Near and Far Faith

It's one of The Office quotes that hangs on my fridge.

I'm still sitting in Ebenezer's trying to wait out a thunder storm and this thought came to me. It's a combo of the Andy Stanley discussion I mentioned in my last post and Wild at Heart that we're reading as a small group: Andy Stanley said that from the start of Northpoint he wanted to pick one Sunday a year and close the church. It would honor all the volunteers that made it happen and provide an incentive for people to actually believe that the church was people and not just a building to meet in.

Personally I think it's brilliant, but the response from many pastors and church elders, I know because I've suggested it, is "What? Close church?". As much as we'd try to manipulate our words, unfortunetly this response is primarily out of fear - most often of finances.

Most of what you encounter when you meet a man is a facade, an elaborate fig leaf, a brilliant disguise. John Eldredge - Wild at Heart

And it's true. We as men run from this question: Am I really man enough for what God requires? God requires faith. Do we have enough to cancel church if he calls us to? Stop the rationalizing about whether or not he would. That's not the question. Do you? What are we afriad of? If it's disappointing God then wouldn't He be more disappointed with our lack of faith that he could provide in a circumstance when only he could? What would happen if we canceled meeting at church so we could be the church to our families and communities?

I'm sitting in Ebenezer's Coffee House - owned and operated by National Community Church. I just attended one of their services and besides my family, I couldn't think of a better place to spend some extremely rare alone time and catch up on blogging some thoughts.

Reflecting on N.C.C.'s service, I'm impressed with the environment. Before you crucify my shallowness and need for Jesus, let me explain: Jesus knew who he was speaking to and it reflected in his style. When he was in the presence of farmers he used the sower story, fishermen he used fishing illustrations, and pharisees he verbally slapped them around (I see this more and more and OUCH!). While we as the church must have a security in the sufficiency of Scripture, it says that we must be excellent in loving God with everything we are. We'll I'm creative and I like an awesome environment. I don't think I'm the only one.

Listening to Andy Stanley's teaching on becoming a student today during my mini car-conference I was reminded of how many times I've tried to stress my passion for the progressiveness of the environment in the church and been quieted.

Reality is this: participation in God's story and mission means bringing everything I have to reach everyone we can with life-changing information. While an older generation may not need an intentional environment, I do and so does my generation. There's little that helps me pay attention like an environment in a church that makes me feel like I'm not out of my element - I'm in what I would design. It is NOT an effort to mimic the world, but rather a use of talent and passion for the gospel.

National Community Church and Ebenezer's have leveraged those things for Christ and it was inspiring to see the impact. Church is not a building, it is people. We hear that all the time. Those people have environments that they are impressed and comfortable in and many churches are not them. Let's work on that and change even more lives.

Here's the video we're opening The Good Love Celebration with Good Friday...

We've done music in the past by non-Christian, or "secular", artists, but I thought I'd take a few minutes with the one we're using to open up The Good Love Celebration with, which also happens to be the song that we got the inspiration from for the title of The Good Love Project, and walk through it to show what we see when we look at the lyrics we're reclaiming for a better purpose.

Good Love Is On The Way - by John Mayer

I'm a lazy lover Undercover Wasting time
Then one day in summer I changed my number To cut my line

-The theme is "change". We've all been lazy lovers not just of people, but of God as well. We hide and waste time trying to find an easier way to get through life. But we realize it doesn't work and we have to change our line of thinking.

Good love is on the way
I've been lonely but I know I'll be okay
Good love is on the way

From now on "good love" will be on the way. Not the selfish kind I've been trying to sell. Good Love is unconditional and sacrificial, but it's also more fulfilling than we anticipated when we give it out.


3 years broken hearted But now her ghost is finally gone
Done with broken people This is me I'm working on (all i know)

The old me broke my own heart - but now I'm realizing it's not other people that can fix me - that hole can't be filled by people. I've got to look inside and work on me.

Good love is on the way
I've been lonely but I know' I'll be okay
Good love is on the way

Good to go for wherever I'm needed
Bags are packed and I’m Down by the door
You can take all the tricks up my sleeve I don't need them anymore

I'm through lying. I'm ready for a change. We all lie to others about who we really are to make them love us, but we end up lying to ourselves as well. There's freedom in "good love". Pure love with no tricks is really what I've been looking for all along.

Good love is on the way
I've been lonely but I know I'll be ok
Good love is on the way
I've been lonely, lonely but i know
Good love is on the way
Good love is on the way, on the way, on the way

I know at some points I may "feel" lonely, but that's what has controlled my actions until now. I know I'll be ok now that I understand what "good love" really is.

That was fun. See you Friday night.

Tomorrow I'll leak a little of what's gonna be in our Good Love Celebration Good Friday. It's one of the coolest elements we've ever put together.

I had a full day yesterday and didn't have a chance to talk about this as I wanted to and said I would on Monday.

This past Sunday we had a combined student service with Cornerstone EV Free. I've never done anything like this before, but it was awesome.

See, there's some history with Cornerstone. Some people that left Carpenter's over the years have gone there and I knew they had, but Jason and I hooked up when we both played at a coffee house and then again at last year's Brave Generation Conference and hit it off. He's become a brother. As we've spent time together I've been able to spend some time with their lead pastor and the rest of their team and it's become a great relationship. We are heading the same direction in different locations and are eager to work in unity.

We canceled Ignite on Tuesday and had the service Sunday night at Cornerstone on their time and their turf. We lead worship and Jason preached. We're already talking about the next one - switching venues and roles and inviting other churches. It's an exciting time. I know this is basic unity, but there's passion in it that motivates.

If you're in the area and want in, email me and we'll get the details to you and get you involved.  The idea is simple: change the lives of middle school and high school students. There's nothing as powerful in a community as combining resources and numbers behind a unified goal.

So my addiction to Vitamin Water has taken a turn. Last night Jason Burson, the Student Ministries Pastor at Cornerstone EV Free, preached on addiction. It was powerful (more on our 1st ever combined service tomorrow).

Right before the service I ran to Wawa to get some vitamin water and felt some serious emotions at the thought of them not having my flavor - Revive. I need it. Jesus is everything, but Revive comes with everything. Especially music... lately.

Sorry Jason.

As I was reading the account of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem this morning, I noticed something I hadn't before. Luke 19 records the story of Jesus riding through the cities of Bethpage and Bethany on His way into Jerusalem on a donkey, but it starts by saying "After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples." After what story? The story of the "Ten Minas" or "Ten Servants".

Here' s what I never saw before: Jesus is about to begin Holy Week. A week that will see him tell the future about the fall of Jerusalem and the death of some of the disciples, eat the last supper, and  culminate in his death. Putting this popular story of investment right before Holy Week spins the meaning (at least from how I always heard it).  It's not about money. It's about how to invest your life. Jesus was about to show in one potent week everything he'd been teaching for his entire life: love is sacrifice and I am love. Invest in me and the people I made as I'm about to do.

Not sure if that hit you like it did me, but I had a moment.

Where is the emphasis in your ministry? In your student ministry? Worship ministry? Work? Family?

I've been noticing a disconnect between what I intend the emphasis to be and what it really specifically in our worship ministry. Asking some hard questions forces us to re-evaluate and hopefully adjust priorities. Here are some I've been asking:

-What are the passions of the people in this ministry? Do I know them well enough to answer this?

-Are we feeling a constant spirit of challenge through the Word as a team?

-Am I spending more time preparing what I like to do (music) or what needs to be done (Studying the Word).

-Who has come and gone in this ministry and why?

-Would people in this ministry come to me for spiritual guidance, or are we simple acquaintances?

As a result of these we began a Bible study before rehearsal each week. It's mandatory for everyone on the team and I've decided that anyone that wants to join has to come participate there for a month or two 1st. Unfortunately we've seen a few people drop away, because their emphasis was on the music and not expressing the heart of God - that we must know in order to express it.  But we are now left with a team devoted spiritually, then musically.

This applies everywhere.

I argued with God this morning from 6-6:30 about getting up. I wanted to get up early for some alone time and as much as I preach it, I need reminding that time with the creator is always something the enemy has set himself against.

I've been in Luke with the intention of continuing into Acts. Here are some of the things getting up taught me from chapter 7:

7:36 - this pharisee probably had an ulterior motive (very few pharisees were like "Jesus! How about lunch at my place?"). Also we can see his heart by his treatment of Jesus in vs. 46.

7:37 - this woman, though a prostitute (it actually just means "immoral" and we typically associate that with a profession) had wealth if she was able to purchase that perfume. But forgiveness made that wealth worth the sacrifice. What will I do to to show God that I value his forgiveness?

7:38 - It seems as though Jesus and this woman had had some kind of encounter before - the Sumaritan woman at the well is recorded in John but it seems as though a similar encounter may have happened and this was an overflow of graititude.

-also - it seems to be a crowded room since Simon the pharisee didn't notice this woman for a bit.

7:40 - "Then Jesus answered his thoughts." (NLT) - WOW!

7:47 - do I know how much I've been forgiven?

7:50 - Her faith exibited a change - that is how he can call her saved. Not because of any prayer she prayed or raising her hand or responding to an alter call. It was the CHANGE that Jesus declared to be the faith that saves.

Thanks for listening.

What does your time rest on? This has been really convicting over the past few months. How would my life be different if I spent as much time resting  on Jesus and the commands in his Word for his kingdom, like showing others love, as I did say... watching TV or texting?

For me personally TV is the one that really is an issue. It not only steals time from God and I, but my wife and kids as well, which I know God wants me to invest heavily in.

Hard decisions are always the ones that bring sacrifice of selfishness. What can we sacrifice today to bring us more intimacy with God and his kingdom?