Ten Things Anyone Who Joins in a Twenty-First Century Missional Church Should Not Expect

by David Fitch

1. Should not expect to regularly come to church for just one hour, get what you need for your own personal growth and development, and your kids' needs, and then leave til next Sunday. Expect mission to change your life. Expect, however, a richer life than you could have ever imagined.

2. Should not expect that Jesus will fit in with every consumerist capitalist assumption, lifestyle, schedule or accoutrement you may have adopted before coming here. Expect to be freed from a lot of crap you will find out you never needed.

3. Should not expect to be anonymous, unknown or be able to disappear in this church body. Expect to be known and loved, supported in a glorious journey.

4. Should not expect production style excellence all the time on Sunday morning worship gatherings. Expect organic, simple and authentic beauty.

5. Should not expect a raucous "lights out" you program that entertains the teenagers, puts on a show that gets the kids "pumped up," all without parental involvement. Instead as the years go by, with our children as part of our life, worship and mission (and when the light shows dim and the cool youth pastor with the spiked hair burns out) expect our youth to have an authentic relationship with God thru Christ that carries them through a lifetime of journey with God.

6. Should not expect to always "feel good," or ecstatic on Sunday mornings. Expect that there will ALSO be times of confession, lament, self-examination and just plain silence.

7. Should not expect a lot of sermons that promise you God will prosper you with "the life you've always wanted" if you will just believe Him and step out on faith and give some more money for a bigger sanctuary. Expect sustenance for the journey.

8. Should not expect rapid growth whereby we grow this church 10 to a thousand in three years. Expect slower organic inefficient growth that engages people's lives where they are at and sees troubled people who would have nothing to do with the gospel marvelously saved.

9. Should not expect all the meetings to happen in a church building. Expect a lot of the gatherings will be in homes, or sites of mission.

10. Should not expect arguments over style of music, color of carpet, or even doctrinal outlier issues like dispensationalism. Expect mission to drive the conversation.

O and by the way ... should not expect that community comes to you. I am sorry but true community in Christ will take some "effort" and a reshuffling of priorities for both you and your kids. Yes I know you want people to come to you and reach out to you and you are hurting and busy. But assuming you are a follower of Christ (this message is not meant for strangers to the gospel) you must learn that the answer to all those things is to enter into the practices of "being the body" in Christ, including sitting, eating, sharing, and praying together.

David Fitch is a professor at Northern Seminary, a co-pastor/church planter at Life on the Vine, and the author of The Great Giveaway

Prayer at City Council

   For someone who believes as strongly in separation of church and state as I do, praying at the Chesapeake City Council Tuesday night was a bit of an odd thing any way.  But, then I heard a group of pastors were going to protest the "new invocation policy."  I had received this new policy on a letter outlining the procedures for that evening.  The policy did not seem too restrictive to me.  Then I got nervous.  "Am I not seeing everything here?" I kept asking myself.  I even talked to Holly Holman at the Baptist Joint Committee to make sure I was thinking correctly.  She advised me to be a "good guest."  My wife said for me to "just do it."
  The Deputy Clerk Sandy Esry, Mayor Krasnoff, Alderman Bettie Ritter and others were very gracious hosts.  There were a number of pastors there, which made me a bit nervous.  Then I remembered it was on TV - real nervous.  Everything went fine - short and sweet makes a good public prayer.
  In my nervous preparation, I came across a sermon by George W. Truett on the BJC website.  This sermon was given on May 16, 1920 on the steps of the US Capitol in Washington DC.  I had heard it discussed before, but one paragraph caught my eye again:
"Baptists have one consistent record concerning liberty throughout all their long and eventful history.  They have never been a party to oppression of conscience.  They have forever been the unwavering champions of liberty, both religious and civil.  Their contention now, is, and has been, and please God, must ever be, that it is the natural and fundamental and indefeasible right of every human being to worship God or not, according to the dictates of his conscience, and, as long as he does not infringe upon the rights of others, he is to be held accountable alone to God for all religious beliefs and practices.  Our contention is not for mere toleration, but for absolute liberty.  There isa a wide difference between toleration and liberty.  Toleration implies that somebody falsely claims the right to tolerate.  Toleration is a concession, while liberty is a right.  Toleration is a matter of expediency, while liberty is a matter of principle.  Toleration is a gift from man, while liberty is a gift from God.  It is the consistent and instistent contention of our Baptist people, always and everywhere, that religion must be forever voluntary and uncoerced, and that it is not the prerogative of any power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, to compel men to conform to any religious creed or form of worship, or to pay taxes for the support of a religious organization to which they do not believe.  God wants free worshippers and no other kind."
Now, if we would have really lived this idea of liberty as consistently as Truett said, our country would be a different place.  Let us not stop trying to live it out today!
God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Oh my! What a day!

I am amazed.  The profile knew to change my age to 43 today!  Here I am experiencing my first Virginia Nor'easter on my birthday.  What a great gift.  For my friends in the Midwest who might be like me and need a definition, a Nor'easter is a storm that blows from the Northeast and rains a lot.  That doesn't seem like much of a big deal, until you realize that all of this wind and the direction it is blowing causes tidal flooding, then you add inches of rain on top of that and you get more flooding.  Schools are closed and everything.  BUT 3 guys still showed up for prayer time this morning at 5:30 AM!!!!!  How awesome is that?!!!!!
Thanks for the birthday wishes at the meal and at services last night.  When you get this old, you want to stop counting, but I really feel good about being 43.  I hope you all have a great day.

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Blessed by Others

I have been thinking about how very thankful I am that God has placed so many people around me to help me in my walk.  He touches me often through my wife, daughters, parents, other family and many friends and acquaintances.  I am utterly amazed.  Just chatting with friends (in person or via email, text or phone) or even when a preschooler asks me, "Pastor Kevin, what does God look like?" I experience Him fresh and new.  Sitting down and reading books and devotionals are a blessing too.  Thank you, God, for how you help deepen my walk with You through so many people!

Here is a sampling of a devotion that blessed me today by Richard Rohr: 
"Don't waste the next years of your life being against anybody, anything, any group, any supposed sin, or any institution.  Just go ahead and do it better yourself.  It's so common sense when you hear it.  As Mohandas Gandhi put it, 'Be the change you hope to see in the world.' And the church!"

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Is your church indispensable in your community?

"The question that church leaders need to ask is not, 'How can we get more people to come to church?' We've been asking that question since the numbers starting turning down in the 1970's. All our solutions together haven't turned the tide of declining church attendance.
Throw in all the mega churches, all the church-growth seminars, all the church marketing, the millions spent on programs and the kitchen sink, and the result is the same: people continue to stay away from church in droves."

In an article written for Ethics Daily.com, (click here to read it) Chuck Warnock, pastor of Chatham Baptist Church in Chatham, Virginia, discusses the challenge to make our churches indispensable to our communities. He brings up some good questions which each church will have to answer through their own work with God.
I first saw the article on an email from my friend, Keith Herron. I thought it might make for a good read. I hope you enjoy it.

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Parking lot on 60 Minutes

Because of meetings, I didn't get to see it live, but the parking lot of Centerville Baptist Church was on the CBS News show 60 Minutes this past Sunday. View the 60 minutes story at http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5362297n . It is a story about coal ash and its harmful effects. For anyone that doesn't know, there is a golf course that was built just down the road and they used coal ash to help add hills and contour to the land because it is very flat here. The coal ash has leached harmful chemicals into the water supply and almost all of the houses south and east of the golf course are on wells. The city of Chesapeake put a water distribution station in the parking lot of the church and Leslie Stahl did some interviews here back in August.

As we think about our Christian walk along side this kind of tragedy, I hope we can learn that God's creation is not just something we can use up, consume as we want. We are the stewards and we need to do that job careully and with an attitude of worship. When we don't, it has grave consequences for us all.

I am glad we are able to host the water distribution station, I just wish we could do more.

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Brian McLaren on New Baptists

If you haven't heard of or read Brian McLaren yet, this might not make any difference to you. Brian is a pastor/teacher/writer/speaker that is helping some folks in the church really think about where we are and where we are going. Here are his comments from his blog yesterday:

The new Baptists . . .
I'm in North Carolina today, speaking to the folks at Campbell University (home of the camels!). The good people of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will be strongly represented today - a group I am tremendously impressed with and optimistic about. Many have damaged the good name of Baptist in the recent years, but these folks represent a different spirit and are moving toward a better future.

Thanks Brian for recognizing a difference in us. I am excited about the future God has for us also. Keep up the good work CBF!
God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Week of Prayer #5

I have waited to give my last report on the week of prayer. I wanted to see some of the responses and what might be happening. Most folks seem to recognize that they need more time in prayer, focused on God. We have some folks that would like to have a weekly time at the church for this. Others thought that we should have this special week a couple of times each year. I cannot say that any major new directions have been revealed yet, but there is the glow of His presence that is here. On a personal note, I am able to better recognize when I am struggling with "flesh and blood" instead of seeking out the real battle with "powers and principalities". Over all, things went great and I am just waiting on God to do what He wants next! Thanks for the prayer time!

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Pray some more

I don't know if anyone really reads this, but if you do and you happen not to know about it I wanted to ask you to pray for my friend, Mark. He is having surgery today on a 6mm brain tumor. He is a great guy that loves the Lord. It is interesting that I have been praying every day this week at 5:30 AM, because Mark and I prayed together for 2 years. We would meet early in the morning, often times in my office, and we had some good times. I had been thinking about those times a lot, then we found out he had this surgery. Mark was even so gracious and loving that he called me this morning before the surgery. What a guy!

Also, my friend Dan is driving back to Missouri on his motorcycle. A lot to pray about traveling over 1200 miles on a motorcycle. Thanks for the visit Dan!

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Week of Prayer #4

God is awesome! It has bee great to see all the different folks that have come to the prayer times and to have the opportunity for just a little bit of interactions with one another in a way that we would not normally have. It is important to build up (edify) one another and help each other stand against the flaming darts of the evil one. Unfortunately the evil one is already trying to make difficulties in my life and come against all the good work that has been going on in me during this week of prayer, but my brothers and sisters in Christ are helping me stand against that and find my way through it. Thank you and may all praise go to God! Let's keep up the good work for one more day.
God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Week of Prayer #3

Prayer times were great today! Especially the special time tonight at 6:30 PM! We had a good number of folks come and seek God's direction for our church. There seemed to be good participation for something that could have really stretched some folks. Thanks for going through this experience. The atmosphere of prayer really seemed to fill the sanctuary. Thank you God for meeting with us.

On a selfish side, I was really glad that my children were there and participated well. I thought once as I looked around about how great it was for them to see so many people from our church dedicate 45 minutes or more to spending time with God in this way.

I can't wait to see what God will do next.

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Week of Prayer #2

Prayer times have been great! Mostly 7 or more at each time. Each time has had it's own special feeling and experience and presence. People seem to be really touched by the opportunity to spend an hour in prayer. Letting God do the work needed on our lives.

I have have been truly blessed, spending 4 hours in prayer on Monday and 3 on Tuesday. How awesome! I don't know exactly what God is going to do, but this time has helped me get closer to Him in new and fresh ways. Thank you God!

Don't forget the special prayer time, tomorrow, Wednesday, at 6:30 PM. I am looking forward to having a larger group dedicated to praying for God's direction for our church and our willingness to go the direction(s) we are led.

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Week of Prayer #1

    At Centerville we are having a week of prayer.  Everyone is invited to come and pray daily at 5:30 AM, Noon, 5:30 PM, and 9:00 PM.  You can come to one time during the week, once a day, or any time you want.  You can come and go as you want.  I will be there for an hour each time, but you can stay longer.  There will be information sheets there to help explain things better. On Wednesday we will be combining the 5:30 PM and 9:00 PM into one special convocation of prayer at 6:30 PM.
    We had a total of five folks this morning.  Thanks everyone for your dedication to your church.  I wasn't as ready as I wanted to be, but it was a quietly powerful time.  See others of you at Noon!

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Junk Religion?

Well, here I am listening to fighter jets practice touch and go landings at Fentress airfield, about three miles away. It is about 4:00 PM and I am in my office. These things can get loud! I have been trying to dig out from under the mountain of administrative details that surround this position and see God fresh and new for the day. It gets hard sometimes, but He shows up when I let Him. In the devotion from Richard Rohr today, he asks, "Is your religion helping you transform your pain?" He goes on to say, "If it does not, it is junk religion." Rohr challenges me to transform my pain, not just transmit it onto everyone else, especially those closest to me. This doesn't mean we bury deep inside and just wait for it to explode, it means we actually allow God to transform it into something of use in His Kingdom. If all we are suppose to do is learn facts and grow buildings and budgets, then we really don't know how to transform pain, do we?

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Things Going Well

We are starting to settle in to life in Virginia. We still have a mound of boxes to deal with, but things are feeling more comfortable every day. Thanks for your encouraging thoughts and all your prayers. Couldn't be doing it without you all and God!

I got to see zoo animals in the extended care program this morning: hawk, skunk, huge snake, lynx, alligator, bush baby, and more. It was fun! Then, on my way to lunch with one of the deacons, I got to see fighter planes landing at Fentress Air Field. Cool! Then VBS meeting tonight. Full, fun day!

I'm going across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel in the morning to see some folks on a ministry trip to migrant workers on the Eastern Shore. My first staff meeting is tomorrow and then we are going to try to hit the beach for a bit on Wednesday. Good times!

Turn The Page

About 2 hours ago I walked out of FBC Hamilton for the last time as pastor. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. Everyone has been great! I was very glad to finish the public part of my ministry in Vacation Bible School. God is awesome!
Now we get to go to Branson and then on to Virginia! Keep praying!

God be with you on the Journey,
Kevin

Good Goodbyes make for Good Hello's

Well it has started. We are saying "goodbye" to many folks and experiencing our "lasts". Last Wednesday Bible Study, last band practice, last.... Tomorrow is my last Sunday as Pastor of FBC Hamilton. It's emotional.

It hurts to say goodbye to our friends, family, church family and community. God helped me understand that I will not replace these relationships and I will not be replaced, we are all just moving on in the next step of our journey. God is going to bring someone to help these friends, church family and community in the situations to come in a more timely way than I can. That helps keep from sensing such deep loss.

It is also exciting to see what God is going to do next. I feel a sense of awe at how God is preparing me for the challenges to come. I don't know everything that is coming, but I feel a great sense of peace that He is with Lynnette, the girls and myself in whatever comes.

Keep praying for us. Sorry it has taken me so long to post again.

God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Our Loss, Heaven's Gain

We lost a saint today at about 6:00 AM. My 92 year-old friend, Cornelia Gates, passed away. She was not a member of our church, but I saw her almost every week for about the past 3 years. She loved Jesus with all her heart. Cornelia would brighten up any room she went into and I don't ever remember leaving her presence without her saying she loved me and many more compliments along with that great honor. She was beautiful both inside and out. She loved her family and she still spread God' great love in the nursing home where she lived.
Many people have heard me tell the story, so I will just put it in short form. One day when I went to the nursing home for my regular Tuesday Bible Study, I was having a terrible day. I was mad and upset and just not getting over it. Cornelia didn't come to the study, but as Ron Kipp was playing the final song and I was still brooding mad, I felt God touch me. I felt some hands on the back of my neck touch me and just minister grace and peace with great power. Then as the song ended, she leaned down and kissed me on my cheek. I knew God was loving me through Cornelia Gates.
I am a better man for having known Cornelia. Thank you God and thank you Cornelia for loving me! I hope everyone has a Cornelia in their life.
God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Paper about Faith Journey

I got this paper on an email from Cliff Nellis. He is the student discussing his faith. You can find him on facebook. I love it when someone digs in to their faith and makes some sense out of things. Sorry I had to print the whole thing here, it is on his facebook page, but I couldn't get a link to it worked out. I hope you take the time to read it all. Italics are mine for emphasis.
God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Hey everyone, been doing a lot of reflecting on the last five years of seminary school and ministry experience as I get ready to head out from Trinity, and I wanted to share some of my reflections with you in a note I wrote. Hope you enjoy and I hope you are well…

Going Out with the Greatest First
The endeavor to wrap up five years of seminary school and ministry experience in one final "Philosophy of Ministry" paper is daunting, but I didn't write the syllabus for the M.Div. Capstone class at Trinity, I'm only following it. I would have thought I would have been more excited for this opportunity to wrap up my education and experience in a neatly tailored philosophy of ministry, but in the last two years especially, I've had so many humbling experiences that now more than ever I feel most unqualified to write a "Philosophy of Ministry" paper. As many of you know, I have had several stretching experiences in the last two years that has challenged not what I believe, but how I believe God calls the church to live out what we believe.

When I first became a Christian, I had an intensely vertical view of faith. I was alone on a bicycle trip with my Bible praying, meditating on Scripture, and journaling. My experience of faith and practice was mostly confined to my personal relationship with God and nobody else. After my bicycle trip, I returned to life in community and got plugged into a church, but I still kept this intensely vertical view of faith. I was concerned only about other people's thoughts about God. I believed this was loving my neighbor as myself because, I would say, what people needed more than anything else is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

I call this season of my life the "salvific Gospel only" season, which is painting it better than it actually was. My role as a Christian, as I saw it, was primarily to bring Jesus to others so that they might be saved. Because of this, I viewed Matthew 28:16-20 to be the foundation of all ministry. We are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded. Evangelism, baptism, and teaching.

I put this in a mission statement I called the "3E Vision." This was the vision..."By the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, we will: (1) Encourage non-believers to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior (John 1:12-13); (2) Equip new believers with God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16), and (3) Empower mature believers to take on Christ’s ministry and succeed (1 Cor. 12:12-31, 2 Tim. 2:1-2).

Quite unintentionally and unbeknownst to me, the end result of practicing Christian faith in this way for me was most often overly ambitious judgmental rigid pharisaical Christianity that lacked genuine love and compassion for my neighbor. The goal was numbers. Serving the community amounted almost exclusively to proclaiming and preaching the content and truth of the faith to a non-believing world. Acts of service were primarily evangelistic without compassion and love.

Since I was only concerned with my neighbor's salvation, my inquiry into their life focused almost exclusively on their views of God. I'm not proud to admit this, but at the time, I judged other Christians who concerned themselves with the person and loving their neighbor as people who sold out to the "social gospel," and cared more about temporal matters than things eternal. Looking back, I think of how the Pharisees stood face-to-face with the Gospel perfectly incarnated before them in Jesus Christ as He cared for the sick, suffering, oppressed, and needy, and the only thing the Pharisees could do was quiz Jesus about His doctrine to see if He said the "right" or "wrong" answers.

This is lesson #1 for me -- Pharisaical faith vs. Connecting faith -- My doctrine-oriented faith led me down a path toward judgmental, hypocritical, rigid Pharisaical practice. I didn't care for people or respect them in any meaningful way. I wanted to correct their thinking about God and themselves. I didn't care to connect with them where they were by entering into a loving and supportive relationship with them as we discussed all matters of their life, including God, truth, and faith. Correction preceded connection. I have learned that practicing Christian faith in this way is no longer Christian faith.

Lesson #2 for me -- Agenda-based faith vs. Love-based faith -- By intensely focusing on making disciples, my faith also became agenda-driven and not people-driven. My goal was to build the church by converting and discipling people. When people fell away or didn't receive Jesus, it frustrated me. Evangelism and discipleship are noble Biblical commands, but in practice, I was forceful, controlling, and lacking in love, care, and compassion. My agenda to convert and disciple was more important than the people themselves. I have learned that practicing Christian faith in this way is no longer Christian faith either.

Lesson #3 for me -- Head-based faith vs. Heart-based faith -- Over-emphasis on any practice in the church is not healthy. My over-emphasis on bible knowledge and orthodoxy unquestionably led me down a Pharisaical path that had little understanding or value of orthopraxy (right practice). Knowledge became more important than the incarnation of that knowledge. A heart-based faith still communicates truth, but in ways that are respectful of the person and for their well-being. Heart-based faith communicates truth to others because falsehood and lies hurt people and mislead them into painful sins that only bring them and others death.

Lesson #4 for me -- Judgmental Disdain vs. Compassionate Care -- I am ashamed to admit this as well, but the truth is that my faith tended to be judgmental disdain for sinners and people in need as opposed to compassionate care for sinners and people in need. Judgmental disdain for sinners is hypocrisy because we are all sinners. As for people in need, I would be more likely to tell a hungry homeless person to repent and get a job than I would be to give them food, shelter, and listen to their story. That is frightening given the fact that Jesus teaches us that on our judgment day He will separate the true followers from the goats based on how we treated the least of these (Mtw. 25:31-46).

Lesson #5 for me -- Whole Faith Practice vs. Partial Faith Practice -- Because the practice of my faith was focused so heavily on making disciples, acts of compassion, justice, and mercy seemed secondary or unnecessary, rather than equal, compatible, and necessary acts of loving obedience to Jesus' commands. My over-emphasis on one command took precedence over other equally important and compatible commands.

Thankfully, two experiences in particular helped change the trajectory of my faith practice. One experience was a men's weekend I'll soon have attended three times that got me sharing the hurts and pains of my past with Christian men willing to show me compassion, and through their compassion came healing for those wounds.

The second experience was spending time with the people of Lawndale Community Church, Christian Community Development Association, and Tha House Covenant church. Spending time with people who were more laid back, accepting, wholistic in their practice of faith, and relationally-oriented than me exposed the sinful ways I naturally practiced my faith.

Unfortunately, because I had grown accustomed to the way I practiced my faith, I was not sure what a compassionate, caring, and loving faith looked like. Sadly, in many respects, this kind of faith did not even feel like faith anymore. It felt unproductive and like compromise. Where were the results and productivity? Where is the widespread revival? Listening to people's pains and struggles do not get them saved. Relationships take time and are messy. So where am I today? I'm not throwing the baby out with the bath water. I still believe in evangelism, baptism, and teaching. I still believe sin is rampant and Jesus is the only one who saves. But with respect to my views regarding the main mission of the church, I've made a subtle shift and change in my priorities.

I'm not sure how I missed this the first time around. Jews have prayed this prayer 2-3 times every day for the past 5,000 years (Deut. 6:1-9), Jesus said it is the Greatest Commandment of all (Mark 12:28-31), Paul said the entire law is summed up in it (Gal. 5:14; Rom. 13:8-10), and James called it the royal law (James 2:8). It is the proper response to the Gospel, and at least from where I am standing today, I believe it is the highest aim and purpose of the church: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:29-31; Luke 10:27).

By placing the Greatest Commandment before all other commandments, I see the world through a relational lens that understands that sin is something that hurts or breaks our relationship with God and our neighbor, and defiles our self in the process. I properly understand repentance to be apologizing to God for my sin and to the person I sinned against, making restitution when appropriate and possible, and restoring love for God and for my neighbor as myself.

By placing the Greatest Commandment before all other commandments, I hope that I will never lose sight of what is most important in any given situation. When I need to take time to listen to someone's pain, I will listen with compassion. When I can share the Good News of Jesus with them, I will share the hope we have in Christ. When I need to stand up for justice in the face of evil, I will have courage to do right. When I need to build someone up with the wisdom and promises contained in God's Word, I will do so in love. When I see someone caught in sin, I will restore them gently. When I see someone struggling, I will walk alongside them in love and support. When I need to meet the needs of someone who is hungry, naked, sick, imprisoned, or thirsty, I will do so joyfully. When I see someone in bondage, I will pray the Lord will set them free. In all things, Jesus said that those who love Him will obey His commands.

It seems, therefore, that all ministry should flow from a genuine love for God, while always remembering that only when I love my neighbor as myself can I rightly claim love for God (Luke 10:25-37, 1 John 4:20). By placing the Greatest Commandment over all other commandments, I line myself with what Jesus said to be the most important command of all, and recognize that the totality of all of Jesus’ commands and Biblical living flow from this central devotion.

So as my time at Trinity draws near to its end, it looks like I'm going out with the Greatest first. If you've come this far with me, thanks for taking the time to read this. I welcome both favorable and unfavorable responses.

What about Divorce for a Christian? Part 2

Taken at face value, we see that Jesus is allowing for divorce under the condition of “marital unfaithfulness” in both Matthew 5:32 and 19:9. In both passages Deuteronomy 24:1 is quoted as part of the discussion about divorce. This passage from Deuteronomy was debated among a couple of the Rabbinic schools of Jesus’ time. One side (Shammai) said that “because he finds something indecent about her” meant adultery. The other school (Hillel) said that same phrase meant that a man could divorce his wife for anything, even burning breakfast. Meaning anything that was displeasing to the man about the woman could be grounds for divorce. This was the debate that the Pharisees in Matthew 19 were trying to get Jesus to enter. But, Jesus in his normal manner talks above the debate. He lays down the law that divorce is not something to be taken lightly. His stance in Matthew puts the issue back on the husband and protects the wife. In the midst of a very patriarchal society, Jesus is standing up for the women, the wives. They cannot be thrown out for just any reason, it had better be a very good one.
So, what is marital unfaithfulness? It is a Greek term, porneia. We can easily see the kinship to the word pornography. What did it mean for Jesus to use this term? Jesus means more than just sexual unfaithfulness as an acceptable reason for divorce. The proper term for just sexual unfaithfulness is used later in each passage – adultery or moykah in the Greek. Porneia is linked to prostitution and is also used figuratively when someone is committing idolatry (Revelation 14:8; 17:2,4; 18:3; 19:2). In the whole book of Hosea the people of Israel are playing the “harlot” or prostitute because of their idolatry. This can especially be seen in Hosea 2. This idolatry is a sin because it is breaking the covenant relationship between God and His people. In Jeremiah 3, this idea of idolatry and breaking of the covenant is linked to divorce. Therefore, marital unfaithfulness is breaking of the marriage covenant in any manner. It is anything that breaks the “oneness” that Jesus quotes in Matthew 19:5-6 from Genesis 2:24.
What kind of real life things break the marriage covenant? This can be a vast number of things. Adultery is only one thing that can break the marriage covenant. Many times the things that are breaking down the oneness in a marriage do involve idolatry. I am sure you can imagine many instances when a spouse “worships” things other than God. This can be idolatry of self, an object (especially a possession), a hobby or someone outside the marriage, but maybe not even in a fully sexual manner. Idolatry of self can lead to many types of abuse of a spouse, especially emotional abuse. You do not have to remain married to someone that abuses you emotionally, physically or mentally, just because they haven’t sexually cheated on you. They are breaking the marriage covenant by abusing you. God doesn’t want you to put you or your children in abusive situations just to keep a marriage that is being broken by the abuse. Abusive spouses tear apart families and create abusers or enablers in their children. I guarantee you that is not God’s plan for the family or marriage. Even hobbies and friendships can be so involved as to break the oneness of a marriage.
Just because the covenant is broken, it doesn’t mean that you have to get a divorce, it just means it is possible. Many marriages have been healed from the most terrible circumstances through prayer and counseling. Sometimes if that doesn’t seem to be working or cannot get started, a time of planned separation can help bring focus to the problems that are breaking down the marriage covenant. The most important thing to understand is that you are not alone in this situation. God is with you, loving you and not judging you. You also have Christian friends, family and ministers that you can lean on. If you have further questions you can contact me.
God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

What about Divorce for a Christian? Part 1

What the scriptures begin to say:
This is not an easy topic to cover. Even when Jesus was asked about divorce there had to be a bit of clarification that he had to do. It is clear that divorce just because my spouse doesn’t make breakfast right or some other self-serving reason is not a good thing. But, it is also clear to me that there are many more reasons to allow divorce than just sexual adultery.
Divorce is discussed in six places in the New Testament. Matthew 1:19 discusses the possibility of Joseph divorcing Mary because she had become pregnant in their betrothal. In Matthew 5:31-32, we have a short, clear statement in the Sermon on the Mount about divorce. Matthew 19:1-9 and Mark 10:14-18 seem to be accounts of a similar time when the Pharisees were trying to test Jesus by challenging him on the issue of divorce. Luke 16:18 just seems to be a self contained statement on divorce that doesn’t really fit the context of the scripture around it. First Corinthians 7:10-16 gives an account from Paul on divorce, especially concerning divorce between a Christian spouse and a non-believing spouse.
The Old Testament is not real cohesive on its discussion of divorce. In Malachi 2:16 we are told, “God hates divorce.” But in Ezra 10, the people seem to be honoring God by divorcing their wives that are not Jewish. There are a number of discussions about how a divorced woman should act and how the rest of the people should act toward the divorced woman. In many ways, she would be treated as a widow, thereby recognizing divorce as probable. There are some key statements in Jeremiah 3 where it begins with statements concerning a man divorcing his wife and then talks about the people of Israel and Judah acting like “whores” because they broke the covenant of relationship with God.
The problem with the Old Testament discussion is that it is based in a patriarchal society and only allows the man to divorce the woman. It seems that Jesus’ statements and the New Testament as a whole counteract these patriarchal understandings of life in general and divorce. “there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

Mission Trips as a Waste of Time

I guess I am just up for blogging tonight. I wanted to share an article with you. It is from the website of The Center for Student Missions (CSM) http://www.csm.org/articlewhymost.php The article is titled, "Why Most Mission Trips Are A: Waste of Time"
The things this article addresses need to really be considered before you go on a "mission" trip. There are a number of pitfalls with how we tend to do things for these trips and it makes a person wonder if they are worth all of the money and effort that we put into them.
God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Big Change Coming

Well, for those few that haven't heard, things are changing. On June 14, 2009, Centerville Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Virginia extended a call for me to become their pastor. I accepted that call. My last Sunday at Hamilton will be July 12. We are then going to a family reunion over the weekend of July 19 and the movers are coming July 21. This is all exciting and scary! Please pray for us.
Our parents are having a "Going away" party on Saturday, July 11, at our home in Hamilton. Everyone is invited. Games start at 5:00 PM (Cherokee marbles, basketball, washers, etc.), we will eat at about 6:30 PM and entertainment starts at about 7:30 PM. Come ready to write or tell us some of your memories with us. RSVP to my email.
You can check out Centerville at http://www.centervillebaptistchurch.org .
We are sad to leave so many folks that have touched our lives during our ministry in Hamilton. It is the only place my girls know as home. As one lady said today, "They will always be Hamiltonians!" There will always be part of us here.
We are also sad to leave our families. It has been a real blessing to live just about 45 miles from each set of our parents. Our children have been blessed to be so close to their grandparents. This change will be very hard.
We know that God would not be leading in this call if He did not have something awesome in store for this family and for Centerville and for Hamilton and for our families. It is going to be a great adventure finding out!
God be with you on the Journey!
Kevin

Clenching fist and open hand

Clenching fist and open hand
A song by Brian McLaren

Sometimes we wonder whether God really does exist,
And if God’s way is of the open hand or clenching fist.
And while some preachers argue over doctrines and demands,
Their followers are making clenching fists of open hands.
Open up your hands.
So is religion killing us? Is it tearing us apart?
Does it open space to reconcile, or shrink the heart?
Two paths lie before us. One constricts and one expands.
One is the way of clenching fists; the other, open hands.
Stretch your open hands.
What we hold in mind and heart flows down through the wrist
And is expressed in open hand or in clenching fist
And so we build on solid rock, or else unstable sand;
And so we live by clenching fist or by the open hand.
Reach out open hands.
If we fight and fear and hate, our conflicts will persist
Until we trust the open hand more than the clenching fist
In church and mosque and synagogue, how many understand
The living God is the loving God of the open hand?
Join your open hands.
There were hands that blessed the children, touched and healed and fed
Hands that poured a cup of wine, hands that broke the bread
Hands that remained open even when the hammer fell
Hands that hold us and that open through our hands as well.
Raise your open hands.

Thinking about Worship

Have you heard The Revelation Song? Here is a link to Kari Jobe leading worship with Gateway Worship: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0nDrEYDnk

We play this song often on our home computer. It helps me really worship with my whole being. Check it out!

God be with you on your journey,
Kevin

Relationships With Each Other

This is a big issue in Christian life! You can look at it from many angles. The problem with Christians relating to one another is that at the core we are all sinners. That means we will all let one another down and even hurt one another. In response to this, many “church folks” think that the way to relate and have unity is to just grin and bear it. In an effort to try to keep the peace, many people will not deal with the issues that hurt or anger them. Then, after a while, they will stop coming or blow up. I have heard many people say that church people get in the way of their relationship with God. I can understand that statement because people you are trying to love and live a deeper life with always have the opportunity to hurt you more than anyone else in the world.

So, what are we to do? How are we to live life together? For deeper reading on the subject, I would recommend Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, Life Together. Past that, I would suggest that we learn to love our Christian friends in a way that the source of our love is not us, but God. If we are only drawing on our own resources to love one another, we are not different than people outside of the church. We are merely barterers exchanging the love we receive for the love we give. If we really believe that we belong to, love and serve Yahweh, the God of the universe, the one that sent His Son, Jesus, to show us His love and character, and to die on the cross for our sins – then we must begin to live with our Christian brothers and sisters in a manner that reflects the love of this awesome God!

In his book, Uprising, (chapters 6-8) Erwin McManus says that broken people are like black holes. They will never be filled up, no matter how much love is shown to them. But, people that learn to live with God as the never ending source of love, can keep on loving, even when that love is not being returned, because God is making them whole, not other people. He goes on to define wholeness as giving more than you take emotionally. If you are a giver, you are more likely to experience wholeness. If you are a taker, you are more likely to experience brokenness.

There is much to say about this topic. I hope you will help me by adding to some of these thoughts or disagreeing with them. I would love to hear from you.

I hope you are experiencing Godly wholeness today!

God be with you on your journey!
Kevin

Relating To God, Part 2

Worship – We relate to God through prayer, reading His word, praise, contemplation, silence, and much more. For me, this all comes under the heading of Worship. Richard Foster says in Celebration of Discipline, p. 158-9:

“…we have not worshiped the Lord until Spirit touches spirit.”

I cannot imagine anything I want more in my life than to have my spirit touched by THE Spirit (God). I hope my worship begins to reflect that touch. Thank you God for wanting to relate to me!
Know that He wants to touch you too. There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:37-39) except you. Let’s worship God today!

God be with you on your journey,
Kevin

Relating To God

Many things have spurred me on to think about how we relate to God this past week. We had a great baccalaureate Sunday night (May 10,2009) where many students from different denominations were able to participate and three teachers spoke. I was just amazed at how God wove it together and how I saw so many different aspects of how we relate to God. I spent a while talking to Travis Monday morning about how so many folks see relating to God as either relationship based or truth (rules) based. We both opted for a “both and” rather than an “either or” idea. Without relationship, we have nothing, but truth is part of the relationship. Then, as always, I read Robert Francis’ Signals on Monday too. Robert was able to travel to George Fox Seminary in Newburg, Oregon to talk about An American Theology of the Land. Again I am challenged by how to relate to God as Robert said, “Many good words were shared concerning the crisis situation in which we have placed ourselves and the desperate need to turn and walk in a good way with both Land and Creator.”
So what is the “good way” for us to relate to God (Creator)? Often times our denominationally specific methods just produce pride and selfishness that makes us too institution focused and not enough God focused. Richard Rohr says, “The Bible moves us from sacred place (why the temple had to go) or sacred action (why the Law had to be relativized) or mental belief systems (why Jesus has no prerequisites in this regard) to time itself as sacred time.”
So, maybe we don’t focus as much on our relating to God in the future (the glorious eternity of heaven) or the past (my sin is so great) and focus more on relating to God right now, right here, right how I am. That means we have to accept His great love and forgiveness and move on into the meat of our relationship. To wallow in our sin or just live for heaven keeps us from being with Him NOW. That is what we were created for. More on this later. Let me know what you think.
God be with you on your journey!
Kevin

Relationships

When I started wrestling with my call into ministry over 20 years ago, I had many ideas about what ministry in church was going to look like. Most of them were way wrong. One of the biggest differences was what relationships would look like inside the Christian world. You see, even through my days in seminary, I continued to see the outline for church world relationships to be Acts 2:41-47:
41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NIV via www.biblegateway.com)

There is some great stuff here. As Rick Warren puts it, the five purposes of the church are right here: Worship, fellowship, ministry, discipleship and evangelism. For me, I kept focusing on phrases like, "breaking bread" and "believers were together" and "had everything in common" and "gave to everyone" and "meet together" and "glad and sincere hearts". This seemed awesome!!!
Now that I have been in ministry for almost 20 years, I still see this as God's goal for His followers, but I have realized something else. This version of the church only lasted a few verses or chapters at best in Acts. By Chapter 5 there are problems with lying (Ananias and Sapphira) and more problems come as more and more people become followers of Jesus Christ. Eventually, most of what the apostles (especially Paul) are dealing with in their writings are problems with relationships within the body of believers.
So, I would like to take a few weeks and discuss the nature of relationships. What do you think? I will be interested to know. How should Jesus' followers relate to one another? How should we relate to those that would say they don't follow Jesus? How do we relate to family? How do we relate to authority? How do we relate to government? How do we relate to scripture? HOW DO WE RELATE TO GOD?

God be with You on your journey!
Kevin