Coattails

Frank

Are you that guy? You know, that guy? The hanger-on. The coattail-rider. The member of the posse or entourage that just doesn’t look like you belong there?

I’m that guy. I look back twenty years to high school (sheesh! already?) and see myself not really fitting in with any one particular group, but finding myself showing up in just about all of them. That continued in college. I was a member of a fraternity, but not the face of the fraternity. Yet I always seemed to be around.

It’s funny to see this play out in my job as well. I just pop up here or there and the people who have gotten used to seeing me at miscellaneous meetings always have that look, “you, again?”. Even here on the blogosphere, I wouldn’t have many of the readers I have or even the friendships I’ve made if not for another blogger that I already (kinda) knew. (One funny example: one brother at church just got a book signed by Jon Acuff at a Dave Ramsey event. I’m like, hey I know Jon Acuff! But do I, really?)

In each of these, I display some level of popularity or importance, which may or may not be the view others have of me in reality. So what’s more important- my view of myself, or what others may or may not think about me?

While this sounds like an insecure rant, let me offer up an idea that might challenge you. You’re a nobody just like me. You are where you are, not because of anything you have done or ever will do, but rather because of what someone else did. You see, we are all riding on someone’s coattails.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19-20, emphasis added)

We can enter into the presence of the Creator of the universe, the Lord of Lords, God Almighty only because Jesus went ahead of us first. Without Jesus, we are simply “by nature, objects of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). Without Jesus, we are nothing more than sinners separated from God. But with Him…

Every blessing, every single source of joy, we owe to Him. We haven’t earned it. We have done nothing to give us credibility or popularity in God’s eyes. But because of Jesus’ love, we can ride on His coattails. We can be part of Jesus’ entourage.

Killer Queen

Frank

Several years ago I was helping to plan a campus ministry conference. The theme was One Vision. As a classic rock nerd, I knew the perfect theme song. One of the campus ministers agreed, borrowed my “Queen: Live at Wembley CD” and started to work on a highlight video. The video and song, however, were never used.

Of course, I can understand why. There is the need to be sensitive to a broad range of convictions when putting on a large event like that. And some just didn’t feel comfortable with a conference theme being sung by someone who was gay and died of AIDS.

“One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind… Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” (Romans 14:5,13)

Marc Martel of the Christian band, Downhere (my personal favorite song: “My Last Amen”) is auditioning for The Queen Extravaganza– a Queen tribute band that is sponsored by the surviving members of the band. (Sadly, this is only a tribute band. I had to swallow this news at the same time I saw a headline that the actual band was considering Lady Gaga as their lead singer on their next tour. No, I’m not going to link that in principle.)

Instantly Marc became a youtube sensation. With over 4 million views in two weeks (as of this writing) he scored himself a writeup in the Wall Street Journal and a performance on the Ellen Show. But not every Christian is happy for his new found popularity.

Some are criticizing Freddie Mercury’s lifestyle, his legacy, the rock and roll drug culture, and every other reason they can think of for a self-proclaimed Christian not to do this. I could go on and on, but I’ll let Marc defend himself:

“Freddie Mercury wrote songs that were real and true. Rock and roll reaches people because it’s honest, and doesn’t shy away from the issues. You can have a great voice, but people can spot a fake from a mile away. Our music may come from a biblical standpoint but we don’t shy away from true experiences – doubt, loss, pain, sorrow – we want to deal with all of that. Queen’s repertoire deals with those emotions and feelings too and I love singing their music because at the end of the day, it’s just true.”

Amen.

Imaginary Line

Frank

(I might be the only blogger in the universe not writing something this morning about Steve Jobs.)

Where is the “wall of separation” between Church and State? In the past week there have been some headlines that show that the line is arbitrary and constantly on the move.

Last Sunday was the “Red Mass” in Washington, DC traditionally done before the Supreme Court starts their session. This is a tradition that goes back 58 years. (though the Red Mass isn’t limited to the US government, the actual tradition dates all the way back to 1245) But wait a minute. Aren’t the Justices the ones who decide where the aforementioned line should be drawn? And here aren’t they participating in a religious ceremony explicitly tied to their governmental role? Interestingly, two of their first cases are Separation issues: a 10 Commandments display and applying the Americans with Disabilities Act to ministerial employment decisions.

The same Sunday, not coincidentally, was “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” (No, I’ve never heard of it either) where some ministers were preaching explicitly political sermons, sending the IRS their recording, and daring them to take away their tax-exempt status. The problem is, the whole 501(c)3 designation as a non-profit is very misunderstood. This status isn’t limited to churches, but any non-profit. So say a charity cannot explicitly endorse a candidate because he or she may support the cause of that charity. The same is true of a church. But it does not forbid the church from preaching on social or political issues consistent with their doctrines. They just cannot actively endorse or campaign for a particular candidate or ballot issue. This is why churches were allowed to rally their congregations in support of California’s Proposition 8. Churches are perfectly within their right to assemble political support or opposition. They are only not allowed to endorse specific candidates or political parties from the pulpit. Important note, churches conducted similar activities to abolish slavery and advance Civil Rights. If churches were not allowed to even speak on social or political issues then each of these movements would have died out.
Meanwhile, a student in Northern California was docked points on his grade for saying “bless you” in class. Of course the religious crusade came out to cry persecution! But wasn’t necessarily the case. When you read the story it becomes clear it had more to do with disrupting the class than anything else (though the teacher’s explanation left a lot to be desired.) besides, who didn’t fake a sneeze in school just to get the whole class to start a string of “bless you”s? Keep in mind however, that public schools are an arm of the government.

Finally, California passed a bill banning the banning of circumcision. (if you’re confused by the double-negative, you’re not alone; MSN’s homepage originally linked the article with the headline “California bans circumcision”) This was in response to the city of San Francisco trying to pass such a ban. Never mind that the Courts struck that effort down. California feels the need to be redundant to pass a law to affirm what the Court already decided. Of course, the reason for striking down SF’s law was that the government cannot restrict an explicitly religious practice (though not all are circumcised because of religious views). Hmmm, I wonder how the court cases are going against The Church of Reality (or Cognizance in some places)?

Ok, so after reading the above can you honestly tell me there is an explicit wall of separation between Church and State? Or is it more of an imaginary line?

Saint and Sinner

Frank

I haven’t kept track of the Liturgical Calendar for years, so I appreciate Shane Claiborne for reminding me that yesterday was the feast day for Saint Francis of Assisi. Of course all the animal blessings should have clued me in, but I don’t have a pet, and I’m not really into that sort of thing.

Though my Catholic background is well behind in my rear view mirror, I have kept a soft spot in my heart for St. Francis. Maybe it’s the name; he is after all, my patron saint. Maybe it is his background; I, too, was raised by a clothing merchant. Maybe it’s the animals; I’ve always been an animal lover. No, I never stripped down and walked out on my dad naked to prove a point. And as far as I know, I’ve never had stigmata (you’d think that’s something I would notice). I haven’t been imprisoned for my faith, nor have I made a thousand-mile pilgrimage by foot in order to try and convert someone.

So there are some differences between that saint and this sinner. But his life is one I want to imitate. As “missional” and “radical” are themes that have stirred my heart, I need to look no further than the life of Francis to see someone who was willing to eschew his social status in order to walk among the poor. He gave up everything to serve his Christ, whom he loved dearly. He literally lived out Paul’s instruction to “offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” (Romans 12:1)

The prayer attributed to him (though no earlier record exists before 1912) is one I still recite today. It is a simple reminder of what it means to be Christ-like – a reminder of where my heart needs to be today.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me show love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
and where there is sadness, joy.
Lord, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

Flashback Friday: Perfect Church?

Frank

***Originally posted a year ago when I was doing a book club on Michael Spencer’s book, Mere Churchianity. I warn you in advance, this is a long one.***

I’ve been on board with Michael Spencer through eight chapters of Mere Churchianity and I’ve enjoyed every part of the ride. But I had to get off the train at chapter 9 (though I’m going to jump right back on at 10). In chapter 8, Accepting the Real Jesus, Michael drew a line in the sand delineating the Church consisting of disciples of Jesus and the institutional, religious church filled with Christians. But it seems as though in this chapter he forgot the line was there.

I agree with Michael that you cannot keep “church shopping” hoping to find the perfect church because you never will. I also agree that many people’s spiritual journey to be Jesus Shaped will lead them “out of the church as they have known and experienced it.” (pp 109) I can personally testify that this can be the case. In fact, I do believe there is a perfect church worth going after. But I do not believe everyone Michael describes in this chapter has found it.

Let’s begin with the perfect church. What does it look like? Michael listed several flavors of church he experienced trying to find it. Someone commented yesterday that it would be great if we could combine each of these into one. I’ve always felt that the perfect church would have the reverence of the Catholic/Orthodox church, the worship of an AME church, the emphasis on Biblical survey of the Calvary Chapel, the outreach of a foreign mission, and the doctrine (personal bias) of the Restoration Movement. But I haven’t found that yet, and I don’t think I ever will. But that does not mean I cannot create it.

You can browse the titles of Christian books, search the themes of Christian bloggers, and find the most followed Christian tweeters and it won’t take long to notice that many are on the same quest to find the elusive perfect church. There was a push not long ago to “restore the First Century Church” even though that is not described in the Bible. The best we have to go on are the sparse writings of the Early Church Fathers and the Didache. Right now we see the “Acts 29 Church“, or as I like to say “the next chapter”. Catchy name. I pray they are successful in creating authentic community and a Jesus Shaped church. I’ve also seen “the Acts 2:42 Church”, but there is very little written in the New Testament, and even less in the book of Acts, for “what” this perfect church should look like outside of a few anecdotal examples.

But there is plenty written on “how” this perfect church should function. For the sake of our discussion, I’m going to stick with Ephesians 4. Here Paul gives an outline of how Christ’s church should grow up in unity. (And remember that Jesus prayed for unity amongst His believers the night before he was betrayed.) First, the perfect church is up to us. “[L]ive a life worthy… be completely humble and gentle…bearing with one another… make every effort to keep the unity…” (v 1-3) And later, “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it… It was he who gave some to be… to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (v 7, 11-13) In other words, the perfect church is up to us, doing our part, “From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (v 16, emphasis added)

Of course, we are all human. Our pride and selfish ambitions will get in the way of what Paul describes above. Over time religiosity, legalism, and false-doctrine will set in. And the church we thought we were a part of will become unrecognizable. But, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” (1 Peter 1:24-25) We can always turn back to the Word and return to what is right. I do believe that in this sense, the Church is undergoing constant revival as each generation comes to it seeking to be Jesus Shaped.

But the description above isn’t the approach Michael Spencer takes. Instead he takes an ecumenical broad-brush and (practically) declares that everyone who is doing good work in Jesus’ name is part of this true church. Yet Jesus himself said, “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” And it continues, “only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) This is consistent with what Michael wrote in chapter 8, but appears to abandon here. It is also interesting that when Michael declares “There are thousands of Christians where I live. They express their faith through how they serve…” (pp 111), he then lists off several brand-names of churches as if they are all equal. But he does not mention the Mormon Church. I would expect that many Christians, and most Evangelicals, would not consider the Mormon Church to be Christians, yet I challenge you to find any group as focused on their communities and on their families as this church. According to Michael’s description of the “true church” in this chapter, they have to be included in the discussion. Unless he applies an unwritten doctrinal line.

There is a written line in Ephesians 4. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (v 4-6) Which brings us to the “One Church”.

This is a dangerous doctrine. Not because it is unbiblical, but because of our human nature to corrupt everything we are a part of. The Restoration Movement began when a Reformed Baptist and a Presbyterian got together, examined their doctrines in light of Scripture, and chose to go another way. They strived for One Church, unifying the divisive denominationalism that still exists today. Because of the emphasis on One True Church being defined solely on Scripture, the church they founded, the Churches of Christ, have been turbulent with division ever since. I think the Scripture says this, you think that, therefore we cannot agree and you are no longer part of “my” One True Church. Yet Paul said he doesn’t care  so long as the Gospel is being preached and Jesus said no one can do a miracle in his name one minute and curse his name the next. You see the slippery slope?

So what does that mean for you and me and our quest for a Jesus Shaped church? First, we have to look to the Word of God to measure the state of our church, not our feelings, not the latest bestseller on church growth, and absolutely not traditions. Next, we have to examine ourselves by the same standard. Are we “doing are part” as Ephesians 4 instructs? Finally, and this goes back to the thrust of Mere Churchianity, we need to keep Jesus as our focus.

Is there a perfect church out there? With our sinful nature, sadly not until Jesus returns to claim His Kingdom. Is there a Jesus Shaped church out there? There are likely many and as Michael describes, there is no shortage of people striving towards it. Is there One True Church? Yes there is, and it is defined by God’s own Word, not by the walls we construct. I pray one day we can worship there together.

Not Just Lip Service

Frank

So I’ve been ranting and raving the last couple of weeks about how we define “church” and what a strong church looks like and should be doing. I’m not going to add anything today other than highlight a couple stories that got my attention this week.

First comes a story of a church giving back, literally. Last Sunday Liquid Church in New Jersey gave out $30,000 from their own coffers during their regular weekly contribution. Given current events and the economic climate, I struggle to ask for money at my own church. Yes, we need to pay the bills too (I’m the outgoing Board President so I watch this more closely than most others) but would it really be the end of the world if we couldn’t pay for our luxurious (by some standards) building and had to meet, like the church in the article, in hotel conference rooms in order to instead give out from our reserves to meet the impoverished needs in our congregation and community? I’ve written about this before and how it reminds me of the ministry of Kingdom Assignment. I wrote in 2009 that I’d love for my own congregation to do something similar. Two years later I see little chance of that.

The second story is about the ongoing debate in the missional movement. I’ve argued in my own circle of influence that if Jesus isn’t the center of community outreach then it is just community service. The argument goes that being “missional” is the latest trend, and many churches are jumping on the bandwagon in the name of social justice and leaving the Gospel behind. Here are some great blog posts the dig into this debate.

So that’s them. What about you? What are you, or your church doing to share the Gospel uniquely? I am personally wrestling with this myself, so inspire me with your stories!

Is This Really Church?

Frank

To continue a theme… actually watching this video a few months ago got my wheels turning on this whole thing. Here is Francis Chan, from 2009, asking his own congregation “is this really church?” The premise is that if you were stranded on a desert island with only the Bible and no other religious influence and you were inspired to start a church, would it look like the church you presently attend?

This is a long video so I recommend letting it load before watching. After the opening video spot, skip ahead to the 22 minute mark where the sermon really begins.

What is the Perfect Church

Frank

To continue my rants and raves from last week on the big-c Church, I want to follow up on Friday’s post asking us to identify our strengths and weaknesses. What makes a perfect church? Do we need every attribute Ed Setzer describes in the Transformational Church? How about every characteristic in Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church? What if we modeled every feature in every book on how to do-it-yourself, fix-er-up church? It would be overwhelming. In fact, I bet if you went into your local Christian bookstore, or even to the faith & spirituality section of Barnes & Noble, you could close your eyes, throw a dart at the books, and likely hit a book either complaining about the state of the church or offering ways to make it better, bigger, more seeker-friendly, more missional, more somethingorother…

No, let’s simplify. What does every church need? This is off the top of my head and isn’t all-inclusive, but I think it’s a good starting point for discussion:

  • Reverence of God the Father
  • Reliance on the Holy Spirit
  • Discipleship of Jesus the Son (sorry, I tried really hard to find another “R” but the only synonym I could find was “rooter” but I didn’t like the ring of that)

That looks obvious, so let’s get more specific:

  • Takes sin seriously (really, I’m serious)
  • Holy, set apart from the world (not the same as removing ourselves from the world in something like a commune, but separate from the world’s values)
  • Evangelistic
  • Serving, both inside the church and out
  • So Missional and Benevolent
  • Worshipful (This could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, so I’ll leave this open-ended)
  • Teaches (“For the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” Paraphrasing 1 Timothy 3:16-17)
  • Relational (your relationships in your church fellowship actually mean something)
  • Prayerful (any prayer warriors in your fellowship?)
  • Faithful (no duh, but how many of us actually are?)
  • Loving
  • United
  • Global (not just world missions, but with the attitude in your heart that we are to go make disciples of “all nations”)

Again, this may be simplistic. But what I’ve found is that churches that excel in one or two of these neglect the others. There is an ongoing debate right now amongst missional churches remaining Christ-centered and not just “doing mission” because that’s the latest fad. Churches that are strong in fellowship may be weak in calling one another to account for sin. I’ve seen churches that emphasize evangelism on the standard of the Great Commission, but neglect the rest of the command to “teach them to obey everything I [Jesus] have commanded you”. I’ve seen churches emphasize one another accountability, but lack love. I guess the bottom line is that I have yet to see a single church excell in every one of these.

Maybe it’s not realistic to expect. We are all sinners saved by grace after all. And churches are man-made institutions that will always be imperfect by their very nature. Then again, isn’t the Church Christ’s bride? And doesn’t Paul instruct husbands to imitate Christ “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her [the Church] to himself [Christ] as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless”? (Ephesians 5:26-27) Aren’t we to present Christ’s bride perfect?

So we fall short. We identify a weakness and have a “campaign” to correct it, meanwhile neglecting what made our church strong to begin with. No one single church program can cover all of these bases. But only a church culture, where “every part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16) and every person strives to be Christlike in every area of their lives (prayer, worship, service…) can truly capture the fullness of Christ. Christ’s bride is not a church defined by walls, staff, or programs. But rather by people, each striving to apply their unique spiritual gifts passionately for the Glory of God in the Name of Jesus. Then, when they come together in unity, can we finally see a “church” as described above.

Flashback Friday: What Are Your Church’s Strengths?

Frank

***Originally posted 8/30/10. Reposted to fit in my present series on the church.***

I’m reading Transformational Church by Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer as a compliment to my reading of Michael Spencer’s Mere Churchianity. Chapter two introduces the “Transformational Loop” of properties present in Transformational Churches. It is a loop because each area feeds into another and no one property can stand alone in a strong, transformational church. The areas are Discern, Embrace, and Engage and the properties present are a Missionary Mentality, Vibrant Leadership, Relational Intensity, Prayerful Dependence, Worship, Community, and Mission.

Reading through the description of each of these, it quickly became clear where my fellowship is strong and where it falls short. The recommendation for a stagnant church to become a transformational church is to identify your strengths and use them to build the other properties. For example, if your strength is worship, use that to build community, and so on.

I’ve been wrestling for some time with why things don’t seem to be clicking in my fellowship. We have our strengths and weaknesses just like any other congregation. And I don’t expect us to be perfect. But I just get the feeling that a piece is (or pieces are) missing. This loop helps me to identify what we need to build on and grow in.

My fellowship’s strengths are mission and community. We have a strong evangelistic focus, taking on the mission of Jesus to “seek and save the lost.” We build community through small groups for accountability, personal growth, and to facilitate evangelistic activities. These communities forge life-long relationships.

However these strengths ebb and flow. We take our strengths for granted and grow complacent. I believe this is because our strengths do not have deep roots and this loop bares that out. We are strong in mission, but lack a missionary mentality. We are strong in community but lack relational intensity. So our strengths are what we do, not who we are.

I am also convicted personally because I lack in prayerful dependence. I’m not a prayer warrior, though I need to grow in my prayer life. But I look around and I don’t see many prayer warriors around me either. I admired an Elder we had who would pray “without ceasing.” Ask him a question and he would pause, consider it, and then pray about it. Without fail, every question. But I don’t see that as my church’s culture.

I also admire one of my best friends who is strong in worship. He lives it, studies it, and teaches it but being worshipful has only rubbed off on a few. And our Sunday services are better for it!

So the pieces are there to build, despite my negativity. I’m sure if I looked around I could find individuals who are strong in one or more of these properties. The trick however is spreading those strengths through the congregation until it becomes part of its culture.

Given that background, what would you say are your church’s strengths?

What are your strengths and do they feed into your church’s?

Would you describe your church as “transformational”?