There’s something pretty radical about a Restoration Church – this new church being planted in the South Hills! It is “counter-cultural”!
When I think “counter-cultural,” I think 1970’s and hippies and Beatles and bell-bottom polyester suits with loud flowered shirts and all the rest. When I think “counter-cultural,” I think “rebellion” against tradition and the status quo. AND all those thoughts flow through my mind on a decidedly negative path.
But think about it – as I am doing. As we swim down the mainstream of life, what is the predominant message? Isn’t it to swim as fast (and even furiously) as we can, to keep moving faster and faster, to never be seen as resting in the shallows and to sweep anyone who gets in our way out of the way?
Hasn’t that same mind-set crept into the church? Bigger is better. Success is measured by numbers and noses. Glitz, glamour and entertainment have taken the place of worship and connection with people and their needs.
Then I look at the Gospels and the life of Jesus. I see a Man on a mission, but I don’t see Him in a hurry. I don’t see him concerned with counting either numbers or noses. True, He found Himself in large crowds for a time. But, in the end, He was alone – forsaken by both man and God. His body was buried in a borrowed tomb.
Jesus even stopped in the middle of an urgent mission to follow a prominent leader (Jarius) whose daughter was sick and dying. Jesus stopped because a woman touched the hem of His robe as He pushed through the crowd. He had time for her: an untouchable, an outcast, a reject by society (and the Law). She had been bleeding for many long years. Women were pronounced (by the Law) unclean and untouchable when they were bleeding – whether for a few days each month or for years.
At a Restoration Church, we want to serve the needs of others. We particularly want to focus on people with special needs of brokenness. That includes all those Jesus talks about in Luke 14:12 – 14: “… when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind … “ And, in truth, it includes us all because we are all broken in various ways. We all desperatly need all our brokenness restored by our King and Creator, Jesus!
To serve the needs of others by being a Restoration Church, God will need to start a work of restoration in each of our hearts. And then we need to work hard to get to know each other and love each other well just as Jesus loves us. We need to intentionally put our own agendas aside to put the needs of others first – much like Jesus did on His way to Jarius’ house when He stopped for the woman who touched Him.
This is “counter-cultural” living and serving! This is what God is calling restored hearts to be and do!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
God's Helpers
A Restoration Church is starting in the South Hills of Pittsburgh!
I was just thinking today about some of the unusual helpers God is using in the process of building His church.
One has black hair and big brown eyes. She is very quiet and sweet. Her name is Susie. She has the ability to capture hearts quickly with her sweet gentle spirit. The people she meets in the doctor's office or at the "hair dresser" all love her. Who could find an invitation to church threatening in the presence of such a sweet, loveable dog?
These helpers are two. They are both very small. They help in amazing ways given their size and age. One may take up the offering. The other may join in joyful praise as we sing. One or both may share a concern during our sharing time or even offer to pray aloud. Who can be threatened by sharing or singing or praying when one or another of our resident four-year-old twins are such happy, willing participants?
There are other examples, but the point is that God uses unexpected helpers in unexpected ways to do His work in His world. I guess that means He can use just about anybody with a willing heart! It is certainly something to think about!
I was just thinking today about some of the unusual helpers God is using in the process of building His church.
One has black hair and big brown eyes. She is very quiet and sweet. Her name is Susie. She has the ability to capture hearts quickly with her sweet gentle spirit. The people she meets in the doctor's office or at the "hair dresser" all love her. Who could find an invitation to church threatening in the presence of such a sweet, loveable dog?
These helpers are two. They are both very small. They help in amazing ways given their size and age. One may take up the offering. The other may join in joyful praise as we sing. One or both may share a concern during our sharing time or even offer to pray aloud. Who can be threatened by sharing or singing or praying when one or another of our resident four-year-old twins are such happy, willing participants?
There are other examples, but the point is that God uses unexpected helpers in unexpected ways to do His work in His world. I guess that means He can use just about anybody with a willing heart! It is certainly something to think about!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
"Wanna B" President??? !!!
I don't know about you but I'm sick of the current cycle of presidential campaign! Maybe that's the subtle strategy after all. When thoughtful voters get so sick of hearing about this and that candidate "ad nauseum," it clears the way for apathy to set in. I'm fighting that apathy myself while trying to learn and stay informed on the various candidates.
The other problem besides the incessant TV coverage of interviews, debates, snipping and on and on is the "who factor." Did you ever wonder why anyone would want to run for president? It is akin to painting a target on your back and on the backs of your spouse and children and digging in for at least four years of attack and abuse! No wonder "the best of the best" don't want the job! The power and prestige and certainly name recognition come with the job as well as a huge load of responsibility. And then there's also that "target factor"!
Perhaps our political process needs restoring before we see life and culture as we know it totally crash and burn.
Reading my Old Testament reminds me that God's people over and over lived through the cycle of rebellion against God, repentance and then restoration back to "favored nation status" with the God of the universe. Over and over God patiently restores His wayward children and gently nudges (and even sometimes uses more radical means to nudge) their hearts toward home (a restored relationship with God).
This presidential election cycle is making me think that God's people imbedded in our culture need to take a serious look at why God put us in place. He put us here to be salt and light. We are imbedded agents to push back darkness and to bring the flavor of God's truth to the particular spot where we live and work.
No, I can't imagine anyone wanting to be president. Yes, I can understand why we are left with the field of candidates we have.
I'll just stick with the challenge of being salt and light here in the South Hills of PIttsburgh. That's a big enough challenge!
The other problem besides the incessant TV coverage of interviews, debates, snipping and on and on is the "who factor." Did you ever wonder why anyone would want to run for president? It is akin to painting a target on your back and on the backs of your spouse and children and digging in for at least four years of attack and abuse! No wonder "the best of the best" don't want the job! The power and prestige and certainly name recognition come with the job as well as a huge load of responsibility. And then there's also that "target factor"!
Perhaps our political process needs restoring before we see life and culture as we know it totally crash and burn.
Reading my Old Testament reminds me that God's people over and over lived through the cycle of rebellion against God, repentance and then restoration back to "favored nation status" with the God of the universe. Over and over God patiently restores His wayward children and gently nudges (and even sometimes uses more radical means to nudge) their hearts toward home (a restored relationship with God).
This presidential election cycle is making me think that God's people imbedded in our culture need to take a serious look at why God put us in place. He put us here to be salt and light. We are imbedded agents to push back darkness and to bring the flavor of God's truth to the particular spot where we live and work.
No, I can't imagine anyone wanting to be president. Yes, I can understand why we are left with the field of candidates we have.
I'll just stick with the challenge of being salt and light here in the South Hills of PIttsburgh. That's a big enough challenge!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Lima Beans and the Gospel ?
I don't think I would have ever thought the Gospel and lima beans had anything to do with each other in any way. Mark Labberton's article - "The Lima Bean Gospel" (Christianity Today, January 2008 issue) correlates the two with challenging insights about the church and believers and how we live out (or fail to live out) the truths of the Gospel before the watching world. Mark Labberton's main thesis is that our ability to live God's amazing Gospel of grace is directly proportional to the size of that Gospel in our own hearts.
I also agree with Pastor Luke Camera (church planter in Paris, France). He writes on his blog that the correlation of lima beans to the Gospel may be a huge gap in the author's personal experience with lima beans.
At our house we had lima beans for Christmas dinner 2007. Lima beans are delicious cooked properly (long) and seasoned with salt, pepper and real butter. They are less than delicious undercooked and improperly seasoned which is how most people are acquainted with the lima bean.
But back to the Gospel (and lima beans)! It is a compelling and challenging concept Labberton raises. Is it true that our connection with the Gospel makes that wonderful Gospel look way small for all the world to see? Labberton says, "The good news is so much bigger than we make it out to be."
Our God is NOT too small. His Gospel is NOT small at all! His Son, the Lord of all creation, is NOT small either.
The smallness comes in our hearts. Our mission is to be salt and light in a dark and rotten world. When we diminish the Gospel in any way, we show a false gospel to the world. If the watching world sees butterbeans rather than the glorious Gospel, then it is because our hearts are hard and shriveled (like some butterbeans).
Mark Labberton observes: "The love of Jesus Christ, through whom God is reconciling the whole world to himself, is no lima bean. ... The primary evidence that the gospel is no lima bean is meant to be the compelling, sacrificial love and justice vividly lived and humbly witnessed to by Christ's body." (Hmmm! That's you and me, baby! We are Christ's body here on earth for now. We are as good as it gets, and sadly that's mostly not so good!)
Jesus said that all men will know we have the living Gospel in our hearts by one evidence alone: how well we love one another! (John 13:35) We are called to restored hearts that are filled with over-flowing love demonstrated in how we live and relate to others.
Love isn't some abstract concept. Nor is love a cliche for books, novels or songs. The love we find in the Gospel has hands and feet that reach out and go and give even when it's difficult or unpopular or misunderstood! This Gospel isn't small at all! To our shame, we make the Gospel appear small because our own hearts are small, shriveled and hard. We need God's restoring grace for this day and every other day! We need restored hearts so we can live God's Gospel before the watching world in terms they see and understand and find compelling.
Labberton concludes, "The church cannot afford to give the impression that the particularity of the gospel only shines on us. If we love as we have been loved, the immensity and scope of God's intimate and cosmic gospel in Jesus Christ will be more evidently the salt and light of the world. We will be far more like Jesus described us - tangy and tangible Good News. And that is no lima bean gospel." (from Christianity Today, 1/08)
Lima beans are delicious on my plate and in my mouth (when properly prepared). But lima beans are not heart healthy food in any spiritual sense. Lima beans are food. The Gospel belongs to you and me and needs to live everyday in new and fresh ways in our hearts! Only the Gospel can restore brokenness in our hearts! Only the Gospel living in my heart (and yours) can shine in darkness to push back that darkness. Only the Gospel living in my heart can provide preservation in cultures bent to rot and decay!
I also agree with Pastor Luke Camera (church planter in Paris, France). He writes on his blog that the correlation of lima beans to the Gospel may be a huge gap in the author's personal experience with lima beans.
At our house we had lima beans for Christmas dinner 2007. Lima beans are delicious cooked properly (long) and seasoned with salt, pepper and real butter. They are less than delicious undercooked and improperly seasoned which is how most people are acquainted with the lima bean.
But back to the Gospel (and lima beans)! It is a compelling and challenging concept Labberton raises. Is it true that our connection with the Gospel makes that wonderful Gospel look way small for all the world to see? Labberton says, "The good news is so much bigger than we make it out to be."
Our God is NOT too small. His Gospel is NOT small at all! His Son, the Lord of all creation, is NOT small either.
The smallness comes in our hearts. Our mission is to be salt and light in a dark and rotten world. When we diminish the Gospel in any way, we show a false gospel to the world. If the watching world sees butterbeans rather than the glorious Gospel, then it is because our hearts are hard and shriveled (like some butterbeans).
Mark Labberton observes: "The love of Jesus Christ, through whom God is reconciling the whole world to himself, is no lima bean. ... The primary evidence that the gospel is no lima bean is meant to be the compelling, sacrificial love and justice vividly lived and humbly witnessed to by Christ's body." (Hmmm! That's you and me, baby! We are Christ's body here on earth for now. We are as good as it gets, and sadly that's mostly not so good!)
Jesus said that all men will know we have the living Gospel in our hearts by one evidence alone: how well we love one another! (John 13:35) We are called to restored hearts that are filled with over-flowing love demonstrated in how we live and relate to others.
Love isn't some abstract concept. Nor is love a cliche for books, novels or songs. The love we find in the Gospel has hands and feet that reach out and go and give even when it's difficult or unpopular or misunderstood! This Gospel isn't small at all! To our shame, we make the Gospel appear small because our own hearts are small, shriveled and hard. We need God's restoring grace for this day and every other day! We need restored hearts so we can live God's Gospel before the watching world in terms they see and understand and find compelling.
Labberton concludes, "The church cannot afford to give the impression that the particularity of the gospel only shines on us. If we love as we have been loved, the immensity and scope of God's intimate and cosmic gospel in Jesus Christ will be more evidently the salt and light of the world. We will be far more like Jesus described us - tangy and tangible Good News. And that is no lima bean gospel." (from Christianity Today, 1/08)
Lima beans are delicious on my plate and in my mouth (when properly prepared). But lima beans are not heart healthy food in any spiritual sense. Lima beans are food. The Gospel belongs to you and me and needs to live everyday in new and fresh ways in our hearts! Only the Gospel can restore brokenness in our hearts! Only the Gospel living in my heart (and yours) can shine in darkness to push back that darkness. Only the Gospel living in my heart can provide preservation in cultures bent to rot and decay!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
How or Wow??? !!!
I'm thinking about this new year 2008. I'm thinking that it's time for new starts, new attitudes, new ways of connecting with God and others. I'm thinking that there needs to be more focus on the "wow" than on the "how" of living and loving both God and others.
I'm thinking my heart needs the "wow" much more than the "how"!
It may be a personality thing! It may be how your or my brain is wired to some extent. But I'm wondering if we stay living in the "how" because the "wow" is so much scarier. The "how" can be an escape from risk. To live in the "how" of life just requires the facts. It means we can live by rules and plans, set goals (Nothing wrong with that!) and not deal with what drives the "how" living we are more comfortable with.
Facts and the "how" are good and necessary. Blowing off the "how" and living totally in the "wow" brought the bohemic lifestyles of the 1970's. Blowing off the "how" and living totally in the "wow" brings the hedonism of this new 21st century. Walking across the news on a regular basis are outstanding examples of living only in the "wow" - Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and most recently Pamela Anderson. Pamela Anderson decided to party New Year's Eve and left her two sons (ages 10 and 11) alone in a hotel room in Los Vegas.
We need the "how" to balance the "wow" but without any "wow" the "how" becomes pretty mundane. Hopefully this isn't sounding too much like a Dr. Seuss book!
We need "how living." BUT we also need "WOW living"! It's living beyond the "how" into the "wow" that pushes my heart to live and love even when it's hard, even when I don't really want to think more of someone else's needs than my own. The "wow" takes a lot more work than the "how."
Hiding in the "how" of living is ever so much easier and feels safer. There is none of the hard work of relationships, of conflict resolution or of loving and serving others. The "how" feels like order and control. Living in the "how" allows me to set rigid boxes for life. It is a whole lot easier and much less messy to stick to "how-living." There's just one small problem: that's not the way of the restored heart!
God restores my heart (and yours) so we can live in the balance of both the "how" and the "wow"! He sets our hearts free to live and love in ways that include the "how" but "pop" with the "wow"!
For 2008 I want God to push my being-restored-heart beyond "how-living" to "wow-living"! The first step on that path is finding the Gospel and its truths new and fresh every day for my heart. I need God's forgiving grace for my own heart every day. Then and only then can I live in God's gripping grace to love and serve others in "wow-living"!
I'm thinking my heart needs the "wow" much more than the "how"!
It may be a personality thing! It may be how your or my brain is wired to some extent. But I'm wondering if we stay living in the "how" because the "wow" is so much scarier. The "how" can be an escape from risk. To live in the "how" of life just requires the facts. It means we can live by rules and plans, set goals (Nothing wrong with that!) and not deal with what drives the "how" living we are more comfortable with.
Facts and the "how" are good and necessary. Blowing off the "how" and living totally in the "wow" brought the bohemic lifestyles of the 1970's. Blowing off the "how" and living totally in the "wow" brings the hedonism of this new 21st century. Walking across the news on a regular basis are outstanding examples of living only in the "wow" - Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and most recently Pamela Anderson. Pamela Anderson decided to party New Year's Eve and left her two sons (ages 10 and 11) alone in a hotel room in Los Vegas.
We need the "how" to balance the "wow" but without any "wow" the "how" becomes pretty mundane. Hopefully this isn't sounding too much like a Dr. Seuss book!
We need "how living." BUT we also need "WOW living"! It's living beyond the "how" into the "wow" that pushes my heart to live and love even when it's hard, even when I don't really want to think more of someone else's needs than my own. The "wow" takes a lot more work than the "how."
Hiding in the "how" of living is ever so much easier and feels safer. There is none of the hard work of relationships, of conflict resolution or of loving and serving others. The "how" feels like order and control. Living in the "how" allows me to set rigid boxes for life. It is a whole lot easier and much less messy to stick to "how-living." There's just one small problem: that's not the way of the restored heart!
God restores my heart (and yours) so we can live in the balance of both the "how" and the "wow"! He sets our hearts free to live and love in ways that include the "how" but "pop" with the "wow"!
For 2008 I want God to push my being-restored-heart beyond "how-living" to "wow-living"! The first step on that path is finding the Gospel and its truths new and fresh every day for my heart. I need God's forgiving grace for my own heart every day. Then and only then can I live in God's gripping grace to love and serve others in "wow-living"!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Santa's List
It is Christmas Eve tonight! “Santa Claus is coming to town! He’s making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice. Santa Claus is coming to town!”
Those lyrics serve to motivate children far and wide to be good prior to Christmas. Those lyrics attribute “God-like” qualities to Santa: he sees and knows all. Just for Christmas Santa sees and knows all.
That may be motivational and even scary, but there is One Who sits in heaven and looks down on the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. He sees and knows all every day and every night forever.
In one of his novels, Tom Clancey describes God as the one who sits in heaven with his notebook taking notes. Actually the Bible speaks of God marking the thoughts, actions and attitudes of men and women down in his book (Mal. 3:16) even to the point of numbering (counting out) the length of our days on this earth.
It may have a certain charm for parents and motivation for children to tell their children that Santa is making his list, but the matter of real significance is that God is in His heaven. He does look down upon the sons and daughters of earth, and He does take note of both our actions and our hearts. It is something to contemplate at the end of this year and as we begin a new year that we take note of the One Who sees and knows all!
Those lyrics serve to motivate children far and wide to be good prior to Christmas. Those lyrics attribute “God-like” qualities to Santa: he sees and knows all. Just for Christmas Santa sees and knows all.
That may be motivational and even scary, but there is One Who sits in heaven and looks down on the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. He sees and knows all every day and every night forever.
In one of his novels, Tom Clancey describes God as the one who sits in heaven with his notebook taking notes. Actually the Bible speaks of God marking the thoughts, actions and attitudes of men and women down in his book (Mal. 3:16) even to the point of numbering (counting out) the length of our days on this earth.
It may have a certain charm for parents and motivation for children to tell their children that Santa is making his list, but the matter of real significance is that God is in His heaven. He does look down upon the sons and daughters of earth, and He does take note of both our actions and our hearts. It is something to contemplate at the end of this year and as we begin a new year that we take note of the One Who sees and knows all!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
"Person of Value" Needs Fixed
Here I was driving down a major road in Pittsburgh yesterday when I glanced at a building and saw a sign for a business - www.personofvalue.com or something similar. I had to check on my way back home to be sure I had read the sign correctly. The office was supposedly on the second floor, and it did appear that no one was home. Is it possible that someone actually makes money convincing people that they have value?
It does say something pretty significant about the search of hearts belonging to sons of Adam and daughters of Eve to find value and significance in life. It says something about why we who know where real value is should be "gossiping the Gospel" everywhere we go! That's the essence of the Gospel: The bad news is that we are all far worse than we can possibly imagine as sinners. The GOOD news is that the only One who could do something about our terrible plight took on our skin and moved into our neighborhood! He came as a baby in a small Judean town over 2,000 years ago. He stuck around for 33 years so He could live the perfect life - be the only Person of Value Who has ever lived - and die next to a well-traveled footpath outside Jerusalem. That's the best news of all: Jesus gave His righteous life in my place to give me value as an adopted daughter into God's own family! That's where real value is!
Somehow I doubt that's what is being touted in the storefront in the South Hills.
People everywhere know they are broken and "need fixed" ! The search is on for a restored heart - for fixing! Jesus came to do that very thing - to restore broken hearts in need of fixing and to give value that lasts forever!
It does say something pretty significant about the search of hearts belonging to sons of Adam and daughters of Eve to find value and significance in life. It says something about why we who know where real value is should be "gossiping the Gospel" everywhere we go! That's the essence of the Gospel: The bad news is that we are all far worse than we can possibly imagine as sinners. The GOOD news is that the only One who could do something about our terrible plight took on our skin and moved into our neighborhood! He came as a baby in a small Judean town over 2,000 years ago. He stuck around for 33 years so He could live the perfect life - be the only Person of Value Who has ever lived - and die next to a well-traveled footpath outside Jerusalem. That's the best news of all: Jesus gave His righteous life in my place to give me value as an adopted daughter into God's own family! That's where real value is!
Somehow I doubt that's what is being touted in the storefront in the South Hills.
People everywhere know they are broken and "need fixed" ! The search is on for a restored heart - for fixing! Jesus came to do that very thing - to restore broken hearts in need of fixing and to give value that lasts forever!
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