THIS WEEK'S SHOW. "What's happening this week at church?" Sometimes what I mean by that question is, "Is this one of those weeks when I shouldn't invite someone to come and visit, or is this going to be a 'good show'?"

Most modernist evangelical churches build their assemblies around the sermon topic. That is what they put on the church sign, hoping that people will come ready to learn about that lesson. Other times, they might list the outside evangelist or guest artist, in hopes of letting people know, "If you've been thinking about attending this church, this might be the time when you want to come."

I must confess that the same is true at our little emerging church. If I am thinking about inviting someone to come with me, I am tempted to look and find out who is teaching this week, what is the topic, or who's leading worship this week.

If I fall into that pattern, then I have made the same terrible mistake as my modernist friends: I have mistakenly thought that "the show" is what my friend most needs to see. I want him to see something, well, impressive.

I think the better way to prepare my friend is to say, "On any given Sunday, you will see at our little church what God considers to be the most Beautiful Thing in the World: the Body of Christ functioning." I could further explain, "I have no idea what to expect, because the Holy Spirit has control over the assembly, but I can tell you that most likely you will hear some God stories, you will see people actively give honor and glory to Jesus Christ, you will learn some lessons that the Lord has impressed unpon some of our people, and you will see people pray for one another. You might see healings or miracles, and you might see nothing that looks impressive, but what you will see, my friend, is the Bride of Christ, adorning herself for the great marriage feast, and it is stunningly beautiful in the eyes of the Groom."

In truth, God sees His Bride every Sunday, in every church, no matter the style or structure. but the more clearly I see what He seeks, the more I will know whether we are "succeeding" or not. Selah.

BECOMING COMMUNITY (Foundational Study #2)

the early followers of Jesus in Jerusalem (Acts 2, 4) committed themselves to several things, and i long to be part of a church with that kind of zealous community.

they were committed to the apostles' doctrine. hungry for a word from God, and with all of this truth about Jesus being new to them, every day they were somehow learning to piece it all together from the Old Testament writings and the stories that the apostles remembered about Jesus. so at Christ's Community, we try to have room for at least one message, more often two or three, and we provide suggested daily readings from the lectionary, encourage people to participate in blogs and email, to listen to sermons, and to make use of the abundant resources at our fingertips. what if every conversation revolved around talking about Jesus?

they were devoted to the fellowship. every day they were eating meals together in their homes, they were exercizing extended hospitality to one another, and they were giving to anyone in need. in fact, they were together (in close proximity) every day, they were sharing all things in common, as the weeks went on they realized that they were draining their resources, and so they were selling their possessions and goods (extra fields and whatnot) to meet others' needs. they were meeting daily in the temple courts (large group) and sharing meals in their homes. amazing! our church is trying to follow that kind of model by being a network of house churches, where ministry is done deeper with a few, rather than scattered among the many. what if every day we were living as if we were a healthy extended family?

they continued steadfastly in the breaking of the Loaf. more than eating meals, they were remembering Jesus every day by having Holy Communion together. He was the center of their gatherings, not just on Sundays, but every day. cciph is trying to embrace the Table as a central part of our gathering each week by having each house church prepare and lead in the time of the Lord's Supper, encouraging creativity and a certain highlight of the Meal when we meet. what if every meal in every house somehow remembered Jesus as its "dessert?"

they committed themselves to the prayers. as Israelites, they knew well the memorized prayers of the synagogue, which they had been saying two or three times every day even before they knew Christ. how much more were they devoted now to saying not only those ritual prayers, but to saturating every day with conversation with the Lord. they were way beyond required token prayers in those days; they were experiencing miracles in answered prayers, and they were living in conversation with the Almighty. we are also trying as a church to have that kind of commitment in our assemblies; that's why we meet for nearly two hours every week, because we want to take the time for extended prayers about the will of God all over the world. we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters, for physical needs, for governments, for other churches, for God's kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth. what if every conversation flowed freely in and out of prayer?

can we sustain that kind of commitment for weeks, months, and even years? yes, i believe we can, one day at a time. that's what i long to be a part of, and to that end i will dedicate my life. amen.

THE BALLAD OF CHRISTOPHER BAUER
Now listen up children and I will tell
Of the night I stormed the gates of hell
To do battle with the devil himself
And see who came out stronger

It was just another late night stint
But I was sick and tired of my besetting sin
And decided this time that lose or win
I’d live with this no longer

Now I’m smarter and stronger than any man’s son
So I strolled right up to those gates of flame
To stand toe to toe with ol’ Satan himself
And take him for a ride

So I banged on the gate and sounding tough
I said, “Lucifer! You might think you’re rough
But let’s see if you’re just man enough
To have me whip your hide!”

Well just like that buddy he was there
His putrid smell was everywhere
He smiled and said, “Then let’s clear the air
Cause I’ve been waiting for you.”

I didn’t like the way he smiled
Or the way he talked, or the way he smelled
And I knew right then the powers of hell
Were stronger than I figured

Well he threw a left when I threw a right
And sparks flew out where our fists collided
And fires sprang up on every side
As we began our rumble

I tell you he was smart and strong and mean
He fought like no one I had ever seen
And it wasn’t long before I could see
That I was in big trouble

This fight wasn’t for turf or pride
It was for my very soul inside
And I could see the stakes were far too high
If this fight would go against me

He seemed to know my every move
He was ten times stronger and twice as smooth
And there was nothing now that I could do
To stop him or to trick him

Then he picked me up and he spun me round
And like a child’s toy he threw me down
And then he pinned me to the ground
With the weight of forty thousand men

As he sat on me and crushed my chest
I gasped for one last final breath
He choked me while I tasted death
And the devil started talking:

He said, “Remember back in ‘59
When you had your first taste of cheap wine
Well I knew right then that you were mine
And I because your rightful father.

“And since that day I’ve added sins
With sex and pride and greed and shame
And you should know by now you’d never win
This game has long been over.

“I’m here to take you down with me
You’re going to spend eternity
In torment with my angels and me
In pain that lasts forever.

“I think you underestimated me
And somehow you just didn’t see
That I own you, you belong to me
And you don’t have an answer.”

I knew right then that he was right
That though he was the father of lies
He owned my soul and had my life
And I was his forever.

It was over then, I was out of breath
As I was being crushed to death
I whispered, “Jesus save me by your
blood!”

And the devil he leapt up off of me.
He screamed, “Don’t you ever use that name
Don’t speak of the blood the Lamb of God
Or I’ll crush you first and take you down
I swear I’ll make you sorry!”

But by then I knew that dude was done
That by God’s grace the battle was won
And Satan can’t stand against the Son
And he would have to flee

So I stopped trying to fight him by myself
And I spoke the Name, I claimed the blood
And you should have seen that devil run
Back to the place reserved for him.

I said, “Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End
My Savior the Messiah, My Redeemer and my Friend
The Wonderful the Counselor Almighty God is He
Yeshua Ha’Meshiah, He is the Coming King
Lion of Judah, Lamb of God, Atoning Sacrifice
Prince of Peace, King of kings, Lord of lords, The Light

And that was the night of my deliverance
When I fought and lost but Jesus won
And since that day I wear the name
That is above all others

He leads me in the paths of right
He makes me choose to walk in light
And I know I have eternal life
And I no longer live in fear

For I can claim his holiness
My guilt is paid, my sin is gone
I don’t do the things I used to do
Cause I have a new heart

And life is different since that day
I’m born again, I’m here to say
All things are new, and I am clean
I got a brand new start

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
Amen!

Doing the Father's Business
so, how do i know whether i am in the center of God's will, doing exactly what He wants?
God's will is not doing what i WANT to do. just because i like it doesn't mean i am called to do it.
God's will is not doing what i am GIFTED to do. just because i have the talent doesn't mean i am called to use it.
God's will is not doing what OTHERS ASK of me. i am not called to passively respond to every need, just because it is urgent.
in each of these cases, i often feel conflicted. i suppose that conflicted feelings are an indication of conflict, usually the conflict between what the Holy Spirit is calling me to do and what i commit myself to do. as the Nouwen article says, i think the only way to discern is to listen in silence to the call of God, and then do exactly what brings a sense of "rightness" and joy that is discerned in those moments.
i feel a bit of resolution over my busyness. but walking in it is not as easy as writing about the principles.
speak, Lord, for your servant is listening....

Can You Drink the Cup?

"Action . . . can help us to claim and celebrate our true self. But . . . we need discipline, because the world in which we live says: 'Do this, do that, go here, go there, meet him, meet her.' Busyness has become a sign of importance. Having much to do, many places to go, and countless people to meet gives us status and even fame. However, being busy can lead us away from our true vocation and prevent us from drinking our cup.
"It is not easy to distinguish between doing what we are called to do and doing what we want to do. Our many wants can easily distract us from our true action. True action leads us to the fulfillment of our vocation. . . . The most prestigious position in society can be an expression of obedience to our call as well as a sign of our refusal to hear that call, and the least prestigious position, too, can be a response to our vocation as well as a way to avoid it.
"Drinking our cup involves carefully choosing those actions which lead us closer to complete emptying of it, so that at the end of our lives we can say with Jesus: 'It is fulfilled' (John 19:30). That indeed, is the paradox: we fulfill life by emptying it. In Jesus' own words: 'Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.' (Matt. 10:39)
"When we are committed to do God's will and not our own we soon discover that much of what we do doesn't need to be done by us. What we are called to do are actions that bring us true joy and peace. Just as leaving friends for the sake of the Gospel will bring us friends, so too will letting go of actions not in accord with our call.
"Actions that lead to overwork, exhaustion, and burnout can't praise and glorify God. What God calls us to do we can do and do well. When we listen in silence to God's voice and speak with our friends in trust we will know what we are called to do, and we will do it with a grateful heart."
-Henri Nouwen (submitted by Michael Wilson)

“That the Great Angel-Blinding Light” (Richard Crayshaw c.1640)

That the Great Angel-blinding Light should shrink His blaze to shine in a poor shepherd's eye
That the unmeasure'd God so low should sink as prisoner in a few poor rags to lie
That from His mother's breast He milk should drink Who feeds with nectar heaven's fair family
That a vile manger His low bed should prove Who in a throne of stars thunders above;
Let our overwhelming wonder be.

That He whom the sun serves should fainly peep through clouds of Infant Flesh!
That He, the olde Eternal Word should be a Child, and weep;
That He who made the fire, should fear the cold,
That Heaven's High Majesty His court should keepe in a clay cottage, by each blast control'd;
Let our overwhelming wonder be.
Let our overwhelming wonder be.

That Glorious Self should serve our griefs and fears,
And free eternity submit to years,
Let our overwhelming wonder be.
Let our overwhelming wonder be.
Let our overwhelming wonder be.

Worship as Evangelism
maybe this whole 1 Corinthians 14 thing really does work, after all. maybe if our worship is sincere and deep, in spirit and in truth, and if we lift up Christ, then He will draw people to Himself. here is a note from a friend who brought a foreign exchange student to Friday's concert:

"Nicole has a Jewish dad and a Catholic mom. She goes to a Hebrew school and considers herself Jewish,although does not really practice it. When we were sitting in the concert, I felt that it was a good timefor God to speak to her heart. Although we've taken them to church, it's been teaching, not worship(Sunday School). So this is the first worship service we've taken her to.

"Today at lunch, she brought up the subject of Jesus, and talking about the concert. She said she was singing the songs even though she didn't believe them. She said she was asking God what He wanted her to believe. I told her that was exactly the right thing to do. He will tell her. It also gave me opportunity to tell her that the prophesies in the Old Testament, are fulfilled by Jesus.

"Anyway, I thought you might like to know what part you played in planting and watering the seed in her life.As with our Mongolian student, we may not see the fruit right away, but I'm confident that the seed,with good water and fertilizer, will grow."

i think we can focus so much on being culturally relevant that we spend more time quoting movies and other pop culture references, trying to be on the bleeding edge of relevance, that we miss out on the pure beauty of the Gospel of Jesus.

Peace on Earth
At His birth, the angels said, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill to men.” And so from the beginning, angels proclaimed the Gospel message. The message is that God is glorified through Jesus, and that He came to bring peace on earth, and to reconcile men to God.

Many men have come before and since Jesus, all with a goal of world conquest. Nebuchadnezzar, Tammerlane, Attila, Alexander, Mohammed, Napolean, Hitler, Stalin and others have all come with warfare as their means of achieving world peace. Kind of backwards, isn’t it? Waging war to bring peace. But Jesus stands alone as One who came to bring peace on earth through personal sacrifice and love. Peace on earth has always been central to Jesus’ mission in this world.

It is no coincidence that many of our songs refer to reconciliation and peace, because when we reflect on God coming to earth as a baby, and we hear the song of the angels, we are moved to join in that song.

And so, during the days of Abolition, such lines were written as,
“Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother.” (O Holy Night, 1847)
“Then in despair I bowed my head. ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said. ‘For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, goodwill to men.’” (I Heard the Bells, 1864)

A century later, songwriters were still writing about racial reconciliation because of Christmas.
“Some children see Him lily white . . . bronzed and brown . . . almond-eyed . . . dark as they . . . like theirs, but bright, with heavenly grace. ‘Tis love that’s born tonight.” (Some Children See Him, 1954)

And still today, we sing. After all, “Christmas is a time to love.” Let us pray that the angels’ song will at last be realized in our generation.

THE FIRST POSTMODERNIST?

Remember the parable of the three servants and the talents? This morning, I awoke reflecting on the details of the third servant. That third dude is the world's first postmodern Christian, in that he brings up the first insight that all of us have faced who have gone through the postmodern angst.

After Mr. Five Talents and Mr. Two Talents have worked hard and received their rewards, this guy comes to his master with a complaint as his excuse. He says something like:

"I was afraid, because You are a harsh Man. You harvest where You didn't plant. You gather crops You didn't cultivate. If I may, let me say that You aren't fair.

"So instead of working as Your steward, I buried Your stuff and lived my own life for the last year. Because I can't trust You, here's what's Yours, no more and no less."

He nailed it on the head, I think. My postmodern friend might have gone on to say: "Someone who doesn't smoke a day of her life gets lung cancer. Good people die young. Evil prospers. I pray for healing, and it's a crap shoot as to whether or not it will work. I share the Gospel until I'm blue in the face, but never get a result, and somebody else comes to a program and responds immediately. And by the way, can't You stop terrorism? or tornadoes? or Democrats, for crying out loud?! There simply is no justice, or at least not enough. If You are so good, how come there is so much evil? Either You don't care, or You can't do anything about it. And so I conclude You to be harsh. I can't devote myself to work for You when I can't predict whether or not it will do me any good. That's all I got, but I don't think it's my fault."

What especially then blows me away is the master's response. He never contradicts the servant! In effect, He answers, "So you knew that I take other people's stuff, that I am not fair, and that I allow a certain randomness to the world that makes you afraid so that you can't trust Me? I won't deny it. But if your tiny little postmodern faith won't allow you to work with your whole heart, at least you could have put the money in the bank and let other people do the work.

"You know what that makes you? Wicked. And lazy. Stop hiding behind the timid and doubting mask, and let me call it straight. You use your doubt of My character as an excuse for living a selfish life. You despised My generous gift to you (or do you forget that a talent of silver is worth many thousands of dollars? Did you think I owed you that gift?), and you pursued your own little goals."

"So now, take that valuable gift from this wicked, lazy man whom I trusted, and give it to the one who was faithful. Because faith is what gets rewarded. And faith is in things you can't see and prove. The first servant chose to see Me as someone worth serving, and he has found that he gets to keep everything that he thought he was earning for Me! Now we see who is generous, and who is harsh!"

A modernist believes God is good by ignoring the obvious evidence that the world sucks (pardon my strong word here). A postmodernist sees clearly that the world sucks. But the faithful postmodernist chooses to plunge into the abyss of doubt and act as if God is good, anyway.

As someone has said, maybe it's faith when you just don't know for sure.