Growing in Grace?

Over the last few years I have wondered how I can know if I (and those I serve with) am having "success" in discipleship. We have--as a church staff--created and conducted surveys with that in mind. We have tried to maximize the ways we "deepen disciples" and "develop leaders." Sometimes, I'm sure, I've made it more complicated than it needs to be. Other times, I'm also sure, I have abdicated the responsibility we all have to be a disciple maker. (See Mt 28:19)

Recently, as I was doing my regular morning "Jesus Time" (as it appears on my Google calendar), I came across 2 Peter 3:18. I asked myself, first, am I growing in grace? And second, am I growing in the knowledge of Jesus?

Two quick notes about those questions--first, they are about growing, not achieving. And second, the prepositions matter. Growing in grace. Knowledge of Jesus. 

So then I started to filter those self-examination questions around those I have responsibility to disciple--my family, my worship leading community at church, and to a lesser extent, those worshiping through my-leadership.

Of course I can't know what is going on in the minds, hearts, and souls of any of those folks. (Nor can you, remember.) But I can see fruit--or a lack thereof. So maybe it would be helpful to ask ourselves and one another a few questions on occasion. I've landed on starting here:

1) How's your soul? 

2) Do you feel more saturated in grace than ever before?

3) Do you feel better at saturating others in grace than ever before?

4) Are you learning about Jesus... not just information but intimacy?

5) Is your knowledge of Jesus shaping the way you think and act toward those around you? Closest to you?

Seems to me that if we have more conversations--maybe once every week or two--about things like this, we could see more transformation in ourselves, those we love, and those we lead. 

If you'd like to have a conversation like this with someone, I'd be delighted to hear from you. Whether you're a part of the Woodburn Baptist church family, a friend, or a stranger, I'd be honored to have a conversation. You can reach me at RodEEllis@gmail.com or 502.229.0114.

Let's grow in grace together!

You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Why Be Thankful?

Thanksgiving is just days away. There seems to be an annual emphasis in this old world of being thankful, and then committing to stay thankful. We say things like, "Make gratitude your attitude."

But why? 

In our worship gatherings just yesterday we had a husband and wife take turns reading scripture. They chose to share a brief word about being thankful in the midst of this, the hardest year most of us have faced in our lifetime. Between racial strife and a global pandemic that keeps coming in waves, it has been easier to lament than to be thankful.

But seldom is the way of the cross easy.

Yet gratitude is. The way of the cross, that is.

Jesus gave thanks, even at the Last Supper. Knowing the suffering was coming, He gave thanks.

And so in our suffering, we do too.

But why? Doesn't the cynic inside of you wonder?

The longer I live, read, study, listen, and watch, the more I am convinced of this: thankfulness is a powerful repellent. Like "Off!" insect repellent but for things like entitlement, jealousy, sadness, even struggling marriages and wayward children.

As Erwin McManus wrote, "Gratitude is the healing ointment for brokenness. It is central to the entire experience and journey of the Christian faith. Gratitude and grace share the same root meaning. When we properly connect to God, our lives become and endless expression of thanks and praise." 

I'm so glad he linked "thanks and praise." Because I'm also convinced that thankfulness is a primary motivation for worship.

Consider the number of times "Give thanks" appears in the Psalter, the hymnal of Jesus.

And so let's give thanksgiving it's proper place in our private and gathered (in-person or virtual) worship this week. And the next. And every week. We may just see a gradual fading of the emotional enemies our culture faces like fear, worry, anxiety and depression. We may also see more--much more--of the joy of Jesus.

"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Don't stifle the Spirit." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

Worship as Feast… and Appetizer?

The language of feasts is throughout the Bible, from Old Testament festivals to the New Testament Agape feast (Jude 1:12) and ultimately the Marriage Feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19). God seems to think of worship as a feast!

When sacrifices were offered in the Old Testament, the result was a whole lot of meat to be eaten. Worshipers came to give their best, and to give a lot of it, but they also received the joy of God’s presence AND God’s provision. What a generous God we worship!

What that intimates to me is that we should not “save up” feast-like moments in our worship gatherings. Let’s not ration out powerful moments, as if there’s a shortage of the power of God and we might run out. We can never, ever, ever run out of His power!

I once worked with an organist who was reticent to play last verse hymn embellishments. She thought people would take them for granted if they were used too often. She wanted it to be like a fine dessert that you only order for special occasions. I wish I’d known then to encourage her that every time we are in the presence of Almighty God is a special occasion!

In fact, my experience has been the opposite of what this sweet saint was after. The more powerful encounters I have with my Savior, the hungrier I get for His power. 

This is the economy of God. God’s feasts.

But what of this appetizer metaphor? That’s not in the Bible anywhere, is it?

Honestly, I don’t believe it is. But I have come to believe that the weekend worship encounter could serve our people better if we were to do things in a way that whets their appetite. For example, I want to read scripture in such a way that it makes them want to go home and do more of that. I want to sing with them in such a way that it makes them want to look up our Spotify playlist of “Current Worship Songs” and sing to God on their own. I want to lead them in prayer in such a way that they can’t wait to approach the throne of grace in their own quiet time each day.

So the feast becomes an appetizer. We leave the gathering both filled by our experience of God and hungry for more. Perhaps this is what the ancient song writer had in mind when he sang those familiar words in Psalm 42: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God.” And later in that same lyric, “My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration.”

Now before my scholarly friends push back, I don’t think that’s the historical context of this Psalm. But I do think we can understand something more than was originally intended.

What do you think? Could worship be both a feast and an appetizer?

Everydailyness

I like made up words. And no one makes up better words than my pastor.

This is one of his—everydailyness—and I am learning more about more about what it means, well, every day.

For example, after reading my Bible for 50 days in a row, I felt like I’d developed a habit. Now I’m over 500 days in a row and I feel like I’ve developed into a different Christ-follower.

On the other hand, I’ve been exercising most days—not every day—and it shows in my training. When I “take a few days off,” it’s a bit like starting over when I go for a run.

There is cumulative power in everydailyness.

This applies in a rather amazing ways in your marriage. If you are consistently affectionate with your spouse, the affection grows. If, on the other hand, your affection is sporadic, so will your feelings of romantic love be. And you have just entered a danger zone.

It works with parenting, and quickly. Every parent has bad days, and sometimes even bad weeks. But striving to be loving every day, faithful with boundaries every time they go out, etc. will yield better adjusted grown up kids. By the way, the converse of this is also true. If you parent poorly every day, the destruction of your child will run deep.

As a musician/artist, you’ve seen this too. The legendary pianist Paderewski once said of his work, "If I miss one day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices it."

Want to be a great leader? It isn’t the exceptional moment that will get you there; it’s the everydailyness of faithful leadership.

Want to be a great worshipers? Shift your spiritual discipline of worship from "every week or two" to everydailyness. Do this for 6 months and your Sunday worship encounter will be unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

I can hear your creatives arguing with me. You love variety. You love diversity. Find a new route. Discover a new path. I get it. I’m the same way. And I’ve argued myself out of the rewards that come with the everydailyness of creativity. Let me encourage you not to make this a false dichotomy. Consistency is never the enemy of creativity. Complacency is.

Finally Christian, let me remind you of the words of our Master: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross DAILY, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

Perhaps today is the day you add my pastor’s word to your vocab—and discover the amazing power of everydailyness.