Reading Ruth

I'm in the process of reading through the book of Ruth multiple times and then I'm going to go back and study it slowly.  If you are needing a Bible reading plan I invite you to study Ruth along with me.  Make it your goal to read it through at least once this next week.

Anyone who is interested in learning and talking about the mission of the church I encourage to read and study Acts in the New Testament and Ruth in the Old Testament.  I'm moved every time I read in the Bible examples of loving redemption or when I hear similar stories happening in our world today.

As you're reading Ruth, think about who has the power and who doesn't.  How is that power wielded?

Negative church people

I recently received a rude email from a person who had attended our church a handful of times and doesn't understand why we would care about orphans in Haiti or about doing anything outside of our immediate community for that matter. The tone of her email was very negative and she took the opportunity to throw in a couple backhanded slams at one of our church leaders who in my opinion is the epitome of the type of person I'm trying to develop at Mountain Vista...loves God, loves his family, serves his community and serves the church family. 

Normally I let these types of emails simply disappear without the dignity of even a response and I pray that the sender will find the peace they obviously are missing in their life. Then, I move on with the job God has called me to do. In this case, because of the comment about one of our Spiritual Leaders I responded.  I don't apologize or back down in the face of misguided criticism that is directed at one of our leaders. I'm OK if people have an honest difference of opinion or different priorities, but I'm not OK when they say things that disparage the people I respect and care about. 

The reality is that people choose to join with our church or to leave as a regular occurrence due to whether they do or don't feel connected to our mission and vision. That's a good thing...we don't want people hanging around who are fundamentally opposed to what God has called us to accomplish as a church. We do want a growing number who are getting on board the bus and joining us in this amazing journey to know God and serve him in ways that matter!

What should we do about Joseph Kony - part 2

I have yet to take an official position on the "Cover The Night" campaign which is is the by-product of the Joseph Kony 2012 viral video international sensation.  From my first exposure my gut has been saying this isn't a good idea.  Instead of feeling the exuberance of "we together have the power" that so many felt after watching the film, I felt hesitation.


1.  Is it wise to make someone who is running and hiding and who has lost much of his power and influence into a bigger celebrity than he's ever been before?  Will that rally others to his cause? 
2.  Is this group partnering with other groups who are in the trenches...who really know the people and the culture?  Are their objectives well conceived and thought through?
3.   Should I be focusing on the perpetrator or on his victims? or both? 


At this point for all I know this could be a good idea or a bad idea.  In either case it's an idea that has legs and won't stop until it's run it's course.  According to Vimeo, four people viewed this video on March 3rd,  eight watched it on March 4th, and 58,000 viewed the video on March 5th.  Then, the following day it had 2.7 million views and on the 7th,  8.2 million views.  It's a powerful and influential media piece that is accomplishing it's producers' primary objective, to raise awareness of a real problem in central Africa.  Unfortunately, stories like this, of extreme evil perpetrated against the people of Africa aren't uncommon nor confined to Joseph Kony.


If greater awareness does bring this heinous man to justice I'll be jumping for joy.  In the mean time I'm allowing this heightened awareness of the plight of many in Africa to reignite my focus on their needs.  So there is good that is coming from this.  I'm going to focus as much as I can on the African victims of father-lessness, of disease, of malnutrition, and of anarchy.


If you would like to also focus on the victims to tell them that God hasn't forgotten them, please visit and pray about partnering with - 

http://www.hopealiveafrica.org/          

What should we do about Joseph Kony?

If you've been a part of Mountain Vista for some time you've heard me speak of Uganda and a ministry there that I believe in.

In case you've been swept up in the current Joseph Kony craze, let he help you see a bigger picture.  I was in Kampala Uganda (and some of it's surrounding villages) in the summer of 2004 with a team of young adults.  That was the time when a campaign of awareness and activism against Joseph Kony was needed.  In many respects the affected communities have moved on after Joseph Kony exited the country years ago.  However, the problems of disease and parent-less families remains.

The catalyst for this tidal wave of support is a viral video put out by Invisible Children.  Everything I've read about this NGO is that they're being opportunistic, using a noble idea that has little relevance today.  Their motive...you'll have to be the judge of that.

If you would like to do something to help the children of Uganda I strongly recommend that you connect with a ministry called Hope Alive Africa.  I've visited their ministry in person.  I've met with and interviewed their leaders.  They were on the ground working with families and children displaced by Joseph Kony in the days when he WAS ravaging northern Uganda.  Today they remain committed to caring for and educating the children in Uganda who have little hope.

http://www.hopealiveafrica.org/              

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:27

 

Philosophy of small group discipleship

Small groups are the key to disciple development within the local church.  There are three primary means of spiritual growth in the life of a Christian and all three will effectively happen through a healthy, well-led, and purposeful small group.

1.   Spiritual growth happens through Christian community.  The Bible describes numerous “one anothers” that require active and mutual service among Christians living in community.  Proverbs (27:17) describes this as “iron sharpening iron.”  Small groups are a place where this sharpening happens.

2.   Spiritual growth happens through circumstances.  James chapter one tells us that trials are to be expected and embraced for the purpose of spiritual growth.  We will never attain maturity without trials and we will never attain maturity if we give up hope and faith in the middle of a trial.  Small groups provide the support that people need to endure through their trial with faith and hope intact.

3.   Spiritual growth happens through the study and application of God’s Word.  This is the sign of wisdom and maturity described in many places in the Bible.  Without knowing the Scriptures we can’t obey, but knowledge without obedience leads to pride.  The small group can be an effective place for learning God’s Word and a place where accountability leads to application and spiritual growth.

In some groups, one or two of these elements may be identified as the primary purpose of the group, but all three should be on the mind of the well–trained leader who wants to see spiritual growth in his group.  Regardless of the stated identity of a given small group, a qualified and trained leader can intentionally integrate the three elements of spiritual growth into any group of disciples. 

I tend to classify small groups into one of three categories based on their distinctive issue or purpose that identifies and gathers them…Cause Groups (missional, or ministry teams, or support groups, etc.), Community Groups (neighborhood, age or life-stage specific, sub-culture, etc.), and Content Groups (Bible studies, leadership training, theology classes, etc.)  In each of these groups, the leader looks beyond the stated purpose in order to optimize the teachable moments for his members along the way.

For our leaders...Be Inclusive except for legalists

This past Saturday, I taught a seminar at a leadership training conference on being an “outward” focused church.  The reason I was invited to speak on this topic is because our church has become well known in our community (and among many of my peers) as a church that has been committed to being externally focused from our very beginning.  That being said, Mountain Vista Community Church has never been a “free-for-all,” or “the more the merrier” conglomeration of the masses.

As a leader at MVCC it’s important that you know that our openness and commitment to outreach stems from our desire to mimic the inclusive nature of Jesus Christ.  It was Jesus’ practice to take time to minister to those who were lost and knocked down by life.  However, don’t miss this very important next point. 

Jesus by his very choice of words “excluded” many.  He excluded all who were arrogant and self-sufficient.  That’s why he said it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom (Matthew 19:24.)  He wasn’t commenting on wealth per se as sinful, but the arrogance and self-sufficiency it often creates in us.

Wealth isn't required to make someone arrogant.  The overtly arrogant come in all shapes and sizes and they’re to be excluded from our fellowship by our choice of words…direct instead of passive, honest instead of accommodating, harsh instead of patronizing, anger instead of timidity.  At least that’s what Jesus did.  Now, Jesus’ intent was that his bold truthfulness would cause these people to realize their wrong attitude and come to him in humility and find grace.  However, many didn’t accept his harsh words and were subsequently excluded from fellowship by their own choice!

Did you know that there is only one unpardonable sin?  The Bible communicates amazing stories of grace and forgiveness extended by God to all who acknowledge their shortcomings and cry out to him for salvation...no matter how bad their moral failure.  That’s why our church has always been committed to reach out to people and welcome them in with whatever issues they have.  We know that Jesus will forgive them and redeem their life for his glory.  However, one sin He will not forgive. 

God will not and cannot forgive the kind of arrogance that rejects Jesus and the grace He offers to everyone (Mark 3:28-30.)  The Devil was the first to commit this sin…believing that he did not need God and that he could run his own life.  So, he became separated from God by his own choice.  In the same way, deep-seated arrogance in UNBELIEVERS is what keeps them from humbling themselves and asking God for forgiveness even though God offers every person multiple opportunities to repent and experience His peace.

If arrogance is at the root of the only unpardonable sin, what should be our attitude toward BELIEVERS who, although forgiven, continue to live with a overt disposition to this sin?  It’s to respond the way Jesus often did toward the religious elite – with brutal unapologetic honesty.  So, as a leader who has been raised up by God for a purpose, you are to love on those who humbly seek God and be brutally honest with those who arrogantly challenge your convictions, your motives, and your leadership.  If they leave your group that’s God's will but if they change, you’ve helped to save them.  In either case you've protected your ministry from being commandeered by legalists!

Don't actually say "thank you"

Every Sunday I teach myself something and this week was no exception.

After last Sunday I will forever be changed in the way I think about something that I do every day.  Eph 5:20 instructs us to have an attitude of thanksgiving which I have always tried to do.  I also work to teach my boys to say thank you because that shows politeness and good manners.  Well, as I studied the idea of thankfulness I was struck by how much more it means to be thankful than simply saying thank you.  I guess it all does start there, but how many people are stuck at a 4 year old level of thankfulness?

What I mean is that if I get good at saying thank you I'm just doing what I've taught my 4 year old son to do, and there's a long way for me to go before I achieve what God wants for me in this area of my life.  In other languages there are idiomatic phrases that are used instead of "thanks," i.e. "that makes my heart warm," or "may God repay you."  In fact, in the very ancient languages you won't find an exact word that is by itself translated "thanks."  In ancient Hebrew you will typically see the word "praise" or "bless" which have much more meaning than "thank you."

So, if you want to graduate beyond 4 year old thanksgiving to a more Godly thanksgiving, start doing what I'm starting to do.  Stop saying "thanks" and in place of that word substitute,
   - I appreciate that you ...  (be specific about a quality that made you thankful for them)
   - (Brag in front of someone else)  I noticed that you always finish the jobs you start and you put a lot of effort into your work!
   - (Contribute something of value)  You work hard and with such a great attitude - can I take you out for lunch (or give you ...) as a token of my appreciation.

Leave a comment of an example of how you've done this recently.