One of my favorite authors is Pastor Mike Slaughter out of Ohio. In his church, he has established a vital ministry that combines both an emphasis on the person's spiritual condition as well as issues of social justice. He casts an inspiring vision for becoming disciples seeking to live in the way of Jesus and not view our spiritual life as a hobby. The following are some of his words from his own blog. Read on and share your comments and thoughts.
A few weeks ago I addressed the whole issue of the church setting a low bar of involvement that calls people to make a decision for Jesus rather than make a commitment to become a disciple of Jesus. I fear that we have given people a false and simplistic view of salvation. The churches that grew in the 1980’s and 90’s were based for the most part on a seeker-attraction model rather than a costly call to renounce the predominate culture (worldview) and claim the worldview of Jesus (I refer to this as the “Missional Church”). The result has been “born again” church attendees (vs. servant-participants), who have brought Jesus into their own worldview rather than being transformed into his. Many of our mega churches have created programming that mirrors that experienced on a cruise ship rather than Jesus’ relational-missional model of discipleship. Note the contrast:
The Cruise Ship is an experience of refined excellence. Truly entertaining. Service with a smile. Someone to wait on you at your beck and call, turn down the bed and leave a chocolate on your pillow. Five Star!
The Mission Outpost is messy. Many of the teams who have worked in the Gulf region or Cedar Rapids have slept on floors and forgotten the meaning of air conditioning. (Click on the picture to view a news report on one of Ginghamsburg’s Gulf teams.)
The Cruise Ship is centered in excess. How much food can you eat in a day before you hit the midnight buffet?
The Mission Outpost is stretched to the limits, lives by the “seat of its pants,” depending on Jesus to multiply the loaves and fish. Embodies a commitment to live simply so that others may simply live.
The Cruise Ship is literally a self-contained fortress. Programming, classes, restaurants, movies, clubs, gyms, gift shops. You never need to leave the confines of the ship.
The Mission Outpost is an externally focused network of partnerships for the sake of better meeting the needs of the communities it serves. Ginghamsburg is in partnerships with public schools, international relief organizations, businesses, theological seminaries, social organizations as well as county jails, to name just a few.
The Cruise Ship is a place of retreat.
The Mission Outpost is all about engagement at the greatest places of need.
Participation on the Cruise Ship is based on self-interest. I show up at the things I want to do.
Participation for the disciple in mission is based on others’ needs--a servant rather than a volunteer.
I desperately hope I am wrong, but I fear that many folk in the church have signed up for a cruise rather than a life mission.
God bless...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Lazarus Life And The Lilies of the Field
Lazarus Revisited
For the past few weeks I've been preaching the through story of Lazarus found in John 11. In that story, we are invited to experience spiritual transformation as we see Jesus coming and raising Lazarus from "death to life." Author Stephen Smith, who wrote the book The Lazarus Life, sees the whole Lazarus story as a way to imagine our own spiritual transformation. Part of that is realizing that there can be some tough places for us..as there were for Lazarus. Namely, Lazarus was dead...or at least was dead until Jesus raised him. It invites us to think about those times that we have been in those "dead" moments of our lives or those "dead ends". Stephen Smith calls them our "spiritual tombs" - those dark and dead places we sometimes come across and experience in our life. The key part of this story is realizing that these moments can happen and will happen. This leaves us realizing that sometimes we can offer up a Christianity that doesnt often acknowledge the tough places of life and would rather just have the good stuff. Good stuff is great but when we have the "dead" moments, we get thrown off. I think we get thrown off because we often forget that the hard times are as much a part of the spiritual journey as the good times. And, just because we have hard times doesnt mean we have done something wrong. It just means we are human people living in a very human world. The Lazarus story reminds us that, in time, Jesus comes to us and "raises" us from those dark, empty, and hard places. How do you handle or deal with those hard, dark, and empty places? What sustains you? What gets you through? What does your faith mean for you in those times?
Lilies of the Field and a $700 Billion Bail Out
It's all over the news - the financial bail out the government is going to provide for the major financial institutions. All of this has shaken up people as well as the world. Oil spiked to an increase of at least $20 a barrell and President Bush is going to go to the world leaders and try to assure them that all is okay and the bailout is going to work. In the meantime, people worry about their retirements as well as their savings and we still see gas lines and gas stations without no gas due to "gas panic." I think about all of this and I think about Jesus words: "Therefore do now worry saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we wear?...So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." Does Jesus really expect us - you and I - not to worry even during shaky times like this? I mean, what he said sounds good but does it work in real life? I am thinking he meant what he said. If that's the case, how do I live a life in which I truly follow and abide in the way of Jesus. I believe in preparing for retirement and I'm going to watch my 401 K, but my trust in Jesus needs to be alot deeper then my trust in my bank account, my style of clothes, and what is or is not in my refrigerator. What do Jesus words means to you?
Post your thoughts, I would love to hear from you.
For the past few weeks I've been preaching the through story of Lazarus found in John 11. In that story, we are invited to experience spiritual transformation as we see Jesus coming and raising Lazarus from "death to life." Author Stephen Smith, who wrote the book The Lazarus Life, sees the whole Lazarus story as a way to imagine our own spiritual transformation. Part of that is realizing that there can be some tough places for us..as there were for Lazarus. Namely, Lazarus was dead...or at least was dead until Jesus raised him. It invites us to think about those times that we have been in those "dead" moments of our lives or those "dead ends". Stephen Smith calls them our "spiritual tombs" - those dark and dead places we sometimes come across and experience in our life. The key part of this story is realizing that these moments can happen and will happen. This leaves us realizing that sometimes we can offer up a Christianity that doesnt often acknowledge the tough places of life and would rather just have the good stuff. Good stuff is great but when we have the "dead" moments, we get thrown off. I think we get thrown off because we often forget that the hard times are as much a part of the spiritual journey as the good times. And, just because we have hard times doesnt mean we have done something wrong. It just means we are human people living in a very human world. The Lazarus story reminds us that, in time, Jesus comes to us and "raises" us from those dark, empty, and hard places. How do you handle or deal with those hard, dark, and empty places? What sustains you? What gets you through? What does your faith mean for you in those times?
Lilies of the Field and a $700 Billion Bail Out
It's all over the news - the financial bail out the government is going to provide for the major financial institutions. All of this has shaken up people as well as the world. Oil spiked to an increase of at least $20 a barrell and President Bush is going to go to the world leaders and try to assure them that all is okay and the bailout is going to work. In the meantime, people worry about their retirements as well as their savings and we still see gas lines and gas stations without no gas due to "gas panic." I think about all of this and I think about Jesus words: "Therefore do now worry saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we wear?...So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." Does Jesus really expect us - you and I - not to worry even during shaky times like this? I mean, what he said sounds good but does it work in real life? I am thinking he meant what he said. If that's the case, how do I live a life in which I truly follow and abide in the way of Jesus. I believe in preparing for retirement and I'm going to watch my 401 K, but my trust in Jesus needs to be alot deeper then my trust in my bank account, my style of clothes, and what is or is not in my refrigerator. What do Jesus words means to you?
Post your thoughts, I would love to hear from you.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Welcome to Faith Connections
Welcome to "Faith Connections"! Many folks are connecting today through the use of the internet, blogs, and Facebook. We hope this can be a place for you to share your thoughts and respond to issues of faith and life as we journey together at Deep River Friends Meeting. Each week we will pose a quote, thought, or even a question. It might have something to do with current events or with the past Sunday's message. Whatever the subject, we invite you to join the conversation as we seek to live on a growing edge.
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