Pastor Irene's Manifesto

Here's another part I loved from Eugene Peterson's The Pastor. I post these kinds of things so I can get back to them easily!

Peterson was facilitating a class with a group of soon-to-be-starting pastors. After a few days together, he asked one young lady who'd been quiet what she was thinking. This was her response, which Peterson called Pastor Irene's Manifesto. I want to make it mine too.

"When I get a congregation, I want to be a patient pastor. I want to have eyes to see and ears to hear what God is doing and saying in their lives. I don't want to judge them in terms of what I think they should be doing. I want to be a witness to what God is doing in their lives, not a schoolmistress handing out grades for how well they are doing something for God.

"I think I see something unique about being a pastor that I had never noticed: the pastor is the one person in the community who is free to take men and women seriously just as they are, appreciate them just as they are, give them the dignity that derives from being the 'image of God,' a God-created being who has eternal worth without having to prove usefulness or be good for anything. I know that I will be doing a lot of other things too, but I might be the only person who is free to do this.

"I don't want to be so impatient with the mess that I am not around to see the miracle being formed. I don't want to conceive of my life as pastor so functionally that the mystery gets squeezed out of both me and the congregation."

The Christian Religion

Interesting book I've just started reading, by Gregory A. Boyd. It's called The Myth of a Christian Religion, "Losing your religion for the beauty of a revolution."

I picked it up because I listened to an interview with the Greg Boyd a little while ago, where he talked about the book and some of the ideas behind it. If you have a spare moment, definitely listen to the interview, because there were some amazing insights there - about church and Christian culture and what the way of Jesus might look like in our world today. If you do listen to it, make sure you let me know any thoughts, or if anything stood out to you.

Here's a little from the introduction to the book....

"This may surprise or even offend you, but Jesus is not the founder of the Christian religion. True, a religion arose centuries after he lived that was called 'Christian,' but... in many respects this religion was antithetical to what Jesus was about. In fact... the very concept of a 'Christian religion' is something of a myth when understood in the light of what Jesus was about."

Send me your thoughts on that one too!

Your Money God's Way

This is the best book on money I've read. Admittedly, that doesn't say a lot, seeing as I've only read probably one other book on the topic. Still, if you're interested in seeing what a Godly, spiritual way of dealing with money might be, Your Money God's Way would be a great place to start.

What I liked about it most was the way it used the Bible. The other book on money that I've read stole quotes from the Bible to back up the author's points (e.g. "You need to tithe, because as it says in Deuteronomy chapter 11 verse..."), but the author of this book, Amie Streater, has got a much better handle on the big ideas that the Bible - and Jesus - are trying to get across. This one has a more practical, real-life feel to it, which I loved.

God cares about real people, and how real people live through the everyday challenges and celebrations of their lives, and this come across wonderfully in the way Amie writes. She's a pastor herself, and you can tell she's spent many hours, days, years, praying and crying with people as they work through these challenges and come out the other end more content and more generous - more like God.

Couple of other things that I found helpful...

At the start of the book, Amie goes through some of the myths about money that have sadly been preached many times in churches. If you've ever been to church, you've probably heard some of these myths, and they're really quite damaging, and not at all what God has in mind.

Also, there are some very helpful chapters on different money "personalities." Everybody deals with money in a different way, and Amie goes through each style, celebrates the positive points, but also
points out some possible pitfalls in each way of living. I found these chapters helped me to understand myself and the other people around me a lot better.

It's well worth a read, for anyone who has a wallet or bank account (whether they have money in them or not). Everybody deals with money, and it's my belief that the way you use money in your life is one of the best signs of what kind of person you are.

Work & Grace

"It is the nature of work to provide a material form for the invisibilities of grace."

- Eugene H. Peterson, from his book, Practise Resurrection: A Conversation in Growing Up in Christ

Sunday Services

This one might be a little controversial. Love to hear your thoughts! This is taken from Neil Cole's Organic Church....

"When you imagine the amount of resources, energy, and time invested in a service held only one day a week, it is remarkable. With all the importance placed on this event, you would expect there to be a lot of scriptural directives to make sure people get it right. But if you search all of the New Testament looking for the commands or injunctions having to do with this important weekly event, you will find them sadly missing. Instead you will find verses, chapters, and entire books that speak to how we are to live together as a spiritual family. You will find commands and injunctions to serve and worship, but not just one day a week. How is it that we have gone so far away from the pure and simple priorities of the Scriptures?..."

"We find it nearly impossible to even think about church without a Sunday morning service event, but this is not the biblical norm. When we read of church life, we read into the scriptural text this idea. Try reading your New Testament without a once-a-week service. In fact, there is much evidence that believers got together with their church families daily, not once a week - and the gathering had more to do with a meal together than with sanctimonious liturgy.

"How did we ever get to the place where church was nothing more than a one-and-a-half-hour service on a single day of the week at a specific location? I assure you, in Jesus' eyes, the Church is much more than that! He doesn't limit His Church to a building, a location, or a time frame."

A Prayer for Our Church

From "Living the Resurrection," by Eugene Peterson....

Lord Jesus Christ, we come to you with a deep sense of gratitude, care, concern, devotion, love for you, and desire to live responsively to you. We sense that we're with friends in your company of followers - friends who share the life of resurrection and want others to get in on it, notice it, and begin participating at the centre of what you're doing rather than on the periphery. We pray for strength and discernment to understand the culture we are in - the deadening effects, the seductive lures.... We ask your blessing on your church - scattered and dispersed and so much of it in despair. We pray that wherever we are and whatever places we go back into - whether it's pew or pulpit - we may be part of this resurrection life, knowing that you are present and doing your work. You're not anxious about what is going to happen or whether this is going to work or not. It's worked a long, long time and will continue working. Mostly, keep us faithful, attentive, adorational, sacrificial, and personal. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Good

I love the last chapter in Rob Bell's book, Velvet Elvis, about the restoration of the world, and how the church joins with Jesus in bringing this about. If you can get a hold of it, I encourage you to read the whole chapter. 

Here are some of his thoughts....

"To be a part of the church was to join a countercultural society that was partnering with God to create a new kind of culture, right under the nose of the caesars. These Christians made sure everybody in their midst had enough to eat. They made sure everybody was able to pay their bills. They made sure there was enough to go around. The resurrection for them was not an abstract spiritual concept; it was a concrete social and economic reality. God raised Jesus from the dead to show the world that Jesus is Lord, and it is through his power and his example and his Spirit that the world is restored...."

"...so many passages about the early church deal with possessions and meals and generosity. They understood that people are rarely persuaded by arguments, but more often by experiences. Living, breathing, flesh-and-blood experiences of the resurrection community.... To the outside world, it was less about proving and more about inviting people to experience this community of Jesus' followers for themselves...."

"It is when the church gives itself away in radical acts of service and compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the way of Jesus is most vividly put on display."

This is why generosity is such a big part of what we're doing in this community - whether or not people become Christians because of it. This is the heart of God and the way of Jesus, helping people to experience the kingdom of Heaven, right here, right now.

"I am learning that the church is at its best when it is underground, subversive, and countercultural. It is the quiet, humble, stealth acts that change things." I love this idea of the underground, subversive church.

"I am learning that the church has nothing to say to the world until it throws better parties. By this I don't necessarily mean balloons and confetti and clowns who paint faces. I mean backyards and basements and porches. It is in the places we live and move with the people we're on the journey with, that we are reminded it is God's world and we're going to be okay.... The images Jesus used were of banquets and feasts and celebrations. What do we do at parties such as these? We eat and talk and dance and enjoy each other and above all else, we take our time. What does Jesus do almost as much as he teaches and heals? He eats long meals. As Christians, it is our duty to master the art of the long meal."

Surprisingly, this subject of meals has been covered quite a bit in books I've been reading lately! - In Living the Resurrection, Eugene Peterson points out that enjoying meals with his disciples was one of the first things Jesus did after his resurrection - clearly showing that this is to remain a key part of the new community. And in Eats with Sinners, Arron Chambers speaks of it as one of the most important ways to share the heart of God with people outside the church. Eating with people is good for your health, in every possible way. We'd already decided that eating together was going to be a major part of our church, but it's sure nice to hear these thoughts echoes by theologians, and by Jesus himself. That's my kind of church!

An Interview with Greg Boyd

Neue Ministry regularly chats to leaders and innovators in Christian ministry, and I love listening to the podcasts that come from these conversations. Here's an interview with Greg Boyd that I found interesting - especially the discussion on his recent book.

Click here to listen to the interview, or you can find the Neue podcast on iTunes.

In this episode of the Neue podcast, Senior Editor Josh Loveless interviews Greg Boyd about the controversy that seems to follow him. They talk about how he dealt with losing a thousand people because of a sermon series he did as well as his book The Myth of a Christian Religion. Click to listen now or subscribe at iTunes.

Fishing

I've always loved that fishing and mission are so frequently tied together. Here are some tips on trout fishing, for those who are interested....

"While working in Yellowstone National Park, I saw a lot of wonderful things, but I also saw some odd things. One of the odd sights I saw regularly was someone fishing for trout on the side of the road in a pond formed by melted snow. To the novice, that looked like a nice little trout pond, but anyone with any experience in northern fishing knows that the only things a small pond on the side of the road will yield is a small trout - and only if the pond is more than a temporary puddle caused by melted snow. The big trout can best be reached by being waist deep in raging, ice-cold water in the heart of the wilderness....

"How often are our evangelistic efforts akin to fishing in a puddle of snowmelt? If we evaluated what some churches are spending on reaching the lost and what they are actually doing to reach the lost, it's the equivalent of sticking our heads out of the front doors of our sanctuaries - just beyond the earshot of sinners, whispering the name of Jesus, and then weeping because more lost people aren't responding to the gospel.

"They aren't responding to the gospel because we aren't responding to the gospel.

"Jesus clearly commanded us to go deep 'into all the world and preach the good news to all creation' (Mark 16:15). But like pathetic fishermen standing ankle deep in snowmelt, too many of us have chosen safety and convenience over risk and inconvenience, so - like that poor guy fishing in run-off - we are never going to catch anything... ever, unless we go deeper."

- from Eats With Sinners, by Arron Chambers

The Great Commission

Some encouraging thoughts about mission by Jim Petersen, from his book Lifestyle Discipleship:

"Can you imagine being among the eleven who met with Jesus on that mountain in Galilee after He had risen from the dead? Jesus instructed them to go to all the nations and teach people in those nations everything He had taught them.

"If any of the eleven did any quick math on the spot, they would have wondered if Jesus was serious. He had spent something over three years instructing them. Now He was telling them to repeat what He had done with them among every people on earth!

"Jesus was thinking generations when He gave that command to the eleven. He did not expect them to get to every breathing soul on earth. They would reach some, and these in turn would reach others - until the world would hear....

"Again we have the characteristic pattern of the kingdom at work: low profile, low maintenance, no need for press coverage, just go to people. And they did it.

"It is still the best way. My work has to do with establishing the gospel in places where it hasn't gone or where its voice is weak. The best possible approach to starting something new in a country is to send in a pair of mature, tested couples who will think long-term. They will learn the language and put their roots down. It may take them the rest of their lives before they see fruit that is bearing fruit. That kind of beginning is slow and obscure, but in the long run it will outstrip and outlast any other more gala approach to missions."

Boxes Don't Move

"Thinking out of the box about the church building is not a new concept. The first Christians did pretty well without the use of church buildings. They gathered in homes, tombs, catacombs, and anyplace else they could gather safely in the midst of persecution. A body is the image God uses for his church..., but some churches today, based on how they spend their time and money, prefer to focus on the box instead of the body.

"This is problematic for several reasons.

"First, boxes don't move. Boxes are not alive, so - unlike a healthy human body - they are completely immobile. The church was never meant to be viewed as an immobile box sitting on the corner of Eighth and Main; God intended for us to view the church as a healthy, mobile body of believers moving - walking - through this world....

"The church is commanded to search out and get next to lost people - to make life, help, hope, peace, joy, truth, and love more accessible."

- from Eats With Sinners, by Arron Chambers

Instead of a Show

Thanks to Jon Foreman for this great song, "Instead of a Show," from his album Limbs and Branches. The lyrics are based on a passage from Isaiah, chapter 1.

---

I hate all your show and pretense
The hypocrisy of your praise
The hypocrisy of your festivals
I hate all your show

Away with your noisy worship
Away with your noisy hymns
I stop up my ears when you're singing 'em
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show

Your eyes are closed when you're praying
You sing right along with the band
You shine up your shoes for services
There's blood on your hands

You turned your back on the homeless
And the ones that don't fit in your plan
Quit playing religion games
There's blood on your hands

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show

Let's argue this out
If your sins are blood red
Let's argue this out
You'll be one of the clouds
Let's argue this out
Quit fooling around
Give love to the ones who can't love at all
Give hope to the ones who've got no hope at all
Stand up for the ones who can't stand at all

I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show

Success & Growth

One of the parts I found particularly insightful in Tim Chester's and Steve Timmis' book was the chapter on success. What does success in a church look like? Here are some of their thoughts....

"Living plants are growing plants. The plants in my garden are either growing or dying. In the same way living churches are growing churches. Members grow in their love for God and for one another. Unbelievers will encounter the aroma of Christ. Such growth is rarely straightforward. Often it is three steps forward and two steps backward. But growth is normal. God's word will achieve what he purposes for it. And so, as people are saved, the church will grow numerically.

"But numerical growth need not equate to larger congregations. There is another model for church growth: growing churches by planting churches. As we have argued, planting churches offers the most biblical and most effective way to reach our towns and cities for Christ. But it requires a different vision for church growth. If we measure ourselves by the size of our congregations, there will always be a strong deterrent to plant."

What if...?

Inspiring words by Neil Cole, from his book, Organic Church...

"Instead of bringing people to church so that we can then bring them to Christ, let's bring Christ to people where they live. We may find that a new church will grow out of such an enterprise, a church that is more centered in life and the workplace, where the Gospel is supposed to make a difference. What will happen if we plant the seed of the Kingdom of God in the places were life happens and where society is formed? Is this not what Jesus intended for His Church?

"What would it be like if churches emerged organically, like small spiritual families born out of the soil of lostness, because the seed of God's kingdom was planted there? These churches could reproduce just as all living and organic things do.

"We have seen such churches meeting in restaurants, offices, homes, university campuses, high school facilities, and beaches. We've had churches meeting in bars, coffeehouses, parks, and locker rooms. One of our church networks has as its purpose statement "To have a church within walking distance of every person living in Las Vegas." Another claims, "Every Christian is a church planter, every home is a church, and every church building is a training centre." This is a whole new way of seeing Christ's church, and it is happening today all across the Western world.... We must take Christ into people's lives, and it must be in the context of relationships."

Gospel & Community

I've just finished a brilliantly insightful book, Total Church, by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. Tim and Steve are cofounders of The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in the UK, and codirectors of the Porterbrook Network, which trains and mentors church planters.

Total Church is filled with amazing practical insights about church that would be helpful for any pastor or church leader. But it is especially helpful for church planters and small churches.

The foundational message is a call to radically reshape church around the two key principles of gospel and community. As they explain in the introduction....

"Christians are called to a dual fidelity: fidelity to the core content of the gospel and fidelity to the primary context of a believing community. Whether we are thinking about evangelism, social involvement, pastoral care, apologetics, discipleship, or teaching, the content is consistently the Christian gospel, and the context is consistently the Christian community. What we do is always defined by the gospel, and the context is always our belonging in the church. Our identity as Christians is defined by the gospel and the community.

"Being gospel-centred actually involves two things. First, it means being word-centered because the gospel is a word - the gospel is news, a message. Second, it means being mission-centered because the gospel is a word to be proclaimed - the gospel is good news, a missionary message."

The first part of the book is a discussion on why we would do well to shape church around these two elements, and then the second part of the book provides many many practical tips and insights on how this works in church life. Part two is pure gold. What does this mean for evangelism? Church planting? World mission? Discipleship and training, pastoral care, spirituality? What does success look like? And one of the most practical: what do we do in small churches and church plants when it comes to young people and children (something I've wondered about for the future)?

I'm so grateful to these guys for all of their insights. This book, and especially the chapter on church planting, was one of the things that first encouraged and inspired me to think seriously about planting a church. I love the humility and wisdom of the authors, and I'm so blessed to benefit from their priceless experience planting churches and working with church planters.

The River

- From Between Two Kingdoms, a brilliant story by Joe Boyd....

   "So we just jump right in, Pops?" asked Bobby.

   "Pretty much. We just jump in and away we go! Come over here by me and hold hands. Mary, you stand in the middle. It's easier if you all go in together."

   "But what about our clothes?" asked Tommy.

   "You go in just like you are," Pops said. "That's the only way to do it." He stepped behind them and Tommy felt a strong hand on his back. "Ready to jump?"

   "Not quite yet," said Mary.

   "Sure you are!"

   One forceful jolt from Pops and Tommy flew into the River, pulling Mary and Bobby along with him. Pops jumped in like a cannonball right behind them.

   Cool water rushed all over Tommy’s face and pulled him downstream. In a minute, he understood what Pops had meant about the River being a person with a mind of her own. She pulled him under her waters, then threw him up high in the air when he needed a breath. If he grew scared, the River calmed him down and let him float. Whenever he grew bored, the River sped up and dropped him with a force that made his stomach jump into his throat. At one point, the River pushed Tommy into Mary and the two of them, arms linked, shot way up in the air. They hit her waters again, giggling all the way. Tommy yelled, “Do that again!” and it happened! Every time Tommy asked, the River shot them skyward and caught them when they came back down.

Mission and Church

"The energy of most churches is absorbed in maintaining the legacy of a program of activities and church buildings. Roles exist that have to be filled. The life of the church is geared around maintaining its structures and programs.

"We need to shift into 'mission mode.' People are beginning to say we need 'missionary theology' rather than a 'theology of mission.' Mission can no longer be looked at as one branch of theology. All theology must be missionary in its orientation. We need the same orientation as churches. We are in a missionary situation, and all that we do must be missionary.

"Church planting is the best way for this to happen..."

"Church planting puts mission at the heart of the church and church at the heart of mission."

- from Total Church, by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis.

Five Unmovable Principles

Here are Frank Viola's Five Unmovable Principles for planting organic churches....

1. Become like little children. No one is an expert in this. Nobody is more gifted, more mature or more spiritual than anyone else. It's the body of Christ and everyone's on the same page. Humility and mutual encouragement is required.
2. Your feelings will get hurt. "Institutional religion has a way of hiding our flaws. It also has a way of safeguarding and insulating us from each other. In an organic church, we get to know one another very well. That means that what we are in the natural gets exposed. Authentic church life is a house of mirrors.... Consequently, it's inevitable that you will hurt one another...." And I love this: "Body life is a holy wedding of glory and gore - agony and ecstasy. This journey will be the most difficult adventure in your life. But it may very well be the most glorious."
3. Be patient with the progress of the group. It takes time for a church to be born, just like it takes time for a person. You have to be patient. It's a living organism, so you have to wait for God to do it. "Starting something is human; but birth is divine." There's a lot of preparation for God to do first, including helping us unlearn a whole lot of things we've picked up along the way.
4. People will leave your group. It's difficult being a part of a church like this. It requires more from you. You can't just come to receive and not to give. And giving requires spiritual preparation, time, energy. Some people who come won't be ready for the commitment, the dedication to one another. Viola's advice? "When people leave, I beg you not to pressure or persuade them to stay. And more important, do not speak ill of them when they go.... Accept what they say at face value instead of second-guessing their intentions. In fact, if you really wish to hit a high watermark, bless and speak well of them when they leave. Especially after they leave. To do so incarnates a monumental breakthrough in the kingdom of God. It also speaks volumes about your group."
5. People will experience exciting spiritual growth and healing. Because church like this is what we were made for. It's our natural habitat. It's what God called us to, so when we're a part of a community like this, it grows us significantly. It produces transformation.

Thanks Frank!

The Four Spaces of Belonging

I've recently been finding a great deal of helpful information about church planting in Phil Potter's book, The Challenge of Change - A Guide to Shaping Change and Changing the Shape of Church. I'm sure there'll be more posts about this book and what Phil and his church are doing in the UK, but for now I just wanted to post something that's been especially helpful for us as we think about how our church will look....

In one of the chapters he writes about what he calls "The Four Spaces of Belonging." I think the ideas are from research someone else has done (sorry I'm a bit vague on the details - I borrowed the book from my father-in-law and he's taken it back), about the different places that people find a sense of belonging. And here they are....

First there is the Public Space. This is a large scale shared experience, where you feel you are part of a great number of people on the same wavelength, but you are still free to remain anonymous if you choose. E.g. A shared worship experience in a big church, a footy game, a movie theatre.

Next is Social Space. This is where we cluster around a common interest or focus (e.g. a BBQ, local pub, workplace, party or function). Here you connect on a superficial level, sharing snapshots of yourself - who I am, what I enjoy, where I live, where I work... This is a natural space to be introduced to new people, ideas, invites - a great springboard to the other spaces.

A little more intimate is our Personal Space. This is a smaller group of our friends and family, close work colleagues, home group, etc. Here we know each other well and share more privately, reflect together on faith, share our lives, pray for one another, care for one another. Jesus had this connection with his twelve disciples.

And finally there is our Intimate Space. This is only shared with a few people - our spouse and one or two close friends. These people know us as we really are - the good and the ugly. In this space we can be "naked and not ashamed." We feel safe and secure to share the naked truth about ourselves, what we think, what we struggle with - the deepest parts of ourselves. Jesus shared some things only with his closest friends - Peter, James and John.

Finding Organic Church

My brother- and sister-in-law bought me a book when they found out we were planting a church:

Finding Organic Church: A Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Sustaining Authentic Christian Communities
The book is written by Frank Viola, a pastor in the US who has been doing new, non-institutional ways of church for the past 20 years.

I'm not finished it yet, but there've been some great practical helps in it. I was worried at first that it might be a little too detailed, or that it would provide a comprehensive guide to planting a Frank Viola church, but it's been a real encouragement to read. The guy doesn't hold back from saying what he thinks, but he's also very humble about it. He doesn't try to give a blueprint for what a non-institutional organic church will look like (because there isn't just one way). He just shares what he's found through his own experience - what's worked and what hasn't, the failures and triumphs etc.