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Called & Committed

When I was in college, I read the book Called and Committed: World-Changing Discipleship by David Watson. Maybe I'm overly optimistic but I still believe that my commitments will make a difference in the world. Tonight we have the first of three orientation meetings for those who want to make a commitment to Village Presbyterian Church.

For many years it was common for the church to speak of its "members." Unfortunately, there are downsides to that term today. Country clubs have members; the church has ministers, not just clergy-type people but in Christ all are called to minister in different ways. Membership in the church is, therefore, not defined according to the privileges it offers but rather it means that I'm willing to make a commitment. I'm committed to the mission of Jesus as it finds expression in the life of this local congregation. Sometimes my commitment is expressed in basic housekeeping duties like set up and take down. Other times it's found in my commitment to the Friday morning Bible Study or in my preparation for preaching on Sunday morning or caring for those who are discouraged. I enjoy serving the Lord in various ways even I want to surround myself with others who are eager to serve in similar ways, according to the gifts God has given them. How will the church grow? It grows as we grow in the understanding of our calling in Christ and only as we make a commitment to that end.

"Called & Committed" is what I hope we are becoming at Village Presbyterian Church. It's what world-changing discipleship is all about.

Silly Putty

Our destination for tomorrow is Miracle Ranch, just south of Tecate, Mexico.

It's going to be fun. We're bringing clothes, cleaning supplies, toliet paper and at least one bicycle. In addition to that we're also bringing a good supply of craft stuff to play with while we're down there: modeling clay, crayons, markers, construction paper, silly putty, paint-on-velvet, paint-by-numbers, and a few gliders. We sent a check ahead of us a few weeks ago (from our Christmas Eve offering) that should cover expenses related to installing new tile in the boy's dormitory. What a great investment!

We talked about the trip last night at dinner and our kids are looking forward to the fun. It comforts me to know that they are not frightened by the border or the language barrier. I think they appreciate what they have even as they are learning to make friends with kids in circumstances very different from their own. We're not going there just to give but there's a lot to receive from a trip like this. Where do I see God? How will our plans change according to God's much bigger plan? How can we encourage Cesar and Cheryl and how will they encourage us in faith? What sacrifices need to be made for the sake of others and for the sake of ourselves? Lots to think about, maybe too much.

Tomorrow I'll shoot a few hoops, kick a soccer ball and probably make something out of clay. I guarantee my kids will have a blast. And then later in the day or the week, we'll talk about what it means to share the love of Jesus with others.

The Work of Friends

John McKeague and Chris Pritchett visited the Gulf Coast of Mississippi a few months ago to spy out service opportunities. The video below features what they found. John told me a few minutes ago on the phone that they now have scores of people (more than 20) signed up to go on two trips this Spring. The people of Presbyterian Church of the Master are doing incredible things!

Finding Faith

In my personal Bible reading I've been working through the book of Acts. What strikes me recently is the way that some oppose and some receive the message of Jesus. Those who opposed the message were sometimes devout people of high standing, leaders in the city (see 13:50). To them and to others, Paul offers this passionate plea,

"Beware...that what the prophets said does not happen to you: 'Look, you scoffers! Be amazed and perish, for in your days I am doing a work, a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you.'" (13:40, 41)

Why do some people believe while others refuse the message?

I don't really know. And yet the story must be told. The response of those who do believe is often described in terms of joy and gladness. Consider this, "When the Gentiles heard this [the message that Jesus is the light that brings salvation to the nations], they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers." (13:48) If you read the last line carefully you'll see that God is responsible for the growth of faith in our hearts. We can't make it happen in our own strength. We can only respond to the word of God. In the book of Acts some oppose and some receive. Is it any different today?

Off the Blog Wagon

One of my favorite bloggers, BackyardMissionary, has called it quits. Bummer. It was his blog, along with the one written by Andrew Jones, that gave me the desire to start my own blog. That was back in 2004. I've sometimes felt the urge to give it up. Truth is, blogging in a lot harder than it looks. Preaching? Teaching? Yeah, I can do that. Sometimes I do it well and other times not so much. I'm committed to seeing this blog through 2007. I like to write but it's not a daily habit for me. I really like to scribble in my own spiral-bound notebook (totally old school). I scratch out observations using words and images. When I write for this blog I have to translate my scribbled mess into text appropriate for a keyboard. Not as much fun for me as talking or taking notes with pen and paper. Oh well, that's my challenge. I'm still on the blog-wagon for now.

An Opening Challenge

Several months ago I received an advance copy of The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch (see left sidebar). After hearing him at a seminar at Fuller, I read the book with great interest. Now there are plenty of trendy-pop-theologians on the church scene these days but Alan is not one of them. He has much more to offer.

The Forgotten Ways is a stimulating discussion of the nature of the church today. It is well-informed with plenty of real-world application. I was also facinated by the innovative application of living systems theory to our present circumstances. As a church we are facing an adaptive challenge, we must change or die. That doesn't mean that the witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to disappear from the face of the earth any time soon but the instruments God uses are likely to look different in the years ahead.

God is not obligated to keep the massive structures we have created in the black financially. Our task is to discover the essence of faith and so be satisfied with that alone. It's an exciting proposition. Consider this statement by Hans Küng, as quoted in the Introduction (page 15), "A church which pitches its tents without constantly looking out for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling. ...[We must] play down our longing for certainty, accept what is risky, and live by improvisation and experiment" (The Church as the People of God). I've got more to say about The Forgotten Ways so stay tuned. It's going to be a bit of improvisation. I hope you'll like it.

Romans

This morning our Men's Group got together again and we decided to spend the next few months studying the book of Romans. I've always thought of Romans as the Mount Everest of theological discourse in the New Testament. Time to tie up together and start climbing.

I had an interesting experience yesterday. I needed new tires on the van and so I went to a local tire dealer who had a good reputation. Unfortunately the tires that he ordered for me the day before didn't arrive in time for my appointment. I could tell he wanted to do all that he could to help me and so he offered me his SUV to use in case I had some errands to run. It was a nice ride and so I thought about making a trip to L.A. (just kidding). That's customer service! I took it for a short hop. I really enjoyed the XM radio. When I went back to pick up my van, everything was ready. Unfortunately, one of the mechanics had accidently stepped on the emblem that snaps in the center of the rim. Accidents do happen, I know from experience. I pointed out the missing piece. They immediately made a point of making things right and so I'm a very satisfied customer. I don't expect perfection. Even the best company messes things up from time to time. But the guys at Tucker Tire were looking out for me and I really appreciate it. Just try to get that kind of care at Costco. Bigger isn't always better. Some times good things come from small companies. Just a thought.

Wild Honey?

The food of John the Baptist, as mentioned in Matthew 3:4, is still enjoyed here. Maybe camel hair clothing will come back in style too.

Discipleship Essentials

Lately I have felt a sense of urgency in relation to starting a number of groups in our church focused around the issue of discipleship. Last Sunday I said I would like to refer to such groups as DNA Groups because they will be focused on discipleship, nurture and accountability. Such groups will also do much to help us on the journey of becoming more like Jesus. The best resource on the subject that I've found is listed on the left sidebar of this blog. It's titled Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden. There are four parts to the book which means we could run for different sections throughout the year. Each chapter contains plenty of material for personal and group study (if you would like to download a pdf outline of the book, just click here). It's a great resource and I hope that many will step forward to get involved. If you have any interest in leading such a group, please send me an email.

I've got twelve copies on order from Amazon and we'll make them available on Sunday mornings as soon as they arrive ($12 each). Wouldn't it be great if sold out the whole lot and had to order more?

10% of $250 Million

A story on the news tonight reminded me just how crazy things are in the world. David Beckham will be paid approximately $250,000,000 over the next five years to play soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy (story here). I don't want to sound cynical but how will that make the world a better place? I really don't know much about Beckham. Is he a person of faith? If he believes in Jesus (and I hope he does), I pray that he would get connected to a church in our area that's making a difference in the world. If he tithed on his gross income, that church would receive $96,153.85 in the plate every Sunday. Now that would be cool! We'll see what happens.