Monday, February 21, 2011

Hospital or Training Center?

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What is the identity (or mission) of the local church community?

Ask that question and you'll get lots of answers. It's like the parable of the blind men who touched an elephant and tried to describe what it is like. Each one touched a different part, but only one part, such as the side, the ear, or the tusk. Then they compared notes and learned they were in complete disagreement.

We all come with our own needs, desires and preconceived notions, not to mention the wide variety of descriptions given in the Bible.

But the beauty of the local church IS its diversity. The Bible likens the church community to a human body, with every part having a different function, all under the leadership of Jesus (the Head).

Ephesians 4:11-12 says all these gifts (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) have been given in order to "EQUIP the saints for the WORK of the ministry." (caps mine)

"Equip" carries 2 primary meanings, to set a broken bone (healing), and to mend a net that is torn (so you can keep fishing). My tendency in early pastoral ministry was to focus on mending what was broken. It was wonderful seeing God heal people and reveal His love. He's never stopped doing that.

But when we started Smoky Hill Vineyard we were challenged to NOT build the church on those gifts of healing. Jesus was going to keep healing people, but we were called to train others to bring healing, and He was giving us the net to throw out (reach out and train). Kind of uncomfortable (to put it mildly) when God puts you in a place where everything feels unnatural.

When the church functions solely like a hospital, everyone looks to the doctors and nurses (staff). There may be a few "residents" around, but by and large the only people in the game are the wounded and the healers. And people learn that the only way to get attention from "the staff" is to be sick. Once someone is healed, where do they go?

But if the church is a training center, all the people are invited into the game. The purpose of training isn't to sit in the locker room and go over the playbook. The purpose of training is to study the playbook, hit the field and to score = bring God's kingdom rule into our own lives and to the places we live.

His love transforms us and becomes the Good News to others. Families become healthy, fractures are healed, communities experience life, and injustice is eradicated. That is the "work" we are all called to.

Jesus is calling all of us (including you) into the game. It's time to embrace both aspects of "equip" - healing and training. Jesus is coming to set captives free and bind up the brokenhearted. AND, as the Message Version translates Ephesians 2:10 ...He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Flashlight Etiquette

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My wife and I were out on a walk before the recent snow storms. It was dark and we were on a rough road with cracks and failed asphalt patches. June asked me to turn the flashlight on which I did.

Then she told me to try aiming it at the road. I muttered something about knowing what I was doing, only to have her say "Please try pointing it where I'm walking so I don't hurt myself", then "Oh, just let me hold it."

For me the flashlight was for warning oncoming cars of our presence. I was clearly not up to speed on the latest and most important flashlight etiquette which includes the following:

  • It is most helpful to hold the light as close as you can to the pathway in front of you
  • This may appear to be of no consequence until you encounter rough conditions
  • The conditions may worsen if you don't follow flashlight etiquette
  • Keep the batteries fresh, a dim light gives false confidence
  • Flashlights are of little use when you are standing still
  • When someone talks to you, don't shine the light in their face
  • Younger drivers don't seem to know a flashlight means veer away from people
  • If you don't follow flashlight etiquette you may lose the right to hold the flashlight

Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

So many parallels, here are just a few...

  • God's Word has it's best impact when closely applied to everything in our lives
  • His Word guides, directs, and reveals God's will
  • We don't need His Word to guide us if we're standing still (not risking and out of our comfort zone)
  • How we apply the Bible can either blind people or help us walk forward together

During this 40 Days of Renewal we're learning about some of these things as we encounter God. Thankfully I've got a couple months to work on my flashlight etiquette until the snow and bitter cold passes.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

When the Furnace Goes Out

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Just last night, coldest day of the year, our furnace goes out. We like to sleep with it cold, but waking up to high 30's in your bedroom is a bit chilly. Thankfully we have a fireplace and were able to keep the coals going through the night in our living room.

After looking at the furnace panel, cleaning the filter, reading the manual, pushing reset buttons, it still wasn't working. Typically I'm thinking "Oh great, service call, something really wrong, $$$..."

So Curtis from the Heating and Cooling company calls me back and I tell him the red light is flashing twice then going off. He says "That's a problem with the pressure switch. Have you checked the pipe coming in to the house, cause it's usually just a bit of snow blocking things up."

"Uhhhh, no. It is colder outside than it is inside, just a bit (and I'm not smart enough to figure out something might be blocking the pipe...)"

So I walk outside and sure enough, a thin layer of snow is on the screen covering the pipe which I brush off. Back inside, turn stuff back on, voila, it works.

I've found this to be true of many things in life. Asking the right questions, recognizing I'm not very smart, and sometimes the problem isn't very complicated and neither is the solution.

During this 40 Days of Renewal, we're drawing closer to Jesus by reading His Word and praying. When we get closer to God, many times the things that aren't working are flashing a warning code to us. We can put duct tape over the light and ignore it. Or we can wrongly assume it must not be God if negative things come to our attention.

But chances are, it is Jesus. He shines His light on what isn't working -- because it hinders our relationship with Him and keeps us from His good plans.

I'm committed to let Jesus teach me about stuff I don't understand. It isn't always easy and it can get rather complicated. But sometimes it's pretty simple. And God is good.