Why has the church fallen for the lie that bigger is better, that more is the goal? The bigger the church congregation, the larger the youth group, the more successful the church. We are trying to mass produce disciples, which goes against everything we know and believe to be true. In schools we know that the lower the student/teacher ratio the more effective the teaching is and the better the students are able to understand and put what they are learning into practice. If the church were to adopt this strategy, perhaps some of our mega-churches would not be held up as examples and church growth talk would not be about numbers, but about actual growth in the people of the church.
After all, Jesus did not try to train thousands at a time, but picked 12 to walk with daily. His investment in the few eventually had a real impact on millions, but he didn’t try to do reach tens of thousands at a time. Discipleship cannot work the way we are trying to do it, and we see the evidence in the stats about the church today. Perhaps it is time to look to the past to find the model for the future.
On Saturday I put up a post about Martin Luther and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Today I want to look at some of the practical implications that this split has had on Protestant church. One of the major areas of disagreement between those Reformers and the Catholic church was the understanding of grace versus works in the role of salvation. Protestants believed that Catholic doctrine taught that salvation was achieved by faith and works, thus you had to earn your salvation. In response, the doctrine of Sola Fide, “by faith alone”, became one of the cornerstones of Protestant theology.
Unfortunately, over time the practical result has been a separation of “faith” and “works” and the idea that obedience is not a necessary part of salvation. After all, Ephesians 2:8-9 says:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Today is perhaps one of the most important days in Church history. It was on this day in 1517 that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenburg protesting some of the practices of the Catholic church and hoping to bring about reform. As a result, Luther was called before a church council, the Diet of Worms, to be held accountable for his writings and teachings. It is the act that sparked what came to be known as the Protestant Reformation.
This clip from the movie Luther is of Martin answering the accusations being brought against him and is one of my favorite movie scenes.
Who are some modern day Martin Luthers in the church that are bringing about a new reformation? What is it that needs reformed?
Geography is important – it helps one understand the context of where he is, what his surroundings are like and who he may encounter. In Israel the geography is an important part of the story that God is telling. Where the story happens gives insights into the characters and the plot. In ancient Israel we find that the Hebrews were a mountain people, preferring the relative safety that this region provided from the attack of the enemy. On the other hand, we find the Philistines resided on the coastal plains along the route that would eventually be known as the Via Maris. This was the main trade route between Egypt, Europe and Asia, in some ways the center of the world of it’s time. In between the Judah Mountains and the Costal Plains was a region known as the Shephelah. This was the place where God’s people could come down from their isolation and have the opportunity to be salt and light to the world that was streaming by on the main highway of the day. To be in the world but not of the world.
In my work with Christian college students, I often find myself living up in the mountains. It is so easy to get caught up in the training of young leaders , that I forget to come down into the Shephelah and engage the world. Sure, I jump on the Via Marris of today, social media sites, and engage the world in that way. But that is not quite the same as leaving the comfort and security of my mountain and meeting people on their ground.
This week, I am headed out to my Shephelah. We are taking our students out of their comfort zone or the Christian bubble and putting them right in the middle of one of the biggest sources of conflict in our society today. We are headed to the University of New Mexico campus to engage those passing by in dialogue about the issue of life. There will be graphic displays and protestors, pro-life and pro-choice students, and a lot of hurting people who need to hear the Good News of grace and peace. Our desire is to engage these students where they are, to be the salt and light that God calls us to be , and to share the truth about His love.
As we take our students to this Shephelah, I ask that you join us in praying that we are effective ambassadors for Christ and that as we interact with the campus community they will see and experience the grace and love he is offering to them.
Today Julie and I celebrate our 15 year anniversary. As I look back over those 15 years, I am thankful for God’s gift of an amazing wife who loves me despite all of my shortcomings, who loves our kids, and sacrifices for the good of our family. Most of all I am thankful for a wife who desires to walk with God, to know Him and to live out His plan for her life.
The past 15 years have been the best of my life and I am so excited about what the future holds for us. Thank you Julie for your love, your friendship and for walking this road with me.
I know – I’m officially old now. For the past few weeks, I’ve been getting grief from my wife, my kids, and my co-workers about hitting the Big 4 – O. Honesty, it really doesn’t seem as big a deal to me as it did when I turned 30. But with all of the harassment and joking, I have spent a little time pondering the significance of this milestone in my life.
For me as I have reflected on the implications of turning 40, my mind keeps going back to the use of the number 40 in the Scriptures. It seems that 40 is commonly found as a measurement of a substantial amount of time, and often a period of preparation. Noah was in the ark for 40 days and nights (Gen 7:4,12). Moses was believed to be 40 when he killed the Egyptian and fled (Ex 2:12). After 40 more years of preparation as a shepherd he saw the Burning Bush (Ex 3:2) and went back to Pharaoh and shepherded the people out of Egypt. Then he spent 40 more years leading them in the wilderness as God prepared them to enter the Promised Land before he died at the age of 120 (Deut 34:7). Moses remained on Mt. Sinai for 40 days twice while receiving the ten commandments (Ex 24:18, Deut 10:10).
We also see King David who ruled for 40 years (2 Sam 5:4), as did his son Solomon (1 Kings 11:42). Elijah fasted in the wilderness for 40 days(1Kings 19:8) as did Jesus (Matt 4:2). Jonah’s prophecy was that in 40 days Nineveh would be destroyed, thus giving them time to prepare and repent (Jonah 3:4).
In Jewish tradition, the Rabbis considered 40 years a notable length of time to study Torah. Rabbi Akiva spent 40 years as a shepherd, studied for 40 years, and taught for 40 years. The Mishna states that at age 40, one achieves understanding (Avot 5:21) and “A man does not comprehend his teacher’s full intention until he is 40″ says Rabbah(Av. Zar. 5b).
So in light of this theme of 40 being a significant time of preparation, I am excited about what lies ahead in this next season of life. Excited that He has given me 40 years of training and preparation for what He is calling me to do. May I be faithful to obey His call and to use what He has given wisely.
You are probably familiar with Qumran as the place where the Dead Sea Scroll were discovered. It is believed to be a settlement where a group of Essenes lived in a communal lifestyle and where the scrolls were copied. The photo is of Cave 4, one of the 11 caves where the scrolls were discovered.
These photos were taken inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the traditional place where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. I thought they were appropriate for a day such as today, when we celebrate His crucifixion as an atonement for our sins, and look toward Sunday and His resurrection as the firstfruis of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). He is risen!
Just wanted to put up a quick post to let you all know why I have been MIA for the past couple of weeks. On Saturday, March 21 we received a call letting us know my Mother-in-Law had passed away during the night. We tried desperately to find a flight out of Colorado into Pittsburgh but there were none available until Monday. So, we decided to pack up and quickly started out on a road trip to WV. Thanks to all of you who follow on Twitter and Facebook who were praying for us during this difficult time. All went as well as can be expected and we are now home and trying to get back to some sense of normalcy. Julie has a post up on her blog if you want to check that out.
You all are such a blessing to us! Thanks for your prayers and support.
Today Julie and I celebrate our 15 year anniversary. As I look back over those 15 years, I am thankful for God’s gift of an amazing wife who loves me despite all of my shortcomings, who loves our kids, and sacrifices for the good of our family. Most of all I am thankful for a wife who desires to walk with God, to know Him and to live out His plan for her life.
I know – I’m officially old now. For the past few weeks, I’ve been getting grief from my wife, my kids, and my co-workers about hitting the Big 4 – O. Honesty, it really doesn’t seem as big a deal to me as it did when I turned 30. But with all of the harassment and joking, I have spent a little time pondering the significance of this milestone in my life.
You are probably familiar with 
