by Mike Chong Perkinson
The longer I have walked with Christ and partnered with the Father in His Kingdom enterprise, I have come to realize that the fundamental issue of my life has been housed in an inability to trust. I have discovered that it is easy to believe God. It is an entirely different matter to wait on Him. If I trust Him then I can wait on Him, even when it appears He is not doing anything.
This inability to trust has influenced my life at the very core of its being, expressing itself most clearly in a command and control persona that resulted in a lot of activity (more than necessary), stress, pressure and oftentimes, wasted energy. This life of command and control can be explicated more clearly in the graph below.
Relief (Soul feels the pleasure of control) >
Immediate Results (Pathway is now confirmed – it works, therefore it is God) >
Ache in the Soul/Boredom (Something still missing, success not enough) >
Pressure to fix the ache of the soul >
Results in increasing stress >
Discouragement & Despair (Ending point for some)>
Demand & Control (Isaiah 50:10-11; Jeremiah 2:13)
As you see, the life of command and control is lived in the authority of the self and not in the power of the resurrected Christ. For many years, I have lived in that mode, justifying it and baptizing it with Scripture. The basic ideology of a command and control leadership style is about the objective and the methodology or system employed to achieve it. Leaders who live in this world de-humanize their leadership teams and staff, providing on-going scarring of their hearts, speaking love while modeling performance and results as the basis of acceptance (you are valuable as long as you contribute). Everything we preach against somehow finds its way into our practice, undermining the very gospel we are trying to convey. How did this happen?
Without trying to answer the question categorically for everyone, let me tell you how it happened for me. The old hymn says, “trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey” (Word by John H. Sammis, 1997). Trust and obey, I have come to believe is the key response to the love of our Father expressed most poignantly in the Son at Calvary. We not only trust and obey for our salvation but for everything we do in our Father’s Kingdom, including how we lead His church.
An example of opting out of the life of trust and obey is found in 2 Samuel 6:1-8, when David is returning the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. He opts to carry it via a cart instead of how it was commanded in the Law which specified that it be carried by Levites who would bear it on their shoulders by means of poles passed through gold rings attached to the ark (Exodus 25:14). Even the Levites could not touch the ark or look in it. This violation of a command led to the death of Uzza.
If you’ll let me place a little modern logic to the mind of David, his rationale for carrying the Ark on a cart was based in convenience and speed. After all, you don’t need 4 people to do it, the pace can be faster and energy preserved. How do we move from doing what we know God has asked of us, to doing what is expedient and convenient? The tragedy of our choice is that it often paves the way for death to be more dominant in our ministries than life. Ironically, more people burn out, die spiritually and lose their passion for Christ – including those of us who lead it – when we opt for this life of convenience, immediacy, results and success.
Years ago, God spoke to my heart a powerful phrase that still reverberates in my soul. He said, “This is a sacred trust, never treat it as common.” This powerful exhortation had to do with His Kingdom and my small part in it, shepherding His church (a local expression of it) for His pleasure and purpose with a methodology of equip and release rather than command and control.
As much as I have known this, I have struggled with it – what I know and what I do have not always been the same. Years ago, when I came to Christ and entered ministry I knew it was about loving God and loving people and making disciples. Somewhere in the simplicity of my faith, I opted for expediency, results and success – using people to achieve my vision (or as I use to say, “God’s vision”). While I contended for those who did not know Jesus and sought to love them and include them at my Father’s table, I minimized those around me as I dictated what they should do to achieve the vision, loved them well when they performed and replaced them when they didn’t, preached about love and family but modeled perform or lose your spot. While I opted for the convenience of carrying the Ark on a cart, I still could hear the voice of my Father speaking to my heart. I simply ignored it or paid more attention to the voice of convenience, results and success.
I am a classic “Type A” personality and so, waiting has never been easy for me. My idea of patience is a 30 second wait – microwaves even irritate me. When it comes to God, who seems to move at “Three Miles an Hour”, I have found myself opting for convenience and immediacy, rather than “trust and obey”.
When we adopted our second daughter, we were so amazed at God’s kindness to us. Ephesians 3:20 seemed to be happening as God was simply blowing our minds. However, during the second week of the adoption the birth mother changed her mind. It was a time of tremendous heartache for us as we were well aware that we were about to lose our daughter. We prayed and trusted God, with no other options but prayer and waiting on Him (rather good options, I think). The following Sunday my wife went to the altar and laid our little girl on it (I joined her) and thanked God that we were able to be parents of a newborn baby for 2 weeks. With our baby girl in her arms fully extended to God, we said thank you to God and wept. We let our baby go into the hands of our loving Father (waiting on God which is to look to God, Isaiah 40:28-31). Well, God took our daughter and gave her right back to us and we have enjoyed this sacred trust and will never treat it as common. What I have learned is that when you wait or look to God (Isaiah 40:28-31) the results are far greater, the death happens inside of us and the life and health of those around us is vibrant, alive and maturing.
Dear leader, as you contend for our God, be mindful of His voice. You know, the one that reminds you to love your spouse and speak kindly and tenderly to her; the voice that prompts you to show affection and verbalize it to your children; the voice that encourages you to appreciate your staff and leadership team with words and acts of kindness; the voice that asks you to give up your fear; the voice that tells you are a beloved son/daughter before you are a servant or a steward. Whatever you do, be sure to carry the Ark the way it is supposed to be carried – “trust and obey for there is no other way.”
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
More Than Mechanics
by Tom Johnston
In the classic 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz, the young girl Dorothy is transported to the Land of Oz, and in her journey to return home to Kansas, she seeks out the Wizard of Oz, purported to be the wisest man in the land, to aid her in her quest. Through all of her adventures, she and her friends (the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion) finally encounter the Wizard, who is not all that he at first seems to be.
First appearing as a giant, fearful apparition, the Wizard is exposed as just a man who is operating the “smoke and mirrors show” of his avatar from machinery hid behind a curtain. Amazingly enough, once he is exposed, the travelers gain the benefit of his very real, and gentle, wisdom. While the Wizard messed up and is eventually unable to facilitate Dorothy’s return, he is able to help the others discover that the things which they seek are already in their possession.
For too many of us who are pastors, we have been trained to be the men and women “behind the curtain,” pulling the levers of the church machinery, keeping everything (apparently) running smoothly, creating a larger-than-life presentation each Sunday morning. We wow the crowds with our sermons, video clips and worship experiences while staying safely behind the “curtain,” holding people at a distance, all the while saying “ignore that man behind the curtain!” With exposure comes vulnerability, and the regular folks from Kansas might find that Pastor Oz is not quite as huge as the twenty foot projection screen makes him out to be. So, we focus on being “church mechanics,” operating and maintaining the machine of ministry, a safe recluse accessible to all through their avatar, but available to none as a real person.
But it is that kind of encounter, the encounter with the “real Oz,” that allows for those “regular folks” to access the gentle wisdom of Jesus resident in each of His shepherds through the Scripture and the Spirit. And what we help them discover is that what they seek they already possess in Christ. Too often we try to give them what we think they want – the big show with all its apparitions or pomp or laser-light shows, yet in doing so we most often fail to give them what they really need.
It is much safer for us to touch them lightly through our public avatar than to touch them deeply through our personal presence. Indeed, the avatar allows us to present, like the Wizard, a perspective of who I am without revealing the true me – the “spiritual giant,” the “Sermonator,” the faux-vulnerable servant of God who is close to no one. (Social networking sites allow us to do the same – I can show you the “me” I want you to see and never allow you close enough to see the real “me.”)
Now, you can’t have deep relationships with everyone in your congregation, especially if you have a large church. No one can handle that many relationships, and it is foolishness to try. But you can be open and go deep with your staff and leadership team, modeling vulnerability, giving them access to the wisdom of Christ in you, setting a standard for the culture and ministry of your church community. What you do with them, they will do with others. What you give to them from Jesus, they will give to others. Pretty soon, the light show will seem dim due to the brightness of the Son in your midst. You’ll find the levers you used to pull don’t flip the spiritual switch for people anymore, as they have found the real Jesus in you and your leaders – once you stepped out from behind the curtain.
We are more than mechanics operating and maintaining the machinery of church. We are not professional performers, staging a larger-than-life drama. We are the “regular folk,” the men and women of God, called to live a way of life together with others, with all of our flaws and vulnerabilities – all our human frailty – making disciples with His gentle wisdom.
So, come out from behind the curtain, and join the rest of us. The first steps might be a bit scary, but the rest of the journey is a blessing – both for you and for those you minister to.
In the classic 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz, the young girl Dorothy is transported to the Land of Oz, and in her journey to return home to Kansas, she seeks out the Wizard of Oz, purported to be the wisest man in the land, to aid her in her quest. Through all of her adventures, she and her friends (the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion) finally encounter the Wizard, who is not all that he at first seems to be.
First appearing as a giant, fearful apparition, the Wizard is exposed as just a man who is operating the “smoke and mirrors show” of his avatar from machinery hid behind a curtain. Amazingly enough, once he is exposed, the travelers gain the benefit of his very real, and gentle, wisdom. While the Wizard messed up and is eventually unable to facilitate Dorothy’s return, he is able to help the others discover that the things which they seek are already in their possession.
For too many of us who are pastors, we have been trained to be the men and women “behind the curtain,” pulling the levers of the church machinery, keeping everything (apparently) running smoothly, creating a larger-than-life presentation each Sunday morning. We wow the crowds with our sermons, video clips and worship experiences while staying safely behind the “curtain,” holding people at a distance, all the while saying “ignore that man behind the curtain!” With exposure comes vulnerability, and the regular folks from Kansas might find that Pastor Oz is not quite as huge as the twenty foot projection screen makes him out to be. So, we focus on being “church mechanics,” operating and maintaining the machine of ministry, a safe recluse accessible to all through their avatar, but available to none as a real person.
But it is that kind of encounter, the encounter with the “real Oz,” that allows for those “regular folks” to access the gentle wisdom of Jesus resident in each of His shepherds through the Scripture and the Spirit. And what we help them discover is that what they seek they already possess in Christ. Too often we try to give them what we think they want – the big show with all its apparitions or pomp or laser-light shows, yet in doing so we most often fail to give them what they really need.
It is much safer for us to touch them lightly through our public avatar than to touch them deeply through our personal presence. Indeed, the avatar allows us to present, like the Wizard, a perspective of who I am without revealing the true me – the “spiritual giant,” the “Sermonator,” the faux-vulnerable servant of God who is close to no one. (Social networking sites allow us to do the same – I can show you the “me” I want you to see and never allow you close enough to see the real “me.”)
Now, you can’t have deep relationships with everyone in your congregation, especially if you have a large church. No one can handle that many relationships, and it is foolishness to try. But you can be open and go deep with your staff and leadership team, modeling vulnerability, giving them access to the wisdom of Christ in you, setting a standard for the culture and ministry of your church community. What you do with them, they will do with others. What you give to them from Jesus, they will give to others. Pretty soon, the light show will seem dim due to the brightness of the Son in your midst. You’ll find the levers you used to pull don’t flip the spiritual switch for people anymore, as they have found the real Jesus in you and your leaders – once you stepped out from behind the curtain.
We are more than mechanics operating and maintaining the machinery of church. We are not professional performers, staging a larger-than-life drama. We are the “regular folk,” the men and women of God, called to live a way of life together with others, with all of our flaws and vulnerabilities – all our human frailty – making disciples with His gentle wisdom.
So, come out from behind the curtain, and join the rest of us. The first steps might be a bit scary, but the rest of the journey is a blessing – both for you and for those you minister to.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
My Father
by Mike Chong Perkinson
We live in a confused, somewhat dark and oppressive time. The apparent corners of our foundation have been seriously challenged in the past 18 months. Our equity has been severely diminished (for many completely gone), for many their homes have been foreclosed upon, for countless millions jobs have gone by the wayside, and our retirement plans have been blown away by the winds of economic decline.
On top of that, we are still dealing with the effects of the earthquake of postmodernity, leaving us in a quandary of how to think, perceive and function in our lives as pastors and leaders of the church. The theological landscape is still a confused mess. The arguments for and against postmodernity have already filled enough pages of a myriad of books and articles; another one by the Praxis guys is not necessary. However, I am concerned that the times we live in have only led to further confusion about who we are in Christ and how we are to live as His community. Unlike the men of Issachar, who had understanding about the times (I Chronicles 12:32); we find ourselves more sophisticated than ever, technologically savvy and stellar in creating ambience for our gatherings and yet, without any clearer sense of who we are as sons and daughters of the Most High and how we are to love and live together as a community.
Oh sure, we have continued to do what the church is so proficient at, polarizing between so-called ideologies which are still theological and methodological processes that are all too often, devoid of developing the 3 relationships: Relationship with God, relationship with self and relationship with others. The polarization between the house church movement and the traditional/temple church is a reaction to something that is missing in our current church practices by and large. Even with the challenge of postmodernity, we still tend to look to something (a methodology – a new wineskin) rather than looking to someone (the Father and His people). All this tells us is that the “how” of doing church is still the issue.
How do we overcome this dilemma and live and love as Jesus did? Well, let’s turn to Jesus to see if He can help us.
Jesus frequently used the personal and intimate designation of God as “My Father”. Unlike so many in our day and age, Jesus defined Himself in relationship with His Father. We tend to define ourselves by our theological persuasions, our methodological prowess, our roles, our mission, etc. If you took away your ministry, your role, your mission, would have anything left that could be called the self? I realize that human beings have “to do” something in order to be human – our humanity is expressed in and through our doing. This is not my question or issue. Maybe the better question is, if you gave away the Gift of Presence – the Gift of Self to another, what would that look like without your role or missional function? What does it mean, in your life, to incarnate the Gospel in the lives of others?
Jesus often says, “My Father” - this is the key and source of His life and ministry. He is in relationship with the Father. He is not submitted first to a mission, a cause, a methodology, but to His Father. It is this relationship that releases Him to the mission, the Father’s cause and the methodology by which He will do it.
It is also of interest that the Father’s validation of Jesus, at His baptism, was on who the Son is, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). I find it striking that the Father defines Jesus by His relationship to Himself and not by what Jesus came to do.
This relationship defines who Jesus is, what He will do and how He will do it. In the same way, our relationship with the Father allows us to discover who we are in Christ and how He has made us for His Kingdom pleasure and purpose. It is only then that we truly are able to do only what we see the Father doing. Maybe it actually frees us to see what the Father is doing since we are no longer looking at our theological paradigms or methodological processes first, but sensing the direction of the Father’s leading and where He is already at work.
Navigating this confusing time or any confusing time is best done by looking to our relationship with our Father. After all, isn’t that how Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father”?
I say all that to simply ask, are you growing in your love for God and for His people? Do you find your heart moved by the tender mercies of God, overcome by His love and unable to stop the love of Christ from flowing from your life towards others? Do you find your devotions extend to the whole day rather than just 15-30 minutes? Have you discovered your love for family is deepening and your presence with your spouse is more pronounced? In the midst of this economic decline, have you noticed more peace and hope than ever before, even though all that seems to bring it is passing away? How can that be? Maybe, that is the question the world should be asking us who live such a reality.
The revolution that Tom and I believe our Father is birthing is not one that is based in a new ideology or a cause or methodology, but in a relationship with God. It is only those who walk in such simplicity that will be able to navigate this tumultuous time with grace and success, as they do what they see their Father doing.
And so, what are you defined by? What defines you is what you will give away.
We live in a confused, somewhat dark and oppressive time. The apparent corners of our foundation have been seriously challenged in the past 18 months. Our equity has been severely diminished (for many completely gone), for many their homes have been foreclosed upon, for countless millions jobs have gone by the wayside, and our retirement plans have been blown away by the winds of economic decline.
On top of that, we are still dealing with the effects of the earthquake of postmodernity, leaving us in a quandary of how to think, perceive and function in our lives as pastors and leaders of the church. The theological landscape is still a confused mess. The arguments for and against postmodernity have already filled enough pages of a myriad of books and articles; another one by the Praxis guys is not necessary. However, I am concerned that the times we live in have only led to further confusion about who we are in Christ and how we are to live as His community. Unlike the men of Issachar, who had understanding about the times (I Chronicles 12:32); we find ourselves more sophisticated than ever, technologically savvy and stellar in creating ambience for our gatherings and yet, without any clearer sense of who we are as sons and daughters of the Most High and how we are to love and live together as a community.
Oh sure, we have continued to do what the church is so proficient at, polarizing between so-called ideologies which are still theological and methodological processes that are all too often, devoid of developing the 3 relationships: Relationship with God, relationship with self and relationship with others. The polarization between the house church movement and the traditional/temple church is a reaction to something that is missing in our current church practices by and large. Even with the challenge of postmodernity, we still tend to look to something (a methodology – a new wineskin) rather than looking to someone (the Father and His people). All this tells us is that the “how” of doing church is still the issue.
How do we overcome this dilemma and live and love as Jesus did? Well, let’s turn to Jesus to see if He can help us.
Jesus frequently used the personal and intimate designation of God as “My Father”. Unlike so many in our day and age, Jesus defined Himself in relationship with His Father. We tend to define ourselves by our theological persuasions, our methodological prowess, our roles, our mission, etc. If you took away your ministry, your role, your mission, would have anything left that could be called the self? I realize that human beings have “to do” something in order to be human – our humanity is expressed in and through our doing. This is not my question or issue. Maybe the better question is, if you gave away the Gift of Presence – the Gift of Self to another, what would that look like without your role or missional function? What does it mean, in your life, to incarnate the Gospel in the lives of others?
Jesus often says, “My Father” - this is the key and source of His life and ministry. He is in relationship with the Father. He is not submitted first to a mission, a cause, a methodology, but to His Father. It is this relationship that releases Him to the mission, the Father’s cause and the methodology by which He will do it.
It is also of interest that the Father’s validation of Jesus, at His baptism, was on who the Son is, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). I find it striking that the Father defines Jesus by His relationship to Himself and not by what Jesus came to do.
This relationship defines who Jesus is, what He will do and how He will do it. In the same way, our relationship with the Father allows us to discover who we are in Christ and how He has made us for His Kingdom pleasure and purpose. It is only then that we truly are able to do only what we see the Father doing. Maybe it actually frees us to see what the Father is doing since we are no longer looking at our theological paradigms or methodological processes first, but sensing the direction of the Father’s leading and where He is already at work.
Navigating this confusing time or any confusing time is best done by looking to our relationship with our Father. After all, isn’t that how Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father”?
I say all that to simply ask, are you growing in your love for God and for His people? Do you find your heart moved by the tender mercies of God, overcome by His love and unable to stop the love of Christ from flowing from your life towards others? Do you find your devotions extend to the whole day rather than just 15-30 minutes? Have you discovered your love for family is deepening and your presence with your spouse is more pronounced? In the midst of this economic decline, have you noticed more peace and hope than ever before, even though all that seems to bring it is passing away? How can that be? Maybe, that is the question the world should be asking us who live such a reality.
The revolution that Tom and I believe our Father is birthing is not one that is based in a new ideology or a cause or methodology, but in a relationship with God. It is only those who walk in such simplicity that will be able to navigate this tumultuous time with grace and success, as they do what they see their Father doing.
And so, what are you defined by? What defines you is what you will give away.
Church Without The Props
by Tom Johnston
So, how did Jesus minister the Gospel to the 5,000 without the appropriate background music? I mean, come on, how did He set the mood for the moving of the Spirit on people hearts and minds without a worship leader and team backing Him up? Everyone knows that you need a serious kickin’ sound system to do live events outdoors! It’s surprising that people would come such a meeting without proper seating, or donkey parking, or childcare. I wonder what the disciples did for Children’s Church? How was He able to do leadership meetings with His disciples without PowerPoint? How was He able to build community with them without e-mail, Facebook or Twitter? How did Jesus do church without all the props?
I think the key to why His ministry was so effective can be found in this passage from John 6:66-69:
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus had life, the life of the Father in Him, and that life was that which drew people to Him. Jesus didn’t need the props because He had content – eternal life from the Father. And not eternal life as a concept, or a future destination, but as a vital current reality. People experienced the life of the eternal Father when they encountered Jesus. Peter’s statement related the fact that they had been so impacted by this life that they could not leave Jesus. If Christ was so impacting us today – and others through us, we would see the churches full to overflowing. So, the question becomes, why do we need the props to “do church?”
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think we should use all the technology, etc. in our ministry environments. There are many practical things we need to put in place to facilitate ministry well, and all ministry should be done with excellence. But very often we prop our ministry up on the props, because we don’t have the vital life of Jesus flowing in us or our churches. Ouch. I know, it hurts to embrace that, like a crown of thorns, or nails in the hands, or a spear in the side. But we have to embrace this truth – it is part of our going to the Cross, part of our dying daily, part of our sharing in the sufferings of Christ.
We often use the analogy of Starbucks coffee in a paper cup – we go to Starbucks for the good coffee (and pay way too much) and not the paper cup. The cup is essential, but is not what we spend the ridiculous amount of money. It’s the content. The life of the Father brought to us by the Holy Spirit through Jesus the Son is the content we need. As we like to say, we need some serious Jesus on tap, because you can’t give away what you don’t already have.
So, what are you doing to add the content of the life of Christ to your life? How are you going deep with Jesus, personally? How are you going to add His life to your Church? Are you relying on the props to get you through, both personally and as a church?
Recently, I learned of a local Episcopal church here in New England which had one of the walls collapse of its stone building – it fell on the pastor’s car. The building inspector condemned the ancient stone building – they can never use it again. Believe it or not, the congregation was revitalized by the challenge of being flexible for worship, sharing space with other churches, being in temporary digs. They lost one of their props, but found the dynamic life of Christ. Amazing. What would you and your congregation do in a similar situation? What would happen if you lost some of the props supporting your ministry? Maybe it’s time to kick out some of the props and see if the life of Christ alone will support your ministry. Let’s see if they are coming because of His life, or the convenient donkey parking.
May your life and ministry have the true life of Jesus in abundance and may it be more than just a propped up house of cards.
So, how did Jesus minister the Gospel to the 5,000 without the appropriate background music? I mean, come on, how did He set the mood for the moving of the Spirit on people hearts and minds without a worship leader and team backing Him up? Everyone knows that you need a serious kickin’ sound system to do live events outdoors! It’s surprising that people would come such a meeting without proper seating, or donkey parking, or childcare. I wonder what the disciples did for Children’s Church? How was He able to do leadership meetings with His disciples without PowerPoint? How was He able to build community with them without e-mail, Facebook or Twitter? How did Jesus do church without all the props?
I think the key to why His ministry was so effective can be found in this passage from John 6:66-69:
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus had life, the life of the Father in Him, and that life was that which drew people to Him. Jesus didn’t need the props because He had content – eternal life from the Father. And not eternal life as a concept, or a future destination, but as a vital current reality. People experienced the life of the eternal Father when they encountered Jesus. Peter’s statement related the fact that they had been so impacted by this life that they could not leave Jesus. If Christ was so impacting us today – and others through us, we would see the churches full to overflowing. So, the question becomes, why do we need the props to “do church?”
Now, don’t get me wrong, I think we should use all the technology, etc. in our ministry environments. There are many practical things we need to put in place to facilitate ministry well, and all ministry should be done with excellence. But very often we prop our ministry up on the props, because we don’t have the vital life of Jesus flowing in us or our churches. Ouch. I know, it hurts to embrace that, like a crown of thorns, or nails in the hands, or a spear in the side. But we have to embrace this truth – it is part of our going to the Cross, part of our dying daily, part of our sharing in the sufferings of Christ.
We often use the analogy of Starbucks coffee in a paper cup – we go to Starbucks for the good coffee (and pay way too much) and not the paper cup. The cup is essential, but is not what we spend the ridiculous amount of money. It’s the content. The life of the Father brought to us by the Holy Spirit through Jesus the Son is the content we need. As we like to say, we need some serious Jesus on tap, because you can’t give away what you don’t already have.
So, what are you doing to add the content of the life of Christ to your life? How are you going deep with Jesus, personally? How are you going to add His life to your Church? Are you relying on the props to get you through, both personally and as a church?
Recently, I learned of a local Episcopal church here in New England which had one of the walls collapse of its stone building – it fell on the pastor’s car. The building inspector condemned the ancient stone building – they can never use it again. Believe it or not, the congregation was revitalized by the challenge of being flexible for worship, sharing space with other churches, being in temporary digs. They lost one of their props, but found the dynamic life of Christ. Amazing. What would you and your congregation do in a similar situation? What would happen if you lost some of the props supporting your ministry? Maybe it’s time to kick out some of the props and see if the life of Christ alone will support your ministry. Let’s see if they are coming because of His life, or the convenient donkey parking.
May your life and ministry have the true life of Jesus in abundance and may it be more than just a propped up house of cards.
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