Merry Christmas Friends - See you in 2010!

Merry Christmas friends! The light of the world has come near to us! Share the Kingdom of God...love as you have been loved...speak the truth in love...be bold enough to live the presence of Jesus in every moment and aspect of your life!

We will return in the new year with more posts...provocative thoughts and challenges and more sharing that will encourage us in a new age and praxis of ministry!

In Jesus, Robin

Where real life is lived

It is amazing to me that so many people "outside of the walls of church-world" believe that followers of Jesus are ALWAYS on the top of the mountain. Denial IS something that is as prominent in most local churches as is the liturgical colors on the altar and lecturn. Most people believe that it is "real" to come into spiritual community and wear the Jesus smile. Unfortunately, it isn't real. And if there is one thing we are learning from the culture is that people are dying for authenticity. People are tired of lies, 1/2 truths, painted faces, hidden agendas, and smoothed over edges. Their lives are not like that and they are suspicious of anyone who projects that life can or is lived in that manner. Where is life experienced for you? As you live it, share it - knowing that the Lord Jesus is shining through you no matter where you find yourself - peak or valley. You will discover a more authentic witness in your life and that the Holy Spirit is always much more apt to use a person who is "broken", humble and real.

The Annunciation and our need for the Incarnation!

I can’t say this enough during this time of year - the Annunciation is the spiritual defibrillator to an otherwise code blue time of year.

In other words, we’re all on the table, the culture and all of our lives are terminally flat-lining - the Annunciation should shock us back to reality.

Thomas Merton – in the 1960’s – was forseeing what many of us are experiencing on a day to day basis – reality of most people’s view of the world/life is one dimensional...actually a reduction of all the wonder of what God created and the power of what life actually is…

Merton wrote, “all words have become alike in our world…to say God is love is like saying eat Wheaties – no difference except that people know they are supposed to look pious when God is mentioned and not when cereal is."

Amazing isn’t it – that can't be clearer or more true than during Christmastime.

Miracles these days are reduced to diet pills, figure slimming swimsuits, wrinkle reducing lotions, garden fertilizers...did you know that close to 80 billion dollars will be spent this Xmas – we are so easily deceived aren’t we?

How can this be?

We mix the incarnation with Santa/gift giving and don’t even flinch...

If anything we live out (day by day) the proof that we haven’t bought into a different value system or worldview than anybody else – we all have a not so subtle allegiance to materialism – that stuff is all there is…we are moved more by expensive gifts and technological trinkets that by the most earth-shattering event in history of the universe. We spend more time shopping and getting all stressed out during the holidays than in quiet reflection/worship of the living God being born in a baby into our lives.

There used to be a time when Christmas meant this for alot of people – "Jesus was all you had – so essentially Jesus is all you needed"

This is not supposed to be a guilt trip but rather a call/challenge to a return to forgotten ways – for 100’s of years, people celebrated Christmas simply and the focused on the right thing – the incarnation – God’s amazing love – miracle of what God is doing in this world.

Annunciation - "Do not be afraid for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

Pray with Your feet!

Pray With Your Feet from Recycle Your Faith on Vimeo.

Making sure we are having people SERVE the right "Lord"

Some of the people in my faith journey weren't too happy when I posted this cartoon on my blog. It is drawn by a man in the UK who is involved the missional movement...he has some "pointed" comments that do make me and others uncomfortable at times.

His point though is well taken...our ministry needs to insure that people are serving the right "Lord". Questions for us to consider - Who do people really serve with their time, giftedness and treasure? Who do people look to for spiritual transformation and influence? Is people's allegiance really to Jesus or to the institution?

Here are some "notes" from the training materials that I share with people in our missional project...give them a bit of thought for today!

“A Jesus fanatic is not someone who is always going to church or at meetings but rather someone in whom the Live Truth dwells” Len Sweet

a. Dualistic Discipleship = there should not be a disconnect between what we SAY we believe/who we follow and our actual ACTIONS - if Jesus IS Lord of our life that should be apparent in everything we do.

b. The Church can no longer be a "silent partner" or a deliberate purveyor of dualistic discipleship. In spite of all the talk about Christ’s Lordship, everyone knows that the expectations of the culture and the institution come first. That is the unspoken façade of much of institutional Christianity. Christ followers tend to make decisions like everyone else NOT ON THE BASIS OF THEIR SUBMISSION TO CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM. Our ministry is to attend to people's commitment to Jesus - His will - His purposes - His leadership in our lives.

c. Following Jesus can no longer be trivialized as little more than a devotional lubricant to keep us from stripping our gears when pursuing our own lives. Following Jesus has become an exercise in “reductionism”…it has been reduced to “quiet times”, “Sunday morning worship experiences”, “committee meetings”, and religious activity separated from real living. For many, following Jesus highly privatized, spiritualized and disconnected. Modern culture still, in most cases, defines the good life.

A Value to be embraced...

One of the core values in the Missional Ministry Project that we are initiating in our context has to do with embracing and cooperating with other people who follow Jesus and are aligned with the Kingdom of God. Instead of taking the posture of antagonism, suspicion, "us vs. them", or theological/practical arrogance, we understand that the "differences" between those of us who align ourselves with the "Lutheran brand" and all the "others" are insignificant when placed alongside of the call of Jesus to embody the Gospel in our time and in our place with love, grace, and spiritual integrity. Yes, there are differences that we can "discuss" and acknowledge when we are in conversation among ourselves evenso, as far as the culture is concerned arguments and debates among churches over who is "right/wrong" is purely "white noise". It is meaningless...in other words, our theological debates might be important to US but the world isn't listening. So, we take a stance seeing other followers of Jesus as allies in the battle...pure and simple, we find ways to understand and pray for those who are attempting to build up the Body of Christ and faithfully be ambassadors of the truth.

My friend, Dr. Scot McKnight, posted this on his blog today...it is important to know how other followers of Jesus "live" and understand their journey in the kingdom of God. You might not "agree" with everything that this has to say...actually, that's good if you don't. Understand though - as you enter into community with other followers of Jesus, that you grow...instead of being so busy pointing out that which separates us intellectually and doctrinally, we need to concentrate on our common Lord and our common passion to embody the grace, mercy and presence of Jesus in and through our lives. Not much is completely appreciated about Orthodox Christianity within those of us who are of the "protestant" bent...we need to know and understand more about these brothers and sisters. See what you think!

Time for you to "subscribe" to the Naked Pastor

Don't freak out yet! The Naked Pastor is a pastor and artist from Canada...he is theologically trained and spiritually authentic. I've been following his blog for over two years...I've laughed, been very convicted and uncomfortable and sometimes even outraged...but that is what a good artist can do to your soul. Many of his cartoons are specifically targeted for those in ministry to consider or reconsider sacred cows. Here's a sample of his work - Naked Pastor:

Communicating the Gospel WITH love...

Here is a video I just watched...it is one from a professor at Salt Lake Theological Seminary concerning "loving" Mormon people. I think it is profound in the sense that it communicates HOW we embrace our culture and enter into conversations with people without "hammering" them theologically. I think it is worth the few minutes to give it some consideration! If you want, chime in some comments...I'd love to know what you think!

Going against the flow...a disciple's lifestyle?

Going against the flow...it seems to be a style of living and thinking for many...especially those who seems to have the most impact in any given human situation. Yep, there can be risks to that style of life...but frankly, "no risk...no glory". As Seth Godin says below, maintaining the status quo is a recipe for failure. Seth's post today is worth a quick look:

Boundary makers by Seth Godin

Some artists continually seek to tear down boundaries, to find new powder, new territory, new worlds to explore. They're the ones that hop the fence to get to places no one has ever been.

Other artists understand that they need to see the edges of the box if they're going to create work that lasts. No fence, no art.

Can't do both at the same time.

My guess is that you're already one kind of person or the other. When people present you with an opportunity/problem, what's your first reaction? Some people immediately start looking for loopholes or weak boundaries. "You didn't say we couldn't do xxx". For these people, the best and most obvious solution is to completely demolish the problem and play by different rules.

Other people, some just as successful, take a hard look at the boundaries and create something that plays within, that follows the rules, but that is likely to win because of this.

In my experience, either can work, but only by someone willing to push harder than most in their push to be remarkable. Going with the flow is a euphemism for failing...

Just a smile for you!

An insightful article...

A brother in the Lord by the name of Roger Thoman recently wrote an article for the Simple/House Church website that is insightful on some of the issues that any traditional “church” faces when transitions are “in the wind”. These stages are theological, biblical and “heart checks” that must be navigated for real transformation to occur. I think his list is helpful…if you want to see the entire article, click HERE.

1. Letting go of old paradigms of church life.

2. Exploring New Testament gatherings.

3. Re-boot to Jesus.

4. A new missional heart and longing.

5. Fresh discovery of our own passions, spiritual gifts, and calling.

6. Integration of an organic, fruitful lifestyle with organic gatherings that support it.

7. Our kingdom influence spreads and even becomes reproductive in its impact.

Forgiveness with an Incarnational Touch

One of the values that I hold close to my heart and lifestyle as I attempt to do what I can to build a movement of followers of Jesus is a commitment to incarnational living. The fact that God incarnated Himself into the world to be able to give people an opportunity to experience the love and power of God is more than significant...it is one of the truths of the Gospel that stands out in the confusion of the religious landscape. The fact is - you and me are the contemporary incarnation of Jesus...the Spirit dwells in our hearts and lives. People need the touch of God on their hearts...but often WE bring that touch! Enjoy the video!

Are you living life IN or OUTSIDE the jar?

Friends, this is one of my favorite videos...why? Because it is a great discussion parable to be able to look at what has occurred in many people's experience of "church". While you watch it, ask yourself the questions - what are the implications of this parable? How has our faith journey been domesticated? Have we been trained to live and bring up future generations "in" the jar? How does that brand our identity? How does that affect our mission?

Comments from Monday's Presentations!

1. A few comments on the presentation from Jerry:

Thoughts on the conference call - Today I joined the conference call feeling a bit skeptical. My skepticism came from two directions:

First, I really didn’t know what the “project” we were going to discuss was going to be or what might be asked of me. Secondly, I find myself at kind of a low point. I am less sure of myself and my work at St John than I ever have been.

The conference call really helped me deal with of this skepticism. First, I must say the call answered many of my questions. But it not only answered my questions, the presentation challenged me. I still have questions, but the questions have changed. I now have practical questions about how this works and doesn’t work. Second, the call enlightened me about some of the concerns I have about my own ministry at St John. What I heard really affirmed what I have learned through the years and the presentation helped explain some of the disappointment I am currently experiencing. It even gave me some new ideas. Prior to the call I had not made plans for the trip to Portland in February because of my questions. But now I am anxious to go and would vote for making the session a day longer. I think we have lots to do.

Some thoughts:

I realize the church has become institutionalized, but how do we deal with it? I thought the one slide about working with the church lent some insight. I have a lot of questions in this regard. I wonder if it might not be easier and more effective to start new groups alongside (or even outside) the existing church rather than try to change the people inside the church. I don’t know. I believe God’s Spirit will give direction here.

I love the concept of discipleship groups. I have come to realize long ago that discipleship is the missing concept in many LCMS churches and that it is the “powerhouse” of the church. In fact, the last couple of years I have been working with a model we call FITT for Life. FITT is “Christ For me, Christ In me, Christ working Through me as an individual and Christ working Through us together. Although I think this acronym describes the Christian life, I haven’t been very effective in selling it.

Along the same line of thought, several years ago the staff at St John began working with a new definition of Christian education. Our new model is: Christian education is accomplished best through multiple learning experiences, but education is not active until it is applied to the learner’s life and we live it together in community. The fact that education isn’t happening until it is applied to the person’s life has been something we have understood for a while, but what is new to us is that a great deal of learning occurs through life together. This last part is a key to appreciating that we are the body of Christ and the function of the Body in learning and growing.

Pastor Jerry Reinke
November 18, 2009 10:03 AM

2. Comments from Toby:

Jerry….you are not alone in the frustrations of ministry……If nothing else I pray that all of us together can encourage and help one another in discipleship ministry. We are trying some new stuff here in this very area which I can share more of later. Not sure if it will work but never throw in the towel.

Toby

Welcome to the New Adventure and Journey!

Hi friends in Jesus -

This week, under the guidance of Denny Langston, Denny Lorenz and Patti Maggoria, we began a journey together in exploring new paradigms in ministry and mission. The great thing about this journey is that it is NOT something that we hope to guide, steer or restrain...rather we are following the Spirit in seeing how HE moves and inspires us - each in our own context, each with our own gifts, insights and passions. The beauty of it is that we are doing this IN COMMUNITY - accountable to each other for sharing what God is teaching us for the sake of the Kingdom of God!

This blog is forum for ideas...questions...insights...praxis...learning...whatever we want to make it! We'll have one rule and one rule only - we are faithful to the Spirit and open with each other based on the love that we share for Jesus Christ!

So bookmark this blog...better yet, subscribe to it via Bloglines or some other RSS tracker...that way you can check back regularly to read, respond, post, etc.

Let the journey begin!