What is the Gospel - the Good News Message of Jesus?

I believe that there are at least three really big questions that leaders in the “way of Jesus” ought to be asking. One of the questions is “what is a disciple and how do you make one? I’ve discussed this question previously. A second question that must be asked is; what is the “good news message of Jesus”? We assume we know the answer to these questions. We assume that the programs and strategies in the typical church are addressing these issues. We’ve been told in church or in our training what the answer to these questions are. But have we clearly thought through the questions based on the life and teachings of Jesus? Have we taken the time to evaluate our current assumptions about these issues? Are we so convinced we’re “right” that we are satisfied even if we’re “wrong”?

I believe that one of the key roles of a leader is to ask the “right” questions. I believe that we need to start over and re-think these questions. If we don’t get these things right then most everything else will be wrong. Answering these questions isn’t easy. It will take much study, effort and thinking. Wrestling with these foundational issues will challenge us and our theology in many ways.

In my own journey, I’ve come to the place that I believe that the gospel as it is typically understood may be distorted. I’m sure the distortion is unintentional, but it’s a distortion none the less. The New Testament makes it clear that Jesus came “preaching the good news of the kingdom”. (See Matthew 4:23, Mark 1: 14-15, and Luke 4: 43) So what was this good news message of Jesus? What is the “kingdom” that he talked about? Did Jesus come preaching “heaven when you die?” Why does it seem like the good news is bad news for so many today?

It is absolutely amazing to me that Jesus never once defined the kingdom. Jesus never clearly and simply explains this concept. Here we have the most important message ever, and it’s really kind of vague. Sure I know the dictionary answers. The kingdom is the rule and reign of God. The kingdom is the sphere of God’s rule. Others have said the kingdom is God’s agenda for the world or God’s dream of what he wants the world to be. (An in depth study of the concept of Kingdom in the Bible is crucial).

So why doesn’t Jesus make this important concept more clear? Jesus often used the phrase “the kingdom is like”, but he never made it crystal clear. Could it be that Jesus’ intent was to stir curiosity? Could there be more to the phrase “seek first the kingdom” than just making the kingdom our first priority? Maybe the answer is in the never ending search.

I would love to say that I have it all cleared up. I would love to say that I can explain everything – but you know I can’t. I know this - I certainly don’t want to give a clear and simple definition to something that Jesus never did.

So here are a few random thoughts that I think are true:
• To be converted to Christ means to give ones allegiance to the King and his Kingdom.
• To follow Christ means to align our lives with God’s dream for the world. Micah 6:8 has become one of my life verses. I think it shares God’s dream. “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
• Sin means missing the mark. It means to be out of alignment with God’s kingdom agenda.
• Repentance means to change our thinking (our mind) and to re-order our lives according to God’s dream.
• Jesus is the living demonstration of the Kingdom and its values.
• In the Gospel accounts, “faith” was much simpler than we typically make it. People didn’t have to believe as many things as most are required to today.
• Sometimes people were forgiven by Jesus without any obvious confession, repentance or asking.
• The following are some key words that I believe are included in the concept of “the good news of the kingdom”. Acceptance – Inclusion – Grace – Love – Forgiveness – Hope – Peace – Life – Wholeness – Justice – and Service.
• The good news includes the ideas that all are loved – all are welcome – all are offered forgiveness – all are offered life. The good news includes God loving each one of us and wanting to be our friend.
• Following Jesus involves entering a community, a movement, and a way of life – the kingdom way.
• The clearest definition of the Kingdom I’ve found is offered by Paul in Romans 14:17. “The kingdom of God is not about eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit”. The word righteousness is often translated using the word “justice” instead. The word peace is linked to the Hebrew word “Shalom”. Shalom carries the idea of wholeness. So Romans 14:17 in the Ken Shuman paraphrase reads: “the kingdom of God is… justice, wholeness, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” God’s desire is to restore us to wholeness. God’s desire is that we would work to make the world a better place by serving the overlooked and the ignored. God’s desire is that we would work to bring justice to systems that are currently fostering injustice. God’s desire is that we would experience his joy as we enter more fully into his life.
• I believe that the good news is about restored life. Life as God intended it to be lived. As we align our lives with God’s dream for the world we begin to experience life at a higher level. I think that following the way of Jesus is a better way to live in the here and now not just in the hereafter.
• I believe the kingdom has come and is yet to come.
• The model prayer of Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. It’s really interesting to me that Jesus didn’t say that we should pray for souls to be saved so they can go to heaven.
Well there is no way that I can write everything I’m thinking about the good news of the kingdom in one blog post. There is no way I can bring clarity to something that I’m still unclear about. This post reflects some of my current thinking; however, and I would love for you to help me with your thoughts and input. Let the “seeking” begin!

The Wellspring Creed

Almost from the very beginning of our journey together as the community called Wellspring – we have found that reading a creed together in our worship gathering helps us stay focused on the important things. We started with the long standing creeds of the church like the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. After that, we found the Jesus Creed written by Brian McLaren. Later McLaren wrote the Justice Creed and we used it some. None of those creed; however, adequately or completely expressed what we have come to believe at Wellspring. Recently I wrote the Wellspring Creed in an attempt to express what we as a community have come to believe. We don’t’ demand that anyone believe any part of this creed, but we like to use it as our compass – to keep us headed in what we believe is the right direction. I thought I would share it with you on here.

We believe in God – the creator of the universe:
God is full of mercy and grace,
God is just and loves justice,
God is love and is on our side.
God’s hope is to be in relationship with every person,
God’s plan is to restore all of creation to wholeness, and to see his dream for the world - his kingdom come.

We believe in Jesus the Christ:
Jesus is the human expression of God,
Jesus is the savior of the world,
Jesus is the living demonstration of God’s dream for the world.
Jesus came to put the world right again,
Jesus came to display the justice of God,
Jesus came to provide real & eternal life – life as God intended it to be lived.

We believe in the Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit is here now,
The Holy Spirit guides us into truth,
The Holy Spirit empowers our lives as we seek God’s kingdom as our first priority.

We believe that God has a purpose for each of us, and so in faith:
We commit to recognize & honor God,
We commit to pursue a relationship with God,
We commit to embody the character of God,
We commit to align our lives with God’s dream for the world – helping to make the world a better place.

Amen

Why I Like The Shack

Recently I was asked to explain why I liked the book The Shack - written by William P. Young.

Jesus often used Parables as his preferred teaching method during his earthly ministry. I believe the Shack is a modern day parable. It’s a story that can be used to teach important ideas about God. Here are three ideas from this parable that stand out for me.

1. The book presents an image of God that is extremely attractive. God is depicted as being loving, kind, patient and forgiving. God is not presented as being mean, judgmental, and harsh. I believe these characterizations of God are accurate. I believe that they are consistent with the character of God described in the Bible.

A vast number of people are turning away from the Christian church today. Many are turned off by Christians and Christianity. They say that Christians are unloving, mean-spirited, judgmental, rigid and un-thinking. They believe that becoming a Christian will make them a worse person not a better person. In far too many cases, I’m afraid that their assessment is accurate.

As followers of Jesus we are living representatives of God in the world. Many Christians are misrepresenting God. Our character doesn’t match His. We have convinced ourselves that it is more important to believe rightly than it is to behave rightly. We have forgotten the Great Commandment. As a result, many people don’t think that God is good.

In the book, God lovingly and gently helps Mack confront his own brokenness and then He woos Mack toward wholeness. Again, I believe this accurately describes how God works in all of our lives. Because God is presented in such a loving way, many people who normally wouldn’t read anything about God are reading and enjoying this book. I love when God says “I’m especially fond of you.”

2. The book depicts God in ways that are different from our typical stereotypes about him. God the father is depicted as a woman for example. I love this! It seems to me that far too many people think that they have God all figured out. They seem to think that God can’t possibly be any different than their image of Him. I think we need to be reminded that in the Bible God revealed himself in a variety of ways. We need to be reminded that the word “Holy” carries the idea of being completely “other.” God leaves us with much mystery about himself. Even the great apostle Paul acknowledged his limited understanding in 1 Corinthians 13:9-12. Paul said “We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete.” And here is a quote from The Shack “faith does not grow in the house of certainty.” I believe we will be in a much better place when we embrace the mystery of God and when we remember that whatever we say is only a portion of the truth.

3. I really like the way the book depicts the personal relationship between the Trinity and Mack. The book described a personal relationship that was deep and intimate. I want to relate to God in that way. Often we talk about God, read about God, sing about God, and form beliefs about God, but we don’t really relate to God. We don’t engage him in a daily relationship.

Here are two quotes from the book that stood out for me:

“Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved. Because you do not know that I love you, you cannot trust me.”

“Mack, I don’t want to be the first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything. When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you. Rather than a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life – your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities – is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being.”

What are your thought?

What Does a Rhythm of Spiritual Disciplines Look Like?

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11: 28-30 -The Message Bible

"In the end, this is the most hopeful thing any of us can say about spiritual transformation: I cannot transform myself, or anyone else for that matter. What I can do is create the conditions in which spiritual transformation can take place, by developing and maintaining a rhythm of spiritual practices that keep me open and available to God" From the book Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton

I love both of those quotes. I love the freedom that they describe. I really like the use of the word rhythm. I believe God created us to live in balance and rhythm. I think sometimes the word “discipline” scares us. It makes us think of added burdens and struggle not freedom and lightness. When a football team is in rhythm it is at its best. The team doesn’t quit working or trying but everything seems to come easier. I think that’s what happens when we discover our God designed rhythm.

I believe that a rhythm of spiritual disciplines will look different for every person. Each of us must find our own rhythm - the rhythm that works for us. In the classic on spiritual disciplines Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster – Foster describes twelve distinct disciplines. The twelve disciplines are divided into three categories. The inward disciplines are meditation, prayer, fasting, and study. The outward disciplines are simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. The corporate disciplines are confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. I believe that each of us will establish a repertoire of disciplines that best suit us.

In my life I have a daily rhythm, a weekly rhythm, and an annual rhythm. Some of the disciplines I practice daily. Things like prayer, study, confession and meditation. Other disciplines I practice weekly – things like simplicity, service, worship, celebration, and Sabbath rest. Some disciplines I practice periodically throughout the year – things like extended periods of silence & solitude, guidance, and larger acts of service.

I’ve discovered that some of the disciplines are harder for me than others. I’ve also discovered that some are more meaningful for me than others. I’m definitely not an expert in this area – but I do think that the idea of us finding our personal rhythm is a key. What works for you? In order to answer that question you have to experiment with all of the disciplines. I’ve found that sometimes it helps to submit myself to a “guided” experience with a discipline or disciplines that I’m not familiar or comfortable with.

Here are a few of the best resources that I’ve found. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard, Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life by Tony Jones, and The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg. Fosters book is the classic on the subject, but recently I read Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton and it has become my favorite. Barton’s discussion of “Christian Fatigue Syndrome” is really good.

Well those are some of my thoughts. I’m sure some of the others that read this blog can add more insights.

What is a disciple & how do you make one?

We all know that the great commission tells us to go and make disciples. Most of us assume we know what a disciple is and how disciples are made. For many in churches -- their assumption is that disciples are made through the progams of the church. For a number of years now I have been challenging that assumption. I've started over - asking some basic questions. The following are some of my most recent thoughts. I would love to have your imput. I'm sure I've forgotten something really important.

1. What is a disciple?

1) A disciple is a person who is an apprentice of Jesus and his “way.” Disciples believe that pursuing the way of Jesus is just as important as believing in Jesus.
2) A disciple is a person who is pursuing a relationship with God through Jesus.
3) A disciple is a person who is determined to embody the character of God as modeled by Jesus.
4) A disciple is a person who is committed to align his or her life with God’s dream for the world as demonstrated by Jesus.
5) A disciple is a person who is moving towards restored wholeness because of Jesus.

2. How are disciples made?

1) Disciples are made through intentionally learning from Jesus.
2) Disciples are made through engaging in real community with a group of other disciples.
3) Disciples are made through practicing a rhythm of spiritual disciplines.
4) Disciples are made through an ongoing relationship with a mentor/coach/soul friend.
5) Disciples are made through the practice of missional living. Disciples both demonstrate & announce the good news of the kingdom.

Authenticity - the cardinal virtue?

“The cultural context of postmodernity and its hermeneutic of suspicion offer us a reminder of the Christian virtue of humility, of listening, and of self-sacrificing love for one’s neighbor that is free from the need to colonize or co-opt. To give the gift of oneself, of authenticity amid a world consumed by façade, is a necessity and a demonstration of the nature of the God revealed in Jesus Christ. If hypocrisy is the cardinal sin in a postmodern context, then authenticity is the cardinal virtue. Unfortunately Christians who have been consumed with the “truth” are at times less concerned with honesty and authenticity. While it seems that these ideas would exist seamlessly together, most of the time they do not. But where authenticity and honesty exist in people and communities, such postures go a long way in communicating to those around us a willingness to serve and not simply exploit for the realization of our own vision.”

From Intuitive Leadership by Tim Keel

I think that authenticity is a key value in the postmodern world. For many of us, the modern world trained us to trust no one. Even the modern church instilled in us a culture where you couldn’t be real. The modern church made it clear that to fit in you had to agree with the beliefs and agenda of the church. Any questions were quickly answered with “the” answer. Doubts, fears, and mistakes weren’t tolerated. The modern church became an “unsafe” place for many. Even the contemporary worship service is viewed as slick, orchestrated, and contrived.

Authenticity is a discipline that must be re-learned. It will require courage. It will also require trust. I believe that the only place that real authenticity can flourish is in the safety of a trusted community of fellow travelers. We earn the right to authenticity when we prove we’re trustworthy. We prove our trustworthiness when we listen to others with empathy, when we refuse to condemn or preach, when we maintain confidences and when we handle other peoples “stuff” maturely. I’ll talk more about creating a “safe place” in another blog post. For now let me just say that I long for a community where I feel that I can be authentic - I long to be around other authentic people. I’m so grateful for the Wellspring community – because they are that safe place for me. I love to quote my wife Becky who describes Wellspring as “the most ‘real’ thing I’ve ever been a part of.”

So that’s what I think, what do you think?

Mystery

I’ve just recently finished reading a book that I really enjoyed. The title of the book is Speaking of Faith and it’s written by Krista Tippet. I love what she says about embracing mystery. The following is from her book:

"But we are left, in the end, with arms full, minds full, of mystery."

"At their orthodox core, religious traditions themselves ask us to hold our notions of earthly certainties and transcendent mystery – what we believe we know, and what we can never know for sure in time and space – in an exacting, creative tension.
Mystery is the crux of religion that is almost always missing in our public expressions of religion."

"Mystery resists absolutes. It can hold truth, compassion, and open possibility in relationship."

"If mystery is real, even more real than what we can touch with our five sense, uncertainty and ambiguity are blessed."

"I find that mystery is a word people of every tradition love, whether they speak it often or not. It is a word that many nonreligious people are open to embracing and exploring, perhaps more so now than in previous generations. Introduce mystery into any conversation and the conversation gentles…"

I believe that fully embracing the concept of the mystery of God is crucial as we move into this post-modern era. What do you think?