I've just started reading a book called Radical. It's already a bit disturbing, but the author asks some questions that have always concerned me. Church, in middle class America, looks nothing like the church in the Bible...but for me, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Being a follower of Jesus, in His own words, has some implications that challenge me. Listen to his words-
Luke 9:57 As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 59 And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." 60 But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." 61 Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." 62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
So These men come to Jesus and express an interest in following Him and His responses them are-
You can expect homelessness in the journey ahead.
Don't go to your dad's funeral, there's more important work to be done.
You can't go say goodbye to your family, if they're more important than this you're not fit for the kingdom.
What about in Luke 14:25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, `This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
Again, what are the implications of the things Jesus is talking about?
Forsaking everything, selling everything, abandoning everything...consider the cost and then decide if you are really willing to follow me.
Another time, a wealthy young man approaches Jesus expressing a desire to follow Him. Jesus responded to him in Mark 10:21b"One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Again, give up everything and follow me.
Interestingly enough, when Jesus called His disciples, they did just what Jesus is asking these other people to do. They left their businesses, their homes, their families...everything to follow Him.
In Matthew 13, Jesus describes His kingdom like this; vs. 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Again, forsaking everything to follow Him, selling everything to pursue His kingdom.
I've heard many explanations over the years about these texts, what this would have meant in "their" culture. How this was for that dispensation. I've even heard these scriptures used to justify and inspire building programs or commitments to tithing or voluntary service in the nursery.
Here's the thought that troubles me, what if Jesus meant that for me to follow Him I have to be willing to give up everything? I don't see Him telling any of these people to confess, believe and pray this prayer...it's not in there. He doesn't say to find a good Bible believing church and get plugged in. He says sell it all, forsake it all, give up everything, pick up your cross and come follow me. I've often struggled with how easily we become followers of Jesus today, is it supposed to be that easy? Or is it supposed to be a daunting proposition to be His follower? If it's a simple decision away, then what's all this talk about considering the cost about?
I wonder what the church in America would look like today if we used Jesus outreach strategies? There are many parts of the world where becoming a follower of Jesus means all of these things. Forsaking, selling, abandoning and dying. In America, becoming a follower of Jesus means your Sunday mornings are now booked. And if you're really serious Sunday and Wednesday evenings too. Is it supposed to be like this? Or are we called to something more radical than American Christianity?
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
From the hearts of children
Last Sunday I taught our 4th and 5th graders about the crucifixion and death of Jesus. We gave them a time to take sticky notes and write down and questions, prayers or just whatever they wanted to and stick them to the cross in the front of the room.
Here are some of their thoughts and concerns-
Jesus, please help me be a better person and be nicer to my brother.
Please give me your patience and help me through all hard times.
I sometimes have a hard time listening to my parent.
Why were we so important?
You are my LIFE.
Lord I need help understanding you. Will you help me?
Controlling my anger.
Pray for my family and cats.
Lying.
What should I do to stop my siblings from sin?
For my uncle Rich and that I wouldn’t always be left out of stuff and
that God understands.
Be with my Mom.
You are the light!
Friends, let them stay with me. Let them not go away. Let them stay.
For my uncle Richard.
For my family because of my Grandpa’s death, but I know that he is in Heaven.
Do I need to be a part of the orfanage?
Will you remember me?
Thank you.
Why did you hurt Jesus?
My house was flooded so life is hard.
Thank you Lord for everything. Without you I’d be lost.
You are the Lord my God Almighty.
I love you. You’re my savior. Should I do cheerleading anymore?
God tell me your words. Show me how to listen.
Do you really have a reason for everything?
Why did you make people?
My friend doesn’t know God.
Stop hurting brother and sister. Keep praying.
I have a hard time trusting adults.
Thank you for everything, Jesus. You didn’t deserve to die, I do.
My leg and head problems are increasing.
My grandma that she will live turning 100 May.
What are the roots to my leg and foot problems.
Is it right to miss Bobby even though he is doing better there than here?
Why have I had a bad week. I hope that you will help me next week.
Why did Christ Jesus tell God “Why did you leave me”?
Thank you!
Why do I pressure so much?
My family is breaking.
Jesus I’m just so thankful for what you’ve done for all of us and I
know I could never suffer through the pain you did.
My friend Cristina, she sometimes is mean to me because her parents broke up.
Take my heart Lord.
Help me!
God how did you do it? Don’t forget me.
Jesus help me with my sin for I feel I could fall down crying without you.
I want to come closer to you.
Thank you Jisus (their spelling) : )
Thank you for dying for our sins.
For my aunt to believe in God.
Thank you for dying on the cross! I love you.
Disrespect.
How could he talk if he was dead?
Thank you for all you have done! I love you.
Please let our house sell.
Help me understand you more.
Thanks.
Why did God let you die such a horrible death?
Why do we think too much about ourselves?
To come closer to you.
God I need help I don’t know how to stop judging people.
How do I help my parents?
I pray that every kid in the Treehouse will receive salvation!
Can you help Maddie lear about you? Please.
Thank you Jesus.
I hope my friend is ok.
Why did you take away my sins?
Help my friend to stop lying.
How did you create the world?
I’m sorry for being mean to Nana.
Lying.
To be a better person.
Why can’t God save us now?
My friends Rachel, Julia, and David.
Disobeying parents.
Following the Lord.
Not perfect with you.
How could you love me if I’m so sinful?
Didn’t there have to be a beginning who made God he wouldn’t just show up?
My brother was diagnosed with epilepsy.
My family loves Jesus.
Help me catch up on my Bible reading.
Why do I get migraines?
Hope kids are ok because of kidnapper.
My grandma is still recovering from being sick.
Mrs. Carol’s mom.
My friend Katie. She is bossy to me because her parents are broken up.
Thank you. So much.
Maryann.
How do you enter into the kingdom?
Help me God.
I’m sorry for being mean to Nana.
Here are some of their thoughts and concerns-
Jesus, please help me be a better person and be nicer to my brother.
Please give me your patience and help me through all hard times.
I sometimes have a hard time listening to my parent.
Why were we so important?
You are my LIFE.
Lord I need help understanding you. Will you help me?
Controlling my anger.
Pray for my family and cats.
Lying.
What should I do to stop my siblings from sin?
For my uncle Rich and that I wouldn’t always be left out of stuff and
that God understands.
Be with my Mom.
You are the light!
Friends, let them stay with me. Let them not go away. Let them stay.
For my uncle Richard.
For my family because of my Grandpa’s death, but I know that he is in Heaven.
Do I need to be a part of the orfanage?
Will you remember me?
Thank you.
Why did you hurt Jesus?
My house was flooded so life is hard.
Thank you Lord for everything. Without you I’d be lost.
You are the Lord my God Almighty.
I love you. You’re my savior. Should I do cheerleading anymore?
God tell me your words. Show me how to listen.
Do you really have a reason for everything?
Why did you make people?
My friend doesn’t know God.
Stop hurting brother and sister. Keep praying.
I have a hard time trusting adults.
Thank you for everything, Jesus. You didn’t deserve to die, I do.
My leg and head problems are increasing.
My grandma that she will live turning 100 May.
What are the roots to my leg and foot problems.
Is it right to miss Bobby even though he is doing better there than here?
Why have I had a bad week. I hope that you will help me next week.
Why did Christ Jesus tell God “Why did you leave me”?
Thank you!
Why do I pressure so much?
My family is breaking.
Jesus I’m just so thankful for what you’ve done for all of us and I
know I could never suffer through the pain you did.
My friend Cristina, she sometimes is mean to me because her parents broke up.
Take my heart Lord.
Help me!
God how did you do it? Don’t forget me.
Jesus help me with my sin for I feel I could fall down crying without you.
I want to come closer to you.
Thank you Jisus (their spelling) : )
Thank you for dying for our sins.
For my aunt to believe in God.
Thank you for dying on the cross! I love you.
Disrespect.
How could he talk if he was dead?
Thank you for all you have done! I love you.
Please let our house sell.
Help me understand you more.
Thanks.
Why did God let you die such a horrible death?
Why do we think too much about ourselves?
To come closer to you.
God I need help I don’t know how to stop judging people.
How do I help my parents?
I pray that every kid in the Treehouse will receive salvation!
Can you help Maddie lear about you? Please.
Thank you Jesus.
I hope my friend is ok.
Why did you take away my sins?
Help my friend to stop lying.
How did you create the world?
I’m sorry for being mean to Nana.
Lying.
To be a better person.
Why can’t God save us now?
My friends Rachel, Julia, and David.
Disobeying parents.
Following the Lord.
Not perfect with you.
How could you love me if I’m so sinful?
Didn’t there have to be a beginning who made God he wouldn’t just show up?
My brother was diagnosed with epilepsy.
My family loves Jesus.
Help me catch up on my Bible reading.
Why do I get migraines?
Hope kids are ok because of kidnapper.
My grandma is still recovering from being sick.
Mrs. Carol’s mom.
My friend Katie. She is bossy to me because her parents are broken up.
Thank you. So much.
Maryann.
How do you enter into the kingdom?
Help me God.
I’m sorry for being mean to Nana.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Clinging to the beam
I saw this video this morning on Donald Miller's blog. I felt that it best described where I've been living in my walk with God for the past few years...
If you know me, you probably know that several years ago we had a really bad experience in ministry. I trusted people, put myself out there and threw myself into the building of a church. I'm not going back into everything that happened in this post. I'm mainly addressing my reaction to the unraveling of what I thought were real friendships. That and the shattering of my perception of what the organized institutional church is all about...and what it is to be a pastor. I believed DEEPLY in all of these things.
Unfortunately, as a result of these very difficult lessons, I decided that I would just hang onto the "balance beam"...not put myself out there, not trust people...particularly pastors and church staff. I've done a fair job of appearing to be "out there for God", but I've been playing it safe, holding back, not letting people...particularly church people, in.
The thing is, I don't want to play it safe...I don't want to hang onto the beam, ease myself to the floor and then stand up like I nailed the dismount. I'm not concerned about being judged harshly for playing it safe. God knows my heart, I just don't believe I'm called to live a safe and comfortable life...I don't see that in the lives of people in the scriptures. I don't pretend to fully know what all of this means, but I do feel like it's time to get back up and start standing on the beam. If I figure out what that looks like I'll be sure to write about it here.
Blessings,
Brandon
If you know me, you probably know that several years ago we had a really bad experience in ministry. I trusted people, put myself out there and threw myself into the building of a church. I'm not going back into everything that happened in this post. I'm mainly addressing my reaction to the unraveling of what I thought were real friendships. That and the shattering of my perception of what the organized institutional church is all about...and what it is to be a pastor. I believed DEEPLY in all of these things.
Unfortunately, as a result of these very difficult lessons, I decided that I would just hang onto the "balance beam"...not put myself out there, not trust people...particularly pastors and church staff. I've done a fair job of appearing to be "out there for God", but I've been playing it safe, holding back, not letting people...particularly church people, in.
The thing is, I don't want to play it safe...I don't want to hang onto the beam, ease myself to the floor and then stand up like I nailed the dismount. I'm not concerned about being judged harshly for playing it safe. God knows my heart, I just don't believe I'm called to live a safe and comfortable life...I don't see that in the lives of people in the scriptures. I don't pretend to fully know what all of this means, but I do feel like it's time to get back up and start standing on the beam. If I figure out what that looks like I'll be sure to write about it here.
Blessings,
Brandon
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Outsiders
I'm currently involved in friendships with three other men who are not followers of Jesus. They all believe that they would never be welcomed into any church...that may not be true, but they would not be welcome in many churches. Two have a great deal of church experience which have solidified this belief. One was forced to go to church with his grandmother, the church was independent Baptist and VERY legalistic. He has tattoos and several body piercings that the people at this church told him they either had to be removed or covered with clothing…ah, religion. Yes, cover up who you really are…that way you can look like us…fake.
The other was brought up Catholic. He tells me all the time that he was WAY too religious growing up. His conclusion about religion is this, if you sincerely follow and live out religion, it leads to death. I agree completely, I keep telling him that religion kills people, especially in churches…heck, it killed Jesus. It was also his biggest obstacle to announcing the in-breaking of the kingdom into this world. This response has led to some great conversations. Not about church or sin or repentance, but about Jesus. Who He is, and perhaps more importantly for these two, who he is not. For each of them, they have mistakenly associated Jesus with the religious people and organizations they were exposed to.
The other day I was going to lunch with my ex-catholic friend when we started talking about Jesus. This doesn’t happen often by the way, but every once in a while God interrupts our conversations about life and whatnot to give an opportunity to interject some kingdom truths. As we talked I turned to my buddy and said to him, “You know what I like about you? You don’t have a problem with God, you just hate religion…I think God feels much the same way.” That sparked a really good conversation.
This is something I have found that I like about many “non-church goers”; they really don’t have an issue with God. They just have seen enough religion to know that it’s not the answer…I’ve seen that too. I wonder how accountable the church is for the gross misunderstanding and misrepresentation of who Jesus is.
Blessings,
Brandon
The other was brought up Catholic. He tells me all the time that he was WAY too religious growing up. His conclusion about religion is this, if you sincerely follow and live out religion, it leads to death. I agree completely, I keep telling him that religion kills people, especially in churches…heck, it killed Jesus. It was also his biggest obstacle to announcing the in-breaking of the kingdom into this world. This response has led to some great conversations. Not about church or sin or repentance, but about Jesus. Who He is, and perhaps more importantly for these two, who he is not. For each of them, they have mistakenly associated Jesus with the religious people and organizations they were exposed to.
The other day I was going to lunch with my ex-catholic friend when we started talking about Jesus. This doesn’t happen often by the way, but every once in a while God interrupts our conversations about life and whatnot to give an opportunity to interject some kingdom truths. As we talked I turned to my buddy and said to him, “You know what I like about you? You don’t have a problem with God, you just hate religion…I think God feels much the same way.” That sparked a really good conversation.
This is something I have found that I like about many “non-church goers”; they really don’t have an issue with God. They just have seen enough religion to know that it’s not the answer…I’ve seen that too. I wonder how accountable the church is for the gross misunderstanding and misrepresentation of who Jesus is.
Blessings,
Brandon
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Building Bridges Pt.2
I was listening to a Christian radio talk show Thursday afternoon. I can't remember who the host was or who their guest was, but the topic was the evil of Islam. Apparently the guest was an author who has written about all of the verses in the Qur'an that talk about killing Infidels, imposing Sharia law, etc. I'm trying to figure out how the body of Christ is served by writing a book of this nature...how does this inspire followers of Jesus to reach out to a people that are obviously in need of the truth? One of the greatest deceptions of this modern age against the expansion of the Kingdom of God is that Muslims are an unreachable people. What does believing that lie say about our understanding of who God is?
To be sure, the Qur'an is not to be viewed as equal to the Bible...it's NOT! However, there are many parallels in the Qur'an to the Bible. And we have to keep in mind, followers of Jesus and Muslims share some of the same ancestry. Abraham is the common thread...these are not people who started off worshiping molech or baal, they were worshipers of the one true God. Rather than spreading fear among followers of Jesus who, by the way, posess the true plan of God for salvation, shouldn't we be equipping ourselves and one another with the truth to set these people free from the deception of a dead religion? Some might say that they are terrorists. Keep in mind that before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul was a Hebrew terrorist. He persecuted the church...and God saved him and used him to write most of the New Testament. Prior to his conversion, the church was afraid of him.
Is the church actually waiting for Muslims to just wake up one day and say, "Wow, we're mistaken! Jesus IS the answer!" on their own? It could happen by divine intervention for sure...but I think God is calling His Church to step up and start bridging the gap between followers of Jesus and Muslims. We cannot expect people who are lost to be the ones who bring peace and unity. It must be the Church of Jesus Christ that takes the initiative.
Blessings,
Brandon
To be sure, the Qur'an is not to be viewed as equal to the Bible...it's NOT! However, there are many parallels in the Qur'an to the Bible. And we have to keep in mind, followers of Jesus and Muslims share some of the same ancestry. Abraham is the common thread...these are not people who started off worshiping molech or baal, they were worshipers of the one true God. Rather than spreading fear among followers of Jesus who, by the way, posess the true plan of God for salvation, shouldn't we be equipping ourselves and one another with the truth to set these people free from the deception of a dead religion? Some might say that they are terrorists. Keep in mind that before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul was a Hebrew terrorist. He persecuted the church...and God saved him and used him to write most of the New Testament. Prior to his conversion, the church was afraid of him.
Is the church actually waiting for Muslims to just wake up one day and say, "Wow, we're mistaken! Jesus IS the answer!" on their own? It could happen by divine intervention for sure...but I think God is calling His Church to step up and start bridging the gap between followers of Jesus and Muslims. We cannot expect people who are lost to be the ones who bring peace and unity. It must be the Church of Jesus Christ that takes the initiative.
Blessings,
Brandon
Friday, October 2, 2009
Denominational damage
I sometimes visit a hunting forum to talk about hunting and outdoor activities with other outdoorsy types. On the forum there is a place designated to discussions and debates of spiritual topics. One thing I like about this forum is the wide variety of denominational and spiritual points of view that are brought to the table.
Earlier this week one of the members of this forum posted a question about the scriptures and whether they were complete and how the Bible came to be as it is today. As we talked about this he was repeatedly attacked by otherwise well meaning Christians as an unbeliever who "would one day find out how wrong he is..." Yes, the hell card. The nuclear weapon of the evangelical church.
I asked him if, in his opinion, we had enough of the scriptures to know about God and His plan for us. Here is his answer-
"I don't know. When I see all the division among the different sects or faiths within the Christian ''families'',it gives me cause to try to find answers. The easiest answer so far has come from looking at the origins of the bible itself. I have not read the deleted books and have only skimmed the apocrypha. Could there be some thing there to unify or clear up the differences ? Again I don't know. And won't until I do the research. For me there is enough in the English bibles for me to make the decision to look else where for my spiritual needs. I would think that Christians would want to know, or have done the research to be able to say '''Such and such a book was deleted because...XYZ.'' But instead most either claim that the bible has held forth for thousands and thousands of years, or attack the person asking , or say What I have
is enough for me.
At best some are condescending and at worst ,just plain ignorant.
What piqued my interest was the fact that this man who is searching for truth in scripture has observed the following, "When I see all the division among the different sects or faiths within the Christian ''families'',it gives me cause to try to find answers. The easiest answer so far has come from looking at the origins of the bible itself. I have not read the deleted books and have only skimmed the apocrypha. Could there be some thing there to unify or clear up the differences?"
My question is, is this how the bride of Christ is supposed to look? Divided? And over what, how we take communion? music styles? teaching styles? how we baptise...sprinkle? dunk? One thing is certain, at least in the eyes of this man, he may not know if the bible is complete or missing certain intended books...but he does know that what he does see in the church is NOT enough to make him satisfied that the Bible is a complete source of truth.
Is this short coming a product of the American church? I'm not sure. In Islam we see the same kinds of divisions. Sunni's, Ahmadiyya, Shi'ite's and Sufism are basically denominations of Islam...and Muslims are killing each other over their differences. When it comes to Muslims it's easy for the Christian to draw the conclusion that these people are just crazy radicals. And it's true that Christians aren't killing one another over denominational differences, but I do see our faith and the word of God cheapened by our petty disagreements.
How did we get here and what do we as followers of Christ do to restore unity in the body of Christ?
Earlier this week one of the members of this forum posted a question about the scriptures and whether they were complete and how the Bible came to be as it is today. As we talked about this he was repeatedly attacked by otherwise well meaning Christians as an unbeliever who "would one day find out how wrong he is..." Yes, the hell card. The nuclear weapon of the evangelical church.
I asked him if, in his opinion, we had enough of the scriptures to know about God and His plan for us. Here is his answer-
"I don't know. When I see all the division among the different sects or faiths within the Christian ''families'',it gives me cause to try to find answers. The easiest answer so far has come from looking at the origins of the bible itself. I have not read the deleted books and have only skimmed the apocrypha. Could there be some thing there to unify or clear up the differences ? Again I don't know. And won't until I do the research. For me there is enough in the English bibles for me to make the decision to look else where for my spiritual needs. I would think that Christians would want to know, or have done the research to be able to say '''Such and such a book was deleted because...XYZ.'' But instead most either claim that the bible has held forth for thousands and thousands of years, or attack the person asking , or say What I have
is enough for me.
At best some are condescending and at worst ,just plain ignorant.
What piqued my interest was the fact that this man who is searching for truth in scripture has observed the following, "When I see all the division among the different sects or faiths within the Christian ''families'',it gives me cause to try to find answers. The easiest answer so far has come from looking at the origins of the bible itself. I have not read the deleted books and have only skimmed the apocrypha. Could there be some thing there to unify or clear up the differences?"
My question is, is this how the bride of Christ is supposed to look? Divided? And over what, how we take communion? music styles? teaching styles? how we baptise...sprinkle? dunk? One thing is certain, at least in the eyes of this man, he may not know if the bible is complete or missing certain intended books...but he does know that what he does see in the church is NOT enough to make him satisfied that the Bible is a complete source of truth.
Is this short coming a product of the American church? I'm not sure. In Islam we see the same kinds of divisions. Sunni's, Ahmadiyya, Shi'ite's and Sufism are basically denominations of Islam...and Muslims are killing each other over their differences. When it comes to Muslims it's easy for the Christian to draw the conclusion that these people are just crazy radicals. And it's true that Christians aren't killing one another over denominational differences, but I do see our faith and the word of God cheapened by our petty disagreements.
How did we get here and what do we as followers of Christ do to restore unity in the body of Christ?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Pray to receive Christ
I was listening to the last part of Focus on the Family tonight when I heard the speaker talking about praying to ask Jesus to come into your heart. My question is, where does the Bible say that this is how you enter the kingdom of God? Why do thousands of churches across America and around the world teach people to pray the "sinner's prayer" so that they can be born again? I'm not trying to be critical of the speaker or Focus on the Family in any way. Just trying to figure out what I'm missing here.
Blessings,
Brandon
Blessings,
Brandon
Saturday, November 8, 2008
99 names of God
In the interest of dispelling some of the gross misunderstanding of Muslims I thought I'd share this song and video about the names of God.
What are some of your thoughts when you hear and see this?
What are some of your thoughts when you hear and see this?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Conviction or Political Tactic?
I'm somewhat disturbed by much of what I've seen and heard from Christians in recent months, weeks and days. Once again the abortion issue has been brought to the forefront of our hearts and minds. All of the awful statistics about abortion today and in years past...the endless talk about partial birth abortion and even post-birth abortion. How an entire generation of people has been wiped out by this awful procedure. And I agree, abortion is an issue that should be high on the list of priorities for all followers of Christ. Here's the problem, it's not. For most people this will fade away again until the next political season rolls around.
If the abortion issue was really a conviction for the Church then we would DO something about it. Instead, I would liken it to the way the way that many in the church view missions, it's very important, someone should go take care of this, I'll give money to it or tell someone about it, but that's where it ends. To me, that means it's more of a preference than a conviction. We'll complain, moan and cry about the travesty of abortion, yet VERY few will get off of our behinds and actually DO something to work towards ending it. This is why I almost roll my eyes when I hear Christians boo-hooing about abortion around elections. My thought is, Oh, so NOW you care?!?! And all you're going to do is vote for someone else to solve the problem? Give me a break!
At our church AWANA is very big, it's a conviction of our church to reach the next generation. It's part of our slogan, "Neighborhoods, Nations, next Generation." and we actually make it a priority. On any Wednesday night...like tonight, we'll have 1500 kids involved in AWANA. A friend of mine who loves AWANA went to volunteer to serve in AWANA a few months ago, so he shows up one Wednesday and asked where the greatest need for people was. He was shocked to hear that we actually have too many people working already but that he was welcome to come and hang out. He couldn't believe that there were so many people involved that there was really not room for any more volunteers. The reason is that we have embraced the fact that it is our responsibility to reach the next generation for the kingdom. It's a great testimony to the fact that this is very important at GRACE.
Unfortunately, if you go to almost any crisis pregnancy center there is no shortage of vacant positions and need for volunteers. Why? Because abortion is just not a priority for the Church. If it were, we would be moved to action rather than just words.
Oh, and abortion is just the topic of the day because of all the Christian rhetoric out there over the past few weeks. The same could be said about missions, hunger, poverty and a myriad of other topics that the church likes to talk about but does very little to be the solution. I don't know about you, but I'm going to be a part of the solution. I can't end abortion or take the gospel to every nation tongue and tribe, but I can do more than just talk about it. I can go...
Blessings,
Brandon
If the abortion issue was really a conviction for the Church then we would DO something about it. Instead, I would liken it to the way the way that many in the church view missions, it's very important, someone should go take care of this, I'll give money to it or tell someone about it, but that's where it ends. To me, that means it's more of a preference than a conviction. We'll complain, moan and cry about the travesty of abortion, yet VERY few will get off of our behinds and actually DO something to work towards ending it. This is why I almost roll my eyes when I hear Christians boo-hooing about abortion around elections. My thought is, Oh, so NOW you care?!?! And all you're going to do is vote for someone else to solve the problem? Give me a break!
At our church AWANA is very big, it's a conviction of our church to reach the next generation. It's part of our slogan, "Neighborhoods, Nations, next Generation." and we actually make it a priority. On any Wednesday night...like tonight, we'll have 1500 kids involved in AWANA. A friend of mine who loves AWANA went to volunteer to serve in AWANA a few months ago, so he shows up one Wednesday and asked where the greatest need for people was. He was shocked to hear that we actually have too many people working already but that he was welcome to come and hang out. He couldn't believe that there were so many people involved that there was really not room for any more volunteers. The reason is that we have embraced the fact that it is our responsibility to reach the next generation for the kingdom. It's a great testimony to the fact that this is very important at GRACE.
Unfortunately, if you go to almost any crisis pregnancy center there is no shortage of vacant positions and need for volunteers. Why? Because abortion is just not a priority for the Church. If it were, we would be moved to action rather than just words.
Oh, and abortion is just the topic of the day because of all the Christian rhetoric out there over the past few weeks. The same could be said about missions, hunger, poverty and a myriad of other topics that the church likes to talk about but does very little to be the solution. I don't know about you, but I'm going to be a part of the solution. I can't end abortion or take the gospel to every nation tongue and tribe, but I can do more than just talk about it. I can go...
Blessings,
Brandon
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Muhammad
A few months ago I went to Infusion (our ministry to Somalian refugees in apartments in Clarkston) with our missions pastor, Mark. When we arrived at the apartments there were about 30 kids waiting for us to show up and they were excited to see us. As we walked up, they surrounded us and walked with us to the area where we meet and play with them. One of the kids, Muhammad, made his way through the crowd and began talking to us...then, to our dismay, Muhammad began hitting Mark in the crotch. Okay, we were officially freaked out! My first thought was that someone had sexually abused him at some time because when I was 10 I would have died before doing that to a grown stranger...or anyone else for that matter! Bennet, our liaison in the apartment complex quickly explained that this was a tribal behavior and how to address it. It worked, but I was really uncomfortable with what had happened and immediately had some doubts that I was "called" to this particular people group. It's interesting how we can sometimes use the term "calling" as an out from situations that make us uncomfortable or into situations that we are comfortable with.
When I was asked to consider leading Infusion in Clarkston, my first and only reservation was Muhammad. It sounds silly now as I write that. Anyway, three weeks ago we showed up for Infusion and Muhammad was there. He was disruptive, rude, annoying and loud. He continually hit other smaller children, splashed water on our workers, he took one of our worker's glasses and threw them across the play area...it was a nightmare. As we tried to get everyone settled for some teaching time, our friend Muhammad was a constant disruption. Finally, I pulled him aside and told him that I really wanted him to be there, (lie) but that if he continued to have problems that I would have to ask him to leave. He looked me in the eye and said, "I won't leave!" so I got right in his face and firmly said, "Yeah, you WILL!"...to my amazement, he walked over and sat down and listened to the rest of our lesson...I was shocked. Right after that we served them some snacks and I called Muhammad over to help. I gave him an empty box and told him that if he could pick up all the trash I'd give him 5 bags of Cheez Its. Again, to my amazement, Muhammad did an excellent job cleaning up and he received his reward. As we packed to leave he gave me a high five and headed home.
Last night, he was glued to me. I found out last week that both his mother and father physically abuse him, they yell at him rather than speaking to him and his father is very distant...when he's not hitting him. He was like a completely different kid last night. He did have some moments, but he sat right down beside me and actually listened to the lesson. As we sat there, he put both of his arms around my right arm and his head on my shoulder as he listened to the story of Joseph. Again, my comfort zone was BLOWN WIDE OPEN! In our culture, guys don't do that with men they don't really know...or with guys they DO know. (In Africa this is not unusual behavior for boys or men) But the Holy Spirit reminded me that this kid is SO hungry to get attention and that he needs to see how God loves him. So I sat there with him until we were through with the lesson. Honestly, it was amazing. This kid who was one of the main reasons I didn't want to do this is being knitted to me by God. It's very humbling because my attitude was, "I'll go, but I'm NOT going to deal with this Muhammad kid God, he's your problem to deal with!". I can see God smiling and saying, "Really?". Last night when it was time to go, I went to give him a high five and he asked for a hug. He also wanted to know when I was coming back. This is nothing less than an act of God. I'm excited about what He is doing and what He is going to do in and through us in Clarkston.
So that's the latest from Infusion, God is building relationships and connections in the least likely places. And my training in bridging the gap between Believers and Muslims has given me a new comfort level in interacting with the people of Clarkston.
Blessings,
Brandon
When I was asked to consider leading Infusion in Clarkston, my first and only reservation was Muhammad. It sounds silly now as I write that. Anyway, three weeks ago we showed up for Infusion and Muhammad was there. He was disruptive, rude, annoying and loud. He continually hit other smaller children, splashed water on our workers, he took one of our worker's glasses and threw them across the play area...it was a nightmare. As we tried to get everyone settled for some teaching time, our friend Muhammad was a constant disruption. Finally, I pulled him aside and told him that I really wanted him to be there, (lie) but that if he continued to have problems that I would have to ask him to leave. He looked me in the eye and said, "I won't leave!" so I got right in his face and firmly said, "Yeah, you WILL!"...to my amazement, he walked over and sat down and listened to the rest of our lesson...I was shocked. Right after that we served them some snacks and I called Muhammad over to help. I gave him an empty box and told him that if he could pick up all the trash I'd give him 5 bags of Cheez Its. Again, to my amazement, Muhammad did an excellent job cleaning up and he received his reward. As we packed to leave he gave me a high five and headed home.
Last night, he was glued to me. I found out last week that both his mother and father physically abuse him, they yell at him rather than speaking to him and his father is very distant...when he's not hitting him. He was like a completely different kid last night. He did have some moments, but he sat right down beside me and actually listened to the lesson. As we sat there, he put both of his arms around my right arm and his head on my shoulder as he listened to the story of Joseph. Again, my comfort zone was BLOWN WIDE OPEN! In our culture, guys don't do that with men they don't really know...or with guys they DO know. (In Africa this is not unusual behavior for boys or men) But the Holy Spirit reminded me that this kid is SO hungry to get attention and that he needs to see how God loves him. So I sat there with him until we were through with the lesson. Honestly, it was amazing. This kid who was one of the main reasons I didn't want to do this is being knitted to me by God. It's very humbling because my attitude was, "I'll go, but I'm NOT going to deal with this Muhammad kid God, he's your problem to deal with!". I can see God smiling and saying, "Really?". Last night when it was time to go, I went to give him a high five and he asked for a hug. He also wanted to know when I was coming back. This is nothing less than an act of God. I'm excited about what He is doing and what He is going to do in and through us in Clarkston.
So that's the latest from Infusion, God is building relationships and connections in the least likely places. And my training in bridging the gap between Believers and Muslims has given me a new comfort level in interacting with the people of Clarkston.
Blessings,
Brandon
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Building Bridges
I signed up for a training course to learn how to reach Muslims. I really wasn't sure what to expect, I've studied apologetic and polemic arguments against Islam so I was thinking this might be a part of the strategy we would learn. What I learned required a paradigm shift in my thinking regarding who these people are and what they believe.
Instead of learning another technique to argue or convince someone into the kingdom, I learned about Muslims. How Islam became a religion, what the Qur'an says about Jesus, what the Qur'an says about the Bible, I learned about the Muslim culture and some of their mindsets that defy western reasoning. I also learned some things from the Bible that were very eye opening. What I learned about most of all was how to bridge the gap between Muslims and believers by focusing on the common ground we share in our faiths and unravelling the many false perceptions (on both sides) that keep us from sharing Jesus with them effectively.
I'm planning to use the next few posts to help me digest the volumes of information that I was exposed to this weekend.
I want to share some writings in the Qur'an that might pique some interest for you...it did for me.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy! Praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy, Master of the Day of Judgement. It is you we worship; it is You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path: the path of those You have blessed, those who incure no anger and who have not gone astray.
A devout Muslim will pray this 17 times per day. As believers, we know where the straight path is, and we are the blessed ones who incur no anger and have not gone astray. I'll expand on this in the next few posts.
Instead of learning another technique to argue or convince someone into the kingdom, I learned about Muslims. How Islam became a religion, what the Qur'an says about Jesus, what the Qur'an says about the Bible, I learned about the Muslim culture and some of their mindsets that defy western reasoning. I also learned some things from the Bible that were very eye opening. What I learned about most of all was how to bridge the gap between Muslims and believers by focusing on the common ground we share in our faiths and unravelling the many false perceptions (on both sides) that keep us from sharing Jesus with them effectively.
I'm planning to use the next few posts to help me digest the volumes of information that I was exposed to this weekend.
I want to share some writings in the Qur'an that might pique some interest for you...it did for me.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy! Praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy, Master of the Day of Judgement. It is you we worship; it is You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path: the path of those You have blessed, those who incure no anger and who have not gone astray.
A devout Muslim will pray this 17 times per day. As believers, we know where the straight path is, and we are the blessed ones who incur no anger and have not gone astray. I'll expand on this in the next few posts.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Infusion
Several months ago I sat down with Mark, the Men's Minister at our church, to chat. I shared with him about some of my church experiences and some of the things God's been teaching me over the years. During our conversation I told him about our trip to The L.A. Dream Center a few years ago and how it had impacted my thoughts of outreach and the church's role in the community. Mark's eyes lit up and he began to tell me about Infusion.
Infusion is an outreach ministry that our church has been doing for several years. On Monday nights we send out two teams that are primarily made up of high school and middle school students, we take them to two local apartment complexes. When we get to the apartments there are usually children from the complex waiting for our arrival. It's great to see them running to greet us as we pull into the parking lot.
After Mark explained what Infusion was he asked me if I'd like to go to Infusion with him the next Monday night. That next Monday we met and I rode to Clarkston with Mark. As we rode along we talked in more depth about the people that we would encounter in Clarkston. The Clarkston area has one of the largest Mosques in Atlanta and the population is predominantly Muslim. The apartment complex where we serve is predominantly made up of Somalian refugees, but the cultural mix is amazing because you'll find families from all over the world...Liberia, Bosnia, Asia, Africa, South and Central America.
A typical night for Infusion begins with playing games with the children for 45 minutes or so. Then we have a lesson time for about 15-20 minutes, we have a topic related craft that we'll do with the students for 15 minutes and then we finish up with some snacks...when I first heard about it I was somewhat interested, but it really sounded way too churchy for my taste. I liked the idea of ministering to this culturally diverse area, but the description of what we would be doing sounded alot like Sunday School on the road. The mental image of that made me want to puke!
So what's different about Infusion? Our purpose is to love these children. There are no strings attached, we're not hitting them with a 5 step outline or asking them to make a profession of faith every week. We teach them from the Bible, but we teach them some of the same stories that they read and know from the Qur'an. But for the most part, we're there to love them, to build relationships with them and their parents.
This is not my comfort zone..although I'm coming around very quickly. My outreach experience in the past consisted of prospect cards and the F.A.I.T.H. outline or knocking on doors, visiting with someone for 3 minutes and then asking them to accept Christ. I think what I liked about that down deep inside was that it was efficient...it didn't get very messy because you never really got involved in people's lives, their hurts, their dreams, their past or their hearts.
This kind of ministry takes time, it's not about making converts, it's about building relationships and making disciples. We hope to eventually start a church in that area for all of the people we see come to faith in Christ. But it will take time. There have been MANY churches that have tried and failed to reach the people in this area. Even as recently as this summer, a local church came in to do back yard Bible studies. They were there 2 days before they got kicked out by the management for causing trouble. The problem was, they decided to come into a place they had never been before to show "these people" that the religion they had grown up with was a lie...in two days!!! It wasn't their message that was flawed, it was their strategy. A missionary in the area told this church that they needed to do what we're doing, they felt like it was too much time spent for the return they might see...I'm not kidding. So we continue to love the people in their back yard. I have mixed emotions about that. It's sad that some of these local churches won't take the time to love their community. But, if they did we might not have the privilege of getting to know these wonderful people.
Ironically, I was the interim youth pastor at one of these local churches. When we tried to start ministering to the local apartment complexes, the people in the church were okay with it...until some of the people we were ministering to actually started coming to "our" church! That was the end of that. Even when we started a church very close to this area, a few of us tried to get an apartment ministry going, but there was just no heart for it in our people. It's just interesting to me that God had to take us to a church located in the suburbs to do effective ministry in Clarkston.
Several weeks ago I was asked if I would be interested in leading Infusion in Clarkston. It was one of those times that you already know the answer before the question is asked. Interestingly enough, Kenny, the guy who was heading up Infusion in Clarkston, moved to California to finish college. That's also how I became the interim youth pastor of that first church in the same area several years ago. Jonathan, the youth pastor, left to finish up seminary and I was asked to step in. So it seems that things have come full circle in these 5 years of trying to get a ministry started in Clarkston. I'm really excited about the things that God is going to do in Clarkston.
Blessings,
Brandon
Infusion is an outreach ministry that our church has been doing for several years. On Monday nights we send out two teams that are primarily made up of high school and middle school students, we take them to two local apartment complexes. When we get to the apartments there are usually children from the complex waiting for our arrival. It's great to see them running to greet us as we pull into the parking lot.
After Mark explained what Infusion was he asked me if I'd like to go to Infusion with him the next Monday night. That next Monday we met and I rode to Clarkston with Mark. As we rode along we talked in more depth about the people that we would encounter in Clarkston. The Clarkston area has one of the largest Mosques in Atlanta and the population is predominantly Muslim. The apartment complex where we serve is predominantly made up of Somalian refugees, but the cultural mix is amazing because you'll find families from all over the world...Liberia, Bosnia, Asia, Africa, South and Central America.
A typical night for Infusion begins with playing games with the children for 45 minutes or so. Then we have a lesson time for about 15-20 minutes, we have a topic related craft that we'll do with the students for 15 minutes and then we finish up with some snacks...when I first heard about it I was somewhat interested, but it really sounded way too churchy for my taste. I liked the idea of ministering to this culturally diverse area, but the description of what we would be doing sounded alot like Sunday School on the road. The mental image of that made me want to puke!
So what's different about Infusion? Our purpose is to love these children. There are no strings attached, we're not hitting them with a 5 step outline or asking them to make a profession of faith every week. We teach them from the Bible, but we teach them some of the same stories that they read and know from the Qur'an. But for the most part, we're there to love them, to build relationships with them and their parents.
This is not my comfort zone..although I'm coming around very quickly. My outreach experience in the past consisted of prospect cards and the F.A.I.T.H. outline or knocking on doors, visiting with someone for 3 minutes and then asking them to accept Christ. I think what I liked about that down deep inside was that it was efficient...it didn't get very messy because you never really got involved in people's lives, their hurts, their dreams, their past or their hearts.
This kind of ministry takes time, it's not about making converts, it's about building relationships and making disciples. We hope to eventually start a church in that area for all of the people we see come to faith in Christ. But it will take time. There have been MANY churches that have tried and failed to reach the people in this area. Even as recently as this summer, a local church came in to do back yard Bible studies. They were there 2 days before they got kicked out by the management for causing trouble. The problem was, they decided to come into a place they had never been before to show "these people" that the religion they had grown up with was a lie...in two days!!! It wasn't their message that was flawed, it was their strategy. A missionary in the area told this church that they needed to do what we're doing, they felt like it was too much time spent for the return they might see...I'm not kidding. So we continue to love the people in their back yard. I have mixed emotions about that. It's sad that some of these local churches won't take the time to love their community. But, if they did we might not have the privilege of getting to know these wonderful people.
Ironically, I was the interim youth pastor at one of these local churches. When we tried to start ministering to the local apartment complexes, the people in the church were okay with it...until some of the people we were ministering to actually started coming to "our" church! That was the end of that. Even when we started a church very close to this area, a few of us tried to get an apartment ministry going, but there was just no heart for it in our people. It's just interesting to me that God had to take us to a church located in the suburbs to do effective ministry in Clarkston.
Several weeks ago I was asked if I would be interested in leading Infusion in Clarkston. It was one of those times that you already know the answer before the question is asked. Interestingly enough, Kenny, the guy who was heading up Infusion in Clarkston, moved to California to finish college. That's also how I became the interim youth pastor of that first church in the same area several years ago. Jonathan, the youth pastor, left to finish up seminary and I was asked to step in. So it seems that things have come full circle in these 5 years of trying to get a ministry started in Clarkston. I'm really excited about the things that God is going to do in Clarkston.
Blessings,
Brandon
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
God and Disney World
I just got back from a week long trip to Walt Disney World with my family. I must confess that I had some reservations about going. Everyone we told about the trip said, "It's gonna be hot, crowded, expensive etc, etc." While it was all of those things, what I didn't expect was that it would be a trip that would open my eyes to so many things about myself and God.
On day one I showed up with everyone in tow ready to buckle down and take one for the team. What I quickly discovered was that this trip wasn't about doing my duty as a dad or husband! It was about my kids and our family getting focused on real life again. Fortunately it only took me 15 minutes of being there to see this and the rest of the trip was incredible.
What does this have to do with God? Well it occurred to me that I've been an adult too long. Too caught up in this world and all it's hustle and glitter and useless preoccupations. I'd forgotten how to dream dreams and how to delight in life, in people, in my family and in God. Somewhere along the way I allowed the world to so consumed me that I became WAY too serious and quite frankly boring. Never having any real quality time for the kids or to hang at home because of all the crap I thought was important. But all of the crap was just that...crap!
To stop and watch my children as their eyes lit up in wonder was transforming to me...you could see their child like heart with all it's pure dreams and wonder...not hindered by the cares and worries of the world. It was both inspiring and convicting at the same time. How many times have I doused the dreams and childlike thoughts of my kids with my all important preoccupations of work or schedules or whatever....not now, no time to just be...gotta take care of this first...gosh, kids just don't understand do they? Actually they do.
Today my pastor shared a story that some of you are probably familiar with-
Joshua Bell is the best of the best violinists in the world. An experiment was done in Washington D.C. where he played in a subway station as rush hour pedestrians walked by. Did they notice this musical genius playing his 3.5 million dollar violin? Nope, too busy. But notice who DID notice something worthy of stopping to listen.
Here's a quote from the article-
"A couple of minutes into it, something revealing happens. A woman and her preschooler emerge from the escalator. The woman is walking briskly and, therefore, so is the child. She's got his hand.
"I had a time crunch," recalls Sheron Parker, an IT director for a federal agency. "I had an 8:30 training class, and first I had to rush Evvie off to his teacher, then rush back to work, then to the training facility in the basement."
Evvie is her son, Evan. Evan is 3.
You can see Evan clearly on the video. He's the cute black kid in the parka who keeps twisting around to look at Joshua Bell, as he is being propelled toward the door.
"There was a musician," Parker says, "and my son was intrigued. He wanted to pull over and listen, but I was rushed for time."
So Parker does what she has to do. She deftly moves her body between Evan's and Bell's, cutting off her son's line of sight. As they exit the arcade, Evan can still be seen craning to look. When Parker is told what she walked out on, she laughs.
"Evan is very smart!"
The poet Billy Collins once laughingly observed that all babies are born with a knowledge of poetry, because the lub-dub of the mother's heart is in iambic meter. Then, Collins said, life slowly starts to choke the poetry out of us. It may be true with music, too."
Maybe it's true with the kingdom of God too. All around us are blessings and opportunities, poetry and music and the workings of God's kingdom. I don't want to miss it for the junk in life. I also don't want to be the one to kill my children's ability to see beauty. How many times have I had one of them by the hand and they want to stop to see something only to pull them away because the movie is going to start...God forbid we miss the previews!!! Or what if we don't get a good seat?!?! After all, when you've seen one flower you've seen them all!
This week I hope I learned something that will stay with me forever. Slow down and take in life rather than running through it. I'm sure I've missed so many things that God had for me because I'm so preoccupied...
Blessings,
Brandon
On day one I showed up with everyone in tow ready to buckle down and take one for the team. What I quickly discovered was that this trip wasn't about doing my duty as a dad or husband! It was about my kids and our family getting focused on real life again. Fortunately it only took me 15 minutes of being there to see this and the rest of the trip was incredible.
What does this have to do with God? Well it occurred to me that I've been an adult too long. Too caught up in this world and all it's hustle and glitter and useless preoccupations. I'd forgotten how to dream dreams and how to delight in life, in people, in my family and in God. Somewhere along the way I allowed the world to so consumed me that I became WAY too serious and quite frankly boring. Never having any real quality time for the kids or to hang at home because of all the crap I thought was important. But all of the crap was just that...crap!
To stop and watch my children as their eyes lit up in wonder was transforming to me...you could see their child like heart with all it's pure dreams and wonder...not hindered by the cares and worries of the world. It was both inspiring and convicting at the same time. How many times have I doused the dreams and childlike thoughts of my kids with my all important preoccupations of work or schedules or whatever....not now, no time to just be...gotta take care of this first...gosh, kids just don't understand do they? Actually they do.
Today my pastor shared a story that some of you are probably familiar with-
Joshua Bell is the best of the best violinists in the world. An experiment was done in Washington D.C. where he played in a subway station as rush hour pedestrians walked by. Did they notice this musical genius playing his 3.5 million dollar violin? Nope, too busy. But notice who DID notice something worthy of stopping to listen.
Here's a quote from the article-
"A couple of minutes into it, something revealing happens. A woman and her preschooler emerge from the escalator. The woman is walking briskly and, therefore, so is the child. She's got his hand.
"I had a time crunch," recalls Sheron Parker, an IT director for a federal agency. "I had an 8:30 training class, and first I had to rush Evvie off to his teacher, then rush back to work, then to the training facility in the basement."
Evvie is her son, Evan. Evan is 3.
You can see Evan clearly on the video. He's the cute black kid in the parka who keeps twisting around to look at Joshua Bell, as he is being propelled toward the door.
"There was a musician," Parker says, "and my son was intrigued. He wanted to pull over and listen, but I was rushed for time."
So Parker does what she has to do. She deftly moves her body between Evan's and Bell's, cutting off her son's line of sight. As they exit the arcade, Evan can still be seen craning to look. When Parker is told what she walked out on, she laughs.
"Evan is very smart!"
The poet Billy Collins once laughingly observed that all babies are born with a knowledge of poetry, because the lub-dub of the mother's heart is in iambic meter. Then, Collins said, life slowly starts to choke the poetry out of us. It may be true with music, too."
Maybe it's true with the kingdom of God too. All around us are blessings and opportunities, poetry and music and the workings of God's kingdom. I don't want to miss it for the junk in life. I also don't want to be the one to kill my children's ability to see beauty. How many times have I had one of them by the hand and they want to stop to see something only to pull them away because the movie is going to start...God forbid we miss the previews!!! Or what if we don't get a good seat?!?! After all, when you've seen one flower you've seen them all!
This week I hope I learned something that will stay with me forever. Slow down and take in life rather than running through it. I'm sure I've missed so many things that God had for me because I'm so preoccupied...
Blessings,
Brandon
Monday, June 9, 2008
communion
I've been thinking about communion and what Paul has to say about it in 1Corinthians 11:27-34. I've always been taught, and believed, that people were not to take communion if they were not Christians. This has been of particular concern to me where children are involved. I'm not sure what a child thinks when their parent forbids them to participate in communion for fear of the instructions Paul gave to the church in Corinth. But, like many doctrines I've been taught and just accepted as fact because of who was teaching me, the text from 1Corinthians11 seems to indicate that this is more about an attitude rather than being a believer or not.
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment.
Isn't communion to be a time of reflection on what Christ has done through the sacrifice of the body and the blood? I don't see how a child, who may not fully understand sin, cannot still reflect on Christ's love for them and partake in communion. Here's another thought. Not sure about other denominations but the Baptists believe in the "age of accountability"...still searching the scriptures for where that comes from and I'm sure that's another thread...But, IF a child is unsaved without an understanding of sin are they not considered innocent if they have yet to reach this "age of accountability"? Then my question would again be, why not let them participate?
I really didn't mean to get caught up in the issue of children being allowed to participate in communion. I mainly was thinking about when any lost person shows up where communion is being given and they are told they should not participate in communion because of what !Cor11 says. Is the instruction from Paul more about our attitude toward Christ's sacrifice and an honest evaluation of ourselves? Could our presumption that we are worthy of partaking in communion because of a profession of faith in 1999 be an example of partaking in an unworthy manner?
My goal in this discussion is to dispel legalism and traditions of man to figure out what God says about this.
Blessings,
Brandon
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment.
Isn't communion to be a time of reflection on what Christ has done through the sacrifice of the body and the blood? I don't see how a child, who may not fully understand sin, cannot still reflect on Christ's love for them and partake in communion. Here's another thought. Not sure about other denominations but the Baptists believe in the "age of accountability"...still searching the scriptures for where that comes from and I'm sure that's another thread...But, IF a child is unsaved without an understanding of sin are they not considered innocent if they have yet to reach this "age of accountability"? Then my question would again be, why not let them participate?
I really didn't mean to get caught up in the issue of children being allowed to participate in communion. I mainly was thinking about when any lost person shows up where communion is being given and they are told they should not participate in communion because of what !Cor11 says. Is the instruction from Paul more about our attitude toward Christ's sacrifice and an honest evaluation of ourselves? Could our presumption that we are worthy of partaking in communion because of a profession of faith in 1999 be an example of partaking in an unworthy manner?
My goal in this discussion is to dispel legalism and traditions of man to figure out what God says about this.
Blessings,
Brandon
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Thinking about discipleship
When I first began my walk with Christ I was fortunate to have a man offer to disciple me. I admired Ken for many reasons at the time (and more today) and he has been there for the major milestones in my walk with God. I can still pick up the phone any day or time and he's there. But there has been some distance (geographical) in the past several years and that has taken a toll on our ability to interact as frequently as I would like.
I was talking to our highschool student pastor (Brian) the other day about discipling and being discipled. Over the past several weeks or even months I've really been desiring for God to build another mentor relationship in my life. There have been several times lately that I'll meet with someone older (both in the faith and in years) for fellowship...I think part of me hoped that each of these "meetings" might be the beginning of a new opportunity to receive some good discipling. But to my surprise, it's been me challenging them.
Now I don't say that to build up my (or anyone else's) image of me. I say that to voice the frustration that I'm feeling. I know, I know...it's a blessing to be able to challenge someone else and see them start to ask questions and dig for themselves. And I'm not trying to discount the value and blessing in that. As I write these thoughts out I wonder if I'm just being selfish. Anyway, during my visit with Brian I got the number for a man named Mark at our church who helps in connecting mentor/mentee relationships. Here's the funny thing. I honestly expected to contact Mark, give him my name and vitals and have him introduce me to someone that I would click with...like he's running some kinda' spiritual EHarmony ministry or something.
Fortunately (and unfortunately) Mark said what I knew to be true from trying to coordinate this in our last church. You simply cannot manufacture true, Spirit ordained mentor relationships. Anticlimactic huh? But he's right and I new that before I ever spoke to him. I'm not really sure what's next. I know all the standard answers, pray, fast, go to church functions and build relationships...I wasn't looking for my friendship with Ken when it began, God just did it.
So I'm not really sure there's a point to this post, other than the fact that I've been thinking about discipleship.
Blessings,
Brandon
I was talking to our highschool student pastor (Brian) the other day about discipling and being discipled. Over the past several weeks or even months I've really been desiring for God to build another mentor relationship in my life. There have been several times lately that I'll meet with someone older (both in the faith and in years) for fellowship...I think part of me hoped that each of these "meetings" might be the beginning of a new opportunity to receive some good discipling. But to my surprise, it's been me challenging them.
Now I don't say that to build up my (or anyone else's) image of me. I say that to voice the frustration that I'm feeling. I know, I know...it's a blessing to be able to challenge someone else and see them start to ask questions and dig for themselves. And I'm not trying to discount the value and blessing in that. As I write these thoughts out I wonder if I'm just being selfish. Anyway, during my visit with Brian I got the number for a man named Mark at our church who helps in connecting mentor/mentee relationships. Here's the funny thing. I honestly expected to contact Mark, give him my name and vitals and have him introduce me to someone that I would click with...like he's running some kinda' spiritual EHarmony ministry or something.
Fortunately (and unfortunately) Mark said what I knew to be true from trying to coordinate this in our last church. You simply cannot manufacture true, Spirit ordained mentor relationships. Anticlimactic huh? But he's right and I new that before I ever spoke to him. I'm not really sure what's next. I know all the standard answers, pray, fast, go to church functions and build relationships...I wasn't looking for my friendship with Ken when it began, God just did it.
So I'm not really sure there's a point to this post, other than the fact that I've been thinking about discipleship.
Blessings,
Brandon
So it's not a new direction
I was just re-reading my posts and got to the first one about a new direction...now I'm not sure why I deleted the old blog. I still have many of the same questions and issues to think and write through. My faith is the core of who I am and this is just one part of the process of growing and maturing. I suppose this is a disclaimer of sorts. Not that I plan on becoming overly harsh or slanderous...I just plan to be very candid about who I am and where I am in my walk with The Lord and His call on my life to serve Him. Whatever that means.
I'm posting this today because I've come to the realization that I still have issues. If you know me this is no big surprise! I can hear my sis-in-law laughing out, "No kidding!?".
So I guess this is sort of a do over on the idea of a new direction. I'll finish the old direction and then move on from there. Hopefully!
Blessings,
Brandon
I'm posting this today because I've come to the realization that I still have issues. If you know me this is no big surprise! I can hear my sis-in-law laughing out, "No kidding!?".
So I guess this is sort of a do over on the idea of a new direction. I'll finish the old direction and then move on from there. Hopefully!
Blessings,
Brandon
Friday, May 23, 2008
Truth in relationship
Alan over at Assembling of the Church posted an excellent article entitled, Running from God.
I didn't grow up in church, but several years in ministry have taught me many of the same lessons about church that the young man in Alan's blog learned.
I particularly identify with this thought-"He was taught that questioning his leaders was the same as questioning God, and disagreeing with his leaders was the same as rebelling against God."
On Wednesday I spoke to a lady from the church we (Heather and I) helped start a few years ago. She was sharing with me about some struggles she's been having in her personal life and her relationship with a family member. During the course of our conversation, she said that she would never question God regarding her life circumstances. Yet, she was okay with telling me how she really felt. As we talked I began to see that for her, to ask God "why" would be unthinkable, as if questioning Him would invoke His wrath against her.
Where does this concept come from? To some degree I believe the church is to blame. During my time in this particular church I had many people come to me asking tough questions about leadership and the direction of the church. But none of these folks ever approached the pastor. I thought that was silly...until I started asking him questions. I wasn't badgering him, just asking the same basic questions the people had been asking me because I really didn't have any good explanations for their concerns. Apparently I was rather naive in my willingness to ask the questions because that's when the honeymoon ended.
I'm not looking to go into every aspect of that though. My point is this. If the leadership of your church isn't open to being questioned or simply asked why we do X,Y or Z. My question is, why?
Blessings,
Brandon
I didn't grow up in church, but several years in ministry have taught me many of the same lessons about church that the young man in Alan's blog learned.
I particularly identify with this thought-"He was taught that questioning his leaders was the same as questioning God, and disagreeing with his leaders was the same as rebelling against God."
On Wednesday I spoke to a lady from the church we (Heather and I) helped start a few years ago. She was sharing with me about some struggles she's been having in her personal life and her relationship with a family member. During the course of our conversation, she said that she would never question God regarding her life circumstances. Yet, she was okay with telling me how she really felt. As we talked I began to see that for her, to ask God "why" would be unthinkable, as if questioning Him would invoke His wrath against her.
Where does this concept come from? To some degree I believe the church is to blame. During my time in this particular church I had many people come to me asking tough questions about leadership and the direction of the church. But none of these folks ever approached the pastor. I thought that was silly...until I started asking him questions. I wasn't badgering him, just asking the same basic questions the people had been asking me because I really didn't have any good explanations for their concerns. Apparently I was rather naive in my willingness to ask the questions because that's when the honeymoon ended.
I'm not looking to go into every aspect of that though. My point is this. If the leadership of your church isn't open to being questioned or simply asked why we do X,Y or Z. My question is, why?
Blessings,
Brandon
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sacrifice for what's real
Matthew 11:2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?"
I remember when I first sensed a call to ministry. One of the first times I prayed about it I remember distinctly telling God that IF He was calling me to ministry, I wanted it to be radical ministry…the last thing the world needs is “just another church”. I’m pretty sure I had no idea what I was asking for. But I think my desire was to be a part of something real, something honest, something true to God’s word, and something that is life changing…a place where real live testimonies of God’s grace and miraculous power worship Him in Spirit and in truth. A church that would be a lighthouse to the community in which God placed it…not because of the steeple, the marquee out front, the facility or the programs, but because the lives of people in that community were impacted and changed by God through His Church.
I would sacrifice much for a church like that. I think John is saying the same thing…”Hey, I’m about to lay it all out here…You are the real One right?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 6 "And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."
It’s interesting that Jesus answers with scripture but He also tells the disciples to tell John what they themselves have seen and heard. I want to be a part of a church that is firmly grounded in the word of God with a knowledge of the scriptures and discipleship at its core. But that alone is not adequate. I’m not interested in a simply cognitive faith, and that alone will not sell to the next generation or radically change lives either. While it’s vital that we be grounded by the word of God, we must live out His word experientially day by day. Otherwise the bible is just a history book of what God did...not what He does. I would sacrifice much for a church like that, but I’m not interested in just another church…been there, done that.
I remember when I first sensed a call to ministry. One of the first times I prayed about it I remember distinctly telling God that IF He was calling me to ministry, I wanted it to be radical ministry…the last thing the world needs is “just another church”. I’m pretty sure I had no idea what I was asking for. But I think my desire was to be a part of something real, something honest, something true to God’s word, and something that is life changing…a place where real live testimonies of God’s grace and miraculous power worship Him in Spirit and in truth. A church that would be a lighthouse to the community in which God placed it…not because of the steeple, the marquee out front, the facility or the programs, but because the lives of people in that community were impacted and changed by God through His Church.
I would sacrifice much for a church like that. I think John is saying the same thing…”Hey, I’m about to lay it all out here…You are the real One right?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 6 "And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."
It’s interesting that Jesus answers with scripture but He also tells the disciples to tell John what they themselves have seen and heard. I want to be a part of a church that is firmly grounded in the word of God with a knowledge of the scriptures and discipleship at its core. But that alone is not adequate. I’m not interested in a simply cognitive faith, and that alone will not sell to the next generation or radically change lives either. While it’s vital that we be grounded by the word of God, we must live out His word experientially day by day. Otherwise the bible is just a history book of what God did...not what He does. I would sacrifice much for a church like that, but I’m not interested in just another church…been there, done that.
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