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There were no flashy presentations or effects, no large band, no inflexible schedule, and no big church mentality. It was simply people who love God getting together to worship their Lord and hearing his pure Word.

I love how the pastor opens up the microphone for ANYONE to come up and give a testimony, praise, or prayer request and then the congregation prays together for that person. It is truly a family environment where the people are there to encourage one another and participate in the service…they don’t go just to hear a sermon or watch a band perform some worship.

Excerpt of my sister and her husband’s experience in a Gypsy church in Mukachevo, Ukraine. Read part one and two to get a feel for the whole evening…

I read through the posts, both of which have a positive message, yet my heart unexpectedly sunk rather than rejoiced. Eh, maybe “bittersweet” is more accurate. I am happy that the Parks’ hearts were blessed and that one of the communities they are hoping to reach out to already has a strong Christian base. There are so many positive things to take out of the story, so why are you so downcast oh my soul?

I know i’m jaded. I know I’m a cynic of today’s American christianity. I know not all of my criticism is merited. I know there are a plethora of churches and a multitude of Christians serving productively and living great examples of Christ… but i read this, and my very first thought was “lets hope American’s don’t screw it up.” … not Lindsey and Josh or the missionaries they have met or worked with thus far… but the big money, big church Americans.

It is a commonly accepted belief (although I am not sure how wide spread) that we have a problem of Americanizing or Westernizing the people-groups we minister to in other countries (Blake posts an intense video of John Piper that addresses a portion of this at least, check it out). The Parks only have to look northeast a few hundred miles to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and see some of what I’m talking about… Take a look at a little excerpt from Hillsong, Kiev website:

we believe our purpose is to be a mission in Europe, to change perceptions by:

1. Establishing new services in major European cities. The first of them is Moscow.
2. The utilization of media and television to change people’s perception of the Church and Jesus through production of quality TV programs.
3. Expansion of Hillsong Kiev worship music in Russian in order to help existing Russian-speaking churches to become champions in their ministry.

In fairness, Hillsong is Australian based, but closely resembles the mentality of many of our mega-churches as well (i.e.-”westernized”). On the surface, the mission statement as a whole sounds peachy. Ukraine is a hurting society, and Hillsongs:Kiev wants to improve the quality of life. But just examine the key phrases in the three main points they make for a second:

1) Establishing new services… Again, i will make another statement that is hard to quantify but is a widespread thought. I have heard it said by pastors of large mega-churches and small family churches. Services do not make disciples. (see the period?) Relationships, authenticity, and leading by example make disciples. The gospel makes disciples. Services are valuable for various reasons, but if you’re number one goal in “transforming lives” is to create new services, you’re missing the boat. Jesus went to the people, he didn’t ask the people to come to a church service.

2) Utilization of media and tv… changes perception of church… quality tv progams. I am a moderate proponent of quality production in church services and programs, but not at the expense of quality ministry. So again, just like #1, there is nothing wrong with wanting excellence in programming, nor in utilizing the media or tv, but it says a lot about your heart when your #2 priority focuses on the cultural perception of your production. Thats really all it boils down to. Statements like these tell others that the story of Jesus isn’t enough to change lives. The hope of His work on the cross isn’t enough to redeem. The grace and omniscience of God cannot break through the culture the way that our big lights, great musicianship, and top notch video editing can. If you want to change the perception of the church and Jesus, step outside your multi-million dollar building and breath the stench of the prostitute and drug-addict.

3) Expansion of Hillsong Kiev worship music… Do i really even have to address this? Read the whole statement for number 3 again… how utterly pompous and preposterous. Are we to believe that this has anything to do with ministry rather than selling more albums and building a bigger Hillsong Music Empire? To imply (understatement) that their worship music has the power to champion churches to a new level of ministry is sickening! And here we are, three for three, discounting the power of Jesus Christ.

Am I being to harsh? Do i have to give some lame disclaimer that I am aware that Hillsong:Kiev and Hillsong:Worship and Hillsong:Everywhere is an avenue for God? I hope not. I hope you understand that I have enough faith to know that God will still work through the people in these ministries to further His kingdom despite the ostentatiousness of the statements on their site. After all, He has been gracious enough to work through my failures as well. I am not above criticism.

Lord, give Josh, Lindsey, and all those who they work with the strength and faith to see the power that You possess. It is not anything we do, but what You do through us and the redeeming power of Your sacrifice that changes lives. Prepare their hearts to meet those in need at the place of their need and filter Your Truth into the lives of those who need it in the community you have placed Josh and Lindsey.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Category : Church, Culture, Empyreal, Family

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Man… proof that sometimes God allows complete dorks to work in His kingdom. Notice the full beard, full uni-brow, and glasses. And by the way, to those who said shaving my head a few weeks back would be great “because i wouldn’t have to style it” … as you can see, i didn’t really worry about styling it when it was longer… thanks to kiesch for being a good sport.

(and yeah, the rendering quality isn’t quite up to par with what we’re capable of now, but you get the point)

Popularity: 19% [?]

Category : Church, Eh... Whatever, Empyreal, Video, Youth

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What ministry or project would you take on if you had just barely enough resources? Barely enough money, time, energy, people, support, etc… Its too cliche and easy to ask if you had “unlimited,” but if we set out to do something we really believed in and had passion for, we could probably muster up “just barely enough” to do just about anything ministry related.

My sister and her esposo wanted to start a local food pantry and after speaking with the church leadership, felt confident they could pursue the ministry. They spent quite a bit of time putting everything together, organizing, , vision-casting it, etc., only to hear the church inform them that it didn’t quite fit with the vision of the church for that particular season.

I have had a friend who has a heart for the homeless and we’ve talked numerous times about the lack of opportunity to serve the homeless within the churches he has attended.

I’ve had several ideas lacking only legs that i’ve rarely bothered to pursue because I knew it would be difficult without the church’s blessing.

I have come realize that something isn’t quite sitting right in the relationship between church member and church institution. The realization birthed the following mantra (which you’ve probably heard if you’ve known me long enough, and i’ve know i’ve said it at least once on this blog before):

Church should not be the fulfillment of ministry in your life, rather it should be an extension of your lifestyle of ministry.

We’re all given gifts from God that play out through our strengths within our personality, intelligence, and various abilities, yet in my experience we tend to save these gifts solely for use within the local church. If our church home does not provide us an avenue to serve how we feel lead to serve, we push the urge aside, ignore it, save it for later… We have allowed the church to handcuff us, to tell us when and where we can minister… we’ve allowed the church to dilute our passion… if there isn’t a program to meet the needs of our vision, we simply choose abeyance rather than obedience.

The relationship is out of whack… and it’s not solely (or even mostly) the institutions fault. I don’t want to downplay the importance of the local church. There are a lot of churches doing great things, but there are far too many churches who are just as handcuffed by our inactivity.

But… at the same time… I look at this vision in which ministry is not determined by the availability of a like-minded program that my church offers, rather is propelled by the Love of God within me… the more i chew, the more I see that we have placed too much of an emphasis on the local church, and not enough on the Body doing what it is designed to do.

As a parent, I want to be involved in my girls’ lives, converse with them, watch them grow, help them find their way in Christ… So I chose to be a soccer coach a few seasons back. This allowed me to impart some things in my daughter’s life about working with others, trying hard, accepting failure, and enjoying victory humbly. Coaching soccer did not fulfill my vision as a parent, it was simply an extension of my everyday parenting. How ridiculous would it be if I told my daughter “hon, you get all of me during anything related to soccer… the rest of the time i’m going to do my own thing.”

Isn’t that what many of us tell God? Inadvertantly, subtly, and in the words that are only audible through our actions and lack there of… God stirs our heart and says “i’ve given you the gifts… go do it.” Many of us respond “give me a way to do it at church, and i’ll do it!”…

I’m still trying to figure out how to shake the off the handcuffs that I’ve firmly locked into place on my own. This is grass-roots stuff… it’s not culturally relevant, its not seeker sensitive, and i dunno if its for everyone. But I’m tired…

Tired of words without action. Tired of hearts beating but not breaking. Tired of visions without casting. Tired of knowing what I should do and using the church as an excuse not to do it… We are the Church, so the excuse is no longer valid… And if we somehow get this concept working in our lives, we will see the local church relevant in the way it was intended to be.

(and this more or less is what I presented in my final of Foundations of Leadership)

Popularity: 19% [?]

Category : Church, Culture, Empyreal, Enabling, School

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I don’t do a lot of tagged stuff. Someone tagged me a while back concerning books I read, but i just started reading again so i would’ve had horrible answers. But my sis tagged me for “7 Things About Me” so I will oblige, only I don’t know if I can come up with 7 interesting things… so here’s 7 Things I’ve Failed At in my life.

1) Community College: I was put on probation (yes, at a community college) after one semester. I dropped out halfway through my second. Perhaps it was because I spent 90% of my “class time” in the computer lab.

2) ESPN Radio: This maybe is my fault, maybe not. I was an unpaid intern, working directly for Assistant Program Director (that’s second in command) at the Dallas ESPN Affiliate. I did really well everything he asked me to do, but wasn’t my jovial, talkative self around some of the other guys, thus making no contacts at all. Then he got really really busy and moved off to one of the Carolina’s. In the meantime, i was left with little-to-no-contacts and it never went anywhere.

3) Clear Factor: Once I started my own business to supplement the very little income I had coming in due to my transition from corporate work to ministry work. It was a storefront window-washing business, which has extremely low overhead and extremely high customer potential. I realized quickly that I wasn’t cut out for the sales / self-marketing part of the job. I could probably sell stuff at a retail place adequately, but i didn’t do so well selling myself. Instead I eventually sold my stuff to a friend, who eventually got out of the business as well ( I still own the company name “Clear Factor” if anyone wants to buy it from me).

4) The previously mentioned Ministry Career: I had it all figured out when i was younger. I was diabolically opposed to going to CFNI, and I was not interested in going to one of the larger schools. But I was “called by God” so He was obligated to make everything I touched in ministry work… after all, I was doing it “for Him” and if He called me, then obviously nothing I could do would fail… but getting your girlfriend pregnant, ignoring your responsibilities as a Christ follower, and convincing yourself you could do it on your own leads to “failure” despite and “calling.”

5) Novels: I’ve started two novels, both made it well into the second or third chapter (wow! that’s far!). I re-read them the other day and laughed at the writing. The concepts are still decent, so i think i’m going to pick them back up and re-write what i have, but for now, i’m still going to count it as failed (Despite the lack of skills I display on this site, it has been said by a few professors, friends, colleagues, etc that I have a knack for writing. I dunno about that, but I enjoy it none-the-less).

6) Music Career: My first “gig,” I opened for Darrell Evans, who at the time was one of the most popular worship leaders going. This was before Hillsongs went crazy and before the time of Crowder, Tomlin, Redman… Lincoln Brewster, who was Darrell’s guitarist, stopped to tell me to keep doing what I was doing and be true to who God intended me to be. Later I played for a few thousand people at a large variety show… several bands later, I’ve never done much beyond record the three songs that are sitting on virb and i’m not a huge fan of those.

7) This thing we call Life: I’m overweight and even more out of shape than I look (just ask the guys i went “jogging” with saturday!)… Not including my house, i’ve got nearly as much debt as my age in the thousands… I don’t show my wife I love her enough… I don’t teach my kids about Christ enough… I don’t allow God to work through me enough… I pretend to have it all together, when I don’t, often struggling with mild depression (my wife would probably say it breaches into the “moderate” level from time to time, but I try and keep things in perspective)… I’m still not sure what I want to be when I grow up… I play video games more often than I study or meditate on what God wants to do with me… and I can’t win a Scrabble for the life of me…

NOTE: This is not a “pity me” or even a depression-induced post… I look at these things and I look at where God is moving me, and I’m extremely grateful for learning what I have through all of the failures. I can see that He is evolving me so that I can one day remove #7 from this list, append #4 to say “early ministry career,” and, heck, maybe even take #5 off the list as well … It is these failures that have propelled me to a place that I can finally say “Lord, I can’t do anything without You because I’ve proven over and over that I will fail on my own… it’s Your turn”

So, what have you failed at?

Popularity: 31% [?]

Category : Church, Eh... Whatever, Empyreal, Family, Me Dang It!, School

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A world where in theory everybody is a somebody is a radically different place from a world divided into somebodies and nobodies.
     - John Bowe: Introduction to Nobodies

Bowe is discussing the eye-opening topic of modern-day slavery right here in our own back yard (yes, within the borders of America) along with the darker impact of free-market/economic globalization. I’m around 2/3 through and will write my thoughts on the book when I’m done, but this particular quote struck a chord with me on a different level.

Just as we tend to dehumanize the poor, far too often we dehumanize the ugly, fat, annoying, disabled, sickly, pale, weak, and generally “different” individuals around us in our every day lives. All too often I sit at a table at lunch or lounge around on break and hear one disparaging remark after another based solely on how someone looks, talk, or walk after a short 5 second interaction. Sadly enough, this scenario plays out just as often with my Christian friends as it does with those who do not yet follow.

Are the they less than human? Or perhaps they woke up one morning as a child and say “today I start my journey to obesity, ugliness, and halitosis!” As we sit and laugh at their expense, usually behind their back -despite our own obvious health issues, failures and internal ugliness - the dehumanized are simply wanting to be accepted for who they are so perhaps they can start their journey with a friend towards a healthier or more fulfilled life.

Obviously not every Christ-follower falls into the trap of dehumanizing those around us. I often speak up, as do many of us, despite the ridicule that is returned my way… I know one unfortunate Christian who considered this ridicule “persecution,” thinking that she then must be blessed because “blessed are the persecuted.” but.. i digress..

There is no doubt in my mind, though, that a large portion of people who claim adoption into the family of Christ still live under the influence of our society in which social status, good looks, and popularity mean more than the heart and emotions that make up a person. If you talk right, look right, have the right money (or at least appear to have the money), carry yourself a certain way… you are a somebody… everyone else is reduced to a person to point at, laugh at, and ultimate emotional manipulate…

To illustrate, Lindsey shares two stories, both true that she experienced first hand of those who get it… and those who don’t.

Perhaps the majority of us, Christ Followers or not, do not endorse or enslave others for our personal gain; it’s becoming increasing clear, however, that our world remains a world of “somebodies” and “nobodies.”

Popularity: 21% [?]

Category : Books, Church, Culture, Empyreal, Enabling, Quotable

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A few weeks back in class I heard the Prof and a student talking about a book which basic premise was that we are too caught up in marketing our churches and we too often market Jesus rather than just expressing his Love… or some such… it’s a great point…

then the student said “but how can he market this book without falling into the same trap” … my response seemed to shock them, perhaps because they had no idea I was listening or perhaps its the simplicity and matter-of-factness of my words:

“Give it away for free”

After a brief second of silence and stares, the student kinda chuckled and said “yeah, i guess thats one way” … but seriously, if the message is that pertinent and the message of Christ is one of love and not marketing, why distribute the message the same way the world distributes, expecting something in return, and hoping for a large audience?

Somewhere along the lines we began using the cultures definition of success to define our Christian excellence. I know this isn’t breaking news, but its still pertinent, because I feel it’s infiltrating us so much in our American culture that we don’t realize it.

Is it really servant evangilsm, or is it creative marketing? Are we showing our community we care, or are we simply letting them know where our building is? Are we going to them and making a difference in their lives, or are we doing whatever we can to get them to come to us?

The last verse of 1 Corinthians 12 says “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” Chapter 13, as you’re probably aware is the famous “love” chapter…. so our most excellent way is love….

I hope to be excellent through the Love that Christ pours into me…

(this is a really weak post, but i guess its more of an introduction to some thoughts I want to put out here… i’m just not going to today… if i die between now and the next time post, just ask dionna, she’ll know where i’m heading with this)

Popularity: 16% [?]

Category : Church, Culture, Empyreal

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Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.  -Proverbs 31:8-9

If we are to advocate and speak up, we have to know what we’re talking about. More importantly, we have to know WHO we are talking about.

The average American -and maybe average American Christian- sees the global poor as lazy, uneducated, backwards, uncivilized, unreliable, dependent on everyone else, unwilling to change, corrupt, weak…

Why do we hold these prejudices? I think we hold these prejudices to justify our own inaction, our own place at the front of the line, our own wealth, and really we justify these because we dont know the poor. We know about them, but we don’t know them…

You and I are so dangerously close to a subtle dehumanization of the poor. I have thought and wrestled with this… It is the only explaination why men and women of faith with resource to spare allow such inequity to exist.

And other wonderfully loving compassion and action from Andrew Syed can be heard here.

Andrew’s Organization - 10/10 Project

Popularity: 74% [?]

Category : Church, Culture, Current Events, Empyreal, Enabling, Quotable

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I got a call friday from an old friend and mentor asking me to help him out at his church this weekend. I used to attend the church, and there is quite a bit of family history (mostly good, but not all of it) at the church despite only being there for a few years.  I decided to oblige… after all, i’ve been meaning to go back just to say hi to the several friends I still have there and I’m always up for helping a friend when called upon… (sure, he could’ve gotten someone else to help out, but heck, i was at least on his list… third of fourth down, depending on how you count).

It was a bit of a reunion for me in the sense that everyone that I played with Sunday (I was filling in on electric) I have played with for years… the drummer was a scrawny 14 yr old when I helped him get started in our youth worship band… now he’s about 20 and looks like he could kick my arse pretty easily… (doesn’t help that I’m … uh… *cough*fat*cough*)

But it got me thinking about friendships and stuff. Here I am, back in a church that was a catalyst to a very difficult and stressful time in my life (i left on good terms with the people there, but I wouldn’t call it a “clean” exit). I look around at all of the faces that I would still consider friends, even though many of them I haven’t talked to in years, and I realize just how few of those relationships have cultivated in a church setting since I left. This is not to say that I haven’t cultivated these types at all in the last three years, but there have been very few real relationships birthed at the church I currently attend…. Two, in fact, and they’re married to each other… and they don’t attend the church anymore (that should be enough hints).

I used to feel (and “preach”) that if you weren’t cultivating relationships, generally it’s because you’ve been passive about it. Whether your passivity is from shyness, from building walls, or whatever… We’ve started life groups, dove head first into a youth ministry, gone on church trips, and attended various extra-curricular church functions… hardly passive…  and have very little to show for it relationally.

I’m not complaining, it’s just weird.

You could even argue that while my actions have been active, my heart has been passive, and in some cases, maybe so… but I dunno… just weird.

and with my wife feeling the same way, i’m not sure where it leaves us.

Popularity: 73% [?]

Category : Church, Current Events, Empyreal

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Sometimes in an effort to remind people of the cost of the cross, we withhold grace until we are sure they understand their sin… but its in giving of our grace that we remind people they need to go to Jesus on their own. People understand their sin without our help, its grace they need help understanding.

- From this video

Popularity: 12% [?]

Category : Church

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So, it’s been awhile since a real post…

Work suddenly became busy for a couple of weeks… it’s slowed back down, but i tend not to post when work is busy.

School has been a bit of a beating so far this semester, but I must admit that I’ve brought most of the issues on myself.

And finally, sickness decided to camp out at my house. Once again all four of us got nailed with something or other over the last three weeks… Once again, i took the lightest hit and Dionna took the heaviest. Both girls took a hit somewhere in the middle.

Churchis going well. I played some electric guitar last week, but in general i’m heading up the audio/video team for the youth. Things are coming together alright in that respect. But more importantly, the youth as a whole is going well.

And for the record, i was cheering for the Patriots but was very impressed and happy for how Eli played. Six weeks have made me an Eli fan. All to annoy Blake, who lives and works in his college town, but went to his rival college.

Now, tonight i have 100+ pages of history to read and other crap to do before the Mexico v USA Men’s soccer game tomorrow night.

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Category : Church, Culture, Current Events, Eh... Whatever, School, Sundays, X:Worship, Youth

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