There's One Expert

I am only six months into a journey to plant a multi-ethnic church. We haven't even begun regular meetings yet, but already there is a central lesson emerging from my experiences and it is this: there's only one expert and it is not me. Jesus is the only real expert at creating the Christian community we call the church. He does it through His message, the good news of the Gospel. He uses it to break down barriers and establish identities in people that drive out fear and pride. He does it by the power of His Holy Spirit, creating unity in diversity.

I thought that my background would prepare me to lead this church plant. I thought that being a white dude raised in a predominantly African-American congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in North Mississippi would give me a head start. Perhaps it has made me a little more comfortable with the vision than I might be otherwise. However, I am more and more convinced that my confidence must be in the Lord and in Him alone. Sociology, personality, experiences, testimonies: all of these have their place. God has woven them all into the story of my life. But remember that we are dealing with a God who likes to take people like Nehemiah, a cup-bearer, and turn them into wall-builders armed with nothing but prayer and a God-given vision.

I want to see multi-ethnic church plants spring up all over the state of Mississippi and beyond. Most will say that the biggest barrier to overcome is racism, and perhaps that is true. But the kissing cousin of racism that we (me too) also need to repent of is elitism. I'm thinking specifically of two types of elitism. 

The first involves our perception of churches different from our own. I had grown to believe that the vast majority of African-American churches were teaching liberation theology and/or prosperity teaching. Now that I've actually visited several and discussed these issues with African-American believers, I've come to realize how ignorant it was for me to assume those generalizations. There are plenty of churches with major issues no matter what the ethnic makeup of their congregations may be. But there are also plenty of churches embracing the Gospel on all sides. We need to be partnering with one another.

Second, we don't need more experts to see change. Part of what holds us back from pursuing unity is the belief that we need experts to lead the way. I have struggled with lack of confidence at times, believing that I need more knowledge or experiences to be of any real use. But that false humility is actually rooted in a culture of elitist pride. It is a cop-out. If we really care about unity, then we will start praying and go make a mess for the sake of the Gospel. 

Pray for God to challenge your fear and your pride with His Gospel. Visit a church where you will be the minority. Invite someone you meet to lunch and learn about what God has done in their life. Join me in praying for God's kingdom to come in your town as it is in heaven. We only need One Expert!

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

A Demonic Faith

In one of Jack Miller's letters, he encourages a missionary couple who had recently moved to Uganda and found the pace of life to be much slower than they expected. They were particularly frustrated about a delayed shipment. Jack writes:

"Actually, delays are great because they often reveal the power of indwelling sin. We are flying high, then comes a postponement of our hopes, and we end up with an irritable spirit which shows an alarming degree of self-independence and reliance on human capacities. What we fail to see is that reliance on people, their capabilities, their keeping their promises, is a demonic faith, a cooperation in heart with the power of darkness. We join the enemy, Satan, when we fail to rely on the promises of God to move on our behalf. In brief, our impatience often has a Devilish, earthly side to it, which reveals that we have unconsciously forgotten that trusting Christ is more important than doing things for Christ.

I do not mean that we should be sluggish when God says, 'March.' But all too often we march when He wants us to wait and rest, and then do not march when He calls us to go forward with power."

I’ve found a lot of comfort in Jack Miller’s letters this past year because he has a way of cutting straight to the heart of an issue. I’ve wrestled with impatience and restlessness at times and Jack reminds me to get on my knees rather than try to make something happen on my own. I would march when God says wait and rest. It's crazy, because without Him I am nothing. God protect me from a demonic faith.

Nine Goals for 2013

Here are some personal goals for next year. I'm hoping that putting them on the internet will help hold me accountable! Probably not, but worth a try!

• Read Scripture and pray more often with my wife
• Teach my boys something new every month
• Adopt a baby girl
• Keep up with our expenses better
• Eat less refined sugars and process oils
• Listen to more music
• Get in a good workout once a week
• Waste less time on video games
• Stop doing unneccesary work at home

Remember

What makes it easy to treat people bad?

Some things you say and you can't take 'em back

What makes it easy to run from the past,

like a child runs from the dark?

Which is the poison and which is the wine?

The scent and the colors are so much alike

And how much of each will it take to decide,

when your at the table alone?

Where do you go when it's perfectly clear?

You might find your way but you won't find it here

What makes it easy to sound so sincere,

when you know that you don't care? 

- "Find My Love", The Avett Brothers

Yesterday, a friend's sermon reminded me how important it is to remember God's love. We usually run from pain instead of pressing into it and remembering Jesus. Instead of embracing feelings of failure and guilt and letting them point us back to the Gospel, we try to act like they don't exist or worse - we just feel more guilty for feeling guilty! That, I think, is the vicious cycle I have been in for awhile. It came out in tears yesterday. I feel like a failure... and it's OK. That means I'm human and not perfect and I need a Savior. I don't have to be right all the time. That's all I've got for now... and it's enough.

False Promises

As part of a study my wife and I are doing together, I was asked to journal about false promises I have believed in rather than trusting Jesus. This is my attempt after two weeks of reflection.

As a child, I was one of those kids that received too much positive reinforcement from my family. I believed I was the favorite. I believed I was smarter than literally everyone I knew. I may have been somewhat precocious, but I also sought attention for it. I delighted in the positive feedback and often rubbed it in my sister's face. Yes, I was "that kid".

Combine all that with the emotional trauma I experienced from the complete and total rejection of my family at age 15, and you have a recipe for narcissism. As an adult, I still struggle with a need for attention and approval, feelings of superiority and clan-destiny, as well as a tendency to get down on myself and suspicious of others. I also find myself feeling anxious or angry depending on my circumstances.

My past is no excuse for my troubles, but it helps explain my particular imbalance. There are a number of false promises I have believed:

- I am intelligent enough to make my own path (without God).
- I am destined to succeed in life (by my own skill).
- I am entitled to a better than average lot (see above).
- Other people are there to help me get there (for me to take advantage of).
- I am a victim (so don't criticize me).

That's enough of a start... I'm sure there's more to it. Jesus has an answer for all that. He is the master of my path. He promises no worldly success, but he does promise approval in Christ. I am helpless without Him. I am not worthy. But I am more loved than I could imagine. I need not be suspicious of others or seek to use them. I need not fear criticism. All I need to do is look at Jesus.

I love NFL football. Last night, the Jets lost to the Texans but it was not as ugly as people thought it would be. Everyone expected Mark Sanchez to loss his starting job to Tim Tebow. The fans and media were clearly hoping Sanchez would flop. His play was average, but not bad enough to get him benched. Given the pressure, it could have been a lot worse. Before the game, one of the commentators said they talked to the coach, Rex Ryan, about the situation. The question: "What did you tell Sanchez to get his mind off of the pressure?" Ryan replied, "I told him to just look at me. My opinion is the only one that matters."

Rex Ryan is no savior and I'm not an NFL quarterback, but I need to hear Jesus saying that to me every day.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Naked

"He arrived naked from the womb of his mother; He'll leave in the same condition-with nothing." - Ecclesiastes 5:15 (The Message) C.S. Lewis tells a parable about an apartment building. Rather than paraphrase it badly, I'll just give the quote:

Imagine a set of people all living in the same building. Half of them think it is a hotel, the other half think it is a prison. Those who think it a hotel might regard it as quite intolerable, and those who thought it was a prison might decide that it was really surprisingly comfortable. So that what seems the ugly doctrine is one that comforts and strengthens you in the end. The people who try to hold an optimistic view of this world would become pessimists: the people who hold a pretty stern view of it become optimistic.

I spend far too much time spiritually disheveled over things I cannot control. I will probably never experience the kind of suffering Job experienced in this life, but I could use just an ounce of his philosophy, which is echoed by Solomon. I got here naked and I will leave naked. The Lord gives and the Lord takes. Everything in between is a blessing. YOLO - You Only Live Once. That's this generation's version of Hakuna Matata I guess. Last week, I saw someone tweet that they would rather live twice and die once than live once and die twice. Scary, but Biblical! Placing all of our hopes and dreams on this short life is a recipe for mental breakdown. Sometimes God strips me naked and it is a healthy dose of realism I can't live without. I'm thankful, today at least, that He cares enough about me to keep me from my dreams when they mean more to me than He does.

Who do you see?

Lil Wayne is on top of the world of pop culture. By that standard, he is at the pinnacle of success. He embodies the concept of "young money". Most of his lyrics promote self and the values of a culture focused on self. But now, like so many successful people before him, he is pulling back the curtain for the world to see what he really thinks of himself. And even if it is just for a moment, it sheds a lot of light on the folly of this world's values. Here are some of the lyrics of his recent hit "Mirror":

I see the blood in your eyes
I see the blood in disguise
I see the pain hidden in your pride
I see you’re not satisfied
I see the truth in your lies
I see nobody by your side
I see the guilt beneath the shame
I see your soul through your windowpane
I see the scars that remain
I see you Wayne

So often, we see men and women reach the top and discover it is not what they thought it would be. Their success only highlights the emptiness we all feel when we pursue idolatry. We look in the mirror and we cannot hide the truth. When you look in the mirror, who do you see?

Jesus offers us a different value system - one in which all of His children have worth. Our worldly success does not matter to Jesus. He has always seen us for who we really are. He knows the guilt, the shame, and the pain. He doesn't want us to be enslaved to those things. We can embrace the identity we try to make for ourselves, or we can accept the identity that God creates for us. Then the question becomes, "Who does God see?"