His Mission

I was reading "ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church" last night and was struck by one of the first points Frost and Hirsch were making.

As church leaders we spend a lot of time developing mission statements. We have taken on the business model that every organizations vision starts with a mission statement. So we pour hours of time and discussion into developing a mission statement that defines our church. We come up with catchy ways to package the mission statement so that it is easy for people to remember (then a year later we find out it was not as easy as we thought).

Frost and Hirsch began by talking about the missio dei, "the God of mission." Part of God's character is mission. We are not talking about the churches mission because the mission does not belong to the church. The mission belongs to God. The church is on mission when it becomes the image of God. This happens naturally as Jesus followers and the gathering of Jesus followers (the church)let God lead the mission.

Maybe as church leaders we should take the time spent on mission statements and use it to discover the God of mission. We should make God's mission our mission, right? When God's mission becomes our mission then several things happen:

1. We become more like the image of God
2. People far from God begin to discover God's grace
3. The church is not built on man's wisdom, it is built on God's wisdom
4. It's easier. It's easier to follow than to create.
5. We begin to understand God's will- "His good, pleasing and perfect will."

There will be unity in the Spirit if every church was on the same mission, the mission of God.

Great Day!

I have been waiting to read this book for a while. I just got it in the mail from Amazon. It is called "ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church" by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch.

I will let you know what I think as I am going through it!

Also, our Advent Conspriracy Offering came in at a little over $3000. It was much more than we anticipated. I talked to Dereck Mushayamunda this morning. He was pumped. We are going to be able to provide water filters for purification, malria tablets for children and some nutritional drink (food) for children in Zimbabwe.

He told me his brother Donald is going to try to get there in January to distribute what we were able to provide. He also said Donald would put a video together for us to see exactly where the money went.

What a Great Christmas

I had a great Christmas this year. It had nothing to do with a present I received, it had to do with people.

My focus really changed this year. Instead of going into Christmas like scrooge (I did have some Scrooge moments though. When I almost got hit by a car in the mall parking lot I did let out an "I hate Christmas"), I tried really hard to see it through the eyes of a relational God. A God that gave himself at Christmas, not some obligatory gift.

Rhonda and I did not get anything for each other this year at Christmas. It was a mutual agreement. On Monday night I made sure this was what we were going to do (you know how that can be, we are not going to get each other something, but it is still expected).

Rhonda said she wished we could give people who had real needs something instead of getting each other something. We were already going to give money to our Advent Conspiracy offering at the candlelight service, but she wanted to do more. (The offering is going to buy water filter systems for people in Zimbabwe.)

I called my friend John, who is letting Pete stay at his house (Read More about Pete). I asked him if Pete could use anything for Christmas. He told me he had a coat, but it was to small.

"Perfect!"

I went to the mall again with a different attitude. I found a coat, Rhonda wrapped it and we gave it to Pete after the Christmas Candlelight service.

I handed it to him and told him he could open it now. He said he would rather put it under the tree. He now got to participate with others as they opened their gifts. He was not going to just watch this year.

God taught me how to love Christmas. Instead of being Scrooge, look for ways to give of yourself and refuse to become a part of the commercialization of Christmas. Give relationally, give of yourself and change someones life for a moment.

Drummer Boy

It is unbelievable. I have looked at bookstores, even Christian bookstores and can not find a simple traditional version of "The Little Drummer Boy." I am looking for a children's book and it is not there. But I did find the end of the movie:



Tonight is our Christmas candlelight service. We are basing the teaching around "The Little Drummer Boy." Back in September we did a series called "Radical Christianity." One of the teachings was called "Radical Christmas." I got the idea from Imago Dei in Portland,Oregon (you can read my previous blog on Advent Conspiracy for a better understanding).

The reason I like "The Little Drummer Boy," is that he gave a relational gift. He walked in and presented Jesus with the only thing he had, he played his drum as a gift.

You see, Jesus gave relationally to each of us, he gave himself. The question we are going to ask tonight is, "What are you will to give of yourself to Jesus." At the end of the service we are going to have people come to the front and take the Lord's Supper. A symbol of Jesus giving relational, a symbol of Jesus giving of himself.

We are also going to have offering plates in front. The idea is for us to give of ourselves during this Christmas season. Anyone who has participated in the Advent Conspiracy and has given relationally, saving some money in the process has been asked to give what was saved. From the offering tonight we are going to use it to buy water purification filters for people in Zimbabwe.

What are you willing to give of yourself this Christmas Season?

Saa Paper

I have a cousin who is a missionary in Thailand. He and His wife has been there for close to thirty years if not more. AIDS is a devastating disease that takes the lives of many in Thailand. Jerry is now working with people who have been diagnosed with the AIDS virus. He loves them where they are and tries to bring them hope both here on this earth and for eternity.

One of the ways he has brought hope to those he works with is by giving them purpose. Being an outcast in society they have little hope of making a living. The Mission in Thailand has developed a small business where the people in the mission get to participate and make a small living.

They produce hand crafted cards and gift bags made out of saa paper. Saa paper is made from the mulberry tree. They do not make the paper, they buy it. But they do make cards and bags from saa paper. The average cost is $1.50 an item. I am currently trying to find out how to order these items.

The great thing about buying cards handcrafted from the mission is they are helping people get out of poverty in more ways than one. First, this provides a small income for people who may not have any other way of making an income. This is not just handing money to people. Helping people get out of poverty takes more than just handing them money. It takes teaching them a way out of their poverty that can be long lasting.
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Second, they are providing a purpose for people who are in desperate need of purpose. It gives people in Thailand with AIDS a reason to get up in the morning

Finally, they are giving people hope, who are in desperate need of hope. They give them hope while they are still living here on this earth. They are also giving them hope for eternity as they get to share with them the message of eternal life through Jesus.

When I find out how to order the products I will let you know. The pictures I have provided are samples of what they can create.

Festivus

In Olympia, Washington, at the State Capitol building there is a war going on. 15 feet from a nativity scene a group of atheists and agnostics put up a sign that reads: "At this season of the winter solace, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but a myth and a superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

This battle is real and gets more intense every year. There is a movement to remove all religion from not just the public arena, but from society. The movement says it is based on reason and logic. The truth is when logic and reason are used they do not want to hear it. What this is about is pushing an agenda of secular humanism.

Well a group struck back this morning. Now in the State Capitol building there will be a display from a Fesitvus group. What is Festivus? For the Seinfeld fan this is a stupid question. For those who did not become a part of the Seinfeld movement here is a summary in their own words:



As a person who has an aluminum pole, the symbol for Festivus, let me give my "Airing of the Grievances":

Placing a Festivus display is showing how ridiculous our country is getting. In the name a free speech there is now a Festivus display that started out as a joke on a sitcom. When are our country's leaders going to get back to the basics of what this country was built upon without trying to always be politically correct. I believe I am truly living in a sitcom that is about to be taken off the air.

Any thoughts?

ChristMess

I went to my son's winter concert. As usual it was done at a very high quality, it was entertaining and the children did a fantastic job. It was held in the new auditorium at the new high school which was very nice. The music teacher at this school always does a great job and I enjoy going to the concerts he leads.

But . . .

I did not walk away merry, I walked away disturbed. Before the concert the principal of the school got up and talked about memories. He talked about how the children who were performing would look back on this night and remember it for thier lives, the same way we remember the concerts we performed as children.

Rhonda looked at me and said, "Do you remember concerts you did as a kid?" I shook my head "No."

But after the concert was over, I did reflect back on when I was in elementry school and did a winter concert. Only then it was called a "Christmas" concert. We performed at a large Baptist church across the street from the school. We sang songs like "Silent Night," "Away in the Manger," and "We wish you a Merry Christmas."
The birth of Jesus was mentioned and one could say it was a central focus of the evening.

Lastnight the focus theme was December in the world. It looked at the different celebrations that take place in different cultures in the world. There was a song about the seven disciplines of Kwanzaa. There was a song about Hanukkah. There was a song about the celebration of St. Nicholas. There was mention of Ramadan. And one time time the name of Jesus was mentioned.

It was educational to learn about the seven disciplines of Kwanzaa and the festival of lights that represent Hanukkah (something I taught about last yeat at Christmas time and something that Jesus even recognized (John 10:22-39).

I am all for my kids learning about other peoples tradtions and practices . . .

But . . .

My sons belief and practice was only mentioned as if it is something that we need to hide or be embarassed to talk about.

What amazes me is this. I live in the city of churches (more churches per capita than any other city in the country). If the question comes up in trivial pursuit the answer is Tallmadge, Ohio.

Our mascot is the Blue Devils (the devil is a fallen angel, created by God. The origen of the devil comes from the Bible). I have no problem with mascot. I even supported them painting a big blue devil on the floor of the new gym. But we couldn't because it might offend the churches in the city.

Hmm. We do not want to offend do we? Well it's to late.

I am at a loss as to how to proceed with my concerns. Any Suggestions?

I will start with this:

I want to take this moment to wish all the children and parents in Tallmadge Schools-

Merry Christmas!

Silent Night?

One of the most popular Christmas Carols starts out like this:

"Silent Night, Holy Night,
All is calm, all is bright . . ."

Silent? Calm? The birth of Jesus was neither silent or calm. It was loud and filled with chaos. There was a census taking place in Bethlehem and thousands of people were coming to the city. All the hotels were full. There were probably people sleeping in the streets or wherever they could find a place to lay their head.

The streets were packed shoulder to shoulder with people trying to get to where they were staying. The marketplace had so many people it moved like a traffic jam in the middle of Manhattan. People trying to buy the food they needed that day or for their stay in town.

As all this was going on, a man pledged to a woman, who by the way was pregnant, very pregnant, makes his way into Bethlehem leading a donkey. I was just at the Football Hall of Fame Friday. It was kids get in free day, it was packed! Some woman tried to maneuver the stroller through the crowd. Joseph is trying to maneuver a donkey through the crowd, can you imagine.

His wife to be is about to give birth and he is trying to find a place to stay while leading a donkey. Every hotel he goes to he is told there is no vacancy. And it is calm? It is silent? Are you kidding me? It's a mess.

Christmas time can be messy. It can get chaotic. It can be tiring. It can get frustrating and complicated. That first Christmas was all of that an more. There are times during this season we turn and cry out, "God, help me!"

And in a very silent and calm way he did. You see, it was not God that made the first Christmas messy or this Christmas messy. It is us, people who do not look at the silent or calm. In a very silent way "God with us" entered into the world. He did not come with trumpets blaring, he came quietly amongst the chaos.

When he entered as a baby, when he came in the flesh, his mother and father experienced calmness in their heart as they held him for the first time. Even though it was loud and chaotic Mary and Joseph experienced peace.

I remember when all three of my boys were born. There was a lot going on in the room as Rhonda was going through labor. It was loud and in an organized way chaotic (because when a baby decides to come into the world it comes whether your ready or not).

But when the baby is born all chaos doesn't matter. There is a sense of calmness and a different kind of silence as you hold that child for the first time. The world around you stops for a moment. Your focus is on the life that has just entered the world. There is nothing like that experience.

Mary and Joseph went through that same experience I did when their son was born that loud and chaotic night. Their focus was on their baby, not everything that was going on around them.

In the messiness you may be experiencing or will experience during the Christmas season, focus on the baby. "God with us" who came to change the world. Everything else just doesn't matter. Let the prince of peace truly give you peace even if your life is messy.