Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
i'm a huge fan of the Sermon on the Mount. i believe it is paramount in the way a faithful believer in Jesus should live, act, behave, doubt, reason with, and rejoice when it comes to any aspect of life.
But in this second "beatitude", I can also see where a church as a whole should pay close attention as well.
I believe this verse could very well be the definition of what makes a church successful or not.
In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus was teaching that the kingdom of God is near, then in chapter 5 starts teaching about certain things that would allow that kingdom to draw near.
And its almost as if Jesus was saying 'you can be blessed, but its not how you thought it was going to be.'
This culture he resides in certainly had its share of pious, super holy rollers, called the Pharisees. They were "THE religious" folks of the day. All you heard and knew of them were the great things they were doing. The glory wasn't God's, it was their own.
And here Jesus said "blessed are those who mourn"?? Wait, I thought the Bible said that the manifestation of "Joy" was a fruit of the Spirit, something saying "yes, i've got real faith, because I have joy. Did Paul and Jesus conflict each other?
I don't believe so, and here's why.
I believe when you are really seeking out ways to grow in your faith, you will have doubts, depressions, fears, discouragement, anger, confusion, get hurt, and get your heart broken. Most of which do not display the fruits of the Spirit, much less, joy.
So when it comes down to it, I believe this is a way for believers to express what's going on inside of them. What's bothering them in their mind or their heart. Getting out what's in.
Its easy to play the game, fake it, let things reside inside of you that you are struggling with. Its easy to be afraid to share that for many reasons. You could be ashamed, in despair, afraid of what people will think. Possibly, just possibly, you've been faking it for so long, you might have lost touch with what's going on inside and actually believe what you present to others is the real deal. That's a bit extreme, but I suppose it could happen. Maybe your ego now has more weight than your beliefs.
maybe your ego has lost touch with grace, forgiveness, and 'being comforted' as those who mourn are.
But that's more of a personal way to look at it.
Let's look at what this could mean in reference to how a church could be the church. One question to ask: "is our church a graceful environment?" meaning, are we catering towards or encouraging people to mourn what they need to mourn (namely sin), and get out what's weighing them down, bothering them in some form or fashion.
In Psalm 32, David said "when I kept silent, my bones wasted away, through my groaning all day long...my strength was sapped in the summer heat." and later says to God, "Therefore, let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. "
My question is do we simply care enough to encourage people to express their heart, if they are struggling with something.
In Luke 7, Jesus was approached by a prostitute in front of Simon, a Pharisee, and she didn't care what "the religious person" thought. She only wanted to be honest and authentic in her faith. She desired to be comforted, and that only came by sharing her heart, which came in the form of tears, hair, and a bottle of perfume.
The bottom line is, the Pharisees appear to not have been a place for her to go and share her heart. a place where she'd get beaten up, stoned, rebuked, judged, condemned, but NOT comforted.
Now, sure there are settings, environments, safe places, and boundaries to mourning, but the bottom line is, are you able to?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sing, talk, and forget about it! (Chapter 4 of "the great giveaway")
Every tuesday night at 6:30pm, I find myself in front of a people ready to hear a Word from God. I've been in this position before. I learned how to play the guitar about 7 years ago, and although I'm not great, I've been able to manage enough to get up in front of people and offer what I can.
About 3 years ago, I found myself getting frustrated with what I found myself doing. To save this from being a long post, I ended up giving away my guitar and fasting from leading worship. This went on for 2 years. I knew that there was something deeper, something I was missing being a "worship leader".
At the end of last year, I agreed to start filling in and get my feet wet, hopefully changed and more effective. My effectiveness came in realizing that it wasn't me who had to be more effective, but the Holy Spirit needed more free reign over the service.
And now, as I lead worship, every Tuesday, I begin every service, not by asking people to stand and join me in song. I simply ask that they would be open to allow God to do what God wants to do through and in the service.
David Fitch articulates this really well in saying "as opposed to contemporary worship, which often begins by coming to God with our self expressions, liturgy demands that we first be confronted by God and then respond."
He offers up a question, which I felt was directed towards me, "In what fashion am I leading worship that forms people into an experience directed toward and formed out of the holiness of the God of Israel and the Lord Jesus Christ?"
My answer is this. I never ask people to join "me" in singing and raising hands and clapping. What is said before every service (just in case there are new folks in the crowd), is "if you need to sit and reflect on God's grace, His forgiveness, His love, then do so. If you need to sing as loud as you can out of tune, go for it! if you need to kneel in prayer before God, this place amongst other believers is here for the taking."
this was what developed in my little hiatus from leading worship. Shaun Groves once said on a CD, "if you come in here and raise your hands, but walk out that door and don't raise your hand to those in need, then you've only worshipped a song or a songwriter and not a God." That hit me pretty hard.
i believe God has blessed me tremendously by allowing me to use my greatest strength in leading worship, my heart. And my heart begs for anytime we enter a gathering of believers, for it to be a beautiful encountering of God and all that He offers.
About 3 years ago, I found myself getting frustrated with what I found myself doing. To save this from being a long post, I ended up giving away my guitar and fasting from leading worship. This went on for 2 years. I knew that there was something deeper, something I was missing being a "worship leader".
At the end of last year, I agreed to start filling in and get my feet wet, hopefully changed and more effective. My effectiveness came in realizing that it wasn't me who had to be more effective, but the Holy Spirit needed more free reign over the service.
And now, as I lead worship, every Tuesday, I begin every service, not by asking people to stand and join me in song. I simply ask that they would be open to allow God to do what God wants to do through and in the service.
David Fitch articulates this really well in saying "as opposed to contemporary worship, which often begins by coming to God with our self expressions, liturgy demands that we first be confronted by God and then respond."
He offers up a question, which I felt was directed towards me, "In what fashion am I leading worship that forms people into an experience directed toward and formed out of the holiness of the God of Israel and the Lord Jesus Christ?"
My answer is this. I never ask people to join "me" in singing and raising hands and clapping. What is said before every service (just in case there are new folks in the crowd), is "if you need to sit and reflect on God's grace, His forgiveness, His love, then do so. If you need to sing as loud as you can out of tune, go for it! if you need to kneel in prayer before God, this place amongst other believers is here for the taking."
this was what developed in my little hiatus from leading worship. Shaun Groves once said on a CD, "if you come in here and raise your hands, but walk out that door and don't raise your hand to those in need, then you've only worshipped a song or a songwriter and not a God." That hit me pretty hard.
i believe God has blessed me tremendously by allowing me to use my greatest strength in leading worship, my heart. And my heart begs for anytime we enter a gathering of believers, for it to be a beautiful encountering of God and all that He offers.
Monday, November 3, 2008
leadership 101 (Chapter 3 of "the great giveaway"
Some pretty good nuggets from chapter 3, regarding Pastors and their leadership. He tackles some interesting things in the evangelical/megachurch world of how the pastor has a CEO appeal, dealing with things from the top-down structure of business and says with adapting a business model from the world to the church, the integrity of a pastor living his faith out for simply growth in his faith is compromised and then focused on how the pastor's moral success, in that business model, becomes responsible for the success of the church.( and that can not be a good thing!)
Definitely good things to be aware of. I've read lots of books on leadership and I did take a class on leadership in Bible college. I loved diving into this topic. My favorite book on this topic is by C. Gene Wilkes, a book called "Jesus on Leadership", where he, the author and pastor, found himself dealing with that very thing, the "success" of his faith being the outcome of the church's success. he ended up being asked to take a leave and came back stronger than ever after learning pretty much what David had taught here. a Biblical model of leadership...a servant style of leadership....scripture oriented integrity of the pastor to remain faithful not so he wouldn't get fired, but so he could actually embrace more of God's character in his own life.
"British theologian John Milbank rightly contests that the work of theology and the church must start first from who we are as the people of God in Christ and work out from there." (page 78).
What a great little test to check ourselves and find motives in our hearts for why we should pursue God as Christians.
He also quoted some works of Yoder, which will probably be on a post or posts in the near future.
I didn't get too wrapped up in his continuing breaking down this movement from modernity to post-modernism. He described it enough in the last chapter of how it has gone from evidence and intellectual conversations (debates maybe?) and seeker friendly services to now being a world that wants to see it lived out.
I believe non believers have always wanted to see it lived out in community. Ever since I became a Christian, all i've heard since 1995 is how there are nothing but hypocrites in the church. So that tells me right there that they have been paying attention(but failing to realize a certain aspect of grace), to how the believers in Christ live.
on the chapter 4!
Definitely good things to be aware of. I've read lots of books on leadership and I did take a class on leadership in Bible college. I loved diving into this topic. My favorite book on this topic is by C. Gene Wilkes, a book called "Jesus on Leadership", where he, the author and pastor, found himself dealing with that very thing, the "success" of his faith being the outcome of the church's success. he ended up being asked to take a leave and came back stronger than ever after learning pretty much what David had taught here. a Biblical model of leadership...a servant style of leadership....scripture oriented integrity of the pastor to remain faithful not so he wouldn't get fired, but so he could actually embrace more of God's character in his own life.
"British theologian John Milbank rightly contests that the work of theology and the church must start first from who we are as the people of God in Christ and work out from there." (page 78).
What a great little test to check ourselves and find motives in our hearts for why we should pursue God as Christians.
He also quoted some works of Yoder, which will probably be on a post or posts in the near future.
I didn't get too wrapped up in his continuing breaking down this movement from modernity to post-modernism. He described it enough in the last chapter of how it has gone from evidence and intellectual conversations (debates maybe?) and seeker friendly services to now being a world that wants to see it lived out.
I believe non believers have always wanted to see it lived out in community. Ever since I became a Christian, all i've heard since 1995 is how there are nothing but hypocrites in the church. So that tells me right there that they have been paying attention(but failing to realize a certain aspect of grace), to how the believers in Christ live.
on the chapter 4!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
"come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"
Jesus used that phrase when engaging the would be disciples. And even now, Ray VanderLaan will often say, "come, follow me" as he walks his small group of people through the environments and places we read about in the Bible.
In Chapter 2 of "the great giveaway", I came to appreciate David's words alot more. He explains how the methods of modernity and evanglicals sharing "truth" are essentially no good, or not as good, in this post modern world. Evidentiary apologetics and hashing things out intellectually and seeker services for annonymity's sake are no longer the methods to reach a world seeking community and being connected and seeing faith lived out.
We as the postmodern evangelical have to "take on the character of witness as opposed to coervice evangelism." yea, didn't really have to read that in a book to know. For the past few years, my friends and I have been discussing how relational ministry seems to be working and being more effective.
Sure, I got into learning apologetics, got "the case for (everything)" books, "the new evidence that demands a verdict", even listened in on some apologetics classes at the church.
Mr. Fitch shares that this phase we went through was the methods evangelicals used in a modernist society and are simply not going to reach this postmodern world, and shares with good reason why he believes they won't. I agree with what he said.
I am challenged by his statements that the non believers are wanting to see a faith lived out, not just verbally explained. It makes my faith energized, like me living out my faith is going to mean something to more than just myself. Breaks down that anonymity wall he keeps talking about, where faith is individualized.
What I don't get in chapter 2 is, again, seeing how what we did in the modernist days was a problem? Just the impression i was left with in his writings. maybe its just his style. In the intro/chapter 1, he goes on talking about how the church needs to be the church. As if to say, let's get back to the way things should be. But in this chapter, he presents evangelism in a way that is catered towards post modernists.
I mean, the method of reaching post modernists is really good. I think its very Biblical to live out our faith as a means of showing the world who God is and giving hope to the hopeless. He does mention "retrieving" and "reinvigorating" things like baptism, so maybe his point is living the ways of the early church are the ways to reach post modernists, along with things like church planting. Interesting to read about church planting being a of evangelism these days.
good chapter. still not completely sold. I agree with alot of it. Don't have enough education or knowledge to write about alot of more. and still, some of his other claims I simply dislike.
on to chapter 3!
In Chapter 2 of "the great giveaway", I came to appreciate David's words alot more. He explains how the methods of modernity and evanglicals sharing "truth" are essentially no good, or not as good, in this post modern world. Evidentiary apologetics and hashing things out intellectually and seeker services for annonymity's sake are no longer the methods to reach a world seeking community and being connected and seeing faith lived out.
We as the postmodern evangelical have to "take on the character of witness as opposed to coervice evangelism." yea, didn't really have to read that in a book to know. For the past few years, my friends and I have been discussing how relational ministry seems to be working and being more effective.
Sure, I got into learning apologetics, got "the case for (everything)" books, "the new evidence that demands a verdict", even listened in on some apologetics classes at the church.
Mr. Fitch shares that this phase we went through was the methods evangelicals used in a modernist society and are simply not going to reach this postmodern world, and shares with good reason why he believes they won't. I agree with what he said.
I am challenged by his statements that the non believers are wanting to see a faith lived out, not just verbally explained. It makes my faith energized, like me living out my faith is going to mean something to more than just myself. Breaks down that anonymity wall he keeps talking about, where faith is individualized.
What I don't get in chapter 2 is, again, seeing how what we did in the modernist days was a problem? Just the impression i was left with in his writings. maybe its just his style. In the intro/chapter 1, he goes on talking about how the church needs to be the church. As if to say, let's get back to the way things should be. But in this chapter, he presents evangelism in a way that is catered towards post modernists.
I mean, the method of reaching post modernists is really good. I think its very Biblical to live out our faith as a means of showing the world who God is and giving hope to the hopeless. He does mention "retrieving" and "reinvigorating" things like baptism, so maybe his point is living the ways of the early church are the ways to reach post modernists, along with things like church planting. Interesting to read about church planting being a of evangelism these days.
good chapter. still not completely sold. I agree with alot of it. Don't have enough education or knowledge to write about alot of more. and still, some of his other claims I simply dislike.
on to chapter 3!
finding wisdom in foolishness
some proverbs verses I came across recently (as if they had never been there before!):
Proverbs 18:2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinion.
Proverbs 30:2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.
....to which i'm left in replying to both, "why am I blogging?" ;p
grace and peace, eB
Proverbs 18:2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinion.
Proverbs 30:2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.
....to which i'm left in replying to both, "why am I blogging?" ;p
grace and peace, eB
a left handed man in a right handed world.
Ok, I admit it. I’m addicted to thinking about analogies of living out faith and encouraging thoughts of continuing to seek out faith.
Here’s my latest brainstorming idea.
Living for God can be difficult. Seeking His will, guidance for your life, His plan, and other things related to God being in control of your life has and can be a difficult thing to grasp. I heard a message today that I really liked, where the chaplain spoke about God being in the driver seat, steering your life. He mentioned how hard it is to not be a backseat driver and want to control everything, even though we know how greater things would be if we just let God drive and keep our mouth shut.
My biggest battle is possibly that battle between Calvinism and Armenianism. Is God in control of everything, regardless of what we do, is that something God already decided what was going to happen? Or are the choices make based on free will where God created us and just let us be with no real input on our day to day choices.
I find myself somewhere in the middle. I believe God does have control, but not to the extent of making my choices for me, or decided what my choices would be before He created me. I also believe that God grants us free will, but sometimes will allow us to be the choice He would have us make, if we just decide to interact and (Psalm 37:4) “delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” There’s a balance to be found there. Free will within God being in control.
And to live out that faith, I think of it like the following will hopefully illustrate. When I’m doing my own thing, its like writing with that hand I don't normally write with. I’m left handed, so me writing right handed is very much not normal. I can do it, but it doesn’t look nice. I make mistakes, things don't look like they should, but the more I practice it, the more I work on it, the easier it comes, the better it looks, and the more ability I have to use that. The more natural it will begin to feel.
Most people would probably not think of using their opposite hand unless they broke or (God forbid) lost their normal writing hand. So goes the case with people regarding their faith too. I’ve experienced it way too much, seeing people only realize the importance of their faith, when they’ve lost faith in the things they've believed in, their own sense of faith and come to realize there is another side of faith. A faith not grounded in their own ability to handle things, but a faith in grace. A faith, guided by Jesus, learned through reading the Bible, and practiced by an alternative concept of living from the one they have lived not recognizing God's presence in their lives.
Just as learning to write with your opposite hand is something that simply needs time to develop, so it goes with faith. Not many people have the exact same handwriting. I’ve never seen anyone with the same chicken scratch I've got. And I’ve never seen anyone with the exact same faith as me either.
And though we’re “writing”(living by faith), it doesn’t mean its going to look the same.
So, I don’t know. Maybe that works a little?
Here’s my latest brainstorming idea.
Living for God can be difficult. Seeking His will, guidance for your life, His plan, and other things related to God being in control of your life has and can be a difficult thing to grasp. I heard a message today that I really liked, where the chaplain spoke about God being in the driver seat, steering your life. He mentioned how hard it is to not be a backseat driver and want to control everything, even though we know how greater things would be if we just let God drive and keep our mouth shut.
My biggest battle is possibly that battle between Calvinism and Armenianism. Is God in control of everything, regardless of what we do, is that something God already decided what was going to happen? Or are the choices make based on free will where God created us and just let us be with no real input on our day to day choices.
I find myself somewhere in the middle. I believe God does have control, but not to the extent of making my choices for me, or decided what my choices would be before He created me. I also believe that God grants us free will, but sometimes will allow us to be the choice He would have us make, if we just decide to interact and (Psalm 37:4) “delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” There’s a balance to be found there. Free will within God being in control.
And to live out that faith, I think of it like the following will hopefully illustrate. When I’m doing my own thing, its like writing with that hand I don't normally write with. I’m left handed, so me writing right handed is very much not normal. I can do it, but it doesn’t look nice. I make mistakes, things don't look like they should, but the more I practice it, the more I work on it, the easier it comes, the better it looks, and the more ability I have to use that. The more natural it will begin to feel.
Most people would probably not think of using their opposite hand unless they broke or (God forbid) lost their normal writing hand. So goes the case with people regarding their faith too. I’ve experienced it way too much, seeing people only realize the importance of their faith, when they’ve lost faith in the things they've believed in, their own sense of faith and come to realize there is another side of faith. A faith not grounded in their own ability to handle things, but a faith in grace. A faith, guided by Jesus, learned through reading the Bible, and practiced by an alternative concept of living from the one they have lived not recognizing God's presence in their lives.
Just as learning to write with your opposite hand is something that simply needs time to develop, so it goes with faith. Not many people have the exact same handwriting. I’ve never seen anyone with the same chicken scratch I've got. And I’ve never seen anyone with the exact same faith as me either.
And though we’re “writing”(living by faith), it doesn’t mean its going to look the same.
So, I don’t know. Maybe that works a little?
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