One of the problems in our churches today is that we tend to live within the vacumn of our own realities. What does that mean? Well, there are at least two definitions for reality: 1. There is a biblical reality of viewing the world through a spirit of compassion. 2. And secondly,there is a personal reality that we each individually live within day by day. The trouble is that not many of people (christians included) ever get beyond the perspective of our own reality.
In our personal realities we interpret life as it directly affects us. If there are things that are not good for us we tend to avoid them or shut them out of our lives. If there are things that we favor, we open our lives up to there blessings. The problem is that not many of us ever get beyond that type of living. We see the world through tunnel vision, according to how it relates to us.
We have been talking about what it means to be more missional in our walk with the Lord. I think it involves how we interpret reality around us. What is real in terms of living a faith pleasing unto God? If we see it only in terms of how things affect us then we probably don't have a lot of concern for others in the world. On the other hand, if we see our world through the eyes of others and their experiences of life we probably have more compassion for others.
God is a spiritual optometrist, and He wants to do an operation on our spiritual eyes. He did so with the Apostle Paul who was spiritually blind as to God's purpose through Jesus Christ. Paul took every effort as a Pharisee to stomp out Christianity. But God physically blinded him in order that he might see clearly from his heart what His perfect will was for the world; and a new sense of reality flooded into Paul's life. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+9&version=NIV ).
What is your reality? Is it only all about you, or has God been able to broaden the scope of your vision?
Blessings,
-Leo
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
"Go Missional"
Wow! We have been planning the "Go Missional Conference" for quite some time now, and the weekend is finally upon us. Rev. Dr. John Juneman from Life ministries International will be arriving Thursday, and on Friday morning he will meet with a group of pastors from small churches for breakfast and fellowship together. Friday and Saturday evenings he will be teaching in two churches - New Life Community Church of the Nazarene and New Life Baptist Church. Saturday morning he will be conducting an interactive Bible Study at new Life Baptist Church in Hatchet Lake. On Sunday morning he will be guest speaker at New Life Baptist Church for the morning service. May God bless this special conference.
Pastors always have a secret wish list when planning such events. My personal wish is that everyone in my church will make time to be in attendance and to seek renewal. We (the Elders and myself) believe that God has been leading us in a certain direction as far as our ministry purpose goes, and John Juneman will not only help to confirm that, but to bless it and inspire us to fulfill it.
This is our time to shine! It is our time for renewal in our personal lives, and in the purpose of our church. Of course our ultimate purpose is to glorify God, but it is how we do that which concerns me. Sometimes the things that we do over and over again have no sense of purpose anymore. When we come to such times it is time to bring out the "chopping block". Everything is on the chopping block from the way we worship to the way we teach Sunday School. If it no longer serves any sense of purpose, it should be chopped up and thrown into the fire (figuratively speaking; see Matthew 3:10), and then we should look for a new way of doing it. This is often the outer results of an inward renewal taking place.
Renewal starts in the hearts of Christians, in the heart of the church. It involves confession for our sinful ways; but also for our complacency, and robotic efforts in ministry. I once had a well-intentioned Sunday School leader tell me that he had been the superintendent of his church for over forty years and he no longer had to prepare a thing. After forty years he had done the same thing so many times that he could actually do it without thinking. Unfortunately, he couldn't see that his robotic approach to leadership had lost all semblance of life (probably some twenty-five years earlier). He needed to discover a new way to bring life into his efforts of serving.
My wish is that we gain a clear vision of change for the right reasons and purpose. Change for the sake of change, hoping that change alone will make the difference, can be a fatal sin. It seems that many local congregations make this mistake. But when change is made out of a renewed sense of purpose and mission, then it is important that changes are made according to the dictates of renewal.
Let us heed the voice of the Almighty One!
Blessings,
-Leo
Pastors always have a secret wish list when planning such events. My personal wish is that everyone in my church will make time to be in attendance and to seek renewal. We (the Elders and myself) believe that God has been leading us in a certain direction as far as our ministry purpose goes, and John Juneman will not only help to confirm that, but to bless it and inspire us to fulfill it.
This is our time to shine! It is our time for renewal in our personal lives, and in the purpose of our church. Of course our ultimate purpose is to glorify God, but it is how we do that which concerns me. Sometimes the things that we do over and over again have no sense of purpose anymore. When we come to such times it is time to bring out the "chopping block". Everything is on the chopping block from the way we worship to the way we teach Sunday School. If it no longer serves any sense of purpose, it should be chopped up and thrown into the fire (figuratively speaking; see Matthew 3:10), and then we should look for a new way of doing it. This is often the outer results of an inward renewal taking place.
Renewal starts in the hearts of Christians, in the heart of the church. It involves confession for our sinful ways; but also for our complacency, and robotic efforts in ministry. I once had a well-intentioned Sunday School leader tell me that he had been the superintendent of his church for over forty years and he no longer had to prepare a thing. After forty years he had done the same thing so many times that he could actually do it without thinking. Unfortunately, he couldn't see that his robotic approach to leadership had lost all semblance of life (probably some twenty-five years earlier). He needed to discover a new way to bring life into his efforts of serving.
My wish is that we gain a clear vision of change for the right reasons and purpose. Change for the sake of change, hoping that change alone will make the difference, can be a fatal sin. It seems that many local congregations make this mistake. But when change is made out of a renewed sense of purpose and mission, then it is important that changes are made according to the dictates of renewal.
Let us heed the voice of the Almighty One!
Blessings,
-Leo
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