Seeing is Believing: My personal tour of the aftermath of the Colorado Springs Wild Fires.

The adage “seeing is believing” was my experience five hours ago, walking through the rubble of what was left from the aftermath of the wildfire that ravaged 350 homes and scorched more than 18,000 acres in Colorado Springs.   It’s one thing to be alarmed by watching the events on TV but it is a completely different shock factor witnessing firsthand the homes that have been destroyed by the fire.

Seeing the completely leveled homes (I didn’t even know fire could do that), the intense burn smell in the air, walking through charred household items while trying to avoid stepping on broken glasses and other sharp objects, fumbling through home items to make sense of what was left, seeing several Fire and Water Restoration vehicles and workers etc, all enhanced the veracity of the recent fire events.

Derek Webb, one of my favorite Christian singer/songwriters begins his modern-day rendition of the “Rich Young Ruler” with the words: “Poverty is so hard to see when it's only on your TV and twenty miles across town.”  I liken the truth of Webb’s song to my personal experience touring what was left of the fire.  Although I witnessed like everyone else, the fire spiral out of control on that fateful Tuesday, June 26, I must confess that the gravity of the devastation has been minimal to me because I watched it on TV as I did any other TV programming and I am far removed from the location of the ruins-I live 10-15 miles away.  But that all changed today.  After touring through what was left of the fire, I have developed three deeper things.

First, I have a deeper appreciation for the work the firefighters did and how many homes they actually saved.  What could have been a citywide catastrophe with more homes lost was minimized and for that I thank them immensely.

Second, I have a deeper empathy for the families affected by the fire.  Although many of us would agree that material things are just “things” and can be replaced, it is important to note that many of the items lost had sentimental worth and that several families did not have an opportunity to salvage their most important items.  In addition I cannot help but think of the displaced families who currently do not have a home to call theirs.  This can be especially hard on children.

Third, I have a deeper remembrance for the families affected by the fire.  While we continually observe in the U.S., an incredible and heartfelt response from citizens at the inception of a catastrophic event  (e.g. Katrina, Joplin Missouri Tornado, and September 11 attacks), soon after the initial relief, many resume their regular lives forgetting that the “real work” of rebuilding has just begun.  My first hand tour of the ruins have left an imprint in my mind and heart and will cause me to remember to pray for those affected while thinking creatively of ways we can position ourselves to respond to the ongoing needs that will arise.  Alethia, the Greek word for "truth" literally means, "to not forget."  Let's us seek truth by not forgetting but remembering through prayer those affected by Colorado’s most destructive fire

  

The Spirit of the Missional Movement Pt 2

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is part 2 of a 2-part series] Click here for Part 1

Finally, renaming brands a particular set of ethos.  For example the political words “conservative” and "liberal" have a unique set of beliefs, attitudes, and practices that are attached to it.  So when someone says "missional," we who adhere to the missional way of living are instantly aware of the guiding values the word entails.  


That being said, the list below reveal my top 10 What Is and to p 12 What is Not of the missional movement. 


What Missional is not?

1. Missional is not latest church cultural fad that will last 15-30 years before moving to the next one.
2. Missional is not a style of church i.e. traditional, contemporary, emergent, missional.
3. Missional is not traditional missions or a traditional missionary.
4. Missional is not social action or social justice.
5. Missional is not a ministry division of the church.
6. Missional is not a church program.
7. Missional is not a ministry approach or strategy.
8. Missional is not a service or outreach project.
9. Missional is not a church growth strategy.
10. Missional is not a feeling.

The word "missional' can encompass some of the above (definitely not all), but is not limited to any of these. 

What is Missional?

1. Missional is what God did by sending His Son Jesus Christ to inhabit our world bringing with him righteousness, peace, joy, grace, and freedom.
2. Missional encourages the Christ-follower to emulate the missionary work of the missionary God.
3. Missional is the perspective to see people as God does and to engage in the activity of reaching them.
4. Missional is a renewed perspective (way of life) that is lived out everywhere and at all times.
5. Missional encourages all Christ-followers to live out their primary calling as Christ's ambassadors to those who don't know Jesus.
6. Missional involves both the proclamation and demonstartion of the "good news."
7. Missional begins and ends with disciplleship.
8. Missional is a spirit, a movement of God calling us back to His original purpose-stated in Genesis 1 & 2-to cultivate the earth.  Another way of saying this is that we "stop consuming and start creating."
9. Missional embraces Shalom, which means wholeness.  It calls the church to be holistic (emotional, physical, intellectual, and social) in all of its dealings. 
10. Missional is the "way of the cross," living daily in such a way that imitates the sacrifice of the Messiah. 
11. Missional calls us to be active participants of local and global missions. 
12. Missional is a lifestyle that emulates the complete life and work of Christ.

The Spirit of the Missional Movement Pt 1

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is part 1 of a 2-part series] Click here for part 2

In light of how movements come and go, I'd like to address the spirit of the missional movement and displace any misconceptions people may have about it.

If you are new to the missional conversation and not sure what it means, missional is simply a new way of reminding us that we are "missionaries."  We who subscribe to the missional movement adopt the thinking, practices, and behaviors of a missionary beginning with our own zip code all the way globally.  It is a call back to the spirit and purpose of the church.  We believe everyone has been called to missions and not just some.  Our inspiration comes from the Sacred Scriptures that depict a missionary/sending God who in turn sends us to bring healing, hope and restoration to everyone and every place.  Among the many missional scripture passages, the three classic ones include:

1. John 1:14 (MSG)

"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish”

2.    John 20:21 (MSG)

“Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you."

3.    Matthew 28:18-20 (MSG)

“Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age"

If you are wondering why we’ve come up with the new term “missional” instead of sticking with the familiar "missions" and "missionary" words, it is because renaming words can help to restore its meaning especially when the original worth of the word is lost.  For example the value of the word "awesome" is misplaced in our society since we call many things “awesome,” including food, animals, hairstyles, electronics, furniture, sticks, rocks, etc, so calling God awesome in the same way we do everything else just doesn't quite do it ya know?  So we rename to recapture significance.

The act of assigning new names or renaming is depicted throughout the Sacred Texts as Jacob was renamed Israel, Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul, and the land of Israel called Desolate renamed to Beulah (married).  The reception of a new name, in Jewish tradition denotes the conferring of a special divine mission.'"  God gave Abram and Sarai a new name for their "special divine mission” to bless the earth while Jesus gave Simon a new name “Peter” (rock) for his “special divine mission” to help build His church.  And in the spirit of this biblical tradition, the missional movement has a new name for its special divine mission to recapture the true nature, spirit, and purpose of the Church. 

America The Beautiful

As Christ Followers, we are reminded today that true patriotism is met with Kingdom stewardship in that we will use our influence as Americans to be a blessing to all.

Patriotism is less about a blind love for one's country and more about God-given influence.  Similar to the narrative of Abraham and the origin of the nation of Israel, God has blessed us so that through us all the nations of the earth will be blessed.  This is what makes us beautiful.

Genesis 12:2 "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great (famous), so that you will be a blessing"

"America!  America!  God shed his grace on thee.  And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shinning sea"

Happy birthday America!

Why Evangelism alone will not work

I preface this blog by saying that I do believe in the gift of evangelism and its unique power to communicate the gospel to Sojourners and non-believers alike.  People who posses this gift have an incredible ability to communicate the Living Word in such a way that it is alive and attractive. Furthermore the scripture compels every Christ-follower in their missions endeavor to utilize this gift.  That being said I do believe that evangelism alone is not sufficient to bring about good news to the lost and that Christian teachings that emphasizes evangelism ONLY without a robust teaching of "good news" may potentially be limiting the gospel.

The word for "evangelize" which comes from the Greek noun "euaggelion," literally means "glad tidings," or "good news."  This is also the same word for "gospel" in the New Testament.  Likewise the Greek verb "euaggelizo," means to "announce good news," or "to preach the gospel."  What this means is, yes we cannot bring about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ without "announcing" or telling others about the good news but telling people the good news alone without demonstrating (showing) the good news WILL NOT WORK.  My own missionary experience has affirmed this.

Though the word evangelism is repeatedly found in the Sacred Texts, a closer look into the narrative of Christ will reveal that evangelism was always done in conjunction with demonstration of the good news (Demonstration is physical act of serving, giving, loving, restoring, and bringing healing to those that need it most).  Consider the following verses from the book of Luke that depicts Jesus’ evangelism:   

·       "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel (announcement) to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted (demonstration), to preach (announcement) deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind (demonstration), to set at liberty them that are bruised" Luke 4:18.

·       "And it came to pass afterward, that He went throughout every city and village, preaching (announcement) and showing (demonstration) the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with Him" Luke 8:1. (Note in this passage, that “glad tidings,” the literal meaning of evangelism, comprises of both preaching and showing).

·       "And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching (announcement) the gospel, and healing (demonstration) every where" Luke 9:6.

The Hebrew word shalom (wholeness), calls us to seek a “whole-listic” understanding of the gospel and not a buffet-style gospel where we pick and choose what we want.  So I ask you today, what’s it going to be?  Will you let your both your words and actions do the evangelism.

Team leadership from the earliest biblical source

I am currently taking a class entitled "Writing for Publication," and I felt honored yesterday when my professor, an accomplished author and writer, asked me to write a blog on "Team Leadership" for his latest blog series. It just so happens that I am interested in this subject as well and plan on writing a book about it someday.  Enjoy!

Ad fontes, a Latin expression of the Protestant Reformation of 1517 calls us to a renewed attention to the Bible as the primary, earliest, and most fundamental source of Christian faith.  As with any topic, it is important that we first look to the Scriptures for meaning, for scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16).  Furthermore, we must look to the earliest Scripture source to discover the true origin and example of a particular practice.  This blog will discuss the subject of team leadership as exemplified from the earliest sources in the sacred scriptures.

Team leadership has its origin in the beginning pages of God’s word as Genesis 1:26 states, “Then God said, let us…” Throughout scriptures we understand God to exist as a Trinity, one God in three distinct persons, yet all equal, which makes God the ultimate team/community.  The world was created out of this beautiful “team dance” (perichoresis), and we who bear this image of God (imago Dei), must reflect this team dynamic.  Furthermore, beauty, creativity, excellence, and shalom comes out when we lead as a team, reflective of God’s created order of the entire world.

Genesis 1:26-28 shows that the first human pair God placed on the earth were created and empowered to work as a team of rulers:

“Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.“  So God created man in his own image,  in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Adam and Eve were created to give team-leadership to creation. They were given the mandate to cultivate the earth together.  In fact, God realized after creating Adam that he was lonely and needed a partner.  Genesis 2:18, 22 states:

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him… Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

In the same way Adam could not rule the earth alone and was not able to physically multiply without Eve, church leadership and multiplication is difficult without a team.  Ephesians 4:11-13 reminds us that all five gifts, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, are necessary to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry and not just a lone-ranger, superstar pastor or teacher as is currently reflected in our church culture.  Joel Comiskey asserts, “The day of the lone-ranger leader is over”; our churches must practice the plurality of leadership.   Beloved brothers and sisters, let us emulate the ancient biblical norms of team leadership; furthermore, as possessors of the imago Dei, let us reflect the true nature of God, the Ultimate Team.

Pentecost: The Old and New Testament Connection

Pentecost (celebrated this Sunday, May 26th), a Christian liturgical holiday commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Disciples in the Upper Room, after the Resurrection of Jesus, actually began as a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the God's Law on Sinai.  

What makes this Christian holiday so incredible is the unique connection between the biblical narrative of Old and New Testament promise of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  Did you know that on the day of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, there was a half an hour reading in the temple from the first 10 chapters of Ezekiel and the main focus of the reading is the sound of rushing wind? 

So we have this situation where the New Testament Jews on Pentecost went to the temple to hear readings about the sound of powerful rushing wind and suddenly where the disciples were gathered, there was the sound of rushing wind that shook the house they were meeting. 

Can you imagine the excitement the disciples felt, knowing that the readings they have been listening to for all these years in the temple was finally happening.  It was God's plan from the very beginning of time that our authority and power to be effective missionaries will come from the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. This is why the early missionaries (disciples) were so effective. 

The cool part is that we have this same empowerment as Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to us when he left.  My prayer is that you recognize that you have incredible power that that has been promised to you from the very beginning and has come to earth in a powerful way.  You have power to love radically, to give sacrificially, and to overcome sin and struggle, in short have a meaningful and live a purposeful life.  

The Structure of the Missional Church Gathering

Should mission define how we gather on Sunday?  Yes I believe it should.   In fact the great commission should define all of life, especially our Ecclesiology, the form and function of church.  Jesus' last command to His disciples was the great mission to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28: 18-20). I believe this last mandate to us, should shape the way we scatter during the week and the way gather on Sundays.

With the mission of God in mind, this Sunday theMovement church will gather for 4 reasons.

(1) To Celebrate.  Luke 10:17 states: "the seventy two returned again with joy" – Celebration is at heart of what it means to belong to God so much so that God gave His people, the Israelites, 37 days of holidays apart from Sabbath days. On most of these occasions, God asked His people to rejoice which in Hebrew means to "dance with joy."  The Israelites were known for celebrating God and each other, so we believe we should do the same through, praise, music, and singing, as well as our after party which always includes a meal.

(2) Story Telling.  Luke 10:17b states: “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” – Story telling and reports of what God is doing through our kingdom priest and priestess in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth keeps the mission alive and provides encouragement and inspiration.

(3) To be Equipped. Ephesians 4:11-12 states: "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up" - We cannot be effective missionaries without being equipped.  The dictionary definition of equip means "to supply with necessities such as tools, and to To furnish with the qualities necessary for performance.  This is why we teach and cast vision every Sunday we meet.  We supply and furnish the saints with the necessary tools to engage their worlds with the good news of Christ.

Finally we gather to remember Christ. (4) The Holy Eucharist - for so long we have made our gathering about the sermon. Traditionally every element of the gathering leads up to or prepares us for the sermon, which can make the gathering about us, "being fed," thereby promoting a "consumer faith."   Rather when the focal point of the gathering is on the Holy Eucharist/Communion/Lord's Supper, Christ (whose life and example demonstrated radical mission), becomes the center. As Jesus stated: "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me... For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death" (1 Corinthians 11: 24-26).

If you are pastor or leader of a Christian movement, I encourage you to think through these concepts. How else could the "great mission" of Christ define and shape your gatherings?

Supernatural: we are going put it out there, test it out, and see what happens.

This blog is on another recent email I sent to the leadership team of our church.  We just celebrated our one-year anniversary as church plant.  While we are still a toddler, learning to crawl and walk, we will celebrate what God has done this past year and anticipate to what's ahead.

"In this next year/season we feel inspired to lead in such an audacious way where we exercise our authority in the supernatural.  After all God is spirit and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and truth.  Guess what else, Satan is also spirit.  The sacred scriptures remind us that we are not fighting against humans, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits (Ephesians 6:12).  So why do we work so hard to defeat Satan in the natural?  We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 10:4 that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 

It's about time we believe we have supernatural authority and power to defeat the enemy.  Yes I am talking about the power and gifts of prophecy, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, healing, and prayer.   If Jesus did it and the guys and girls who founded the church in A.D. 33 practiced it in such a way they experienced the dramatic move of God in their lives, maybe we can see God move in a similar way in our lives and in our city.  After all we serve a God who is unchanging. (“I the LORD do not change" Malachi 3:6).  I am talking marriages restored, broken relationship healed, physical healing, emotional healing, evil spirits being cast out, etc. 

No we will not go crazy with these things, nor hold the gifts over the fruits of the spirits etc.  Our desire is to embrace all of Christ and not just part of him.  If God is indeed supernatural and we are imago Dei as well as heirs of his Kingdom, maybe Jesus is on to something when he claimed that we will even do greater things than he did (John 14:12).  The prerequisite to these supernatural works as He stated in John 14:12 was faith, audacious faith.  As a local expression of the body of Christ, we are going put it out there, test it out, and see what happens.  Thanks as always for your faithfulness and commitment to the cause of Christ"

Missional begins at home

It's been a while since I have done any blogging but still writing, mostly papers for my M.Div. classes as well as book I am working on.  This blog is a recent email I sent to the leadership team of our church.


"Hello Friends!   It's always good to be reminded why we are doing what we are doing.  It is because of His great love that we call ourselves His. And as a result we extend that same measure of grace and love to EVERYONE around us.  As I write this, I am reminded of Jesus' statement "freely you have received; freely give."  How true are those words but it is Jesus' command before he made that claim that truly surprises me.  He commands the twelve to "go" but specifically asks them to focus their mission locally (their city) and not Judea, Samaria, or the ends of the earth.  Check it out:
 
⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."

God loves Colorado Springs and desires our mission effort to begin first with the place we call "home."  After all what message will we be displaying to those in far areas if they cannot first see and hear about the kingdom presence of God in our own home.  Friends we are in a good season of our movement and we are seeing God work in our own lives and the lives of our city folks.  We are learning our city is hungry for gospel centered communities that meet both "practical" and "spiritual" needs (see Acts 2:42-47).  God is on the move in our city and we not only get to be a part of His dynamic move but pioneers of it as well.  As we continue to learn what it is to be a multicultural growing missional community, many of us are realizing that it is hard work.  Community is easier said then done, easier said than practice.  But if we stay committed and consistent to the mission of it, it is amazing how beautiful it becomes.  God is community and our being created in the imago Dei desires, wants, and needs community.  Thank you for your faithfulness and commitment to the cause of developing these gospel-centered communities in our city. We love you guys." 

 "Missional is being a missionary without ever leaving your zip code" - Ed Stetzer