Week 9 (I think?)
It finds me reading two excellent books recommended by others.
First book The Apostolic Congregation: Church Growth Reconceived for a New Generation.
Its classic George Hunter III.
His earlier books How to Reach Secular People and The Celtic Way of Evangelism were ahead of his time, this one brings his thinking right to the 21st century and worth reading.
The second book Switch:How To Change Things When Change Is Hard @ Chip & Dan Heath.
Like their first book Made To Stick, this book follows the same formula - insightful leadership thinking surrounded by interesting stories and examples.
If my leadership blog this week is weak in content - its not weak in its wisdom. Read these two books and enjoy strong and wise content.
See you next week with a little longer blog.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Week 11 - you don't make camp on a bridge!
Week 8 and I wonder why people who read words like 'deconstruction' or 'emergent', always seem to attack from the position of they being the only ones who know the Bible. Ever notice that. Ever read the responses to the blogs I've written on new thoughts, new ways of thinking; raising questions about faith, church and life! Ouch folks.
Everybody seems to think they know the Bible, and anyone questioning or bringing any new thoughts seems to have thrown the Bible away and seems to know nothing about it. As for honoring the Word or maybe even believing the Word as God's truth- it seems that anyone with questions or some new thoughts doesn't!
But people need to engage more intelligently and perhaps elegantly with what's happening rather than so emotively. There is a sacredness in questioning (title of a pretty good book!).
Surely the most anti-deconstructionist/"has it all in a nice box Christian" must agree that what Christianity looks like today is very different that 1st or 2nd century Christianity.
Surely.
What wise questioners and/or revisionists are saying is - the building on top is a 19th or 20th century building ...but today is the 21st century - this necessitates change.
11am Sunday services - began in the late 19th and 20th century?
Baptism by immersion .....when did that start?...remembering that 60% of Christians hold to paedobaptism not believers baptism!
Formal church memberships?
The Sunday School movement .....19th century invention!
Church buildings?
Organ music to hymns.?
Dispensationalism - first 18 centuries didn't have that going ...built by a couple of English separatists!
Or, when did we quit the holy kiss?
When did we quit sharing our possessions with everyone else?
What happened that women quit long hair; what happened that we quit ........ ??
Most people are with me to this stage ...hard to argue against history. We have to accept that some of what we believe is more what we prefer ...but to some extent that's OK
But then it gets harder for some people to stay with the debate, but in truth again its historic.
When did the Gospel become individual instead of the communal/corporate theology of the New Testament?
When did it become formulaic ... 'say this prayer and you're saved'; 'learn the 4 steps to peace'; 'do the roman road' ......is all this really true to New Testament teaching?
Surely the New Testament gospel has a solid emphasis on 'following' rather than checking boxes, or raising a hand? One is "built" on top of the Scriptures; one is within Scripture.
We could go on .....but critics need to be honest to history. So much of what revisionists are dialogue-ing on is about stuff that is not in the text ...but our add ons, preferences, cultural expressions/representation.
If liberals cut parts out of the text, many conservatists/fundamentalists have added too much into the text.
Both are wrong.
Both have strong reasons why they've done what they've done - but both are wrong.
Now what would be clearly wrong is for any revisionist to say what we/they are doing is now the only right reading of the text.
But let me pull this blog over. A core quality of a leader is to define reality - even if that reality is on how the historic Scriptures have been mishandled in the 20th century.
Of course - revisionists have to stand on the bridge of 20th century interpretation as they stood on the bridge of 19th century interpretation. It's not a new bridge that's needed, we just need to keep moving along on the bridge.
But that's bridges - we use them to keep moving forward.
You don't make camp on a bridge.
Everybody seems to think they know the Bible, and anyone questioning or bringing any new thoughts seems to have thrown the Bible away and seems to know nothing about it. As for honoring the Word or maybe even believing the Word as God's truth- it seems that anyone with questions or some new thoughts doesn't!
But people need to engage more intelligently and perhaps elegantly with what's happening rather than so emotively. There is a sacredness in questioning (title of a pretty good book!).
Surely the most anti-deconstructionist/"has it all in a nice box Christian" must agree that what Christianity looks like today is very different that 1st or 2nd century Christianity.
Surely.
What wise questioners and/or revisionists are saying is - the building on top is a 19th or 20th century building ...but today is the 21st century - this necessitates change.
11am Sunday services - began in the late 19th and 20th century?
Baptism by immersion .....when did that start?...remembering that 60% of Christians hold to paedobaptism not believers baptism!
Formal church memberships?
The Sunday School movement .....19th century invention!
Church buildings?
Organ music to hymns.?
Dispensationalism - first 18 centuries didn't have that going ...built by a couple of English separatists!
Or, when did we quit the holy kiss?
When did we quit sharing our possessions with everyone else?
What happened that women quit long hair; what happened that we quit ........ ??
Most people are with me to this stage ...hard to argue against history. We have to accept that some of what we believe is more what we prefer ...but to some extent that's OK
But then it gets harder for some people to stay with the debate, but in truth again its historic.
When did the Gospel become individual instead of the communal/corporate theology of the New Testament?
When did it become formulaic ... 'say this prayer and you're saved'; 'learn the 4 steps to peace'; 'do the roman road' ......is all this really true to New Testament teaching?
Surely the New Testament gospel has a solid emphasis on 'following' rather than checking boxes, or raising a hand? One is "built" on top of the Scriptures; one is within Scripture.
We could go on .....but critics need to be honest to history. So much of what revisionists are dialogue-ing on is about stuff that is not in the text ...but our add ons, preferences, cultural expressions/representation.
If liberals cut parts out of the text, many conservatists/fundamentalists have added too much into the text.
Both are wrong.
Both have strong reasons why they've done what they've done - but both are wrong.
Now what would be clearly wrong is for any revisionist to say what we/they are doing is now the only right reading of the text.
But let me pull this blog over. A core quality of a leader is to define reality - even if that reality is on how the historic Scriptures have been mishandled in the 20th century.
Of course - revisionists have to stand on the bridge of 20th century interpretation as they stood on the bridge of 19th century interpretation. It's not a new bridge that's needed, we just need to keep moving along on the bridge.
But that's bridges - we use them to keep moving forward.
You don't make camp on a bridge.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Something extra - from Bart Campolo
I just posted this on my Musings of a Scottish Pastor blog (http://www.scottishpastormusings.blogspot.com/).
Found it just what I needed to read today. Maybe you will as well.
It's an email from my friend Bart Campolo (he's coming to Redeemer's Church on Sunday April 18 to preach at our services - great Sunday). He works in the projects of Cincinnati and he sent out this email today:
Dear Friends,
As much as she doesn’t belong there, I almost left Denise in jail. The $400 it cost to get her out is a lot of money, after all, especially for a woman surviving on food stamps in a $25 per month HUD apartment our fellowship covers to keep her off the street. Then again, we cover it because we know she’s too sick and disabled to work, let alone do jail time.
Of course, as a taxpayer I understand the county’s case against Denise, whose three kids were raised entirely on county funds despite the fact that neither parent ever paid a dollar in child support. I understand why they want the more than $15,000 she still owes, and why they call it contempt of court when she is consistently unable to pay even her $65 monthly minimum. What I don’t understand is why the judge continues her case every few months, even though it’s obvious she’s permanently broke, or how it helps anyone to lock her up for missing one of those countless court dates, like they did last week.
“I can’t do this, Bart!” she wailed into the phone. Just the night before we had celebrated her long-awaited return to our Monday night dinner, after she nearly died of pancreatitis. Now she was worried about having to move too much, and losing sleep, and missing her medications. “I’m gonna die in here,” she cried.
I felt sorry for her, of course, but I also felt frustrated and angry with her. After all the time fellowship folks have spent hustling around for her these past few years, and all the money we’ve spent on her rent and prescriptions and household needs, and all the phone calls and application forms and letters and hospital visits, how could Denise mess everything up by forgetting her court date? Forget becoming an addict and abandoning her kids in the first place; I almost left someone I claim to love in jail for the higher crime of stupidly inconveniencing me once too often.
Or maybe I almost left her there because I couldn’t stand the thought of having to listen to Denise whine and complain and blame everybody but herself for her troubles all the way home. Maybe I’m just up to here with people telling me about how it was the boss’s fault they got fired, or the teacher’s fault they got suspended, or their friend’s fault they got arrested, or their lawyer’s fault they got convicted, or their landlord’s fault they got evicted, or the minister’s fault they quit going to church.
In any case, the next morning I paid the purge order, drove down to the county jail, and gritted my teeth as Denise got into my car. And then it happened.
“Bart,” she said, “As soon as they told me I was getting out, I knew it was y’all that did it. And I’m just so thankful that I have this fellowship family that does so much for me. But all last night I was laying there feeling sorry for myself, and I got to thinking how all of this is my own fault, and how it wasn’t anybody else’s job to remind me of my court dates or take me to them or anything. I know I told you I couldn’t do it, but I was wrong. If I had to stay there for a week or a month, I decided I wasn’t gonna complain or blame anybody, I was just gonna pray to God and hang on. It was me that put me in this situation, not you or nobody else.”
To me, it was a pure miracle. My frustration, my anger, all gone in an instant. That was all I wanted, I suddenly realized. That’s all most of us want, most of the time, Almighty God included. Not perfection. Not even close to perfection. All we really want is for the people in our lives—our friends, our spouses, our children—to just take responsibility when they let us down. We can put up with a lot, we can forgive a lot, and we can help with a lot, and even do it with a smile most of the time, if only the person who blows it is just willing to admit that they are the person who blew it, not us, not somebody else. That, mixed together with a little genuine gratitude…my God, it is the jet fuel of compassion, the wonder drug for an ailing love.
I didn’t drive Denise straight home. I took her out to lunch first.
Sincerely,
Bart
Just stirred me - hope it has you.
Found it just what I needed to read today. Maybe you will as well.
It's an email from my friend Bart Campolo (he's coming to Redeemer's Church on Sunday April 18 to preach at our services - great Sunday). He works in the projects of Cincinnati and he sent out this email today:
Dear Friends,
As much as she doesn’t belong there, I almost left Denise in jail. The $400 it cost to get her out is a lot of money, after all, especially for a woman surviving on food stamps in a $25 per month HUD apartment our fellowship covers to keep her off the street. Then again, we cover it because we know she’s too sick and disabled to work, let alone do jail time.
Of course, as a taxpayer I understand the county’s case against Denise, whose three kids were raised entirely on county funds despite the fact that neither parent ever paid a dollar in child support. I understand why they want the more than $15,000 she still owes, and why they call it contempt of court when she is consistently unable to pay even her $65 monthly minimum. What I don’t understand is why the judge continues her case every few months, even though it’s obvious she’s permanently broke, or how it helps anyone to lock her up for missing one of those countless court dates, like they did last week.
“I can’t do this, Bart!” she wailed into the phone. Just the night before we had celebrated her long-awaited return to our Monday night dinner, after she nearly died of pancreatitis. Now she was worried about having to move too much, and losing sleep, and missing her medications. “I’m gonna die in here,” she cried.
I felt sorry for her, of course, but I also felt frustrated and angry with her. After all the time fellowship folks have spent hustling around for her these past few years, and all the money we’ve spent on her rent and prescriptions and household needs, and all the phone calls and application forms and letters and hospital visits, how could Denise mess everything up by forgetting her court date? Forget becoming an addict and abandoning her kids in the first place; I almost left someone I claim to love in jail for the higher crime of stupidly inconveniencing me once too often.
Or maybe I almost left her there because I couldn’t stand the thought of having to listen to Denise whine and complain and blame everybody but herself for her troubles all the way home. Maybe I’m just up to here with people telling me about how it was the boss’s fault they got fired, or the teacher’s fault they got suspended, or their friend’s fault they got arrested, or their lawyer’s fault they got convicted, or their landlord’s fault they got evicted, or the minister’s fault they quit going to church.
In any case, the next morning I paid the purge order, drove down to the county jail, and gritted my teeth as Denise got into my car. And then it happened.
“Bart,” she said, “As soon as they told me I was getting out, I knew it was y’all that did it. And I’m just so thankful that I have this fellowship family that does so much for me. But all last night I was laying there feeling sorry for myself, and I got to thinking how all of this is my own fault, and how it wasn’t anybody else’s job to remind me of my court dates or take me to them or anything. I know I told you I couldn’t do it, but I was wrong. If I had to stay there for a week or a month, I decided I wasn’t gonna complain or blame anybody, I was just gonna pray to God and hang on. It was me that put me in this situation, not you or nobody else.”
To me, it was a pure miracle. My frustration, my anger, all gone in an instant. That was all I wanted, I suddenly realized. That’s all most of us want, most of the time, Almighty God included. Not perfection. Not even close to perfection. All we really want is for the people in our lives—our friends, our spouses, our children—to just take responsibility when they let us down. We can put up with a lot, we can forgive a lot, and we can help with a lot, and even do it with a smile most of the time, if only the person who blows it is just willing to admit that they are the person who blew it, not us, not somebody else. That, mixed together with a little genuine gratitude…my God, it is the jet fuel of compassion, the wonder drug for an ailing love.
I didn’t drive Denise straight home. I took her out to lunch first.
Sincerely,
Bart
Just stirred me - hope it has you.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Week 7 - because I seem to have lost Week 6!
Week 6 - or have I missed it?
I think maybe I have.
I think this is Week 7.
Where did week 6 go to?
Yep, often I fail on the leadership level because I let days/weeks slip and I can't account for what's happened during that time! I just get busy. On a day to day basis I would say that I worked hard and it was all about serving as a church leader/teacher; I would say it's all about the Kingdom of God; at the end of every day I would say I worked really hard towards the vision of our church and our lives -but then I get to my blog and I've missed a week due to "being busy" and I makes me take a personal audit on was my busy really serving God and intentional in outworking the building and extending of the Kingdom of God.
So - welcome to Week 7.
I'm sitting in Stockton, CA listening to the story of Jeff Kristenson who has led exciting transformation in South Valley Community Church, Lemoore, CA.
As I listen to the classic story of moving an inward focused, politic playing, committee led church existing for itself to an outward focused, church existing for lost people, Kingdom of God extending healthy church.
Brilliant story and brilliant leadership.
But as I sit and listen what excites me is the ongoing vision to see more growth. Jeff is not plateauing. Jeff is not content with the 1000 people they have attending (it was 117 ten years ago when Jeff arrived); Jeff and his team yearn for greater impact for the Kingdom of God.
This is true leadership.
This is exciting.
"The appetite grows with the eating" .....might be a French proverb, but it reflects the heart and reality of effective leaders.
As you eat growth - through all the hard work, sweat, praying, thinking that goes with this - your appetite for more growth only grows. As you eat growth, you desire more.
Jesus beat the French to this proverb. Regularly Jesus spoke about to those who have more more will be asked of - or ....to those who grow their talents - more talents will be given to them, or ....Luke 6 "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap."
Is this not the same.
So, forgive me losing of Week 6. May Week 7 inspire you to eat growth, kingdom, Gospel growth.
I think maybe I have.
I think this is Week 7.
Where did week 6 go to?
Yep, often I fail on the leadership level because I let days/weeks slip and I can't account for what's happened during that time! I just get busy. On a day to day basis I would say that I worked hard and it was all about serving as a church leader/teacher; I would say it's all about the Kingdom of God; at the end of every day I would say I worked really hard towards the vision of our church and our lives -but then I get to my blog and I've missed a week due to "being busy" and I makes me take a personal audit on was my busy really serving God and intentional in outworking the building and extending of the Kingdom of God.
So - welcome to Week 7.
I'm sitting in Stockton, CA listening to the story of Jeff Kristenson who has led exciting transformation in South Valley Community Church, Lemoore, CA.
As I listen to the classic story of moving an inward focused, politic playing, committee led church existing for itself to an outward focused, church existing for lost people, Kingdom of God extending healthy church.
Brilliant story and brilliant leadership.
But as I sit and listen what excites me is the ongoing vision to see more growth. Jeff is not plateauing. Jeff is not content with the 1000 people they have attending (it was 117 ten years ago when Jeff arrived); Jeff and his team yearn for greater impact for the Kingdom of God.
This is true leadership.
This is exciting.
"The appetite grows with the eating" .....might be a French proverb, but it reflects the heart and reality of effective leaders.
As you eat growth - through all the hard work, sweat, praying, thinking that goes with this - your appetite for more growth only grows. As you eat growth, you desire more.
Jesus beat the French to this proverb. Regularly Jesus spoke about to those who have more more will be asked of - or ....to those who grow their talents - more talents will be given to them, or ....Luke 6 "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap."
Is this not the same.
So, forgive me losing of Week 6. May Week 7 inspire you to eat growth, kingdom, Gospel growth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
