IMHO…

compared to most 54 year-old men, i’m a pretty flexible guy.  i’m challenged by innovation and new ideas.  i love change.  i’m way more post-modern in my orientation than a lot of 20 and 30-somethings i know.  i think if the church (our church) continues to do the same things in the same ways, we’re going to continue to lose young people in the same way.  like i said, i’m all for change.

so when i read about this new idea, well…i’m still kind of steamed when i think about it.

tim stevens is a church-leader-blogger that i like to read.  he had an interesting post about outsourcing worship leaders the other this morning at his leadingsmart.com website.  i’m curious what you might think about it…

(thanks to mondaymorninginsight.com for the synopsis)

tim met with a church leader from mississippi that temporarily hired worship leaders to come in to help them out after their worship leader left for another job.  it worked out so well, that the church decided to permanently hire temporary worship leaders.  they have settled on four or five leaders that they bring in on a weekly basis.  according to tim stevens, here are some of the advantages this church leader told him about this approach:

• many worship leaders don’t enjoy building teams, managing budgets or organizing departments. they just love to lead worship. this strategy let’s them stay in their sweet spot.
• this decision saves money for the church.  they are able to pay them really well for a weekend and still save enough money in the church budget to use toward another staff position.
• they love the variety that this brings to their church.   keeping things unpredictable is a plus to keeping people’s attention.
• they have learned so much from these worship leaders that they wouldn’t have learned from one person.

in spite of my sometimes reckless love for change and my willingness to go out to the edge for the sake of reaching people for christ, i gotta tell you that i hate this idea.  i appreciate the outside-the-box thinking, but this church has got some messed up thinking.

the premise is all wrong.  the justifications are all wrong.   the expectations are all wrong.  sorry for being so wishy-washy about my opinion on this one.  the definition of worship leader is wrong.  the motive for doing this is wrong.  what about relationship?  what about family?  i’ll stop now.

agree or disagree?

for the record, you people at north point better not get any wacky ideas about outsourcing the preaching around here…

 

Conflict

i have conflicting feelings about this one…

My thoughts, exactly…

every now and then, i read an article or hear a sermon that reflects what i’m thinking or feeling at that moment.  that happened last night.  if you want to read the whole article, you can check it out here. if not, track with me for a few seconds…

you know that i have a love-hate affair with sunday mornings.  on the one hand, i wish our building was full to the brim every sunday…full of people worshipping the greatness of god, investing their lives in each other, serving children, welcoming new folks, filled with the spirit, and being inspired to live dangerous lives for christ.

on the other hand, i believe with my whole heart, that what the church is and does on monday through saturday is infinitely more important than what we do at our club meeting on sundays.

so where’s the truth?

in spite of the megachurches that dot our landscape (here and around the country),  studies show us an alarming trend: church attendance in america is in serious decline.  people are walking away or simply avoiding church in mass.  conservative estimates say that less than 18% of americans attend church services on any given sunday…and it is declining more and more every year.

as much as i would love for us to have more people coming to our building on sunday mornings, i think we are missing the point.  the question is not, “how can we get a bigger attendance on sundays”, but something entirely different. as the author of the article says:

The question we need to be asking is, “How can church become indispensable to a community?”  People don’t come to church because church isn’t essential to their lives.  Church is a take-it-or-leave-it experience, and most are leaving it.

have you ever heard this question:

if your church closed tomorrow, would anybody notice?  at least anybody outside the group of people that come to your sunday morning meeting?

well, if the statistics are to be believed, over 80% of americans give a loud and unqualified “no!”

i want to be part of a church family that is defined by what it does during the week, not by what it looks like on sunday mornings.  i want to be part of a church family that touches more people monday through saturday than walk into the buidling for the weekly meeting.

i want to be part of a church family that really hears what people say about the church…about our hypocrisy…about our judgment.  i want to know why people…80% of the population…see the church as irrelevant and not worth their time.  i want to listen and learn…and be part of a church that matters.

and by the way…if you’re part of the team, exercise your freedom to be somewhere else on sunday mornings judiciously.  we’re better and stronger when you’re here.  and you’re better and stronger, also.

Monday Morning Quarterback

yesterday was another sunday.  we came.  we prayed.  we sang.  we hugged.  we laughed.  we learned.   i preached.  you listened and applied.  we caught up a little.  we made decisions.  we gave.  we remembered.   some of us left and ate together…others went home.  we all went our own way.  a new week was begun.

i guess i’m going to sum up what i feel about yesterday by giving you some different kinds of observations.

• if what happened yesterday between 10:00 and 12:30 defines your life as a follower of christ, you’ve got a problem.
• if you were not inspired to go and spend your next six days surrendered to kingdom-living, you missed the point.
• or we didn’t do our job.
• if you think you can miss on a sunday morning and i’m not affected by it, you’re fooling yourself.
• if you think you can miss on a sunday morning and you not be affected by it, you’re fooling yourself.
• if you think you can come on sunday mornings and be absolved of guilt, you’ve missed the point.
• we have to learn the balance between the value of coming and the freedom to not come.
• we also have to learn another balance…

as i reflect on yesterday, i recognize that we are really good at one thing…and we really struggle at another.  and both of them are crucial to a healthy church family.  we like our friends.  we enjoy their company and find that interacting with them is comfortable and usually pretty natural.

i love watching us interact with each other on sunday mornings.  good friends catching up with each other after being apart for a few days, or even a week…or more.  that’s the way a family is supposed to act.  telling stories.  reacquainting.  catching up.  drawing friends deeper into life journies and cementing friendships before going their own way.  it’s good.  it’s healthy.  it’s godly.  it’s essential.

on the other hand, our friendship and familiarity with each other can actually be one of our biggest obstacles to growth and our ability to extend the kingdom.

frankly, when we are focused on those we know and are comfortable with, we are missing amazing opportunities to draw others in…into our circles…into our stories…into our family life…into north point.  our friendliness to ourselves actually becomes the way we push others away.

can i give you a challenge?  i know that some are actually gifted at interacting with others, especially people who you don’t know.  you are natural extroverts.  some have the gift of hospitality…the extraordinary ability to welcome strangers.  others are not so gifted.  no matter.

it’s time we got on with the business of living our lives the way jesus would…if he were at north point on a sunday morning.  jesus would be obsessed with finding those that were alone or those that were hurting.  he would be the friend to the friendless.  he would welcome the new and challenge the regulars.

he would never allow someone to be left out or forgotten.  he would be comfortable with the uncomfortable and would extend grace and friendship to those that the religious people overlooked.  his life was always inclusive.  strangers counted him a friend.

what do you think north point would look like if we treated people, especially those we know little about, the way jesus would?

Axioms…from my perspective

normally, i try to pass a new axiom on to you every thursday.  i missed.  i was busy…pre-occupied…unfocused… whatever. but as i was studying and writing emails this morning, my emptiheadedness started to be filled with this:

“sunday mornings are not enough.”

it’s nothing new.  i’ve said it a hundred times…in probably a hundred different ways.  but here goes again.

if your only real, regular and/or significant connection with your church “family” is once every seven days for an hour, or so,  at the weekly big show, you’ll probably drift away.  sooner or later, the percentages are pretty high that it will happen.

now that’s not the only reason that can cause someone to look for another church family.  i’ve written and preached about that stuff forever.  there are many other deeper and significant reasons that pave the way for moving on.  wanda and i have moved on a couple of times in the past 34 years.  so have many of you.  it happens.

no…this axiom is not about those complicated and sometimes painful seasons.  this one is simple and to-the-point.

church is not the program.  church is not a meeting.  church is not an item on our weekly to do list.

church is people…relationships…friendship…connection…life sharing…family… teamwork…associations…bonds… attachments…companionship… and camaraderie.

church is love…forgiveness…openness…transparency…conversation…shared experiences…common goals…hospitality…eating…laughing…serving… playing…and giving.  side-by-side.

and you can’t be that in one hour…once a week.

Deep…or shallow?

my world is full of people who struggle.  one of the struggles they have is with their misguided and unrealistic belief that the church is full of people who are perfect…people who have their act together…have no struggles…and are somehow better.

i am grateful for people who are honest about their journeys, own up to their sin,  admit their weakness, face their demons, get up when they fall down, refuse to blame others for their problems,  live with openness and transparency, and turn back to jesus.

to me, that’s a victorious christian.

thanks to the nakedpastor for the cartoon.

Health Care Reform

if you have read my blog over the years, you’ll know that one of the topics i steer clear of is politics.  not because i don’t care.  not because i don’t vote (which i do).  not because i don’t have a political position (which i clearly do).

no.  i don’t spend much time talking politics because i’ve found it’s a sure-fire way of alienating half of the people i am called to minister to.  it’s the one topic that is guaranteed to pidgeon-hole me into a corner with the other group.

right-wing politcal conservatives (especially the christian kind) are vilified these days in the public forum…and for many good reasons!  left-side political liberals (even the christian kind) are being torched by the “right” in the media and through the internet.

at this point in my life, i simply don’t want to hinder my ability to speak of the love and grace of god…to anybody.

with that said, i’m going to pass on a link about the health care reform debate that i would encourage you to read.  it’s by brian mclaren, one of my favorite authors and preachers…and an outspoken leader in the politcal-social-moral-spiritual dialogue going on in christian circles these days.

he may be a little “left” for some of you.  that’s ok.  you might need to be stretched.  his writing on this subject is profound and i believe it would be good for every christ-follower…whether you lean to the left or the right…to digest.

so read it.  consider his words.  lay your agenda aside and listen as a humble seeker of truth.  no more. no less.  if you like what you read, pass it on to someone else!

brian mclaren article

What’s your answer today?

from the ongoing adventures of ABSO Jesus…

An easter thought…

here’s a question that has been nagging at me since easter:

“why do people who don’t see church as family… still come to church services on easter, christmas, and an occasional mother’s day?”

why?

do you think they are seeking?

do you think they are hoping god (if there really is a god) is going to somehow be impressed?

do you think there is a personal sacredness to the day?

do you think it is simply a cultural phenomena?

do you think it is just family pressure?

just wondering what you think…

Monday Morning Quarterback

there was just something about showing up for our weekly “big show” that made me really happy yesterday…

• years ago, i used to show up on sundays ready to run a program.  now i show up excited to see friends.
• i used to show up on sundays tired, empty, or anxious.  i was afraid people would be disappointed in me.  i felt guilty for not doing enough.  i didn’t want to see people because i was sure i had let them down.  now i can’t wait to be with people that are my family.
• church is people. people gather together to worship…to study…to give…to serve…to sing…to pray…to be encouraged…to honor christ and affirm our common belief.  but make no mistake…church is about sharing life together with the people we are living out our faith with.
• i love showing up on sundays!
• the bon voyage pictures were great.
• the bon voyage cake was great.
• have i ever told you that i think we ought to have donuts every sunday?  i still believe that, but cake is a good second.
• i actually shamed people in the first service into moving into the center section.  and then more people showed up and sat in the seats they moved from.  it didn’t go unnoticed.
• if we sing a song that repeats the line, “we lift our holy hands up, we want to touch you”, and nobody lifts their hands, what should we do?  just asking…
• i can remember singing “i love you lord” back in the late 70’s.  we owe an unlimited amount of gratitude to a church in costa mesa, california called calvary chapel, for taking amazing risks musically and even more risks of obedience to reach the hippies and street people of that era that the traditional church was afraid of and rejecting.  here’s a book on the history of calvary chapel you ought to read.  you’ll be inspired!
• we could sing “the remedy” every week and i wouldn’t get tired of it.
• can’t wait for next week, to hear how the band does “screen door”.  they will do rich mullins proud!
• i felt particularly bold in my preaching yesterday.  i love preaching about the grace of god.  i love preaching about righteousness being credited to us through the sustitutionary atonement of christ.  i love preaching about our redemption from slavery to the law.  but i really love preaching about how dead faith is without deeds!
• i don’t think we preach about it enough.
• i think we are afraid of coming across like we are a works-based, cultic kind of group.  i think we’re afraid of teaching a works-based righteousness where we are guilty of trying to earn our own salvation.
• baloney!  i think it’s time we belly-up and start holding each other accountable to faith that works…faith that serves…faith that takes action…faith that rolls up it’s sleeves and gets dirty…and teaches people that any other kind of faith is dead.  period.
• props to nina for giving me such an awesome illustration of the clothing police at ciy.
• man, i love what happens at the end of our services!  i’m pretty sure if i didn’t kick people out, they wouldn’t leave.
• it was a great father’s day!  not sure there is a better place to celebrate the ultimate “man day” than rudy’s barbeque.  like they say there:  “i didn’t claw my way to the top of the food chain just to eat vegetables”. agreed.

here’s a video of rich mullins doing “screen door” with his band at one of his last concerts before he died.  it was kind of signature thing that the band would do.  rich is the one on the far right in the video.  the guys that are singing with him are actually the band that stayed together after he died (they became “this train”) and did the rockabilly version of the song we heard at the beginning of my sermon.

watch this.  it’s cool.  and then watch a few of the other videos of rich on youtube.  especially the ones from his concert in lufkin, texas.  his preaching was as amazing as his singing.