Belief and Behavior

"Classroom churches" is an expression from Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Church. He describes the tendency of some fellowships to focus almost exclusively on knowledge as the key to spiritual maturity. Bible studies are conducted to increase congregants knowledge of biblical facts with an emphasis on correct beliefs and doctrinal positions.

By way of contrast, Warren suggests a greater emphasis on behavior as key to spiritual maturity. Many believers are rarely involved in sharing their experience of Christ with another, or personally involved in a service activity, or even actively engaged in worship services. Behavior is a greater indicator of spiritual maturity than is belief. "The last thing many church members need is another Bible study," Warren states for emphasis.

That for which we are striving is participation in the Kingdom of God, not simply knowledge of the Kingdom. On so many levels, participation makes all the difference!

If you buy in to Warren's approach to congregational organization, membership becomes synonymous with participant. It makes a lot of sense to me.

Jesus' death on the cross is so central to everything. Yet, we (if we will be honest) struggle to understand why it had to happen.

Did you ever think about how much of Jesus' living, baptism, teaching, even death on the cross, was an act of solidarity? Richard Beck has written a post contrasting the "on-stage" vs. "back-stage" storylines of the crucifixion. Check it out here.

A weighty voice

I chased a couple links this morning and came across an interview with Richard Stearns, President of World Vision. This interview is held on a business blog. The interest here is not religious conviction but rather the extraordinary success of this nonprofit organization.

Not all voices that we hear are of equal weight. There is an important concept I learned in speech class, often forgotten in today world, speaker credibility. I was fascinated reading and thinking about this interview because I am convinced the speaker, Richard Stearns, is highly credible.

So often we can hear someone stating things like: "The number one reason for ____ is ____." or "The key to ___ is ____." Most of the time, we would do well to let such statements pass us by. However, there are some special people who truly know some things. When they speak, we should stop and take note. I am suggesting that this interview is one of those occassions.

Here's the link: Ten (or so) Questions with Richard Stearns, President of World Vision on the blog, How to Chang the World (Guy Kawasaki).

-------A few samples--------------------------------

To really change the world, values must change.

When enough ordinary people embrace these issues, things will begin to change. Margaret Mead once said: "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

I can't speak for God, but I believe God is pleased whenever anyone does something out of love to help the downtrodden.

One word: apathy. The very frustrating part is that we actually have the knowledge and the ability to end most extreme poverty. The world just doesn't care enough to do it.

What's the biggest obstacle to get rich people to care about poor people?

There's a tendency among those uninformed about global poverty to say, "This ain't rocket science. People are hungry; let’s feed them." What they don’t realize is that the deeper you get into relief and development, you realize it really is rocket science.

Do the efforts of rock stars and movie stars really help alleviate poverty and AIDS or are these people just seeking more publicity to sell albums?

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I hope you'll read it

Bible School

With bible school coming up soon, I've been thinking about what it was like when I was little. I didn't come to Sunshine when I was little. As a matter of fact, I started coming to Sunshine when I was in 11th grade. I grew up next door to a family who always took us to bible school out on 140. My sisters and I always called that particular church building "bible school and church". To this day, we still call it that.

I hated being invited to bible school. It was very uncomfortable to go to a church building where you don't know anyone and you're stared at by tons of eyes while being surrounded by utter chaos from the kids around you. I hated bible school because it meant that school was just a few weeks away and I hated school. That's another blog post altogether.....for a later time.

What I do remember is this:

I remember every single adult smiling.
I remember being treated very gently by every single adult.
I remember feeling like I was cared for.
I remember getting to eat cookies and koolaid.
I remember the flannel board with a bunch of guys with dresses on being put on it.
I remember cookie monster always showing up to entertain the kids and eat cookies.
I remember singing lots of fun songs as loud as we could possibly sing.

Each year, I dreaded bible school but each year my neighbor stopped by the house and took us to this church building where it all took place. I only hated bible school because it meant school was getting ready to start, not because bible school was bad. I always felt welcome at bible school and no one ever treated me badly. It was clear that I was loved and they were all happy I was there.

It's interesting to me to think about the fact that I don't remember one single bible story from way back then. I do, however, remember how I was treated with love and kindness. It was love that got my attention. It was this same love that drew me closer to God. Now look at me.

Could it be that bible school is so much more than teaching biblical truths to children? Could it be that bible school is a means by which we reach out to the community and love them?

My parents didn't go to church when we were little and so neither did we. That is, unless someone else took us. How important is our role as neighbors, to invite children and offer to take them to class for one week out of 52? We just have no idea how huge this is do we? Just by showing up and smiling at a child during bible school can mean everything to them. It may be that you are the only one who has ever given them a kind look in their little lives.

There is power in the ability to just show up.

Jennifer

Kingdom Infrastructure

In the realm of economic development, you often here folks talk about infrastructure. I like this definition of infrastructure from Dictionary.com -> the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.

In a place like Portsmouth, there is a great need for money. For there to be money, there must be good-paying jobs. For there to be good-paying jobs, there must be substantial businesses. To attract business, there must be good access to transportation, sufficient supporting resources, friendly local authorities, etc, etc. I'm sure we all have a basic understanding of the relationship between economic growth and infrastructure.

It is not very different in our congregation. As we seek to live out the mission of Jesus Christ in our corner of the world, there is a need for kingdom infrastructure development. Powerful and effective ministries must begin with small, slow, pioneering efforts. When we fly down the freeway 75mph, we easily forget that someone cleared this path, leveled the foundation, and paved the way.

As leaders, I think we often overlook this concept of congregational infrastructure. We often speak about the need to get everyone involved. The problem is a lack of viable opportunities. As leaders, we are involved, so involved that we take it for granted that everyone else has the same access to participation. Lately, I have talked with a couple of fellow congregants who desire involvement but cannot find a role that fits them. The fact is, there are not enough roles.

Lately, I have been working to promote the Angel Food program. My vision for this ministry is that it will provide a point of contact between members of Sunshine and our community. At its core, it will meet a basic need-food that is cheap. But, far more, it will create an environment of opportunity, where other ministerial efforts might emerge. I have no idea what other ministries might emerge from the Angel Food experience, but, if we do not make contact, nothing will happen.

As we contemplate the future of our congregation, I would like to see us think more like engineers. When we spout off some lofty objective like, "We need to get more people involved." We then stop, and ask ourselves, what infrastructure is needed for this goal to become a reality. An old cliche is applicable, "If we always do what we've always done, we will always get what we always got." As leaders, we have more work to do! It is not enough to stand from a distance and make great statements. We must follow-up by paving the road others will travel.

We cannot be afraid of failure. Angel Food may fall on its face. If it does, I will be very disappointed and will need to fight-off a sense of embarrassment and failure. I will fight it off, because deep down, I know I am attempting to make something where currently there is nothing. Failure is a normal part of the pioneering process.

We made some great strides in our last leadership retreat. I believe that now we must move to the next level of complexity. We have set forth some "whats" (mission statements), now we must think in terms of "how".

What are your thoughts?

Tolerance

In a comment to Jennifer's most recent post, I made a statement about tolerance. I stated that there are many at Sunshine who are (for lack of a better way of expressing it) more tolerant of divergent Christian beliefs and practices than some others.

Tolerance is difficult concept to contextualize. If, by tolerance, we mean the opposite of needless rigidity and a sectarian attitude, then, yes, I'm all about tolerance. However, if tolerance is the opposite of conviction and universal truth, then, I'm against it. If tolerance, opens us up to broader fellowship with other believers and enables us to better connect with the community we seek to reach, then, great. But, if tolerance becomes an objective in and of itself, it becomes a slippery slope enjoining us with the liberal trends that we currently see in the larger Christian world. Tolerance is a tricky value to embrace.

I would like to give a bit of background to my use of tolerance.

Richard Hughes, in The Stone-Campbell Encyclopedia, has written an article profiling 4 common historical models of restoration (aka Christian primitivism). Restoration involves looking to the NT (primitive) church as the model and norm for the present-day church. We in the CofC are examples of this. We believe that we are good representation of 1st Century (original) Christianity. Though, we acknowledge that we do not exactly replicate the NT church, we are confident that we have restored the important aspects. Here is where thinking about the historical models of restoration can provide some insight.

Of the 4 models Hughes outlines, 2 are very relevant to CofC: Ecclesiastical and Ethical.

Ecclesiastical refers to the structure and organization of the church itself. An emphasis on ecclesiastical restoration involves a focus on replicating the form and structure of the NT church in the present day. Alexander Campbell was all about this! Campbell was a very systematic and rationalistic thinker. Naturally, his thinking and focus gravitated to ecclesiastical matters. Today, CofCs, are very much focused on maintaining ecclesiastical restoration. Thing like autonomous congregations, eldership-led, plurality of elders, simplistic worship services, congregational-only singing, weekly communion, etc., are very much the outgrown of Campbell's focus on ecclesiastical restoration.

Ethical restoration, by contrast, focused on the specific behavior of Christians. Barton W. Stone was far more concerned with present-day Christians acting like 1st Century Christians than he was in restoring forms and structures. Stone advocating a radical, counter-cultural lifestyle. He was an abolitionist and passivist long before those things became popular. His followers' worship practices would more so resemble the modern-day Church of God than CofC.

Campbell and Stone's movement merged in 1832. However, today's CofCs have retained far more of the emphases and character of Campbell than Stone.

What does this have to do with tolerance?

Just about all Protestant denominations have within their make-up a drive for restoration of the original practice and power of Christianity. I dare say, no denomination has done Ecclesiastical Restoration as well as us, however, I think some other groups have made greater strides in the areas of ethical restoration and experiential (a third category) restoration. We can learn much from each other.

I believe it is possible to embrace believers from other denominations without sacrificing the fundamental drive of our brotherhood. In fact, embracing (learning) from others can serve to enhance and fortify our identity. It also allows to share our strengths with others.

If we, I am speaking specifically of leaders, can cling to an educated and realistic understanding of who we are; if we can see the hand of God within and without us; we can navigate the waters ahead.

What do you think?

Insights from the Boss

Words that positively describe what God's kingdom is like are: family, community, friendship, brother(sister)hood, and mission.

By contrast, church, as we commonly experience it, is known by words like: institution, doctrine, maintenance, and services.

I have been praying that God would guide me toward a deeper experience and understanding of discipleship. Everything I read, the people I am meeting, the experiences I am having are all driving me toward a deeper appreciation of the relational nature of discipleship.

Rick Warren has noted that most Christians appreciate that they are called to a relationship to Jesus for their salvation, but they fail to appreciate that they are also called to relationship with one another for spiritual maturity. Christianity is relational business.

Discipleship is something akin to a life-long romance.

Bruce Springsteen:

You and me we were the pretenders
We let it all slip away
In the end what you don't surrender
Well the world just strips away

It is innate to our human nature to be passionate. But not just passionate about anything, Passionate about something worthy of our lives. Probably the first time we experience the full power of this is when we "fall in love".

"Falling in love" is a fairly easy to do. Sustaining love through the course of a lifetime is far more demanding. Many couples are passionate early on, but a much smaller percentage maintain passion over substantial time.

I wish we could, for just a little while, table the right-vs-wrong doctrine, institutional maintenance manner of thinking about Christianity. Instead, evaluate ourselves against a relational, romance model of thinking about Christianity.

-> What degree of passion do I have for Christ?
-> Am I passionate about God's kingdom advancing in this fallen world?
-> Do I love the people of the community?
-> Am I willing to be in relationship with the people of the community?
-> Am I giving deeply of my time and money?
-> Am I changing to better orient myself to the call of Christ?

Again, Bruce Springsteen:

Oh [church] that feeling of safety you prize
Well it comes at a hard, hard price
You can't shut off the risk and the pain
Without losing the love that remains

I think being true to a romance (love) will get us farther along than institutional maintenance.

What do you think?

Life Outreach International

Hunger knows no church denomination. Let's just feed people and let God do the rest. Below is a link to a wonderful little video clip about Sudan. Tim and I have often sent money to James and Betty Robison's organizations for feeding and digging wells for countries where it's needed. I have never regretted giving to fill a need. This video clip has the cutest little girl named Emilia and talks about a necklace she's wearing. It's really sweet!

I never want to be accused of ONLY sending money if it's a Church of Christ organization. God calls us to just do what He says.....teach, feed, clothe, etc. I refuse to not give because of doctrine differences. People are starving and drinking water that will kill them!

What will you do?


http://www.missionfeeding.com/may07/index.htm


Jennifer

Let's Pray

At the risk of sounding overly zealous...I'm wondering if it might be a good idea for us to meet monthly and have a significant prayer time (in addition to the Sunday morning meetings & Shepherd's prayer sessions) like 2-3 hours or longer where we pray together for our church, the people in the box, our nation, the sick, etc. I realize this sounds like an insane time committment -- but we all know it works.

Any body got some ideas?

God's Spirit vs. Negativity

I'm finding that the more I seek to know Christ, and the more I ask God to send His Holy Spirit to stir up faith in me, the more my attitude changes. For example, for years while I've struggled with faith and worldliness, its been easy to nurse a bad attitude. But as I let those things go (and believe me its a struggle at times) I find it easier to see the good in my brothers and sisters at Sunshine. People will always do things that upset us -- but we don't have to let that keep us down. The Bible is perfectly accurate when it says "our struggle is not against flesh and blood..." I'm amazed when I hear other Christians "confess" someone else's weakness or sin from years past. If we understand anything about God's grace, how can we hold those things against others?! Especially, if we were not directly affected by their actions. Sunday after Sunday, I'm learning more and more how much we have to be thankful for at Sunshine. I pray daily for all of us and that we continually grow spiritually. Thanks for the encouragement!!

Pull Evangelism

Sunshine is a wonderful congregation!

I like to imagine what things might look like in Sunshine's future. Trusting that God will continue moving upon the many prayers to fill the folks of Sunshine with His Spirit, what will it be like? I believe it will be somewhat like it is now, expanding upon what is presently good and diminishing what is presently weak.

What will dynamic evangelism look like?

I don't see big revivals or door-knocking campaigns; instead, I see a lot more of what might be called "pull evangelism".

In a meeting I attended this morning, Dr. Kendall Stewart, made mention of pull education. Pull education occurs when the recipient desires information from the educator. This, of course, is opposed to push education. Push education involves the educator offering information to a disinterested, maybe even unwilling recipient.

If we employ this push-pull metaphor in thinking about evangelism, it has obvious utility.

Sunshine is a faith community. When Christ is lived within and among us, we become extremely attractive! Like thirsty people are drawn to water, people outside of Christ are drawn to those who genuinely know Him. We are not just speaking of the spiritual maturity of individuals, but rather, a spiritual maturity of the community, the Sunshine community.

One aspect of community spiritual maturity is forgiveness. Here is a sample from Larry James:

The capacity to extend forgiveness to others, to "give them a break," links us with a larger reality at work in the universe. I believe the essential openness to others that provides for forgiveness and multiple "second chances" is a characteristic that links us to our Creator and to the giant picture of eternity.

When it comes to forgiveness, often my problem relates to my inability to step back and take a longer view of my life and my relationships. People who have the gift of "long-sightedness" provide direction and leadership for healthy communities.

I would like to challenge us all to avoid thinking and behaving exclusively in terms of our own individual spiritual development and try focusing our thoughts and actions on community spiritual development. What do you think?

Benevolence thinking

As a leader in our congregation's benevolence ministry, I spend much time thinking about this area of ministry. I desire to see an effort that significantly addresses needs within our congregation and in the community. Also, this ministry must ultimately function to glorify Jesus. I want to share a thought that keeps resurfacing:

First a quote--

I don't believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is so vertical. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other person and learns from the other. I have a lot to learn from other people. - Eduardo Galeano

Also from Larry James' blog:

Charity has a dark side that most charitable people never consider. Charity can be a rather sophisticated means for people with economic, social and political power to maintain control of their power. After all, if I believe that charity is the only and best response to poverty and its myriad problems, I don't need to trouble myself much with asking why so many people are poor? Or, what should be changed from a policy standpoint to see that fewer of my neighbors become and remain poor? We hope to move beyond charity to community development, empowerment and change. Charity alone will never get us there.

To read this second reference in context click here.

Thought Crimes Laws

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?c=THOUGHT_CRIMES&f=PG07C04#

Please watch the video presentation in the link above, then sign "The Public Declaration of Opposition to Thought Crimes Laws"!


Here is a message from Chuck Colson:



The Thought Police
By Chuck Colson5/1/2007

What the Hate Crimes Law Would Do

In George Orwell’s classic novel 1984, the government Thought Police constantly spies on citizens to make sure they are not thinking rebellious thoughts. Thought crimes are severely punished by Big Brother.

1984 was intended as a warning against totalitarian governments that enslave and control their citizens. Never have we needed this warning more urgently than now, because America’s Thought Police are knocking on your door.

Last week the House Judiciary Committee, egged on by radical homosexual groups, passed what can only be called a Thought Crimes bill. It’s called the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. But this bill is not about hate. It’s not even about crime. It’s about outlawing peaceful speech—speech that asserts that homosexual behavior is morally wrong.
Some say we need this law to prevent attacks on homosexuals. But we already have laws against assaults on people and property. Moreover, according to the FBI, crimes against homosexuals in the United States have dropped dramatically in recent years. In 2005, out of 863,000 cases of aggravated assault, just 177 cases were crimes of bias against homosexuals—far less than even 1 percent.

Another problem is that in places where hate crimes laws have been passed, hate crimes have been defined to include verbal attacks—and even peaceful speech. The Thought Police have already prosecuted Christians under hate crimes laws in England, Sweden, Canada, and even in some places in the United States.

If this dangerous law passes, pastors who preach sermons giving the biblical view of homosexuality could be prosecuted. Christian businessmen who refuse to print pro-gay literature could be prosecuted. Groups like Exodus International, which offer therapy to those with unwanted same-sex attraction, could be shut down.
In classic 1984 fashion, peaceful speech will be redefined as a violent attack worthy of punishment.

This is the unspoken goal of activist groups. We know this because during the debate over the bill last week, Congressman Mike Pence (R) of Indiana offered a Freedom of Religion amendment to this hate crimes bill. It asked that nothing in this law limit the religious freedom of any person or group under the Constitution. The committee refused to adopt it. It also refused to adopt amendments protecting other groups from hate crimes—like members of the military, who are often targets of verbal attacks and spitting. They also shot down amendments that would protect the homeless and senior citizens, also often targeted by criminals. Nothing doing, the committee said—the only group they wanted to protect: homosexuals.
Clearly, the intent of this law is not to prevent crime, but to shut down freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of thought. Its passage would strike at the very heart of our democracy.

The full Congress may vote on this bill as early as this week. Unless you want Big Brother telling you what to say, what to think, and what to believe, I urge you to contact your congressman immediately, urging him or her to vote against this bill. If you visit the BreakPoint website, you’ll find more information about this radical law.

If we do nothing, 1984 will no longer be fiction, and Big Brother will be watching you and me—ready to punish the “wrong” thoughts.


.American Family Association – Tupelo, MS 38803
www.afa.net