Friday, September 26, 2008

Are you living in such a way as to fulfill your calling?

The last two days I had the opportunity to go to South Euclid (Cleveland), Ohio to help build a community park. Scott Pugh, the lead planter at Velocity has been building a presence through service. When approached to help find volunteers to build the play ground, Scott asked those who are partnering to send people to help. Northwest and Rivertree has sent many volunteers to help with the build.

So, I got to go. I am not much of a carpenter, but I did get some on the job training. I put down decking and learned to use a router. Yesterday Billy (our worship guy), Clay (student ministry dude) and I put together some railings. I have to say, they looked pretty good.

While there I got to meet a guy who travels all over the country managing volunteers to build these giant play grounds. Next week he is going to Hawaii to build and from there to Chattanooga. He said something to me on Wednesday explaining why he liked doing this job. He said, "It is awesome watching people work together to build something."

He's right. It is awesome! I love how God works. I am currently doing a two week series called "The Mr. Potato Head Chronicles." The idea is that God has uniquely designed people and churches to build his kingdom. We either work together to build the church or we just go to church.

In the Bible, Paul urges the church (people who make up the church) to "live a life worthy of the calling they have received," We all have a calling, whether it is you as an individual or it is a church. And with that calling comes a responsibility to live our lives fulfilling that calling. Barry, the project manager, sees his calling as working with volunteers to build something for the community. What is your calling? Are you living in such a way as to fulfill that calling?

Monday, September 22, 2008

Good Things About the Pharisees

Last Thursday Alan Hirsch asked the KSP group to list the good things about the Pharisees. He said despite the bad rap they get, they did do some good things. So the group of 70 or so began to share good things about the Pharisees. Below is the list:

- Good Tithers - Students of the Word
- Good attenders - Charitable
- High moral values - Worshipers of God (prayed consistently)
- Sincere about their faith - Believed in the Resurrection
- Custodians of Israel (maintained their identity)

Then he asked this question. "Who does this sound like?"

I said, "The church."

Hirsch said, "Be more specific."

Someone said, "Christians."

Hirsch said, "Be more specific."

Finally someone said, "Us."

Isn't that list what we look for in good Christians? Someone who is a good tither, a student of the word, a good attender, has moral values, who worships God (prays and other ritualistic worship events), a believer in the resurrection, sincere, charitable and maintains the identity of the church. YES!

Here's the kicker, they are the ones who killed Jesus. The point is all those things might be important in the life of a Christian, but the most important thing is that we let Jesus lead. The most important thing is that we become more like Jesus.

Hirsch pointed out that churches need to rediscover Christology in the church. The problem is that when we bring up living more like Jesus those who are defined only by the list above try to stop this movement. Why?

Friday, September 19, 2008

Rediscovering Christology

Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear Alan Hirsch speak. I had read his book, "The Forgotten Ways" a while ago (I would strongly recommend this book). Hirsch is one of the leading thinkers on the Missional Church. There are so many things he said that were challenging, but I want to talk about the one that is the most important (I may touch on some other stuff later).

He pointed out that the western church is in decline and could be heading to where the European church is today (which is nearly non-existent). He said it is up to western Christianity to rediscover itself again. His first point of rediscovery is the "Discovery of Christology." We have to put the person of Jesus in the the Church again.

He said, "Christology lies at the heart of the renewal of the church." The question we have to ask ourselves is: "Who is our Jesus?" We have domesticated Jesus to fit our understanding of the church, rather than letting Jesus define the church. He said, "We are Christian to the degree we take Jesus seriously and how many of us take Jesus seriously?"

I know that you would be quick to say "I do. I love Jesus and he is the Lord of my life life." This may be partially true, but I would ask you to define the Jesus you love and that answer would be telling of whether he is really the Lord of your life. There is a reason why there was a book written called, "Unchristian," which is what twenty somethings say about the church. The title of Dan Kimbal's book explains it well, "They Like Jesus, but not the Church." Hirsch would say that is why we have to rediscover Christology.

I know that you are thinking, "I love Jesus, I do follow him." My challenge to you is to take a hard look at "Who is your Jesus?" Is he the domesticated Jesus or the Jesus of the gospels?

The truth is, the Jesus of the gospels would not be welcome in most of our churches today, he would be to radical. He would expect to much of people. He would make us uncomfortable. We would end up running him out of town or like in the first century, figure out a way to get rid of him for good.

As church leaders we need to figure out how to bring more of the story of Jesus into the church. We have gotten good at attracting people to our churches, but not so good at introducing them to Jesus. They have become consumers rather than disciples. WE entertain people into Christians but not Christ followers. Figuring out how to integrate Jesus into our life an the life of the church is important to reclaiming the truth.

Who is your Jesus? Join me in rediscovering the Jesus of the gospels, start reading Matthew, Mark, Luke and John today.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Top Ten Places to Eat (follow up)

I got a phone call this morning and a friend of mine asked me, "Why did you post your top ten places to eat?" I did my top ten places to eat because I had not posted in a while. I decided it was time and could not think about anything to blog about. I saw a commercial for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and thought "I am going to talk about my favorites diners, drive-ins and dives." No purpose for the blog. In reality I am jealous of Guy that he has such a great job. Some aspire to be doctors or lawyers. Me I want to be the host of Diners, Drive-in and Dives.

Anyway, back to the phone call. My friend said, "Look at your list. What do most of the places have in common?"

My first response was, "They have good food and good portions (portions are important to me).

He went on to say, "It is not just about the food, is it? Isn't it about the people you were with?"

There is truth to what he said. These places stick out because of the relational experience as much as the culinary experience. It makes sense though, God created us with the need to have authentic community with other people. In the Bible we see authentic community often happens around a common meal.

We underestimate the need to experience authentic community. There has been a lot said about the "Third Place." We have our family relationships, our work relationships and then there is a need for a third place where relationship happens. For some it is a bar, a coffee shop or a club.

Is it possible the need for a third place is God given and the church should fill that need? The problem is churches fail to see the need to create the third place where authentic community happens. Churches, Northwest, needs to take seriously the need of the third place. It is important to be intentional about small groups (not just home Bible Studies). It is more about groups of people who learn to do life together. It is about people who eat together, serve together, laugh together and cry together.

It is more about experiencing authentic community than the place.

Here is an assignment. Put together your own top ten list and see if it does not produce places where authentic community happens. Then ask yourself this, "How can I help duplicate this culture in the church?" Then do it!

I would like to thank my friend for the insight from a blog that I thought had no purpose.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

The Advent Conspiracy


One of my favorite people to podcast is Rick McKinley at Imago Dei (Portland, Oregon). A couple years ago I heard him teach on The Advent Conspiracy. (If you want to hear the teaching go to itunes podcasts, search Imago Dei and listen to the 11/12/2006 teaching called "Advent")Since that teaching, Imago Dei has created what they call "The Advent Conspiracy." There is more information about "The Advent Conspiracy" here.

The idea is to limit your Christmas spending by cutting back on gifts you give this year. You know the obligatory $20 gift you give to someone. They get it, act excited while thinking, "I can give this in the next white elephant gift exchange or put it in my next garage sale." Why do we give gifts that don't mean anything?

This leads to another focus of the Advent Conspiracy. We need to learn to give more relationally. When we give a gift, it should mean something. Imago Dei puts together a catalogue of relational gifts you can give to someone. When I taught on this Sunday, I shared a cookbook my sister made for me at Christmas. It is one of the coolest gifts I have ever gotten. It was relational because she put thought into it and it was a family cookbook with pictures and stories of our family.

I had a lady come up to me on Sunday and tell me of a relational gift she gave by accident. She had gotten a gift card for a nephew to buy school clothes. His parents could not take him so this lady did. She said it was awesome to spend time with him that day. What another great example of a relational gift.

What are some relational gifts you have given or received over the years? We are going to put together our own catalogue of relational gifts. Hopefully we will be able to do a relational gift expo where people can show off examples of relational gifts. Maybe they will have people sign up for a demonstration at another time. A guy came up to me after worship and said he knew how to carve spoons out of wood. He could get some guys together one evening and help them carve their own spoons. What a way to build authentic community with other Christ followers.

Finally, with the money that is saved by cutting back and giving relational gifts the Advent Conspiracy encourages people to give those savings to a one time offering at Christmas. Half goes to build wells in countries that need fresh drinking water. The other half goes to local people who are in need. It is not about giving more, it is about redistributing money to give to someone who has a need.

I wondered how this teaching would go over. It has gone over well, with many people saying that they are going to participate in the Advent Conspiracy. How about you?

Post any relational gift giving ideas you may have and if you want to participate in the Relational Giving Expo.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Top Ten Favorite Places to Eat

One of my favorite shows to watch is Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.If you have never it seen the show it is hosted by Guy Fieri on The Food Network. Guy has a great job. He travels throughout the United States looking for unique places to eat. It is a great job. A job I think I could do. Since that is never going to happen I thought I would do my own top ten list of favorite places to eat. None of them are chains, but they all have their own character and good food.

Here are my top ten places to eat.

1. Chili Willi's(www.chiliwilli.com), Huntington, West Virginia. I use to go here when I was in college. I usually get the Cadillac Nachos and a Super Burrito. For dessert you have to get the famous Ice Cream Taco served with cinnamon ice cream.

2. Mac & Bobs (www.macandbobs.com), Salem, Virginia. This was a high school hangout. It has great pizza and calzones. Being a Roanoke College hangout the they had on the menu "The Second Semester." It was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for all those poor college students. When I use to go, it was one room, now it is huge.

3. Roanoke Weenie Stand, Roanoke, Virginia. Absolutely the best hot dog I have ever eaten. I get one or two or three almost every time I am in Roanoke.

4. Mama Santa's Pizza, Cleveland, Ohio. It is in the middle of Little Italy in Cleveland. My favorite pizza. I usually get a mushroom pizza and an order of garlic toast.

5. Frenchy's Seafood (www.frenchysonline.com), Clearwater, Florida. They specialize in grouper sandwiches. They are creative in their service. You have to try a grouper rueben.

6. Harold's Pit Barbecue, Abilene, Texas. I have only eaten there once, but I will never forget it. Plus their hot sauce is called, Harold's Damn Hot Sauce and it will light you up. Just when you taste it, you think, "That's not so hot." Then it hits you. The baked beans are the best!

7. Smokey Valley Truck Stop, Olive Hill, Kentucky. Another college hangout. This one has been on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The Smokey Burger is huge. They have great homemade pie and a great breakfast.

8. The Texas Tavern (www.texastavern-inc.com), Roanoke, Virginia. The best time to go is early morning (2am) when all the street people are out. I will order for you here- a cheesy western (burger with a fried egg and relish), bowl of chili and a coke. Don't ask for fries, they don't have them. They have a sign that says, "We serve a million people. Ten at a time." They only have ten seats, but they move people through.

9. Diamond Deli, Akron, Ohio. If I could ever own a place it would be just like this place. A New York style deli that has awesome sandwiches, soups and sides. I love the broccoli salad.

10. Lou and Bea's Diner, Greenpoint (Brooklyn), NY. This is not the name. It is owned by a couple from Greece. It is cheap! My favorite is egg salad on a grilled bagel with lettuce, tomato and onion. The egg salad is made fresh to order.

Honorable Mention:

The Oyster Shanty, Tampa, Florida. It had the best clam chowder I have ever eaten. It was also the place where I fell in love with oysters on the half-shell. Good luck finding this one though. It is no longer in existence.

Yesterdog (www.yesterdog.com), Grand Rapids, Michigan. Great atmosphere, great dog.

Firehouse (www.thefirehouse.com), Johnson City, Tenn. Great barbecue. I also use to be a cook there.

Let me know if you have been to any of these places. Let me know of some of your favorite places so I can look them up.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The Fred's Factor


I came out of Fred's Diner this afternoon after lunch. It was just before noon and the parking lot outside was full. People were beginning to park in a gravel lot across the street. There are four or five layers of shingles on the roof of this tiny white and red building. There is a sign that reads, "we have free wi-fi."

There is a car in the parking lot with so much trash that it is almost to the ceiling except for the small cleared out for the driver. There is a nice Mazda sports car parked not to far away. Eventually as the minute hand goes farther past noon, the parking lot will be filled with construction trucks, Jaguars, Lincoln's and cars filled with trash to the ceiling (you had to see it to believe it- I have got to start carrying a camera with me).

Inside you have your choice of a counter, table or booth. It does not have great decor, it is very plain. In the men's room above the urinal it reads, "Please do not put cigarette butts in the urinal. It makes them soggy and hard to light." There is a T.V. with a news network turned up loud enough for you to hear. You will find people of all different backgrounds there to experience the special of the day, if they have any left. I have gotten there before or right at noon and they were already out of the special (It happened to me twice. The first time it was Mac and Cheese. The Second it was meatloaf). I noticed on the wall today that "My Fox Cleveland" voted Fred's diner as "2008 Best Breakfast" (the corn beef hash is the best I have ever eaten).

The diner is only open for breakfast and lunch, closing at 3pm. Check out the website The site is plain and there is little information. There is very little advertising that comes from Fred's Diner, yet it is packed every time I go. Why?

Good service, great food and everyone who goes once tells someone they need to check it out. I had passed it many times until someone told me, "I went to this place yesterday and we need to eat there today" (It was Mac and Cheese day, we got there before noon, it was gone). Everything is simple and homemade.

Fred's is packed not because it is the besting looking place. It is not packed because they advertise. It is not packed because it is in the best location with the greatest parking. It is packed because they provide exactly what people want. Good service, great food and a great experience.

Sometimes I think churches and church leaders put to much emphasis in the wrong things. We think we have to have the best location, the nicest building or the best advertising. The last two questions of the simple survey asked about the building and being relevant verses the people who make up the church and building relationships. Sixteen out of seventeen stated that the people who make up the church and relationships are more important than the church building and being relevant.

Those who participated in the survey agree with me and Fred's that relationships and people are what we need to focus on the most. If you give people what they need(notice I did not say "what they want" and there is a difference), they come back. Not only that, they bring someone with them.

I know we need to do a better job at focusing on the right things at Northwest. We need to do a better job of building authentic relationships. We also need to be relevant in the right things so that people begin to see the church as essential to their lives again (idea taken from "Essential Church" by the Rainers).

When we begin to focus on what is important then maybe we will end up with a car in the parking lot filled to the top with stuff. You really needed to see this one!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Then Why Don't We


I have been looking at the results of the survey in my last blog. I know that the survey is not that great and I know that there are not enough responses (15) to give a good sample. Thanks to those of you who took the time to run through the survey.

Sometimes I will ask a question when I am teaching knowing that the answer I am going to get is going to be the "bible school answer." Meaning, the answer people are going to give is the one they think the teacher wants to hear. Now that is great, if you are taking a test.

I hope that the 15 of you who answered the survey were not just giving the "bible school answer." I hope that is what you really believe. Because 100% of you said that discipleship is more important than going to church and a church building. There was also 100% of you who thought that people who are far from God are more important than people who go to church. These are great answers considering Jesus told us to go make disciples, not go to church. It is great considering, no where in scripture do we have a mention of a church building. The church building was later in history and may be why we stopped making disciples. The answer is great because we know the mission of Jesus was to reach people who were far from God, so that should be our mission as too.

Not knowing who the 15 people were who answered this way, I hope that you're trying to make discipleship a priority and are doing everything you can to reach people who are far from God. If not, maybe you did just give the "bible school answer."

There is a big difference between giving the right answer and living out what you truly believe. In a world where people are looking for authenticity they are tired of just the right answers. They are looking for people who live out what they say they believe.

Looking back at the questions on the survey, maybe I should have put one more question at the end- "Do you live by the answers you just gave?" (yes or no)

What do you think? Do we live by that answers we give or are we just giving the "bible school answer?"