-10-27T16:53:00.006-05:00

This past Sunday in our Simple Church community, we reflected upon the significance of "brokenness". For me it had been a week in which the Lord had been highlighting the the place of this in my own life through different means. We started where Jesus did in the Sermon on the Mount ... "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" [Matt 5:3.]

For several weeks I have been struggling with a sore neck, aching shoulder and persistent numbness in my fingers. I have been to the doctor's, am working with a physical therapist, but as yet there is little or no improvement. It has meant my having to stop my P90X workout routine on week 11 of 13! The pain down my left arm made many exercises beyond me and took away much of my previous enthusiasm. Is this just old age creeping up on me? Yet I have heard the whisper of God about training in godliness and putting no confidence in the flesh.

A similar message has been heard as I read "The Safest Place on Earth" by Larry Crabb. (This was subsequently re-published as "Becoming a True Spiritual Community" and is an excellent read). I was also given an audio book by Watchman Nee - "Releasing the Spirit". Again the same call to brokenness (of self) so that the life of the Spirit can more freely flow from me in a God-glorifying way.

This last week I was away again in Rhode Island, teaching and facilitating more open relationships and personal growth in a business setting. We came up against some resistance to the notion of vulnerably sharing our pain or needs as a means of facilitating growth and closer relationships. Again I sensed the whisper of the Lord.

For Nee, brokenness is the starting point, the need to 'crucify' the outer man (as he puts it) so that we can learn to live out of the new man/identity, with new passions and perspective. Crabb speaks of learning to live out of the 'upper room', the place of union of our spirit with the Spirit of Christ.

We are growing as a community in our relationships and this is a joy to be part of. I long to see and experience more of the Christ in each one of us being released to serve and to love. yet so easily I find myself living out of self, sub-consciously relying upon self, deep down living for self. I am seeking to nurture a few deep friendships where this can be owned and recognized for what it is, so that change and growth can come forth, through the Spirit.

I have long resisted intimacy and transparency with most people. I have looked to and relied upon myself too much, so I welcome the Lord's whisper. I'm glad that it comes like a welcome invitation and not the barking command. I also give thanks for those God has put with me for this part of the journey - they are precious to me because deep down I know I cannot do this alone, nor do I want to be controlled by the fears within. No doubt, more brokenness is coming ..... by God's grace.

Pearce Middle School Room Makeover

2008-11-19T22:27:00.006-06:00

As part of the Hopefest Initiative, as a group we got the opportunity to furnish and decorate a (rather targe) room in Pearce Middle School that was to be used as a Family Resource Center. Kazuki Konno and his fiancee Jeanne Lee took the lead on this and the following is Kazuki's story:

Acknowledgements

I thought about the best way of documenting all the blessings that we received throughout the project. Instead of jotting down what happened from the “third person”, I have decided to share the experience from my point of view as if I was telling a story …

Chapter 1: HopeFest

This project was a part of “HopeFest and 60 days of services”. Mike and Carol couldn’t make it to the first meeting for HopeFest, and Jeanne and I pinch-hit them.

We tried to get people to come to the festival as volunteers, but I was the only person who showed up. I was disappointed, and started worrying about the middle school project.

Chapter 2: Tennis Court

I chose this middle school project among many other projects because I had had a great experience with painting and remodeling a house before. The work was fairly simple and all the volunteers got to talk to each other and built relationships. Remodeling a “family room” looked great to me.

Mike, Carol, Jeanne and I went to look at the room to remodel, and we were stunned. The room was as big as a tennis court. This “family room” needed two office spaces, a conference space, and a living room. And, we had to plan everything, including getting furniture, paint, etc. We had many questions: “Who is going to pay for all this?”, “Are people from BridgePoint going to show up for this?”.

For some reason, I had peace in my heart, and sensed that this was the right project for us. Jeanne felt the same way, saying “God will make it happen.” Facing something almost impossible made us depend on God alone. After seeing the room, my frustration, anxiety, and disappointment from HopeFest went away by committing myself to the Lord and letting Him orchestrate everything. “It is not about me or us, but about Him now,” I said.

Photo 1: “before”

Chapter 3: Huge Conference Table

We needed a lot of furniture and money to purchase it. Mike, Carol, Jeanne and I reloaded craigslist every minute and found some deals. God explicitly revealed His Might at that time. Before buying any furniture, a friend of Mike’s donated $1,000 for this project. We went to one place to buy just a couch, and the couple there also had a lot more of the furniture we needed and gave us a huge discount.

A conference table for eight people was, I thought, a tough one to find on craigslist and too expensive to buy from a store. However, we did find one online. The problem was that it was too heavy and big to carry from the second floor. Mike was having back problems, and I was a guy with a back support belt and no muscle. So, we called John for help. John’s cell phone was in “silence all” mode, but somehow he looked at the phone right when we rang. He got there quickly and we managed to carry the table to the truck.

We received countless blessings in collecting the furniture and other resources we needed. Sherwin Williams donated five gallons of paint, Walmart and Home Depot donated gift certificates, Home Depot also let us use a truck for free.

Chapter 4: Teamwork

The actual remodeling process went pretty smoothly. Many people from BridgePoint came out as well as Susan’s friends, Jim, Joseph, and Todd, and Karl, Betty, Charlotte, some parents, kids and students from the middle school. Miles was so adorable. He was a small, cute boy, but had a BIG serving heart. He lifted more than I did…

We experienced God through teamwork. Whether we are a part of BridgePoint or “traditional church”, whether we have known each other for years or for a day, we are ONE in Christ.

My main job was to support Jeanne who was the leader of the project. I experienced God in teaching me how to be a supporter and an encourager for her. I believe, Jeanne learned a lesson in how to step up and take leadership from God through this project. (Susan and I also learned a tough lesson in how to iron curtains from Carol J )

Once the remodeling started, time went by very quickly. The Florida Mango color made the room look very warm and bright; the well-ironed curtains looked fancy; all the furniture from different places somehow matched in the room.

Photo 2: “teamwork”

Chapter 5: Worship

I had a chance to attend two worship services during the weekend of remodeling. On Saturday, I worshipped with the Saturday night group to which I belong. Everyone shared how much God had been blessing and teaching them through the middle school project, and I experienced an amplification of blessings by sharing with people we love. On Sunday, after finishing remodeling the room, Mike, Carol, Andy, Bryan, Susan, Jeanne and I worshiped together with Karl, Betty, and Charlotte. We shared the most joyful moments in the project, and praised God together. That time was probably the most joyful moment for me.

Pearce Middle School needs a lot of prayers, and Karl, Betty, and Charlotte need encouragement. God helped BridgePoint to minister to them by remodeling the room. At the same time, we received tons of blessings from God.

Chapter 6: Concluding Remarks

Every time we commit ourselves to the Lord and serve others, we are blessed and God receives glory. This seems to me like a rule of thumb in a service project. Jeanne and I hope that Bridgepoint will continue to serve the Austin community and be united through such service as one body. Jeanne and I would also like to thank those who participated in this project.

Epilogue: Funny Stories

· Mike and Andy trying to get the grout mixture out of the tube without a gun! (Photo 2)

· Ryan and Kazuki carrying a heavy office partition together, and seeing Mike lifting the same thing by himself – later on finding out that the one Mike lifted was much lighter.

· Trying to put up the masking tape with a straight line (multiple attempts) whilst being filmed by News 8 Austin.

· Seeing Kazuki’s big strong belt which helped him immensely as he drove the other truck we borrowed.

Photo 3: “after”

From the lips of children and infants

2008-09-29T16:40:00.003-05:00

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease. " [Psalm 8:1-2]

At this month's Family Gathering, we looked at the importance of singing and how David helped establish music and singing at the heart of the worship of God (where previously it had primarily been sacrifice). We reflected upon the three components of Praise, Thanksgiving and Petition (or Lament) through song and prayer. I found myself today thinking about the opening lines to Macbeth's Twelfth Night ... 'If music be the food of love, play on, give me excess of it'.

I believe the Lord truly delights in us when like David, we come before him to sing and make music with all our soul (see Ps 27:6, 57:7, 87:7, 98:5, 108:1, 144:9, 147:7) It is what Paul instructs us to do to be filled with the Spirit, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord" [Eph 5:19)

As I went on my early morning prayer-walk today, I was listening to Psalm 8 and the opening verses (above) seemed somehow to come alive, perhaps in light of what the Lord is doing in my heart. Somehow, when even children sing praise to God, there is a power (strength) released that can overcome our enemies, which are sometimes (not always) just in our heads. We gain a new perspective, hope is renewed and God is put center-stage.

Jesus quoted this Psalm in Matthew's gospel in response to those who were unhappy at the children singing 'Hosanna' in the temple, affirming Jesus as the Messiah. He quotes from the Greek translation which comes out a little differently but carries the same meaning. "have you never read, 'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?" [Matt 21:16] Jesus affirms the importance of praise, and the connection between praise and strength or power.

We see a miraculous demonstration of this in 2 Chron 20 where Jehoshaphat sees how God's power is released to overcome the enemy simply through prioritizing praise. He puts the worship band at the head of the army (you ready for this Andy?) as they head out to fight. But it is God, the object of their praise, who fights for them in response to their praise, thanksgiving and petition in song.

"Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's ... You need not fight in this battle .. stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem .. for the LORD is with you .. Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD .. the Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice .. Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established .. he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, "Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.".. When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. " [2 Chron 20:15-22]

I believe that the Lord wants us to take this message to heart - to make our homes a place of making music to the Lord. It is so important for our children to grow up seeing and hearing their parents praise and worship. But it is not just for the children. We have so many music resources available to us to help in this. never forget also, the power of using the Psalms as a songbook (the Church has done this for most of it's history). Let us give time to praise in our Home Churches. I would like us to continue to set aside time occasionally as a network to gather simply to praise and worship God, to enjoy him and to seek his face. A "few" of us did this through the summer - look out for such opportunities and be encouraged to make the sacrifice of time.

'Show your power O Lord our God'

Mike.

The Judgment Seat

2008-09-17T10:33:00.003-05:00

"For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God" [2 Cor 5:1-11]

Serving the needs of others (is this a good description of love?) has been something much on my mind as of late. My work with the Center for Relational Leadership (CRL) focuses primarily upon our meeting one another's relational or emotional needs. But in our Simple Church, we have also been contemplating the work of Mission Possible in East Austin and how we might get involved. Recently I asked Kazuki and Jeanne to attend a meeting regarding the upcoming HopeFest initiative - another opportunity to serve some of the more disadvantaged people of our community in this city. These are all important works that I believe bring pleasure to our Father. I know that some in BridgePoint are involved in other caring initiatives. Then at times, it feels like it as all we can manage just to get through the day and cope with the demands and pressures of 'ordinary life'.

So how do we best respond when needs are made known or we just feel challenged to grow in our faithfulness to God and his call upon us? Or what is it that will help us become someone whose heart (and will) is impacted by an increased sensitivity to the struggles of people around us? This week I am reading Paul's second letter to the Corinthians and feel that the passage above offers us some help with these questions.

Firstly, Paul's perspective is unashamedly eternal, somthing that we can all too easily lose sight of in our materialistic/humanistic culture. This is not all there is and though we have tasted something of what is to come, there is more;

where do we find ourselves 'investing' our time, talents and treasure?
what are the truest desires of our hearts? what do we long for more of?
do we have a steadfast hope that is rooted in our (ongoing) 'experience' of the Spirit?

Secondly, Paul speaks of a new-found confidence that springs from his life of faith/trust in the goodness and provision of God within this eternal context

he prefers to be with Jesus in the fullest sense
he desires to please the Lord above all others
he anticipates the coming judgment (for believers) based upon what we have done (vs just intellectual assent to certain truth statements)
his service flows from a reverential fear or terror of the Lord almighty (something only truly possible for those who believe in Him)
he knows that God knows him, and this is good!

May we too know this love of Christ that so compels the apostle Paul, that we too may no longer live for ourselves, but for him who died for us and was raised by the Father. This too is our destiny and our confidence.

Mike.

What are our practices?

2008-08-27T17:55:00.004-05:00

(Written by John White)

Jesus taught that “everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher” (LK. 6:40). And, this is our desire – to be like Jesus. In His life, we see certain repeating patterns or rhythms or practices. Those who are members of the LK10 Community are practitioners of those patterns. By being in community, we can share what we are learning on this common journey. Dallas Willard helps understand the importance of spiritual practices: “My central claim is that we can become like Christ by doing one thing – by following him in the overall style of life he chose for himself. If we have faith in Christ, we must believe that he knew how to live. We can, through faith and grace, become like Christ by practicing the types of activities he engaged in, by arranging our whole lives around the activities he himself practiced in order to remain constantly at home in the fellowship of his Father.” The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, p. ix.

LK10 is oriented around seven practices. The first three apply to every follower of Jesus. We center our own lives on them and we train our disciples in them. The last four practices relate specifically to planting churches. As apostolic church planters, we center our ministries on them and train other church planters in them. (Note: We don’t intend to imply that these are the only practices or spiritual disciplines for either followers of Jesus or church planters. These are just the ones we feel led to focus on in this community. We encourage everyone to engage other practices as directed by Jesus.)

THE SEVEN PRACTICES

Practice #1 - Listening to Jesus

This means that, as individuals, we are seeking, on a daily basis, to center our lives on Him. All of the other practices, indeed, all of life flows from this. Jesus Himself modeled this way of living in His relationship with His Father. This is seen in Jn. 5:19 which is the statement that perhaps best explains Jesus’ entire life and ministry: “I do nothing on my own initiative. I only do what I see the Father doing.” The Holy Spirit enables us to enjoy this same kind of intimate conversational relationship with Jesus. . “He will guide you into all truth… He will speak only what He hears… the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” Jn. 16:12-15.

Questions: Lord, what are you saying to me today? What am I to do about it?

Key quote: “Our mission is to equip you to do everything as an outcome of your daily conversations with God and to train others to do the same.” -Mark Virkler

Practice #2 - Listening to Jesus with one (or two) others

Our second foundational practice was very important in the ministry of Jesus but is often overlooked today. It involves two people of the same gender sharing what they are hearing from Jesus as close to daily as possible. We call these two people “listening partners”. This practice captures the Lord’s value for living life in pairs (See, for instance, Mt. 10:2-4 where all twelve disciples are listed in pairs. Also, LK 10:1 where the 72 are sent out two by two.) This practice also recognizes the importance of daily encouragement (Heb. 3:13).

This is not to minimize the importance of a married couple also being listening partners. There is great value for this practice in both contexts – in marriage and in a same gender friendship.

Questions: What is Jesus saying to you? How are you responding? How can I help?

Key quote: “Two are better than one.” -Solomon

Practice #3 - Listening to Jesus as a spiritual family

Growing out of our first two practices is the third practice of a simple church learning to center itself on Jesus. Church naturally and spontaneously grows out of individuals and pairs of believers hearing God’s voice. In a sense, this is the only skill that a church needs to learn. Everything else (study, singing, prayer, mission, etc.) flows out of hearing the Lord’s direction together as a church. Jesus, of course, modeled this practice as he spent three years living life with a spiritual family of twelve men. “Jesus called to him those he wanted, and they came to him… He appointed twelve… that they might be with Him…” LK. 3:13-19.

Questions: What has the Lord been showing you that will help us? As we are listening to each other, what is the Lord saying to us as a family? What will we do about this and how will we help each other?

Key quote: “Thus from the viewpoint of God’s eternal purpose, the church exists to be… the organic expression and physical extension of the Trinitarian Community.” -Frank Viola

(The next four practices grow out of the first three practices and mainly apply to church planters.)

Practice #4 - Praying Luke 10:2b

In LK. 10:2, Jesus made a startling statement. In front of Him were 84 (12 + 72) church planters (“sent ones”, apostles). That sounds like a lot to us, but His evaluation was that it was only a “few”. Apparently, He saw the need for many more. And, in addition to identifying that need, He gave the solution. He commanded them to engage in the practice of “beseeching the Lord of the Harvest for more workers”. In this context, workers are both people of peace and more church planters.

We engage this practice with our listening partner (as well as others) for the region we are called to as close to daily as possible. This relentless widow lady in LK. 18 is our model for this kind of tenacious praying.

Key quote: “The 10:2b Prayer is the leadership solution.” -Kenny Moore

Practice #5 - Joining Jesus in birthing churches in houses of peace

The “person of peace” was central to Jesus’ strategy for planting churches. “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house’. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him…” LK. 10:5-6. In fact we believe that when you find a person of peace, God has already done the “heavy lifting” and a church is ready to be birthed. This practice of birthing churches was and is Jesus’ primary strategy for the expansion of the Kingdom. Jesus is the one who births churches and he calls apostolic church planters to join Him in that process.

The marriage, and then the family, is the first and most foundational expression of church. It is the nucleus or core around which larger expressions of church form. In the New Testament, the ekklesia (church) was birthed in the context of the oikos (household).

Key quote: “A well-functioning household can only exist upon the foundation of a healthy, intact family. Hence a house church could only be established if a well-functioning family existed.” -Roger Gehring

Practice #6 - A church planter nurturing those new churches and especially their leaders

This is the heart of a father/mother longing to see these spiritual families (simple churches) thriving and growing healthy. “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work” Jn. 14:1-10. “We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children…we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children…” 1 Thes. 2:7-12.

Often this practice of nurturing is done by a team. “(Jesus) gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers to equip God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…” Eph. 4:11-13.

Key quote: “A major aspect of house church ministry is preparing and training future spiritual fathers and mothers and then releasing them to reproduce themselves.” -Larry Kreider

Practice #7 - Actively participating in communities of practice with other church planters

Jesus encouraged His “sent ones” to return and talk about what they had experienced in ministry (LK. 9:10). No doubt this practice was continued by apostolic teams throughout Acts. Church planters today can greatly benefit from encouraging and learning from one another. Just as in the community of a house church, this kind of apostolic community requires active participation and intentionality.

We see the practice of forming communities of practice for church planters occurring on every level – regional, national and worldwide.

Key quote: “The literature on communities of practice is filled with stunning examples of how workers learn complex skills in rapid time when seated next to those who have the skill. And, of how workers reach out electronically across the globe with a question to colleagues, and receive back immediate, expert advice that resolves a crisis or dilemma.” - Margaret Wheatley.

"Living Stones"

2008-07-16T13:00:00.003-05:00

As we read about the details of the construction of the temple by Solomon in 1 Kings 5 & 6, we're told that he had 80,000 stonecutters working in the hills in rotation where they quarried large blocks of high quality stone which was then 'dressed' for the temple. All the stonework was done at the quarry so that there was no sound of hammer or chisel at the actual temple site. It was deemed to be too holy for that.

Josephus, a Jewish historian from the first century, wrote the following about this work;
"Now the whole structure of the temple was made with great skill of polished stones, and those laid together so very harmoniously and smoothly, that there appeared to the spectators no sign of any hammer, or other instrument of architecture; but as if, without any use of them, the entire materials had naturally united themselves together, that the agreement of one part with another seemed rather to have been natural, than to have arisen from the force of tools upon them." [ The antiquities of the Jews, Book VIII, Chapter III]

The temple was to be the place where God would put his Name, his Presence, the place of encounter, but it was only ever a type or shadow of the real thing that was to come. The real thing was to be Jesus, and his body. We see this from Jesus' words in John 2:19-21, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days ... the temple he had spoken of was his body." Peter uses this imagery of the temple as he paints a picture of the nature and calling of those who are in Christ, the Church, His body when he says, "As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. " [1 Peter 2:4-5]

The new temple is a spiritual edifice made up of real living people who are spiritually alive due to their connection to Jesus Christ, the living, chosen and precious cornerstone. But equally important as our connection to Jesus, is the fact that we are being built together. This can be a painful process as we come in all 'shapes and sizes' and don't always naturally fit together. That is why God has to take his hammer and chisel out at times to hone and shape us until it looks like we were designed to rest against one another. This can be a painful process at times, one we would rather run away from or just keep searching until we find another 'stone' that seems a good enough fit. We don't like change, especially when we are the ones who need to change, to humble ourselves, to surrender, to prefer one another, to sacrifice and go without, to confess our selfish ways, to repent because we realize that we had it wrong, to be faithful when seem to have gone past our limit. Yet these are all characteristics that our Father looks upon with great joy and delight and for which he graciously gives us power through his abiding presence.

The quarry where the work is done represents the earth, and in part, the fellowship of believers, those whom God has wisely put us amongst for his greater glory. It is in part a time of preparation before our 'transportation' to the temple site, namely heaven. It was said of the stones used by Solomon that they were so smooth, so natural as if never touched by human hands (or chisel) that they fitted together flush. There was no need for cement to hold them together or to fill in any gaps.

I sense that one of our greatest needs is for deep and profound connection with at least a few other people in our lives. This is what brings us healing, joy, a sense of fulfillment in life and also an empowering to be all that God desires of us. We can find ourselves yearning for this yet also fearful of it at the same time. Fearful of rejection or what we may need to give up. My prayer is that we would continue to realize and be thankful for the tremendous grace that God has towards us, his unfailing love and compassion. That we would seek to appropriate this grace in our lives as we continually 'come to him' and ask of him. That we would persevere in our relationships whilst we ask for his grace to help us go the extra mile.

"Psalm 127:1
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain."

You can all prophesy in turn

2008-06-09T15:16:00.004-05:00

I have been reflecting this weekend upon an unusual incident in the life of King Saul that we find in 1 Samuel 10. After Samuel anoints Saul with oil in anticipation of his becoming leader of Israel, he sends him off to Gibeah and warns him as he goes he will meet a group of prophets coming from their place of worship, carrying musical instruments and prophesying. When he encounters them, Samuel says the Spirit of the LORD will come upon him and he too will prophesy and be changed into a different person. He then goes on to make an interesting statement ... "Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hands find to do, for God is with you." [v7]. Sure enough, when he gets to Gibeah he meets the group of prophets and things transpire just as Samuel had said they would. Such was the impact that those who formerly knew Saul were amazed and said to one another, "What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Some thoughts ....

There seems to be an important connection between singing/worship (including the use of different instruments) and the manifestation of the Spirit. We see this also in the New Testament as Paul urges the Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit ... speaking to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
The Spirit comes with power ... sufficient to change us into a different person (in New Testament parlance, a 'new creation', indwelt by the presence of God.
The experience of God's Spirit/prophecy/God's presence brings a measure of guidance into our lives (I sense this is especially important for us as a community)

Under the new covenant, our expectation (and hopefully desire) for such a manifestation of the Spirit as we gather together, should be even greater. I sense that some of this is behind Paul's injunction to us in 1 Cor 14 to eagerly desire the gift of prophecy. He also says that should an unbeliever come into a gathering where God is being revealed through prophecy, it will bring conviction upon his heart and he will be convinced that God is among them [v25] (oh, that we would see more of this). Now that the Spirit has been poured out upon all those who are in Christ, so Paul says that we can all therefore prophesy - so that all are taught and encouraged.

Carol and I feel compelled to set time aside during the summer months to get before the Lord, to enter into his presence and worship - making music in our hearts, to pray and to seek a greater manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit - especially that we might (all) prophesy. To this end, we want to open our home to any who would like to come on Thursday evenings from 7pm (when we are in town). So please come when you can, bring an instrument ... or at least your voice, come with expectation and hunger, come with the sick (for healing), come with a friend if you wish. I believe that this is a God-thing, so not just necessarily just a 'BridgePoint' thing. We want to promote the unity of the Body, and hence our connection with all believers.

I truly believe that the Lord wants to 'light a fire' so to speak in our lives and our missional communities/simple churches that will never go out. Just like the lamp that was to burn continually in the temple. A light that will touch the lives of many with whom we live and work. We need his presence, his guidance, his power as much as those first disciples needed it and were told by Jesus to wait together for it. So we want to gather and wait until the Lord pours out his glory and lights a revival fire for his glory in our city.

Thoughts?

Permission Granted!

2007-12-10T13:12:00.000-06:00

This fall my wife Carol has been looking after two young daughters of a friend, when they get out of school. Once a week she takes them for a particular appointment and the other week she decided to take her knitting with her. Another woman, also waiting for her child commented upon this and lo and behold the next week she also brought her knitting. It was as if Carol's actions had given her permission to do something she wasn't sure was appropriate.

Reflecting upon this, my thoughts (as they often do) turned to the kingdom of God and the nature of discipleship and ministry. For too long of its history, the institution of church has restricted the work of ministry to the few, specifically the clergy. As if it was too dangerous a thing to equip and release so-called uneducated or untrained people (also known as the laity). Even the Reformation did not lead to significant change in this mindset and/or practice, in spite of a re-appreciation of the priesthood of all believers. However, God cannot be contained and his purposes will always prevail.

One of our values at BridgePoint is that everyone baptized into Christ is a minister. Our authority to do so comes not from human structures (such as bishops), but from our relationship with our heavenly Father. This was also the source of Jesus' authority. The power and ability to serve comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, the very life of God that enables us to do all things (to which God has called us). The place where we do ministry (service) is wherever we find ourselves ... as John Wesley said, 'the world is my parish'. He was seeking to break free from rules of men in the tradition parish system, where a bishop decided who could minister where. But Jesus sends us all out into all the world ... (see Matt 28:18-20).

However, there appears to be a hurdle that is sometimes too high or too imposing for people, and I think it is in the area of permission giving. Because we have lived with man-made restrictions for so long, they have become ingrained in our thinking - a stronghold. This needs to be broken down by truth and prayer, the real weapons of our warfare. But I also believe that a key to this is the role of spiritual fathers and mothers, or perhaps 'mentors'. A younger generation (and not a few older folks also) are looking for spiritual parents - people who will release in them the permission that God has already granted but which needs to be encouraged through loving, committed relationship.

I believe that Jesus' invitation to a mixed group of people into such a relationship, one in which they became his friends (more in the manner of David and Jonathan than Ross and Rachel!) Today, people need more than just theology expounded, they also need loving mentors who will model a way of life, but more importantly impart that lifestyle through their teaching, example and encouragement. But the basis of this is loving commitment (covenant friendship), just as the family was instituted by God on the same basis as a means of raising godly, kingdom-centered children.

Permission has been granted, go and do likewise. If you're looking for a mentor in your life, I encourage you to pray about this and then ask someone you look up to and respect. Take the risk.

I would love to hear your thoughts ....

More Lord ... more!

2007-10-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

A good friend of mine from theological college in Bristol, UK eventually got around to publishing his first book a couple of years ago. I only recently got my hands on a copy when friends from England visited us back in August. The book is entitled "More .. How you can have more of the Spirit when you already have everything in Christ". It touched a deep longing within me for more of God in my life and in our community. It also challenged me to consider afresh what the Lord is looking for in my heart and life.

Recently I have spoken with one or two people within BridgePoint and it has excited to hear of a growing desire in them for a deeper experience of God in their lives. I sense this is something that the Lord is working in us and wonder if the testimony of others is a similar hunger. This real desire has led at least a couple of us to commit to look for opportunity to get together each week to encourage one another and to pray specifically that the Lord would pour out his blessings but that also the reality of the Spirit within 'me', would be a greater force, a wider, deeper river, whatever the metaphor we prefer.

This coming weekend I will be teaching and preaching at a Church of Christ church in Grand Prairie, near Dallas. They have invited me to speak at their Alpha away-day on the subject of "How can I be filled with the Spirit" and then to preach at their Sunday gathering and teach in Sunday School - so a busy weekend. I would appreciate your prayers for the Lord's anointing upon our time together.

It is interesting to me that these things are all happening together - perhaps a mere coincidence, but I sense that the Lord is also speaking to us through these events. In particular, that he continues to scour the earth, looking for worshippers who will worship in Spirit and in truth. What will he find when he visits your home?

In his book, my friend Simon Ponsonby speaks of different ways we can both hinder the work of the Holy Spirit by 'putting on the brakes' but also ways we can 'clear the path'. I wanted to include them here for your own meditation and prayer.

Putting on the brakes

An unexpectant heart
An unyielded life
An unconfessed sin
An undiscerned enemy
An unclaimed inheritance
Unwanted gifts
Unbelief because of unworthiness

Clearing the path

Repentance
Obedience
Unity
Prayerfulness

I close with a quote from John Piper;

What we should seek (and this applies to all Christians) is that God pour His Spirit out upon us so completely that we are filled with joy, victorious over sin, and bold to witness. And the ways He brings us to that fullness are probably as varied as people are. It may come in a tumultuous experience of ecstasy and tongues. It may come through a tumultuous experience of ecstasy and no tongues. It may come through a crisis of suffering when you abandon yourself totally to God. Or it may come gradually through a steady diet of God's word and prayer and fellowship and worship and service. However it comes, our first experience of the fullness of the Spirit is only the beginning of a life-long battle to stay filled with the Spirit. (sermon on Eph 5:18 - "Be filled with the Spirit")

So, let us wait upon Him for the promise, for His glory alone.

Praying for righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
Mike.

"Do you Care?"

2007-10-08T16:27:00.000-05:00

An oft-quoted refrain in our household, "do you care?" may just be a somewhat random, unrelated response to the particular topic of discussion. But sometimes it may well be a serious question about our willingness to lay aside our preoccupation with our own world, and respond to someone else's need. It is a question that the Lord seems to be placing on my heart often as I reflect about my life, BridgePoint, the people in my own Simple Church community, not to mention those around me who I see but don't truly know.

My thinking has also no doubt been impacted by my work with the Center for Relational Leadership and subsequent involvement, at an intimate level, with people I may have just met for the first time that day. The 'tag line' for our network that I wrote on some recent vision documentation invited us to be a "Knowing ... Caring ... Serving" kind of community, understanding that the first step in the process, "Knowing" (or "Befriending") is essential if we are truly care for people. It is hard to care for someone unless we make an effort to really know them. Such 'knowing' is at the heart of the Christian faith. It is a relational knowing, supremely of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - an intimate union that is designed to produce life-giving fruit as described by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5.

Just today in our Scripture reading together, Carol and I read from Paul's letter to the Philippians, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (2:4) We went on to read that such an attitude would most closely resemble that of Jesus himself, one that comes only with humility and often with personal sacrifice. But such an attitude is most pleasing to our Father in heaven who promises to so graciously exalt us when that is our preoccupation.

I heard recently of someone encouraging us towards 'Covenantal Relevance' rather than a focus upon 'Cultural Relevance'. He was suggesting that our lives and ministry should focus upon helping to strengthen our ability to live into the great commandment to love God and love our neighbor. The primary human expression of God's covenant relationship with us as the people of God, is that of marriage and the family. A few days ago we were reading Ephesians 5, where Paul urges us to be filled with the Spirit in order to 'live a life of love' (5:1) and then immediately goes on to describe how this spiritual life needs to be 'earthed' (or we might say 'incarnated') in our marriages, families and workplaces.

In Acts 1:8 Jesus tells his followers that they are to be empowered through the Holy Spirit to become witnesses (a translation from the Greek word from which we get the word 'martyr'), in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. These are like extending circles of impact for which we might think about our own relational impact extending outwards in the following sequence;

At HOME with spouse/children/parents ... our Jerusalem (where I live)
With FRIENDS ... our Judea (those most like me)
Among WORK COLLEAGUES ... our Samaria (similar but different!)
WHEREVER God sends us ... the Ends of the Earth (people 'foreign' to us)

It has been on my heart for some time, to gather together with any who wish, to explore how to deepen our relationships with spouses, friends, parents, children and work colleagues. There is a growing need for this within our culture and I dare say within our faith community, and therefore within each of our hearts if our lives are to be increasingly characterized as focused upon knowing ... caring ... serving in a selfless and sacrificial manner.

So, here's the plan. Carol and I want to invite any who can come to our home on Sunday October 14th at 7pm for some refreshment and cake .... or pie! Just to have an evening together where we can share more of our heart on this as well as interact together. Out of that time, we would want to invite any who wish, into a process of personal growth to help develop more authentic, intimate relationships with family and friends. The Sunday evening is a one-off event, so you can just come to that if you wish to hear more and hopefully enjoy some fellowship (and pie!) together.

Mixing the Generations

2007-08-28T15:29:00.000-05:00

During our Little Rock Network Gathering (for AMiA) last week, we had a day with Reggie McNeil who spoke on the subject of becoming a missional church. He spoke under three main topics;

(i) Shifting form Internal to External focus

(ii) Shifting from Program-Driven to People Development

(iii) Shifting from Church-based Leadership to Apostolic Leadership (unfortunately he only had a brief amount of time on this topic which, for the clergy present, is the most pressing issue).

In speaking about People Development, Reggie took a brief look at the 6 different generations currently co-existing in our culture (for the first time), and gave some reflections on each one. It was interesting to hear this (albeit not for the first time for me), and consider what this might mean for our life together as the bod of Christ. The years represented are only a general guideline and in reality there is probably some degree of overlap. Neither would I say that everybody would neatly fall into their respective category. Having said that, there is a good deal of truth (from my experience) in these distinctions.

1. SENIORS (born before 1925)
- not much to say about these other than that they are old

2. BUILDERS (born 1926-45) ... 60% have specific church 'affiliation'
- this is the generation that typically has the most trouble with change
- diversity (of church expression) is not particularly valued by this generation
- many are dealing with grief over loss of culture
- need to help builders change conversation from 'loss' to 'legacy'

3. BOOMERS (born 1946-64) ... 42% have specific church 'affiliation'
- experience and economy significant to this group
- have not been mentored by older generation, did not really desire or seek this
- needs to be fun and work

4. GEN-XERS (born 1965-83) ... 18-22% have specific church 'affiliation'
- value authenticity and relationships
- not career-minded people
- created and shaped their lives to revolve around friends (hence the TV show)
- some are beginning to simplify their lives
- start asking for mentors
- life coaching is real appealing to this group (life skills)

5. MILLENIALS (born 1984-01) ... less than 10% have specific church 'affiliation'
- this is the first digital generation
- non-institutional orientation
- high sense of self-esteem
- believe they can change the world - one person at a time
- sincere sense of responsibility for the world/environment
- high level (paradoxically) of drug-dependence and depression

6. NEXTERS (born 2002-)
- bit too young to know yet!

One of the thoughts that occurred to me, or really reinforced something that I have been aware of for some time as it relates to what the Lord is doing among us here at BridgePoint, is the importance and desire for mentors among our young people. We must see a greater inter-mingling of the generations than we have been used to in the church. Some people already see this and are involving themselves in the lives of younger people. Others are finding that harder and wondering sometimes what their role is. I would encourage all who have that extra life experience and story to tell, to seek for ways to get involved with some of our younger people. This is the biblical model, but this is also the cry of a younger generation also. I would say that you are never too old to be involved, it just takes a heart for the people. If anyone wants some more guidance on this, please let me know.

Grace and peace,
Mike.

Forty Trends back to Simplicity

2007-08-08T13:47:00.000-05:00

Rethinking the Nature and Function of Church

By Robert Fitts

1. From the sanctuaries to the streets. (Doing the works of Jesus wherever we find a need)

2. From Christianity to Christ. (Not a philosophy or a system, but Christ in you!)

3. From church houses to house churches. (Simplify to multiply)

4. From upward to outward growth. (Plan to have a church split! You’ll be blessed!)

5. From paid pastors to common, ordinary tentmakers. (Rejecting the clergy/laity system)

6. From a special priesthood to a priesthood of all believers (All are ministers & preachers)

7. From hierarchy to servant leaders. (The great ones are those who wash feet)

8. From weekly worship to constant worship. (Worship is more than singing. Rom. 12:1-2)

9. From bringing people to church to bringing church to people. (A life changing prayer) *

10. From symbolism to substance in the Lord's Supper (Take it often. Take it with a meal)

11. From denominations to Spirit-led networks (Identify with the whole Body of Christ)

12. From social respectability to salt and light. (Turn the world upside down. It needs it!)

13. From performance by professionals to I Cor. 14:26 meetings. (Everyone has something to share)

14. From program based to home based church.

15. From the seminary system to the apprentice system.. (Two Timothy Two Two)

16. From tenth to total in our giving. (When generosity is encouraged, reward is promised. Ck. it out!)

17. From selective submission to total submission. (To every authority, everywhere, all the time)

18. From titles to function. Call no man teacher, father, Rabbi. (What about "Paul, an apostle"?)

19. From independence to inter-dependence (Embrace the city-wide church)

20. From paper membership to Body membership (We ARE members one of another, already!)

21. From the wheel to the vine (Releasing teams to plant simple churches in homes all over town)

22. From organizational unity to spiritual unity. (There is only one step to unity - Rom. 14:1, 15:7)

23. From Safeway or Circle K to Safeway and Circle K. (Receive everything that God receives.)

24. From "Us and them" to just "Us" (Refuse to allow an "us and them" spirit in your midst)

25. From planned church to spontaneous church. (Recognize ekklesia when 2 or 3 gather in his name)

26. From bondage to freedom for women. (Acts 2:17-18, Gal. 3:26-28. Freeing God’s ministers )

27. From presbytery without the people to presbytery with the people involved. (Acts 15:22)

28. From arbitrary guidelines to biblical guidelines for appointing elders (I Tim. 3, Titus 1)

29. From "my pastor" to "my pastors." (MR. PASTOR, TEAR DOWN THESE WALLS!)

30. From raising up leaders to appointing servants. (The ground is flat in God’s kingdom)

31. From local vision to world vision. (Jesus last command: (All the world, every person, every nation)

32. From building my kingdom to building His kingdom. ("Come and let us help you fulfill your vision")

33. From wall-wide church to city-wide church. (They filled Jerusalem with their teaching)

34. From fear of stealing sheep to fear of possessing sheep. (Acts 20:28-31. One city-One flock)

35. From building-centered pastors, to people-centered pastors. (Acts 20:28-31. One city-One Body)

36. From using the word "church" to using the phrase "the Body of Christ." (Acts 19:32-41)

37. From restricted to unhindered fellowship. (I’m a member of every church in town.)

38. From overwhelming oversight to restful oversight.

39. From lecture Bible study to interactive Bible study. (The Body of Christ ministering to itself)

40. From dependence on programs to dependence on prayer. (the Acts 4:29-30 kind)

* "Father, give me a divine appointment with someone today who is hungry for God or in need. Give me sensitivity to know when that happens and grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit."

No Greater Love

2007-07-27T14:39:00.001-05:00

This week I have been reading a book recommended to me by a friend from England. Actually, he was reading the book himself and all the time he did so, he kept sensing the Lord telling him to send it to me. The book is by Mother Theresa and is entitled 'No Greater love' and is a summary of her key teachings, really a summary of the woman herself.

Mother Theresa became known throughout the world for her work amongst the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India. This has been just one more powerful prompt from the Lord to me, about his call upon my life, and in particular to reflect his love and compassion for the poor and marginalized in our society.

Then again, just yesterday, someone read a passage from Isaiah 58 which has always tugged at my heart. The text goes like this;

"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free,
And break every yoke?
"Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry,
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
"Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
"Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry,
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness,
And your gloom will become like midday.
"And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
"And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of the streets in which to dwell." [Isaiah 58:6-12]

It causes me to reflect upon a parable Jesus told in Matthew 25:31-46 about the sheep and the goats (I encourage you to read the passage for yourself). Again and again in the Scriptures, from the old testament to the new, we see God's compassion for the powerless. I feel that to some extent my own ministry has not had sufficient focus upon relieving the needs of the poor. As I read the prophesy of Isaiah 58, God seems to calling Israel to a fast of compassionate ministry and justice. Working for the needs of those who are being unjustly treated and overlooked. God has a special heart for such people, he identifies with their suffering.

Surely the goal of his salvation being worked out in our lives, and our experiencing the liberating truth of the kingdom, is that we should seek justice for others. That we should spend ourselves on behalf of those less fortunate. In our desire to spread the good news of Jesus, we must first of all BE the good news, meeting real needs in people's lives. This a the way in which we demonstrate the love of God in a practical way simply because we want to be like Jesus who came to serve.

We can demonstrate genuine, practical love in all sorts of circumstances, we just need to ask the Lord to open our eyes and hearts to the needs around us. But I also believe that the Lord has opened a door through our connection with Myra Cross and the Dream Center. Just last night Carol and I shared a meal with Myra in our home. We were meeting to talk about a monthly worship and healing/prayer gathering we are planning to start next month. But she told of a man who had come into the food ministry yesterday morning to get some food. He had come with his wife. Despite being only in his 30s, he was bent over and found it difficult to get up and down. They took him into the chapel, invited him to kneel and prayed for him. There and then he received healing in his body and was able to stand up straight and touch his toes, when even just standing up had been very difficult for him. You can imagine the impact that trip to the food bank had on him and his wife!

We will experience the Lord's provision, his guidance and his light more in our lives when we give away what we already have. Our lives will become like a well-watered garden according to Isaiah - just like my Texas back garden today due to the persistent rains we have experienced - another beautiful sign in the natural of what God wants to do in the spiritual with all his children.

Praying for the harvest,
Mike.

God moving on UT campus

2007-07-10T11:12:00.000-05:00

The following is part of a letter I received this week from Justin Christopher, the Director of Campus Renewal Ministries. This vision and action has come out of several years of praying and working for unity among the various campus ministries. They have embraced the Simple Church principles as a means of reaching, discipling and thereby transforming this college community in the Name of Christ. It is exciting to see how God is blessing their faith and commitment. I believe for no less for the wider community of Austin/Central Texas, and the Lord has called us to play our part in this.

It was encouraging to see their strategy of sending out students two-by-two (sound familiar?) but also the foundational importance of prayer. In our home church we have sensed the Lord's renewed call to be a people 'devoted to prayer' and for July and August at least, we have committed to gather every Sunday evening simply to come before the Lord in prayer & worship. This is in addition to our weekly gathering on Tuesday evenings - we just believe that to be devoted means that we will prioritize prayer and make sacrifices. But our longer term desire is to see the wider community transformed through the gospel of the kingdom, to see people coming to faith, being discipled and new simple churches being formed. So, a consistent part of our prayer is for workers for the harvest that God declares is ready.

Please pray for the work being done on UT campus and the people involved. But also ask the Lord to show you how he is calling you to the same work in your own context. May we begin to see a discipling movement emerge that leads to the establishing of new faith communities and the transformation of our city for the glory of God ....

Something tremendous is taking place among students at the University of Texas. Hundreds of students from over thirty different campus ministries and churches are working together to sustain 24/7 days prayer on the UT campus in the Campus House of Prayer (CHOP). These students are captured by a vision of seeing their campus transformed by God. They have a deep conviction that God will only reveal His glory in a transformational way on campus when the body of Christ unites in continual intercession.

Ministry leaders at UT, under the direction of Campus Renewal Ministries (CRM), have been working together for the last fifteen years, not simply by doing events together, but by actually pursuing a common vision to fulfill the great commission at UT. We are working “to see a viable Christian community in every college, club, residence, and culture at UT.” As part of our united commitment to research together, we have identified one thousand specific communities on the UT campus that we are attempting to reach. The goal: To commission missional communities of students into each of the one thousand. Two hundred of the thousand have commissioned missional communities in them already!

While the “campus saturation” strategy, as we call it, is the practical hands-on strategy to reach the campus, it is only as effective as the prayer base that supports it. Students have united around various prayer initiatives over the years, but never has there been the upsurge of students hungry for God in prayer as there has been since the Campus House of Prayer opened last year.

These students want a sacred place near campus where they can come to seek the Lord together at any time. They want a regular place to cross paths with students from different campus ministries and churches. They want a place where they can grow in their prayer life, where they can hear God’s voice as to their role in reaching UT, and where they can pray into the larger vision to saturate UT with the good news of Jesus. In the fall of 2006 God has provided the perfect place for a Campus House of Prayer (CHOP).

The CHOP is right off UT’s main drag, Guadalupe. Students can literally walk over to seek the Lord for an hour between their classes. Students in dorms or west campus housing can safely walk there any time of day or night. Plenty of parking is also available for students who live in other areas of the city. The building has a spacious prayer room, two small community rooms for studying and building relationships, and two small offices. CRM has moved its national headquarters from Cedar Park to this building near campus so that other national ministry leaders and students who come to learn about CRM can come to the headquarters and really experience the unique work that God is doing here.

a missionary church makes disciples

2007-07-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

Last week I talked about what "mission-shaped" church looked like and identified five primary values. I was challenged by a comment made to me that probably most churches would claim to uphold these values, yet the reality was that they were not truly engaged in mission. So, I wanted to take at least one of them (maybe more in future weeks) and think about what this looks like in practice within BridgePoint. I hope that this both challenges and encourages you to seek the Lord in prayer but also to step out in faith and put flesh on the words!

"a missionary church makes disciples"

A missionary church is active in calling people to faith in Jesus Christ, and it is equally committed to the development of a consistent Christian lifestyle appropriate to, but not withdrawn from, the culture or cultures in which it operates. It engages with culture, but also presents a counter-cultural challenge by its corporate life based on the world view and values of the gospel. It encourages the gifting and vocation of all the people of God, and invests in the development of leaders. It is concerned for the transformation of individuals, as well as the transformation of communities.

To put faith in Jesus Christ implies to follow him as Lord and Savior, in other words to live by the values and practices he taught and modeled when he was upon the earth, to adopt a lifestyle that honors him yet which may very well bring us into conflict with others who choose a different lifestyle. This is why Jesus spoke the following words in the context of calling and commissioning his disciples to a missional lifestyle;

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." [Matt 10:32-39]

The words seem almost shocking to us and don't seem to fit with our "pc" culture. But that is just the point - Christ calls us to costly, loving obedience. Some of the language is the Hebrew way of making a point - Jesus is not canceling the command to honor our father and mother, but is saying that even that primary relationship must not be allowed to get in the way of obedience to him.

So how do we ourselves grow into this, never mind call others also? What I see Jesus prioritizing in the gospels, as well as his devotional life with the Father, is that he calls a group of men into community (the 12) and then a smaller number still into an even tighter, more intimate partnership (the 3 - Peter, James and John). In other words, this lifestyle is not imparted primarily through the "classroom", but through relationships, shared life, celebrating and mourning together, praying and praising together, teaching and discussion, commissioning and equipping. Lessons are learned as he sends them out not alone, but in partnership with another to hang out with (eat), to heal, and to share the message of this kingdom (obedience to Jesus who is God with us) that is available to all.

This kind of devotion and commitment does not come easily or automatically - it is worth noting that even one of the 12 (Judas) did not follow through. His fate is a sobering reality. For us to fight the good fight and finish the race [2 Tim 4:7], we need to be in partnership not just with God but with at least one or two fellow-believers. We also need to be part of a community of people where we are known and where we can serve. To consistently serve God by sharing our lives with those who don't know him yet, we need the encouragement and support (including involvement) of others.

For some time I have been encouraging people to see the Life Transformation Partnerships (or Groups) as a tool or model to help keep us on track. It has been encouraging for me to see more people taking a risk and inviting others into a partnership such as this. You can read more details about these by clicking here. It has been interesting to observe that it tends to be the younger people who are more ready and able to engage at this level. But I want to encourage all of us to see that there is great value in our being this purposeful and intentional - in fact it is the (slightly) older ones among us who have much to give to a younger generation simply because of their life experience. The challenge however, is to commit to a more intentional, intimate friendship for the purpose of promoting a missional and godly lifestyle.

Just this week we had dinner and celebrated 4th July with our neighbors (ironically 2 Brits, a Mexican and an American!) I shared some of what I have been talking about here and invited my neighbor into such a 'partnership'. He was very open to the idea despite our age difference. I look forward to seeing how the Lord will use this for his glory in mine and his life. My genuine hope is that these more intimate and dependent relationships help us 'put flesh' on the call to make disciples - they provide the context for imparting the life of God into seekers and new believers as we grow. So I encourage you, if you are not in such a relationship to find one - not primarily for your benefit (though you will benefit), but for the sake of the other person. Learn to give your life away for in doing so you will find life.

If anyone needs help or more information about these partnerships, please contact me at mike@bridgepoint.org

Much love and prayers,
Mike.

What does "Mission-Shaped" Church look like?

2007-06-27T13:43:00.001-05:00

This past Monday evening, partly in response to my blog of last week, a group of us met over coffee to pray and reflect over the question, "What does 'mission-shaped" church look like?' It was a good time and an opportunity to hear from one another as to how we perceive God's call upon our lives as a community and what it means for us to engage the wider culture with the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.

I include here part of a sheet I gave out to help fuel our discussion which is a quote from a report produced by a working party in the Church of England back in 2004 entitled, 'mission-shaped church ... church planting and fresh expressions of church in a changing context' along with some of my own comments as to points I believe of particular significance to us flowing from this;

Lambeth 1988 Resolution 44:

“This conference calls for a shift to a dynamic missionary emphasis, going beyond care and nurture to proclamation and service; and therefore accepts the challenge this presents to diocesan and local church structures and patterns of worship and ministry, and looks to God for a fresh movement of the Spirit; in prayer, outgoing love and evangelism in obedience to our Lord's command.”

- this dynamic missionary emphasis is a great challenge to us who have been part of a church structure and model that was more relevant to 'Christendom' rather than the mission field in which we now operate even here in North America. The importance of prayer cannot be over emphasized. Are we 'devoted to prayer' like we read of the early church in the book of Acts?

five values for missionary churches

§ a missionary church is focused on God the Trinity

Worship lies at the heart of a missionary church, and to love and know God as Father, Son and Spirit is its chief inspiration and primary purpose. It worships and serves a missionary God, and understands itself to share in the divine mission. All of its life and activity is undergirded by prayer.

- again we see the priority of prayer, but this is simply a reflection of the truth that everything we are and do flows from our focus upon and relationship to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to join in God's mission which is already taking place in the world. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism - which means that there is only one Church also - how do we better give expression to this spiritual reality in our 'communities'? When we over-emphasize denominations and even doctrine (i.e. our interpretation), we become divisive. "Is Christ divided?"

§ a missionary church is Incarnatlonal

A missionary church seeks to shape itself in relation to the culture in which it is located or to which it is called. Whenever it is called to be cross-cultural then its long-term members or initial team lay aside their cultural preferences about church to allow the emergence of a form or style of church to be shaped by those they are seeking to reach. If a church is long established, then it evaluates itself in relation to the culture of the community it serves, and strips away whatever is not required by the gospel. An incarnational church seeks to be responsive to the activity of the Spirit in its community.

- Paul became all things to all people that might win some. Similarly we must lay aside our own preferences to allow the emergence of new forms of being the people of God that help us connect and engage with people who do not know Jesus. This is not to change the message of the gospel but it is to become a people who are more engaged with those people around them (or at least some of them), praying and looking for opportunities to demonstrate and proclaim the kingdom of heaven. "The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us"

§ a missionary church Is transformational

A missionary church exists for the transformation of the community that it serves, through the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit. It is not self-serving, self-seeking or self-focused. The kingdom of God is its goal, and church is understood as a servant and sign of God’s kingdom in its community, whether neighborhood or network.

- we exist to seek the transformation of communities with which we are involved - nothing less, for the glory of God. "Let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven". The heart of this transformation is the renewing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a person who has come to trust in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. This is the measure of how we are doing as a faith community.

§ a missionary church makes disciples

- this begins with the understanding that the role of leadership (be it ordained or otherwise), is not to be "The Minister", but rather to equip and release the ministry of everyone else in the body. This must continue to be a fundamental practice and conviction of each one of us, demonstrated when we come together as believers, but also as we live our lives as employees, moms, fathers, bosses, friends, etc. Christianity is a way of life and maturity is evidenced by obedience to Jesus. We must move away from seeing maturity as increased knowledge about the Bible and God. We are to be doers of the word who lead others into the same lifestyle based upon close relationships and love.

§ a missionary church is relational

In a missionary church, a community of faith is being formed. It is characterized by welcome and hospitality. Its ethos and style are open to change when new members join. Believers are encouraged to establish interdependent relationships with fellow Christians as they grow into Christ. As a community it is aware that it is incomplete without interdependent relationships with other Christian churches and communities. It does not seek to stand alone.

- it is a most holy thing to eat together around a meal table and affirm the Christ in each other. Each of us needs to be part of a small intimate group of believers (family), but I would also say we need to also be investing in a few key, intimate relationships as a basis for edification, encouragement and comfort. This is why we keep promoting the Life Transformation Partnerships of 2/3 people.

Church & Culture ... Convergence or Contrast?

2007-06-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

We live within a culture where a dominant value and pursuit, is that of comfort. It often drives our consumerist lifestyle and is perhaps epitomized in the name of a well-known furniture retailer - La-z-boy. Yes, those of you who have been to my house may well have sat in one of our two "la-z-boy" recliners! However, when we see the purpose of the Church and specifically the gospel, to be simply another item on our 'shopping list' of priorities to facilitate ease and comfort, then I believe we have seriously misinterpreted the pages of the New Testament, and the call of Christ upon our lives.

In a desire to impact or influence the greatest number of people (i.e. for them to like us and what we do as Christians), we can so easily find ourselves more aligned with the values of our culture than with those of the kingdom of Heaven. The very people who are meant to be the 'called out ones' from the prevailing culture and lifestyles of the day ('ekklesia' in Greek which is translated 'Church'), remain somewhat indistinguishable from their unbelieving neighbors, apart from attendance at increasingly 'user-friendly' meetings. It is a danger that we in the Simple/Organic/House Church are equally prone to fall into.

Jesus referred to himself as "the Way", the early Church was initially known as a people who followed the Way (of Life, personified in Jesus) - see Acts 19:8-9. Scott Boren in his new book 'The Relational Way', says, 'The way of kingdom living in the early church was distinctive and missional. By referring to the Church as the Way, it denotes that the people of God are called to action, a mode of interacting with the world that infects it with the life of God.' Of course, this presupposes that we are indeed carrying the "virus" within us. Distinctive and Missional, two words worth reflecting over.

David Bosch in his classic book, 'Transforming Mission' states, 'God is a missionary God ... Mission is thereby seen as a movement from God to the world; the church is viewed as an instrument for that mission. There is a Church because there is mission, not vice versa. To participate in mission is to participate in the movement of God's love toward people, since God is a fountain of sending love.' The foundational question for me it seems is not so much related to Church structure (ecclesiology), but relates more to our identity as a people on The Way (missiology). How do we become an authentic community of people that stands in contrast to the cultural values that oppose the those of the kingdom? Or, what ways of living would show we were on mission with God?

There's no easy answer, and that in part is the challenge - our culture wants that which is easy, convenient, pleasurable, self-satisfying. It is why the leaders of some of the larger churches in Austin are frustrated because many of those attending don't wish to be disturbed too much from their settled lifestyles, and certainly don't want to devote themselves to God's mission. It challenges us all because according to Jesus it will cost us everything - including our comfort. Paul spoke in terms of 'sharing in the fellowship of his suffering, becoming like him in his death' (Philipp. 3:10)

I sense that this in part is why there are so few (simple) church planting movements here in the West compared to the explosion of growth that is being experienced in parts of the two-thirds world. I desire and long to see this in my own life, here in the US. I am wary of what it may cost us. I believe a starting point is to pray, to pray until we get a burden and a sense of desperation over our spiritual state, and that opens our eyes to what God is really doing. I hope you will join with me ... in prayer and action!

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness ...
These twelve Jesus sent out ...." [Matt 9:35-10:5]

"Table Talk"

2007-05-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

For some time now I have found myself wrestling (in prayer and in my own mind) with the question of how we can best help people move in their journey of faith, in particular from the place of not knowing Christ to discovering a relationship with him through faith.

The Scriptures tell us that "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." [Romans 10:17] This statement by Paul comes in the context of his own wrestling in prayer over the salvation of his own people - the Israelites, although as he states, in God's eyes there is no difference between Jew and Gentile in terms of their response to God - he blesses all who call upon him. But then he points out the issue ... how can they call upon him, or believe in him unless they hear the message, unless someone tells them the good news.

I believe that this is the way faith works - ultimately God has called us to be an expression of the good news in Jesus Christ. We need both words and deeds - our testimony about the reality of Jesus in us (the hope of glory), is then reinforced by the evidence of a changed life. The characteristics of that changed life are multi-faceted, it is a life increasingly shaped by the teaching of Jesus as we read in the gospels, for example within the sermon on the mount. I believe that when these characteristics are evident in our lives, when we serve one another out of love, then opportunities are more likely to arise to give the reason for the hope that is within us.

But there comes a point for most people, when they need to hear the truth of the gospel of the kingdom put into words. We do not have a weekly corporate gathering where they can come and visit (should they want to). It is not easy for a seeker to just come and join us in our home churches necessarily (it depends upon the individual). So I believe we need some "middle space" - environments that are relatively 'safe' that allow the issues of faith to be discussed and reflected upon without pressure. I for one, am looking for opportunities and ways in which we can provide this to help people move in their faith journey.

What does that mean for you? Paul tells us in Ephesians that God gave some to be evangelists - both to do the work of evangelism as well as to equip the rest of the body to share Christ. We are not all called to an evangelistic focus, but some are. All of us are called to be willing to 'bear witness', in other words to talk about our experience and knowledge of Jesus Christ. For that, I believe it is incumbent upon us all to build friendships with people who do not know Jesus yet, which means spending time with them (in their world to some extent). The heart of it is that like God, we treat all people the same, not trying to determine whether or not they are 'true Christians', but looking to serve them because they are 'true people'. Out of this, and our prayers, will come opportunities to simply be real about ourselves and our faith.

For any of you who sense a greater desire to help people find Christ - perhaps this preoccupies your thinking, your prayers or you find a natural affinity with those outside the church - I would love for us to get together to talk, pray and dream about how we might serve God and others. Please email me, respond to this posting or call me. This is not a call for those who have it all together, you just might be the only person there! But simply for those wishing to grow in this ministry.

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" [Romans 10:15]

Mike.

How are you "feeling" today?

2007-05-25T12:07:00.001-05:00

This week (after a couple of weeks break), I wanted to follow up on the article I wrote at the beginning of the month. I had the opportunity to be involved in some shadow coaching and small group work at the next McCoys leadership training event this week. They call it "Business As Unusual" - B.A.U.

It was a most moving time to have the privilege of helping some men begin to explore their emotional 'make-up' perhaps for the very first time, and to think about how some of their personality preferences were having an unhealthy impact on their ability to work alongside as well as live alongside, people who were important to them. I know I shouldn't be, but I am often amazed at how much brokenness and abuse some people have had to deal with in their lives, very often as children when they should have been able to expect better. It reminds me of two things - my thankfulness for the blessings of my own upbringing (even though it was not without its challenges), as well as my thankfulness for God's intervention in my life through Jesus Christ, and how that has brought about healing and transformation for me (though as you know, I am still a work in progress!)

We are complicated beings - a combination of body, soul and spirit and it is interesting to me to reflect upon the interplay of each of these parts and how that affects our ability to fully respond to God, our family, and one another. I have been exploring ways in which we might be able to use some of these principles in our community life and discipleship here at BridgePoint, as well as further afield. I have been intrigued to discover that Life Builders are working with Intimate Life Ministries to build a relational component into their discipleship process because they are working with increasing numbers of people who are just carrying hurts and pain in their lives that are hindering the growth process. So they are looking for some tools and principles to assist in the healing/transformation process. Yes we need renewed minds through truth (ultimately about Jesus Christ), but that needs to be mediated through close relationships within the faith community.

So, I will keep you posted on this, and just wanted to share some of my joy at being able to touch the lives of some guys in a business context, who might never darken the doors of the church as we traditionally know it.

Mike.