Monday, June 20, 2005
what's the difference between the church and a para-church?
I'm looking for your input, if you're out there. Here's the question on my mind: 'what's the difference between the church and a para-church?' This is an ongoing question between myself and other fellow youth ministers (in my Philly suburb context), and I'm wondering what you think about it. Before you answer, I want you to think about it. This is not a question to answer off the cuff, from the hip, or from any other part your anatomy until you've prayed about it, and looked over scripture. But I want to know what you think. It is important to think about the answer. Consider the implications. Consider the broader picture of scripture than just one verse (that you're probably proof-texting). Answer it, and then reply to me. I'm interested in what you have to say. The Church is important. It's important that we understand what it is, what it isn't, and why God loves it so. I look forward to your reply.
Monday, June 06, 2005
We Said, 'Hello'. We Said, 'Goodbye'
Okay, strange title. What I'm putting down here reminds me of the mid-80s when Phil Collins started on his solo career, and put out this album (yes, vinyl or cassette - no Cds). The reason it comes to mind is that last night (Sunday, June 5, 2005), the high school Upper Room youth group gathered at my place for the 'Senior Salute'. This is our annual party, as you might imagine, to celebrate our graduating high school seniors. The underclass students contribute to the meal, bringing side dishes, salads, and desserts. Most dressed up for the specialness of the occassion. We ate chips and salsa, dipped into the vege tray, and drank a lot of soda (yes, not pop, soda) - it was so hot! Then we gathered in my backyard, and I introduced the evening's main event, talking about the seniors and giving them something of a care package (a gift bag filled with stuff that might come in handy in college, as well as some fun stuff). What college freshman doesn't like microwave popcorn? After I got my say concerning each freshman, I opened up the proverbial floor to everyone else so they could share their favorite thoughts and memories concerning our graduating seniors.
It was a good night. Good stories. Good laughter. We ended with a circle of prayer, where any who wanted could lift up in prayer each of seniors. Yes, it was good.
But I have to say, for me, it's totally bitter/sweet. I really don't like goodbyes. Hey, they're a reality. But I don't like them. Of the five seniors we celebrated last night, two had been in our youth ministry since they were in 6th grade - for the mathematically challenged, that means they were with me for seven years. One didn't really start participating until she was in high school. Our one guy didn't choose to come out until he was a junior. And our last girl is a German exchange student who showed up with her host 'sister' (herself a sophomore) when we had our Fall Kick-off last September. Their time in our ministry runs the gamut, but for each of them, I feel a sense of 'hello/goodbye'. I feel like each of them just joined us, and now, all of the sudden, they're gone. Our exchange student alluded to the sense that she would never see us again after she graduated, and went back to Germany. However, during our prayer time, one of my youth leaders reminded us all that even if we don't get to see each other in this life, we do have heaven to look forward to.
Morbid? Not at all. It may be 'hello/goodbye' for now, but for us as Christians, we don't ever need to really say 'goodbye' but instead, until we meet again. I will probably get to see most of these graduates again, at least for a couple of years, but as they graduate from college, get jobs (probably away from the Philly area), get married, etc., etc., the opportunity to see them will become less and less frequent. It is the bitter/sweet dynamic of my job, my labor. But it's worth it. My work is helping these students come to, know, and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ - a relationship that has both personal, and community dynamics. It's exciting. It's worth the 'hello/goodbye'. I will miss these seniors. I love them. And I pray that they will grow in faith and surpass me in a lifetime of service to our Lord Jesus. I can't wait to catch up with them in the future!
It was a good night. Good stories. Good laughter. We ended with a circle of prayer, where any who wanted could lift up in prayer each of seniors. Yes, it was good.
But I have to say, for me, it's totally bitter/sweet. I really don't like goodbyes. Hey, they're a reality. But I don't like them. Of the five seniors we celebrated last night, two had been in our youth ministry since they were in 6th grade - for the mathematically challenged, that means they were with me for seven years. One didn't really start participating until she was in high school. Our one guy didn't choose to come out until he was a junior. And our last girl is a German exchange student who showed up with her host 'sister' (herself a sophomore) when we had our Fall Kick-off last September. Their time in our ministry runs the gamut, but for each of them, I feel a sense of 'hello/goodbye'. I feel like each of them just joined us, and now, all of the sudden, they're gone. Our exchange student alluded to the sense that she would never see us again after she graduated, and went back to Germany. However, during our prayer time, one of my youth leaders reminded us all that even if we don't get to see each other in this life, we do have heaven to look forward to.
Morbid? Not at all. It may be 'hello/goodbye' for now, but for us as Christians, we don't ever need to really say 'goodbye' but instead, until we meet again. I will probably get to see most of these graduates again, at least for a couple of years, but as they graduate from college, get jobs (probably away from the Philly area), get married, etc., etc., the opportunity to see them will become less and less frequent. It is the bitter/sweet dynamic of my job, my labor. But it's worth it. My work is helping these students come to, know, and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ - a relationship that has both personal, and community dynamics. It's exciting. It's worth the 'hello/goodbye'. I will miss these seniors. I love them. And I pray that they will grow in faith and surpass me in a lifetime of service to our Lord Jesus. I can't wait to catch up with them in the future!
Friday, June 03, 2005
An Authentic Faith
So my last entry may have been too hard-edged for some, but let's face it, trust within the community of faith is often measured and calculated. Why? Because we fear - fear of rejection, fear of failure, and probably fear of many things some of us can't imagine. Hey - honestly, I share in some of those fears. So what's the answer?
John tells us that we should "love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God," and, "God is love" (1 John 4:7, 16b, NIV). Now, there's a whole lot more there to get into and read, but John's words establish for us as believers, disciples, and followers of Jesus, the Son of God, that our community of faith [in Jesus] should first and foremost be a living testimony, really, a living manifestation of God's love. You might wonder how. Remember, John is no slacker. When John is writing this stuff, he must be drawing on his gospel, where, in the third chapter, he records for his readers Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus. In the context of that conversation, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that salvation is the fruit of being born anew by the Spirit [of God]. John is connecting his words about love and being born of God and knowing God to those earlier words of Jesus. Here's my attempt at some syllogistic logic: God is love. Christians have been born of God and know God. Therefore, Christians have God's love within them.
If this is so, many churches (gathered bodies of believing Christians) are sitting on an untapped motherload of "gold." Another way to look at it is that we are relying on hamsters on their little tread mills for power when all we have to do is plug into the local power company. No wonder the trust and love levels of so many churches seems so anemic.
I think the solution, the healing, is as easy as remembering who we are and whose we are. John has a lot to say throughout that fourth chapter, but I want to focus on three points he makes:
1) "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13).
2) "But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment" (1 John 4:18b).
3) "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
If we will remember who we are, the forgiven people of grace, the adopted children of God, then we can rest in our God-given love, and not be so fearful that we fall into comparing or judging other believer's spiritual ups and downs. If we will remember whose we are, God's, then we will realize that we have access to a love that is both limitless and eternal, because that love is God, and He lives within us. It's as simple as John says, "We [can] love because [God] first loved us."
It's not rocket science, and yet many Christians (including myself at times) look at God's love as if it were Einstein's theory of relativity - we recognize it, but we're not quite sure how it works.
When we give in to this God who loves us so powerfully, so scandalously, so completely, we can be authentic. That's the kind of person, the kind of Christian you and I can trust. That's the kind of Christian I want to be. That's the kind of Christian I'm seeking to be. With God's help. The cool thing is that we don't have to just imagine what that kind of church, that kind of community of faith would be like. We can be that church. Really, we are that church; we just don't realize it.
Let's pray for our churches, our congregations, our pastors, elders, and deacons, our families, our marrieds, our singles, our children, that all would see themselves authentically in Christ, and therefore, look upon one another with that perfect love that drives out all fear [and breeds trust and authenticity] to the glory of God!
John tells us that we should "love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God," and, "God is love" (1 John 4:7, 16b, NIV). Now, there's a whole lot more there to get into and read, but John's words establish for us as believers, disciples, and followers of Jesus, the Son of God, that our community of faith [in Jesus] should first and foremost be a living testimony, really, a living manifestation of God's love. You might wonder how. Remember, John is no slacker. When John is writing this stuff, he must be drawing on his gospel, where, in the third chapter, he records for his readers Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus. In the context of that conversation, Jesus explains to Nicodemus that salvation is the fruit of being born anew by the Spirit [of God]. John is connecting his words about love and being born of God and knowing God to those earlier words of Jesus. Here's my attempt at some syllogistic logic: God is love. Christians have been born of God and know God. Therefore, Christians have God's love within them.
If this is so, many churches (gathered bodies of believing Christians) are sitting on an untapped motherload of "gold." Another way to look at it is that we are relying on hamsters on their little tread mills for power when all we have to do is plug into the local power company. No wonder the trust and love levels of so many churches seems so anemic.
I think the solution, the healing, is as easy as remembering who we are and whose we are. John has a lot to say throughout that fourth chapter, but I want to focus on three points he makes:
1) "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13).
2) "But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment" (1 John 4:18b).
3) "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19).
If we will remember who we are, the forgiven people of grace, the adopted children of God, then we can rest in our God-given love, and not be so fearful that we fall into comparing or judging other believer's spiritual ups and downs. If we will remember whose we are, God's, then we will realize that we have access to a love that is both limitless and eternal, because that love is God, and He lives within us. It's as simple as John says, "We [can] love because [God] first loved us."
It's not rocket science, and yet many Christians (including myself at times) look at God's love as if it were Einstein's theory of relativity - we recognize it, but we're not quite sure how it works.
When we give in to this God who loves us so powerfully, so scandalously, so completely, we can be authentic. That's the kind of person, the kind of Christian you and I can trust. That's the kind of Christian I want to be. That's the kind of Christian I'm seeking to be. With God's help. The cool thing is that we don't have to just imagine what that kind of church, that kind of community of faith would be like. We can be that church. Really, we are that church; we just don't realize it.
Let's pray for our churches, our congregations, our pastors, elders, and deacons, our families, our marrieds, our singles, our children, that all would see themselves authentically in Christ, and therefore, look upon one another with that perfect love that drives out all fear [and breeds trust and authenticity] to the glory of God!
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