The Church - A Teaching Hospital

Often when I think about the church, I think of her like a teaching hospital.  Here is a place where patients who are hurting, sick, and even dying come to seek comfort from their pain and healing from their illness.  Often times, these patience come in through the emergency room where they have been severely injured or are experiencing some sort of trauma.  When the patients arrive a doctor sees them, tries to diagnose the problem, and presents a course of action to relieve the pain and to bring healing.  It is here in the emergency room that the church often finds things to be difficult to handle.  The emergency room is where the sterile environment of the hospital meets the unsterile environment of the rest of the world.  The patients in the emergency room are often scared, belligerent, hurting, and could really care less about anyone else at the moment.  They certainly don't care about the hospital procedures or regulations.  They are not interested in fitting in with the hospital culture or staff.  They simply want to find relief and healing.  The emergency room is chaotic, frightening, and often stained with blood.  The patients know they need to be there but don't really want to be and frankly, other than a few really dedicated individuals, most of the hospital staff would rather not be there either.

Now then, remember that I said this is a teaching hospital.  You see the church cannot be a place where patients come, get healed, and just leave.  Therefore at this teaching hospital once the patient is recovering then they will begin to learn how to run the hospital and to offer the same healing to others.  Now not every patient is going to learn how to be a doctor.  In fact this would be devastating to the hospital.  What in fact will occur is that every patient will be allowed to exercise their gifts and talents for the overall good of the hospital.  The patients will become the caregivers who will act in a variety of functions.  Some will be doctors, some nurses, some social workers, maintenance, IT, human resources, counselors, lab techs, researchers, etc.  Each patient will be trained, and each worker will be a former patient. - Oh, and there will always be new patients.

Anyway, that's just one of the ways I often think about the church.  What ways do you often think of the church?  What illustration would you use?

A Little Black and Blue

Black and Blue, a sermon on Galatians 3:6-14.

Don't Mess With the Shoes!

I know this is going to step on a few toes but I just wanted to share this as something to consider.  A quick search online and a little math reveals that between shoes, hair, and cosmetics the average woman will spend around $112 a month.  Now sure hair, makeup, and shoes are important but just consider that for less than half of that amount ($38 a month) the life of a child can be rescued from the grips of extreme poverty.

Just something to think about...

       While you're thinking head on over to Compassion to see the children you give hope to.

My Life Was Changed

Now that you have seen the video go to Sponsor a Child and see the children whose lives you can change.

What do I say?

When faced with the task of trying to get others to sponsor a child through Compassion International the task can seem rather daunting.  After all, you are asking people to do something that they are not generally inclined to do - part with their money.  More specifically you are asking them to part with their money for what may seem to be no return.  At the end of this transaction you want be handed a plastic bag full of stuff for you to take home and watch, listen to, wear, or eat.  The most tangible item that you will receive are letters from your child. 

So then when it comes to asking people to sponsor a child the question becomes, what exactly do I say that will convince someone to, at the very least, look at the children who need sponsored? This is then followed by more questions:  Do I appeal to your desire to help one less fortunate?  Do I try the ol' guilt trip?  Perhaps I should offer stories of the lives that have been changed by sponsorship?  Do I speak about Compassion's integrity and their consistently high ranking as a charitable organization?  Do I begin to quote the many scriptures that speak to helping the poor?  Do I talk about the change it will make in your life as you form a relationship with your child and watch them grow?  Maybe I should talk about the opportunity sponsorship gives for you to teach your children the values of caring for others, sacrifice, and of sharing Christ?  Maybe I need to speak to all of these issues.  But right now all I can really think to do is to beg for you to change the life of a child in poverty and to plead with you to at least go and take a look at some of the children in need.

Please go to Sponsor a Child and read about the children who need your help.  Take time to pray for them and allow for God to direct your heart to sponsor one of these precious children.

Thank you and God bless.
- John

Help a Child

The What and Why of Sponsorship

In my last post I explained that Compassion International has declared the month of September to be "Blog Month!"  During this time Compassion is seeking to have over 3000 children sponsored.  This begs the question of just what is sponsorship?

From Compassion's website the following information can be found:

"The hallmark of Compassion's work is one-to-one child sponsorship. A sponsor is someone who has made the decision to personally invest in the life of a child in need. Through sponsorship, children are able to participate in a church-based program that offers life-changing benefits that range from educational opportunities to health care.

The children Compassion serves receive, among other things: the opportunity to hear the gospel and learn about Jesus; regular Christian training; educational opportunities and help; health care, hygiene training and supplementary food if necessary; a caring and safe Christian environment to grow in self-confidence and social skills; personal attention, guidance and love."

However, if you ask me what sponsorship is I'd have to say that it is hope.  A child in the grips of extreme poverty is inside an ever turning cycle of struggling to survive with little to no hope of anything ever changing.  When a child is sponsored that child and the child's family is given hope that the child has a future with choices.  A future in which one can go from merely surviving day to day to thriving.  Most importantly they now have hope in that God is at work and that He is working through His Church.

The question now is will you be willing to give a child HOPE?

Click on Sponsor a Child to sponsor a child today.

Compassion Blog Month!

As I write this it is now exactly 50 minutes away from September 1st.  Normally this wouldn't be that big of a deal but this year it is a little different.  This year Compassion International has designated September as Blog Month.  Throughout the month they have asked bloggers to help spread the word about the work of Compassion International and most importantly to work at getting a record of 3,108 children sponsored this month.

So this month I'll be regularly writing about child sponsorship and how you can change the life of a child (as well as that child's family, village, perhaps country, and yourself).  But for now I would just like to invite you to click on the Compassion badge on the right of this blog to learn more about Compassion.  Also, if you have a blog of your own you can join in on Blog Month by going to the following link: Compassion Bloggers.  Just to make it a little more exciting for you, everyone who blogs for Compassion is also entered to win some great prizes and giveaways.  Honestly though, blogging to release "children from poverty in Jesus' name" is all the reward you need.

Use Your Voice to Save the Adoption Tax Credit

I'd like to encourage you to watch this short video about the Adoption Tax Credit and then to ask you to act on behalf of not only the families who wish to adopt but also on behalf of the over 140 million orphans who need a home.

I know that from a personal perspective if it had not been for the adoption tax credit it would have been very unlikely that we would have been able to adopt.  Please use this video and the information provide at http://adoptiontaxcredit.org/ to contact your Representatives/Senators and to ask them to support this very important tax credit.

Thank you.

Ready to Suffer?

This is a tremendous opportunity to share the Gospel to unreached people groups.

Grace's Story

Please take the time to watch this and consider supporting the work of International Justice Mission (IJM). Thank you.

What is CSP? from Compassion International on Vimeo.

Taking a Stand Against Racist Churches

So it has been quite a long time since my last post but somethings just have to be addressed.  I do hesitate to write about this because I admittedly don't know all the facts.  However, if what this article says is true about a church refusing to allow a couple to marry in their building because the couple is black then something must be done.

Now I said that I don't have all of the facts and one fact that I don't have is whether this is a Southern Baptist (Great Commission) church.  However, they are listed on the Mississippi Baptist Convention website and the Executive Director of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, Rev. Jim Futral is quoted in the article as saying, "It's not reflective of the spirit of the Lord and Mississippi Baptists."  So believing that this is a SBC church I would like to address this issue as a SBC church member and pastor.

This is one of those great occasions where the whole idea of autonomy of the local church has to be addressed.  We as Southern Baptist cannot, nor should we, stand by and allow a church to so blatantly stand in the grips of the egregious sin of racism.  The article states that the church is now "holding internal meetings to decide out how it should respond to future wedding requests by black couples."  Well, that is just wonderful.  Meanwhile, the Mississippi Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention should be holding their own meetings to rebuke this church, seek repentance and if that does not take place then to move to remove this church from SBC fellowship.

How can we as a convention who just loudly proclaimed to the world a new era in SBC life with the election of Fred Luter to being the first black president of our convention allow for such things to stand.  Rev. Jim Frutal's words that this is not reflective of Baptist were surely right but I pray they there is some action behind those words.  I pray that we as Southern Baptist will not hide behind the cloak of local autonomy to allow this church to go undisciplined.

A Lesson to my younger self: learn Romans, THEN be ordained.

For several months now I have been preaching through the book of Romans.  This Sunday we will be looking at Romans 3:21-26.  At the present moment I'm thinking we will be spending the next 4 weeks on these verses alone.  Now I don't write this to show how slowly we are going through Romans.  I write this to say that I have been in ministry in one form or another for nearly 20 years.  I have preached well over a 1000 sermons and this is my first time thoroughly preaching through what has to be one of the greatest letters ever written. What I find to be even more remarkable is that even through years of education in Biblical studies this is the first time I have thoroughly studied this book.  In my study of Romans I can easily see how it has had such a profound impact on such men such as Augustine and Luther. 

I write this now to make this proposal:  That no person should be allowed to be ordained to the Gospel ministry without a thorough knowledge of this book. 

I, of course, make this recommendation in hindsight to my own ordination.  As I look back now I realize it was probably given in haste and it was certainly something that I was woefully unprepared for.  Sure, when I was ordained I had gone to college and had recieved a degree in religion.  This essentially meant that I was able to articulate myself well enough that I could feasible write a decent enough paper that the professors would take great mercy on me.  Also, at the time of my ordination I was interning for a pastor at a substantially large church.  This meant I knew how to stage a large scale contemporary worship service and was listening to a lot of John Maxwell leadership tapes.  Of course, I was also going to seminary.  This meant that I was learning how to, among other things, make a church budget, have proper table manners (something I have yet to perfect), and how to counsel people with marriage issues.  All such things that I was told my church would expect me to know as a minister.  However, if I honestly look back and ask that young man if he could explain the doctrine of justification by faith, I doubt he could give a clear answer. 

Perhaps, I am saying all of this to say that if I could go back to my earlier years of ministry I would want someone to say to me: "Son, the most important thing you need to know about ministry is not table manners, church growth, church budgets, or even evangelism techniques.  The most important thing you need to know and do right now is to study the Word and stay in the Word.  Learn the Scriptures. Learn the Gospels and learn the book of Romans.  Know the Scriptures and know that they are the authoritative Word of God that are 'profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).'"

Words from the Past Speaking to the Present

 The following is an exert from the book 

How to Serve God in a Marxist Land by Karl Barth. 

It is from a section entitled "Letter to a Pastor."

The letter addresses how one is to serve God in a land

where God has, for all intents and purposes, been removed 

either by the government or by the prevailing culture.

What is remarkable is that this advice from Barth is 

relevant to the Western Church of today.

But he, God, and his free grace, is really above all thoughts, concepts, and usual practices by which we Christians ourselves in East and West have been accustomed to live, seemingly serving both the glory of God and the salvation of man! What a multitude of things we have taken for granted: a church occupying a comfortable place in tlie social structure, her existence guaranteed, or at least respected, or at the very least tolerated by society in general and by the state in particular! Sunday as a recognized holiday and day of rest, and the chief church festivals which have somehow left their impact on the life of the people as a whole; infant baptism, confirmation, marriage, and burial, the Christian landmarks of the milieu and the existence of Mr. Everyman—means whereby the church has liked to reassure herself again and again of her obvious indispensability! The influence of the church in public education, instruction and upbringing of young people; with the maximimi claim that schools by right be Christian schools, or with the minimum claim that they be not openly opposed to "Christianity"! The prestige or at least the dignity of her official representatives among the leaders of other social and cultural organizations! The formal recognition of the church's freedom to participate in the discussion of general human concerns as a direct or indirect partner, welcome or unwelcome 1 Although these privileges of Christianity have never and nowhere gone unchallenged, certainly not in the last few centuries, it has seemed to us the most natural thing in the world that the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ should continue to run in some such channels as these, and that we should do the utmost for their preservation and defense, for the sake of God and the gospel! And we have done this zealously and repeatedly, both skillfully and unskillfully, successfully and unsuccessfully. Were we not motivated by the assumption that the Christian cause and confession can and must be formally understood and appreciated in the normal order of things by each and every citizen, at the very least in terms of the free practice of "religion"?  Is the world as such obligated to grant to Christianity the right to maintain that form of existence in its midst? What is happening to your situation in the East German republic, and possibly in other Marxist oriented lands, seems to cancel this whole bill of rights. The same thing will probably happen to us here in the West. With you it is no longer possible to overlook the fact that it is happening. In the socialist conception of the world and of man which powerfully asserts itself in your country, this brand of Christianity is gradually squeezed out. The time seems near or at least not far when the church in this form of existence will no longer have any place at all. The church will be foreign, despised and greatly suspect in the eyes of state and society. Membership in the church and confession of Christian faith will greatly jeopardize life's opportunities for individuals from school age onward. Your freedom of movement will be restricted to a minimum, and all that you are commissioned to do as a church will be done only in corners, in the shadow, with constant interference, harassment, and sabotage from without. The Folkskirche or National Church in the sense of the "Church of the people" will be only a dream.

It may be that the plight is not yet as bad as this in the East Zone, and that there are forces at work which are still counteracting this development. But the fact that this development is so obviously favored by your rulers is sufficient to beg questions in your minds as in ours: Can Christianity truly fulfill its task only in that form of existence which until now has been taken for granted? Only in the light of that public assistance, recognition, or at least tolerance? Only with the help of the whole apparatus of a national church and on the premise of freedom of action? Only as one strong pillar among others in the social structure? Only when it possesses a legal claim on each and every citizen? Just exactly where does one read of the first churches of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, Rome, Corinth, or Asia Minor  as being permitted to enjoy this mode of existence? And where are they promised it for some later time? Where do we learn that its origin was in itself a good thing, or that the church stands and falls with it, or that the church is committed to it, come hell or high water? I am not saying anything new to you in reference to this question. It was indeed one of your most renowned and ablest men. General Superintendent Giinther Jacob in Cottbus, who not long ago announced the "end of the Constantinian era." Because I have a certain wariness about all theoretical formulations of a philosophy of history, I hesitate to make this expression my own. But it is certain that something resembling this approaching end begins to show itself dimly everywhere, but very sharply in your part of the world. 

It is certain that we all have reason to ask ourselves each of these questions, and in every case quickly and clearly to give the answer: No, the church's existence does not always have to  possess the same form in the future that it has possessed in the past, as though this were the only possible pattern. No, the continuance and victory of the cause of God, which the Christian Church is to serve with her witness, is not unconditionally linked with the forms of existence which it has had until now. Yes, the hour may strike and has perhaps already struck when God, to our discomfiture, but to his glory and for the salvation of mankind, will put an end to this mode of existence because it lacks integrity and has lost its usefulness. Yes, it could be our duty to free ourselves inwardly from our dependency on that mode of existence even while it still lasts. Indeed, on the assumption that it may one day entirely disappear, we definitely should look about us for new ventures in new directions. 

Yes, as the Church of God we may depend on it that if only we are attentive, God will show us such new ways as we can hardly anticipate now. And as the people who are bound to God we may even now claim unconquerable security for ourselves through him. For his name is above all names, even above the name that we in human, all too human, fashion have hitherto borne in his service and in a kind of secular forgetfulness, confused with his own. Might it not be, dear brothers and sisters in the imperiled East Zone, that you there and we here are now to do justice to the old Soli Deo Gloria in an entirely new spirit of humility, openness, and readiness? Might it not be your special calling to be a living example for the rest of us of how a church lives that seeks for and perhaps has already entered upon a new way, of a church for, not of, the people—the church in "God's beloved (deeply beloved!) East Zone"?

How to Serve God in a Marxist Land by Karl Barth. 1959

Hospice Care for Churches?

Lately it seems that there is a rise in the discussion of church hospice care.  This is an unfortunate result of the growing number of churches in the US that are dying.  Now then, church hospice care occurs when a minister recognizes that the church they serve is dying and that there is no hope for recovery.  The minister at this point has one of two options: 1) leave as quickly as possible (in the hopes of finding greener pastures), or 2) stay with the church and provide hospice care to help the church die “with dignity.”  

Now it should be noted that a dying church is not a dead church.  It is in fact possible for a dying church to comeback (see the book Comeback Churches by Ed Stetzer) and to be a healthy church.  However this takes a great commitment from both the church leadership and the church membership.  It should also be noted that church hospice care could be undertaken by the pastor with or without the church memberships’ knowledge.  It will usually amount to a conscience decision by the pastor to not attempt to grow the church.  The decision is made to simply maintain everything as well as can be maintained until inevitability the church is not able to even maintain the most rudimentary elements of church life.  In other words, they can no longer pay the bills.  A pastor will usually come to this decision either because he simply doesn’t care if the church grows or because he has realized that there is little to no chance of a turn around.  If the decision to begin hospice care is because a comeback seems unlikely, then the pastor is also making the decision to continue to care for the congregation much as hospice cares for a patient.  He simply will be looking to make the dying and eventual death a peaceful and comfortable experience.

Now a lot can be said as to why a church is not healthy and dying.  A lot can also be said about turning a church around (if possible).  However, that is not the purpose here.  The purpose here is to ask the question:  Is it biblical for a pastor to engage in church hospice care? 

To say that church hospice care is biblical is to say that despite a church’s unhealthy status, there is in fact ministry still occurring.  There are still people there who care for and love one another.  There are people there who for example, will gather around a new widow to help her through the grief.  

The purpose for asking the question here though hinges on what the calling of a pastor entails.  Is the calling of a pastor primarily a calling to “equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12)?”  If that is the case then one could argue that a pastor is equipping when he assist in ministry work such as in the example of the widow above.  However, shouldn’t it be asked, what is the work of the ministry that the pastor is to equip the saints for?  More specifically, what is the primary work of the ministry?  It would seem that the primary work of the ministry is to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).  Therefore, the primary work of the pastor would be to equip the saints to make more disciples who make more disciples.  One may object here and say that the reference in Ephesians 4 states that the equipping of the saints is for the “building up of the body in Christ” and that this is in reference to bringing the saints together in unity of doctrine and love.  But what is the point of saints building unified in doctrine and in love for one another?  Indeed, as we see elsewhere such as in Acts 6, it was a legitimate ministry to see that the people are being fed.  However, this was not the primary ministry.  The ministry of seeing that people were fed was to assist in the larger ministry goal of feeding the people with prayer and the Word which is what equips the saints for ministry.  And that ministry has as its goal the fulfillment of the Great Commission – go and make disciples (note the correlation of what occurs in Acts 6:7 with the decision of the Apostles in vs. 1-6).

So then, how does the primary role of the pastor fit into the question of whether church hospice care is biblical?  If the primary role of the pastor is to equip disciples to make other disciples then can we say that it is biblical for the pastor to be in a church where this is not and where it will not be happening?  In other words is it biblical for a pastor to stay in a place where he cannot equip the saints to make other disciples?  Is it biblical for a church to even continue in its existence if that church has determined either explicitly or implicitly that it will not be a place that is determined to make disciples?  

I don’t pretend to have the answer to these questions.  In fact, I have many more questions and concerns on this matter which is why I am writing this.  I am hoping that this will further the discussion.  To be sure, this is not merely a discussion on the issue of church hospice care but it is a discussion on the nature and role of the pastor and the church.  This is a discussion that anyone in ministry should always be asking.  I look forward to hearing from you.

This is amazing:

You can find out more about this amazing program from Compassion International right here: Water of Life.

Nerd Theology

Last night I was trying to explain to my children that indeed I am the master of all knowledge.  They tend to disagree with me on this point.  Joshua likes to test this claim by asking me questions on a plethora of topics.  In an act of great desperation to not answer his theoritcals that are unanswerable I made the grand exclamation, "Boys, I am the M-theory in the flesh."  For those who don't know the M-theory is a theory about the very basic substance of the universe.  It is a unifying theory of basically all things (Please note I'm not a physicist so if I didn't explain M-theory real well I beg your forgiveness). 

Now the boys did not catch on to what I said and continued to ask me questions about my knowledge of all things.  So again, I told them, "Guys, I am telling you that I'm the M-theory in the flesh."  To which Joshua responded, "Um, wouldn't that be Jesus?"

Nerd theology.

Freedom

The following is a song off  of the "Freedom" CD and DVD combo that is only $5.00.  The proceeds go to International Justice Mission. "IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression."

My Big Time Radio Interview

This was a radio interview I did on a local radio station back in April 2010.  Just thought I'd share it with you.

A Conversation

Better husband.
Better father.
Better pastor.
What if I really lived what Christ taught?
Better man.
Unafraid.
Unashamed.
I know what Christ taught.  Can I be obedient to it?
Fallen.
Broken.
     Grace.
Lord, can I do as you command?  Can I follow you?
Rejection.
Cross.
     Resurrection.
I feel like I am alone.
     Immanuel.
I just can't do it.
     Almighty.
Forgive me.
     Savior.
Heal me.
     By my stripes.
Cleanse me.
     By my blood.
Glorify yourself in me.
     Sovereign Lord.
Thank you!
Praise you!
Fall down before you!
Worthy is the Lamb!
     Go.
     Love.
     Feed my sheep.
Filled with the Spirit.
     If you love me, you'll keep my commandments.
I love you.
     Pick up your cross.
     Follow me.  Follow me.  Follow me.
But I...
     Follow me!
I just...
     Follow me!
I can't...
     Follow me.
I'm sorry.
What I do, I don't want to do.  What I don't do, I want to do.
     Follow me.
Break me.  Humble me.  Fill me.
Lord, be glorified.
                      Follow me.

Craggy Pinnacle Trail.  Blue Ridge Parkway.