A few weeks ago I began new teaching series on Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth. Every year I try to teach one long series. Last year it was a series on Jesus; the year before on Ephesians. This year's series will stretch close to five months.
A lot goes into preparing for a series like this. I've been in prep mode for the last six months. What does prep mode look like for a series like this?
First, I've read 1 Corinthians many times. And as I've read, I've thought not only about what God said to the church in Corinth, but about what he wants to say to our church. In a lot of ways we're very different than the church in Corinth, separated by time & culture in big ways. But in a lot of other ways this church is our sister. So not only have I read this letter; I've also prayed it.
Second, I've taken notes as I read. I sometimes do this on my computer, but this time I used a spiral bound notebook. I went chapter by chapter, noting observations, questions, words that needed further study, etc. That in-depth study then helped me discern how to break up the letter for our series. If you want to know more about how I've broken it up, you can read an intro paper I wrote. You can also see the Sunday night schedule here.
Third, I've read a lot of commentaries. Some of my favorites have been by Gordon Fee, Anthony Thiselton, Richard Hays, Craig Blomberg, and Ben Witherington (not a commentary but very helpful).
Fourth, I've listened to sermons from other pastors and teachers. My favorites have been from Trinity Grace, Soma, & Imago Dei.
Through all of this I've continued to internalize this letter, and as I've done that the teaching has been flowing out, not only in sermons but in discipleship and coaching. I'm grateful that God continues to speak through such an ancient book, and I'm grateful for how He's going to work in our church this year through it.
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Emotionally Healthy Church Planter
I read a great book this week. Two great things about it: it's short, and it's free!
It's called The Emotionally Healthy Church Planter, but don't let those last two words throw you. You could insert any profession into this and the book would be beneficial. The e-book is by Pete Scazzero, and it's based off his books Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and The Emotionally Healthy Church.
Listen to what he says here, and again, insert what you do in place of church planting. This is more a symptom of our overall culture than anything else.
Doesn't that make you feel tired just reading it!
In this book Scazzero makes the case that emotional health cannot be separated from spiritual maturity. He talks about how we cultivate a relationship with God, what it looks like to really rest, what a rule of life looks like, and how our interior lives impact our marriages and our leadership.
I highly recommend this ebook. You can download the kindle, mobi or pdf version here.
It's called The Emotionally Healthy Church Planter, but don't let those last two words throw you. You could insert any profession into this and the book would be beneficial. The e-book is by Pete Scazzero, and it's based off his books Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and The Emotionally Healthy Church.
Listen to what he says here, and again, insert what you do in place of church planting. This is more a symptom of our overall culture than anything else.
Church planting can be like an addiction—only it is not an addiction to drugs or alcohol, but to activity and doing.
Our bodies cannot seem to physiologically get off the adrenaline rush in order to slow down. We battle to make the best use of every spare minute we have. We fear how things might fall apart if we slow down or stop, so we just keep going. We end our days exhausted from the endless demands being placed on us. We know we need to rest and recharge, but who has time for that when the church plant is hanging by a thread? Soon even our “free time” becomes filled with demands as we try to squeeze more “doing” into an already overburdened life.
Doesn't that make you feel tired just reading it!
In this book Scazzero makes the case that emotional health cannot be separated from spiritual maturity. He talks about how we cultivate a relationship with God, what it looks like to really rest, what a rule of life looks like, and how our interior lives impact our marriages and our leadership.
I highly recommend this ebook. You can download the kindle, mobi or pdf version here.
Monday, January 21, 2013
NC DNA
Mandy and I have written some posts on the NC Blog about the history and DNA of Neighborhood Church.
How This All Began
Our Current Reality
Our Posture
Dreaming of What Could Be
How This All Began
Our Current Reality
Our Posture
Dreaming of What Could Be
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Two Tales of Redemption
As I wrote a few days ago, Mandy and I went to see Les Miserables and loved it. Neither of us have ever read the book, but we've both seen the stage version several times, and it's always been one of our favorite musicals. Watching the movie made the story come together even more for me, though. Particularly through the theme of redemption.
Redemption is a key theme in Jean Valjean's life. He, like many others in that day, was dealt a difficult lot in life. What got him arrested was stealing food to feed his nephew. Not much of a crime, yet it put him in prison for 19 years. Once he was let out of prison, he still wasn't a free man, and because of his "yellow ticket-of-leave" he would always be marked and would never have much of a life. After trying to get a job and continually being denied, he stumbled upon a church and was given food and a bed for the night. The film does a great job showing the turmoil going on inside Valjean's mind. He is grateful for the charity, but knows it can't last. He makes the decision to steal from those who have taken him in.
Valjean doesn't get very far before he's arrested and taken back to the church. The bishop, though, does something surprising and frankly unthinkable, at least in Valjean's eyes. He tells the police that he had given those pieces of silver to "his guest," but he had actually forgotten to take all of them. After the police leave, the bishop looks into Valjean's eyes (and heart), tells him to use these things to start a new life, and tells him that God has redeemed him.
It was this act of love that set Valjean free to be the man that God had created him to be. Valjean understood the weight of his sin. He received the gift of grace and forgiveness, and he was changed. Instead of looking out for number one the rest of his life, he sought to do good and to pass this grace on to others.
This is a beautiful tale of redemption, but it's not the only tale in this story. The second one occurs many years later. It's the story of Inspector Javert, who has been chasing Valjean all of these years.
At the barricades, towards the end of the story, Javert is captured and Valjean has an opportunity to kill him. Years ago, he wouldn't have thought twice. But he's a different man now. He holds his knife up to Javert, but instead of killing him he cuts his ropes and tells him to leave. Javert assumes that Valjean has struck some kind of deal, but then he realizes that he hasn't. Valjean, the man he pledged his life to find, is offering him mercy, and he has no idea what to do with it. Javert tragically chooses to end his life rather than receive mercy from his enemy.
Before watching the movie I had never noticed that the melody that is used as the songs for both of their reflections after being offered mercy is the same. Same beautiful melody, but polar opposite reflections. Valjean, the sinner, receives the free gift of mercy and grace with humility, and he goes on to live a beautiful life of freedom and generosity. Javert, on the other hand, who happens to be known as a man of the law, cannot receive this free gift because of his pride. Whereas these two enemies could have become brothers due to experiencing the same type of grace, Javert couldn't do it. Javert would rather die than receive grace from a thief.
Each of us has been offered redemption, no doubt in many ways but especially by God. What will we do with that redemption? Receive it with humility or reject it because of our pride?
Redemption is a key theme in Jean Valjean's life. He, like many others in that day, was dealt a difficult lot in life. What got him arrested was stealing food to feed his nephew. Not much of a crime, yet it put him in prison for 19 years. Once he was let out of prison, he still wasn't a free man, and because of his "yellow ticket-of-leave" he would always be marked and would never have much of a life. After trying to get a job and continually being denied, he stumbled upon a church and was given food and a bed for the night. The film does a great job showing the turmoil going on inside Valjean's mind. He is grateful for the charity, but knows it can't last. He makes the decision to steal from those who have taken him in.
Valjean doesn't get very far before he's arrested and taken back to the church. The bishop, though, does something surprising and frankly unthinkable, at least in Valjean's eyes. He tells the police that he had given those pieces of silver to "his guest," but he had actually forgotten to take all of them. After the police leave, the bishop looks into Valjean's eyes (and heart), tells him to use these things to start a new life, and tells him that God has redeemed him.
It was this act of love that set Valjean free to be the man that God had created him to be. Valjean understood the weight of his sin. He received the gift of grace and forgiveness, and he was changed. Instead of looking out for number one the rest of his life, he sought to do good and to pass this grace on to others.
This is a beautiful tale of redemption, but it's not the only tale in this story. The second one occurs many years later. It's the story of Inspector Javert, who has been chasing Valjean all of these years.
At the barricades, towards the end of the story, Javert is captured and Valjean has an opportunity to kill him. Years ago, he wouldn't have thought twice. But he's a different man now. He holds his knife up to Javert, but instead of killing him he cuts his ropes and tells him to leave. Javert assumes that Valjean has struck some kind of deal, but then he realizes that he hasn't. Valjean, the man he pledged his life to find, is offering him mercy, and he has no idea what to do with it. Javert tragically chooses to end his life rather than receive mercy from his enemy.
Before watching the movie I had never noticed that the melody that is used as the songs for both of their reflections after being offered mercy is the same. Same beautiful melody, but polar opposite reflections. Valjean, the sinner, receives the free gift of mercy and grace with humility, and he goes on to live a beautiful life of freedom and generosity. Javert, on the other hand, who happens to be known as a man of the law, cannot receive this free gift because of his pride. Whereas these two enemies could have become brothers due to experiencing the same type of grace, Javert couldn't do it. Javert would rather die than receive grace from a thief.
Each of us has been offered redemption, no doubt in many ways but especially by God. What will we do with that redemption? Receive it with humility or reject it because of our pride?
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
A New Kind of Journal
In the spirit of New Years' Resolutions, here's a new kind of journal that you might enjoy. Mandy and I both received one of these from Santa this year.
It's called a Journal 10+. Each page represents a day of the year, but it's that day for the current year plus the next ten. It's not meant for long journal entries as much as it is for brief daily recaps or thoughts. And the idea is that you're able to capture memories much better. I love the idea and am glad that Mandy and I will be doing it together.
You can order one here.
It's called a Journal 10+. Each page represents a day of the year, but it's that day for the current year plus the next ten. It's not meant for long journal entries as much as it is for brief daily recaps or thoughts. And the idea is that you're able to capture memories much better. I love the idea and am glad that Mandy and I will be doing it together.
You can order one here.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Les Miserables
Mandy and I saw Les Miserables last night. So, so good! Anne Hathaway should win an Oscar for her portrayal of Fantine. "I Dreamed a Dream" was about as moving and gut-wrenching as anything I've ever seen. Go see it, whether are a fan of Broadway or not.
Some Kindle Book Deals
Here are a few Kindle books that are currently on sale.
The End of Sexual Identity, by Jenna Williams Paris ($1.99)
Creature of the Word, by Matt Chandler ($5.99)
The Resolution for Men, by Stephen Kendrick ($4.99)
Grace for the Moment (children's book), by Max Lucado ($1.99)
What Jesus Started, by Steve Addison ($4.99)
The Parent Adventure, by Rodney & Selma Wilson ($2.99)
The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson ($3.79)
Draw the Circle, by Mark Batterson ($3.79)
Moneyball, by Michael Lewis ($5.46)
Love Does, by Bob Goff ($1.99)
A Year of Biblical Womanhood, by Rachel Held Evans ($1.99)
Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young ($1.99)
Forgotten Ways Handbook, by Alan Hirsch ($1.99)
The Call of Jesus, by Derek Worthington ($4.99)
The End of Sexual Identity, by Jenna Williams Paris ($1.99)
Creature of the Word, by Matt Chandler ($5.99)
The Resolution for Men, by Stephen Kendrick ($4.99)
Grace for the Moment (children's book), by Max Lucado ($1.99)
What Jesus Started, by Steve Addison ($4.99)
The Parent Adventure, by Rodney & Selma Wilson ($2.99)
The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson ($3.79)
Draw the Circle, by Mark Batterson ($3.79)
Moneyball, by Michael Lewis ($5.46)
Love Does, by Bob Goff ($1.99)
A Year of Biblical Womanhood, by Rachel Held Evans ($1.99)
Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young ($1.99)
Forgotten Ways Handbook, by Alan Hirsch ($1.99)
The Call of Jesus, by Derek Worthington ($4.99)
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
2012 Top Ten Lists: Moments
2012 was a great year. Here are my top 10 moments:
10. Joining the Memphis Men's Chorale. It's been 15 years since I sang in a choir. It was time. It's been a great outlet. It's very different from church work and real estate, it's allowed me to meet new friends, and it's given me the opportunity to use the gifts that God has given me.
9. Family moments, specifically Taylor's wedding and the birth of Olivia to Mandy's sister, Megan. It was an honor to officiate Taylor and Jim's wedding. It was a beautiful one, and I'm grateful that God has joined these two together. And I'm an uncle now, and to a sweet little girl no less!
8. The Clean Water party at the Brass Door a few weeks ago. Not only did the party raise close to $4000 towards the building of a well, but it was one of the more surreal moments I've experienced. I told NC the next night that we're doing a lot of things right now that I've dreamed of for a number of years, but I don't think I could have ever dreamed up what happened that night. Again, "surreal" is my word for that night!
7. My work - I'm now in my third year with InCity Realty. I really enjoy real estate. And I'm very grateful to be able to pastor Neighborhood Church. God has allowed me to do, as I said above, the things that I've been dreaming of for a long time. I wouldn't trade NC for any other church. I feel that this year we've solidified our vision and strategy. Our folks know what we're about and they're continuing to be released to do the work of God. Both of these jobs give me the flexibility I need, plus they continue to challenge and fulfill me.
6. Mandy's work - I am my wife's biggest fan. Her passion and tenacity for education reform continues to amaze me. I'm grateful that her work is fulfilling to her, but also that it doesn't dominate and keep her from her favorite profession: mom to Adam and Micah. I have a feeling that we'll look back in ten years and see that God used Mandy to bring amazing change to our city.
5. Adam & Micah's friendship - at 7 and 4 now, they are becoming friends. The age difference still plays a factor at times, but they really love each other and enjoy being with each other. Since school got out for winter break they've been with each other non-stop. Last Friday Adam went to an art class and Micah went to my mom's. They were so excited to see each other when they reunited. For a humorous take on that friendship you can read this.
4. Trip to New York City - What a fun trip! It was a first for both of us. Like many others, it's now one of our favorite cities. We're planning on going back next fall. The conference we went to was amazing.
3. The Midtown Prayer Collective - I've written about this before, so I won't repeat myself, but I do feel that God is going to use this time, and the times ahead, to do great work in individual lives, in our churches, and in our city.
2. Our California Adventure - Two weeks in California was so much fun for our family. Time with the Currier's in Pasadena, a day at Disney Land, and then a full week in San Francisco was so good for all of us.
1. Adam's baptism - Again, I've written about this here, but leading Adam to Christ and then baptizing him a couple of months later was the highlight of my year. I'm so grateful for what God is doing in his heart.
2012 was one of the best for our family. As we celebrate the birth of Christ today and look forward to the start of a new year, we leave you with our annual video.
Merry Christmas!
2012 Christmas Video from MANDY GRISHAM on Vimeo.
10. Joining the Memphis Men's Chorale. It's been 15 years since I sang in a choir. It was time. It's been a great outlet. It's very different from church work and real estate, it's allowed me to meet new friends, and it's given me the opportunity to use the gifts that God has given me.
9. Family moments, specifically Taylor's wedding and the birth of Olivia to Mandy's sister, Megan. It was an honor to officiate Taylor and Jim's wedding. It was a beautiful one, and I'm grateful that God has joined these two together. And I'm an uncle now, and to a sweet little girl no less!
8. The Clean Water party at the Brass Door a few weeks ago. Not only did the party raise close to $4000 towards the building of a well, but it was one of the more surreal moments I've experienced. I told NC the next night that we're doing a lot of things right now that I've dreamed of for a number of years, but I don't think I could have ever dreamed up what happened that night. Again, "surreal" is my word for that night!
7. My work - I'm now in my third year with InCity Realty. I really enjoy real estate. And I'm very grateful to be able to pastor Neighborhood Church. God has allowed me to do, as I said above, the things that I've been dreaming of for a long time. I wouldn't trade NC for any other church. I feel that this year we've solidified our vision and strategy. Our folks know what we're about and they're continuing to be released to do the work of God. Both of these jobs give me the flexibility I need, plus they continue to challenge and fulfill me.
6. Mandy's work - I am my wife's biggest fan. Her passion and tenacity for education reform continues to amaze me. I'm grateful that her work is fulfilling to her, but also that it doesn't dominate and keep her from her favorite profession: mom to Adam and Micah. I have a feeling that we'll look back in ten years and see that God used Mandy to bring amazing change to our city.
5. Adam & Micah's friendship - at 7 and 4 now, they are becoming friends. The age difference still plays a factor at times, but they really love each other and enjoy being with each other. Since school got out for winter break they've been with each other non-stop. Last Friday Adam went to an art class and Micah went to my mom's. They were so excited to see each other when they reunited. For a humorous take on that friendship you can read this.
4. Trip to New York City - What a fun trip! It was a first for both of us. Like many others, it's now one of our favorite cities. We're planning on going back next fall. The conference we went to was amazing.
3. The Midtown Prayer Collective - I've written about this before, so I won't repeat myself, but I do feel that God is going to use this time, and the times ahead, to do great work in individual lives, in our churches, and in our city.
2. Our California Adventure - Two weeks in California was so much fun for our family. Time with the Currier's in Pasadena, a day at Disney Land, and then a full week in San Francisco was so good for all of us.
1. Adam's baptism - Again, I've written about this here, but leading Adam to Christ and then baptizing him a couple of months later was the highlight of my year. I'm so grateful for what God is doing in his heart.
2012 was one of the best for our family. As we celebrate the birth of Christ today and look forward to the start of a new year, we leave you with our annual video.
Merry Christmas!
2012 Christmas Video from MANDY GRISHAM on Vimeo.
Monday, December 24, 2012
2012 Top Ten Lists: Books
I read some really good books this year. Here are a few. These first two are on the topic of of spiritual formation.
The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson, had a huge impact when it comes to where we went with the Midtown Prayer Collective. I've read several of Batterson's books. The common element with all of them is that they increase my faith. This one was no exception.
Next up is The 24/7 Prayer Manual, by Pete Greig. This too was very influential in birthing a desire for radical prayer. I think we've just scratched the surface, and I'm excited about where the collective is headed in 2013.
While those first two focused on prayer, these next two have to do with fleshing it out in the real word. First up is Mark Scandrette's Practicing the Way of Jesus. Our micro church went through this book. Each week we would together choose some type of experiment. Some of the ones we did were practicing a time of silence every day for a week, cutting back our spending on essentials for the week, seeking out opportunities for reconciliation, etc.
Along these same lines was 7, by Jenn Hatmaker. Jenn and her family tried a different experiment each month for seven months. Some of these experiments dealt with food, spending, media, and possessions. These types of books are helpful in that they help spark imagination for creatively living out a life of following Jesus.
Finally, three other books I read that were very influential were..
On the topic of discipleship, The Call of Jesus, by Derek Worthington. Derek is a pastor of one of the Trinity Grace parishes in NYC. The ideas in this books have permeated the culture of Trinity Grace. It's a short but excellent read on what discipleship looks like.
On the topic of organizational health, The Advantage, by Patrick Lencioni. Patrick spoke at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit this year. He spoke on the contents of this book. It was my favorite from the conference, and now our Leadership Team at NC has been reading it together.
And on the topic of church, The Spirit-Filled Church, by Terry Virgo. This book deals with the Holy Spirit's role in starting, growing, and empowering the Church for God's mission.
The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson, had a huge impact when it comes to where we went with the Midtown Prayer Collective. I've read several of Batterson's books. The common element with all of them is that they increase my faith. This one was no exception.
Next up is The 24/7 Prayer Manual, by Pete Greig. This too was very influential in birthing a desire for radical prayer. I think we've just scratched the surface, and I'm excited about where the collective is headed in 2013.
While those first two focused on prayer, these next two have to do with fleshing it out in the real word. First up is Mark Scandrette's Practicing the Way of Jesus. Our micro church went through this book. Each week we would together choose some type of experiment. Some of the ones we did were practicing a time of silence every day for a week, cutting back our spending on essentials for the week, seeking out opportunities for reconciliation, etc.
Along these same lines was 7, by Jenn Hatmaker. Jenn and her family tried a different experiment each month for seven months. Some of these experiments dealt with food, spending, media, and possessions. These types of books are helpful in that they help spark imagination for creatively living out a life of following Jesus.
Finally, three other books I read that were very influential were..
On the topic of discipleship, The Call of Jesus, by Derek Worthington. Derek is a pastor of one of the Trinity Grace parishes in NYC. The ideas in this books have permeated the culture of Trinity Grace. It's a short but excellent read on what discipleship looks like.
On the topic of organizational health, The Advantage, by Patrick Lencioni. Patrick spoke at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit this year. He spoke on the contents of this book. It was my favorite from the conference, and now our Leadership Team at NC has been reading it together.
And on the topic of church, The Spirit-Filled Church, by Terry Virgo. This book deals with the Holy Spirit's role in starting, growing, and empowering the Church for God's mission.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
2012 Top Ten Lists - Music
With eMusic, Spotify, & Noisetrade, finding good music this year was not difficult. Narrowing it down to a top 10 list...just a bit tougher. But alas, here it is:
9. Vespers, The Fourth Wall
We saw this band at Otherlands this year. Great music. They're really young, which you can kind of tell when they're on stage, but it also makes it even more amazing considering the talent they all have. Watch this and you'll see what I mean.
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8. Derek Webb, Ctrl
I don't know if Webb will release an album I don't like. His new one is great, but what is even greater is the acoustic version, which I got for FREE on Noisetrade. It's still there, so do yourself a favor and download it.
7. Rend Collective Experiment, Homemade Worship by Handmade People
So glad I discovered these guys. Check out their story here.
6. The Lighthouse and the Whaler, The Lighthouse and the Whaler
One of my best Noisetrade finds. I don't know if I would have ever heard of them if I hadn't found them there. This is one of those albums where just about every song is either a 4 or 5-star on iTunes.
5. Trinity Grace, We Sing As One
This is the newest album from Trinity Grace Church in NYC. The song "We Sing As One" is one of my favorite songs of the year.
4. The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart
I was in line at Starbucks one day and saw their album next to the cash register. It compared them to The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons (see below for both), so I knew I needed to check them out. Great band.
3. Eric Whitacre, Water Night
I'm sure that most of you are familiar with the majority of these artists, but perhaps composer/conducter Eric Whitacre is new to you. I love choral music, especially like this. Whitacre became famous through his virtual conducting. This video features the beautiful Water Night.
2. Mumford & Sons, Babel
I was looking forward to this sophomore release for awhile, and I was not disappointed!
1. The Lumineers, The Lumineers
I assumed that Mumford & Sons would take the top spot this year, but then I discovered these guys. I think I first saw them on Letterman or Jimmy Fallon. I was hooked immediately. Again, I love every song on this album.
10. All Sons & Daughters, Season One
Great vocals, musicality and lyrics. I did this song at NC a couple of weeks ago.
Great vocals, musicality and lyrics. I did this song at NC a couple of weeks ago.
9. Vespers, The Fourth Wall
We saw this band at Otherlands this year. Great music. They're really young, which you can kind of tell when they're on stage, but it also makes it even more amazing considering the talent they all have. Watch this and you'll see what I mean.
\
8. Derek Webb, Ctrl
I don't know if Webb will release an album I don't like. His new one is great, but what is even greater is the acoustic version, which I got for FREE on Noisetrade. It's still there, so do yourself a favor and download it.
7. Rend Collective Experiment, Homemade Worship by Handmade People
So glad I discovered these guys. Check out their story here.
6. The Lighthouse and the Whaler, The Lighthouse and the Whaler
One of my best Noisetrade finds. I don't know if I would have ever heard of them if I hadn't found them there. This is one of those albums where just about every song is either a 4 or 5-star on iTunes.
5. Trinity Grace, We Sing As One
This is the newest album from Trinity Grace Church in NYC. The song "We Sing As One" is one of my favorite songs of the year.
4. The Head and the Heart, The Head and the Heart
I was in line at Starbucks one day and saw their album next to the cash register. It compared them to The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons (see below for both), so I knew I needed to check them out. Great band.
3. Eric Whitacre, Water Night
I'm sure that most of you are familiar with the majority of these artists, but perhaps composer/conducter Eric Whitacre is new to you. I love choral music, especially like this. Whitacre became famous through his virtual conducting. This video features the beautiful Water Night.
2. Mumford & Sons, Babel
I was looking forward to this sophomore release for awhile, and I was not disappointed!
1. The Lumineers, The Lumineers
I assumed that Mumford & Sons would take the top spot this year, but then I discovered these guys. I think I first saw them on Letterman or Jimmy Fallon. I was hooked immediately. Again, I love every song on this album.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Advent in light of Sandy Hook
Tonight our children will be in the worship gathering with us, so I've decided to make any comments about what happened on Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School very vague. But I'm not trying to avoid it. In fact, I believe all of us need to spend some time in deep reflection. We should mourn, we should pray, and we should love. And all of us should ask what role Jesus has to play with any of this.
The fact is, our world is very broken. And it's not just the Adam Lanza's of the world. We're all broken. We all have a role to play.
I continue to fight the battle of moving on and trying to forget what has happened. Each time that happens I feel the need to repent. As Friday's events unfolded, and the facts of the story began to come out, my response, just like each of yours, was shock: "How could this have happened???" No answers. I recognized right away that this tragedy impacted me far more than any of the others we've seen over the previous decade. I guess it's a no-brainer why: these were young kids, and I have children this age. It could have just as easily been my children.
This tragedy impacted me more because it caused me to come face to face with the reality that as hard as I try to protect my kids and keep them safe, they are vulnerable to evil. As a father, especially, this is very sobering, and difficult to swallow.
So what do I do with this reality? For one, I turn back to the truth I know...
Just as we have had a role to play in the world's brokenness, so we also have a role to play in its binding up and being renewed. The great news of Jesus is that not only did he come as a baby in the most humble of circumstances, he also lived the most beautiful, creative and free life that's ever been lived. And not only did he then die a brutal and sacrificial death so that you and I don't have to face the penalty of our sins, he was also raised from the dead and is King of all things.
Jesus is not twiddling his thumbs up in heaven. Neither is he fretting about what to do. We see that in the Advent. He entered into the mess. Into the darkness. Into our brokenness. And he enters into it today as well. He brought hope and peace then. And he continues to bring hope and peace today.
Advent is the season of expectant waiting. We expectantly wait for Jesus to enter into our humanity and brokenness. And not just to enter but to do something about it. We are reminded of that first Advent 2000 years ago, but we also long for that Advent today. Come Lord Jesus. We need you more than you realize. Bring us the help that we desperately need. Bring comfort, healing, hope & salvation.
The fact is, our world is very broken. And it's not just the Adam Lanza's of the world. We're all broken. We all have a role to play.
I continue to fight the battle of moving on and trying to forget what has happened. Each time that happens I feel the need to repent. As Friday's events unfolded, and the facts of the story began to come out, my response, just like each of yours, was shock: "How could this have happened???" No answers. I recognized right away that this tragedy impacted me far more than any of the others we've seen over the previous decade. I guess it's a no-brainer why: these were young kids, and I have children this age. It could have just as easily been my children.
This tragedy impacted me more because it caused me to come face to face with the reality that as hard as I try to protect my kids and keep them safe, they are vulnerable to evil. As a father, especially, this is very sobering, and difficult to swallow.
So what do I do with this reality? For one, I turn back to the truth I know...
Just as we have had a role to play in the world's brokenness, so we also have a role to play in its binding up and being renewed. The great news of Jesus is that not only did he come as a baby in the most humble of circumstances, he also lived the most beautiful, creative and free life that's ever been lived. And not only did he then die a brutal and sacrificial death so that you and I don't have to face the penalty of our sins, he was also raised from the dead and is King of all things.
Jesus is not twiddling his thumbs up in heaven. Neither is he fretting about what to do. We see that in the Advent. He entered into the mess. Into the darkness. Into our brokenness. And he enters into it today as well. He brought hope and peace then. And he continues to bring hope and peace today.
Advent is the season of expectant waiting. We expectantly wait for Jesus to enter into our humanity and brokenness. And not just to enter but to do something about it. We are reminded of that first Advent 2000 years ago, but we also long for that Advent today. Come Lord Jesus. We need you more than you realize. Bring us the help that we desperately need. Bring comfort, healing, hope & salvation.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Midtown Prayer Collective - Some Reflections
We are coming close to the halfway point of our season of prayer, so I thought I would share some reflections. For the backstory of the MPC, go to www.midtownprayer.com or www.facebook.com/midtownprayer.
First, I've been so encouraged not only by the turnout but also by the hearts of those who have been coming. We have a huge wall that people have been writing on over the last two weeks. Here's how the wall looked 2 weeks ago.
And here's how it looked as of a few days ago.
There have been deep longings for God, cries for help, and passionate prayers for our city. I have a strong belief that God hears and is responding to those prayers.
Second, I love the communal aspect of this season of prayer. Each time I go in I start by reading the wall above. I also take time to read the communal prayer journal. Again, such rich prayers and praise to God. I love seeing what God is doing through this time. I don't know the bulk of these people, but I know that we're in this together, and that brings me such encouragement and hope.
I also love the fact that we made the prayer room large enough for groups to be in there. That was my buddy John Carroll's idea, and he was right on. I've prayed with my wife, my kids, my team at NC, and my fellow pastors here in Midtown. New dynamics of friendship and partnership rise when we spend time together in prayer. I have seen that played out over and over again. Tomorrow night I'll be praying at 11pm with some of the pastors who started this. I can't wait to seek God with them.
Next, as much as I love to be with people in the prayer room, I also love being there alone, or better, just me and God. I signed up for an afternoon spot yesterday, and almost forgot about it. But when my alarm reminder went off an hour before I was supposed to be there, I started wrapping up my work and headed over. Normally, stopping in the middle of a busy day to pray for an hour would not be in my schedule. I know, I'm a pastor, but if I'm honest I have to say that prayer, or at least this kind of sustained prayer, has not been a habit in my life.
But my hour went by so fast, and it was such a great way to refocus and re-energize. One of the things I did was to take the sign-in notebook that is at the entrance of the room. Every time someone comes in, they write in the date, their name, and their church. I picked that up, went into one of the corners, and prayed for everyone from my church who has been in there. I just went line by line. I prayed very specific prayers for my congregation. I also prayed for sister congregations and their leaders. I felt as if I was engaging in the most important activity I could do at that moment.
I find it easier to pray in this space, and I believe that's the case because we prayed for this. We told him that we would dedicate this space and this time, and we asked him to meet us here. God honors these kinds of prayers because he loves being with his children, and he loves responding to desperate prayers.
Finally, if you're reading this and are taking part in this season of prayer, I encourage you to share your reflections with someone. Perhaps you've been once or twice and have had a good experience. Share that. Or maybe you haven't. Share that as well. Maybe your time there has been difficult. If that's you I hope that you'll keep going. Set some goals as to how many times you'd like to be in there over these final three weeks. Decide when you'll be there by yourself and when you'll be there with others. And then ask God to meet you there.
First, I've been so encouraged not only by the turnout but also by the hearts of those who have been coming. We have a huge wall that people have been writing on over the last two weeks. Here's how the wall looked 2 weeks ago.
And here's how it looked as of a few days ago.
There have been deep longings for God, cries for help, and passionate prayers for our city. I have a strong belief that God hears and is responding to those prayers.
Second, I love the communal aspect of this season of prayer. Each time I go in I start by reading the wall above. I also take time to read the communal prayer journal. Again, such rich prayers and praise to God. I love seeing what God is doing through this time. I don't know the bulk of these people, but I know that we're in this together, and that brings me such encouragement and hope.
I also love the fact that we made the prayer room large enough for groups to be in there. That was my buddy John Carroll's idea, and he was right on. I've prayed with my wife, my kids, my team at NC, and my fellow pastors here in Midtown. New dynamics of friendship and partnership rise when we spend time together in prayer. I have seen that played out over and over again. Tomorrow night I'll be praying at 11pm with some of the pastors who started this. I can't wait to seek God with them.
Next, as much as I love to be with people in the prayer room, I also love being there alone, or better, just me and God. I signed up for an afternoon spot yesterday, and almost forgot about it. But when my alarm reminder went off an hour before I was supposed to be there, I started wrapping up my work and headed over. Normally, stopping in the middle of a busy day to pray for an hour would not be in my schedule. I know, I'm a pastor, but if I'm honest I have to say that prayer, or at least this kind of sustained prayer, has not been a habit in my life.
But my hour went by so fast, and it was such a great way to refocus and re-energize. One of the things I did was to take the sign-in notebook that is at the entrance of the room. Every time someone comes in, they write in the date, their name, and their church. I picked that up, went into one of the corners, and prayed for everyone from my church who has been in there. I just went line by line. I prayed very specific prayers for my congregation. I also prayed for sister congregations and their leaders. I felt as if I was engaging in the most important activity I could do at that moment.
I find it easier to pray in this space, and I believe that's the case because we prayed for this. We told him that we would dedicate this space and this time, and we asked him to meet us here. God honors these kinds of prayers because he loves being with his children, and he loves responding to desperate prayers.
Finally, if you're reading this and are taking part in this season of prayer, I encourage you to share your reflections with someone. Perhaps you've been once or twice and have had a good experience. Share that. Or maybe you haven't. Share that as well. Maybe your time there has been difficult. If that's you I hope that you'll keep going. Set some goals as to how many times you'd like to be in there over these final three weeks. Decide when you'll be there by yourself and when you'll be there with others. And then ask God to meet you there.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Let Your Kingdom Come
A few months ago I started watching the show Breaking Bad. This is one of the most spiritually intense shows I've seen in awhile, but I'll save those thoughts for another post.
I'm in season 2, and last night I watched an episode called "Peekaboo." In this episode one of the main characters, Jesse, is on a desperate quest to get money back that was stolen from a crackhead couple. Jesse gets to their house, begins psyching himself up, and then breaks into the house. No one is there, so after looking around for his money he sits down on the couch to wait. A little time goes past, and he hears a door open. Out walks a little boy, maybe 3 or 4 years old. He's quiet, he's dirty, he's little, and most of all, he's alone. The boy walks over to the tv and turns it on. It's a QVC-type channel with a man selling a knife set.
Jesse asks him if he'd rather watch Mister Rogers or something like that. No response, so Jesse goes over to the tv and flips the channel. Nothing but static. Next channel: static. On and on like this until he gets back to the shopping channel. So he goes to sit back down by the little boy. Finally the boy opens his mouth and says, "I'm hungry." So Jesse goes and fixes him the little bit of food he finds in the house. And then he continues to wait.
Finally the parents come back, and you quickly see what terrible people these are. They leave their little boy alone. They don't bathe him. They don't take care of him. They don't parent him. This saddened me and angered me. And I know this is a fictional story, but there are kids like this in our city and throughout our world. And if this saddens and angers me so much, I wonder how it makes God feel.
Here's what is even sadder. If something doesn't change for this child; if someone doesn't step in, then the chance is good that he'll end up like his parents. And I can be mad at these "parents" all I want, but what was their childhood like? Was it similar? We live in a broken world. What God intends for us has not happened. The Bible says that we are all guilty of violating Shalom (wholeness, peace,welfare).
Now Jesse, who flirts back and forth between good and evil (one of the great things about the show), wants to do something for this kid, but he too has violated Shalom. He's a drug dealer, so he can't get too involved. So he calls 911, sets the kids outside, and then leaves.
God's Kingdom is here. It was ushered in with Jesus. But it's not here as it will one day be here. And until that time, we join with God in His rescue plan. We work and we pray. I'm grateful to be a part of the Midtown Prayer Collective. This season of prayer gives me the opportunity to press into God, to seek His face, and to pray something like this:
God, let Your Kingdom be as evident here in Memphis as it is in Heaven.
Grant us the privilege of being a part rescuing work.
We pray for spiritual rescue.
For physical rescue.
For emotional rescue.
Here we are, God.
Send us!
I'm in season 2, and last night I watched an episode called "Peekaboo." In this episode one of the main characters, Jesse, is on a desperate quest to get money back that was stolen from a crackhead couple. Jesse gets to their house, begins psyching himself up, and then breaks into the house. No one is there, so after looking around for his money he sits down on the couch to wait. A little time goes past, and he hears a door open. Out walks a little boy, maybe 3 or 4 years old. He's quiet, he's dirty, he's little, and most of all, he's alone. The boy walks over to the tv and turns it on. It's a QVC-type channel with a man selling a knife set.
Jesse asks him if he'd rather watch Mister Rogers or something like that. No response, so Jesse goes over to the tv and flips the channel. Nothing but static. Next channel: static. On and on like this until he gets back to the shopping channel. So he goes to sit back down by the little boy. Finally the boy opens his mouth and says, "I'm hungry." So Jesse goes and fixes him the little bit of food he finds in the house. And then he continues to wait.
Finally the parents come back, and you quickly see what terrible people these are. They leave their little boy alone. They don't bathe him. They don't take care of him. They don't parent him. This saddened me and angered me. And I know this is a fictional story, but there are kids like this in our city and throughout our world. And if this saddens and angers me so much, I wonder how it makes God feel.
Here's what is even sadder. If something doesn't change for this child; if someone doesn't step in, then the chance is good that he'll end up like his parents. And I can be mad at these "parents" all I want, but what was their childhood like? Was it similar? We live in a broken world. What God intends for us has not happened. The Bible says that we are all guilty of violating Shalom (wholeness, peace,welfare).
Now Jesse, who flirts back and forth between good and evil (one of the great things about the show), wants to do something for this kid, but he too has violated Shalom. He's a drug dealer, so he can't get too involved. So he calls 911, sets the kids outside, and then leaves.
God's Kingdom is here. It was ushered in with Jesus. But it's not here as it will one day be here. And until that time, we join with God in His rescue plan. We work and we pray. I'm grateful to be a part of the Midtown Prayer Collective. This season of prayer gives me the opportunity to press into God, to seek His face, and to pray something like this:
God, let Your Kingdom be as evident here in Memphis as it is in Heaven.
Grant us the privilege of being a part rescuing work.
We pray for spiritual rescue.
For physical rescue.
For emotional rescue.
Here we are, God.
Send us!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
NYC & City Collective Pt. 2
Yesterday I posted some highlights from our time in NYC. Today I want to share a little about the City Collective Gathering. I could write long posts about each session. All were worthwhile. But since reflection time is hard to come by, for now I want to share about one.
First, a little background on Trinity Grace: Jon Tyson, who is originally from Australia, moved to New York City along with several other families if I remember correctly, seven or eight years ago. They started what is today Trinity Grace Upper Westside. Over these eight years that church has grown to five churches, but this network is different from most other church planting networks.
In one of the sessions our first day Jon shared the moment that changed so much for him: It was the day he felt God say that there were all of these guys in their city who were trying to start similar kinds of churches, and there was a ton of competition going on. What if, instead of competing, they worked together?
What has happened as a result is that several church planters, some who came as a result of this vision and others who ended up partnering after the fact, have submitted their personal vision to a more shared one. Together they have identified the neighborhoods in the city that need churches, and they have set out to plant neighborhood parishes there. Each of these has their own planter/pastor and leadership teams. Each church takes on the characteristics of both the neighborhood and the leadership. But that’s where the similarities to “normal” church planting end.
Each of these churches/pastors is connected to the larger group. The pastors meet together once a week for prayer, relationship, planning, etc. They are speaking into one another’s lives. Church planting is difficult, but these guys (and their wives) know that they’re not alone. When planting a new parish, there is already movement and it becomes much easier to gather that initial core. The core has already been living in the neighborhood, and it just makes sense that a new parish be established.
They also have what they call their Central Ministries Team. It’s what we at NC would call the Macro. They have discovered that there is no need for every church to have unique systems such as accounting, legal management, payroll, media, etc. All of these are important, but anyone who has ever planted a church knows that it is these things that can consume time and energy and distract from more crucial things. Trinity Grace has found that centralizing these macro functions allows each church to focus its time and energy on ministry and mission.
Here are the three big takeaways I had from this:
First, many leaders can’t do this. If it’s not their thing, or their church’s thing, then they don’t want to be a part of it. More than anything, that is sad to me. And I know I’ve been guilty of it at times as well. But I don’t want to be any longer. I want to seek out partnerships with other leaders and other churches. What I saw from the neighborhood pastors was extreme humility. Whenever I got to talk to them individually, I was asking questions about how they related to one another, how they got over their egos, and how they developed trust together. Without that humility and trust, this doesn’t work.
Second, my heart longs to be a part of something like this. The Midtown Prayer Collective is all about this. If we’re going to stand together around something, let it be prayer. As we do this, I believe God will open up some new realities for us. I hate the competition I feel in the church world. I have a deep belief that we are better when we are together. I believe every neighborhood is different and should be approached differently, according to the context. But I also believe that can happen in a more “together” way than it’s currently happening. This “together” needs to be defined differently at different levels of relationship, but I am praying and dreaming that God would allow our churches in Midtown to be a part of this redefining. I’m not sure what it will look like, but even that excites me. We need something new and fresh. One of my prayers during this season of prayer is that God would surprise me/us. This would fall under that category.
Finally, over the last year the leaders of our church have had a lot of conversations about the micro and the macro. We’ve done it primarily in the context of our micro churches and our macro church (what they would call a parish). But this thinking also flows up to a network of neighborhood parishes. In our context, we’ve become more and more convinced that a lot of what we have always done in the macro (finances, mission, membership, etc) makes much more sense and is much more effective in the context of micro. So we’ve begun to redefine what these things look like. And then we’ve sought to determine what is left. What things still work best in the macro context? These would be things like celebration and worship times, vision casting, coaching leaders, legal and tax issues, and larger mission projects.
I’m excited and hungry to go deeper into this path, but I’m also thankful that we’re already on the path. I believe that we’re set up for a new paradigm of ministry that is needed in our city.
Monday, October 15, 2012
NYC & City Collective
One of the more difficult things about going to a conference is that when you get home you have so much to catch up on that you neglect reflection time. That's been the case with me. But better late than never, so here goes.
Until last weekend neither Mandy nor I had ever been to New York City. A few months ago we found out about the City Collective Gathering hosted by Trinity Grace Church, and decided that we needed to go.
We started last Friday morning with a nonstop flight from Memphis to JFK. It's not everyday that you get an inexpensive nonstop flight out of our city, so we were very pleased by that. We got to attend a Citywide Worship event that evening. From what I heard there were around 12 churches there. It was great heart prep for the Midtown Prayer Collective, which kicked off the day we got back in town.
Saturday morning we rented bikes and rode in Central Park, which was a block away from where we were staying. Central Park is an awesome place, and one of the highlights was coming to Bethesda Fountain and hearing the beautiful arrangement of Amazing Grace I had ever heard. I found a video of them (The Boyd Family) singing Ave Maria on Youtube, but just know that the video doesn't do the live performance justice. The acoustics in this place were amazing.
Here's a picture of the two of us there at Bethesda Fountain.
On Saturday afternoon we went to see Ricky Martin in Evita. Actually, Ricky Martin is not the reason we went. It was my cousin William Waldrop, who is the assistant conductor. He actually conducted the performance we saw. Very proud of William! Later that evening we went to Serendipity. This one was on Mandy's list, and I have to say she looked extremely cute drinking her frozen hot chocolate!
Sunday began with the Highline Park, then Ground Zero, which was very moving. That evening we went to Trinity Grace's Upper Westside parish, and then the conference kicked off with a rooftop reception at 230 Fifth. We had an amazing view of the Empire State Building and spent some time with new church planting friends from Detroit. To top it off, there were red snuggies. I know it will disappoint you when I say I didn't wear one, but know that I did sit on one.
And that brings us to conference highlights, but I'll save that for another post, since this one is getting rather long :)
Until last weekend neither Mandy nor I had ever been to New York City. A few months ago we found out about the City Collective Gathering hosted by Trinity Grace Church, and decided that we needed to go.
We started last Friday morning with a nonstop flight from Memphis to JFK. It's not everyday that you get an inexpensive nonstop flight out of our city, so we were very pleased by that. We got to attend a Citywide Worship event that evening. From what I heard there were around 12 churches there. It was great heart prep for the Midtown Prayer Collective, which kicked off the day we got back in town.
Saturday morning we rented bikes and rode in Central Park, which was a block away from where we were staying. Central Park is an awesome place, and one of the highlights was coming to Bethesda Fountain and hearing the beautiful arrangement of Amazing Grace I had ever heard. I found a video of them (The Boyd Family) singing Ave Maria on Youtube, but just know that the video doesn't do the live performance justice. The acoustics in this place were amazing.
Here's a picture of the two of us there at Bethesda Fountain.
On Saturday afternoon we went to see Ricky Martin in Evita. Actually, Ricky Martin is not the reason we went. It was my cousin William Waldrop, who is the assistant conductor. He actually conducted the performance we saw. Very proud of William! Later that evening we went to Serendipity. This one was on Mandy's list, and I have to say she looked extremely cute drinking her frozen hot chocolate!
Sunday began with the Highline Park, then Ground Zero, which was very moving. That evening we went to Trinity Grace's Upper Westside parish, and then the conference kicked off with a rooftop reception at 230 Fifth. We had an amazing view of the Empire State Building and spent some time with new church planting friends from Detroit. To top it off, there were red snuggies. I know it will disappoint you when I say I didn't wear one, but know that I did sit on one.
And that brings us to conference highlights, but I'll save that for another post, since this one is getting rather long :)
Friday, October 12, 2012
Brothers
I hate I missed this yesterday, but here's a story that Mandy told me about a little episode from our boys.
Yesterday the three of them went to the Pumpkin Patch with Aunt Megan and Miss Olivia (the boys' baby cousin). They put together a scarecrow. Later on in the day they were finishing the last touches on the scarecrow, and Mandy asked them about a name. Here's what happened in the next 20 seconds...
Micah suggested the name Senorita
Adam laughed at this
Micah ripped Senorita in half as a sign of his displeasure with his brother
Adam hit Micah as he was angry that Micah wasted his efforts in making Senorita
Micah spit at Adam
Adam spit back at Micah
Micah kicked Adam
Mandy jumped in to break up the fight
And then it was over, but quickly followed by 20 minutes of conflict resolving, punishments, and repairing Senorita.
Boys are fun!
Here's a picture of Micah and Senorita.
And lest you think all brothers do is fight, here's a very sweet picture of them together.
Yesterday the three of them went to the Pumpkin Patch with Aunt Megan and Miss Olivia (the boys' baby cousin). They put together a scarecrow. Later on in the day they were finishing the last touches on the scarecrow, and Mandy asked them about a name. Here's what happened in the next 20 seconds...
Micah suggested the name Senorita
Adam laughed at this
Micah ripped Senorita in half as a sign of his displeasure with his brother
Adam hit Micah as he was angry that Micah wasted his efforts in making Senorita
Micah spit at Adam
Adam spit back at Micah
Micah kicked Adam
Mandy jumped in to break up the fight
And then it was over, but quickly followed by 20 minutes of conflict resolving, punishments, and repairing Senorita.
Boys are fun!
Here's a picture of Micah and Senorita.
And lest you think all brothers do is fight, here's a very sweet picture of them together.
When God Changes a Heart
I posted a few months ago about Adam becoming a Christian. I just wanted to give a quick update on how things have been going. Sometimes I think I forget that God truly brings transformation to a heart that is open. Adam is seven, so it's not like he had this sordid past that has now been changed. But I've still seen transformation. He is very open to the things of God. Open as well as interested. He's been reading a lot of the Bible, memorizing Scripture, and just yesterday we got Sally Lloyd-Jones' new book, Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing. She's the author of the Jesus Storybook Bible, which I recommend to everyone, whether you have children or not. This is him reading last night instead of eating.
What I love is that this is not religion. Adam didn't become a Christian and then we started telling him all of the things he now needs to do to prove himself to God. No, God actually changes hearts. Yesterday he was reading about the difference between trusting and trying when it comes to God. He understands that he can trust God, and didn't realize that some people think they have to try when it comes to God's love and approval. That truth only comes from God. How do I know that? Because the lie that we have to prove ourselves to God (religion) is so pervasive.
One more story...
Wednesday night we kicked off the Midtown Prayer Collective with a night of worship and prayer. It went from 7:30 until 9:00, but because fall break started yesterday, we decided to let the kids stay up and go. Micah was pretty fidgety, but Adam, though he was tired, was pretty caught up in it all. Yesterday morning I asked him what he thought about the night. His response: I loved it!
I am so thankful to God for that. Let me say it again. I am so full right now because of what God is doing in Adam's heart. I will not take that for granted, and I will allow God to do a work in my heart as a result. He's a good God, and He's an active God. I pray that during this season of prayer we will all place ourselves in a posture where we can receive from Him.
What I love is that this is not religion. Adam didn't become a Christian and then we started telling him all of the things he now needs to do to prove himself to God. No, God actually changes hearts. Yesterday he was reading about the difference between trusting and trying when it comes to God. He understands that he can trust God, and didn't realize that some people think they have to try when it comes to God's love and approval. That truth only comes from God. How do I know that? Because the lie that we have to prove ourselves to God (religion) is so pervasive.
One more story...
Wednesday night we kicked off the Midtown Prayer Collective with a night of worship and prayer. It went from 7:30 until 9:00, but because fall break started yesterday, we decided to let the kids stay up and go. Micah was pretty fidgety, but Adam, though he was tired, was pretty caught up in it all. Yesterday morning I asked him what he thought about the night. His response: I loved it!
I am so thankful to God for that. Let me say it again. I am so full right now because of what God is doing in Adam's heart. I will not take that for granted, and I will allow God to do a work in my heart as a result. He's a good God, and He's an active God. I pray that during this season of prayer we will all place ourselves in a posture where we can receive from Him.
Thursday, September 06, 2012
Some Links
Michael Hyatt on why you should take up the practice of journaling - I began journaling when I was in high school. My current journal is a 120-page single-spaced Word doc that I began 12 years ago.
CNN says that 2013 will be a year of crisis
N.T. Wright weighs in on the issue of homosexuality - If it's complex to Wright, then I feel pretty comfortable saying it's complex to me
Lifehacker's guide to getting an incredible education for free online
Mark Batterson's 17 Leadership Laws - great stuff here
Table of Contents and sample chapter of Tim Keller's new book on cities - our micro churches have just finished up his 8-week study Gospel in Life, and I imagine that it's whetted some appetites for more of his work.
Finally, this month marks the arrival of new albums from The Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. In case you can't wait, though, the entire Avett Bros album is streaming here, and you can listen to several songs from Mumford & Sons' album here. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
The Midtown Prayer Collective
Every so often a tiny spark of an idea begins to catch flame and take on a life of its own...
Several months ago I had the idea to create a prayer room and set it aside for a week of 24/7 prayer for our church. I couldn't shake the idea, so I began praying about it. It may sound weird, but I felt that this was one of the 2 or 3 BIG things that I was going to give my year to. It then hit me that this would be a great opportunity to invite other local churches into it. I shared it with Mandy, then with our leadership team, then with a couple of pastor friends. Each conversation revealed more of an open door, and so we continued to walk.
After several more conversations this tiny spark of an idea has turned into the Midtown Prayer Collective. It's much bigger than Neighborhood Church (7 churches so far that I'm aware of), and it's turned into longer than a week. At 7:00 on Wednesday, October 10, at Lifelink Church (1015 S. Cooper), we're going to gather for a time of corporate prayer and worship. At 9:00 our first hour of prayer will begin. 838 hours later (on Wednesday, November 14) we'll celebrate all that God has done.
The idea is that each of those hour-long slots is filled with someone. And it's not limited to one person either. But we know that every hour of every day for a little over a month, the saints of God are praying. You may feel that praying for an hour is an impossible task, but when you step into this prayer room and observe the beauty and the promptings towards prayer, the time is going to go by quickly. Not quite buying that? Well then read this.
Jon Tyson, from Trinity Grace Church in NYC, was in Memphis last fall. He spent a few hours with some of us, and, though he said a ton of helpful stuff, one thing he said truly haunted me. He said that the American Church has tried everything but radical prayer. Jon is from Australia, so he can say something like that. He knows that the Church here has had more resources than any period of church history before. This has led to great creativity and at times decent fruit, but have we lost a sense of desperate dependence for God to do what only He can do? Do we still dream about what things could look like if God had His way in our lives, our churches, and our cities?
I am so ready to be surprised by God. I am so ready to look at what is going on and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no way that would have happened without God stepping in. I'm growing dissatisfied for the status quo of church, and I thank God for that. My prayer is that a passion for Jesus and a faith to believe for the seemingly impossible would be stirred up in our city. We need this more than we realize.
I'll leave you with a quote by Peter Greig, who wrote Red Moon Rising and The 24/7 Prayer Manual.
Several months ago I had the idea to create a prayer room and set it aside for a week of 24/7 prayer for our church. I couldn't shake the idea, so I began praying about it. It may sound weird, but I felt that this was one of the 2 or 3 BIG things that I was going to give my year to. It then hit me that this would be a great opportunity to invite other local churches into it. I shared it with Mandy, then with our leadership team, then with a couple of pastor friends. Each conversation revealed more of an open door, and so we continued to walk.
After several more conversations this tiny spark of an idea has turned into the Midtown Prayer Collective. It's much bigger than Neighborhood Church (7 churches so far that I'm aware of), and it's turned into longer than a week. At 7:00 on Wednesday, October 10, at Lifelink Church (1015 S. Cooper), we're going to gather for a time of corporate prayer and worship. At 9:00 our first hour of prayer will begin. 838 hours later (on Wednesday, November 14) we'll celebrate all that God has done.
The idea is that each of those hour-long slots is filled with someone. And it's not limited to one person either. But we know that every hour of every day for a little over a month, the saints of God are praying. You may feel that praying for an hour is an impossible task, but when you step into this prayer room and observe the beauty and the promptings towards prayer, the time is going to go by quickly. Not quite buying that? Well then read this.
Jon Tyson, from Trinity Grace Church in NYC, was in Memphis last fall. He spent a few hours with some of us, and, though he said a ton of helpful stuff, one thing he said truly haunted me. He said that the American Church has tried everything but radical prayer. Jon is from Australia, so he can say something like that. He knows that the Church here has had more resources than any period of church history before. This has led to great creativity and at times decent fruit, but have we lost a sense of desperate dependence for God to do what only He can do? Do we still dream about what things could look like if God had His way in our lives, our churches, and our cities?
I am so ready to be surprised by God. I am so ready to look at what is going on and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no way that would have happened without God stepping in. I'm growing dissatisfied for the status quo of church, and I thank God for that. My prayer is that a passion for Jesus and a faith to believe for the seemingly impossible would be stirred up in our city. We need this more than we realize.
I'll leave you with a quote by Peter Greig, who wrote Red Moon Rising and The 24/7 Prayer Manual.
When we pray, we cannot guarantee how the glory of God will come, and when He does arrive it is often in a disguise that confounds our religious expectations of such an eagerly anticipated heavenly invasion. But we should never doubt that God comes to those who humble themselves in faithful prayer.
Monday, August 13, 2012
More from the Bible
I'm definitely not going to finish reading the Bible in 90 days, but I am most definitely going to finish it. In the last 45 days I've read 12 books from the Old Testament (Joshua through Esther). Once again, some thoughts:
There's much more that I could write, but hopefully this whets your appetite a bit. According to my Kindle I'm 40% of the way through the Bible. Next up...the Prophets (I'm going to come back to the Wisdom Literature).
- Though there are still difficult things in the OT that I do not understand, or frankly, do not like, the big Story is coming together for me in a new way, and I find myself loving and appreciating God more.
- The discipline of remembering is HUGE for the people of God. We see it in those first few books of the Bible, then again in Joshua (much of this is directed towards Joshua himself, who is challenged by God to be of great courage and remember how He had worked through Moses). One of my favorite stories about this is found in Joshua 3-4. In fact, Joshua is one of my heroes in the OT because his life was marked by a trust in God and an obedience that naturally flowed from this trust. When things begin going downhill (in Judges and then beyond), what we see is God's people forgetting who they are and more importantly who God is
- Obedience is a BIG deal, and it's a big deal because of two reasons. First, we are not who we once were. We've been chosen, adopted, redeemed, blessed, etc (Eph 1), and therefore we're called to live differently. God is worthy of this. The way we live should be a worship response to how He's acted on our behalf. Second, though, and this comes out so clear through the OT story, we are called to obey because it's the best thing we could ever do. God has thought about His plans for us, and though they don't always make sense (there's a difference between finite beings and an infinite being), we show ourselves to be wise when we follow God's plans and obey. And when we disobey, there are consequences. Going back to Joshua, I find it so interesting, and comforting, to see God saying four times to him to "be very careful" to obey me. Inertia (or perhaps our human nature) leads us to disobedience. We're going to have to flow upstream if we want to live according to God's commands.
- What separated good kings from bad kings was their level of obedience, often through simple things. You see this theme reflected in Saul and David, but it continues throughout the next few centuries (see 1 & 2 Kings).
- It's important to remember that we can serve and worship God or we can serve and worship some other god (an idol), but we can never worship both. One or the other. Always. We get a choice, but we have to choose.
- So far, Judges is the most depressing book I've read. It's so sad that a people, God's people, could forget all that he had done for them and worship other gods. But one thing I've learned over these past weeks is that I am just as prone.
- As much as I like Joshua, my favorite is David. I taught through his story last summer, and I love his love for God. I love his dependence, his courage and his tenacity. And I love the fact that he failed big time, but he humbled himself, confessed his sin as sin, and was restored. And in the end he was known by God as a man after God's own heart. Speaking of David, reading through his story reminded me that I did not touch much on his later years when I taught through his life. I need to come back to this soon. It would be interesting to look at principles of good leadership through his life.
- The mantle of leadership comes with a serious amount of responsibility. As I finished reading King Solomon's story, I couldn't help but think that Israel's history could have looked very different had Solomon (and you could say this with the other kings of Israel & Judah) chosen to love, serve, worship and obey God. The fact that he didn't meant not only withheld blessing to him but also to an entire nation. The story goes downhill fast after Solomon.
- This "downhill fast" part culminates with God's people in exile under Babylon and then Persia. God is faithful, though. Despite their continued rebellion, he forgives, restores, and works in mighty ways. Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the exiles coming back home and trying to restore what they once had. There is a heightened awareness of the importance of trust and obedience, and we see an encouraging display of leadership through these men.
- My last thought, and this is a challenge and hopefully a word of encouragement. If you've avoided the Old Testament because of issues that confused or even disturbed you, I hope you will take a second look. We are of course so removed through culture and time, but knowing this story helps me to understand the entire story, and I find myself getting excited to get to Jesus
There's much more that I could write, but hopefully this whets your appetite a bit. According to my Kindle I'm 40% of the way through the Bible. Next up...the Prophets (I'm going to come back to the Wisdom Literature).
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