Christ Seeker

More thoughts to ponder...

This certainly squares with my experience not only with the Millenial generation but also Generation X which is my generation.

Some key Scripture passages on Christian community...

Without a doubt, there are millions of different ways to live in "Christian community". Some are good and lead to an increase in faithfulness and spiritual maturity.  Others are not so good and only reinforce habits of the heart that keep us far from God. And still others are downright destructive - see Jonestown or the Branch Davidians as examples. Imagine for a moment that you have never heard the Gospel or experienced authentic Christian community.  How would one begin to sort through the myriad of options out there to find a spiritual home?  And, on the flip side, how can those of us who are engaged in Christian community already continue the hard work of transformation so that we can become a spiritual home for those seeking to follow Jesus?  Here are some key Scriptural passages that certainly should guide our thoughts and actions...(all passages from Eugene Peterson's, The Message)

Acts 2:42-47:

They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God.  People in general liked what they saw.  Every day their number grew as God added to those who were saved.

Acts 4:32-37:

The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.  And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.

1 Corinthians 14:26-33:

So here’s what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three’s the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you’re saying. Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself. And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. Take your turn, no one person taking over. Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other. If you choose to speak, you’re also responsible for how and when you speak. When we worship the right way, God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony.

Galatians 3:28-29:

In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.

James 5:13-20:

Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out.  Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again. My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.

I am sure that these just touch the surface as there are many more we could cite.  But I think this gives us a good picture of how the early church sought to order their life together in authentic Christian community.  Did they do it perfectly?  Nope.  All one has to do is read through Paul's letters to see the struggles they had.  Thankfully, though, they never gave up and we now stand as inheritors of what they persevered to create under the guidance and with the power of the Holy Spirit.  And in a world of rapid change and massive cultural shifts, the question is pressed...what kind of community are we leaving behind?  Do we offer a spiritual home for the weary traveler?  Or merely a set of religious goods to offer the consumer? 

Meaning of Data...

Rise of the non-religious...

Another great link for folks looking at cultural shifts in society that are going to have a huge impact on the 21st century church...

Learning from Culture...

The New New Economy: More Startups, Fewer Giants, Infinite Opportunity

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This article is good reading on cultural shifts and how they might impact the future of "church" as we know it.

Companion #5: Pain

Bzzzz...Bzzzz...my cell phone rings and the person on the other end asks to meet me for a cup of coffee.  Life has gotten to them again.  Stress.  Crisis.  The pressure is building and they simply need someone to talk to about what they are going through. 

Beep...a text message hits my phone.  Another friend tells me they need to catch up with me that evening.  Long hours at work.  It's hard on them.  Hard on their family.  They are struggling to keep their head above water.  For whatever reason, just talking it out seems to make the load lighter. 

Bounce...bounce...bounce goes the ball.  The final ball game is over.  A few guys are sitting around cooling down from all the exercise.  The conversation gets personal.  Struggles are shared.  Questions asked.  They just need someone to listen for a bit. 

Brrrppp...Brrrppp...Brrrppp...cards are shuffled and then dealt.  The smell of cigarette smoke is in the air.  Beers are poured and conversation ensues.  A man dealing with a painful divorce. Doesn't want to go home.  Too much tension.  Struggling with his kids.  Life is upside down. 

The sounds and smells and experiences of life.  Life is not lived in the abstract.  It is lived in the midst of tension, heartache, and pain.  In fact, it is pain that lets us know that we are truly alive in the first place!  Dr. Philip Brand is a world-renowned physician who specializes in treating Hansen's Disease or, as it's more commonly known, leprosy.  It was Brand who first discovered that leprosy does not so much rot the flesh as it deadens the nerves.  It takes away are ability to feel pain.  And because a person with leprosy can't feel pain, they do things or allow things to happen to their bodies that they otherwise wouldn't.  Heat, cold, puncture wounds, abrasions, blisters, sprains, strains, you name it...they simply can't feel it and therefore aren't aware of the devastating impact such things have on their bodies.  Pain, Dr. Brand argues counter-intuitively, is a gift.  It helps us remain healthy, vital, and strong.  It plays a critical role in sustaining life and therefore should be embraced not avoided. 

I'm convinced he's right.  And what I am discovering is that I am a spiritual leper.  Out of fear, I tend to avoid pain.  Out of fear, I tend to avoid suffering.  But I can't escape it.  Nor can you.  Nor can anyone. We live in a tormented world.  People are dying, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  They don't have enough to eat.  Clean water to drink.  Or ways to combat disease.  Wars rage.  The innocent suffer. Millions are displaced.  Children are abused.  Marriages are lost.  Families broken up.  People lose jobs.  And they lose hope.  They are in pain.  Their lives are full of pain.  And they want to share.  They NEED to share.  They are more than willing to share if we will simply listen.  If we have compassion.  If we are willing to go to where they are, live among them, and love them honestly and faithfully in the name of Jesus.    

Overcoming spiritual leprosy means relentlessly pursuing authenticity and transparency as a community.  It means building relationships that are vulnerable and honest.  This is our passion and our commitment as a community.  We want this for one another and for the people God brings into our lives on a daily basis.  We believe with all our hearts that this is how we experience God's grace and love in tangible and concrete ways.  But it isn't easy.  Pursuing such authenticity in community means having the courage to embrace pain and thereby overcome it in the name of Jesus who himself embraced ultimate suffering on the cross.  This is what it means to follow Jesus and to have truly Christ-like, Jesus-shaped relationships.  And it is into such relationships that we are called to invite those we meet along the way. 

Salvation, dear friends, isn't just about getting our ticket punched to heaven.  It is a reality we can taste and see and experience in our daily lives.  And the more authentic, the more transparent, the more vulnerable we become with one another, the more we will experience the grace and peace God brings in Jesus Christ.  As a church, we have put with, even encouraged in some places, "spiritual leprosy" for far too long.  My brothers and sisters, it is time to stop running.  It is time to embrace life. To embrace pain.  To embrace suffering.  To embrace even death.  It is time...to follow Jesus.

Companion #4: A man named Barnabus...

Yesterday, Christ met me through an unlikely person.  (By the way, I am finding this becoming more common as I walk along this missional-incarnational journey.)  Michael is becoming a great friend.  He is a gifted actor, a loving father, and a faithful husband.  His spiritual journey began when he was a young person in the Roman Catholic Church but as of right now, he is more agnostic than anything else.  He is wise and friendly and always willing to listen and share from his life experiences. 

So I was in the coffee shop reflecting on what God is up to in Allelon.  The challenges we face.  The struggles we are having personally and corporately as we learn what it means to truly follow Jesus.  The depth of the relationships we are building.  The joy of seeing our lives begin to reflect the life of our Lord and Savior.  All of this was bouncing around my brain when Michael walked up.  After exchanging a few pleasantries, he asked how I was doing.  I shared with him in brief all of the stuff that was on my mind.  My desire to see our community experience deep, transparent, authentic relationships.  My passion to invite others into this journey so they can experience God's unconditional love and grace.  My hopes and dreams of a church that gathers to bless, not itself, but the community.  And my personal struggle with uncertainties, doubts, etc. as I seek to lead us on this way.  Michael listened so patiently and then shared some of the wisdom he had gleaned from his current experience of trying to start an local acting company.  We quickly realized we were engaged in very similar work, albeit in different arenas, and the conversation began to fill with wonderful energy as we shared our excitement and passion with each other. 

At the end of our time together, I thanked Michael for how he had encouraged me and lifted my spirits.  And now looking back, I realize that God sent Michael into my life yesterday as a kind of Barnabus or "son of encouragement."  You see, I was wrestling with God over some serious stuff and Michael allowed me the space to "think out loud" a little bit.  Furthermore, he was able to share what he was learning in his own life and his wisdom restored some much-needed perspective to my life. 

Since then, I have marveled at the faithfulness of God in my life.  I cannot tell you how many times in the last nine months or so that I have met different people from different walks of life and different faith backgrounds who have spoken a "word" into my life at just the right moment.  It reminds me that no matter how difficult or uncertain or ambiguous or strange or exciting or stressful this life may get, God is with me always even to the end of the age. 

Companion #3: Doubt

The other night I was out having a beer with a friend of mine who is not a follower of Jesus but is seriously considering becoming one.  The place was busy.  It was loud.  There was a karaoke contest going on and the same three people kept signing up to sing.  Though the quality of the music was terrible, their stamina was certainly impressive!  Anyway, we practically had to yell across the table to get in our conversation and he asked me this question.  "Do you ever have doubts?" 

Man, do I ever.  There are times when I doubt my ability, my faith, and my convictions.  There are times when I doubt my calling, my qualifications, even my faith.  I have what I call my "Wal-Mart Greeter" days when I just want to hang it up and go greet people at Wal-Mart.  There are times when I doubt whether this missional vision will take hold or prove sustainable.  There are times when I wonder if I am on the right track or have gone off the rails.  I have doubts as to God's provision, God's timing, and God's direction/purpose for the community I lead. 

So I shared all these with my friend and that felt a bit weird.  After all, here I am trying to introduce this guy to Jesus and I am letting him know that I have doubts?  That there are times when I question?  Somewhere deep inside me I felt a powerful resistance towards being open and honest about my doubts.  A significant part of me wanted to pretend like I had it all together.  As if true faith provides all the assurance one might need in this life.  But I knew that would be a lie.  So I shared as transparently as I could about what I was feeling.  And in doing so, I received this profound insight from my agnostic friend...

"That's what I like about you...your faith isn't plastic.  It isn't perfect or ironclad.  Your faith leaves room for questions.  I like to think that if there is a God out there, he must be big enough to handle my doubts." 

Wow.  Whether my friend realized it or not, I heard the still, small voice of Jesus speaking to me through his words.  God is big enough to handle my doubts.  What a biblical message!  Reminds me of God's relationship with Moses.  God was big enough to handle Moses' doubts about his leadership abilities, his stuttering, and his fears.  God was big enough to handle Moses' doubts when he was in Egypt and plague after plague didn't seem to soften Pharoah's heart.  God was big enough when the people complained about the food, the water, the size of the Amorites (they are giants...we are grasshoppers), and the length of the wilderness journey.  No matter what the issue, no matter how mad or frustrated or discouraged Moses got, God was big enough to handle it. 

God is big enough to handle Doug Resler's doubts and questions and struggles as well.  God is big enough to handle the challenges we face in Allelon as we seek to become a truly missional community.  God is big enough to deal with our anger, our frustration, our despair, and our doubts about the future.  We just have to let him.  I just have to let him.  I have to surrender my doubts and fears to him.  God is using my doubts to take me ever deeper into intimacy with him. And I am learning anew what it means to trust, to love, and to have faith. 

Companion #2: Faithful Friends

Not all companions are of the emotional variety.  Some are very real.  Flesh and blood.  Just as John Nash was accompanied by his wife and friends in his struggle with paranoid schizophrenia so I have been delighted to discover some very faithful friends along the way.  In fact, were it not for these friends, I would surely be in trouble!  The missional life is simply unsustainable if undertaken on one's own.  The forces, both external and internal, arrayed against it are simply too great to overcome on our own.  This has always been the case, of course, but in the context of a culture whose prevailing mythology involves the cult of individualism, it is easy to forget this fundamental biblical truth - "It is not good for man (human beings) to be alone." 

Alone we are subject to all kinds of temptation.  Alone we lose perspective.  Alone we have blind spots.  Alone we are left to the tender mercies of the evil one who knows all our vulnerabilities.  Ecclesiastes is so quick to point out the poverty of the "lonely" condition.  "Pity the one who falls without another to pick him up...alone who can keep warm?...one is easily overpowered..."

But two...two are better. Two means having a companion to lift him up. Two means having someone to help keep one warm. Two means being able to resist the one seeking to overpower.  The New Testament also affirms this idea in a letter Paul wrote to the Ephesian church.  In that letter, he identifies the spiritual powers that we are up against - "our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, against the powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places..."  But he also reminds us that we are not defenseless!  God has put significant resources at our disposal.  Truth like a belt, righteousness like breastplate, the Gospel to shod our feet, faith like a shield, salvation as a helmet, and the Word of God as a sword.  However, as a young person pointed out to me one time, there is nothing mentioned to guard your back. 

The reality is that we can take up the full armor of God and still be defenseless if we don't have a faithful brother or sister guarding our back. What I have discovered is that missional church planting should only be done in groups.  Particularly if we are to follow the example Jesus set for us when he sent his disciples out two by two.  When I have been down or discouraged or frustrated or angry, it is amazing how God will use someone within our group to pick me up or give me perspective.  And as we continue this journey together and build deeper friendships, the ability to renew and restore flagging vision or strength increases.  We grow wise as to one another's faults and weaknesses and can do the kind of gentle confrontation necessary for our spiritual growth.  We can challenge each other to continuously conform our lives to Jesus' life.  Embracing these deep and abiding and transparent relationships in our community is critical to the missional journey. 

Unlikely Companions

One of my favorite movies of all time is A Beautiful Mind which chronicles the struggle of world-renowned mathematician/economist, John Nash, with paranoid schizophrenia.  In the movie, Dr. Nash is seeking an "original idea" that will revolutionize the world.  As he pursues this passion, he is joined along the way by some strange companions.  Though they will later prove to be delusions of his mind, they are nonetheless very real to Dr. Nash and they pose a threat to his life's work.  As he literally battles for his sanity, it becomes apparent that these "companions" are never going to go away.  He will have to learn how to resist their influence when they appear. 

Of course, there are other companions in his life as well.  An amazing wife whose sacrificial love rescues Dr. Nash from his despair.  A good friend who is willing to take a chance and give him a place in a community (Princeton) he loves.  Students who eventually seek him out for wisdom and knowledge. Embracing these companions gives him hope and direction which in turn results in him winning the Nobel Prize for Economics.

Over a year ago, I made a significant decision to follow my passion into missional church planting.  Embarking on this journey is definitely the most risky thing I have ever done in my life.  There is no road map for what we are doing.  There are very few communities actually engaged in this work that we can learn from...although we are connecting with more and more each day!  It is very possible that our vision will prove ultimately unsustainable.  Then again, maybe it will.  And lives will be changed.  And the Kingdom of God will grow.  And our community will be a living testimony to what a truly missional church looks like in the flesh. 

When I started this journey, I noticed almost immediately that I was not alone.  A few "companions" had begun to walk with me.  And I hope over the next week or so to name these companions and share who I have learned to resist and who I have learned to embrace.  My hope is that by naming these companions for who they are I can offer a bit of wisdom and encouragement for those brothers and sisters in Christ who are thinking/attempting/leading missional transformation and change. 

Companion #1: Fear

I find in my life that there are many reasons to be afraid.  I am afraid of failure.  I am afraid of not having our grant funding renewed.  I am afraid of discovering that this vision God has placed on my heart simply gains no traction with people.  I am afraid of getting so far out in front of the people I serve that I find myself all alone.  I am afraid of what the future holds. I am afraid of the burden this life puts on my family.  I am afraid of what my children think of me as I drag them around the country in the name of God. I am afraid of the sacrifices I am asking my family to make and the long-term impact on our relationships. 

Fear is a constant companion.  It is a tool the enemy uses very effectively to gain my attention.  Now for the most part, fear is a companion I have been able to resist over the last year.  But he is definitely a malevolent presence in my life, always lurking around the edges, looking for openings to exploit.  As Scripture tells us, "the devil prowls about like a lion looking for someone to devour."  At first I wondered about this.  After all, I was doing God's will.  I was following God's lead.  Why in the world would I be afraid?  Was I not faithful enough?  Was I not trusting enough?  Was this a sign that I was simply too weak to make the journey? That I had been tried and found wanting?  That I had not properly counted the cost?  (Doubt, of course, is another companion I picked up somewhere along the way but that's a post for another day...)

I wrestle with these questions even now but as I have struggled a few things have become more clear to me.  First of all, fear is not something to run from.  Rather it is something to embrace.  (A theme I will come back to again and again in the coming days...)  Embracing our fear allows us to come face to face with the dark side of our personality.  The shadow side of our souls.  Embracing fear allows us to embrace ourselves...even those parts of ourselves we like to pretend don't exist.  You see, despite my utter commitment to this missional way of life and my spiritual bravado in the face of the uncertainty of the future, I am still a person subject to fear.  It is always there.  It is a part of who I am and there is no sense in denying it.  Fear, once embraced, is brought out into the open where it can be dealt with through prayer and accountability within the context of community. 

The second thing I have learned from fear is the critical importance of prayer.  Over and over again, fear has driven me to my knees in the past several months.  Fear takes me quickly to the end of myself where I have no other options but to cry out to God.  Fear has deepened my prayer life significantly.  Whereas I once did a lot of the talking in my prayer time, I have now learned - for the sake of my sanity - to listen.  Listen for God's voice.  Listen for God to speak. Listen for those words of comfort and peace.  It means spending a lot of time in solitude and silence when the house is dark and the family is tucked away in bed.  It means waiting until the cacophony of voices in my head begins to die down so I can hear that still, small voice speak to me about the peace that passes all understanding.  It means shutting down the negative cycles in my head - what a counselor of mine once called "catastrophizing"(great term!) - and letting God's Spirit spin the cycle in more positive directions. 

One of the my favorite quotes of all time comes from Karl Barth..."Courage is fear that has said its prayers."  The road to missional transformation in the church today may be one of the most difficult we have ever walked but we take courage as we look to and cling to the one who has trod the narrow way before us - Jesus Christ!  May God give you the courage today to embrace your fear and allow it to drive you to prayer and to deep community with your brothers and sisters in Christ!