Christian Unity & Theological/Church Heritage

Tomorrow begins the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan18-25). A week of becoming more aware and appreciative of the great variety of ways of adoring God. "A week where people realize, perhaps for the first time, that their neighbours' ways are not so strange." Sunday evening our ministerial association will be hosting an ecumenical service, facilitated by a number of people from a variety of denominations. An evening when a myriad of theological and church heritages will be represented and united together in worship of our one God. As a matter of coincidental timing I was recently asked to write a short paper describing my own theological and church heritage. An interesting topic for one who was not raised in a church family. I'm not sure this is the response they were looking for but it was what the received, at least in part. I thought it might be a fitting blog post given the upcoming Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

My theological and church heritage is initiated first by my personal relationship with God. As a child I was not raised in a Church home, however I have had a love for God from as far back as I can recall. It is as though God has been wooing me from the day of my creation. I was always drawn to churches with their large stained glass windows, and beautiful Sunday morning bells. The memories of the churches I rarely attended are still very vivid. I can clearly see myself as a child sitting by the window on a Sunday morning, watching as people young and old, dressed in their Sunday best walked to church under the dawning sun. I can still hear the beautiful sounds of the bells ringing out enticing people to come. I can remember by name, the Sunday school teacher who taught me about Jesus the handful of times my aunt took me to the United church when I came to visit her. I remember Mrs. Kelly my public school teacher who gave us colourful books, almost like comic books depicting the stories of the bible. At the age of about 10 or 11, I started taking myself to church. I lived on an Air force base and the United Church was not to far from my home. I got involved in choir, and was the youngest and perhaps only non-grey haired member, for the short time that I attended.

As I entered my teen and young adult years, any embryonic thoughts of God were placed in my back pocket and the church was left behind. I moved out at 17 and as a result, finishing school, work, athletics and years later friends, partying and aspirations of climbing the corporate ladder took precedence. Yet even through these times, I could sense God's presence, His continued wooing. Then when I was about 24 I realized it was time for a change, it was time to respond to God's invitation, whatever that meant. I moved from Toronto to be closer to some of my family (this in and of itself is a work of God). I asked my Landlord where the closest United Church was and she instead invited me to attend her Free Methodist church, a denomination I had never heard of before. In fact I was not very familiar with many things of church still. I accepted her invitation and began going every Sunday to the FM church. I started to listen for God, and I heard about not only how much God loved me, which I never doubted, but what it meant to live for God, something I hadn't heard or at least recognized, during my minimal United Church experience. I started attending Bible Study, and the more I pressed in to God, the more He poured into me. It was not long after that, that I gave my life to the Lord, He always had my heart, at least in my ignorant understanding of what that meant, but now He had my life. Very quickly and dramatically my life changed. I started a youth ministry at our church about a year later, and subsequently became a lay pastor within the Free Methodist Church in Canada. With whom I now approximately 13 years later, serve as an associate pastor at a fabulous church.

I am an avid reader, and a lover of learning and academia. Before I accepted Christ, I had learned a bit about Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, Scientology and other "religions" to get a better understanding of who this God is that was wooing me. In the end I knew it was Christ - it made perfect sense and confirmed what I already knew in my heart. So too it was with my Church/Theological heritage. While I loved the FM Church, I wanted to more about it. I studied, taking the myriad of courses offered by the denomination such as "The Heart of Free Methodism" and "Wesleyan Theology" among others, and fell in love with our heritage, our foundations, John Wesley and our ethos. I considered Calvinism vs. Armenianism. I experienced Baptist, Pentecostal, Salvation Army, Christian Reform, and United Church services among others, yet each time it was confirmed that the Free Methodist Church in Canada, is where God was and continues to call me to serve. Not that I do not find value in the other expressions of the Christian faith, indeed I do, in fact I have filled the pulpit in each of those denominations. Nor do I think that we as a Free Methodist denomination have everything right, cause we don't, but my theological and church heritage is Free Methodist. It is not my heritage because it is the church of my Father, or the church of my friends, it is my heritage because it is the church God has placed me in, and called me to serve, and for this distinction I am grateful. 

I am grateful for the FMCiC and plan (as God sees fit) to spend the rest of my days serving God and others as part of this particular expression of the body of Christ.  That being said, I'm not sure God is overly concerned about my theological and Church Heritage. So I hope that I can pass on first and foremost my passion for our one true God and as an aside my appreciation for the FMC.  I hope I pass down a heritage of teaching others how to think and not what to think.  In doing so, I pray they will listen and discern where it is God is leading them, and will faithfully serve where God calls them to.  I pray that our theological and church heritages do not continue to be the stumbling blocks to unity among the body of Christ, or more pointedly, to others coming to know Christ and his life saving and life transforming power in a real and personal way.  I pray as we are called to pray this week for Christian Unity - ONE CHURCH united under the headship of Christ our Lord and Saviour.

I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ~John 17:23

Church is best defined in action

I am passionate about seeing people grow in their faith, to the point where that faith pours out into every area of their life, creating epic ripples that echo into eternity.  Much of what has formed my passion is personal experience, God's word and the teachings of John Wesley among others.

I particularly hold to Wesley's biblical interpretations and theology with regards to works of piety and mercy meeting with repentance, as necessary to full sanctification, if not at least as evidence of full sanctification. “True faith is manifestly shown by good living and not by words only…true faith is no unfruitful thing but a thing of perfect virtue, of wonderful operation and strength, bringing forth all good motions and good works.” "Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" ~1 John 3:18

Further to this I conquer with Wesley’s insistence that “the church is best defined in action, in her witness and mission, rather than by her form of polity.”

God has called the church to be salt & light, this in essence is our witness, our mission our faith in action. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." ~Matthew 5:13-16

But salt left in the shaker does no one any good, nor does a light hidden under a bucket. We need to get out of our churches, off the pews, and into the world. Being Salt is all about getting in there, mixing in with the world, so that we can season it, purify it and preserve God's kingdom, so that we can usher in Heaven on Earth. Being light, means that we are to shine, reflecting the joy and hope we have found in Jesus. 

A Cup of Cold Water

I am impressed and inspired by the simple and authentic actions of Christians. On the other hand people who have incredible biblical knowledge, astounding giftedness, and pious spiritual lives, leave me yawning, if it is void of simple and sincere expressions of their faith, and love of God and others.

I've said it before and I will say it again, I am a Walton's kinda girl, content with a Walton's kinda life. While I personally love academics, the arts and culture, what really delights my heart is community, relationships with people and God.

Friday afternoon, I experienced a Walton's moment. One person's simple and sincere action left me encouraged, inspired, and refreshed my faith in people, the church and those who serve in it! A young pastor from an FM church in Cloyne, knocked on the door of our church office, asking if any of the pastors were in. I was the only one remaining in the office that afternoon I told him, to which he asked if it would be alright to come in and pray for me.

I was astounded by what I learned next, this young pastor and another gentleman he was mentoring, had driven to Kingston for the sole purpose of going church to church to pray for the pastors. No hidden agendas, so self serving motives, no grandiose gesture, but a gift that spoke volumes. This is in large part what I believe it looks like to be the "church" - it is relational - it has a face - it seeks to serve others, to the glory of God. It is simple, it is pure, it is selfless. This one action, was so refreshing, like being offered a glass of the coolest water, in the dryest of deserts.

It certainly served as affirmation and encouraged me to initiate "iSERVE * iPRAY" that  Sunday. The encouragement continues as people decide to join in.  So man dedicated to growing in love and service of God and others. One participant wrote on the Facebook discussion page that their "Live the Word Challenge" for today was to "write a thank you note to a person from their past who has made a difference in their life". This is what they shared "...She was my JMS (Junior Missionary Servants) leader in church when I was young. She taught us songs in Swahili and who knew that years later, I would sponsor a beautiful girl in Kenya and have the chance to visit her and meet so many wonderful people. My heart is in Kenya and I thank God all the time for Mrs. Smith. She's an amazing God-fearing woman, everyone that knows her, loves her." Simple actions that impact the lives of others in profound ways, ways we may never even realize this side of heaven what a difference even the smallest acts of service may have.

"And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward" Matthew 10:42

Practicing what I preach, my live the word challenge for today is: to commit to praying for 2 people everyday for the next 6 months. 1 person from your church and one from your community. I have committed to praying for an amazingly generous and kind woman from our church, who faces mental and financial challenges and yet remains one of the most generous, and kind people I know. The person from the community I'm praying for everyday is our Mayor Henry Rosen. I know little about Him, but plan to learn a bit about him personally and His service to our city each day and will pray specifically for him based upon what I learn.

iSERVE * iPRAY

This morning was great!  My excitement was not in vain!  God is up to something, He is always up to something, but we have been invited to play a small part in seeing His plans come to fruition.

Today we launched the iSERVE * iPRAY movement.  I refer to it as a movement, because it is not so much a program as much as it is a lifestyle change.  40 days towards developing a heart and habit, of focusing on God and others. Over the next 40 days, I truly believe people's lives are going to be transformed, they are going to grow in faith, and love.  As a result the lives of those around them are going to changed, as well as their churches and community.

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." ~Matthew 5:16

This was all initiated with the belief that everybody wants to change the world, but many don’t even know where to start. iSERVE * iPRAY is 40 days of Prayer & Service. A humble little 40 day devotional and action plan, for ordinary people who want to make extraordinary things happen. It is a practical guide to being salt and light in our world. When implemented with sincerity of heart, purpose of mind and the power of prayer, we will not only see our self change but will potentially experience a transformation in our life and the lives of those around us that will create ripples which will echo into eternity. If we give a little of our self— we really can make a difference!

Having practical application, in addition to God’s word and prayer helps us to grow in both our being & doing as Christians. It is important that we keep this is balance – If we just do the actions we simply become powerless humanitarians, and if we just pray and read God’s word, we become pew potatoes.

I printed off 160 devotionals believing that this would leave us with a few extras, for those who could not make it this morning, as well as friends of friends etc.  Much to my surprise and delight, by the end of the service all 160 were gone, and I was rushing to get more printed!  People were requesting copies for their small groups, bible study groups and friends.  There was a definite excitement and anticipation in the air.

As stories are shared and my own experiences develop over the next 40 days, I will be sure to include them in blog posts.

If you would like more information about the  iSERVE * iPRAY movement, and /or are interested in receiving a free copy of the devotional and action plan,  feel free to contact me.

The Imperfect Board Member

Today I enjoyed a relaxing day at home. While it was cool and gloomy outside, I kept myself warm with some delicious white truffle rooibos tea, and occupied by reading the book "The Imperfect Board Member" by Jim Brown.  Initially, I thought it might be better to drown my body in coffee, thinking that the book would bore me to sleep and the caffeine may help to push me through to the end.  Surprisingly, the book was delightfully engaging, a quick 200 page read that I finished in a matter of hours.  Written as a narrative, with sage advice and proven principals comprising the meat of the material, this is a book that I would recommend to every person who works within an organization, church or company that has Board style governance.  Whether you be the CEO, Executive Director, Board member or even staff, Jim Brown's book offers invaluable insight.

As I do with most everything I read, I create a cornucopia of colour in my books. As interesting and poignant statements catch my attention, I stroke the little nuggets of wisdom with a highlighter for quick future reference. The rest of this post will be a quick summary of the pretty little pink lines you would come across if you read my copy of "The Imperfect Board Member", some of them are poignant and others just caused some personal reflection or left me laughing. I've bolded some of my favourites.

If I was to summarize the content of this book it would be encapsulated in this sentence:

To DIRECT and PROTECT the board must CONNECT - EXPECT - CORRECT and with regard to the CEO the board must SELECT - INSPECT - REDIRECT and if necessary - EJECT

** "He snapped on his positive, professional countenance- the one he had mastered after his
    MBA course on pubic relations, in which he learned to "always be sincere, even if you 
    have to fake it""

** "I'm just creating an environment for her to be her best. I view tips differently than many
    people do.  I like to use them to inspire premium service.  Why wait until it is too late to give
    her a message about her performance?"

** "Sometimes the best way for me to support you will be for me to disagree"

** Owners - Board - CEO - Staff - Customers -- "When the straight lines of communication,
    authority, and accountability get broken, confusion and chaos result"

** "President Lincoln wisely judged that 'it never does a boy much good to shoot him"

** "Hope is a choice.  Add to it perseverance and that's what changes the world"

** "Sometimes we inadvertently reward the behaviour we don't want and fail to reward 
    the behaviour we desire"

** "Sometimes a majority only means that all fools are on the same side"

** "When you're in the depths of despair, things appear dark in every direction.  But 
    when you raise your head out of the pit, you get a totally different experience"

** "Boards don't need to hear about how busy the CEO is -- they need to hear about results"

** "The only way a board can responsibly to it's job without medling is by monitoring well"

** "The best boards keep their noses in the business and their fingers out"

** "What you should know by now is that I don't just tell you my thoughts - I expect you to think"

** "It's amazing how uncommon common sense is these days"

** "Monitoring the results the CEO has achieved compared to the plans and policies set by the
    board is how the board fulfills the responsibility to INSPECT"

** "The board's position is not management one step up, it's ownership one step down."

** "An example of good use of board inspection is interviewing several staff members 
    to assess how closely the organization is following the board set values."

** "Tie as much of the compensation as possible to performance.  Despite what Woody Allen
    said, merely showing up for work is not enough"

** "Winston Churchill's response when a friend asked if he was impressed that ten 
    thousand people had come to hear him speak: "Not really.  A hundred thousand 
    people would come to see me hang""

** "Every director [board member] has a significant investment in the business.  We insist on
    that because we believe that board members must feel the impact of their decisions and their
    leadership as much as any other shareholder"

** "Feedback is the breakfast of champions"

Consumers or Community?

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I was reading "I Sold My soul on eBay".  It was a quick read and I finished it in the one day. It was an alright book, I appreciated his input though I did not find much of it very insightful.  He did address one item, that caught my attention, comparing a particular church with a movie theatre. I think it resonated with me because I have found myself thinking the same thing from time to time. I've decided for today's post to share this short passage from His book along with a quick reflection.

"When the band started playing, it was just after the 8:30 start time, but there were fewer than forty people in the church.  But by the time the band had finished singing and the pastor got up on stage, the crowd had more than doubled in size.  I noticed families with young children walking in without any visible indications of guilt.  I wouldn't think the people at this church were purposely rude, so they must have a good reason for showing up late.  Was the music so unimportant to them that they decided to come only for the "main event"?  If that's the case, is church more like a movie theatre where you can walk in after the previews and no one thinks anything of it?  I've always thought the previews are vital to the movie experience, though, just as I would assume singing is important to church service.  Furthermore, in a small community church such as this one, I imagine people would know one another better than at a larger church.  The people in the congregations, therefore, might know the people on stage who were singing and would surely respect them enough to show up on time.  I didn't see that respect being shown, though."

Hemant went on to say this at the closing of his book. "Speaking of those who walk into church late, I want to know why they do so.  Not everyone gets stuck in traffic.  If church is so important, there is no reason to walk in late.  In fact, if going somewhere to worship God is important, then people should arrive early." 

I loved his last line, because it eludes to the fact that church is not about us, it is about God.  It is about worshipping God and learning to grow in His image so that we can love Him and others better.  Church is a community of believers who share like beliefs and come together to worship God,  bringing Him glory as they edify one another and go out having been equipped and enabled to serve others. 

When we make church about us we treat it like a product. As a result we end up becoming consumers rather than a community, taking what we want and leaving the rest.  This is evident in the actions of those Hemant referenced in his book.   They were not interested in joining the community to worship God through song, and and as a result the sense of community was lessened. Even leadership can sometimes fall into the trap of marketing their church like a product to be consumed, concerned first with appeasing the people in the pews, rather than guiding them in how to best glorify our Holy God.

Perhaps we would all do well to remember that the end user of all our worship, offerings, sermons, songs, outreach and evangelism is God.  Is God well pleased when we show up late, without excuse, to the Sunday celebrations created to honour Him?  Is He well pleased when we water down His word in order to appease a crowd?  I'm thinking that a church that develops a marketing plan that recognizes God as the end user, would see substantial growth as a result.  An increase would definitely be evident in the size of the hearts of those in attendance and probably an increase in the church size as well.

Is Church Meant for the Atheist?

I love books, and reading, so on my day off I rest and read.  Today I am reading a book I picked up at Chapters titled "I Sold My Soul on eBay - Viewing Faith through an Atheists Eyes" by Hemant Mehta. It was a great deal at only $4.99.

You may recall the name Hemant Mehta, he is the Atheist who auctioned off the opportunity for someone to have him go to a church of their choosing.  The bidding started at $10/hour and he figured it would probably top off there, meaning he would have to go to church 1 week for 1 hour.  In fact the auction closed at $504 with Jim Henderson of offthemap.com being the winner.  This meant the Hemant was to go to church 1 hour, each week, for a year.  In fact Jim had him attend no more than 15 churches and write his impressions of those churches for his blog. I am on Chapter 6 of 10 and my first impression is that the book would have been more accurately subtitled "viewing church through an Atheist's eyes".  I will let you know if this impression changes by the end.

As I entered the 3rd Chapter, I found myself asking.  Is Mr. Mehta's opinion as an unbeliever pertinent? Is a Sunday morning service meant for Atheists?  Historically, were non-believers catered to in the holy temples?

In his book, Hemant, revisits an old parable of the sun and the wind.  The story goes that a battle ensued between the wind and the sun over who was more powerful.  The wind contended that it had the ability to move ships across oceans, destroy cities, and cause bridges to collapse.  The Sun countered that it could start fires, help crops, and power entire buildings.

The Wind and the Sun decided to settle the matter once and for all.  Spotting a young girl walking to school, they decided to compete to see who could make the girl take off her jacket.  The wiser Sun, knowing he would easily be the victor, sat back and watched while the Wind went to work.  The Wind's strategy was to blow the jacket off the girl.  It blew harder and harder hoping the girl would give up the struggle and stop clutching her jacket.  Yet every time the Wind blew, the girl only clung more tightly.  No matter what the Wind did, it could not find a way to separate the girl from the jacket.

Next, it was the Sun's turn.  It simply shone as bright as it could.  As the girl felt the heat building up, she quickly removed her jacket.  The Sun won the contest.

As I read this parable, I drew a parallel between the wind and a Sunday morning service as it applies to the Atheist. Sunday morning service has the potential to feel like your entering a wind tunnel to those who have not been introduced to Jesus. The Church is a place of worship and if someone does not have a personal relationship with God, then many of  the expressions of that worship will hold little meaning. As it appears by Hemant's experience, Sunday morning service  can leave the unbeliever confused by rituals they do not understand, prayers to a God they do not yet believe in, songs that hold little meaning, and messages that could be perceived as judgmental or coercive rather than persuasive.  Not that all is lost, good fellowship, engaging songs, and great teaching will undoubtedly benefit any unbeliever in attendance.

 

As I continue to read this book, I grapple with the idea that Sunday morning service should  be designed specifically to attract the non-believer. Undoubtedly the church body is to be a supportive, if not, the primary source for meeting the needs of those that make up the community outside their stained glass walls (Christian or otherwise) yet the discipleship and worship programs of the church have a primary responsibility to the body of believers. I would not go to a mosque and expect that they would need to change their style or method of worship in order to convert or even attract me as an unbeliever.

I appreciate Hemant's views as an Atheist attending church, and agree many of his observations have merit, however, they are observations that many believers would make as well as they are matters of preference of style and form of sermon delivery, worship, etc..  His criticism of content, appears to be more a result of a lack of biblical understanding or faith experience.  As a result I would be more interested in knowing what a Christian thinks of the places we worship? Do the sermons minister to them and are they grounded in biblical truth and balanced with relevance? Does the music draws them into the presence of the God they love? Do they find themselves involved in lifting up prayers from their heart?  Is the service relevant, is there accountability in place, is the fellowship sincere, is their foundation in Christ strengthened?

I do not believe that Sunday morning (or whichever day and time your church body gathers) is meant to be seeker sensitive, unless you are being sensitive to the only seeker who matters - God.  However, the most recognizable entity of the Christian faith has become the church as signified by steeples and stained glass. When what should be the most recognizable entity, is us as individuals within whom Christ Dwells. When non-Christians are seeking the truth they go to what we have created as the most recognizable, most significant symbol - where we have dictated the truth is kept, a temple of brick and mortar.  When in actual fact, that greatest testament to the truth of God, lives within us, the body of Christ - the individual members of the church. We, who have already entered into a relationship with Jesus, should be like the Sun in the parable, emitting the warmth of God's love to those around us. When we allow His light to shine in our life, and are obedient, to leave our places of worship and go into our communities and LIVE out our faith, then the seekers would seek us out {the real church/the true temple}, and we could gather where they are and share the truth that has been given to us, allowing the love of God to permeate and persuade them. Isn't that the model of church Christ exemplified.

That being said I would love to hear a non-believers critical analysis of the programs, means and ways in  which we try to evangelize, the organic ways and the planned and plotted ones.  I believe this would be more pertinent coming from a non-believer and would help to curb the risk of the body of believers becoming like a wind tunnel, blowing a lot of hot air at people, in our attempts to convert them (like that is our job). I would also purchase a book that chronicled first hand accounts of the ways in which God used others to bring individuals into a personal relationship with Himself.

So do I think church is meant for the atheist or non-believer? Referring to the building and worship programs, not specifically, it's primary purpose is to the body of believers, though it is still a great place for all to come on a Sunday morning, and I delight that the doors are open to all.  In fact I have witnessed time and again, first hand accounts of God's salvation grace being extended to an unbeliever after a Sunday morning message, resulting in their lives being transformed. If we are referring to church as the body of believers - definitely, the church as an extension of God himself is for everybody. We are commanded to love others as we love ourselves - all others. [Matthew 19:19]

Apathy Will Be the Death of You and Me

I had prepared a sermon for this morning's service, but over the course of the 48 hour prayer weekend, I really felt like I was to wait, that today was not the day to present this particular message. Instead I preached on forgiveness, and included the Poetry Slam I wrote. I had made my senior pastor aware of my decision, and of course he encouraged me to continue as I felt led. As I prepared to go to the pulpit, I looked around and noticed more young adults in our congregation than usual, and knew that this was the right message for this day. My senior pastor commented as well, on the perhaps not so coincidental change in the mornings plans considering the demographic of the church community this morning.

The message I had originally prepared and will be delivering at another time, developed from a time of prayer with God where I was questioning Him about the church, which resulted in the book of Haggai being impressed upon me. I have read that book at least 30 times over the past month, as it was such a powerful and direct answer to my inquiries.

I'm obviously not going to post my message here, before I present it at the church, but I thought I would summarize the book of Haggai, and an analogy I drew from it.

Apathy will be the death of you and me. 16 years later the people of Judah still hadn’t finished what they started - the Temple. They had taken their eyes off the goal, their eyes off God and had slid into a lifestyle of complacency and apathy. Haggai was compelled by the Lord to reveal to the Judeans the consequences of obedience and disobedience to the Lord, as it pertained especially to the building of His temple.

The people of Judah had not made the construction of the temple their priority; they had not put God first in their lives. They had allowed their self-centeredness and me first attitudes to drive them into an environment of complacency and apathy. Their homes had taken precedence over the temple [1:4], their interests, over the interests of God. Haggai was intent on getting them re-focused on God, the task He had provided them to do – and back on the right track as a people serving Yahweh.

The Judeans were called by Haggai to evaluate where it was they were headed, to “give careful thought to their ways” [1:5], it reminded me of a line I have heard from Dr. Phil “How is that working for you?” Haggai was saying in essence take a look around, all the things you have placed your efforts in, how are they paying off for you; not well as we can establish from verse 1:6 “You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it” We can put our efforts into all our own self-interests but if it is not of God it will amount to nothing. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away.” [1:9]

God using him, Haggai stepped in and spoke up, with clarity and insight.  The word of the Lord stirred their spirits and renewed their commitment to God and His purposes. Where rebuke had birthed repentance, now reassurance would birth encouragement and strength in the Lord. “But now be strong…and work for I am with you, declares the Lord almighty” [2:4]

The call to build the temple could also serve as an allegory for us as individuals and the body of Christ. We sometimes neglect the spiritual work that needs to be tended to in our lives, the building up of our spiritual fortitude, instead focusing on more pleasurable or immediate attentions, such as our work, popularity, success, friendships etc. etc. We focus so much on getting ahead, to the neglect of our spiritual walk, and then wonder why we are progressing so slowly.  It's either ignorance or apathy.  Either we don't care or don't understand that if we tended to our spiritual lives, and relationship with God first, maintaining our focus and priority in Him, then everything else would fall into place as per God’s will.

We Are Family

It is only fitting that today's blog should concern the privilege I've had of participating in this weekend's 48 hour prayer vigil.  "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." ~ Psalm 55:17.   While one might think I would choose to write something on prayer, I am more interested in sharing what I witnessed of Koinonia over the past 34 hours.  This will post will probably go through a couple revisions, as I am writing this eyes half open.

It delights my heart to see the body of Christ serving in unity and love.  Admittedly the body of Christ, doesn't always function as it should.   At times we are a clanging gong of dysfunction rather than a harmonious symphony following the lead of the master conductor.  As it is with any family, the family of God,  is going to experience some dysfunction, and growing pains, as we work together under the authority of our heavenly Father.  However, when  brothers and sisters, related through the blood of Christ place their focus on the things of God, becoming unified in the things which please Him, we become a glorifying force for God, an unstoppable power in the Kingdom and a blessing to others.  That was the result this past weekend.

Koinonia is a Greek word that means "communion by intimate participation".  The feeling of family was palpable this weekend as people came together for the common goal of prayer centered on God and focused on others.  All those who joined together for the 48 hour prayer vigil experienced this communion as we took the personal requests of friends and strangers to the Lord. There is something about sharing in the deepest needs and hurts and desires of individuals that creates a familial intimacy and trust.

"But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." ~ 1 Corinthians 12:24-26

There are number of reasons why I think the essence of family was so evident this weekend.  We were focused on a common goal, that had little do with ourselves and everything to do with  God and others. It was a challenge bigger than just one person, which required the participation and cooperation of many if we were going to succeed.   Any brokenness or divisiveness gave way as we became closely intertwined in this common goal. The spirit of sharing, generosity and mutual support became tangible.

A few of my favourite moments from the weekend:

I) The fact that people showed up every hour, even the wee small hours of the morning to pray for the needs of others.  Individuals took it upon themselves to call participants to remind them of their prayer time.  If someone was late arriving or could not make it, someone else stepped in to ensure that time slot was filled.  Not to mention those who decided last minute to stop by and join in prayer.

II) Witnessing the body of believers minister to each other, praying with and for one another, sharing tears, laughter and hugs.

III) The unexpected opportunities I was afforded to get to know individuals better, and pray for them.

IV) The variety of ways people prayed, some in silence, others out loud, some with song, some journaling, while others prayed the word.

V) Most generations of our church family were represented from the aged to the young.  I can not adequately express the emotion that filled my heart, as I observed one university student who took time out of her day to come and pray, quietly pour over each request. Admiration, Inspiration and hope I think best defines what I was feeling.

VI) The praise wall, that gave the glory and credit to God!

VII) The generosity extended beyond prayers, and beyond our Christian community when an individual brought a donation of a bag full of heat packs, wool socks and chocolate bars for me to take to the street truck tonight.

VIII) On a personal note, concerning sharing and generosity, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a slice of delicious home made banana bread Saturday morning and incomparable authentic homemade Indian Food brought for supper Saturday night.

This weekend is best summed up by this statement made to me Friday evening: "What an encouragement and privilege it was to be be able to come and pray for others and a humbling experience to walk around the sanctuary praying for all those needs"

The simplest and purest things are what I value the most!  My heart at times was bursting with delight.  I am blessed to be a part of the body of Christ, and uber blessed to be a member of this church family!

Consider Our Ways...

I have the privilege of facilitating a 48 hour prayer vigil this weekend at church.  While I was praying, I became distracted by the sound of the cars going by, which got me thinking and in turn inspired this - my 2nd attempt at poetry slam. Perhaps I`ll attempt to write one a week, but we`ll see how it goes. I could definitely use the practice. This is a spoken word art form, so a little is lost when it is read rather than heard. 

CONSIDER OUR WAYS...
I hear the cars driving by, whizzing, streaming by and I wonder why, they never stop to look inside - this sanctuary. Is it scary? Or is there something more ominous looming? Like the possibility that we are not choosing - to go beyond these stained glass walls to where it is dirty, messy and Jesus calls, us to start leading people out of the darkness, pulling them out of the muck and mire. Cause perhaps we're to concerned that it may ruin our image, mess up our attire.

You can debate me on this, argue that it's not the case but given the evidence or lack there of could you look me in the face. When people are lost more than ever before, many never having even darkened a church door. When there is so much space in this sacred place, full of empty pews and seats - tell me where is all the "Fresh Meat". I'll tell you where it is - in the world rotting away, unaware of their spirits decay, all because our fear or selfishness keeps us away.

Don't blame it on God when He has called you to get out of your pew, to start putting others ahead of you. There are people in Darfur dying, children crying, homeless people sleeping on the street, nations with nothing to eat. So many of God's children oppressed. this world is a mess. Yet we sit back and say it ain't our fault, wondering why the dark is so dark - pitch black like a moonless night. The question worth asking is why is our light not so bright.

Blood stained sacrifice paid the price - Do we honour the cost? When our inaction seems to indicate that we don't really care about the lost. Do we even care to bring them inside - this place where we hide? Or are we embarrassed and ashamed that our church is not all that we've claimed. Maybe we will recognize the error of all that we've been doing, building palaces for ourselves, while God's temple inside our hearts lies in ruins.

I don't mean to rant or come down to hard, my intention is not to have you leaving here emotionally scared - but if you are getting a little offended -then perhaps your heart needs to be mended. Maybe this Def Jam Slam was meant for you, because God has powerful, incredible things for you to do. Don't pack your bags, I'm not sending you on a guilt trip. These words are meant to challenge and edify the church not break the spirits of the saints like a whip. I am there with you, trying to get it right, considering my ways and how to brighten the light within me so that others can see when I venture into the dark, someting worth having, a spark, that will ignite a desire to know of God and his refining fire. Let's consider our ways and how to ensure this is a place of God's glory, where people come and sing praises, sharing their own story - Of how God's servants came blazing bright, leading them out of the darkness and into the light.

Come Together Right Now...

I have always been a big proponent of small groups and that passion has only been fuelled by the amazing group I am a part of.  If I was to define our group in three words I would describe it as "Organically Christ-like".   It is organic, by nature of its creation.  A friend and I were looking around for a good bible study group, going church to church trying to find a place that would meet our needs.  When nothing really fit, we thought to ourselves, why don't we start out own.  So we did.  It is not a big group just the 4 of us, which is twice as many indicated in Matthew 18:20 "Where two or more are gathered in my name, I [Jesus] am there among them." We are all from different churches, some of us strangers at the beginning but now friends. The fabulous thing is that we are different enough to compliment and challenge one another but we share some things in common.  We are all accomplished women, aged 26-34, independent, intelligent, and in relatively the same stage of life.  

Our small group is Christ-Like in that we watch over each other in love. We are transparent with each other, open with our struggles, we share our pains, discouragement and frustrations, as well as our dreams and victories.  We hold one another accountable and encourage and challenge each other.  When we meet formally each Wednesday, we are in God's word, learning how to live like Christ in the middle of our circumstances.  We always pray for and with each other, giving thanks to God and seeking His guidance and help to live lives that will glorify Him and bless others. 

I love this group, because it represents what I believe to be one of the most integral cogs in the life of a healthy church and a necessity in the life of each person wanting to grow in their spiritual walk. A safe place where we can confess our sin struggles. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. ~James 5:16. Real - authentic - transparent individuals, centred in Christ but imperfect and aware of it. It is a group where we have developed relationships allowing each other to speak into our lives about the sin that we can't even see. Encouraging and challenging one another as we seek to be more like Him. A safe place to be broken, a great place to find healing, learning together what it means to live as Christ has called us to live, nurturing each other in faith, hope and love through relationships of mutual accountability.

Jesus devoted himself to a small group at the beginning of His ministry, consisting of 12 ordinary men who became His disciples.  The words of Jesus in Luke 22:28 reveals the need for human fellowship and support "You are those who have stood by me in my trials."  The early church was a small group of people that gathered to encourage and support one another, doing essentially the same thing our small group did tonight, meeting in a home, eating together and praising God.  The Methodist revival led by John Wesley was primarily based on the use of small groups for mutual confession to one another, to give encouragement and support in overcoming temptation and in developing a Christian style of life.

I am passionate about small groups because I believe that a lack of relationship in the church and/or one's life contributes significantly to a loss of spiritual vitality.  If you are feeling drained, unsupported, and struggling in your Christian walk, or you simply want to be challenged and encouraged, I would encourage you to find a solid small group or consider helping to initiate one. We would all do well to recover accountability and authenticity in the real and deep manner in which Jesus exampled it amongst His disciples, increasing the relationships amongst the body of Christ and helping one another to grow more in His image.

The Church I Dream Of

I love the "church", the body of believers and the institution.  Admittedly it is not perfect, because the people who make it up are not perfect. If the church was perfect I couldn't belong. BUT it can be and needs to be BETTER. The institution of the church has done some horrible things in the name of God.  Even today, the church has been accused of being negligent, ignorant, and irrelevant, at times warranted, other times not so much.  No doubt there are things that the church needs to reflect on, repent of, consider, confess and change in order to be more like Christ created and intended it to be. I myself can be a brutal critic of the church but I believe in the church, the body of believers and the institution.  I believe in the future of the church, enough that I am willing to invest my life serving in it Jesus built and believed in the church enough that he was willing to give up His life for it.

I have learned from personal experience and through the experiences of others, that it is easier to identify a problem than it is to establish and work towards the solution. It is easy to point figures, lay blame, make excuses, but harder to initiate and carry through change. I am committed to refocusing my energies on working towards solutions and helping to implement change.

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25

I love the Shane Claiborne quote from his book Irresistible Revolution "Stop complaining about the church you see and become the church you dream of"

THIS IS THE CHURCH I DREAM OF...

1. KNOWN FOR LOVE OF GOD & OTHERS

i) Unwavering in devotion and loyalty to God

ii) A place of refuge and hope, where even the most messed up of individuals will be enveloped in genuine Christ-like love, because of who they are now and not just for who they might become.

iii) Grace trumps Judgment - A place where it is safe to admit your struggles, weaknesses, fears and brokenness without fear of judgment or condemnation but with a desire to overcome.

iv) Known as much, if not more for, what they stand for than what they stand against

2. PEOPLE COME WANTING TO BE THERE

i) Feels like home -  a real sense of community and family

ii) They truly experience God's presence & power

iii) Genuine hope, love and guidance offered

iv) Authentic and deep relationships developed with God and others

v) Relevant, practical and beneficial to their lives, both temporal and eternal

vi) Membership has its privileges benefiting both the denomination/church and the member

vii) Involved and engaged in something bigger than themselves-helping others and making a difference

3. PEOPLE GET SAVED

i) Continual people entering into life saving and life transforming personal relationships with Christ.  I want everyone to experience the realness of what I have experienced and much more!

4. PEOPLE EXPERIENCE A CONTINUAL PROCESS OF GROWTH & TRANSFORMATION

i) More concerned with growing hearts than growing congregation size.

ii) A place of celebration as people overcome struggles, burdens, weaknesses & addictions.

iii) A place of healing of infirmities both physical and emotional

iv) People faithfully striving to become more like Jesus both through personal study & discipleship

v) Mutual accountability - Iron Sharpening Iron - applicable to leadership & members alike

vi) A place of continued maturity, and leadership development.

vii) Relevant messages that teach of the true nature of God.  His love grace, & mercy coupled with His justice and judgment.

5. WORSHIP IS ABOUT GOD AND NOT US

i) A people who set aside their differences to focus on the God who has made us more alike than we care to admit.

ii) Amazing worship of an amazing God. Led with excellence in vast and varied forms. In spirit & truth

iii) Where the symbolic elements of worship hold more weight, relevance and authenticity.

6. PEOPLE GO

i) The hands, Feet & Heart of Jesus reach out to a hurting world

ii) A people that GO OUT with no motive but to spread compassion and love, as they bring the good news

iii) Committed to meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those they come into contact.

iii) Offering and supporting practical services and help to those in need in the community

iv) An instrument of justice working to end oppression, poverty, slavery, and all  "ism's" everywhere

7. BIGGER THAN OURSELVES

i) Selfless

ii) United with the larger body of Christ.  All Churches/denominations united under the Lordship of Jesus - working together - laying aside their individual agendas in exchange for God's ultimate plans and purposes.

...Easier said than done, perhaps a dream, but as a friend recently said "If you don't dream you will never experience a dream come true." God helping me I am trying to do my part.

I take comfort in the words of Jesus who said "I will build my church." Matthew 16:18 

WHAT DOES YOUR DREAM CHURCH LOOK LIKE?