Flashback Friday: These Times

With everything going on in the world around us, the time seems right to share this post again- if only for my own sake. Sometimes a Flashback Friday is a great excuse to say something important for a second time...

A couple of years ago I was watching the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown with my wife and son when we encountered one of the most uplifting, hopeful and spirit-filled songs I have heard in a very long time. The band is called SafetySuit. I cannot speak to the religious convictions of the band members. It is is not "Christian" music. But if you are a Christ-follower, this song speaks to the condition of so many of those around you. People are hurting.Times are hard. And one of the most precious commodities the church has to offer is hope. If you are in student ministry and have not yet built a message around this song, then get busy. This video will inspire you, because whether intended or not, Jesus is all over it, just oozing from each frame.  It is my hope that it will move you as much as it did me. So here is the official music video for These Times...

"Throw up your hands and believe it. These times are hard.  But they will pass..."


Because of Jesus,

Finding Samaria

There are few scriptures used more in protestant churches than Acts 1:8. It is often the vision statement for both the missions committee and the evangelism committee. At my church it is our mission statement- period! Our pastor often reminds us that we are an Acts 1:8 congregation. This means that we are in ministry from the neighborhood to the nations; from Tampa to Tanzania; from Hillsborough to Haiti; from the Gulf to Guantanamo Bay (As an aside, is it just me or are way too many pastors in love with alliteration? Do they teach it in seminaries? And if so, WHY? Thus endeth my rant!). These final words of Jesus before he ascended to be with the Father give us marching orders, a purpose that the entire family of God should be able to embrace. We are called to carry on the work of Jesus, to be witnesses to all he has said and done. But as I preached in a sermon many years and as my pastor referenced last Sunday, there are subtleties to this passage as well. And one big, honkin' question for each of us as we seek to be witnesses for the Christ. Let's explore!

Over the 2000 years or so since Jesus made this statement it is possible that we have changed the meaning of the word "witness." For many in the church, to witness now means to tell people about what the Savior did for us with the intention of influencing them to attend the church of our choice. Telling people about Jesus is a worthy and noble thing. But to believe that is all this scripture requires of us is to discount the first words of the verse. Jesus indicated that we would "receive power" when the Holy Spirit comes on us. That power should enable us to rattle hearts and minds as we change the world by loving the way Jesus loved. Want people to really hear the Good News? Then SHOW THEM what it means to experience the grace, mercy and unconditional love that can only come from knowing the Messiah. Of course we need to preach the Gospel and tell people about the wonders of our Savior. But as 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us, without love those things mean nothing. And we are commanded to take that love to our communities (Jerusalem), our nation (Judea) and to the very ends of the earth. It is our purpose as a church. Each is important. We often think that foreign mission carry some extra badge of honor. In fact, as Pastor Matthew eloquently pointed out in his message, the trip to our neighbor's house to show them Jesus is often harder than a short-term mission trip. The Great Commission reminds us that we are to GO and TELL. The location is not what's important. God can use us wherever we may be, and God will send us wherever we are needed. Even if it is simply next door.

There is another question this passage should raise for many of us: Why did Jesus include Samaria on this list? The answer is painfully obvious but often ignored. Jesus spoke to a primarily Jewish audience. And that audience HATED Samaria and Samaritans. First century Jews would travel hours out of their way so that their feet would never touch Samarian soil. Samaritans were scorned. Yet Jesus refused to see them that way. And by including Samaria in his Acts 1:8 list, he was making the same point he made with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Everyone is our neighbor. Everyone needs to hear about the love of God whose name is Jesus. Most importantly, everyone needs to experience that love in their lives. The call to be witnesses is a call to not only go to the ends of the earth, but to reach out to the people we dislike the most, to those that we think of as "the least of these." 

When I preached my sermon on this matter some 25 years ago I concluded with the question I will leave you with today. Matthew mentioned it last Sunday as well. As you consider what it means to be a witness for Jesus, to share his love with your neighbors and with the world, ask yourself this: Where is my personal Samaria? More to the point, WHO are the Samaritans in your life? All Christ-followers are called to be witnesses. Not everyone will go to Africa, or take a mission trip every summer, or preach in the town square. God has a purpose and a place for us all, and we know we have been given a power from the Holy Spirit to do these things. But there is one thing I can promise you. To truly be a church that is a witness for Jesus, we are all going to have to visit our personal Samarias and love our personal Samaritans. Even the ones across the street. Let's get crackin'!!!

Because of Jesus,

"Astonish people with the love of Jesus..."

Ephesians 3:20- God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (The Message)

A report was released a while back with information from a religious census that was very interesting. Among the other items in the report was a study of the 51 metropolitan areas in the United States with more than 1 million residents and their church attendance habits.  The city with the largest percentage of worship attenders was Salt Lake City, Utah. Number 51 on the list was Portland, Oregon. Then sliding in at number 50 was my home base of Tampa Bay. We ranked behind Las Vegas. More people go to church in "Sin City" than in Tampa Bay. That is not good news.  In a separate study, Tampa was ranked as the most stressful place to live in the United States.  As I heard one lady say in response to those two facts, "maybe they're stressed because they don't go to church!"  Hmmm...

This past weekend at Van Dyke Church (it's a large United Methodist church, although "Methodist" is seldom used to describe it!) Pastor Matthew Hartsfield unveiled a new initiative called The 320 Project.  Having worked in churches for nearly 30 years, I am always a bit skeptical of big new "programs" or promotional events.  But this one, based on the scripture from Ephesians 3:20 found at the top, blew me away.  It is a vision and means for taking Jesus to Tampa Bay in a bold new way- by doing everything possible as a worshiping body and then trusting the impossible to God.  And I for one could not be more excited!

The stated mission of Van Dyke Church is that "we connect people to a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ." Van Dyke has always been about loving people in the name of Jesus and connecting members to each other.  That's why the church has grown exponentially in the past 20 years, with over 3000 in worship on many weekends. As Matthew introduced The 320 Project on Sunday, he gave us 5 core values that will take the church into the future seeking to be bold for God.  As he said,"If you cut us, we bleed this stuff. And we are willing to give our time, talent and treasure to display these values to a broken and hurting world in need of Jesus."  Here are those core values:

1. Daring Faith- We are innovative risk-takers, praying and acting boldly, expecting God to create supernatural breakthroughs.
2. Fearless Service- We are action-oriented servants, pushing through all obstacles to astonish people with the love of Jesus. (AMEN!)
3. Passionate Excellence- We relentlessly give our best to honor God and inspire people.
4. Extravagant Generosity- We are adventurous givers, bravely sharing our resources to punch holes in the darkness with the light of Jesus.
5. Unshakeable Focus on the Future- We make outrageous investments in the next generation, raising spiritually heroic children and youth.

From there Matthew highlighted 7 points of the vision that is springing from the process that is The 320 Project. Among them were an outpouring of prayer, every member in ministry and mission, programming for at risk kids and the special needs community, a Leadership Center, irresistible facilities for children and youth and a wave a new worshipers coming to Jesus. I am not part of the staff at Van Dyke (they are paid to be good, while I am good for nothing!) nor am I part of the lay leadership. I am just a praying peon in pew. But this project moves me.  It speaks to what the local church ought to be.  It is a big vision, a big dream- and only possible with God. Which is the way it ought to be...

Most of my readers do not attend Van Dyke or even live in Tampa Bay. So why am I telling you all of this? First of all because I know that so many of you are pray-ers, and I am asking you to pray for Van Dyke and for Tampa Bay, that God will use this effort to cause a great move of the Holy Spirit in this area. And secondly, to challenge you to pass it on.  What is it that Ephesians 3:20 can mean to your church? What are the big dreams you need to dream and big prayers you need to pray so that God can do things work through you to do what seems impossible?  I think it's time for churches everywhere to do something unexpected and amazing and "astonish people with the love of Jesus." Bring on the Jesus Revolution!!!

Because of Jesus,