Christ Seeker

Great Video

Naked before the Lord

One of my favorite books is the Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis.  Eustace is one of the main characters and is one of the most spoiled, selfish, arrogant young boys you will ever meet.  In the course of the book, he happens to find a treasure in the cave of a dead dragon.  He excitedly begins to fill his pockets with as much of the treasure as possible, all the while scheming as to how he can get it on board the ship without having to share it with anyone.  After a bit, he ends up falling asleep in the cave.  Much to his surprise, when he awakes, he has become a dragon.  Fast forward a bit and now he has been approached by Aslan, the Christ figure in all the books.  Aslan offers a way for him to be transformed back into a young boy, but it will not be easy...

"The water was as clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in my leg. but the lion told me I must undress first. Mind you, I dont know if he said any words out loud or not.

I was just going to say that I couldn't undress because I hadn't any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, that's what the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and , instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a minute or two I jsut stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down into the well for my bathe.

But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before. Oh, that's all right, said I, it only means I had another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I'll have to get out of it too. So I scratched and tore again and this underskin peeled off beautifully and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the well for my bathe.

Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.

The the lion said - but I don't know if it spoke - 'You will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it.

The very first tear he made was do deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know - if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away.

Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off - just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt - and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was Ias smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me - I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on - and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again. You'd think me simply phoney if I told you how I felt about my own arms. I know they've no muscle and are pretty mouldy compared with Caspian's, but I was so glad to see them.

After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me - (with his paws?) - Well, I don't exactly remember that bit. But he did somehow or other: in new clothes - the same I've got on now, as a matter of fact. and then suddenly I was back here. Which is what makes me think it must have been a dream."

It was over fifteen years ago that I first met Jesus.  And he took me, stripped me of my sin and made me new.  He laid bare my soul and invaded every corner of my being.  No more secrets.  No more hiding.  No more pretense.  And the feeling was indeed "delicious."  For the first time in my life, I felt a freedom I had never known.  I was free from my past.  Free from my sin.  Free from the self-destructive paths I had trod up until that point in my life.  Christ "undressed" and "re-dressed" me, the old Doug had passed away, the new had come. 

If I have learned anything over the past decade and a half of following Jesus, it is that this experience of being laid bare before God is not a one time thing.  It happens over and over in our lives as God takes our different experiences and uses them to make us more like His Son Jesus Christ.  It doesn't matter whether the experiences are positive or negative, full of joy or full of pain, God uses them all to undress and redress our souls. 

Recently, God took me through this process yet again.  He stripped me of my pride, my ego, and the sinful inclinations of my flesh.  He used the consolations and desolations of my life to bring me back to a place of utter dependence, utter reliance, and utter surrender to Him.  And now I am swimming in fresh water, delighting again in the joy I have just being in relationship with my Savior. 

"For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified..." (1 Cor. 2:2)

Adventures in Church Planting

The following posts/reflections were written during my time preparing for or engaging in the work of church planting.  The call to church planting is the call to live life right on the ragged edge where Gospel meets Culture and is certainly not for the faint of heart. I believe these posts reflect the ambiguities of such an experience well and should not be read as firm conclusions as to what I believe about church.  Rather, I think reflect more an exercise in "thinking out loud" and I learned a great deal from the conversations that ensued as a result.  Recently, I found God "re-calling" me from the edges of His Kingdom to serve Him once again in an established community.  And while I will always treasure the experiences of the last year, particularly the friendships that were formed, I find myself looking forward to the established rhythms of Christian community. 

To all my friends and colleagues who are still engaged in the Xtreme work of Church planting...you remain my spiritual heroes!  I will be praying for you and supporting you in any way I can.  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Lessons from Little League...

Tonight I reached the pinnacle of my softball coaching career.  No, my team didn't win the championship although they did win the game they played.  No, we didn't break any records or set new standards of excellence for the under-10 Sun Prairie girls softball league.  What did happen was one of our players got her first hit of the season and was rewarded by her parents with ice cream!  Woo Hoo! 

Savannah came to us with absolutely no experience or knowledge of softball.  She was a late addition to the team because her parents recently moved here and had missed the deadline.  At her first practice, she couldn't throw, catch, hit, or field.  She knew how to put on her stiff, brand new softball glove and that was about it.  But over the course of the last several weeks, my assistant coach and I poured our lives into her.  We worked with her in one on one situations.  We had her try different positions in the field.  We gave her opportunity after opportunity to learn and she soaked it up.  Her parents also worked with her.  They spent a ton of time playing catch and teaching her how to hit.  She told me this evening that they even spent all of Father's Day at the diamond working on her hitting.  And tonight it paid off.  With us clinging to a one run lead and runners in scoring position, she drove a ball right up the middle into the outfield. 

The crowd roared.  Savannah grinned.  She high-fived me so hard it made my hand sting.  In that moment you could tell she had "arrived".  She no longer thought of herself as a girl trying hard to learn how to play softball...she was now a "softball player." 

So tonight I am reflecting on what God has taught me through Savannah.  First of all, faith is something that is caught more than taught.  The reality is that I gave Savannah all the tips she could handle about hitting.  I told her to keep her eye on the ball.  To balance her stance.  To keep her back elbow high.  But until she put it all together and that bat made contact, it didn't matter.  Our faith is like that.  It is meant be experienced.  Not that learning isn't important, it is, but the reality is our lives have to make "contact" with God and with the world God is desperately reaching out to if we are to understand what faith is all about. 

Second, the effort has to be there.  Savannah has spent countless hours practicing in order to get better.  She has pulled her mom, who up until recently was nine months pregnant, outside to throw her the ball.  As I mentioned above, she pulled her dad out onto the diamond for Father's Day. She has asked me and my assistant coach to work with her before and after practices and games.  She clearly has thrown herself into becoming a better softball player.  Growing in faith is very much the same. The Bible talks about us "working out our salvation with fear and trembling".  Jesus tells us that unless we lose our lives for his sake we will never find them.  James tells us that faith without works is dead.  Growing in faith and becoming more faithful disciples requires all that we have and all that we are. 

Third, Savannah would be nowhere without community.  Her mom and dad.  Her sister.  Her teammates.  Her coaches.  She is surrounded by a network of people dedicated to her growth as a softball player.  We all need that kind of community.  We all need people in our lives who are committed to our spiritual growth and maturity.

You know, I don't know where our team will go from here.  I don't know if we will win any more games or the end of the season tournament or the league championship.  I don't know if we will set any scoring records or place any more kids on the all-star team.  I don't even know if Savannah will get another hit...although I am pretty sure she will!  What I do know is that there is a young 10 year old girl heading to bed with a smile on her face, joy in her heart, and a tummy full of ice cream.  Can life get any better than this?

Beautiful signs...

My family and I planted our first garden this year.  We took some friends up on the offer to use part of their large garden plot to put in our own vegetables.  Sort of a community garden kind of thing.  Over the past few weeks, we made our plans.  We went to the store to pick out the plants we wanted.  We hoed each row.  We planted the seeds.  We covered them up and watered them.  We have tried to be vigilant when the milkweeds and thistles threaten.  And we are now beginning to see the fruits of our labors.  The seeds have sprouted.  The plants are poking through the earth.  Peas, beans, carrots, lettuce, and cucumbers.  And every time I go over to the garden with my children I am reminded, by their "oohs and ahhs", of the wonder of life. 

This week I find myself in a similar place of wonder at the life that is starting to spring forth in Allelon.  Friendships are continuing to grow.  People are finding their place of service.  Worship is touching us more deeply.  Leaders are beginning to emerge.  Surely these signs have been there all along but it has not always been as obvious or on the surface or perhaps I simply didn't have the eyes to see it. 

Yesterday, a few of the families gathered for the community block party in Sun Prairie.  It was awesome.  We watched our children go from booth to booth for balloon animals, to see the fish, and to dunk the poor guy in the dunk tank.  As they played, we caught up on life.  We also got the chance to meet several new friends in our community.  People who popped by to say "hi" and to find out how we are doing.  It was very cool for all of us to see how connected we have become to our community in such a short period of time. 

This morning, we met at our usual place and time for worship.  We fellowshipped.  We sang.  We studied and discussed God's Word.  We prayed for one another.  God is clearly drawing us closer to himself each and every week through our worship together.  I had the privilege of spending time with the children of our community and it is always amazing to witness their spiritual depth and growth. 

This week, many of us will be participating in mission together.  One of our folks organizes and directs a VBS camp for inner-city kids out on a country farm.  Starting tomorrow we will be crafting, doing activities, reading Scripture, singing, and having a blast sharing our faith and our lives with these precious children.  People from Allelon are volunteering at various times all week while others have been involved in the preparation it takes to pull off a camp of this size. 

In another week, several of us will be meeting to pray and discuss what a leadership team might look like.  If Allelon is to continue growing as a community, we will need godly leaders.  People with gifts and passion and a calling from God.  It is so exciting to think about what God is going to do in the coming months and years in and through us for the sake of His Kingdom! 

Yep, more and more I feel like I am seeing the sprouts beginning to break through...and I find my soul "oohing and ahhing" with the wonder of it all. 

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.