More Than Cake

Clifton Strengths Finder 2.0

2009-06-18T00:00:00.001-07:00

The Clifton Strengths Finder is a tool developed by the Gallup organization to asses a person's strengths.

The online StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment features a personalized Strengths Insight Report, an Action-Planning Guide, and a web-based Strengths Community. I have found this to be one of the best tools in understanding my own personality and leadership AND a valuable tool for learning about the strengths of other people on my teams and in my church. Here are the results of my latest assessment.

Strategic--I create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, I can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

Achiever--I have a great deal of stamina and work hard. I take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Responsibility--I take psychological ownership of what I say I will do. I am committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty

Belief--I have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for my life.

Connectedness--I have faith in the links between all things. I believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

If you have never taken this assessment, take some time and do it. It is totally worth the time and cost! Feel free to share your results and insights if you, or your leadership team, take it!

New Blog is Up

2009-06-16T16:41:00.002-07:00

I switched over to WordPress. The new blog is up and running.

Please be sure to switch over your RSS feeds.

Also, if you signed up to get MTK via email, you will need to sign up again on the new site. You will see the links to my RSS, Mail, and Twitter at the top of the page.

come visit and let me know what you think!!!!

New Site Design Coming Soon

2009-06-15T16:18:00.003-07:00

I have a new site coming soon. Here is a sneak peek!

Disorganized Religion

2009-06-14T00:00:00.001-07:00

It is funny how many people I meet that say, "I am not a fan of organized religion." My quick response is always something like, "than you should come join us on a Sunday morning--we are very disorganized."

All kidding aside, comments like these do expose a weakness in the crazy complexity of modern church, but for some Christians they also expose a selfish ambition to be a follower of Jesus without the accountability, intimacy, and risk of community as God designed it.

The following quotes from Kenneth Flemming get right to the heart of the matter.

It is true, Church is Organic

Paul looked at the local church as a dynamic organism. Its life was that of Christ Himself. Its unity was maintained through His presence. Its direction and purpose were from Him. Paul expected to plant these organisms wherever he went with the gospel. He nurtured them with a view to growth both qualitatively and quantitatively. He established them so that they could thrive and grow in the cultural setting of the community. He encouraged them to reproduce themselves in the surrounding communities and, by extension, in distant places. Living organisms grow and reproduce if they are healthy. Paul viewed the churches in this way.

But, as I have written before, the Church has structure

Paul’s concept of the church as a living organism must not be construed to mean that it was formless, a mere blob of living cells. He saw the church as having form and structure. In creation biological organisms all have highly complex structures. One of the wonders of the life sciences is this very complexity. The deeper scientific investigation is able to penetrate, the more the awesome wonder of God’s design is revealed. Just as every living thing in creation has order and form, so the church, which is a spiritual organism, has order and form. For a church planter like Paul it was important to have the form clearly in mind, because it was his responsibility to set the pattern in the beginning.

Flemming gives a great summary of how this organic nature of church fits with the biblical structure.

In my view, the reason for relatively little Pauline teaching on church organization is that God intended it to be simple and basic. The organization was to go no further than the autonomous local church.

The symbols used indicate structure. We have already mentioned the building with its plan and builder. The symbol of the body indicated order from the head and cooperation and control of all the members. The church as a household indicated headship and order. The church as a priesthood presumes ordered activity and a high priest. The truth is that there is no organism which is not organized. Order and structure are New Testament principles; there is no room in the writings of Paul for an unorganized church that exists strictly as an unstructured fellowship of believers doing their thing.

The Organic and Organized church is central to God’s plan (Acts 15:4; Eph 1:23; 1 Thes 4:16-17)

The church is important for the health of God’s people.
The church is efficient for evangelism.
The church is a training ground for future leaders.

How well does this describe church?

------
Fleming, Kenneth C. "Missionary Service in the Life of Paul, Part 3: Paul the Church Planter." Emmaus Journal 2, no. 1 (1993): 217.

Broken Things

2009-06-11T00:00:00.001-07:00

What is done with broken things,
Unfixable things,
Things that have come unglued?

Where goes the cracked toy,
The split tool,
The doll that's been puppy-chewed?

Broken and unwanted,
Broken and replaced,
Broken and tossed away,

Who mourns their loss?
Who misses their touch?
Who seeks the place where they lay?

Tools with missing parts,
Toys with broken hearts,
They crowd the depths of our garbage bins

Who will clean them?
Who will fix them?
Who will bind their mangled wings?

Whose heart seeks out broken things?
Whose heart loves them?
Whose? ... tell me ... whose?

-- Dave Young

One Year With Karl Barth: God The Father

2009-06-08T00:00:00.001-07:00

Barth affirms that the Father, Son and Spirit are part of the one God, but this section of CD emphasizes the uniqueness of the Father. Barth asserts that the dignity, lordship, and even the superiority of Jesus is subordinate to the "theos".

In the so-called Synoptic Gospels this approach is especially prominent. It almost sounds like a false note, and is certainly an enigma, when even and precisely in these Gospels Jesus is called Kyrios. For what is Jesus here but a single pointer to the Lord whose kingdom (not His own) Jesus announces and declares by word and deed in a way that hardly distinguishes Him either formally or materially from John the Baptist, in relation to whom as the only One who is good (Mk. 10:18) Jesus associates Himself with His disciples in the address: Our Father!, whose will He very definitely differentiates from His own (Mk. 14:36), to whom He prays, as is repeatedly emphasised, and obedience to whom seems to be in the last resort the whole meaning of His calling and work. He is thus called the (ἅγιος) παῖς* of God like David and the Servant of the Lord of Isaiah 53...

Barth concludes that jesus's authority and lordship was only a manifestation of the Father's.

Looked at along these lines the lordship of Jesus as the Son of God is obviously only a manifestation, exercise and application of the lordship of God the Father. The essence of the deity ascribed to Jesus is to make clear and impart and give effect to who God the Father is, who God is in the true sense, and what He wills and does with man. It is to represent this God the Father.

Barth seems to define the nature of Father through the lens of the Son. Most significantly, Barth sees that the most important aspect of God the Father is that his "fatherhood" goes beyond the analogy of human parentage, but that the Father, through the death and resurrection of the Son, is the Lord of both life and death for all creation. Let me close then with a summaratoin from Barth's own words.

God our Father means God our Creator (cf. for this Deut. 32:6 and Is. 64:7). And it should be clear by now that it is specifically in Christ, as the Father of Jesus Christ, that God is called our Creator. That God is our Creator is not a general truth that we can know in advance or acquire on our own; it is a truth of revelation. Only as that which we know elsewhere as the father-son relation is transcended by the Word of Christ the Crucified and Risen, only as it is interpreted by this Word, which means, in this case, only as it acquires from this Word a meaning which it cannot have of itself, only in this way may we see what creation means. But in this way we can see. The Father of Jesus Christ who according to the witness of Scripture is revealed in Jesus His Servant has the qualities of a Lord of our existence. The witness to Him leads us to the place where the miracle of creation can be seen. It bears witness to the holy God, the God who alone is God, the free God. It is this witness that we have to understand with the help of the basic statements of the doctrine of the Trinity.

For Barth, uniqueness of God the Father, and Creator, is only manifest as our father because he is first the Father of Jesus the Son and we come to the knowledge and experience of the Father through Jesus' death and resurrection.

----------
* All quotes from Karl Barth, Geoffrey William. Bromiley and Thomas F. Torrance, Church Dogmatics, Volume I The Doctrine of the Word of God, Part 1, 2d ed. (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 2004), 384-.

Rediscovering Church: Broadway Outreach

2009-06-04T22:31:00.008-07:00

I am impressed with how so many churches are rethinking the use of buildings. Many churches are no longer building for "us" but rediscovering the Great Commission and building for the community. There are so many churches, moved by the Spirit, to build places where God's people can serve the lost and needy of our world--and that is a great thing!

One recent example comes from my friends Todd and Cathi who are servants at Salem Alliance Church in Salem Oregon. Here is a snapshot of what they are calling, "The Broadway Project."

Is this the only way to reach out? No!

Must we find ways to accomplish these same goals without expensive buildings? Yes!

But in looking for other ways God can work, I hope people can remain open to ALL the ways YHWH is using the local church to effect the Gospel!

This may not be "your" way of doing it, but I hope you can pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ who are moved by the Spirit to do something uniquely powerful for the Kingdom!
The Dream...
Picture these scenes:

Your Bible study is just finishing your time together in the warm glow of a large fireplace.
You notice an unchurched neighbor of yours enter the building with a small shopping bag in hand.
A youth staff member and three students are deeply engaged in conversation while sipping their mochas.
Twenty people from the neighborhood are gathered in a second floor conference room for a life-skills class.
A member of the deaf community accesses the only public video phone in the area.
The building hostess directs a city leader to the planning session in a breakout room.
Students with backpacks and laptops catch the elevator to the 3rd floor seminary classroom.
Three Salem Alliance Elders compassionately pray for a grief-stricken family in an upper prayer room overlooking the city.

Now imagine that they are all happening at the same time in a facility owned and operated by a church - your church, Salem Alliance. These are the kinds of experiences that we anticipate will regularly occur in the new building on Broadway - Salem Alliance's next step towards impacting our community.

The Plan...
• An inviting coffee experience, complete with a fireplace for gathering
• A 400-seat auditorium with kitchen for receptions, concerts, dramas and outreach events
• Numerous large conference rooms for training, shepherding groups, seminary classes, etc.
• Prayer areas for personal and group prayer overlooking the city
• Numerous "breakout" areas for smaller gatherings
• Full handicap accessibility
• Leased professional and commercial space
• Four stories - 50,000 sq. ft. - unlimited uses

The Impact...
The new building on Broadway, yet to be officially named, will have a major impact not only on Salem Alliance but also on the neighborhood and entire city. The events that will be hosted, training provided, agencies served, planning conducted, prayers prayed, ideas generated, relationships built, partnerships formed, leaders mobilized and lives changed will take us well beyond our current limitations.

Many times in planning for Broadway, the church leadership has tried to scale back the dream. Yet, somehow our hearts wouldn't let us. Our conviction only grew that we must maximize this opportunity. Over and over we sensed "God is going before us, we must follow."
For seventy years, this neighborhood has been our church home. Now it is time to prepare for the next seventy years. Our future will be greatly impacted by the steps of faith we take today.

------- Posts In Series -------

Building for Community | Safe to Surrender | Giving to Jesus Not Man | Embracing the Multitudes

Remembering My Appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno

2009-06-02T00:00:00.005-07:00

After 17 years, Jay Leno has left the Tonight Show. Leno wants his legacy defined by the 60+ children born to his staff--many of whom met and married through the Tonight Show. The final show on Friday May 29, 2009, reminded me of the kindness and class that kept my wife Suzanne and I watching these past 14 years. Why only 14? Because it was 14 years ago in January 1995 that Suzanne and I appeared on the Tonight Show.I was traveling out to California to meet Suzanne for the first time. We were standing in line hoping to get into the show, when two of the writers interviewed us and asked us if we wanted to be in a sketch.
We spent the next 30 minutes in the Green Room waiting for our cue to enter the studio. Our only instruction was to sit on the steps. When Jay asked, "why are you two not in a seat," we were instructed to say, "there were no seats left for us." After that, Jay was to make a joke and that would be the end of our TV debut.. or would it? Check out this video!

During commercial breaks Jay came over to us in the car and asked, "how are you two doing?" He made sure we were comfortable and well taken care of. After the show, he invited us onto the stage for a photo. We sat in the "star" chairs an Jay said, "Joe, I know your parents live in PA and are on a 3 hour difference. You probably wont make it home in time to tell them to watch the show. Would you like to call them?" Jay then picked up the phone that is kept behind the desk and called my parents to tell them, "your son is on the show tonight, be sure to watch!"

It turns out that our appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno was the first time my family would see my future wife Suzanne.
Now Suzanne and I can say our first "date" was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno an we too are a small part of his legacy :-)

The Wrong Kind of Organic

2009-06-01T16:58:00.003-07:00

My wife likes to buy organic foods. Some folks only consume organic church. But I think Joe Cocker teaches us that too much organic (or the wrong kind of organic) can lead to problems.

The Rabbit & The Elephant

2009-06-01T00:00:00.010-07:00

Back in April, I was asked by Tndale House Publishers to do a review of their upcoming book, "The Rabbit and The Elephant." As a church planter, and someone interested creating self-replicating groups, I was intrigued by the synopsis of the book which reads as follows.

If you put two elephants in a room together and close the door, in 22 months you may get one baby elephant. But two rabbits together for the same amount of time will result in thousands of baby rabbits! In The Rabbit and the Elephant, “micro church” planters Tony and Felicity Dale use the “rabbit” illustration to show the pace at which the Christian faith can (and should) be growing—through evangelism that is explosive and transformational. The Rabbit and the Elephant contains the key to 21st century evangelism—taking the gospel to where the pain and the people are.

This book tells the story of Tony and Felicity Dale's journey toward Simple Church. With occasional input from coauthor and researcher, George Barna (see my interview with Barna here). The authors use the rabbit and the elephant analogy to say that smaller church is much easier to reproduce than a larger and more complex church. The Dales see themselves as fulfilling a specific call from God and as forerunners to a reformation that will be as big as Tyndale's reformation (24). The Dale's vision for Church is promoted through their magazine, conferences, and two websites www.simplechurch.com and www.house2house.com.

A summary of why they value simple church is found on pages 13-15.

1. Jesus ministered in homes, and much of the Gospel narratives takes place in homes...
2. New Testament Christians primarily met in small group or home settings...
3. It is difficult to obey the commands of the New Testament in groups that are too large...
4. Jesus entrusted his ministry to ordinary untrained men...
5. Most aspects of ministry are better in a small setting...
6. Simple churches multiply more quickly...
7. Simple churches allow all the members of Jesus' body to be fully functioning...

One of the refreshing positives of this book, is that while the authors promote the strengths of the "rabbit"-sized simple church, they do not make an enemy of the "Legacy" or traditional church. They write,

Please do not think this is a criticism of individual legacy churches. We personally owe a lot to the legacy churches of our formative years, and we are thrilled that two of our four adult children are seeking God with all their hearts at wonderful legacy churches. We believe that God continues and will continue to use legacy churches in remarkable ways (31).

Unlike other books, and blogs, I am pleased that the authors are not turning "Simple Church" into another denominational divide. I am glad that the Dale's have chosen to value friendship and co-ministry with the Legacy Church. For this reason alone, it is a good book, worth reading and I hope more folks will take a step in this direction of corporation for God's Kingdom.

The Home is No Place for Church

2009-05-30T00:00:00.002-07:00

Here is an interesting story out of Communist China (ooops, I mean San Diego County, California USA).

A San Diego pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a county official and warned they will face escalating fines if they continue to hold Bible studies in their home.

The couple, whose names are being withheld until a demand letter can be filed on their behalf, told their attorney a county government employee knocked on their door on Good Friday, asking a litany of questions about their Tuesday night Bible studies, which are attended by approximately 15 people.

"Do you have a regular weekly meeting in your home? Do you sing? Do you say 'amen'?" the official reportedly asked. "Do you say, 'Praise the Lord'?"

The pastor's wife answered yes.

She says she was then told, however, that she must stop holding "religious assemblies" until she and her husband obtain a Major Use Permit from the county, a permit that often involves traffic and environmental studies, compliance with parking and sidewalk regulations and costs that top tens of thousands of dollars.

And if they fail to pay for the MUP, the county official reportedly warned, the couple will be charged escalating fines beginning at $100, then $200, $500, $1000, "and then it will get ugly."

For my brothers and sisters in Christ who are involved in the house church movement, or for any church that promotes home group ministry, this could become a barrier.

Broyles confirmed the county official followed through on his threat. The pastor and his wife received a written warning ordering the couple to "cease/stop religious assembly on parcel or obtain a major use permit."

"The Western Center for Law and Policy is troubled by this draconian move to suppress home Bible studies," said the law center in a statement. "If the current trends in our nation continue, churches may be forced underground. If that happens, believers will once again be forced to meet in homes. If homes are already closed by the government to assembly and worship, where then will Christians meet?"

On a personal note, Broyles added, "I've been leading Bible studies in my home for 13 years in San Diego County, and I personally believe that home fellowship Bible studies are the past and future of the church. … If you look at China, the church grew from home Bible studies. I'm deeply concerned that if in the U.S. we are not able to meet in our homes and freely practice our religion, then we may be worse off than China."

Broyles also explained to WND that oppressive governments, such as communist China or Nazi Germany, worked to repress home fellowships, labeling them the "underground church" or "subversive groups," legally compelling Christians to meet only in sanctioned, government-controlled "official" churches.

"Therein lies my concern," Broyles said. "If people can't practice their religious beliefs in the privacy of their own homes with a few of their friends, that's an egregious First Amendment violation."

WND contacted a spokeswoman for San Diego County, who acknowledged the description of the incident seemed "bizarre," but who was unable to locate the details of the account. She simply could not provide comment yet, she said, until she could become familiar with the case.

No matter how this turns out, I want to encourage my church-Family not to fear. Look at China, they are hindered by the law, imprisoned, beaten, and killed.... yet the church under Communist oppression has grown faster than in any other nation. Yes, we must be aware of how Government seeks to constrain our Faith, but we should not fear it, but trust in Jesus!

Places I Have Been

2009-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

I enjoy travel, but even more I enjoy missions projects I have done around the world. It is so cool to see two cultures come together under the one name of Jesus Christ and worship God together! Here is a map of places I have lived, places I have visited and places I would love to go.

Share some of your places in the comments or post a map like this on your blog and then send me the link.

"Praying in Community" is out on Amazon

2009-05-26T19:58:00.003-07:00

My small group study went live a little faster than expected, but you can now get copies of my new 6 week series, "Praying in Community" on Amazon.

There is a LEADER GUIDE and STUDENT JOURNAL available for purchase.

The following is from the Intro to the study.

Several years ago I was pastoring in a large church and was asked to create a Wednesday night discipleship program. I wanted to do more than just teach people about God, I wanted to create opportunities to experience both the love of the Father and the power of Divine-community. As I searched all the major publishing houses, I quickly became frustrated at the quality of materials on prayer. Most studies lacked depth and the ones that provided it were focused almost exclusively on passing along the cold-hard facts about prayer. I wanted something more. The people of God deserve and need something more! This group study was born out of my passion to help people both learn about and experience the power of praying in community.

This 6 lesson series is designed to help every disciple of Christ master the art of communal prayer. So much of our culture emphasizes the private nature faith, that we have forgotten the power of praying in groups. This series has been used in my own ministry to help both the brand new Christians and the mature Christians experience the power of praying as a church Family.

Each lesson is designed to last 1 1/2 hours. Unlike most group studies, this material puts an equal emphasis on teaching the mind and engaging the spirit. The first half of each lesson teaches one of six disciplines; The Prayer of Jesus, The Prayer of Brokenness, The Prayer of Evangelism, The Prayer of Healing, The Prayer of Intercession, and The Prayer of Persistence. The second half of each lesson is your opportunity to move beyond talking about prayer and actually engaging in prayer. How much time you spend in each will vary depending upon the experience and comfort level of the people in the study. As a whole, this study teaches the value of using the Scripture as our primary book of prayer.

My prayer, is that each person in this study will come to know the joy of prayer and the power of praying in community.

Stop Judging the "Institutional" Church

2009-05-22T12:00:00.002-07:00

My sorrow and frustration, I must admit, continue to grow as I read comments from people who use the term "institutional" as a pejorative against a form of church that some have chosen to leave. While it may be a helpful term, to some, in helping distinguish between different approaches to living as the Body of Christ, what bugs me is when people use terms like "institutional" as a term of condemnation against anyone and everyone who does church in this way. This passage from the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome seems to have something to say about this kind of judgemental behavior.

Romans 14:10-13 (ESV)
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For wwe will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess2 to God.”
12 So then zeach of us will give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

I do think the desire to refine the church is, for most people, genuine, but we must also be careful to love one another in the midst of the process without creating false dichotomies and pharisaical laws. We must all stand before God and give an account.

2 Cor 5:10-11 (ESV}
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

Let us engage, persuade, and encourage one another to stronger faith, but remember God is ultimately the judge not us! In the end, there is no "institutional" church! There is no "organic" church! There is only ONE church---now let's start speaking to one another like it!

What questions would you ask?

2009-05-18T10:07:00.004-07:00

In cooperation with some publishers, individual authors and speakers, I am conducting a series of interviews to be posted here on More Than Cake--and I want your input.

More and more Christians are getting their spiritual guidance from internet resources. In our diverse culture, there are many misleading voices which claim the name of Jesus, yet offer a deceptive Gospel. The mission of this interview series is to engage the on-line generation in an intergenerational dialogue to help discern the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its application to our modern world.

So here are my questions to you.

If you could sit down for coffee and receive "wise counsel" from any one author, writer, speaker, pastor, leader, etc... who would it be?

Regarding the Christian faith, culture, politics, philosophy, social issues, etc... what questions would you ask him or her?

Please leave your answers in a comment here on my blog, on Facebook, or email me directly.

Praying In Community

2009-05-15T12:51:00.008-07:00

All too often, prayer is limited to private rumination and the internal groaning of the soul. The church in the West must rediscover both the power of praying the Scriptures and the power of praying in community.

Seven years ago I wrote a 6 week series teaching the disciplines of communal prayer. I am so excited because just today I received my proof copies of both the Leader Guide and the Student Journal.

The series is titled, "Praying in Community: Giving Voice to the Heart of Our Father"

The first half of each lesson teaches one of six disciplines;

The Prayer of Jesus
The Prayer of Brokenness
The Prayer of Evangelism
The Prayer of Healing
The Prayer of Intercession
The Prayer of Persistence

The second half of each lesson is an opportunity to move beyond talking about prayer and actually engaging in communal prayer.

Here is a photo of my cover design.
and a pic of one of the study pages.

The materials will be available from Amazon.com in the next few weeks. I will announce the release here and add the books to my on-line store at www.EmergingLife.org. I hope you will consider buying copies for your small group, Sunday School class, youth group, or house church and discover together the power of Praying in Community!

There is a Wideness in God's Mercy

2009-05-07T00:00:00.002-07:00

Lately I have been meditating on the words of this poem written by the Calvinist turned Roman Catholic, Frederick William Faber, 1862.

If you have ever suffered under the teaching that the American form of Liberty is the greatest form of good; then this poem is for you.

If you have ever struggled with pain and believed that this life was all there is; then this poem is for you.

If you have ever been disappointed in God, thinking your mind has reached the limits of God; then this poem is for you.

There's a wideness in God's mercy

like the wideness of the sea;

there's a kindness in his justice,

which is more than liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner,

and more graces for the good;

there is mercy with the Savior;

there is healing in his blood.

There is no place where earth's sorrows

are more felt than in heaven;

there is no place where earth's failings

have such kind judgment given.

There is plentiful redemption

in the blood that has been shed;

there is joy for all the members

in the sorrows of the Head.

For the love of God is broader

than the measure of man's mind;

and the heart of the Eternal

is most wonderfully kind.

If our love were but more faithful,

we should take him at his word;

and our life would be thanksgiving

for the goodness of the Lord.

Religious Dimensions of Torture in America

2009-05-05T09:28:00.008-07:00

My last poll asking your opinion on my resemblance to actor Jason Lee was al in fun. Now for something a bit more serious. I found the following Pew Research on American Religion and Torture very interesting.

A Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey released last week found that those who attend weekly church services are more likely than those who rarely or never attend services to say the use of torture on suspected terrorists is justifiable.

Here is the specific stat that I want to ask about.

The poll found that fifty-four percent of those who attend weekly services say the use of torture on terror suspects in order to gain important information can "often" or "sometimes" be justified. That's twelve percent higher than the 42 percent of those who seldom or never attend such services who say the same.

Do you think this survey is flawed or is it an accurate reflection of American church-goers?
If accurate, does this statistic reflect a positive or negative aspect of American church-goers? Why or why not?
The assumption built into the poll is that church attendance influences people to support torture. Is this an accurate assumption?
If you answer yes, then what specific aspect of American-Christian theology has been the influence behind this statistic?
If you said no, why do you think a larger percentage of regular church attenders support torture in comparison to those who are not regular attenders?
Church attendance does not guarantee a genuine Faith in Jesus. Do you think the support of torture reflects a genuine biblical teaching or does it reflect a religious distortion of the Scripture?

Is Jason Lee my Long Lost Twin?

2009-05-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Over the past month I have been substitute teaching at a local High School and middle school. At least twice a day some kid says to me something like, "hey, you look like that guy from 'My Name Is Earl'." or "Are you related to that guy from "Mall Rats'?" or "You look just like that guy from 'Alvin and the Chipmumks'!"

So I decided to put it to a vote among my readers. I know the teenage crowd thinks me and Jason Lee are long lost twins, but what about you?

Jason Lee was born just one month after me in 1970, so we are close in age, but do you see the resemblance in these photos I put together?

Fatherhood Dreams -- A wish past its prime

2009-05-01T00:00:00.002-07:00

Another photo from my friend Dave... one of the most creative, gentle, intelligent, and loving guys I have ever known (he put up with me for 4 years as his roommate). Like so many people, Dave dreamed of marriage and fatherhood, but some dreams never come into being.

I used to believe, but now...

2009-04-29T22:17:00.009-07:00

My brother in Christ, Alan Knox, recently posted a blog outlining what he used to belive about the church and what he now believes. Reading his former beliefs, I am happy to see how he moved away from a very unhealthy theology of church. I hasten to add that his new theology is not the only possible alternative. I think Alan's post provides a golden opportunity to share some contrasting views on these "hot-button" issues. Alan's thoughts are in quotes, and mine follow after each section.

I used to believe that preaching a 30-45 minute sermon on Sunday morning or night was the epitome of the Christian life. Now I believe that neither preaching nor listening to a sermon on Sunday morning should be the center of a Christian's life. Instead, serving and loving others in the name of Christ is much more important. Plus, many times, a five minute personal exhortation is much more effective than a general sermon.

I never thought sermons were the center of the Christian universe or the penultimate of our faith. I do believe the sermon can be a positive outlet for those to whom the Spirit has given the gift of teaching and the sermon, in proper perspective, can be a great asset to the church Family.

I used to believe that leadership was the greatest type of service. Now I believe that service is the greatest type of service. However, I do believe that we should follow those who serve. But, those who serve are not so concerned about gathering followers. Instead, they are concerned with serving.

I have never been one to make an idol of leaders. But at one point in my life I did see leadership as something reserved for a certain few. Now I see leadership as a mark of maturity in every believer. I also agree with Alan that serving is the ultimate kind of leadership. Finally, I have moved away from the "Senior Pastor" model of leadership. Now, within the diversity of Christian-leadership, I see a place for the kind of leadership that gathers together the saints under the guidance of Elders.

I used to believe that the 501(c)3 organization was the church. Now I believe that the people are the church... really... no, really. The church can organize, but the organization is not the church.

The idea that a 501c3 IS the church seems totally foreign to the way I grew up in the church. I am glad Alan, and others like him, have put off this silliness. The church is a Family. Structure is a necessary part of any family, so I agree with Alan that organization within the church should not be feared by those moving away from their unhealthy addictions to 501c3 structures.

I used to believe that the senior pastor (and the staff under his direction) was responsible for all teaching and discipleship. I now believe that while elders (pastors) should teach and disciple, this responsibility is for every follower of Jesus Christ, regardless of the education, gifting, training, abilities, positions, etc.

The more I read this kind of stuff, the more I am thankful for my upbringing under good pastors and my experience with Campus Crusade for Christ at Penn State. Still, I have a lot to learn about helping others become disciple makers and I am glad for the voices of folks like Alan who are moving this agenda forward.

I used to believe that discipleship was a 1-2 hour per week class with a workbook to be completed by those who were very spiritual. I now believe that biblical discipleship occurs 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. We must live life with one another in order to disciple one another. This cannot happen in a classroom alone, or in a programmed event alone.

I was close to Alan on this one during my college years. I don't regret any of the discipleship classes I took, but I am glad there is so much more to the Christian faith beyond the classroom. I agree with Alan, classes can be good, but the way we structure our classes should more about developing relationship and accountability and intimacy. I have put these principles into practice while writing my own Bible-study materials and I would love to see more of this kind of work from publishers.

I used to believe that it was the leaders' (elders/pastors) responsibility to "run" the church meeting so that the church benefited. I now believe that it is every believer's responsibility to think about the others in their community, and speak/serve during the meeting in a way that encourages others towards love, good works, and maturity in Christ.

I can see how this kind of thinking is a struggle for people like Alan who built their entire Christian life around the Sunday service. I also see how this confusion about the nature of church has led some to think the Sunday service is dysfunctional. But the truth is that the church needs to gather on many occasions for many reasons. Not every believer will use their Spirit-gifting every time the church gathers, but every believer must create opportunities to use their Spirit-gifting to edify the church--if it is not on Sunday morning, then each disciple of Jesus must find their opportunity to build the Body stronger!

I used to believe that education and knowledge were the same as maturity. I now believe that education and knowledge often have very little to do with maturity, and can be a source of pride and immaturity.

I am with Alan on this one!

I used to believe that if I could sit quietly during and learn from the pastor's sermon, then I was spiritual. I now believe that if I can listen to the Holy Spirit and obey him, then I am spiritual.

There were several periods in my life, in total about 12 years, where I got NOTHING from the sermons I was hearing. I used to feel guilty, but then I realized that the Sunday sermon was not about me or for me. The sermon is for the church and there are some people who need to hear the sermon. When I listen to a sermon, I look for ways to build on what the speaker is teaching and pray the Spirit will help me find discipleship opportunities. What a change from the sefl-centered view of preaching to the other-centered view of preaching.

What are the changes you have gone through in your life as a disciple?

Should Obama be Shunned? Please share your opinion!

2009-04-28T16:18:00.006-07:00

I read this news story today how Obama is getting the cold shoulder from one conservative Roman Catholic.

Harvard Law professor Mary Ann Glendon, one of the most prominent Catholic conservative intellectuals in the United States, announced yesterday that she would refuse a prestigious award from the University of Notre Dame rather than appear on the same platform on which President Obama is being awarded an honorary degree.

Glendon's unexpected announcement, just 20 days before Notre Dame's commencement, stoked a raging controversy over the decision by the Catholic university to honor a president who supports abortion rights and has taken several steps during his first 100 days to widen access to abortion services and to ease restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.

The article goes on to outline the number of Bishops and Roman Catholics who have very strong opposition to Notre Dame's invitation to Obama.

Notre Dame has been facing criticism from more than 40 American bishops, as well as hundreds of thousands of conservative Catholics who have signed online petitions, threatened protests, and expressed their outrage that a Catholic university would honor an elected official who supports abortion rights, even if he or she is president of the United States. A bishop in Nebraska referred to Notre Dame as a "formerly Catholic" university; a bishop in Oklahoma called the invitation to Obama "a scandal"; a bishop in Wisconsin referred to the invitation as "indefensible"; a bishop in Tennessee called it "embarrassing and shameful"' and a bishop in Illinois suggested that Notre Dame change its name to "Northwestern Indiana Humanist University."

So I am asking my readers to give me your opinion.

If you agree with the response of Professor Glendon? Why?

If you think the university is in the right, why?

I would love to hear from Roman Catholics, Protestants and anyone who does not hold a strong religious opinion. Educate me.

Why does this issue matter?

How should we approach controversies like this?

My New E-Store is ONLINE

2009-04-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

I am proud to announce the launch of my new e-store at www.EmergingLife.org. My design is very simple, but will allow users to buy copies of my books. My group studies are in redevelopment and will relaunch soon through Amazon. The new store also features books and DVD I recommend.

Shop and enjoy!

Live Mic: Blessing in the Suffering

2009-04-23T00:00:00.002-07:00

Over the past few Sundays, I have really enjoyed our "Open Mic" time, where different people have shared personal stories of God's amazing love. My Friend David, shared his story a couple weeks ago. He blended his own experience with the words of the worship song "Blessed Be Your Name." I hope it inspires you, as it did so many of us, to trust in God during these difficult economic times.

I want to take you through a thought process that I’ve been going through this week. As we’ve been approaching this Easter weekend, I’ve been thinking a lot about a song that most of us probably know very well. It’s written by Matt Redman, sung by many artists and congregations – it’s called “Blessed Be Your Name.”

Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams Of abundance flow, Blessed be Your name

Boy, God – that’s actually pretty easy. You’ve given me SO much! I’ve got a wonderful wife and amazing kids, and our family relationships truly are everything that You’ve designed them to be. There is peace and joy in our home (for the most part, anyway), and we share a love for one another that truly is from You. You’ve given us a wonderful place to call home, surrounded by the beauty of Your creation. I especially love it this time of year, when the trees and bushes start budding out again, there’s sun shining (at least once in a while), and the birds are singing again. It’s so peaceful, so restful. We’ve really got everything we need, and more, for a very comfortable life. Thank you so much, Lord.

Blessed be Your name when I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness, Blessed be Your name

Ok, well, I sing those words a lot. But do I really mean them, God? You know my heart better than I – do I really mean it? In Philippians chapter 4, You tell us to “not worry about anything” and instead to “pray about everything”, to “tell You what we need, and thank You for EVERYTHING.” Hmm – “everything,” God…? I mean, the good stuff, that’s easy. But… even the bad stuff? Of course, then You go on to promise us that “if we do this, we will experience Your peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.” Wow – well, I’d definitely like that… But… EVERYTHING, God…? There’s a lot of not-so-great things going on in the world now-a-days. If I was in the middle of some of those things, could I – WOULD I - still thank you? Could I still sing those words (and really MEAN it), if some of those things were happening to me? I’m not sure, Lord…

Blessed be Your name when the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s all that it should be, Blessed be Your name

I’ve got a great job, which You provided for me basically by miraculous means. It provides very well for my family, even blessing us with more financial resources than we actually need. I’m fulfilled by the work, and I know that I’m doing more than just earning a paycheck – I’m making a difference in Your Kingdom by what I’m doing. I really have never felt as blessed by what I do, as I have felt at this job. What an amazing opportunity – to get to do Kingdom work while still earning a living that blesses me and my family so abundantly. Thank you so much, Lord!

Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering, Blessed be Your name

Lord, I think about the account in Acts chapter 16, where Paul and Silas were thrown in the deepest dungeon, clapped in stocks, and in the middle of the night, they start SINGING! They must have had real heart revelation about those truths that Paul later wrote about to the Philippians – that thanking You for everything really does lead to Your peace! And not just Your peace, but Your joy as well – joy that leads to praise in the middle of the night, in the middle of a cold, brutal prison cell. Could I do that, God? Do I have that kind of revelation about the truth of Your word? I say that I do believe Your word, that I believe in Your power to supernaturally give me those things that, in the flesh, I could never conjure up on my own. I know it up here in my head, but do I really KNOW it down here in my heart?

You give and take away, You give and take away
My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name

Lord, you have given me all these good things. But what if You took some of them away? Four months ago my employer told me that my job was secure – that I didn’t have to worry about being displaced by someone with more seniority. What if, then, on Monday, I was called into my managers office, and told that on Friday my job position was being eliminated, and that I was being laid off? That there were people from elsewhere in the company being brought in to cover the work that I had been doing. What then? Would my heart choose to say “Lord, blessed be Your name?” And not only choose to say it, but truly believe it?

Well, as you may have guessed, this question is no longer just a hypothetical one for me. This last Monday, I was called into my manager’s office… And I had a choice to make. Was I going to allow in fear, sorrow, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger – all those things that the world (and my flesh) would say I had every right to feel? Or was I going to believe what the Bible says? Was I going to thank God for this, and then allow Him to fill me with His peace and joy? Now, I’m not going to say that there wasn’t a battle to be fought, because there was. All those things – fear, anger, doubt – oh they wanted in all right. But I did make a choice, and I chose to thank Him for this. And my heart did choose to say “Lord, blessed be Your name.”

And so here we are today, on Easter Sunday, celebrating Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Celebrating that singular act in all the history of the world that gives us victory not just for eternity, but for THIS life. That brings us, as Christ himself said, not just life, but ABUNDANT life. You see, in essence that choice that I faced was this: Was I going to, in my life, leave Christ hanging on that cross, where there is only death and sorrow? Where, yes, there is the final payment for sin, but there is no victory for this life. Or am I GOING to, in my life, let Him rise again, and fill me with His resurrection power, His victory, His peace and joy – in EVERYTHING? So on Monday, that choice I made was an act of the will, but you know, by about Wednesday, it truly was heart revelation. In my last few days at work this week, I had the opportunity to tell literally dozens of people about my faith that gives me joy and peace in the middle of this situation, and many told me that they could see the reality of it in me. We’ve already seen God’s hand of blessing in it, when late in the week I was told that I was being given 3 additional weeks of pay and 1 additional month of insurance, over and above the standard severance package.

So, this morning I stand here unemployed in the middle of the highest unemployment rate and worst economic recession in nearly 30 years. But the choice that I made and the heart revelation that I have, the heart revelation that WE have is this: We BELIEVE what the Bible says. We KNOW that when Jesus said “make the Kingdom of God your primary concern, and He will give you all you need from day to day” He was speaking the Truth. He’s given us everything we’ve needed in the past, and He will continue to do so in the future. And we not only BELIEVE, but we have EXPERIENCED the Truth that when we pray about everything, tell Him what we need, and thank Him for… EVERYTHING, that we will have, and we DO have His peace. I may have become an unemployment statistic, but let me tell you that is not who I am. I AM the son of the Most High God, and His Kingdom is NOT in recession. We don’t know what His next gift to us will be, but our Daddy gives GOOD gifts.

Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name

The Triple Point of God

2009-04-21T14:18:00.010-07:00

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20

One of my favorite college courses was Thermodynamics. It was my strongest science class and--call me a geek--I still enjoy reading books on the stuff when I can. One of the coolest parts of science is discovering how God reveals Himself through His creation.

The Trinity is one of the most difficult concepts of the Christian faith, (just check out Barth and Zacharias). There are tons of analogies and models people use to try and comprehend this unity in diversity. Without a doubt, the one model that makes the most sense is found in what thermodynamacists call "The Triple Point".

In simple terms, the Triple Point is when the Temperature and Pressure conditions are in perfect balance so that a substance can exist simultaneously in all three phases. For example, water exists in one of three primary phases; solid, liquid or gas. But when the temperature and pressure are just right, water can be a solid, a liquid and a gas at the exact same time. Here is a simple graphic illustration of the Triple Point.

Triple Point is the coexistence of all three phases in perfect equilibrium.

For me, the Triple Point is a beautiful picture of YHWH who exists in the balance of Time and Eternity as Father, Son and Spirit--each one with a unique phase, yet each one existing in perfect equilibrium that cannot be divided--one from the other.

Even if understanding the Triple Point does not answer every question about the Trinity of YHWH, it should at least demonstrate the possibility of the diversity in unity that is God.