this is a busy travel season for me (6 trips in 8 weeks), but i'm excited about the possibilities this next trip to colorado springs holds for me. i'll be spending most of the next three days with my friend caleb and the team at navpress, a sizeable publisher focusing on spiritual formation in christian spirituality, as we talk through a potential series of book/teaching concepts.
i believe strongly in what i'm doing these days - and, by extension, in much of what we are doing at westwinds - and the fact that god may use some of these things to help others is both humbling and exciting.
thanks for your prayers, all
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
slides for tomorrow's fusion
this slide shows the migration (and decline) of christianity from its origins in jerusalem upwards and westwards to its present epi-center in africa.
note that the americas do not appear on this map, but that the migration is the same. it flourished in north america, has largely declined, and now finds its center in latin america.
similarly, this slide shows the movement of christianity beginning in the southern hemisphere, moving north, and now rapidly moving south again.
adapted from dan kimball's book (the emerging church) this slide shows the default worldview of those born into the modern world.
for me, and people like me, this basically represents the way our parents think about the world and about church.
it is not wrong.
the slide merely depicts their "defaults" which are very different than my own/our own.
again, from kimball.
this slide shows the defaults of most of my peers; and, more significantly, the default of MOST EVERYONE who will be born from now on (until the next major cultural shift).
this is important because it means that this is the default view in which our faith must be inculturated with increasing saturation in the future.
meaning, if you're wired the other way you'd better - at least - become familiar with this so that you know what you're up against.
some may say that their kids, or even their youthful peers, do not have these defaults. they are probably right. my aim is not to say that everyone has these, just that an increasing number of people are born into a world which values these things (over the other things). there will always be exceptions to this. but the exceptions don't make the rule. the world is headed this way and we must learn how to live as followers of jesus in it.
this slide shows how these two defaults overlap. we are not wholly in a world of pluralism etc. yet.
for as long as i'm alive i believe i'll be caught between these two worlds.
...but my demographic pocket will probably be the last to live in that tension, as perhaps the baby boomers were the first.
15,000 hits on ustream
...wow, i just logged onto ustream to review our loveshack gathering and notices that 14,334 people have watched fusion online.
wow.
we have a weekly attendance of adults and children at westwinds of approx. 850 people.
every week our p/vodcast is listened to by about 1500 people.
and our video of fusion has impacted almost 15,000 people.
now, keep in mind that westwinds is in jackson, mi (pop. 30,000 + ) and if we're famous for anything here, it's for closing down factories and closing up shops we only opened 3 months ago.
so for us to have such an impact is truly a miracle.
our thanks goes to god for this, but also to the many hundreds of people who've been faithful to westwinds (through all our ups and downs) for years.
thank you, long timers, for stickin' it out with us.
wow.
we have a weekly attendance of adults and children at westwinds of approx. 850 people.
every week our p/vodcast is listened to by about 1500 people.
and our video of fusion has impacted almost 15,000 people.
now, keep in mind that westwinds is in jackson, mi (pop. 30,000 + ) and if we're famous for anything here, it's for closing down factories and closing up shops we only opened 3 months ago.
so for us to have such an impact is truly a miracle.
our thanks goes to god for this, but also to the many hundreds of people who've been faithful to westwinds (through all our ups and downs) for years.
thank you, long timers, for stickin' it out with us.
i knew that was good stuff...
i love to read
my two great literary loves are science fiction and theology (which explains 'beneath still earth', if you've had the privilege/nightmare of reading it).
over the course of my life i've often begun thinking about something in the bible, something i've not heard articulated before or something i think we've missed out on as a church.
for example, in the mid-nineties when all the world was goo-goo about generation x i began to think that there was something more going on than just a generation swing. i did some work and arrived at the conclusion that "postmodernism", that giant of epistemology/literature/architecture was - at least - subtextually involved.
also, about five years ago i began to think that the way we talk about salvation needed an overhaul. i had done too many alter calls producing no-alterations, and asked for too many people to accept jesus as their lord and savior who did so...but not really; so, i began to investigate ignatius, athanasius, and chrystostom and - lo and behold - found my efforts at working with theosis to be far more successful (in both the long and the short run) than my efforts at substitutionary atonement (and, yes, i am aware that "my efforts" are all but insignificant when compared with the work of the spirit upon someone's life...so, all of this is only relevant insofar as it compares to my shred of contribution)
also, about two years ago i began to think differently about "the world" and we did our series "kosmos" at westwinds about God's dream to redeem the earth not just blow it up
anyways, i say all of that to say that i've always felt surprised/validated to find out that others are thinking the same things i'm thinking - all over the world, from every denomination and tribe. usually, i find this out after i've been called a crack-pot by few local-yokels, but still it feels good to know i'm not nuts.
my recent time at q
along with the following books i've just read
finding our way again
recovering the scandal of the cross
missing the mark
surprised by hope
anyways - it's been cool to find out (after the fact) that somehow, somewhere, god has been speaking to complete strangers along the same lines as i've heard him speak to me.
my two great literary loves are science fiction and theology (which explains 'beneath still earth', if you've had the privilege/nightmare of reading it).
over the course of my life i've often begun thinking about something in the bible, something i've not heard articulated before or something i think we've missed out on as a church.
for example, in the mid-nineties when all the world was goo-goo about generation x i began to think that there was something more going on than just a generation swing. i did some work and arrived at the conclusion that "postmodernism", that giant of epistemology/literature/architecture was - at least - subtextually involved.
also, about five years ago i began to think that the way we talk about salvation needed an overhaul. i had done too many alter calls producing no-alterations, and asked for too many people to accept jesus as their lord and savior who did so...but not really; so, i began to investigate ignatius, athanasius, and chrystostom and - lo and behold - found my efforts at working with theosis to be far more successful (in both the long and the short run) than my efforts at substitutionary atonement (and, yes, i am aware that "my efforts" are all but insignificant when compared with the work of the spirit upon someone's life...so, all of this is only relevant insofar as it compares to my shred of contribution)
also, about two years ago i began to think differently about "the world" and we did our series "kosmos" at westwinds about God's dream to redeem the earth not just blow it up
anyways, i say all of that to say that i've always felt surprised/validated to find out that others are thinking the same things i'm thinking - all over the world, from every denomination and tribe. usually, i find this out after i've been called a crack-pot by few local-yokels, but still it feels good to know i'm not nuts.
my recent time at q
along with the following books i've just read
finding our way again
recovering the scandal of the cross
missing the mark
surprised by hope
anyways - it's been cool to find out (after the fact) that somehow, somewhere, god has been speaking to complete strangers along the same lines as i've heard him speak to me.
Friday, April 25, 2008
sleepy, tired, poor
i've just finished a 3 day stint racing to finish our next teaching atlas. in the past 72 hours, i've slept 6.
(so...if you fall asleep while i'm preaching sunday, i will harm you...not because of insult, but because of envy)
anyways, while working away i was stymied a few times by lack of creativity. now, that's a little weird because creativity is usually sorta my thing.
but when you're tired
and pressed for time
and feeling a little anxiety
creativity tends to get a little shy
why then got me thinking about our extraordinary staff at westwinds - ben, lori, norma, angie, 3-headed-monstoriolis - and how pressed, tired, and anxious we've been since [a] first learning of randy's cancer, [b] having to lay off half our [previous] staff, and [c] learning [again] about randy's cancer.
coupled with the financial wormhole we've been in since 2004, it's no wonder that our staff is feeling sleepy, tired, and poor.
usually, when you have no money you can compensate by coming up with creative alternatives to the things you'd spend your money on if you had it. you can make cool art for your house instead of buying it, write your own stories instead of getting the latest bestseller, play outside instead of going to the movies etc.
usually, when you have no time to do everything you need to do you can compensate by coming up with creative solutions that allow you to do the most important, most invigorating things first without totally letting everything else suck.
usually, when you're in any kind of a bind the way out requires creativity.
our staff excels at creative solution-making, expression, relationship, and liturgy.
it's why i love them so much.
but...i can't help wondering how much longer we'll have to trade on ONLY our creativity before it runs out like the money, like the time, and like everything else.
if creativity is always our compensation package,
what happens when we deplete our resources for creativity?
this, by the way, is why we value creativity SO HIGHLY at westwinds
why we celebrate it
and why we look for staff to continue cultivating it
because, at the end of the day, it's the only thing we have to work with
(so...if you fall asleep while i'm preaching sunday, i will harm you...not because of insult, but because of envy)
anyways, while working away i was stymied a few times by lack of creativity. now, that's a little weird because creativity is usually sorta my thing.
but when you're tired
and pressed for time
and feeling a little anxiety
creativity tends to get a little shy
why then got me thinking about our extraordinary staff at westwinds - ben, lori, norma, angie, 3-headed-monstoriolis - and how pressed, tired, and anxious we've been since [a] first learning of randy's cancer, [b] having to lay off half our [previous] staff, and [c] learning [again] about randy's cancer.
coupled with the financial wormhole we've been in since 2004, it's no wonder that our staff is feeling sleepy, tired, and poor.
usually, when you have no money you can compensate by coming up with creative alternatives to the things you'd spend your money on if you had it. you can make cool art for your house instead of buying it, write your own stories instead of getting the latest bestseller, play outside instead of going to the movies etc.
usually, when you have no time to do everything you need to do you can compensate by coming up with creative solutions that allow you to do the most important, most invigorating things first without totally letting everything else suck.
usually, when you're in any kind of a bind the way out requires creativity.
our staff excels at creative solution-making, expression, relationship, and liturgy.
it's why i love them so much.
but...i can't help wondering how much longer we'll have to trade on ONLY our creativity before it runs out like the money, like the time, and like everything else.
if creativity is always our compensation package,
what happens when we deplete our resources for creativity?
this, by the way, is why we value creativity SO HIGHLY at westwinds
why we celebrate it
and why we look for staff to continue cultivating it
because, at the end of the day, it's the only thing we have to work with
Thursday, April 24, 2008
atonement (fusion series)
our next fusion teaching series was going to be about a four week look at genesis 1-2, but we felt led in another direction.
which means i've had to cram about three months worth of work into about 4 weeks. it's cool, though, 'cause i believe it's the right choice.
anyways - we're trying to be a little smarter about how we do the teaching atlases (specifically in terms of man-hours for angie + norma) so we're using blurb this go-round to see if we like it. the problem, though, is that there's a price-point at a certain number of pages...so i've had to cut some things out.
they're reprinted below if you're curious
Parables, Testimonies, & Prayers
This Teaching Atlas contains several subsections of genres other than (pure) theology. Allow me to briefly articulate my rationale for why (and how) I've included them here.
PARABLES
I've often been bothered by the separation of the church and the academy ñ meaning, it bugs me how 'dumb' we can be in the church.
Once upon a time, theologians and academics helped pastors better understand the Bible, the Gospel, and the Kingdom of God. In turn, pastors would translate that understanding into ways that normal people could understand.
Things don't work like that anymore, though. Typically, pastors only learn from theologians within their own denominations, who own rehearse the pet doctrines of their tribe in increasingly monochromatic tones.
We don't read the whole Bible anymore, and (by-and-large) we ignore the people that do, those who devote themselves to a deepening understanding of the richness of scripture and God's redemptive work in the world.
One of my long-time passions has been reading and learning from the brightest theological minds. I've always tried to take the best thinking available on any given topic and bring it into my regular life as as pastor.
But the more I've invested in theology, the more I've come to understand that we are often incapable of discerning the subtle differences that make the gospel so rich.
To be fair, I think it's impossible to really ìgetî how different something is from what you've always heard in church...and yet also ìgetî how much it is the same all in 30minute chunks once-a-week.
Parables, Testimonies, & Prayers
This Teaching Atlas contains several subsections of genres other than (pure) theology. Allow me to briefly articulate my rationale for why (and how) I've included them here.
PARABLES
I've often been bothered by the separation of the church and the academy ñ meaning, it bugs me how 'dumb' we can be in the church.
Once upon a time, theologians and academics helped pastors better understand the Bible, the Gospel, and the Kingdom of God. In turn, pastors would translate that understanding into ways that normal people could understand.
Things don't work like that anymore, though. Typically, pastors only learn from theologians within their own denominations, who own rehearse the pet doctrines of their tribe in increasingly monochromatic tones.
We don't read the whole Bible anymore, and (by-and-large) we ignore the people that do, those who devote themselves to a deepening understanding of the richness of scripture and God's redemptive work in the world.
One of my long-time passions has been reading and learning from the brightest theological minds. I've always tried to take the best thinking available on any given topic and bring it into my regular life as as pastor.
But the more I've invested in theology, the more I've come to understand that we are often incapable of discerning the subtle differences that make the gospel so rich.
To be fair, I think it's impossible to really ìgetî how different something is from what you've always heard in church...and yet also ìgetî how much it is the same all in 30minute chunks once-a-week.
So...here is my problem:
how do I help our people understand the rich and textured theology delivered by the best and brightest minds in simple enough ways that they ìget it?î
Well, one of the ways that has been very effective over the years is through the use of stories. Consider, for example, the story of the bridge operator whose son is caught in the gears of a bridge.
TESTIMONIES
These testimonials are real, though the names have been changed to preserve the privacy of my friends. They are the brightest spots in my ministry memory. In many ways, they are the reason I first began exploring the richness of Christís work on the cross. Time and time again I would hear people testify to Godís saving work in their lives in simple, yet unfamiliar (evenÖ ëunChristianí) ways. It became obvious to me that God was doing something beyond my theology; so, equally obvious, I recognized my need to dig deeper into scripture to find out what was happening in these lives and how I might increasingly facilitate similar experiences of transformation.
Each of these testimonials has a ìIíll never forget statementî that, in many ways, has been the jumping off point for our exploration of Jesusí atoning work here in the Teaching Atlas.
As you read this stories, consider whether or not they sound familiar to you. Do you know anyone like these people? Have you heard others talk about faith this way?
See, in many ways, everything said here is totally normalÖbut if you look closely youíll realize that the ways these people talk about faith is not the way we usually talk about faith in church.
They have found themselves at-one with God through Jesus Christ.
But none of them ever mentioned that ìJesus Christ died for my sinsî or that ìHe paid the price.î Yet, all of them express deeply biblical and theological truths about Godís reconciliation through Christ Jesus.
I include these stories to demonstrate that God is working through many different streams of at-one-ment.
I include them prior to the theology upon which they are based to reflect their un/familiarity ñ familiar language, but unfamiliar significance. The words immediately ring true, but I had to go find them in the Bible to make sure they were ìsufficientî for salvation.
PRAYERS
These prayers are mine. I wrote them while reflecting upon the different theologies of at-one-ment weíve been studying in this Atlas.
But, thatís not to say they are mine and mine alone.
Quite the contrary ñ like many other prayers, these prayers could easily be yours, if you choose to pray them.
In fact, Iím hoping you will.
They are written in such a way as to invite you deeper into the followership of Jesus Christ; so, if youíve been following Jesus for decades they would be appropriate for you to pray ñ and, if youíve just begun following Jesus, they would still be appropriate for you to use as statements of your engagement to him.
My hope is that you will both pray these prayers (as your own), and pray your own prayers as well. Perhaps your prayers will be slightly ñ or even dramatically ñ different. Regardless, the two prayers taken together may well serve you in your efforts to know him more.
And I encourage you to do so.
which means i've had to cram about three months worth of work into about 4 weeks. it's cool, though, 'cause i believe it's the right choice.
anyways - we're trying to be a little smarter about how we do the teaching atlases (specifically in terms of man-hours for angie + norma) so we're using blurb this go-round to see if we like it. the problem, though, is that there's a price-point at a certain number of pages...so i've had to cut some things out.
they're reprinted below if you're curious
Parables, Testimonies, & Prayers
This Teaching Atlas contains several subsections of genres other than (pure) theology. Allow me to briefly articulate my rationale for why (and how) I've included them here.
PARABLES
I've often been bothered by the separation of the church and the academy ñ meaning, it bugs me how 'dumb' we can be in the church.
Once upon a time, theologians and academics helped pastors better understand the Bible, the Gospel, and the Kingdom of God. In turn, pastors would translate that understanding into ways that normal people could understand.
Things don't work like that anymore, though. Typically, pastors only learn from theologians within their own denominations, who own rehearse the pet doctrines of their tribe in increasingly monochromatic tones.
We don't read the whole Bible anymore, and (by-and-large) we ignore the people that do, those who devote themselves to a deepening understanding of the richness of scripture and God's redemptive work in the world.
One of my long-time passions has been reading and learning from the brightest theological minds. I've always tried to take the best thinking available on any given topic and bring it into my regular life as as pastor.
But the more I've invested in theology, the more I've come to understand that we are often incapable of discerning the subtle differences that make the gospel so rich.
To be fair, I think it's impossible to really ìgetî how different something is from what you've always heard in church...and yet also ìgetî how much it is the same all in 30minute chunks once-a-week.
Parables, Testimonies, & Prayers
This Teaching Atlas contains several subsections of genres other than (pure) theology. Allow me to briefly articulate my rationale for why (and how) I've included them here.
PARABLES
I've often been bothered by the separation of the church and the academy ñ meaning, it bugs me how 'dumb' we can be in the church.
Once upon a time, theologians and academics helped pastors better understand the Bible, the Gospel, and the Kingdom of God. In turn, pastors would translate that understanding into ways that normal people could understand.
Things don't work like that anymore, though. Typically, pastors only learn from theologians within their own denominations, who own rehearse the pet doctrines of their tribe in increasingly monochromatic tones.
We don't read the whole Bible anymore, and (by-and-large) we ignore the people that do, those who devote themselves to a deepening understanding of the richness of scripture and God's redemptive work in the world.
One of my long-time passions has been reading and learning from the brightest theological minds. I've always tried to take the best thinking available on any given topic and bring it into my regular life as as pastor.
But the more I've invested in theology, the more I've come to understand that we are often incapable of discerning the subtle differences that make the gospel so rich.
To be fair, I think it's impossible to really ìgetî how different something is from what you've always heard in church...and yet also ìgetî how much it is the same all in 30minute chunks once-a-week.
So...here is my problem:
how do I help our people understand the rich and textured theology delivered by the best and brightest minds in simple enough ways that they ìget it?î
Well, one of the ways that has been very effective over the years is through the use of stories. Consider, for example, the story of the bridge operator whose son is caught in the gears of a bridge.
TESTIMONIES
These testimonials are real, though the names have been changed to preserve the privacy of my friends. They are the brightest spots in my ministry memory. In many ways, they are the reason I first began exploring the richness of Christís work on the cross. Time and time again I would hear people testify to Godís saving work in their lives in simple, yet unfamiliar (evenÖ ëunChristianí) ways. It became obvious to me that God was doing something beyond my theology; so, equally obvious, I recognized my need to dig deeper into scripture to find out what was happening in these lives and how I might increasingly facilitate similar experiences of transformation.
Each of these testimonials has a ìIíll never forget statementî that, in many ways, has been the jumping off point for our exploration of Jesusí atoning work here in the Teaching Atlas.
As you read this stories, consider whether or not they sound familiar to you. Do you know anyone like these people? Have you heard others talk about faith this way?
See, in many ways, everything said here is totally normalÖbut if you look closely youíll realize that the ways these people talk about faith is not the way we usually talk about faith in church.
They have found themselves at-one with God through Jesus Christ.
But none of them ever mentioned that ìJesus Christ died for my sinsî or that ìHe paid the price.î Yet, all of them express deeply biblical and theological truths about Godís reconciliation through Christ Jesus.
I include these stories to demonstrate that God is working through many different streams of at-one-ment.
I include them prior to the theology upon which they are based to reflect their un/familiarity ñ familiar language, but unfamiliar significance. The words immediately ring true, but I had to go find them in the Bible to make sure they were ìsufficientî for salvation.
PRAYERS
These prayers are mine. I wrote them while reflecting upon the different theologies of at-one-ment weíve been studying in this Atlas.
But, thatís not to say they are mine and mine alone.
Quite the contrary ñ like many other prayers, these prayers could easily be yours, if you choose to pray them.
In fact, Iím hoping you will.
They are written in such a way as to invite you deeper into the followership of Jesus Christ; so, if youíve been following Jesus for decades they would be appropriate for you to pray ñ and, if youíve just begun following Jesus, they would still be appropriate for you to use as statements of your engagement to him.
My hope is that you will both pray these prayers (as your own), and pray your own prayers as well. Perhaps your prayers will be slightly ñ or even dramatically ñ different. Regardless, the two prayers taken together may well serve you in your efforts to know him more.
And I encourage you to do so.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
smoke and dust web site
for a long time i've wanted to shore up each of our teaching series at westwinds by having micro-sites online dedicated to our teaching content.
finally, we've found a simple way (using apple's iWeb) to do so.
to get all our v/podcasts, notes, prayers, illustrations, and a free download of the teaching atlas (pdf) go to smokeanddust.info
or just click on the link at the top of this blog
cheers!
finally, we've found a simple way (using apple's iWeb) to do so.
to get all our v/podcasts, notes, prayers, illustrations, and a free download of the teaching atlas (pdf) go to smokeanddust.info
or just click on the link at the top of this blog
cheers!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
podcast and vodcast
one of the really neat things about westwinds (especially lately) is how commited we are to an increasing presence on the web. what's doubly-cool is that a lot of this web-initiative is driven by our lay people; so, guys like davey buchannan and j cordova and brad kimpbell have a huge investment into making sure that we provide as many avenues as possible for people to connect with us via the internet.
so, just to list off a few, here are some of the cool venues westwinds has online:
westwinds.org
smokeanddust.info
westwinds.org/podcasting/
johnvoelzblog.blogspot.com
fogparty.blogs.com
guerillahost.org
variousparables.com
causemology.com
communityw.com
writehereandnow.com
prayground.tv
not too shabby for a hip church in the midwest, eh?
thanks for all you do - davey, j, brad!!
so, just to list off a few, here are some of the cool venues westwinds has online:
westwinds.org
smokeanddust.info
westwinds.org/podcasting/
johnvoelzblog.blogspot.com
fogparty.blogs.com
guerillahost.org
variousparables.com
causemology.com
communityw.com
writehereandnow.com
prayground.tv
not too shabby for a hip church in the midwest, eh?
thanks for all you do - davey, j, brad!!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
vox dei: prayer in fusion
God -
Forgive me for giving up
Forgive me for giving in
to the futility of this world.
I ask for the strength to believe
in the presence of despair,
and the courage to keep fighting
even when it looks like I will lose
every battle.
For I know that
the battle is not mine to win,
but yours.
and your truest desire
is to see me contend
with every breath.
The battle I must fight in this life
is first against myself
And in that contest I feel you
cheering me on to victory.
Please give me your heart
your truth
your belief
your confidence
that I can win
that I can destroy
the falsehood within
and allow your permanence
more space inside me to grow.
Amen.
Forgive me for giving up
Forgive me for giving in
to the futility of this world.
I ask for the strength to believe
in the presence of despair,
and the courage to keep fighting
even when it looks like I will lose
every battle.
For I know that
the battle is not mine to win,
but yours.
and your truest desire
is to see me contend
with every breath.
The battle I must fight in this life
is first against myself
And in that contest I feel you
cheering me on to victory.
Please give me your heart
your truth
your belief
your confidence
that I can win
that I can destroy
the falsehood within
and allow your permanence
more space inside me to grow.
Amen.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
loveshack
this past monday night at loveshack (our owner's/member's gathering) i lost my composure.
i mean it, i lost my cool. the past 13 years of ministry just kind-of erupted and my failures and my hopes just got tossed into the mix for all to see.
it was quite revelatory for me, actually...because i didn't really know how close to the surface those emotions were (or, conversely, how deeply frustrated i was feeling). knowing that i'm carrying that around all of the time is disturbing, not least because i wonder if the way i'm living is truly addressing the wells of passion inside me.
at the core of my sensation is the bother that church - any church - makes an insufficient difference in the lives of people. we don't see enough transformation. we don't experience enough proximity to the spirit. we don't align ourselves with scripture soon enough, or thoroughly enough, to give us supreme confidence that we will hear the words "well done, g+fs"
what's more, i carry with me the memories of my long friends who've dismissed god and/or been burned by god's people...such that pursuing and engaging god seems beyond all hope for them.
steve
mike
jason
jaime
and a host of loved ones whose names are even less known (though also less generic...hence my reason for not listing them) cycle through my consciousness like a playlist of concern.
i really want my friends to experience the life of god,
the life of the ages,
eternal life, begun in this one
that's not to say that they are bad or evil or degenerate, just that wholeness is obfuscated by self-priority, dry religion, and a pervading absence (both mine and god's).
i am left with a cliche restlessness that urges me to pray
and sometimes forces me to cry.
at loveshack,
as i spoke about the need for the church in the west to abandon "churchiness" and fatigued liturgical norms in favor of indigenous, innovative, new testament missional practices
my post-ecclesial-stress syndrome took over and i fell apart
i don't want to play at church
never have wanted to, but often have done so anyway
i came to westwinds to never have to do that
but have failed in championing the missional drive behind why we do what we do
i have failed to identify the reasons why some things are time-wasters and others are the foolish pursuits of cautious american christianity
in clear enough terms for our people
so, i come away from that meeting with the following resolve
1. i'm completely finished fooling around with church-y people. i've only got so much energy, and i don't want to give it to them.
2. i need to do a better, more frequent job of basic vision casting. the church in the west must change. westwinds, for the most part, is way ahead of this change; however, when i neglect to use my position to remind our people why that change is necessary and/or to call out the rest of the western church to follow suit (in their own innovative, indigenous way) things get bumpy. people forget, miss the comfort of the former ways, and complain. it's my job to tell them why we're doing this. it's my fault when they forget.
3. i can't be as cautious, or as nice, anymore. i need to give myself permission to reject some things, and some people's ideas and concerns, completely (when they do not align with my specific mission and calling). this is hard, because i currently listen to everyone who speaks about everything with (what i've previously erroneously regarded as) christ-like patience. i realize now that my willingness to listen is often simply a control mechanism - where i pretend to appreciate what is being said and respond placatingly because i am afraid that my fury will get the best of me and i will say something hurtful. i don't want to give myself permission to be hurtful; but, i think the spirit is driving to learn how to be angry well...to express my anger without sinning...and i've never been willing to do that before.
i find myself in a new territory of faith
i'm embarrassed about my lack of self-control at loveshack, but grateful that with that humiliation comes a release.
god is dealing with me about some pretty foundational issues, and some of what i'm hearing surprises me.
my prayer then,
is for discernment
for the courage to follow
and for a posture of increased orientation and engagement with the spirit.
i mean it, i lost my cool. the past 13 years of ministry just kind-of erupted and my failures and my hopes just got tossed into the mix for all to see.
it was quite revelatory for me, actually...because i didn't really know how close to the surface those emotions were (or, conversely, how deeply frustrated i was feeling). knowing that i'm carrying that around all of the time is disturbing, not least because i wonder if the way i'm living is truly addressing the wells of passion inside me.
at the core of my sensation is the bother that church - any church - makes an insufficient difference in the lives of people. we don't see enough transformation. we don't experience enough proximity to the spirit. we don't align ourselves with scripture soon enough, or thoroughly enough, to give us supreme confidence that we will hear the words "well done, g+fs"
what's more, i carry with me the memories of my long friends who've dismissed god and/or been burned by god's people...such that pursuing and engaging god seems beyond all hope for them.
steve
mike
jason
jaime
and a host of loved ones whose names are even less known (though also less generic...hence my reason for not listing them) cycle through my consciousness like a playlist of concern.
i really want my friends to experience the life of god,
the life of the ages,
eternal life, begun in this one
that's not to say that they are bad or evil or degenerate, just that wholeness is obfuscated by self-priority, dry religion, and a pervading absence (both mine and god's).
i am left with a cliche restlessness that urges me to pray
and sometimes forces me to cry.
at loveshack,
as i spoke about the need for the church in the west to abandon "churchiness" and fatigued liturgical norms in favor of indigenous, innovative, new testament missional practices
my post-ecclesial-stress syndrome took over and i fell apart
i don't want to play at church
never have wanted to, but often have done so anyway
i came to westwinds to never have to do that
but have failed in championing the missional drive behind why we do what we do
i have failed to identify the reasons why some things are time-wasters and others are the foolish pursuits of cautious american christianity
in clear enough terms for our people
so, i come away from that meeting with the following resolve
1. i'm completely finished fooling around with church-y people. i've only got so much energy, and i don't want to give it to them.
2. i need to do a better, more frequent job of basic vision casting. the church in the west must change. westwinds, for the most part, is way ahead of this change; however, when i neglect to use my position to remind our people why that change is necessary and/or to call out the rest of the western church to follow suit (in their own innovative, indigenous way) things get bumpy. people forget, miss the comfort of the former ways, and complain. it's my job to tell them why we're doing this. it's my fault when they forget.
3. i can't be as cautious, or as nice, anymore. i need to give myself permission to reject some things, and some people's ideas and concerns, completely (when they do not align with my specific mission and calling). this is hard, because i currently listen to everyone who speaks about everything with (what i've previously erroneously regarded as) christ-like patience. i realize now that my willingness to listen is often simply a control mechanism - where i pretend to appreciate what is being said and respond placatingly because i am afraid that my fury will get the best of me and i will say something hurtful. i don't want to give myself permission to be hurtful; but, i think the spirit is driving to learn how to be angry well...to express my anger without sinning...and i've never been willing to do that before.
i find myself in a new territory of faith
i'm embarrassed about my lack of self-control at loveshack, but grateful that with that humiliation comes a release.
god is dealing with me about some pretty foundational issues, and some of what i'm hearing surprises me.
my prayer then,
is for discernment
for the courage to follow
and for a posture of increased orientation and engagement with the spirit.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
fruit salad
my kids love the wiggles
you know - the musical group from oz who sing with accents about rose-eating dinosaurs and pirates with tickle-sticks?
anyway - the wiggles have this song called "fruit salad" and it's got me thinking.
life is like fruit salad.
someone else makes it for you, puts the ingredients in it, and serves it to you.
you may have to eat it, but you can pick out the bits of things you don't like.
see, there are three kinds of people in the world
1. those who pick the things out that they don't like and enjoy the rest of the fruit salad
2. those who pick out the things that they don't like and rant and rave about how ridiculous it is that anyone should ever include something like guava - for heaven's sake! - in a fruit salad
3. those who just like the fruit salad and eat every bite
but there are some funny dynamics with these fruity-salad eaters
a. those who love the salad often think that those who don't are just grouchy...but this is unfair, since the grouchy people have actually been served something they didn't like, whereas the happy salad-eater has no disruption in his fruit
b. those who pick the things out they don't like often feel smug because they are more mature than those who wig out over the bad-ingredients and think that those who love the salad are just empty-headed simpletons who WOULD behave like idiots if there was something in the salad they didn't like (this, on occasion, may even be true)
c. those who hate an ingredient in the salad may even have a point that guava should not be in a fruit salad in the northern hemisphere, being such a foreign fruit, and may feel that their legitimate gripe justifies their illegitimate temperament
so - who is the "good" fruit salad eater?
a. the one who loves it, eats it all, thanks god for it and prays for the grace to love it just as much even when there's something in it they don't like
and,
b. the one who hates an ingredient, has a valid point about why that ingredient should not be included, and expresses themselves with restraint and grace - aware of the fact that others may genuinely enjoy guava and do not want to have their meal ruined by the rantings of american-ingredient-only fruit salad eaters
and,
c. the one who picks out what they don't like, but also takes time to thank god for those who are currently enjoying their salad and to pray for those who need an extra measure of the spirit while suffering under the dictatorship of the guava
being "good" is not about your salad
it's not even about whether or not you like your salad
it's about you
and how you deal with whatever fruits you've been dealt
and how you perceive others, and have grace for others, in the middle of their meals as well.
oh...and i'm not really talking about fruit salad
you know - the musical group from oz who sing with accents about rose-eating dinosaurs and pirates with tickle-sticks?
anyway - the wiggles have this song called "fruit salad" and it's got me thinking.
life is like fruit salad.
someone else makes it for you, puts the ingredients in it, and serves it to you.
you may have to eat it, but you can pick out the bits of things you don't like.
see, there are three kinds of people in the world
1. those who pick the things out that they don't like and enjoy the rest of the fruit salad
2. those who pick out the things that they don't like and rant and rave about how ridiculous it is that anyone should ever include something like guava - for heaven's sake! - in a fruit salad
3. those who just like the fruit salad and eat every bite
but there are some funny dynamics with these fruity-salad eaters
a. those who love the salad often think that those who don't are just grouchy...but this is unfair, since the grouchy people have actually been served something they didn't like, whereas the happy salad-eater has no disruption in his fruit
b. those who pick the things out they don't like often feel smug because they are more mature than those who wig out over the bad-ingredients and think that those who love the salad are just empty-headed simpletons who WOULD behave like idiots if there was something in the salad they didn't like (this, on occasion, may even be true)
c. those who hate an ingredient in the salad may even have a point that guava should not be in a fruit salad in the northern hemisphere, being such a foreign fruit, and may feel that their legitimate gripe justifies their illegitimate temperament
so - who is the "good" fruit salad eater?
a. the one who loves it, eats it all, thanks god for it and prays for the grace to love it just as much even when there's something in it they don't like
and,
b. the one who hates an ingredient, has a valid point about why that ingredient should not be included, and expresses themselves with restraint and grace - aware of the fact that others may genuinely enjoy guava and do not want to have their meal ruined by the rantings of american-ingredient-only fruit salad eaters
and,
c. the one who picks out what they don't like, but also takes time to thank god for those who are currently enjoying their salad and to pray for those who need an extra measure of the spirit while suffering under the dictatorship of the guava
being "good" is not about your salad
it's not even about whether or not you like your salad
it's about you
and how you deal with whatever fruits you've been dealt
and how you perceive others, and have grace for others, in the middle of their meals as well.
oh...and i'm not really talking about fruit salad
prayer for the end of perfection
Lord -
I willingly let go of my need for a perfect life.
I choose to accept the difficulties, the pains, and the burdens
of this life – as you, first and also, accepted its troubles.
I choose to accept the joys of this life.
I choose to take them seriously:
to give them thought and attention,
to celebrate them and share them,
to honor them and thank you for them.
You suffered and died.
I, too, must suffer in many ways and die.
please help me to accept this
more and more every day.
You laughed and loved.
I, too, must laugh many times and love many others.
Please help me to accept this
more and more every day.
Forgive me for my failings,
and help me follow you more wholly
as I embrace the life you have given me.
Amen.
I willingly let go of my need for a perfect life.
I choose to accept the difficulties, the pains, and the burdens
of this life – as you, first and also, accepted its troubles.
I choose to accept the joys of this life.
I choose to take them seriously:
to give them thought and attention,
to celebrate them and share them,
to honor them and thank you for them.
You suffered and died.
I, too, must suffer in many ways and die.
please help me to accept this
more and more every day.
You laughed and loved.
I, too, must laugh many times and love many others.
Please help me to accept this
more and more every day.
Forgive me for my failings,
and help me follow you more wholly
as I embrace the life you have given me.
Amen.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
11, by len sweet
Len Sweet's newest book, 11, is about the 11 'indispensable relationships' every believer needs in their life.it's an excellent, excellent book - i've had the great privilege of reading it three times now, as i'd been asked by david cook publishers to prepare sermon outlines for each chapter of the text.
my outlines can be downloaded for free, with accompanying artwork, by clicking on the title of this post....
but - even if you don't download my stuff - you should really grab the book.
it's certainly one of his best
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
caedmon - celtic songwriter
one of the famous musicians of historic celtic christianity was caedmon. he was said to be skilled in making verse out of scripture, putting those to song, and singing them in english.
even though he was illiterate, caedmon would have someone read to him from the bible and then spend the night trying to make it work in song. reprinted here is a sample:
teach us again the greatest story ever told
in time, the carpenter began to travel
in every village challenging the people
to leave behind their selfish ways,
be washed in living water
and let god be their king
you plundered death
and made its jailhouse shudder
strode into life
to meet your startled friends
i have a dream
that all the world will meet you
and know you, jesus, in your living power
that someday soon all people will hear your story
and hear it in a way they understand
even though he was illiterate, caedmon would have someone read to him from the bible and then spend the night trying to make it work in song. reprinted here is a sample:
teach us again the greatest story ever told
in time, the carpenter began to travel
in every village challenging the people
to leave behind their selfish ways,
be washed in living water
and let god be their king
you plundered death
and made its jailhouse shudder
strode into life
to meet your startled friends
i have a dream
that all the world will meet you
and know you, jesus, in your living power
that someday soon all people will hear your story
and hear it in a way they understand
prayer + theology
our last 3-4 fusion/experiences we've concluded with a prayer written/displayed on our screens.
in many ways, those prayers are part of our design to help move people closer to god. see, whether we've been christians 'all our lives' or are just beginning to follow jesus, we all need to take steps every day to get closer to god.
every day
all of us
more steps
every day we must willingly engage the spirit of god and surrender control of some other aspect of ourselves (or, perhaps, re-surrender something we've previously surrendered...and then taken hold of once more).
so, our prayers have been simple prayers that have tried to convey that sentiment.
we're trying to get everyone to engage jesus a little more.
but - it has been pointed out - these past few prayers haven't used "jesus", but "god"
so, someone asked me, is it enough to pray to god (and not specifically jesus)
well - that's kind of a loaded question
one the one hand - yes!
we pray to the father, by the son, through the holy spirit (that's our technical direction as per the NT)
and when we pray and ask god for greater understanding of him, we can have confidence that he hears us and takes us at our intention (regardless of whether or not we botch up our prayer grammar...as per the teachings of jesus: which of you, if he asked his father for bread would expect a serpent in return?)
then, on the other hand - no, it's not really 'good enough' just to pray to some non-specific deity
we're christians
christ-followers
little christs
we don't follow the 'great spirit' or the 'all-knowing one' or one of the many gods out there
we follow jesus christ, incarnated deity, firstborn over all creation, above whom there is none other, by whom all things are created, in whom we live and move and have our being, etc., yada, and all the rest.
sometimes i get so overwhelmed while preaching that all i want to do is just stop whatever i'm saying and start saying 'jesus'
over and over again
it's my pentecostal roots, i think
everything i'm doing i'm doing for him - even working at westwinds has little to do with westwinds and everything to do with serving and engaging jesus.
jesus.
jesus.
so it breaks my heart when someone wonders whether or not we're prayer to/about jesus, because - for me - there's no other option. if i ever truly neglected jesus with my teachings or with my affections, i'd be unable to bear that.
it would kill me if that were true.
i am quite certain, however, that it's not true. though (in the case of our current study of ecclesiastes) we rarely incorporate the person and work of jesus (because he hadn't been born when the text was written and we can only honestly introduce him in the text when the text suggests it) in our messages, that doesn't mean that our prayers and our worship are not for him/to him/about him/in response to him.
him, of course, being jesus
jesus
jesus
jesus
jesus
in many ways, those prayers are part of our design to help move people closer to god. see, whether we've been christians 'all our lives' or are just beginning to follow jesus, we all need to take steps every day to get closer to god.
every day
all of us
more steps
every day we must willingly engage the spirit of god and surrender control of some other aspect of ourselves (or, perhaps, re-surrender something we've previously surrendered...and then taken hold of once more).
so, our prayers have been simple prayers that have tried to convey that sentiment.
we're trying to get everyone to engage jesus a little more.
but - it has been pointed out - these past few prayers haven't used "jesus", but "god"
so, someone asked me, is it enough to pray to god (and not specifically jesus)
well - that's kind of a loaded question
one the one hand - yes!
we pray to the father, by the son, through the holy spirit (that's our technical direction as per the NT)
and when we pray and ask god for greater understanding of him, we can have confidence that he hears us and takes us at our intention (regardless of whether or not we botch up our prayer grammar...as per the teachings of jesus: which of you, if he asked his father for bread would expect a serpent in return?)
then, on the other hand - no, it's not really 'good enough' just to pray to some non-specific deity
we're christians
christ-followers
little christs
we don't follow the 'great spirit' or the 'all-knowing one' or one of the many gods out there
we follow jesus christ, incarnated deity, firstborn over all creation, above whom there is none other, by whom all things are created, in whom we live and move and have our being, etc., yada, and all the rest.
sometimes i get so overwhelmed while preaching that all i want to do is just stop whatever i'm saying and start saying 'jesus'
over and over again
it's my pentecostal roots, i think
everything i'm doing i'm doing for him - even working at westwinds has little to do with westwinds and everything to do with serving and engaging jesus.
jesus.
jesus.
so it breaks my heart when someone wonders whether or not we're prayer to/about jesus, because - for me - there's no other option. if i ever truly neglected jesus with my teachings or with my affections, i'd be unable to bear that.
it would kill me if that were true.
i am quite certain, however, that it's not true. though (in the case of our current study of ecclesiastes) we rarely incorporate the person and work of jesus (because he hadn't been born when the text was written and we can only honestly introduce him in the text when the text suggests it) in our messages, that doesn't mean that our prayers and our worship are not for him/to him/about him/in response to him.
him, of course, being jesus
jesus
jesus
jesus
jesus
ecclesiastes prayer
apparently, we're prayer-maniacs right now at westwinds.
here is the prayer we concluded fusion with on sunday:
god -
forgive me
i have thought too little of you,
too infrequently of you,
and too much of myself.
i have made you a bidder for my affections when you are really so much more.
you are my maker.
i have not taken life seriously,
nor have i honored you
(or even my true self in you)
with it.
help me to live differently
help me to live with integrity
help me to live with an awareness of your spirit as i follow you.
amen.
here is the prayer we concluded fusion with on sunday:
god -
forgive me
i have thought too little of you,
too infrequently of you,
and too much of myself.
i have made you a bidder for my affections when you are really so much more.
you are my maker.
i have not taken life seriously,
nor have i honored you
(or even my true self in you)
with it.
help me to live differently
help me to live with integrity
help me to live with an awareness of your spirit as i follow you.
amen.
easter prayer
we concluded fusion on easter sunday with a prayer (displayed on our screens). for those who missed it:
god -
i have many regrets.
i have done many wrong things. i have hurt myself, you, others, and the world - sometimes in small ways, sometimes in greater ones.
please forgive me for all of this.
i do not want to keep fighting you.
i want your love and forgiveness.
i want to feel it.
i want to know i have it.
i willingly accept whatever it takes to know you and be known by you.
i am yours.
amen.
god -
i have many regrets.
i have done many wrong things. i have hurt myself, you, others, and the world - sometimes in small ways, sometimes in greater ones.
please forgive me for all of this.
i do not want to keep fighting you.
i want your love and forgiveness.
i want to feel it.
i want to know i have it.
i willingly accept whatever it takes to know you and be known by you.
i am yours.
amen.
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