Lessons Learned When a Church is Growing

I was asked what lessons I've learned while helping to lead a church that has been experiencing growth - a big question! I'll try to give you 10.

1. Growth hurts. It stretches and challenges us beyond our comfort zone, making room for greater capacity. If we try to avoid these symptoms, we won't grow and our capacity will be diminished.

2. Growth is scary. It involves risk. But with risk comes great adventure! Risk achieves what others thought was impossible.

3. Growth tests our commitment. Relationships, motivations, and attitudes will be tested, and the refining process brings out the highest quality gold.

4. Success involves failure. We don't like failure, but we learn from it. It constantly pushes us to God to assess ourselves, to renew our dreams, to expand our creativity - He is the ultimate source and end of all we do. God is endless in possibilities, hope, creativity, opportunity.....

5. We need positive, believing, hope-filled, creative people around us. They breathe life, speak life, see the potential, the possibilities, and they dream. The nay-sayers, the "realists", the offended, the negative and critical sap all vitality, creativity, hope and nourishment - it's like killing a young plant before it has the opportunity to become firmly established.

6. Good fruit rocks! Celebrate it all over the place, no matter how small. See the good, advertise the good, focus on the good, lift it up and let it shine. Shout out what God is doing. Problems always exist, but they can't be our focus. People will be drawn to what God is doing, and how will they know unless we tell them?

7. God is in charge. He's firmly in control and our journey belongs to Him, leads to Him. Therefore our trust must be firmly rooted in Him at all times.

8. When I can't, God can.

9. Rejoicing is a choice. I must choose to rejoice, choose not to be distracted from it, choose to seek the joy and express it as best I can.

10. Growing a Church is about growing the Body of Christ. We choose to do it in an organized setting which meets weekly - but our purpose is One. To lift up Christ, to help others be drawn into relationship with Him, to grow in relationship with Him. He is what we are all about.

There. 10 things I've learned and am still learning.

What Kind of Faithfulness Do We Have?

We are very proud to call ourselves "the church", to take on the identity of Christ's body, removing ourselves from the perceived stigma of simply being an organized entity. "I don't go to church, but we are the church". But if the distinction is so precious to us, do we really contemplate what it means?

If we are Christ's body, we are in sacred union with GOD. I don't know about you, but in my mind and heart, this is no small matter.

I read a book recenty on marriage, and I was struck by the similarities between the struggles in marriage and struggles in the Church. It is grievous that the Church has statistically eclipsed the world's divorce rate - we are now leading the pack - and the reasons for divorce mirror some of the issues that the Church experiences on a regular basis.

Some reasons given for divorce:

• God told me to leave my spouse (yes, people actually have said this)
• Marriage is just an institution, and I want relationship
• I'm just not happy in this relationship
• You are holding me back from succeeding (amazing)
• I've been seeing someone else (also a common problem)
• I've changed, my needs have changed
• You've changed and I don't like change
• It's too hard to stay
• I've wasted my time in this relationship
• This relationships isn't exciting enough

...same reasons people give for leaving a church

You get the drift. We can all find ways to try and justify unfaithfulness, and we can sound self-righteous while doing so. But when a covenant relationship is entered into, it's for keeps. Perhaps the permissibility of divorce within our Church culture, and the underlying lack of faithfulness, is the root of the same struggle for faithfulness in the Church? It is so much easier to give up, move on, or make an exchange than to do the nitty gritty hard work of keeping a relationship together. Will it always get better if you try? No. Does that excuse the covenant made?

The devastation of divorce is real, and there is a devastation in Churches when they experience faithflessness. I'm often saddened by the callousness of people to the pain Churches, Pastors, leaders and friends experience as a result of faithflessness - but I can't say I'm surprised.

Can we turn the tide? Can we reverse the trend of divorce in the Church? Can we strengthen the faithfulness of peoples hearts in relationship to one another? I believe it is possible - anything is possible if we believe. So we will continue, one marriage, one relationship at a time. And in the meantime, I'll be checking my own heart.

Musings on Justice, Mercy & Faith

Jesus said that "Justice, mercy and faith" were the weightier elements of the Law that were being neglected by the Pharisees.

What is justice and how is it executed? Who is responsible for it? Is it always paired with mercy and compassion?

We know that we are to be just. Noah was referred to for our example as a just (lawful, righteous) man.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

We are to be just in our business dealings and in our relationships with others (doing what is naturally, morally or legally right; showing equity).

We are justified (made innocent; righteous) by faith in Christ. We can't do it of ourselves.

Justice refers to making things right.
And it is often paired with mercy.

Isaiah 58:6-7 speaks of justice, of fasting to "loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free that you may break every yoke...to share your bread with the hungry and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him....." Justice and mercy.

The greatest mercy we have ever received was that while we were steeped in sin, Christ came and died for us. The greatest violence in the name of justice was the violence that Christ received to Himself to make us just/right/innocent of our sin. Christ brought justice through His blood, once for all. I do not need violence to bring justice. Christ already did that. I need to do justly, do what is right, be innocent and love mercy.

I can bring justice to the world by doing justly in my corner of it. I can uphold justice by my choices, attitudes, actions, and speech. And I can do it with mercy, the same mercy Christ showed me. Humbly before God.

The horrible truth is, Christ will come back to execute final justice. At that point all will be judged, both the just and unjust. Until that time, how great a charge we have to bring Christ's justice to each and every person, that they have the opportunity to believe on Him and be saved by faith. I cannot force justice on anyone. But I can show it, live it, think it, speak it. Humbly before God.

Am I walking justly? Treating others right? Am I standing for justice? Making just choices? Am I loving mercy? Am I relying on Christ's justice or seeking my own? Am I in humility?

more to think on....

Presumption

You know when you read the Bible and a verse causes you to pause and tremble, when the fear of God, an awareness of Who He Is, rises within in you? That moment which causes you to say "Lord, is that me? Keep me!"? It leaves me trembly inside. I read such a verse this morning.

"Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression". Psalm 19:12-13

I often pray and ask God to shine His light on my heart that nothing hidden can remain there, so I'm not nervous about secret sins (the Bible does remind us that NOTHING stays hidden). But what are "presumptuous sins", and how can they rule over us?

Numbers 15:30-31 says "But the person who does anything presumptuously...that one brings reproach on the Lord, and he shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the word of the Lord, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him".

This tells me a few things about presumption:
1) We can be presumptuous about anything. Big or small, I can act presumptuously.

2) Presumption brings a reproach on the Lord. That word "reproach" means 'to hack with words'. It means 'revile; blaspheme'. That's what my presumption does!

3) It ends up hurting me and others around me. Not only will I be cut off, alone with myself, but others are deprived of the good measure I have been given to share with them. Presumption isolates me from others and stops my ability to share with them.

4) It means that I have despised the word of the Lord. I have gone my own way. Pride and arrogance. I've not sought what He would say, but have done what I thought was right.

5) Presumption is a sin, it breaks His commandments.

6) It adds guilt to me.

So, as I began to repent before God, I asked Him to show me what it looks like.
That moment when I don't stop to consider what His word says, to seek His counsel, but do what is right by my own knowledge, understanding or experience. When I lean on me. When I follow my emotions or what is "right for me". When I know something (a thought, attitude, or deed) is wrong, but I hold onto it anyway. When I allow sin to reign in me, presuming on the grace of God. When I don't change. When I stand in God's place and judge others harshly as if I know all that is to be known. When I don't read my Bible, but skate on grace. When I read only a portion of the word and stand on it's narrow ledge, forsaking the breadth of God's counsel.

Presumption presumes that we know what God would do, yet the Bible tells us that His ways are unsearchable. He doesn't operate the way we do. I can be all kinds of "right", yet fall into presumption. And such sin begins to control us when we fail to submit ourselves to the Word. That is why it is so vital for us to read the Bible, to let it wash over us and convict, challenge, cleanse and heal us. It shines a light on the way we should go. It does the most thorough of "heart checks".

Lord, "keep me from presumptuous sins", and let Your word do it's work in us.

Pet Peeves and Things I Love

I'm always hesitant to put pet peeves out there, but thought maybe if I also put what I love out there....maybe it will be cathartic. These are in no particular order, and may be repetitive and it is not exhaustive...



Peeve: People who have something to say but nothing to contribute.

Pleasure: People who get it done.



Peeve: People saying "God told me" as a rationalization or justification, yet they have no Biblical support for such a claim. Does God contradict Himself? Do we find support in His Word to back up what He is saying to us now? I should hope so!

Pleasure: The wealth of the word that brings a richness and depth to God's voice, that resonates when a person shares, causing the living word to come alive.



Peeve: When pride trumps experience (in people's attitudes and mindsets)

Pleasure: When humility trumps experience (in people's actions and words)



Peeve: People using relationship to attain a platform (or looking at people as objects to speak into and thus gain a platform)

Pleasure: People caring more about people than platforms.



Peeve: Hidden judgements and critical comments and attitudes that erode the good

Pleasure: Undercurrents of unity, pleasure, rejoicing together in common purpose.



Peeve: Closed ears and proud hearts in Christians

Pleasure: Ears that hear and hearts that rejoice, seeking the good, advertising it and sharing it.

Peeve: Excusing unrepentant sin because of charisma or gifting.

Pleasure: Gentle, persistent, loving restoration that doesn't give up but continues to believe God for a turnaround.

To the Peeve's out there: I have been there. I occasionally still visit there. There's no ill will, it just makes my stomach turn when I see it in myself or anyone else.



To the Pleasures: out there: Keep rocking it!

Politics & Religion

Even writing the title of this makes me cringe. Do these words even go together? I was contemplating Jesus' take on politics, the dominion mindset some Christians have, etc., and I have not spent time developing this, but it's just my thought process.....

Jesus came for ONE purpose - to seek and save the lost, utterly destroying the work of the enemy through the redeeming power of the cross and His resurrection. He deliberately avoided getting caught up in the political turmoil of the times (both in and out of the church) and kept His focus on loving people into the Kingdom. He preached the gospel to them, prayed for them, fed them, etc...and left the decisions up to them. If they chose not to follow Him, He shook the dust off His feet and went on. He continued on His mission to show us how to live out life in Him, to all who would hear.

What's amazing is that He did not react and point the finger and judge those who chose not to follow Him. He didn't criticize or demean. He wasn't mean-spirited. He just moved on to the next town. His fierce judgement was for those in the "church" who were politicizing and profiteering off of the people instead of leading them into the love and grace of God.

The Father's heart was His only agenda. Now that's straight talk! Now that is true change!

So in a time of political debates and elections, there are tremendous wranglings over who is the "right one" to vote in, which party is "better", etc. There are the harsh words for the "other side" (whichever one that is for you). Neither side treats the other any better than the other. We gleefully spout our judgements over our neighbors and their "wrongness", all the while neglecting the heavier weight of the law: Loving our neighbors. When the elections are over, a soul still hangs in the balance. When the elections are over, will our witness be destroyed by playing politics?

Don't get me wrong - we should fulfill our duty to vote, and do so informed and in good conscience to our beliefs and values.

But must we destroy our witness to the world in the process? Who wants to hear of God's love and grace from people who don't exemplify it in daily life? Sigh. Humility is required of every man. God loved US when we were steeped in sin, and gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He continues to love us when we err, when we stray. God loves McCain and God loves Obama. God loves the neighbor who believes differently. God loves Muslims and homosexuals. God loves fornicators and adulterers, liars and the proud. God loves you. He loves me. Our job is to love Him back and to share His love with others. What they do with it is between them and God. But we never give up loving. 1 John says how can we say we love God and hate our brother? Can love and hate spring from the same well?

Love. Love and don't give up loving. Share the gospel in word and deed. Exemplify God's love the best you can every day. And when we fail at love, forgive and exemplify that. Let's put down the pointing finger and harsh judgements and let God stand in His rightful place (i.e. we need to get out of His way and let Him be the judge).

Love. Don't let politics and religion suck you down and miss the simplest truth there is to live by....

A new schedule takes so much time...

...and it takes such effort to reconfigure your head around how to get done what needs to get done.

The kids going to school is both a blessing and a curse. Strong language, I know, but it's true, ha ha. It's so great to see them enjoying being with their friends, experiencing new things and all that. In fact, sometimes after we drop the older two off, we sit and watch them walk away from us, so smart looking in their uniforms, looking so old, and we wonder if those are really our kids. Until the youngest asks if we can go yet. :) It's so great to see the confidence that has blossomed in them during last year's homeschooling experiment. And how great to see such a positive outcome!

But then I resent the time school takes away from our family. It demands its own schedule and tries to supercede the family's schedule at every turn. Hate that! There's enough of life trying to do that already. I want to be able to prioritize family and church, then school. Unfortunately, I can't do that to the degree I would like, so I get to be creative and that means I have to be on MY game and think ahead and plan and execute.....understanding the curse part?

Another area of new scheduling is at work. With staff changes we are having to redefine our daily in and out roles in the office, and it is a real stretch to walk through. The good side is that we don't have to be the ones to do so many things, and we can have actual family time with the children on the weekend,...but after so many years of functioning in "work" mode, we are having to rediscover how to have fun as a family. Isn't that sad? We were talking today about having to plan the re-learning of it. Our fun is so often mixed up with work, and truthfully, we like it that way most of the time. But the kids are getting older, and so are we. In the long run, we'll be healthier in body and spirit, stronger, for the changes being made, but God, help us make the changes! :)

Kinda brings tears to my eyes, re-reading this paragraph. I am so thankful to God for the pieces that have fallen into place around us. There is such an open door for this time, and I know God is at work, that destiny is being shaped. And not just for us..............