Make your own spiritual application. I like to visualize this as my Protector hovering over the enemy as I travel through life.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
My Shield...My Protector
Make your own spiritual application. I like to visualize this as my Protector hovering over the enemy as I travel through life.
Friday, September 23, 2005
The Discipline of Ego
Last night we had our friends, I will call them Randy and Safia, over for supper. We have known them for fifteen years and, though we have lived on different sides of the world most of that time, we always enjoy renewing our friendship.
One of the reasons I like about being around Randy and Safia is that they are the most unpretentious people I have ever met. He holds a couple of Master’s degrees, and is well spoken. Safia is from a high caste and is well connected within the city, from the President down. Yet they are unassuming, never drop names nor, like so many in this world, try to impress with what they have or what they have accomplished.
Forty-eight hours earlier, as my aged parents took me to the airport, they asked me if I was flying business class? My twin brother, who is presently in Uzbekistan, often travels business or first class, so I guess they thought I would too. I use to get upgrades to the front part of the plane, but these days it’s strictly coach and the best I can hope for is I don’t get stuck I a middle isle. I sheepishly confessed, no, “I’m flying coach.”
In the past week I’ve been reading a series of studies dealing with the discipline of life. One area of discipline is self-esteem or the battle of ego. Some people fight esteem issues more than others, though I suspect everyone struggles with self-image. Some have an enlarged and inflated ego, others suffer from low-self esteem.
In the world of ministry I live I’ve seen many who have chased the prize of being somebody. Whether it is pastoring a large church, being known as a great singer or being a great radio/television evangelist, it’s interesting to see people who are mere disciples of the Carpenter jostle for position of prominence. National pastors are as bad, sometimes worse, than North Americans. A lover of titles, they often insist they be called “The Doctor, Bishop, Reverend Samuels.” Many of them only fly first class and would never think about taking a train.
Of course there is nothing wrong with flying business class, having a title or ambition. I often use my title as leverage and would prefer to have a strong self-esteem rather than an unhealthy self-loathing. However, I have noticed down through the years those who chase recognition are very much like those who seek fortune where the pursuit dominates their personalities and becomes their undoing. When one becomes obsessed with being known the accolades are never satisfying, their ego is never stroked to satisfaction.
Down through history it has always been the humble that have gained the most admiration. From Jesus to Paul, from William Carey to Mother Teresa, those who walked humbly were in the end most admired. I guess that’s why I enjoy being around Randy and Safia, they model a Christ-like humility
As I pass the oversized seats of business class to find my narrow little uncomfortable seat in row forty-eight, I will cast a wishful eye. However, I hope I will keep my ego in-check, maintain the attitude of humility of a Albert Schweitzer who, when asked why he rode third class on the train, answered simply, “Because there isn’t a fourth class.”
One of the reasons I like about being around Randy and Safia is that they are the most unpretentious people I have ever met. He holds a couple of Master’s degrees, and is well spoken. Safia is from a high caste and is well connected within the city, from the President down. Yet they are unassuming, never drop names nor, like so many in this world, try to impress with what they have or what they have accomplished.
Forty-eight hours earlier, as my aged parents took me to the airport, they asked me if I was flying business class? My twin brother, who is presently in Uzbekistan, often travels business or first class, so I guess they thought I would too. I use to get upgrades to the front part of the plane, but these days it’s strictly coach and the best I can hope for is I don’t get stuck I a middle isle. I sheepishly confessed, no, “I’m flying coach.”
In the past week I’ve been reading a series of studies dealing with the discipline of life. One area of discipline is self-esteem or the battle of ego. Some people fight esteem issues more than others, though I suspect everyone struggles with self-image. Some have an enlarged and inflated ego, others suffer from low-self esteem.
In the world of ministry I live I’ve seen many who have chased the prize of being somebody. Whether it is pastoring a large church, being known as a great singer or being a great radio/television evangelist, it’s interesting to see people who are mere disciples of the Carpenter jostle for position of prominence. National pastors are as bad, sometimes worse, than North Americans. A lover of titles, they often insist they be called “The Doctor, Bishop, Reverend Samuels.” Many of them only fly first class and would never think about taking a train.
Of course there is nothing wrong with flying business class, having a title or ambition. I often use my title as leverage and would prefer to have a strong self-esteem rather than an unhealthy self-loathing. However, I have noticed down through the years those who chase recognition are very much like those who seek fortune where the pursuit dominates their personalities and becomes their undoing. When one becomes obsessed with being known the accolades are never satisfying, their ego is never stroked to satisfaction.
Down through history it has always been the humble that have gained the most admiration. From Jesus to Paul, from William Carey to Mother Teresa, those who walked humbly were in the end most admired. I guess that’s why I enjoy being around Randy and Safia, they model a Christ-like humility
As I pass the oversized seats of business class to find my narrow little uncomfortable seat in row forty-eight, I will cast a wishful eye. However, I hope I will keep my ego in-check, maintain the attitude of humility of a Albert Schweitzer who, when asked why he rode third class on the train, answered simply, “Because there isn’t a fourth class.”
Friday, September 16, 2005
Insider Movements
The new term for the indigenous church is insider movements. Definitions are now in order.
Indigenous means something that is natural or native to a particular region. Missiologist’s have for many years promoted the idea that when planting a church, it should look and feel like the region of those who accept Christ as their Savior. Though the philosophy of the indigenous church is valid, the practical outworking of that philosophy is difficult, if not impossible, to implement. Church planters, whether they are native or foreign (missionaries), traditionally establish churches that look remarkably like every other church throughout the world. The formula for church planting is, evangelism, baptism, discipleship, secure land, build a building. Once a meeting place has been established, the new Christian community takes on a universal form in singing, church leadership and program. Denominationalism follows the same pattern, be they Evangelical, Orthodox or Catholic. The indigenous church is more theory than reality.
The primary reason the indigenous church is not present is due to institutional reluctance. Rather than allowing new converts be followers of Jesus within their context as a Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim, the institutional church insists that people be extracted from their cultural context as they embrace Christ as Lord. While it is important that people understand that Jesus is more than a prophet, guru or god, the insistence that seekers throw off the old to seize the new has become a barrier for many.
The insider movement promotes the notion that people become followers of Jesus within their context. Can a Hindu or Muslim be a follower of Christ without joining the institutional church? The debate continues with no clear answer. And, the debate is not new. The first church of Jerusalem believed that there were clear regulations the Gentile converts should follow in order to be included in the ecclesia (circumcision, following the Law). As the Gentile church grew they also created benchmarks for proper behavior of new believers (abstaining from meat offered to idols). As the institution grew, so too, did the requirements for new believers. The insider movement is only the latest threat to institutional thinking.
While that debate continues, the implications for those working within the institution are profound. What role does a church planter, native or foreign, have in fostering an insider movement? If they can’t baptize or build a building, what will they report to those who support them? If they cannot quantify their work will they have a role to play in the Great Commission? Probably not. The institutional church is uncomfortable with supporting someone taking the Gospel to those who will remain in their cultural and religious context. Secret believers will never gain legitimacy within the institutional body, therefore those who facilitate such activity face the same contempt.
Indigenous means something that is natural or native to a particular region. Missiologist’s have for many years promoted the idea that when planting a church, it should look and feel like the region of those who accept Christ as their Savior. Though the philosophy of the indigenous church is valid, the practical outworking of that philosophy is difficult, if not impossible, to implement. Church planters, whether they are native or foreign (missionaries), traditionally establish churches that look remarkably like every other church throughout the world. The formula for church planting is, evangelism, baptism, discipleship, secure land, build a building. Once a meeting place has been established, the new Christian community takes on a universal form in singing, church leadership and program. Denominationalism follows the same pattern, be they Evangelical, Orthodox or Catholic. The indigenous church is more theory than reality.
The primary reason the indigenous church is not present is due to institutional reluctance. Rather than allowing new converts be followers of Jesus within their context as a Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim, the institutional church insists that people be extracted from their cultural context as they embrace Christ as Lord. While it is important that people understand that Jesus is more than a prophet, guru or god, the insistence that seekers throw off the old to seize the new has become a barrier for many.
The insider movement promotes the notion that people become followers of Jesus within their context. Can a Hindu or Muslim be a follower of Christ without joining the institutional church? The debate continues with no clear answer. And, the debate is not new. The first church of Jerusalem believed that there were clear regulations the Gentile converts should follow in order to be included in the ecclesia (circumcision, following the Law). As the Gentile church grew they also created benchmarks for proper behavior of new believers (abstaining from meat offered to idols). As the institution grew, so too, did the requirements for new believers. The insider movement is only the latest threat to institutional thinking.
While that debate continues, the implications for those working within the institution are profound. What role does a church planter, native or foreign, have in fostering an insider movement? If they can’t baptize or build a building, what will they report to those who support them? If they cannot quantify their work will they have a role to play in the Great Commission? Probably not. The institutional church is uncomfortable with supporting someone taking the Gospel to those who will remain in their cultural and religious context. Secret believers will never gain legitimacy within the institutional body, therefore those who facilitate such activity face the same contempt.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Voice In The Wilderness
This weekend I wrap up my time in the states and head back to Asia. I look forward to getting back to the work I enjoy the most, i.e. training nationals in cross-cultural ministry. I have enjoyed being in the states as well, but the work here is harder for me. Speaking in churches, trying to paint the picture of our work, though important, it's challenging. Why?
Missions is not a hot button issue for most people. If they did a Gallup poll on what people want in a fulfilling church service experience I suspect it would look something like this:
Music/Worship 48%
Interacting with friends (with coffee and donut’s) 23%
Hearing a good message 22%
Getting a good parking place 6%
Learning about missions 1%
That's not sour grapes, it’s not a criticism, it's reality. While people admire missionaries and they understand missions is vital in fulfilling the Great Commission, it’s not where they live. The average American Christian is weighed down with debt, conflict and busyness. They watch the misery of Katrina victims on their televisions and the last thing they want to hear is another sad story about billion’s of people in Asia who are eternally doomed without Christ. Hand me another donut, but please don't tell me I need to be more involved in world evangelism.
Though often referred to as “heroes,” among some American pastors, in reality missionaries are perceived more like IRS agents. “I know we have to give you something, it’s the law,” they seem to say, “so we’ll give what we owe and not a cent more.” Certainly that’s not true of everyone, but, like I tell my student’s, it's not what people say, but how they live which determines worldview.
In spite of the reality of my role, I am always grateful that I can be a voice in the wilderness for the 90% of God’s creation that lives outside the continental U.S. I am grateful for that 10% of the people in any church who see missions as important as their praise songs. And to those who are preoccupied, I pray that God will use what we have said to make them more aware of the world around them. Who knows, maybe one day I will see them on the road raising support.
Missions is not a hot button issue for most people. If they did a Gallup poll on what people want in a fulfilling church service experience I suspect it would look something like this:
Music/Worship 48%
Interacting with friends (with coffee and donut’s) 23%
Hearing a good message 22%
Getting a good parking place 6%
Learning about missions 1%
That's not sour grapes, it’s not a criticism, it's reality. While people admire missionaries and they understand missions is vital in fulfilling the Great Commission, it’s not where they live. The average American Christian is weighed down with debt, conflict and busyness. They watch the misery of Katrina victims on their televisions and the last thing they want to hear is another sad story about billion’s of people in Asia who are eternally doomed without Christ. Hand me another donut, but please don't tell me I need to be more involved in world evangelism.
Though often referred to as “heroes,” among some American pastors, in reality missionaries are perceived more like IRS agents. “I know we have to give you something, it’s the law,” they seem to say, “so we’ll give what we owe and not a cent more.” Certainly that’s not true of everyone, but, like I tell my student’s, it's not what people say, but how they live which determines worldview.
In spite of the reality of my role, I am always grateful that I can be a voice in the wilderness for the 90% of God’s creation that lives outside the continental U.S. I am grateful for that 10% of the people in any church who see missions as important as their praise songs. And to those who are preoccupied, I pray that God will use what we have said to make them more aware of the world around them. Who knows, maybe one day I will see them on the road raising support.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Generational Missions
In reading A RESILIENT LIFE by Gordon MacDonald, the middle section in the book is about asking questions of different generations. MacDonald was speaking to a convention of worship leaders, and it struck him that most of them were in their 30’s. He asked them if they really knew about the lives of the people in their churches who were younger or older than their generation? He challenged them to develop their worship program with an eye on those who did not share their worldview.
As I reflected on MacDonald’s comments, I thought about this blog. I’m in the late 50’s crowd who is thinking about how relevant I am in the world, wondering if time has passed me by? Soon I will be in the 60’s and 70’s group and will wonder if anyone will even know or care about the life I’ve lived? Have I forgotten what it was like to be in my 20’s, when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew taller? Do I appreciate the struggles of those in their 30’s, who must balance family and career, while at the same time trying to serve Christ overseas? It wasn’t too long ago I was apart of the 40’s crowd, coming to terms with the choices that I’ve made in life which has defined my future and wondering if it’s too late to make a mid-course adjustment (classic definition of mid-life crisis)?
I have noted that culture is not static. What was the norm in missions five years ago has changed. In developing a strategy of mission one must be aware of those changing dynamics. So, too, is it with those who will take up the mantle of missions in the days ahead. Missions cannot, should not be done as it was in my generation. I pray to God I will remember that as I move forward and helping others to think about where He is taking us, not where we have been.
As I reflected on MacDonald’s comments, I thought about this blog. I’m in the late 50’s crowd who is thinking about how relevant I am in the world, wondering if time has passed me by? Soon I will be in the 60’s and 70’s group and will wonder if anyone will even know or care about the life I’ve lived? Have I forgotten what it was like to be in my 20’s, when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew taller? Do I appreciate the struggles of those in their 30’s, who must balance family and career, while at the same time trying to serve Christ overseas? It wasn’t too long ago I was apart of the 40’s crowd, coming to terms with the choices that I’ve made in life which has defined my future and wondering if it’s too late to make a mid-course adjustment (classic definition of mid-life crisis)?
I have noted that culture is not static. What was the norm in missions five years ago has changed. In developing a strategy of mission one must be aware of those changing dynamics. So, too, is it with those who will take up the mantle of missions in the days ahead. Missions cannot, should not be done as it was in my generation. I pray to God I will remember that as I move forward and helping others to think about where He is taking us, not where we have been.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Finding Need
As I sat down in the pastor’s office, by his body language I could almost see the wall of resistance come up. We had never met before and to him I was just another American trying to pitch a program. He’d seen guys like me for years, spending a year or less in the country, hoping to find a National pastor to facilitate another grand idea from the West.
Wanting to put him at ease I said, “Let me say at the outset that I have nothing to sell, I am here to just ask questions.”
I then preceded to explain that, though I had been a pastor in the U.S., a pioneer church planter in Kenya for 14 years, a trainer of missionaries for 16 years, my purpose for asking for a visit with him was to find the answer to one question, “Is there a need for what I do in this country?”
Too many times we make assumptions. We assume that in a country of 1 billion people, where the evangelical community is less than 2% that what WE DO is valid and important. We, speaking as an American, assume that we have a role to play in every country. The gap between our assumptions and reality is one reason there are so many frustrated missionaries on the field today.
“I’m not sure why I am here,” one guy said to me recently, and a sentiment I’ve heard many times over. “I came to this country wanting to make a difference, but I can’t find my niche. I feel guilty as I am getting a ton of support to live here, but the National church doesn’t need me where I am gifted, and I’m not gifted in what they need.”
Mission sending agencies are not much help in helping people find their niche on the field. Driven by numbers of recruits for their organization, they also make assumptions that they need to send people to China, Cambodia or Croatia, and hope that when the people get to the field they will figure it out for themselves when they get there. That’s not a plan, that’s a wish.
How does one find their niche as a cross-cultural worker? I have a suggestion based on my experience…go to the field and ask the question. WHAT IS THE NEED? IS WHAT I DO FILL THAT NEED?
The North American church spends lot money each year going on short-term mission trips. Rather than using that two week, one month or even one-year trip in doing ministry, that may or may not be relevant, I suggest people spend that time investigating and asking appropriate questions? By asking the proper questions one may find that they indeed can have a role as a teacher, business manager, computer expert or counselor. It’s also possible that they will learn they do not have a role in serving the church in that country and will need to seek God’s guidance in serving in another area.
By asking the questions BEFORE going to the field, missionaries will experience job satisfaction, which is key in feeling worthwhile in ministry and, will help them know what to do on Tuesday morning.
Wanting to put him at ease I said, “Let me say at the outset that I have nothing to sell, I am here to just ask questions.”
I then preceded to explain that, though I had been a pastor in the U.S., a pioneer church planter in Kenya for 14 years, a trainer of missionaries for 16 years, my purpose for asking for a visit with him was to find the answer to one question, “Is there a need for what I do in this country?”
Too many times we make assumptions. We assume that in a country of 1 billion people, where the evangelical community is less than 2% that what WE DO is valid and important. We, speaking as an American, assume that we have a role to play in every country. The gap between our assumptions and reality is one reason there are so many frustrated missionaries on the field today.
“I’m not sure why I am here,” one guy said to me recently, and a sentiment I’ve heard many times over. “I came to this country wanting to make a difference, but I can’t find my niche. I feel guilty as I am getting a ton of support to live here, but the National church doesn’t need me where I am gifted, and I’m not gifted in what they need.”
Mission sending agencies are not much help in helping people find their niche on the field. Driven by numbers of recruits for their organization, they also make assumptions that they need to send people to China, Cambodia or Croatia, and hope that when the people get to the field they will figure it out for themselves when they get there. That’s not a plan, that’s a wish.
How does one find their niche as a cross-cultural worker? I have a suggestion based on my experience…go to the field and ask the question. WHAT IS THE NEED? IS WHAT I DO FILL THAT NEED?
The North American church spends lot money each year going on short-term mission trips. Rather than using that two week, one month or even one-year trip in doing ministry, that may or may not be relevant, I suggest people spend that time investigating and asking appropriate questions? By asking the proper questions one may find that they indeed can have a role as a teacher, business manager, computer expert or counselor. It’s also possible that they will learn they do not have a role in serving the church in that country and will need to seek God’s guidance in serving in another area.
By asking the questions BEFORE going to the field, missionaries will experience job satisfaction, which is key in feeling worthwhile in ministry and, will help them know what to do on Tuesday morning.
