Friday, May 11, 2012

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Why You Shouldn’t Get Baptized

I think one of the challenges we face as Christians is to not succumb to what theologian Martin Marty calls “Trafficking in the holy things of God.”

I’m not too sure what he means by that phrase, but if it has something to do with getting bored, taking God lightly, and occasionally going through the motions – I’m guilty as charged quite often.

One way I bring myself back to center is to occasionally ponder the words of people who stood well within the call to follow Christ, but well outside of the ecclesiastical structures of their age (even if I disagree with them).

If you are looking for one such friend look no further than Simone Weil (1909-1943), the ablest nightstand companion of any growing Christian looking for a good theological jolt.

In a letter to a friend of hers, a Catholic priest, Weil (pronounced “Vay”) described why she considered herself a faithful Christ follower, but refused to join the church of her day.

That letter, later titled, Hesitations Concerning Baptism, has always caused me to step back and think…

I cannot help still wondering whether in these days when so large a proportion of humanity is submerged in materialism, God does not want there to be some men and women who have given themselves to him and to Christ and who yet remain outside the church. In any case, when I think of the act by which I should enter the Church as something concrete, which might happen quite soon, nothing gives me more pain than the idea of separating myself from the immense and unfortunate multitude of unbelievers. Continue Reading…

in Living It Out

Thursday, May 10, 2012

10
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How To Be A Success Without Any Self-Promotion

Before I turned 40…

  • I purposely turned down every speaking request I received.
  • I purposely didn’t publish a book.
  • I purposely didn’t have a blog or podcast.
  • I purposely never went on a radio or TV program.
  • I purposely never preached a sermon that later went online.

I did this for one very simple reason.

On May 1, 1996, while on a personal retreat to a monastery, I spent the day meditating on the temptations Jesus faced in Luke 4:1-12.

That day I read about how Satan tried to get Jesus to throw himself off the top of the temple in Jerusalem, in front of throngs of Jewish worshippers, only to be scooped up by angels at the last second.

Jesus’s response to that temptation forever changed the tenor of my ministry.

Knowing that the only possible result of such a feat would be instant popularity, Jesus rebuked Satan and retreated quietly to live out his three years of public ministry in near anonymity.

Leveled by the gravity of what I was reading – who he was, what was at stake, and why he made the decision that he made – I fell to my knees and made a vow.

I took a vow of obscurity.

I promised God that for ten years, from May 1, 1996 until May 1, 2006, I would do everything within my power to cultivate a ministry of complete obscurity.

Not that I presumed I had ANYTHING worthwhile to be noted for. Not in the least. That wasn’t my motivation at all.

I just knew that I personally needed a solid decade of character building in obscurity to prepare my heart to become the kind of servant leader that God could truly use to expand HIS kingdom.

That decade of obscurity taught me the difference between…

  • Self-promotion vs. promoting God’s message
  • Selfish ambition vs. pursuing God’s calling
  • Corporate manipulation vs. casting God’s vision
  • Building my own platform vs. allowing God to build a platform for me, if he so chose

However, the biggest lesson I learned was that Jesus will keep his promise:

Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Matthew 23:12).

I believe that. I’ve experienced that.

I don’t care what you do for a living…nurse…teacher… pharma sales…physician…pastor…whatever…if you fanatically pursue obscurity, humbling yourself and remaining faithful, God will, in his time, exalt you and use you for his purposes and his glory.

You will get noticed. Promotions will come. Opportunities will present themselves.

And when they do you’ll be ready.

What do you think? Is self-promotion a sin? When is it okay to promote yourself?

Please leave a comment and make sure to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter!

Recent Posts:
Should Christian Women Skip Church To Walk The Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure?
How spiritual growth really happens (hint: it’s NOT the “spiritual disciplines”)
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Why I Never Read Anonymous Letters, Comments, Emails, Or Notes In The Offering

in Living It Out

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

3
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The Antidote For Boredom [5/6/12 sermon]

You were made for doing cartwheels on top of 20′ ocean swells. You know that, right?

(if you are having difficulty viewing this in a reader click HERE).

So what’s your boat?

Please leave a comment and make sure to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter!

Recent Posts:
How spiritual growth really happens (hint: it’s NOT the “spiritual disciplines”)
Do you believe prayer changes God’s mind?
The Mormon Crazy Train
Why I Never Read Anonymous Letters, Comments, Emails, Or Notes In The Offering
Top Posts For April 2012

in Living It Out, Sermons

Monday, May 7, 2012

7
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How Spiritual Growth Really Happens (hint: it’s NOT the “spiritual disciplines”)

A Christian taking credit for growing closer to God is like a rooster taking credit for the sun coming up in the morning.

Bible study, worship, prayer, etc., are all vital parts of the Christian journey and powerfully aid in creating the context in which God can draw near to us. However, in the vast majority of instances God makes himself known to us in spite of what we try to do, not because of it.

The illusion those who peddle “spiritual disciplines” books are under is that our personal spiritual growth is something that we ultimately have complete control over. They’re convinced it’s something we initiate, structure, and maintain.

The reality is if you talk to 100 Christians about where they were spiritually 5 years ago and where they are today, the vast majority will tell you that their “spiritual growth” had more to do with what GOD DID TO THEM than all their feeble attempts to practice the “spiritual disciplines” combined.

Looking back over my last 5 years on this planet, here were the major culprits in my spiritual advancement…

Suffering
I grew because God allowed painful things to happen in my life.

God nudged me to get away and listen
God nudged, prompted, or corralled me into leaving whatever I had on my agenda for that day to get away and listen to him. I look back in wonder at how many times I went to a set prayer time I initiated and heard nothing, but then at utterly unexpected times sensed the risen Jesus pulling me away to come into his presence.

A friend’s rebuke
Somehow a trusted friend saw something in my life that needed to change and had the gumption to call me on it. Having friends who obeyed James 5:19-20 and Galatians 6:1-2 profoundly impacted me over the last 5 years.

God caused hurting people to cross my path
I didn’t plan it. I didn’t want it. I wasn’t looking for it. Yet God allowed, caused or nudged some hurting person to cross my path. And in the process of helping them I grew as a disciple of Jesus.

God’s silence
Looking back I’m surprised at how much God’s silence, not his speech, produced remarkable levels of spiritual maturity in me. In his book Advice to Sufferers, John Bunyan observed, “It is said that in some countries trees will grow, but will bear no fruit, because there is no winter there.” I’ve come believe that life in the spirit is the same way.

The corporate worship gathering
It’s become quite the fad nowadays to slight the corporate worship service as an impotent spiritual experience. I couldn’t disagree more. I can look back on countless times over the last five years when God showed up in a message, the Lord’s Supper, a song, or while some part of someone’s pilgrimage was being shared.

What do all of these situations have in common?

I didn’t initiate any of them.

What have been the top 3 catalysts for your spiritual growth in the last five years?

Recent Posts:
Do you believe prayer changes God’s mind?
The Mormon Crazy Train
Why I Never Read Anonymous Letters, Comments, Emails, Or Notes In The Offering
Top Posts For April 2012
Hope In Suffering

in Living It Out

Saturday, April 28, 2012

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Hope In Suffering

Here’s a trailer for Ed’s Story, a 7 part series of short films providing hope and encouragement to those suffering.

I found the films both moving and redemptive. I think you will too…

(if you are having trouble viewing in a reader, click HERE)

Here are the 7 films in Ed’s Story:

Film 1: It Ain’t Over
Film 2: Consider The Birds
Film 3: Be There
Film 4: My Garden
Film 5: Ask Forgiveness
Film 6: Grateful (coming soon)
Film 7: Healing (coming soon)

Please leave a comment and make sure to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks!

Recent Posts:
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Hold On
Why I’m not joining the “missional” church fad
What’s right (and wrong) with the Catholic Church
The Painful Cost Of Unity

in Living It Out

Thursday, April 26, 2012

4
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Hold On

I don’t know who you are.

I don’t know what you’re going through.

I don’t know what circumstances you’re facing.

I don’t know what has ripped your heart in a thousand pieces and is throwing them back at you, underhand, one tiny shard at a time, laughing.

No, not laughing, mocking.

Cancer? Loneliness? Failure? Oh yes, failure.

Whatever it is…

Hold on.

People mock Christians. “All you do is promise heaven.”

Their pompous, hollow words tell me they’re not card-carrying members of the legion of the broken. The accursed. The tethered. Those withering under the pursuit of something that can’t be had in this life.

To those.

To us.

To me.

Sometimes heaven is all we’ve got.

And sometimes heaven is all we need.

So hold on.

Need prayer? Leave a comment so my friends and I here can prayer for you. 

And please make sure to connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks.

Recent Posts:
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in Living It Out

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

22
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Why I’m not joining the “missional” church fad

Yesterday I received an email from a ministry friend who asked:

Brian,

So what do you think about Greg Nettle’s Christian Standard article The Missional Model: ‘Go and Make Disciples’ and his thoughts on 70/30 vs. 30/70? I remember in our conversations you telling me to pour the majority of our resources into our Sunday morning gatherings. Do you still find that to be effective?

Can an attractional church still create depth in disciples?

Chadwick

Since Greg Nettle is a trusted ministry friend whom I hold in the absolute highest regard, and since we have the exact same heartbeat for the lost and hurting (our churches are doing a lot of the same things), I thought I would share my answer to my friend Chadwick’s email here on my blog.

I felt that younger pastors might find my thoughts on the “missional” movement and church fads a counterpoint to 95% of the current trends in ministry thought. Here goes…

Chadwick,

There are two issues that are greatly distracting pastors right now:

  1. The resurgence of Calvinism
  2. The giddy embrace of the “missional church” fad

At CCV we just want to be the church, period. We are definitely attractional. But we are definitely missional. Not because we have “bought into a new paradigm of doing ministry,” but because that’s what the church does (in addition to dozens and dozens of others things).

In a few weeks our entire church will sweep across the Philadelphia metro area for seven days and serve alongside over 50 community organizations to help bring hope and healing to our region. And trust me, it has absolutely nothing to do with wanting to be a “missional” church. Continue Reading…

in Living It Out, Rethinking Church

Friday, April 20, 2012

7
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12 Reasons I’ll “Un-Follow” You On Twitter

In the 3 months since I’ve started blogging, one of the most surprising things has been the way Twitter has allowed blog readers and ministry acquaintances to become genuine friends and comrades in arms.

I really enjoy connecting with people on Twitter. But it’s been frustrating as well. Since my interest has been developing genuine connections with people, and not buying or selling something, I’ve found that I’ve had to wade through a lot of, well, excrement, to find people who are sincere, actually use the tool, are willing to collaborate, and take the time to build friendships.

That said, I’ve come up with 12 stand-by reasons why I will un-follow someone on Twitter. Here they are:

1. You don’t take the time to get a profile picture.
People like to see each other’s faces when they talk, and not having a profile pic communicates you’re not interested in real communication (whether that’s your intent or not).

2. You don’t follow back.
This tells me that you either think you’re a celebrity or that you aren’t actually investing the time to use the tool to connect with people. I regularly use www.Wakooz.com to “un-follow” people who don’t follow me back.

3. You Swear.
Big turn off. You can always tell which comedians have weak material because they always swear to fill in the gaps. Swearing on Twitter is lazy and distasteful.

4. You’re a porn star, multi-level marketer or SEO expert.
Enough said. Continue Reading…

in Living It Out, Rethinking Church

Monday, April 16, 2012

6
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6 Uncommon Characteristics Of Masculine Male Pastors

In a previous post I highlighted what I think are the 7 uncommon characteristics of masculine Christian men.

Limitations of the word “effeminate” aside, here’s what I consider six uncommon characteristics of masculine male pastors.

1. Masculine male pastors create church cultures that protect women and children.

I’m convinced that one of the reasons the Catholic Church swept the issue of clergy sexual abuse under the rug for so long is because of the preponderance of effeminate priests and cardinals. Can you imagine Jeremiah, Elijah, or John the Baptist putting up with that garbage? I find it interesting that when widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food in Acts 6 the Apostles instructed them to “choose seven men from among you” to make sure this problem stopped. Not women, but strong men.

A couple years ago I was sitting on a ferry when a drunk came in and started bugging the female passengers on the boat. After seeing him intimidate a 14 year old girl and an elderly woman I came uncorked on the guy. Know what happened? No other man backed me up. They sat and stared straight ahead! Call it whatever you want – the combination of testosterone, physical stature, Ephesians 5 “headship” tendencies, whatever – masculine godly pastors instinctively protect women and children. As a result women feel valued and sense that the churches those pastors serve are safe places spiritually, emotionally and physically. I think this explains why so many elderly women are drawn to churches with masculine male pastors.

2. Masculine male pastors publicly address uniquely male sins head-on.

In Titus 2:6 the Apostle Paul exhorted Titus to “encourage the young men to be self-controlled.” Crete, the island on which Titus was serving, was sexually charged. Most homes had a statue outside marking its property called a “herms” – a small statue with a large erect penis (denoting strength and virility). Temple prostitutes were plentiful. Affairs were expected. So what did Paul do? He told Titus to address it head on. Know how many times I heard a sermon on sex, masturbation, pornography, adultery, lust or sexual fantasizing the entire 18 years I went to church as a kid? Zero. Not one time. Unlike Paul, effeminate pastors think issues such as these are “inappropriate for church” and assume these issues will take care of themselves. Continue Reading…

in Living It Out, Rethinking Church

Sunday, April 1, 2012

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My 4 Favorite Ministries Extending Radical Grace To The Lost And Broken

For “Share Sunday” I want to share my 4 favorite events/ministries leading the way on reaching and loving lost and broken people…

1. Vault Conference – Las Vegas, October 15-17, 2012

Ministry friend Vince Antonucci is hosting The Vault Conference, a one of a kind event designed to share ideas with church leaders on how to reach truly unchurched people. Trust me, if you need to enlarge your vision for reaching lost people, Vince is the guy to spend time with. A major plus will be Jud Wilhite from Central Christian in Vegas will be there too. Register HERE.

Check out this video about Travis Gluckler, someone who came to Christ through Vince’s Antonucci’s new church Verve on the Vegas strip. Powerful stuff…

2. GodBehindBars.com - I LOVE LOVE LOVE what this ministry is doing. Check it out.

3. Mike Foster of People of the Second Chance continues to be one of my heroes in the faith. Besides joining POTSC you should definitely check out his book Gracenomics: Unleash The Power Of Second Chance Living.

And make sure you check out Emmanuel’s story…

4. Freedom Biker Church – as a plain vanilla boy from the suburbs I’d be afraid to attend this new church plant. But I think that’s the point. I LOVE what’s going on here…

Have any unique outreach ministries or resources you’d like to share?

in Living It Out, Worth Sharing
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