Essays
Are You Cut Enough?
One of the great joys that I have in my job is flexibility. This means that I get to drive my kids around to their stuff. I also get to take their friends with us. As a result, I am in on a lot of the conversations that they are having. They are hilarious! When I was a kid we used to “dare”, “double dare”, “double dog dare”, “triple dare”, and finally “triple dog dare.” Today’s boys simply look deep into one another’s souls and say, “Bruh, you aren’t even cut enough to…”
When someone tells you aren’t “cut enough” that’s dropping a serious “triple dog dare” on them. You either put your tail between your legs and admit defeat or you go for it.
In Colossians 3:12–17 Paul lays out who we as Christians are to be. Who we are is based in the reality that we are chosen, holy, and beloved. How amazing is that? I mean think about that for half of a second. Our identity is not shaped by rules, laws, or fear of punishment. Our identity is based in God’s love for us. That in and of itself is mind boggling.
The first attribute he calls us to is to put on “compassionate hearts.” What does that mean? That sounds pretty soft, especially for men. We often think of compassion as something that women have. Not many men would naturally look at themselves and say that they are seeking to be compassionate. So what exactly is a compassionate heart?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines compassion this way, “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.”
From the outset we are to be others centered. The Christian, in the core of who they are, is to be one who is conscious of another’s pain and desires to act. Compassion requires great strength. It is not something that is for the weak or soft. Compassion demands from us action to step into the brokenness of the world to bind up the wounded.
This little phrase that Paul uses, “compassionate hearts” is very purposeful by including the word “heart.” The heart is the center of our being. Who we are is changed by our relationship with Jesus. A compassionate heart, a state of being, that drives us to care for and alleviate suffering is our new normal. It isn’t “radical”, it is normal.
When you see suffering what is your response? Do you want to alleviate it? Do you care? Do you want to step into the brokenness of this world and set things right? These are all signs of a person with a compassionate heart.
If you call yourself a follower of Jesus, have you put on the compassionate heart?
Are you cut enough to be compassionate?
from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/06/20/are-you-cut-enough/
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Who Are You?
When my brothers and I were growing up we were felt like we were held to a different standard. We would complain to our mom or dad and say, “But Johnny can say/do/act etc…” or “But Johnny doesn’t have to…” The response was always the same, “You don’t belong to Johnny’s family. You belong to our family. Your last name means something. When you’re outside of this house you represent the Roses and McGraths.” We were held to a different standard. We were held to the standard that our parents set because we were part of their family.
As a pastor I am around Christians much of the time. I have often found many of my brothers and sisters to be mean spirited folks. It always startles me. When I see them on social media they say nasty things to one another and also to those outside the faith. Typically, it is in the name of “speaking truth.” When I see these interactions, whether in person or online, I hear my mom’s voice, “That’s not how our family acts.”
Many people in the Church bemoan the “bad reputation” that Christians have in today’s media and culture. I think it’s often because we have forgotten who we are. We have washed away the demands of our faith and the expectations of what it means to be a part of this family. We have more closely aligned with political affiliations, both left and right, as opposed to our family. Our Father has a standard for his children and we need to remember what they are.
The Apostle Paul summarizes these expectations and standards in Colossians 3:12–17,
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:12–17 ESV)
You probably skipped over reading the Scripture (because let’s be honest, many of us do in blogs and probably books too (who reads books anymore?)) so I am going to list them out for us:
Because we are God’s chosen ones who are holy and beloved we are to put on:
Compassionate hearts.
Kindness.
Humility.
Meekness.
Patience — bearing with one another.
Forgiving one another as the Lord forgives us (think about the ramifications of this one!).
Above all put on love.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
Be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
Teach and admonish one another in wisdom.
Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness t God.
Do everything in the name of Jesus, giving thanks.
That’s quite a list. It’s hard to live that list out. We won’t do it perfectly. That doesn’t mean though that we just throw our hands up and say, “Oh well…grace.” The “one another” statements above call us to engage with our siblings and invite them to the standard of bearing the family name. As we do, we will grow in grace.
Over the next number of days, I am going to unpack each of the things in this list. Perhaps they will serve as helpful reminders for each of us and what it means to bear the family name, “Christian.”
from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/05/27/who-are-you/
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Light Dawns in the Darkness
There are times when it seems like evil always wins. We read the news and see so much pain and suffering. It feels like bad things are always happening to good people. I find myself wondering when will we see the reverse? When will the good and the righteous finally experience victory?
As I read Psalm 112 this morning I was reminded that the pursuit of righteousness does eventually lead to joy.
“Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
For the righteous will be never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.”
Psalm 112:4–7
Even though it seems like darkness is all around us, when we pursue righteousness, the light will dawn.
In particular, I am thinking about the statement that the righteous man “conducts his affairs with justice.” What does this look like? How do we live like this? What does it mean to conduct our affairs with justice? How can we be just in all we do? How do we help others pursue justice? Do we have any influence at all?
As I ponder all this it makes think about something that my friend Todd says often regarding politics. He says that we might not have the ability to influence the whole nation or state or even city. But what we can do, is have an impact on our neighbor.
How do we conduct our affairs with justice? We do so by making small choices every day. These small choices will have a direct impact on our families, friends, and neighbors.
What choices do you need to make today to pursue righteousness and justice?
from The Subversive Journey https://danielmrose.com/2016/05/16/light-dawns-in-the-darkness/
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Peace.
“At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises: Glory to God in the heavenly heights, peace to all men and women on earth who please him.” — Luke 2:13–14, The Message
This the fourth week of Advent is when we light the Angel’s candle which points us to peace. Peace is what was proclaimed by the these messengers from heaven as they glorified God at the announcement of the birth of Jesus. This same Jesus would, in a few years say, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.”
We live in a tumultuous world. The news is filled with pain and suffering and death. There are wars and rumors of wars. The very creation itself seems to be at unrest as earthquakes and tsunamis and hurricanes are regular occurrences. When you look at your social media it is much the same only more personal. There is little in our world that points toward peace.
Peace is the message that the follower of Jesus proclaims. In Ephesians 6 we are told to put on the shoes of peace to help us stand firm. This message of peace is foundational to who we are. Yet, we live in this time when to be a peacemaker or to cry out for peace is considered weakness.
Peace.
As we make the final dash toward Christmas morning, perhaps your life is like mine, lacking in some peace. We have a great deal of shopping left. Which means that we have even more wrapping left. The list of to-dos only seems to grow and grow. The kids are home from school so there are extra people around. There are more demands on time and energy than seems possible.
Peace.
Recently I’ve been thinking about Jesus’ stories about people missing out on things because they were too distracted. They weren’t ready because of all the stuff going on around them and they simply missed it.
How much of Christmas do we miss because we aren’t at peace?
Joyful Proclamation!
Have you ever had that experience where someone made a promise to you and then they came through? What did you feel like? What if that promise came years and years earlier and was fulfilled when you were least expecting it? You would probably be filled with utter joy.
This is what the third week of Advent is all about.
The third week is when we light the “Shepherds Candle” which represents joy. Could you imagine being one of the young shepherds that evening? For your whole life you’ve heard the stories of Messiah coming from your father and grandfather. Now you’re out there trying to stay warm while you watch over your family’s flock, this thing that you do every night.
Then…
The skies explode in light and angels appear telling you that Messiah has come and where to find him! Your heart is bursting with excitement and you run.
When you get there, you find it exactly as the angels say it would be.
Promise fulfilled.
Overwhelming joy and proclamation.
On this this the third week of advent, we light the third candle, the pink one because light has overcome darkness.
Do you share the joy of the shepherds? A joy that demands proclamation that the Messiah has come?
This might tap your “joyful” muscle…
The War on Christmas
Did you know that there was a “War on Christmas”?
Seriously, there’s a “War on Christmas”.
It’s occurring in most churches. It breaks out in many hearts this time of year. Christmas is when we go out and buy friends and family lots of gifts. We spend lots of money on things people don’t need and some don’t even really want. A few of us even go to church on Christmas Eve and that makes us feel spiritual about spending all that money.
When you look around at everything that we are inundated with every single day it’s clear what Christmas is all about. It’s about giving and receiving stuff.
The war that is happening is happening in each heart. Some are uncomfortable with the battle that is happening in their heart and so they look for an enemy on the outside. That’s when some go to “war” with the “world”. Bemoaning the fact that “Christmas” parties at schools have become “Holiday” parties or that “Christmas” is written as “Xmas”. They think this is the “War on Christmas”.
The real war on Christmas is what happens in our hearts every day throughout the year. We are at war with our own selfish and self-centered hearts. We battle within and it makes us uncomfortable. We don’t like to feel that way. When we are faced with those realities we can do one of two things. We can either embrace them, confess, and repent or we can stuff them and project.
Based on what I see in the media and news, I think most of us are stuffing and projecting.
The War on Christmas is not being perpetrated by “those” people, whomever they are. It is being perpetrated by us, whomever “us” may be. Our own hearts are at war with themselves.
The War on Christmas is real. It’s just not being fought where you think it is.
Originally published on December 11, 2014
Coming in Humility
The second candle we light in Advent is the “Bethlehem Candle.” It is the reminder of how the Bread of Life came to the House of Bread in humility. Jesus, King of the Universe, did not come to the world by way of power or exceptionalism but by humility. He was born in a hole carved from the side of a rock and his cradle was a hay filled trough.
This King of glory was completely ordinary.
This second week of Advent we consider the ordinariness of the glorious King. A helpless baby born to a young girl on the outskirts of a small town. He was nothing special to the unassuming eye. He was just a baby.
The King of glory was a just a baby.
The King of glory was poor.
The King of glory was nothing to behold.
The King of glory would have been considered to have little worth.
What do we do with such a King? How do we respond? How does this challenge us as we move forward into Bethlehem week?
We live in a world, not unlike the world Jesus was born into, where class and status mean more than just about anything else. We battle for status within the realm of social media, our neighborhoods, our jobs, our schools. Our lives are a constant attempt of “one upping” another.
Humility is something we run from.
What might it look like for me to embrace humility this week? I have been thinking about this for a few days and I’ve come up with something simple. In a conversation, choose to say, “You’re right” or “I don’t know” or “You’ve given me something to think about.” These little phrases begin to move us toward humility.
Humility is something that we have to actively choose to practice in our lives. It is not something that comes to us naturally. It will take work. We will be uncomfortable.
Sort of like lying in a hay filled manger…
If your first instinct is to use a tragedy to further your political preferences there’s a good…
If your first instinct is to use a tragedy to further your political preferences there’s a good chance you’re part of the problem.
Kind or Nice?
Sunday night at our gathering we were spending time in Ephesians 4. During our conversation it struck me again how important it is for us to understand the difference between being “kind” and being “nice.”
Verse 32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Paul doesn’t command us to be “nice.” He commands us to be “kind.” This distinction is very important for our relationships. This command to be kind ties back to verse 15, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…”
Kindness differs with niceness by the inclusion of truth. Kindness can be hard and can potentially cause pain.
I asked the congregation what they thought was the difference between being nice and being kind. My son said this, “If your friend’s hair is messed up, the nice thing is to say, ‘Your hair is fine.’ But, the kind thing to say is, ‘Bruh, you need to fix that.’”
Do you see the difference?
If we are going to be kind to one another it means that we must speak the “truth in love” to one another.
We live in an age of “niceness”. Being kind is a foreign concept because kindness may cause offense and causing offense is a great sin in our culture. Sadly, because we are trading kindness for niceness, we are losing much. Many decry the extended adolescence of our culture. This exists in large part due to our loss of kindness.
Because we are no longer kind, speaking the truth in love, we have stunted the maturation of a generation.
“Nice” is not something to sought after. “Kind” is. Kind is loving. Nice is self-serving.
Which do you desire? Do you want people to be “nice” to you or would you rather have people be kind?
The Day Is Coming!
Many people love Christmas. There’s a radio station in Detroit that has been playing Christmas tunes 24/7 for a few weeks. Christmas is nostalgic and beautiful. It tells the story of God the Son being born in humility to save the world.
Christmas is great.
But I love Advent!
There is something special about the building excitement and anticipation of the season. The Christian new year begins with the first Sunday of Advent, not with Christmas. This communicates something intriguing about our faith.
Advent plunges us into the already/not yet of our faith.
Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent, it is represented by the “Prophecy” candle. We read the following Scripture,
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
(Jeremiah 33:14–16 ESV)
I am struck by, “the days are coming”. There is a certainty in what the Lord says. There is no doubt about the coming of the “righteous Branch.” King Jesus is coming. We can bank on it.
We live in a time when promises are not often fulfilled. The leaders of our governments tell us things and make promises all the time. But, they do not fulfill them. God’s promises, on the other hand, are sure. There is no doubt.
The first Sunday in Advent is the time when we are reminded of the promise of a savior and how God the father made good on that promise. It is also the Sunday that allows us to renew our faith in the hope of the Return of the King!
Tension
The Christian life is one of great tensions. Grace and truth. Mercy and justice. We live in the tension of these great ideas and concepts. Many of our theological debates center on which side is to have priority.
In Ephesians 4:17–32 we see that this tension goes beyond belief. The very actions of the Christ follower is a life in tension. In this section Paul admonishes believers to “put off” their old selves and “put on” the new self. What is fascinating is that the new self is in some ways the old held in tension.
Verses 26 and 27 say this,
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
(Ephesians 4:26–27 ESV)
We often think of anger as being inherently sinful. How can anger be OK? Aren’t we supposed to be nice? You can’t really be both can you? This tension of “be angry and do not sin” is an example of the inherent tension in the Christian life. There is a way to be angry and holy.
The key here is, “do not let the sun go down on your anger.” The tension is that of forgiveness. When we hold on to our anger too long it becomes sin and gives “opportunity to the devil.”
Anger apart from grace and forgiveness is not holy, but sin.
Paul summarizes this idea in verse 32,
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
Notice that Paul says “be kind” and not “be nice.” This is an important distinction. Kindness is imbued with truth. A good physician is not nice, he is kind. A nice physician will put your comfort above your well-being. A kind physician will always place your well-being above your comfort.
Kindness is a tension of truth and grace.
Are you willing to live in tension?
Quiet in a LOUD World
If you’re like me, silence is uncomfortable. Sometimes it is almost unbearable.
When I studied in college I needed noise, so the TV was always on. When I was in grad school, I needed noise, so I studied at the coffee shop.
Now that I’m a pastor, I feel like I need the quiet. But I really struggle with knowing how to be quiet and embrace silence.
These words from Eugene Peterson really struck me this morning,
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How do you experience quiet?
historical-nonfiction:
Most of us are aware that sports, while supposedly an honorable contest of skills, is often anything but. WWE, for example, is a well-orchestrated show. And they’re just the most obvious about it. Well fixing matches is nothing new. The very first known bribery contract was found in a papyrus dated from the year 267 CE, which was salvaged from Oxyrhynchus, Egypt in 1905. The transcription has been recently deciphered, and as expected the content is quite licentious.
The papyrus details the ‘arrangement’ between two young wrestlers Nicantinous and Demetrius for a grand bout that was to take place in the city of Antinoopolis along the Nile bank. According to the evidence, Demetrius openly agrees to lose the match for a handy bribe of 3,800 drachmas (which was oddly close to the price for buying a donkey)!
Man, I feel like this needs to be an ESPN 30 for 30!
Believe Us When We Say We’re Hurting
“The stigma surrounding mental health boils down to one thing: that if pain can’t be measured or seen, it doesn’t exist. People believe that illnesses that cannot be detected with medical equipment can do no harm. But that one dangerous concept has a variety of stealthy disguises.
‘Smile! Others have it worse.’
‘Your life is great!’
‘But you always seem so happy.’
‘If you ignore it, it will go away.’
Sentences filled with salt for our wounds.”
- Sammy Nickalls, “Believe Us When We Say We’re Hurting”
Where’s Your Heart?
A good friend asked me this question the other day. It might be the most important question that we can ask ourselves.
With the Antioch Movement we are starting something called Huddles. These are high invitation and high challenge discipleship groups of 3–5 individuals or couples. We are looking to delve into kairos moments (kairos moments are those moments where we experience God breaking in..) in our lives to discover what the Father is inviting us into. How is he challenging us? In what ways is he calling us to step out in faith?
So really the question is, “where’s my heart?” We keep asking and asking because as we wrestle with this question we find that we have kairos moments all over the place and miss them, usually. It is amazing what happens when you begin to try and see them. They are everywhere!
*Where’s my heart?* I am looking at my heart these days through a triangle matrix of up, in, and out. First, “out”. This is my heart towards people who are not followers of Jesus. At no time in my life have I ever been so comfortable and happy to be around people who don’t know Jesus. A number of years ago if I were to look at my life and see the world within which I now live, I don’t think I would have believed it. Most of my time is spent with people who are far from God and it fills me up. The conversations we have are deep and meaningful. As a result I can’t wait to hit the ground running every single day.
Second, “in”. The community of the Antioch Movement — Ypsilanti is amazing. The people who call AM home are beautiful people who love well. We are able to do life deeply together. We fight and argue. We forgive and receive forgiveness. My heart towards believers has experienced a revival or renewal these last number of months as I see this authentic community growing up around me. There is honesty and humility. But most of all there is love. It is overwhelmingly beautiful.
Finally, “up”. It’s a struggle these days. I am going through a bit of a dry period and it’s really hard. Ever since we moved to Ypsilanti, about 12 months ago, I have been struggling to really find an ever deepening level of intimacy with Jesus. I connect with God through the study of the Scriptures and I have found over the years that I needs large chunks of time. When I was serving at Grace Chapel, I had a wonderful study where I could close the door and get lost in the Scriptures. For the last year that has alluded me. My heart aches to write this and I long for time and a space. It’s been a strange experience because I am blown away by God’s great faithfulness and care in all things. He keeps showing me how awesome he is through our community. Yet, there is a lack of intimacy. It’s that feeling of longing you have when you haven’t seen a close friend for a period of time. My “up” needs some work.
So, I’m living in a kairos right now where I am longing for more of God. It’s a good place to be but my heart is heavy as a result. I can’t wait for one of those days where I get lost in the Scriptures for 3 or 4 hours. It will be amazing.
In The Beginning
In The Beginning…
I have been thinking about this post for a few days. How do you begin a 28 day blogging experiment? You begin at the beginning and the beginning is…
Why?
A friend, Todd Waller, has said that anything worth doing must begin with the an answer to the question, “Why?”
I have been blogging for years. However, it has been marked by fits and starts. The concept of continuity and consistency has been largely lost on my blogging experience. Some weeks or months see a good number of blog posts. Then all of a sudden everything dries up. There are no words and there are no posts. So, this blog experiment is an act of discipline for me. Writing every single day, even if it’s not very good, it doesn’t matter. I am going to discipline myself to put something out: Every. Single. Day.
The second reason is that I am intrigued by the Google+ platform. I have been reading some articles about how Google+ could be a game changer in the realm of blogging and social networking. There have been a number of guys who have committed fully to the platform and even some who have left the world of traditional blogging to blog only on Google+. They have found that engagement was significantly higher as a result. So, I am going to compare engagement at Google+ with that of the Tumblr platform.
Finally, 28 Posts in 28 Days is going to force me to slow down, process, and create. Human beings are created in the image of God. As image bearers we only experience our full humanness when we create. I don’t paint or build things. But, I have always enjoyed the creative process of writing. I remember being in Mrs. Kramer’s fifth grade class and writing an epic science fiction story. It was the first time I remember actually creating something. Ever since then I have loved writing. So, for 28 days I will write and seek to live out who I am as an image bearer of God.
Those are the “why’s”. I hope you consider coming along for the journey.
What is a Human Being?
A commenter here at the blog said that, “A human being is a poorly organized mistake that couldn’t be destroyed because matter can’t be destroyed.” Is that all we are? Is to be a human simply to be a living mistake that can’t be destroyed? Isn’t there more to being a human being than this? That’s what we explored Tuesday night at The Corner Brewery.
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It’s Me, Not You
I told Amy last night that I was taking a break from Facebook. I will drop links and such onto my account because there are things that are linked to Facebook but, I won’t really be there. I love Facebook Messenger and the ability it provides to communicate easily with people who I can’t text. I really dig our neighborhood Facebook group, so I will check in on those.
But, the app is off my phone and tablet. I removed the quick link from Chrome.
A friend asked why?
It’s me. Not you.
One of the things I noticed happening in me this weekend was how quickly annoyed I became whenever I bounced into Facebook. I reflected a lot during the day on Sunday about this (I vacuumed the house so I could just check out to think and pray) and I realized that the problem is my own heart.
Ever since launching the Antioch Movement there have been these moments when we experience these little frustrations that seem to create more frustration than needed. They create in me an edge or angst. Stress is part of it. Being tired is part of it. I think some emptiness is part of it.
I need to be able to love people really well. I need to have my love reservoirs full and I am finding that Facebook depletes those. I know that sounds really weird. But it’s true.
Like I said, it’s me, not you.
So, if I don’t respond to your post on my wall, don’t be offended, I just didn’t see it. If your comment on that article posted goes unliked, it’s OK, remember it’s me not you. I am off to engage elsewhere where there’s a bit more flesh and blood and a bit less 1’s and 0’s.
Don’t worry cute pictures of the Beast and Princess will still come through thanks to Instagram, stuff I’m reading will find its way there through Feedly, and Foursquare will probably help you find me.
I will be writing over at http://theantiochmovement.org and here at http://media.danielmrose.com.
But, it’s time for me to take a break. We’ll see what happens in a month. Enjoy this from an album I am enjoying today, this son in particular nearly had me in tears in the coffee shop: http://youtu.be/l3YFmpSFJ40
So my Facebook friends, remember: It’s me, not you.
Good Leader? Bad Leader?
The country is in the midst of a government shut down. The world is seemingly on the edge of multiple wars at all times. There are really big issues facing our world today in just about every aspect of life. So it is at times like this that we ask the question, “What is a good leader?”
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Who Matters?
Take this little quiz (don’t cheat)…
- Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
- Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
- Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
- Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
- Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
- Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies…
Awards tarnish…
Achievements are forgotten…
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners….
Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
- List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
- Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
- Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
- Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
- Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money…or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most.
h/t Kenny Rose
Faith My Eyes
As we cast this vision we get many questions and many of them I can’t really answer. I have come to the conclusion that is OK. I don’t have to be able to answer every question.
Why? That’s a great question.
I think it’s OK because at some point in this process we have to yield to faith and trust. We have to believe that God is serious when he makes promises in his scriptures. He means it when he says that he will care for us. It seems to me that we have to come to the place where we can rest on the reality of his promises.
Contrary to my boy Stuart Smalley:
I am not good enough (just ask my kids and bride). I am not smart enough (just ask anyone that hangs out with me). And, if I am really honest with myself “people” don’t necessarily like me.
No, the truth of the matter is that if any of this is to come to pass it will be because the Creator God will have lavished his grace on the community that he is sending us too. This means that faith must be our eyes.
The End Is Now
As I enter into this new stage of life I am realizing that I am about to embark on something unique. For the first time in my life I am the one who has to slow down and listen to God to determine what the ‘end’ is and how he intends to get us there.
I think that he is saying that the ‘end’ is ‘now’.
As our family steps out into this adventure of launching a movement we will begin with the end in mind. What do we want this movement to be? Do we want a large worship gathering to be our end?
No.
We want a movement that is engaged in their spheres of influence as representatives of Jesus. We want a community of people who are multiplying their lives and launching new movements in places we have not yet dreamed of going.
Everything we do will towards this end.
Everything.
More on that some other time…
Movement? Huh!?
I was in a great conversation with some friends the other day talking about The Antioch Movement. One of them asked me, “So you’re the lead church planter?” I responded, “Lead movement launcher.”
The next question was money, “Why not a church?”
So if you’re planting a church the end goal is to have, well, a church. A building or something, the focus becomes the Sunday gathering. We are going to try and build a movement that is reproducible and sustainable. The end goal is not the Sunday gathering, but to launch movements into the fourth generation and beyond. The “church” is a means for the expansion of the kingdom and not an end in itself.
Everything we are going to do will be toward that end. So, I am not a “pastor” or “planter” but a “trainer” of “trainers”, if you will, and at the beginning a “launcher”.
A quality response was forthcoming, “But the Bible has words for that, church and pastor. Why not use those words instead of movement and trainer?”
Fair enough. However, sometimes words lose their meaning. I think they have. When people talk of “church” they think of a building. That is not church. Pastor, is only one of the offices laid out in Ephesians 4, apostle, prophet, evangelist, being the others. I would probably prefer apostle, but that word brings along weird baggage. These words: movement and trainer; I think, embody the concepts that Scripture teaches better. I think that we can use different words for clarity. Ekklesia is probably not best translated “church ”, it is probably best translated, “called out ones”, that is clunky, so we use church, I think movement better communicates the idea of Ekklesia.
That’s why I use these words, very intentionally.
I am also realizing that part of why I want to use these words is to have this very conversation. When we say “church” or “pastor” everyone assumes they know what those words mean. But, the Antioch Movement wants to redefine them and restore them to the kind of radical apostolic vision that they once had. We also want to level the playing field. For too long in Western Christendom we have put men on pedestals. Men with M.Div’s and D.Mins and PhDs. We call them “pastor” or “reverend” and we the church turn over the responsibility of faithfully building the kingdom to them.
In the Antioch Movement we want to embrace the reality that all of us are members of a royal priesthood. We want to level the playing field so that men and women are leading out in faith engaging a world of people who are far from God. We want to build a movement of representatives for Jesus, ambassadors, who are imploring those around them to be reconciled to God.
I am so grateful for these guys who press me and ask these hard questions. They are bringing clarity of mind and focus to something that God has been stirring up in me. Thanks fellas!
The Antioch Movement
This Sunday we shared with our community at Grace Chapel that God is calling us to follow Him to Ypsilanti, MI. It’s been a two year process of God pushing, pulling, and prodding. We have had to look, listen, live, and learn.
Ever since we joined the staff of CRU I have been dreaming about a movement in a college town that mobilized the whole community. Now, God has opened the way for us to engage in this dream.
What would it look like for representatives of Jesus to live together in community and invite people far from God to join them?
Hopefully, The Antioch Movement.
In Acts 11 we meet the church at Antioch. It goes like this,
Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it — quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master.
22–24 When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit’s ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master.
I love that in Antioch we have the gospel being proclaimed to the Gentiles as well as Jews. It was intentionally inter-cultural.
But that’s not the end of the Antioch story (Acts 13)…
1–2 The congregation in Antioch was blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and teachers:
Barnabas, Simon, nicknamed Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, an advisor to the ruler Herod, Saul. One day as they were worshiping God — they were also fasting as they waited for guidance — the Holy Spirit spoke: “Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called them to do.”
3 So they commissioned them. In that circle of intensity and obedience, of fasting and praying, they laid hands on their heads and sent them off.
The original Antioch movement sent laborers. They did so freely. They did so because they had heard the Spirit call them. The Antioch Movement in Ypsilanti will send laborers too.
What it look like for a movement to multiply every two to three years?
Hopefully, it will look like The Antioch Movement.
I think that Amy and I are hearing the Spirit calling us. We are going to go. We are going to dive into the life and community of Ypsilanti. Soon enough we will be trusting God to sell our home and provide a new one.
But, before we do, there is much work to be done at Grace Chapel. It’s going to be amazing and fun to push hard these next few months to continue to pour out our lives at Grace. To continue to dive even deeper and trust God for even greater things there. God is not done with us at Grace and while we are excited for the next horizon, we don’t want to miss the beauty that is present in the sunset.