I get asked alot about this topic, so here is an article I wrote.

Developing Missional Church Structure

It’s no secret.  The North American Church is declining in numbers and impact as every major research agency has endlessly testified.  What are we missing?  Do people not understand the mission of the church?

That doesn’t seem to be the problem.  Ask virtually any congregation what their mission is and they will tell you something that at least moderately resembles the Great Commission.  So if it is not that they don’t understand their mission, then what is the hindrance?  Well, maybe they are actually structured to hinder the mission that they say they want to accomplish.

Far too often the church in North America lets its existing structure dictate the extent of its mission endeavor.  It seems that for many, ecclesiology (the way in which the church is structured) is the starting point in mission.  But for the missionally minded church, ecclesiology doesn’t lead, it follows.  Alan Hirsch summed it up well in The Forgotten Ways when he wrote “Christology determines Missiology, and Missiology determines Ecclesiology.”

Stated simply, what we know and understand about Christ and His Mission tells us, as the church, what our mission is to be.  It is Christ Himself that gives us our marching orders. Based on that mission, we structure ourselves to point in that direction.  The conviction of the Infinity Alliance, based on the revelation of Scripture from its beginning to end, is that the Mission of God is for every man, woman, and child to have repeated opportunities to both hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ – a gospel that proclaims reconciliation to the Father provided through Jesus Christ.

While no structure is perfect, and while there is no one model for structure, what are some principles for structure that will keep a congregation pointed in the direction of this mission?

I.  Be Intentional about your Geography

            Though there is much that could, and should, be said about the mandate given to the church in Acts 1:8, at its core is a geographical intention.  The Spirit of God forms congregations of believers in various geographies for the purpose of accomplishing the mission of every man, woman, and child in that geography hearing and seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Church in a geography exists for that geography.  The language and strategy for Infinity Alliance churches is to draw Circles of Accountability – geographic areas around the church for which that church will take the responsibility of engaging the mission with all of its energy and assets.

            Understanding this geographical circle, with all of the appropriate research that it requires, will change the way a congregation goes about its ministry in a number of ways.  First, the programmatic aspects of the congregation will be based on what is needed to reach that geography – not just based on trends, fads, or traditions.  Second, the church will see the need in those geographies to plant additional churches if the mission is going to be accomplished.  As well, the vastness of the mission will require more resources than any one congregation possesses, so there will be a need for cooperation (as expressed in the next principle).

II. Partner with Other Congregations

            Ephesians 4 is a stark reminder that not only is there one LORD, one faith, and one baptism, but that there is also one body and one Spirit.  If there is genuinely only one body, and that truth rises out of the Scripture, then it is the responsibility of the missional church to do more than just agree with it – we must act like it is so.

            Within a geography, many congregations of the one Church exist.  Though there is a great diversity among these expressions of the one Church in that geography, the one mission still applies to all.  So, if a congregation wants to be active in the pursuit of the mission of every man, woman, and child hearing and seeing the gospel of Jesus Christ, that congregation will have to live in the reality that the solo congregation cannot, and should not, endeavor to accomplish the mission alone.

            The unity so beautifully expressed in Ephesians 4 was not just for the sake of unity.  Viewed within the larger story of God throughout history and revealed in Scripture, the unity God prescribes for His body, the Church, is for the sake of mission.

III. Lead Interdependently

            The overarching metaphor for the Church in the New Testament is that of a “body.”  There are other metaphors for the Church, but the body seems to loom largest.  The New Testament is also very clear that this “body” already has a head – the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ.  If the position of the “head” is already taken, then it appears that all followers of Jesus, including leaders, must find a way to fit interdependently in the body.

            The idea of a church, or region, being led by only one person to fulfill the mission is foreign to the New Testament.  The idea of the singular, stand-alone leader is one that has either been mistakenly projected from the Old Testament to the New (such as Moses on the mountain) or is one that has been created by cultural influences.  Ephesians 4 denotes leadership functions (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) that are designed to work together for the purpose of people empowerment so that the mission can be engaged by all Christ followers.

            This principle for leadership is not only one that will more holistically round out the gifts of a congregation’s leadership, but the reality of this leadership should be employed in a region, or geography, as well.  Shared gifts and gifted leaders should be utilized in the greater body in a particular region so that the mission can be engaged more effectively.

IV. Make Spiritual Formation a Priority

            The Church is a spiritual enterprise.  As a result, it must be led and populated by spiritually maturing people.  If the goal of a congregation is to mobilize people for the mission of every man, woman, and child hearing and seeing the gospel, then it is imperative to remember that these same people need to be maturing in their faith.  Mobilizing spiritually stagnant people will not produce much missional progress.  A congregation should at least be committed to measuring and nurturing some “outcomes” of spiritual maturity so that the heart of people is formed more into the likeness of Christ, and, by default, formed more into the mission of Christ for the world.  Those basic outcomes of spiritual maturing would be:

1. A deepening intimacy with the Father (expressed in Scripture reading and meditation, prayer, and other disciplines that serve as a vehicle to support this).
2. Understanding and telling our personal stories of grace
3. Identifying and using our spiritual gifts
4. Living in all of our relationships in a way that bears the fingerprints of God

When these principles are engaged, it will not make for a perfect church.  It may not result in the rapid growth of a particular congregation.  It won’t be easy to brand.  It may even be hard for people to understand.  But it will, at the very least, have you pointed in the direction of the mission of God to see every man, woman, and child have repeated opportunities to both hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  "'Do you refuse to speak to me'?  Pilate said.  'Don't you realize I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?'  Jesus answered, 'You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above'."  John 19:10-11a

Sometimes I think we may put way too much faith in the halls of power. 

Ok, maybe not sometimes, maybe most of the time.  Whether those halls are located inside the Beltway, or whether they are much closer to Broadway (like, say, Wall Street) - it seems an undue amount of trust is placed in these locations.  It's as if they are places of worship - shrines to some power religion.

To place that much trust in Presidents and economies is always going to be somewhat of a disappointment.  We need both (Presidents and economies) - but we need our trust in other places.

It seems that through the Bible there have always been people of God who were willing to speak truth to power - even to speak truth when they were on the margins - the underbelly - of power.

Moses did it with Pharoah.  Daniel with King Nebuchadnezzer.  Elijah with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.  Esther with Xerxes.  All of the (minor) prophets to the Kings of Israel/Judah in the divided kingdom.  Stephen, Peter, and John with the Sanhedrin.  The Apostle Paul with the Romans (or Jews, or Greeks).  In all of these cases, interestingly, those who spoke to power did not want power.  They weren't trying to line up as the next king.  They weren't rounding up votes.  They simply wanted the justice and glory of God to be demonstrated.

And, of course, there is Jesus to add to this list.

Jesus is confronted with power - both in his homeland with some apostate Priests, and with the occupying Romans when he faced Pontius Pilate.  And, as King of both the Jews and the Universe, Jesus spoke truth to power because He knew where the ultimate source of all things resided.  He told Pilate that unless power was granted to him (by a power higher than himself), he would never have the power to do anything to Jesus.  It is amazing to watch the power that comes from Jesus in silence and in humility.

Unfortunately, we sometimes try to gain power the same way power came to be - by force.  We picket, or strike, or boycott.  Or maybe we choose the path of violence or slander or manipulation or bribery to get ourselves into power.  But why?  Is it because we could do such a better job with power?  Is it because we deserve it?  Or might it be that our trust is in power - and the vehicles that give us power - more than in God.  So what did our example, King Jesus, do when confronted with power?

Jesus trusted His Father.

This could be seen from the time He walked into the wilderness for a 40 day grappling match with Satan - to the secret meeting of the Sanhedrin - to the halls of the Roman Praetorium - to the cross where He was nailed.

Jesus trusted His Father unequivocally.

Not in horses or chariots or swords.  Not in guns or Presidential seals or dollar bills.

He trusted His Father.  And so should we.

   "Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse."  Proverbs 28:6

As of this post, the financial state of America is less than stellar.  Some would have us to believe that the current economic crisis is so critical that without doing something drastic through government intervention, we very well may be facing "Great Depression: Remix."

Maybe.

There are others, however, that are trying to remind the American people that the way of America has not been in the nationalization of businesses and free markets, and that there are other alternatives to infusing $700 billion dollars of tax-payer money into the markets.  They mention that it may provide a quick solution, but the long term ramifications (not to mention the precedent) will be far more costly.

Maybe.

I am no financial expert - I pay attention - but I am no expert.  That said, it still seems clear that there are systemic reasons for some of the financial fallout that America is experiencing.  It is never only one thing - it has to be many things.  But, attached to those many things is probably one theme that can be highlighted:

Greed.

The Almighty Dollar is probably the most popular personality in America.  It seems that, for America, it has always been "the economy, stupid" (to borrow a political phrase).  Politicians know this truth, and they do what they need to in order to capitalize on it.  With this over concentration on (or infatuation with) wealth and prosperity comes perversion.  Ethics are compromised, employers/employees act unjustly at times, and we start to see the reality of the timeless truth that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (that's a Scriptural truth by the way - look it up).  It happens on Wall Street and on Main Street.

We need a bailout alright, but not the one where we infuse money into our capitalist system.  We need to be bailed out of our greed and selfishness and find our Rescue in the way of Jesus.  That Way involves the good of all, care for our neighbor, justice for the helpless and voiceless, and a life characterized by open hands instead of closed fists.

Better to be poor and blameless than rich and perverted.  That's what God thinks.  I'm not sure if we really believe that anymore though. 

It's no easy task for our leaders to make these kinds of decisions.  I would simply invite you to pray with me that God would give them wisdom that would surpass selfish agendas and material lust, and would focus on the opportunity to make some fundamental changes in our systems that would be equitable and just.  Pray as well that America would do what Solomon failed to do as King of Israel - use our prosperity and wealth to uphold the cause of righteousness and justice.

  "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."  Psalm 27:4

Flying home from out of town a couple of weeks ago, I ended up sitting next to a young twentysomething woman.  We were somewhat delayed, so we chatted a little about small things to start - where we were from, what we did, yada yada yada.  I found out she was from Buffalo and was an Art History major.  I don't know squat about Art really, but I made a mental note.

The more we talked, and after she found out I was a pastor, she began to open up and tell me her story.  She had been out of the state trying to get her thoughts together on life, the future, and even contemplating God a bit.  She was not very read in the Bible, but she was a smart young lady for sure.  So, I started asking her some questions since she opened the door for me.

"What attracts you to art?" I asked.  She said (paraphrased) "I like to think about how things work, how the artist put together what he/she was painting, drawing, sculpting." 

"But isn't there something else that goes beyond that?  Why does it move you?" I asked.  She said, "I guess it would be the beauty of it."

That's what I was looking for.  The beauty of it.  That is what the attractive quality to the arts most captures in our hearts - beauty.  And that is often what is most missing in our understanding of God.

It seems that God can become a philosophy - an intellectual exercise that climbs into mystery - for so many of us.  Or maybe He becomes a historical figure to be researched.  Or maybe at its worst, God becomes an sentimental piece of cultural lore - we feel good about having Him around and using His name to make our stuff look more holy.

God as philosophy or history or sentimentality is not necessarily wrong - just incomplete, dry, and tame.  What we have lost so often in reference to God is beauty.  Now back to my plane conversation.

I told this young woman that as an Art History major she ought to try reading the Bible because she has an eye trained for beauty.  Later in the conversation, I secretly illustrated my point by telling her a story of Jesus she had never before heard.

I told her of this lady in a village who had some issues in her life that expressed themselves in sexual immorality.  She was with too many men, some of them married, and word had gotten to the super moral religious people of the town.  So, these folks camped out to catch her in her immorality - and they did; they caught her right in the "act."  So, they dragged her into the public area of the village to see what the traveling superstar Rabbi Jesus had to say about this.  With rocks in hand, they told Jesus that the Law gave them permission to stone her, but they asked him what he thought (they were trying to be tricky b/c not only did they not like this woman, they didn't have much use for Jesus either).  Jesus, after writing a little in the sand, told the accusers that if any one of them had never done anything wrong to please be the first to throw a fastball at her head. 

Rocks dropped to the ground instead of being hurled - and they all left.  Jesus then asked the woman where her accusers were - who was condemning her?  She told him that nobody was accusing her now - they left.  So Jesus said, I don't condemn you either - but stop sinning.  And you could tell that the way He said it was full of truth and love all rolled up together.

Then I asked my airplane friend, "What do you see in that story?"  And she replied, "Beauty."  I think I agree.

And I think I wish I saw it more often.

 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  John 8:12

This is that season in America where many a person will be dragging around work because of a lack of sleep.  We finished the Olympics from Beijing, rolled into the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, and are now embarking on football.  All of these things can cost Americans sleep.

Maybe it's that lack of sleep that is causing such ridiculous things to be said in America - and about America - during this time.  I have watched a decent amount of the coverage of both the Democratic and Republican national conventions.  I have listened to the well planned, and often (though not always), well delivered barbs that the different political parties are throwing at each other.  Both parties, and their respective candidates for President and VP, can be somewhat convincing to the casual observer (note Obama and Palin's sharp oratorical skills and poise, and McCain and Biden's longevity that translates into experience/maturity).  It is really a point/counterpoint kind of political situation in how the tickets are chosen and for what reason.  I guess that's the nature of politics - but it doesn't endear me to the process really.

All that said, and with the hope that the discerning believer is looking through the lens of a holistic, Christ-centered worldview that will inform decision making, there are still some things that bother me greatly about what I have seen and heard.

Here's the first:  Acting like a particular candidate is one of the Beatles by the crowd reaction (or one of the Jonas Brothers for my younger readers).  Maybe even worse - acting like a candidate might be America's Messiah.  Forget the fact that evangelicals have graciously tried to convince their Jewish friends that Jesus is the Messiah that has already come - it appears that some Americans (and some American Christians) are acting in the same way - they feel that the American Messiah has not yet come but may be here or on his/her way.  Spooky.

The second is not that unlike the first:  Making crazy comments that people actually believe.  When I was watching one of the conventions (happened to be the Republican one), one of the speakers actually said something like this - "We want to get America back to what it was always supposed to be - the hope of the world."

The Hope of the World?!?  Somebody give that speaker some smelling salts.  America is not only NOT the hope of the world - America isn't even the hope of America.  Before you start writing me off as some anti-patriotic lunatic, you had better think long and hard about the statement you might defend.  I believe that America is a great country.  Frankly, there is nowhere else that experiences the freedoms and opportunities that we are afforded.  I think we have the best system of government in the world, as imperfect as it is and the people that populate it.  I love our nation, and thank God for it.  But the second we think that we are the hope of the world - well, we simply try to take up a spot on the Divine roster that is already filled.

JESUS is the hope of the world.  Not a governmental system, not a country, not a cause, not a candidate.  Just Jesus.  If people start believing that America is the hope of the world (and many do), the slope gets more than slippery.  Unhealthy nationalism, rather than healthy and grateful patriotism, begins to take root in the soil of that thinking and the fruit that will result will be bitter indeed.  My guess is that the Roman Empire felt the same way.

I am praying that the light of the world helps illuminate the hope of the world in this electoral season - and that those who follow Jesus have light enough to tell the difference between sane patriotism and insane nationalism.

  "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others.  Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer.  Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.  The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.  Reflect on what I am saying, for the LORD will give you insight into all this."  2 Timothy 2:1-7

Ok, so I put a relatively sizable chunk of Scripture on us today, but I needed it all. 

This week, as I was following the reading plan that connected to Brett Burleson's message from this past Sunday (www.thechapel.com to see it - very good teaching), the above Scripture was the first one for the week.  From the standpoint of spiritual formation, which was the intent of the message, I looked at some things that were true from this passage about my personal spiritual formation.  But, I had to answer a question in my conversation with God to get at what I felt like I needed to learn.

The question was, "What do a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer have in common?"  I realized that these examples were used in this passage for a reason, but I needed to understand their connection better.  Though there are probably many more connections than I will mention, I feel as if God showed me two primary connections between all three of them:

1.  Discipline - It seems pretty obvious that a soldier needs discipline.  My dad was a Marine, so I know the stories of what you had to do in Officer Candidate School or in Boot Camp.  If you did not become disciplined you simply could not be a Marine.  The same is true of an athlete.  Having watched the Olympics recently, these athletes train for years to compete at very high levels, and, as a result, they must discipline their exercise, diet, time, and mental energy to attain their goals.  And for anyone who had grown up on, or near, a farm.....well, it's not like farmers are lazy and sleep late.  Often they are up at the crack of dawn to get the work done that is necessary, so they must discipline themselves for this kind of labor.

2.  Patience - While all of these examples must be disciplined, they must also be patient.  Soldiers train and train, and most often they do alot more training than they do real combat (prayerfully).  Same for an athlete.  Those men and women who run in the 110 meter race, which lasts 9 or 10 seconds, are training and training and training for days, weeks, and years to get the opportunity to run for a few seconds well.  And what of the farmer.  He must till, plant, water, fertilize, and.......................wait.  He can't force the growth of the vegetables, or plants, or crops - he has to wait on them to mature for harvest.

As I saw these things come into perspective, I realized that my spiritual formation is very similar.  For me to really get to know God, I need to put myself into a place of abiding in his presence.  It is spiritual "disciplines" like Scripture reading and memorization, prayer, service, sharing my faith, and giving that allow me the vehicle to know God more intimately.  The disciplines aren't the "thing", they are just vehicles to promote intimacy with the Father.

But I also realized that even as I practice the presence of God through the vehicle of some spiritual disciplines that my life, much the fruit of a tree, won't mature overnight.  I must be patient to allow God to work in, and through, and around me in ways that are consistent with His purposes.  Microwave spiritual growth is just not the pattern of God.

So, I hope that today you will embrace discipline - not as a religious activity (or some form of self-punishment, "I've been a little slack in my faith this week, so I have to memorize the book of Leviticus by lunch"), but as an opportunity to know God intimately.  He is the point of the discipline.  With that, I also hope you will be patient.  What God wants to do in and through and with us is so precious that it takes time to develop.  The beauty, and texture, and richness of our transformation is not found in a few minutes on a Tuesday.  It is found in a long journey of obedience in the same direction.

    "Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."  2 Corinthians 4:16

I am officially an Olympic junkie.

I find myself watching things I would never otherwise watch - syncronized swimming (the sport where all the girls look like they are from an '80's Robert Palmer video), fencing (seriously.......stabbing people for medals), and equestrian (which I still don't watch - it is just a bigger version of a dog show for me, but I realize that it takes talent to do all that manuevering).  I have had a long week or two as it is, and I just compound my tiredness by staying up to watch all these late night Olympic moments (I wish the whole world was on Eastern Standard Time - though I guess it would be weird for people in Beijing to eat lunch in the dead of night).

One of the things that interests me is to see the Olympians who have competed at multiple Olympics.  When they show video of them from the last Olympics, or even from two Olympics removed, you can see the changes that have occurred to their bodies.  Have you seen Dara Torres?!?  Even looking at Michael Phelps from last Olympics to this one, you can see how much stronger and more fit he has become.  The body is meant for progress when it is worked effectively by an athlete.

The tough thing, though, is the reminder at the Olympics of those heroes we saw progress physically over the years, but now a whole lot of years have gone by and they look more like me and you.  Seeing Mark Spitz or Karch Kiraly or Mary Lou Retton (all of whom still look great by the way) is a reminder that we are all aging.  The body is meant for a time to progress, but once it has crested that hill then the body begins a track of deterioration (for some it is faster than others).

Spiritually, we are made to progress - just like we are physically.  But the beauty is that there is no hill to crest so that our spirituality becomes all downhill after that.  We are not made to deteriorate spiritually.  Paul the apostle reminds us that all of our bodies will outwardly waste away.  Either through disease, or natural aging, or possibly through some type of trauma (Paul's trauma was a result of persecution that resulted in beatings, shipwrecks, scorpion stings, and various other calamaties), all of our bodies will decay or break down.

But our hearts don't have to.  We can be continually renewed inwardly all the days of our lives.  We can live in a strength that doesn't come from protein shakes or power yoga.  We can live in the strength of the resurrection of Jesus.

So keep that in mind when you see the gray this morning in the mirror (or the crow's feet around the eyes, or the extra layer of warmth around the abdomen, or the joints that creek and crack when you get out of bed).  You can be strong - renewed - in a place that no disease or arthritis or muscle spasm can affect.

I think I am going to do a little different post than I would normally do today.

A few months ago I read a little fiction book called "The Shack" by Paul Young (William P. Young on the cover).  It is a story of how a man dealt with a tragedy, and through his pain, doubts, and despair came to understand the love of God in a fresh way.  That's about all I will say about the story in the event you choose to read it.

This book has caused quite a stir it seems.  Not only has it made the bestseller lists nationally, but it has been the subject of much criticism from some notable Christian leaders (while, I must say, it has also been embraced by many notable Christian leaders as well).  As a result, I have been asked countless times what my thoughts are on the book.  What follows are a few ramblings about that, and a brief outline and address of some of the major criticisms of the book.

First, I think it is very important that literature is read in its proper context.  This is a piece of fiction and, as such, should not be read as a work of systematic theology.  That was never the intent.  In fact, according to the author, his intent in writing the book was to give it to his children to help them have a narrative that would help explain to them how their father (the author) made his journey toward healing from all of the tragedy, abuse, and deception that had filled his life.  That said, the reader should discern the theology of the book and match it up to the revelation of God in Scripture as best they can to see for themselves what they think.  Now, on to some criticisms of the book:

Criticism #1 - This book clearly breaks the 2nd commandment of not creating a graven image because it portrays God the Father as a large African-American woman.    I don't think this criticism is altogether valid.  The idea of the graven image was for the object of worship, and that is not the literal, or metaphorical, purpose of this character.  The weakness of portraying the Trinity in the manner that the author chose is that now the Trinity is having a dialogue with the main character, Mack.  Putting words into the mouth of a character who is a symbol of God is one thing, but it is much more slippery to put words into the mouth of a character that is supposed to be God Himself.  But, the idea of breaking the 2nd commandment with this doesn't really hold water.  I haven't heard those same critics address the character of Jesus in the book "Dinner with a Perfect Stranger" or criticize C.S. Lewis for his Christ-type character of Aslan in the Narnia series.  This argument doesn't hold much weight - where I would note the weakness is in the dialogue that comes out of the mouth of "Papa" (my point is that this can be dangerous.......but I will concede that the author went to great lengths to make sure that the characters representing the Trinity spoke consistently with the nature of God......the author didn't get this perfect of course, but his effort is clear).

Criticism #2 - This book promotes goddess worship because God the Father is portrayed as a woman.  I would have to say that this criticism is lame, to be honest.  First, while recognizing that God the Father is Spirit and should rightly be portrayed as such, the idea that this book promotes a purely female God is ludicrous.  Further, that it promotes goddess worship is even more ludicrous.  As we know, maleness and femaleness both emanate from God, and I assume that was the goal of the literary endeavor to have a woman represent God whose name in the book was "Papa" (a woman named Papa may be a weird effort at it, but it is an effort at it).  As well, it becomes clear at the end of the book that this idea takes on a new format (won't reveal anything for those that want to read it).

Criticism #3 -  This book promotes the idea of modalism, i.e. - that God is not distinctly three persons, but is one person in three modes.  At first, this may seem to be a valid criticism, but the more I looked and read, the less I feel it is so.  Though "Papa" says that He was truly human in Jesus, I don't take this as a statement of modalism.  If Papa were to say that He was fully human in Jesus, that would be another thing altogether.  Orthodox Christianity has held to the idea of a Trinitiarian God, made up of distinct, eternally existent persons Who are One in essence.  I don't think that this book does a great disservice to this foundational doctrine, though I would say that it does get a little messy at times.

Criticism #4 - This book denies that there is a hierarchy in the Trinity.  I would say that this criticism is justified - whether it is correct or not would be up to your particular theology.  The author does make the argument in the book that there is no need for a hierarchy in the Trinity because it is a community of love that always acts in concert and harmony.  Those of a Reformed background would disagree.  They would contend that God the Father is on top of the pyramid, so to speak, and that at no point does the Scripture ever note The Father submitting to the Son or the Holy Spirit.  This would also give rise to their view of hierarchy in other matters of life - government, marriage, home, etc.  I think that this criticism is overblown because there is probably much agreement (albeit with different semantics) on this subject.  Functionally, since there is never going to be a rift in the Trinity, there really is no need for their to be a hierarchy in the terms we understand (like CEO, CFO, etc.).  Yet, if someone were to ask if Jesus had every resource that the Father has, I guess I would respond yes and no.  Yes, in that Jesus is fully God and He and The Father are one, and No in that He has limited Himself in scope to some things (No man knows the hour of Jesus' return, not even the Son, but only the Father - as an example).  This one is a matter of the particular theology that one holds, but both sides of this debate are still on the side of orthodoxy in my opinion.

So, there are a few thoughts if you have any interest.  If you want to read the book, by all means do.  If you would prefer not to read it, then by all means don't.  Whatever you do, keep your brain and your emotions engaged so that you can evaluate the reading through all of your person - not just one part of you.

"This is what the LORD says:  'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'"  Jeremiah 6:16

I got to travel home on holiday this last week.  For me, I truly consider home to be wherever my wife and boys are, but if you had to make it a geographical location then I might concede that Atlanta would be what most may call my home.

It's fun to go there and visit, but it sure brings back some memories and rattles my sentimentality at times.  Some things and places I recognize, some it takes me a while to recognize - while others are so different that I have to literally imagine the landscape and surroundings to have it make sense.  Sandy Plains road looks so different that I nearly did not recognize the place I grew up playing baseball.  There were so many "markers" on the journey to the baseball field from my youth that were now gone, so it was somewhat disorienting.  Fortunately, I got my bearings.

Another place of great memories was the back of Kincaid elementary school.  Just walking distance from my house, we used to play an infinite number of creative and cost effective games back in the giant back yard of the school.  Home run derby, football, baseball, track and field, and spotlight tag were some of the perennial favorites.  But when I get back to that yard at the school - the yard that is surrounded by acres of woods on three sides - I can't help but think of the war games we used to play.  So, with my kids in tow this past week, I headed for the woods to see if the paths that I used to run were there.  They didn't quite look the same, but they were there.  Some overgrown a little, others slightly hidden - but all still there.  I could actually run those paths and remember where to turn and what came next from my childhood, and it didn't disappoint - though it looked a lot different.  And therein was the lesson for me.

There is a lot of debate [arguing] about a variety of ways that churches choose to operate.  What version of the Bible can one use, what style of music should be played, how many times Communion should be offered, what style of dress is appropriate, should there be a flag in the place of worship, can women serve Communion or pray, etc. ad infinitum.  Most of the debates are secondary issues - not ones that stand at the fore of debate worthy.  We need energy in other places than our navel (where we tend to be gazing most of the time these things are discussed).  And most of these type of issues stem from the idea that whatever has preceded now is what is right - the "ancient paths" so to speak.  "We have always done it that way" is usually the battle cry of the Ancient Path contingent. 

But here is where we miss it.  The Ancient Paths have changed.  Not fundamentally mind you, it is still the same path - it just looks different.  Sometimes it looks the same - untouched by time.  Other times, it might take a moment to recognize but, alas, there it is.  While others sometimes require all of our imagination because they look so different.  And I would offer that this is not a bad thing - it is good.  God made a changing world.  God made a changing humanity.  And the Creator God will always be, by nature, creative - so that means that the paths we take to accomplish His purposes will look different even though our feet are walking on the same ground of those who preceded us.  It is not about trampling them, it is about walking in, or near, their footsteps.  Interestingly, it is the same thing that was done by the previous generation to the generation that preceded them. 

My prayer is that the forms of the paths, whatever they look like, won't be the primary issue.  The issue is whether or not we stay faithful to the ancient path itself.  Jesus is Lord - period.  The Church is to exist for the mission of every man, woman, and child hearing, seeing, and living the good news of Christ - period.  God's Word is alive - period.  Jesus is the only means of salvation for humanity - period. 

There are more to be sure, but let's try to stay on this path.  It may look different as we travel down it and explain it to others, but, alas, there it is.

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."  Psalm 25:4-5

We are living in a "Post" age where everything seems to lack definition.

Many have labeled the United States as Post-modern, Post-Christian, Post-Conservative, Post-Evangelical, Post-Liberal, Post-moral, or Post-Madonna (ok, so I made this last one up, but seriously, shouldn't we in this country be beyond listening to her at this point........).  My brother laughs at all of this stuff because he hears me getting called post-modern, or emergent, from time to time (usually because of my glasses and maybe the way I dress and/or communicate).  So, he just tells people that I am actually Post-world (that, in itself, is stinkin' hilarious.......I love a parody of the ridiculous).

One of the problems with anything "post" is that it lacks definition.  So we have people that have noticed that we are beyond (post) modernism in a general sense.  Great.  So what does that mean?  Can't tell 'ya.

I understand the inability to define a mindset/worldview when it is still forming.  I think there are some things that can be understood about what is termed post-modernity, but how it all plays out and how the church will be shaped by it are yet to be seen in any real way.  To complicate things, the nomenclature of "emergent" or "emerging" is used of any churches that seem to fit the post-modern worldview (whatever it really is, since it still has not been completely defined).  In some ways this stuff is not helping at all.  For instance, there is some skepticism regarding those who label themselves "emergent" and who question the deity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement, and the veracity of the Scripture.  I think we should be skeptical about these movements because they defy a 2,000 year old lineage of orthodoxy in the church.  These aren't matters of form or methodology, they are matters of core conviction.

That said, I think there is some good that has, dare I say it, "emerged" from all of this.  Let me see if I can name a few things that the emerging post-modern conversation has done for the good of the church:

1.  It has offered a much needed corrective in our arrogance toward the Scriptures.  The Word of God is inspired and inerrant, our theology is not.  I think there are some things that we can bet our life on in the Scripture (and should), but there are other things that simply are not quite as bulletproof (like eschatology for instance).  Good, godly people see some of these other items with a different view - it doesn't make them our enemy........it should make us dialogue to really seek the Spirit's leadership on the nature of the truth (which assumes, rightly I believe, that there is such a thing as objective truth).

2.  It has pierced a hole in denominational walls.  I don't think that the emerging, post-modern conversation has been solely responsible for this movement that is "post" denominational (this has been developing for some time now, with credit going to the charasmatic streams of faith and even some of the seeker movement toward this end).  What I think the post-modern, emergent churches bring to the superceding of denominationalism is that they are looking at a general worldview that effects everyone.  Thus, every church needs to pay attention if the landscape of thinking is shifting in a demonstrable way.

3.  It is calling the church to examine carefully the definition and role of the church.  This is a huge contribution to the body of Christ, because although it seems that every generation has its own way of understanding the nature of the church, the post-modern, emerging conversation is engaging theology at a more intimate level to answer this question than their pragmatic theology predecessors.

Ok, there are some thoughts as a beginning.

I am so Post-blogging.

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."  Acts 17:11

I guess everyone looks for a starting point in just about everthing they do - so it doesn't surprise me that I get asked all the time by people who are new to faith what they should do first.  I guess there could be a plethora of answers (and probably there are a plethora of answers given to someone new to faith in Jesus), but I think what I suggest almost always is that someone starts by getting to know God in the Bible.

Why this and not something else?  Why not start praying first?  Why not start worshipping first?  Well, I guess those could be options too, but the reason I tell people to get to know God in the Bible is because it helps to know who you are praying to and worshipping.  What is God's character like?  How does God respond to stuff?  What does God say about the world?  About me?  The Bible speaks to all of these things.  So of course, you can read the Bible, pray, and worship to start out, but it is the Bible that informs and clarifies the worship and praying, not the other way around (keep in mind this is not the establishment of priorities, i.e.- that the Bible is more important than worship or prayer.  That is not what I am saying at all - I am simply noting that without our understanding of God as revealed in the Bible He gave us, we don't really know the manner and heart in which we are to pray and worship).

Now, as I mentioned in my previous post, the Bible is to be a tool to get to know God - it is God's revelation of Himself to us in words and stories.  And it is, outside of Jesus who was/is God in a body, the most specific revelation we have about God and what He is like.  That is why I think it is the starting point - it is He that we long to know, love and worship, so we need to understand as much as we can about Who He is.

I'll tell you what else it does too.  It keeps us from falling headlong into errors and deceptions.  When we are new to faith in Christ, we can easily succumb to anything that has some "God" label on it.  Be assured, not everything that has a "God" label is really from God anymore than those "Rolex" watches you can pick up from a dude on Times Square are really Rolex watches.  Of course, we can't get to know the contents of the Bible in a short reading.  Even in a short year.  Shoot, it seems that in our short lifetime we will never fully grasp the depth and breadth of the revelation of God in the Bible.  That's ok.  God did it that way and He knows why.  Besides, you don't really get to know someone after just the briefest of introductions do you?  It takes time.........lots of it - so, too, with our time getting to know God through the vehicle of the Bible.

I hope you spend time with God in His Word.  It is His Word to you, yes, but it is, maybe more importantly, His Word to us.  We need to be getting to know God together so that we know, together, how to show God to the world we live in.  I've been at this a little while, and I am still making discoveries of God on a routine basis as I get to know Him.  And I am not worried about ever running out of material on God.  I've got a whole Bible full of stories, poems, songs, and letters to discover and rediscover as they teach me, as they teach us, about the One we love and worship.

"You diligently study the Scripture because you think that by them you possess eternal life.  These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."  John 5:39-40

God is bigger than the Bible.

Go ahead, catch your breath a moment.........ok, all better?  Now, turn off your "heresy police scanner" and give me at least a listen on this point.

For some, the blatantly obvious facets of this statment get lost in all of the theological webs that they have built (or have been built into them possibly).  From just sheer logic, the Bible originated with God, through the vehicle of human authors; therefore, God must both be first and of greater significance for Him to accomplish the compilation of such a document about Himself.  As well, since God put together a book that testifies of Him, then it stands to reason that He needed to condescend to us for us to understand some of His nature.  In other words, while the Bible reveals all that God intended that we need to know about Him, no words on a page could possibly fully describe the infinitely indescribable God it seems to me.

(As a brief aside, please know that my position on the Scriptures is consistent with orthodox Christian faith through the ages - that I believe it to be the very word of God, infallible in its original condition, and everything we need for life and godliness in this world).

Sometimes, because we are so firmly committed to the Scriptures (and rightly so btw), we can, at times, lose our perspective.  We can, if left unattended, fall prey to the idea that our knowledge of the Scripture is of paramount importance.  It is important.  Very important.  But it is not paramount.  Our knowledge of God, and our experience of Him, is what the Scriptures are supposed to facilitate - they are not to be an end to themselves.

The Pharisees of Jesus' day (conservative religious leaders in the Jewish culture) fell prey to this very thing.  They saw their salvation in their knowledge of the Scripture, so much so that there was a saying among some of the Rabbis that "Study [of the Torah] is the highest form of worship."  Now, I don't think that good Jews started out that way.........anymore than good Christians start out that way.  When we come into a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus, we want to know Him more deeply and love Him more passionately.  But there comes a point, at different times along our pilgrimage, that we may lose our way because we look at God as words on a page rather than a living, mind-numbing, personal reality.  Jesus says to us that our salvation is not in knowing words on a page - but in knowing the God that those words help reveal.

The reason I bring this up is because it really does happen.  Granted, there are some that try to form their idea of God outside the Bible - this can't be anything but futile because God has chosen to give us a record that He initiated of Himself.  How ridiculous of us to think that we would know Him better outside of that, than within it.  But, more often than not in the life of a committed follower of Jesus, our relationship gets sucked into the lifelessness of simply knowing the right things.  Jesus says "No."  It is not in the knowledge of words through your intellect that you find salvation - it is in knowing Jesus - the One whom those words reveal.

So, next time you open your Bible to read it, don't just try to come up with some more information.  Know that the Bible is written to reveal God to you.  He will be present when you read it next time, so why don't you ask Him to reveal Himself to you through what you read.

Maybe then you and I will start a journey toward understanding that God is bigger than the words on a page.  Even if that page is in the Bible.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."  1 Peter 2:9

I am a Protestant, so I am told.

In reality, I much prefer the term "disciple" or "follower of Jesus" rather than Protestant.  I'm not really protesting anything, so I think it just sounds weird.  I realize where it came from historically, but right now I am not protesting anything....sort of.

Martin Luther, this cool German who was tapped as the leader of the Protestant Reformation, was definitely protesting some stuff.  I won't enumerate all that he was protesting (and probably could not, though I could read his 95 Theses that got plastered to the Wittenburg Castle Gate in October, 1517), but just know it was more than one thing under protest.  Big theological issues related to the Catholic Church were at the center of this heated exchange (stuff like the selling of indulgences, purgatory, and probably most notably, justification by faith alone).

One subset of that great controversy was the idea of the priesthood of all believers.  This was simply a Biblical rethinking of the idea that the "priest" was the only one who could broker deals between people and God (this is way too general, and does not do justice to the actual doctrine of the Catholic position of that time, but for time I weaned it down, and dumbed it down).  This was worth arguing about because the NT saw a different role than that of just a few priests - it seemed to indicate that all the people of God are a royal priesthood (as noted above).

So, Protestants have valued this doctrine dearly, and rightly so.  But, unfortunately, I think that the doctrine itself is in need of some fundamental rethinking again.  It seems that many of us Westerners (term used globally) have culturized this doctrine to mean something less than it does.  Here is how it goes:  Westerners believe so strongly in the idea of the priesthood of the believer, and have married it to the rugged individualism inherent in our culture, that we now have somewhat of a Lone Ranger for Jesus mentality.  "All I need is just me and Jesus", "Jesus plus me makes a majority" and all of those other ridiculously shallow excuses for auto art are what we end up with.  I somehow don't think that is what Mr. Luther had in mind.

As a good Protestant, then, I feel the need to protest about this (actually, I'm not protesting....I'm just typing stuff into my computer; and, I am not a good Protestant........I don't even like that word.......I think it sounds stupid, kinda like Worstershire sauce).  What I think we miss is WHY we are a royal priesthood.   Not that I have it completely figured out, but here are two offerings:

1.  We are a royal priesthood so that we can have access to grow in Christlikeness unhindered.  If you and I "practiced our priesthood" we would be growing in our knowledge and application of the Scripture, and would thus be more conformed to the image of Christ.  A very good thing, eh?

2.  We are a royal priesthood so that we can be priests for one another.  This idea is simply the backlash to the idea that we are lone ranger priests.  If we are growing in Christlikeness (see #1 if you have already forgotten), then we will be ministering to, encouraging, challenging, and praying for one another.  In other words, I can act as a priest for you, and you for me.  It is WE who are a royal priesthood, not simply I.

So there you go.  Protest complete.  I will put my sign away now that says (in sweet, nectar filled Napolean Dynamite intonation),    "Your mom sells indulgences."

"Remember Lot's wife!  Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."  Luke 17:32-33

This statement from Jesus above has always made me somewhat uneasy.  It has perplexed me - confounded me I guess.

To begin, Jesus makes a reference to a lady from thousands of years before, and she doesn't even have a first name (ok, I'm sure she did, but all we get is "Lot's wife").  I guess we could just call her Mrs. Lot.  Mr. Lot, at least, has some name recognition in the Bible.  He was a relative of Abraham, and he had received some land to inhabit.  This was a land called Sodom and Gomorrah.  As you may remember from the Biblical account in Genesis 19, there was all manner of filth and sin going on in Sodom and Gomorrah.  You name it, and it was probably going on.  As a result, God was going to judge the place and He was going to do so through some of his angels.  These angels warned Lot to get he and his family out of town before the fireworks, and simply told them "Don't look back."

As you know, Lot's wife didn't listen and she looked back as they were fleeing the city.  So she turned into a pillar of salt (let me pause here to note that a woman turning into salt is not an everyday occurrence.  My best guess is that she turned into salt because she stopped, turned around and gazed at the destruction of the city so long that the burning sulfur raining down on the city got to her as well).  Basically, it seemed that she was trying to keep her way of life, and her heart and eyes were a dead giveaway of that fact.

So, Jesus says to his followers, "Remember Lot's wife."  Why?  Well, he tells us, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."  Now this statement is couched in some teaching about the return of Jesus.  It talks of changing locations, some to judgment and others to life.  So, what does it mean for us today?  Not sure of everything it might mean, but here is a shot at a few insights:

What in your life has you more transfixed than Jesus and obedience to Him?  To answer that question you will need to pay attention more closely to your life (and I to mine).  Where is your heart?  Where are your eyes?  That usually gives a pretty good indication as to the longings and desires of your heart.  Are your more consumed with reading the Wall Street journal than the Word of God?  Would you rather be on a golf course than in a place of worship?  How much of the money God gave you ever makes it's way into the work of the kingdom?

What are you willing to hold tightly and what are you willing to hold loosely?  Sometimes all of our stuff has us so locked into life, that we feel we can't let go because it contains the essence of our lives.  What if Jesus asked you to lay down your status, or your job, or your possessions so that you could serve Him more effectively - what would you say?  What would your hands reveal you are holding loosely and what would they reveal you are clinging desperately to?  If anything other than Jesus causes us a white-knuckle grip, we could be in a place where we our loyalties are other than God and His kingdom.

Lot's wife is an interesting reminder to us all.  Cling to Jesus, and hold on loosely to the other stuff that fills our lives.

"Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body."  Ecclesiastes 12:12b

I just finished some additional education, and I have concluded that I am an expert in nothing.  Seriously, absolutely nothing.

In fact, I feel stupider (see - that's not even a word I don't think, it should be more stupider).  I can't exactly explain it, but it seems that all of this education has made me realize a few things that I didn't know before.  Here's one:

I don't know very much.

I know, brilliant, right?  But true.  Methinks that the net result of higher education is to simply remind the student that there is more to know than you will ever imagine.  As well, you could take ten lifetimes and still not scratch the surface of full knowledge.  The expansion of knowledge and information in our day and age is exponentially more than virtually all of known history combined had to offer.  Try keeping up with that.

Here's another one:

I now know that I don't know very much.

If you are thinking that this one is the same as the first one - look again.  The first statement states fact.  The second one states learning. 

At the very least, I want to live there.  Knowing what I don't know.  Until you arrive there in some degree (never fully, since we can't possibly realize all that we don't know), you won't have a very high ceiling on learning.  Relax.....you don't have to be the expert at everything.....in fact, if you are, everybody's on to you.  (As a long aside, there was this guy I knew, not very well but well enough, who was an expert in everything - or so he thought.  I promise - you name the conversation and he would tell you everything you ever wanted to know about it.  Law?  Sure, he had a spare gavel.  Sports?  Yep, knew the stats of Babe Ruth's grandmother's cousin on his father's side.  Politics?  Well, he probably wrote some speeches as a ghost writer while in the Rose Garden.  Friends?  Well, that one was a stumper........he didn't really have any.  Wonder of wonders...............).

The key takeaway for me is this - greater learning ought to develop greater humility.  It seems that the writer of Ecclesiastes landed there (although I would grant you that he started out pretty depressed - for a while I thought he might even make Nietzsche look hopeful).  This was a guy who knew alot about alot of things, but ended up realizing that what he knew was miniscule compared to the knowledge and wisdom of the Creator. 

I hope that is the case with me, because learning is not really the secret to great living, as best I can tell.  Learning just opens the door to increase humility, and from humility......wisdom is born.