Out On a Limb

Plowshares

2009-11-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

Today. Today I "got to" reconnect with an old friend, from childhood and adolescence, from those days we don't often go. A friend with whom is a complex past, almost too ancient to recall the details. The person across from me was the same (same whit, same coy ability to laugh at himself and with others), and yet different (settled, mature, having already wrestled the demons, has his limp that makes him humble and filled with grace for others). Our paths divided - but somehow we grew up, came to a place of respect and reconciling mistakes of youth, put the dysfunctions of the past to rest without minimizing them or neglecting the positive, allowing time's salve to do its work and bring about healing, peace and the unthinkable, something I didn't expect: the restoration of respect, peace, good will and possibly even admiration.

This is rare. Usually people (not that I would ever do such a thing, tisk, tisk ...that's dry humor for those black and white friends) harbor and use it as the scape for the ills at present forever. What's amazing is that it took so long, but as this friend said, "No, it was the right amount of time for this, to reach this place." My friend is right. With age comes wisdom, not to always avoid mistakes, but to recognize and repent, reconcile and restore faster, and to give grace to others who have been and are as wounded as we are, as we navigate life - which so rarely works out as we planned.

Thank you friend. You model grace in a way that only Christ can do. See you around.

"Lord, when did we see you sick?"

2009-11-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Susanne shared about a fellow who came into her work. He has a son with a chronic disease, and it is accompanied by chronic pain. He earns a good living and has insurance. BUT, the insurance company is wanting to raise the premiums [business speak for make the premiums so high and painful that you "go away" so as they don't spend money on you... it is a business for profit afterall.] because the medication he is on to continually manage the pain contains a small percentage of morphine. Therefore, they've asked their son to take less effective prescriptions [business speak for live with CONSTANT PAIN every moment of your life] that do not contain morphine, so the entire family can remain insured.

This morning, my neighbor shared he was going to the doctor and worried about the cost, the prescriptions forthcoming. You see, he makes about $49K/anum. His medical insurance premium is 10% of his gross income. This is before the bill for seeing the doctor, tests, prescriptions, deductible, etc. He and his wife work, earn decent wages, pay the bills, love their kids. You get it - you, me, us.

THEN I heard a fellow on the radio - he complained he had to pay 13K for his insurance/anum. He has the "Cadillac" insurance option where everything is covered, including premium optional procedures [business snob speak for beauty vanity plastic surgery]. He is in the top 1% of American income households in the nation. He was whining about how unfair it is for him to pay so much, and how it is unfair for him to pay for others and ranting about the unfair Obama socialist medical plans".

Hmmm. You know, I don't know which plan is best, which system. I know the ills of the US government run [read special interest hog fest] systems of anything. I also know the sins of greed run American business, such as the pharmaceutical industry. Don't whine at me... I know the complexities of developing medicines. I also know the sins of those associated with these industries are going for the Darwinian choices they make in who gets their cures and who doesn't, the prices and the egregious profit margins. I also know of the sins of the insurance companies and their devilish profit margins as they tell people no, treat them purely as economic transactions.

I don't know if a co-op system is better than a government socialist system. I do know I lived under three and they worked fine for me - did you hear me: THREE different nations. It was fine. I also watched my own mother go from hospital to rehab center, back to hospital and back to rehab... WEEKS of care at UNBELIEVABLE costs. She didn't choose anyone other than her normal GP. All others were chosen for her based upon where she was for what. Sounds like the socialist approach worked fine.

I don't know if the health care system can be rehabilitated or not - not when the special interest industry will spend BILLIONS to make sure they protect their "special interests". I do know that the lowest number I've seen is 18K/anum, but I've also seen up to 40K/anum die because they cannot access health care, and/or the insurance industry has cut them loose to die: "I'm sorry Mr. Smith. I wish there was something we could do." DO? Like maybe spend a buck, lower the profit margin by 1% and save thousands of lives!

So, as the wealthy people I know suck up to Rush Limbaugh as he spews hate and even accuses the President of intentionally wanting to destroy America, [No, I'm not kidding.] and cling to fear, as they spend untold expendable dollars, my neighbor will scramble to pay for going to the hospital after being sick for a month. The fellow who came into Susanne's work will hold his son as he cries from the unbearable pain, and Jesus will weep and then rage in fury because the church, the US church, could make it right with our money, with our political vote, with our voice. Instead, the most visible church is amongst the wealthy in America and it is protecting its interests. I pray they don't become like the fellow with his chronically ill son, or my neighbor, and certainly not like the poor.

Before you blast me out of the water, as you jet off to your holiday, consider my words, spoken in conviction, yes-some anger, and in tears:

Before we wrestle the merits of which health care system (ideology/philosophy) we need to pursue, we need to wrestle with why we are against one or the other. Is greed, selfishness, "mine" in our equation of deciding. Are we just wanting bigger barns? Are we wanting extravogent levels of lifestyle, and will what we're talking about really change the lifestyle of those affected? The guy who pays $13K/anum, versus the neighbor who pays 10% of his income before the associated deductibles, etc.: What is the percentile of $13K of several million? If his insurance was doubled, would he even skip going to a top star restaurant one night? Uhm, no.

One CANNOT claim to be a Jesus follower if one does not act, see, think, feel and long to be like Him. I'm not talking about the mortal sins - but the greed, the selfishness, the individualism as well. It is dangerous to name oneself a Jesus follower who is saying "following in the ways of Jesus" and dismiss His words. So as we wrestle what the heck to do with healthcare, what stance do we take as followers of Christ, what and how do we engage and interact in this hugely important and very, very expensive area of our complex technical world (be it socialized or not), we must heed and have the Spirit of God in how we form our convictions and what we say and determine where we stand. So, as we wrestle what to do, our posture comes first. Our decision to be worldly or Godly must be decided before we wrestle systems that work in the 21st century.

Let us practice Lexio Divina with these passages:
1. Lord, when did we see you sick?
2. Unless you do this to the least of these...
3. The last shall be first, the first shall be last...
4. I came to proclaim salvation to the poor...
5. Don't store up treasures in barns...where it rusts...store it up in heaven...
6. Imitate Christ.

Just how would Jesus vote? Really?

Lowering Expectations & Raising them - the church centred on mission...

2009-11-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, Chris McKenzie posted a great article on his Facebook Page . You should have a read:

A Warning List for Those Who Would Join a Missional Church Gathering

Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 5:20am

Heaven knows that Mosaic has had its fair share of challenges establishing itself as a viable, thriving church community over the years. There are enough reasons, theories and rational explanations to write a book on the common variables Mosaic shares with many fresh expressions of church (wait... hundreds of books have already been written on the subject); these variables have, for better or worse, shaped Mosaic into the delicate yet resilient, vacillating yet enduring, joyful yet exhausted community that we are.
There are myriad obstacles that have challenged Mosaic's growth, depth and presence in the west end of Glasgow. Some of these obstacles are cultural; some are circumstantial; but some come from within. I wouldn't identify it as 'in-fighting,' per se. I think it's more clearly associated with a misunderstanding of what our church's vision is, and where Mosaic is going.

In my limited experience, I've come to learn that 'broken fellowship,' or relational fallout among members of the Church community, can often be linked to differences in the understanding of common values and vision, combined with the definition and application (or living-out) of those shared values and vision. What ultimately results is the loss of faith, trust and respect in one another's leadership or role within the church/community - wounding, bitterness and blame may potentially follow.

I suppose this could now become a 5-Point rhetorical analysis on the areas of character, responsibility, biblical behaviour and such, but I'd prefer to take this opportunity to prehab the issue by addressing the root of such problems, particularly as it relates to our existing community at Mosaic.

David Finch is the pastor of a missional church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago called Life on the Vine Christian Community. He's also the author of The Great Giveaway, and writes regularly on his blog, Reclaiming the Mission. Almost three years ago he wrote a post entitled A Warning List for Those Who Would Join a Missional Church Gathering. Although he admits to having written it during a time of frustration with his own church-plant, and the fact that "some people (NOT ALL!) weren't connecting with where the church was going," I found much of what he was frustrated with to be similar to that which we have encountered as a church pioneering as a missional community.

In order to make some of the core points on the list more relevant to Mosaic, some of the content has been adjusted, and as I am not currently writing from a place of frustration, the tone of the list will most definitely be different. The overall ethos of it, however, will remain true to the general message of what people can and should expect when joining a missional community church.

Like some members at Dan Finch's church, Mosaic has struggled at times to get people on the same page with where we're headed as a church. Are we a Bible-teaching church for mature Christians? Are we a 'seeker' church for first-time churchgoers? Should people feel like they're in church when they're at Mosaic, or should it feel more like a café, a pub or a living room? Is Mosaic a place where people will grow deep into their faith in Jesus, or is it a place where they will explore spirituality and participate in ongoing discussions about God and culture and Creationism and Intelligent Design? Of course, the hope is that the answer to all of these is, Both, or Yes, or All! We could talk ad nauseum about when 'church' happens and what it means to 'be the church.' We could talk about the purpose of the Sunday gathering and who it's for and who it should really serve. But really, all I want to do is help the folks that I do life, church and community with understand what to expect in a missional church/community... which may be the best place to start...

EXPECTATIONS - Many people bring with them (from previous churches) expectations that certain things will be in place when they come to church. One of the expectations that has been an ongoing topic of discussion at Mosaic has been an established youth program that is consistently in place every week that parents can count on for their kids. You know the kind - it's the only kind that most of us know - arrive, give kids hugs, kisses and name badges, and then leave them with qualified childcare providers until returning after church to collect them before going home - the Sundays of my youth in a nutshell.
I'll be the first to admit that participating in the childcare at Mosaic can be exhausting some weeks; and sometimes I fall into the trap of believing that church shouldn't be so draining. One of the concepts that some are having great difficulty grasping, is something that many of us are convinced of... that the best way to raise children is in vital community where we encounter Christ together in worship and mission; where youth are asked to join in mission with adults (of course, we also have a high value of mentoring and educating the youth so we're not chucking the baby out with the bath water when we seek to adjust the norm when it comes to youth programs).

The following list could be read and viewed as somewhat harsh, or perhaps a bit off-putting - typically anything that rings with some level of absolution (especially when it conflicts with other points of view) can be interpreted as unsettling to say the least, and downright threatening at worst. Nevertheless, it's important to be wary of expectations at the outset of a missional community. Most missional gatherings begin by calling out already existing Christians to gather in a time and place to give witness to the Kingdom of God (so that God might expand it). Most seasoned Christians come from somewhere else with perspectives and expectations about what church is. I think a warning list, therefore, serves a good purpose for both the beginning stages of a community's planning, as well as for a church community (like ours) that has struggled since its inception to truly land on a common understanding of what it means to be a missional community.

I believe an important posture to have is that of a learner, or someone that is teachable. I'm not saying that on my authority this is the official missional community list. As always, these things should be unpacked, sifted through and shaped by those in the community that call Mosaic home.
Is this list necessary? What would you add or subtract from the list?

TEN THINGS ANYONE JOINING A 21ST CENTURY MISSIONAL CHURCH-PLANT SHOULD NOT EXPECT:

Should not expect to come to church each week as a consumer - getting what you need for your own personal growth and development, and your kids needs, and then leave until next Sunday. Expect mission to change your life - however, expect a richer, fuller life than you ever imagined.
Should not expect that Jesus will fit in to our conditioned capitalist assumptions, lifestyle, schedule or accoutrement that may have been adopted before coming to Mosaic.
Should not expect to be anonymous, unknown or able to disappear in this church community. Expect to be known, loved and supported in a glorious journey.
Should not expect production style excellence all the time at Sunday worship gatherings. Expect organic, simple, creative and authentic.
Should not expect a cracking youth program that puts on a show every week and really gets the kids 'pumped up,' without parental involvement. Instead, as the years go by, with our children as a part of our lives, worship and mission (after the hype would have died down), expect our youth to have an authentic relationship with God through Christ that carries them through a lifetime of journeying with God.
Should not expect every Sunday to be a 'feel good' experience, or leave feeling ecstatic. Expect that there will ALSO be times of pain, lament, exhaustion, self-examination, and just plain silence. At the same time, never let us get away with allowing you to leave unchallenged to dig deeper in your faith, worship or mission.
Should not expect sermons that promise that God will prosper you with 'the life you've always wanted' if you just believe him and step out on faith and give more money. This is a life that Jesus promised would be filled with loneliness, trials and persecution.
Should not expect rapid growth whereby we grow this church from 10 to 1,000 in three years. Expect slower, organic, inefficient growth that engages peoples lives where they are at, and sees troubled people who would have nothing to do with the gospel marvelously saved.
Should not expect that all meetings will happen where we meet for church (The Annexe). Expect a lot of the gatherings to be in homes, out in culture, or sites of mission.
Should not expect arguments over style of music, teaching or even outlying doctrinal issues like dispensationalism. Expect mission to drive conversation.

Oh yeah... and one more thing: you should not expect that community comes to you. The truth is, real community in Christ requires effort and a reshuffling of priorities for you and your kids. I understand that you want people to come to you and reach out to you and that you're hurting and busy - we all feel that at times - but assuming that you are a follower of Jesus Christ (this message is for the people who would claim that), you must learn that the answer to all those things is to enter into the practices of "being the Body" of Christ, including sitting, eating, sharing and praying together.

As I read and reread this before posting it, I'm reminded of the struggles we have to contend with by choosing to be part of a missional church. There are certainly easier models that I could be a part of as a leader or as member, and maybe more importantly, there are a number of churches out there that may have more mass appeal, that people may feel more comfortable in. I'm not criticizing those models, I'm simply saying that I have chosen to be part of something more organic, something messier. We'll never be program-driven or teaching-driven. We'll likely never be able to compete with youth programs that attract kids like magnets to a frenzied collision of enthusiasm and energy every week. We're not likely to volunteer how many people 'attend our church.' When we gather, we don't gather for the sake of church, and we don't gather for the sake of community. But when we gather to worship God and love people, we are the Church... and we're in community.

It may be cliché to say we are Christ-driven, but what impassions us is shaping those in our community to know and love God more deeply, and in turn, to bring His Kingdom to a hurting world through mission.

Silence from the church

2009-11-01T21:53:00.001-08:00

Mother Teresa, humble, servant, selfless. One of the crowd of witnesses calling us to reckless abandon

Ten years ago, there was much furor over the changing culture, the need to "plant" relevant churches that are Biblical, yet engage the culture in a manner that if can be heard and understood. Recently the conversation has shifted from such discussions, and begun to chat about "holistic Gospel" - a good thing to discuss for sure.

What concerns me is that the majority of the church seems to have moved past the conversation about engaging the culture, past creating new communities better postured to engage a culture that finds the church and what it says, or at least how it says it, as irrelevant. It seems "business as usual". It's back to building bigger buildings, creating more celebrity leaders, and publishing more books that are about "us".

In the conversation regarding holistic Gospel, I am encouraged in the discussion of the entire Gospel - fresh, new, needed! Yet, some how almost all the discussion is by people who don't live it, don't know the taste of it, the cost of it, the sacrifice, the simple white space needed to practice that. One cannot read "Oliver Twist" and understand being a homeless teen, can you? Yet, people are writing theology, good as it is, yet without one ounce of understanding that theology from any experience, any mud on the boots, any credibility of knowing it first hand. Therefore, these supposed Christian book publishing company darlings, talk about that which they have no earthly idea. They pontificate about that which they have never tasted. They are counterfeit.

One cannot espouse holistic Gospel when you don't as an organic, natural, continuous, normal rhythm of life, know your neighbors, sacrifice your resources (time, money, energies) for others to the extent that it costs, hurts, causes you to alter how you live your life. Living for others requires time, your emotional energy and entangles you with their lives over a long journey together. It's not a trip to the soup kitchen. As great as that is, as noble a cause as it is, and needed as it is-it is not the defining reality of holistic Gospel.

It's messy, day by day boring normal life entangled with the people right there in our lives today. One cannot live a materialistic, consumer, pietistic church groupy life when you know others to the extent that you are humbly dependent upon them and you give yourself away in love to, for and with them.

William and Catherine Booth, founders of the Salvation Army, moved to action when the status quo dismissed them. Heroes of the faith!

So, as we talk holistic Gospel, may we do so with the proof of calloused hands and knees, tired at the end of our days and weeks, volitionally compelled to live simpler that others live better, giving the gift of love in action and serving others face to face, eye to eye. May we be compelled to listen that we might actually answer questions being asked - not proclaiming in ways that alienate, are not understood, and come to understand and know before we speak. We'll speak more wisely, more humbly, more softly, and with more tact. We'll actually say less, yet say more; and see God's name made renown and people thirsty to know this personal God who is a shepherd, with a yoke easy and not burdensome.

America Challenged to Grow Up...

2009-10-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

A foreign journalist has written about the US needing to grow up. Interesting read - sometimes simplistic and sometimes monolithic. Yet, somehow, there is something true and accurate in what he says. Rather than become indignant, I'd encourage we find the nuggets and toss the sand.

Read his commentary, Pillars of the Next American Century , by James Kurth. He comments on technology, economy, and most importantly the Yankee innovation being central to the continued next "American Century" as the USA takes its turn as global superpower. He is short sighted in some things though, which is not uncommon in my experience in dealing with internationals. Yet, they do have insights we often don't want to acknowledge...

An interesting comment on his article was written by Mark Mardell. It's not long, but is interesting - as are some of the added commentary about his article. Read "Why Adolescent America has to grow up".

Some thoughts I add on include the encouragement for our international friends to not think of us as a monolithic people. This is a vast land with a large population and many varied world views and paradigms for life. We are not just culturally diverse, but politically, socially, and yes, even morally. Sociologists tell us we are at least sixteen different peoples (nations) in one. I'd also add that our friends often notice the American "We can do that." summation of how Americans see life and challenges. This is quite different than many other cultures, such as the German summation, "The German way is the right way", or the British "It's arrogant to innovate" or the Kiwi "Can't be bothered". That American trait alone is huge, and so often missing in many more dour cultures of our cousins and the rest of the world. I won't even go near the summation of the middle eastern cultures. Hmmm.

But somehow, there is a Naivete about Yanks - we don't have a long memory, we change our minds and our posture often (Just do the scan from Reagan/Bush to Clinton to Bush to Obama! Whip lash!) We are so naive about the world, politics, religion, culture. We underestimate the weight of such realities! Just think of the immaturity that we have been fighting a war to bring democracy to people who do not even value the rule of law, nor respect that others have opposing opinions. Silly, really. We consume like there is no tomorrow, and eat 46% of the world's production, saying in our actions that the rest of the world is here for us. Very paternalistic and colonial. We are a people of extremes. We think and act extreme, seeing measured thoughtfulness as weak. Sure, we do need boldness, but our brash verbrato is over stated. Here is a tongue and cheek example... whatever is marketed is done so with "now, this will fix your life" mindset - completely overstating the product. It's just dish soap! All of this is adolescent.

Then, let's look at how we act. We are by far, many times over, the absolute most violent western advanced culture on the planet! We kill each other, sue each other, demean each other, divorce each other, and hate each other like no one else! We want "eye for an eye" unless it's our eye. We are NIMBY to the core in whatever we do or have. We are gluttons and don't know when to stop buying, stop eating, stop fighting, stop playing, stop indulging, stop abusing... All of this adds fodder to Kurth's article... we are adolescent.

Yes, the USA has and does contribute a lot. BUT most Americans stop there and don't hear the truth of things we don't like, but need to hear. And our pouting and refusal to listen and weigh and wrestle these exhortations is, well, adolescent. Sort of proves the point, doesn't it?

With that said, we do need to recognize some things that others have failed to do. We are generous. We should be more generous, our stock markets should behave more responsibly and maturely, thinking past this year's quarterly gains. But we are more generous. We're not the most generous in federal spending, but the American culture gives FAR more than anyone else in private contributions of will, in other words, we freely give, not just through our federal tax dollars. Our charities carry the world's charity efforts. Behind almost everything the UN does, or the other global efforts, you'll find the green back, not given through taxes, but through good will. This is a factor in any adolescent worthy of praise.

So, at the end of the day, there could be a lot worse global super powers, old, or adolescent. The rising nations, with a much smaller moral compass are absolutely frightening if they ever exercise global weight the magnitude of the USA. So, if you have to have a super power, well, it's hard to find a better one. With that said, allow me to share with you, one yank to another, Kurth's right, we have some growing up to do, and we'd be better for it, and the world would be better for it.

Ciao.

Dreaming of a future

2009-10-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

As we wrestle the future of God's church, the challenges of the waning of the church, not because God has turned His eyes from us, but because we, the church, have been seduced by the gods of this world, intoxicated by our own host cutlure - having lost our place as missionaries within our own host culture, we ache for the Kingdom, the complete reality of the Kingdom in our land, in our people, in our culture...

While praying this very dream and future this morning, God sent clearing a poem, prayer and song to me. I'm not even sure why or its application, but felt it appropriate to share with you.

May He bless, favor and lead you.
Mike

ANCIENT WORDS
Holy Words Long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with God's own heart
O let the Ancient Words impart

Words of life, Words of hope
They give us strength and help us cope
In this world where err we roam
Ancient Words will guide us home

Ancient Words ever true
Changing me, changing you
We have come with open hearts
O' let the Ancient Words impart

Holy Word of our faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
O' heed the faithful words of Christ

Holy Words long preserved
for our walk in this world
They resound with God's own heart
O let the Ancient Words impart

Ancient Words ever true
Changing me, changing you
We have come with open hearts
O' let the Ancient Words impart

Ancient Words ever true
Changing me, changing you
We have come with open hearts
O' let the Ancient Words impart

We have come with open hearts
O' let the Ancient Words impart

O' let the Ancient Words impart

Confessions of a Cynic...

2009-09-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

US Capital from the "Mall".

I confess, I'm a cynic. I'm almost toxic when it comes to government. I know, many American saints are guffawed right now (silenced with their jaw dropped!) I'll get emails and comments regarding our duty, our citizenship, allusions to America's sacred role, Messianic calling, our governments virtues, then "it's the best fallen human form of government around".

US Library of Congress foyer

Okay, honesty time - I don't buy it - none of it. Washington drips with power, privilege and the elite who exercise it, but they cloak themselves in the "people's business". ...okay, baby. It's power! AND the government isn't a representation of us - it's a representation of lobbyist. The more money and power you have, the more and better lobbyists you can hire and they, and only they get access to politicians. AND the government is run by TENS OF THOUSANDS - the legions of the machine...

It frought with inequity and a Darwinistic ethic of the strong survive, Enlightenment eutopic self pursuit... Life without God. The American dream isn't the freedom to pursue a meaningful life where you are free from fear - it's materialistic consumeristic power... It is individuals, not a society together. It's a national religion where we weep when we hear patriotic music and fall asleep when we hear worship music. It's a nation where we justify our wars and ignore the machine that launched the wars. We're a people who consume 46% of the world's production, like groping drunkards and we don't care that people starve, wait for it - in the USA, because it's mine, all mine. The world can't live like us, but we have become Rome and we don't care... we don't even care that the rich get richer from the poor and the poor are trapped in a cycle that doesn't allow fair opportunity. We tout one story and celebrate our country, but ignore the millions who don't make it out. We can't live so affluent save the cheap labor our capitalistic selfish economic paradigm forces. If they were paid fairly and a sustainable wage, things would be too expensive to live soooo large.

Now - it's done. I've said it. With that said, I'm glad I live here and not in a country where I'd be beaten for even writing this. I'm glad I had a coffee tonight rather than dirty river water. I glad I will be able to take my prescription in the morning, call my wife before I sleep, say hi to my kids in the morning before I "fly" home. I'm so glad.

BUT, if we are indeed His people, a peculiar people who love and long for heaven, should not our passion be for the advancement of the Kingdom and not Pax Americana? Should not our aim be the blessing of the world, not the gluttony of our own bloated life styles? Should we not give a damn enough to do something, really do something, do something to the extent that it costs us - be it sacrifice in our own indulgences or the support of higher taxes that our government could do something to feed the hungry, house the homeless, love the orphan, give clean water the destitute, to free the prisoner, to shame the tyrant? Should not we care enough to actually give ourselves and our resources away that Christ's name might be made renown?

US Library of Congress

As I get older, a few things become more and more clear:
1. This ONE life is short and goes quickly.
2. This is ALL temporal. I've lived long enough to see "lasting" new things become old and deteriorate.
3. My investment in things temporal is vanity and such a waste.
4. The world's promises LIE!
5. The world's god's mock me when I buy into their lies.
6. People matter more than stuff - even people I don't know, even people who don't "deserve it" ....Hell, I don't deserve it!

Lord, make me like You that I might speak, think, hear, love, serve, sacrifice, feel like You as I engage this world.

Deep & Wide, Deep & Wide, There's a....

2009-09-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

My mate, Steve Addison, CRM Australia, just published a book entitled Movements That Change the World.

Steve's book is a must read! Whether you are a leader or not, Christian wrestling following God in the 21st century or church planter, or movement leader - you should read what he has to say! So many approach this issue from the vantage point point of "strategies". Steve reminds us that it begins with God, and if He doesn't show up, we should be in another profession...and hope He shows up there. Why do some movements leave lasting impact and others spin their wheels, or past effective movements wane? Bravo, Steve, I have heard you forge these truths and concepts over the years. It's awesome.

Along with this, Steve is doing some blogging on it... Today, he blogged about the church planting and spiritual in-roads in Africa and used a letter from a guy on the ground there... Read Disciples or Crowds. This is a poignant statement not just applicable to Africa, but every continent!

See http://www.movements.net/

Here, here...

2009-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who roll your eyes when I share how this state gets forcibly raped by the federal government in regards to sixty years of taking the gas & oil (LA is the #2 oil producing state in the US) and paying nothing, and now, graciously bestowed 35% to be phased in over seventeen years, you should read this article about the honey of a deal Alaska worked out... I've said it before and I'll say it again, maybe secession isn't such a bad idea. From the gas & oil, to the tourism, and certainly the HUGE port of New Orleans, we could levee the decent taxes from the Union to pay for our subsitance, not to mention, we could levee say, uhmm, sixty years of extra excise tax on the union, with interest of course, for the money they owe for decades of NOT paying one cent for the oil and gas they never shared - though it is OUR natural resource they stole!

Here is a nice tongue in cheek article to go along with it:

Louisiana; Secede From The Union?

Written by: Jim Brown

We know that all good things have to come to an end. In Louisiana, we have tried the statehood thing for 205 years, but “maybe it’s just not working out.” Hey, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has flirted with the same idea up in Alaska. The federal government continues to shortchange Louisiana on virtually every federal program, from hurricane recovery funds to a fair shake on offshore oil royalties. So since Sarah Palin has raised the issue, maybe we in Louisiana should start considering the option of seceding from the Union and becoming our own nation.

You have got to hand it to those folks in Alaska. They have done a pretty shrewd job of figuring out how to lead the nation in raising taxes per capita, yet making the rest of the country pay for it. Alaska is number one in spending for residents, and its tax burden is 2 1/2 times the national average per capita. Its spending is twice the national average per capita. Their trick up north is that Alaska’s government spends enormous sums on its own citizens, and taxes the rest of us to pay for it.

For all practical purposes, Alaska is an adjunct member of OPEC. More than 89% of the state’s income is produced through four different taxes on oil and gas. And consider this. The state government takes three quarters of the value of a barrel of oil before the oil is permitted to leave the state. Alaskans pay no income tax, no statewide sales tax, and no property tax. And every a resident gets a yearly check for about $2000 from oil revenues, plus an additional $1200 confected by Sarah Palin last year to take advantage of rising oil prices.

The disparities of the two states, one north and one south, are dramatic when it comes to receiving federal funds from Washington. A typical example is the comparison of federal reimbursement to nursing homes that take care of the poor under the Medicaid program. The same patient that only receives $79 a day in Louisiana receives $317 per day in Alaska. When it comes to federal highway funds, Alaska receives $1.30 for every dollar it sends to Washington as do other states like California and New York. What’s Louisiana’s take? A little over $.90 back for each dollar sent to the National Highway Fund.

They play hardball in Alaska, while in Louisiana, the state’s leadership for years has often been pictured sticking out their hat and almost begging for a handout. As Governor, Palin has carried on a flirtation with the Alaska Independence Party (AKIP), and her husband was a card carrying member for a number of years. In an address to the party convention this past spring, Palin told the secessionists: “Keep up the good work.”

Palin has received her share of criticism for her secessionist sympathies. The Washington Monthly recently said that the idea of succession is “un – American.” Oh come on now. Maybe those in the press that are taking pot shots at the Alaska Governor for considering secession need to brush up on their American history. A good starting point might be the Declaration of Independence that clearly states:

“That these United colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states…… and that, as free and Independent states, they have the full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all of the things which Independent states may of right do.”

And what better source than Thomas Jefferson in his first inaugural address who declared, “if there be among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.”

It’s not just a phenomenon stirred up by the residents of the last frontier where there is a movement to break away from the Union. This past July, according to a Zogby poll, more than 20% of US adults—one in five, about the same number of American colonists who supported revolt against England in 1775—agreed that “any state or region has the right to peaceably secede from the United States and become an independent republic.” A number of polls in recent years have indicated that almost half of Louisiana citizens agree that “the United States system is broken and cannot be fixed by traditional two– party politics and elections.”

The bottom line is that Alaska shares the same abundance of natural resources as those found in Louisiana. In fact, when you consider seafood, sulfur, agriculture and the largest port in America, the Bayou State has a lot more wealth beneath the ground, on the ground, and along its waterways than our compatriots up in the Yukon. Alaska has rattled its sabers, stood up to big oil in behalf of its citizens, and demanded more than its fair share of the pie from the federal government.

In comparison, Louisiana has been groveling for years to get a bigger slice of the offshore oil payouts. Louisiana officials declared a big victory last year when the feds agreed to give a pittance of $20 million a year for the next 10 years. Alaska would have considered such a settlement chump change, and would probably have started a secession movement along with a wall around its borders.

Seceding from the Union and becoming its own nation might prove to be an attractive option for Louisiana. If Mississippi wants to join us, we might even agree to create “a coastal nation of Louisissippi.” The French would be appalled, but who cares.

As for leadership? I would probably stick with Bobby Jindal as president. But if LSU coach Les Miles pulls off another national championship, he would certainly be a contender. If Lindy Boggs were a bit younger, she would be my first choice as Ambassador to the United States. Harry Connick Jr. would fill the bill nicely. We would definitely need to bring back General Russel Honore’, who told me how much he loves Louisiana, as our Secretary of Defense. A piece of cake here, since the US would be our protector, just like it is for Mexico and Canada. And for free. Our national flag would be a combination of black and gold and purple and gold, and we would certainly want Randy Newman to write our national anthem.

Over the past 200 years, Louisiana has been in a marriage of convenience. In 1913, the state entered this marriage with the rest of the US, and got a lot out of it. They received access to the American markets, and the flow of goods through New Orleans. It was a two way street and benefits flowed both ways. But by the middle of the 20th century, the bargain disappeared. Both the oil and the royalties flowed out of Louisiana with little to show in return.

So don’t knock Sarah Palin when she flirts with secession. Alaska has cut a good deal for itself. Maybe Louisiana should rise up and do the same

*******

“We used to root for the Indians against the cavalry, because we didn't think it was fair in the history books that when the cavalry won it was a great victory, and when the Indians won it was a massacre.” ~Dick Gregory

Peace and Justice.

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s column appears weekly, and is published on a number of newspapers and websites throughout Louisiana. You can read past columns by going to Jim’s website at www.jimbrownla.com. Jim’s regular radio show on WRNO, 995fm out of New Orleans can be heard each Sunday from 11:00 am till 1:00 pm.

So, if at first we don't secede.... Hmmm.

West Florida Republic - the short lived nation
declared when the French of New Orleans
discovered the US bought them and no one
asked what they wanted for themselves:
Victims of Manifest Destiny and the
National Messianic Dream.

What we're learning...

2009-09-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

One of our learning areas in our lives here is the wrestling of being a community, very intentionally, sacrificially here for mission, the Kingdom, but the necessity (economics & missional legitimacy) to be bi-vocational.

As the donor supply wells run dry, or dryer than in the past, due to either donor attrition over time, or the lack of new fish in the pond, or the abandonment when our mission and call is a threat or not understood by the conventional church (It's actually irrelevant to this conversation. It is.) we are forced to become more and more bi-vocational. The upside: as we live in community (11 adults in 3 houses, plus five kids), it is cheaper than living in conventional privatized western arrangements. This phenomena is due to one thing: affluence. BUT, as we've intentionally chosen to live this way because we feel it is more Biblical (resource management, kingdom availability - time, & the body vulnerable to each other, as well as a counter to the cultural norm statement to the neighborhood around us), we are not required to work as much, but most of us have employment now - outside of the mission. When we began, we were mostly supported. This has shifted. Most of work, at least some. This is hard when there are kids to manage and parent (How do single parents do it!?) as well as live to be present for mission.

We want to devote ourselves to our mission. This requires time and space in our lives to be available. As more and more of us work, how do we remain available. One of the first things to pay the price: advocacy for the poor. It is a matter of time.

Another challenge is how do we develop, multiply, reproduce, replicate, spiritually form, our newer members when we're so busy due to work.

These are the issues we wrestle, without answers.

What we can say to our accusers who say, "What you are doing is what every Christian should do. It doesn't warrant being supported, but should be natural as part of life." The simple reply, unexhaustive, is that:
1. Yes, that is true. If every saint lived this way, we may not be necessary or called to this. BUT we are called to this. We are called to this to;
a. Model a different way of life, interdependent, resource management for mission, Kingdom posture in the motivation for life, etc.
b. Concentrate our efforts and have a deeper impact than we could as ordinary individuals
c. Train, equip and encourage others wrestling life as Kingdom subjects.
2. But individual saints are not doing this. Therefore, the compelling passion for people, lost people is undeniable and burning within us.
3. If we chose to live as saints who do live for mission, we would still be working full time and therefore, have time for fewer people, and if we lived in separate housing arrangements like other westerners, even less time. We'd accumulatively be able to journey with about 20 people instead of the 120 we journey with now.

So, if we all work full time, the mission impact is reduced significantly. Even now, as more and more of us must work, we see the decreasing space in life to live and contribute to mission.

Sure, in our work is seen as mission, which it is, it is not in vain. Yet, the energy spent in defused rather than concentrated like light through a magnifying glass.

We continue to learn from our journey.

Four years ago today...

2009-08-30T17:13:00.001-07:00

Four years ago today, I was clearing out the fridges and freezers getting ready to evacuate for a long, long time. We had no communication. We had no idea the city proper had become inundated over night by the four levee failures. All we knew was that my mother's place, on the North Shore (suburbs) were cut off from the world, trees down by the tens of tens of thousands. That's not an exaggeration. A power guy we saw (surveying the depth of damage) told us six weeks minimum to get power back. All that was on my mind was evacuate the family and let Susanne know I was alive. Once we reached Jackson (3 hours north), I got word to New Zealand, though I couldn't get through myself and I began trying to figure out if I should return to NZ now, or wait, if I could do any good in the US, or should I leave now.

When I sat in the Air NZ lounge in LAX waiting for my flight the next night, I watched in horror as the city's fate was revealed, the dead in the water, the roof tops, the boats, the police, the thousands of places I had known my entire life - gone.

Today, some one asked my reflections... I told him that though he had come here, joined us, was investing in the place, which is hugely appreciated, he'd never understand - because it wasn't his city, his home, his people. He's a West Coaster. Let's be honest - the West Coast culture has very shallow roots, no deep, deep sense of community - not like here. At best SF or Portland can vaguely understand - a little. But this was my people. It makes the sadness deeper, and yet the joy deeper as well.

This tenant is why I am a sent one here and not some where on foreign soil - the sadness and the joy is deeper when your own people are lost and when they are found. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

4th Anniversary of Katrina

2009-08-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight, four years ago, I was here in NOLA, on my way from London back to New Zealand. I was visiting my family. I went to Vespers at the Abbey, and then to do last emails before this monster weighed in. I watched it build, hit and go on and on... When it subsided (3 PM) Monday (30th), the area we were in had not flooded but almost every house had tree(s) on them, some sliced in half. Every street was blocked. It took two days to get out. That next night, we watched from a hotel in Memphis as New Orleans filled up (The four levee breaks occurred after the storm was over, except for the Holy Cross Neighborhood (Lower 9th Ward), where it broke in a torrent after a barge busted it in one fell swoop instantly killing hundreds.

We've come SO far - SO far! We've got our city back, life is back, we're progressing as never before! NOLA is now the #1 destination for young adult entreprenuriel types! Since the President fired the FEMA heads here, the new FEMA leadership is acutally reduced the bureaucracy and opened the gates! It is amazing how much has begun happening in four months. YEA!

Yet, there is still SO far to go - So far to go! Pray for us, believe in us! There is SO much yet to do! And we need a new mayor, a mayor who will lead us - lead us all. Pray for the election next year!

My Brother-in-law, Gavin, wearing his shirt for New Orleans today on the 4th anniversary, remembering and praying for us ...all the way from Wellington, New Zealand. THANKS, bro.

For the Love of Another Ted Kennedy

2009-08-27T21:00:00.001-07:00

This isn't about political ideology. Read my blog long enough and I'll offend you - no matter what your convictions are. This is about the dearth, complete void of leaders. Not perfect men and women, measured as new Messiah's, but men and women of character.

Look, I've lampooned Kennedy's use of his family's "royal" power to get him off from his snafu at Chappaquiddick so long ago, and his use of his influence to save nephews from their just deserves. I've even called him idealistic and a publican (Roman word for one who sways with the wind to keep the masses loyal...in the next election). With that said, the man was one heck of a senator, who did more than almost any president and more than any other senator in the US's young history. He did care for the common people, and he made a difference, often making big powerful people furious. He did know what he believed and he'd work to bring about change - MANY things excellent and good. So, I salute him.

BUT, my real point is the absence of an ethic, ethos, and culture of leadership. Sure, we have celebrity, thanks Big Brother. Sure, we have powerful people who make their future dreams reality, but we're seemingly in a void of leadership. Yes, agree or not with his politic, President Obama is an effective leader in character. Yes, there are few others. BUT folks, let's get honest, from the international and national level, to the local small town level, we are eaten up with a void of character, statesmen and stateswomen! From business leaders (what's his name - may we never say it again - for personally doing more to cause this global meltdown than any other 100 people in the world), to Religious (Don't even get me started!) to politics...

Just tonight, a small town mayor and city councilman north of New Orleans were indicted on bribery charges. It's everywhere, not limited to one group, one party, one ethnicity - we have a huge problem in our culture.

Some would say we've lost our Christian-Judeo ethic. Well, yea, we have. It's no longer normal to have ethics, convictions of virtue or the strength and character to lead from principled "right". Everyone seems to use their office for personal advancement, even when they do good things, it is really about earning favor for the next higher level election, or next business deal.

We need leaders who crusade against this in every sphere - business, politics, medicine, religion, military, society period! In a culture that is built - from the Enlightenment forward - hundreds of years - on the individual, the self, the American motto of "our dream", in a culture built on pursuing MORE, MY dream; in a culture centered on "prosperity", is it any wonder? Is not our present shallow sad reality not the consequence of our making? We sowed the wind and now we weep the whirlwind.

Our culture worships shallow, empty, soul-less celebrity, not people of note. We celebrate mundane morons, not people who have made a difference in society. We worship actors, musicians and athletes...as gods, giving them sway over our worldview, our time, our money, our clothing, our politics. Have you ever listened to these morons speak! OH MY! REALLY!?

I saw that Big Brother is being canceled. FINALLY! Yes, I celebrate this celebration of boring mundane immorality of strangers who are chosen to cause a stir amongst the morons...the 21st century coliseum built to entertain the masses.

Dear Lord, please send us leaders who can change the world!

More on the health care debate...

2009-08-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

A friend emailed me this morning, saying the person carrying the weapons at the rally is actually African American and may or may not have been "anti-reform" of the system. Fair enough - point taken. There are nuts on all sides of this debate. The idea of carrying such weapons and it being okay is just overwhelming to me. That Arizona still allows such is crazier than the guy with the weapons. I've been to Arizona, pretty conservative no matter what you're color, save the poor latinos who usually look up at our successes from the bottom. They work hard though and I applaud their efforts.

Now to the debate... Look, those lambasting me on email (:-), I know we can't just pay out trillions of dollars. I get it! I do! We all pay taxes and worry about getting taxed more. My biggest suggestion and political impossibility (because they are so rich and can pile on the money to support candidates who back their issues and to pay the lobby machine like no one else, save maybe the NRA who fights everything, even the most sane legislation regarding weapons - another day on the NRA though) is that we create a system that removes the teeth from the monster giant insurance industry. That'll never happen because we don't do anything bold in our system, we compromise it down to watered down milk and make micro moves that are worthless.

Sure, whatever system we do come up with in reforming this broken system will have flaws. Every human system and human administered system does. Sure, if the government is involved it will have problems. You know the problems are self inflicted. We lobby our politicians who then poke holes, make loop holes and hamstring the system created. Example? The military industrial complex - whom we demonize so readily - only produce what congress dictates. And congress dictates the military buy stuff they don't want, need or find useful, but it gets bought and sent because congressmen bring home the bacon and get re-elected. Hmmm.

Now, back to healthcare, again: We need a system that doesn't bleed us dry in insurance payments. Imagine if we were able to achieve the co-op brand like the fellow in NYC (previous post last week)? What if we spent 20% of what we spend now? What if we reigned in litigation - occasionally warranted, but often frivolous rubbish? Maybe we'd only pay 15% instead of the 20% we pay now... Hmmm, from $500-600 in premiums, and another couple of thousand in an ordinary year of co-pays and your share stuff... So we instead of handing out $10,000-$15,000 per anum we handed out $1500-2000? It's still a lot, but wow, I'd love to have the $8,000-12,000 back!

One idea not floated seriously: Pay for medical school for any doctor who graduates and enters the work force, maybe reimbursing his costs over a five year period post graduation. Yep, it'd be expensive, but a fraction of what we end up handing over because of the deferred interest they must pass on to us to repay their costs. We'd actually pay less! What if there was serious tort reform on litigation? Stricter rules on guidelines on when you can sue - good guidelines though?

And the uninsured we don't want to pay for? We pay for them already through taxes and insurance premiums... because rather than preventative care, rather than seeing a doctor in a clinic or office, they go to the ER where it is unbelievably expensive! It does get paid for already by you and me through our taxes. What if we could get them care and it was actually cheaper?

Okay, some facts:
1. Healthcare reform has been political partisan ball for decades!
2. The first reform was attempted by President Harry Truman. The AMA spent $200M in today's money to fight and destroy the reform efforts.
3. In the 1970's President Nixon attempted reform of the system. This time, the liberal democrats derailed it, hoping to take over a mid-term elections and do it themselves so they got the credit. As you know, it obviously didn't work out.
4. In the 1990's the "Harry and Louise" ads derailed President Clinton's attempts at reform.
*Note the bi-partisan effort since WWII to reform a system that was headed for a train wreck!
5. I've read economic reports that say the reason we have fallen behind in education, GNP and exports can be directly related to the enormous amount of money we spend on healthcare - more than any other first world nation, but our life expectancy rates, our medical care, none of it is rated better than several other nations, including Australia, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and so forth...
6. We have 46M people in American who have very little or no access to health care. Therefore they don't go!
7. 18,000 people a year die in the USA from lack of access to healthcare!
8. 60% of all bankruptcies are due to medical bills! 75% of those same bankrupt people have insurance! The economic meltdown due to the mortgage crisis is a pimple on a whale's bottom next to this! It would be safe to say that the medical/insurance crisis in the USA is equally to blame as the demons who created the mortgage mess! Read the above one more time for me!

Whether you call yourself a conservative, a liberal or a cynic of both sides (me!), "Houston, we've got a problem!" This is an issue to fix now! What makes me sick is that there are some (GOP & DNC) who are honestly trying to work on it, but they are villanized by both sides, their own parties, for trying to fix it! The President is trying. I think he made a mistake giving it to the inept congress to do. There are too many personal political agendas and threats from home for them to fix it, devise it, etc. It needs his leadership, with serious consultation of the house and senate - both sides of the aisle.

Personally, I don't think we will get a public system. There are some advantages if we did. France's system is hugely successful. The UK/AUS/NZ systems also have huge merits. I have the experience with them and had none of the restrictive issues so accused. BUT, politics are politics and insurance companies are putting money in the coffers of politicians and they'll get what they want. Democracy, right? The people speak, right? Whatever... Money speaks - those with a lot of it get to speak, period. The people don't get jack.

BUT, back to pragmatics: We can get a co-op system, non-profit organizations like Washington State, New York State, etc... By the size of the need, it would take a little to fund and get up and running, but then they'd become instant powerhouses competing in the market place and beating the insurance companies at their game. Prices would come down because 46M people would have insurance and many of us, ME!, would line up to join as soon as I saw it work! The good ones would survive, the others would not. In many ways, there are advantages a public system doesn't offer... They have to be solvent.

So, in the debate, can we stop lobbying, oops - Freudian slip - lobbing rocks and lies and stop listening to the rhetoric!? Can we begin a serious debate and respect the opposing views of both sides - both have real points of truth, you know!

As saints, can we place our personal interests aside and place Jesus' interests in front. How about we throw away our interests and put Jesus' interests in place of ours? How about removing ourselves from the political wars and become the voice of Christ into a fallen system. Yes, not a better human system we've found to date, so let's work within it, be a voice of critique and conscience, not do the bidding of the power brokers. How about we speak into this situation with reason, taking on the reality that this is a complex situation, complex in every way, and remember there are lives at stake - 18,000 in the next 12 months! That's 1500 lives every month, an average of fifty lives a day!

How about we think collectively as a community, a society and think what's best for us? How about we care for those who dry cleaned our shirt, repaired our car, made our latte, check out our groceries, cut our lawns, repaired our window? We are so blessed, like never before in history! We are sooooo blessed. Now, let us bless! Will not God honor a generous people who are reflections of Him? Do we not trust the judge of all mankind to take care of us? Do we really need to build bigger barns to store away for the future and not live Kingdom minded? I have a story Jesus told on this if you want it.

May we have hearts that break for others, may we be people of peace, may we bless, may we prophetically speak into the political partisan wars and not puppet Al Sharpton or Rush Limbaugh. May we be those sitting at the gate judging and weighing and speaking hope. May we respect those on both sides. May we remember the weak. May we remind the rich and powerful. May we be generous in every way and receive generously. May we pray for congress and the President on this issue and ask the Spirit to guide and lead us to practical real change that blesses the nation and therefore, the world.

Saving Western Society - especially the USA

2009-08-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

In the post war, there came an era of obsession with moving out, the American/Kiwi/Aussie and even Pom dream of suburbia! We introduced commuting, AC and TV - all of which are huge killers of community, and hence neighborhoods. The untold and immeasurable damage to a society's mood (e.g. depression) from loneliness, transit lifestyles of moving in an industrial/post-industrial age, etc, destroyed our roots. We're not even potted plants any more - we're spores - simply floating around.

I propose that the damage to the Gospel, which has always moved socially, is immeasurable as well.

I suggest a reading of three articles... all by Leon Krier, architect.

The first, The City Within the City, is about the communities within a community (city). The second, Building Heights..., is about how the old cities with lower skylines for the residential sectors and the small businesses posses a much deeper sense of neighborhood and community. Anyone having spent anytime in a European city, the old ones (i.e. not Berlin - rebuilt post-WWII) will understand this. The last, How Industrial Cities Destroy Society, is a poke in the eye to the god of progress, success, affluence and individual prosperity, in summation, the American Dream.

Again, why would a Christian link such architectural, city planning, social engineering to a blog about the Gospel? Simple - to understand abandon the Plato/Aristotelian approach to life (linear, single proposition, and implying singular solution or summary truth. Use a Hebraic worldview where it is all connected, all impacting and intertwined with the other.

Grasp that how we choose to live life - empahsis on the word "choose" - impacts our experience, our world view, our reality, our legacy we leave our children. We abandoned suburbia on purpose - because it felt soul-less. The realities of lack of people connection was just too real.

While living here in New Orleans, arguably not exactly a modern city in many aspects of technology, lifestyle or culture, we do love our AC and TV's do invade our lives. In very intentional means, we have pressed into the lives of our neighbors and sought with vigor to sacrificially love and engage with the people around us. It requires time and consequently we have sacrificed our time, our own casual pursuits. The TV's do not think of coming on until later evening, PTL for DVR's! We sit outside in the FRONT yard on evenings when we socialize together, we seek ways to break bread with our friends...

I return to my emphasis of the word "choose". We - if we're serious about reaching people with the hope, the Kingdom, the new life we proclaim - must live differently. We need to do this as individuals, as communities of faith, as the church.

As we are well into a reurbanization, we should be the early adapters who embrace this architecture and city planning, as it facilitates our delivery and expression and experience of the Gospel.

Pax Neighborhoud.
Mike

Free Speech, unless you disagree...

2009-08-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

Rantings on the present dialogue (read "argument, cat fight, sludge fest") on US healthcare...

The New Orleans paper brought a stunning photo today... a man at an anti-President Obama rally on healthcare, outside of the event venue where he was speaking. The man was ordinary, at least as much as we can tell from the photo... or was he!? The stunning part was what he carried!

This man, touting "freedom" carried an AR-15 (mini-assault version of the M-16A2) with 30 round magazine inserted, with an additional 30 round magazine protruding from his hip pocket, along with a Glock on his left hip! Freedom?! Really!? Sure - it may still be some antiquated law in Arizona, which somehow touts itself as a forward progressive state, to openly carry weapons in public! Some progress when a guy can come for a firefight to a rally! Wow... There is apparently no law against conspiracy, threatening or menacing others, threat to the President's safety, or intimidation in the pursuit of democratic dialogue... And while he exercises his right - what about the rights of others to enter a public forum and feel safe? How can anyone feel safe when this guy is armed with an assault weapon and automatic pistol!?

I love those touting freedom, normally extremist on the right wing, who demonstrate in such asinine means. I love freedom when it is always right to exercise "MY" freedoms and sacrifice the freedom and safety of others! How is anyone to know this guy did not intend to hurt anyone? How is anyone to know that this guy isn't teetering on the edge of reality and lose it in shear fury at those who disagree with him on what's best for the nation? There is no way to know that and his freedom threatens others.

And democracy in action? REALLY? No, let me say that louder: R-E-A-L-L-Y-!-? The right and left extremists want their way, period. Anyone who disagrees with them is villanized... What is democracy anyway? Agreeing with you in your extremist views? We laugh off left extremists as leftovers from Height Neighborhood in San Fran, but somehow the right extremists get their own news channel and promote it as "fair and objective". Yea, $(@)*(&@!&@! right. How can we have democracy - basically and commonly defined as people discussing and working to an agreed upon solution together, under the rule of law, peacefully settling disagreements, and together working for the good of all? Where is democracy when you're not allowed to respectfully disagree? Where is democracy when the other guy carries an assault weapon? How can you have a safe and open, objective dialogue?

What I've noticed in this argument over health care is that there is so much slanderous lies going on, and it is believed, swallowed "hook, line & sinker" as the saying goes! It has clearly been reported that the news being released, perverting the realities of the proposed health care argument in congress is so twisted and untree - yet no one believes it! It was also revealed how the money backing these "free speech sites crapping out these lies" are all backed by the big insurance companies! I'm dumb founded...

AND the insurance companies sit back and laugh at the very people they are bilking do their dirty work for them and they are completely clean... "We're wanting to help reform the system, voluntarily." When is the last time big business reformed voluntarily? Oh yea, the real estate and mortgage reform, that's right - the one that sent the GLOBE into economic tail spin - when was that back in history. Oh yea, LAST YEAR! How big a lemming can one be!?

Why would any US citizen want to protect and defend the present status quo? I see the lies how people are denied care in the UK and other English countries... It's lies. Having lived and participated in the health systems of both NZ & the UK, it's lies. I've seen the adds how grand mother will die under this new system. Are you kidding me! Grandmothers are dying EVERY DAY when the demon legions from hell in the insurance business deny coverage, drop coverage, end coverage because you reached your limit, because it is too expensive, etc. TENS OF THOUSANDS die! I never saw that in the NZ, Australia or the UK! I see it here daily! Again, why do you want to defend this present system?

I've heard the arguments of it being too expensive? So, how is the care you get now working? Is it 25% of your income, or 33%? What is your deductible? Your percentage even when covered? You shelling out $10K, $15K, more? What about drugs? How's that working? My mother shells out $700 per month. Killing grandma, you said?

And the uncovered... I went to pick up a Rx last week. The lady came back and told me I owed them $55. I looked at her with dumbfounded silence. She asked if we had insurance and I produced my right to have affordable coverage card - which I paid a lot more than $55 for this month alone! It was then $13. Huge difference... When we've got 24-30% of the people in the US with no coverage... what is their health care? Let's get honest - we have to have people doing the jobs few want... repairing streets, fixing the hole in the wall your spoiled brats made, doing your dry cleaning, making your Frosty, making your latte, cleaning your hotel room, servicing your pool. Yet, while we enjoy affordable affluence, you want them to do so and have no health care. Let me tell you the consequences... their kids have more teeth problems, painful problems. They die earlier because they can't afford the Rx, or the doctor's visits when something is wrong, and forget the physicals to discover something not even detected through symptoms. And when the catastrophic happens - it's simple... they die. They can't ever even dream of the care you get - costing $100-$200-$500 thousand! So, we let them die... We don't know them, if we do, we do, we pause between latte sips, tisk, frown and make a passing comment about empathy for their family, and then continue our mindless gossip chatter. SHAME ON US!

I watched a news article on a doctor in NYC - he runs a co-op for restaurant workers in the city... THOUSANDS of them! He made a shocking statement... "When you take the big insurance companies out of the way, the cost is 20% what you pay now!" IMAGINE! Your health care being 20% the cost it is now! In the UK, the health care system costs $120Billion. There are 60 million people in the UK... do the math... what is the cost per person? When I was in London and sick, I walked to the clinic and saw someone within 15 minutes and had Rx within 15 more... Done. So, while the insurance companies plow out the manure on government run health care - they rake the profits and purchase another weekend house they'll never go to, and stock away their FAT retirement and live large... WHY? Because we defend the right to get rich off of others, no, us!

I want to throw up! Why cannot people sit and seriously look at the issues? They take days off work to go protest stuff they don't even understand, defend lies, get emotional to the point of a heart attack (HAVE YOU SEEN THE SCREAMERS ON THE NEWS!?) and yet have never seriously looked at the original source. Ever wonder why your teachers told you it is imperative to go to the original source? Simple - it can be taken out of context to prop up some one else's agenda and twisted beyond recognition from it's original intent! So maybe, just maybe instead of running off to Walmart to get posters and markers, first you might read the issues and see what they are proposing?

Having had the privilege to live overseas a couple of times (& missing it quite a bit when I see idiots like the gun slinger in Phoenix - I find it hard to even identify myself with being an American... that arrogant "my rights" attitude that is so "American" is so disgusting to me!) and I had the right to choose my doctor, dentist, hospital, etc, etc, etc. My care was amazing in regards to Rx and the supplemental insurance we carried for the ability to get some non-emergency procedure NOW was almost trivial in cost! I wasn't a cow in a herd - like the ones mooing at these rallies!

And by the way, the four letter word in the US is to call some one a "Socialist". It is an automatic predetermined villanizing slur. Why? What is a socialist? One who places the best of all over the rights of the individual? Is it really best to each be groping and fighting for my rights over the rights of all?

NOW, why would I write about this in a blog aimed at the church, and those claiming to follow Jesus? Simple - just what would Jesus do? If the case of weapons right, health care, and a host of other issues came in the court of heaven - which it will by the way, just which seat would Jesus occupy? The plaintiff of "my rights" and "my money", or the defender of the poor? The defender of the best for all before your individualistic selfish self? AND how will the judge of all weigh in on this? Will He really decide for those who claim that it is their money and they don't want to help pay for care for the poor, those we exploit and enjoy the benefits of, but don't care for? Is that really the side he'll choose?

So this is highly spiritual! This is seriously center stage of faith, and the church. It is not politics - it is spiritual formation, discipleship, and center of mission - what the church is about. No, not the institution, though the institutions of church are not dismissed from this discussion. It is God's church, people, I am addressing! You want to be spiritually mature? Aren't you done arguing election and free will yet? Want to be like Jesus? He never wasted time arguing those tits and taddles (Do you even want to know what a tit and taddle is?) but He focused on people, serving, caring for, ministering to, blessing them. You want to be a mature Jesus disciple, then act like Him, be like Him in heart. Your rights and democracy is not Biblical - being a servant centered and focused on others is.

5th Monastic Movement

2009-08-12T09:22:00.001-07:00

Throughout history, as the church lost focus, there arose movements of radicals, who refused to be pragmatized into subdued complacency, compromise and comfort. These radicals banded together, sharing a burning passion, a call, shared values and the interdependence and support of each other to accomplish more together than apart - calling the bride back to her mate, Jesus.

There were several movements of these orders - each and every one held suspect and even outright denounced and persecuted at times! The first order was the desert fathers and mothers, who faced the same situation with a church drunk with the consumeristic and materialistic and cultural incest with the host culture and society! The second were the Celtic orders, begun by Patrick. There were the early orders, like Ignatius of Loyola (Jesuits - Jesus ones). Side note: Evangelicals often dismiss anything Catholic - forgetting that at the time there was but one church and we are her descendants be we protestant or Catholic, or Orthodox! Then came the Benedictines, and like orders for the poor.

Today, there is being birthed literally thousands of orders and neomonastic communities all prophetically calling witness, begging the church to return, to open the door that Christ might again rule a powerful church.

May we denounce the anemic shell we now embrace and return with a white hot passion for a radical following, not the weak whimpy pastel religion - but be captured in our hearts for the radical, wild, unbridled real Christ.

ReJesus Part 2

2009-08-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

To continue the ReJesus quotes, I'll allow my friends, Alan and Mike to say it and say it well...This is from Chapter three, page 63:

Two quotes that open the chapter:
"Christ's whole life is all its aspects must supply the norm for the life of the following Christian and thus for the life of the whole church." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

"All religious institutional embeddedness - whether in the form of temple worship, unjust social systems, or repressive religious practices - is challenged by the revelation of God in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus." ~ Gail O'Day

Alan and Mike open the chapter with this:
Iin Revelation 3.20, we hear these famous words of Jesus: "Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me." We generally interpret this to say that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts and asking us to allow him to come in. Even though we can appreciate the sentiment, the verse itself has nothing to do with personal evangelism. The specific church in question in Revelation 3 is that of Laodicea, the famously lukewarm church that Jesus wanted to vomit out of his mouth. The image here is of Jesus standing outside of the church asking to come in. The question that should spring to our minds is, "What is He doing on the outside of the church when He is meant to be the Lord of that very church?" But of course, John's revelation of the seven messages to the seven churches is fiven to us as a warning that we not make the same errors. Jesus is outside the door of the church in Laodicea! How is this also true for many communities and organizations that claim the name Christian? The question we ask in introducing this chapter must be, is Jesus similarly outside the door of your church? Have we shut Him out of the fellowship of the insiders? And what has been the result? "

Let's look at the result! Hmmmm. Scary!

Intersecting Worlds!

2009-08-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we (our community here in New Orleans - Communitas) served shoulder to shoulder with 50 others from our world of coaching lacrosse. This serving together helps those we walk with see what it is, taste what it is, smell what it is to be a Jesus follower.

There is a teacher and coach from a lot of our players' middle school who needed some help. We asked and saw fifty five of us out there working shoulder to shoulder to help and say thanks through our sweat. There were parents and players, and our community, making this happen!

They felt and tasted the community sweet flavor of what being God's people is like - giving ourselves away! It was awesome!

At the end of the day, we had filled two large dumpsters! That's 60 cubic meters total!

ReJesus Part 1

2009-08-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

"[Jesus] is presented [in the Gospels] as homeless, propertyless, peripatetic, socially marginal, disdainful of kinfolk, without a trade or occupation, a friend of outcasts and pariahs, averse to material possessions, without fear for his own safety, a thorn in the side of the Establishment and a scourge of the rich and powerful."

~ Terry Eagleton, "Was Jesus Christ a Revolutionary?", New Internationalist, May 1, 2008, page 24.

"The process of of refocusing the church will begin with a rediscovery of the fierce and outrageous life of Jesus. Too many people have become turned off to the church because the object of our faith seems bland and insipid. It reminds us of a quip made by the archbishop who is reported to have said, 'Everywhere Jesus went there was a riot. Everywhere I go they make me cups of tea!'"

~Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, "ReJesus", Hendrickson, 2009, p. 21

When we discuss the decline in Christianity [decline in church participation, identification with the faith, parallel social ills, e.g. divorce, etc, to the rest of society], we can easily charge people up to a desire to see Jesus' name made renown. Christians sincerely want the Kingdom to advance... ...right up to the point where you want to call them to change.

As I pondered how can I take the plethera of convictions I hold for what we need to do different, the bottom line is that we must stop - examine ourselves and posture our hearts, minds and attitudes that we actually need to change some things. I can even get an audience to admit this, until I label some of the things that must change if the church is not to slowly fade from the landscape of western civilization. Some how we think we're the exception to history, where the faith once was center stage: Egypt, Palestine, West Asia, North Africa, and even Europe... Somehow the Messianic belief that the US, and other Western English nations, will be the exception still exists... It comes down to this one issue: Will we embrace that we must change and re-examine some things... Let me boil it a simple list, inexhaustive as it is.

1. Our understanding of what it is to be a Christian
2. Our understanding of what it is to follow Jesus
3. Our understanding of what is the church
4. Our understanding of what the church is about
5. Our subtle but deep, deep synchrotism with our culture
6. Our completely antiquated and ineffective understanding of mission, evangelism and approach to the society in-which we live.

Allow me unpack these, briefly:
1. Our understanding of what it is to be a Christian: The contemporary 20th century efforts to help make the Gospel make sense resulted in a reductionist view of the faith; "all you have to do is..." and in four quick steps, you said some hokus pokus words, and "Voila!" you are a Christian, saved with no possible chance of ever being lost again. But in this effort, sincere as it was, turning, following, embracing, immersion, transformation was lost. We actually believe that when you look at what following Jesus is, what being a saint is, what salvation is, it is a complete capitulation (surrender unconditionally) to Christ's rule in your complete being, body, mind, heart, soul. It completely reorients your world view, and it becomes normative, not the exception of radical zealots who run off to be missionaries in mud huts, to live lives centered on Christ, the Kingdom and His agenda in every aspect and every relationship. Anything less is heresy, and less than the complete and real truth of His Words to us. John MacArthur and I would not agree on a lot of things, but this, I do believe he would applaud. "Can I get an Amen!?"

2. Our understanding of what it is to follow Jesus: To follow Christ calls for a change in how we value our lives - our time, our values, our priorities, our purposes, and our desires... It results in changing how we spend out money, structure our lives, make career decisions, determine (criteria used) for any decision, change, addition to our lives. This is a huge topic, but I'll give you one or two examples. This would mean the reason you take or decline a promotion/transfer that requires you to move would change from the American idolization with advancement and more pay, power, prestige, success in the world's eyes, to what is God calling you and your family to? What would be the impact of such a change? Are you being "sent" just as any missionary, or is it a distraction from the impact and present call where you live? Are we really supposed to be moving so much, or is being a people, being present in a neighborhood and community over longer time more effective and what God calls us to? Could not relationships rank above much of what we call success? This is a deep virtue within New Orleans, and with its many scars, as any city and culture has, this is one I hope the people here never lose!

3. Our understanding of what is the church: I'm about to meddle here. Is the Biblical purpose of the church to do so much stuff? Is 95% of what almost every Western church about (where it spends its time, money and energy (people hours)) effective in anything other than spinning wheels? Is being a people of God, a peculiar people, really about services, be it "worship" or "Mass/Eucharist" or is it us living life together and salting our society in face-to-face relationships. Too often we want to spend our energy on 1&1/2 hours of our week, instead of loving, serving, investing in others - which is face-to-face, requires humility and vulnerability... it's easier to be in charge and perform than be the real thing. Is God really interested in our performances... Don't get me wrong - the church should and must come together, but the real definition of the church is God's Kingdom invading the world.

One note here: We spend a lot of time banging our cymbals on political issues (don't get me started!). Can I suggest we just shut up and serve. I suspect we'll have a much louder voice, more influence when we do speak. We argue, fight, defend our rights (Aren't we crucified and to sacrifice our lives for Christ, humbly loving others?) too much! We're not called to prop up fallen political parties or agendas, but to BE Jesus to the world. Maybe, we stop and re-read the quotes at the top again. Maybe we re-read the Gospels (Jesus' biographies) and imitate him in action, attitude and posture... Our God is a humble God. Jesus is like the Father, but the Father, our Holy God, is a humble servant God! Amazing!

4. Our understanding of what the church is about: Related to the above, but calling for it's own spot in the sun, is what we're about. The US church and most other western churches are about, well, us... We've created consumer, me oriented approaches to the church. We "want to be fed (meaning the pastor preaches what I already believe and think), and we "want" ________ (fill in your own prioritized demands; good music, men's/women's/youth/kids' ministries. We "want" programs that scratch our itch. Rather than "be" a people - relationships, bonded together with people we share affinity and those different than us. It is supposed to be true community, common unity - not a club with the right associated social endeavors. Maybe we'd be tighter together, maybe we'd be more fulfilled if it wasn't about us, but about caring for the things Jesus cared about, and in the mean time, we'd actually make a difference in the very things we get so up in arms over, like crime, social decay, etc.

5. Our subtle but deep, deep synchrotism with our culture: This is simple, we've incorporated and made ethos (deeper presumptions about what is, what is right, what is true, what is normal) that come from the culture and are not Biblical. This is invasive in every aspect of life. Let me give you an example... Our kids MUST go to university (education as god) over, before and periminent to following what God might radically want to do in and through them... It goes like this, "You can do that after you get your degree and master's. It's more important that you go to University than to run off and do missions right now". Another god is comfort and security: "If you do that, you'll be poor. What about retirement savings? If you move there (the very words we got when we moved into inner-New Orleans in 2006 11 months after Katrina's devastation), it'll be dangerous! What about your kids?! Another god is most subtle but even more deadly: success - which manifests itself in the comfort of affluence. It's result is a god that calls for our time, energy, priority, purse, goals, aspirations and entertainment... distracting and minimizing our life's impact and purpose to the point that we lose and redefine, justify our present sad reality (go back to the quote at the top). Most of the US church is white, suburban, politically very right (without ever daring to examine why we hold the views we have, or daring to actually engage and consider what others are saying) and affluent...and we spend 99% of our money on us - because, wait for it.... "It's ours!" Wow! This toxic fatal god is the center stage idol in what is distracting and killing the church today! We'll follow God, as long as we can remain in our safe, comfortable setting... Missions is even transforming to suburban wealthy missionaries who jet to poor pre-Christian settings 2-3 times a year, speaking to thousands and jetting out. There may be effect there, that's yet to be seen. While these might augment those on the ground, they cannot replace it - for they create celebrity unrealistic expectations and hierarchies.

6. Our completely antiquated and ineffective understanding of mission, evangelism and approach to the society in-which we live: Get over it! The days and world of "Leave it to Beaver" are no more and they were only great if you were middle class and white! And under the skin, the sin was just as rampant as today in those circles. Here is some real arrogance on our parts... somehow the late 20th century leadership has internalized that the way it is now, the way we do things now is to be here forth set in stone and society, our methods, are equal to Scripture and shall not change. One problem...no one told society... Hence, things continue to change and we still argue arguments no one has! We still approach missions in our world the same way we do in pre-Christian developing nations! To say we might actually need to do some good missiology in our own setting is heresy to many! They act as if it is attacking the truth of Scripture, even when you point how Biblical leaders constantly analyzed their context and applied approaches for the present situation.

This is simple in our world! We bring the "Gospel" as if we're going to share some information that they have never heard before. Sure, there may be a case or two, microscopic portion of society, that would be shocked with the information. Yet, in our post-Christian world, the VAST, vast majority of the society knows the information (facts) of who we claim Jesus to be. Somehow, we continue to use this same method - as if saying it from us is hokus pokus. Sure, God can use it - but usually, we look small minded and frankly, often are! The challenge for 21st century post-Christian missiology (evangelism), of which I am an expert - it is and has been my world for years, is how to help them;
a) Dismantle their misperceptions of this Gospel we bring
b) Get passed the misrepresentations of Jesus they've experienced in one way or another and to actually hear us
c) Listen to "what we're saying". This is not a one off discussion today, but over time, in context.
d) Mostly, we must first earn that right, but living and serving and participating with them in life, in causes, in relationship - real relationship.

Folks, this change takes time, and requires a complete overhaul of how we understand being and living as Jesus followers! The missiology we call the church to requires vulnerable relationship with time invested. Many will dismiss this as ineffective and too small. Yet, somehow, the present method has the church declining in scary trajectories, and 99% of ALL saints NEVER in their life lead one person to know and follow Christ! They simply embrace a faith of sin management till its over! HOW FREAKING SAD! If 50% of the saints would simply love one person towards the Kingdom, in six years we'd see a 50% increase in the church in our nation, our western world. That would be amazing! That would get headlines... If we served and loved people - one family who is poor, one kid without a dad who is predestined (seemingly) for crime and being on the welfare dependence the government has, think of the change socially to our society!

I recommend you consider two works for further wrestling:
Hirsch and Fronst, ReJesus, Hendricks, 2009
Clapp, A Peculiar People, Inter Varsity Press, 1996

Enough for today! Ciao.

God - which one?

2009-07-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

Was listening to NT Wright speak and discuss the Biblical God and Jesus versus the society understanding of God in light of the majority of people in the US and UK (Aus, NZ & Can also) believing in God, but not following or really having God in their lives much. He tells the story of how as chaplain of one of the colleges of Oxford University he would briefly meet with each new undergrad the first couple of days of each term. He shared how many said they'd not be around much as they did not believe in God... Tom would reply with, "Which one?" They'd be startled and stammer out some tripping definition of the zapper God in the sky.... His retort was funny, "Neither do I." Nice, Tom!

In wrestling "which God" within the Christian community, I often poke the ribs of many evangelicals, from which I hale, along with the religiosity of many liturgical friends... I can see the strengths of both traditions, along with the issues that each tradition is often blind to, and in denial when it comes to addressing those issues.

Sometimes, okay occasionally, alright - I at times am known to poke not the ribs, but the eye of those who get their knickers (underwear for yanks) in a knot and mad at the issues I bring up. While I try and temper myself - and believe me the version published is tempered (!) I can use satire, sarcasm and outright slash on the rarest of situations...

Recently, Adam shared this article with me. He speaks tongue in cheek, but there are serious issues, very serious issues, that I believe Christians, especially those who lean on the right wall, should reflect upon and address - and repent and change... It is going to sting, so I pre-warn you now. If you read it - take the time to take stock and consider what he says.

By the way, I agree - I think his letter is one that Jesus would write if Revelations' letters to the churches were written today...it'd be eight letters!

So, read Relevant. Bon journey.

God's blessing

2009-07-21T12:53:00.001-07:00

In making hard choices, in attempting great feats, in discerning should we do, or not do something, we as people following God, intercede and ask Him for guidance and to lead us. We then naturally interpret that if there is no resistance, if it works out smooth, if we land on both feet, then God is in it. If there is resistance, circumstances get complex, then He is not for it.

I understand how we conclude this - but we are simple for it. You know, when I look at many things in God's Word, in living my own life, quite often it doesn't go smoothly, there is huge resistance, it is out of the ordinary and causes delay and multiple challenges to overcome to be faithful to what God is calling me to, us to. Daniel's and his friends' experience in captivity in Babylon was the same. It was definitely a swim upstream, and made it more complex - not fighting them, but in simply striving to get it right. It was no difference for those in the New Testament. It is the same for those who had it go smooth when they made decisions against God's will, e.g. Joseph's brothers, or Jacob's deception, or David's sin. I know, some of these are sin, some of them are people trying to do the best who made mistakes because they had no resistance.

God simply does not always block our poor choices, or even good ones out of His plan. He doesn't always pave the way for things He actually wants us to do. It's not so religious. He is so much more complex - like - say a person! You actually have to know Him, really know Him, have intimate times to know intimate preferences. You have to have lots of time logged in different relational histories to know what He would have you do.

Right now we have one couple dying to move here, after 18 months of uphill striving to make it reality. We have another listening to lead with no resistance to stay or leave. Where is God's will? Which is right?

Then, when you know it - you nkow it and the resistance doesn't matter. So, what are you asking wisdom for?

Oeace. Be Still!

Holy Unto The World

2009-07-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

We're exhausted. It never seems to stop.

Nor should it. We've spent the summer busier than ever. Now, there are others, people already in our lives calling. It goes like this... "Ugh, guys, I don't know how to even ask this. We, well, ugh, need some help..." We're known for being His people.... Amen!

We're now working how we can unite people in our spheres to love each other with us!

So often, we get questions regarding our spiritual formation. They focus on information transfer
and how exact we are in jots and tiddles of theology. We agree - this is important, to know the real God, for who He is - not images in our own making.

Yet, we encourage you, and those in our lives here, that God's holy living is not withdrawn, not set apart and alone, not Christians holding hands, but Christians sacrificing ourselves for others, and for each other... We should be the most depleted and giving of all, should we not!?

Our spiritual formation is indivisible from how we live, from what we do. It's not Christianese language discussing lofty abstract concepts, but a missionary activity; living for others, praying actively in the real world.

We must live such lives - that people die to join us!

Matthew 5 - We must be: salt of the earth, light on a hill, light on a stand ...let your light shine so that people may see your good deeds and praise your God in heaven.

Our lives are to be holy, so delicious...that people ask, "What's going on with those people?" We're judged by how compassionate, how generous, how they love, how they care. What have they got?"

I know, after such a long silence, it's not neat, not prophetically and quotable, but it's the passion burning in me now. What burns is our lives changing lives in our real world.

I need to go now - we have a neighbor's yard to cut, a sink to install, a baby to cuddle, a ride to offer and a God to share.

Ciao!

Chad with two of our lax players working for a widow.

Our ladies and some of the women in our world - on a regular ladies' dinner out... Jesus ate with them, spoke healing to them, and loved them.

Brennan Manning in sharp focus...

2009-04-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

This week I got a call from a spiritual son, a young man whom I love, admire, respect and love as a son. He's sharp, real sharp. I had the privilege to be one who walked with him towards the Kingdom, and helped him get to know Christ personally. I've also had the privilege of speaking into his life, encouraging him, keeping my proverbial hand between his shoulder blades and speaking into his ear whispering the truth ...that I am proud of him, and he is doing great.

I share this because he called and wanted me to know he and his bride (and their young son) are leaving their church, one with long roots, family ties and many reasons to stay. To leave will cause ripples, hurts, misunderstandings and yet, he has to go and it will be hard, and he knows that and is doing what must be done.

One of many complex reasons involves the ethos of the leadership. I often speak, teach and write regarding my concerns for the church, and its corporate DNA, something that crept into the church over the past 60+ years and has ruined her. We operate on business sense, not the radical upside down realities of the Kingdom. Business models more resemble the church than the revolutionary, counter-American culture ethos of Biblical community, a people on the journey together, bringing the Kingdom. We've supplanted the glorious community of God's people with marketing and consumer centered approaches to being the church, and relegated ourselves to attracting and holding market share.

I have admired Brennan Manning for a long time. He speaks with the cutting truth we need to hear. He's not perfect, but his words are good counsel. During lent, a couple of guys in our community are reading his work, A Glimpse of Jesus. He writes a couple of poignant thoughts that I simply must share with you.
"Christian freedom is the joyful acceptance of this unprecedented and scandalous reversal of the world’s values. In sovereign liberty to prefer to be the servant rather than the lord of the household, to merrily taunt the gods of power, prestige, honor and recognition, to refuse to take oneself seriously (or to take seriously anyone who takes himself seriously!), to live without gloom by a lackey’s agenda, to dance to the tune of a different drummer and be captivated with joy and wonder at the vision and lifestyle of the Ebed Yahweh (Servant God) – these are the revolutionary attitudes that bear the stamp of genuine and unmistakable discipleship. So central is Jesus’ teaching on humble apprenticeship and serving love as the royal road to the Kingdom that at the final judgment, God Himself disappears and is visible only in our brothers and sisters. “What you did for those around you, you did for me.” (Matthew 25.40) I would rather be numbered among the little band who have at least learned this from Jesus and the Bible than among the legalizers, the moralizers, the hair splitters who are so busy straining the gnat that they swallow the camel. Would not this radical, revolutionary, and thoroughly orthodox mindset plunge us into a new Pentecost that would renew the face of the earth? There is simply no sense in trumpeting the lordship of Jesus if his attitudes, values , and behavior are not recognizable in our lives."

A Glimpse of Jesus, p. 27-28

"Having the humility and courage to serve is the way to true greatness. When a young Baptist minister finished his doctorate, he told me that he wanted to have an international ministry like mine. At that very moment, unknowingly, he disqualified himself from any role in leadership. Ambition to be a star in the Body of Christ is alluring and seductive, it is also demonic, the glamorous enemy of Servanthood and love. The steady erosion of servant leadership in the North American church, the deference shown to charismatic superstars, and the bowing and scraping to TV evangelists deface the image of the servant Jesus and make the credibility of Christian leadership literally incredible."

Ibid, p. 28-29

"The stark realism of the Gospel allows for no romanticized idealism or slopping sentimentality here. Servanthood is not an emotion or mood or feeling; it’s a decision to live the life of Jesus. It has nothing to do with what we feel, it has everything to do with what we do – humble service."

Ibid, p. 29

Somehow, somehow, might we actually live, sustained, as a normative life to not live normative to our culture, but in it, with the people, as lovers of the people, but so different, such a peculiar people that resonate a humility (selfless and others focused), sacrificially (love enough to be inconvenienced without expectation), and caring (care enough to commit) that people who are in such a post-Christian culture tha the charicature of Christ they have might be shattered and that they might actually, possibly taste and see, smell and savor the true Jesus?

2009-03-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

KUDDO'S to Mark Sayers for conceptualizing some of this shift!

Take a look at his blog post on this topic of the shifting movements within "emerging/missional church". His comments are worthy to note.

For those wondering, we (Communitas) are a cross between the neo-Ana Baptists (a.k.a. the neo-monastics) and the neo-missiologists.