When Words Fall Short

In a well-meaning attempt to spread the gospel, often we've stockpiled for ourselves an arsenal of information and one-liners to combat anyone and anything that could possibly pose a threat to, or disagree with our core beliefs. What gives then, when two people can't agree. For instance, an atheist and a Christian trying to agree on the creation and purpose of creation for all of mankind. Any evidence provided by either side would be quickly discounted by the other. That's an argument going nowhere fast. Yet, both are loaded, heavily armed with facts and figures to prove their point and convert the other. But there's something terribly wrong with that, particularly on the part of the Christian.

I learned something, something that I actually already knew but hadn't quite yet learned, from a book I'm reading called The God Delusion, written by atheist and scientist Richard Dawkins. In his book, on page 130, he makes the following statement, 

"Believing is not something you can decide to do as a matter of policy. At least, it is not something I can decide to do as an act of will."

And there it is!

He says that in response to a very popular argument made by a man named Blaise Pascal, an argument I've heard used, and have used myself, on many occasions. The argument goes something like this:

However long the odds against God's existence might be, there is an even larger asymmetry in the penalty for guessing wrong. In other words, so what if God isn't real? What do you have to lose if you convert to Christianity, believe heart and soul in Jesus as God, and then find out there is no God? Not much apparently. But, on the other hand, if God is real, and your denial of Jesus as God means you'll be eternally punished for your disbelief, why not just believe?

Thus, Dawkin's honest answer.

Which brings me to the point. It's never been about our facts and figures. It's never been about our eloquence or ability to persuade. It's not about us at all. It's about the Holy Spirit.

It doesn't matter how hard we try or how noble our attempt. It doesn't matter how persuasive our speech. It doesn't matter how impassioned our plea. Without the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit, Dawkins is right. One can not believe as an act of sheer will. That's when persuasion fails and words fall short.

Jesus said in John 14:26, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things..." In other words, it's not our job (completely), but His.

And in John 16, Jesus said, "When he comes, he (the Holy Spirit) will convict the world of guilt in regard to their sin and righteousness and judgment...But when the Spirit of Truth (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will guide into all truth."

That should be welcomed news to us all. When words fall short...

Life-Giving Church

This past week was quite the experience as I, along with 5 other church planters, attended Basic Training with ARC at New Life Church in Little Rock. Until my time spent at New Life, "Life-Giving" was just a trendy, over-used phrase thrown around by the ARC staff and emerging church plants. Was I ever wrong! 

It's amazing how I, along with so many others, even in the midst of planting churches, have become so disillusioned with "church" as to think that "Life-Giving" is more believable as a catchy slogan rather than a genuinely "authentic" descriptor. I suppose, there is always a bit of disillusionment for every entrepreneur. It is, in fact, what makes an entrepreneur entrepreneurial: there's a problem; we've got a solution; there is an urgency. And the problem, or in our case, the reason we feel such urgency to plant "Life-Giving" Churches can be seen in every nook and cranny in culture. We need churches. And more than that, we need "Life-Giving" Churches. Everywhere!

So what is a "Life-Giving" Church? What does it look like? Here are two things that I took away from the Basic Training that I believe must shape our church if we are going to be the "Life-Giving" Church God has called us to be:

1. A Life-Giving Church is Relational
   It's about people. It's about connecting people to God. It's about empowering people to be the church. What's the catch? It takes a secure leader to lead a Life-Giving Church. A Life-Giving Church multiplies. A Life-Giving Church promotes. A Life-Giving Church is relational to the core. Loving people. Empowering People. Promoting People to do the work for which they have been uniquely equipped by God to do.
   
   
2.  A Life-Giving Church is led by the Holy Spirit
   What does it look like to be a Spirit-led church? Is it possible to "do church" without the power and presence and constant leading of the Holy Spirit? I'd say so. Is it also possible to neglect the work and leading of the Holy Spirit by refusing to plan, promote, think creatively, innovate and organize? I'd say so. A Life-Giving Church is Spirit-led, completely reliant on the leading and creative inspiration that only the Holy Spirit can bring. That means, church can be creative and innovative, well-rehearsed and organized, all thanks to the Holy Spirit at work in every step of the process. It also means that church can be not only inspiring but powerful in a way that comes only by way of the Holy Spirit. He is, after all, our only hope, the One who leads all men to God.

A Life-Giving Church gives life. It is people driven and completely reliant on the work and leading of the Holy Spirit. 

And if you want to be a part of the launch of a Life-Giving Church in the Columbus area, we'd love to meet you. Email us and let's connect over coffee, on us!

Any Sheepwalkers Out There?

Imagine this.

You've been hired to do a job. Your boss gives you ideas on how to do your job better. You follow through with 2 out of 3 of those ideas, but after a few months, your boss reminds you of the 1 idea you didn't follow through with. You follow through with that idea too.

In the meantime, you start trying out a few ideas of your own. It seems like some of your ideas haven't quite worked out like you had hoped, but the fact that you tried them at all gives you a bit of a thrill, and you are more resolved than ever to be great at the job you were hired to do. Beyond that, you have a vision beyond just doing your job. You see opportunity to expand and create new processes and find it exhilarating to think about creating change and stepping outside what is now considered normal.

The next time your boss gives you an idea, you wonder if it's really just an idea or more of an expectation. You've tried many of your own original ideas but haven't seen a whole lot of success, so you start to think of more creative ideas. You're getting excited about some of your new and more creative ideas and several people have come along side of you that share in your optimism. You put the latest idea from your boss on the back burner. You want to see if he notices.

He does.

He calls you in for a meeting. Your boss explains to you that he's been around the block a few times. He's happy to know your idea-mill is spinning, but he quickly reminds you that there's a greater system of order to consider. After all, one big idea could wreak havoc on the whole system. And besides, the system has been around for quite a few years. He tells you that he's seen people come and go in your field. He's also experienced the ups and downs and has learned what works and what doesn't work from his experience in managing people in your field. He then reiterates the importance of recognizing that there's a greater system to consider, and anything too much outside of that system could be detrimental to the system that he's managed for so many years. And, of course, it's understood that there are consequences to disrupting the system.

After the meeting, you're sure of one thing: You don't want to rock the boat, or disrupt the system. You've thought about the people your boss referred to, the one's who have come and gone. You haven't been here long, so you decide you'd much rather keep your job than risk it.

You no longer view your boss's ideas as suggestions. It only took a few times being called to his office that you realize his ideas and suggestions are more like expectations. You give him what he asks for, even when you're sure there's a better way. Sometimes, right before you suggest a more creative approach, you pull back and decide not to make your suggestion after all. "It's easier this way", you tell yourself. No rocking the boat! Stay in line. Keep your job.

Have you been there?

I have. More than once.

Are you there now?

Seth Godin, in his book Tribes, says that "Many organizations go out of their way to hire people who color inside the lines, who demonstrate consistency and compliance. And then these organizations give these people jobs where they are managed via fear. Which leads to Sheepwalking."

What is Sheepwalking? Godin defines Sheepwalking as the outcome of hiring people who have been raised to be obedient and giving them just enough responsibility mixed with enough fear to keep them in line.

He continues by asking the question, "What happens when you build an organization that's flat and open and treats employees with respect? What happens when you expect a lot and trust the people you work with? At first, it seems crazy. There's too much overhead, too little predictability, and way too much noise. This isn't the top-down model of the factory, or the king and his court. It's chaos. It's easy to reject."

Can we blame them? It's much more difficult to embrace non-sheep behavior. So, rather than reward it and cherish it when it's seen, leaders will punish it, particularly when non-sheepish behavior happens outside of a leaders' control. When this happens, the Sheepwalkers (leaders) will insist that whatever is happening outside of normal is an exception to the rule and feverishly pull the reins on freedom and trust for the sake of predictability and safety, as well as for the protection and preservation of their own position and power.

But what happens, over and over, when fear is replaced by trust, when the king-on-top and factory-style leadership models are replaced with empowerment and freedom, people do amazing things.

When people are set free and given creative reign and control over their work, great things can happen. Terrible things can happen as well. Trust is a risky business. Holding on to control and maintaining the status quo is a lot safer.

So what gives? Usually, not much.

But what about the people who are sheepwalking? What about the people who feel stuck? What about the people who feel like the more they challenge the status quo and lead for change the greater resistance and overwhelming fear they face?

It's a choice.

What separates leaders from Sheepwalkers is how they respond to fear. Sheepwalkers allow fear to intimidate and seize their momentum. Leaders on the other hand use fear as a catalyst for momentum. It ignites an unquenchable passion of unbridled resolve that pushes them out of what is normal and propels them toward innovation and greatness.

If you're stuck, know this: It's your choice to remain stuck.

There is a whole world waiting for you to lead, to break outside of the status quo. Don't let fear and intimidation hold you back. Don't stay stuck.

Make a difference.
Create change.
Take risks.

Lead.

Anatomy of a Movement

Seth Godin, in his book Tribes, outlines three common elements that define a Movement.

    1. A narrative that tells a story about who we are and the future
        we're trying to build.

    2. A connection between and among the leader and the tribe.

    3. Something to do - the fewer limits, the better.

What I see when I look at those three elements is ministry done right. 

First, Christianity is built on the foundation of the greatest narrator who ever lived (Jesus) inviting us to be a apart of the greatest story the world has ever known. How we take it to the next level and reach people where they are is by connecting that story to the changed lives that make up our tribe. It's not just a story. It's life. The future is made up of imperfect people being spiritually transformed by Jesus.

Second, as Christian leaders, it's time we take off ours masks. Enough pretending already. How many pastors or Christian leaders do you know who could never admit a fault, a struggle, a sin? That's bogus. The way we connect people to the Savior is by authentically living the greatest story ever told from the inside out. Take off the mask. Live by example; not by insinuated perfection. I think Jesus would call it hypocrisy (again). A leader who leads with an authentic vulnerability isn't a sign of weakness but of confident strength. 

Third, we've not only been invited to be a part of the greatest story ever told, but we've been given a critical role. Christianity isn't about attending church and listening to a pastor tell stories from scripture and then waiting a whole week before the process repeats. No. Christianity is about following Christ. Living the story. Being the story. Christianity is about action. Movement. And movements get messy. I've seen this. I've lived it. Rules and limits kill movement. Throw aside boundaries and limitations and engage and enable the tribe to run and move and be and you'll have a movement uncontainable.

Clouds

 



I never really noticed them before,

Clouds.

They're everywhere. But different everywhere. At least they must be. Because I never noticed them until now. I've seen them, but never really thought much about them. I don't remember another time when I've been so captivated with them, taken by their brilliance and beauty.

I've lived on Lake Erie most of my life; spent ten years in Toledo. But I never noticed the clouds before, that is, until my first few days in Columbus. Driving around the city I realized that I was seeing such magnificent displays of clouds rising seemingly out of the earth. And I found myself causing several near traffic jams as I tried to maneuver my car through crowded streets while trying to snap the perfect picture of these perfectly white and fluffy clouds with my phone (I wish I could say iphone, but I can't).

So why now? Why suddenly have I realized the beauty of clouds? 

I don't know. I just did. 

God is like that isn't He? The magnificence and mystery of Who He is, the wonder and perfection of His creation. 

It all cries out,

"God is beautiful and extravagant".

What is it about clouds that is so alluring? So inspiring?

Perhaps it's that, throughout scripture, the presence of God Himself was in the clouds,(Exodus 19:9; 24:16; 34:5) and that His glory filled the place where the cloud was (Exodus 16:10; 40:38; Numbers 10:34).

Perhaps it's that God chose to introduce Himself to the people of Israel in a cloud. 

"Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him, and proclaimed His name, the LORD."  Exodus 34:5

Well, that's Old Testament right? What's the New Testament have to say about clouds?

Jesus says in Matthew 24:30, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." 

And in Matthew 26:64, while on trial for His life and standing before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, Jesus says, "In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."


Clearly, there's a pattern. Mark and Luke both give witness to the same (Mark 13:26; 14:62 & Luke 21:27) and in Revelation 1:7 we read, "Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. So it shall be! Amen."

Imagine the traffic jams on that day!

I guess clouds are meant to allure, to inspire, to command our attention. They stand as a interminable sign reminding us of Who God is and of what is to come.

So to wrap things up, and I mean, all things, take a minute and think about this. Just as Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection (Acts 1:9), He'll return for His bride, the church, in the same way.

"And after that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

Are you ready? 

It's the End of the World as We Know It

After thinking through my last post, There is Nothing New Under the Sun, I started to think about a topic that was discussed at a recent conference I attended. The topic was of the 4 Generation Cycle and the idea is simple. There is a 4 Generation Cycle that has been repeating since our beginning. I'll briefly explain the concept and how it has played out over the last several generations in America, leading to present day, which is in transition from the 3rd to the 4th generation cycle. (Notice the significance of the Motto for each generation)

The 1st Generation Cycle

Motto: "Anything we can do, we will do."

The first generation cycle is represented by the Builder Generation, those living through World War II. Those in this generation cycle rise to the task at hand, generally brought together around a singular mission resulting from a major conflict threatening their security or way of life. They will band together and selflessly accomplish whatever is in the greater good of the whole. The Builder Generation helped to build a great America economically, morally and spiritually. They selflessly sacrificed a great deal to see progress and prosperity. They worked as a team and put the prosperity and needs of others before their own.

The 2nd Generation Cycle

Motto: "Anything you can do, we can do better."

The second generation cycle is represented by the Boomer Generation, those born out of the WWII era. This generation is born into the collective prosperity and achievements of the last generation. Their focus becomes more inward than outward. What was once an unthinkable, unreachable goal for the last generation is now common every day practice for this generation. They begin to dive inward and their goals are motivated by self advancement and propelled by strong competition. Whatever was accomplished by the last generation, this group will surely take it to the next level and plow over whatever and whoever might stand in their way.

The 3rd Generation Cycle

Motto: "Anything you can do, we could care less about."

The third generation cycle is represented by Generation X. It's no coincidence that this generation was given the name "X". They could care less if they have a name or not. They've become calloused to the inward-focused, selfish-driven accomplishments of the previous generation. They've grown tired of inward-focused ministry, dictatorial leadership and self-serving agendas. Those in the 3rd generation cycle are typically characterized as angry and rebellious. Kurt Cobain's lyric, "Here we are now, entertain us", represents the lethargic, care-less feeling that characterizes this group. And although they won't admit it, they are also self-consumed.

The 4th Generation Cycle

Motto: "All the things you didn't do, we look forward to doing."

The fourth generation cycle is represented by the emerging generation of Americans, known as the Millennial Generation or (Generation Y). They are tired of the complacency and lack of movement they've seen from generations past. They are a generation of optimists, a generation of big dreamers. Those in the 4th generation cycle will say, "We will do what no else else could or cared to do", "We will eliminate poverty", "We will change the world, "We will re-claim the church", "We will re-shape culture".

So what does this mean for us?

Why does any of this matter?

We are witnessing the transition from the 3rd to the 4th Generation Cycle in America today.

It matters to understand what cycle we're in because it explains the power struggle we're seeing in our government and in the church, in the workplace and all around us in culture.

The emerging generation is fed up with the ineffectiveness of our government and the self-serving, earmark-happy politicians that govern it. The emerging generation is fed up with the ineffectiveness of our churches and the inward-focused, self-serving leaders that guide it.

It means that a revolution is on the horizon. It means that a war of governance is imminent. It means there is restructuring, a reawakening, a redefining of what it means to be American and what it means to be Christian.

It means that if real global issues are going to be solved, if the church is going to reclaim its' prominent position in the world and if The Great Commission is going to be accomplished and the whole world reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ, then this is the generation that can get it done!

It also means that there's an urgency, a brief window of opportunity to be recognized and seized before the generation cycle starts all over again. The aggressive accomplishments of the 4th generation will be taken for granted by their children. Their children will be born into a way of life worth fighting for in order to preserve and maintain it, but they'll be followed by a generation of inward-focused, self-serving rebels that will want little to do with what they've fought so hard to preserve and maintain.

If we fail to recognize and seize the moment of this day, it will be several generations before we will again have the opportunity to advance the Kingdom around the world and reclaim the American church in a way that brings an end to this age and ushers in the next. And in recognizing the moment, we must act by encouraging, supporting, funding, partnering and harnessing the world-changing potential of the emerging generation, whatever the cost.

This could be the generation that ushers in the second coming of Christ by fulfilling The Great Commission. It is within our reach. It is within our potential. And it is more than probable that it will happen as the emerging generation takes the lead and follows their God-given Big Dreams!

On a final note,

Isn't it interesting that we are actually writing ourselves out of history? Look up the names given to America's generations throughout the past 200 years and notice the names that have been given to the last three:

Generation X,

Generation Y (also known as the Millennial Generation) and

Generation Z.

There is Nothing New Under the Sun

One thing I've learned, particularly in this last year, is that there is nothing new under the sun. What I mean is, there's a rhythm, a continuous cycle to things. In Malachi 3 we read, "I the Lord do not change". He is constant. We can see how constant and rhythmic He really is by looking into the heavens. At first glance, everything appears at random. Yet, there is nothing random about it.

Stars are not spread out randomly in space, rather they are positioned in vast groups called galaxies. The Sun belongs to a galaxy called the Milky Way. There are an estimated 100,000 million stars in the Milky Way alone. Outside that, there are estimated millions upon millions of other galaxies. Think about the perfection of that design; the intricacies and details and organization of that system and the unchanging laws that govern it.

And here we are, God's most intricate design, the handiwork of His creation. We were created to know Him, to be in relationship with Him. And when our imperfection in sin created a mass divide between us and God, His perfect plan just continued to unfold, creating a way for us to come back into relationship with him. The plan of redemption was set in place at the moment of creation, not after. God wasn't looking for a Plan B. Everything was prepared from the start.

Funny then, how life can surprise us. I've recently begun to emerge from a most dark season of life; one that I wouldn't wish on anyone. While living through one of the most difficult and trying seasons of my life, I often felt hopeless. I felt discouraged and abandoned, defeated and punished. And most of all, I felt confused.

How did I get here? Why did I get here? What could I do to emerge?

I knew the Bible. I had read the stories and studied the men and women whose lives unfold in scripture, but there was an obvious disconnect. Those people weren't me. My situation was different, unique, complicated. I was treading in new territory. My situation required outside input, from friends, counselors, anybody. As much as I loved and studied the Bible, I was disconnected, at least during this dark season of my life.

Then I read a book, A Tale of Three Kings. For me, it was a moment of divine illumination. The scales fell off, the discouragement scurried away, my defeat turned to triumph. Why? I realized that there is nothing new under the sun.

As I read the book, which was based on the lives of Saul, David and Absolam, I felt like I was reading my own biography. I could see how things happened, why things happened and what it would take to get the results I so desperately wanted without any surprises.

I realized that I was living a story that had already been told. And it repeated throughout all of history, over and over and over again. I realized that there is nothing so unique or overly complicated that we can't plug ourselves directly into scripture and find the answers. I've always known that, but living it is a completely different thing.

We are all a part of a perfect and unchanging system created by God and governed by perfect and unchanging laws, both physical and spiritual, and the outcomes of life's most greatest and difficult challenges depend solely on our willingness to submit to His perfect and unchanging plan. When we do, there is freedom.

There is no use trying to fight our way through life. God's design and plan for us is perfect. Part of His plan requires us to be tried and tested, shamed and rejected. Part of His plan takes us through a grueling detour, through the lonely desert. But it's perfect nonetheless. And the moment we realize and accept God's perfect and unchanging design, the moment we can experience the freedom of life, even in the most difficult and trying seasons.

Our stories play out the same way the stories of the great men and women of the Old and New Testament play out. There is no need for life to completely catch us off guard. Sure, there will be surprises and times when we are blind sided by unexpected challenges, but what shouldn't be unexpected is the resolution of those challenges. Our stories have been told for thousands of years and are intricately recorded in scripture. If you are looking for answers, if you are looking for a way out of the grueling pit you've found yourself in, know this -

God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are high above our human understanding. He is perfect and unchanging. He loves us. And...

there is nothing new under the sun.