Category Archives: God

Slippery Slopes

Posted on October 2, 2007 | Leave a comment

This is part II of my last entry, “Held Accountable.”

A comment I left off that blog entry was that when one begins the path of responding to needs around one – like throwing a party for a prostitute in the middle of the night, or simply listening to the people you are always talking to – things start to happen. There is something about making yourself available that gets out of control. Out of our control, that is, and into God’s control.

I believe, because I’ve experienced it, that when you make yourself available to God you get used a lot more. Makes sense when you think about. Jesus said in his parable of the talents (Mt 25)

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.’

I knew that meant that when Jacob’s Well began to be available that we would experience an explosion of need. I didn’t think it would start so fast, however. My/our accountability is being tested right now. How will we respond?

Held accountable

Posted on October 1, 2007 | 5 comments

I finished my message yesterday at Jacob’s Well with Tony Campolo’s story about throwing a birthday party for a prostitute in the middle of the night.

(Great story, if you don’t know it see his book, The Kingdom of God is a Party. You can also find it on the web on sites like this. But buy his book anyway.)

It’s a powerful story that calls us out of our “nice and tidy” ministries and out into the “down and dirty” love that Jesus was about. My concluding words were, “What if there was a church that threw birthday parties for prostitutes in the middle of the night? I want to be the pastor of a church like that, and I hope that you want to help Jacob’s Well be that kind of church too.”

Afterwards a woman came up and said, “Great message, I love that vision of the church. But I wonder if you really mean it.” She went on to a say a few other positive but challenging things and then ended by saying, “I’ll be watching you.” I told her I needed accountability, we all do. She had been burn by a church that didn’t practice what it taught, and is sharp enough to know that while I’m not Jacob’s Well, if I don’t believe and practice something it is pretty unlikely the church will either.

My first reaction – Wow! Someone was listening and taking me seriously enough to call me on what I say. That’s what preaching is all about.

Another reaction – Being a precarious pastor and a congregation that ministers from the margins rather than soft, safe center of its resources and comfort level isn’t easy. We have to hold each other accountable so we will go where Jesus goes. We also have to encourage each other and remind each other of the vision with which God leads us out of the wilderness of our comfort zone.

Anyone else ready for this journey? What will we have to give up to be that kind of church, and are we willing to do it?

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Posted in church, church transitions, ethics, God, love, margins, preaching, precarious

Surprise!

Posted on September 26, 2007 | Leave a comment

Last week was a – let us say, ‘significant’ – birthday for my wife, Kris. We always observe birthdays and anniversaries, but we don’t usually pull out too many stops for them. That fact made this birthday all the more tempting to do the ultimate… a surprise party… she’d never expect it.

I’ll spare you the details, but even with some adverse last minute changes of events we were able to pull it off. And even though I had only gotten back in town the middle of the day before and had to pull the house and food together in very little time (thanks to great help from wonderful neighbor Lisa and all 4 kids doing great stuff) I have to say I really enjoyed it. In fact I enjoyed it so much it ‘surprised’ me.

I love parties like this. I love to wander around and talk to my favorite people, scores of them, surrounded by good food and drink. But I enjoyed the party more than I that could account for, especially considering how hard I worked to make it happen. It took little reflection to figure out why. I was overjoyed (that sounds like a trite phrase, but it is what I felt) to do this for Kris. I learned a new aspect of my love for her that day. There is something deep inside me that found great satisfaction – almost fulfillment – in doing omething that she could enjoy so much, and that brought her the love of her family and friends that is so good and frue for her.

Back to Isaiah 43.3b-4a (one of my favorite chapters in the Bible).

I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight,
and honored, and I love you,

This serves as a reminder for us to continue to use varied and creative ways of bringing people into the presence of God at Jacob’s Well. You can be taught a lot by by someone telling you something, by reading a blog or a book, but I like learning profound things by throwing a party. In this case a different view of my relationship with the one person I’m spending my whole life with… and an insight into God’s motivation to make an ultimate gift for me. Wow, God loves me like that.? That changes things…

Taboo

Posted on September 17, 2007 | Leave a comment

On Sunday (9/16) we tried something different (which is normal) at Jacob’s Well. We had decided that the “What if…?” question was a public question. We were trying to engage the community with possibilities this way, so why not in worship? After my message we played a song and then I did the Oprah thing and roamed among the seats and asked if people had a ‘what if’ to share, or comments / questions about the message.

First, I have to say that it takes a lot of skill to pull this stuff out of people in a situation like this; they had virtually no warning. I don’t have that skill yet… It probably wasn’t the smartest way to do it either, but then, that’s what Jacob’s Well is all about. Trying things for good reasons and seeing where they lead. And I like to be a good example in forgiveness-getting.

To my surprise people did rise to the occasion! Why should I have doubted it? I wasn’t overwhelmed with people but several spoke up and said some very good things that gave me a chance to respond (probably talk too much) and help fill out the message in directions that people were actually thinking.

The “taboo.” One person told my wife after the service that he had a “what if” but didn’t think it was appropriate to say it in the service. Kris asked what it was. He said, “What if there isn’t a God?”

I love it. That is a great “what if.” Maybe the best one. In the evening service I shared it and said that his “what if” inspired mine, which was, “What if there was a church where people could admit that they wondered if there really was a God?” If not, then I can’t be the pastor because it is one of my “what ifs” at least a couple times a day.

After the service a first timer said she thought it was so cool that everyone could get involved with the theology in the service. I said, “What if there was a church where that could happen…?”

Category Archives: God

Slippery Slopes

Held accountable

Surprise!

Taboo

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