A recent Time magazine article featured an article on a new evangelical surge among Latin Americans. There was a distinction made between these Latinos and their heavily Catholic heritage as well as the largest protestant group--Baptists.
Here's the sentence that jumped off the page at me about this new brand of churches: "Sermons aren't drawn from the headlines; instead, they often sound like news itself."
Can you imagine why it grabbed my attention?
The gospel is good news. It IS news.
It should be, anyway.
Can good news ever lose its' goodness?
Rather than the novelty being found in newspapers, it is that our God making all things new. God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit is making you and me and those around us new.
Now that's good news!
As a worshiper, a worship leader, and a guy who loves to help other people lead worship, let me say that if the news has lost its' goodness, I imagine it's because church attenders have stopped worshiping.
I don't mean that they've stopped going to church.
I don't mean that they've stopped singing or listening to the sermon.
I mean that they've forgotten what it feels like to have their mind's attention fully focused on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.
I mean they may have only faded memories of what it is like to have their heart's affection stirred by the mind boggling love of God for us, in us, through us.
Preachers, please remind us of the news. Christ died for us, all of us. Christ is risen, alive in us. And yes, Christ will come again for us!
Worship leaders, help us love Jesus Christ out loud.
Christ-followers, encourage one another. God is a God of hope. The God of The Hope. The good news is great news for all of us. Let's remind one another often.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Ever Wonder Why?
I wonder "why" a lot. I mean, like, an inordinate amount of the time. Honestly, I'm nearly why-obsesseed.
So this revelation--the connection of "why dots" that follows--really took me by surprise. I wonder if what occurred to me has ever occurred to you.
DOT 1
Consider Amos 5:21-24, God speaking:
I hate all your show and pretense--
the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burt offerings and grain offerings.
I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
an endless river of righteous living.
As a church musician, it strikes a bit of fear in me to hear "away with your noisy hymns of praise" from the mouth of God.
DOT 2
It is rare for me to talk to someone who has been part of a church for more than a year or two who has not been hurt by that same church. In fact, I've begun to wonder if it isn't far more "normal" (typical may be a better word) to be deeply wounded in a community of Christ-followers than in any other community. As a guy who has been part of pastoral team leadership for years and years, this makes me very sad.
But hold on. Don't write me off as too cynical yet.
DOT 3
I recently heard a brilliant insight in a sermon from Bill Hybel's daughter, Shauna Niequist. In refering to the teaching of Jesus to Peter--and to us--that we forgive our brother 490 times. Not 3. Not 7. Seventy times Seven. 490. Shauna wondered out loud for us all: could this mean that God's honest awareness of human relationships is that we might offend one other around 500 times. Maybe that should reshape our relational expectations.
DOT 4
Christianity is relationally centered. World religions are based on teaching systems or belief systems. Ours is built on a relationship with Jesus and relationships with one another. It was Jesus who said the greatest commandments were about a relationship with God and our relationships with one another. It was our Savior who said that the world would be able to point us out by the outlandish love we demonstrate for one other. Surely this includes our capacity to forgive as we've been forgiven. (Which is, of course, undeservedly and unceasingly)
CONNECTING THE DOTS
In the passage you read from Amos a minute ago, God is sick and tired of people engaging in worship enthusiastically while treating each other dreadfully. Maybe the reason God will not accept our worship celebrations apart from living out justice and righteousness is because He wants those not yet redeemed to see us as people-people even more than as Jesus-people.
Bottom line: you and I have a responsibility to make sure we are right with people just as much as we have the responsibility to be right with God.
ONE MORE DOT
Matthew 6:33 is a pretty popular verse. You probably know it like this: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." Well, an equally accurate translation would be: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice and all these things will be added to you."
So worshipers and worship leaders, let's treat one another with lavish love, respect and honor. And let's pursue justice. After all, we aren't worshiping to justify ourselves but because we've been justified by Jesus Christ.
So this revelation--the connection of "why dots" that follows--really took me by surprise. I wonder if what occurred to me has ever occurred to you.
DOT 1
Consider Amos 5:21-24, God speaking:
I hate all your show and pretense--
the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burt offerings and grain offerings.
I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
an endless river of righteous living.
As a church musician, it strikes a bit of fear in me to hear "away with your noisy hymns of praise" from the mouth of God.
DOT 2
It is rare for me to talk to someone who has been part of a church for more than a year or two who has not been hurt by that same church. In fact, I've begun to wonder if it isn't far more "normal" (typical may be a better word) to be deeply wounded in a community of Christ-followers than in any other community. As a guy who has been part of pastoral team leadership for years and years, this makes me very sad.
But hold on. Don't write me off as too cynical yet.
DOT 3
I recently heard a brilliant insight in a sermon from Bill Hybel's daughter, Shauna Niequist. In refering to the teaching of Jesus to Peter--and to us--that we forgive our brother 490 times. Not 3. Not 7. Seventy times Seven. 490. Shauna wondered out loud for us all: could this mean that God's honest awareness of human relationships is that we might offend one other around 500 times. Maybe that should reshape our relational expectations.
DOT 4
Christianity is relationally centered. World religions are based on teaching systems or belief systems. Ours is built on a relationship with Jesus and relationships with one another. It was Jesus who said the greatest commandments were about a relationship with God and our relationships with one another. It was our Savior who said that the world would be able to point us out by the outlandish love we demonstrate for one other. Surely this includes our capacity to forgive as we've been forgiven. (Which is, of course, undeservedly and unceasingly)
CONNECTING THE DOTS
In the passage you read from Amos a minute ago, God is sick and tired of people engaging in worship enthusiastically while treating each other dreadfully. Maybe the reason God will not accept our worship celebrations apart from living out justice and righteousness is because He wants those not yet redeemed to see us as people-people even more than as Jesus-people.
Bottom line: you and I have a responsibility to make sure we are right with people just as much as we have the responsibility to be right with God.
ONE MORE DOT
Matthew 6:33 is a pretty popular verse. You probably know it like this: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." Well, an equally accurate translation would be: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice and all these things will be added to you."
So worshipers and worship leaders, let's treat one another with lavish love, respect and honor. And let's pursue justice. After all, we aren't worshiping to justify ourselves but because we've been justified by Jesus Christ.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Forget It!
I love the whimsy of the Holy Spirit.
I love the unfathomable breadth of the Bible.
And I love to listen to great preaching.
So yesterday I was listening to some great preaching from my friend Adam Norsworthy at Versailles Baptist Church. He was taking us on a tour through the depths of Philippians 3:12-14.
Adam was challenging us to let go of our past--those things we've done that we're ashamed of--due to Paul's words in verse 13: "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." This is hard, isn't it? To be free from the bondage of our past sin? Adam used both Paul's story and a stunning image from the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter. I was really engaged by Adam. He's a very good communicator.
And then the whimsical Spirit took me someplace very different inside that verse.
As essential as it is that we forget the past, I was convinced that part of what God whispered to me included forgetting my successes as well as my failures. You see I can get so puffed up by past success that I can forget my need to fully rely on God.
And with that same sense of whimsy, I sensed the Spirit whisper to me that this is a danger for many of us as we yearn for the golden days of yesteryear. Maybe, my friends, it is just as essential to forget our successes as it is our failures.
Indeed, I wonder if only then might it be possible to "press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize."
What do you think?
I love the unfathomable breadth of the Bible.
And I love to listen to great preaching.
So yesterday I was listening to some great preaching from my friend Adam Norsworthy at Versailles Baptist Church. He was taking us on a tour through the depths of Philippians 3:12-14.
Adam was challenging us to let go of our past--those things we've done that we're ashamed of--due to Paul's words in verse 13: "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." This is hard, isn't it? To be free from the bondage of our past sin? Adam used both Paul's story and a stunning image from the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter. I was really engaged by Adam. He's a very good communicator.
And then the whimsical Spirit took me someplace very different inside that verse.
As essential as it is that we forget the past, I was convinced that part of what God whispered to me included forgetting my successes as well as my failures. You see I can get so puffed up by past success that I can forget my need to fully rely on God.
And with that same sense of whimsy, I sensed the Spirit whisper to me that this is a danger for many of us as we yearn for the golden days of yesteryear. Maybe, my friends, it is just as essential to forget our successes as it is our failures.
Indeed, I wonder if only then might it be possible to "press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize."
What do you think?
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