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Christian Chronicle feature on NCCC

The June edition of the Christian Chronicle features a front page article on NCCC with the headline, "Church Embraces Two Languages to Form One Body." Click here to read the article. It's a true honor to serve at North County--a church that strive to be a house of prayer for all nations. I'm also thankful for the Chronicle reporting some of the good God is doing through our church right now.

The Lid

Today Emily and I met with a gifted and talented coordinator for the local school district regarding our oldest daughter, Anna, who is obviously (at least to her mother and I) academically further along than her grade suggests. She plays the piano, reads books that are standard in grades 5-6 with relative ease, and can multiply. She knows the capitals of all 50 states and nearly every foreign country. She is in Kindergarten. She is far smarter than I was at the same age, and this makes me beam with fatherly pride. At the same time, the meeting this morning took me back to my own educational experience.

I entered Kindergarten early, and was identified as intellectually gifted by the school system after first grade. I spent the rest of my pre-High School years moving from school to school, as the school system struggled with what to do with me. If they put me in regular classes I would get bored and goof around. If they put in advanced classes, I tended to not like what I perceived to be the snobbery of the kids and teachers—most of whom were from a higher socio-economic background than I—and hate it. Furthermore, even in elementary school I had a knack for pushing my teachers on the conclusions they had reached—shocking I know :) It isn't that I thought I knew better than they did. I often had no better answer than they did. I just got the sense that there might be another answer.

This drove some of my teachers crazy, especially in the humanities and social sciences, where concrete answers are harder to come by. I was told that I was young, and needed to learn more before I began questioning people with greater education and experience than I (not exactly a really high standard when speaking to a fifth-grader).

I got along just fine, but it wasn’t until High School that I really enjoyed the educational process. I enjoyed it because in High School, we were taught how to think and the freedom to think…not told what to think unless the answer was quite mechanical – gravity, geography, etc. We were taught the facts about the universe, and how to think freely and inquisitively about history, literature, art, and politics. This gave my intellectual life some air just as it was suffocating. This got me thinking about adult education in churches, because many churches I know of are struggling with it's future.

It seems to me that some churches offer to little, or too dry a material to actually teach and shape people. Others control thought in such a way that people won’t grapple with what they just learned beyond the final bell. Yet, I still believe the church needs to grow it’s spiritual mind. I don’t believe it must take a particular format, but loving God with our minds and seeking His face through learning more about Him and His Word are part of vibrant discipleship.

The educational world and the church world are somewhat different, but are in some ways the same. In church, we need to help people understand what to think. However, it seems to me that some churches struggle with people who either express different opinions or who are more spiritually mature. These are not the same thing. Nevertheless, we don’t know what to do with free thinkers, or the “gifted kids.” This holds us back.

In some churches, in an effort not to alienate guests or newer Christians, a lowest common denominator approach has been adopted in adult and children’s education. In such churches, facts about the Bible and Christian doctrine are presented at only the most basic level, so that people won’t feel lost in the woods. The intent here is good. However, what this does ultimately is put a lid on the church’s support for the spiritual growth of Christians who might be classified as “meat-eaters.” Can’t we allow for the continued spiritual growth and development of those who are “meat-eaters”? Or, will we simply offer only milk or vegetables – suggesting that those who want to go deeper will have to do so on their own. When people go out on their own completely, they miss the refining influence of Christian community as they shape their ideas about God, church, and world. This doesn’t make much sense to me.

At the same time, we need to make sure that we don’t shoot way over the head of babes in Christ. Perhaps we can tier classes (if our self-esteem can bear it) and offer a broader spiritual diet. Perhaps we could at least offer the deep end of the pool as an elective to those who are able to swim, rather than insisting they wear floaties all their lives.

In other churches, the thought police rule the camp. There is no room for theological exploration, thoughtful questioning of church doctrine, or margin of error. Everyone must be correct on every jot and tittle of church teaching…even if that teaching goes beyond what is actually taught in Scripture. Epistemic humility is strikingly absent because we believe we’ve learned all there is to know, and there is no chance we could be wrong or learn something beyond we already know. Don’t get me wrong here, the church shouldn’t operate in a gray haze where there isn’t a sense of absolute truth or right and wrong. What I’m speaking of is the humility to acknowledge that our understanding may not be complete. God hasn’t been exhausted as a subject of exploration. Scripture continues to live and breathe—it is a living Word. And, if the apostle Peter’s understanding needed correcting by both Jesus and Paul—I should acknowledge that my own understanding may need it from time to time as well.

In order for churches to foster an environment in which real spiritual growth can occur, we must teach relentlessly the Scriptures and Christian doctrines, while allowing the freedom to explore new horizons even as we check what’s over the horizon against the teachings of Scripture. Let’s rethink how faith, reason, and spiritual growth intersect, and allow people to eat spiritually age-appropriate food—seeking to sustain a vibrant, growing relationship with God and His Word from which we never graduate. Let’s stay humble and open to growing in ways we may not yet realize we need to grow. Let’s remove the lid.

It seems to me that what is needed is a transformational approach to the studying and teaching the Scriptures...but that discussion must be reserved for another post.

Memorial Day Reflections

Memorial Day weekend is nearly upon us. It got me thinking about something I read recently.

In the Century Marks section of my most recent edition of the Christian Century, it reads:

Emergent church leader Brian McLaren wonders when it was that the U.S. was a Christian nation. Was it when Americans wantonly killed native peoples, taking their lands and breaking promises to them? Was it during the era of slavery or segregation, which were justified on biblical grounds? Was it when the U.S. dropped the first nuclear bombs on civilian populations? Or was it when the nation plundered the environment and turned a blind eye to torture? "Was it earlier this week, when I turned on the TV or radio and heard people scapegoating immigrants and gay people and Muslims?" asks McLaren (Washington Post "On Faith" blog, April 16).

Wow.

I went and read the actual article from the Washington Post "On Faith" blog. McLaren, who served as an advisor to Barack Obama during His presidential campaign, is responding to Obama's statement that America is not a Christian nation.

I don't really know where to begin or where to end. So, I'll put my response in a couple of paragraphs as best I can.

It's no secret that Brian McLaren (a delightful man personally) doesn't like America's description as a Christian nation. He says so in the article I cite above, and has said so elsewhere. Thus, he chooses to read history from a perspective that he believes demonstrates America never has been a Christian nation. If one were prone to pull out cases (albeit centuries or decades after the fact) in which America has acted wrongly, while ignoring the far greater number of cases in which America has acted in a virtuously, I see how someone could share McLaren's perspective.

However, it is an act of true revisionism to highlight and isolate the gravest sins of America in isolation of it's staggering acts of generosity, virtue and kindness across the world...all while overlooking the sins of other nations. America isn't only the world's leading philanthropist by a virtual eternity, America tends to be the only nation willing to give it's own lives for the defense of the defenseless elsewhere. I could go on, but won't.

McLaren's line (and my line in return) of argument may not even be that Christian--as we aren't Christian based solely on our deeds anyway...but on our faith in Christ. Here we get into age old faith/works issue--as it applies to nations or peoples. Interesting....

McLaren's point later on that an inflated perception of ourselves as "Christian" or "Chosen" can lead us to not only act unjustly but to do so in ignorance and lack of self-awareness is a point well taken. This is something we should always guard against. However, it seems that one could make the same argument about individuals as well. For instance, we don't stop calling ourselves Christian because we have sinned and because if we do we run the danger of thinking too highly of ourselves if we do.

I am personally less concerned with whether or not America remains a "Christian Nation" than whether or not the Church remains a Christian Church. The church, not a Christian America, is the hope of the world. So, if America ceases to be Christian, I can live with that--as long as the church keeps being the church. We are, after all, citizens of another Kingdom. 

In the mean time let's be kind to one another, speaking honestly and fairly of our national faults and virtues. Let us offer grace and forgiveness for past sins, and work together for Christ's sake. 

And to all those who have given their lives over the years so that Brian McLaren, I, and all Americans can speak freely in a format such as this...thank you.

Is Any One of You in Trouble?

In James 5, James writes to the churches: "Is anyone of you in trouble, he should pray." Tonight at NCCC, we'll do just that. Tonight, we are praying for those among us whose job situations are in significant distress. 

We are trying to be the church in the state hit hardest (with the possible exception of Michigan) by the current economic crisis. Yesterday, the voters turned down proposals to help curb the state budget crisis. This means more layoffs statewide. At NCCC, we have an unusually high number of construction, tradesmen, and entrepreneurs who own construction dependent businesses, to boot. Ouch.

So, we are taking some aggressive steps to help people through:

The elders put together a list of those we know have been hit hard, and asked their permission to list them along with whatever trade or skill they have. We then published their names and skills on a prayer list, encouraging the Body to consider hiring these brothers and sisters for whatever purpose. 

We are in the midst of a month of prayer on Wednesday nights, and are spending the bulk of tonight on the theme "Give us this day our daily bread." Praying by name for the dozens of people among us who are either unemployed or severely underemployed...inviting them forward and praying for them by name...that God would "give them this day their daily bread."

It took a lot of humility and guts for our brothers and sisters to open up to us that way. It takes a lot of courage and honesty to admit your struggling. We Christians are far too good at keeping financial matters completely private. Yet, tonight, I bet real community breaks out. I bet some will find jobs. I bet God will honor their sacrifice with work and daily bread.

What ideas have you and/or your congregation come up with to help people through this tough time?

Be Good to People - part 1

For years, I have been trying to convince fellow church leaders to act as graciously toward those who serve the church in a paid capacity as they can within the bounds of ethics and sanity. This isn't necessarily a financial affair. There  are many ways to act graciously toward ministers. Pay is one. But, other things are equally or more important. It's important that churches work hard to serve those who work hard to serve the Kingdom.

This are many reason for this. Among them are: 

1) The church, of all places, should be a wonderful place to work on a daily basis.

2) No matter what they want to believe, churches with attendance over about 100 rely on ministers more than they want to believe.

3) Ministerial turnover is inevitable, but high or unnecessary turnover hurts churches more than they want to believe. 

4) I'll take my chances before the Lord being too kind or generous, than too stingy. 

5) In my experience, there tends to be a correlation between the way a church treats it's paid servants and the way they treat non-paid servants. Those who treat staff poorly tend to treat volunteers rather poorly as well. Hence, the small percentage of people serving in the church--the famous 80/20 rule. In some churches, the rule is 90/10. This is not usually not the result of having "too much" staff. It's usually quite the opposite. It's usually the result of an attitude that also leads toward a lack of or poor treatment of staff and volunteers alike. Show me a church where staff morale is high, and that church's unpaid servants will typically have high morale and are plenty. Churches where there is low staff turnover tends to have lower volunteer turnover as well. It's not a coincidence.

Below is an article from Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine showing how this is found true in the business world. The church is not a business. Actually, it's standards of treatment of people is far higher. More on this tomorrow.

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From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, June 2009

Alex Edmans is assistant professor of finance at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

How did you conclude that happy employees lead to higher stock prices?
My work uses the Fortune magazine study "The 100 Best Companies to Work For," which is compiled by an independent institution. The survey tries to get at the intangibles of employee satisfaction -- feeling respected, participating in decisions, enhancing self-esteem. From 1999 through 2008, the returns on portfolios based on these companies have beaten the market by an average of four percentage points a year.

Wouldn't you expect that?
If you stopped the average person on the street and said, "A new study finds that companies whose workers are happier do better," they'd say, "That's obvious." But it's not. The old view was that satisfaction was a bad thing. Every dollar given to employees was a dollar taken away from shareholders. If you spent on a corporate gym, you were not spending on dividends.

So why is employee satisfaction good for shareholders?
Because it leads to motivation, retention and, ultimately, productivity. A hundred years ago, motivation wasn't a problem. People worked in factories and produced widgets, and each widget was worth 25 cents. People were motivated to work hard because they were paid according to their output.

Now, companies look to engage their employees. Satisfied workers bring in new business, mentor subordinates, recruit people and encourage teamwork. If workers intrinsically feel that they're part of a team, they're like sports fans -- they live and die by their team and evangelize about it.

We're at nearly 10% unemployment and layoffs are the law of the land. Can companies afford to cater to workers now?
I think the economic instability might actually increase the benefit. Firms that retain and motivate workers despite current conditions will have an even greater edge.

How can investors profit from your findings?
The market doesn't take intangible assets -- such as employee satisfaction, advertising, and research and development -- into account the same way it looks at, say, cash flow. So companies with strong intangibles are undervalued, representing good bargains.

Helpless?

I never get tired of this video that I played during the Grow Green series at North County... for old times sake...the great Broken Escalator ad :) I'm sure you can see the application :)

via videosift.com

The Team

When God calls a ministry staff together for a season of ministry, and that season is characterized by godly hard work, personal spiritual growth, church health, and church growth, praise Him! At the ground level, it is a beautiful thing to work with people that you respect and whose spiritual gifts fit with and accentuate your own. Playing as part of symphony is much more fun than playing solo.

 Over the past several months, God has been calling together a spiritually-minded, hard-working, immensely talented group of individuals to serve him hear at North County. I am pleased to share that this month, God has provided North County Church of Christ with two new additions to the team.

D.J. Iverson is already on-board and serving as Youth Minister. D.J. was born and raised in the San Diego area. He brings a great sense of humor, immense creativity, and a highly relational ministry style that will serve the Kingdom well among Sr. High students.

 Later this month, Peter Wilson will be joining the NCCC staff as Minister of Worship and Spiritual Formation and bringing his amazing wife Lindsey with him. Peter and Lindsey both sing with the ZOE Praise Team and TrueLift. In addition to leading worship on Sunday mornings, Peter will also join the elders and me in cultivating the inner life of God’s people.

 Keep your eye on North County. God is definitely up to something in Escondido, California. He was before and will be after, but this season of God’s work in San Diego County is going to be fun :)

In Honor of Prentice Meador - New Book Forthcoming

Those of you who knew and loved Prentice Meador as I did--or who are fans of preaching or the Psalms, I wanted to make you aware of a new resource. Bob Chisholm (Prentice's long-time friend and co-worker) is compiling a forthcoming book of sermons on the Psalms in honor of Prentice Meador.

The book, currently untitled, will be published by Leafwood and be released at this year's Lipscomb Sermon Seminar in October. When this wonderful resource is available, please buy a copy, as proceeds go to fund a Christian scholarship in Prentice's name at Lipscomb.

Bob Chisholm and Dave Bland will write an introduction to the collection. Lipscomb President and dear friend of Prentice, Randy Lowry, will write the forward.

Those who will have sermons in the book include myself, Lynn Anderson, Rick Atchley, Bob Chisholm, Mike Cope, Jennings Davis, Ken Durham, Harold Hazelip, Gary Holloway, Tom Jones, Jim Martin, Royce Money, Collin Packer, Jack Reese, David Rubio, Scott Sager, Landon Saunders, Chris Seidman, and John York.

Prentice LOVED preaching. What a wonderful way to honor his memory. Thank you Bob and Lipscomb for choosing to honor a great man of God in this most appropriate way.

Pepperdine Bible Lectures - a Review

This year’s Pepperdine Bible Lectures (PBL) have concluded. Never in my life had I been as tired going into a PBL (not known for increasing sleep ratios), so the week had the chance to become a recovery week for me. However, I manage to muster the energy to enjoy a great spiritual feast. 

With all respect to Tulsa and ACU, Pepperdine remains the finest of the Church of Christ-affiliated lecture-style programs. ACU and Tulsa are terrific for other reasons, and are well worth attending. However, on the whole, Pepperdine is just on another level. It is typically the spiritual highlight of my year.

I taught a 3-day class which I thought went fine…but you’d have to ask the people who attended. I then spent some time attending several classes once: Jeff Walling, Evert Huffard, Lowry/Cope, and a couple of others. But, I also did something I hadn’t done other than the years I’ve been a keynote/theme lecturer: I attended all of the keynote and theme lectures. I usually attend all of the evening lectures and at least one or two of the morning lectures. This year, I resolved to make all of them. I’m really glad I did.

All of the main lectures had wonderful qualities unto themselves. I particularly loved the mature, sage, and doctrine-rich preaching of Monte Cox and Rick Atchley. They gave the whole week a “Jesus is the only way” and “Jesus only is the way” feel. Rich Little brought his typical exuberance; Brian Simmons helped us understand victory in Jesus better; Curt Sparks brought a deeply personal sermon from his experience and credibility, Josh Ross will be a wonderful preacher for years to come, and Mike Cope was… Mike Cope.

What makes the Bible Lectures such a wonderful experience for me is the people. It’s always good to run into old professors, fellow preachers, old classmates, old friends, old coworkers, and get to meet people I’ve always wanted to meet. I also love the praise emphasis of the PBL. At Pepperdine, you usually get to hear acappella singing at its best…and sing yourself hoarse. And, you usually get to hear some of the best preaching and teaching around – in or outside of Churches of Christ.

I know that we all need vacations. Vacations are one of life’s greatest blessings. But, I would encourage everyone to pick at least one event each year to make a vacation for the soul—one in which you focus on rekindling your fire for the Lord. Pepperdine is one of those each year for me. 

Do you have one of those places or times in your year? If so, what is it?

I’m back at NCCC now, super tired but full, ready to roll, and rekindled. Thanks to Jerry Rushford and Pepperdine University for another wonderful year. See you next year.

Pollution Reduction Refund

These excerpts from the New York Times News Service—printed in Saturday’s San Diego Union Tribune. Thoughts at the bottom.

The problem with global warming, some environmentalists believe, is “global warming.”

The term turns people off, fostering images of shaggy-haired liberals, economic sacrifice and complex scientific disputes, according to extensive polling and focus group sessions conducted by ecoAmerica, a nonprofit environmental marketing and messaging firm in Washington.

Instead of grim warnings about global warming, the firm advises, talk about “our deteriorating atmosphere.” Drop discussions of carbon dioxide and bring up “moving away from the dirty fuels of the past.” Don't confuse people with cap and trade; use terms like “cap and cash back” or “pollution reduction refund.”

EcoAmerica has been conducting research for the past several years to find new ways to frame environmental issues and so build public support for climate-change legislation and other initiatives. A summary of the group's latest findings and recommendations was accidentally sent by e-mail to a number of news organizations by someone who sat in on a briefing intended for government officials and environmental leaders.

When I read that in my Saturday morning Union-Tribune, I thought… “this ought to be good.” The article continued:

Environmental issues consistently rate near the bottom of public worry, according to many public opinion polls. A Pew Research Center poll released in January found that global warming came in last among 20 voter concerns; it trailed issues such as addressing moral decline and reducing the influence of lobbyists.

“We know why it's lowest,” said Perkowitz, a marketer of outdoor clothing and home furnishings before he started ecoAmerica, whose activities are financed by corporations, foundations and individuals. “When someone thinks of global warming, they think of a politicized, polarized argument. When you say 'global warming,' a certain group of Americans think that's a code word for progressive liberals, gay marriage and other such issues.

“It's the terms we're using that are holding us back with the American people,” he added.

The answer, Perkowitz said in his presentation at the briefing, is to reframe the issue using different language. “Energy efficiency” makes people think of shivering in the dark. Instead, it is more effective to speak of “saving money for a more prosperous future.”

In fact, the group's surveys and focus groups found, it is time to drop the term “the environment” and talk about “the air we breathe, the water our children drink.”

“Pollution reduction refund?” This got me thinking about language and its use in church and world.

Some thoughts—none of which are oriented toward the issue of climate change whatsoever. These have to do with the power and use of language:

Changing language does not change issues themselves. It can help us talk about them more constructively, and has the power to illuminate, color, or darken virtually any given situation. All of these may be appropriate at different times. However, if the language we use isn’t accurate, misleads, or skews reality—language can lead people to make decisions and support things they wouldn’t have if something more objective and clear—even more accurate--were presented to them.

This is a good word of warning for preachers and church leaders. Using hopeful language is good. Using rich vocabulary is good. However, we must always be clear and accurate in what we say so that people will know and believe that we are telling them the truth to the best of our ability. It is the truth that sets us free, after all. So does telling the truth.

We shouldn’t be unfair to the aforementioned climate change spinsters--spinsters exist everywhere, in virtually every field and from every side of the political spectrum. They even exist in Christianity…gasp. Christian spin, like other forms, is usually rooted in a “means justify the ends” mentality. For instance, some say, “if people have a negative view of Christianity because of this or that, we need to consider changing our positions on those issues—or speak about them as infrequently as possible.”

I partially agree. If we’ve been abusive, rude, ungodly or just wrong on certain things, we need to be courageous enough to admit we’ve been wrong, repent, and teach the truth in love. Furthermore, it’s always good to have enough humility to be willing to look afresh at what we believe. It keeps us honest.

However, all of this is different than speaking of the gospel as some sort of “pollution reduction refund.” It’s different than trying to address Christianity’s perceived P.R. problems with a new P.R. campaign that trades in narrow-mindedness and harshness for empty and sometimes misleading verbal roses. 

The cross isn’t really a “plus” sign. It’s a cross (Yes, I did hear that said from a pulpit once). Christianity isn’t true “for us.” We believe it’s true, or should admit that it’s really merely a story (and a farce at that) that we find spiritually meaningful.

Jesus is truth. He spoke truth, lived truth, and embodied truth to the full. Gospel grammar uses words like sin, death, grace, abundant life, Holy Spirit, heaven, hell, baptism, Eucharist, Christ. Of course, we must pay attention to how and in what context and tone we are speaking such holy words. But, we should not trade them out or attempt to launder them because we think we have a P.R. problem. Let’s teach, preach, and live them more faithfully, humbly and effectively...remembering that it is God's applause we seek, not that of mortals. 

Come to think of it… perhaps the answer to the Christian P.R. problem is in not in speaking more at all…but in listening more. That's another post.