It Blows My Mind Pt. 2

I have written on this subject before, but not to the degree that I will now. I am going to share my thoughts on how the church handles the failures of its members,  particularly its leaders.

You can consider me bias if you wish and therefore invalidate what I am communicating, or you can consider me experienced and knowledgeable, or you can simply read what I write here and argue with it, or lend your support to it; it certainly makes for a good discussion.

Let me write up front that I know  not every church system handles things poorly every time, but, in my opinion, too many do most of the time.   The movement that I was involved with is notorious for its lack of success in dealing with failure by its members, as are many other evangelical churches, to say nothing of the mess the Catholic church created for itself by going to the other extreme and shielding sexual predators from the repercussions of their transgressions.

Here is what I have seen happen and continue to see go on, much to the shame of the Body of Christ. All too often the response to one's failure is shock and dismay, followed by punitive actions.   All too often every good thing a person has done for decades is wiped away by minutes, days, months of actions.   Rarely is it considered that the price a person has paid for serving for years and years, constantly being called upon to give, sacrifice and serve, might contribute to a person's failure. The complicity of the congregation's demands and insatiable desire to be feed, cared for and served are rarely taken into consideration. All too often the colleagues who serve with such a person (the staff), or the Boards who work with them are relieved of any accountability or responsibility for a person's failure. It's at this point Paul's words regarding 'when one part of the body hurts we all hurt' is thrown out the window.

Don't even think I am trying to justify sinful and hurtful actions, but the absolutely only time we see in the New Testament a person 'set aside' is in the case of an unrepentant person,
who was 'turned over to Satan for the destruction of their sinful nature', and then of course the church had to be confronted about allowing this person back in once he repented.   There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in scripture that gives us the right to punish one who fails. Yet that is what we do and somehow some way justify by pointing to what the person has done. I'm sorry where do you find that? In Galatians Paul states that 'When someone in caught in sin', it doesn't say what sin;  it doesn't say how that sin has affected you emotionally; it doesn't say only do so if you are not feeling hurt, disappointed or disillusioned! It says to restore such a one gently and to be careful not to fall into temptation.   And what temptation might that be? To judge? To exact revenge? To treat a person harshly?

Years ago I observed the failure of a prominent minister that I was both familiar with through his radio ministry and my occasional attendance at his church. It was very clear even to my 12- year- old daughter that this man was distant, arrogant and filled with pride. Yet he was treated like a celebrity by all those who served around him.   His Board failed to hold him to account. His staff was fearful of him and therefore failed to be honest with him and his congregation adored him.  I'm sorry, but is fear of a leader justification for  Board members to acquiesce and literally vote for something they are against?  Does the fact that the Pastor will get angry with them justify their abdication of their responsibility to the congregation?  Sorry, but if you are not man or woman enough to hold to your convictions and not violate your conscience, then resign right now. Don't wait until the person who was leading lay bleeding on the ground to walk by and kick them when you very well may have contributed to their failure.

When a leader fails or for that matter when a member of the body of Christ fails, do they do so in complete and total isolation. Do you know how many times I have heard after the fact ' well I knew there was something wrong....' Really? Ever read Matthew 18...if YOU see someone in sin GO TO HIM...

I have a friend, I have mentioned before.  He has failed, screwed up, sinned, whatever you want to call it. For decades he has been known as a man of character, generous, faithful, you name it.
In a matter of months he has taken a nosedive, and hasn't been doing well at all. So do those few months wipe out decades of faithful service?  In the church it certainly does.  People back away like someone has a communicable decease. All the while justifying their lack of support, help, care, concern and graciousness as a result of their shock, their disappointment, the sense of betrayal they feel towards this person.   Baloney! I cannot think of any justification for such actions. Before the Lord, what if your life, your actions, your heart were exposed to the glaring lights?  Could you cast the first stone? Have you ever considered the fact that if someone has served for decades, has been faithful and without disqualifying faults and now they have messed up, that there is something terribly wrong, that they are not acting like themselves. Wouldn't it be something if we recognized the fact that they have failed, they have sinned, and we need to come to their aid? That we need to protect them and take care of them? What if Jesus treated us like we treat our brothers and sisters who have sinned? We'd all be going to hell as far as I can tell.

What I have seen so often in these situations is the person who has sinned loses much, if not all of what they have--- their reputation, their livelihood, their families, their position and their place,  and then we want more! I'm thinking when that has happened, a person has clearly reaped what they sowed; there is no bases for adding to their consequence, none whatsoever.

Wouldn't if be something if one time in one place a church would stand with 'the brother who sinned'  that we would walk through the muck and the mess that they have made.   That we would act with compassion, grace and mercy, seeking to bring restoration and healing to the person. Wouldn't it be something if we embraced the person in the stench of their sin, loving them without condition, nursing them back to health and protecting them from further attack.

I listen to the talk, I watch the actions, I hear the reasoning and justifications for abandoning the person who has failed and it makes me sick.

I hope and pray in my lifetime that I see the church act like a body, a family, a loving community in the face of someone's failure. I pray that somewhere, sometime that we will 'be imitators of Christ and walk in love, as beloved children.' Amen

Note: Do I seem angry? You got it I am....let me know if you think I am sinning in my anger.  I've reviewed this and I don't think so.

Communicating the Gospel in a Christless Culture

This weekend my friend Todd Hunter will be sharing with our church (faithcommunitychurch.us) about the state of our culture as it relates to communicating the Gospel. Anyone who has been a Christian for a while and desires to share the 'hope that we have within' knows how difficult it is to dialogue with those outside of the faith. The combination of secularism, relativism and pluralism have had a major impact on the ability interact with others regarding faith.
Todd has been traveling the world that last several years, listening, watching and learning in regards to this whole arena and I think his insights will be a great help to those who desire to communicate the Gospel. On top of that it will be great to hang out with an old friend with whom I have shared so many incredible experiences. I'll report back after the weekend and share some of his insights. You can learn more about Todd at toddhunter.net .

Andy Park in the House

I'm sitting at the church listening to Andy Park do a sound check.  He's leading a night of worship tonight and at our service tomorrow.
I am always moved when he leads; there is so much content in the songs he sings and it always causes me to connect in a special way for some reason.
I don't really have much to say about it, just that I am blessed and thankful once again for those with the gift and anointing to lead worship.   I think regarding myself, I take it for granted, but when I am able to experience it, I realize how blessed and powerful it is.

Hype and The Holy Spirit

Many years ago, I was part of a revival of sorts, we wouldn't have called it a revival, we really didn't have a term for it, but the presence of the Lord as we gathered was evident and beautiful.
Eventually a group of people who had been involved in church and ministry for years were rediscovering their 'first love', it was a remarkable time.
Eventually this group was released to start a church albeit reluctantly by the mother church, we went with a blessing.
This was not something you could have identified as being Pentecostal or charismatic although it certainly draw people of those backgrounds, but it wasn't our background, we were basically conservative Evangelicals who were being touched by the Holy Spirit.
The fact is we believed in the modern day work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, we didn't believe the gifts had died out with the closing of the Canon, but up to that point we hadn't seen any model that resonated with us. It's interesting thinking about growing up in the evangelical part of the church, you never read about any miracles or virtually anything supernatural, it was as if those things no longer happened.

We visited Charismatic and Pentecostal meetings and simply could not embrace the theatrics and the hyperbole that were characteristic of these gatherings. Our leader was John Wimber, John looked at the current models and was determined to embrace the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit but not the hype. As we continued to gather and grow, a new model for ministry emerged that was very different from what we had seen on Television or in the meeting we had attended. There was never a time John made an entrance to crescendoing music with an entourage in his wake. John didn't platform ministry, but allowed for the ministry to take place right where people were seated or they were invited into a side room to receive ministry from one of dozens of lay people who were willing to trust God to use them in this kind of ministry. There were never any prayer lines, where people lined up to be prayed for by a specific anointed minister. There was a clear effort to protect the dignity of the individual and not exploit them for the purpose of stirring up the crowd. No slaying in the spirit, or claiming a healing or deliverance, things were 'dialed' down and religiousness was discouraged. What I mean by religiousness is changing character, voices and language, people were encourage to just be who they were and let God be who He is. Prophecy, what we would call simple prophecy was not only allowed but encouraged at every service. By simple prophecy I mean words of comfort, exhortation and edification, 'thus sayeth the Lord's' were discouraged and it was even suggested that you might begin your 'prophecy' with the disclaimer, 'I think the Lord may be saying this to us today' again in plan and simple language.
I write about all this because I have been thinking about that period of time and contrasting it to what I hear about, read about and see today. The fact is what I see today isn't any different than what I was first exposed to 30 years ago, except for with the Internet word gets out faster to more people. I am asked by friends what I think of the latest 'hot spot' and my only response is 'it is what it is'. That doesn't mean I accept or reject these things out of hand, for the most part these things don't catch my interest, I don't see or hear anything different than I have heard for years. Another thing that factors in for me is the fact that I have watched some people go to every new place where 'the Holy Spirit is moving', and in almost every case there is no discernible long lasting difference in the lives of these people. Especially when I contrast them with the lives of people I know who haven't attended a single meeting and are as spiritually mature as any of these people and in some cases more so. So do I believe God isn't doing anything or that the Holy Spirit isn't moving? I am convinced at many times and many places He is, but more importantly the people who attend believe He is and I believe their faith is engaged and rewarded.
All that said I believe to this day that the model and methods that John helped to shape and implement in the years gone by was a wonderful approach to ministry. It was much easier to discern then between what was actually happening to person, whether God was doing something or whether the person was in some way acting out to draw attention to themselves.
I simply believe that we don't need to add anything to what God is doing, the music doesn't need to change, the lighting and the mood don't need to be set, no extravagant claims or proclamations, when God is working and doing something in the midst of His people, that is sufficient, in my opinion.

Raised by wolves.....

In telling my story I often state that 'I was raised by wolves'. Not exactly the truth in that I really did have a mother and father, so to speak, but in reality I raised myself, not a good idea by the way. When I say that what I mean is I never was 'raised', never given an explanation, never given any direction, never coached or assisted in the things of life. It just all unfolded and you just figured it out as best you could, which again isn't such a good idea. Frankly with the exception of when I was four years old or so, I don't remember being disciplined or corrected and re-directed. God bless my mother; she didn't know what and heck to do with me. It was all she could do to keep a roof over our head and some semblance of food in the apartment.  My 'dad' wasn't around, although he always lived close by when I was growing up, I didn't see him all that much, which I didn't really miss, or at least I didn't think so. I certainly missed not having a dad, a father, no doubt.   I'm not sure that this particular one needed to be around any more than he was, that might not have been such a good thing, I'm pretty sure of that.

As I look back, I realize there was never anyone in my life to, well, teach me about life. How to handle money, education, relationship, how to be a husband, a father, things of that nature. So I had to figure it out as I went, of course I read the books, went to the seminars and such, but as a friend of mine once said, 'more is caught than taught', in other words having a role model is pretty important.

Where am I going with all of this? Well, yesterday was 'Fathers Day' and it caused me to reflect on my life as a father. Although I could beat myself half to death over whether or not I have been the father I should have or could have been, there is no doubt the answer to those questions is, yes. But did I move the needle, did I put some distance between myself and the upbringing that I experienced?   Whew, thank God the answer is, yes!   I cannot think of a time that I haven't been supportive and affirming of my children in what they were either doing or wanted to do. I have always, sometimes to their chagrin have expressed my love and affection for my children. When I'm dead and gone and they think back on their father, I think they will reflect on this fact with fondness and gratitude.

There is no doubt that I could have and should have done better, but frankly I simply didn't know how to.   I figured things out as best I could,  and I think I got the most important thing right, loving them without conditions, affirming them whether I agreed with their path or not, supporting them as best I could in all that I could.

Will I get the Father of the Year Award, probably not. But did I put some serious distance between myself and the 'upbringing' I experienced, I think so.

Answer to some questions

I have had a couple comments to the last blog about the church that I want to answer.   One was in a comment by Keith that I inadvertently rejected for posting instead of accepting, sorry Keith I tried to undo the damage but couldn't pull it off.

Keith asked what kind of government is safe? I think that's a good question and one you should consider before becoming part of a church. What is their system of government? Is it open and transparent? Who is accountable to whom? What is their plan for handling failure?
Of course there are systems of every shape and size out there, some better than others.  It is important to have a clear plan in place for failure or wrongdoing.  Is the structure for dealing with these things, corporate in it's nature or community based and relational?

I will give you and example of the church that I am involved in as one structure that seems to be good and works. Our church has a Board, Elders and Pastoral Team. The Board deals with facility and finances, but has no authority in spiritual matters. Therefore if one of the leaders in the church, especially a pastor, should fail, it is not in their hands to determine what is to be done.    The Elders would deal with anything of that nature and are guided by the scriptures as to go about this, with an emphasis on restoration and resisting the temptation to judge or hand out punishment, which is by far and away the norm. They are to do this in an open and compassionate way, one that is a benefit to the entire community of faith, which is what we are by the way.

In the story I tell in my previous blog, those who are 'dealing' with my friend, whom by the way they accuse of no wrong doing, yet treat him like an unrepentant sinner, you can't point to anything they are doing in an open, compassionate or beneficial way to the community of faith there. Probably for the most part because you have the wrong people with the wrong skills, gifts and mandate to handle the situation.   So the system in our church has for lack of a better term some checks and balances in it. For example, let's say the Elders deal with a situation and conclude it is best for the 'leader' to step down or back from ministry. Yet they come up with an outlandish financial 'package' for this person. The Board can reject it based on the impact and effect it would have on the church as a whole. The elders and pastors can make a recommendation to the Board regarding a situation, but the Board has to make its decision based on this counsel and their knowledge of the churches situation financially as well as the church By Laws.

Also in our system the Pastors have no control of the finances and cannot write checks. We don't have credit cards and have no vote on financial matters. That can make things a little cumbersome at times, but it protects the church and protects the pastor. There are many, many churches that allow the pastor to have way too much control of the financial matters of the church and it's a system that is riff with pitfalls in my opinion.

There are lots of ways to do church and to set up church systems.  It's not hard to find legitimate models for doing this.  There is no need to reinvent the wheel. The system should be characterized by transparency, accountability, justice and community, among others things.
The system I came out of is characterized by secrecy and virtually a complete lack of accountability, yet it is accepted and goes unquestioned by those who are members of it.  It is stunning to me  that so many people are apathetic as to how their church or denomination is run. I just don't get that and I hope for the sake of the body of Christ it changes.

It Blows My Mind!

I love the church.   I believe in the church.   I believe the church will survive and will continue to express Gods purpose and plans for the world. That said, it's absolutely amazing that this is true. The church is so fragmented, so divided, so eclectic and sometimes just plan dumb. Case in point;  I have a friend who planted a church over 10 years ago and has gone through some difficult times lately. People around him expressed concern for him and the Board gave him a year's sabbatical, with the purpose of him being able to rest and recoup. The problem is they have handled it just like a Board and not a community of faith. He was notified via an email of this decision and its 'requirements', a couple of which were amazing. He is not to step foot on the property, nor attend services there. I know that could be explained as not wanting him to engage.  If that was the case, don't send that in an email; dialogue with the man so he can catch your spirit. 

When I read the letter from the Board, it felt punitive and like a banishment, not an act of love and concern. It is simply not right for us not to talk to one another and meet face to face, to argue, cry, laugh;  whatever needs to happen, it needs to happen together. What it seems like to me is there are people who have issues with my friend and they don't have the courage to express those to his face, so under the cover of a Board decision, based on private discussions, edicts are handed down. 'Hey buddy we're really concerned about you and we really want to see you rest and healed up, just don't do it with us!' The the community of faith where a person is called and has ministered for over a decade, isn't the right place to fellowship, worship and experience healing. It just blows my mind......more later.

Random thoughts

I've been writing a lot of articles of late rather than things that are personal, so I thought I'd take a moment to throw out some thoughts, not all of which will be related to one another.
The Church: A place to get hurt, a place to get healed. It can be the worst experience and it can be the best experience.
Salvation: Why is it that in coming to Christ we freely and fully admit that we have 'fallen short', that we have no righteousness of our own, that we are totally dependant upon the grace and mercy of God, then we seem to spend the rest of our lives trying to prove that is no longer true. What is it about 'glorying in our weakness' that is so disgusting to us and hard for us to accept, remaining just as dependant on Christ for our sanctification as we are for our justification? Just curious.
Church Discipline: As far as I can tell there are about 4 or 5 texts that deal even remotely to this thing called 'church discipline'. Matt 18, Galatians 6, I Timothy 5, 1 Corinthians 5, with the exception of the situation in Corinthians where Paul specifically tells them to 'cast out the immoral' brother, only to have to tell them later to receive the repentant brother back, none of these hint at anything punitive. Someone somewhere coined the phrase 'church discipline', but it would be better rendered 'church punishment' according to how it's handled. Hmmm this deserves a whole blog........but, I do think it's curious that we NEVER see a Pastor/Leader/Elder 'disciplined for pride, greed, gossip, malicious talk or selfish ambition, plenty of which is on display throughout the church today, I'm pretty sure the Bible clearly describes these as sins that are grievous and harmful, way are these left off the list of offenses that are commonly 'disciplined'? Just curious.....oh well that's all for now....the old guys tired.

Worship as a way of life

In the past I have written about the ‘essence of worship’, that is the fundamental substance of worship, what the ingredients are that make worship,worship.

I proposed that faith, truth and intimacy are absolutely necessary to our worship experience. The fact is worship is a subject that volumes have been written about. When I began leading and teaching on worship in the late 70’s there was very little written about the popular style of worship that has now emerged and is sweeping the earth. Today it’s virtually become and industry and without a doubt has been commercialized. I’m not going to address that in this column, my point is worship is an area that has captured the attention and interest of millions and can be explored extensively.

Therefore, any column, article, book or message given on the subject to one degree or another will fail to address all the issues related to this subject. I lay all this out as a backdrop to my column on ‘Worship As A Way Of Life’, I confess up front I’m just scratching the surface and in no way can exhaust the subject here, that said hopefully it will serve to encourage you and edify your worship life and experience.

Over the past three decades, worship has become a very hot topic and an area that has emerged as an essential part of almost every expression of our faith. Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, you name it in almost every case ‘modern’, ‘contemporary’, ‘emergent’ worship has taken root and has influenced the way we ‘do church’. Churches look different and sound different than they did 30 years ago and in my opinion it’s for the better. All of the afore mentioned points to the outward expressions of worship. But more important than what is happening on the outside is what is happening inside. It is essential that our outward expressions be consistent with an inward reality. We know that Jesus said ‘we must worship in spirit and truth’, (Jo.4:24) in rebuking the Pharisees, Jesus said, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain: their teachings are but rules made by men” (Matt. 15:8)

What is expressed in worship outwardly must be heart connected. If not, we can bow low, dance, lift our hands and it is nothing more than a religious exercise.

Worship as a way of life is expressed in the person who cares more about what God desires than what people think.

The ultimate expression of worship is the life that is fully devoted to the will of God. When we seek justice, stand in defense of the defenseless, care for the poor, minister to the imprisoned, care for and protect our children, we are expressing worship at the highest level. When we do this worship has goes from reciting liturgy, singing songs and looking into God’s word, to being responsive to his Word and obeying His commands. True worship and devotion affects everything and goes beyond the confines of our ‘worship services’, service flows from worship.

When we gather for worship we should experience the power and presence of God, having our hearts warmed and our lives filled. From this fullness we freely and generously give out of the abundance that has been given us, that all may worship and give God glory.

Worship and Expectancy

In his classic book, A Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster states:

“To worship is to experience reality, to touch life. It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. It is to break into the Shekinah off God, or better yet, being invaded by the Shekinah of God.”

That’s some pretty profound stuff! First of all let me define Shekinah. Shekinah denotes the presence of God, as opposed to a God who is abstract, aloof or virtually theoretical.

It would be my educated guess that for the majority of us who gather together on a regular bases to worship, there would be a lack of focus and expectancy when we come to worship. The process of getting the family ready for church alone is enough to knock us off balance and keep us from entering into worship with a faith filled heart.

I think it would be safe to say that virtually everything in life conspires against an ability to rest in Christ, to sit at His feet, to depend on Him for everything. It is easy for us to be distracted, lacking focus.

How often do we get up on a Sunday morning and feel an excitement and anticipation regarding the worship service? How often do we realize that in the gathering of the community of faith there is the promise of God’s presence and its power touch and transform our lives? We all know that having a quiet time or devotional time is an important part of our walk with God. But it is in the gathering together with others that Jesus promises to be in our midst. Jesus said ‘Where two or more are gather in my name, there I will be in the midst of them.’ So every time we gather together with other believers we have the promise of the presence of God. I think that experience is intensified when we gather together to praise and worship God in the corporate gatherings. Singing songs and lifting our hearts to God in faith. There is something very special when we gather corporately, the dynamic is different.

The dynamic changes even more when we gather with expectancy, with faith, believing that God rewards those who seek him. The Bible says, ‘Without faith it’s impossible to please God.’ Conversely if we gather with faith we can be assured that God is pleased. How incredible is that, that we can be pleasing to God in our worship.

The truth is when we gather to worship; we disengage from the reality of this world and its cares and burdens, allowing us to engage with the reality of God and His kingdom.

I would encourage you to come to worship with expectancy, ready to meet with God, ready to bless Him. In doing so I believe you will truly be blessed.

I can sleep....most the time

I'm sitting here, up at 12:30AM, a very rare occurance, thinking about a time it wasn't so rare.
For a long time I would have sleepless nights, which led to fear of more sleepless nights. Now it's the exception, something that happens to everyone from time to time. Nothing to worry about or get anxious over, cool.
I have a tendancy to be very hard on myself taking the blame for everything and anything in an effort to make peace with those who would point the finger and condemn. I don't feel that way any longer, I just don't care, I'm happy.
Do I wish things have happened differently? Yes! Would I like to have a relationship with those whom I came to love and admire over the years? Yes! Does it matter in the end if I do or I don't? Or if things happened differently? Not really. Things are the way they are, you have to deal with them, embrace them and continue to move forward.
It is much easier for some people to plow through the circumstances of their lives and move forward than others. We experience things and process things differently, that's just the way it is.
So what if it takes one person to come back from a hamstring injury less time than another? It takes what it takes, it's not a moral issue. One person is better, more spiritual or whatever because they overcome faster than another. Yet that is what we do so often, we turn issues that are not moral issues into issues of right and wrong, when in fact they may be neither.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It stuck me that I can extend this greeting with some sense of satisfaction and hope for the first time in ten years! I have to state that this last year has been the best I have had in a decade. From 1997 on I have been on a very difficult and trying path. I have experienced a few highs, but mostly a series of valleys that have tried me and tested me in every way imaginable. Yet in this past year I have emerged from the mist and find myself today very encouraged and hopeful regarding the future, something I haven't felt for a long time. For years it was a matter of making it through a day or an hour! But little by little and day by day, I am making it, becoming more alert, clear and confident in God and His good intentions for me.
I am certainly one who resonates and identifies with the pain and suffering of others, whether mentally, emotionally or spiritually. I am grateful for that ability, especially having re engaged in ministry full time, I'm a much safer and more helpful 'minister'.
Here's the kicker, the same 'agency', 'organization', 'institution', take your pick, that brought such great harm to my life, 'the church', is the the very same that has brought about healing.
Having been hurt by the church and please I am not and never have abdicated my own responsibility for my own failings, but I'm pretty sure that the response to my failures was neither appropriate nor helpful to say the least, yet the fact is it is the church that has brought healing to me. The church in all senses, meaning in the smaller context of 'where two or more are gathered' to the corporate gatherings or more organized dimension of the church.
In my hurt I disconnected, feeling that was the safest and best place to live. And although it felt right and appeared justified, it did me know good what so ever. I was wasting away and drying up. I began to reconnect a little over two years ago, at the most intimate level, literally in the 'two or more' are gathered place. I re connected with a couple friends from when I was a pastor with Calvary Chapel Yorba Linda in 1978. For the first year, we laughed, cried, complained and whined about the years gone by. But in the midst of it all we experienced the love and mercy of Christ and His living presence. Frankly without even noticing it, I was being healed, life was returning and hope suddenly existed. At the same time I re connected with the local church, leading worship and ministering in areas of my giftedness and calling and that has brought me further along than I had believed or hoped I could come.
This is a long, long story and there are many twist and turns, but for today I just want to say that I am thankful and look forward to this New Year.
By the way I don't feel strong in the sense of personal confidence or ability, my strength is found in my state of weakness and dependence on the living Christ to live in and through me. It is His grace and His mercy, His unconditional and everlasting love that I depend on. No me and not my own ability.
So Happy New Year and here's to a great 2008!

WHEN THE PAST RUINS THE PRESENT

A wise man once said, ‘When your memories of the past obscures your vision of the future, it leaves you bankrupt in the present.’

I’ve been involved with ‘the church’ for most of my life. I was part of a great Quaker, I was Ordained as a Calvary Chapel Pastor in 1977, helped found the flagship church of the Vineyard Movement and now serve at Faith
Community Church in Thousand Palms as the Outreach and Worship pastor.

I have so many great memories each of the places I have been and have been fortunate to be a part of some wonderful times of great blessing. I am thankful for that, BUT, I don’t want to go back there!
Over and over again I hear people in the church pining for days gone by. ‘Gosh remember when the worship was…. fill in the blank.’ ‘Remember when the church was so small you knew every ones name.’ The list is endless. Why do we always think the past is better than the present or the future?

The fact is things change, they grow, they improve, I’m sorry but in my opinion they get better. I have written songs that were widely used in churches throughout the world over the past two or three decades, but I don’t believe there is one of them that compares to the songs that Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Paul Balouche and others are writing today. The worship music has improved so much over the past twenty years and I am blessed by the growth and change.

It’s not that the past isn’t relevant , nor do we discard the richness of our heritage, but it is important to keep things in perspective. We should know our roots, understand the past, but rather than hold us back it should be foundational to what we are doing today and prepares us for where we are going in the future.

So we celebrate the past, and embrace the present with thanksgiving, which prepares us to mover forward embracing the vision God gives us for the future.

Worship and Compassion

In my last article I wrote of being ‘affected by the Gospel’, by that I mean that the Gospel has impacted us in such a way that it causes us to see the world differently and to act differently.
I became a Christian in 1965 and for most of that time I have been deeply involved in the life of the church. To this day I find myself surprised by the lack of compassion and empathy amongst Christians. I don’t know how you can separate worship from compassion, if we are connecting with God on a deeper level, if we are saying that we desire to honor him and to serve him, how can we at the same time distain the weak, broken, poor and needy.
I have seen and heard it over and over again, people explaining away the need to be compassionate towards those who have gotten themselves in a mess. We seem to believe if the ‘bad choices’ someone has made has led them to their present condition that we are absolved of any responsibility to give care or help to such a person.
I don’t see anywhere in the life and example of Jesus that could possibly lead one to that conclusion. Jesus said to ‘give to anyone who asks of you expecting nothing in return’ (Luke 6) Why? Jesus answers the question this way, ‘But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.’
I’m not talking about ‘enabling’ here, I’m talking about empathy, identifying with the brokenness of others, remembering ‘but there by the grace of God go I’. Which we often give lip service to, but secretly don’t identify with.
The fact is Jesus never places qualifiers on those who are the recipients of his kindness, he never sought out the most deserving. Think of the ‘women at the well’, a serial adulterer, a Samaritan, as undeserving and unclean as one could get in that culture and time. Yet Jesus much to her surprise initiates a dialogue with her, setting an example for you and me.

I have I have heard countless diatribes over the years comparing modern America to Sodom and Gomorrah, well maybe that’s true. Here is what the Bible says the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was,

" 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. Ezekiel 16:49

As we approach this season of overindulgence and unbridled consumerism, I would hope that those who worship Jesus, will keep our eyes open to those around us who are poor and needy and I pray our hearts ache for and identify with them and that as an act of worship we will extend ourselves, at the very least by coming aside organizations that have as their mission a call to serve the least of the least. Yet at the same time not turning away from our own personal expressions compassion which bring honor and glory to God.

What Make A Great Worship Song?

I am probably opening a can of worms here by trying to answer this question, after all when it comes to music, art, poetry, there is much to be said for the saying ‘beauty is in the eyes (ears, hearts) of the beholder’, in other words our taste in music can vary greatly and in many aspects is based on subjective criteria, but what the heck I’ll try and identify some of the common denominators of what I believe makes a great worship song.

The songs I am referring to by the way are the ones that have emerged over the past 30 years as worship has evolved to become more culturally relevant and current in the medium and the message. Obviously there are great hymns that have been written over the centuries and are still in use today in churches throughout the world. Some would argue that they have more depth and are better musically than the songs we are utilizing today. I don’t hold that opinion, but will tackle that in a future article.

So based on the songs that are song today in hundreds of thousands of churches around the world, what makes one song stand out over and against another.
For the sake of space of which I am limited, I will make these bullet points with a touch of explanation.
Content: Are the lyrics based on truths set forth in the Bible? Are they sound doctrinally, and theologically? Do they reflect what one wants to say, to or about God?

Melody: I have listened to songs that have come straight from the scripture that are really bad and I have felt people at times have gone way to far in stating ‘the Lord gave me this song’!

Is it memorable? Is it accessible? That is, can most people who are meant to sing the song, sing it? It may be a great song, it may have great lyrics, a great melody and ‘hook’, but if it can’t be sung, what makes it a worship song?

Simplicity: I’m sure this will get a rise out of some, there has been much criticism of contemporary worship because of its simplicity and I believe much of it is unwarranted. The Bible is filled with simple statements that are profoundly true, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by me.’ Not terribly complex but profound and true.

If people can sing it and it’s easily transferable a song will travel around the world and be used to engage God’s people together in worship, think of ‘I Love You Lord’, ‘How Great is Our God’, ‘Shout to the Lord’, in fact the songs that are used throughout the world by congregations of every tribe and nation are songs like these examples. They can be played with the simplest accompaniment or non at all, lending themselves to be used, which is the point right? People gathering with their hearts and lives open to God, expressing praise, adoration, thanks and honor to God.

Online Seminar

I will be speaking at an online worship seminar, this Thursday, August 30th at 8PM Eastern time. It's free and the participants are from all over the globe.
Cut and paste this link into your web browser: http://www.worshipteleseminar.com

Corprate Worship: Vertical or Horizontal?

Worship is a huge topic and you can go many different directions in defining and explaining worship. In this article I want to explore the corporate dynamic of worship over and against personal and private worship or worship as a way of life, or many other of its aspects. There is now doubt that corporate worship has changed dramatically over the last 35 years, yes it’s been 35 years plus since the Jesus Movement sweep the world and began introducing a whole new approach to our corporate worship. Locally here in Southern California it was manifest through the ministry of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa led by Pastor Church Smith. In those early days bands began to form like Love Song, Parable, Children of the Day and simple songs that people could sing along with began to emerge. Songs like Heavenly Father We Appreciate You, I Love You Lord, Seek Ye First and many others. A record company, Maranatha Music, was started specifically to record and in the end document this new sound. If you witnessed this it was a remarkable experience. There was a sweetness, innocence and intimacy that couldn’t be achieved with the traditional hymns. Now I don’t want to open that can off worms right now, but hymns by and large were written literally centuries ago and the music, language and arrangements reflect that. These new songs were coming forth from a new generation of believers and although simple, which some people criticize, they not only drew people in and allowed them to participate at a new level and actually acted as a teaching tool. You may be critical of the simplicity of the music of Seek Ye First, but are you honestly going to argue about its content. Frankly I believe that inculcating people with the message through music is one of the most powerful tools that can be utilized to teach. That is precisely what the Wesley brothers did in the 1700’s, Charles Wesley writing over 2000 songs most with the expressed purpose of imparting biblical and doctrinal knowledge to the Methodist. Things have changed significantly from both the 1700’s and even from the 1970’s. When Love Song used to do their concerts and lead the people at times in ‘worship songs’, it was very simple in every way. But it was engaging and people would appear to be transported into a euphoric state as they opened their hearts to God. Today the music has progressed in a remarkable manner, the ‘garage bands’ have been replaced by highly skilled ‘worship artist’ and ‘praise bands’ that have generated some incredible music, through which we can engage and participate in worship. But the one thing that we need to be sure to remember is, it really isn’t about the band, the atmosphere or even excellence. All of those things are good and fine, as long as we don’t ‘progress’ to the point where we lose the vertical aspect of worship. When it becomes horizontal and we move into either entertaining or being entertained we loose the main component, meeting with and connecting with God. In corporate worship that is the goal, to come together as His body and based on the promise of His presence ‘where two or more are gathered’, we come before him opening up our lives and our hearts anxious to experience more of Him in our lives.

Funeral Today!

I am particapating in a funeral today. We don't use the word funeral very often these days, usually a memorial or celebration service. But this one certainly isn't a celebration, it's a tragety.
The sevice is for a young lady, 29, who died of alcohal poisoning. I don't know her and don't know much about the circumstances surrounding this situation. I just know that the husband asked if I would sing, so I will, but it is so sad. We actually don't know much if anything about her faith, whether she came to Christ as some point and strayed, or was a Christian addicted to alcohol or what. I just know if it takes the faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain, which is pretty minuscule, then if there was a speck of faith in her troubled heart, Jesus would respond to it like it was the size of a 5 carrot diamond.
Recently a friend of mine observed in his blog the heart of the Father, as revealed in the heart of the prodigals father. He made the point that when the father was standing scanning the horizon in the hopes of seeing his son, he had no idea what the son had gone through, no idea that he had hit bottom, no idea that he was returning with a repentant heart, but he stood, he watched, he hoped and when the son came into view his heart lept with joy and he held his arms open wide, his soud flooded with love and relief.
I don't know the heart of this young women, no human being really did, all I know is if she even glanced toward God He took notice and has now welcomed her with a warm, forgiving and loving embrace.
I know that my hope is just that, it is hope that all we read, all that we see revealed in Jesus will no longer be hope, but be realized as we are welcomed home.

Man I'm a bad blogger!

If blogging requires writing your thoughts daily than I'm am the worst. I get side tracked and focused on other stuff and simply forget to do it. Not that it's all that important to anyone else, I have found though it can be good for me to get my thoughts out.

So here are some random thoughts. I just had my three youngest kids around for a few weeks and it was wonderful. My youngest are 13, 15 and 17, it's amazing how fast time has gone by and how much they have grown up. Sophie the 17 year old just competed a trip to Nicaragua with a team from my church to an orphanage established by Builder for Children. I was really pleased that she went and love her heart for the poor and especially for children.

Of course as you get older you appreciate that things that really matter more and more, it is especially true for me regarding my children. They have made life worth it and really keep me focused and engaged in the future. Even when things don't work out the way you think they should or as you had wished, they make all the ups and downs worth it.

I have allot of thoughts flowing around these days but will have to get them organized and start writing them out and hopefully some of you will interact with me regarding them.

Trusting and Resting in Jesus

This last Sunday I taught at our church about the 'mind games' we play with ourselves and with others. Within the context of that talk I made the statement, 'The way in is the way on.' I was stating it in the context of staying in touch with our need for dependance and rest in the sufficiency of Christ and His provision. What I am saying is that we began, engaged in a relationship with Christ through faith and the truth is the way on is accomplished through faith as well. Not 'principles', 'keys', 'steps' 'choices', or other methods of growing in or maintaining our relationship with Christ. There is nothing wrong with 'keys', 'principles' et cetera, in and of themselves, but when we begin to rely on them as a means of justification, we are making a subtle shift from relatioinship to religion in my opinion. It seems to me to be deeply entrenched in humon nature to become prideful when we are able to achieve spiritual goals that we or others set up. For instance, we make a commitment to pray every day for 15 minutes and read the Bible for 30 minutes daily. Is that a bad thing? Of course not, who is going to come against prayer or Bible reading? The problem comes when we conclude that we are 'more spiritual' than someone else or feel like this somehow gains up a closer standing with God. It's not wrong to do good things, what's wrong is to draw the wrong conclusion and becoming judgmental towards others who don't meet the standards thay you have set for yourself.