Do we need another program?
Now, that’s a loaded question. Many people think that “another program” will solve all our issues. I happen to believe that the answer is not in the program, but in the process. Let me explain.
Do you remember how Jesus boiled down all his teaching? In Matthew, an ill-meaning “teacher of the law” says, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36 - 40 - NIV).
Apparently, Jesus had given this some thought. It wasn’t that He just whipped out any and every command. He’d boiled down His teaching to just a couple of things. One – Jesus says that you should love God. This wasn’t a new concept to the Jewish scholars of the day. In fact, any well-raised Jewish boy or girl quoted this passage as a prayer at least 3 times a day. It was called the shema, and it’s found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” It makes sense. It sums up almost half of the “Big 10.” The teachers of the Law who were there, would probably have said that He did well just to name this one. In other words, Jesus agrees with us, so He must be right. Then – and I can just see the teacher of the law turning to leave Jesus’ presence at this point – Jesus adds something that gives that love for God some teeth. He says, “and the second is like it.” Jesus is telling them that the second part is EQUAL to the first part. In other words, the first part really doesn’t mean much without the complementary second part. This would have fried this teacher’s mind.
Now, I guess the answer to my original question depends on whether or not you agree with Jesus. Jesus said that the essence of discipleship was that we were to love God and love people. We’ve pointed that out in our statement, “a community of faith dedicated to connecting people to God and each other.” We want to do that because we see this as God’s command, and Jesus’ mission. And we should be about Jesus’ mission.
Maybe a better question in the beginning would be: do we have a process for making disciples? The answer to that question, I believe, is “yes.”
The process?
1. Connect to God – we do that in worship on Sunday morning. We do that through study of the word on Wednesday night, and during Sunday School.
2. Connect to others – we do that around tables on Sunday nights, and we do that in small groups where we care for one another like God intended (see Hebrews 10:24-25).
3. Connect others to God and each other. This encapsulates evangelism and service. We bring others to Jesus, teach them His ways, and help them grow in their relationship with God (connect them to God), and then we help them find people who will help them “do life” in Jesus’ way.
Some get stuck in the process. They see that they’re connecting with God at times, and feel like that’s the extent of what their commitment needs to be. But if Jesus was serious, our commitment doesn’t end there. We need to be committed to connecting to others as well. So, what’s the next step for you? Do you need to connect to others? Is Sunday night waiting for you? Do you need a deeper connection to others? Then maybe a small group is the next step for you. Do you need to serve? Jesus did tell us that we’re to be servants. If you do, then perhaps one of those existing programs would work for you. If not, then maybe there’s a mission outside our walls for you. Whatever the case, I pray and hope that you'll take the next steps necessary to be on the path to becoming more of what God wants you to be in this world. And I pray that we can take those steps together!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Kyle
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
What's Next?
As I sit to write, I notice that on the calendar, we’ve made a transition from summer to autumn. And in that transition, we will prepare for what comes next. We’ll batten down the hatches, insulate the windows, turn off the air conditioning, and make sure that the heater is ready for what’s next.
I wonder if we do the same with church? Do we really prepare for what’s next, or do we find ourselves in the midst of it, wondering how we got here and how we can get back to where we were? In his book, The Present Future, Reggie McNeal says that “The current church culture in North America is on life support.” This is his first sentence! The church culture he goes on to describe as dying or in transition, is that which was prevalent in the middle of the last century. He says: “So far the North American church largely has responded with heavy infusions of denial, believing the culture will come to its senses and come back around to the church.” That’s not really happening. Over the course of the last few decades, researchers have suggested that the perceived participation of people in churches (roughly 40%) has been greatly over exaggerated. The real numbers are closer to 25%. And as you go further down in the “generational food chain”, as he calls it, the numbers are even less. “The drop is from the 52% of builders (those born before 1946) and seniors to only 36% of gen Xers. Armed with this information, of course, churches are launching an all-out effort to reach gen Xers. I wish! Most churches have actually just written them off, waiting for them to grow up and learn to like what the church has to offer.” (p.3)
And McNeal writes: “Dawson McAlister, national youth ministry specialist, says that 90% of kids active in high school youth groups do not go to church by the time they are sophomores in college. One-third of those will never return.”(p.4) This isn’t just rebellion. This is exodus! The question is not “how do we do church better?” The question is “are we doing what the church was intended to do in the first place?” Are we making disciples of Jesus Christ? And does that process look the same as it did in the last century?
In the past, discipleship has emphasized learning as the primary goal of that discipleship. Unfortunately, just knowing isn’t enough. We’re not learning about God so that we can take a test on the information we’ve gathered. As disciples, we’re called to know God. Now, I’ve gotten to know a lot about Debby over the course of the last 18 years. I could probably even pass the test. However, I could do that without having a real relationship with her, too. Fortunately for me, I've also gotten to know her, not just know about her. Part of the problem with discipleship in the 21st century is that we don’t deal in relationship. And we wonder why there is no passion for Jesus and His mission!
Is it too late? Is it possible for us to wake up and be about the business of forming disciples of Jesus? I’m not speaking of making people who look like us, as comfortable as that may be, but rather those who look, serve and act like the One who transforms hearts and lives. What would you do if it meant the difference between reaching and losing a generation? What if that generation were your children or grandchildren? Would you model discipleship that is more than Sunday morning? Would you be a part of a small group who does mission and ministry together? Would you gather with friends over coffee and wade through life together? Would you make discipleship about more than just learning about Jesus?
Keep praying, Avoca. We can make a difference yet.
PK
I wonder if we do the same with church? Do we really prepare for what’s next, or do we find ourselves in the midst of it, wondering how we got here and how we can get back to where we were? In his book, The Present Future, Reggie McNeal says that “The current church culture in North America is on life support.” This is his first sentence! The church culture he goes on to describe as dying or in transition, is that which was prevalent in the middle of the last century. He says: “So far the North American church largely has responded with heavy infusions of denial, believing the culture will come to its senses and come back around to the church.” That’s not really happening. Over the course of the last few decades, researchers have suggested that the perceived participation of people in churches (roughly 40%) has been greatly over exaggerated. The real numbers are closer to 25%. And as you go further down in the “generational food chain”, as he calls it, the numbers are even less. “The drop is from the 52% of builders (those born before 1946) and seniors to only 36% of gen Xers. Armed with this information, of course, churches are launching an all-out effort to reach gen Xers. I wish! Most churches have actually just written them off, waiting for them to grow up and learn to like what the church has to offer.” (p.3)
And McNeal writes: “Dawson McAlister, national youth ministry specialist, says that 90% of kids active in high school youth groups do not go to church by the time they are sophomores in college. One-third of those will never return.”(p.4) This isn’t just rebellion. This is exodus! The question is not “how do we do church better?” The question is “are we doing what the church was intended to do in the first place?” Are we making disciples of Jesus Christ? And does that process look the same as it did in the last century?
In the past, discipleship has emphasized learning as the primary goal of that discipleship. Unfortunately, just knowing isn’t enough. We’re not learning about God so that we can take a test on the information we’ve gathered. As disciples, we’re called to know God. Now, I’ve gotten to know a lot about Debby over the course of the last 18 years. I could probably even pass the test. However, I could do that without having a real relationship with her, too. Fortunately for me, I've also gotten to know her, not just know about her. Part of the problem with discipleship in the 21st century is that we don’t deal in relationship. And we wonder why there is no passion for Jesus and His mission!
Is it too late? Is it possible for us to wake up and be about the business of forming disciples of Jesus? I’m not speaking of making people who look like us, as comfortable as that may be, but rather those who look, serve and act like the One who transforms hearts and lives. What would you do if it meant the difference between reaching and losing a generation? What if that generation were your children or grandchildren? Would you model discipleship that is more than Sunday morning? Would you be a part of a small group who does mission and ministry together? Would you gather with friends over coffee and wade through life together? Would you make discipleship about more than just learning about Jesus?
Keep praying, Avoca. We can make a difference yet.
PK
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Hosea and me
Can you imagine being asked by God to do something that seemed just a bit too much? I don’t know, something like selling everything you owned and giving to the poor. Or maybe leaving your native land and serving God in a foreign place. What if you were Isaiah, and God told you to walk around naked for three years!? (Isa. 20:1-4) Or, what if you were Ezekiel, and God told you to lay on your left side for 13 months or so – only to tell you to lay on your right side for 40 days after that, not to mention the special diet God will have you on! (Ez. 4) Or, imagine if you’re Hosea’s mom. Your son comes home and says to you, “Guess what Mom? I’m getting married!” Think of the pride you’d have knowing your son was marrying into a fine Jewish family, with a good background, and wonderful history…until he tells you that God told him to marry a prostitute.
In Hosea’s story and prophecy, we see a picture of a relationship that is torn apart by sin. It’s a picture of a man who is faithful, even when his wife isn’t. It’s a picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. And I believe that there are many parallels in the book of Hosea to life in America today.
The Israelites had taken to worshiping a false god. This was their “spiritual prostitution.” They had melded the worship of Yahweh with that of Baal, saying that they were one and the same. Baal was the “god” of rain and fertility. The Israelites fell into the practices of their neighbors and abandoned God as the giver of prosperity (grain, wine, oil). They sought those blessings bestowed by Baal…and they worshiped Baal like the pagans around them did.
Now, if you read the book of Hosea, you’ll see some of this coming to light as God’s case against Israel is laid out in the later chapters. But a few things stuck out to me in my latest reading of the book. “Fertility” could be seen as “prosperity,” and we have a group of people who forgot the Giver of all good gifts in order to gain more for themselves. It was materialism. And I know that we don’t ever suffer from materialistic thought…or do we? Or is our problem more of a consumerist attitude?
Another item that stands out in this study is the way sin is portrayed. It isn’t just a “mistake” or something to be winked at. Sin is seen and portrayed as adultery in the eyes of God. Hosea understood this first-hand, but could also understand that God still loved the ones who had betrayed Him. There were consequences that were laid out for the nation of Israel in the book of Hosea, but there was also hope. There was hope for another, better day. A day of rejoicing. Oh, what a day that will be!
The book of Hosea is a great study, and it’s not too late to join us in this study as we see how God’s story is still relevant for us today!
But be careful. In the study of God’s Word, one could expect to be asked to change…into the likeness of God’s Son, Jesus. Are you up for the challenge?
Hope to see you there!
Pastor Kyle
In Hosea’s story and prophecy, we see a picture of a relationship that is torn apart by sin. It’s a picture of a man who is faithful, even when his wife isn’t. It’s a picture of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. And I believe that there are many parallels in the book of Hosea to life in America today.
The Israelites had taken to worshiping a false god. This was their “spiritual prostitution.” They had melded the worship of Yahweh with that of Baal, saying that they were one and the same. Baal was the “god” of rain and fertility. The Israelites fell into the practices of their neighbors and abandoned God as the giver of prosperity (grain, wine, oil). They sought those blessings bestowed by Baal…and they worshiped Baal like the pagans around them did.
Now, if you read the book of Hosea, you’ll see some of this coming to light as God’s case against Israel is laid out in the later chapters. But a few things stuck out to me in my latest reading of the book. “Fertility” could be seen as “prosperity,” and we have a group of people who forgot the Giver of all good gifts in order to gain more for themselves. It was materialism. And I know that we don’t ever suffer from materialistic thought…or do we? Or is our problem more of a consumerist attitude?
Another item that stands out in this study is the way sin is portrayed. It isn’t just a “mistake” or something to be winked at. Sin is seen and portrayed as adultery in the eyes of God. Hosea understood this first-hand, but could also understand that God still loved the ones who had betrayed Him. There were consequences that were laid out for the nation of Israel in the book of Hosea, but there was also hope. There was hope for another, better day. A day of rejoicing. Oh, what a day that will be!
The book of Hosea is a great study, and it’s not too late to join us in this study as we see how God’s story is still relevant for us today!
But be careful. In the study of God’s Word, one could expect to be asked to change…into the likeness of God’s Son, Jesus. Are you up for the challenge?
Hope to see you there!
Pastor Kyle
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Godspeed!
Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”
Endings and beginnings are sometimes difficult. We’re coming upon one of those difficult ones. Now, I don’t want to sound morbid, or foreboding at all, but there is something in me that is feeling a loss. This is one of the most difficult articles I’ve written.
June and Mary have let us know that they will not retire as our organist and pianist at the end of this month. It is the closing of an era. It’s not that they’ll no longer be in worship with us, but it will be different. For a long time, worshipers at Avoca have been able to look up and know that one or both of these ladies would be ministering to and with them. They have been here through thick and thin, through good and bad, through leadership changes, and family changes, and physical changes…they were serving. They were offering themselves to God, to be used by God as God saw fit.
Much honor is due them. We are not a group of people who like to laud each other. It’s too embarrassing. There’s too much pride involved. We don’t want to cause anyone embarrassment, but there are times when saying “thank you” doesn’t seem enough. And yet, “thank you” is what we’re able to do, isn’t it?
For a job well done, for a life of surrender, for your offering each week, we say “THANKS!” June and Mary. You have been and are a blessing to us. And we pray that you will continue to be a blessing in the future.
June took up the organ because it was a need in the church. She learned because the pastor asked her to play. Mary began as our worship and choir leader, and took up the piano when the need arose. They have gifts from God…and they use them – “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Over the course of this next month, would you, as those who have been blessed by these gifted saints, say “thanks” in one way or another? Take the time. Say the words.
Mary Leahy, well done. June Luse, well done. You have served this congregation well, you have shown your love of Christ and His church to all gathered together on these Sundays. “I thank my God every time I remember you, always praying with joy for all of you. I thank God for the help you gave me while I preached the Good News—help you gave from the first day you believed until now. God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.” (Phil. 1:3-6)
We love you. I love you.
Pastor Kyle
Endings and beginnings are sometimes difficult. We’re coming upon one of those difficult ones. Now, I don’t want to sound morbid, or foreboding at all, but there is something in me that is feeling a loss. This is one of the most difficult articles I’ve written.
June and Mary have let us know that they will not retire as our organist and pianist at the end of this month. It is the closing of an era. It’s not that they’ll no longer be in worship with us, but it will be different. For a long time, worshipers at Avoca have been able to look up and know that one or both of these ladies would be ministering to and with them. They have been here through thick and thin, through good and bad, through leadership changes, and family changes, and physical changes…they were serving. They were offering themselves to God, to be used by God as God saw fit.
Much honor is due them. We are not a group of people who like to laud each other. It’s too embarrassing. There’s too much pride involved. We don’t want to cause anyone embarrassment, but there are times when saying “thank you” doesn’t seem enough. And yet, “thank you” is what we’re able to do, isn’t it?
For a job well done, for a life of surrender, for your offering each week, we say “THANKS!” June and Mary. You have been and are a blessing to us. And we pray that you will continue to be a blessing in the future.
June took up the organ because it was a need in the church. She learned because the pastor asked her to play. Mary began as our worship and choir leader, and took up the piano when the need arose. They have gifts from God…and they use them – “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12). Over the course of this next month, would you, as those who have been blessed by these gifted saints, say “thanks” in one way or another? Take the time. Say the words.
Mary Leahy, well done. June Luse, well done. You have served this congregation well, you have shown your love of Christ and His church to all gathered together on these Sundays. “I thank my God every time I remember you, always praying with joy for all of you. I thank God for the help you gave me while I preached the Good News—help you gave from the first day you believed until now. God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.” (Phil. 1:3-6)
We love you. I love you.
Pastor Kyle
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