THE BIG PICTURE

This morning, I saw it more clearly than I ever have before. It’s like the puzzle started to come together for me. The big picture of church, you, me, ministry, God, purpose, end times, Jerusalem, Price Hill, it all began to come clear. Let me explain.

We are starting a new house church with the Wigles. So if you were starting a new church (or wanting to see God start a revival in an already-existing church), what would you do? For many years, I have thought the best thing would be to study the book of Acts. I love that book, because the history of the beginning church is so powerful and such an example. I long to teach that book. But that is not the place to start. If I build on that foundation, then I build a church based on polity and actions. There is a far better foundation.

Also, in starting a church, how should the group be structured? No leadership? Appoint a small group pastor from the beginning? Team ministry? Church planter? I have tried to use a team approach and yet be the facilitator, and that is healthy, but it is not the best way to plant a church. There is a far better way.

Here is what is clearer to me: a church planter (better yet, a team of two) come and determine to know nothing except Christ, and him crucified. Tell the story of Jesus. Tell of the life of Jesus. Focus on the death, and especially the resurrection of Jesus. Tell of what he is doing today, in my life and the lives of those around me. Let Jesus do miraculous things to confirm my words. Worship and glorify Jesus. It is all about the glory of Christ.

Why leader-centered ministry? Because that leader is the one who knows the story, who has the experience, and who models the life. A church planter must have these credentials: years of experience of life in a house church, a first-hand knowledge of The Story and of the workings of God, a maturity and unquestioned reputation with those who are outside of Christ and those in the church.

So a house church is planted by leader-centered work. He is there all the time, leading, teaching, guiding, training, praying, warning, and discipling. But then, catch this: He must leave. And when he leaves, he very likely does NOT put someone else “in charge,” as the house church pastor. No, he simply leaves and lets the church FUNCTION. When the church functions, some will come to more of a leadership position, but it is not for the church planter to set up a church with ANY structure of power and authority. No, ALL members have equal authority in the ecclesia.

And what is that all-important message that the church planter must tell? In brief, it begins before the beginning, and it is a Love Story. When there was just God, who had complete fellowship with himself. Yet he wanted, or at least chose, something more, something beautiful, something so precious that we cannot imagine its attraction to God. He wanted a bride. And so he created all there is, and put in the center a man, and took from the man a woman, and joined them together, so that they would fill the earth and be a picture of what he had in mind. Then he went through many steps along the way to show what kind of relationship he was looking for, ways to be in fellowship with one another and with God. At last, after speaking in various ways, God spoke through his own Self in the form of a human. And that Son, born as a baby, lived as one of us to show us his glory, to teach us his ways, and at last, to die in our place. He lost it all, with the hope of gaining the one thing he wanted most. And then he rose again, and completed the covenant. Now we can become a people who belong to God. And at the end of our lives, and at the end of time, the marriage feast will begin, and we will see the Big Picture like we were never able to see it in the midst of our earthly distractions.

That’s the story for the church planter to tell. And then, when persecution drives him away, or when the Lord calls him to the next project, he leaves. And the church, the earthly bride of Christ, begins to function and to become the heavenly bride of the Lamb.

BAPTISTRY FUND

It is time for us to add a baptistry to our building. We believe that we can get a usable one for as little as $2000, or we can have a permanent installation done with plumbing for around $6000. Think of the advantages of having a baptistry right here in the building! So we are announcing that on January 22, 2006 we will have a special offering to get a baptistry.

Chip Vater passed from this life on December 15 two years ago. At that time, we realized his special evangelistic calling, and we felt called to continue his ministry. So in Chip’s honor, we want to dedicate this baptistry project.

Jesus said about himself, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it is alone. But if it falls into the ground a dies, it will bear much fruit. Two years ago, we handed out envelopes containing seed, and many of us planted those seeds to help remember and honor Chip.

After his death, folks gave about $400 to a memorial fund toward a baptistry. We would like to use that money as “seed money” for the baptistry fund. On Christmas Eve and after, we are going to give away that money to anyone who would like to make that money “grow” and give it back again on January 22.

Remember the parable Jesus told of the talents and the stewards? The master gave out money to his servants, and the faithful ones doubled the money and presented it back to their master. That is our challenge. Perhaps you will use the money to buy ingredients and do some baking, and then sell those goods and give the proceeds to the fund. Or make some crafts. Or print some flyers and go door to door raising money. Pray about how you could turn $10 into $20, or into $100!

IMPROVING OUR ASSEMBLIES

What is the state of our equipping assemblies? While we purposely don’t count attendance, it is apparent that fewer people are coming on Sunday mornings, and so evidently there is discontent with our gatherings. I think it comes from several directions:
1. Most of us don’t feel “fed” on a regular weekly basis. There are occasional great mornings when we sense God’s presence, or the teaching is just what we needed to hear, but too often there just isn’t anything that seemed to be for me.
2. There is a fine line between creative novelty and unpredictable confusion. We don’t mind things being different on Sundays, as long as God is in the different thing that happens. Quality is what makes the difference. But too often our assembly has been an amateur hour with an open microphone. So we don’t invite a friend to come with us, because we fear this might be a “dud” week, and we can’t predict that it will be wonderful.
3. Many of us have either lost the vision for why we are gathered on Sundays, or we have never clearly heard what the purpose is. So we keep expecting things to be like all the other churches we have seen, and it keeps not conforming to our expectations. We are polite and accepting for a while, but eventually you have to do what you need.
4. While one of our values is to be multi-ethnic and without a single systematic theology, it is impossible to maintain those relationships (in the flesh). Everything about our culture reinforces narrow demographics, and those are the people who are easiest for us to love. When another group is leading, we are not motivated to join them in their adventure.

I am hopeful, because these are all fixable. So, what do we need? Part of it is that we need to see the vision again, and part of it is that we need to change our current direction.
1. CCiPH has been a grand experiment in a different way of doing ministry. Rather than top-down programmed ministry, it is grassroots discipleship. Our goal is to release people to do ministry. Not to start programs, necessarily (that’s what always comes to mind for Americans), but to make disciples through natural relationships. I have failed to keep that ministry model in front of the church. And at the same time, I think we have gone too far in avoiding any semblance of leadership. However, I see that much more ministry is taking place than we even imagine. Practically every one of us is involved in something significant with others; we just need to see it more clearly.
2. We don’t “feel” fed. That’s not the same as not being equipped for ministry. The overwhelming balance of the New Testament shows us that the times when we grow are the times when we are tested, not the times when a sermon feeds us. So we are best fed when we are in the throes of a ministry over our head. Then we seek out individual tutoring more than group lectures. Again, our model for ministry is designed to provide time for that to happen. The only way for this model of growth to work is to have clear guidance in the process, and that has not happened in an organized fashion. I have been preoccupied with family, which has been the right balance for a season, but I must be back in the ministry of purposeful discipling and training people.
3. It’s all about relationships, and ultimately that’s all we have. That’s true for the program-centered megachurch, as well. So, how does a church grow? By making new relationships, and we have not done that well. Outreach opportunities are all around us, and yet we are mostly not making new friends with neighborhood kids or Guatemalan brothers and sisters or Price Hill citizens, or perhaps with our own next-door neighbors. Maybe that’s because each of our plates is already full. Maybe it’s because we are lazy, or faithless. We have needed to pray for those outside the building, and we have needed to have a Sunday environment more conducive to new people coming in. So we are going to go back to a slightly more visitor-centered environment in our assemblies.
4. We seem to be capable of loving people who fit our narrow demographics, or even people who live halfway around the world. But maybe we are incapable of loving each other supernaturally. Maybe. And maybe we all need to learn the far-more important lesson of loving people who are different than us. Love is the mark of maturity. What do we need to help make this happen? More equipping, more group ministry, a circle of preaching training and of worship training (partly so that the quality of instruction and music will be stronger, and partly so that more people will share in the knowledge of what we are doing.)

On a purely personal basis, here’s where I am: We started this church with a leadership team, with a base of financial support (to hire staff and pay for building), and with my youngest child being 8 years old. We lost much of our team and immediately lost our financial base, and my family added two more babies. Two years ago I was trying to keep going, not having organizational gifts and being drained to the breaking point. I needed to pull back, which I did. It has been a year and a half now, and I have been so careful to stay out of leadership that I have harmed the church. I think we are lacking in clarification of vision, which is my gift. So, here at the end of my sabbatical, I am taking steps to be back in the saddle, working with Tom Powell to help guide us into what we will look like as a grown-up church.

I believe that good days are ahead for cciph if we can get through this current re-evaluation period and make the right adjustments for the future. These are my thoughts. What do YOU think?

THE BRUISE GIVES THE AROMA

The Bible says that everywhere we spread the aroma of God. Since God is invisible, we become the hands and feet, the healers and teachers, the face and aroma of God. We are how the world can know what God is like.

Of course, to some, we are the fragrance of life. They are drawn to the scent and want to possess more of it. To others we are the stench of death. They are repulsed by the odor and want to get as far from it as possible. But really, our responsibility is not to choose our scent. That is the unmistakable smell of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and it is not of our doing.

And does God spread his aroma from us to those who might notice? Simple. He bruises us. He breaks the neck of the Alabaster jar. That's right. He injures us. And from the injury pours out the aromatic scent of Holy Spirit in our lives.

If the perfume stays in the jar, it has trade value, and yet it is worthless as perfume. For perfume is intended to be spilled out, not to be safely contained. When we are broken and spilled out, we become a fragrant offering, extravagantly wasted and used up on Jesus. The offering fills the room, pours out on Jesus, and then it is gone.

If you want a plant to really give up its fragrance, do you know what to do? Bruise the plant. Rub it with your fingers and ruin the plant, and out will come the scents of the liquids in the leaves or the petals.

Maybe it seems like a waste to break a bottle or injure and plant just for the sake of a fragrance. But that's the nature of worship, isn't it? We give our best years, our best efforts, our full being, and we place it on an altar and give it up for One who is greater. That is the nature of a sacrifice, and its extravagant beauty is not missed on the object of the offering.

Pam has been broken, so that out of her God may send the fragrance of his presence to all who are in the room. From Mark emanates the fragrance of what the Holy Spirit has placed within him, and it rises as incense to the Chief Perfumer.

JUST BE.

Pardon me for being morose and blunt. The question came to mind for obvious reasons.

If it were up to me, would I rather be dead, or be paralyzed for life? I think that I would tend to say I'm more comfortable with death. I do not fear death, but I don't want to be a burden to other people every day for decades to come. I want to be able to do my share, be worthy of the space I take up, give more than I take, and I fear that I couldn't do that without my limbs.

But if I were to ask Mark Scherer, "Would you rather have Pam as an invalid here on earth, or have her go to heaven now?" his answer would be swift and easy: "I'll take my Pammy in any form I can get her." He wants her here with him while he completes his own sojourn on this planet.

I would feel the same way about Ellen, though I know it would be very, very hard for Ellen to not be able to "do" for herself and others. But I would gladly give up the rest of my life to serve her for the joy of her company. I love Ellen's soul, not her deeds.

And so I realize from yet another angle how often I fall prey into thinking that my value as a person is based on how much I "do" for others. Do I give more than I take? Do I justify my existence by good works?

Of course, where I'm going with this is here: God just wants to be with me. I can't "do" enough to merit his favor. I can never give more than I take. If I just love Him and spend time with Him, He is happy. And He serves me, because He loves me. He just does. That's what He does.

In the words of Tarzan: Him, do. Me, be.

WHAT RAT HOLE?

The young people in this neighborhood are incredibly frustrating. No respect for authority or for personal property. They seem to flaunt calling your bluff, daring you to resort to touch them so they can have an excuse for the anger inside to explode.

Inside, I feel like I am still a young adult, one of them. But the truth is, like it or not, I am The Man. I became The Man by getting older, having a job, paying taxes, driving a car, and taking leadership in something. And you know what happens to The Man: they stick it to The Man.

Consider: Most have been in this neighborhood less than six months, and they will be gone in less than six more. Virtually all of them live without a father in the home. Of those 40 or so young people at the building last Friday night, more than half of the boys will be in jail in 8 years or less (or dead). They will be members of a gang in even less time. Drugs drive the economy, power structure and culture of this neighborhood, and without a moral bearing, what keeps them from it?

Shall I give up on this rascals? Shall I hand them over to Satan? Is there no hope? Shall I give up and serve people who are easier to love?

Let's see. What would Jesus do? . . .