The Challenge of the New Church

There is an old story about five blind men who were given the task of describing an elephant. Depending on where the men were positioned, they in turn described the elephant as a mountain, a fire hose, a tree trunk and a spear. (The blind man who grabbed the elephant's tail and thought it was like a fly-swatter had the presence of mind to keep his mouth shut.) The story doesn't go into detail about the fighting that took place between the other four to resolve the issue, as apparently none of them considered that they could all be partially correct.

God is infinitely more complex than the elephant. Many of us have had an experience with God that has given us a certain impression of what He is like. However, God is just too big for us to experience more than just a small part of Him. Many people live their entire lives being satisfied with their partial view of God, either by choice or out of ignorance that there is perhaps more to see. Others learn to relate to others who have a different experience of God, and hopefully increase in their knowledge of Him in the process. However, we don't increase in our experience of God by merely relating to other Christians. To do that, we must occasionally reposition ourselves, stepping out of the box of our personal traditions, so that we can experience God from new angles.

It has been my intent over the few years to keep "walking around the elephant" and to take as many others with me as I can drag. As a result, it was often hard to describe our various home groups, as we rarely did things the same way twice. We had, as our primary values, relating to God, and relating to each other, and found that these values could take on many forms. I often found that it was the group who was dragging me around to some new view.

However, working within the structure of a church, even a smallish church, has proven to be more difficult. There seems to be an innate rigidity in the typical church that resists attempts to do something new, or merely to do something in a new way. No matter how much we talk about valuing organism over organization, it seems as though where two or more or gathered, the system (or "the machine," as we say) takes over.

Of course, everyone resists change to some extent. The fact that we were created with skeletal systems indicates that we are creatures who depend upon a certain amount of structure. People groups also require a certain amount of structure. Put 50 people together and they will in very short order create some kind of functional system, whether it's just to decide who will go get the chips and beer. But, take 50 people, or even 10 people, and have them start a "church," and superfluous structures begin forming out of thin air - or rather, out of our notions about what a church should be. The concept of traditional church has a power that is almost impossible to withstand.

I think this has a lot to do with the cultural expectations of "church," which unfortunately seem to have become the Western church's secondary cornerstones. A few years ago I sat in a room with about 12 people as we considered how to start a new church. The question before us was, "what are the essential elements of a church?" I was astounded at many of the responses, and by the extraneous work that people were willing to take on (which, by the way, took time and energy away from developing community). Things like the Sunday Morning Service and the Head Pastor model, though neither has any real New Testament basis, have actually become foundational to our concept of church.

Let's take another look at our blind men. Each one, being fairly happy with their position at the elephant, starts laying a few stones. The first one, the Head Pastor stone, marks one corner, directly across from the cornerstone marked "Jesus." The next stone, the Sunday Morning Service stone, marks another corner, and so on. Pretty soon the foundation is laid and the church is built, and there it will stay, with no means of ever discovering what lays outside the box they now call the church.

So how do we do church differently? How can we create a structure that does not prevent us from discovering the many facets of God? What we need is something that moves - we don't need a monument, we need a hovercraft!

The first thing we need to do is realize that the aforementioned cornerstones are not cornerstones at all; we cannot afford to entrench them. They may be useful tools for some churches at some times, but they are not essential to being the church. The only essential elements of church that I can see are contained in this statement: "wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." That is church, pure and simple. Relying too much on anything else creates immobility and contributes to an "us and them" mentality within the church (something that Paul warned against in 1 Corinthians 3:4).

We also need to establish among our people the value of remaining fluid. However, in order to do that we need to provide some new, transportable base upon which to build this fluid structure. We already have, of course, our only real foundation, which is the Gospel of the Kingdom. To this we add no other foundation; we only add the "architectural guidelines," if you will, for our structure.

My current thinking (my thinking is pretty fluid, too) is that all we really need besides the Gospel is inherent in the Gospel itself, which can pretty well be described by the intertwined concepts of "relationship" and "community." The Gospel is only lived out as we are first in relationship to the Head, Jesus, to the rest of the Body, the Church, and of course in relationship to the world. Again, we come back to Jesus' statement, "wherever two or more are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them."

So, then, we have the foundational rock of the Gospel, which of course, rests solely on the work of Jesus. That, in effect, is our "elephant." To be a church, I think we should be in relationship with the entire elephant, not just the part we think we know, or like, or what fits our personality. At least, we should be willing to be in relationship with the entire elephant, though we know that is impossible considering our human limitations. This means we must have, as one of our highest priorities or values, a commitment to being fluid enough to be in relationship with all of God. This, of course, presupposes a belief that we, ourselves, are myopic in our view of God and of the Church, as well as in our view of ourselves.

Next, we must be committed to each other. Throughout our journey we will, hopefully, bump into various other like-minded people and "clump" together (the fellowship that Todd Hunter has been working with calls itself "a fearless clump of seekers"). We will also hopefully "convert" others along the way, who will also clump with us. This is a natural, organic development of church. In my opinion, this is The Way It Should Be. We need to have as a co-equal value, a commitment to those that God has clumped together.

This commitment includes allowing our interaction to lead us in new understandings of God. Not valuing the "head pastor" as essential, we will probably not have just one person navigating the way; the direction of our journey will be set as we interact as a group with God.

A third value (actually, it's part B of our 2nd value) needs to be a commitment to the rest of The Church. Again, we cannot afford to have an "us & them" mentality. In our fellowship's journey together around the elephant (we are no longer a blind man, we have become a visionary fellowship), we will encounter both other visionary fellowships as well as the structures built by our blind men. They each have an experience with God that is also part of us; for in reality we are the same body. As John Donne once said, "no man is an island." The same holds for fellowships. We are part and parcel with each and every visionary group and blind man who has a relationship with God, and we must value that to the same extent that we value relationship within our little fellowship clump.

Of course, we need to realize that most of the blind men, as well as many of the other visionary groups, may not hold to this value, and may despise what they perceive as our lack of foundation. No matter - we must continue to value them, and to look at their position to search out any truth that we may need to discover.

What else do we need? Oh yes, a good Sunday School program. OK, so I am just kidding. I don't think we really require anything else. Everything else - missionary sending, outreach, Bible study - all will come naturally if we are truly and honestly relating to God and are sensitive to His leading. My theory is that our commitment to being fluid and walking around the elephant will make our fellowship more apt to follow the leading of the Spirit. When the woman at the well tried to engage Jesus with a theological discussion about which mountain God was at, Jesus gave her a remarkably postmodern answer: God is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. With these commitments - as this really what I have been talking about - everything else should follow.

However, let us state one more relational commitment, which is implied in our commitment to the Gospel: our commitment to the world. Though it is my belief that the church exists primarily to be in relationship with Christ, Jesus came For God So Loved The World. Because it is Jesus' mission to be the mediating savior of the world, our commitment to Him and our relationship with Him joins us securely and permanently to His mission. Though this is the subject for another time, let me just comment that our growing relationship with Jesus only comes as we join Him in going where He goes and working along side of Him.

To quickly summarize, I have boiled the essence of church down to a commitment to three relationships: 1) A vital, growing and changing relationship to God, 2a) A relationship to those we "clump" to, 2b) A relationship to the entire Church, and 3) A missional relationship to the world. These commitments will require some type of structure; don't misunderstand me as saying that all structure is wrong. I am just challenging us to rethink our structures, as I suspect that we can find newer, more efficient and more relevant structures.

As I have dialogued with people over the years about the lack of need for so much rigid structure in church organizations, usually referring to my home group as a model for how church could work, often there has come the argument that this can only work for a small group. Once a church reaches a certain size, they say - say 100, 200 people - you can't do church the same way; then you need to move into a more conventional structure.

I honestly don't know if that theory is true. Perhaps at a certain size, even with commitment to the values I have mentioned, fluidity is hampered. If so, then, it begs the question, "why do we need churches that big?" It sounds to me that once size is a problem, operating in smaller groups would be a solution, which is basic cell-church theory. The difference here, however, is that cell-churches have often fallen into the blind man category as they have entrenched themselves in their own positions.

I am not suggesting that the New Church cannot meet on Sunday mornings, or that they cannot have a single or head pastor. They can even own a building with a steeple, if they feel led, just as long as they don't make it foundational to who they are, or insist that others do it, too. The New Church needs an attitude of humility and a commitment to flexibility, founded upon the principle that "we know in part," that we need to know more [of God], and that we will do anything we need to do to know Him more fully and to communicate to the world.

That is the challenge facing The New Church by Alden Swan

Famine For the Lord’s Words

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, not a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord,” (Amos 8:11).

Most of my life in the natural, like most Americans, I have lived off processed, refined foods, not organic, real foods. Foods, with the nutrients sucked out through processing and packaging. Some very wise friends in learning the benefits of good, right, healthy, real foods are helping Jane and me right now. For years others have tried to share with information with us, but I don’t think we were ready.

But I also think this has been the sad state of our spiritual diets as well. We have given most of our lives to the consumption of spoon-fed teaching. And as good and admirable as many of these fine teachers were and are, we were, in fact, being fed and have learned to live off processed or refined theology. Someone else’s recipe, someone else’s mix, someone else’s diet.

Once again, I repeat Bill Hybels apology to thousands of Christians. (Bill Hybels is the Founder/President of The Willow Creek Association).

The Willow Creek Association has undoubtedly had some of the greatest influence on the evangelical church in America as a movement in the last 30 years. In response to the experience-based environment of programs and participation so prevalent, Bill recently said, "We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have ... taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own."
While some use the Amos 8:11 text for their personal reinforcement of more teaching, more preaching, I personally believe it is just the opposite. It is a famine for the personal nourishment when the Lord speaks to you. When He speaks to you personally, out of the heart of hunger and His heart to respond and fill.

John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name. He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things I said to you.”

Outwardness and Inwardness

We all have two sides. Calvin Miller in his classic, “Table of Inwardness,” reminds us that outwardness as a Christian has for its greatest strength and greatest weakness the same thing: visibility. Outwardness has great appeal to all of us, even as it did in Christ’s day, but misused is fatal. “Beware of practicing piety before men in order to be seen by them” (Matthew 6:1). You have heard me for years refer to leaders who have a public identity without a personal/private history.

But likewise, the strength and weakness of inwardness is the same: invisibility. Inwardness draws us to that unseen reality. Inwardness says there is always more than what we see, always more than what appears or appeals to the eyes.

Outwardness too quickly denotes modern Christianity: going to meetings, doing things, teaching, preaching, testifying, praying for others, all in front of the rest of the world, or at least in front of other Christians, and many times in front of the room. And if we do these things well, man, the kudos will come, the pats on the back, the applause, even more to do these outward things more, which unfortunately has been too much of the motivation to keep on being better at being outward.

Man has always been addicted to outwardness, as God speaks to the prophet’s heart in the OT when He says, “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart,” (I Samuel 16:7).

When it comes to inwardness, only you can tend that garden, and you tend it alone. Your guardianship of your inwardness is utterly crucial, since out of the heart come “the issues of life,” (Proverbs 4:23). And again, if you would survive the famine, it will be because you have tended your own personal inward garden well.

As someone pointed out we are like a ripe fruit which, when squeezed, displays its real contents. To this Jesus commented, that it is not what goes into our mouths, or even what we eat or drink, but what comes out of our hearts that defiles us, (Matthew 15:11).

What comes out shows or reveals what is in us, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). There is and will be an increased hunger to meet with God and be fed by God as we move into these difficult days. The world will also get a sense of who we have been with, somehow they will just know we spend time with Poppa, because of the individual sounds, the individual appeal we will carry. Our culture is already so skeptical of the canned, processed church. The one hour and fifteen minutes (the average meeting time of the successful, evangelical services) we devote to God has not produces health, nor hungers, except maybe in us.

Three Paradoxes of Inwardness

Aloneness-is-presence - However you find it. Spending time completely alone with God is really about the ultimate increase of His presence. Inner silence comes when you beat those demons that too often clutter and distract and fill us with you with every other sound. Inner silence only comes when there is true outer silence, and this only comes when you and God are alone.

Retreat-is-advancement - Go ahead, leave the “To Do List” behind, knowing that most of those screaming assignments will take care of themselves if you address the “tyranny of the urgent,” and go on a retreat with the Lover of your soul. Luther’s attitude was, “I have so many things to do today, I dare not ignore my time with God.

Beyond-is-within - No, you can’t do life in God, without God’s life in you. You must constantly be making room for more of Him. You must always be pressing out in order to press in. He is ready and willing to enlarge your capacity to receive more of Him. Yes, the “heavens do declare the glory of God,” (Psalm 19:10), but we get to be possessed by a transgalactic Omnipotence who comes to indwell us.

A DVD Diet

I am almost tempted to encourage everyone to lock up their CD’s, their DVD’s, shut off their podcasts, and maybe even leave some of the new books on your shelf. Just dedicate this new season to private meals between you and the Father. Go after God in the secret place, and treat each day as a steward by giving Him sacred space.

If we want be a people who survive the famine and even learn to help others survive, it will not be because we feed them, but because we model, by our own appetites and our own insatiable hunger for the fresh, full word directly from the Lord.

It won’t be easy, it is always war to shift our priorities towards Him, so remember, He will even, “prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies,” (Psalm 23:5).

Living In God’s Economy

When everything is shaking, as it is all around us, it is a good time to get into discussion about the things that matter. As financial markets worldwide have gone askew we get to take a good hard look at how God has called us to live in His Kingdom economy even during these volatile financial times.

From the earliest days God was saying something to us about our giving, and how different it would be. First through books, like the one by Al Houghton, “Purifying The Altar,” then by deliberate acts of moving away from the funding of facilities and programs, not charging at conferences and/or events, releasing, resourcing and empowering leaders based upon their callings, not their social status or their educational system, and giving generously to the poor, the needy and the oppressed of the nations.

As we have been assigned to address the subject of “doing church differently,” that includes “giving differently.” It means confronting those so-called “financial laws,” that exist in the church today that are actually a part of the old religious system tying people to false realities and expectations in the areas of giving.

Confronting Old Financial Laws

* Compulsory (Malachi 3 - Storehouse) Tithing Laws- tithe to this or that ministry and receive grace for enough, withhold those tithes and be cursed.
* Mandatory Prophetic Offering Laws – pledge and give this prophetic amount or this monthly percentage that usually correlates to some prophetic number over a period of a year above and beyond the tithe and break the financial curse, and if need be even charge it to your credit card.
* Selective and/or Directive Sowing Laws – direct your seed to this ministry, instead of that ministry, if you really want to get a good return on your investment.

Financial Reformation in the 21st Century

About 500 years ago in 517, the church encountered a radical confrontation that would become known as The Great Reformation. We heard much about the call to the return to the authority of Scripture and the return to “simple salvation by grace through faith.” But that is not all that was addressed.

What we don’t hear as much was about the call for reformation in giving. In the movie "Luther", Martin Luther is contending over the practice of "paying indulgences" to the Roman Catholic church in order to "free a soul from sin and purgatory.” Martin asks the religious authorities this question; "If God will forgive sin for money, why won't He do it for love?"

If salvation by grace alone was restored to the church, what about God's grace for physical provision? Aren't these provided by grace as well? The way many Christians still give today, it seems as though we continue to "pay indulgences" to religious institutions in order to receive God’s grace for finances.

Grasping Kingdom Finances

We need to be asking the same question Luther asked. "If God will supply our needs for money, why won't He do it for love?" Of course, the answer is, we know He does. Jesus set this straight with His words about the Father’s care for us.

“Therefore take no thought,” saying, “What shall we eat?” or, “What shall we drink?” or, “Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:31-33

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24

Not a bit of religious performance or duty here. Real faith and trust, just like receiving salvation, just like receiving healing. We are invited to believe in the Father’s love and receive provision from Him. In these stressed times, we have good financial news. Jesus purchased it all at the cross.

Jesus satisfied all (including financial) religious obligations. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Romans 10:4

Jesus took all (including financial) curses. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” Galatians 3:13

It begins and ends in His love. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” I John 4:10

1) Realms of Supply - The Natural Order of Investing - Sowing and Reaping

All that God has created in the natural world operates on the principle of sowing and reaping. It is the process of life, and increase. God is at work in the world supplying seed to the sower, the sun and rain for growth. Because of the fall sowing and reaping includes the process of sin and of death. We can sow to the flesh or the Spirit in our human activity. The Spirit brings life, and the flesh brings death.

Man sows into the natural order in everything he does, whether seed in the ground or helping others. Paul was talking about this when he said, "he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully." (1Corinthians 9:6) in referring to the Corinthians financial gift. Furthermore, Paul says that God supplies grace so that we have the seed to start with.

God’s Kingdom invades the natural order when He gives to us, or we give to others. Sowing and reaping is how God made things to work. Romans says that Christ Himself upholds the whole universe. It is the created order that operates on the principle of sowing and reaping.

So even when the odds are against a certain outcome of your sowing process, weather goes bad, crops spoil, everything is bad and nothing works, our God still supplies. Even when the stock you invested in under what you thought was good counsel fails, God does not fail you.

2) Realms of Supply – The Natural Order of Marketing - Buying And Selling

The order that man creates or operates on is the basis of buying and selling. Because of the fall, man judges and sets value on everything. We trade value for value. We sell our labor for money. We buy the product of labor with money.

We all see that the present financial crisis was created by greed in buying and selling. Men borrowed to speculate in building, buying and selling for a profit. On it went with houses, stocks, commodities, oil, and food. Prices were driven upwards until it went beyond our ability to pay the interest on the money borrowed. Buying and selling collapsed because there is no confidence in the artificial values. Sadly, Christians have also been a part of this, but God wants our heart for the Kingdom.

“Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cesar the things which are Cesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Matthew 22:19-21

Buying and selling isn’t a bad thing, as log as usury and manipulation is not behind a spirit of greed, and even when we end up “losing money” in an unfortunate transaction, God is still your supply.

3) Realms of Supply – The Kingdom Order of Generosity - Giving and Receiving

The Kingdom of God operates best through the principle of generosity and giving and receiving in obedience to God’s leading and direction. It begins with God’s love for the entire world, His giving nature and continues through His people receiving His nature and giving to others.

Giving and receiving begins with God loving and giving to us. He created the world for man and put us in it to enjoy it and fellowship with Him. He loved us even while we were still sinners, and gave Christ that we might receive life and freedom. He puts His love in our hearts (Galatians 5:6). He invites us to freely receive His grace. (I Corinthians 2:12). Then in turn He urges us to give,

"...Freely ye have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8

As we learn to “pray and obey,” and learn to “receive and to give in obedience,” we are set free from the fear of lack and receive changed hearts, so we can liberally give out of God’s direction, and our delight, because it is all God’s, it all belongs to the King who gives liberally, so we can give and release liberally.

That is Kingdom Finances. Giving and receiving in the Kingdom of God is not a law and never under compulsion, other wise it is not giving, it would be taking. He gives, we receive, and we then “pray and obey,” giving intentionally in His nature.

This is why Paul says:

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. " II Corinthians 9:7

As Kingdom Citizens:

1. We love the King – Giving to Him
2. We love other Kingdom Citizens – Giving to Them
3. We Love non-Kingdom citizens – Giving to Them

Jesus was condemned because he hung out with the sinners, and prostitutes. He poured grace on the cultural outcasts, the undeserving and rejected. We participate in the Kingdom when we give to others with the heart of the Jesus. Jesus told us in being like the Father we even get to bless the wicked.

“Bless them that curse you, and pray for them, which despitefully use you. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
Luke 6:28, 35

Evidentially, the Heart of the King is that, "He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

Apparently, blessing the ungodly extends to finances as well. A little later in this passage Jesus tells us that being like His Father we will abound in His mercy and grace and giving.

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” Luke 6:36-38

This passage is not just about giving to the saints, giving to the ministries. Giving to Kingdom citizen, but also it’s about giving to those outside the Kingdom of God. It's invading man’s order with Kingdom giving. “The men shall give into your bosom.”

As Kingdom Finances comes from the Heart of the Father:

-Be merciful
-Judge Not
-Condemn Not
-Forgive
-Give To Those Who Don't Deserve It
-Give To The Poor
-Give To Those Who Cannot Repay

Acts as stewards of all the good things of God.

God is fully willing and able to supply His people with more than enough. As sons and daughters of the Father, blessing with the same heart of compassion and love as the Father, we will give to His Purpose and His People, with His Passion.

When all the institutions and kingdoms of men crash, the auto industry, the stock market, Wall Street, these do not affect God’s Kingdom. In the days to come, we will have more to give, and more to give to. God’s value system will take over our dependence on man’s system.

In times like these it is imperative we operate according to His Kingdom economy concerning our receiving and giving. As believers living in God’s Kingdom, by God’s Kingdom realities get ready for a year of abundance preparing to receive abundantly and give extravagantly.

Nine means Fullness, nine spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12, nine fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, a woman carries a child full-term for nine months. In the worst financial market in our lifetime, God is ushering us into a year of Fullness.

His Kingdom is real and His Kingdom is here, so we can give and receive freely and generously.

Go ahead and get lean, as many are giving away extra baggage, getting out of debt, etc. Get lean, but not mean, instead get and stay very generous.

Liminal Leadership

Something feels deeply "new" about this upcoming year for me. It could be out of my hope, because 2008 was such a tough year for everyone. But this new year and this new season doesn't feel routine to me by any means. It feels radically different, and potentially very exciting.
My friend Len in Canada (www.nextreformation.com) continues to challenge me about leaders finding their "space," in this new shift of leadership for the next generation. Len wrote the article, "Leading From The Margins," that was so influential in pressing me to write my new book. The book, "Where Would Jesus Lead?" is with Graham in concept edit mode, going to more edit next week. The whole book is built around this idea of leaders finding new places and new spaces to lead.

Len sends along Alan Roxburgh's following proposal concerning leadership: The primary work of leadership is to continually stand in the place (space) where it is compelled to ask the question of what God is about among this group of people who comprise this local church in this specific context at this particular time. Obviously, this definition is thoroughly conditioned by a larger story we describe as Missio Dei.

What is particularly helpful to me about this definition is this concept of "space."
Roxburgh writes,

"This descriptor of leadership suggests that one of its primary metaphors is spatial. Leadership functions in a certain kind of space rather than out of a set of definitions, formulae or assumed Biblical types. The understanding of this special metaphor is crucial for the formation and practices of a missional leadership. Without attention to this matter of the space in which leadership dwells, it is impossible to understand or shape a missional leadership in our late modern context. The questions we need to ask about being missional, therefore, are not drawn from the world of business or the social sciences, nor are they about how to apply supposed New Testament patterns to the contemporary church. Questions about what God is up to in the world require us to ask what kind of space church leadership must indwell at this moment in late modern societies. If leadership indwells this axis of God's activities in the world and the local context, then its primary location is in what we will call the "spaces between." The basic metaphor describing and assessing Christian leadership is spatial - it is about indwelling a space between." http://archives.allelon.org/articles/article.cfm?id=960

Liminal Place and Space

"Liminality" is from the Latin word līmen, meaning "a barely perceptible threshold," or a place in between two worlds, or a place of transition. It is a mysterious place, a bridge place, and a unique place of balance between the people you are leading and the God you are both following. It is destined to be more of a prophetic place than a pastoral place and definitely more of an obscure place than an obvious one.

It is a strategic cooperation with what God is telling those you lead and what God is telling you. It is in this new tutoring place that we act, as a guide and a coach, a fellow traveler on the same journey without become the focal point of the excursion. It is so mysterious the Irish used to say, "It is the place between the foam and the sea."

The questions we need to ask about being missional, therefore, are not drawn from the world of business or the social sciences, nor are they about how to apply supposed New Testament patterns to the contemporary church. Questions about what God is up to in the world require us to ask what kind of space church leadership must indwell at this moment in late modern societies. If leadership indwells this axis of God's activities in the world and the local context, then its primary location is in what we will call the "spaces between."

It asks the big question. Is your leadership style all about you and your ministry and what you get from leading? Or it is about serving those you lead, helping to get them going on the God journey they are destined to trek?

Next Generations of Leaders

The hunger most evident in the next generation is for fathers and mothers, not even close friends. Fathers and mothers that will forego their own controlling preoccupations with how things used to be done, giving space to their willingness to enter into the experiment, stepping off the map to go where God might lead the next generation.

A relationship is required, but a script is not. Times of resting, times waiting in prayer and times of silence represent more of this new adventure than the exhausting attempts at pre-research to make sure every step is sure-footed. Like mountain goats, the instinct of where to step and where to go comes in the moment, and not the pre-planned staff meetings. It is a journey with forward movement at its goal, and not just another dress rehearsal that ends in disappointment.
So, find those you are called to lead, especially the leaders you are called to rise up. This time don't over-lead or over-feed. Get into the journey with them, and see how God will use you both. He will use your tested experience and obedience and as well will turn up the pace as He capitalizes on the speed of the younger leaders you are running with. It is a new pace, not tried; it is a new direction, not learned. It is the excitement of a new trip for both of you.

Some Ideas On Learning To Lead In This New Place

1. Ask God who are the specific ones in the next generation you are to come alongside.
2. Don't spend too much time referring to the past, make it clear where you come from, but get quickly to what God is doing now.
3. Listen a lot. Both to God and them.
4. Do some treasure hunting to see if the one you are to coach and lead has a sense of gifting, destiny and passion. Ask a lot of questions.
5. Does the one you are leading already have a sense of footprints and knows where to go?
6. Begin with times of prayer, silence, listening to God, writing down what the Father whispers, and doing prophetic acts.
7. Always be reminded that this is a divine appointment. Don't worry about quick fruit, enjoy the whole process.

Chicken-Little Christianity

I am asked a lot about the end times. Everything from where is the United States in prophecy, to is Obama the antichrist? To answer most of the questions requires little effort. I personally have never found the United States listed as a specific nation in the Bible, and quite frankly, concerning the antichrist, they said the same thing about Khrushchev and Kissinger.

The real issue for me has more to do with the fact, “Are we ready for His coming?” One of the most penetrating questions I believe that Jesus ever asked in found in the Parable of the Persistent Prayer in Luke 18, when He asks, “nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Don’t quote me, because I don’t think I am a prophet, but I do wonder about that question in Luke, and several others that point to our readiness rather than Christ’s. In fact these are what I pray about and what I wrestle with these days. “Is the bride ready, is she spotless, is she ready.” And, “Are we more anxious to get out of here or to see revival before He comes.”

I will never forget what a friend said to me many years ago, when he challenged me by asking, “How can you disciple a planet you are so intent on leaving?” That one rattled my cage and shifted my paradigm then, and still does.

I have always heard that Christ would return when man would be in the process of destroying himself. I can honestly say it sure feels like that is happening most of the time. But on the other hand I have never felt such open doors and such clear invitations from the Holy Spirit to be bold about the proclamation of the Gospel and the discipleship of the nations.

Sure times are tough. And as Americans, we have never seen things exactly as they seem right now. But to the world, all of these shakings seem to mean something different.

Muslim Ministry

Having just returned from parts of Asia that are becoming, if not already extremely Muslim, instead of feeling oppressed and overwhelmed, I felt so empowered, so impassioned and prayer-filled to preach, proclaim and persist in my faith in Yahweh, not Allah, and to be ready to “give an answer for the hope that lies with me.”

In Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia, which is a Muslim nation, I heard the voice of Islam, loud and clear. The mosques, that seemed as big as the mega churches in America, broadcast their calls to pray five times a day on their speaker systems. It was so loud it sounded like my neighbor’s stereo in Ocean beach where I live.

Yet, I also met so many Christians who know of Muslims that are coming to faith in Christ, and I even heard this one radical statement from one brother, “imagine the harnessed prayer power when revival comes to their nation, and the followers of Islam come to God and pray to Him using their disciplines of prayer, in their prayer centers currently known as mosques.”

Chicken-Little Christians

It seems like too many of us are waiting for the worst to happen as a prerequisite for the return of Christ. Waiting for more “doom and gloom,” and the proverbial “boot to drop,” we seem to be anxious for everything to fall apart as some kind of deeper motivation to make Christ come back.

Maybe there is another way to expedite the return of Christ. Matthew 24:14 states, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

There it is! Let’s worry more about getting the message out, rather than hoping the mess we are in will get messier. Let’s throw ourselves into the preaching of this incredible message of the kingdom. Let’s commit to take the gospel to every man, to every people, to every tribe, to every tongue, and to every nation, and then Christ will return.

Dead Bread

“When the waitress came to take our order. One of my friends, when asked what kind of dressing he wanted on his salad, abruptly stated to the startled server, “And I don’t want any ‘dead bread’ on my salad.” After letting the comment sink in, the sweet but stunned girl replied, “Oh, you mean croutons!” To which my friend simply nodded in confirmation.

That analogy has stuck with me all these years, and I remember it every time I order a salad that comes with “dead bread.” I actually don’t mind croutons that much, and have even purchased a bag when passing through the salad isle at the supermarket. There are so many flavors now: herb, parmesan, bacon-ranch, etc; all so conveniently located that I just reach out and take them as I pass by while filling my cart.

However, when applying my friend’s unflattering adjective to preaching, my heart is stirred over a phenomenon, which has gripped America’s pulpits in recent years.

I recall opening my mail one morning some years ago and reading my first advertisement for “dead bread”:

“Pastors, are you too busy to spend hours of preparation on your sermons? Tired of feeling the stress of having to come up with original ideas week after week? If so, for just $199.95 you can have 52 weeks of quality sermons crafted by homiletical masters, complete with illustrations! Your congregation is guaranteed to be thrilled with the results or your money back!””

CROUTON CHRISTIANITY

As you know, in Third Day we have felt and discussed this pain about “dead bread,” for years, maybe because I spent so many years thinking it was my job to feed others, to sermonize every week, sometimes several times per week. I do know that for most of those years I took my study and research too seriously. For over three decades as a teaching pastor, I became a well-oiled vendor at dispensing “dead bread.” It was even said back then, that any true handling of the Scriptures or honest preparation meant an hour of study for every one-minute of delivery of the sermon in the pulpit. By the time you had studied, researched, word-smithed, digested, and then double-digested the message you didn’t even know that the bread you were getting ready to serve up was such simply” dead” information that it produced little or now nutritional value.

Obviously, I still get chances to speak, teach, recant, rant, cajole, whatever, a lot in different places all over the world. But the thing that has changed in me, rather than my need to impress or “WOW the crowd,” with my anointed knowledge and teaching. I would really rather just genuinely connect with people, exposing them to my passion for a personal God, and hopefully stir their own personal appetite for them to go after Him.

For you guys who still teach on a regular basis, this is a subtle shift. First, please don’t take yourself or your gifts too seriously. Please handle all of your sermons and all of your preparation lightly or loosely. Keep in mind at all time, God may just have surprises and suddenlies for any meeting you might have called.

Quite frankly, by the time your group gets to your study or your service, they have already tasted the best. They have read the latest Charisma Magazine, the last top two best sellers from Destiny Image Publishing, have read The Shack and have listened to the last three podcasts from Bethel on their iPod.

That may not be a totally bad thing. Maybe their increased appetite for God has stirred them to consume all of that stuff. But it is just a matter of time, until they will get dissatisfied with the stale “day old manna” dispensed by others and want some of their own “fresh bread,” from the Father. And when that happens watch out.

Getting into a life of solitude with God without any religious props will ruin you for any one else’s food. Even as Israel was warned to not even try to keep a “crumb” of manna until tomorrow, God continues to promise us daily “fresh bread.” The late Henri Nouwen emphasized most of his life that we will never have true community until we first settle the issue of solitude and develop our own secret life with the Lord.

VISITATION OR HABITATION

I think what the Father is pursuing in His people these days is the revelation that their life in God is to be a habitation. Psalm 91:1, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” The word “abide” there means to spend the night, or as The Message says it, “spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow.” In the NT, in John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” And of course the word “abide” there means to live, to dwell indefinitely.

So, we no longer, “go do” devotions, anymore that we “go to meetings.” We enter into a life style of delightful communion and connection with our Heavenly Father. For years we “conference junkies,” were caught going from meeting to meeting to find the newest thing, when all along He was offering us “fresh manna,” spoon-fed to our needs.

I even knew of families who packed up everything and “moved” across the state and/or the nation in an attempt to position themselves where “God is moving,” or where they had heard a prediction, or prophecy that “He would soon be there.”

If it is time for anything, when everything is shaking, it is time to hotly pursue the face of God, and when heaven touches earth, we will not only want to spend time in His presence, it will become even become your “magnificent obsession,” and your “dangerous delight.”

MENTORING THE MESSAGE

I am involved in a several small groups in San Diego, and currently help facilitate a men’s mutual mentoring type group. What I am enjoying is the whole process of simply getting the guys to talk, releasing them and coaching them to openly discuss their journey with fellow travelers. So refreshing and so exciting is to witness when they even surprise themselves by what comes out of their mouths, such great insights and revelations and wisdom.

I find these kinds of settings do several things. When people are allowed and encouraged to openly share, they discover the treasure that is within all of them. Again, this is a deep process of self-enrichment when you are sharing a message with others and feel like you really have connected with the group and God and receive the amazing pleasure that comes from that.

When people are in gatherings where they can openly share, they also get encouraged to steward their own gardens or reservoirs more diligently, in order to get more, so they can give more. And then of course, the wisdom pools that are created as several people unpackage a Scripture or a concept, rather than all of the insight coming from one or a few individuals. It is literally stuff to write about.

One of the best ways to mentor this message that God wants to spend time with us, speaks to us and communes with us, it to keep facilitating these open “third day” meetings, where the DNA is about the potential, participatory “priesthood of all the believers.”

DAVID’S DETERMINATION

We are all getting the same passion David had for a habitation of God. “O God, remember David, remember all his troubles! And remember how he promised God, made a vow to the Strong God of Jacob, “I’m not going home, and I’m not going to be, I’m not going to sleep, not even take time to rest, until I find a home for God, a house for the strong God of Jacob,” (Psalm 132:1 – 5, The Message).

Where do you think He lives? What are you building Him? Let me pass along some thoughts from another Third Day brother, Brad Nelson in Oakhurst, CA:

“In Him, we live and move and have our being.

We actually exist in Him. When we invite someone to meet Jesus we are inviting him or her to consider living in Him. This makes more practical sense than inviting Him into our Hearts. We are not inviting them into an organization or into the ministry of someone.

Buildings are made of stone cannot exist within Him. Corporate institutions and man made organizations cannot exist within Him. Living stones are the only structures that can exist within Him. Our membership in Him is direct and real. We get to know Him and not about Him. Because knowing Him, "is" to know about Him. Jesus said to His followers I do not have a place. That is because He is the place.”

IN THESE TOUGH TIMES

Making a commitment to follow Jesus is a lot like the commitment we make when we enter into marriage, it is the commitment we signed up for when we said our vows. And when the going gets tough, sometimes just remembering the vows is the only things that keeps you going.

My second book, “Where Would Jesus Lead?” is at the publishers. Pray all goes well for an edit deadline and the publishing of the book. Also, the next book, “Welcome Home: Church as a Way of Life,” is being pieced together through a cooperative effort of some of my old mentors and what we wrote through the years about the church as a family and a “way” of life.

I am committed to "buy up my time" in these all important days and keep looking for and living off of "fresh bread."

Gary Goodell
May 2009