Looking forward to Fall 2010: COMMUNITY

After the snail's pace of Summer, things are starting to move like one of those land crabs I keep trying to ward away from our outdoor laundry room (with an old golf club & useless, nonsensical shouts -- pretty sure it doesn't have a sense of hearing). Anywho, things are picking back up in our congregation -- auditorium is filling in and a number of people seem genuinely excited to grow in Christ.

Before we creep into the Fall, we've been taking a look this summer at some of the preparations for the Fall that the Elders and I have been prayerfully considering. One major item is Community Groups, which we'll be launching the first week of October (stay tuned as to how to sign up).

We've got a lot of cool peoples in our church (I know, I've personally met with 74% of you), who genuinely love Jesus, are eager to grow, but simply don't know but maybe 1 or 2 other persons. This makes sense as the church is younger than my youngest child (whose not yet old enough for proper schoolin'). So without further ado, I unveil below (which will be unceremoniously copied & pasted from Microsoft Word):

A Vision for Community

Mark 10:29-30 ²⁹ "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰ will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

This may seem a strange couple of verses with which to begin this Vision; however, not only is Jesus talking here about the church but through this statement we are reminded of what is most important in life –relationships. Relationships comprise, at once, both our greatest sacrifice for following Jesus but also the greatest blessing that He longs to give back.

This is what church is all about: Relationship – both with God & with one another. What a privilege we have in God’s church to share in relationships that will last for eternity! At SCC, the chief opportunity to cultivate and develop such relationships is in our Community Groups. Thus, we believe Community Groups will become the “backbone” of SCC.

What is a Community Group?

Community Groups are basic Christian communities. Believing that the biblical pursuits of discipleship and evangelism are best carried out in a community context, Community Groups provide that context. They are gatherings of 8-14 people meeting in the homes of individuals or families on a weekly basis. In Community Groups, people come to know God and to experience his presence, community is developed and fostered, and people are nurtured, equipped and released for God’s work in the world. They provide an opportunity for intimacy, mutual support, practical love and service, learning about the Christian faith, prayer, and sharing what we see God doing in our midst. They are led by trained lay-leaders from the congregation who are given on-going support and oversight by the pastor & elders. Most weeks will include elements of meal-sharing, fellowship, prayer, & Bible Study -- but occasional Movie Nights, Ladies Luncheons, Guys Outings, Beach Volleyball Festivales will be thrown in as well as healthy substitutes.

Why Community Groups?
Theological Reasons – Because of who God is & who He calls us to be

1. In revealing Himself as a Trinity, God demonstrates that He is a community in and of Himself.

There is much about the Trinity that is a mystery to us. However, the fact that God has revealed Himself to be triune makes it clear that community is intrinsic to the structure of reality. Community, thus, is not created but foundational to the universe. If God were only one, this would not be true. If He were dual, in him there would be a singularly-directed love toward one other. But because He is Triune, community is the highest form of relational existence within the universe. God always existed in a lifestyle of community and, being created in His image (Gen. 1:27), we are to accordingly mimic such a lifestyle.

“Within God’s very nature is a divine ‘rhythm’ or pattern of continuous giving and receiving not only of love, but also glory, honor, life…each in its fullness. Think. God the Father loves and delights in the Son (Mt. 3:17), Jesus receives that love and pleases the Father (Jn. 8:29). Jesus honors the Spirit (Mt. 12:31) and the Spirit glorifies the Father and the Son (Jn. 16:14). Each person in the Trinity loves, honors, and glorifies the other and receives love and honor back from the others…there is never any lack.” - John Samaan, Servants Among the Poor

2. God calls a people, rarely just a person.

a. When God created humanity, He proclaimed that it “was not good for man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). “God does not exclusively fill the human heart. He made mankind to need more than himself. The staggering humility of God to make something that was not to be fully satisfied with the Creator and the creation is incomprehensible” (Allendar & Longman, Intimate Allies).

b. Israel was addressed and dealt with primarily as a community, not as separate individuals. The covenant and the commandments were directed to them as a people.

c. In calling the Twelve Apostles it is fairly clear that Jesus saw himself as reconstituting Israel (see Twelve Tribes of Israel). The church has replaced Israel as the community which is to testify to God’s character & salvation by the quality of its life together.

d. Finally, one ought not lose sight of the fact that a great majority of the New Testament writings were not addressed to individuals, but to entire communities (and local churches especially). They were meant to be read as communities (cf. Col. 4:16), interpreted by communities, and embodied by communities. Thus, the question, “What does this mean to us?” is meant to have priority over the question, “What does this mean to me?” This is not to suggest that we should not view ourselves as individuals or that our individuality is irrelevant. However, though we are never less than individuals, we are always more than individuals. Therefore, the latter question is most appropriately asked in the form, “What does this mean to me as a member of this community?”

Practical Reasons – Living out my Faith

1. Fellowship.

“What is fellowship as defined in the New Testament? Just this: participating together in the life and truth made possible by the Holy Spirit through our union with Christ. Fellowship is sharing something in common at the deepest possible level of human relationship – our experience of God Himself” (C.J. Mahaney, Why Small Groups).

Consider these verses that contain the Greek work koinonia or fellowship (community, communion, sharing, participating):

Acts 2:42 ⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Philippians 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

Philemon 1:6 ⁶ and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.

As a member or regular-attender of SCC, there is no better way to put yourself in a position to fulfill these commands than by being a part of a Community Group.

2. Service.

Community Groups are a place where Gifts are exercised and Care is provided. The church is sometimes compared to a football stadium where you find 22 people who desperately need a rest and thousands of people who desperately need exercise. God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian (1 Cor. 12: 1-7). He fully expects us to use them. But a couple obstacles remain. First, many are hesitant to use their gifts in a corporate context (ie. A/V team, worship team, Children’s Church, etc.) because they’ew intimidated, don’t get to see the obvious need right before their eyes, or would rather not go through the hassle of missing the occasional sermon or getting to church early. Second, even in a small church, it’s simply not feasible for every member to use his/her gifts on a Sunday Morning. Community Groups provide a natural outlet for the discovery & use of spiritual gifts. Consider that in a Community Group of 8-14 persons the needs are more obvious and the number of persons who can fulfill them are fewer. Thus, even the most casual Christian is compelled to either consider how he/she can contribute or how he/she can ‘jump ship.’

So a ‘side benefit’ of Community Groups is that it helps instruct, prepare & challenge people to use their gifts to serve the wider, corporate body when many perhaps otherwise wouldn’t.

It is through the exercise of believers’ spiritual gifts, then, that individual members can receive & provide care (1 Cor. 12: 24-26, Gal. 6:2, 1 Tim. 4:14).

3. Outreach

Community Groups are a place to Discover Christianity. Generations X and Y (18-40) are part of a trend seen over the last five years – namely, belong then believe. Among the Baby Boomers and those born in the middle of the 20^th century who grew up in cultural modernity, people first had to be convinced before they became part of any community, organization, or association. Now, however, people want to belong to something and then, in that context, work out exactly what they believe. Belonging Before Believing. Community Groups provide such an opportunity and do so environment & format that are more conducive to discovery than Sunday Morning Worship.

The key here is to get those who have already trusted Christ on the same page & mission with you. Encourage participants in your group to notify the rest of the group ahead of time if you’re bringing a young or non believer. That way, they can be ready to both share their faith and be sensitive not to gloss over difficult concepts & language that more mature Christians take for granted (eg., sin, saved, born again).

Work, Play, Worship...all outta sorts

After feeling a bit out sorts the last couple days, I came across this Newsletter from a few years back on my bookshelf that helped frame my predicament fairly well. In an article on Rest, author & Wheaton College professor Leland Ryken writes:

Earlier in [the 20th century] someone claimed that we work at our play and play at our work. Today the confusion has deepened: we worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship.

I'm wondering: How & to what degree have you seen this play out in your own world ?

Some other good opening one-liners ... for pre-Christians

Yesterday, while preaching on "Sharing God's Gospel...on Napkins," I spoke briefly about my friend, Doug, the minor league Hockey Player -- who, though he'd sat through some church services & had at least one 'born again' friend, had never understood the gospel because no one had actually sat down with him one-on-one to explain it & field his questions. This was certainly a major reason why he was surprised by some details of the gospel in our conversation. I basically made the point that a good, opening one-liner that can lead into a presentation of the gospel is:

"Has anyone sat down with you, one-on-one, and actually shared with you why Jesus' news is so good?"

Below are some other good opening one liners for pre-Christians (ie. those who haven't yet trusted their lives to Christ, but through prayer we eagerly anticipate they will)

• "Where are you on your spiritual journey?"
• "If you died tonight, are you 100% sure that you would go to heaven?"
• "If you were to die tonight & stand in front of God, and He asked, "Why should I let you into Heaven?" what would you tell Him?
• "What do you think lies on the other side of death?"
• "Why do you wear that cross?" (Note: Person being asked must be wearing a cross)

If someone claims to be a Christian but, as I said yesterday, 'you wonder because they've wandered,' here are some questions:

• "Ah, you're a Christian. What do you mean by that?"
• "How do you know that to be true?"
• "What's required of being a Christian?" (Trust/faith/belief [which are all translations of the same Greek Word] should be the answer -- often times I find that someone has bought into the notion that being a good person, doing good deeds, or even being involved in church/Christian activities is the requirement or, at least, is the core requirement of being a Christian).

Do you have any other effective, opening one-liners that you've used or witnessed?

(Sidenote - for a funny batch of secular one-liners, watch just two minutes of this classic one-liner montage of CSI Miami's David Caruso).

Confessions of a Chronological Snob

Be honest, would you buy this book (see Right)? If I set out 10 books on the topic of prayer & included this one among choices of books that were all written within the last decade, would you honestly go with this one? Most of us who see a hard cover or jacket cover from something that predates our birth would consider buying it but only to look smart or as decorative "filler" for our homes. If (like this one) it looks likes it's from the 1970s, we typically avoid it like the bubonic plague. Why is that? Why do we overlook these books when we're making the crucial choice as to what we're going to dedicate the following week(s) or month(s) of leisure time? I'm going to seek to explain why this is the case for me, but first...

Did you watch the movie National Treasure? It starred polarizing actor Nicolas Cage (I know 10 people who love him & 10 people who'd like to subject him to water boarding). There's a moment in the movie when Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is examining the Declaration of Independence. He then turns to his archeological partner, Abigail (you'll forget her real name even if I mention it), and he says to her upon audibly reading a portion of the 18th century document, "People don't talk like that anymore."

It's meant to be a serious moment, but ironically it only lets you dwell on the moment for 2 1/2 seconds before you're wisked away to the next action scene. I say, "ironically" because the many modern obstacles to "dwelling" on anything have made it close to impossible to "talk like that anymore." I don't subscribe to the theory that older books or writings were written by smarter people (although some were), by people with more conservative values (although some had), or by a generation that wrote more effectively (although some did).

One thing we have inevitably & increasingly lost is the time to to dwell & think. Every generation since the Industrial Revolution has felt the pressure of less & less time in increasing measure. Certainly, you know this in your own life. Consider: A person of the 19th century (when the above book was written) looking to communicate with a friend about his life. He thinks, "I'll send him a letter." So he sends it and he waits. He walks home that night or perhaps takes a buggy, all the time thinking, thinking, pondering a decision. Typically, it would take well over a week for such a letter to both arrive at a destination 300 miles away & incite a response that is received in turn. A week -- to think, to consider, to ponder. Now, you drive home at night and you talk on the phone (or, if you're a textaholic, you shoot a couple texts -- of course, only at red lights...of course); you wait in line, you text a friend; you're listening to someone, you check the score of a game or comment on a posted picture to your friend's Facebook page. None of these are inherently evil; heck, I'd miss them all were they gone.

But understand: Also gone is the time to think & ponder. The great 20th century poet, T.S. Eliot wrote in Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, "Where shall the word be found / Where shall the word resound / Not here / There is not enough silence." So much noise, and not just audible. It takes a remarkably disciplined & painstaking approach to make thoughtfulness & its cousin, depth, a reality. Even if you're well-read & listen, do you give yourself time like men and women of old to consider & think on thoughts, chew on new ideas, & ponder beliefs?

Not really. And so I find it difficult to relate to people who do such things. And it's not just the "Thee's" & "Thou's" older authors employ, it's the complexity of sentence, the connecting of things that our minds can no longer see unless their organized into neat

• Bullet
• Points

(I'm wondering if your eyes skipped ahead to the Bullet points...mine would too).

And so, perhaps a child of my age, I'm what C.S. Lewis called, "A Chronological Snob."

My understanding of "chronological snobbery" is dismissing the usefulness & validity of an idea, a book, a product (see technology) because it is old and no longer commonly adhered to/read/used/accepted by society-at-large.

C.S. Lewis, in his autobiographical account of his salvation Surprised by Joy, gives us some warning about practicing "chronological snobbery":

[Chronological snobbery contains] the assumption that whatever has gone out of date has, on that account, been discredited. You must find out why it went out of date. Was it ever refuted (and if so by whom, where and how conclusively) or did it merely die away as fashions do? If the latter, it tells us nothing about its truth or falsehood. From seeing this, one passes to the realization that our own age is also "a period," and certainly has, like all periods, its own characteristic illusions. They are likeliest to lurk in those widespread assumptions which are so ingrained in the age that no one dares to attack them or feels it necessary to defend them.

If you consider that one hundred years from now, most people will likely look at books from our "period" and pass them over as irrelevant in communicating truth, beauty, & relevant feeling, then doesn't or shouldn't it give us pause to consider why exactly we're adhering to only writing &, thus, ideas of our own era.

If we both want to rid of our chronological snobbery & locate a starting place to grow in depth, perhaps we ought to start with a book from a century other than the 20th or 21st. I'm trying this right now with a couple books now. And what stands out is not even the content so much, but, again, the way in which some of these authors write. It forces one to ponder, grapple and 'look' for connections that are foreign to newer companions on my bookshelf. If I don't stop and think, the consequence is I don't really understand it, I lose access to the meaning. So, in a sense, this 'dusty jacket' reading is forcing me to take time that I otherwise wouldn't to do some pondering. In fact, I'm reading the book pictured above and God has used it to grow me. Why don't you join me. I'll have five copies of With Christ in the School of Prayer (written by 19th century South African Pastor/Missionary, Andrew Murray) on the Book table at Sunday Worship this weekend.

Consider the Apostle Paul, who having plenty of time to think while in prison, desired not only the Bible as his companion but good ole books...parchments. He writes to his young friend Timothy, "When you come, bring the cloak that I left in with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments" (II Timothy 4:13).

A few still pics from Holiday Road

I really didn't want this blog to turn into a picture parade -- but having just returned from 3 1/2 weeks of vaca and realizing not everyone in our church is down with the Facebook technology, I figured my first return post could be some moments from your pastor's holiday -- so you can behold the experience in all its glory (and humiliation).

I've included a mix of fun n' nice photos. Later on, I'll try to post some more meaningful fodder re: lessons learned & gleaned during our time away.

I did explain in a recent sermon Mason's desire, yea, to construct Robots. And again (to prove all or 90% my stories are real and I don't steal them all from the internet) here he is working on RoboCop with his grandpa. Notice the tractor! They have goats & donkeys too.

Katie and her sisters prepared, constructed, fashioned this really cool "Cousins Camp." It had a camp schedule; morning, afternoon, evening activities; morning devotions & singing, campfires. Heck, there was a Camp Dance at the end of the week (where I served as both deejay and chaperone...I had to say "Leave a little room for the Holy Spirit" toa couple kids who got too close). Anywho, here is the hayride -- if you look closely, you'll see I was left on as the only adult. Poor children.

Tubing. Is there anything more rural America than going tubing down a river -- usually with sunblock on one's nose and a cold beverage in hand (though as a pastor I cannot comment whether that occurred or not on our tubing 'tour'). Here, our youngest Gage gets in his tube, which is tied with some old twine to Katie's tube. Now imagine him like this for 3 1/2 hours. Pure ecstasy!

This was the view from the pastoral retreat center at which we stayed. Katie & I got to spend a few days away at the Whitestone Inn (sans the younggins). Great experience. Spent the first day on our own in a silence & solitude retreat. Spent Day II fellowshipping & living it up. Spent Day III listening to a sermon/seminar on planning & doing some family planning. Thanks for all your prayers for God's refreshment during this trip. Prayer answered!

So the itinerary went a little sumpin' like this: Katie's parents house, Katie's sisters house, Retreat center, my family's annual trip to Kiawah Island Beach (in S. Carolina...just one State down from the greatest U.S. State -- N. Carolina). Here my adorable & precocious nephew, Andy, has caught my sister and she has, on this day, given up on her disciplinary efforts.

Not the most flattering but the most candid picture Katie and I had together. The twilight, the ocean, the wind, the sand (even still I may pay dearly for posting this photo).

Our oldest, Mason, with my sister's oldest, Grace.

Cousins (from my side) all together. (From Left front) Gage, Mason, Matthew (my brother's middle boy), Grace, Lila (newest addition to family), Andy. (Standing) Kurt & Lincoln (my brother's oldest & youngest respectively).

That's all. Thanks for stopping by, friends.

Looking forward to Fall 2010: HOSPITALITY

While things are sort of light this Summer at Sunrise Community Church, I'll be blogging as to some of the plans that myself & the elders have been prayerfully discussing for the Fall. Please chime in with your thoughts as we're always looking for new ideas.

One of the areas we're looking to revamp is how we do Hospitality at Sunrise. Hospitality is both commanded in the New Testament for all believers and mentioned as a spiritual gift. Contrary to what I used to believe when my Mom made me eat nicely decorate food that tasted like plastic, hospitality goes beyond tea, crumpets, & making sure everyone is properly introduced with their titles (Madam, Miss/Misses, Mister, Doctor, Reverend, and Sir...I occasionally met people who'd been knighted). Hospitality, more broadly and more biblically-speaking, is that ability and practice of making another feel comfortable (see Romans 15: 1-7 to understand both what hospitality entails and what serves as its proper motivation). The Greek word translated "hospitality" is philoxenia, which literally translates "stranger love" or, less literally, love of strangers. And during the times when the NT was written, such "stranger love" was often the difference between a traveller and his family receiving a roof over their heads or having to spend the night outside, even bearing the elements to the point of death.

We've been enjoying our vaca with la familia, amigos & amigas back in the U.S. of A. Last week we had the pleasure of being hosted at a pastoral retreat center in the mountains of Tennessee. The Whitestone Inn is part of the Christian Hospitality Network -- which is a network of hotels and inns that offer special opportunities for full-time pastors & missionaries to get away & be refreshed at reduced rates. The very first night we were there, this place lived up to its Hospitable billing. The owners of this 600-acre facility invited some of us up to his large home on top of the hill to watch fireworks erupt below in the Tennessee River Valley.

While they didn't allow hospitality to overextend to the point of altering commitments made to guests of their home & family members (they have a grandchild living with them), they did extend a type of philoxenia ("stranger love"_ that I'm trying to describe. " I'll give you a few examples. (1) They let dozens of folks they've never met before meander through their home with the comment "you're welcome to go and look through any room that has its door open." And this place was an architectural & ecological delight. (2) The owner came to every breakfast and personally introduced himself. (3) At every dinner, he would tell a story and pray for the meal. As one person described, "It was like being home or what we wished our homes would be."

What a great concept for our ekklesia, our church fellowship. Church: What we wished our homes would be.

When everywhere else we feel like strangers, home is a place we ought to feel like we belong. That is the church to which Christ has called us. When we speak of "stranger love," I can't help but think of this truth in God's Word about our condition without Christ:

"Remember that your were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2: 12-13).

Obedience in the Christian life is all about response -- it's hard to be too emphatic about this overarching truth. Just as Christ has brought us near when we were strangers, so he asks us to show "stranger love" that others might be brought near to God through faith in Christ & his blood (ie. his sacrifice on the cross).

Here are some things we're planning demonstrating "stranger love" as a church and I'll follow that up with ways you may want to consider getting involved:

• Newcomer's Lunch: Katie and I have spent the majority of our first six months just getting to know existing and new couples. Mostly one-shot meetings getting to know people's faith-stories, their experiences with churches, and fielding questions/concerns about SCC. These get-togethers, often informal and even unplanned, have been among the greatest joys for us during our brief time in Cayman. But as the church grows, we need to find a better way to introduce people to the church -- namely, a small group forum immediately after church in which Katie and I will open our home to newcomers, provide a catered lunch, get to know some folks, and field some questions and provide some info. about Sunrise. We plan to start this in September and run one every 2 months. All are encouraged to sign up and attend the first lunch.
• Nametags: Nametags are one of the issues that old-timers in the church (which for our church is a maximum of 3 years) and those of us who are long time "church goers" either love or hate. Mostly the latter -- I think because we take a little pride, perhaps, in knowing most people who come through those doors. Problem is: So many of us don't (I blame my ever-deteriorating memory due to childrearing). I'd love to hear your thoughts re: Nametags. I'd prefer printing out some you can wear each week (versus the plastic kind you pin on). And then having blank ones that people can fill out. But who should have some printed out? People who come most weeks? And how do we determine that? Would love to hear some ideas.
• A Culture of Hospitality. Being greeted by more than the "front door Mr. Rogers." Knowing where to go, where to eat, where to send their kids. Little things like making sure people can easily and readily provide us their information. We'll have three chair pockets for every single row among the center section of the Theater. That way everyone has access to a contact card, pen/pencil, and Bible -- not more than a reach away.

How might you consider getting involved?

• Offer a ride to or offer to accompany someone who is attending the Newcomer's Lunch (should you do so, we may even let you partake of the grub).
• Volunteer to be a Greeter/Usher
• Sign up for the Sunrise Facebook Page and recruit to it someone else you just met.
• Arrive 10 minutes before the service starts and note anyone(s) sitting by themselves who look new. Go sit near them and strike up a conversation. Newcomers often come early and those first few minutes are among the most uncomfortable of their entire week. Among God's people, this should not be!
• Once-a-month force yourself to rush out to the parking lot after the service, where you'll find newcomers often rushing to their car because they've grown accustomed to the idea that church is less than an "ideal home."
• If hospitality ain't your thing (and is certainly not your spiritual gift) put your heads together with a friend, roommate, or spouse, and figure out what you can do to invite a neighbor or new church attendee over to your home. As my former pastor said, "Spend time outside of the tribe" (outside of your circle of influence -- friends/family).
• What are the unique gifts or resources has given you? How would those bless people in the church? For instance if you have a trampeline, pool and/or big yard, how can I bless a new family with kids in our church? If I live on the beach, perhaps someone who does not would appreciate an afternoon at the beach while we either join them or vacate our premises so they can enjoy some alone time.
• Serve with someone. Find someone relatively new to the church, who you've gotten to know a bit, and ask if they'd like to serve with you as a greeter, in the nursery together, etc. I find there is perhaps no truer bond that is formed between people as when they look outside themselves and serve others.

These are just some ideas. Let us keep in mind, and may God help us, that the key to lasting in creating a culture of "stranger love" is to continually recall that we were once strangers brought near to our Father through the sacrifice of Christ. We estranged ourselves through sin -- choosing to go our own way -- but Jesus showed us "stranger love" by pursuing lost sheep and bringing them near to the Father and to His church.

Oh what love!!