Spiritual Formation

Three Misconceptions regarding Spiritual Formation

2009-03-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

There’s a sign on the door to my office that reads “Discipleship and Spiritual Formation”. Now anyone who’s been in a church more than a half dozen times has at least an inkling of what discipleship is. . .but spiritual formation. What in the world is that? Sounds at first glance like a lofty term that church officials throw around to make themselves feel important. Most of us could more easily define what bio-technical engineering or network administrating is than spiritual formation. Fortunately for us, the meaning of the word is no where near as complicated as it sounds.
When it comes down to it, Christian spiritual formation is the process of by which a person’s life gets formed into the image of Jesus. This sounds simple enough in until we consider that divorce rates, addictions and sinful behaviors among those inside the church are approximately the same as those outside the church. Many desire to grow and mature in their walk with Christ, but surprisingly few know how. How does a person’s life get formed into the likeness Jesus? This is a good question. I want to dispel some common misconceptions we have about how spiritual formation takes place in our life. Below is the first of three common misconceptions that we have about how we are formed into the likeness of Christ.

Misconception #1 “The right knowledge and information will make me like Jesus”.

While Bible knowledge is pertinent to spiritual formation, knowledge alone cannot transform us. We have often confused knowing more about Jesus with becoming like Jesus. When I was working with college students, each year we’d tackle a ropes course. Now, before beginning the course each student would receive adequate knowledge about how to traverse the course and how completely safe the course was. Despite all of this solid information from experienced and trustworthy guides, once the students stood on a small platform 40 feet in the air, knowledge and information alone couldn’t transform their terrified hearts. Their heads might have thought “this is safe”, but the rest of their body was screaming “Get me down, this is nuts”. Information has the power to inform, but is powerless to transform. The only way to achieve success on a ropes course is through the experience of actually doing it. You see, there’s always an experiential element to God’s shaping us into His image. He calls us not only to know, but to trust, to risk, to routinely act upon that which we know in our heads to be true. One area that we are continually building into our lives here at Hayward Wesleyan is the experiential element. As teachers we’re no longer only asking, “what do I want people to know”? But also, we’re asking “how can we provide experiences that help people apply what they’ve just learned to everyday life experiences”? Rick Warren probably summed it up most vividly. He says, “Information without application is abortion”. As the seed of knowledge and information is sown into our hearts, may we cultivate it into completion by crafting the truths into daily life circumstances so that we “grow up in all aspects into Him” (Ephesians 4:15).

Misconception #2 “Positive, ‘feel good’ experiences will best make me like Jesus”.

Oh how I wish! A large American church recently did a poll that contained the following question. “Think about an era in your life when you felt like you were growing most spiritually. What factor most contributed to that growth?” In this simple survey the number one answer was overwhelmingly “Pain!” While we all enjoy “feel good” moments in life, the hardships and difficulties we experience are often the highest contributors to our spiritual growth. Thus, the old adage “No pain, no gain” really is true.
Because of the influence of our culture, many well intending Christians have bought into the fallacy that God’s primary function in this world is to produce as little discomfort in our life as possible. God is our God as long as things are going swell, yet when we hit some painful bumps along the journey we wonder why God has abandoned us. This type of thinking is simply not biblical. The Bible teaches that while God is not the author of pain, He does allow us to go through painful and difficult times to help us become more like Christ. So, what is it specifically about the nature of pain that helps us to grow spiritually? Pain helps us to grow because it reminds us of two very important things in becoming like Christ.
First, pain reminds us that we are vulnerable. Pain has a way of exposing the feeble, frail and finite side of life. Where there is little or no discomfort in life we can subtly begin thinking that we are invulnerable and in complete control in this world. I remember when my son Caleb was one and a half and learning to climb stairs. I still remember the little guy with pacifier in hand smiling and swaggering from the top step as if the forces of gravity had no control over him. Having had no prior context of pain associated with falling, he actually thought he was invulnerable. The reality was that he was flirting with disaster. So, despite our constant warnings to our little humpty dumpty, one day, when mom and dad couldn’t protect him, he had his great fall. Fortunately it was only from the third step, not the thirteenth! Of course, this painful incident reminded him that he’s only human after all. The painful bruises and bumps of life remind us that we are not ultimately in control. The pain that we experience in life helps us to grow in ways we never would without it. C.S. Lewis once penned that “God whispers in our pleasure and screams in our pain.”

Second, pain reminds us that we need outside assistance in order to become whole again. From the irritating toothache, to the broken and crumbling marriage, painful experiences create within us a desire to seek outside help like nothing else. Pain brings us to the point where we recognize that healing and wholeness cannot come from within, but must be sought through an outside source. So often it’s precisely our discomfort that forces us to take action…to change our perspective…to seek outside help. As I write I think of my good friend Tim Young who suffers from chronic back problems that include constant tinges of pain that shoot through his lower back down into his legs resulting in often agonizing days and sleepless nights. The doctors prognosis is that little can be done. He recently shared with me that it is precisely his pain that has taught him to seek harder after God and to be sustained by Him on a moment by moment basis. Tim’s pain and discomfort in his life remind me of another man who was very familiar with pain. The apostle Paul. Paul talks openly about a “thorn in his flesh” that he struggled with in life (II Corinthians 12). In II Corinthians 12:10 Paul comes to the conclusion that “when I am weak, then I am strong”. In other words, through the weakness of our personal predicament we are reminded that we have the outside assistance of a God that’s promised to grant us the grace we need to get by no matter what difficulty life may throw at us.
Like it or not. Pain has a big part to play in forming us in Christ-likeness. Peter concurs. “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner” (I Peter 4:12-13 The Message).

Misconception #3 “Trying real hard to do what is right will make me like Jesus.”

Now at first glance this seems like a good idea. Trying real hard at something is no doubt a positive step. However, speaking from personal experience I know that trying alone won’t lead us into Christian maturity. There is a far more successful way to overcome obstacles in life than merely trying. It is called training. In fact the Bible speaks about training as a normal part of the Christian life. Paul compares the Christian life to a race and says, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training” (I Corinthians. 9:25). He later urges Timothy, “Train yourself in godliness” (I Timothy 4:7). Jesus says that “every disciple when fully trained will become like his master” (Luke 6:40). Most of us have been taught to try real hard in the Christian life, but have we been taught to train effectively? Let’s answer two basic questions surrounding this idea of training. First, why is training so valuable to maturing as a Christian? And second, what does training look like in everyday circumstances?
Training is important to success in every area of life. Take the American Birkebeiner, the largest Cross-country ski race in North America located up here in Hayward, Wisconsin. It boasts of 51 grueling kilometers of hilly trails. How many of us would be able to ski the Birkie on race day simply on will power alone? Perhaps a few could. However, for the vast majority of us will power alone wouldn’t cut it. We’d poop out half way or injure a body part along the way. In order to finish the race training would be essential. That’s because training allows us to become what we cannot become by direct effort alone. The same is true in the Christian experience. Without training our hearts, minds and bodies to routinely submit in obedience to God we’re sure to fail. We see this so clearly at Gethsemane. It’s Jesus’ final hour. If ever he needed prayer partners it was at this point. His three friends Peter, James and John are with him to support him, keep watch and pray for him. Here these three are in the middle of the most climactic scene in human history . . .and what are they doing? Sleeping! Jesus approaches them in their groggy state and whispers, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”. Now I’m sure these three disciples were trying to stay awake. Their spirits were willing; however they obviously had not trained their flesh in such a way as to experience victory. How many areas of our lives that are marked by habitual sins, bad habits or immoral choices might we internally scream, “the spirit is willing, but my flesh is so weak!”
We all want to experience victory and reach maturity in all areas of our life. However, many never reach maturity in the Christian life and it’s not because of lack of trying. However, it’s often due to a lack of training. Jesus, the disciples and the early church fathers embraced the importance of training in the Christian life. It’s not until recent times that we’ve fallen captive to the notion that quick-fixes can replace hard training (sort of like what we’ve done with dieting and all of those TV infomercials on exercisingJ). Quick-fixes cannot replace consistent training. The training regimens Christians have used throughout the centuries are known as the spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are practices that help to strengthen our hearts, minds and bodies for the battles of life. Prayer for integrity on the way to work . . . studying the book of Philippians to learn how to embrace joy . . . spending time alone with God in silence of a still woods, . . fasting from something that I normally indulge in to teach me moderation and dependency on God . . . serving a neighbor in need when I’d rather serve myself . . . living simply by having the courage to say “no” to those things that wish to steal time with the family . . . All of these practices (and there are many more) help us overcome sin and live a life pleasing to God. Like physical exercise, each spiritual discipline helps develop different parts of us in different ways. As Dallas Willard states, “The spiritual disciplines help us by assisting the ways of God’s kingdom to take the place of the habits of sin embedded in our bodies.” The good athlete trains in light of the contest that he/she will be facing. He/She recognizes that there will be a test ahead and much training will be necessary in order to experience victory. Trying really hard on game day alone will not suffice. Our lives are quite similar. There are tests ahead that will challenge our honesty, integrity, courage, self-control, patience, fidelity and faith. In life we can assume that these things are coming. The question is how we are preparing for the day when we are tested. As a teacher of mine used to say, “Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail”. There’s much truth here. May our lives be characterized by preparation for the tests through a consistent process of training.

How concerned are we...?

2009-02-05T10:38:00.003-06:00

How concerned are we about the whole person?
Do we talk about the difficult topics? or do we hide from them? The more that I get to know people the more that I realize that we are all a broken down person that is in need of relationship with Jesus.

One of the topics that I have been kind of running from over the last couple of years within the Youth ministry is Sex and Dating. Why? because I was concerned about what parents would say and I was concerned about the maturity of the students to handle a topic and discussion such as that. I think the better concern is not for the parents or for the maturity issue that I was concerned about - but it is about the whole person and what God's desire is for that person. I think that is better in the long run.

It took me too long to get here but it has been so worth it to be real and be okay with it. If God is putting it on your heart go for and don't be apologetic - follow God's leading.

Hillsong United "Mighty To Save"

2008-10-22T10:03:00.001-05:00

Just Sharing with you all a song that has encouraged me this morning.

Sharing their possessions. . .

2008-05-05T09:30:00.006-05:00

This weekend a couple of our small groups combined efforts to host a garage sale for a family in my group that was in financial need.

The experience allowed the several families involved to more intentionally practice the necessary discipline of "purging" stuff from their lives (and, boy we all have lots of STUFF!) It also allowed us to benefit from what Paul calls the "grace of giving" (ponder the paradox of that statement for a while).

We raised $400 for this family. This amount won't necessarily cover their needs, or solve their problems, but hopefully it helps solidify our love for them and provide for their daily bread this week.

We are a culture that are sub-consciously taught to embrace our stuff tighter than we embrace one another. As Christ-followers our intention is to continually trade in our foolish preoccupation with the "high-tech" world of stuff for something more substantive and lasting. . . the "high-touch" world of Jesus.

A simple garage sale helped us to reorient this dimension of our lives this week.

A New Earth

2008-04-23T10:05:00.003-05:00

I've been reading a book called "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. Oprah has been recommending this book and a couple of million of people worldwide are currently doing an online course. I chose to pick it up in part because the title "A New Earth" is a phrase borrowed from the pages of Scripture. Also, I knew that the book promoted a certain "worldview" (a belief system about the world in which we live)and I was curious to see if the belief system proposed in the book looked anything like Biblical Christianity. Well, I'm not quite finished with the book yet, but can say with certainty that the book is not starting from a decidely Christian worldview (although many aspects of the book touch on teachings and behaviors that Christians would agree with). I view Tolle sort of standing amidst a religious smorgersborgue and is arbitrarily picking and choosing which ideas and beliefs he'll choose to feast upon and which he will ignore. So he ends up with a worldview platter that consists of a spoonful of Buddhism, a portion of Christianity, a sprinkling of Hinduism and a side dish of Naturalism. One might look at the healthy portion of Christianity and think "sure, this is coming from a Christian perspective." However, this is simply not the case. Some of the most foundational truths in Christian thought (i.e. the atonement/Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection as the way to inner life and peace) simply are not part of Tolle's worldview.

Greg Boyd's book review blog on "A New Earth" that I recently read points out some of the major "red flags" that I had as well. Christians should be aware of as they pick up this book what aspects of it simply doesn't jive with the teachings of Jesus and the Scriptures. It's a little heady, but worth the read. Here's the link. Enjoy.

http://gregboyd.blogspot.com/2008/04/echhart-tolles-new-earth-book-review.html

On Earth Day

2008-04-23T08:33:00.006-05:00

I think that celebrating Earth Day is fantastic. It's like honoring the work of a great artist. Whether or not we have a relationship with an artist when we step into a gallery and take in the breath-taking creativity we gain, in some way, a deeper appreciation and connection to the artist. Romans 1 reminds us that the creation itself reveals to the world the hands of an artist whose powerful and divine brushstrokes have left their marks everywhere.

Earth Day encourages us to honor the earth. . .and I believe we should honor it, but not as an end to itself. As we gaze upon the created splender it resonates honor and glory. But, it speaks not of itself. No, it simply reflects all honor and glory back to the one whom the honor and glory is really due. Indeed, the creation points to something much larger than itself.

Below is one of my favorite poems that I learned as a youth. I'm trying to have my boys memorize it.

Maker of Heaven and Earth (All Things Bright and Beautiful)

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures, great and small
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings;

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden
He made them every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water
We gather every day,

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well

Cecil Francis Alexander 1818 - 1895

Alpha: Head, Hearts, Hands, Habits

2008-04-21T09:22:00.005-05:00

The Spiritual Formation Department has a four-fold emphasis in helping bring people to maturity in Christ. It's Head, Hearts, Hands and Habits. When each of these areas of the self is operating under the direction and headship of Christ, transformation becomes not only possible, but normative.

Now, I would be the first to say that no program or class has the power to bring about transformation. Transformation is the work of the Spirit alone. However, God does use tools to accomplish his purpose. And, Alpha has been such an effective tool in our church in helping to bring "head, hearts, hands and habits" under one umbrella. Let me explain.

Head: The Alpha Course offers weekly teachings that help people with no faith or who are new to their faith grow in the knowledge of God. Basic questions of life like "who is Jesus" , "why did He die" , "how should I pray" and "what is the church" are addressed. They help stimulate the mind to understand more about why faith in Christ matters.

Heart: After the talk each week, Alpha participants have a small group that they meet with for one hour. They stick in the same group with the same people for the eleven weeks of Alpha. During this time relationships are birthed. I always say that in Alpha, belonging actually proceeds belief. They feel included and embraced whether or not they have yet believed on Christ. And, that's the way it should be.

People's questions are un-earthed in a safe and nurturing environment. In the group setting head knowledge begins to mesh with heart conditions. It's not uncommon during an Alpha Course to have a person place their faith in Christ for the first time. Or have a group come out of a session passing klenexes and sharing hugs. I seen many a heart "strangely warmed" in the small group settings over the course of the last four Alpha Courses. It is truly beautiful.

Habits: Habits are birthed for the first time during Alpha. First, the habit of just coming to the course begins to set in motion the discipline of community. Then, usually by week five or six I've seen many folks begin attempting daily devotions. During the weekend away retreat, folks begin engaging the discipline of solitude and prayer for the first time ever. Almost always without any encouragement from me, folks begin attending church regularly and they start engaging in more fellowship with others more on Sunday mornings. These disciplines aren't practiced in a posture of personal peity or moral superiority, they are implemented out of a desire to change....to become a different person that looks more like Jesus.

Hands: Hands remind us that Christ came to serve humanity. We need LOTS of volunteers to run the Alpha Course. Everything from kitchen help to child care, to small group leaders and helpers to musicians. It's a daunting undertaking. However, one of the "rules" of the program is that once you have gone through the course, you can only be involved in the next course as a person who serves. So, this year's Alpha was so cool because a large portion of my volunteer base were folks who came to last year's Alpha Course. New believers, but eager Alpha veterans, this year's team of volunteers did childcare, helped in the kitchen, were small group helpers and took huge chunks of administrative responsibilities. Old, callosed hands of those who have been in Jesus many years grasped the baby hands of newborns in Christ who have been in our church less than a year and served along side one another for a common goal and all were blessed.

If you are a church interested in integrating head, hearts, hands and habits together in one effective program, I'd encourage you to check out Alpha.

Learning to write with the other hand

2008-04-17T09:42:00.004-05:00

The process of Christlikeness is counter-intuitive. It goes against the grain of the fabric of self and our ego. Usually, for a new Christian whose set on following Jesus things get real messy before they get better.

Imagine a right-handed person penning their own autobiography. In the middle of the story a doctor diagnoses this person with severe arthritics in their right hand. It's debilitating and will create permenant paralysis if the writing continues. The only solution is to stop using that hand. "But", the eager writer pleads, "I'm in the middle of penning my life story. I can't quit now."

Now, imagine if the only sensible solution is that the author continue writing, but simply switch hands. This situation would call for him to learn to write using his left hand instead.

So, he surrenders to the doctors orders, dies to the use of his right-hand and places the pen in the other hand.

As he sits down to write, it feels quite awkward. It's uncomfortable. It takes intention and effort and energy and patience. The story he's writing continues, but looks messy on paper. It seems so terribly inefficient and stifling. There is daily temptation to go back to the old hand. Yet, the writer knows that despite the initial limitations and discomforts, it's the pathway to liberation and healing.

I think this is what it's like when we Embark on the Journey towards Christ. Following Jesus is like having to learn how to write (live) in a brand new way. It's not only difficult, but in many ways it disrupts and transforms the story we're penning all at once.

As a church, we must be highly intentional regarding those who are new disciples of Christ. For them their orientation must change. The way of Jesus is so clear and so confusing at the same time. People need guides and pathways to help them on this journey. At Hayward Wesleyan we have developed a course called Embarking on the Journey to help folks understand how Jesus is calling us to live in a way that seems counter-intuitive to all that we have known before.

There is nothing more rewarding for me than to be part of this intentional process. How does your congregation help folks learn write with the other hand?

The subversive way of Jesus

2008-04-16T15:15:00.009-05:00

"Our Lord, when he wanted His disciples to grasp
the meaning of His pending death and resurrection did not give his followers a theory or a lecture. He gave them a meal".

What significance does this have to you?

Why a meal? Why not a theory or a lecture?

What might this say about our Lord?

On the church

2008-04-14T14:28:00.002-05:00

What we think about when we think about the church matters. Growing up there were two misconceptions I used to have about church that tainted my view of my God, my self and others.

1. The church as a particular place. As a good Irish Catholic kid I used to believe that the church was a really holy 'place' held up by four walls. The church was a destination you frequented on Easter and Christmas and maybe a few other times out of the year if you were a good kid. Simply stated, the church was a particular place, not a peculiar people. One of the first things that I started realizing when I was baptized into Christ is that the church was a living, breathing entity. It was a organic community. It had a pulse and was on the move. . .in specific times and places (usually not inside those four walls) the church actually felt like a living human body or like a really big family. How exciting when I begin reading the Bible only to find that these were the precise metaphors Paul uses to describe the church.

2. The church as a gated community. After we left the Catholic church, we joined a "Bible believing" church. Although I have much good to say about this particular body of believers I definately began believing that the church was a gated community. You know those really rich homes that lie within suburban cul-de-sacs behind rought iron fences. Gated communities have always reminded me of places where the bad is quarentined to the outside and all the good is possessed by the few who have the privilidge to be an insider. In my experience for a season of my Christian walk it sort of felt like maybe the church was just one big gated community. Keep the bad out and the good in. Only problem with that paradigm is well....Jesus. Jesus liked to tear down rought iron fences of religiousity and self-righteousness. In fact, he was always wandering too far outside the fence. He even said that he came for the sick, the blind, the lame and the outsider. So, maybe the church isn't as much a gated community as it is a hospital. It's a place for the sick and dying to come and receive new life and health. Perhaps some are in the ICU, some are in surgery, some are in recovery, some in labor and some in physical therapy. But, the hospital is no respector of persons. It takes anyone with any problem at any time. It's a place where sickness and remedy come together. Where brokeness is replaced with wholeness. I like the metaphor as the church as a hospital. A hospital sounds a lot more exciting and more transformational than a gated city in the burbs.

On the Wrong Side of the Tracks

2007-06-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

My brother-in-law Tim loves Jesus as much as anyone that I've ever met. His life is full of grace and ease even though he pastors a church in one of the roughest areas of Atlanta and deals with overwhelming obstacles on a daily basis. He always challenges me to take a deeper look at poverty and racial reconciliation from a Jesus standpoint.

Whenever I'm brave enough to open my eyes to peer in the direction of such injustices, I find Jesus in that place staring back at me. He mourns and suffers along with the oppressed. It discomforts me to see Jesus on the "other side" of the proverbial "tracks". I mean after all, I am a disciple which means that I'm supposed to be with Jesus, right? So, why am I not with Him? Why the chasm between he and I? Why don't I want to follow Him into the place of injustice and suffering and oppression? Why does Jesus cross the tracks, when I refuse to leave my place of comfort?

Many American Christians think discipleship is about bringing Jesus with you wherever you go. But, that's not the call of Jesus! His call is to follow Him wherever He goes. And when I read my Bible I'm finding that Jesus goes into some pitifully painful places.

So, this week He has cleared my vision enough to see that He is staring back at me as I look into the eyes of those from the other side of the tracks. Although it shatters my plans for where I want to take Jesus, maybe I'll cross over and see where Jesus might want to take me.

Postscript:

Shane Claiborne's irresistible read called "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an ordinary radical" has been like oxygen to my soul and has challenged me towards a more centered life of discipleship. My brother-in-law, who is an ordinary radical in his own right, gave me a copy of Shane's book. It's rich and deeply challenging. Those who are honed into a domesticated version of American Christianity might think that Shane is out of his mind. However, those same people probably would have thought that Mother Theresa, Francis of Assisi and Jesus himself were crazy too. Read it if you get a chance.

It's high time that social justice and communal life made it's way back into our concept of discipleship. No doubt that these areas were central to Wesley's concept of discipleship.

Receiving the Day

2007-06-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

Today I didn't work hard. I did not save any souls that I'm aware of. And, if you define ministry through a narrow lens, I guess I didn't do any of that either. But, I got to go on a ferry ride. I drove a 4x4 on the pristine beaches of Ocracoke Island and looked for shells with my son Jackson. We even found a sand dollar in almost perfect condition. You should have saw the look on his eyes as he discovered this rare ocean artifact. I had a great bowl of Seafood Gumbo for lunch and topped off the afternoon with icecream. It was fun watching Kate eat a chocolate cone in a big rocking chair. Her smile was huge...and her belly was even bigger when she had finished her treat. Yea, I guess this wasn't a "productive" day by some people's standards. But, the cool thing is that I fulfilled a divine mandate yesterday. I truly rested. I experienced what few folks and even fewer ministers experience on Sundays, or any other day for that matter...sabbath.

One of the cultural sins of our time is that we are a people who do not understand the gift of Sabbath. The Jewish scholar Abraham Heschel speaks of our need to "sancitify time". Most of us have learned to run and run as if we are continually racing against time. I think we have stripped time of its sacred quality. Time has become only that which we "use" to get things done. It has become a necessary evil that we are forced to compete against daily. Even our recreational lives and down-time becomes stressful because of how we race against the clock.

But time is more than something we use. I think God intended us to view time as a precious gift. Time is not something that we have to chase down and pursue or constantly catch up with. It does not allude us. It is presently available to us in each moment. What a cool gift.

It's the spirit of Sabbath that allows us to receive each moment as gift given to us by the Giver of All Good Gifts (which is a great name for God!).

Yesterday, I recieved the day as a gift. I went into my day with a sabbath mindset. And, I received the day. And, in receiving the day, I received something deep and satisfying from my Lord. What a special day it was.

A great book on this topic that I read within the last year is Receiving the Day by Dorothy Bass. If you struggle with Sabbath keeping and continually standing against time instead of living in harmony with it...this is a must read.

http://www.amazon.com/Receiving-Day-Christian-Practices-Opening/dp/0787956473

If you haven't received the gift of Sabbath, remember God has made it available. Embrace it.

On the Body

2007-05-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

I recently wrote this in an email to a friend, confessing to him that I'm way too harsh on the church sometimes:

"I've been guilty recently of being too harsh and cynical of the church. Sometimes, I wonder if it hurts Jesus when I am so frustrated and sick of his church. It is HIS body after all. And he still loves her...with all her quirks, failures, imperfections and ugliness. It's easy to be critical of the church and it's problems, until I realize that one of her problems might just be me!

I want to look at broad brush strokes and sweeping trends in the culture of the American church and criticize her accordingly. But rarely want to do put my own life through such an analysis! As I look in the mirror I am mindful of how little I spend time in prayer and fasting and weeping on behalf of Christ's body, and am floored at the realization that this is precisely what I condemn the universal church for not doing.

One of the verses of Scripture that has provoked me deeply is Paul's mysterious words in Colossians 1:24. He writes, "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, which is the church".

Instead of throwing rocks through at a glass church that is feeble and frail and such an easy target of criticism, Paul realizes that his own life is not divorced from the life of the church. So instead of analyzing the gaps in the church as a whole, he looks at his own life and contributions. He concludes that his own blood, sweat and tears are somehow helping to fill in the gaps of what's still lacking in the body of Christ. Instead of handing out blows towards the church, he is willing to receive blows on her behalf, realizing that the weight of his own suffering is in some mysterious way being used by God to make the church what she should be.

Perhaps God is calling me to lay down the ax I have to grind and pick up the cross I'm called to bear. Paul seems to be responsible for Paul. The responsibility of the church at large, well, he leaves that responsibility to Jesus.

So, throughout my day today, I'll continue to wrestle with a church flooded with American consumerism, entertainment-based faith, organizational Christianity, people with deep pockets but shallow hearts, mediocrity, comfortability and self-obsession. Yes, this is the American church at her worst...and perhaps in some cases at her best. But, I don't want my legacy to be a cranky critic who played a good game of arm-chair theology about all that's wrong with the church today.

Rather, I would like to be like Paul. A man able to respond to a church still lacking, by believing that IF I give my all, Jesus will use my life towards the greater good of His Body...even if that doesn't happen in my own lifetime. So, pray that I don't become another cynic of the church. Rather, I want to go deeper down in my belief in God and my quest to listen to Him and be full of His Spirit. Today I am hoping that just as Jesus gave His body for my life, that I would be able to give my life for His Body".

Footprints of Discipleship

2007-05-29T10:50:00.000-05:00

Here is a reading that I came across, it follows Heath's post very nicely.

Enjoy!

Written by Max Lucado - Inspirational Study Bible

"Watch a small boy follow his dad through the snow. He stretches to step where his dad stepped. Not an easy task. His small legs extend as far as they can so his feet can fall in his father's prints.
The father, seeing what the son is doing, smiles and begins taking shorter steps, so the son can follow.
It's a picture of discipleship.
In our faith we follow in someone's steps. A parent, a teacher, a hero - none of are the first to walk the trail. All of us have someone we follow.
In our faith we leave footprints to guide others. A child, a friend, a recent convert. None should be left to walk the trail alone.
It's the principle of discipleship."

Who are you Discipling?

2007-05-17T08:16:00.000-05:00

Who are you currently discipling? Does a specific face and name come immediately to your mind?

I'm not referring to simply someone that takes part in a church program that you are part of...I'm not referring to a Tuesday morning Bible Study that someone happens to attend or a Sunday school class you share with another.

I mean, who are you intentionally and personally discipling in the kingdom of God? Whose life is meshing with your own? Who are you currently apprenticing?

If there was no program or church service or mission project to fall back on, is there at least one person that you could honestly say, "Yeah, I'm regularly apprenticing this person in the ways of Jesus."

We must remember that we don't reproduce what we do...we reproduce who we are. Invest your life into people and discipleship relationships and you will reproduce within that person someone who will also invest his/her life into people and discipleship relationships.

Living and Yearning

2007-04-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

“If you want to build a ship, don’t summon people to buy wood, prepare tools, distribute jobs, and organize the work, rather teach people the yearning for the wide, boundless ocean”.

For too long the church has attempted to build ships (the methods of ministry) before they have adequately learned to yearn for the wide, boundless ocean ( the vision of the God's kingdom).

Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy points out that Jesus' eyes envisioned a God-bathed, God-permeated world. Chapter three of Willard's classic is worth the price of the book, and is a must read for any Christian who is serious about following Jesus. There is little doubt that Jesus' craving to sail the high seas of His father's kingdom was insatiable desire that drove all that he said and did. With such a desire, building the ship sort of becomes a natural process.

Perhaps our greatest task in spiritual formation is to bring people back to that place of yearning for the wide, boundless ocean. The current problem in most churches is one of vision. I've seen folks be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, beginning to catch Jesus' vision of the kingdom, only to be encouraged by the church “to buy wood, prepare tools and distribute jobs”.

As a result, ship building becomes more of an obligation than a delightful joy.
We must give attention within our churches to re-imagining what God's own life is like, and then just set there for a while and bask in the reality of His vastness and goodness and justness and love.

We must recognize how indispensible this yearning. . .this ferocious desire to explore the vast, boundless ocean is. Everything begins and ends here.

So how badly are you craving it?

Why Wholeness Matters

2007-04-10T15:53:00.000-05:00

Wholeness makes a difference. It definitely would have on the night of December 15, 1967 over the Ohio River Valley.

On this fateful night the Silver Bridge, a 2,235 foot two lane eye–bar suspension bridge plummeted in the Ohio River killing 46 individuals and wounding dozens more. Evidently after 39 years of standing strong and offer faithful travel across the river, this bridge without warning, “collapsed like a deck of cards” one onlooker commented. In the wake of the tragedy inspectors took inventory on what went wrong. There finding was astonishing.

There was no major malfunction in the beams. Rather, “The cause of failure". . .read this highlighted portion. . . "was attributed to a cleavage fracture in the lower limb of eye-bar 330 at joint C13N of the north eye-bar suspension chain in the Ohio side span." The fracture was caused from a minute crack formed during the casting of the steel eye-bar!

Over the years, stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue allowed the crack to grow, causing the failure of the entire structure. The issue was simply one of integrity and wholeness. Even though 99% of the bridge might have been good, it was NOT whole, and hence could not stand.

I think our lives are a lot like the Silver Bridge. There are tiny fault lines within. Due to pain, fear and the brokenness of our sin, our natural tendency is to live divided lives. The word integrity literally means whole, complete, integrated. To have integrity means to live our lives in a way that is consistent and without division. In essence, we are the same person no matter who we are with, what hat we are wearing or what pressures we are under.

I have found that both community and solitude are indispensible spiritual disciplines in discovering those areas where I lack integrity. Solitude gives time for soul inspection. During this quiet moments I become aware of those areas where my integrity is lacking. Community allows others to detect weakness within that I don't see myself. In my life, healthy doses of community and solitude have been essential to avoiding disaster.

2007-04-09T12:07:00.000-05:00

"Life is the destiny you are bound to refuse until you have consented to die."

-W.H. Auden, "For the Time Being"

Take about half a day and chew on this quote. Then swallow it. Then begin digesting it. Warning: Doing so may turn your world upside down.

Of course, that's Jesus intent. His parodoxical life and death redefines everything. Our biggest hangup with parodox is not Jesus embraced it as a way of life. No, our biggest hangup is that he has called us to embrace it too.

2007-04-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

Acts 17: 26,27 says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

He is not far from each one of us. The distance man’s soul and God is not far. God's hand is eternally reaching out. It stretches and lingers in the air, waiting for us to grasp on….if only we’d reach out.

Sometimes in Christian circles we use the phrase “God showed up” to describe a time when we sensed God’s presence or His spirit in our lives. Christians may use this after a significant church service or a great time of worship. Personally, I think this phrase is misleading and downright bad theology.

Scripture teaches the imminent availability of God. He’s always around. He is a God who is with us. In reality, those “God showed up” moments are really a reflection of times that we showed up to welcome a God who is available and waiting. A.W. Tozer says that God is "waiting to be wanted". God has shown through His suffering and death that he would rather die than live without us. The question is do we really want Him?

The process of spiritual formation begins when we take the time and energy to reach outward towards a God that is continually reaching towards us. After all, He really isn't far from each one of us.

Evaluation of a Kiss?

2007-03-16T17:37:00.000-05:00

I recently came across this article from my college days during preparation for a recent seminar study. I thought it would be a fun, yet challenging post.

By definition, a kiss is two sets of mandibles pressed together for certain duration of time, with the occasional exchange of some digestive fluids. Is this definition correct? Yes, technically this definition is true. However, it is so untrue! One misses the passion and intimacy that attend a kiss between two star-crossed lovers. In the Princess Bride, there were three kisses that were rated the most passionate in history, however, the kiss between Wesley and Princess Buttercup left them all behind. The attempt to describe a kiss cannot be merely a technical, empirical enterprise. The description requires a sense of art, a bonding of the human experience with matters of the heart. Scientific quantification leaves behind the depth and richness of an experience if art is neglected. According to Elliot Eisner, a holistic view of evaluation should include a binocular lens—both lenses are needed to “see,” however, the second lens is necessary to capture the depth of vision. If a monocular was used one could still “see,” yet at the cost of depth.

Matters of the heart are critical in the development of teaching and the process of evaluation. Eisner notes: “Through the arts we have an opportunity to participate vicariously in the lives of others, to acquire an emphatic understanding of situations, and therefore to know them in ways that only the arts can reveal.” The language of the arts, in association with educational connoisseurship, holistically completes the evaluative process and opens up an exciting array of possibilities in the practice of teaching.

It should be noted that discursive, scientific language is crucial to evaluation. “Educational programs should be purposeful; therefore, they should have goals” (Eisner). The function of evaluation is to determine whether these goals have been realized. When goals are specific and measurable, it is not a difficult matter to then conclude whether the stated objectives, outcomes, and goals have been achieved. Parents, teachers, and administrators would then have very concrete assessment of what is happening within a classroom, which is necessary and beneficial. One thing is lacking, however, if an evaluator singularly focuses on quantifying the outcomes. He or she overlooks the panorama and depth that connoisseurship implies and offers. Most objective evaluators ignore educational connoisseurship because of the complexity and ambiguity that are precociously attached to its application. Consequently, “the interpretation and appraisal of educational events are impoverished” (Eisner). Educational progress is thus subject to malnourishment when educational connoisseurship is not applied.

Eisner defines connoisseurship as “the art of appreciation. To be a connoisseur is to know how to look, to see, and to appreciate.” In the film, Dead Poets Society, actor Robin Williams emphatically teaches, “we read and write poetry, not because we have to; but because we are member of the human race.” Appreciation of connoisseurship not only relates to literature, but more deeply to the realm of human existence and feelings. There is something inherent in all of humanity in regard to matters of the heart. Passion, love, intrigue, desire, drive, and courage, are not measurable or categorical objectives. These qualities grab the human soul. Eisner discloses: “To reveal these particulars, to capture these ‘essences,’ one must not only perceive their existence but also be able to create a form that intimates, discloses, reveals, imparts, suggests, implies their existence.” The author goes on to say that the use of metaphor is a “centrally important device.”

Metaphorical language used in the teaching process and throughout the implementation of evaluative procedures, provides a vehicle necessary to widen and deepen the course of evaluation. It is this second lens of the binocular that is crucially needed in educational evaluation. Teaching using the practice of metaphors implies a flavor of life that is sometimes only described by a human experience rather than concrete facts and descriptions. Going back to the example of a kiss, one could make a convincing case for the technical explanation of the passionate embrace, but then he or she would miss the account altogether. A kiss entails much more than two lips coming together. Emotions, whole selves, and passions are brought together under an intimate exchange. Metaphorical usages engage the whole being—facts amidst real human experience.

The artistic side of education, or life for that matter, involves the appreciative aspect of not only quantifiable evidences scientific in nature, but equally the flavor of real human experiences and matters of the heart. Looking through the binoculars causes an evaluator to “see” holistically the evaluative process and the needs current systems are neglecting. Using the language of the arts and connoisseurship completes the evaluative process.

The redemption of. . .Everything?

2007-03-07T08:15:00.000-06:00

"To suggest that the sin of man so corrupted his creation that God cannot fix it but can only junk it in favor of some other world is to say that ultimately the kingdom of evil is more powerful than the kingdom of God. It makes sin more powerfulthan redemption, and Satan the victor over God. Reducing the gospel to a strictly spiritual dimension of human existence concedes everything outside of that dimension to the enemy."

-- Michael D. Williams, Far as the Curse is Found: The Covenant Story of Redemption (2005)

One of the great truths that I've embraced over the past ten years or so in a real way is the simple fact that the gospel does more than just redeem man's heart. The good news that God delivers through His son Jesus is that God is making aright all that is wrong with the world. His intent is to redeem all of creation and reverse the effects of the fall. The kingdom of God should never be reduced to some place that's outside of the time/space universe as we know it. The deep truth of the incarnation is that God in the form of Jesus has landed in enemy-occupied territory and is seeking to take back what was rightly His to begin with. C.S. Lewis hits on this kind of holistic redemption when he speaks of Aslan's return to Narnia in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It's like Aslan's presence begins changing everything. Not just the allegience of those held captive in Narnia. . .but Narnia itself begins to wonderously change. In the same way, the presence of Jesus on earth displays the good news that God is at work healing all the physical ills of this world and even reversing the affects of a world that held in bondage to death. This is why physical resurrection is so powerful. In Jesus both the physical and non-physcial curse of the fall (death) has been reversed. The gospel is powerfully at work redeeming ALL things.

What impact does this understanding play in how we view the physical world around us? our earth? Our own bodies? If the gospel is not relegated exclusively to the non-physical realm, what implications does this have in our physical lives?

2007-02-28T17:52:00.000-06:00

What John Found in Solitude

My mom works with juvinille felons. She loves her work although it's tough. She also learns a lot about life and human nature as she interacts with folks on the other side of the fence (barbedwire fence that is).

Recently while in a prison she told me of a conversation that she had with a man named John. John was imprisoned for theft. After attempting a priosn break he was removed from general population of the prison and placed into solitary confinement. John's life was confined to isolation in one cramped cell for 23 hours a day every day. Apparently during this time in confinement he did some soul searching.

One day he confessed to my mom, "While in solitary confinement everyday, all day, the thought finally occurred to me that the mess I'm in may not be everyone elses fault. It might actually be my own fault."

"That's an important realization", mom replied, wanting to affirm the fact that he was owning up to his wrong doing.

"So, how long in solitary did it take you to realize this", mom naturally inquired.

John looked at her with a blank stare and replied, "I guess that thought occurred to me somewhere in my fourth year of solitary confinement."

Think about that for a moment. It took a grown man sitting alone for 23 hours a day, for 1460 days. . .that's 33,580 hours of wall-to-wall aloneness to finally begin to own up to the evil within!

Now, I'm not here to judge. Are any of our hearts any different? Without the grace of God, none of us are capable of owning up to any of our junk.

The deeper truth that I took from my conversation with mom is a reminder of the deceptive nature of the human soul. Even when we are alone, we want to look any place. . .at brick and mortor. . .at a flies buzzing around. . .at the bars we're held captive by. . .any place and every place but within. Eventually, John either had no place else to look or God used the alone time to force him to look at himself. Probably it was both. All I know is that somewhere in his fourth year of exile his eyes opened in a new and fresh way and his soul followed suit.

Looking deep within. Owning our junk. Viewing our old lives in a new way. This is what John found in solitude.

2007-02-08T09:15:00.001-06:00

Discipleship at a Turtle's Pace

As the pastor of discipleship at Hayward Wesleyan, I am mindful at how painfully slow people's pilgrimages to the cross are! It seems that we are a people who are perpetually in a hurry. Yet the one destination that cannot be rushed, manipulated or short-cutted is the cross. People must take up their own cross in their own time. There are no programs, curriculum, sermon series, or other well-intended ideas that can do it for people. Perhaps the fact that there are no quick-fixes to become like Christ is what makes the journey so undesirable to so many. Whatever the case, I know one thing. . . what we have been given from God, we MUST offer to others! As disciplers we cannot force anyone to become like Jesus. But, you can take up your own cross and encourage those in your sphere of influence to take up theirs too. You can call people to the journey, and offer them pathways towards transformation. You can let your light shine, and invite others to let their lights shine too.

Yes, discipleship is a painfully slow process, and often pretty messy too. It was no different for Jesus as he invested in the twelve. Yet, it's out of this slow, messy process that sons and daughter of God are born and real transformation in Christlikeness becomes possible. So, I invite you to reevaluate the progression of discipleship in terms of decades instead of days. Think about that person whom you've invested in. Where are they today compared to ten years ago? The simple reality is that discipleship is a slow, life-long process. Sometimes it feels too slow. Eugene Peterson dubbs discipleship "a long obedience in the same direction". It's putting one step in front of another day in and day out.

It's like a turtle's pace. Is that discouraging? For me it often is. But, I'm reminded that there is no other way to do it than Jesus way. Believe me, I've tried short-cuts. They don't work. We'll have to trust that the path He laid out, albiet slow, is the only one worth walking.

In the event of discouragement remember the tortoise and the hare. Moral of the story? The slow and steady pace wins the race.

Rooms

2007-01-31T08:19:00.000-06:00

Last night I watched the medical show on Fox called "House". The main character is obnoxious, nihilistic, rude, pretentious, and a self-proclaimed grandiose philosopher (all what makes watching a show worthwhile!!). His philosophizing often displays a poor view of humanity and his actions often betray complete submission to his own ideology (again, all that makes watching a conflicted character worthwhile!!). Last night's show brought an interesting metaphor to mind.

Life is a series of moments when you find yourself in a room with someone (or more people). Who you are and your experience in life is made up of what happens in those rooms. What matters at any given moment is what is happening in that particular room.

I thought the concept was fascinating. Not where Dr. House on the show went with it, but the concept of living your life by series of rooms.

In a way, it sort of simplifies the complex for us. It makes living manageable for us. In our complicated and conflicted culture where our attention is divided and being multi-tasked, we find ourselves (our heart, our mind, our soul) often lost in a "city" of it all. We are not culturally special... we are only a consumer to the culture of the various things. This metaphor of living and experiencing things and people from room to room seems to bring some semblance of sanity to it all.

Even more direct would be what we do as spiritual directors, pastors, parents, teachers, coaches, etc. with people (children, youth, or adults) in the various rooms. We encounter people in rooms all the time. What do we do in the rooms? Do we take advantage of that moment in time in that room? Or do we sometimes waste it?

I don't know... I'm not saying that we need to live constantly maximizing every opportunity and kicking ourselves over and over again for missing or not maximizing that moment. But I am saying that maybe we need to think strategically about what we do in those various rooms in our lives (and the lives of those we minister to and with) not just let them happen naturally. Intentionality is in play here. How much do we live with intention in those rooms?

I haven't completed my thoughts on this metaphor... I only just started them. Perhaps they are really off. I don't know... the thought of life being a series of rooms where we meet people and experience things struck me as a powerful concept.

What about you?

2007-01-05T08:28:00.000-06:00

Spiritual Formation in the Small and Local

"I think the focus of church work should be small and local; I think if you gather in a big place fine but the work of God doesn't take place simply when we are gathered but when we are reaching into the lives of others. So, I think missional is the key for the future. For me, the church is what happens during the week more than what happens on the weekend; I don't think the singular point of the church is gathering on Sunday for a sermon; I think it all fits together into a community of faith that embodies the gospel and individuals whose lives flow out of that community in whatever calling a person has."

-Scott McNight

I trust that you are taking the small and local serious. I believe that part of Satan's trap in our particular culture is that we've become so enamored with the grandiose and the global (not least from the influence of mass media) that we to quickly dismiss the small and local as unimportant or insignificant. Nothing could be further from the truth! If you look at the Scripture you'll quickly recognize that God works almost exclusively in the small and local.

The world redeemer was born in a manger and raised in Nazareth. Conceived in the small and local. A handful of men from the same local fishing village of Galilee would spear-head a movement that eventually changed the world. Conceived in the small and local. A small group of men in England meet regularly for prayer and confession (dubbed by outsiders as the Holiness Club lead by John and Charles Wesley) and through them God transforms the landscape of 18th century England and initiates a revival of global preportions. Conceived in the small and local.

Do not be deceived. The gospel of Jesus does not somehow favor best-selling Christian authors, world renown communicators or ordained pastors. The pulse of the gospel beats (I'd argue most powerfully) in the ordinary, the small and the local. In is a great injustice to minimize our role in spreading light, goodness and justice into the world by dismissing our responsibilities as unimportant. God has not called you to go to the end of the earth to accomplish this task of living the gospel. He wants you to start in your home. In your small group. With your neighbor. Everyday we have an opportunity to "embody the gospel" in small and local ways. So, just do it.

I'd like for you to read the quote above a few times. Let the words sink in and ponder them. Next, ask yourself how God is calling you and your small group to embody the gospel in small and local ways right here in Hayward, WI.

May we become convinced that what's happening in our kitchens, living rooms, over the phone and in other obscure places throughout the week is precisely the place where our God likes to move.

Take the small and local very seriously. The kingdom of God flourishes in such places.

2006-12-27T05:58:00.000-06:00

Spiritual Formation: Rediscovering old Terrian

One of my favorite quotes by T.S. Eliot reads, "We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

Things of great value are susceptible to being lost. I believe Biblical discipleship is one of those things. When I say lost, I do not mean lost like a set of keys. But rather lost in a more subtle, dangerous sense. Lost like how an unattended campfire steadily dies down in the cool of the night until neither flame nor flicker remain. The roaring blaze that once was is now simply a dormant coal.

So things need not be misplaced in order to be lost, only mismanaged. There are many, many factors leading to the demise of discipleship in western culture (perhaps Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy is one of the best and most exhaustive resources tracking this demise). However, what is important is that we ALL agree that we generally do not agree on what discipleship means or how it is to be done.

So, in recent years movements have emerged that are attempting to impart a fresh and more distinct meaning of what discipleship really is. Some of these movements have used new language to describe the process of becoming more like Jesus. The word being used most often is spiritual formation. Spiritual Formation is simply the process of our spirits being formed into the spirit of Jesus. It's the process of becoming like Him, from the inside out.

Why the need for fresh language? Because language is a powerful tool in creating meaning. One thing language does is help us change our mental scenery. Over time any word begins to define itself through the same old images and familiar connotations. When we use the same language over and over again, it begins to lose meaning. It's like to walking into your home. Things become so familiar, you don't take time to really notice or appreciate them.

So, when mental landscapes form from over-usage of a word, meaning is subtely lost. Also, the original intended meaning counts for little. The mental terrain that we traverse has more to do with the context in which that word is most often used.

So we take the word Disciple(ship), a word brimming with amazing 1st century images and connotations involving a rabbi-student relationship. Unfortunately, the mental landscapes available to us when the word comes to mind has little or nothing to do with the its intended meaning in the 1st century. Or possibly even Jesus' intended meaning! The word has been used in so many way shapes and forms that its meaning has been dilluted, if not completely lost.

Is discipleship Sunday school? Does it involve joining a small group? Does it happen in church? At home? Is it the job of a para-church organization? If no one is discipling me, am I really being discipled? What about discipleship programs? If I read my Bible and pray everyday will I be a disciple? Do I evaluate discipleship in terms of faithful church attendance? Do I have to intend to become a disciple or does it just happen? Is it supposed to be birthed in a relationship? Can I be a Christian and not be a disciple?

Perhaps your answer to these questions are, "Well, yes and no. Kind of, sort of, but not really." Now, I'm no legalist looking for a cookie cutter definition of disciple. I'll be the first one to admit that God uses many, many different things to form us into the image of Christ. On the other hand, perhaps we have defined discipleship so broadly and loosely that even those of us who pastor our churches have become disoriented.

The term spiritual formation is fresh language (that's actually very old language) for "discipleship". Maybe the word alone will freshen up the stale and crusty landscape of dicipleship within the church. Perhaps this new term will lead us on an exploration. Maybe we can traverse old terrain with new eyes and fresh legs. Would you be willing to take such a journey? I'd throw all my chips in on this quest. I know of nothing more substantial that we can do in the church than to re-discover what discipleship (spiritual formation, holiness) really is supposed to be.

With God's help, I believe we can rediscover what was lost. I believe we can know arrive back to our starting points and know that place for the first time. I believe that all is not lost. A dormant coal lives and awaits a time when it can blaze anew with the fire it once had. Let's be the church that fans the ember Christlikeness back into a raging flame.

2006-12-21T09:48:00.000-06:00

The Absurdity of it All

by Heath

"Christianity is the only major religion to have its central event the humiliation of its God".

This powerful statement begins Bruce Shelley's classic work "Church History in Plain Language". And so it seems fitting today for me to ponder the absolute absurdity of all. God becoming flesh entering into the embryonic state, forming in the womb of a Jewish peasant girl. Being born
amongst animals, hay and the fresh smell of manure. Living a simple life and dying a gruesome death. The word that today best sums it up for me is absurdity.

Countless years of Christmas carols, sipping
eggnog and taking in re-runs of "It's a wonderful life", has buffered us from the divine absurdity of Jesus. So each year we must re-remind ourselves that Christian orthodoxy has at its core the belief that our God's greatest victory was birthed in vulnerability. His greatest demonstration of love was discovered in His demise. His greatest act of heroism was His humiliation. How absurd.

So absurd that the Romans of the 1st century could hardly take such a teaching serious. This crude depiction of a crucifix is historically the first representation of Christ on the cross. It
dates back to the late first century and comes in the form of anti-Christian graffiti. Etched into the Palatine, the chief of Rome’s seven hills the caption etched next to the picture reads, “Alexamenos worships his God”. The artist reveals the absurdity Jesus by giving him the head of an ass.

You see, the Christmas story really is absurd, even ridiculous. After all, what kind of king would be born in a manger? What deity would suffer death on a cross? What sort of transcendent being would allow Himself to be beaten and spat upon and slapped and scorned by mere
mortals? The way of the world screams in unison, “absurd”! Only a fool. . . No, only a jack-ass would willingly suffer such a fate. This is not the way of great men or of gods. Human wisdom teaches us that obscurity and humiliation is the way of the weak, not the way of the divine.

But, we are called not to rely on human wisdom, but a deeper wisdom sourced in the loving way of God himself. Drink in the rich insight of this text:

“For the message of Jesus is absurd to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God. .

"For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God
was pleased through the absurdity of what was preached to save those who
believe. . .

"For the absurdity of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the impotence of God is stronger than man’s strength. . .”

I Corinthians 1:18, 21, 25

Malcolm Muggeridge commenting on this text asks, “Was it not after all, the perfect way to come and expose the inadequacy of all human wisdom by displaying the utter foolishness of God? And what a better way to reveal the impotence of worldly powers than to defeat it with
divine weakness.”

I’ve concluded that the Christmas story is absurd. And, it’s precisely in its absurdity where the greatest depth and strength and power reside.

Let’s make a pact together this Christmas to not make the story more plausible. Let’s not clean up the manger or sentimentalize the child. Let’s embrace the absurd truth that our God was humiliated on our behalf.

God’s love is so amazingly absurd. It's only by embracing this kind of love that we have the power to offer others this same kind of love. May your love this season reflect God’s love to all whom you encounter.

Merry Christmas!

Uprooting

2006-12-14T09:26:00.000-06:00

Uprooting

by Heath

People are like trees. The exist to grow, flourish and point to God. Our hearts are like the roots of the tree. They are forever seeking to be firmly established in a life-giving source.

The unformed soul is like a sapling without soil. It knows intuitively that it will dry up, shrivel and die unless its roots find a home. Roots operate like desperate hands forever grasping for some life-giving source in which it can cling to.

This insatiable desire for the human heart to be rooted in something larger than ourselves is universal and explains why everyone is rooted spiritually. The problem is the where we have planted ourselves. As this picture depicts, a tree can be rooted almost anywhere. This small Maple tree has found its home in a 2x10 rough-sawn oak bench. In it's vulnerable state and desperate quest for life a tree will lay down roots into anything that has the slightest resemblance of earth. Sadly, it has become dislocated and despite it's natural inclination to live, it will die.

In the same way, each person in the world has a heart that's been rooted. The problem is where that heart has been planted. Too often we settle for so much less than the rich soil of God's kingdom. Like the sapling, we too will die unless we uproot and are transplanted.

But, ah, herein lies the problem. Roots are attachments. Their job is to establish a firm and safe home. For the small Maple tree, being yanked out of it's established dwelling (as bizarre as a place that it's been planted) must feel like a kind of death is taking place. The great writer A.W. Tozer puts it well:

"The roots of our hearts have grown down into
things, and we dare not pull up one rootlet lest we die. Things have
become necessary to us, a development never originally intended.
God's gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset
by the monstrous substitution."

Following Jesus ALWAYS involves uprooting. This means there is a process of detachment, and de-establishment from our old established home. This is why Jesus says that if you truly want to live, you must first die.

While the rough-sawn oak cannot sustain life, if it's all we ever knew, and where we have established our source of life, the goodbyes can be painful. It can feel like death. The good news is that although it feels like death, we will ultimately live.

Our sapling lives can be re-established in the right sources. We can be transplanted and grow as we never previously knew.

If we want to understand how people have been formed, we must look at where their roots have been established. We must never water-down or minimize this "uprooting" process in discipleship. Rather, we have to give them a wider and deeper vision of where we were meant to be established and live.

Boiling Point - The Start of Transformation

2006-12-13T10:20:00.000-06:00

When WATER begins to BOIL, it no longer is just water, it becomes STEAM. It becomes a new entity, it is transformed from the previous state it once held.

In Youth Ministry, that is one of the main focuses, to help the teens get to the place of Transformation, to become a new creation in Jesus Christ!

What does Transformation
look like?

Transformation is the beginning of change.

The result of transformation is different in most cases but the one constant is Jesus Christ, He is the change agent and when you come into contact with Jesus, transformation is bound to take place.

Transformation is that place of a persons life when a decision is made, a decision to fully commit themselves to follow Jesus with all that they are and all that they do. This has more to do with attitude then anything else. An attitude of commitment. The commitment is to live according to Jesus Christ's example in the New Testament. The tangible portions of Transformation are seen within a persons decision making, their integrity and their willing to do what is right when no one else is looking. This is just a portion of what transformation is and how you can recognize it in children, teens and adults.

There is more to this but for now, Let's hear from you and your thoughts on Transformation!

what undergirds christian education?

2006-12-07T15:23:00.000-06:00

Here is an email (below) that I received and responded to regarding the heart and operation of Christian Education on a Sunday morning and beyond. This is to further the continued conversation of “Spiritual Formation” in Wisconsin.

This email highlights a lot of programmatic elements of what we do @ Hayward Wesleyan, but it is peppered with underpinnings of thought and values that should be present in a ministry context and discipleship environment regardless of what “program” or “vehicle” one uses. Most core values get lost in translation when all one does is talk about programs and “what we do at our church” type stuff. I don’t care (necessarily) what a program is… I care more about the people and heart behind the program and the interaction and intentionality that exists as a foundation.

Perhaps the ongoing conversation will focus more on core values; and the tension, nail-biting, convicting teachings and parables of Jesus; and the application of being the people of God in the world today that are tasked with the mission of bringing God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Eternal stuff!!

From: Jeremy
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 11:20 AM
To:
Subject: RE: Christian Education

[Name]--

1. Who oversees/coordinates the program? Paid staff person or a volunteer?

I do. I am the children’s pastor and I am full-time on staff.

2. How is curriculum chosen?

I choose it. Actually, I write it. My gifitings rest primarily in teaching and leading (and relationships). Therefore, the teacher in me would rather spend time and energy creating curriculum than buying it and using someone else’s stuff. So that is what I do. It has taken a lot of work, but it is paying off. I’ve been here over three years now (moving in to my fourth year). When I came, there was no comprehensive plan with Sunday School curriculum. So my plan was (and continues to be) to teach through the Bible Stories (all of the real significant ones) in a chronological way (from beginning to end) in three years. At the end of three years we would repeat it because the first grader who started in Genesis will be in an entirely different developmental level (mentally, emotionally, and physically) and will be ready to learn on a new level when he or she is in the fourth grade. Since I am currently in my fourth year, we have re-started the curriculum back at the beginning again. My teachers just love it! They tell me that they themselves have really learned about the Bible going from beginning to end. I write the curriculum to the teachers and for their learning, not so that they will say certain stuff to the children. I want the teachers to be impacted and learn from the Holy Spirit and His Word. Then turn around and share and give what they themselves have learned to the children. So, basically, the curriculum that we have compiled in the last three years looks like commentary on all the major stories of the Bible, life application ideas, coloring sheets, activity and craft ideas. Thus what the teacher’s main job is to reinforce the story in whatever way they can to that age group they are working with. For example, our first grade teacher. Her job is to be the best first grade teacher she can be. I expect her to know and be able to step inside the mind of a first grader. What do they need? What is the best way to teach and instruct? What can we do each week that helps them remember and be transformed by the stories of God’s word? So that is what this teacher does. She has become, arguably, the best first grade teacher I know! All because we set her loose on these kids! I didn’t tell her what to do. I only told her what story had to be taught that day, and then gave her absolute freedom to create and bless the first grade children each and every week. This curriculum is used for our grades 1-6.

Nursery age is just Bible story book, puppets and things like that.

Pre-K and Kindergarten is interactive continual Bible stories as well. We are currently directing some greater focus and long-range planning with this age group

3. How is it staffed?

With teachers and helpers for each age group. In our Nursery for 24-48 months there is play time, story time, sing time, snack time, craft/make stuff time. For our Pre-K to Kindergarten (4-6 years old) there is a teacher and helper(s) who play with them then do stories and crafts. Our elementary group (grades 1-6) all meet in one large room together for 20-25 minutes. During that time we do some motion-type singing, then B-day celebration, then prayer, then announcements, then, to the large group, in a creative and fun way, the day’s story is told. Then the students get sent in grade divided small groups or classes. Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, etc. Grades 7-8 have one teacher who (through the whole hour) currently is doing a story-based idea (which is working fairly well) and then questions and discussions in light of the story. High school (grade 9-12) have their own thing going on in a large classroom with different teachers on different topics.

4. During what time frame does it function?

We have three services on Sunday morning (8:20, 9:40, and 11:00). During the 9:40 service, there is Sunday school going on at the same time (from 9:40 – 10:40).

5. How is it administered/governed?

Since I have oversight over this ministry, I (with the support of the church board) administer and govern this thing. We don’t do superintendents and stuff like that. The church used to prior to my position being created. I wouldn’t know how to work something like that. The less you can think about “governance and administration” the more successful any kind of children’s ministry/Christian Education program you will have. Children and parents and families can smell “governance” a mile away!

[Name], the above is a window into what we do on Sunday mornings with the children (Sunday School, we call it MAIN STREET). I’ve got to say, though, that the real power of a children’s ministry focus is on mid-week programming options (at least for our church's context). The real impact our church has had on the Hayward community is in our children's ministry after school programs called Followers and Junior Followers that happen on Mondays after school. This has created an amazing ministry to children in the community, not just church kids (which is primarily what one gets on a Sunday morning). Sunday morning should be targeted and specific and a definite curriculum plan should be in place for Christian Education and where you want children to learn as they grow up (i.e. catechism).

2006-11-29T13:43:00.000-06:00

The Tourist or the Pilgrim

by Heath

The Tourist

Growing up in a beach community in Delaware there were locals, and then there were the tourists. During the safe summer months when the sun was shining, the beaches were pristine and the waves manageable, the tourist saturated the seashore, like ants at a picnic.
Tourists are always associated by crowds, prime real estate and main attractions. The tourist carefully selects the times and seasons of his arrival through the grid of comfort and convenience. During November when the nor'easters stir up an angry Atlantic, the beaches are always bare and no tourist can be spotted. (The local however loves the desolate shores and pounding surf of late autumn.)
By definition the tourist avoids the tough, the painful and the messy.
Growing up I despised the tourist. I always wanted to buy that infamous bumper sticker in Delaware that read, "You've seen the beach. Now leave!" The tourist didn't truly know or love the land or the landscape. They simply consumed what they wanted and jumped ship when the going got rough.
Now, that I'm older, I recognize my own tourist tendencies. In my ongoing discipleship, I want God on my terms. His terrain looks good during the mild seasons of blue skies and sunshine. But when trouble hits and the clouds start forming, I'm the first to look for a new place to set up camp. I want formation in Christ my way, at my pace and never at my own expense.

The Pilgrim

The metaphor that more accurately describes the life of discipleship is the pilgrim. The pilgrim above all else is committed to the final destination and gets there no matter how difficult the trek or what it costs. She keeps her eyes on that path which is most straight and direct to her destination and gives little thought to how narrow or difficult the way. The pilgrim does not waver or jump ship during the difficult times, realizing the reward that awaits her at the end.
Jesus was the ultimate pilgrim. He lived one stride at a time, constantly orienting his life in the direction of his destination. He was presented tourist traps along the way, yet recognized that quick-fix solutions and seductive escapes only impeded his progress on the journey.
Yes, Jesus is the true pilgrim. And he has been calling his followers to follow his footsteps ever since. The writer of Hebrews said it best:

"Do you see what this means-all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in" (Hebrews 12:1-2, The Message).

Stepping Out

How we set out in this journey will determine the kind of person we become. Ultimately, we will become either the Tourist or the Pilgrim. Like any journey gearing up with the proper expectations and appropriate preparation is half the battle. I am learning that the way of Jesus is the way of pilgrimage. He not only outlines the path and offers us the proper gear, he walks in front of us! I have tourist tendencies and want to keep my feet sunk in the smooth sand of safety and security. But I see Jesus. He's lacing up his boots in preparation for pilgrimage. He begins his ascent into the wild. After a few strides he stops. Looking back at me with his familiar eyes and his complete vote of confidence he mouths two words. "Follow me".

Welcome

2006-11-29T11:51:00.000-06:00

Greetings from the Spiritual Formation blog of the Wisconsin District of the Wesleyan Church.

This is a place to begin dialogue on spiritual formation, here in Wisconsin as a part of the Wesleyan Church.

Blessings