Names and Numbers
In the Bible there is an entire “book” dedicated to and known as NUMBERS.
In the Bible names carry much significance, by way of example, Abram became Abraham as an important marker of his being chosen and transformed by God. God built in and through Abraham seeds of a nation of blessing to all the nations.
So, Names and Numbers seem to be important to God. We don’t talk about numbers a lot in church because we don’t want to appear to be driven by how many came to church this Sunday. We do try to learn each others names because when we call someone’s name out loud, we are telling them how much we value them – we know your name.
All this to say, thank the Lord for the faithful core of three dozen or so faithful Christ Fellowship family members who come faithfully and serve daily the cause of Christ.
Likewise, thank the Lord for two record breaking gatherings of guests and friends of Christ Fellowship who came to join us for two special experiences:
- the commissioning of our 3 year missionaries being appointed to serve as Southern Baptist workers overseas;
- our Easter worship gathering in which just short of 100 joined us to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.
Most of all, we’re excited to get to know more names because more people joined us on those Sundays. Likewise we are excited to see God adding to our numbers daily.
May our hearts and hands be turned upward to the Lord, inward to discipleship and personal growth, and outward to our neighbers and to the world.
An Amazing Journey
It is a challenging but blessed endeavor to bring cultures together to worship the living Lord. In doing so we discover as much about ourselves as we discover about persons of other backgrounds.
We tend to think that worship is mono-cultural. We don’t realize that we have been trained over years to experience worship from a singular culture worldview. “My kind of worship” is the only kind that is normal and worship from another worldview is strange. We think, something is wrong with the other guys.
As Christ Fellowship experiences worship and service together, we are learning that discomfort and change is part of crossing cultural barriers. We are also learning that the payoff is extraordinary.
Christ Fellowship of Memphis consists of followers of Christ who are becoming “brothers and sisters” in biblical community with people of another race.
The journey has been amazing thus far. Come and join us if you dare.
What’s a Gospel-Centered Missional Church?
I read an article this morning by Darrin Patrick of the Journey Church. The article rocks! Rather than copying the entire article please follow the link and share your thoughts. How can we become missional?
What’s a Gospel-Centered Missional Church?
Crazy Faith – Diversity and Unity
Church this past Sunday (Aug 24) was so unlike Church on this earth. It was much more like heaven.
It was a Sunday worship experience at Christ Fellowship that I doubt I’ll ever forget. Just what was so special about the fourth Sunday of Christ Fellowship’s launch?
As we sat in our living room for fellowship, communion, Bible Study, prayer for Memphis, and worship I saw something that I rarely see in churches in the South.
I looked around and saw a diversity which oddly enough, proportionally reflected the demographics of our divided and demarcated city.
It’s appropriate that we began with an explanation of our unifying core value – “God’s Kind of Love!” It’s the kind of love that breaks down walls and sooths hardened wounds, heals broken hearts and lives.
What does it say about diversity when the first testimony was from a friend named Pancho, who set the tone of transparency. He used his own story to point to our Amazing God who takes broken lives and fills them with His Grace.
Pastor Kelvin Bowen hit us all with a powerful message some of us nicknamed, “Crazy Faith!” That’s what he preached – faith that is followed by feet to the ground. Feet of obedience and a lifestyle of trust and confidence in our Savior.
Prayer, followed communion, and we thought it was time to break up for more cake and coffee and a quick trip back to our homes. But it didn’t end there.
A wife jumped in as we were about to break up, “I’ve got something to share.”
Her step-son followed, “I’ve got something to share. I grew up in a single parent family but was really raised by my grandparents. But I want to tell you what God has done…“
And then his Dad jumped in, “My story is like Pancho’s. I’m just amazed at what God did to rescue me…and to sit here listening to wife and my son testify to what God has done. I’m just…”
One story followed the next – diverse people, united in Christ, broken physically and spiritually. All are being made whole by crazy faith and each has been saved by abundant grace.
So much for church as usual. Thank you Jesus. Be honored and glorified by your diverse body practicing crazy faith, united by Jesus’ love.
Next week, we won’t be meeting at the Morris’ home. The fifth Sunday of August is a Celebration Sunday for those who are available we will join our sponsor church at One Faith Fellowship for worship.
The Necessity of Faith
Cindy and I just returned from a weekend in Birmingham where we met with a brand new church plant, helping them start with missional values at the onset of their DNA. How refreshing to meet with their eager mission leaders and devoted pastor who has sacrificed much to follow God in this new plant. They’ve decided that their first $6,000 is going to missions! WOW! Awesome message by Joel Brooks of Redeemer Community Church on his first Sunday as full time church planter.
We also worshiped at The Church at Brookhills where I think I heard the best explanation of the Gospel ever! Please go to the their site and download his message from 7/20/08 New! The Sufficiency of Christ and the Necessity of Faith.
I can’t describe it – but here’s why I’m so glad to be starting a church. It is forcing us to learn to reach our city, our neighbors, and the world. If we don’t draw near to Christ daily…if we don’t know Him, relate to Him…If we don’t pray fervently for opportunities to tell His story… we simply must!
David Platt’s message challenges some predominant stereo-types about the presentation of the Gospel, but gives great insights on why and how to communicate the heart of our faith. Here’s a few quotes from David.
“Talk about the death of Jesus. Never lessen the gravity of our sin. If we minimize sin, we minimize the cross.”
“Never stop talking about your gratitude for Christ.”
“Every conversation is spiritual.”
“It pleased the Father to crush Him, instead of us.”
From Front Stoop to Glassed-in Porch: # 2 on Reflections from Under the Fig Tree
Screen it in…the front porch that is
Who knows when the mesh aluminum material was invented that effectively blocked mosquitoes from entering porches? You know – screens. And who knows when screening material transitioned from rigid transparent screens to dark, pliable, screens that could create a barrier to mosquitoes as well as to the watchful eye of the nosy neighbor.
All I know is that it was great to be able to turn the outdoors (the porch) into quasi-indoor-space that could be used during rainy days and hot mosquito-filled nights.
One thing happened with the screened in porch – the swinging screened door was created as well. Initially the swinging screened door wasn’t locked. It was a frail sort of contraption that wouldn’t really support a proper lock – so, we used one of those hook-n-eye latches that just kept the door closed.
So what? This mean that neighbors might be able to see in the porch but they couldn’t get past the latched screened-door without permission. Huh? What was once outdoors (the front stoop) but under my roof, became almost indoors but under my roof and open only to the invited. That’s a significant change, socially and personally.
Glass it in…and throw curtains on it
If screened-in porches were innovative, how about replacing the screen with glass?
As we got accustomed to the added living space and we grew fond of the privacy and isolation from neighbors, how much better if we just enclosed the entire porch with glass. Better still, American architecture transitioned us to a back porch rather than a front porch, and we have all the benefits of mosquito-less, indoor enclosure with – get this – a proper door that could be securely locked. To top it off, throw some curtains on the windows and the porch just became my den.
What was once an open front stoop - the place where neighbors sat for hours and “just visited” - became a screened-in, and eventually a glassed-in, private extension of my personal space.
What does all this mean? Isolation and Insulation – the death of community.
The glassed-in back porch with curtains symbolically formalized and solidified the personal-space values that has become American cellular, isolationism. There is no more common space, with the exception of space that is bought-into outside my home for the purpose of limited interaction with a purpose, but only on my terms.
For example, we buy-into the use of exercise clubs and recreational facilities for the purpose of sweating together on exercise machines. We keep our ipods plugged into our ears so we don’t have to interact. We do parallel-play with people in the same exercise room, but we don’t really sit and visit.
It’s no wonder we are all struggling to create faith-communities. It’s no wonder that we go to church not for fellowship but for preaching. It’s no wonder that church is something we receive, not a phenomenon which we experience together. We treat it like the exercise club – we sit beside people but we don’t really interact more than is required.
So what do we do about this?
I’m interested in your thoughts. More about age-group related expressions of glassed-in porches in the next submission…
Glassed-in Front Porches: reflections from under my neighbor’s fig tree
See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. “‘In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” Zech. 3:9-10
The Big Fish Fry
As a child, my dad always saw to it that we lived around a lake. He loved to fish and we all love the water. I still live on a lake today. But life on the lake is different today than it was 40 some years ago.
During the summer, I remember the community-wide fish fry. There was always a big kettle of crackling grease over which some eager soul would stand endlessly dropping in the hushpuppies and catfish. The neighborhood would always show up for a great evening of food and fun, in spite of the mosquitoes and the humid summer evening.
Way back then, it took a village to do stuff. In fact, doing stuff as community was as much part of the joy as getting the stuff done. The fish fry wasn’t about the fish. It was about being neighbors and just having fun connecting. It was about taking time to brag about the fish caught and to share them with buddies. It was about showing off that favorite pie recipe. It was about just talking or throwing a football or falling in the lake while playing tag.
Open Front Stoop
Along with the neighborhood cookout was the open front stoop. The front stoop was a step up from the ground to the house that was open and might have a railing. It was like an open entry to the home. There were no restraints to keep people out. It was an open area with a porch swing or a rocking chair where folks could stop by and sit and visit. Kids could come by on a hot summer day and ask for lemonade or see if “Johnny” could come out to play.
The neighborhood fish fry and the open front porch reflected community values – rather, the value of the village. It was a non-cellular world. Extended family and neighborhood were not locked out by the front door. Community wasn’t determined as much by closed environments.
The open front porch reflects an amorphous community that is open to whomever steps onto the front stoop. It may be an aunt or a cousin who steps onto the porch. It might also be any-old-passerby. Community, neighborliness, openness to folks – it all was reflected by the unconstrained, unlimited front porch that welcomed the world under the shelter, which was an extension of my home.
Zecharias talks about inviting your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree. A few years ago, that vine would be the old front porch. “Come sit under the porch neighbor!” He also reminds us that the motivation and the magnificence of our message to neighbors is that God removed the sin of this land in a single day.
Our problem is two-fold – we are just not very good at being neighbors, so we struggle to have natural conversations about our magnificent savior.
So what’s up with the Front Stoop and Fish Fries?
The fad in church books and church widgets is – “community.” Genuine community. Transparent community. Transformational community. Community community pashmunity!!!! Check out podcasts of the preachers whom cool preachers are listening to and you’ll find a series on community. Every pastor is looking for the widget that will make your small groups become “community.”
Look around – how many open front stoops do you see these days. How many neighborhoods hold a community gathering? How many parents want the world knocking on the door for a glass of lemonade?
We’re struggling to force community in a cellular-world that doesn’t like amorphous community. We’re losing the battle for community.
The most refreshing conversation I had on this subject recently was with a pastor who has extensive experience on the topic. His church is in an artsy area that has lots of theatrical and music industry personnel. The church, by the way, has a great representation of that “arts” makeup in her congregation and ethos.
Here’s what he said that struck me – “nobody is succeeding at community – including me!” He’s been writing about and teaching on “community groups” at some of the most effective “small-group-based” churches, but even he says that he’s failing at it.
So what? What do we do with such honesty from an “expert?” What does he do?
Here’s what he told me. He personally models what he’s learned of community as he starts and multiplies himself in new group each semester. That group and those leaders, in turn, multiply the values he has modeled.
What does he model? Not accountability (that’s too threatening.) Not great Bible teaching (not ever group can have a great Bible teacher.) Not studying the coolest book by the trendiest church or church network.
What he does is begin each group by setting the tone of sharing “his junk.” He puts his stuff out on the table and lets people see him for who he really is. WOW! So…which pastor wants to be the one to dump his stuff out on the table for all to see? Evidently, that’s what a younger generation is asking for and some pastors are willing to provide.
He also establishes an environment of acceptance and forgiveness, which incorporates Bible Study, fun, ministry, etc. In fact, they call their small groups “Villages.” He says the most important thing he does is get radically vulnerable before the small group. Eventually it trickles up to the rest of the group.
But, even with his experience and his creativity and his transparency, he admits – we’re struggling to create community – no, he says, we’re failing.
Problem is – we’ve closed in the front porches. Check back later for a look at the American transition from…
The Open Front Porch to The Screened-in Porch
Memorial Day – Prayer for a Soldier
Our son-in-law is serving our nation during dangerous times in the Middle East, along with numerous men and women. A friend wrote and sent us this as a prayer for our favorite soldier, John. Today is a good day to pray this prayer for all of our soldiers and particularly for the soldier on your heart.
A Prayer for John
Heavenly Father, I pray that you will be his Rock, his Shield and his Protector.
I pray that you will protect him from any dangers of war, any accidents, any illness or disease. Keep him physically safe from any harm.
I know you know where he is every moment. You know when he rises and when he lies down. Please surround him with your hedge of protection so that nothing can touch him unless you allow it.
Heavenly Father, I also ask that you protect him mentally and emotionally. Do not let him be shaken by his experiences or things he sees and hears. May your perfect love cast out fear. Make him strong and steady.
Heavenly Father, just as we have to reach out and receive the salvation you have provided for us, may John reach out and take the peace you have made available to us. May he feel your peace no matter his circumstances.
Make John spiritually strong. Increase his faith. May he feel your presence in his life day and night. May he trust you. May he find strength in your Word and through prayer. Give him Christian friends and fellowship and may they be a support to each other.
May all those who know and love John be faithful to pray for him and communicate with him. May you also give them a strong faith and your peace. May they give him to you for safe-keeping.
I ask that you bring him home safely to his family. I pray that you will bring about the great plans you have for his life.
I ask that you grant these things according to your will and I ask them in Jesus’ name.
Amen