tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26088125323317161882024-03-20T06:17:43.344-07:00Live and Move - Random thoughts of a follower of The Way<center><b>"For in Him we live and move and exist.." - Acts 17:28</b></center>
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Everything is about Jesus.<br> Our entire lives exist because of him and for him. <br>This blog is just a collection of my musings as I grapple with these truths and their impact on day to day life.
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</p>Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-17347423951265785062013-11-07T13:19:00.001-08:002013-11-07T13:21:12.950-08:00Sunday Assembly - an accidental, and honest commentary on institutional church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My attention was drawn recently to the video below. Give it view, then continue on for a few thoughts on the matter.</div>
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I suspect many church people would feel irritated and upset in some ways after watching this. Some perhaps might even be feeling pity, thinking these folks poor, godless fools for seeking such things. </div>
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You might even expect that this is the part where I offer some rebuttal to such efforts and offer reasons why this effort is misinformed, immoral, etc, etc.</div>
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But I don't have those things to say. This video reveals some very good things about the human heart, mainly that we're all looking to connect and relate, and we'll do so. Also that doing those things is not distinctly or uniquely spiritual and definitely not religious. </div>
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If there's anyone whom should be made to think deeply about this video, it's the Christian - particularly the Christian involved in the Institutional church.</div>
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Here's what I get from this video.... though very appealing, there's nothing especially super-natural to most of what we do in Institutional Church meetings. The weekly assembling, the talks (messages), the singing and music, food and even the fellowship aren't "Church". What is it that most believers participate in over the weekend that is distinctly different from what's in this video?</div>
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I've heard more than a few people say that church is comprised of 1) teaching 2) singing/worship 3) fellowship. This above shows these things - at least in part, though admittedly the content is not about God.</div>
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One <i>must</i> conclude then that these things themselves are not Church, nor must they hold the significant place they hold in the lives of The Church. Why? Because none of these things requires Christ to be present in order to accomplish them! Even the unbeliever can meet together in a similar assembly with similar results of fellowship, encouragement, happiness, perhaps even feeling loved!</div>
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The folks in the above video are living proof that people can and do all those very same things without Christ. Yet, scripture describes The Church though as entirely unique on the planet. If it's possible to do the exact same stuff without Christ, what are the distinctive marks of being The Church then?</div>
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JESUS</div>
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Without Jesus being present, and without his spirit leading an assembly, there's little more going on in many meetings than there is in the video above. </div>
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Jesus is the <u>only</u> thing necessary for the Church. If he lives in us, then we have all that is essential. The meetings, the buildings, the songs, the sermons... those can all be used for good, but they themselves are not Church and do not make being The Church possible.</div>
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I'm not saying all these unessential things are bad, or even to be avoided. I am saying however that we've placed a higher value on these peripherals of the assembling together rather than on the substance - and that substance is a person. And core to how the Person is made visible and present is in the participation of every one whom possesses a portion of Him. </div>
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That person is Jesus. He is the head of The Church, the first and the last. With Jesus, we can not have anything else and still have everything.</div>
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It's interesting to note that with nearly an identical format to "church", this group is experiencing a 3,000% growth rate. The institutional church would being doing a jig to even experience 30% and is experiencing negative growth numbers and has been for some time. </div>
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So then... it seems fair to surmise that the problem must not be in the programs, building, format, etc. Pastors and leaders, please take note of this. Most of those people that are disinterested and/or losing interest are because of the substance, or lack of it rather. </div>
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People abandon what they no longer value. People don't value what has little substance or is often the machinations of people with little or no vision and purpose.</div>
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Many would like to respond that Jesus is just unpopular, and so our churches are experiencing "persecution" for being identified with Jesus. No, that's not it! </div>
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Shame on us for insulting those who have endured real persecution, the loss of liberty, limb, and life for their faith by saying that people leaving the institution is such. That's hogwash! Jesus himself said "If I be lifted up, I will draw ALL men to myself". Jesus is the substance of what people desire. Where Jesus is, so there will the people long to be.</div>
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Hopefully, by some act of grace, we'll come to understand how Jesus views Church, and discard every hope, idea, and ambition to the contrary.</div>
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Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-39602949092361925782013-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:002013-08-16T12:11:25.135-07:00No more GMO church - Part 3<div class="p1">
This is a continuation of the "No more GMO church" series and builds on <a href="http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-more-gmo-church-part-1.html">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-more-gmo-church-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>. If you've not read it yet, please do so the rest of this makes sense.</div>
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<b>Conclusion(s)</b></div>
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Friends... ask yourself.... what healthy living thing needs so much intervention and oversight to reproduce? Do you have the encourage most young people to desire to reproduce and offer coaching, teaching, education, programs, etc to get them to do so? Of course not! We have to bridle their enthusiasm for reproduction. True spiritual life - the life of Yeshua (Jesus) does not need <i>intervention </i>to reproduce. In fact, sadly, <i>intervention</i> stops the desire to reproduce as it over-complicates reproduction and makes it look like something that belongs to professionals. We would not likely tolerate it very well if we delegated all our reproduction responsibilities and desires to professionals. Why then do we tolerate such in our spiritual lives? This just should not be.</div>
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Does The Body of Christ need fellowship, support, meeting together, leadership, and relationships with one other? Absolutely. And friends - we've not stopped doing those things - in fact we do them more and more deeply than ever. It is our belief, experience, and conviction that those things naturally take place when the Body of Christ is healthy and Jesus is leading them. Further, we don't see most of the above things happening in any substantial measure in the institution - with the exception of leadership, and that unfortunately doesn't often take place as it should. </div>
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The Church does not need rigid organization, control, heavy-handed governing, etc. Like gardening, it needs attention. It needs good soil, good water in ample quantity, fresh air, and regular weeding. As the old saying goes.. " the best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow". The same is true with our own gardens - both individually and corporately. The good gardner (John 15/16) has all wisdom and knows what to apply when deficiencies are found, when to prune and cut back, what to throw into the fire and how and when to harvest. Is this your experience within the institution?</div>
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Our like us, has your experience in the institutional system has been leaders that are gravitate towards extremes of passivity and disconnectedness from the sheep, or assertive and controlling, treating the sheep as human resources - more like CEO than a gardener. We don't see either in Jesus.</div>
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In our experience, the institutional seems to deeply resent and even <i>despise</i> the organic. Organic is twelve men who spent time with Christ were able to turn the world upside down. They didn't attend a new members class, they didn't read the latest fad books on the faith, or watch videos that would help them in their walk. The didn't require the approval of leadership, their passions were not made safe and acceptable to the institution. They were guerrilla warriors under a captain of the Lord of Hosts! Is this our experience today?</div>
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Center to the spiritual DNA of the disciples was this. They simply spent time with Messiah and followed him. The beauty of what has happened since is that it required absolutely nothing other than the presence of Christ. The same is still true today. The ONLY thing necessary to see the Kingdom expand is the King himself. He has given us all that we need.<br />
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The institution seems to really hate this idea - at least in practice. Rather, we've come to believe we need every sort of shiny thing in order to grow. Friends - if you plant GMO seed you can have the best gardening tools this world can offer - but you're still going to only get a single season crop at best. You won't get the rich, heirloom crops that are rich in flavor, nutritious, inviting in appearance, and most importantly have an innate ability to reproduce after their kind. Plant the seed of Jesus and watch it grow.</div>
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<b>A few more things...</b></div>
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Let us conclude by acknowledging that yes, we are painting with a broad brush. We have encountered and know exceptions to what we write here. The fact that exceptions exist however doesn't invalidate our observations or statements. It's the grace of Yahweh that anything grows from the GMO institution and as mentioned, largely in part because there are those serving as the 'root stock' DNA for these hybrid crops. <br />
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We praise God that it does produces anything, but also want to see the Body of Christ experience the fullness of the organic, spirit-led life that is available only though being connected to the head of the Body - Jesus and following him as the sole head of His Bride and Body.<br />
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We're coming at this not as those who are under any impression that we are successfully living out these things. We're not judging any hearts of those in the system. We're not saying this with a "we're doing it right and others are wrong" attitude or disposition - rather an invitation to deeply consider if what you know and observe of this institution matches what you see of Jesus in Scripture. We're just desperate to see us become whom we believe Jesus would have us be and quite frankly believe the institution stands in the way of such.<br />
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We believe - at least at this time - that we can linger inside of "Monsanto" all day, all year, for the rest of our lives. We're don't expect we'll ever see the system suddenly decide to stop using GMO and start going organic, any more than we expect Monsanto to do so. Rather, we're hoping to invest our time and energies into pursuing the Great Gardener - loving Him and loving our neighbor as ourselves. We believe therein that we'll be where we ought to be.<br />
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Our aim isn't to convince you of these things - that's not our job. If this has caused you to become upset - don't park there. Get in touch with us, talk with us and let's continue onward in love.</div>
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Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-61586399303183146882013-08-14T10:10:00.000-07:002014-01-06T14:06:28.424-08:00No more GMO church - Part 2<div class="p1">
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This is <b>Part 2 </b>of our "No more GMO church" series and is a continuation of <a href="http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-more-gmo-church-part-1.html">Part 1</a>.</div>
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Last time, we elaborated on the modern agriculture practices that produce GMO crops and some of the reasons why they're used or desired. Now it's time to discuss the unfortunate reality of such practices and begin to talk about the parallels with institutional "church".</div>
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The achilles heel of GMO agriculture are many...</div>
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Firstly, the plants grown from GMO processes are often sterile, or at the very least, cannot reproduce their exact kind of plant. They do contain seeds, but those seeds cannot give a farmer the basis to plant the next crop. To grow a marketable crop the farmers must go back to the seed company for more and pay a cost for doing so. </div>
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Secondly, when the wind blows, the GMO crops spread their pollen - which contains the unnatural DNA. This "frankencrop" DNA intermingles with the natural organic seeds and often corrupts the DNA, sometimes irreversibly. Sometimes seed companies intentionally place genetic material in their crop - sometimes called "suicide genes" to help protect their patent and create farmer dependencies. A lifetime of careful seed selecting by generations of farmers can be wiped out with a good windstorm when planted too close to the GMO. </div>
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Furthermore, these plants are patented at the very level of their DNA. Yes, patented. If the DNA of a patented GMO crop shows up in another farmer's organic seeds, they can be and are sued for patent infringement. Oftentimes, they must destroy their own organic varieties that were naturally grown but corrupted with GMO DNA. The courts of our great land actually enforce such actions folks - I'm not makings this up! The GMO camp is enemy number one of the organic, natural, sustainable food movement. And for good reason! </div>
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You likely have heard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Monsanto"</a> - one of the largest corporate owners of seed patents and interesting to note - the company that brought the world Saccharin (and likely many cancers with it). Farmers all over have serious grievances against Monsanto. Many believe they're single-handedly ruining the world's food supply. </div>
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Regardless of the believed evil of Monsanto - my intent here is not to write about Monsanto, but to draw a parallel - one that may offend many - especially those who are part of the institutional church system.</div>
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In our view, the institutional church system is to The Body of Christ what Monsanto is to the organic and natural foods of the world. The parallels are many... many of them you can no doubt see just re-reading this post up to this point. There are too many to list here, and you may even have your own (share them in the comments if you like). Here's some of what we see, hence why we don't want to be a part...</div>
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<b><u>The Institution church system doesn't support or allow things to grow organically and naturally.</u></b> It feels it must tweak and control the very DNA of the crops to grow better, faster, bigger. It's appetite for these things is endless. The copious systems have one goal - "more bigger faster better". Sure, these are always framed as being "for the Kingdom", and "outreach", but in our opinion, as with GMO produce, their fruit might appear attractive and flavorful, but tastes quite bland when you bite into it and is nothing close to fresh organic produce. I'm sure that just as Monsanto may want to legitimately solve the world's hunger, so the institutional system likely has equally good intentions. We're not questioning intentions - only the outcome.<br />
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<b><u>The institutional church system creates a dependence on itself rather than Jesus.</u></b> Like a seed company demanding purchase of new seeds every season, so the institution often creates a crop that must come back to itself for the resources to produce the next crop. Oftentimes, this is just as profit-driven as it is with the seed companies and is an anti-pattern to multiplication and exponential growth. It's similar to a one-child policy. If all you ever do is produce a replacement to yourself, the world has not really received any benefit. It's break a break-even scenario.</div>
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<b><u>Most institutions cannot and do not reproduce</u></b>. Just as most GMO seeds are totally sterile or cannot reproduce their own kind, so the crop of the institutional church system cannot or does not reproduce. Statistics witness to this as the amount of those professing faith in Christ continues to decline. Often many in the institution lose their natural ability to reproduce after their kind - if they ever have it to begin with.<br />
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<a href="https://www.barna.org/barna-update/teens-nextgen/534-five-myths-about-young-adult-church-dropouts#.UgqD-2Q0KHs" target="_blank">The facts testify to this</a> - at least in this country. "Christians" aren't reproducing more Christ followers - not even their own children are choosing to follow Christ - at least 70% or more of them aren't! So tell us... if even the children of those in this system by and large choose not to follow the Christ presented them. That leads me to our next point...<br />
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<b><u>The institution goes about things backwards</u></b>. Many mistake <i>dividing</i> as reproduction. It's not. That's no different than a farmer sub-dividing their fields into smaller fields. You still only get the same yield (perhaps less), but now have additional labor and expenses to farm the same land that was present before. That's a silly idea. Many churches start with the idea of a huge field, then we'll divide when it's big enough. Have you ever seen a farmer take that approach, or do they add to their land holdings as they have need?<br />
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<b><u>The crop produced by the institution is unappetizing and unsatisfying.</u> </b>Just as your average grocery-store tomato looks like a tomato and appears very appetizing, when it comes to eating it, it's quite bland and underwhelming. It was developed in a lab not for it's taste, but for it's ability to withstand traveling thousands of miles from field to fork and for it's profitability - not it's ability to satisfy taste buds. Companies know that if that's all you can afford, you'll buy it anyway.<br />
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The institution appears likewise - creating crops that are underwhelming. Can it really be that Jesus is really so unappealing, underwhelming, and inadequate, or just too hard to follow? If we're reproducing Him, how could people not find what the institution offers to be irresistible? How did people respond to Jesus when he walked among us? Crowd were so suffocating to him he often needed to retreat. People are hardly beating down the walls of most "churches" on any given weekend.<br />
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Maybe... just maybe... what is being presented is NOT the Jesus whom drew all but the religiously self-righteous to him, but a Christ created in the image of the institution?<br />
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The good news of Jesus Christ should produce streams of LIVING water in lives. It should quench thirst. It should have explosive consequences on the community and the world. While the institutional system does do good, ask yourself - is it having the affect Jesus said the good news would have? GMO crops feed people - sure. Buy they're nowhere near as satisfied or nourished as they are with organic crops.</div>
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<b><u>The crop of the institution isn't sustainable.</u> </b>In our experience, the institution produces a crop that doesn't stay alive beyond a season and/or doesn't thrive without massive amounts of cajoling and manipulation. The West consumes the most resources of the "church" globally yet produces the least crop of Christ followers. In case that sounds angry or bitter - we deeply love the people in the institution and are anything but angry or bitter at them. We don't believe the problem is the people, but the system itself!<br />
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<b><u>The institutional crop requires intervention - the constant re-sewing of the seed</u></b>. It's heavily dependent on process and organization. This alone should bear testimony to it's lack of life. If twelve people turned the world upside down in a relatively short period of time, why can't over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelicalism" target="_blank">90 million</a> apparent followers of Christ not be the headline stories of the nightly news every day and night? Is Jesus wrong, or have we created a Monsanto-like monster of an institution and called it something it's not - The Church?<br />
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<b><u>The institutional crops effect the organic natural nearby</u></b>. Just as pollen from GMO seeds effect nearby organic produce, so the institutional crops effect the natural organic life of those believers in close proximity (one of our chief reasons for getting away). The natural, organic life of Christ in a believer gets shaped into what serves the institution - often reducing it's natural ability to reproduce and bear fruit. Believers start with zeal and passion and love and a thirst for righteousness and are tamed to the whim and will of what serves the institution.<br />
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I believe this excerpt from the movie "Walk the Line" sums up this idea well...<br />
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<i>[after record producer Sam Phillips stops Cash's band a couple of verses into their audition]</i></blockquote>
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<i><b>Sam Phillips:</b> You know exactly what I'm telling you. We've already heard that song a hundred times. Just like that. Just... like... how... you... sing it.</i></blockquote>
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<i><b>Johnny Cash: </b>Well you didn't let us bring it home. </i></blockquote>
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<i><b>Sam Phillips:</b> Bring... bring it home? All right, let's bring it home. If you was hit by a truck and you was lying out there in that gutter dying, and you had time to sing *one* song. Huh? One song that people would remember before you're dirt. One song that would let God know how you felt about your time here on Earth. One song that would sum you up. You tellin' me that's the song you'd sing? That same Jimmy Davis tune we hear on the radio all day, about your peace within, and how it's real, and how you're gonna shout it? Or... would you sing somethin' different. Somethin' real. Somethin' *you* felt. Cause I'm telling you right now, that's the kind of song people want to hear...</i></blockquote>
Oftentimes we're made to sing a song that's not ours because we've been told that's what the world needs, when in reality, the song that people want to hear, and NEED to hear, is our unique song - a life that is transformed by Christ.<br />
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And so I ask... is the institution encouraging you to sing "about your peace within, and how it's real, and how you're gonna shout it out" or is it encouraging you to sing the one song you were meant to sing?<br />
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Stay tuned for <a href="http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-more-gmo-church-part-3.html">Part 3</a></div>
Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-16042600652229513812013-08-13T11:41:00.000-07:002013-08-16T12:11:02.982-07:00No more GMO church - Part 1We recently decided to take a break from "attending church services" with some of our local brethren. Even saying that sentence feels so wrong - as it should given it's so loaded with scriptural misunderstandings and errors. Better said, we've taken a break from being involved in what we're going to refer to as "GMO Church". More on that below...<br />
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Taking a break has caused some speculations, worries, grievances, curiosities and more. While we seek to address those in ways that unfold truth, but conveys love for The Body of Christ and no judgement for others is tough. Misunderstandings abound. Many will have hurt feelings simply because they cannot help but feel judged personally along with the system(s) they're involved with. We see the basis of relating as a person - Jesus - not a common meeting place, time, or event. Though we're willing and used to being misunderstood, we'd still like to know we've tried to offer some rationale to those who are sincerely interested in understanding our hearts and intentions.<br />
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And so, we're doing a series of blog posts for those interested to read. Below is the first part. It would be best to read these in order :)<br />
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<b>Part 1</b><br />
We're gardeners... not very good ones, but we enjoy gardening, or at least the <i>hope</i> of growing healthy foods that will sustain and nourish our family and others too. As we've gained experience and knowledge in gardening, we've come to understand some things about growing - especially in a sustainable, repeatable fashion - one that anyone could do and teach to others.<br />
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This means growing things in a way that requires little <i>intervention</i> in the growing process. We do see <i>involvement</i> in growing as necessary, however, the difference in labor between these two terms is substantial!<br />
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Consider this... most agriculture in western culture is heavily dependent on non-sustainable technology and practices, It frequently employes an <i>intervention</i> approach. If you just let most modern produce sit in the field, it would not grow beyond one season. It's so technically dependent on process, engineering and technology, that it doesn't stand much chance of ongoing life without intervention. Further, it often tends to endanger any natural, organic produce growing nearby. More on that in a sec.<br />
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Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, bringing upon them a curse on the ground among other things, mankind has devoted substantial efforts towards overcoming that curse. One of the outcomes has been the ideas that if we tinker with the genetic make up of plants (and animals), we can grow more crops - better, faster, cheaper and with less effort. In our efforts to do so, we've realized certain small victories, but perhaps at great expense - especially in regards to the natural world and created order of things.<br />
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The process of tinkering with the genetic makeup of plants produces what are referred to "GMO(s)" or "Genetically Modified Organism(s)". Some GMO efforts are quite harmless and little more than speeding up the process of selecting the best attributes of one kind of cucumber and the best attributes of another cucumber and combining them to make an awesome cucumber. This has been done for millennia by gardeners hand-pollinating plants, keeping the resulting seeds and repeating the process to develop good quality seeds. However, many GMO efforts change the very DNA of a species often by inserting foreign elements into the DNA in order to take attributes from one unrelated species and combine them to produce outcomes not naturally possible. It would be like inserting mouse DNA into a cucumber because the mouse had some attribute that would be especially helpful to a cucumber.<br />
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The most famous examples are corn, wheat, and soy that are immune to pesticides such as "Glyphosate" (Roundup). Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide. It kills just about any kind of plant. Corporations have used GMO technology to produce plants that are immune to this herbicide. It would be equivalent to creating people who could resist poisons. That means a farmer can bypass the normal labor of farming, spray the entire crop of living plants with Glyphosate and only the weeds will die. Another example is often "BT Corn" which is corn with "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis" target="_blank">Bacillus Thuringiensis</a>" baked-in to it so that it basically contains it's own pesticide. On the surface these might sound great to some. But are they?<br />
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This is almost the stuff of science fiction and produces "frankencrops". These crops initially appear to save time and labor - overcoming the curse God placed on the ground in Genesis - attractive to someone looking to bypass the labor of weeding, no doubt - but those ingesting these crops are eating pesticide-laden food as a result! Though this process may have started with good intentions, it has become the bane of many a farmer - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmers'_suicides_in_India" target="_blank">even leading some to commit suicide</a>!<br />
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Many will say "it's impossible to feed the world without these GMO crops and process!" Friends...that's bullshit... People suffer for lack of <i>understanding</i>, not because they lack herbicide-resistant crops. People have gotten their sustenance from growing things without GMO since time immemorial. They still can today. However, that's a topic for another blog post another time...<br />
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Needless to say, experienced GMO farmers might tell you that the price hasn't been worth it. Many feel stuck and are slaves to the intervention approach. They do produce crops, but they've also got a system that cannot move forward with ongoing intervention in increasing measure - they very opposite of sustainable.<br />
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Stay tuned for <a href="http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-more-gmo-church-part-2.html">Part 2 </a> where we'll discuss those consequences and begin to explain what that has to do with "church".<br />
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<br />Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-43410921286130938672013-07-22T17:28:00.002-07:002013-07-22T19:03:46.865-07:00Freewill, God's sovereignty and other nifty stuff<br />
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<i>"For we know that He is able to work all things together for good, for them that are called according to his purpose". Romans 8:28 </i></blockquote>
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Big surprise on the above verse, huh?<br />
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I'll just be honest and get to the point... I don't think understanding how a loving God could give us the ability to make free decisions at all conflicts with the same God having the ability to 'control' or pre-destine the ways and means of the events of life.<br />
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One day, as I was considering this, this example came to mind...<br />
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<ol>
<li>To start, I ask that you pick a number... any three digit number greater than 100...</li>
<li>Now, order the numbers of the number so that they are in descending order. <br /><i>For example, if you had thought "294", the order would be "942"...</i></li>
<li>Next, reverse that number and subtract it from the number you came up with in step 2...<br /><i>For example, 942 minus 294</i></li>
<li>Now... reverse that number and add it to the number you came up with in step 3...</li>
</ol>
If you followed these instructions, your answer should be.... (scroll down)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">>> 1089 <<</span></b></div>
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Pretty neat, eh?<br />
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If your number is NOT 1089, I bet you make a free will choice to leave or try again right about now :) Hopefully you'll try again.<br />
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In the above example, you had the ability to choose between 900 or so choices... you freely made your decision without any input or action on my part. I simply put you in circumstances where the choice could be made. Despite your free ability to choose among 900 numbers, I already knew that combined with some additional circumstances I provided to the mix, you would ultimately arrive at the conclusion that I determined in advance - long before you even read this article!</div>
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Perhaps the grand dilemma of how free will verses predestination is similar? I mean... I make decisions every day - on my own, by my free will. Yet at the same time, I can also recognize that God is actively and sovereignly at work in the circumstances of life, and the outcome of my decisions - even the not-so-good ones! There are things that happen to and around me that aren't the result of my decisions - they may even have the opposite (ahem... 'reverse') affect of what I had chosen. Circumstances are added and removed to the plans I had made for myself - mostly out of my control. The summation of all these events leads me somewhere - a somewhere that sure feels like it was my doing, because I made one or more choices!</div>
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However, just like the above, maybe the decisions we make, that <i>feel</i> like free choices and <i>are</i> free choices are nevertheless made within a set of 'rules' that govern their outcome - much like the above? Maybe the ebbs and flows of life circumstances are like some of the steps above that manipulate the decisions we make toward a certain pre-determined outcome? Would this not allow God to control outcomes and yet not be the author of all decisions and perhaps not all the minutiae of every detail of life - or even all the big ones? If that were the case, he would certainly not have coerced or forced us to make sinful decisions despite being able to determine the outcome. I believe this also explains perhaps how God can be causing good outcomes without causing bad circumstances. </div>
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So can one say that free will or predestination are a one-or-the-other sorta thing? I think not, nor do I see a need to even consider it a dilemma. Perhaps for all the dogma out there, both are essentially true. If not, I'd like to hear someone explain the above to me and show me how I had either no choice or that it was entirely pre-destined :)</div>
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Hope this brings you some things to consider and a joyful response toward a favorable view of a good God! For you theological nincompoops who will take undoubtedly take umbrage with the idea that both freewill and predestination have merit... take these ideas for a spin for a while and see what happens.</div>
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Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-50900441428864487712011-12-20T17:22:00.000-08:002011-12-20T20:13:24.355-08:00LonelinessI have to admit... for much of my life thus far, and even sometimes in the here and now, I struggle with feeling lonely. It's not that I am truly alone, per se, but sometimes it just <em>feels</em> like there's no one that is interested in relating to me unless it's to receive something for themselves. (For my spouse or good friends that might be reading this... though we all do this to one another to some degree, I'm not specifically thinking of you, so stop thinking that right now!).<br /><br />It always bugs me when I feel this way. Not just because I hate being lonely, but because, as a believer, I've always been under the impression that knowing Jesus and being known by him should be plenty good enough to not ever feel alone. Sometimes this leads me to doubt, asking such questions as "do I <em>really</em> know him?" and things of that sort. That just makes loneliness suck that much more!<br /><br />Recently, my wife and I have been reading a book by Donald Miller called "Searching for God Knows What". In this book, Donald Miller makes a point that was quite a revelation to me in understanding loneliness.<br /><br />Miller conveys the idea (paraphrasing here) that Adam experienced loneliness, or at least, the Godhead thought it was not good for him to be alone <b><em>before</em></b> sin entered the world. Did you catch that? Before Adam ever made a wrong decision in his life, when he was in a perfect, unhindered relationship with the God of the universe - the kind of relationship where they talked all the time, walked around together, etc... Adam could be lonely! <br /><br />So apparently, loneliness isn't some sign or symptom of a spiritual problem at all! God didn't say "boy, Adam must have a spiritual problem, he's feeling lonely!" In fact, it was the Godhead that came to the conclusion (perhaps before Adam did) that it would not be good for him to be alone - that he needed companionship. God did all this before the sin that would separate Adam (and Eve) from himself ever entered the world! Some could say that God was purely speaking of a mate when speaking these things, but I don't believe that's the case. More on why in a minute (or another post perhaps).<br /><br />I find great freedom in this in many ways... It's very liberating to know that loneliness doesn't mean something is wrong with me, but that it's part of our human nature - and not necessarily based on some effect of the fall either! I also find it really encouraging that God saw Adam's need for companionship and met the need before Adam even knew he had it. God desired for Adam to not be alone. He desires the same for me and the same for you. It's good to be around others, to have meaningful relationships, etc.<br /><br />I suspect many people will read this and think... "uh, hello Captain Obvious... loneliness is not good, yeah, we get it, k' thanks bye". I can only say, yeah, I know that too - but it's easy to fall into the evangelical, individualistic trap that is American-Christian-thinking that reduces walking with Jesus to something we individually do in the privacy of our minds. That thinking is wrong and leaves no place for one to process the feelings and thoughts of loneliness. <br /><br />So, whether obvious to everyone else or not, I for one am glad for this new revelation and in the knowledge that God's desire is for me to be around and enjoy others.Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-33960133028476412262010-02-25T14:14:00.000-08:002010-02-25T17:21:12.730-08:00Trampolines: A lesson in spiritual physicsWhat kid doesn't like a trampoline? More than a few adults I know, including myself, enjoy them too! I love trampolines because a few brief milliseconds, I get to escape gravity and experience the freedom that comes with being unencumbered by it. <br /><br />The problem is, No one is free to experience weightlessness by their own power. What goes up must come down! <br /><br />Because of this, I think that gravity is perhaps the best spiritual analogy we have to what the scriptures describe as "the law of sin and death" (Romans 8). Just as gravity effects every single human being born into the world, so this law effects all human beings. Every single human being is born into a world tarnished by sin and the consequences of Adam's sin. God told Adam that living outside of God's purpose and plans for him would result in death and it did! The proof is that he died. The proof that you and I are effected is that we too die! Since then, humans have been on a quest to prevent or delay these consequences for as long as possible.<br /><br />As I thought about this, I started to see how all our religious ideas are nothing more than jumping on trampolines. We're foolish enough to think that with a little assistance and increased spring under our steps, we can jump better and escape the spiritual "gravity" of sin and death. Further, we go on to compare ourselves with others even though we share the same limitations. We get enamored by our religious "tricks", "flips", and the heights to which we can soar. No matter how good we are on the trampoline, we all experience the same end to our efforts as we fall back to earth. <br /><br />Like gravity, sin and death cannot be overcome by strength and will power. This is the fundamental problem with every religious/spiritual idea that places self or another at the center of the effort or solution. It's a fool's errand. <br /><br />In the natural world, there's really only one way to escape the effects of Law of Gravity for sustained periods - the Law of Aerodynamics. We experience this law when we climb into an aircraft and allow it's power and design to lift us from terra firma. <br /><br />Aerodynamics allows people to function in a universe where gravity exists without being controlled by it. Aerodynamic does not nullify gravity - they coexist!<br /><br />Many are quick to claim that God isn't real because he would do something about all pain and suffering if He did exist. This is like cursing gravity while refusing to acknowledge aircraft as a suitable means of overcoming it. Pain and suffering are the result of sin and death - spiritual gravity! Spiritual Gravity is overcome by Spiritual Aerodynamics - Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Without nullifying His own first edict that disobedience would result in sin and death, God has addressed pain, suffering, sin and death by providing a way to overcome it without escaping it. Just like the Messiah himself suffered for his people, we too are granted the privilege of suffering along with others - pointing them to the way of overcoming.<br /><br />Had God renegged on His edict to Adam, he would be unjust. When our legal system lets people off the hook for their crimes, we revolt. Yet, we demand that God do just that. God will indeed deal with pain and suffering entirely at the consummation of all things. Until then, He has provided a vehicle for us to rise above the spiritual effects of sin and death.<br /><br />The core of Jesus' teaching are to stop jumping on the trampolines of religious effort and enter Jesus Christ - God's single vehicle of salvation. Jesus had hard things to say to the professional trampoliners! Many accept this for their justification, but then return to the trampoline to live out their relationship with God. This too is wrong. <br /><br />Jesus conquered sin and death. His resurrection proves that. When we place our faith in Christ and his ability to overcome sin and death on our behalf, our existence is no longer bound and determined by sin and death. He says we're "in him" and so we are no longer bound by them either.<br /><br />If you're a jumper, become a flyer. If you're a flyer, rescue a jumper from their tiresome efforts.<br /><br />Feedback and dialogue is appreciated.Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-70759984913609068752009-08-01T06:34:00.000-07:002009-08-01T06:54:23.016-07:00Review: "Corinthian Elders" by Jack FortenberryYesterday I received the book "Corinthian Elders" to read and review. I sat down to read it, and in one sitting was able to do so. It's not a very long book, and people who enjoy reading - particularly the subject material will likely finish it very quickly.<br /><br />I really appreciate the gist of Jack's "essay" on the role of elders in the local church - which is that we've gone off camber as The Church by embracing the teaching of men - even those who are good teachers. Jack does a good job of showing how this has been somewhat of a problem since the first century church when there were divisions because of individuals aligning themselves with Paul, Peter, and so on. Of course, these apostles were upright, good teachers, and could provide much insight into Jesus having spent time with him, etc. However, Paul still encouraged his readers to align themselves under the headship of Jesus Christ and not other men.<br /><br />Jack does a good job summarizing the New Testament view of the New Covenant truth that The Spirit of God now resides in us and is able to communicate truth to us through the Scripture without the need of intermediaries who spoon-feed us or otherwise play a middle-man role in our walk with the Lord.<br /><br />Further, a main theme in Jack's work is the Centrality and Supremacy of Jesus Christ. This is something that is showing up more and more in the thoughts and reflections of the saints which I believe is evidence of God at work! The Church has largely just paid lip service to Jesus Christ for nearly two thousand years and it's time for Jesus to actively be the head of His body in every aspect of The Church - including leadership. Jack makes the appeal for Jesus to be our head both personally and corporately.<br /><br />Another aspect I appreciate about this book, and others like it, is it's ability to bring harmony to what often seem like opposing views. Specifically, the role of elders in the local church along with a consensus understanding of God's direction among the congregation. I think Jack does a great job highlighting the role of elder without giving it more or less value than the Scriptures allow.<br /><br />Those accustomed to more institutional views of Church would likely struggle with the ideas expressed in this book because tradition is not easily dislodged from the soul. I am not saying all tradition is bad, but some traditions keep us from accepting the plain truths of scripture. I believe the truths that Jack has written about here are necessary to hear and must result in a change of thinking in some areas of our understanding.<br /><br />If you're a person who longs to see Jesus lead His Church - not as a metaphor, but literally - you need to read this book. If you're a leader or otherwise involved in a local fellowship - read this book.Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-6612707562465367702009-07-31T07:53:00.001-07:002009-08-01T06:34:38.726-07:00Moving Past "Event-Driven"First a note to my colleagues... this has nothing to do with "Event-Driven" programming, architecture, design, etc. If you want to read on, feel free, but this is about faith, not technology.<br /><br />Okay, now that we've filtered out the riff-raff ;-)...<br /><br />It's been on my mind for a while to write a little about what I think is a scourge on The Church in America and the western world at large - that is, an "Event-Driven" understanding of Church. Before I begin, I'll be the first to confess that I have had this view myself, and have needed to repent of it. In fact, I am still struggling to change my thinking and vocabulary in these areas.<br /><br />What is Event-Driven Church? It's viewing Church as something to go to and participate in rather than something we're part of and is part of us.<br /><br />An Event-Driven view of church sees the Christian life taking place in a series of meetings, get-togethers, and well... events! It's a way of thinking that says "we're Christians, so we need to do [Insert idea here] with one another" as a means of relating to other believers. I am not talking about normal, simple things like dinner, going to the park, etc - but events that are more planned, rigid, unnatural anywhere else, require a special language to participate in, etc.<br /><br />But that's not something visible in Scripture is it?<br /><br />I hear this sort of view reflected often. Usually it's with incredible zeal for doing good things - but in my opinion - it's leading the average American Christian into a life of extreme busyness, but not really providing many of the benefits of a life shared in the community of other believers.<br /><br />Often it's like this.... "Heh John, we have some things in common - you like to play golf, I like to play golf... maybe we should start a Christian Golf League and play Christian Golf every week? We could begin with a devotional reading of Scripture, followed by prayer, then play 9 holes of golf!". From there, it's a downward spiral into meetings, committees, by-laws and a completely lifeless, in-organic way of relating to one another. Usually, the thing in common is now less enjoyable, and so are the relationships.<br /><br />Why not just go play golf with your buddies? If you're a believer, it should be quite natural to be talking of your relationships with Jesus as you play golf. Too, I bet most of us are responsible enough to manage our own recreational schedules without the need to have someone coordinate our golf outings with our friends.<br /><br />In my other relationships in life, there's not this unnatural need or tendency to create specialized events to spend time together, so why do we do that in The Church, where we ought to have more natural intimate and more meaningful relationships than anywhere else?<br /><br />We don't have committees design our time with those we relate to everywhere else in life, why do we have them for relating to other saints? Why can we not get together without it being a prayer meeting, bible study, or outreach event?<br /><br />We've replaced being together in simple relationships with this whole un-natural means of quazi-relationship that (to borrow a phrase from Frank Viola) is so shallow, a gnat couldn't drown in it!<br /><br />Just a brief look through scripture reveals that the early Church related to one another in quite normal, natural ways. Church for them was what/who they were as a group - not something they DID on Sundays, etc. They were a people gathered under the headship and commonality of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Nearly all the instructional aspects of the epistles are written to address issues of relationship because this is where the early Church lived their life - in the gritty, day-to-day dealings with one another. This wasn't "how to be polite and civil with one another" sort of instruction - but how to deal with people at a soul-level. They spent lots of time together and knew a whole lot about one another - The good, the bad, the ugly!<br /><br />Likewise, Jesus doesn't appear to have staged events in town center either nor did he call what he did "outreach" or "ministry". He simply went about, meeting people, hearing stories, forgiving, teaching along the way, etc. He didn't setup "Friend Day", or a "Free Donkey-Wash" to get people interested in what he had to say. But this is completely the sort of thing we do these days, isn't it? We even have special words to describe these things. If we have a cup of coffee with our spouse in Starbucks, it's called having a cup of coffee. If we meet a friend there for a cup of coffee to talk about their troubled marriage we call the same thing "ministry". Why the difference?<br /><br />I don't know about you, but I feel totally busy but often very lacking in meaningful, real, time with people that results in all of us being built up. Most of this busyness comes from this sort of thinking unfortunately. Further, I find the more I say no to these special events, the more those believers seem to get offended. This to me is the real shame. What binds us together should not be our common attendance at any event - but our common relationship with Jesus Christ. That's what being IN The Church means!<br /><br />Hopefully, we'll learn to replace GOING TO church with BEING The Church and by God's grace more past being event-driven and on to relating to one another in more caring, meaningful, and natural ways.<br /><br />Just my $.02Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-86936725540194589212009-07-07T20:00:00.000-07:002009-07-08T07:14:44.953-07:00Thoughts on Rick WarrenI'll be the first one to confess that I've been largely critical of the Purpose Driven Life phenomena over the last few years. It's not the man, Rick Warren that I don't care for, but the evangelical frenzy over "shiny things" that come about in the evangelical sub-culture (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ie</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">PDL</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">WWJD</span>, Prayer of Jabez, Promise Keepers). I realize that people are sometimes encouraged by these fads, but I still believe the collective adoration of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Evangelicals</span> toward these things is nothing short of idolatry. Only Jesus Christ should occupy our attention with such fervor, in my opinion.<br /><br />Anyway, it comes as no surprise to me that Rick Warren, being as popular as he is, would be invited to pray at a President <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Obama's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Inauguration</span>, or address the Islamic Society of North America. Likewise, it doesn't surprise me that there would be an evangelical uproar in response to these actions.<br /><br />From what I've been able to tell from the news reports, the gist of Warren's message was "let's work together on addressing some social plights in the world." Heresy!? Not quite, but at the same time, I don't believe the mission of Jesus Christ and his body (The Church) is solely to address social issues either. <br /><br />What I find disturbing is the evangelical attitude toward Warren for even attending and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">participating</span> in these events. It reminds me of the response of another group of religious people a few thousand years ago.<br /><br />In one example found in reading of the Gospel of John, I see Jesus breaking all sorts of social and religious taboos by deciding to talk to a Samaritan women - about religious things. This women had totally different ideas about God than Jesus, not to mention she was a women, not to mention she was an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">adulterous</span> women, etc.<br /><br />Yet, Jesus' love for this women is apparent in scripture. He didn't have a separatist attitude toward Samaritans like the religious people of his day (who happened to miss Jesus' entirely due to their religious <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">fervor</span>). In many ways, I think that the American "Christian" sub-culture has made enemies with groups of people (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ie</span>. Muslims, Homosexuals). This is contrary to the Gospel because it seeks to cut off certain people from the Cross of Calvary.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Jesus's</span> message to the Samaritan women at the well (who was there for thirst quenching mind you) was that the current religious categories and practices (at that time) don't matter, God was looking for Spirit and Truth worship from Spirit and Truth worshippers. Please, don't <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">misunderstand</span> what I am saying. I am not saying that God wants Islamic and Christian worship. What he wants is people who know and worship him. He's gathering those people from every conceivable people group on earth those "born" into the "christian" sub-cultures of the west, as well as those born into <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Islam</span> - even religious, mean-spirited people fortunately!<br /><br />How else, aside from relating to people are we going to build <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">relationships</span> with those who are perishing? If the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ISNA</span> wanted to work together with Christians like Warren to build strip clubs across the nation, I could understand the hesitance, but wanting to relate to one another around something social is not synonymous with evil. It's not being yoked together as we're told not to be, but it's an opportunity to relate to one another which is why the Church is here on earth and not in heaven!<br /><br />We'd all do well to learn that relating to one another does not equate to condoning the beliefs or actions of one another. Separating ourselves entirely from others is not the answer, and it's not something Jesus did. Jesus was nearly always surrounded by CROWDS of people.<br /><br />In summary, perhaps Christians need to simmer down and holster their weapons. Rick Warren's actions do not make him an enemy of Jesus Christ, nor should he be made an enemy of followers of Jesus. They guy is building <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">relationships</span> with "Samaritans". <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">When's</span> the last time you and I did so?Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-82352202825801451912009-06-09T07:28:00.001-07:002009-06-09T07:36:58.444-07:00Review of "From Eternity to Here" and Interview with Frank ViolaI've been reading a terrific book by Frank Viola - "From Eternity to Here". This is by far one of the best books I have read. Many "Christian" books talk about the same tired topics again and again, and usually do a great job of pointing the reader's focus toward self.<br /><br />Viola does a fantastic job revealing God's ultimate passion - The Bride of His Son! I've read a lot of books, and quite honestly have never seen some of these insights before. I believe that God is doing a work amongst His people, revealing to a crooked generation his ageless love and purpose.<br /><br />Don't let this week go by without getting a copy of this book!<br /><br />I had the opportunity to ask Frank a few questions about his book and experience with some of these truths. His answers are as follows:<br /><br /><div style="margin: 1ex;"> <div> <ol type="1"><li><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><b>Live and Move: What, if any significance should the Body of Christ see in the timing of God's increasing revelation of his eternal purpose that have been seemingly hidden and waning for thousands of years?<br /><br /></b></span> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Frank Viola: God’s people, by and large, are not familiar with God’s eternal purpose today. However, we live in a unique time. A book like </span><a href="http://www.paganchristianity.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>Pagan Christianity</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > would have <i> never</i> been published by a major publisher five years ago. Yet Tyndale published it in 2008. I still can’t believe that happened by the way. Equally so, this is the first time that I’m aware of that a major Christian publisher has put out a book that comprehensively unfold the eternal purpose. So hopefully by this fact alone, the message of </span><a href="http://www.frometernitytohere.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>From Eternity to Here</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > will have more of an impact. Not to mention the fact that there will be a number of conferences through the U.S., South Africa, and Canada which will deal with the subject this year. It’s a very exciting time in which to live.<br /></span><br /></li><li><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><b>Live and Move: Are you finding the truths that you've been writing about to be currently experienced world-wide among diverse cultures, or is it just North Americans that have had their heads in the sand? How have believers in other cultures, particularly those enduring persecution, responded to the ideas expressed in your recent writing?</b></span><span style=";font-family:Calibri;font-size:100%;" ><b> </b></span></li></ol> <ul><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Frank Viola: I have no way to gauge this accurately. And I don’t believe anyone else does. Take for instance China. I know a number of people who go there regularly. Their reports are diametrically opposed to one another. So I don’t think anyone has a clear idea about what’s really happening all over that country. I think it’s quite diverse and mixed. Also, many Christian leaders have a tendency to exaggerate and “puff” things up.</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></p><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >I do know that all of my books are being translated into various different languages as we speak. And I receive letters from Christians from all over the world showing the impact they are having on their lives and communities. But it’s hard to gauge beyond that. </span><br /></p></ul><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><b>OTHER BLOGS PARTICIPATING IN THE “FROM ETERNITY TO HERE” BLOG CIRCUIT</b></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Today (June 9<sup><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span></sup>), the following blogs are discussing Frank Viola's new bestselling book “From Eternity to Here” (David C. Cook, 2009). The book just hit the May <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">CBA</span> Bestseller List. Some are posting Q & A with Frank; others are posting full reviews of the book. To read more reviews and order a copy at a 33% discount, go to Amazon.com: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eternity-Here-Rediscovering-Ageless-Purpose/dp/1434768708/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233609867&sr=1-4" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.amazon.com/<wbr>Eternity-Here-Rediscovering-<wbr>Ageless-Purpose/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">dp</span>/1434768708/<wbr>ref=<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sr</span>_1_4?<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ie</span>=<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">UTF</span>8&s=books&<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">qid</span>=1233609867&<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">sr</span>=1-4</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p> <p><a name="0.1_graphic02"></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><img src="http://mail.google.com/mail/?name=1c9771d73695a2d1.jpg&attid=0.1&disp=vahi&view=att&th=121bc67a956e04e0" alt="Your browser may not support display of this image." height="228" width="160" /></span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >For more resources, such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">downloadable</span> audios, the free Discussion Guide, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Facebook</span> Group page, etc. go to the official website: </span><a href="http://www.frometernitytohere.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.FromEternitytoHere.<wbr>org</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Enjoy the reviews and the Q and A:</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >-----</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Out of Ur - </span><a href="http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2009/05/viola.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://blog.christianitytoday.<wbr>com/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">outofur</span>/archives/2009/05/<wbr>viola.html</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Shapevine</span> - </span><a href="http://www.shapevine.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.Shapevine.com</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > (June newsletter)</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Brian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Eberly</span> - </span><a href="http://www.brianeberly.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.brianeberly.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">DashHouse</span>.com - </span><a href="http://www.dashhouse.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.DashHouse.com/</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Greg Boyd - </span><a href="http://www.gregboyd.org/blog/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.gregboyd.org/blog/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Vision Advance - </span><a href="http://vision2advance.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://vision2advance.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">blogspot</span>.com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >David Flowers - </span><a href="http://ddflowers.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://ddflowers.wordpress.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Kingdom Grace - </span><a href="http://kingdomgrace.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://kingdomgrace.wordpress.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Captain's Blog - </span><a href="http://www.captainestes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.captainestes.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">blogspot</span>.com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Christine Sine - </span><a href="http://godspace.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://godspace.wordpress.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Darin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Hufford</span> - The Free Believers Network - </span><a href="http://www.freebelievers.com/" title="http://www.freebelievers.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.freebelievers.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Zoecarnate</span> - </span><a href="http://zoecarnate.wordpress.com/" title="http://zoecarnate.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://zoecarnate.wordpress.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Church Planting Novice</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > - </span><a href="http://www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/" title="http://www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">churchplantingnovice</span>.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">wordpress</span>.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Staying Focused - </span><a href="http://kimmartinezstayingfocused.wordpress.com/" title="http://www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">kimmartinezstayingfocused</span>.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">wordpress</span>.com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Take Your Vitamin Z - </span><a href="http://www.takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/" title="http://www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Jeff <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Goins</span> - </span><a href="http://jeffgoins.myadventures.org/" title="http://www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://jeffgoins.myadventures.<wbr>org</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Bunny Trails - </span><a href="http://bunny-trails.blogspot.com/" title="http://www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://bunny-trails.blogspot.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Matt Cleaver - </span><a href="http://mattcleaver.com/" title="http://www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://mattcleaver.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Jason T. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Berggren</span> - </span><a href="http://blog.jasonberggren.com/" title="http://www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://blog.jasonberggren.com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Simple Church</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > - </span><a href="http://www.simplechurchjournal.com/" title="http://www.simplechurchjournal.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">simplechurchjournal</span>.com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Emerging from Montana</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > - </span><a href="http://wordofmouthministries.blogspot.com/" title="http://wordofmouthministries.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://wordofmouthministries.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">blogspot</span>.com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Parable Life - </span><a href="http://www.theparablelife.blogspot.com/" title="http://wordofmouthministries.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.theparablelife.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">blogspot</span>.com</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Oikos</span> Australia - </span><a href="http://www.oikos.org.au/blog/" title="http://wordofmouthministries.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.oikos.org.au/blog/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >West Coast Witness - </span><a href="http://www.westcoastwitness.com/" title="http://www.westcoastwitness.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.WestCoastWitness.com</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Keith Giles - </span><a href="http://www.keith.giles.com/" title="http://www.keith.giles.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.Keith.Giles.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Consuming Worship -- </span><a href="http://www.consumingworship.org/" title="http://www.consumingworship.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.consumingworship.<wbr>org</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Tasha Via - </span><a href="http://www.tashavia.blogspot.com/" title="http://www.consumingworship.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.tashavia.blogspot.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Andrew <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Courtright</span> - </span><a href="http://www.andrewcourtright.blogspot.com/" title="http://www.andrewcourtright.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.andrewcourtright.blogspot.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">ShowMeTheMooneys</span>!</span><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > - </span><a href="http://www.showmethemooneys.com/" title="http://www.showmethemooneys.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.showmethemooneys.<wbr>com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Leaving Salem, Blog of Ronnie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">McBrayer</span> - </span><a href="http://leavingsalem.wordpress.com/" title="http://leavingsalem.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://leavingsalem.wordpress.<wbr>com/</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Jason <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Coker</span> - </span><a href="http://pastoralia.missionaltribe.org/" title="http://pastoralia.missionaltribe.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>pastoralia.missionaltribe.org </u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >From Knowledge to Wisdom - </span><a href="http://isthistheway.typepad.com/" title="http://isthistheway.typepad.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://isthistheway.typepad.<wbr>com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Home Brewed Christianity - </span><a href="http://www.homebrewedchristianity.com/" title="http://www.homebrewedchristianity.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">homebrewedchristianity</span>.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Dispossessed - </span><a href="http://kblog.kevinjbowman.com/" title="http://kblog.kevinjbowman.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://kblog.kevinjbowman.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Dandelion Seeds - </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.homeschoolblogger.com%2FDandelionseeds&h=c2d85ac2c4c1ec9a2360ae786e941445" title="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Dandelionseeds&h=c2d85ac2c4c1ec9a2360ae786e941445" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.homeschoolblogger.<wbr>com/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Dandelionseeds</span></u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Brodsky's</span> Blog- "Flip the tape Deck" - </span><a href="http://flipthetapedeck.blogspot.com/" title="http://flipthetapedeck.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://flipthetapedeck.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">blogspot</span>.com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Chaordic</span> Journey - </span><a href="http://jeffrhodes.wordpress.com/" title="http://jeffrhodes.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://jeffrhodes.wordpress.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Renee Martin - </span><a href="http://www.reneemartinmusic.com/profiles/blog/list" title="http://jeffrhodes.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.reneemartinmusic.<wbr>com/profiles/blog/list</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Bob Kuhn - </span><a href="http://organicchurchnola.wordpress.com/" title="http://organicchurchnola.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://organicchurchnola.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">wordpress</span>.com/</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Calibri;font-size:100%;" >Living with Freaks: </span><a href="http://www.livingwithfreaks.com/" title="http://www.livingwithfreaks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Calibri;font-size:100%;" ><u>www.livingwithfreaks.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Real Worship - </span><a href="http://therealworshipleader.com/" title="http://www.livingwithfreaks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://therealworshipleader.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Fervent Worship - </span><a href="http://ferventworship.blogspot.com/" title="http://www.livingwithfreaks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://ferventworship.<wbr><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">blogspot</span>.com</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Julie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Ferwerda</span> Blog - </span><a href="http://www.julieferwerda.com/" title="http://www.livingwithfreaks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.JulieFerwerda.com</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > / </span><a href="http://www.onemillionarrows.com/" title="http://www.onemillionarrows.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.OneMillionArrows.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >What's With Christina?! - </span><a href="http://w2christina.blogspot.com/" title="http://w2christina.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://w2christina.blogspot.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Irreligious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Canuck</span> - </span><a href="http://www.irreligiouscanuck.com/" title="http://www.irreligiouscanuck.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.irreligiouscanuck.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >This day on the journey - </span><a href="http://guychmieleski.blogspot.com/" title="http://guychmieleski.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://guychmieleski.blogspot.<wbr>com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Live and Move: Thoughts on Authentic Christianity - </span><a href="http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/" title="http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://liveandmove.blogspot.<wbr>com/</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > </span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Spiritual Journey With God - </span><a href="http://www.elvineve.blogspot.com/" title="http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.elvineve.blogspot.<wbr>com/</u></span></a><br /></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Dries Conje - </span><a href="http://www.echurch.co.za/" title="http://www.echurch.co.za/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.echurch.co.za</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > / </span><a href="http://www.thejesusfeed.com/" title="http://www.thejesusfeed.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.thejesusfeed.com</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" > / </span><a href="http://www.bookdisciple.com/" title="http://www.bookdisciple.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.bookdisciple.com</u></span></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >.</span></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Journey with Others - </span><a href="http://journeywithothers.blogspot.com/" title="http://journeywithothers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://journeywithothers.<wbr>blogspot.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >On Now to the Third Level - </span><a href="http://www.080808onnowto.blogspot.com/" title="http://journeywithothers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.080808onnowto.blogspot.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Christine Moers - </span><a href="http://www.welcometomybrain.net/" title="http://journeywithothers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.welcometomybrain.net</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Breaking Point - </span><a href="http://marybethstockdale.wordpress.com/" title="http://marybethstockdale.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://marybethstockdale.<wbr>wordpress.com</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Hand to the Plough - </span><a href="http://www.handtotheplough.com.au/" title="http://www.handtotheplough.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://www.handtotheplough.<wbr>com.au</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Jon Reid - </span><a href="http://jonreid.blogs.com/oneanother/welcome-pilgrim.html" title="http://jonreid.blogs.com/oneanother/welcome-pilgrim.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://jonreid.blogs.com/<wbr>oneanother/welcome-pilgrim.<wbr>html</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Weblight - </span><a href="http://www.blog.worldwidewebservices.se/" title="http://www.blog.worldwidewebservices.se/" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>www.blog.worldwidewebservices.<wbr>se</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >D. L. Webster - </span><a href="http://gzmproductions.com/dlwebster" title="http://gzmproductions.com/dlwebster" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>http://gzmproductions.com/<wbr>dlwebster</u></span></a></p> <p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >Searching for the Whole-Hearted Life - </span><a href="http://wholeheartedlife.blogspot.com/" title="http://gzmproductions.com/dlwebster" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><u>wholeheartedlife.blogspot.com</u></span></a></p> </div> </div>Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-14059861002138306682009-05-27T12:44:00.001-07:002009-05-27T13:38:04.644-07:00Kingdom Culture<span class="labset"></span>According to dictionary.com, the definition of "culture" as it relates to human experience is: "<span style="font-style: italic;">the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another."</span><br /><br />Growing up as an American, I am constantly faced with how much of my thinking regarding God's kingdom is sourced in the "<span style="font-style: italic;">ways of living built up by a the group of human beings</span>"! Some don't see this as a bad thing, but the more I am faced with the truths of scripture, the more I find a holy discontent with what I've considered true for most of my life. I don't find what has been <span style="font-style: italic;">transmitted</span> to me to reconcile very well with what I see revealed in scripture! Yet, it seems like much of has been called "Christianity" is just an attempt to meld principals in the scriptures, and principals of culture into a "Frankenstein" of sorts. The proof that it's messed up is that it doesn't work in every culture! A quick trip or two out of the USA will quickly prove that to be true.<br /><br />So what is the solution?<br /><br />The gospel contained in scripture is trans-cultural. That means it is relevant in any culture on earth, despite the specifics of that culture. The scriptures describe a Body of Christ that is made up of every tribe and tongue and nation. Since our earthly cultures are distinct, and often at odds with one another, what else is there? How then should we live?<br /><br />The essence of living as part of the Body of Christ on this planet means living in a new <span style="font-style: italic;">Culture of the Kingdom</span>. This could be said to be <span style="font-style: italic;">the sum total ways of living designed and orchestrated by the Trinity and imparted to us by the God's own indwelling Spirit as we follow Him</span>. Unlike earthly culture, this is not <span style="font-style: italic;">transmitted</span> by people and passed from generation to generation - something I think we've witnessed enough of in the religious psuedo-gospels of our day, but rather something <span style="font-style: italic;">imparted</span> in our hearts as we encounter Jesus Christ in all his wonder.<br /><br />For me, the scriptures then become a description of what this <span style="font-style: italic;">Culture of the Kingdom</span> looks like. For too long, we've treated the scriptures, and even Jesus himself as a set of principals used to guide us to a "christian" sub-culture - one that ultimately has Man at the center and not something altogether different and new.<br /><br />From what can be seen in John 17, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Culture of the Kingdom</span> is supernatural - and when it is functioning will demonstrate to the world that Jesus was sent from the Father.<br /><br />The world is not interested in a sub-culture. That's nothing new, and is just the work of human beings. However, the super-natural culture described in the scriptures is something altogether different, born of God and possible only through His Spirit transforming our lives. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he taught us to pray saying things like "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven"?<br /><br />By God's grace, I believe we're seeing this Culture of the Kingdom begin to take root here in our country and across the world. Perhaps soon we'll witness the fulfillment of Jesus' requests to the Father in John 17.<br /><br />Thoughts?Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-59487172070237190132009-05-22T06:05:00.000-07:002009-05-27T13:40:18.621-07:00Watch your language?!I grew up outside of Baltimore, MD and I admit, Marylanders have some pretty funny accents at times (think "Hon", John Trivolta in "Hairspray"). Nevertheless, when I moved to central Pennsyltucky where I now reside, I noticed some pretty funny patterns of speech. One of which sticks out to me is the occurrence of improper word substitution. For example, during one conversation, someone was speaking of getting used to something and said things would probably be fine once you get accumulated. <span style="font-style: italic;">Accumulated</span>? Oh! You mean <span style="font-style: italic;">acclimated</span>!<br /><br />I just use that as an example of using the wrong words to describe the wrong things - something I think is happening alarmingly too much in the lives of followers of Jesus Christ.<br /><br />On pretty much a daily basis, I hear someone talking about "going to church", or "it's at church", or "that's at such and such church", "where do you go to church" etc. I also occasionally hear the church building called "God's house", or "the house of the Lord" - two sayings that are in direct conflict with the teaching of scripture.<br /><br />Now, I realize that our culture has adopted the word "church" for describing these buildings and events, but should believers do so? Doesn't it re-enforce the wrong thinking that The Church is an event or a building? Calling the event church is like calling dinner with your spouse "marriage". "Honey, what's for marriage tonight?", or "What time should I be home for marriage?", "You're late for marriage!". You get the point I hope. Marriage is a relationship - and so is Church.<br /><br />Some might say this is mincing words, but I say, let's try to speak using a scriptural vocabulary. I am completely guilty of this myself. Our family has been trying to change this for years now, and it's painful. We've got our kids using the right vocabulary (and more importantly, understanding the idea), and they've turned into little vocabulary Nazis! I see hope though of a new generation of Jesus followers with a fresh new understanding of being The Church, instead of going to church.<br /><br />So what have you're experiences been like with this? How are you describing and speaking of your church meetings, locations, etc? Please post your ideas in the comments.Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-28060604782366580982009-05-18T18:50:00.000-07:002009-05-18T19:05:02.146-07:00Is your theology idolatry?I've got this friend whom I see occasionally who always seems to bring every conversation around to a specific theological/doctrinal issue. Heck, he skips the small talk even and just jumps right in to the issue on his mind. It's just that it's the same issue all the time! It's funny to me that people who seem to love this particular doctrine frequently seem to do the same thing. Some of you will rightly guess what doctrine I am speaking of simply by your common experience (feel free to post your guesses in the comments)!<br /><br />I guess some would just call this obsessive, and I would agree that it is. But what's the difference between obsessions and idolatry? Isn't idolatry just when we obsess over or fill our mind with things other than the God of the universe? Isn't it when we've allowed an idea to fill our minds to the point that no other thoughts can dislodge our attention on these things?<br /><br />If that is the case, then can't our theology become idolatry? I think the answer might be yes! Now, don't get my wrong, I am not advocating (as some do) abstinence from theological thought or doctrinal study. However, when our theology become something we adore, we're in the wrongful territory of idolatry.<br /><br />In my own life, I am coming to the conclusion that true life is found only in an uninterrupted obsession with Jesus. That might sound crazy, but if we're obsessed with him to the point of focusing all our thoughts and attentions on him, then we're in the right where God designed us to be. That's what being the Alpha and Omega is all about in my opinion.<br /><br />So, by God's grace, perhaps we'll all lay down our idols and start obsessing over Jesus rather than our pet doctrines and theologies. Maybe if we do that, we'll actually see the life of Jesus manifested in our lives, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.<br /><br />What are your thoughts?Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-24093431240497338812009-04-10T19:44:00.000-07:002009-04-10T19:52:07.068-07:00Did Jesus Have IBS?I've been reading a book titled "Organic Church" by Neil Cole. It's a great book full of many great truths.<br /><br />This morning, I noticed some of Neil's insights swirling around my head. In Chapter 10 of the book, Neil explains how what is often translated in the scriptures (NT) as "felt compassion" literally means "bowels".<br /><br />I got to thinking about this and recalling my own response to situations throughout life. We Americans tend to refer to the heart as being the seat of emotion, but much of the ancient world, and some of the current world sees other parts of the body - such as the liver, or in this case, the bowels - as the center of their being. In some cultures, the believers refer to Christ living in their liver!<br /><br />When I was young, if I knew I was in big trouble, or really stressed, or worried, or upset, or even infatuated with a cute little lady - it almost always resulted in butterflies, sour stomach, indigestion and often - a trip to the restroom! I don't think I am alone in this ;-).<br /><br />Our guts really are a strong part in our response to emotions, are they not? Sure, some would call this IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and explain it medically. Fine - in fact, I think that would be a very biblical way to put it. Biblically, compassion means having IBS because of others!<br /><br />So Jesus had that same inward pain and discomfort in his guts over the lost sheep of the world, that we have/had when we encounter difficult situations. To me, that's much more intense than "feeling compassion"! I cannot honestly remember the last time that observing or relating to a lost person sent me doubling over or off to the men's room!<br /><br />Yet, for Jesus, this was and is the usual response to those whom he loves and died for. I know that in me, that is in my self, I don't have possess this level of compassion for people. Naturally, I am concerned about me and my own. However, Jesus lives in me, and I in him. Therefore, as I seek him, he can live his compassionate life in and through me. By God's grace, maybe my bowels - and maybe all of <span style="font-style: italic;">our</span> bowels will be moved with what moves the bowels of Jesus.Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-84708677800714732652009-04-01T19:42:00.000-07:002009-04-01T19:43:48.457-07:0015 Theses” For A New Reformation<p class="essay">The theses below were written by Wolfgang Simson and bear repeating and pondering.</p><p class="essay">--<br /></p><p class="essay">God is changing the Church, and that, in turn, will change the world. Millions of Christians around the world are aware of an imminent reformation of global proportions. They say, in effect: “Church as we know it is preventing Church as God wants it.” A growing number of them are surprisingly hearing God say the very same things. There is a collective new awareness of age-old revelations, a corporate spiritual echo. In the following “15 Theses” I will summarize a part of this, and I am convinced that it reflects a part of what the Spirit of God is saying to the Church today. For some, it might be the proverbial fist-sized cloud on Elijah’s sky. Others already feel the pouring rain.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>1. Church is a Way of Life, not a series of religious meetings </b> </p> <p class="essay">Before they where called Christians, followers of Christ have been called “The Way”. One of the reasons was, that they have literally found “the way to live.” The nature of Church is not reflected in a constant series of religious meetings lead by professional clergy in holy rooms specially reserved to experience Jesus, but in the prophetic way followers of Christ live their everyday life in spiritually extended families as a vivid answer to the questions society faces, at the place where it counts most: in their homes.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>2. Time to change the system</b></p> <p class="essay">In aligning itself to the religious patterns of the day, the historic Orthodox Church after Constantine in the 4th century AD adopted a religious system which was in essence Old Testament, complete with priests, altar, a Christian temple (cathedral), frankincense and a Jewish, synagogue-style worship pattern. The Roman Catholic Church went on to canonize the system. Luther did reform the content of the gospel, but left the outer forms of “church” remarkably untouched; the Free-Churches freed the system from the State, the Baptists then baptized it, the Quakers dry-cleaned it, the Salvation Army put it into a uniform, the Pentecostals anointed it and the Charismatics renewed it, but until today nobody has really changed the superstructure. It is about time to do just that.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>3. The Third Reformation.</b></p> <p class="essay">In rediscovering the gospel of salvation by faith and grace alone, Luther started to reform the Church through a reformation of theology. In the 18th century through movements like the Moravians there was a recovery of a new intimacy with God, which led to a reformation of spirituality, the Second Reformation. Now God is touching the wineskins themselves, initiating a Third Reformation, a reformation of structure.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>4. From Church-Houses to house-churches</b></p> <p class="essay">Since New Testament times, there is no such thing as “a house of God”. At the cost of his life, Stephen reminded unequivocally: God does not live in temples made by human hands. The Church is the people of God. The Church, therefore, was and is at home where people are at home: in ordinary houses. There, the people of God: -Share their lives in the power of the Holy Spirit, -Have “meatings,” that is, they eat when they meet, -They often do not even hesitate to sell private property and share material and spiritual blessings, -Teach each other in real-life situations how to obey God's word, dialogue - and not professor-style, -Pray and prophesy with each other, baptize, ‘lose their face’ and their ego by confessing their sins, -Regaining a new corporate identity by experiencing love, acceptance and forgiveness.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>5. The church has to become small in order to grow big </b></p> <p class="essay">Most churches of today are simply too big to provide real fellowship. They have too often become “fellowships without fellowship.” The New Testament Church was a mass of small groups, typically between 10 and 15 people. It grew not upward into big congregations between 20 and 300 people filling a cathedral and making real, mutual communication improbable. Instead, it multiplied “sidewards”, like organic cells, once these groups reached around 15-20 people. Then, if possible, it drew all the Christians together into citywide celebrations, as with Solomon’s Temple court in Jerusalem. The traditional congregational church as we know it is, statistically speaking, neither big nor beautiful, but rather a sad compromise, an overgrown house-church and an under-grown celebration, often missing the dynamics of both.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>6. No church is led by a Pastor alone</b></p> <p class="essay">The local church is not led by a Pastor, but fathered by an Elder, a local person of wisdom and reality. The local house-churches are then networked into a movement by the combination of elders and members of the so-called five-fold ministries (Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Evangelists and Teachers) circulating “from house to house,” whereby there is a special foundational role to play for the apostolic and prophetic ministries (Eph. 2:20, and 4:11.12). A Pastor (shepherd) is a very necessary part of the whole team, but he cannot fulfill more than a part of the whole task of “equipping the saints for the ministry,” and has to be complemented synergistically by the other four ministries in order to function properly.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>7. The right pieces - fitted together in the wrong way</b></p> <p class="essay">In doing a puzzle, we need to have the right original for the pieces, otherwise the final product, the whole picture, turns out wrong, and the individual pieces do not make much sense. This has happened to large parts of the Christian world: we have all the right pieces, but have fitted them together wrong, because of fear, tradition, religious jealousy and a power-and-control mentality. As water is found in three forms, ice, water and steam, the five ministries mentioned in Eph. 4:11-12, the Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists are also found today, but not always in the right forms and in the right places: they are often frozen to ice in the rigid system of institutionalized Christianity; they sometimes exist as clear water; or they have vanished like steam into the thin air of free-flying ministries and “independent” churches, accountable to no-one. As it is best to water flowers with the fluid version of water, these five equipping ministries will have to be transformed back into new, and at the same time age-old, forms, so that the whole spiritual organism can flourish and the individual “ministers” can find their proper role and place in the whole. That is one more reason why we need to return back to the Maker’s original and blueprint for the Church.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>8. God does not leave the Church in the hands of bureaucratic clergy </b></p> <p class="essay">No expression of a New Testament church is ever led by just one professional “holy man” doing the business of communicating with God and then feeding some relatively passive religious consumers Moses-style. Christianity has adopted this method from pagan religions, or at best from the Old Testament. The heavy professionalisation of the church since Constantine has now been a pervasive influence long enough, dividing the people of God artificially into laity and clergy. According to the New Testament (1 Tim. 2:5), “there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” God simply does not bless religious professionals to force themselves in-between people and God forever. The veil is torn, and God is allowing people to access Himself directly through Jesus Christ, the only Way. To enable the priesthood of all believers, the present system will have to change completely. Bureaucracy is the most dubious of all administrative systems, because it basically asks only two questions: yes or no. There is no room for spontaneity and humanity, no room for real life. This may be OK for politics and companies, but not the Church. God seems to be in the business of delivering His Church from a Babylonian captivity of religious bureaucrats and controlling spirits into the public domain, the hands of ordinary people made extraordinary by God, who, like in the old days, may still smell of fish, perfume and revolution.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>9. Return from organized to organic forms of Christianity</b></p> <p class="essay">The “Body of Christ” is a vivid description of an organic, not an organized, being. Church consists on its local level of a multitude of spiritual families, which are organically related to each other as a network, where the way the pieces are functioning together is an integral part of the message of the whole. What has become a maximum of organization with a minimum of organism, has to be changed into a minimum of organization to allow a maximum of organism. Too much organization has, like a straightjacket, often choked the organism for fear that something might go wrong. Fear is the opposite of faith, and not exactly a Christian virtue. Fear wants to control, faith can trust. Control, therefore, may be good, but trust is better. The Body of Christ is entrusted by God into the hands of steward-minded people with a supernatural charismatic gift to believe God that He is still in control, even if they are not. A development of trust-related regional and national networks, not a new arrangement of political ecumenism is necessary for organic forms of Christianity to reemerge.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>10. From worshipping our worship to worshipping God</b></p> <p class="essay">The image of much of contemporary Christianity can be summarized, a bit euphemistically, as holy people coming regularly to a holy place at a holy day at a holy hour to participate in a holy ritual lead by a holy man dressed in holy clothes against a holy fee. Since this regular performance-oriented enterprise called “worship service” requires a lot of organizational talent and administrative bureaucracy to keep going, formalized and institutionalized patterns developed quickly into rigid traditions. Statistically, a traditional 1-2 hour “worship service” is very resource-hungry but actually produces very little fruit in terms of discipling people, that is, in changed lives. Economically speaking, it might be a “high input and low output” structure. Traditionally, the desire to “worship in the right way” has led to much denominationalism, confessionalism and nominalism. This not only ignores that Christians are called to “worship in truth and in spirit,” not in cathedrals holding songbooks, but also ignores that most of life is informal, and so is Christianity as “the Way of Life.” Do we need to change from being powerful actors to start “acting powerfully?”</p> <p class="bullet"><b>11. Stop bringing people to church, and start bringing the church to the people </b></p> <p class="essay">The church is changing back from being a Come-structure to being again a Go-structure. As one result, the Church needs to stop trying to bring people “into the church,” and start bringing the Church to the people. The mission of the Church will never be accomplished just by adding to the existing structure; it will take nothing less than a mushrooming of the church through spontaneous multiplication of itself into areas of the population of the world, where Christ is not yet known.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>12. Rediscovering the “Lord’s Supper” to be a real supper with real food</b></p> <p class="essay">Church tradition has managed to “celebrate the Lord’s Supper” in a homeopathic and deeply religious form, characteristically with a few drops of wine, a tasteless cookie and a sad face. However, the “Lord’s Supper” was actually more a substantial supper with a symbolic meaning, than a symbolic supper with a substantial meaning. God is restoring eating back into our meeting.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>13. From Denominations to city-wide celebrations</b></p> <p class="essay">Jesus called a universal movement, and what came was a series of religious companies with global chains marketing their special brands of Christianity and competing with each other. Through this branding of Christianity most of Protestantism has, therefore, become politically insignificant and often more concerned with traditional specialties and religious infighting than with developing a collective testimony before the world. Jesus simply never asked people to organize themselves into denominations. In the early days of the Church, Christians had a dual identity: they were truly His church and vertically converted to God, and then organized themselves according to geography, that is, converting also horizontally to each other on earth. This means not only Christian neighbors organizing themselves into neighborhood— or house-churches, where they share their lives locally, but Christians coming together as a collective identity as much as they can for citywide or regional celebrations expressing the corporateness of the Church of the city or region. Authenticity in the neighborhoods connected with a regional or citywide corporate identity will make the Church not only politically significant and spiritually convincing, but will allow a return to the biblical model of the City-Church.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>14. Developing a persecution-proof spirit</b></p> <p class="essay">They crucified Jesus, the Boss of all the Christians. Today, his followers are often more into titles, medals and social respectability, or, worst of all, they remain silent and are not worth being noticed at all. “Blessed are you when you are persecuted”, says Jesus. Biblical Christianity is a healthy threat to pagan godlessness and sinfulness, a world overcome by greed, materialism, jealousy and any amount of demonic standards of ethics, sex, money and power. Contemporary Christianity in many countries is simply too harmless and polite to be worth persecuting. But as Christians again live out New Testament standards of life and, for example, call sin as sin, conversion or persecution has been, is and will be the natural reaction of the world. Instead of nesting comfortably in temporary zones of religious liberty, Christians will have to prepare to be again discovered as the main culprits against global humanism, the modern slavery of having to have fun and the outright worship of Self, the wrong centre of the universe. That is why Christians will and must feel the “repressive tolerance” of a world which has lost any absolutes and therefore refuses to recognize and obey its creator God with his absolute standards. Coupled with the growing ideologisation, privatization and spiritualisation of politics and economics, Christians will, sooner than most think, have their chance to stand happily accused in the company of Jesus. They need to prepare now for the future by developing a persecution-proof spirit and an even more persecution-proof structure.</p> <p class="bullet"><b>15. The Church comes home</b></p> <p class="essay">Where is the easiest place, say, for a man to be spiritual? Maybe again, is it hiding behind a big pulpit, dressed up in holy robes, preaching holy words to a faceless crowd and then disappearing into an office? And what is the most difficult, and therefore most meaningful, place for a man to be spiritual? At home, in the presence of his wife and children, where everything he does and says is automatically put through a spiritual litmus test against reality, where hypocrisy can be effectively weeded out and authenticity can grow. Much of Christianity has fled the family, often as a place of its own spiritual defeat, and then has organized artificial performances in sacred buildings far from the atmosphere of real life. As God is in the business of recapturing the homes, the church turns back to its roots, back to where it came from. It literally comes home, completing the circle of Church history at the end of world history.</p> <p class="essay"><br />As Christians of all walks of life, from all denominations and backgrounds, feel a clear echo in their spirit to what God's Spirit is saying to the Church, and start to hear globally in order to act locally, they begin to function again as one body. They organize themselves into neighborhood house-churches and meet in regional or city-celebrations. You are invited to become part of this movement and make your own contribution. Maybe your home, too, will become a house that changes the world.</p> <p class="essay"><br /> You are welcome and encouraged to redistribute this article.</p>Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-11028023312997989462009-03-11T08:54:00.000-07:002009-03-11T10:02:53.104-07:00Oily Hair and Mountain Dew<blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head,running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. - Psalm 133 (ESV)</blockquote><br />I am somewhat ashamed to admin that I usually just focus on the first verse of this psalm when I read it, and often it's in quoting it to my sons when they argue with one another! ;-) Lately, however, I've been looking at this in a different context - the context of God's desire for believers to live this way with one another.<br /><br />I "grew up" in the faith around lots of grumpy, fundamental, fearful and unloving Christians. Unity was always a weird thing to mention because of the associated fear of being "ecumenical" which was a total heresy. Unfortunately, the fear of heresy can lead people to avoid biblical truths that are crucial to the Kingdom of God. Such is the case with unity.<br /><br />Take a look at the prayer of Jesus here:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />"</span><span style="font-size:100%;">My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message [That's us!], <span style="font-weight: bold;">that all of them may be one</span>, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. <span style="font-weight: bold;">May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me</span>. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. <span style="font-weight: bold;">May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.</span> " - John 17:20-23<br /></span></blockquote>There appear to be great consequences to believers having oneness!<br /><br />What I hadn't really considered from Psalm 133 before is the reference to oil. Oil in the scriptures is usually a picture of the Holy Spirit! So in this context, believers being together in unity is like the Holy Spirit on the head (Jesus), running down to the beard, and even down to the robe. I take that to mean that unity in Christ results in (or is the result of?) a pouring out of the Spirit on the body.<br /><br />And what of Aaron's Head/Beard? Augustine, when commenting on Psalm 133 says this:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"...As the ointment on the head, which descended to the beard, to Aaron's beard, which descended to the fringe of his garment" Psalm 132:2. What was Aaron? A priest. Who is a priest, except that one Priest, who entered into the Holy of Holies? Who is that priest, save Him, who was at once Victim and Priest? save Him who when he found nothing clean in the world to offer, offered Himself? The ointment is on his head, because Christ is one whole with the Church, but the ointment comes from the head. Our Head is Christ crucified and buried; He rose again, and ascended into heaven; and the Holy Spirit came from the head..."</span><br /></blockquote>Now check this out...<br />What is the "Dew of Hermon"? To understand this, we need to understand some info about Mount Hermon:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggELka4Lfjtp8_UAzeu28tL8kdh5s70jQ3XaFj2klv-Bry6VfA2nzbzbQEzbGBV-2iXPmfqPllhADrbJeuIJJpuxg5q4RzmD26rIC0KOaFpnSJjs8oR9FSbW1wngJh-1y9-lnRDS7tTUsF/s1600-h/337418_f520.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggELka4Lfjtp8_UAzeu28tL8kdh5s70jQ3XaFj2klv-Bry6VfA2nzbzbQEzbGBV-2iXPmfqPllhADrbJeuIJJpuxg5q4RzmD26rIC0KOaFpnSJjs8oR9FSbW1wngJh-1y9-lnRDS7tTUsF/s200/337418_f520.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311970486561393010" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li>At 9,200 feet above sea level, Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.</li><li>The mountain is actually a cluster of mountains with <span style="font-weight: bold;">three distinct summits</span> (that's pretty trinitarian, eh?) , each about the same height. This cluster, the Anti-Lebanon Range, extends for approximately twenty miles in a northeast to southwest direction, running parallel to the Lebanon range on the west.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Runoff from the snow-covered mountain’s western and southern bases feeds <span style="font-style: italic;">several streams and rivers</span>. These merge to become the Jordan River. Additionally, the runoff facilitates fertile plant life below the snow line, where vineyards and pine, oak, and poplar trees are abundant.</span></li><li>Mount Hermon is called the "gray-haired mountain," or the "mountain of snow," because of the covering of snow, which is present on it most of the year.</li></ul>Wooah! The Dew of Hermon is the source of the Jordan River! To an Israelite, the Jordan River is the source of fertility for the entire country. This is a big deal!<br /><br />I am not saying that Unity is the Jordan River. I think unity represents the idea of "several streams" and rivers that converge to channel the water flowing from the three peaks of Mount Hermon down to the Jordan River! When we understand our place under Christ's headship, we align ourselves to be channels of blessing to the whole world.<br /><br />When believers live together in unity - the water that runs off the mountain (the three peaks!) becomes the source of life for all that need water. There's some rich significance here. Compare this to scriptures that speak of "living waters" and "deep fountains".<br /><br />I have to confess, I have much more to think about regarding Psalm 133. Regardless, I am convinced that unity (in Christ) is something that by God's grace we MUST live in.<br /><br />Thoughts?Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-64650397053293905472009-03-10T16:11:00.000-07:002009-03-10T17:19:18.872-07:00Bullhorn - Yeah or Nay?Take a few minutes to watch these videos regarding evangelism, then come back for some thoughts:<br /><br />Rob Bell - Bullhorn Guy Part #1<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-X-ZzhYo1tE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-X-ZzhYo1tE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Rob Bell - BullHorn Guy Part #2<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sova39X5Z2Y&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sova39X5Z2Y&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Todd Friel - Response Part #1<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J7QnQW4tYF0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J7QnQW4tYF0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Todd Friel - Response Part #2<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jFsEBEeaEzA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jFsEBEeaEzA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />The above videos are just one example of a larger "conversation" (often more of an argument really) going on in the world regarding God's disposition towards the lost and how should we relate to them. Should we tell people their headed for hell in a hand basket - or that God loves them just the way they are? Which is it?<br /><br />Perhaps neither approach is correct in and of itself. Yes, God's wrath is on the unsaved. That's clearly understood from scripture and a terrible reality. God's love for the lost is also evident - had it not been, he would have never implemented a plan to sacrifice his only son (Jn 3:16) on their behalf. God can perfectly love and hate those who are lost.<br /><br />What really troubles me is that the focus of "<span style="font-style: italic;">Evangelism</span>" has been solely rescue from hell and destruction. Don't get me wrong, that is most assuredly <span style="font-style: italic;">a result</span> of redemption - but is it <span style="font-style: italic;">the</span> point? Remember, God created mankind in order to enjoy relationship with him forever! The New Testament calls believers to the "ministry of reconciliation" (2 cor 5:18) - the emphasis being on seeing people reconciled (ie. "brought back together") with God through Jesus Christ (Is. 58-61, Lk 4). As a result, God's wrath is no longer on them, and they don't need to spend eternity separated from God. .<br /><br />When we simply stand outside and tell people "you suck - God hates you - you're headed for hell!", is that really what reconciling looks like? Would you seek to restore a sibling to your own father by calling them up and screaming "<span style="font-style: italic;">Dad hates you, you'll never see him unless you change</span>!" Is it true? Yes, but just because something is true, doesn't make communicating that truth without love an okay proposition.<br /><br />On the flip side, we must be sensitive, but courageous and firm in helping the lost see their brokenness if they desire to be reconciled to God (Jn 3:36). There's plenty of loving ways to do this without a bull horn - which is the point I believe Rob Bell is making in the above videos.<br /><br />So how then should we witness? I propose by the Spirit of God - using the law as often as necessary, but with the right purpose in mind. The law, according to scripture, is just if one uses it justly...<br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-style: italic;">"Now the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. They want to be teachers of the law, although they don't understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on. Now we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately. We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral and homosexuals, for kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching based on the glorious gospel of the blessed God that was entrusted to me." - 1 Tim 1.5-11<br /></span></blockquote><br />The law is much like an X-Ray machine. It reveals brokenness, but is powerless to fix it, or like a mirror that can show us our dirt and grime, but itself cannot remove it. Therefore, the right purpose of the law is to show us that we need cleansing. Some people need X-rays to prove to them that they're broken. Others no it the moment they come to the ER! As ministers of reconciliation, we need to be attuned to the Holy Spirit to know what's necessary in dealing with others to bring them along in the process. Love is never optional in this process (1 Cor. 13:1)!<br /><br />With that in mind, we need to respect that fact that God has gifted the saints differently with various gifts, styles, and yes, even methods. Perhaps if we stop trying to prove everyone else a heretic and ourselves a hero, and follow Christ's command that we love on another, we can spend less time arguing about bull horns and more time reconciling!<br /><br />Peace!Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-26006340432000990712009-02-24T13:41:00.001-08:002009-02-24T13:41:58.307-08:00Why the hostility?Recently, a friend invited me to join him and a few other friends to meet weekly to discuss the "state of The Church" in our county. In a nutshell, we're each wanting to see The Church grow in our county. I don't mean church attendance, or more religious people - but new people relating to God through the sacrifice of his son Jesus.
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<br />One of the things we've been discussing is a desire to see the local church assemble together to worship, relate to one another, and also to strive together to permeate our area with the pleasant aroma of Jesus. You would think this should be something people want to do, but actually, many people don't get excited at the idea of being in unity!
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<br />We've discussed all sorts of reasons why people don't want to come together in the above manner. But I want to hear from others too. What are some reasons you think people/local churches aren't interested in coming together?
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<br />Please post your ideas or comments! I'd live to hear them.Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-35419514172572377372009-02-20T19:22:00.000-08:002009-02-20T20:08:48.264-08:00What'd you expect?I recently finished reading "The Shack", a very popular work of fiction which I really enjoyed. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant to read it for a few reasons; First, I have young children, and the knew a little of the storyline and that it might bring to my imagination things I'd rather not imagine happening to them. Second, I don't usually like "fad" books - particularly when they're faith-oriented.<br /><br />Despite the above I decided to give it a go! Boy, am I glad that I did. Many people have reported having a profoundly new perspective on God after reading this book. That's great, but that's not what I got out of it. I really latched on to something else... "expectations".<br /><br />At one point In the story, "Mack", the main character converses with God who goes on to tell him that He has no expectations for Mack. This is profoundly difficult for Mack to get a hold of because of his history of viewing God as this sort of force full of expectations for Mack that he could never meet. God goes on to explain to Mack that people have expectations because people have desires for an outcome in the future over which they have no control or foresight. Because God knows the future, and is sovereign over the outcome of our lives, he has no need of expectations - in fact cannot have them! For God to have expectations, he'd have to 1) not know the outcome of all things in advance and 2) have no control over the future.<br /><br />God then goes on to explain to Mack how<span style="font-style: italic;"> expectations</span> are law, and that the basis of relationship with God is <span style="font-style: italic;">expectancy</span>. Big difference! The former locks us up in fear of failure, the later frees us to enjoy relationship! Wow! The law could be defined as a list of expectations and consequences when those expectations are not met, right? Expectations are a form of law!<br /><br />The author (and myself) is not saying that those in relationship with God can just spend their life doing any old worthless thing. That would be contrary to the overall teaching of Scripture, and inconsistent with new spiritual life. The born again believer acts not because of expectations of God (ie duty, responsibility), but out love, gratitude, and joy in their relationship with Jesus.<br /><br />It occurred to me how often my relationships are taxed or even ruined because either myself or the other moves from a place of expectancy to expectations. You know how this goes. You enjoy someone's company for a while, then you get to a place where you let them down, or they let you down. It's hard to recover from those events sometimes. "Let down" = "failed expectation(s)".<br /><br />Many relationships fail because we expect something of the other, then abandon the relationship when the other fails to meet those expectations.<br /><br />So aside from being challenged to understand and walk in the truth that God doesn't have expectations for me, I've also been challenged lately to release others from my expectations and enjoy the expectancy of relating to them. (ie. "What will happen next time we're together?") Isn't that the basis of any love-based relationship?<br /><br />I hope to follow this up with some thoughts on how expectations produce soul-killing traditions which destroy organic community in Jesus. Stay tuned.Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-45089419364863334712009-01-28T07:56:00.000-08:002009-01-28T08:20:29.161-08:00Daily Bread: John 14:12-13<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">"I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.<br /> Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."<br /> John 14:12-13<br /></div><br />I have to admit, I find these verses personally troubling. No doubt, they are true and good, yet I am personally challenged in reading them. Why? Because it would seem to me that as a follower of Jesus, I ought to be seeing myself (and other followers) doing the works Jesus did, and even greater works! All we should have to do after all is ask Jesus in his "name" - which I understand as being "in his will".<br /><br />So how come I don't see this sort of thing happening? I wrestle with many possible answers. Here are some of the possibilities I tend to mull over.<br /><br />1. I don't really know Jesus. Scary proposition! I do believe I know him though, and that's what makes these verses so troubling and hard to understand. I do seek Jesus, I do knock, ask, etc. If I don't know him, then there must some personal merit in addition to faith that is required to relate to God through Jesus. That would violate the very message of Jesus and the scriptures as a whole.<br /><br />2. Perhaps what Jesus considers greater works are not works that we readily see or acknowledge in our personal lives, rather a collective work of his body on earth?<br /><br />3. Perhaps these "greater works" are yet future (in my life at least)?<br /><br />4. Perhaps I am not doing greater works because I am not asking "in His name" - that is, according to a relationship with the Father as Jesus had?<br /><br />5. ????<br /><br />At the moment, I am most inclined to understand these verses in light of option #4 above. One central theme I see in John is that Jesus was totally dependent on the Father for everything and did nothing by his own personal initiative. For example, John 14:10b says<br /><br />".<span style="font-style: italic;">..The words I speak to you I do not speak to you on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works.</span>"<br /><br />The works of Jesus then are rooted and sourced in His Father. That means that Jesus would only seek to do what He knew the Father was seeking to do. He knew what His Father was doing because of the kind of relationship He had with His Father - one of total dependence. I believe this truth is core to the Christian Life - that everything is sourced in God! We were created to be totally and continually dependent on God. After all, He is the source of Life! To be disconnected from that source results in death (ie. The Garden of Eden)!<br /><br />Perhaps my problem is that I am not relating to the Father in the same way, with a will ONLY to do what He's doing? That being the case, if I were doing only what I saw the Father doing, maybe I'd be part of doing greater works?<br /><br />Lord, please help me understand and experience the truths of these scriptures!Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-17967128907054486212009-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:002009-01-27T07:47:39.700-08:00Daily Bread: Psalm 90:14-17 (HCSB)<div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Satisfy us in the morning with Your faithful love<br />so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.<br /><br />Make us rejoice for as many days as You have humbled us,<br />for as many years as we have seen adversity.<br /><br />Let Your work be seen by Your servants,<br />and Your splendor by their children.<br /><br />Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us;<br />establish for us the work of our hands - establish the work of our hands!<br />Psalm 90:14-17<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I really dig these verses. There are so many cool ideas here. The idea of starting the day my being satisified by God's faithful love. The author rightly sees the relationship between finding satisfaction in God as the basis for being able to live a life of joy and gladness. Our days need to start with worship, then continue with worship throughougt. I don't mean singing per se', but setting the compass of our hearts towards the "true north" of Jesus.<br /><br />I like how the psalmist goes on to ask God "give us as many good days and experiences as we've had bad days and experiences". It's like "God, we've had a lot of hardship, and we want to see your splendor for as many days as we've seen grief". Who cannot relate to that? I've had an easy life compared to many, yet I've still seen a lot of grief, frustration, etc. It would be fantastic to experience a measure of God that were the same amount - and it WILL be.<br /><br />Finally, as one who is, and continues to struggle with "Lord, what would you have me to do with my brief life", I love "establish the work of our hands - establish the work of our hands". Man, I just want to do what God has for me - to see Jesus lifted up. I long for God to turn this from an intellectual vision to a vision lived (as I am reading in Richard Showalter's book - see book notes).<br /></div>Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-61748983921084200932009-01-27T07:00:00.000-08:002009-01-27T07:32:34.526-08:00Book Notes: On the Way with Jesus - A Passion for Mission - Part 1Author: Richard Showalter<br /><br />I admit it, I am an underliner! There, I said it, shweew! As I read, I tend to underline things that stick out to me. The problem is, I don't often recall them afterward. A friend of mine has told me how he writes things down elsewhere as they stick out to him as he reads. That excercises the brain a little differently and helps to commit them to memory, and also saves the book's value ;-). So, that's what I am going to do, only on my blog rather than a notebook.<br /><br />p. 19<br />"The vision is for mission:<br /><ul><li>A mission initiated in prayer, bathed in prayer, consumated in prayer</li><li>A mission that responds to God's initiative and holds fast to the centrality of Jesus, the authority of Scripture, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit</li><li>A mission that takes seriously the judgement of Go, in the hereafter as well as the here and now</li><li>A mission that knows that sufering love is at the heart of the evangel and even embraces martyrdom as a way of witness</li><li>A mission that forsakes the deed/word polarities found amoung too many Christians and rather is caught up in a New Testament worldview that does not recognize such a distinction</li><li>A mission that does not focus on success and failure in terms of numbers, of worldwide denominational linkages, or of tradition</li><li>A mission that that is focused on the formation and nurture of new faith communities centered on Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and radical in obedience</li><li>A mission that depends on the power of the Holy Spirit</li><li>..."</li></ul><br />p. 21<br />"Yet in the end, vision alone is not the answer... It is easy to drift into thinking that a vision held intillectually is equivalent to a vision lived, that a vision stated is a vision realized. Perhaps that's why Jesus said so much about obedience." <span style="font-style: italic;">- Ouch!</span><br /><br />p. 23<br />"Passion for Jesus expresses itself inevitably in compassion for the world. True compassion, of course, has little to do with merely getting enough material wealth to share with others. Of course, we'll share what we have of that. Instead, true compassion has everything to do with having Jesus' heart for the world.<br /><br />After that, our hearts and our lives, all that we have and all that we are, are broken like break for those who hunger. They too will see and feast and live."<br /><br />p.30<br />"Finally, let's fling ourselves at the feet of Jesus in the true communion and discipleship in our generation, abandoning oursleves once again to the Lord who bought us. Tbhere's no greater privilege, no nobler passion."Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-25930595227420705292009-01-25T16:58:00.001-08:002009-01-25T17:13:00.679-08:00All is not oppositesI've been thinking lately how bizarre it is that people (myself included) are so polarized in their thinking on so many issues. It's as if we only see the world in pairs of opposites.<br /><br />For as long as I've been around evangelicals in particular, it seems like most "believers" will only ever acknowledge two "positions" on many issues. Here's a few examples:<br /><br /><ul><li>Republican or Democrat</li><li>Calvinist or Armenian<br /></li><li>Old or New Testament</li><li>Legalistic or Licentious<br /></li><li>Covenant or Dispensational</li><li>Liberal or Conservative</li><li>And the list goes on!</li></ul>Why is it that we are so polarized in our view of life that we must lump all people into groups at the outer edges of every issue of life, as if all people are either/or and never something else? This is very apparent to me as I look at blog posts and the follow-up comments. Often I see this "oh, you don't agree with my position, you're one of those..." types of comments. I've witnessed this person more times than I would like too!<br /><br />That's one of the things I love about Jesus. He's so anti-stereotype. No one could look at him and say, "oh, I've seen this before, that's such and such...". Jesus is totally unpredictable - he's ... WILD!<br /><br />And so, if we bear the name of "Christian" (lit. Little Christ), shouldn't we posses the same characteristics of being anti-stereotypical and completely non-categorical? Maybe if we focused less on trying to pigeon-hole one another into the black and white buckets we put one another into, we'd have more time and freedom for Jesus to produce his wild life in us!Sven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2608812532331716188.post-51324408506747898592009-01-22T16:35:00.000-08:002009-01-22T13:39:54.279-08:00Syncretism: "Democrianity" - The Religion of AmericaMany years ago, I had the privilege of sitting under the teaching of a wise, experienced missionary who had seen the Lord use him and his family to bring the gospel to another culture and witnessed the birth of the Church in the people group he worked with.<br /><br />One of the main issues this sage spoke of was that of "syncretism" which is "<span style="font-weight: bold;">A blending of religious beliefs and practices from the cultural context..." or</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> "</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">...the interworking of two or more cultural perspectives into one system."</span><br /><br />In this gentleman's experience, this issue of syncretism was one of the more daunting challenges to planting strong churches in this foreign land. You see, the people had a tendency (as do all people it turns out) to combine the new information they were learning about Jesus with their existing, animistic beliefs, with some scattered religious ideas left over from past missionaries also thrown in here and there. His ultimate conclusion? The Gospel Message and the truths of scripture must <span style="font-style: italic;">replace</span> the existing beliefs of the culture or they will result in a new, albeit counter-biblical or extra-biblical worldview.<br /><br />Since those days, I have come to see some of my own syncretistic tendencies in how I think, etc. Over many years, and continuing to this day I've been challenged to answer the question "What about what I believe is <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> from a scriptural worldview?" Turns out, much of what I had been taught and always believed was from American culture and NOT from the culture of the Holy Spirit of God as I see in scripture.<br /><br />This is where some might find my comments to be offensive.<br /><br />As the scales continue to fall off, it's becoming apparent to me that "Christians" in this country have syncretised the gospel message with the social, political and even religious values and ideals that have existed in America since it's birth as a nation. Since this is not biblical "Christianity" as described in the book of Acts, I find myself calling this combination of belief systems "Democrianity". I choose this word because "democracy" is just one of those values that many in this country hold in as much esteem as faith in Jesus.<br /><br />I need to be careful here to say that I don't necessarily find some of these American ideals and values to be particularly troublesome or ungodly, however, when mixed with the scriptural message of redemption - a message that transcends all generations and all cultures - a dangerous new mix emerges.<br /><br />I think it's safe to say that a growing number of Americans are rejecting what they perceive to be "Christianity" because they're finding it to be so desperately lacking in real spiritual value. They should be! What we've seen lived out before us is not the life of Christ described in the scriptures, but an amalgamation of biblical ethics, political ideals, and ethno-centric beliefs that ultimately emasculate the scriptural message of redemption and wreak havoc on the witness of the Church! That's not to mention the sheer propaganda that is hurled at the American public for the sake of getting support for actions that stand totally opposed to the character of Christ.<br /><br />I've got a lot to say about this topic, so my next several blogs will be devoted to fleshing out some of the myriad ways I see this syncretism occurring right before our eyes. Stay tuned! In the meantime, seek the Lord about what beliefs you might have "merged" with the gospel message!<br /><br />Peace,<br />AndrewSven Mastersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13596081801606098245noreply@blogger.com2