Vision and Direction

This month is the month of breakthroughs for me. Perhaps if you knew me, you might think that every month is a breakthrough month from the way I talk, but the last month has been pretty intense... in a good way. Here's the story in bullets:

• April 15th (afternoon) - Met with EFCA Great Lakes District Church Planting Director, Brett Gleason, to discuss possible church planting opportunities in the near future.  Left the meeting energized and eager to talk to my wife, who, of course, would be won over without a word...
• That evening - Told Melissa about my exciting plans to get involved with church planting right out of seminary, detailing the potential options Brett and I discussed.  She was, shall we say, not won over, despite my brilliant sales pitch.  STEEEERIKE!
• During the next week, I drew up a ministry resume and fill out a placement questionnaire for the TEDS Placement Office, and met up with the Placement Director to go over them.  Got some good feedback and was forced to think a little more carefully about some issues related to ministry vision and calling.
• Finished four major projects and a sermon, which I gave two weekends ago (you can listen here).  Got some good feedback re: preaching, and ministry gifting and preparedness from a good friend with whom I am currently serving in a second generation Korean Presbyterian Church.
• Met with my advisor this afternoon to discuss ministry vision and direction, and came out with some really helpful insights.  Came home to discuss this with my wife, and the reception was much better.

So, the insights... In a nutshell, what have culminated over these last three weeks are these:

• I am probably a church planter who needs some more significant and consistent ministry experience under his belt before venturing out.
• If my wife's not on board, either (1) it's not the Lord's will, or (2) it's not the Lord's timing.  The last two big ministry/life decisions we made (launching The Core and leaving for seminary), she was "all in."
• Post-seminary (beginning of 2010), I need to plug into a church whose ministry values/philosophy and context are compatible with my values and calling.  More than likely this should be at a church which was planted within the last decade or so, and has flourished in a "post-Christendom" context.
• The fact that I am an "idealist" (pros and cons to that) limits the kind of ministry setting that I can actually flourish in.  It basically requires a setting that values creativity, critical thinking, and innovation (as well as a basic philosophical framework within which I can work).
• The feedback I am consistently getting (from adviser, mother, wife, friend) is that I need to be ministering in a secular university community among people + or - 15 years of my age (27).
• Denomination matters a lot less than the particular local church setting (except, of course, where there are doctrinal conflicts).
• Relationships are critical.

OK, so probably not earth shattering... but very helpful for me in terms of processing my next steps.  At this point in time, I am working on finishing my resume and starting to explore connections with potential future ministry partners.  In the meantime, if anyone knows of any churches that are (a) thinking missionally about doing church in a post-Christendom setting (2nd or 3rd generation unchurched, e.g. Chicago = 3% churched), (b) currently ministering in a post-Christendom setting, and (c) looking for another pastoral staff member, let me know.

Blessings to all,

Matt

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Instant Access vs. The Gospel

Friends, you and I need to hear this. I've felt it for a long time... and this, coming from a laptop-toting blogger! First, you need to read this very short, little interview of Shane Hipps, author of the new book, Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith. Second, you need to get the book, read it, and get copies for your friends. This quote says it all:

"This culture is on an extraordinary pace toward needing things to be more efficient. But that is a value that is ultimately antithetical to the gospel."

Now, go read. You'll thank me someday.

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Second Half: More on the Western Church Crisis

I was wrong when I said, in my last post, that I was probably overstating the case when I guessed that 9 out of 10 American churches were failing in their Kingdom calling. The truth is, it's actually 10 out of 10. Every church, including even the earliest faith communities, falls short of God's expectations of complete conformity to His will—but this is not unique to any particular church at any particular time or place. On the other hand, to say that churches are "failing" undoubtedly implies to some that they are utterly failing. That would certainly be a preposterous (not to mention arrogant!) claim to make, and I never intended it. These two points in tension should do two things inside of each Christian, and especially each Christian leader or minister.

First, it should help them to see that those who speak prophetically for change are not renegades. This will help those with a prophetic calling to avoid developing a "Messiah complex" in which they see themselves as rebels with a cause (which leads to a combative spirit). It should also help their churches not to take such rebukes personally. All of God's children receive rebuke as a sign of His love, and He typically uses human servants to do this.

Second, it should kindle a perpetual "holy discontent" that keeps us always examining our hearts and actions in light of the Word and the conviction of the Spirit, and growing in faithfulness to our gloriously high calling.

In these two senses, then, my heart burns for a more faithful Church. I'm not so naive as to think that the "crisis" that the Western Church is facing is unique or unprecedented. As many a wise pastor has said, "Everyone either has experienced trials, is in one now, or is headed into one." The same can be said for the Church in any given time and place. The war that Satan and his legions wage against the Church never ceases, though his strategy changes. Fortunate for us, he has a limited playbook, and we have the ultimate Scouting Report (the Bible) from the ultimate Scout (God) to help us to defend against Satan's offense and break down his defense with our offense. Still, he is a formidable foe, and if we are lackadaisical and undisciplined, we are bound to get whooped. We have to be constantly "in the game," playing both offense and defense, and God gives us coaches (prophetic leaders) to spur us on, to correct us when we are wrong, and to train us for victory. But of course the coaches, in our case, are also members of the team, in need of coaching themselves.

I believe this is a word of critical import to the whole church, for all of us fall into one of these two roles (leader and follower). Both have significant responsibilities, and often we switch roles. None of us is above correction, and none is too "low" to give it. We are to "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21). I pray that this is a word of encouragement, as well as a challenge to you. In the spirit of semper reformanda, may we always press on toward our lofty calling in Christ.

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On the Western Church in Crisis

I recently consulted Trinity's Director of Placement to look over and provide feedback for my ministry resume. One of the sections pertained to my personal call and commitment to ministry. Since my call has been a series of defining moments or events (I've identified five), I constructed my statement of call to ministry according to these five pivotal moments. One of these moments I described as follows:

3. Clarification and Focus. In my mid-to-late college years, I developed a growing burden for the Church as I sensed her emergence into a sort of crisis. Through this, God seemed to be calling me to expand my vision from youth ministry to congregational ministry, with a view toward helping the Church be more faithful and fruitful in ministering in an increasingly postmodern world.

This puzzled him (understandably), and he recommended I clarify it. (I will.)

But it got me thinking... Is the Church in crisis? What Church? The Global Church? The American Church? The Western Church?

Yes, I think at least the Western Church.

While this may be overstating the case (it certainly sounds harsh), I wouldn't be surprised if 9 out of 10 churches were failing at their Great Commission calling (*see update, in my next post). That’s what I mean when I say the American Church is in crisis. (Cf. David Olson’s research that the American Church is not keeping up with population growth, let alone advancing the kingdom in terms of persons reached with the gospel, again measured in terms of percentage of population.  Note also that between 80 and 90% of people raised in the American Church jump ship once they leave the nest.) This is a matter of serious concern for me, particularly as regards my calling and commitment to vocational ministry. As far as I can tell, the problem can be explained in one of four ways:

• The Anti-Christian View: The current crisis simply shows that church is a failed experiment, built on a faulty foundation. It is truly no more than mere “religion,” a mere fallible, human construct. The implication is that Christianity is false.
  
• The Hyper-Reformed View: God is the Almighty Micromanager of all the minutiae of world events, and He just so happens to presently will that the Western Church be ineffective in its God-given evangelistic and disciple-making objectives. This, however, presupposes that God can simultaneously and in the same sense will two opposite things, which is a contradiction.
  
• The Fideistic View: We don’t know why this is happening. We just simply have to trust that God knows what He’s doing, and just keep preachin’ the Gospel "like we always have"—and doing just about everything else "the way we always have." (Key conviction: nothing needs to change.)
  
• My View: The American/Western church is suffering the consequences of its recent lack of faithfulness to something essential (the gospel, the Great Commission and cultural mandates? probably a combination of these). In essence, then, it is digging itself out of a hole that is growing deeper by the day. God has given us ample guidance in His word to get back on track, and is waiting for us to respond faithfully. He will empower us to be effective as we align our wills with His.  In short, I believe there is a definite link between faithfulness and fruitfulness. (See my posts here and here on healthy church growth.)
  

The implications of this for my commitment to pastoral ministry are considerable.  If #1 is true (it's not), I am wasting my time (to say the least).  If #2 is true, then I have to seriously rethink my faith.  If #3 is true, then I have to abandon all rationality and check my brain at the door—for good.  If #4 is true, then I have a real challenge (or several real challenges) ahead of me, but also a real motivation to minister, as well as a sensible framework within which to minister.

While at face value, View #4 may seem overly cynical, it is actually the most optimistic of all the views: God desires something better and has given us the provision to make it better, as well as promised to empower us to do so.  But it comes with a price tag: We have a lot of hard work to do in rigorously evaluating everything to do with our articulation, practice, and propagation of the Faith.  For some this is daunting.  For me it is invigorating.  It is what gives me purpose and drive.

This has significant implications for me as I seek the Lord's will for my next steps of ministry.  For one, the church in which I minister must acknowledge that the Western Church is coming up short in terms of its faithfulness to God's prescriptions for us in His Word.  Secondly, they must agree with my explanation of why this is so (View #4, above), or else offer a more sensible and biblical explanation.  One way or another, I assume our convictions on this issue need to align.

I wonder how to go about articulating this to prospective churches?  Is it important to be up front about this, or should I simply try to discern informally the extent to which we are on the same page?

Is there a better explanation than either of the four views outlined above?  I'm open to hearing them.

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Required Viewing for Worship Teams

Every worship team member everywhere must watch David Crowder Band's latest "documentary" (only 7 minutes long). Well, the worship leader probably doesn't need to watch it... but everyone else does! :-P

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The End of Philosophy

Quite an ambitious title, eh? Well it's the title of an article I read this morning in the Times that I thought was worth sharing. David Brooks writes about the "epochal" evolution of thought on the issue of moral reasoning, reviewing Michael Gazzaniga's book, Human, which argues (apparently with a growing consensus of psychologists) that emotions play a much larger role than has historically been granted... perhaps a larger role than logic itself.

Anyhow, though I disagree with his naturalistic worldview, I think Brooks and Gazzaniga are onto something. The postmodern turn is a turn away from the optimistic appraisal of the human intellect of a bygone era, and that gives us a dose of epistemological humility we desperately need as people of faith... well, as humans.

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iPodRip Giveaway

I get four entries for posting this, so here you have it: iPodRip giveaway.

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Big News...and Peace

OK, so I can't exactly break the news... YET. But as soon as I get the go-ahead, I'll be sure to let you know. :-)

I will let you know the consequences of the news, though, because it affects you... yes you. In short, I will be attempting to push my graduation date forward by a semester—that is, attempting to fit two semesters into one semester and a summer. What this has to do with you (hold your breath): less blogging by me.

This is both unfortunate and providential, both for the same reason. At a time when my mind is swirling with "big-time" thoughts, desperate to make heads of this crazy thing we call life, I am forced to press through the chaos with a bit of tunnel-visioned resolve to finish the course(s) on which my family and I have embarked. My goals are simple: finish sooner and finish stronger—with a stronger faith, stronger family, and stronger toolkit for ministering the gospel to a lost and dying world, for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Anyone who's been through (or attempted) seminary/divinity school (ok, mad props to grad school peeps across the board), or been close enough to someone who has to know what it's like, recognizes the ambition of my first two goals. Nevertheless, goals they are, and I'm both trusting in God's providential grace as well as working my tail off to see them attained. And let's not forget the hard work and sacrifices being made by my two marvelous, warrior women (wife and daughter) who are making this possible.

I want to leave you with the words of a Psalm that have been like salve on the gaping wound that has been inflicted on my soul by the raging storm of globalization and the socio-politico-religio-economic turmoil that increasingly characterizes life on planet Earth. Let God speak these words of His again to you, and may your hope be found in Him alone.

Psalm 131 - A Psalm of Ascents. Of David.

1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with thingstoo great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lordfrom this time forth and forevermore.

Praise our gracious Lord and King for His eternally good and powerful Word.

Grace and peace,

matt

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Obama, Liberals, and "Abortion Reduction"

CT article, "Reducing Abortion for Real," is well worth reading. It discusses the so-called "bipartisan" "abortion reduction" "effort."

Washington Post journalist Charles Krauthammer has a stinging critique of Obama's human ethics, in light of his recent overturning of the ban on Federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research passed during President Bush's presidency. A well-argued, must read article.

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John Wesley on Financial Stewardship

"The person who makes all they can, without both saving and giving all they can may be a living person, but they are a dead Christian”.

That's worth reading a few times.

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