Plant and water the seeds—and trust God for the increase.

By Jim Sheppard & Patrick Johnson

Churches may be taking a hit from the economy, but there is still much that can be done to generate a culture of generosity. Here are five specific field-tested ideas (in no particular order):

1. Be a generous leader
Generous churches are led by generous pastors and leaders. You can’t take people where you haven’t been—especially in the area of finances, which so often gets a bad rap in the church context.

Chris Willard of Leadership Network’s Generous Church Leadership Community notes, “I’ve seen generous pastors without a generous church, but you cannot have a generous church without a generous pastor.” Indeed, generous giving should be a characteristic of your entire leadership team.

Jimmy Seibert of Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas is an example of a pastor who really practices this principle. He and his wife Laura have given sacrificially for more than 20 years and their life example of biblical generosity and God’s provision are known by both church leaders and members alike. One member of Jimmy’s church recently told him, “I give because I see you give. That’s what motivates me.”

A key question to ask yourself as the church leader is, “If everyone in my church gave like I do, would that be a good thing for the Kingdom?”

2. Adopt generosity as a core value
An excellent example of this is Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, TN. Around three years ago, the elders were struggling with the question of whether to do another capital campaign to fund expansion. Like many churches, they found that a campaign motivated people for a short season but had very little lasting impact on most of their members’ giving.

After much prayer, the church felt like God was calling them to adopt generosity as a core value of the church and to call all people to “raise the tide” of generosity at their church to what they deemed the “training wheels of giving,” the traditional tithe of 10 percent.

The church developed a campaign known as “G3″ (generational, global, generous) but instead of calling for a three-year pledge, the church called every steward to raise their giving by one percent per year until the average giving of the congregation based on per member projected income reached ten percent.

At the start of G3, the average giving per member at Brentwood annually was 4.6 percent. Over three years, per-member giving increased by 19.1 percent. The church estimates that if it can reach its goal within ten years, it will be able to build out all of its campus, pay off all existing debt, and give over 70 million away to Kingdom work globally.

3. Focus on the Gospel
Giving must be connected to the Gospel. Plans for ministry expansion must be a logical extension of God’s vision for the way your church should carry out the Gospel. Any project that does not meet these criteria will not connect in the hearts of your people and, as a result, will not connect with their treasure either. There must be a clear explanation of how anything you are asking them to fund—be it buildings, programs, or people—will help accomplish the ultimate goal of helping lost and hurting people.

“A culture of generosity emerges out of a culture of the Gospel,” says Pastor Leo Schuster (Christ the King Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX), “People give when their hearts are melted by the overwhelming gift of God’s love and grace.”

4. Reach stewards uniquely
The cornerstone of a generous culture is stewardship education. Pastor Scott Ridout of Sun Valley Community Church in Arizona explains, “One of the greatest paradigm shifters I see among my people when it comes to financial faithfulness and generosity is this simple principle: God owns it all. When they begin to grasp this, things change.”

And it’s important to recognize the different types of stewards in your church and minister to them uniquely. Patrick Johnson, vice president of Church Services at The National Christian Foundation says, “Most churches are made up of three types of stewards—scarce, stable and surplus stewards—and as the current economy proves, individuals could find themselves in a different category at any time.”

Remember, it’s not about what you want from your people, but what you want for them. Here’s an overview of Johnson’s three categories of givers:

* Scarce stewards—Whether it’s poor habits, poor choices, or a background of poverty, these members usually need immediate help. While it’s essential to address their current needs, it’s equally important to uncover the heart issues that are at the root of many financial woes. Debt has endangered many normal middle-class families to the point of scarcity. That’s why many churches provide financial counseling through lay volunteers while using Scriptural small group stewardship studies such as Crown Financial Ministries , Good $ense, or Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University to teach basic biblical principles regarding money.

* Stable stewards—David Wills, President of The National Christian Foundation, says the needs of stable stewards should not be overlooked, especially in the coming years as baby boomers grow older. David says, “We are in for the greatest transfer of wealth America has ever known, and most of it will be from average families who have never made more than $80,000 a year. As strong supporters of their church during life, churches could be the main beneficiaries of the wealth that stable stewards pass on. But they have to be educated on how to continue their legacy of giving to their church after life.” Good sources to help in this area include Kingdom Advisors and The National Christian Foundation.

* Surplus stewards—While it seems that those without are in precarious situations, those entrusted with much could be in the most danger—for the power of wealth is one of the greatest temptations of all. Pastors often overlook the needs of wealthier members because they don’t want to show preferential treatment but they are in need of genuine ministry.

Pleasant Valley Church in Kansas City takes groups of surplus stewards every year to a special conference designed for high capacity givers by Generous Giving . Todd Harper, Vice President of Generous Giving explains, “It’s an eye-opening experience for high capacity givers to see hundreds of other givers with similar struggles and opportunities. And it’s often a big surprise when they have the opportunity to meet someone who gives more than they do.”

Pleasant Valley follows the Generous Giving conference with a Crown Financial Ministries’ Special Edition study. This ten-week small group study addresses unique high-capacity giving needs such as wealth transfer, charitable planning, and determining a “financial finish line.”

5. Put your money where your mission is
Communicating mission and vision goes beyond printing your mission statement in the bulletin. The main problem is that churches aren’t clearly connecting their mission with the daily programs of the church. For example, if your mission is, “passionately reaching out to unbelievers,” that should be clearly represented in the budget. Does your spending match your words?

Remember to apply this principle to generosity itself. How much is in the budget to encourage generosity? What are you spending to encourage healthy giving vs. keeping track of how the money is spent?

If people understand what their church is about, where it is going, and how it plans to get there—most often they will choose to be part of the financial engine that makes it happen.

For example, Community Christian Church in Illinois held a special campaign in February 2009 called Celebration Generosity. Pastor Dave Ferguson led his congregation through this four-week generosity experience, which culminated in an offering where they gave away the entire amount to four missional causes outside the church.

The offering was more than $400,000—four times their regular weekly offering and by far the largest single offering they have ever received. Dave says, “Each and every one of those dollars will be used toward our 4 Teams effort to reach the 20 percent of the world living in poverty and the 67 percent of those who have yet to find their way back to God.”

The bottom-line
In trying times, the world needs the church like never before. More than any other cause in your community, your church can be a steady beacon of hope as the environment around you grows more and more restless. Your neighbors may be driven to their most open spiritual moments in years due to personal financial stress.

It is a terrible price to miss this rare opportunity to minister to them because your church lacked the financial means to do it. No matter what size or shape your church might be, what’s happening in your pulpit will always be more important than what’s happening on Wall Street.

The good news is that the secret to a recession-proof church most likely lies within your influence. Like the pastors in the examples cited in this article, there are important factors at work in a church that you and your lay leaders can use to create a culture of generosity in your church.

This article was adapted and first appeared in the download, “Recession-Ready Church” on our sister site, BuildingChurchLeaders.com.

Jim Sheppard serves as CEO of Generis, a consulting firm that provides counsel to churches and religious organizations in the areas of generosity and stewardship. 

Patrick Johnson is Sr. VP of Church Services at The National Christian Foundation and co-author with Gordon MacDonald of the 30-day devotional, Generosity. 

 If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards” (Matthew 7:25-27 MSG).

I watched the little tike as he built his sand castle with great care and pride on the beach shore.  He must have been 5 years old.  Just as he was putting the finishing touches on his castle wall, a large boat pulling a wake boarder cruised by just a stones throw out from the shore.  Within seconds the waves hit the shore and wiped out the boy’s sand masterpiece.  And he ran to his mommy in tears.

Life went on for this little boy.  He soon got over the destruction of his sand castle and was soon laughing on the playground minutes later.

Unfortunately, many of us never completely grow out of the foolish practice of building fragile castles in the sand.  Jesus is well aware of the many storms and crashing waves that no doubt come our way.  So, he instructs us to build our lives on the firm foundation of his teachings.  As we apply his truth to our lives we make our lives into a strong, sturdy house where the Holy Spirit dwells.  Those who don’t apply Jesus’ teachings to their lives make their life into a fragile sand castle — an easy target for the next waves that comes ashore.

This past Wednesday was our final Wednesday night Fusion gathering of the school year.  In other words, my last chance to challenge our teens before they disperse for the summer to face all the challenges the world will throw at them.  My challenge to our group involved 3 points:

1. MAKE SOMETHING THAT LASTS.  While it is good to relax and take a vacation, summer doesn’t need to be a giant “waste of time.”  I challenged our students to “make something of your summer.”  Do something that will have a lasting impact: make a new friend, go on a mission or adventure trip, learn a new skill, get out of your comfort zone, serve at the Food Outreach, read the Bible more often.  Make something that will last.

2. BUILD ON THE ROCK, NOT SAND.  We spent the entire Fusion year studying the teachings of Jesus.  I reminded students of Jesus’ strong warning that “if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter.”  Ouch!  Sharp warning.  Now is the time to put these things into practice and build upon Christ and not the quick sand of the world’s ways.

3. HELP THOSE SINKING IN THE SAND.  I challenged students to be on the look out for their friends and peers who will no doubt be making choices that will leave them sinking in the world’s quick sand.  We need to recognize those sinking all around us and go and be the hands and feet of Jesus, helping pull them out of the mess they’re in.  Jesus didn’t stand self-righteously on the sidelines judging those who are foolishly building in the sand.  He jumped into the sand with them and came underneath them in love, forgiveness, service and grace.

So, let’s all take Jesus at his word and build our lives on the rock this summer and go after all those all around us who are sinking in the sand.  Remember that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). 

Most individuals, churches, denominations, pastors, teachers, and movements tend to choose one over the other — or at least emphasize one at the expense of the other. My own journey has been one of sliding back and forth from one extreme to the other. I think I’m learning how to keep both held in an appropriate tension these days….but it’s always a fragile balance with many necessary “reality checks.”

I went through a TRUTH season where I was banging people over the head with my Bible trying to get them to understand the truth — but I was missing grace in the process.

Before that I had gone through a GRACE season where it was all about love, acceptance, and singing cumbaya — but I lacked a conviction for the truth about sin, judgment, the urgency of reaching lost people, living according to God’s standard as revealed in scripture, etc.

One thing that has helped me keep this balance is to broaden the theological and church circles I run in and learn from. I read Brian McLaren and Francis Chan; I listen to sermons by John Piper and Greg Boyd; I have pastoral mentors who are both evangelical and more moderate mainline; I’ve served in a Methodist church and evangelical churches; I’m inspired by the lives of Shane Claiborne and Chuck Colson, Mother Teresa and Billy Graham. And so on.

Andy Stanley sums it up extremely well…

Here’s a reposting of a message I gave to the Confirmation class in 2009.  

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28″Lord, if it’s you,” Peterreplied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

(Matthew 14:22-32)

Dear Confirmands:

This familiar story, which most of you have heard many times, is not to be toyed with or passed over lightly.  This story has been preserved and passed down for centuries just FOR YOU today.  This morning you are not just a curious bystander, a casual observer or a detached reader of this story. This morning YOU are in the boat with the disciples, feeling the wind against your face and the splashing of the waves against your skin.  Jesus is approaching YOU on the stormy waters and YOU will have the opportunity to either join Peter as he takes that bold step of faith off the ledge of the boat or whether you’ll remain a mere passenger in the boat.

This situation you now find yourself in this story presents you with at least seven considerations as you prepare for Confirmation Sunday.

1. The Boat as an image for the Church. The boat is a powerful picture of Christ’s followers all gathered together in one place, passing through the stormy waters of life and protected by the powerful presence of the God who has control over all the storms of life.

2. Most of us are “put into the boat” (v. 22) by our parents as children. Most of you didn’t originally choose to be in this boat, to be part of this church.  You are here today with us whether you wanted to be or not.  That will soon change.  Soon you will make your own choice.

3. Just because you’re in the boat doesn’t mean you know Jesus (vv. 26-27). Notice that the disciples don’t recognize Jesus when he passes by them.  Do you think the church has ever missed Jesus as he passes by because he didn’t look like we expected (“It’s a ghost!” they said.)?  Do we know Jesus well enough to recognize him and his presence among us today?

4. There’s a world of difference between (a) being in the boat (i.e., going to church) and (b) stepping out in faith and depending on Jesus (vv. 28-29). Confirmation Sunday places you out on the ledge of the boat and, like Peter, you must decide if you really trust Jesus enough to take the next bold step of faith.  Will you choose to experience the miraculous by stepping out onto the waters?  Do you want to live a life of radical, risky obedience?  Or do you want to live safely and comfortably — just kicking back and enjoying the warm, dry, comfortable “boat ride” with your friends?  Are you going to be a disciple or boat dweller?

5. Real, authentic Christianity is “Sink or swim” (vv. 30-31). You can fake your faith quite easily inside the boat (“playing church” on Sundays).  Yet, once you step out onto the risky waters of total dependance on God you will need to put into practice all of the “swimming strokes” (Bible knowledge & spiritual disciplines) you have learned in Confirmation class.  You must really trust the “life-preserving” God who calls you out of the boat.  If not, the world that is in opposition to Christ will sink you.  When you finally step off the ledge, it is sink or swim!

6. Even faithful disciples doubt but Jesus saves (vv. 30-31)! Good news: If you DO choose to get out of the boat and follow Jesus, you will still have doubts and start to sink from time to time, but Jesus will always pull you back up.  Even Jesus’ most passionate and courageous disciple still had doubts and fear.  Stepping off the ledge requires FAITH, not certainty or fearlessness.

7. Truly making Jesus your Lord will lead to authentic worship (vv. 32-33). We will not experience the power of God in our lives until we come to the end of ourselves.  We will not walk on water until we leave the safety of our own boats.  Do you really want to experience God’s miraculous provision? Then jump out of the safety of the boat and take a risk for God!  When God shows up in power and you glimpse His presence  and protection, rescuing you from your own storm, you will be moved to authentic worship and praise! (“Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”)

Let me close with a contemporary “pirated version” of one of Jesus’ most demanding yet transforming discipleship challenges.  Jesus famously said, “If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross every day, and follow me” (Luke 9:16). In more pirate lingo, in keeping with our boat scene with you standing nervously on the ledge of the boat staring Jesus in the face, he says to you: “If you want to really own your faith, and be a real follower and not just a fair-weather “boat passenger” then you must walk this plank voluntarily, step off the edge and trust that I’ll keep you afloat.”

Confirmation Sunday is here.  I encourage each of you to step out onto the ledge, look Jesus in the eyes and walk the plank!

MainStreet’s MERGE forums strive to provide a public venue for believers, skeptics and seekers to have open discussion on some of faith’s toughest questions such as “Did Jesus really rise from the dead?” or “How could a loving God allow so much evil and suffering?” or “Is the Bible trustworthy?”

Join us this Friday at the Depot at Mound Bay Park at 7PM for refreshments, live music featuring Rich Larson and Mike Poukey, and a presentation and Q&A on our evening’s hot topic: “Resurrection: Historical Fact or Religious Myth?”

Invite your friends!

What – a – life. What – a – legacy.

I was especially draw to the early break-through years for Billy in the late 40s and 50s. Many of us think of the internationally respected Billy of his later years.  But there was a time when Billy Graham was a nobody. I’m drawn to the faith and boldness that led him and his entourage to first step out and begin holding evangelistic rallies back in the old days.

Would anyone turn out?  Would they invest money and advertising, spend thousands on setting up big tents in Los Angeles and have no one show up?  Would his message (more fiery and intense in his earlier days) have any impact on the modern minds skeptical of this traveling preacher?

Before his career as a traveling evangelist, Billy was a young, scared Bible student yet to preach his first sermon. I loved the story of his very first preaching experience in 1937 as a 19 year old. The Dean of his school volunteered him to fill the pulpit of a backwoods little Baptist church in Bostwick Florida. Billy was up in a cold sweat the night before, running over his 4 prepared sermons.  Each sermon he suspected could last 25 minutes or so.

His debut was a humiliating disaster. He breezed through his sermon so fast that it only lasted 2 minutes. He went on to the next and the same thing.  After he had preached through the notes on all four sermons, only 8 minutes had gone by. He sat down thinking to himself, “I’m never doing that again!”

Well, I read this story sitting by the pool in Florida and wondered where this church was where Billy preached his first sermon. On Friday Keri and I went on a pilgrimage to find it. The church is still there, looks much the same on the outside, and they even put up a historical marker outside last year!

As someone who has also had his share of humiliating preaching experiences but continue to press on in obedience to God’s call, this was a wonderfully inspiring week with Billy Graham.

This is a mystery for sure. But when “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14) we were given a glimpse of what it looks like when a human being lives in perfect oneness with the Triune Godhead. This is the One who said: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does” (John 5:19).

Before Jesus left this earth to return to the Father he prayed a most majestic prayer on behalf of his followers. His famous prayer is recorded in John 17:

I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17: 20-23).

No image better captures the essence of Jesus’ prayer for his followers than a DANCE. Jesus prays for unity and oneness. “I in them and you in me”, “that they may be one as we are one”, “just as you are in me and I am in you” and so on. The complete unity with the Father and Spirit that the obedient Son of God demonstrated is to be our model for our lives with others. We are to dance in perfect unity, in perfect stride with the Father and to the God-beat of the Kingdom dance Jesus’ taught us. As we achieve this God-empowered, Spirit-led unity with one another and God the onlooking world will believe and join in the Dance.

A point that must be underscored here is that the Christian life is a communal life.  The Christian experience is a shared experience. The Father’s Song can only be sang in a choir of unified voices and the Kingdom dance can only be danced with partners. The Bible leaves no trace of a private faith or lone-ranger Christian life.  Just as one person cannot sing a duet, so also a lone Christian cannot perform the Father’s Song by him or herself.

Paul captures this goal of unified interdependency in his image of the human body:

By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything…The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t.” (1 Cor 12 The Message)

This profound truth — that central to our public witness for reaching others with the gospel of salvation and restoration is the unity we share — amplifies the deep sadness we should feel about all of the infighting and division present within God’s universal Church. There is nothing more grievous among Christians than division among brothers and sisters within the Body.  That’s why there is also nothing more admirable and Christlike than when people seek forgiveness and reconciliation with one another. This, too, displays the beauty of The Father’s Song to the onlooking world.  The sounds of healing, reconciliation, forgiveness and love toward those who have wronged us is rare in the world, and there is no sweeter note in all The Father’s Song.

So, we see here in Jesus’ prayer and the community-centered writings of Paul that The Father’s Song is a corporate experience aimed at inviting more and more participants into the dance of divine grace.  And it is only by His grace that we’ll ever become a choir capable of singing a “stunning anthem” to God. In Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Paul:

“May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!” (Romans 15:3)

As the OT comes to a close, God’s plan to bring a tone-deaf and clumsy footed people back into the harmonious rhythms of The Father’s Song seems a giant failure. If only these notes on a page could become music in one’s ear.  If only someone could learn to play each note perfectly, perhaps the world would be irresistibly drawn to the music and join in the chorus. If only someone could breathe life into the sheet music and make it dance like those dry bones did in Ezekiel’s vision. If only the Word, God’s very wisdom, power and purposes, could become flesh and dwell among us.

Enter Jesus.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  This shocking statement brings us to the climactic point of “The Father’s Song” survey of the Bible.

Jesus came to live among us as The Father’s Song incarnate. Jesus came as the fulfillment of the Law — God’s written will perfectly accomplished in his life. Jesus did what Israel had failed to do so many times: he lived is entire life in perfect step with his Father.  He danced with the Spirit. He sang harmonies with the Father. His life sang an irresistible song and all who came within earshot turned to listen and often joined his Kingdom dance.

Jesus strongly castigated the Scribes and Pharisees because they obsessed over the written details of the Law but didn’t seem to live it out in a way that brought life to others. In other words, they studied the sheet music day and night but never got around to pulling their instruments out and making music with it.  Paul knows that Law must become more than letters (or, musical notes) on a page: “[God] has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3: 6). And so Jesus came not to trash God’s Holy Sheet Music but to perform it perfectly for all to see and hear. In his words, “Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17).

So Jesus danced the Kingdom Dance wherever he went.  Jesus sang The Father’s Song with every act of lovingkindness, every healing he performed, every demon he cast out, every sermon he preached, every prayer he prayed. People took notice. The crowds loved what they saw and heard and so many followed.

But don’t take my word for it.  I wasn’t there. But John had a front row seat as the Son of God incarnate performed his 4 year rendition of the Father’s Song in the presence of he and his eleven friends:

“From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!” (1 John 1:4)

When the Word became flesh, the Father’s Song was heard around the world. And still today, when those “with ears to hear” get just a taste of “infinite Life of God” available to us through Christ by the Spirit, we cannot help but tell others about it and invite them into the Dance of the Triune God set to the irresistible rhythms of the Father’s Song.

Thank you Jesus for bringing the Father’s Song to life and inviting us to join in the Dance!  Now may we be moved to share this joyful dance with others!

I bought Chris Isaak’s Forever Blue album back in ’95 when I was 16-years old.  Every single track is a tale of romantic woe, heartache and a hopeless outlook on love.  Isaac’s matchless Elvis-Orbison-like voice and soothing acoustic guitar makes this otherwise painfully depressing collection of songs enjoyable.  My friend, Peter, is still upset a decade and a half later that I made him listen to the entire album start to finish in my car as part of his “healing” the night he broke up with his girlfriend.  I thought it would provide some solace and sympathy reminding him he wasn’t alone.  He claims it was pure torture and only threw salt on his wounded heart.

The stars have all stopped shining,
the sun just won’t break through.
Each days the same, more clouds more rain.
You’re left forever blue.

(Chris Isaak, Forever Blue)

On second thought, maybe he was right.

Unfaithful lovers.  Wounded hearts.  Longing and regret. Fighting and forgiveness.  Pain and sorrow.  Long, lonely nights. All core elements of a good break-up song and all part of the universal human experience — going back thousands of years by the way. As we continue our melodious trek through the Bible, tracing the theme of The Father’s Song, we come now to the books of the prophets of Israel.  

The prophetic books of the Bible are filled with emotional outpouring.  Every mood is captured.  Still I believe we are not too far off base to call the prophetic books the “country break-up songs” of the Hebrew tradition.  Over and over God is portrayed as the Wounded Lover chasing after his unfaithful bride, Israel, who keeps running after other lovers.  Philip Yancey’s well-known description captures this image well:

“The powerful image of a jilted lover explains why, in his speeches to the prophets, God seems to “change his mind” every few seconds. He is preparing to obliterate Israel — wait, now he is weeping, holding out open arms — no, he is sternly pronouncing judgment again.  Those shifting moods seem hopelessly irrational, except to anyone who has been jilted by a lover.  The words of the prophets sound like the words of a lovers’ quarrel drifting through thin apartment walls” (Philip Yancey, Disappointment With God, p. 99).

Like a junior high girl delivering her friend’s break-up note to the poor boy at his locker, so the prophets serve as the unlucky messenger bringing tension-filled, heart-felt words back and forth between God to unfaithful Israel.  Hearts are broken. Love is betrayed. Tempers flare and tears flow. Forgiveness and reconciliation hang in the balance.  Israel’s collection of break-up songs sound a lot like today’s sad country songs except for the stereotypical rusty trucks, booze and dying dogs.

The prophet Hosea is a living parable of God’s strained relationship with unfaithful Israel permeating the prophets.  Hosea is told by God to marry Gomer, an unfaithful wife, and to continue to lavish his love on her despite her adulterous ways.  Through Hosea God sings forth his broken-hearted song of betrayal but with a hopeful twist in the tail:

She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
she will look for them but not find them.
Then she will say,  ’I will go back to my husband as at first,
for then I was better off than now.’

I will punish her for the days
she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but me she forgot,”
declares the LORD.

“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.

I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.

I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.

– Hosea 2

Yes, The Father’s Song is not without it’s southern twang and somber notes.  Like Chris Isaak after a devastating break-up, or Patsy Cline on a cold, lonely walk after midnight, or Alanis Morrisett after a heated argument, the prophets refuse to sugar coat the messy, complicated nature of the relationship between God and wayward human beings.  They speak with raw, gut-level honesty to the incriminating truth that we are the one’s who are in the wrong, we are the one’s who “started it”, we are the ones who are guilty of unfaithfulness, and we are the one’s running out the door rather than facing our Lover and working out the problem.

Yet, contrary to the message of Chris Isaak, the prophetic blues do not leave the listener without reason for hope.  In the ever-changing, still-unfolding song of God there is no reason anyone should remain forever blue.  Brighter days lie ahead.  As we leave the Old Testament and move into the New, we shall see that The Father’s Song, while filled with many ups and downs, has an upward trajectory that the attentive ear will anticipate.  The Father’s Song is a love song at it’s core, and as we shall soon see it ends not with a messy break-up but with a joyous wedding banquet and song.

But we must not get too far ahead of ourselves.

“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”  So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God” (Acts 18).

Don’t tell me God doesn’t still speak today. He does. The way he most powerfully speaks to us today is through His Word by the Spirit. One of the most significant words God ever gave me was to bring to my mind a promise he gave to Paul when he was trying to minister in Corinth.

In Acts 18, Paul was scared, facing no little opposition, and growing discouraged as he tried to establish a church of believers in this city. I can relate. God had called me back home to Mound in 2005 to start my own ministry and community of Jesus followers. More than a year had passed since I said ‘Yes’ and started ministry in Mound. Sometime in the summer of 2006 I was discouraged, afraid, doubting and ready to throw in the towel. The vision God had given me for a vital new youth ministry was simply not materializing. God had given me a vision of a crowd of teens attending a music event and hearing about Jesus. One year in and we were still a group of about 6 youth meeting in my basement.

In this hopeless state of mind, I went on a walk one night. I remember like it was yesterday, walking slowly behind the Memorial Garden at Bethel Methodist Church on Tonkawood Road. “Oh, God, help me!”  I was a walking example of Romans 8:26: “ The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”  God knew just what my heart’s cry was that night.  I was so alone. Feeling such a heavy burden to reach an entire school’s youth with a fresh vision for what it means to follow Jesus today, I was collapsing under the weigh of it. I needed co-laborers for help me realize this vision.  I needed people to help hold my arms up when they got tired.

I needed to know that I was not the only servant of God in this city.

Somehow I was given this word from Acts 18.  Originally given to Paul, these words were now pressed upon my heart with fresh meaning meant just for me that dark night on Tonkawood Road in Mound: “Jeremy,  do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and . . . . I have many people in this city.” And like Paul, I stayed in Mound another year and a half involved in the most exciting, ground breaking youth ministry of my life with the Revolution.  I could name the names of all “God’s people” he brought along side me “for such a time as this.”

I have now repeated this same experience the past two years in starting MainStreet Covenant Church in Mound.  Keri and I set out on this adventure with another big vision — birthing a new community of faith — with nobody but ourselves. Lonely. Unbearably lonely.  The weight on our shoulders even heavier — as now we had more people investing financially in our efforts.

I had a list of 100 or so local friends, family and acquaintances that we hoped would jump immediately on board and help us start the church.  About 90% of these folks never took an interest. For months we struggled to build a strong enough team to move forward. There were months spent with a group of 12 or so faithful disciples gathered in small, cramped quarters — praying, dreaming, trusting, doubting and asking God to build His church. These folks have experienced first hand what Abraham experienced as he “did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised” (Rom. 4:20-21). We were joined together in believing in “the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not” (4:17). It was faith-stretching. Some grew weary and moved on.

Again, God kept whispering to me, “Jeremy, do not be afraid; keep pressing on — for I have many people in this city.”  We have been blessed to meet many of these people God has set apart for us.  I could easily list their names here.  But we still continue to pray urgently that God’s OTHER people will show up at MainStreet to join the mission and push it to new heights!  We’re only just beginning.

So, are you one of these people God has set aside “for such a time as this”?

Another year and a half has passed since God gave me that word again.  This time I’m one-upping Paul — and sticking around for a while….until God says ‘Mission Accomplished’ or calls me home.

“People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.”

-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, Swiss-American psychiatrist and author

One thing is for sure: These dancers are completely absorbed in and focused intently on the music that is moving them so purposefully and elegantly across the dance floor.

Now, contrast this image with another one.  Step into your local bookstore, Dentist office, hotel lobby or elevator and you will likely hear soft, inconspicuous background music setting the mood.  Background music serves a completely different role than the music on Dancing With the Stars.  Rather than being swept up, taken over and moved to and fro by elevator music, it’s intended purpose is merely to provide a splash of ambience and atmosphere.  It holds little influence or power, it simply adds a touch of sound to fill the silence.

By the time we reach David’s son and successor to Israel’s throne, King Solomon, The Father’s Song would seem to be serving more and more as background, elevator music in these bumpy narratives.  Solomon, in particular, is a case in point.  He is clearly endowed by God with great capacity for wisdom, composing some 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. He is credited for writing the Song of Songs, the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.  ”People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him” (1 Kings 10:24 ). Yet, if we look at the lifestyle he led and personal choices he made, it seems fair to conclude that Solomon wasn’t focused intently on nor swept up in the rhythms of The Father’s Song.  His mixed legacy leads one to believe rather that he merely let The Father’s Song provide some pleasant, religious and inspirational background music in his life.

Solomon’s life, much like David, was a tale of conflicting tunes.  He was a God-fearing man on the one hand, leading the building of the Holy Temple.  ”God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore” (1Kings 4:29). He spoke 3,000 proverbs and his songs numbered 1,005. He was blessed extravagantly by God with abundant wealth and political success.  1 Kings states that he owned 12,000 horses with horsemen and 1,400 chariots. On the other hand, his downfall came in his old age. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  He had taken many foreign wives, whom he allowed to worship other gods. He even built shrines for the sacrifices of his foreign wives. Within Solomon’s kingdom, he placed heavy taxation on the people, who became bitter.

I picture King Solomon living a lavish and luxurious life, constantly busy writing wisdom books and philosophical treatises, leading building campaigns and conducting international business with foreign neighbors, all while The Father’s Song faded ever more into the background of his busy life.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1 Kings 11:4).

His heart was captured by foreign songs and his life grew more and more out of sync with The Father’s Song.

Whenever I write, I like to turn some classical music on quietly in the background of my study to help set the mood.  It does not inform my thoughts, influence my emotions or move my body.  It merely provides an aura of sophistication and fills the empty silence.

The question that keeps me on my toes is this: Does The Father’s Song guide and direct the steps and inform the main movements and decisions of my life?  Or is it just background elevator music adding a touch of spirituality and a religious flavor to an otherwise self-directed life?

By God’s grace the ancient “Favorites Playlist” of Israel has been preserved for us in the 150 song collection we call the Psalms.  We have in the middle of our Bibles essentially the iPod of the ancient Israelite people.  This collection of 150 songs includes hymns for holy days, community laments, individual laments, songs of pious persons, thank-offering songs, royal songs and more.  They were written by the community and for the community of Israel.  Many are attributed to individuals such as David and Asaph.  They are the raw, unfiltered poetic scribbles and lyrical expressions of man’s search for God amidst all the struggles common to man.  

In the words of C. Hassell Bullock, the Psalms

stand as a monumental witness to the timeless and universal nature of man.  His heart is turned so easily to sin.  Hatred, greed, and disobedience are part of his infamous baggage.  Without God, his Creator, he is orphaned in the world.  But despite who man is, God sees him as His special creation ( Psalm 8 ) and seeks to redeem him.  The essential nature of man is counterbalanced, indeed countermanded, by the essential nature of God… It is hardly an exaggeration to say that in the arena of faith the book of Psalms has been a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night for Israel and the church” (An Introduction to OT Poetic Books, p. 111).

The Psalms are 150 attempts to sing our way back into the Dance of the Trinity and in tune with The Father’s Song. They capture the full library of human experience and emotion.  Perhaps the closest contemporary style of music closest to the raw, gutsy, authenticity of the Psalmist are today’s Hip-Hop rap artists.  Hip-Hop music is often characterized as a poetic expression of social protest and lyrical accounts of one people’s individual and corporate societal struggles.  In other words, Rap music has been categorized as, “A cultural evolution of the Black oral tradition and contemporary resistance rhetoric.”

In the same way, the Psalms provide a rich tapestry of individual and corporate religious protests, cries for justice, deliverance, safety and rescue.  Israel recounts her own history of oppression and its struggle for liberation.  The lyrics are uncensored and filled with explicit, violent images one moment, and sacred, reverent praise choruses the next.  One should not examine and study the Psalms primarily with their mind, as much as they should let them wash over their soul like a beautiful sunset, an electrifying concert or breathtaking painting. Good music does not explain and define, it expresses and emotes.

How does this ancient 150-song playlist relate to the one, unified, gradually unfolding Father’s Song we’ve been tracing throughout the entire story of the Bible?  I suggest that these 150 songs provide us with a library of imperfect, individual attempts to echo the foundational groove and harmonious rhythms of The Father’s Song. In the Psalms we glimpse snippets of the beauty and majesty of God, are faced with the naked realities of the brokenness and injustice of the world, witness the universal longing for meaning, the depravity of human nature  and come face to face with the Holy and trustworthy character of the Living God.  The psalmist invites us to make these songs our own, and bring us into the courts of the the Living God so we might hear more clearly the beautiful melody of the Song above all songs of which all our songs are only faint echoes.

This is a priceless collection, a prized treasure of the people of God — both past and present.  Again, in the words of Bullock, “To read and pray the Psalms is to join the voices of numberless people who too have read and prayed them, have felt their joy, anguish, and indignation.”  So, let us not only read and pray the psalms; but let our very lives be swept up into their God-centered melodies and bring us more in step with The Father’s Song.

One divine melody permeates the grand narrative of redemptive history.  In this series, Jeremy is guiding us through the biblical narrative–from Genesis to Revelation–with “ears to hear” the penetrating God-beat keeping everything in sync.

The winner of the second season of the ancient Near Eastern version of American Idol was the electrifying, rags-to-riches shepherd boy from Bethlehem named David. (Though the word “idol” probably wouldn’t be used so loosely among the people of Israel!) David’s first brush with stardom came after his defeat of the the giant Goliath. This would be only the first in a long string of award-winning victories on the battlefield. David became a mighty warrior-king and violent battle imagery would be a prominent theme in many of his future hit singles.  When he wasn’t in battle, he managed to have a productive musical career as well as “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam. 23:1).

Yet, let’s stop for a moment to examine the great shift in mood that is taking place in this ongoing soundtrack to The Father’s Song. If something like Handel’s Messiah captures the majestic mood of the Triune God providentially at work in a world, moving history towards its goal of everlasting justice and universal “shalom”; then the background music to the violent, military sagas of David and his victories over national enemies in the early years of the monarchy sounds more like the abrasive, tension-filled score to the movie Gladiator.

We come to the stories of David prejudiced and already having chosen our side. David fights for the “good guys” and the other nations are the “bad guys.” We cheer and celebrate Israel’s victories and give God the glory. Yet, we must remember the larger goal — the foundational groove — of The Father’s Song we’ve been charting. When the earth and everything in it is finally brought back into harmony with the Father’s Song, then the earth will resonate fully with God’s shalom, and there will be no more battle hymns or military victory marches necessary. A couple centuries later, Isaiah will remind Israel of the ultimate  restorative trajectory of The Father’s Song:

They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12).

But for now we must endure the battle songs, standing in awe at the gracious forbearance of our God who patiently moves His “peace plan” forward despite this violent, disharmonious portion of the song.  The Father is still orchestrating His plan behind the scenes, working through His chosen yet imperfect nation, Israel, and her valiant hero, King David.

In Search of a National Anthem

Israel becomes a powerful nation under David. And every nation has a national anthem to celebrate it’s foundational values. David is both Israel’s king and famed song writer, to whom many of the psalms are attributed. David’s life is defined by an inward conflict of interests. He is a man torn in two — both “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:13) one moment and a lying, cheating, adulterous murderer the next (2 Sam. 11).

Still, no place is David more conflicted and pulled in two directions than in the songs he writes and the rhythms that guide his life. Israel is God’s chosen nation through whom He will bring the blessings of The Father’s Song to the ends of the earth (Gen. 15). David is Israel’s anointed king, chosen to govern the nation according to the divine rhythms of The Father’s Song. Yet, David’s life and governance is a confusing mix of two seemingly irreconcilable songs. His life sounds like Amazing Grace one moment and like Rage Against the Machine the next.

Under David’s kingship will Israel’s national anthem be a violent song of self-aggrandizing military conquest over national enemies?

“And the women sang to one another as they celebrated: ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.’ And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him… All Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them in battle” (1 Sam. 18:7, 14).

Or will Israel’s national anthem be one of rejoicing in the justice and peace that God has promised to bring to all nations through the people of Israel?

“How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God” (2 Sam. 7:22-24).

History has proven time and time again that the purity and uniqueness of God’s Kingdom suffers whenever it is co-opted by worldly power-games, humanly guided political agendas and many forms of nationalism.  So, let’s choose our anthem carefully.

One divine melody permeates the grand narrative of redemptive history.  In this series, Jeremy is guiding us through the biblical narrative–from Genesis to Revelation–with “ears to hear” the penetrating God-beat keeping everything in sync.

The Patriarchal and theocratic years of the Old Testament (Genesis-Judges) have provided the first several musical tracks of the Father’s Song. So far we have caught a glimpse of the eternal, harmonious dance of the Trinity before the creation of the world, and witnessed the Father singing the world and humanity into existence. We saw our first human ancestors stray from the Creator’s intended groove, starting their own amateur, out-of-tune band. Cosmic dissonance was the result (Fall). God’s solution was to start over by forming a small band of people beginning with Abraham and his descendants who would live once again in the divine rhythms of the Father’s Song.

Exodus through Judges has been one long, 40-year long, ear-piercing band rehearsal as God’s people struggle to get in sync with each other and God. The book of Judges ends on a rather sour note reminiscent of a band on the verge of break-up. Perhaps, they wonder, if we found the right lead man, we could turn this thing around and make it on the charts! Here’s my paraphrase of Judges 21:25: “In those days Israel’s band had no lead man; all the musicians played their own tune.”

At last, we now enter the era of the kings and the monarchy of Israel in our exploration of The Father’s Song — a sweeter sounding, broad sketch of the Bible.

Long before there was American Idol, there were wandering, religious charismatics with significant tribal influence called “judges”. Gideon, Samson, Deborah, Barak and others came first. Then the prophet-judge Samuel begins the transition from the period of the judges to the monarchy of Israel. Despite having received the written score of the Father’s Song at Sinai, the band of Israel was unable to learn to live and perform the song on their own. They decided, against God’s will, that they need a talented, charming, crowd-swaying lead man to get the band back on track. They cry out their aging “producer” or “agent” Samuel: “Now appoint for us a king to lead us like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:5-6).

Both Samuel and God are grieved that they have rejected having God as their sole king and desire to be like the other nations by having a human king. Remember: Israel’s sole purpose is to be unlike the other nations — a holy, set-apart people.  They were to be God’s instruments of bringing the Father’s Song to a world dancing to their own self-destructive tunes.  Yet, God relents and honors their request. 1 Samuel then begins like the auditions for American Idol, and, for a crass and borderline blasphemous comparison, the prophet Samuel plays the role of Simon Cowell.

Sanjaya Malakar, American Idol contestant

The first winner of Ancient Near Eastern Idol struts into the spotlight with remarkable stage presence and strikingly handsome appearance. Saul was tall, dark and handsome: “There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else” (1 Sam. 9:2). This is no Sanjaya Malakar!  Saul is anointed Israel’s first king and thus we begin the period of the kings of Israel.

Where does this significant development lead the still unfolding Father’s Song? I would say the beautiful, angelic harmonies of the pre-creation dance of the Trinity have long faded away by now. The dark, dissonance of Genesis 3 is still providing the bass line driving the whole song. Momentary flights and flourishes of pleasant chords surface at times during the Patriarchal period — the faith of Abraham, the righteousness of Noah, the leadership of Moses, the triumphant march of redemption at the Exodus, Merriam’s song of deliverance afterward and more.

But these are few and far between if we’re reading the whole story and listening to the whole song. There is a much deeper problem at work. Sin has invaded the human heart and prevents any hope of getting back in tune with God and one another. We can vote for our favorite musician, put them on a stage and hope that they can help lead us back into the Father’s Song; but they, too, are no match for sin’s distorting noise.

Saul will not bring Israel into harmony with The Father’s Song. His career fizzles out before his time, like so many modern day rock legends. And what of his successor David; perhaps the most famous musical prodigy and lyricist of all time?  Stay tuned.

[Following the Resurrection] “When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?” Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They still had their eyes fixed on the sky as he went away, when two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them and said, “Galileans,why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.” Then the apostles went back to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is about half a mile away from the city” (Acts 1:6-12).

The cross and resurrection of Christ was the strange and paradoxical way God chose to begin restoring his broken world and advancing his Kingdom of peace, love and hope. In another startling move, God then chose a rag-tag group of nobodies to be the vehicle by which he would spread the message and mission of this Kingdom throughout the entire world. The book of Acts tells the story of the trials and triumphs of this small, persecuted, grassroots Jesus movement as it made its way across the expansive Roman Empire.

Sound exciting? Well it was. The life of the early church looked much different from many of our experiences of the church today. Yet, early on they were faced with three threats that still tend to plague the church today — and they can be identified in the one bold question this angelic man asked the disciples immediately following Jesus’ ascension:

Why are you STANDING there LOOKING up into the SKY?

As Christians today strive to faithfully advance God’s Kingdom on earth we must be vigilant to avoid being a church of STANDERS, LOOKERS, and SKY-GAZERS.

1. STOP STANDING. God has called us to “GO and make disciples of all nations.” In the passage above, they all stood paralyzed, amazed at the power of God as he took Jesus from their sight. They had just asked whether it was the time for God to restore His Kingdom, and Jesus’ indirect answer is often taken to be a “no.” However, I believe Jesus intentionally changed the subject from WHEN to exactly HOW this Kingdom was to come. The disciples all expected a military revolt and overthrow of the Roman imperial forces. Jesus however seems to hint that it will begin to come when God pours out his Spirit on the disciples at Pentecost and they begin spreading a taste of His Kingdom to the ends of the earth. The Book of Acts is not a book of beliefs, doctrines, laws or ethics.  It is what it says — a book of “acts.”  As we read we are swept up into the wild and adventurous MOVEMENT of the Spirit, and we travel along with Peter and Paul and the rest. The message of the Gospel MOVES thousands of miles from Jerusalem to Rome in only 28 chapters. The church today needs to become once again a people on the move, a forward-marching Kingdom-advancing church who take an active role in spreading God’s love, joy, peace, forgiveness, grace, healing and hope “to the ends of the earth.” There is too much standing around. “Go, therefore, and make disciples…”

2. STOP WATCHING. It is also easy to become a spectator in the church today. In fact, the way we have designed our “services” often encourages a multi-media presentation where the pastors and worship leaders DO everything and the rest of us sit rather passively in the audience observing the service, watching the pastors, receiving a message (i.e., “being fed”) and then leaving. Outside the Sunday service, we can also easily hide in the shadows watching others volunteer for service projects, go on missions trips, teach Sunday School classes, volunteer in the nursery, etc. Many of us generously give money toward the work of the Kingdom so that we can avoid actively getting involved in the nitty-gritty work of Kingdom-building. The mission of the church in and for the world is a truly hands-on project that involves real, messy involvement. We are called to be not only “hearers of the Word, but doers also.” Remember James’ rather pointed reminder: “My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you” (Jam 2:14)?  Let us stop watching, and start actively engaging in the work of advancing the Kingdom.

3. STOP SKY-GAZING. Finally, the disciples in this episode were fixated on the sky (“They still had their eyes fixed on the sky” v. 10), as if that was where all the action was to be. Granted, you don’t see a man ascend into the clouds everyday, so we should probably cut them some slack. But 2,000 years later there are entire strands of the church who are still staring into the clouds awaiting rescue. I speak of all escapist, dualistic versions of Christianity where the entire goal of the Gospel is to wait for Jesus to come back and take us up (“rapture”) into some heaven in the sky for all eternity. Many today are realizing the folly in this gnostic-like view, and are again placing their hope in the God of Creation whose desire it is to bring the New Jerusalem down to earth, to “make all things new,” dwell once again with his people (cf. Rev 21:22-25), and finally establish his righteous, restorative reign “on earth as it is in the heavens” (Matt 6:10). We are to partner with the God of Creation and to become wise stewards of his beautiful world that is “groaning for liberation” even now (Rom 8). God is coming — no doubt about that! Yet, as we await our savior from a high, we are to be focusing our eyes on those around us who are filthy with the dirt and grime of this world, and bring God’s love, hope and healing to them. We need to stop staring at the sky, and start bringing a little taste of heaven to those suffering here on earth.

So, as we move away from Resurrection Sunday to business as usual, let us make sure we are not still “standing there looking up at the sky.”  Let’s get busy announcing and building the Kingdom!

1. Which of the 3 errors do you personally tend toward?  Are you a STANDER, LOOKER, or SKY-GAZER?

2. Which of these 3 postures most accurately describes the American church today?

3. Do these 3 categories help classify the particular weaknesses of various denominations of the Church?

I’m enjoying these meditations by Ken Gardiner found here.

“And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.” (Matt. 27:36)

Our view out the window as we sat by candlelight.

We spent a beautiful evening at The Depot at the Mound Beach gathered by candlelight at the foot of the cross meditating on the passion story. About 25 people showed up for our journey to the cross. We read, reflected and prayed through the passion story, sang a couple hymns, and marveled at the spectacular full moon shining down on Lake Minnetonka just a few feet from us! One of those attending shared afterwards, “I first gave my life to Christ 33 years ago under a full moon identical to this at a Bible camp; tonight I met Him once again.”

As we slowly extinguished the final candles around the cross and looked up at the bright moon, I couldn’t help but think of John 1:5:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it!”

See you at the empty tomb on Sunday as we usher in the Rising Son!