The Simple Service Initiative

i did something yesterday that i don’t normally do…and really don’t like doing, at all.  but i did it anyway.  i gave a commercial in my sermon.

after taking a look at a story of jesus and the disciples in mark 10:35-46, i took some time to lay the foundation for “the simple service initiative”, our plan for spring break in a couple of months.

honestly, i think that taking time during the sermon to promote a program or a trip is a mistake.  it cheats people who have come to be inspired by god’s word.  it causes a disconnect with people who are unable to participate.  they check out.  i think it happened yesterday.

in spite of that, i’m totally excited about the prospect of the simple service initiative!

North Point Bathroom Prayer

had been looking forward to yesterday’s sermon for three months.  here’s how it came about…

earlier this fall, north point was in some pretty deep funk in the giving department.  we had used up our savings safety net.  weekly giving was consistent, but it wasn’t quite covering the budget.  honestly, we were living from week to week.  we were cutting everything we could.  we were trying to make every adjustment we knew to make.  and then we get the news that we are entering the second coming of the great depression.  this was not good.

we had been reading, talking, and listening to just about anybody who had something to say on church finances.  lots of good ideas, but always missing the mark of north point’s personality.  a consistent idea was always the “commitment card”.  for the church rookie, a commitment card is something you sign with your money pledge for a project or a period of time…say, 2009.  lots of churches use them.  we have thought about them pretty much every year since i’ve been here.  we were seriously contemplating using them this year during our 2009 budgeting season.

when it came down to pulling the trigger, i just couldn’t do it.  it didn’t feel right.  that’s where the np bathroom prayer comes in.

i have always felt that our financial obedience to the cause of christ is the inevitable outcome of a life surrendered to the cause of christ.  healthy giving flows out of healthy living.  sacrificial giving is the result of how deeply connected i am to the heart of god.  my willingness to offer my money is tied directly to my willingness to offer my body as a living sacrifice.  first things first.

that’s why we will pray this prayer for 2009:

Lord,

• You alone are the Master
• May I see myself the way you see me
• May my choices emerge from your priorities
• May my giving be from sacrifice
• May my love for others reflect your love for me
• May I do all I can today to live as Jesus would
• May I always be motivated by your mercy

Some Goals for 2009

on this past sunday, i shared my personal goals for the year. they are based on three wrong assumptions that i have continued to make throughout my life as a disciple of christ. this is the year i am going to face those wrong assumptions “head on” and crush them. you watch.

here are the three wrong assumptions:

• “i’ve got plenty of time” – this is one of the grandest of all deceptions. we think we have a guarantee of tomorrow. we act like we’ve got unlimited chances to make things right. worse yet, we think that is true of others, also.
• “i’ve got to get my spiritual life together” – again, this is another deception. this one sounds really good, though. it sounds spiritual and purposeful and mature. too bad. it’s not.
• “i can do it alone” – not only is this a deception, it is openly promoted and praised as a virtue.

man, am i duped. so i’m going to stand up and fight this year. i am not going to live deceived any longer. here are my goals:

• keep the end in mind. i want to live with a deep reverence for life and a realistic awareness that the end of my life (as well as the lives of other) can and probably will come like a thief in the night. i know that’s the picturesque language the bible uses to talk about the cataclysmic end of time…but honestly, that’s what death is. i want every relationship i have to be seasoned with the reality that it could be over at any time, and i need to make the most of the time i have.
• live with integrity. this is not simply about honesty. it’s about living a life that is fully integrated. a life where all the parts are connected and moving to a consistent end. no more “sacred and secular”. no more “church life”. no more “public and private”. just a life that is lived fully devoted to christ. everywhere. all the time. with everyone.
• build deeper friendships. i want to completely smack the pride of the independent spirit right in the mouth. i want to live in praise of interdependence. i want to embody “we” and “us” and kick “i” and “me” and “mine” right in the crot…behind. i want to elevate the concept of asking for help to it’s rightful lofty status. i want to live the lifestyle of doing it together…all the time.

i think god will be honored with this kind of effort. do you want to join me?

Simple Church

i know, i know.  i’ve preached this all before.  but it needed to be said again.  simple church (SC) is where it’s at!  uncomplicated…minimal…straightforward…down-to-earth…common.  it’s what we all need.

the bottom line?  church is people.  it is not a building.  it is not a location.  it is not a weekly event.  period.  here are some other observations to help you distinguish what is, and what isn’t, church:

• if it’s not drawing you deeper into relationships, it’s not church. SC is about people. 
• if it’s not drawing you deeper into service, it’s not church.  SC is about caring for others…first.
• if it’s not causing you to evaluate and redefine your personal priorities, it’s not church.  SC doesn’t just do things because we’ve always done them.
• if it’s about what you are getting, it’s not church.  SC is not a “smorg” where you pay your tab and get what you pay for.
• if it causes you to extol the virtue or talent of the pastor, it’s not church.  SC is not about how good I do…but what you do.
• if you are entertained by it, it’s not church. SC is about participation, not amusement.
• if you can hide at it, it’s not church.  SC is not about putting on sunday best, sunday handshake or a sunday smile.
• if it creates co-dependency, it’s not church.  SC is not about having to be here or impressing god or working off guilt…it’s simply living life together.
• f you think you don’t need to be there, it’s not church.  in the institution, you are a number or a statistic…in SC, everyone matters, everyone has a place, everyone is needed.
• if church is an event you attend, it’s not church.  SC is not about watching…it’s about doing.
• if it’s about sitting and watching, it’s not church.  SC is not about sundays…it’s about the other six.
• if it’s not compelling you to give your money, it’s not church.  SC is about sacrifice.

the church meets together, but church is not a meeting.  church is not an event.  church does not have hours or meeting times or schedules.  although when we meet, we sing and somebody teaches, church is not a spectator sport.  church is not a service, a performance, a show, a presentation or a routine.  church does not have stars.  church does not have performers on the stage.  the only audience in church is god.

there you have it.  welcome to simple church.

A Simple Faith

man, i was really blown away by the insight god revealed through his word this week!

• imagine for a moment you are mary…young…secretly pregnant…told by an angel that the child you are carrying was god’s baby…crazy!
• you know, without a doubt, that the penalty for sex outside of marriage is steep…maybe even death
• or if things went really, really, well, you could probably count on being divorced and abandoned by your young husband
• you face the public disgrace and humiliation for you and your family
• and the prospect of being completely ostracized from your community is something more than just a possibility!

this is a bad situation…really bad.  there is no question that she could have:

• been swallowed by self pity…and cried “why me?”
• been inflated by thinking that she knew what was best for her life…and argued with God
• been focused on her discontent…and complained
• let her intellect and human logic overtake her…and doubted
• been consumed by her fear…and ran 

instead, she cried these deep and passionate words of faith: 

“i am the lord’s servant…may it be to me as you have said” – luke 1:38

here is the heart of our christmas message:

•  like young mary, our faith is neither blind nor ignorant…it recognizes the craziness and unpredictability of a sovereign god and says, “may it be as you have said”
• like this young servant, our faith is neither self-centered, nor self serving…faith is not about us.  it is not my faith…as if i can shape and mold and define faith as i choose…”may it be as you have said”
• like this unwed, pregnant, scared teenager, our faith is to see beyond circumstances to the ultimate “big picture”…the one that god sees…so that we can say, “may it be as you have said”
• like this humble, child-follower, our faith resonates above logic and intellect…defining it and giving substance and meaning to our thoughts and fears and reasons and excuses…overtaking them with a simple statement of faith:  “may it be as you have said”

what do you think?

A Simple Life

in the parable of the ten bridesmaids, jesus teaches his followers a pretty simple lesson:  don’t be caught off guard when the end comes.  the five foolish bridesmaids ran out of oil to light their torches and usher in the bridegroom.  because they ran to the store, they were shut out of the wedding feast.

lesson?  remember the oil.  if you don’t, you could lose it all.

but there’s a lesson within the lesson in this one.

why did the bridesmaids forget the oil?  because their lives got too complicated.  too many things going on.  too many roads to get sidetracked on.  too many other things on their minds.  they didn’t remember the most important.  this is a lesson for all of us.

it’s time to simplify…jesus’ style.  his words in sermon on the mount should resonate with us:

 but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  matthew 6:33

inherent in the life of Jesus is simplicity.  his call…his attitude…his relationships…his purpose…his plan…his love…his lifestyle.  his message to seek the kingdom of god first, is a call to single-minded simplicity that is to define the lives of his followers.

simply put…what is best for the kingdom should dictate everything i do.  it removes every other complication.  it gives parameters to my decision making.  it creates objectivity.  it narrows my choices…removes obstacles…gives definition…and moves my life from complexity to simplicity.

do what is best for the kingdom.  that’s it.  it doesn’t necessarily make the decisions easy, but it does make them simple.

 

Have a simple Christmas

the prophet isaiah said it a few thousand years ago:

“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” NLT

it’s all in a name.  his name would be called immanuel.  god is with us. isaiah got this vision from god that someday…someday…god would actually be with his people…walk among his children…become a man…

god with us…the presence of god…outrageous…unbelievable…absurd…god, right here on earth?  it was ludicrous…even gross irreverence to think, let alone believe, that god would become one of us…the presence of god among us…incredible.

the day before, at holiday at the hall, we did something godly.  we gave presence.  we rolled up our sleeves and became a presence in our neighborhood.  did we change lives?  i doubt it.  did we heal the sick?  probably not.  did masses come to know christ because we built a float?  be serious.  but we did something godly.  we gave presence.

and when we give presence, god has something to work with.

john wrote this about jesus in the first chapter of his account of the the life of jesus:

the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  John 1:14

eugene peterson translates the same verse in the message this way:

“The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood”.  John 1:14  (MSG)

i like that.

you want a simpler christmas?  move into the neighborhood.  of your marriage.   in your kid’s lives.  of your co-worker’s world.  on your own block.  give presence.  

 

Raising the bar on gratitude

even after preaching through this passage, it still blows me away:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1Thessalonians 5:16-18

there is no question that these words from the apostle paul are some of the most radically life-altering words that anyone has ever heard!

we are so quick to be thankful for the good weather, our health, our family, our job, our stuff, our good fortune…but what happens to the “thanks” when the circumstances take a turn?  

• did we thank god for the weather the day hurricane ike hit? 
• what happens when our health fails?  do we thank him then?
• or what about the hidden disappointments in our marriages or family members that cause chaos?  does gratitude pour from our mouths then?
• is thankfulness the order of the day when co-workers gossip behind our backs or bosses become overbearing or work schedules turn out of control?
• how do you feel about your stuff when you begin to recognize that it is out of date, run down, broken, in need of repair or replacement?  are you a quick to extol the love and blessing of god…or do you reserve that only for times of economic good fortune?

i can’t help but think that the one thing our skeptical world needs to see from us christ followers is gratitude.  can you imagine how completely bizarre a lifestyle of uncompromising gratitude would look?  gratitude that sits totally outside circumstances…gratitude that is totally unrelated to how good or bad things are going, but simply flowing out of a trust relationship with god?

Gratitude is the barometer of faith.  If I trust God, I can be thankful.  If I simply trust myself…my talent, my ingenuity, my education, my hard work…there is no need, or room, for thankfulness.

Thankfulness pours out of humility.  Thankfulness understands dependence.  Thankfulness is the expression of a heart that comprehends grace…the grace of God.

 

Raising the bar on influence

forgot to post this earlier in the week.  sorry.

our lives are to be different…influential…counter-cultural.  what does it mean?

• counter culture means revolution…but it’s more than fighting for legalistic ideals.
• the word of god calls us to become totally and completely different.
• our culture worships status.  the word of god calls us to be servants.
• our culture seeks fortune.  the word of god tells us to hold things lightly.
• our culture teaches us to look after self.  the word of god commands us to take care of others.
• our culture says to lie to get ahead.  the word of god calls us to cherish honesty and keep our word.
• our culture promotes cynicism and pessimism.  the word of god compels us to be agents of constant hope and faith.
• we are to love our enemies and bless those who persecute us.
• we are to stand up for the poor and the oppressed.
• we are to care for orphans and widows and the forgotten.

we are to be salt and light.  we are a city on a hill.

nothing less will do.

Raising the bar on generosity

honestly, i had an entirely different sermon planned for this past sunday.  as i was going over it late saturday afternoon, i felt compelled to change it.  we call that preacher prerogative.  maybe it was the holy spirit prompting me to change.  maybe it was just my uneasiness.  maybe it was just conviction.  

i had planned to preach some final words on money and giving, but i didn’t want to.  don’t get me wrong.  i don’t have a problem in the world with preaching and teaching about money.  stewardship of resources is one of the most important parts of discipleship…maybe the single most complicated part of following christ in the 21st century western culture.  

in the end, i guess i still did preach a lesson on giving.  just not the one i had planned.  i preached one that was more important.

figuring out how to be faithful followers of the simple king in the midst of a narcissistic society pushes the best of us.  greed, opulence, comfort, self-centerdness, and the pull of unmet want can be overwhelming.  but in the midst of it all, we have the call to faith.

not just any faith.  but faith in the one who took five loaves and two fish and fed multitudes.  faith in the one who took something small and multiplied it.

here’s the lesson to remember:  when we follow the savior, giving never depletes our resources.  it replenishes them.  simple as that.