Reflections on Selling Ministry

We all do it. Whether in the local church trying to get our folks to bring their friends, through mass mailings or newsletters, or like me, on the floor of Youth Specialties this weekend. We are selling ministry. I have spoken to hundreds of youth workers trying to get them to see the advantage of bringing their youth group to Lake Junaluska for their next winter or summer youth retreat. I have passed out countless posters and brochures, stood for hours on the concrete floor and explained what our ministry would do to enhance theirs. Why do we have to sell ministry?

I have struggled with this since I was a pastor in a local church. When I discovered that my entrepreneurial tendencies suited ministry and my salesmanship helped build my attendance I have wondered whether that is really a good mix. Does the end justify the means? Is the life change affected by a youth attending an SEJMYP event justify the slick marketing, hours of negotiation with bands and speakers and the time building a set? On one level the obvious answer is yes. There is no price to put upon a soul. That one youth could one day lead dozens, hundreds or thousands to Christ. In that way the work is certainly worth it.

The question I struggle with is how is this better than the world? I mean, Apple has a minister of evangelism to get people to convert from Microsoft to Mac. Should we have to talk a youth worker into bringing their youth to a life changing experience? Should we have to convince them that our program is flashier or will have a great impact than somebody else’s?

I often hear stories of when the LJ events were filled to the gills. Across the SEJ the thing to do in the summer was to bring your youth to have an LJ experience. It was in the culture. If you were Methodist you’d never consider taking them to a “Baptist” or “non-denominational” camp (not that there really is any such animal as ‘non-denominational’, but that is another blog). You wanted your youth to experience your theology. It mattered what was taught. It made a difference what they heard. It is not that you discriminated but that you were more discriminating. Now, youth workers aren’t concerned about theology but about splash. Is the production the best? Is the show the coolest? Is the destination the hottest?

We wonder why we are loosing youth? One reason may be that we have sold out and cheapened our theological commitment. That we don’t expect or even care of our youth believe what we teach as “long as they believe something.” Theology matters, and because it matters I will continue to sell ministry…one youth worker at a time. So if you want a youth event where mainline, orthodox teaching matters, I’ll see you at the LJ. I remain:

Consumed by the Call
Marty

Gracious God, who calls us to live out our faith and walk our talk, lead us to think before we act and not to buy what is best but what is needed. In the name of Jesus, AMEN.

Open the Door but Where are the People?

Churches are closing all across American and I am beginning to understand why.

I witnessed this weekend perhaps the most manipulative political maneuvering I have ever experienced and it was at a meeting of church people. When asked why they are leaving the church, young adults say that one of the key reasons is a blatant difference between spoken values and lived values. This weekend whole sets of people were de-valued and silenced so that they could not raise questions about an issue that would shape their future.

I am not sure what is more disturbing. The fact that the political process was so shamelessly manipulated or that nobody who could speak seemed to care. In one sweeping motion ethnic ministries across the jurisdiction were marginalized and ministry was diminished to profit generating programming all in the name of expediency.

What about those of us most affected by the change. We were forced to sit in the back of the room in silence. It reminded me of Thanksgivings years ago when the kids sat at the children’s table and were told that they were to be seen but not heard. So we sat and watched people who did not fully understand what was happening wipe away two decades of progress in ethnic ministries and discipleship.

When questions were raised, they were glossed over with phrases like, “that will never really happen,” or “there is no need to duplicate ministry that is happening in other places.” One defender even spoke of a very capable and effective leader as a “token employee.”

Even a cursory look at several of the annual conferences and their free fall in membership and, more importantly, worship attendance, proves that even if ministry should be happening there, it isn’t. That national “comprehensive plans” are merely paper until a person acts as advocate and catalyst for ideas of implementation.

One friend, sitting silently in the back while watching her ministry dissolve without question from the floor said it best, “I thought this was the Church?” It wasn’t the Church; it was politics, plain and simple. Politics that manipulate the system to get a desired end without fully explaining the long-term implications of actions or providing adequate time for reflection and input. It was top-down policy making. If it was the Church, then it is no wonder that the Church is in danger.

What now? I do not know. The implications of this action have kept me awake for four nights. How many more of our churches will fall to ruin upon the altar of political manipulation? Let us save money but continue to loose souls.

Gracious God, who brings dry bones to life. Let us live again, give us hearts filled with courage to speak for those who are silenced and hands to work for those whose hands are tied. In the name of the author of resurrection, Jesus, I pray. Amen

Marty

Real; Relevant & Revolutionary

To keep young adults in our churches we must find a way to connect where they live. What they seek is not much different from what their parents sought twenty or so years ago, but of course that was when we were “anti-establishment” rather than being the establishment. It is time to find ways to be real; relevant and revolutionary and to foster those tendencies in our young adults rather than fighting against them.

This generation knows that the Christian faith is not about “happily ever after.” They are the products of single parent homes, gangs, drugs and STDs. They realize that just because you bend an knee at an altar and commit to Christ doesn’t mean that when you get up your life won’t be just as difficult. They understand what it is to be “real.” To be real is to be completely authentic and to tell the hard truth. They are the product of about 3,000 commercial messages every day and don’t appreciate infomercial Christianity.

How does this translate to the church? First, no false promises. Don’t promise their lives will magically come together or that they won’t have existential struggle once they let God in. Rather, help them understand that our power is in the power of the shared community, the mystery of the sacrament and the foundation of a faith system that will endure even when our lives are unendurable. Help them realize that this is a battle not a theme park and that it will be a struggle. Let them know that faith is a daily decision and not a mushy feeling you get at camp, that way when they go home they are ready for the fight.

Secondly, look around. This is not the world of the past, it is the world of now. Wil Wilimon once said when he teaching at Duke Divinity School that if the fifties ever come back the United Methodist Church will be ready. Amazingly (at least to me) being relevant is not about having electric guitars and fancy graphics as much as it about helping them connect the unchanging Gospel to an ever-changing world. They are saturated by the culture and only get a sprinkle of the Truth. We have to give them real tools to help them cope rather than generic platitudes and churchy clichés that fall apart when assaulted by their real lives.

Being revolutionary is even more of a struggle than being real and relevant. It is against our nature to embrace revolution. The status quo is where we have learned to live; allowing a complete turnover of all that makes us comfortable is hard to embrace. If we have done our jobs and been good mentors, allowing them to test their leadership skills and grow in their faith, we should feel fine with giving over the reigns of leadership to them. Let them create, develop and lead. Provide areas where they can stretch their revolutionary muscles. Let them fail. That’s right, helicopter parents and hovering pastors, let them fall flat on their face and flop. There is no better way to learn than to fail, as long as failure is done in a loving community that will pick you up and give you another chance.

Lastly, embrace the revolution. Support it and make way for it. Certainly, serve the congregation that is but make way for the community that is coming next. Were it not for the life-lengthening work of modern medicine most mainline churches would already have given the reigns of leadership over to this generation or have ceased to exist. Just because we are living longer does not, necessarily mean we deserve to strangle the church and mold it to our preferences. Remember, its not about you…it’s about the Gospel.

Gracious God, who created out of chaos, grant that we can embrace the chaos of revolutionary creation once again and let your Holy Spirit lead our church back to life. You who lived in a real world, allow us to be real, You who caused a revolution, let us embrace the revolution that you are bringing again. In the name of the real revolutionary, Jesus, I pray. Amen

Marty

Pile it High!

Consumerism has become the plague of our culture. We want more and more for less and less. We want it fast, instantaneous if possible. Somehow we believe that if we have more “stuff” then we will be happier. We have supersized our lives. When we run out of room for our junk in the house we fill up our garage. When that’s full be rent a storage space down the street and fill that up. Soon we can’t find anything because of the everything that we have in the way. I’m not sure we were designed to accumulate.

I understand the primitive nature of those who, due to some trauma or significant loss in their past, have a reluctance to throw anything away. These are the people who save every newspaper, magazine and grocery bag. However, many of us grew up with plenty. We never really worried that we would have dinner on the table or clothes to wear; yet still we are filling our closets to the max. We tend to accumulate for a few reasons. First, we are told we need it. We think it will make us feel better. We have culturally infused competitive natures and we find our security in what we have rather than who we are.

The average person sees more than 3,000 advertisements per year. We are inundated with the media telling us what we need. There are banner ads on our email, commercials on television, direct mail and now, the bane of my existence, cell phone telemarketing. Each ad is designed to tell us that the product or service they are providing is just what we need to fill that last remaining gap in our lives. There are choppers to smash stuff and super glues to put it all back together. There are toys that entertain and cases for those toys to keep them safe and make them even more stylish.

Not only do we need it but also if we have it we will feel better. There is a sensation that is commonly known as “buyer’s rush” which is that surge of adrenalin that you get when you make a purchase. There are even those folks who so crave to that feeling that they addicted to shopping. That feeling is fleeting, however, and is only fueled by another purchase. Before long you are watching infomercials and trying to find what will make you feel better if you purchase it next.

Competition also fuels our consumerism. We want to keep up with the Jones. Make sure that we also have the newest SUV and the biggest, flat screen television. Since we were children we have had the philosophy that “my dad is bigger than your dad.” That has grown into “my SUV is cooler than your SUV.”

Stuff also makes us feel secure. We like to be surrounded by “our stuff.” We begin this with our teddy bear or blanket as a small child. Every parent has stories about forgetting a prized stuffed animal and driving back an hour to get it fearing that their child would never get to sleep if they didn’t have it at bedtime. As we grow, we accumulate more security stuff. Before long we have closets filled with memorabilia. We fear that if we get rid of that ceramic doll painted by great aunt Sue or the journals from middle school, a part of our “selves” will be lost.

Jesus told the disciples to go and serve with only the clothes on their back. How often has my stuff held be back from doing everything God has called me to do? Have my physical possessions tied me to the past rather than freeing me to live out my call to the future.

Gracious God, who is the giver of all good gifts. Forgive me for worshipping stuff rather than You. Grant me the ability to clean out my closets and clean out my heart. In the name of the one who gives us the gift of freedom, Jesus, I pray. Amen

People Don’t Pay for Average

Each year I attend a conference that provides me with tons of material to reflect upon. Ever since I first attended, seven years ago, I have tried to boil down my key learning point for each day into one, powerful moment when I got what I needed to learn most. This year it was the central truth that “people don’t pay for average.” My friend, Tim Elmore said it to me first on Thursday morning and then I heard it again at least three more times that day.

People pay for excellence. That’s why we pay 25% more for a Toyota of the same size than we do a Kia…we trust Toyota. Everywhere boutique specialty shops are springing up, leaving the big box stores to fill their stores with average, to sell the exquisite. Their shelves are filled finest cheeses and wines and imported, organic vegetables. Somewhere along the line we have grown sick of average. Our lives are filled with average but we crave something more. Something better.

Then we go to church where average is rewarded as excellence. So often the church, as a whole, has often settled for average. We have failed to give our very best, holding that back for our personal or professional endeavors. The church has spent the last few decades doing the bare minimum to survive, mortgaging our tomorrows by making shortcuts today. We have let our facilities decay by delaying maintenance; we have cut our staff to the bone and forsaken missional commitments for short-term survival. The more average we become the more our resources dry up. People don’t pay for average.

Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe that’s how we know what’s working and what is a desperate attempt to cling to the past. I’m not saying that every church that is growing is excellent, or even Christian, but I am saying that it is time for Christ-followers to be willing to give their very best in pursuit of what God wants to do with their life. To step back and ruthlessly evaluate what is the best we have and offer that as a thanksgiving offering to God. We must stop living our faith life on leftovers and live it in radical discipleship.

Gracious God, help me to give you my first and my best and to not just give you the leftovers of my life. You who gave us Your best grant me the strength to do likewise. In the name of the divine gift, Jesus, Amen.

Consumed by the Call,
Marty

Why we are loosing ground with young adults...

I have the amazing privilege of working with spiritual sensitive and passionate young adults from across the southeast every summer. I am also charged with understanding why the Church, and The United Methodist Church in particular, is loosing ground with young adults. Why are they leaving our churches to attend college or enter the job force and never returning? What is it about the mainline church that seems to be alienating young adults who seem to be committed to Christ but never darkenour doors after they turn eighteen. After dozens of conversations during the past year and some in-depth input from the young adults with whom I work closely seem to be some common strands that run through their choice to leave the Church, or at least our version of it. Their reasons include: passionless worship; incongruity in spoken and lived values; greater focus on political agenda than spiritual formation; lack of a clear, unified vision; extreme criticism of things of little importance and finally tokenism regarding their presence. These perceptions that they carry, true or not, determine their actions.

Mainline churches seem to have worship based in the head and not the heart. The perception of passionless worship came up again and again in conversation. The music is mundane and mediocre, the pastor reads a sermon without inflection or conviction and the people fail to respond to either what is sung or what is preached. This is not to say that young adults do not care for traditional worship or liturgy. They just will not tolerate watered down, unexplained ritual and liturgy or poor quality, half-hearted worship. There is actually a resurgence in higher forms of liturgy among young adults, but the churches that they flock to for this type of experience do it very well and make it very clear why they do what they do. There is not the feeling of just going through another set of motions, another set of creeds and movements without understanding. This generation desires to experience God in wholly different ways than did their parents. They want passion in their worship. As long as they perceive our worship as passionless, they will be unlikely to return.

Secondly, the obvious incongruity of spoken values and lived values plagues them. They see this type of behavior in their culture and it sickens them. To see a Greenpeace bumper sticker on a Suburban bothers this generation of revolutionaries. Since their birth they have been told that they can change the world, and they intend to do it. Why do they perceive this lack of incongruity? First of all, within The United Methodist Church, we created a new division, the Ministries with Young People division, but did not adequately fund the division to allow it to do all that is required of it. Our denominational agencies affirm Fair Trade practices but fail to follow them at their conference retreat centers, preferring lower price to the welfare of small, struggling farmers. The rhetoric about wanting young adults in our churches and ministries while slashing funding for college ministers, Wesley foundations and campus ministry offends their sensibilities. Many of our Methodist “related colleges” do not even employ a chaplain and have removed all spiritual focus and demands from their curriculum and academics. Some have even removed the name Methodist or Wesleyan from their names to make them “more approachable.” Is there any wonder that there is a correlation between the percentage of funds going into campus ministry and the failure of young adults to return to United Methodist Churches? Or the fact that more conservative movements are experiencing growth proportional to their investment?

Another factor that plagues The United Methodist Church’s ability to reach young adults is the constant political in-fighting. As the 2008 General Conference approaches the denomination will once again be defined by its political agenda and not its commitment to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Year after year annual conferences fight over the same political issues while their membership continues to decline. Even in growing annual conferences they are failing to keep pace with population expansion. The Church’s persistent nature to make mountains out of molehills seems ridiculous to this highly practical and pragmatic generation. This is complicated when it becomes apparent that even our clergy do not have a clear understanding of our theology. Whatever happened to Wesley’s mandate to be clear in our focus and to follow his statement: “In essentials unity; in all else charity.”

Much of this confusion stems from a lack of clear, unified vision. Without grassroots understanding of the Church’s purpose and its vision for the future, it is difficult to reach young adults who desire clarity in a world filled with uncertainty. The abandonment of our heritage’s commitment to balancing social justice with evangelism leaves us without the needed bifocal emphasis that would be most appealing to young adults. They want to change their world and they realize the necessity of beginning at the local level. We must find a way to clarify our vision and renew our commitment to making disciples and changing our world.

Criticism of things of little consequence also drives young adults from our doors. Churches that balk at having a young person with blue hair or a pierced nose as part of their congregation are essentially assuring their absence. This is a generation of individuals seeking community. They are striving desperately to identify who they are and where they fit into a loving community. If that accepting, loving community is not found in the local church they will find it elsewhere. Does it really matter how many piercings or tattoos they have?

Finally, the Church’s token attempts at placating is actually alienating and not attracting young adults. Implentation of miserable “90’s style” praise services designed “for” them and not “with” them. A complete disregard for their input in the mission and vision of the local church and hypocritical statements about their importance and then complete disregard for their input. This is a generation of “doers” and not “watchers.” They do not want to send money to missions as much as they want to go be part of a missionary endeavor. They desire to put their hands where their heart is.

There is hope, however. The young adult movements that are growing have some powerful similarities. First of all they are sharply focused on spiritual formation. These movements worship with complete abandon in services filled with symbolism and depth. They realize that this is a culture of micronarratives and Myspace© accounts desiring to tell their own story and how God intersects them where they live and listen to them. They put young adults in positions of influence and responsibility and they empower them to live and lead boldly into the future. These movements have a clear understanding of their purpose and vision and are guided by them. Lastly, movements that are growing have the bifocal focus of local mission and a global vision to change the world.

Panic is setting in as The United Methodist Church continues to grey and its young adults continue to stray. Conferences are seeing their membership drop by hundreds, sometimes thousands, per year. We are loosing our connection with the next generation of church leaders allowing them to either leave the Church or migrate to other places of worship. There are several steps that will have a dramatic impact.

First of all there is the need for the Church to validate youth and young adult ministry as a primary calling especially for the best and brightest of up and coming United Methodist clergy. For years the Church has made college chaplains and campus ministers feel like they were not doing “real” ministry because they were in an extension connection. Since they were not in revenue generating ministry positions, their ministry was not considered valid. Most have stories about fellow clergy asking them when they are going to return to “real ministry” in the local church. These women and men are on the front line of ministry but often feel as though they have little connection with the Church that needs for them to be there.

Secondly, we must seal the hand-off gap between church youth groups and college ministry. Pastors need to make actual contact with the campus ministers where they are sending their youth. More than just completing a form, these interactions need to include introductions, information and contact details. Then, the campus minister needs to take pastoral responsibility for these new members of their “flock.” The lines of communication between the local church and their college students must reinforce the importance of spiritual connectivity.
The Church must reinvest in campus ministry. This may mean capital improvements to outdated facilities that have deferred maintenance due to fund shortfalls. Salaries for campus ministry must be comparable enough to be attractive to the best and brightest.

Additionally it is time to call our colleges back into the connection to claim their spiritual heritage. These institutions were founded with for the purpose of combining academic study and spiritual formation. It is time to encourage them to either take this charge seriously or for them to break their ties with the Church.

Lastly, the Church must empower entrepreneurial ministry including the intentional planting of emerging churches. Churches must be planted, in missional ways that are designed to reach young adults with the understanding that these will be mission churches rather than revenue sources for the annual conference. They will require greater investment that typical church plants and returns will need to be measured in life-change rather than in offering plate receipts.
It is not too late for those of us in the mainline trying to reach youth and young adults. The key is to redouble our efforts and refocus our mission toward being prophetic and effective in our intentional ministry toward them. We must stop with token attempts and make the next generation a mission effort. The United States is the second largest mission field on earth. It is time we become missionaries and stop loosing ground!

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10 Things I’ve Learned from Staff Training

1. Validity: I’m convinced now more than ever that team building and value understanding is more important than task training. Understanding the inner why helps with the outer performance.
2. Intensity: Training must be intense. The intensity helps break through resistance and helps the staff move beyond superficial into real depth.
3. Pace: I still have some work to do here. Next year’s schedule will reflect my learning about the pace. The campfire needs to be the last big session of self-revelation. The fun time at Fun Depot was an excellent counter-balance to the heavy stuff we’d been doing. Lastly, a plan for a couple of check-in sessions will also prove helpful.
4. Questions: Life and ministry have no easy answers, only questions. I am glad Maria brought that to a head making them think by never answering a question. By struggling early they will be better equipped to work with youth who have questions as well without easy answers given by “bobble-head” Jesus types. Live in the questions.
5. Tension: good training made the inter-personal tension much more positive than last year. There will always be tension, spiritual tension, inter-personal tension, theological tension, etc. The key is to be able to live in that tension and let it strengthen you, not consume you.
6. Focused Fun: Danelle did a great job helping them have fun but learn something at the same time. Often they had to dig out what they were learning because at first glance the activity was so fun, they didn’t realize how much they were learning. How often do we treat rubber chickens more importantly than glass balls?
7. Direction: Nilse did a great job helping the teams have direction. She is the list master, after all. This provides meaning and understanding to the overwhelming tasks at hand. She is definately a "navigator" in her leadership style.
   
8. Variety: Having a variety of trainers allowed everyone to do what they do best and connected with the staff in completely different ways. Having a variety of activities allows for creativity of expression and balance between physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional.
9. Values & Goals: Revelation came for a lot of the staff when they had to actually start defining what they valued. For some it was the first time they sought to understand their “why” and not just their “what.” Goals as tangible and measurable objectives means being accountable to yourself and others for what you are striving to accomplish and become. I think that this section is where the staff realized that this isn’t just another job, it is a ministry.
10. Learning from the Learners: Here is where I personally grew the most, learning from those who were being taught. Seeing what connected, what caused struggle and hearing great ideas. Jessica completely re-focused the Cross Walk on Thursday night and it was far better than I had originally designed. There were several times when we (the trainers) had to re-work our plans to make sure we were helping the staff on their journey. I’m sure I’ve learned as much or more than any of the staff.

What I’m keeping…

Here are the things I know I’ll keep for next year and beyond:

• Values and Goal Setting
• Staff Manual and Ministry Values
• Habitudes
• Nooma Videos
• Danelle’s workshops (hopefully Danelle will continue to be willing to volunteer to help!)
• Theological teaching times
• Cross Walk (though it will be last thing)
• Rafting
• REAL workshops
• Collages
• S’mores & campfire
• What else? Email me and let me know!

What I may change….

Here are the things I’m considering changing:

• Pace
• Location (my allergies were really affected by Colonial though I liked the space)
• Schedule (better balance of reflection and tasks, maybe afternoons off instead of evenings?)
• Environment design (a way to get people to move around to get to know each other better)
• More staff contact prior to training
• What else? Email me and let me know!

Praise God for a great staff. I look forward to a summer that is:

Lost in Grace,
Marty

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Richard Ramsey was a precise man. This seems to be the year I loose the few men who have known me more than half my life that are not blood-related to me. Richard, aka Dick, taught me a lot about life. He was a man who modeled stability and discipline to a fault. I have never known anyone, before or since, who was so organized, structured and focused. A lifetime IBM-er, he modeled the phrase, measure twice, cut once.

I think the first time I heard that phrase from him was a cool autumn Saturday when we were building what would become the garage on his retirement lot near the intercoastal waterway outside of Bath, NC. The wind was brisk, and so cool it felt as though my face was being stretched across my cheekbones. I was helping, as best as an inexperienced carpenter can, him frame the structure. I noticed that he measured ever cut from at least two directions. He either measured top to bottom and then bottom to top, or left and right then reversed. I asked why and he said, “measure twice, cut once.” What does that mean? It means to weigh your actions because every action has a consequence. In this case he was determined to waste as little as possible during the construction process because he was on a tight budget. As a matter of fact, so little was wasted that I was amazed.

This is not the way they build houses (or garages) today. They build in a certain amount of “waste” counting on speed to make up for it. The philosophy is that faster is better, that 87 degrees is close enough to 90 that it won’t really matter and that somebody else down the line can make up for your sloppy work. I’m not sure Dick knew how Biblical the principal he taught me that day was. The Scripture tells us that we are to do our work as if it were for God and not just our earthly bosses. That we must live into a calling, not just scrape out a living. Our work is our testimony.

I am really trying to embrace this concept in my life. To measure each decision I make whether personally or professionally much more carefully than ever before. The loss of these two men really makes me aware of how fleeting life is and that every decision matters. I love Richard Ramsey as though he were my own father. His focus and determination was a model that I only hope I can follow in some small way as I try to “measure twice and cut once.” Until then, thank God I remain:

Lost in Grace,

Marty Cauley, Pastor

Gracious God who calls us into account for our lives, grant that I may follow you completely, weighing every decision with prayer and discernment and living a life that reflects my love for You and respect for those who have mentored me to follow in your path. In the name of Jesus I pray, AMEN.

Real Influence

Last Saturday I did a funeral for my best friend’s father. I did the funeral in the same chapel and the graveside standing beside the grave where my best friend is buried. I did that funeral twelve years ago. On Saturday it seem like I did it yesterday. These funerals were more like family events than friends. I spent a significant part of my childhood playing in their yard, eating at their dinner table and playing games on their den floor. As the child of a single parent in the seventies I was an anomaly. The Evans family essentially adopted me into their lives as a surrogate son. Mr. Evans has definitely taught me life lessons I carry with me to this day.

Thomas Earl Evans is probably not a man that you know. He never wrote a book or climbed a mountain. He was the son of farmer who moved to Raleigh from Louisburg to marry his childhood sweetheart, Janet. They eventually scraped together enough money to buy a small starter home in an unassuming neighborhood filled with blue collar families, children up and down the block and several retirees. He went to church every Sunday, served in the National Guard for more than twenty years, worked hard all of his life and loved his family with every ounce of his being. He was a good man in an age where good men are rare things.

Mr. Evans (I just can’t call him Tom, even though he tried to insist that I should) taught me three life lessons that have molded who I am today. He taught me about how life brings sacrifice. He helped me understand the true meaning of success. He taught me about the importance of accepting a Savior in my life to help me navigate the tough waters of adulthood. Mr. Evans was a mentor with far more influence than I am sure he ever imagined.

Sacrifice is not a popular word. It was, however, a way of life. Mr. Evans worked hard, very hard, often double shifts, so that his wife could stay home and raise their two children. This was a mutual decision. A decision that they made early in their marriage. He drove older vehicles, pinched pennies and made things last to provide stability for his family.

Sacrifice, according to Tom Evans, is what brings success. Now if you measured success with bank accounts, annuities and possessions, then he may not measure up. He taught me long ago that this was not how you measure success. You measure success by the laughter of your children, the number of friends that you have and the depth of your faith. Success is more about inner contentment than outer possessions. Success is living a life without regret.

Lastly, Tom Evans taught me about the Savior. He used to take me to church with his family every Sunday morning and back again for youth group on Sunday nights. He lived out his faith daily. He taught me the value of praying before every meal as a spiritual discipline, no matter where you are. There was something about him that let you know that he was connected to God and wanted you to be connected too.

These are lessons I have learned from a good man. A man who lived with integrity and intensity. A man that if somebody told me I was like, I would take it as a compliment. I do not believe I will ever be able to fill his shoes but it is certainly a goal to strive toward. Thank God for people in our lives that mold us without ever knowing that they have real influence. I remain:

Lost in Grace,

Marty Cauley, Pastor

Gracious God, who loves us deeply and puts people in our lives to point us in the right direction, help us to embrace these mentors, to learn from their lives and to live for You with every ounce of our being. In the name of our Shepherd, Jesus, I pray. Amen

The Dumbing Down of the Church

I never thought I’d agree with Marva Dawn when I first read her diatribe against so-called “contemporary worship.” In her text, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down she sharply critiques the move toward the simplification of liturgy and the modernization of worship services. At the time I read the book I was embroiled in worship wars with a church that practiced inbred liturgy and had a very cliquish attitude about worship. Any attempt to make the liturgy or worship service warmer and more welcoming to those outside of the faith was seen as an abandonment of tradition. Unfortunately we have now, in a desperate attempt to be “relevant” and make up for staggering membership losses, have thrown the baby out with the bath water. Now churches, striving to connect with people long neglected, are practicing Wal-Mart liturgy, sacrificing the power of mystery for acceptability and following a discount Jesus. Essentially they are abandoning depth because there is the belief that if it is deep it must be offensive to the non-churched ears. Quite the contrary is true. Our world craves depth, they are searching for meaning. If the Church does not provide it they will search for it elsewhere.

During a recent Palm Sunday service there were no Palms. Holy Week is historically practiced to allow the Church to experience the days from the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem through the Last Supper, facing crucifixion on Friday and glorious resurrection on Easter morning. I went with friends and family to the Palm Sunday service expecting palms and celebration and singing. The proclamation of the Messiah was to be proclaimed. I arrived on the scene knowing it would be a celebration that contained crucifixion tension to be experienced on Good Friday. There were no palms. Instead there was a vague message about nailing our difficulties to the cross (a practice usually reserved for Good Friday). There was no liturgy, no Psalm of praise or Old Testament prophesy being fulfilled in our hearing. There was just a Wal-Mart liturgy, barely a liturgy at all.

The abandonment of deep liturgy is a cheapening of the power of mystery that surrounds and is embodied by resurrection. We are a people of mystery. We practice the mysterious presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We live out the mysterious presence of God constantly with us and in us through our salvation and living out our baptism. Let us not abandon that which proclaims God’s mystery. Let us, instead, embrace it anew!

Not only do we practice Wal-Mart liturgy, we follow a discount Jesus. Jesus, creator of heaven and earth, true God of True God, light from light is now a self-help method. There are four steps to a better marriage, three ways to love your kids, how about one way to a True God? Jesus calls us to bear a cross, not become the owner of a Land Rover. Ours is a faith of sacrifice and delayed reward. Christ came to give us real life, not the easy life! “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” That is not a discount Jesus, that is a Savior!

Lastly, we crave depth. I know I sound like a broken record but look at the movies, listen to the music of our culture. There is an undercurrent that is rising that is seeking something deeper the Wal-Mart liturgies and a discount Jesus. They know that life cannot be understood in ten easy steps. They realize that there are things we will never know and that our soul craves mystery. The abandonment of depth does not have to occur when we design worship to connect with those outside of the faith, it just has to be explained. The disciples asked Jesus, “teach us how to pray.” Why, because they wanted a pattern? No, because they wanted the passionate, deep, abiding prayer life of their rabbi. The church’s charge is not to be user friendly, simplified and easy to swallow. It is to be a real, authentic body of Christ that teaches people how to get connected to God and live in a world gone mad. Let us be the people who burn so brightly that the world comes seeking light and warmth from the depth of our faith.

Gracious God, who calls us to follow you, to count the cost and to abandon ourselves that we might have real life, make us a people, make me a person, who is willing to live deeply and faithfully in a land of Wal-Mart liturgies and discount Jesuses. In the name of the One who made the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus my Messiah I pray. Amen

Here is an outline I've worked on for a workbook for local churches, especially small, struggling churches, to help them become more effective and to experience renewal. If you think this is a project worth me pursing further, leave me a comment! I am committed to finding a way to help local churches, laity and pastors reach their communities. What do you think? I remain:

Lost in Grace,
Marty

CPR For the Church

Introduction

CHURCHES: Been There, Done That!

Construction of No Hope UMC as a teaching model

1. A compilation of several of the churches I have served highlighting some

common personalities and problems. The names have been changed

to protect the pastor!

PREPARE for

Prepare for tomorrow

Realize the potential

Embrace past success

Paint the picture:

Assess assets and ministries

Resource responsibly

Encourage constantly and consistently

I. Prepare: Quit Dozing, You Ain't Closing:

Step One, harnessing the tenacious spirit of survival within small churches.

A. Making the determination to survive. This year a UMC will close every 7 days. (get stat.)

People say they prefer small churches, You are wanted!

1. Overcoming objections [no money, opportunity, community growth, etc.]

2. Teaching "as if" thinking.

3. You have to believe it before you see it!

B. What do most small congregations have that they are intensely proud of? History!

1. Building on your positives.

1. Have a "Time Line Dinner" to hear and see the church's history.

2. Mine the older members for "glory days" stories.

C. Small churches tend to be survivors! Harness that instinct for forward movement.

D. How it worked at NO HOPE!

II. Realize the need--Re-Fired Instead of Re-tired!:

1 Step Two--Pray, Stay & Play: Renewing the relational flame.

A. Decide to Pray

1. Prayer Partner Resources

2. Never too old to pray!

3. Photo Ring of Prayer

B. Decide to Stay

C. Decide to Play

D. NO HOPE become LITTLE HOPE!

III. Embrace past successes--

Step Three--Standing on the Promises!

A. You've been through the fire [or flood, or tornado, or Depression, etc] with God's

help, and you can get through this.

IV. Paint the Picture--

Step Four--Vision: You have to see it to be it!

A. Vision Bearing

1. Preaching on hope and faithfulness--God is still a God who rescues.

2. Favorite texts: Moses at the Red Sea/Nehemiah Preparing to build the Wall/

Elijah at Mt. Carmel/ II Cor. Paul--determined/Joshua "me and my house"/

Sarah "is anything to difficult for God/ Hebrew 11--Hall of Fame of Faith/

Daniel--Shadrack, etc. or Lion's Den.

B. Vision Sharing

1. One with many

2. One with some

3. One with one

LITTLE HOPE become SOME HOPE

V. Assess Objectively-- Stepping Up to Reaching Out: Harness the Power of Big Days

A. Look Around--check out the spiritual temperature

B. Look Inside--check out the space

C. Look Outside--check out the "visitor appeal"

D. Look Beside--check out the smile quotient

VI. Resource Responsibly--There is Power in Those Pews: Plug those folks in!

A. Find out what they want to do, then let them do it.

B. Listen for the clues! "why I remember when we used to..."

C. Don't Be Invisible:

If I told you that you could double, probably even triple you average attendance for one service would you at least give it a try?

D. Carr's attendance after homecoming from 15 to 20.

1. H-coming attendance at 98, lost 78, no gained 5!

2. Perspective matters--keep the hope alive!

E. People say they prefer small churches and will come back for special days, USE THEM!

Easter Prayer Book Marks doubled worship attendance over previous Easter

Friend Day and Dinner--If you feed them, they'll come.

VII. Encourage Continuously: Live, Give, and Grow: Sharing your overcoming faith with your underachieving small church.

A. Live it: Walking and Talking faith, friendliness, and faithfulness.

1. Integrity is everything.

B. Give it: Giving away faith, friendliness, and faithfulness by example.

C. Grow it:

Plant it with love: they don't care how much you know till they know how

much you care!

Water it with encouragement: 1:1:1 Rule if <>

Shine on it with praise!

SOME HOPE becomes HOPEFUL UMC!

VIII. RENEWAL

Recommit to

Empower

Nurture

Evangelize with a

World focus

And

Local mission

IX. Closing the Door on Closing the Door

Afterward

Write and tell your small church story. I love to hear about churches that move from despair to desire with God's help! Who knows, you story could be in my next book! I hope so!

No Organizations

It occurs to me that one of the reasons that mainline denominations are in significant decline is that they are intrinsically “NO organizations.” They are not designed to be permission giving but, rather, to be permission denying. Rather than embracing a “whatever it takes” philosophy of ministry, the “never done it that way” mentality is prevalent. A friend of mine likes to say that often the most obvious solution to a problem escapes us because it is too easy and too obvious to be considered. NO organizations can’t see these answers for three basic truths prevail in their operational mindset: 1) NO organizations are reactive; 2) NO organizations use obstacles as excuses for their failure; and 3) NO organizations discourage creativity. It is time to break the cycle if we as a denomination are going to move beyond our NO organization mindset!

NO organizations are reactive not proactive. They wait for something to happen so that they can criticize it thoroughly and respond with knee jerk policy statements and self-righteous pronouncements. Reactivity is a dangerous state of existence because it means you live in constant stress. Those who are acting are always waiting on criticism and weighing their decisions on their willingness and ability to stand further assaults, often of a personal nature. For those in authority, being reactive means they spend far too much time looking for problems rather than finding solutions. Problem identification is not a spiritual gift! Any fool can find a problem; it takes a leader to find a solution.

NO organizations use obstacles as excuses rather than conquer them. They see every problem as a reason to justify their struggles not realizing they their worst enemy may, indeed, be themselves. My favorite pastor once said “problems are simply opportunities for God to bless.” NO organizations are managed by the philosophy of the path of least resistance. That path usually in characterized by mediocrity and “good enough.” There is no reward for going above and beyond the call of duty or striving for excellence. When some one tries to rise and attempt conquer problems constructively they are criticized for not following procedures or used for target practice since their heads are above the crowd. NO organizations are always looking for a target rather than team member. Any fool can criticize; it takes a leader to find a solution!

NO organizations discourage creativity. They are bound by paradigms that reward stagnation. Turf wars and entrenched methodologies discourage creative thinking. More time is spent avoiding interpersonal difficulties than actually finding solutions. The obvious solutions are ignored because they would require a change in behaviors and an embracing of new levels of creativity. Any fool can discourage; it takes a leader to creatively find solutions.

So the real key seems to be leaders who are proactive, desire to conquer obstacles and embrace creativity. How do we raise up a generation of these leaders? How do we release them to create YES organizations? God help us to live and lead boldly. I remain:

Lost in Grace,

Marty Cauley, Pastor

“You can do no great things, just small things with great love.” Mother Theresa

God who continues to say YES to me despite my failures and struggles, grant me the ability to say YES despite being surrounded by NOs. In the name of the divine YES, Jesus, I pray, AMEN.

Postmodern Cathedral

Today I journeyed to a postmodern cathedral, Southpoint Mall (streetsatsoutpoint.com). Southpoint Mall is designed to have the look and feel of community with the purpose of allowing young adults to part with large quantities of money. There is both an inside and outdoor portion of the mall but the inside is deigned to look and feel like it outside. It has green spaces, high glass ceilings and event above the stores are shells to make it seem like the store is located on a busy street rather than inside a giant retail shop. Southpoint is trying to mimic the small town shop feel while housing big-dollar retailers like The Gap and Pottery Barn.

The sound of splashing water and the constant feel of a breeze caresses your face as you walk through the inside of the mall. On the outside a vendor sales fresh roasted nuts and flavored ice shavings on the Streets of Southpoint while a young man juggles for tips. The restaurants in the vicinity fill the air with the scent of expensive food being prepared from around the globe and across the street. It seems like everyone is here, from the young adult with a dozen piercings, slashed jeans and black eye liner to the soccer mom with toddlers in tow. At Barnes and Nobles grandmother is buying childrenÂ’s books with a curly headed little girl while a few feet away a man is talking on his Blue Tooth enabled cell phone while pounding the keys of his laptop feverishly. In the Metropolitan young adults browse expensive home accessories as well as funky and risque' gifts including decks of cards with different sexual positions for every day of the year. Everybody is looking for something, but I don'’t really think they are going to find it here, no matter how good the ambiancence is. This is, however, the church of the culture.

All of the elements of worship are present. There is music to set the mood piped in with hidden speakers so that your spirit is lifted with upbeat popular tunes and old familiar songs. The offering is collected with the ring of every cash register. There is a ritual of standing and sitting as hosts usher people to their table to break bread. The sacrament of Marble Slab ice cream welcome the worshippers. The preacher for the day, with messages of hope or despair, is shown on the sixteen screens of the movie theatre with Dolby sound and amazing graphic effects. The benediction of each service ends with the words of the friendly merchants saying, "Thanks! Have a good night."

How can today's church stand against this retail community of our culture? Leslie Newbegin, in The Gospel in a Pluralist Society shares how we can speak to this society of spenders whose worship is purchase, entertainment and consumption. We must construct a community that stands over and against the culture by including Newbegin'’s six characteristics:

1. Community of praise: —we must be a people who give up on being proper we have to be people of radical praise. Praise which looks up in admiration and love” to God in radical self-giving as well as praise that is filled with thanks! This community will praise and not practice the illusion of praise that fills the stores to encourage more purchase.
2. Community of truth: authenticity is essential to break past the illusion of truth that is prevalent in our society.
3. Community that cares for its neighborhood: —all ministry is indigenous! While retailers are trying to create the illusion of concern with their greetings and salutations, the body of Christ needs to really care for those in need around them. Those who worship with them and live near them.
4. Community of priests: —everyone is a spiritual leader. While the church may still have pastors, everyone will see themselves as a spiritual being able to convey and share the message of the cross and hope eternal.
5. Community of mutual responsibility: —the illusion of real community is everywhere. That is why the mall is trying to look like a small town. The body of Christ must be real community that lives and breathes as a community. We must care for our sisters and brothers.
6. Community of hope: —most importantly the illusion of self-help has to be replaced real hope that comes from God. Hope that permeates our culture of doubt and that stands in stark contrast to the bleak headlines that fill our omnipresent screens. (Newbegin, 163-170)

As I wandered across the paved, brick walkways I was keenly aware that I had failed in my attempt to reach this community. A couple of years ago I attempted to start a worshipping community that gathered in the theatre right in the middle of this postmodern cathedral. Though we gathered nearly one hundred souls the community did not reach viability before my time and my funding ran out. My burden for this generation is even more acute now that it was then. Can we reach them or must we just give them over to worship with retail liturgies and entertainment sacraments? God help us if we do not commit ourselves to reach this generation no matter what the cost. Thanks be to God that they, like I, remain:

Lost in Grace,

Marty

Theology of Koontz

Perhaps I’ve been reading far too much literature on postmodern theology and thought by the likes of Stan Grenz and Brian McLaren with complimentary reading by Leslie Newbegin but what has been tickling my brain lately is the theology of Dean Koontz. I learned years ago that cultures’ beliefs are far more prevalent in their fictional/mythological literature than in their text books. Indeed, text books lag behind the theology, thoughts and beliefs of the people by as much as a decade. You have but to read the texts burning up the book club circuit to see what people really believe and embrace.

Koontz turns out novel after novel, astounding to people like me who can barely conscieve and construct a cohesive short story. Across the board there is a mystical, metaphysical theology that permeates his texts. His books seem to embrace three components with regularity. First, there is an unlikely hero with a sixth sense or unusual gift. Secondly, there is an amazing prevalence of evil whose presence is made palatable by Koontz’s descriptive narrative. Lastly there is the necessity for the hero, to prevail, to be willing to be completely self-giving to overcome unimaginable circumstances.

From the redeemed Frankenstein monster to the child who intentionally shifts from one reality to another to avoid raindrops to the quirky frycook who sees dead people, Koontz’s heroes posses something beyond the norm. They often seem normal or only mildly odd to the casual observer, but there is a secret that haunts their existence. There is an aura of unfulfilled destiny that haunts their waking dreams.

The heroes also have the essence of a divine spark that the narrative often indicates lies dormant in most of us. The allusion to the “imageo dei” seems to resonate for him as he writes. Many of the supporting characters also seem to carry the spark of God but it is not as fully embraced as the hero of his works.

Regarding evil, it seems to ooze around the narrative like dense smoke. The closer to resolution that the characters get the more dense the fog of futility and evil becomes. In Odd Thomas it even takes the form of nearly opaque shadows that attempt to impede the hero from fulfilling his destiny. This evil seems to indicate an other worldly essence that is striving against the divine spark within the hero. The real power of Koontz’s description of evil is that it is disturbingly familiar.

Lastly, to sieze their divine destiny a willingness to be absolutely self-giving is demanded. They must be willing to give themselves away to achieve a greater good. The good that is achieved only comes after demanding struggle that always has a price. There is a presence of loss that makes the narratives seem real rather than the “happily ever after” works that lack the connection with life that makes them believable.

Koontz’s work depicts postmodern theology and values. He dismisses science as the sole source of knowledge and embraces the mystery that surrounds us. He calls into question all “realities” and leads us down the amazingly believable path of alternate existence. Embracing forms of “trans-realities” seems completely acceptable when you read Koontz. Lastly, he often has his characters look back with a fond critique of back when life was easier because everything was “knowable.”

The theology that seems to seep from these texts is a theology that embraces mystery. There is more that can be seen or known but that must be embraced to fulfill your God-shaped destiny. There are pressing, unanswered questions of God. There is the realization that there is something beyond this trifling existence. There is a desire to bridge the gap between experience and intellect. Lastly, there is an intense seeking to understand the unknowable.

To the sacramentalist in me this sounds amazing like Eucharist. May this body be broken and blood spilt to redeem a people who know that there is more than can be known. I remain:

Lost in Grace,

Marty

PS: visit www.deankoontz.com to see samples of his work.

Self-Giving

In following the line of thought from the previous blog I came across the following quote in my devotional reading this morning. Before the world was post-modern, God was!

Thankfully I remain:

Lost in Grace,

Marty

That God exists is no secret. It is clear to see!

That the human being is eternal is no secret.

It is the experience of every ready heart…

That God is immense is no secret.

All you have to do is look at the universe.

That God is the memory of the world is no secret.

All you have to do is glance at the computer.

That God is near is no secret.

You need only look at a couple on their honeymoon, or a hen with her chicks, or two friends talking, or an expectant mother.

But then, where is the secret?

Here it is: God is a crucified God.

God is the God who allows himself to be defeated,

God is the God who is revealed himself in the poor.

God is the God who has washed my feet,

God is Jesus of Nazareth.

We were not accustomed to a God like this.

From Why, O Lord? By Carolo Caretto

Deep thought of the day:
I believe that as a general rule, the weight of my prayer when I turn to God to acknowledge my failure should rest neither on self-blame nor on petition for forgiveness but on my overarching need for divine help, for wisdom to see and strength to do what is need; "O God, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee, mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts." C. Bryant in The Heart of the Pilgrimage

“Why do events?” That was the question of one youth worker who called me as she struggled with organizing the first trip of her ministry. “What’s the big deal, we can do everything you guys do right here at home.” For her, and for you, there are four reasons that immediately came to mind: place; passion; presenters & participation in something bigger than their micro-community.

Place: Changing Environment

The first reason is that often times we need a change of location to hear the same truth that we are hearing at home. Environment molds the message. If the location is overly familiar often the message is ignored. Taking your youth to a retreat center allows them to be in a completely different environment so that they can alter their perception of everything they hear and see.

Passion: Burning Hearts

Secondly passion is why off site events matter in the lives of young people. Try as you might, you and your staff get tired. You have preconceived notions of the young adults you work with that color how you view them. When you are in a retreat setting lead by an alternative group of people we are not bound by your conceptions. The Ministries with Young People staff are chose because of their burning passion to serve Christ and invest in young adults. They are not doing it every week with the same young people so they bring fresh eyes and intense passion to what they do.

Presenters: Fresh Voices

Not only do we recruit the best and brightest young adults to staff our events, we bring in bands and speakers that really connect to where your young people are. We intentionally find a diversity of styles and cultures so that you will be able to find in our summer line up a speaker and music team that you think will reach your youth.

Participation: Bigger Community

Young people want to be part of something bigger than themselves. SEJMYP youth events allow them to connect with a community that stretches across the southeastern United States. They begin to realize that the Church is bigger than their Sunday morning assembly and youth group. They expand their ideas of what the Church is and what is possible. Every year youth connect with people from a myriad of other places and maintain contact, share their struggles and spiritual journey across the miles thanks to the internet.

NETWORK, the magazine of the National Network of Youth Ministries, in their Spring 2006 issue listed “Church Camp/Retreat/Special Event Conferences” as the most frequently indicated influence on why young people begin their spiritual journey and make ongoing deeper commitments. That is why we do what we do at the SEJMYP, to facilitate those decisions and empower them to live as radically devoted followers of the Savior. Thanks be to God that we are:

Lost in Grace,

Marty

Giving Yourself Away…

So, for this class I have been watching a lot of movies that, according to the prof, illustrate a “postmodern milieu,” whatever that means. So between Blade Runner, What Dreams may Come and The Matrix a theme seems to have arisen that is being played out in this type of movie…giving yourself away.

Then I started skimming through my favorite author of late, Dean Koontz, and started seeing a similar theme. That it is through the primary characters self-giving and sometimes self-sacrifice, that the ultimate good is accomplished. That life is not fully lived if only lived for self. There is more out there than can be seen or even imagined and it is only revealed when you are willing, even desiring, to live beyond the now and live into the future.

What is it that is worth living, or even dying, for? Will we give ourselves away so that others can fully live? So that we can fully live?

Self-sacrifice is the cost of real relationship. Now by self-sacrifice I do not mean it in some self-demeaning, accepting abuse way. I mean that the willingness to live beyond the me and embrace both micro-community of accountable relationships and macro-community of larger relationships. We live interwoven into each other’s lives, realizing that we are changed and molded by every relationship and that in those relationships we are given the opportunity to live Christ.

Isn’t this the way Christ teaches us to live? The life with the shadow of the cross ever before us. Jesus illustrated that to live fully is to embrace the cost of life. I pray that I can live the kind of life that is lived fully and that I live until I die! I can only do this if I remain:

Lost in Grace,

Marty

Gracious God, grant me the ability and desire to live and die in your presence and for a purpose far greater than my own. In the name of the One who died that we might live, I pray. Amen.

Live to Tell by Brad J. Kallenberg
Evangelism for a Post-Modern Age

These are the notes I took from Live to Tell. For the past few years I have worked with the North Carolina Conference in developing a program called The Academy of Christian Witness. This idea came about when I discovered, as part of the NC Conference Commission on Evangelism, how few pastors felt comfortable sharing their faith or teaching others how to share their faith. Kallenberg captures the heart of what I have been teaching for the past few years, simply that telling your story, then telling God's story then telling where your story was divinely interupted by God's story is the best way to share your faith. Thankfully, as I struggle in my story, I remain:

Lost in Grace,
Marty

Metaphysical Holism—groups behave like real entities that both constitue each member’s identity and have top-down influence on them.

Linguistic Holism—language is the means by which we think and act in the world and cannot be pried off the world of experience and analyzed in isolation because the conceptual language we speak determines the shape of the world we inhabit.

Epistemological Holism—set of beliefs or paradigm we have of our world that forms an interlocking set that we share with the rest of our community. It is very resilient and typically reisists change. When change comes it comes all at once (paradigm shift).

“Conversion involves a change in social identity. Second, in large measure, this new social identity is accomplished by the acquisition new language skills. Finally, conversion is constituted by a paradigm shift that results in bringing the world into focus in a whole new way.” (p. 46)

“Because conversion involves a change in social identity, evangelism must be a corporate practice, executed by a community that is the source of the new believer’s identity. Second, conversion involves the acquisition of a new conceptual language, evangelism must engage outsiders in conversations spoken in that language. Third, because conversion involves a paradigm shift, evangelism must seek to assist that shift by being dialogical in style and by, wherever possible, enlisting potential converts in telling the story.” (p. 64)

“Conversion is a timeful process of enculturation into community.”
There is a “persuasive power of participation in a form of community.”
The God factor enters in because of “the Spirit-ordained power of narrative.” (p.118)

Metaphors:

Evangelism is more like…
“sailing than proofreading.” (p. 123)
“questing than archery.” (p. 124)
“acting kindly than cobbling.” (p. 124)
“medicine than parallel parking.” (p. 125)

Rethinking Thinking

So we were talking about epistemology today in a class I’m taking on emerging cultures.

Epistemology is about how you know what you know. How do you know what you know? Does it come from inside and is acknowledged outside or does it come from outside and then is affirmed inside? Is there really anything that you “know” that is true, objective knowledge or is it all filtered through the subjective filter of our life?

Wow, that was a mouthful. I’m not even sure it said anything? The next point that struck me today was about understanding. It was tied to epistemology. Why don’t we understand? Communication is about understanding and sometimes when we are communicating with people of different filters and cultures we just can’t understand eachother. That is because we bring to ever circumstance, thought or conversation an internal construct or paradigm that helps us make sense of what we are hearing in light of what we already “know” (see, its getting a confused again, isn’t it?).

Maybe because we think completely differently than we ever have before. Maybe we will need to think completely differently than we are thinking today. For instance, there are some things my brain just hasn’t mastered yet that my nineteen year old son understands instinctually, like HALO. HALO is this complicated battle game that requires you to navigate your persona through obstacles while defending yourself against attack. The controller requires that you move at least four fingers independently of the other to perform separate functions. I can’t hardly walk and chew gum, so this manner of thought and action seems way beyond my ability…it drives me crazy. My son, on the other hand, finds it hilarioius just to walk up to me and blow me away. I guess I have to relearn how to think.

David Bosch said it this way:

“Worldviews are integrative and interpretive frameworks by which order and disorder are judged, they are standards by which reality is managed pursued, sets of hinges on which all our everyday thinking and doing turns.” Believing in the Future, p. 49

Our relationship with Jesus does that to our soul. It re-arranges how we think, believe and live. It calls us to a whole new life…transformation is scary business. Thankfully I remain:

Lost in Grace,

Marty