Christ Following, Ireland, life, Missions, The Church
Recently I had the great pleasure of visiting friends in Ireland. They are pastors of small churches and the incredible resolve they posses to spend their lives being a light in a very post-Christian environment is nothing short of inspiring. They are aware that the rate of change is painstakingly slow yet they are committed to staying the course. It’s not about bigger buildings, better marketing, or a busier preaching itinerary for them. It’s about leading people to hope and freedom through Jesus, and I love the fact that simplicity hasn’t escaped from their purpose and values.
One thing I look forward to when I’m in Ireland is the “craic”. It’s a Gaelic word for having a good time, laughing, and sharing stories. We have rich conversations about life, ministry, family, and whatever else comes to mind. It’s not unusual for hours to pass, lost in each others tales of adventure, misfortune, sacrifice, and good humor.
During one such time, I was talking with my pastor friend Peter Lynch, from Dundalk. He leads a fellowship of about 50 people, very small by American standards. During our conversation he shared with me how his church has been taking trips to Burkina Faso in West Africa. It’s the third poorest country in the world. They have gone and dug wells for the people there so they can have fresh water. They’re also helping to build a school. When they go, they train the locals how to do the work and they leave all their tools behind so they can keep moving forward. Each trip costs around 25,000 dollars, a steep price to pay for such a small church.
I couldn’t help but think of how many times I hear pastors claim their churches just aren’t ready to help others with physical needs. The building payment, new carpeting, sound system, and payroll keep them from being able to feed the poor, clothe the naked, or shelter the homeless. Sometimes they hide behind the idea that all of those luxuries are needed to meet spiritual needs and attract seekers. Whatever helps them sleep at night… All I know is that Jesus spoke much about caring for the needy and spoke very little about pouring all our resources into building our organization. Wait… he never spoke about pouring our resources into our organization…
I’m not against the western church or religious organizations. I’m simply asking, If a tiny Irish church can give so freely to those in need, then why can’t we? Why don’t we adhere to the priorities Jesus gave us? I’ve read Matthew 25 over and over and can’t find the part where Jesus welcomes the sheep because they were so hip, relevant, good looking, or multi-campused. Instead he said, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
This doesn’t just apply to the church either. As a church staff member for many years, I can recall times when people would ask us for money and resources to help someone out. The problem was that the person doing the asking was plenty capable to help that person themselves. The good Samaritan didn’t ask an organization to help the poor guy left for dead. He used his own resources! We as individuals need to make helping others a priority too. It amazes me how many people “wish” they could do more but will drop $15 a week at Starbucks!
So here’s my challenge… be a sheep, not a goat. Read Matthew 25:31-46 again. Are you living it? One of the great things about being a blessing is that God blesses back. My friend Peter shared that his church has experienced a twenty percent increase in finances since they’ve started going to Africa. That’s in the middle of a recession! Looks like Luke 6:38 is true! We should live like our lives are not our own, give like our money is theirs, and go like it’s really not that far! … ready or not.
Christ Following, culture, life, Media, The Church
America is obsessed. We’ve become so enamored with celebrities that an entire industry has been built around providing cosmetics, weight-loss products, and clothing lines to help the common person “look like a star”. We pay film actors the GNP of a small country, and like that’s not enough we hold awards ceremonies that take great effort to sit through without aging several years. Meanwhile, the names of the award winners are reported with the urgency of a presidential election. Why do we worship these people and why do we care so much about how they decorate their homes, take their vacations, or behave while having a night out?
The really troubling thing to me is not that the entertainment industry keeps churning out the “next big star” while incessantly celebrating itself. After all, it’s a business built on vanity. There’s no hidden agenda there. It’s to entertain us while making obscene amounts of money doing it. The thing that troubles me is the spilling over of the celebrity culture into christian ministry. We put on conferences and think hard about which “big name” to bring in, otherwise people might not come. We put up with demanding riders and pay large sums so that “the word can go out”. Young people line up for autographs after their favorite christian band has played and we even attaboy our favorite singers with their own awards show. Something doesn’t feel right about handing someone a trophy for a song they supposedly wrote for an Audience of One.
The disturbing thing about this trend is that it distorts the expectations of those called to christian service. Success in ministry stops being equated with obedience and fruit bearing and begins to mean getting your picture on a conference flier or landing a record contract. In other countries, stepping into ministry rarely means a paycheck and can often lead to losing your family or even your life. What have we done to the next generation of preachers, pastors, and minstrels by choosing to show favoritism, special recognition, and “star treatment” to this generation of celebri-ministers? I think we’ve unintentionally communicated that, unless your ministry is broadcasted, recorded, or performed in front of a large audience, it’s insignificant.
Occasionally I receive an invitation to step back into the “green room” at a conference or concert. The atmosphere is generally the same in each one. Friends and hangers-on of the various musicians and speakers all camped out, laptops open, cell phones texting. The band members and guest preachers are usually friendly and upbeat, but the aforementioned “support players” generally carry an air of self-importance that can’t be ignored. It’s a tangible arrogance that should be foreign among believers. I’m not alone in this perception either. A good friend of mine spent some time traveling with a well known Christian band and could hardly tolerate being in the green room.
In sharp contrast to the green rooms of christian conferences and concerts, I’ve had the privilege of being on the set of a couple of major Hollywood motion pictures. I stood next to some of the most well known actors and directors in the world. The difference? Everyone was so nice! With the exception of a few grumpy assistant directors, there was a general sense of comradeship. I vividly remember some great conversations and a genuine sense of caring as we swapped stories, sunscreen, and shared umbrellas. We were all working together to invest in something bigger than ourselves.
I think that’s where we in christian ministry fall short and succumb to a celebrity mentality. We’re building our ministry aren’t we? Fame means a bigger paycheck so we can keep doing our ministry so we can get another paycheck and keep doing our ministry and… you get the picture. Instead of humbly coming together and uniting under the greatest vision of all, we’re comparing units sold and venues played. Instead of seeing ourselves as blessed to receive the love and favor of God, we classify and rank ourselves by public recognition. It’s funny how we can borrow from the Hollywood way but not even get it right.
John chapter 13 tells a story about Jesus, the most famous and influential man who ever lived (not to mention almighty savior of the world). In this story He tied a towel around his waste and, one by one, he washed his disciples feet. It was a chore reserved for the lowliest of servants. When he was done he said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” I think maybe, just maybe, if we took His example and served instead of seperated, humbled ourselves instead of expected special treatment, we might just produce an epic together that’s greater than any story ever told through a Hollywood film camera.
Christ Following, culture, life
“He Drove a Corvette”. I don’t recall ever seeing those words on someone’s headstone. I’ve also never seen “He Wore Abercrombe”, “She Always Looked Nice”, or “HALO Champion”. While I’m at it, I’ve never seen “Rotary Club Member”, “Rock Star”, or “Pastor’s Favorite” either. In fact I’ve seldom, if ever, heard about a person’s possessions or positions when their life is being remembered.
I got to thinking about the people I know who have had the greatest impact on my life. I mean people who helped to shape who I am today. For the life of me I can’t remember what kind of car they own. I couldn’t tell you whether they use a Blackberry or an iPhone. I have no idea where they shop for their clothes or what kind of cologne they wear. I honestly don’t know how popular they were in college or if they were any good in sports.
The thing I do know about them is their character. They’re caring people, compassionate people. They have a way of making you feel important even though many people would like their attention. They have great attitudes and seem to see the positive in just about every circumstance. They have integrity and follow through with their commitments. What you see s what you get with them and there’s no room for doubt about their love for God and people. It’s their character that leaves a legacy, not their ability to preach, run a program, make money, or look good.
So why do we spend so much time and resources on things that fade? I don’t know, but I do know that, when it’s all said and done, no one’s going to care if I owned a Mac or a PC. At my funeral the kind of car I drove probably won’t be discussed. The only one who will remember where I got my hair cut will be the woman who cuts my hair. The memories I leave will be of my character, my attitude, how I treated others.
The Invisible Church member knows this and is aware of how their character and attitude speak to those around them. To quote St. Francis of Assisi, “It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.“
Christ Following, life, The Church
Yesterday, I wrote about my feelings on the apparent direction the American church is taking. You can check that out here.
I got to thinking and realized another positive to a shift in Evangelicalism as we know it: faith. When the resources aren’t there, we have to have faith that God will provide where He’s guided. In our culture of meticulously calculated ministries, that’s hard to fathom.
There’s an old story about a Chinese pastor who came to the United States to check out our churches. When he returned home to China, his friend asked him, “What did you think of the American churches?” The pastor replied, “It’s amazing what can be accomplished without God’s help.”
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it’s impossible to please God without faith. Maybe the challenges we face ahead will help us to be a church that pleases God more and more.
Christ Following, life, ministry, The Church
Something tells me it’s not just me. I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of the American church lately. I’ve heard more than once from different sources that America is the only country in the world where the church is shrinking instead of growing. In fact, I’ve heard predictions that evangelicalism as we know it is coming to an end. You can read the article that was published in the Christian Science Monitor here.
I was talking with a friend who pastors a church in Ireland and even he had something to say about the western church. His words echoed in my ears for a while. “In the next ten years the American church is going to look much like the church in Europe. A post-Christian environment will emerge where very few churches have full-time paid staff members. We’re ministering to more people here with less money than we ever have before.”
Here’s the thing that my fellow church and ministry staffers may not like me saying. I don’t necessarily believe that the things I mentioned above are bad things. We’ve spent so many years building our own kingdoms with bigger buildings, slicker marketing, and a $4 billion-a-year Christian entertainment industry. During a recent drive through Dallas, I saw mega-churches sprinkled all along the interstate. They looked like shopping malls with massive structures and expansive parking lots. How is it that we can have so much, but bear so little fruit? I spoke with a pastor recently who had no idea how to share his faith and has never led a soul to The Lord. He shared that, growing up, no one ever taught him how to witness. It’s no wonder the American church is weak when we’re better at putting on a show than we are at giving away the greatest hope there is!
So why do I believe that the things mentioned in the first two paragraphs aren’t necessarily bad things? First of all, the church has always had a way of flourishing during hard times. Excessive prosperity has a way of making us lazy and stupid (not to mention greedy for more). Hard times make us prioritize and focus on what’s important. “Hmmm… should I spend these resources on reaching the lost, hungry, and sick, or should I bring the latest rock star in for a concert?” Also, when things take a down-turn, we pray more. Jesus said that the House of God is a house of prayer. There are very few churches that I know of that have a line in the budget for prayer. In fact, there are very few churches that I know of that have regular prayer meetings! God has a way of bringing his bride back to the things that matter most. A good shaking once in a while is a positive thing!
The important thing to remember is what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “… and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” God’s church will stand and continue to march forward. Nothing can stop it! So if we find the church as we know it changing and things disapearing, then maybe those things weren’t The Church after all.
Christ Following, life
I was reading in 1st Samuel chapter 3 and, as this chapter always does, it got me reflecting on the presence of God.
The thing that jumps out at me is that Eli was all snug in bed, but Samuel chose to sleep on the temple floor in the presence of God. It’s a beautiful picture of deep calling unto deep! Samuel would rather sleep on a dusty old floor, close to the Lord’s glory, than be all cozy in bed. It makes me feel convicted for all the times I hit the snooze button!
What I see is a young man who, somewhere along the way, decided to be a part of God’s life, rather than trying to fit God into his own life (see my earlier blog). He could have laid in bed whispering prayers. He could have made a commitment to get up a half an hour earlier for a rousing quiet time, but instead he decided to camp out in God’s presence.
I really does bring Psalm 84:10 to life. “I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the houses of the wicked.“
