Community Prayer Watch . . . Give Me Your Eyes

Yesterday, The Vine experimented.

We "went."

to Starbucks, Bob Evans, Walmart, Target, Klein's, Kohls, etc.

Our mission? To not "love our neighbor" in theory but to see actual faces of the people who live around us, work around us, play around us . . . and to ask God to help us love them like He does. We went out to pray and to begin to develop a heart, after God's own heart, for our neighbors. And yesterday was Sunday, which meant we were praying for many who choose to do something different on their Sunday mornings than go to church.

I took two of my kids to Walmart - to pray aisle by aisle and to be open if God wanted to use us to bless others. At first, it felt weird pushing an empty cart around Walmart - we were there for a higher purpose but I mean everybody else was there to shop! Then when we did put a few things in our cart, it felt weird because I felt like, why would we be shopping while we were praying? (Still have that nasty habit of compartmentalizing my spiritual life - left over from my days as a "Modern.")

After a morning of worship in the market place (yes worship - read Romans 12:1-2), we came back to Bel Air church to share our experiences. Everybody had a different story. All good. Some began to dream of how we could do ministry in the market place. "We need to begin hanging out at Starbucks - being available." Very cool . . . because that is the essence of missional - to go where people are and do worship (yes worship - have you read Romans 12:1-2 yet?) there rather than trying to get people to come to our worship in our building on our terms.

Alan Hirsch, my mentor from afar, says we have this missional DNA inside of us, but it is latent. It needs to be awakened. (a great book - The Forgotten Ways - read the review if nothing else) Yesterday, while everybody else went to worship, we WENT to worship. Go. Going. Matthew 28:19-20. Awakening latent missional DNA.

While in Walmart, without even realizing it, the words to the song below began flooding my heart. What if we prayed this everyday? "God, give me your eyes. . ."

Going shopping today? Tomorrow? Going out to eat? Paul says, "pray without ceasing . . ." I think I get it. And forty plus others get it too.

Marching to March

Last Sunday, we began the transition of pastoral care and teaching of the Bel Air's 11:00 worship service in a very tangible way. About mid-way through the service, Pastor Barry blessed those who were going to Emmorton and dismissed us so we could plan for this Sunday - a Community Prayer Watch (another story).

I was focused on the impact this would have on those who remained. What I wasn't ready for was the impact this simple move/march out of McComas Hall would have on me (and I am guessing many of us).

As people walked past to get to the library (the exact opposite end of the building), I was struck by those who felt this call to be in mission, and then deeply touched as I looked out on eager faces who had assembled in the library - at least 40 adults plus children and teenagers. There were new faces and faces of folk whom I was unsure were coming.

I was humbled by what God had done and was doing and would do as we begin this journey towards being a missionary faith community. I admit, I teared up and as we opened in prayer. I was overwhelmed with the magnitude of what we were going to do TOGETHER - to attempt to forge a loving faith community that always has room for one more imperfect person.

I saw Acts 2.

I saw in this group the potential to change the world.

I remembered how God likes to work with small things so that the glory can only be His. How He chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. I could link you to this passage, but I want to make sure you read these words . . .

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential;
not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things
—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
so that no one may boast before him.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who has become for us wisdom from God—
that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

So rich.

We are like pioneers - stepping into the brave unknown - relearning how to be a 21st century ancient church.

I'm reading a great book by Leonard Sweet called Jesus Manifesto and on Monday, as I read, these words popped off the page. It's not like I didn't know this but some how the wording - coming directly from God - really raised the reality of who we are and what we will be about - being the Body of Christ . . .

". . . the ekklesia [church/gathering] is the only hope this world has to see My Son physically before He returns. Why? Because His body is the living, breathing, moving, functioning image of Jesus. Therefore, the only address where anyone can find Him is . . . you."

The ONLY HOPE!?! We are the Body, the incarnation of Christ on this planet and we have taken up the mission of God - to reconnect humanity to God through His Son, Jesus Christ - by loving people into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Everybody needs somebody to love.

Like Jake and Elwood Blues, we're on a mission from God. Let's dance like David danced - like Jake and Elwood - into our future. (can't embed this - just click on the link . . .)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCTJeT2i9QU

Family Time

As a pastor, one of the things I have never adjusted to is having a "work week" different from my family. While they've got this Monday through Friday thing going, I'm putting on my game face on weekends. Even though I have Saturdays off, in the back of my mind, I'm steeling myself for the event called worship on Sundays. At one point in my ministry, I was even holding a Saturday night service, which really messed with my psyche!

I really started to see things differently when I read Randy Frazee's book, Making Room for Life. He really nails the complexities of 21st century life and how we have managed to live in multiple separate worlds - work, family, neighborhood, friends, school, sports, children's activities . . . so that we end up knowing the names of a lot of people but know few or none well. He also goes on to talk about the stressors on families that pull them into these separate worlds and how this great need to keep on with the Jones - "I have to get Johnie onto the three year old traveling soccer team or he won't have a shot in high school." - also conspires to pull us apart. It's a good book - but challenging too.

Now as my kids are on the short side of growing up, Michelle and I have tried hard to hold our family together, making time for one another (sometimes to the kids' chagrin). The dinner table is important. With evening meetings - another pastoral responsibility, we try our darndest to at least have that daily half hour together. (Rachel, as our designated vegetarian, even joins us and nibbles around the edges.) I feel this hole in my gut when someone is not at the dinner table. And it feels like time is speeding up as I watch them progress through high school and into college - these meal times will be coming to an end some day. In my soul, I am cherishing every moment - yeah even when the conversation isn't . . . well you know . . .

So imagine my consternation when the one semi-family day (Saturday) is invaded by scheduling beyond our control. (okay - here comes the rant.) Both Daniel and Becca earned parts in Patterson Mill's upcoming production of Into the Woods. Hooray! . . . Until I got the rehearsal schedule and see that Saturdays are not sacred NOR are school holidays - rehearsals and practices everyday for two and a half months - except Sundays - my "work day!" No time for family on long weekends!?! And I begin to fume over this injustice, and wrestle with priorities, and wondering if families who are not intentional about spending time together have a chance. Fume with me, won't you?

As I get ready to get really busy with this church plant (already am), I also wonder how this will impact our family time. Can we combine some of Randy Frazee's circles so that family time and friend time and church time can be one time? Getting to start from scratch, means we ought to be intentional about these things. If there have to be evening meetings, then move out of the fluorescent lighted metal chair conference room at the church and into a living room, or around the dinner table or at a comfortable coffee shop. . . . enjoy the time with friends.

And one other intentional key to this church plant thing. I can't be the only leader/pastor. I've read Ephesians 4:11-12 enough to realize that Paul is stating the obvious, and that along the way we've lost it - that the Church has multiple leaders with a variety of spiritual gifts in order to build up and equip the Body of Christ. This solo pastor thing is an anomaly! (And its killing a lot of good pastors and weakening a lot of good churches.) I simply know this - God has not deposited all the spiritual gifts, let alone the leadership gifts in me. And if I try to wear all these hats, I will flame out. So I am thankful for the ragtag group of servant-leaders who will accompany me on this quest. And I am grateful that we feel called to share ministry together.

So here's to sanity - to shared ministry and to family time and friend time. I'm gonna guard that precious gift and going to "strongly encourage" our leaders and faith community to do the same.

A Church Planter's Story - Starting in the Middle of the Book

With The City about to go operational as The Vines primary communication tool (vine.onthecity.org), I think I am going to make a turn with this blog - to share a little more about what it's like to be (take a deep breath) a United Methodist church planting pastor with four teenagers - Rachel, Becca, Daniel, and Laz, our son from Uganda (Raising Lazarus), living in one cramped house, along with my lovely wife of 23 years and an overgrown yellow Labrador and an almost toothless calico cat. Maybe if I tell my story, I can add to the "knowledge-base" (wiki anyone?) of how to successfully (and sometimes not so much) navigate through insane 21st century suburbia as a Christ follower. Maybe this blind squirrel will occasionally find a nut worth sharing with those interested and in the process be an encouragement to others who are trying to figure out how to be faithful to God in such a time as this. (These sentences are way too long - sorry.)

I'm a little older, a little wiser?, a little slower than I used to be when I first felt an undeniable call to start a new church. And in just a couple of months, after fits and starts, The Vine will be moving to Emmorton Elementary School to be a church without walls. No church (building), no steeple, no doors - in the purest sense what church is - people - people gathering - people gathering in the Name of Jesus Christ.

I come at this with great joy and trepidation. Joy, because there is no greater joy than doing the hard work that God has called one to do. Really. God-ordained hard work = joy. And trepidation, because I have been at this long enough to know the batting average on new church starts and have watched enough friends both succeed or flame out with the best of hearts, talents, and callings. I am thankful I'm not doing this alone or even with only a few. I am asking people to rediscover their missional DNA to live out a far different model than the church they are currently worshiping in.

And I am truly thankful for those who are trusting my call as their servant-leader and who are hearing their own call to "Go." 50 or so officially. Really, when I think of all those who have said yes to this mission, I am deeply grateful - people who have become my friends in the deepest sense of the Word - people I will be bound to for eternity for sharing in this God-appointed task. And grateful for a judicatory (look it up) who has honored my call and been patient with me as we've tried to figure this church plant thing out. And grateful for a sending church - Bel Air UMC - who despite her own financial hardships is committed to reaching people outside her four walls and is looking to our experiment to bring new energy to the entire church.

Okay, I feel like someone who's getting the hook at the academy awards ceremony - so many people to thank, but the orchestra is starting to play. Well, most of all, I want to thank God for calling me - I'm not sure why - and using me, and letting me live in this insane but opportunistic time. For Jesus Christ, who has rescued me and taught me what it means to be human as God intended, and the Holy Spirit - Nooma - Who is Christ in me - my Power, my Strength, my Voice, and my Comforter.

Good night