Sovereign King Church

PASTOR’S BLOG

Gordon blogs daily at www.jgordonduncan.com. His blog deals with issues of culture and Christianity. Included below are samples of some of his recent posts.

01/04/09

BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS AT SOVEREIGN KING

Wow, already and just like that, Christmas is behind us and we are staring at the beginning of a New Year. It is pretty hard for me to believe personally, and it is even more crazy to consider as a church. Time flies by so quickly.

So here we stand at the precipice of a New Year wondering what God will do with us. Looking back on 2008, we see so many graces from our Savior at Sovereign King.

· We moved into a new facility which we have quickly outgrown.

· We have doubled in both membership and attendance.

· We launched 4 successful and effective CE groups that served each other, the fire department, the police department, a rest home, and a battered women’s shelter.

· We finished our study of the Gospel of Luke, explored Galatians, and are now plumbing the depths of I John.

· The men finished their study of “Measure of a Man” and are now embarking on an in-depth theological study.

· The women finished their study of “Understanding Purpose” and are prepping a study of “Knowing God”

· Our Sweet Mondays continued their ongoing effectiveness in creating a welcomed space for our women to engage their community.

· We launched a Children’s Church that is doing a fantastic job of equipping our children.

· We held multiple children’s/youth activities over the summer.

· We helped one SK family member make the transition from being homeless to being a High School graduate.

· We are now covering 66% of our budget as compared to the 33% at the beginning of the year.

There are so many other things that God has done with us (feel free to respond and add more), and as I look back at them all, I am forced to repent of any discouragement that I have felt this year. With each thing I listed above, I’m sure I neglected another 2 or 3.

Folks, God is doing so much in us and with us. Towards that end, there are things we hope for in the coming year.

· A facility that would be our home for years to come with ample worship/teaching space.

· Financial self-sufficiency.

· Ordained elders and deacons.

· A full-fledged week in and week out children’s/youth ministry.

· Ongoing service of the Garner Police Department and perhaps the EMS as well.

· An overwhelming number of new believers in Christ.

· An effective outreach to the Wake Tech community.

· An ongoing and ever-growing passion for Jesus Christ.

We pray that God will grant us these mercies and graces. Just as the list of 2008 does not come close to mentioning all that God has done, so does the wish list fall short of what God will do in 2009.

My desire has never been stronger for the work at Sovereign King. I hope and pray that God equips you with the same and burning desire or perhaps an even greater one. My prayer is that the tiny list of hopes for 2009 will pale in comparison to what God has done at this same time next year.

As we embark on the New Year, let us pray this prayer of Paul’s from the book of Ephesians for the coming year:

3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

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FOREIGN MISSIONS

At a Christmas party this past week, this story was told to me, and I thought it was just too good not to share with you.

A few months ago, I spoke at Christ Our Hope’s mission’s conference. During the Sunday worship service, I preached about the advancement of the Gospel and specifically spoke of church-planting, scratch-planting, and every other thing related to starting Sovereign King in Garner, NC. In the congregation that day was a member of Christ Our Hope who heralded from Great Britain and his mother just happened to be visiting as well.

He tells me that after the service, he and his mom were sitting around the dinner table discussing my sermon. His mother says, “That Gordon is so brave planting that church. So few people are willing to go to Africa.”

Confused, the man wondered why his mother was under the impression that I was planting a church in Africa. Then he figured it out. He said, “No, mom. Gordon is planting a church in Garner, not Ghana.”

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MY LOVE RETURNED TO ME

Up until 1995, December 15^th was the day that I celebrated my father’s birthday. While still celebrating (Happy Birthday, Sam!), this day has so much more meaning for me now. December 15^th is the day my love returned to me. Let me explain.

Amy and I were engaged after a very short courtship. Soon after getting engaged, Amy left for what was supposed to be two semesters of school in England. Being 1995, we didn’t have the benefit of instant messenger or email or Skype or pretty much any of the useful social utilities that we have now (wow, that sounds old). What I did have was a $1,500 a month phone bill. There were only two phones at the school, so I would have to wake up at 5:00 am each morning and start dialing the gazillion digit number with hopes of catching Amy available. With $1,500, I obviously caught her a lot.

That engagement was not easy for us. Assured of everything prior to her leaving, our engagement and future together faced tumultuous times during her time at school. We had been friends for a year prior to our engagement, but we had less than two months together as a couple before she left. We hadn’t weathered any conflicts or difficulties together, so weathering over the phone and via snail mail was difficult. There were times where we both privately wondered whether this engagement was going to work.

December 15^th was the day Amy came home from England for Christmas holiday. That was the day my love returned to me.

I asked Amy’s parents to let me pick her up from the airport alone. I had a single rose for her. On the car seat, I had two tickets for Phantom of the Opera. Amy enjoyed a performance of it in Ireland, and I hoped to recreate that moment for us stateside. The CD in the car was queued to “Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel (yes, I cheesily was recreating the moment from “Say Anything” with John Cusack). We then went out for Mexican food which Amy could not get in England.

Our evening started awkwardly, and there were wounds and words between us. But over the course of the evening, we both knew that we loved each other and were committed to each other. This engagement and future were worth the effort. On that night, my love returned to me.

So, 13 years later, I celebrate my wonderful Amy who returned and has never left me. I love you, Sweets. You are my favorite.

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Faith in Matthew

What an amazing scene. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a mountain. Church history says it was Mount Tabor and theologians say it was Mount Hermon. This is neither the first nor the last time that historians and theologians disagree, but which mountain it was doesn’t really matter. Strange things happen on mountains when it comes to God: the Ten Commandments show up, false prophets are destroyed by God the Sermon on the Mount, and on and on.

In reading Matthew 17, in this mountain story, Jesus meets Moses and Elijah (of the Ten Commandments and false prophets mountain stories) in a great cloud. I always wondered what these guys talked about. Were there high fives or the one hand shake/one arm hugs that guys like to give? Were Moses and Elijah picking on Jesus for looking like they used to look? Complaints about the lack of foot support?

Again historically and theologically (this time they agree), most think that this is the picture of the law and the prophets finding their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The overarching picture of God’s revelation present in 3 men while 3 scared disciples look on. Well, God the Father Himself shows up to declare from the sky, “This is my Son. He gives me great pleasure. Quit being knuckleheads and listen to him.”

The time of looking on was over for these 3 disciples. They got so scared at that they fell on their faces terrified. Jesus, always gracious to these 3 slow buddies of his, tells them, “Rise and have no fear.” He them tells them to keep this story to themselves which I guess they did for a while but obviously told someone as we know the story now. They then headed down the mountain.

What do you do next after experiencing the Transfiguration with Jesus? How do you walk down that mountain and rejoin the rest of society? In the back ground I hear Jane’s Addiction singing, “Coming down the mountain!!!!!!!!!!” What is normal life after hanging with Moses, Elijah, Jesus, and God the Father?

Well, for Jesus, He just gets back to work healing a young boy with a demon that the other disciples were not able to exorcise. In fact, Jesus gets pretty frustrated. After that brief moment of fellowship on the mountain, He is growing weary of the faithless generation in front of Him. He has experienced fellowship with those that know Him without doubt and know Him with full faith. The generation in front of him, though gradually grasping who He is, is far from the fellowship He had on the mountain.

In poignant language, Jesus rebukes the crowd and tells them that if they had the faith of even a mustard seed they could move mountains.

Which mountain…the one that the representatives of the law and the prophets and the gospel were just on? We could move that mountain with a little faith? That is Jesus’ point exactly.

Now as far as history goes, no one ever has…moved mountains that is. I haven’t seen Anderson Cooper with the team on ground trying to figure out what happened to the mound of dirt that was once there. Unfortunately most days, we lack even a little faith in what God is capable of doing. As smarter folks than me have mentioned before, the strength of faith is not how much you believe but how great the one is that you believe in. Jesus’ rebuke is not for a great amount of faith. He is calling us to even a small amount of faith which we sadly lack.

So what do we do? Do we exercise our spiritual faith muscles so we can be beach bound faith muscled freaks? Even if that would do it, we would still fall short. No, the solution is simple, so let me encourage you to it. If you want more faith, ask for it because faith is a gift of God.

Faith is a gift at our first believing.

Ephesians 2:8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

And our faith continues to be a gift throughout our life.

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Whether we are living on the mountain (which rarely happens) or walking among a faithless and godless generation (which always happens), let’s ask the God of all Heaven to gift us with a great faith in a great God for these days that we live in.

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LUNCH WITH ED STETZER

I was fortunate enough to have lunch with Ed Stetzer (www.edstetzer.com) this past Sunday. Ed is essentially a church planting guru having planted multiple churches and trained planters across the country. He works for several missions agencies, is a big dog over at Lifeway Stores and Lifeway Research, and has written several rock solid books. In my early training as a planter, I was able to attend a couple of his classes (along with Amy), and he was always gracious to respond to emails and even sent free books (which makes him a really good guy).

Once I discovered that he was in Raleigh speaking (C3 and Summit Church), I sent him an email asking if he had time to get coffee. Since he was traveling with his daughter, he did not, but he did extend an invitation to me for the lunch at Summit Church after worship on Sunday. Thankful for the offer, I figured that the lunch would be packed, but the opportunity would be worth it nonetheless.

To my surprise, there were probably no more than 15-20 people at the lunch table. I re-introduced myself when I got there, and Ed took the opportunity to make a few jokes. Ed loves joking about the differences between Presbyterians and Baptists, so once the lunch started, he announced, “Folks, we have some guests today. Some godless Presbyterians have joined us.” You know I have to respect a guy to let him joke that way, and I didn’t really mind it. Despite the jokes, Ed spoke highly of the PCA’s success rate in church planting (our plants survive at a higher rate than most denominations), but he also pointed out that the PCA is last in conversion numbers.

The thing that was most impressive about the lunch was Ed’s honesty. He is obviously at the point where he feels no need to pull punches. Some of the honesty highlights:

The characteristics that make a good planter (eagerness, energy, entrepreneurship) are also the very characteristics that will lead to their downfall if they are not careful. Those attributes lend themselves to burnout and self-dependence.
Church planters are the worst at the private disciplines of study and prayer for the above reason.
Bi-vocational planting is a more ideal (and more sustainable) model for the church planter though nobody wants to do it.

One highlight in particular was Ed’s story about Mark Driscoll. He joked about J.D. Greear’s (pastor of Summit Church) man crush or bro-mance with Driscoll, but then went on to tell this story. Sitting on a front porch, Ed told Driscoll that he was so gifted with ability in speaking and teaching that he would gather in more people than He had the ability to shepherd. It was implied that if Driscoll didn’t address that, it would be a danger to or even the downfall of his ministry.

Listening to that made an impression on me. We church planters, for the most part, are a tempestuous bunch. Some of us can gather larger crowds and some of us can’t, but we are all passionate about a vision and generally can attract passionate people around that vision. But all of us (read: me) need to be mindful of growing in Godliness, leadership, and wisdom to be prepared to shepherd those that we gather. Otherwise, we will leave yet another legacy of disillusioned folks in our wake. That is something I desperately want to avoid.

This godless Presbyterian was thankful for the opportunity to hang. Thanks, Ed.

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11/30/08

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

In college, I found myself struggling with the language I was using. It was the first time as a maturing Christian that I honestly gave real thought to the words I spoke. When I say struggling, I’m not talking about struggling with the 7 words you are not supposed to use on television. I was struggling with hateful and critical speech towards others, and a friend had recently pointed out the power (and damage) my words could cause.

This sent me to the scriptures to find verses about speech, and I discovered tons of them. There were so many, I just didn’t know where to start. I found many of them helpful, but it seemed that most of the verses were just commands without much reasoning or justification to them. My brain struggled to find a heart motivation that would move me to truly consider my words. Then I ran across Ephesians 5:4: “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” When I read that verse, I was surprised. The opposite of filthy or foolish talk was not the avoiding of curse words but actually speaking words of thanksgiving. Our filthy and foolish speech often arises from discontentment and unthankful hearts. That was motivation well for my soul.

So as we all prepare for our Thanksgiving meals, let’s consider our hearts. What we say and do today will arise from the passions that reside there: thankful or discontent, gracious or angry. My prayer as I thank God for my Savior, wife, children, family, church family, and friends is that we will lift our hearts and minds and eyes and tongues to God for His overflowing graciousness to us.

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11/23/08

Well, the CCEF Conference wrapped up yesterday, and I’m both exhausted and exhilarated. Rarely is there the chance to hear from great speakers like Mark Driscoll, Tim Lane, and others all at one spot. The conference ended yesterday with David Powlison speaking in summary fashion about how we walk folks through recovery whether that recovery be addiction to drugs or addiction to self. Powlison spoke of the passage in I Corinthians 10 that speaks of a way of escape promised from God to all who are enduring temptation. Here are some of the highlights.

In our sins and temptations, we reduce other people one of three things:

They become unreal or even objects
They become threats or obstacles to what we want
They become the object of some sense of gratification

When we see this, we realize that our repentance must involve much more than just, “I’m sorry.” When we repent to God of action, lack of action, or thought, we also have to repent of how our sin has wounded others by treating them in one of the three above ways. But that also means that our asking of forgiveness of others is much more than, “I’m sorry.” A husband might say, “I’m sorry for viewing internet pornography,” but he would then also need to move towards, “I’m sorry that I’ve been angry with you in the past few months because I feared you would find me out, and so I treated you like an obstacle or a threat.” You can see how this type of repentance would move folks towards deeper reconciliation.

Powlison also spoke of considering what voices people listen to when they struggle with temptation and giving into temptation. For example, when struggling, he encouraged folks to ask, “What am I telling myself? Am I telling myself that this temptation is what I want, am I telling myself that giving in would ease some suffering, or am I considering this sin because I think it would ease by despair?” If a person can recognize these voices, they can then seek to listen to voice of God in His scriptures as they are brought back to their heart from the Holy Spirit.

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11/16/08

I know a girl how is addicted to cocaine, calls out to Jesus, but crawls back to the junk. I know a guy has smoked pot every day since 13 and doesn’t remember his childhood. I know a guy who is addicted to approval and runs around day in and day trying to prove himself to the world. I know a…. Unfortunately, these stories are all too familiar and all to common, and the church has to address them if we have any desire for relevance and effectiveness.

Well, towards that end, today is Day One of the CCEF Conference http://www.ccef.org/ac_overview.asp “The Addict in Us All” and I cannot wait. Technically, there was a pre-conference last night, but there was just not way to add that on to all that was going on this week. This morning, after being led in singing by Keith and Kristyn Getty (“In Christ Alone”), we have two general sessions: “Addiction, Temptation, and Voluntary Slaver” by Ed Welch and “Death by Love. Addiction and Atonement” by Mark Driscoll. Then, after lunch we have our breakout electives. I know I’m going to “Fighting the Air War and Ground War – integrating preaching and small groups/counseling” by Driscoll, but I’m not quite sure what my other session will be.

Keep an eye here on the blog for updates, but for moment by moment thoughts, check out Twitter/Facebook. I look forward to hearing your interaction.

11/09/08

COMPASSION

In my reading, I found an incredible passage of insight into Jesus this morning. In John 14, we read the horrible story of the beheading of John the Baptist. Verse 13 says that when Jesus heard about it, He withdrew to a desolate place by Himself. We can only imagine our Savior's very real sense of loss and pain as His friend John the Baptist was so hideously murdered all for the appeasing of Herod's mistress.

As Jesus traveled by boat, the crowds wanted so badly to be with Him that they traveled by foot until they found Him. Now at this point, I think many of us would be annoyed. Jesus was looking for a well deserved and well needed break from the crowds more than likely for the purpose of mourning the loss of John the Baptist. But Jesus didn't respond in anger or annoyance. Verse 14 says, "When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick."

Amazing truly. Jesus must have been as tired and anguished as any of us would have been, yet He had compassion. This story ultimately ends with Jesus leading others in that same compassion with the feeding of the 5,000. The person of Jesus continues to encourage and baffle me, but ultimately it leaves me thankful for who He is. At times, I am the one in the crowd needing compassion and at others, I'm the weary one needing to demonstrate compassion. Either way, Jesus serves me (and us) by His example.

11/02/08

ESV STUDY BIBLE

The very last thing I need is another bible. I've got every version, every style, every study. For humor's sake, I even have the PTL study Bible with the sweet 70's design. However, I'm in the market for another. The ESV Study Bible launched this month and it is sweet.

I am no longer enamored with leather editions or anything fancy...just a good hard back will do (selling for $30 to $50 depending on where you get it). The thing that makes this a great study bible is that it has what I think is the finest translation coupled with outstanding editors and contributors.

You can see who helped with notes and articles here http://www.esvstudybible.org/#contributors but when you see names like Packer, Poythress, Grudem, Piper, Currid, etc there is reason for excitement. Even the professor who oversaw my thesis writes an article (Charles Hill).

If you are looking to gift someone with a bible this year, I would say go with the ESV Study Bible.

10/12/08

CULTURE MAKING

On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up Andy Crouch’s “Culture Making” after bumping into it on a shelf at Borders. I’m way early in my reading but I do like a few things I’m reading already. Andy speaks about how we determine or value culture. So often, the church will say flatly say that things are bad when they are actually cultural elements that don’t fall into that simple of a category (movies, dancing, etc).

He recommends that we gauge the elements of culture a bit more intellectually so that we can then evaluate them by the wisdom of scripture. He gives 5 questions by which to examine culture:

What does ____________ assume about the way the world is?

What does ____________ assume about the way the world should be?

What does ____________ make possible?

What does ____________ make impossible (at least difficult)?

What new form of culture is created in response to __________?

For example, Andy talks about the interstate roadways in America. They assume that we are a country with the resources to build such a system. The interstates assume that we should be connected and that traveling from one region to another is not only important but vital. The interstates make connectivity possible and keep relationships (personal and business) in tact. They also make isolation difficult. New forms of culture including technology for cars and cell phones have been created in response to the interstate system.

Imagine examining your life or your church or basically anything else through this structure. Then we can go to scripture to see how God’s word views things more accurately. Give it a shot, and feel free to share your results. I’m working on a couple myself.

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RESPONSES

As I’m working my way through the book of Matthew, I find it interesting to track the responses to Jesus’ healings and other miracles. Just in the two chapters following the Sermon on the Mount we find these examples.

Following His calming of the storm we have Matthew 8:27: “And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

After the exorcism of the two demon possessed men and the whole pigs on the cliff incident we have Matthew 8:34: “And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.”

Following the healing of the paralytic we have Matthew 9:8: “When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”

Jesus heals a woman and raises and raises a young girl from the dead in Matthew 9:26: “And the report of this went through all that district.”

Jesus heals two blind men in Matthew 9:31: “But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.”

When Jesus restores speech to a mute man who was demon-possessed, the Pharisees respond in Matthew 9:34: “But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

Jesus’ ministry is barely out the gate, and we see all manner of responses. The disciples cannot believe that Jesus has such authority that even the winds obey Him. The pig farmers are upset that their livelihood is threatened, so they tell Jesus to get out of town. At least in the healing of the paralytic and the woman, as well as the raising of the young girl from the dead, people are “TMZ’ing” about Jesus. The Pharisees are the worst though as they cannot fathom the Godly power of Jesus, so they just slander Him as demonic.

These responses are still the typical ones we see today. There are a few people who truly marvel at Jesus’ authority. Some people cannot imagine how their lives would be turned upside down by Jesus, and they respond in hostility. There are folks who just get caught up in the sensational nature of Jesus yet miss His personhood completely. And of course, there are folks who just seek to defame and defraud Him.

In each of these responses, we should move beyond, “Which one am I?” In each incident the story is really about Jesus much more so than about the responses to Him (though that is a good question for self-examination). Jesus proves Himself the authority over all creation, over spiritual forces, over sickness, over the power of death, and on and on. We may find ourselves somewhere among the crowd, but the most helpful study is that of the person of Jesus first and our selves second.

09/28/08

LACKING

We are wrapping up our series on "Love Mercy Justice" in the next 4 weeks or so, and I have some observations.

First of all, in studying Micah, I found myself surprised by how hopeful it really is. Yes, the judgments against sin and the exposing of those sins have been difficult to read (and preach) at times. However, in each case, the promises of God and the hope attached to believing those promises have been incredibly encouraging to my heart.

The other thing that has surprised me is the lack of quality writing on the book of Micah. Of course, there is George Grant's "The Micah Mandate" and a few commentaries and blogs, but for the most part, there are not many quality writings about the book...at least not that I have found.

Either way, this journey into the Old Testament for Sovereign King has and will continue to be challenging. I cannot wait to see what God does with us as we seek to apply what we have learned. I also can't wait to reveal what is coming next for us. Tell you soon.

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09/21/08

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was reading “Death by Love” by Mark Driscoll. This book is part of a new series called “Re:Lit” which is a line of books with a novel concept: they are books that you will actually read. Towards that end, the company is publishing concise, in-depth, and well designed books that they hope are within most people’s attention span. When I first read about this, I figured they would just be publishing pamphlets, and Driscoll’s book on leadership is just that. However, that is not the case for “Death by Love.”

When you buy one of these books, they email you a pdf of it, so I’ve been reading it while waiting for my hardcopy. After receiving my copy in the mail two things come to mind. First of all, this is a great looking book. The cover is striking, and at the beginning of each chapter, there is an original piece of art that ties into the chapter’s themes. Secondly, the book is a theologically beefed up collection of letters from Driscoll to folks in his congregation. In each letter, Driscoll emphasizes who Christ is to that person (Christ as King, Christ as sacrifice).

I’m about 75 pages in, and I may or may not do another review, but at this point, I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

09/14/08

PRESENT HOPE

In sharing the truths of the Gospel, the verse, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life,” gets used quite a bit. That makes sense as Romans offers a clear picture of the two options before us. Our sin earns us the penalty of death whereas God gifts eternal life. The two contrasts are clear: wage/gift and death/life. One of the shortcomings of presenting our need solely through that verse though is that we so often overlook the present cost of sin. When we do that, people don’t have the opportunity to wrestle with the present realties of sin in light of the present promises of life. For example, a study of Jesus’ promise to give life and to give it more abundantly is present hope in the midst of sin and sorrow.

I spent some time recently counseling someone who was struggling mightily with the devastating present consequences of sin. The consequences of sin and poor choice were catching up with them, and their heart was broken. It was apparent that this person had might say they believed in a future hope of heaven and forgiveness. But if you asked them about present hope to overcome sin and find comfort in suffering, they wouldn’t know much about that.

Perhaps we don’t talk about present abundant life because we struggle to understand and live that ourselves. Maybe we should all ask ourselves if Christ enables us to have joy in the midst of pain. Do we find hope when our circumstances are difficult? Do we wake with a comfort from our Savior that moves us to extend comfort to others?

Grace is a wonderful reality that is more than just a promise of heaven. It is a hope for today.

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09/07/08

INFORMING MY THOUGHTS

This has obviously been a quiet week for me blog wise. It doesn’t mean that things have not been busy; quite the contrary. I’m sure that next week will provide more posts, but in the mean time, here are the things that are informing my thoughts this week.

I’m working on an article about compassion and its inauthentic expressions that I’m taking my time on. I’m perplexed as where to submit it though when I’m done. I’m speaking with a few new places to publish, so we’ll see what it happens.

I’m reading Thom Rainier’s new book, “Essential Church,” which is about reclaiming lost generations in the church. I don’t think I agree with every conclusion, but I think the book will be helpful in application. Though I didn’t enjoy his “Vibrant Church” as much, “Simple Church” rocked. I think his research coupled with missional thinking is making him the replacement to George Barna in terms of statistical missiology.

If you have not listened to Paul Cummings’ new CD, “Songs from the Rock Church,” check it out at http://www.myspace.com/heavyhandedpraise and buy it at itunes and every other place that sells CDs. There is not another CD out like it right now.

08/31/08

SECOND RTS ARTICLE

My second writing job for RTS has been published. My assignment was to edit a conversation between Andy Peterson (RTS Virtual Campus President) and Brad Lomineck (Catalyst Conference President). I've included a copy of the article below, and you can find the link to the article in its context at http://www.rts.edu/newsevents/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=1120
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Jesus’ style of leadership has been re-envisioned as a CEO, a story teller, and even as a coach, but His style isn’t always that easy to categorize. More than anything, Jesus custom created opportunities relevant to His Disciples’ prior experiences and present stages of life. He took their past careers and adapted them to the present and ever-changing realities that came with proclaiming the Kingdom on the road.

More and more, seminaries, churches, and other fields of training are realizing that this model is not only practical…it’s Biblical. Recently, Ministry and Leadership Magazine interviewed two leaders who are striving to incorporate Jesus’ custom-created opportunities for leadership development: our very own RTS Virtual Campus President, Andrew Peterson, PhD. and Catalyst Conference President, Brad Lomineck.

Andy has been a part of our RTS family for ten years taking RTS Virtual into the living rooms, coffee shops, libraries, and home offices of hundreds of men and women. Brad is directing a formidable movement of Christianity and culture combining writing, web, and conference opportunities with the goal of organic leadership development. Getting these two men together, we asked them their thoughts on leadership.

What do you see as being the greatest need for church leaders today?

Andy: More than anything, I think our leaders need to learn the difficult task of resting in their relationship with God, His Word and the Holy Spirit. The more a leader can do that, the more effectively they can work in community for the application of Biblical principles as part of an aggressive pursuit of the Great Commission.

Brad: A couple of things come to mind. First, there is such a great need for authenticity. Leaders today have a true desire to follow other leaders who are authentic because they want to live as authentic leaders themselves. As a generation, we want to follow those we can trust. In addition, leaders today need community. They need community in terms of how they do life together with others. That includes partnership with those of similar denominational and belief backgrounds as well as working in conjunction with those who may not agree with them on every point of doctrine.

As a lead-pastor myself, one of the challenges I'm faced with is the challenge to replicate leadership. Give me one nugget that has helped you in replicating yourself in others.

Andy: It is just like taking a biblical approach to growing a business. Building effective partners is a process of identifying and training others in authentic situations of ministry. When we look for those authentic situations, each member of a local church becomes important and has talent and calling from the Lord. Their context determines their calling, and their context determines their training ground as well.

Brad: I am not sure we always should focus on replicating ourselves. Maybe a better of looking at it is helping others around us discover and build the specific leadership wirings they have within them. Leaders today are not as motivated to be like those who have come before them in every way. There is still a respect for those who have come before them, but there is also a sense of being a “free agent” and wanting to shape their own leadership paradigms specific to their style.

As a busy leader of leaders, how do you stay fresh in your relationship with Christ?

Andy: I still return to those wonderful means of grace like Bible study, prayer, and the sacraments. I try to do all my work with an open Bible as a boost for motivation and performance. The Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians continually motivates me as a pattern of life to emulate and enjoy.

Brad: Consistent time in the Word, prayer, spiritual disciplines, and also reading other writers consistently.

How do you grow and develop areas in which you feel your leadership is deficient?

Andy: While I believe in focusing on strengths in myself and others, there are areas where I clearly lack competence. Delegation and outsourcing are important accommodations in those areas of relative weakness. If there is a lacking of character … I hope to repent and grow in grace for the relevant good works.

Brad: I don’t. We have taught leaders over the years through our schooling especially, to make sure and work on your weaknesses. However, the key for me is to not try to develop areas where I am weak. I staff around those weaknesses and then focus on my areas of greatest strength. A great book on this is Marcus Buckingham’s Now Discover Your Strengths, and Go Put Your Strengths to Work.

Other than the obvious, what top three books related to leadership development have you read and do you recommend?

Andy: Making Room for Life, Randy Frazee, Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert ColemanIf God Already Knows … Why Pray? Doug Kelly, Doctrine of the Christian Life, John Frame

Brad: Good to Great by Jim Collins, Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley, 21 Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell, Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels

Give us one rhythm (habit) within your day that helps you be a better leader.

Andy: Returning phone calls and email messages in a timely fashion! If you don’t do that, you spend all of your ministry at your desk instead of actually engaging people.

Brad: I spend significant time each morning LEARNING, whether that is reading magazines, blogs, websites, article, books, etc. I really feel like that as leaders we need to be constant learners, and this means staying fresh and up to date with trends and technology.

As a leader of a large organization, what do you see as being the most significant learning when it comes to leadership?

Andy: There is no substitute for regular, diligent and thankful reviews of people and giving them honest feedback with a purpose for the Kingdom.

Brad: Humility. If you think you have arrived, then you haven’t. Surprisingly, whether we want to admit it or not, a lot of folks think they have. Humility and the desire to be a constant learner are integral to continuing to grow as leaders, along with making sure that those around you will want to follow you. People like to follow leaders who have Character, who are really good at what they do (Competence), and people who can impact those around them (Influence).

What do you see as the single greatest leadership opportunity your organizations offer young leaders?

Andy: We offer participation in “Point of the spear” offense for cultural transformation. We can do that by training men and women in God’s Word and Spirit in graduate-level theological education at their own personal pace and in their own local context.

Brad: We create great experiences for leaders- environments where the elements of teaching, worship, creativity, and an overall engaging experience are all equally important and integrated. I think we also offer a community where leaders in the Church can feel “safe” about hearing and interacting around ideas that may challenge them, but will definitely grow them as leaders.

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08/24/08

THINKING ABOUT GOD

God has revealed Himself in very clear ways (scripture, nature, and Jesus), and these revelations are always consistent and never contradictory. So, if anyone is going to speak about the character or the nature of God, it must line up with the revelation of God. For example, if we speak of God in some way that is inconsistent with His revelation in His scriptures, then we are just talking out of our ignorance. Opposite representations of God are impossible as that would make God both inconsistent and a liar. What that means is that any idea of who God is cannot be in anyway contradictory to the way He has revealed Himself in scripture. If it is contradictory, it is a wrong view of God.

What happens though if we function with a wrong view of God? Well, wrong views of God ultimately turn our heart to frustration, and eventually they lead us towards antagonism towards God. Why? Because the God of our wrong views will disappoint.

Let me give you an example of how I have seen this work out right here in Garner. I have met scores of people (and I means scores in the four score and seven years ago way) in Garner who would say that they like Jesus but they are not going to commit to worshipping Him because all they have ever heard or been taught about God is legalism. That is to say that they have been burned over by a bunch of made up rules on top of scripture, and they will have none of it anymore. Their comments are, “Yeah I believe in Jesus, but if God is like what I heard growing up, I don’t want anything to do with Him because all it seems like to me is that God only cares about a list of right and wrongs.”

You know what? That image of God will disappoint you because the joy and freedom that was intended from the grace of Jesus Christ is absent. The folks proclaiming a relationship of God as one of bondage to made up rules have it wrong because that is not the God of scripture. In addition, the people who have abandoned worshiping God have been taught a false view of God and they haven’t seen a true picture of who God is. Now they are not only disappointed in God, they are also actively hostile towards Him as well.

It is a difficult truth, but most truths are, that a correct, biblical view of God does not disappoint. I’m not saying, nor does scripture promise, that God will meet our expectations. Rather, our expectations of God are to be defined by scripture. Thinking about God in the day to day is a challenge, and thinking correctly about God is hard work. However, the promise of Isaiah 26:3 is that "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." God promises peace to those that meditate on Him. Meditating on God outside His revelation will only disappoint.

08/17/08

P.S. ON THE SHACK

I feel the need to add a postscript to my review of “The Shack.” I haven’t received this much feedback on an article in a long time, and after this post, I’m going to let it go. For the most part, the web comments have been negative towards my review. A lot of folks feel like my review was too harsh. The personal emails I have received have been much more gracious however. Either way, I can tell folks like this book a lot.

I should say this, and I don’t think I made it clear in my earlier post. I do think the message that God redeems our painful situations is a comforting and correct message. I do not agree with the author’s viewpoint of God’s interaction with our circumstances from a biblical perspective (I think scripture presents a more sovereign God than “The Shack”), but I do agree that the pain we endure is redeemed by our God.

I recently had lunch with a buddy who knows the author, and he filled me in a little bit about Young’s background and his purposes. That was helpful to me, and again, I would say that redemptive element of Young’s work is encouraging. But I am still a bit surprised that most of the criticisms of my review have come from people saying that it is unfair to judge the book biblically. They feel the message is so powerful that we should overlook the vehicle by which that message is delivered (since the book is fiction). One comment said that if we judge every book by this means, all fiction (especially Christian) fiction would come under heavy scrutiny. With that statement, I wholeheartedly agree.

I get the concern from folks to a certain extent, but when an author spends 75 pages in dialogue about the nature of God and His interaction with this world, we have to consider whether that dialogue is biblical or not. If that writing is inspiring, great, but if it is not biblical, be heads up about it.

08/10/08

CHECK 1, 2

I've recently begun the habit of listening to my sermons on Sunday evenings. As many before me have admitted, listening to yourself can be a painful process (I'm not particulary fond of the sound of my voice). As I listen to my sermons, I can remember each moment or pause or even what was going through my mind at each point. I remember when I deviated away from my notes, and every now and then, I feel like I delivered a particualrly section better than I hoped.

A buddy of mine who DJ'd for years encouraged me to put some time between the delivery and the listening, but I haven't been able to do it yet. Part of me just wants to know how things came across. Even in the worst of deliveries, pastors usually feel like they made their point, but the proof in the pudding is whether folks got it or not (not whether we think delivered it well). So even though I enjoy the evaluation process, the true evaluation is the lives of the folks at Sovereign King.

I was overjoyed this week to have a member tell me that they listend to last week's sermon online because they were out of town. It is encouraging to know folks want to hear what is being preached. So whether or not they are any good, you can find my sermons online now at http://www.sermoncloud.com/sovereign-king-church. We also have a page that allows you to listen to the sermon while reading the notes, and you can find that at www.sovereignkingsermons.com.

08/03/08

THE SHACK - REVIEW

Before any discussion of “The Shack” we need to make one thing clear: it is a work of theological fiction. It is not a straightforward novel. That means that William Young’s purpose is to create a work of fiction to promote specific theological positions. So, to move beyond the plot and get to the theological propositions, Mackenzie’s daughter Missy is abducted and murdered leaving Mackenzie feeling distant and angry with God. After a few years of wallowing in “the great sadness,” Mack receives a letter from Papa (his wife’s affectionate name for God) inviting him to spend a few days at the shack where Missy died. There, Mack meets the Trinity: God the Father is a large black woman, Jesus is a Jewish carpenter, and the Holy Spirit is a small Asian woman. There Mack and God work things out.

Honestly, the novel is compelling, and despite the fact that most of it is dialogue, it is a quick and interesting read. The picture of God and his interaction (or lack thereof) with the world is attractive to some extent, but unfortunately, it is also deceptive and incorrect. Young works through a myriad of theological error in 240 pages.

Let me give you a few examples of theological error in the book. At one point, Papa says, “I am not who you think I am, Mackenzie. I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It’s not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it.” Though it is clear that God takes great joy in forgiving people of their sin, all of Psalm 7 speaks about God being a righteous judge who judges sin. In addition, “The Shack” is completely silent to any sense of sin being judged or even a hell.

Young also has a great problem with hierarchy, however his Papa is a big fan of submission. So much so, he presents God as submitting to humans. Papa says at one point, “Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect. In fact, we are submitted to you in the same way.” Young’s explanation as to why God submits to humans: “Because we want you to join us in our circle of relationship.” At first read, that sounds pretty nice, but God does not submit to humans so that they will believe in Him. Yes, Jesus Christ submitted to human courts and was crucified by the hands of men, but that is not what Young is speaking to here. He is speaking of God submitting His holy and perfect will to humans so as to entice them into relationship. I don’t find that compelling; I find that slimy. Honestly, is it attractive for God to deny all of who He is to beg us to love Him? I don’t think so. God does not give His glory away in order to woo us. Instead, Isaiah 42:8, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.”

Now, notice that in each of these examples, I’m countering scripture with what Young presents. Mackenzie, in his interaction with God, does finally getting around to quoting scripture, though not very often. In one of the few times he does, this is what we get.

“In seminary (Mackenzie) had been taught that God had completely stopped any overt communication with moderns, preferring to have them only listen to and follow sacred Scripture, properly interpreted, of course. God’s voice had been reduced to paper, and even that paper had to be moderated and deciphered by the proper authorities and intellects… Nobody wanted God in a box, just in a book. Especially an expensive one bound in leather with gilt edges, or was that guilt edges?”

It would seem that Young mocks anyone that would look to scripture to understand God or to find peace. Reading the scriptures is not looking for God in a box or merely in a book. Psalm 119:92 says, “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.” The scriptures show us God and show us our own hearts. The scriptures don’t restrict God; they wonderfully express His character and will to us.

Honestly folks, we can do this all day long. Young has fashioned a god that is quite attractive, but is not at all concerned with being the God of scripture. In addition to the things that I’ve mentioned above, Young dispatches with Jesus’ submission to the Father, God’s willingness to orchestrate any human circumstance, the sufficiency of scripture, and even the organized church. Read “The Shack” out of curiosity, but do so with a mind that takes Young’s argument to their logical conclusions because at first read, they are not always apparent. I don’t think Young is purposefully trying to misinform his readers. I think he is trying to show them that there is comfort from God in tragedy. However, there is no comfort if we follow a god different than the one presented in scripture.

07/27/08

This past weekend, I, along with about 50 other folks, took part in giving two ordination exams for guys entering ministry. As I sat there listening to them answer questions (and watching them sway with nervousness), I was reminded that it was just 3 years ago this month for me that ran that gauntlet.

It took me 5 years to finish seminary, but the period between graduation and ordination was only 3 months: 5 years to gather in as much information as possible and 3 months to spit it back out. If some of you aren’t familiar with our denomination’s process, it requires written exams in areas of theology, bible, sacraments, church history, etc. Once you turn those exams in, they are reviewed by a committee. That committee then brings you and grills you for a few hours about the areas you missed or areas you weren’t as tight on as you should be. Then, if the committee makes the recommendation, you are examined once again by the pastors and elders of the local churches in our area. Finally, if all goes well, you are ordained to ministry.

3 years is not exactly long enough to write a memoir, but I must admit that in 3 years, I’ve see more than I thought I would have. I’ve officiated a couple of weddings, preached a 3 or so funerals, baptized a bunch of folks. Sovereign King has grown from 0-60 or so in that same time frame (which seems a pretty good speed to me but probably wouldn’t qualify well). I’ve definitely outlasted the baristas at Bushiban, but there are still at least 3-4 that have been around that same amount of time as I. I’m not quite sure how many death notifications I’ve done with the police, but I’ve seen more dead bodies and sadness than I ever thought I would.

So, no grand pronouncements or words of wisdom quite yet on this end, but it is nice to still be around. At this stage of the game, 95% of scratch plants have closed their doors, and I’ve already lasted twice as long as they average pastor does in one job. God has been gracious to hold us together this far; it will be fun to see where we go from here.

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07/20/08

SACRIFICE AND RESURRECTION

Our culture is obsessed with sacrifice and resurrection. It seems to be the major plot device in the climax of so many books and movies (Matrix, Harry Potter,etc). The hero or perhaps the love of a hero willingly lays down their life for the other ultimately leading to a resurrection that we all know is going to happen (unless your Bambi’s mom), but we watch anyway.

Culturally, it is the meta-narrative of our lives. We thirst in our art to see someone willing to exhibit such love that they will make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of and demonstration to the one they love. Yet, we so yearn for the hope that comes with sacrifice. Can that love be offered and yet still be reborn? We see value in sacrifice, but we need new life for resurrection.

I think, however, there is so much more going on here. The sacrifice/resurrection model is more than a plot device. It has to be; otherwise we would grow tired of it. The reason we don’t grow weary of what we know is going to happen, is because we hope it is true thus making our constant returning to sacrifice/resurrection a natural apologetic for the Gospel.

In the past few weeks, I’ve seen 3 movies: Wall-E, Hellboy 2, and Hancock (3 very different flicks for sure). All of which contain some variation on the theme – in fact one of them technically includes two sacrifices and two resurrections. You see it coming, you anticipate how it is going to end, yet you walk away satisfied.

Open an eye as you interact with our culture. Just seeing a resurrection is enough to launch into great gospel rich conversation, but the conversation about why the resurrection is so prevalent is an even better one.

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07/13/08

You know I think that folks who are more disciplined in the areas of prayer, study, and worship have more opportunities to share the gospel, but I don’t think it is because they are necessarily more Godly. I just think that they are more attuned to what the Spirit is doing because they experiencing that in prayer and study. You know the folks I’m talking about – they have these incredible Gospel conversations with people all the time.

Let me explain how I think they have those conversations, and I’ll do it by borrowing an analogy from a book called “Finding Our Way Again” that I recently read.

Imagine a concert violinist. She is brilliant and at the top of the game for classical violinists. Now last year she gave 200 concerts. If you asked her how they went, she would probably tell you that 190 of them were good. She hit the notes, and the crowd enjoyed the concert. 3 of them, however, were absolutely awful. In one she was sick, in another she was tired, and in the last one, she was just off her game. But in 7 of the 200, she had those moments as a musician where she seemed to be one with her instrument. The crowd was into her playing and she could only describe it as “otherworldly.”

Now I believe anyone can have an inspired moment, but the folks who prepare for them are more apt to take advantage of the situation when it arrives. The violinist was prepared for her inspired moment, and the 7 concerts evidenced that. For the believer who wants to proclaim their faith, the same is true. You may have inspired moments to proclaim the mercies of Jesus, but if you are spending time with the Spirit in word and prayer, you will be more apt to take advantage of those moments when they occur.

Sadly though, prayer and study aren’t enough for an effective communication of the Gospel either. I know folks who are daily devoted to study and prayer but don’t have a single healthy relationship with someone who does not profess faith in Christ. Part of the problem is what we communicate when those inspirational moments occur. So often, what we communicate is a boastful self-representation of the Gospel that likens ourselves to God’s department store window dressing. We often present ourselves as so Godly or so improved that the basic need of the Gospel is missed in our presentation of it.

Paul in Galatians presents, what I think, as a helpful pattern in presenting the Gospel. Paul says, 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Paul presents the Gospel as his weakness met by God’s grace. That is the essence of the Gospel in our communication. We, like Paul, are weak sinners who deserved punishment for sin and we received in Jesus Christ’s death. And now, we live and obey but that is still our weakness met by God’s grace because it is not us, but Christ who is doing the living in us. The Gospel is a call to faith in Son of God who loves and gives himself to those that are weak and in need.

We need to be people who study and pray over our weakness and finiteness daily pursuing God’s grace that meets our need. Then we will be much more prepared to present that truth when those inspired moments occur.

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

FOUR CONVERSIONS

This is a blog post referencing a blog post referencing a blog, but lots of thanks to my buddy Matt Adair for pointing out Todd Hiestand's excellent post. Todd in his post entitled Four Missional Movements for the Suburban Church discusses the four types of conversions necessary for believers to be effective missionaries to their community. Summarized for you are the four below, but be sure to check out the article.

1. From Individual to Communal

2. From Consumptive to Cooperative

3. Event to Family

4. From Sucking In to Sending Out

06/22/08

It is pretty difficult to encapsulate the week of General Assembly, but for my sake and for the benefit of the church, I want to give it a shot. I had several hopes and goals for the week, the primary of which was to make sure it wasn’t a boondoggle. Fortunately, that was pretty easy as this year’s seminar lineup was pretty incredible. We had the opportunity to hear experts on “Planting Churches in a Small Town” and “Marriage: A War of Two Kingdoms” as well attend some Q & A’s with some of the brightest and Godliest ministers that I know.

It is really a blast to walk around the vendor hall and bump into your favorite authors so that then you can ask them specific questions that apply to your context. Amy and I had a chance to hear and speak to authors like Ed Welch and Paul Tripp who write the best marriage and parenting books. I got some time with Ken Sandee the author “Peacemakers” and Amy and I also got time with our denomination’s Native American Outreach Coordinators.

The church business was handled very well. There was really only one moment when interaction from the Assembly floor was contentious (it is pretty hard to get 800 delegates to all agree). But I was very thankful for how things were handled. When passion turned into frustration in some of our discussion, we as an Assembly stopped and prayed, and several pastors spoke encouraging words to us all.

In addition to all the big head time, I had the chance to connect with new prayer and financial partners for Sovereign King. The prayer commitments are solid and the financial commitments are under consideration.

One great story is bumping into Paul Leary who is the Missions Director for World Harvest Mission. Amy and I met him back in 03 when we did a London missions trip with World Harvest. When Paul and I first met, we talked about our background. Paul mentioned how in the late 80’s he was an InterVarsity staff worker at NC State but once a month he would go to ECU to encourage a group of students that wanted their own IV chapter. Upon hearing that story, I told Paul how much I owed him because I benefited from that fully formed IV chapter at ECU just a year or so after his efforts. I would not have grown in the Lord as I did at college without Paul’s faithful efforts. Bumping into him was fun because he checks in on me, and vicariously enjoys my pastoring because he knows that God used him in ways that he never imagined.

And then there is the $500 worth of free books. I learned last year that if you hit the vendor hall while the booksellers are packing up, you can convince them to give you a book or two. Last year, I might have scored 4-5 freebies. This year, Amy and I the floor with full force, and every vendor but one gave us books. We have titles ranging from marriage, parenting, end times, handling conflict, pastoral burnout, mission strategy, as well as several different types of Bibles. I still hope the get the entire list up soon. All in all, we scored over $500 worth of books and had to pack extra luggage for the flight home to get them all home.

So many more great things happened at GA, and as I recall them, I’ll find a way to fill you guys in on it, but it was an incredible week.

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06/15/08

GA UPDATE: 2.2

Day Two of G.A. begins early for me of course. I’m sitting in a little coffee shop (surprise) waiting for a buddy so we can grab breakfast. It has been great to catch up with some old friends. This is the only opportunity to see some of my friends all year. Since yesterday, I’ve seen my original mentor in church planting, my good buddy that served with me at Redeemer, a fellow missionary from our trip to London, and lots of church planting buddies. I love my brothers in the ministry here, but after a day I am reminded how much we love to argue theology. This comes as no surprise to me after running the gauntlet of seminary and ordination complied with nearly 10 years in the PCA, but hey, can we say, ‘Hello, how are you doing?” before jumping right in? I imagine I am as guilty as the rest.

There is, however, very fertile ground for encouragement here. In terms of planting churches and proclaiming the Gospel, this is the place to find the people who are passionate about it and know how to do it. I know the work of the church nationally always involves some theological debate. My prayer is that we engage in those conversations peacefully, move on from them, and then start talking about proclaiming the mercies of Christ…proclaiming them to ourselves first and then to those that do not yet know them.

KINGDOM ANGST

For the better part of the last 3 days, I, and other members of Sovereign King, have worked to help a young 18 year old. He was kicked out of his home with less than two weeks to go in his senior year - no home, no money, no food.

Since the phone call on Sunday evening, I've become a regular at Garner Magnet High School getting to know the Police Officers, Counselors, and Staff. Stepping back into the high school environment has been eye opening. My last year of teaching was 1997, so I'm a decade removed from the environment. The obstacles for the students have not decreased by any means. Their options are few, and they don't have the luxury to choose between public, private, religious, our home school. This is their school. Many of the folks who have the choice have opted out.

What happens when an institution constantly experiences an exodus of Christian presence and influence? Garner High School is what happens (This is a thought that requires more attention than I have given it either here or so far). Along the way, I've met some great staff, teachers, and students. They are weary at this stage of the year, but they have not given up.

This brain-dropping is a small part of the kingdom angst that I am feeling, so we'll see where it goes. BTW, the young man has a place to stay now, and if he can pass his exams on Monday and Tuesday, he will receive his diploma.

SERVANT MASTER

Here is the article the good folks at the Garner Citizen published yesterday.
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SERVANT MASTER

This week, my wife and I both got nights out to ourselves. Whenever I get a night out, I usually grab a meal and movie with buddies. My wife, Amy opts for getting together with her gals and talking the night away. We try to do this as much as possible – if not each week, every other week.

Now when Amy gets a night out away from me and the kids, I have a couple of goals for when she returns. I want the kids in bed, quiet, and asleep without incident. If there is an incident, I don’t want it to carry over to her in any way to her. I also want the kitchen to be spotless and the living room to be straightened up. Essentially, I want Amy to get time away, but not dread coming home. She doesn’t need to ruin her time off by having to clean up my mess that night or the following day. I do this because I want her to relax and not worry about the house at least for a few hours.

Well, in scripture, Jesus figuratively and literally leaves the house and He has put you in charge. He has expectations of you while He is gone, and they are a little bigger than making sure the kitchen is clean. In His parable of Luke 12, the master Jesus has left and He will return when no one expects it. If He finds the servants awake, alert, and ready to serve their master when He returns, He promises to do something amazing. He will take on the clothes of a servant and will in turn, care for His servants. But if while He is gone, the servants become lazy and get drunk and abuse the other servants, the master will return unexpectedly and cut those unfaithful servants to pieces.

Quite literally, this teaching is intended to scare the hell out of us. Who doesn’t want to be found faithful? Who wants to suffer the master’s wrath? And the passage makes no bones about it. We are all Jesus’ servants whether or not we acknowledge it. We will all be found as either faithful or unfaithful.

As I read and preached this, I wondered, “Where is the hope?” I can be so unfaithful in managing my master’s resources. I so often look at my home, my money, and all my possessions as mine. Am I the unfaithful servant? Fortunately, just a bit further in Luke, I find hope for this unfaithful servant. Jesus, after giving the Lord’s Supper to the disciples in Luke 19 says this, “Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

This promise of Jesus by no means lets me off the hook. I am called, and you are called, to be faithful servants. But it does give me hope that Jesus is the faithful one among us that serves. Our Savior is also our master, but He even more so, is our servant master securing not only salvation but a life of faithfulness.

GREENVILLE AND DR. UNKS

I took to Greenville and ECU this past weekend to catch up with some friends and to retreat for study and planning. Greenville obviously holds a place in my heart from my college days, but I like to go back for more than nostalgia and to take note of the progress on campus. I love to see what God is doing in Greenville. I love to hear about the gospel going forward.

My first disciplined study of God took place in Greenville, and I had several mentors there and a church that placed a high emphasis on Biblical teaching. Going back is definitely going back home.

One of my goals last week was to map out the summer sermons for Sovereign King and to get in some book study that I otherwise don’t have time to get to. But I also wanted to raise my finger to the wind and find out what impact the Gospel was having in Greenville and at ECU.

I have friends at Christ Presbyterian Church and caught up with them, but their grounds have moved to Winterville (a suburb next to G’ville), so I went exploring for a church in the downtown/campus area. I found Harmony Church (http://www.harmonygreenville.com) and Derek Brown. I first bumped into Derek at a Vintage 21 luncheon and was intrigued to hear what those guys were doing.

If you are not familiar with Greenville and ECU, the campus sits in the downtown area, but recently that space has be re-dubbed “uptown” for revitalization’s sake. There is really only one church, and it is much older and established with very little campus/young adult reach. And of course, with uptown development comes homeless displacement and a host of other mercy and justice issues. Well Derek and Harmony church are tackling those issues with the Gospel.

First of all, Harmony wanted to be in the area that they were targeting. Downtown doesn’t offer too much space right now as anything empty is being remodeled, so they got creative. Harmony meets in Dr. Unk’s Bar. I had lunch there, and I thought the space was awesome. The stage for the bands works for the stage for music and preaching. They have full use of the flat screens and PA, and the owners let Harmony use the space for free. Their meeting there caused an uproar in the local paper with Derek being interviewed and writing a few articles. My encouragement to Derek was, “Don’t worry about the uproar. Just make sure they spell the name of the church and the website correctly.

To tackle the mercy/justice issues, Derek’s church has adopted some of the homeless in the area. Members take the folks out to eat once a week, befriending and even mentoring some of them.

In addition, Derek is a voracious reader and writer (I knew I liked this guy), so he is creating materials for his congregation and has even finished a Mark commentary.

It looks like the Gospel is alive and well in Greenville. I can’t wait to see what happens on campus and in the uptown/downtown area. Thankfully, in my 15 years (has it been that long?) since graduation, there are still folks there who cannot wait to see what God and His kingdom will do next.

GIRL RAMBLINGS

A rambling without a grand point...

On Saturday, I took my three girls out to wrap up their Mother's Day shopping at Target, and then we made a grocery store run. A buddy of mine said he saw me walking through the parking lot, and I had a determined look on my face. I told him 3 girls age 6 and under requires a healthy bit of determination. The initial thought of heading out with all the girls to run errands wasn't pleasant, but as I was out I thought, even though Emma is only 23 months old, she should get to go with the girls to buy Amy's Mother's Day presents. Despite the fact that I had to say no a million times in both Target and the grocery store, we all had a lot of fun.

This being a Saturday, I was bouncing around in bummy clothes which for me means shorts an old t-shirt. My shirt of choice was an Yngwie Malmsteen tour shirt. The back of the shirt read "Facing the Animal Tour - 1998." Amy's brother, Jay, and I saw that show in VA (incredible btw). Well, the grocery trip was coming to an end which means my girls' restlessness and my patience were both battling. They were doing pretty well I thought, but we were all ready to head home. As we came around the final corner, a woman I didn't know came up to me. She stared at my shirt which is common as most folks haven't heard of Yngwie much less know how to pronounce his name (ing-vay if you are curious). She said, "1998...that must have been before kids." I laughed, but had several thoughts.

First of all, I keep t-shirts a long time. I didn't realize this one was 10 years old. But the women's comment did make me think about life B.C. (before children). My day's are full of kids activities, and I'm sure they will only get busier as the girls get old. I still sneak in the occasional concert every now and then (Yngwie is touring later this year). And though Amy and I look forward to the days when our gals have become the wonderful women they are going to be and head off