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Tag Archive - church
Churchless, Homeless, and Super Bowl Party-less
((sigh)) :0(
This has been a week of “Who am I?” Who really cares that I’m churchless, feeling homeless, and evidently Super Bowl Party-less?
Last Sunday night being our last at our great church, we left to answer God’s desire for us to start something new. While driving home, I felt a complete loneliness. Who will bring us chicken soup when we are all sick? Who will sit with us when we endure serious hospital stays? Who will call saying they miss us and love us? Who will care for us now?
What was I thinking? Why would God want this for us?
Isolated.
Alone.
Amongst herds of people, but lonely.
Like one living and working in New York surrounded by masses, but without community? Could this be . . .?
Is this how some people live?
Not feeling loved. Not having anyone who really cares?
Is this the reason God wanted us to leave? To make a community where people will feel loved. Where through us, God will show love those who won’t go to church.
Within the last few weeks, Chuck and I made a “Not To Do” list, solidifying what we felt was God’s leading in our lives. We made a commitment to obey the call–go out of the church. Since he called us out of a great pastorate, it would defeat our obedience simply to join another. Even if we felt lonely or the need for fellowship, we were to keep to our task. We also listed that this was our call, and would allow our children to join any youth group’s activity of their choosing. (They have lots of friends in various groups, and have their Super Bowl Party invitation.) To a certain degree, we released them from supporting our call so they may follow God’s plan for their lives. This is all very strange and new territory to us.
God’s called us to live authentic Christ follower lives amongst those who need love the most. Maybe we needed to feel as those we are to reach.
A person without a home (feeling), without a community of genuine people who care, and without an invitation to a Super Bowl Party.
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This week my song has been from an old sitcom, Cheers, where lonely people gathered, “I just wanna go where everybody knows my name . . .”
Where is the Super Bowl Party?
Where is our “Cheers”?
In the middle of this drifting feeling, I’m certain of God’s faithfulness and his promised gift–his love and presence. We have a home in him and really aren’t alone. He leads us and will help build our “Cheers” community.
This party will be a Super Party!
Do you wanna come . . . where everybody knows your name?
Should I STAY? Or Should I GO??
Staying means comfort, risk-free, known terrain, but going …
I hate change.
No I like change.
Uh-uh, change is disturbing.
No, it’s exciting. (there’s nothing like inner conflict!)
Gosh! I hate my life.
No, no. I really love my life, but these decisions are killing me.
Should I stay? Or Should I go?
While the beat of that song plays in your head, I’ll tell you we struggled. We struggled within ourselves. And we struggled with God. Then my husband and I finally came to the conclusion.
“Okay. We’ll go.” We’ll give it all up and follow God. (not like we weren’t totally given to ministry already!)
“It could never be better to stay once He [God] determines otherwise.” Streams in the Desert January 14th.
That may be right, but it doesn’t help the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of the future, the misunderstanding of others placed on us.
“He [God] goes on ahead of [us]” John 10:4
That’s more comforting. God is leading the way, going in front of us, and showing us the way.
F. B. Meyer states, “All the tomorrows of our life have to pass through Him before they can get to us.”
Now that’s a shield in which I can get behind and forge ahead.
Maybe going is the best answer when God says, “Go.” (check Matt. 28:19-20)
So we find ourselves taking an Abrahamic call. My husband resigned a great pastorate of over eight years. We don’t know where we are going. We are unsure of what we’re doing. We simply answered the call to go.
We didn’t come to this decision lightly. The struggle took a while and we often switched places with one sensing the call stronger and the other not. We never struggled with each other. But were united in intense struggle to do only what God wanted. My security was challenged. His identity challenged. This was all so new, and well…challenging!
Our last Sunday is January 25th. Then . . .
I have no more to write. I don’t know anything more. Going . . . with eyes wide open!
Twittering Ministry!
Can twitter give your ministry’s effectiveness a step up? The church could learn alongside businesses that social media matters, because word of mouth can build or destroy a company or ministry’s PR impression, how people view them. Word of mouth is, after all, the way in which the gospel is spread—one beggar telling another where to find the Bread of Life.
It’s time for beggars to unite and network with others socially, offering something of value. For goodness sake, don’t enter the networks with a, “ya’ll come now, you hear?” attitude. This isn’t a place to issue blanket invitations to a church service or gathering. We’ve got to enter into a relationship with those we want to reach. Offer ourselves, friendship, a listening ear, an encouraging word, a big kudos for a job well done. Offer helps, tips, whatever, as long as it’s of value.
Should a church or ministry have a social media minister? Since businesses find great potential in social media as a cutting edge way to do business, it might benefit ministries as well. A ministry can make relevant connections and impact lives through social networks. I’m not saying all ministries or churches should engage social media as a method of reaching and touching people, but it’s a great way for ministries to engage and relate with those they want to reach and give them something valuable.
Here’s a video worth looking into. It’s Laura Fitton’s, @Pistachio, keynote address about twitter titled “Twitter for Business.” If I could rewrite the script, I would title it “Twitter for Ministry” and have every mention of business rewritten as ministry.
Think of
- the ways a ministry team could benefit with instant communication,
- the knowledge and understanding of the people you work with and those you want to reach, and
- the opportunity to share your vision and keep focus on your mission.
After watching the video, please share your opinion of the benefits social media can have on your ministry. Have you seen a social network ministry be effective, build relationships with opportunity for life change?
To view @Pistachio’s power point presentation.
I look forward to hearing your ideas.
“Take It Outside!!” Real FAITH
Ever wrestled or roughhoused to the point where it got out of hand and were told to take it outside?
Some issues are not delicately struggled with indoors. We have to step outside and take care of them.
Read about real faith in "Morning Coffee" where my good friend, writer and newspaper columnist, Renae Brumbaugh, posted "Take It Outside."
Living Free from Fear, Religion, & Expectations
Living free, quite frankly, is no fall cakewalk. Fear binds me all up – binds me to expectations, religion, and sure-fire failure. I can never measure up to other’s expectations, religion’s rules, or perfect pastor-wife’s position. But I‘ve found a secret to living free from all that.
It’s really a one step process: Take love and be filled to overflowing. As I’ve learned through difficulties, God is all I need, all I want, and nothing else can fill that place.
It’s love, true love that’s the key to living free and casting off cords that bind. My life verse is “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”(2 Tim. 1:7) Out of love comes power and self-discipline; timidity and fear melt away. I pray this verse when fear strikes.
Perfect love comes from personal relationship with God. Freedom to live as a Christ follower doesn’t come from religion’s rules, but flows out of love for God. Ironically, this freedom requires more of a commitment. It’s about relationship with God and proper relational etiquette rather than rules of “churchianity.” A self-discipline. See previous verse. We have to mind all the checks the Holy Spirit gives. That’s way beyond a set of rules handed down from generations of church going people. The only way to receive the promptings and checks of God is to have personal dialogue with God – a personal relationship.
I offer a personal introduction to God as well as a set of communication exercises in iGETitLIFE with Purpose. The exercises are not set in stone. They are only coaching exercises to get your dialogue with God started on a personal level.
But first comes the introduction. We must realize we don’t measure up and see our need for God. That’s called sin. No matter how big or small, we all have it. But if you don’t feel the need for God, it won’t do any good to introduce you to him. If you desire an introduction, after realizing your need, you simply tell God you need him. “God, I’ve made a mess. I’ve sinned. I need you. Please come into my life, change my heart, and become my master giving me prompts and helping me follow them. God, I need you. Thank you for listening.”
If you talked with God like that and meant it with everything that’s in you, you are a Christ follower – one who is committed to following Jesus. At this point you have all the love you need to live free, but . . .
You have to live it out. It’s harder than living up to expectations and rules, but it’s freer. Fear will push you back into expectations and rules. Love will draw you deeper into the sacred relationship. Every moment is a choice, love or fear. One is freedom the other bondage.
Choose well, my friends. God’s grace will cover you in repentance.
Blog Talk Radio topics
An Interview with Eric Canaday at Christianity Unplugged:
Blog posts with related topics for discussion are below. You can read them, get to know me a little and make comments.
Living Free from Fear, Religion, & Expectations
iGETitLIFE 21 Day Challenge Wins 20 Day Reunion
My Time, My Way, & My Best Interest
Leadership Choice & Passion
Leadership Choice & Passion (Acts 14-21)
Our daily decisions change the outcome of future choices. In the movie Prince Caspian, Lucy asks Aslan something like, “Would they still be alive if I had come sooner?” She felt remorse over her previous choices and the loss during the battle to take the castle.
Aslan responds, “To know what would have happened, child? No, nobody is ever told that.
The believers faced ridicule and a choice following the amazing events in verses 1-13 with the Holy Spirit coming and the speaking native languages of all the nations. “Oh, they’re just drunk!” (Acts 2:13).
A common ordinary fisherman made a choice. He stood up to lead, defend, and teach. The other eleven stood with him and didn’t bicker over his leadership. Jesus had established Peter as a leader. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), ? and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell?? will not conquer it. (Mt. 16:18, NLT)
Peter stood up for the eleven, with the eleven, and supported by the eleven. He spoke out with a raised voice to all who would listen. He denied the sneers concerning drunkenness based upon the early hour of the day. Then he cited the prophesy of Joel 2:28-32 as evidence of what had taken place.
The first part of the reference in Joel, Peter believes to have taken place. God poured out his Spirit upon them, made the sons and daughters prophesy, the young men see visions, and the old dream dreams. Peter believed the Spirit was poured out on the male and female slaves too. He witnessed these things and felt them to be the fulfillment of God’s promises in Joel.
About the last part of the quote from Joel, The Bible Knowledge Commentary says “the implication is that the remainder would be fulfilled if Israel would repent.”[1] Peter appears convinced that if the Jews would turn toward Jesus, these wonders in heaven would take place right then. The blood, fire, and cloud of smoke, the sun darkened, and the moon turning to blood all would happen before God’s great day. To Peter, the happenings of the morning meant this must be God’s great day. Surely the Jews would repent now, and God would do these other great things too.
I’ve been just as convinced by God’s movement that, “today must be the day,” and my day held nothing compared to this day of Peter’s. Experiencing God move creates an urgency in me to tell others before it’s too late. For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (vs. 21).
Today, I have a choice to expect God’s movement and be pumped about it telling others. I am not told what would’ve been if I had made better choices in the past, but today can be new as I stand with my fellow believers proclaiming the wonders of God to any who will listen. It’s not too late.
[1]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:358.
The Un-expected Expectation
The Un-expected Expectation (Acts 2:1-13)
What expectations do we have of God? I expect God to make sense of suffering, to give purpose to my struggles, and a reason for living. But isn’t that selfish expectations? Do I really expect God to do something wonderful, some unmistakable, divine work?
My expectations reflect my beliefs. Do I believe? Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” (John 1:50)
God has given many promises, but often I lack the faith to see them. It isn’t that I don’t believe God can. It is more, I don’t think he will. I’m not sure there’s a big difference in my way of thinking, but it makes me feel better. “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
The disciples were gathered together on the celebration day of Pentecost, 50 days, the final party of the 7 weeks of First Fruits Festival after the Passover (vs. 1). They had been given the promise to expect the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:11, Acts 1:5).
When God does something new, how can we know what to expect? We have no context from which to relate the expectation. It is un-expected. When I was expecting my first born, I tried to understand what to expect from family, friends, and medical professionals. But without experience, I had no real understanding of what to expect. Yes, I was expecting. No turning back from where I was going (giving birth), but the pain, the process, the emotion was all very unexpected. Seeing and experiencing the expectation was more that I could have expected.
The believers were together when some extreme, weird stuff happened (vs. 2-4). A powerful noise from heaven filled the place, and then a flame appeared then rested on each one present. Imagine the deafening noise and the eye-popping sights. This was a new thing. Then they were able to speak the native languages of all the festival goers from the many different nations (vs. 4, 6, 8, 11).
Jerusalem was swollen with crowds of celebrants and when they heard the noise they ran to see what was up (vs. 6), sort of like rubbernecking accidents on the highway. When God works, he desires to have it shared with others, and provides an audience for the telling of his mighty works. It wasn’t for the disciples benefit alone.
Don’t miss the fact that these guys were not learned people. They were common fisherman and the likes, but God did a work through them for the purpose of telling the crowds “the wonderful things God has done!” (vs. 11) God’s promised work was to use the common to display his glory.
We can expect various reactions to God’s work (vs. 12-13). Some will be amazed and ask further questions to understand more, while others will discount God and his doings with rationalization or unbelief. Mine is to live my common life in God’s uncommon way of telling others about the wonderful things God has done, leaving the response to God.
Trying to expect God’s promises, believing them as truth,
Not for my glory, but his!
What a great life God has given!
Robin
Continuous Authenticity! Prayer? (Acts 1:13-15)
Let’s be real. Amongst us, who is continuously authentic at anything? I’m the chief mess up; the worst I know. The only real thing I can be is a mess. Hiding my mess is my natural response. There now. I’ve confessed I am not perfect nor good enough to even get close, and I’ve been around enough other people to understand the same is true of them as well. We are all a mess, every last one of us. Even God agrees, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23, NLT).
God knows all things. Nothing is hidden from him. Our every thought is known by him. Therefore, we ought to pray to him confessing all that is within us, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Especially since he already knows, and we can’t hide it. God has said he loves us even with our shortcomings. John 3:16 says he loved us even before we recognized our need for his love. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (NLT). His love caused him to die for us that we might have purpose in our life. Believers ought to always pray openly and in an intimate manner.
God asks believers to gather together and it seems from this passage, verse 14, the main purpose for gathering is to lay aside self, focus on God, and worship him in prayer. Could it be the reason the church of today struggles with petty discord is that we don’t gather together to authentically pray? We don’t humble ourselves before God either personally or in our corporate prayer. We don’t really pray.
I heard a statement about marriage and prayer. The couple who prays together stays together. This is true if their prayer is authentic opening of themselves before God and each other, confessing wrongs and asking forgiveness. This doesn’t work if the only prayer request is for the likes of Aunt Edna’s ailing knee, a sort of shopping list prayer. God isn’t a heavenly department store clerk to pass out blessings requested from a list. No, he honors genuine seeking him in prayer.
Please don’t think I am saying praying for a list of sick ones, and such is wrong. What I am saying is the most effective prayer is meeting with God, being humbled in his presence, confessing unworthiness, and asking as one in complete dependence for genuine felt needs. Does the church today really pray?
I have experienced this kind of genuine, heartfelt, humbling encouraging group prayer. A gathering where each one prayed from the depths of their heart, confessing sinful attitudes and behaviors, and the desire to live in the manner causing God to smile in approval. I’ve come to understand more clearly the heart of others as together the group prayed corporately in this manner. Real prayer brings real unity. Authentic living.
For further reading on unity in prayer, examine Hebrews 10:25 (gather together), 1 Thes. 5:17 (pray continuously), Ephesians 5:21 (submit to one another).
Why don’t believers pray?
