Dad Life....

For the dads out there... Enjoy.



Maybe God is moving on some of you to help us build a Men's Ministry at Grace. Why don't you let me know...

Living for Legacy

Everyone wants to be remembered. They want to make their life count for something. For the man (or woman) of God, it usually means that others would acknowledge your accomplishments which truly built up the Kingdom of God, the places you showed that you were a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Sadly, some people, in pursuit of recognition, end up dishonoring God. Rather than pursuing the honor and majesty of the Lord, they seek honor and fame for themselves. In so doing, they disqualify themselves from the prize… a legacy!

Yesterday, I had the honor and privilege of attending the memorial service for a true hero of faith, Dr. Jerry Young. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet the man. But I have spent the last two years getting to know a lot of people whose lives were impacted by his ministry at Grace Church.

Was Dr. Young a perfect man? Certainly not. No one but Christ is! Was he a godly man? I am confident that he was, based upon the testimony of others and the fruit of his labors at Grace. What I have gathered is that Jerry Young lived a life of dedication to the Lord, his family, Grace Church, and his country. He is remembered as a strong man tempered by genuine humility. And from what I can tell, he took every opportunity to lift up Christ our Glorious Savior, not himself. And this ability comes from a confidence in your own true worth, not in your personal accomplishments, but in your relationship with the Lord God. Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). So, yesterday, we celebrated the legacy which Jerry Young left behind.

Earlier, I wrote that I never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Young. Well, “never” would apply only if everything he (and I) believed was a huge lie. But, because I am certain that our hope in Christ is right and true, I look forward to another opportunity, only God knows when, when I will be able to thank Dr. Young for his faithfulness and his legacy at Grace.

Communion of the Saints

This Sunday, our Grace Church family is going to gather for our complete, three-fold Communion service. For those of you unfamiliar with the Grace Brethren full Communion, it is comprised of three components which define the journey of our faith from beginning to end. It is a beautiful picture of and reminder of who we are as the people of God, the subjects of Christ the King.

Bread & Cup

The sharing of the bread and the cup are common to the assorted Christian denominations. They are a remembrance of the broken body and shed blood of our Lord and Savior. We remember, but do not mourn that historical event. It is a looking backward to the means of our reconciliation with Him and with each other.

Love Feast

At our full Communion service, we celebrate with a love feast. This can take many different forms; this time it will be finger foods. It is symbolic of our future hope, to be in fellowship with the King and His people at the consummation of all things, what Scripture calls the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. This look toward the full expression of God’s Kingdom, Eden restored, is the hope of our faith, that which motivates us to persevere through the brokenness of this present age.

Foot Washing

The component of our Communion celebration which seems to bother the most people is the foot washing ceremony. First, what it represents; then, why I think it bothers us.

Foot washing comes from John 13 where Jesus washed the feet of His disciples before the Passover feast, the one we refer to as the Last Supper. Other denominations point to the servitude of Christ in this event, that He gave us a model for serving others. We historically have emphasized the cleansing aspect. When Peter asked to be washed completely, feet, hands, and head, Jesus told him that he was already clean and only needed his feet cleansed (v.10). Both of these aspects are true and both are to be present among God’s people. Christ called us to do just He had done (v.15). He says that He has set an example for His followers. The point of foot washing is to submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ. We are to be like Him, and He came to serve others. And while He has made us clean by His blood, we are to commit to helping one another remain clean.

But I think here is where we have a problem with foot washing. Some don’t want to deal with other people’s feet and most don’t want to reveal their filth. Of course, I write this as analogy, because most of us do more to clean our feet prior to foot washing than we do any other time of the year. But it is in our nature to live as rebels against God and His Kingdom rule. We may be willing to accept a weak, broken, dying king, one who was willing to sacrifice for us. We may even love the idea of returning to Eden and all that sinless creation and a benevolent rich man have to offer sojourners from the land of brokenness and pain and death. But do we really want the whole package? Do we want to learn to obey all that He has commanded (Mt. 28:20)? Do we want to expose our shortcomings to others? But King Jesus says that unless you submit yourself to His authority in your life, you can have no part of the bread and cup and no seat at the feast (Jn. 13:8).

So, I’ll see you at Communion at 6pm on Sunday evening. Bring your dirty feet. And bring your fellowship circle. Let us celebrate all that our King has done for us in the past that allows us to gather in His name. And let us look to the future when He will make all things right, giving us the greatest desire of our heart, HIM, trusting that we will also get everything else He created us to long for. And let us come prepared to enthusiastically say “Yes” to all He has planned and decreed for our lives up to that Day.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100

Why Taste of Grace?

Most of you have figured out why Grace Church and Connect need a ministry like Taste of Grace. I have sent out several emails explaining how ToG fits in with a missional approach to ministry. It also is a crucial part of our discipleship as believers and a church.

Stewardship: Stewardship is a HUGE concept in our faith. What will you do with the things God has entrusted to you? Will you squander blessings? Will you look to bless others?

Outward Focus: Churches tend to turn inward on themselves and distance themselves from their mission field. Outreach ministries keep our mission ever-before our eyes.

Christlikeness: Christ came ministering to the whole person. Christians tend toward a Platonic dualism, being concerned for the soul but not the body. If we’re to be faithful to Jesus commands and to be made into His likeness, we need to care for the whole person also.

Community: Grace Church doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We are part of a community. And our faith is built around the image of redemptive community, the church. Christ’s church is to have a positive impact on the world, not only from our perspective, but also from theirs. If Grace Church were to disappear, would the community mourn a tragic loss?

Here’s an Angel Food Ministries promo video I found on the Internet. It explains that food programs like ToG are for everyone. Take a look. Consider. And let’s talk…

The Genius of AND…

Americans, especially Christians, are known for their either/or reasoning. Something is either “this” or “that.” And usually, that means that we’re going to break down into an argument about which is “right,” and by implication, which is “wrong.” And that’s when the real fun begins. Once you have sides claiming that their solution is the only right one, you can go to war against other views.

This has been the case in the church for about a decade. There is a war that has been raging between how you do church, philosophically. The war is between Attractional church and Missional church. Put in action language, it’s a war between “Come and see” and “Go and be/tell” approaches to ministry.

Now, no one would argue that the church is not to be missional. As I preached on October 24, we are to be a sent people, ambassadors for Christ witnessing about the person and work of Christ and about His Kingdom. But very few churches put their emphasis there. Rather, the trend of the last 30 years of church history has been upon building facilities and programs designed to attract people to our Sunday morning gatherings. See the tension?

Look at the connection process. One model says “Come here to our space, believe what we believe, act like we act, and then you can be part of us.” The other says “You are so important to me and to God that I will go out and find you, entering into your world and inviting you to be in relationship with me/us in the hope that you will come to understand why we believe what we believe.”

And how you allocate resources in each of these models is very different. The key resource in the Attractional church is money since it is necessary to build better buildings and programs. The key resource in the Missional church is people, and effort is placed on helping them to understand their calling to the mission field and then on encouraging and empowering them to act.

But this week, I’m headed to the AND Conference in Indiana. The AND Conference is a conversation about how BOTH of these methods have tremendous value for the church and God’s Kingdom. It’s a conversation about how you live and minister in the tension between two very different philosophies of ministry. And I’m not even sure that there is a totally right or totally wrong answer, but I’m hopeful that the conversation will lead to deeper thought, prayerful reflection, and lively discussion about what God wants from His people at Grace Church. This is a great experience for folks who find themselves in “white space.” And inspired by the message of yesterday, I look forward to being open to the skillful hands of the Potter as He shapes me, my brothers, and our church… Yes, even in Indiana! ;o)

Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria…

Last Sunday I had another opportunity to be stretched. While I have delivered several sermons before, never was it in a formal church setting. For those of you who don’t know me well enough yet, I am a perfectionist and that perfectionism is focused primarily on me, not others. I’m willing to extend tons of grace to others, but I beat myself up pretty good. And if it involves teaching and preaching the Word of God, well the stakes are thru the roof!

I want to thank the dozens of people who encouraged me following my message. Frankly, I’m trying to make myself believe the compliments I received since I’m dwelling on the places I didn’t communicate exactly what I meant. Again, my perfectionism rearing its ugly head. The comments which meant the most to me were the ones about the significance of the message I brought from Acts 1. One woman told me that she had been a missionary’s wife for 39 years and had never heard such a compelling call to live a life on mission for the Lord. Wow!

But isn’t that truly the message of Acts 1:1-8? The language that Luke uses to instruct Theophilus about the responsibility of those who follow Christ is full of authoritative descriptions of Christ as commander or king. And Luke’s preference for calling the Christ followers “apostles” conveys his understanding that we are to be His envoys or ambassadors, to be His “sent ones.” And just so that we don’t make too much of our role in God’s redemptive plan, Jesus tells us that we need divine power in order to accomplish our enormous task.

So, you and I are sent to our Jerusalem. Have you thought about that this week? The people in your Connect group are part of your Jerusalem. So are your family members and your neighbors, and your co-workers. Have you been sent to them this week? Have you been a faithful witness for Christ and His Kingdom?

And how are you doing with your Judea and Samaria? There hasn’t been much time to go, but have you at least thought about them? Have you begun praying about them? Maybe your group could start praying about people having hearts ready to hear the message of the grace of God. Maybe you all could be praying together that you would have opportunities on the coming weeks and months to have an impact somewhere outside your Jerusalem, even if just in Judea. Is that something you even desire? If you don’t, does that trouble you in light of Acts 1:1-8?

Because, if we’re truly honest about it, most of the time we are really looking to build our kingdom, not His. We are looking for things or status or comfort. Do you think I’m wrong? What did Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount when He was addressing the masses?

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

Were people that way in ancient Israel, but we have evolved beyond that? Really? Maybe I’m the only one who has a tendency to slide back into my self-centeredness. But I doubt it, since I have eyes to see the world and there’s still much need for faithful witnesses for Christ but many who would call Him “Lord.”

Serving From Your SHAPE....

Our CONNECT Ministry has been looking into how our serving the Lord and people is a crucial part of your personal discipleship. Also, we are learning about how the Lord uniquely crafted each of us to serve in a specific way.

Well, I came across this video which demonstrates the need to plug people in at the place God has set for them, not just wherever you have an available opening. Hope you enjoy a little humor....

I Believe in Evolution

OK, I know. That’s a controversial blog title. You say “evolution” and it just sets people off. Before you check out or ask for my head, let me clarify. The evolution which I believe in is not the Darwinian attempt to explain the origins of life apart from God’s involvement. It is, however, the primary definition for the word “evolution,” namely “any process of formation or growth; development.”

When I first placed all my hope and trust in Christ, I called myself “Christian.” It was where I was at the time. That’s what I was becoming, changing from what I was into one of “those” people. And I started doing the Christian things like going to church and a few of the disciplines.

Then came the day (or series of days) where I began to realize that there was an entire group of people who called themselves “Christian” but who didn’t represent the beliefs which I held. They were attending church nearly every week, but they didn’t appear to have faith. Church was something they did, not something they were. And I wanted to identify myself in a way which set me apart from them. So, I evolved. I became a “believer.” I wanted to communicate that I believed upon the Lord and that I believed His Word. And belief creates a change in me, how I handle stress and pain, how I treat people and where I ascribe value.

And I was a “believer” for quite a long time. In tough seasons, I reminded myself that I was a believer and it helped me to lean hard into the Lord for strength and comfort. But, as I spent more time listening to solid preaching and in personal and corporate Bible study, I grew in my understanding that my salvation and adoption by the Lord weren’t so much about me as they were about Him. My redemption from enslavement to the enemy was so that I would become part of God’s army, not just His family. I realized that I was being sent into the world even as the Father had sent the Son, with a mission! And I realized that “believer” wasn’t adequate to reflect my understanding of my place in God’s Kingdom. So, I evolved again. I became a “Christ-follower.” This suited my deeper appreciation of the implications of our gospel. God had called me out of darkness into light in order to follow in His ways, to be like Him. And being like Him certainly meant becoming more holy in my words, thoughts, and deeds. However it primarily meant that I would be like Him in setting my selfish desires aside and serving others for the sake of the Kingdom. Again, I was pleased with my new moniker (that word is for you, Jeff) because it explained better where I was in my relationship with the Lord.

I recently evolved again. This time, I was completely happy with my identification as a “Christ-follower” but I found that there was a subtle distinction that I needed to make, for myself more than for anyone else. You see, I have a tendency to do things in order to feel good. Don’t read into that statement. I would find myself doing good things so that I could feel the satisfaction of having done the right thing. That’s not bad, right? But I wanted to look beyond the classifications “good thing” and “bad thing” and get to a motivation that transcended the actual circumstances. I wanted to be at a place where I could rise above the extenuating circumstances and see the bigger picture. Frankly, I wanted to get to a place that an apparently neutral discussion became clearly “good” or “bad,” to use primal classifications. So, I recently evolved again. I now try to see myself as a “God-worshipper.” Please don’t think that is a step backwards. I know that changing “Christ” to “God” seems like a watering down to some. Trust me; it isn’t. And the change to being a worshipper of God is a move toward reverence for me. I want to see every situation presented each day as an opportunity to worship the Lord or to worship myself. This is just where my journey of faith has me today.

So, are you evolving? I guess that the way to ask that which would be more widely approved in Christian circles is, “Are you maturing?” If you have been a Christian for a while, are you in a different place today than you were a year ago? 5 years? 10? Have to settled down in your journey, maybe even stopped growing altogether? As CONNECT and Grace Church move forward, we are going to talk a lot about discipleship. After all, our commission from the Lord is not to make “converts” but to make “disciples.” So, are you evolving?

Don't Reinvent the Wheel - Use This One!

Sometimes, you can't say it any better than someone has already said it. So, you refer to them so as not to take credit for the work of another. Besides, it's good to bring a second witness. It avoids the typical response, "Well, that's just your opinion."

So, here is a blog post by a buddy with whom I attended seminary. It seemed incredibly relevant to our current circumstances. It's also one of the most important reasons we would like to see everyone at Grace Church in a small group. But keep in mind that simply being in a group isn't going to get you where you need to be. You have to be committed to following hard after the Lord.

Hope you appreciate by brother, Aaron's post as much as I did. http://bit.ly/amuxTq

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Into the Fire

What are the things that you look forward to in life? Summer? Graduation? Vacation? Kids moving out? Retirement?

What do you do during the seasons of pain? You know what I mean, those times when we suffer. Maybe it’s the loss of a job followed by a long stretch of unemployment, a time when you question your ability to provide for your family, your value in the marketplace, your significance to God. Maybe it’s the loss of a loved one, a time of grief and regrets, a time of loneliness and emptiness. Maybe it’s a season of illness, maybe immensely painful for a time or maybe progressive, degenerative, and terminal. What do you do during times like these?

How do seasons of suffering affect your faith? Are you the same person spiritually when you come out as when you went in? I’ve found that few people emerge the same as they entered. So, is your faith stronger or shaken? Has it become more sure or is it feeble or absent when you emerge from the darkness into the light?

That is what our Grace Church family finds itself in right now, a season of suffering. The emotions are all across the spectrum. Some are in extreme dispair; there is no doubt in their mind that they are in the crucible of pain. The ones who are pleased perhaps don’t realize it, but they are in a very similar place. Because God’s Word tells us that times of suffering come for the testing of our faith.

You see, some of us profess faith and think we’re good-to-go. But when the testing by fire comes, we find out the value of that faith. Scripture tells us that we will all eventually be tested in this way:

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

By Peter tells us that we don’t have to wait for Judgment Day to find out if we have genuine faith. He says that there are trials in life which serve as pre-tests, seasons God allows so we can know how we’re doing in our journey of faith:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9

So, Grace family, we are all in a time of testing. The future of Grace Church is a product of the responses of each of us to that testing. It could be lots worse; the church Peter was writing to was being beaten, tortured, and fed to wild animals. But the test is the same. What response will our faith produce?

Tough Times? Reflect and Refresh...

Well, the hits on this blog have been thru the roof over the last week. No doubt, people who were less-than-patient with waiting for the church letter about Scott were searching for clues. No doubt, they thought they found lots. They may have. This something that Grace Leadership has been living for months.

Of course, you've probably been wondering why things have gone silent. Maybe you have received and read your church letter by now and can begin to appreciate why. It's not for lack of effort. I have written a half dozen posts since the last one, but the time was not right to post them.

When I'm in a tough time, I go to something familiar, especially if there are fond memories associated with it. This week, I stumbled upon a video of a couple that I did ministry with at my previous church. I was overcome with a flood of warm emotions, something the Lord knew I needed at the time.

While I'm not ready to start really blogging again, I wanted to share the clip with you. Who knows? Maybe I can convince Jeff and Vangie that they need to take a trip to Lancaster County. Maybe they would like to try Shoo-fly Pie or Whoopie Pies. And maybe they would help us learn that when we cry out to our Lord, it is right and beautiful. He is our only hope. All else will disappoint...

Gather in the Park

CONNECT Ministry gathered on Sunday afternoon to celebrate as God’s people at Grace Church all which He is doing and all which He wants to do thru us in our Groups Ministry. It was great to see hundreds of our Grace family, from newborn babies to our seniors, eating, laughing, and playing together.

I even had an elderly woman who was not with our group come to me to ask what all the celebration was about. She was here from New Jersey with her granddaughter, visiting her son who recently relocated to Lititz. I just told her that we were a group of church folks who had worshiped together in the morning and were now partying together in the park. She was amazed and asked which church we were from, because she felt her son needed a “family” here in his new home. By the end of our short conversation, she was wondering aloud if she should move to Lititz with her ailing mother-in-law from Florida because Lititz looked like a great place to experience real community.

I really appreciate all of the hard work of our volunteers who planned and executed the event. Also, I want to express a special “Thank you!” to all of the folks who attended and those who made donations above their meal ticket. The final event cost the CONNECT budget less than $600. You all ROCK!

I’ve had a little time following the event to reflect on the message I delivered with the help of the Becker’s. I appreciated the feedback I received from some of you. I heard that the message was both inspirational and tough to hear. Good! That means that it aligned well with God’s Word! Here are some bullet points the day after:

• The lies of the culture are fueled by our enemy and are designed to distract and divert you from God’s will for your life. Your life is NOT about seeking comfort and order.


• God-inspired vision for your future creates opportunities for both fear and a great story.


• You have to travel thru the intense conflict of your story in order to create the character transformation and joy which you desire. There is no easy, safe road.


• The very issues or events of your life that you think disqualify you from service to the Lord are the very reason that He wants to use you. At the end of your story, all glory will be His since He was clearly working thru weak vessels.


• If you’re ready to write a great story with your life, make sure you do like any good storyteller and bring others along with you. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that the Lord is your guide!

(NUTS! I had intended to embed a video from Dr. John Piper, a pastor whom I admire a lot, but I think the enemy is thwarting my efforts. I have been trying unsuccessfully for 3 days using 4 different video formats, all to no avail. So, please try this link: http://bit.ly/cveINa. I hope it works for you. S)

CONNECT: Event or Lifestyle (Pt 5)

So, where are you at? Is Relationship good enough or do you want Fellowship? Have you ever tasted Fellowship? I’m betting that those who have tasted it will never settle for anything less.

Use this week of blog posts as a discussion guide for your group. Wrestle with the issue. Express the desires of your heart, for Fellowship, for each other, for the Lord. Are there things in your life that are choking out what God has for you? Does this sound like “crazy cult stuff”? Do you think that you’ll be just fine with how you have lived out your Christian faith, even on the day when the Lord judges your deeds by fire? Are you ready to up the ante? Are you convinced it’s time to say “All in!”?

How about those of you who are still on the sideline when it comes to CONNECT? Is it time for you to give group life a try? What might happen if you do? Want to know the worst? You may realize that you have been settling a lot in your faith. You might even find that you have to restructure your schedule to make room for what God wants to do. You might even find out that you have been missing out on the most incredible experiences of the Christian life, the very things you have been looking for since your first breath. But if there’s still breath, it’s not too late….

CONNECT: Event or Lifestyle (Pt 4)

That’s why CONNECT can’t be just another religious event on your calendar. It has to become the living out of what you have heard and what you believe as being instruction from the Lord who saved you.

But an event, even one that happens every Thursday or Sunday or Tuesday night, won’t get you there. CONNECT won’t create Fellowship. It’s the Spirit of God who does that. But CONNECT should possess all the right pieces to put your little band of Christ-followers in the right place for God to do what we know He wants to do among us.

And it can happen, even in Lancaster County! Let me show you a snapshot from one of our groups that is just starting to figure this out:

Just to update you all on our status.. I was hit pretty hard for a few weeks with some major spiritual warfare and depression.. Since my correspondence with you last, several of you have contacted us to see how we were doing. I wanted you to know that this meant a lot to us, and as I’ve thought about it over the past week, that’s exactly why we are in group together.. The easy thing is to go through life alone, and to never open up and share your heart and achings with others.. But this is contrary to the essence of the church.. We were made to be in fellowship with God and each other, and the fall has made the antithesis of that a natural tendency. I want you to know that I have a new appreciation for group in light of the past weeks and a better understanding of why and how we need each other, especially in times of static darkness. I’d like us to all be in prayer for how God can shape and mold our group into what He wants it to be and to do for: 1. His glory and worship, 2. A means of spreading the gospel of Christ, and 3. to be a safe and safer place where we, his church, can be real and live life together as seen in Scripture. Going through ruts is a powerful way that God can give us sensitivity to hurting people all around us.

Thanks all for your prayers and support during a tough time.. Please continue to pray for us.. I’ve caught a glimpse at the depth of the spiritual attacks that can come in times of weakness and I now see more plainly than ever that prayer is our greatest and most effective defense against darkness.

CONNECT: Event or Lifestyle (Pt 3)

So, why the big deal about Fellowship? Isn’t good Relationship enough? “Steve, isn’t this just you being a perfectionist again?”

“Good enough” is an interesting expression. The staff at my previous church were guided by that phrase. It was because we didn’t want to be paralyzed while we strove for perfection. But what does “good enough” look like in your worship of God? How about in your marriage? How about in your parenting? Isn’t the story of Cain one of offering God what he thought was “good enough” (Genesis 4:3-5)? Look at a similar story about the sons of Aaron who worshipped God according to their own standards:

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over it. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD. Leviticus 10:1-2

Now, I’m not suggesting that settling for Relationship means that God will reject you on Judgment Day. But, I am saying that an earnest Christ-follower should seek to be obedient in every way. And the clear description of the new thing God created by His Spirit on Pentecost was characterized by Fellowship:

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:41-47

If you let the Word speak and don’t cast your cultural preferences upon it, it’s clear that this Spirit-generated community was continually doing all aspects of life together, especially those that we would consider religious. And Christ had told His disciples, during His prayer for them and the church that He expected that the unity among His followers and toward the Lord would be so radically richer than anything in the world that the world would know the love the Father has for His Son and for His church (John 17:20-23).

So, you should answer for yourself. Is this a matter of personal choice or should we have profound conviction? Christ’s hope as He went to His death was that what would be born from His suffering would be a community which has been radically transformed by divine power. So, can you be satisfied with anything less?

CONNECT: Event or Lifestyle (Pt 2)

Years ago, I used to have quite the addiction to soda, especially colas. And I was a connoisseur! Oh yeah. I could tell the difference between Pepsi and Coke! Pepsi is hands-down better. But better still is RC!

But then I realized that I was putting on a pound or two. I know that none of you have ever experienced that. It’s just me. I was bulking up. So I decided to drink diet cola. Now, I know that there are quite a few folks out there who made that switch successfully, but I couldn’t do it. The artificial sweeteners left a horrible taste in my mouth. It was so bad that I decided that I would rather drink less soda and get a really good one than to compromise on taste to consume gallons.

That’s similar to the difference between Relationship and Fellowship. Fellowship is the real thing while Relationship is something that we settle for to quench our thirst. Our relationships are usually pretty surfacy. We have relationships with neighbors, co-workers, friends, and even family. But Fellowship is something special, like Relationship on steroids!

Biblical Fellowship is something created by the Spirit of God. “Kononia” comes from a group of words meaning “something in common.” The Greek dialect in which the New Testament was written is called “Koine” Greek, because it was the common language of empire of Alexander the Great. It was the means of universally conducting business among the various ethnic groups across the kingdom. And “Kononia” literally means “communion with, participation in, or sharing together.” And the Christian experience is inherently communal. When you are saved from God’s wrath, you are saved unto the church.

But we settle for Relationship even when it comes to our faith. How many people, when asked where they experience “communion,” would say “At church!”? But this betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the richness of the word. Biblically, Sunday morning is “ekklesia,” the word we translate “church” but which literally means “gathering.” At Grace, a few times each year we have a special service which we call “Communion Service.” At that time, we usually share the Bread and Cup, footwashing, and a love-feast. All of these activities hold in common the person and work of Jesus. We have Fellowship with one another because we share in Him.

And the reason that I say we settle for Relationship is that the number of people attending our Communion Service is a mere fraction of those who gather on Sunday morning. That’s because we have convinced ourselves that the relationships of Sunday morning are as good as it gets, God’s very best for us. It’s a knock-off!

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t gather on Sunday morning. We are instructed to gather as God’s people, to come together in His presence and to sing His praises. We are to hear the preaching of the Word. But, we probably won’t find Fellowship on Sunday morning. More likely, we will bring Fellowship into the Sunday gathering.

CONNECT: Event or Lifestyle (Pt 1)

What is that thing that you have to have? You just can’t go on without it. You even tried something that you were told was a good substitute, but there was really just no comparison.

If we’re honest, we really long for meaningful relationships. Sure, some of us are less relational than others, but God has wired us all for relationship. That might be because we are made in His image and He is relational. Or, it might be so that we will seek Him in a significant way. (For my Calvinistic brothers, “so that we will find His grace irresistible.”) Bottom line, we were made for God! And, we have a deep-seeded need for others. That’s why the person who has been reborn will love God and love others. It’s who we were originally made to be.

That was our discussion at the Fireside Chat last Saturday night. We talked about being made for Fellowship. The problem is that we seldom, if ever, experience authentic, biblical Fellowship. Instead, we settle for a cheap knock-off, Relationship.

My next post will deal with the difference between Relationship and Fellowship. But let me leave you today with these thoughts:

When we were done with our 2-hour Fireside Chat and everyone was invited to mingle or leave, most of the 21 people present stayed an extra hour. And Shawna and I left the host home with the other lingering couple more than an hour after that. We didn’t just envision biblical Fellowship, but we began to seek after it!

Once you have experienced the Real Thing (no, not a Coke!), you’ll never settle for anything less!

Fireside Chat

Tonight, most of our group leaders are going to be gathering at our Leadership Fireside Chat. This is an informal time to connect as leaders in CONNECT and to discuss the ministry, its present health and its future.

This time around, we are discussing CONNECT: Event or Lifestyle? The topic will center upon a biblical definition of Fellowship. Our hope is that everyone will come to a fuller understanding of the calling of the church. We are here to glorify God. We do that by allowing our understanding of Him to pour forth from our lives. And, foundational to that is the community He has created by His blood.

If you're a Leader who could not make it to this Fireside Chat, connect with your Coach for what you missed. If you're a group member who would like to attend the next Fireside Chat, you are welcome to attend. Talk to your Leader or Coach about growing in your understanding of CONNECT at Grace.

Death of America?

Do you love America? I mean, love everything about our position of prominence in the world? Do you sort of expect that America will be a superpower in the world forever, at least until the Lord returns and gets our permission to change things a bit? (Does sarcasm communicate well thru a blog post?)

I’m betting that you’re probably expecting America to be a/the leader when it comes to the global scene. Oh, sure, there are a few ultra-liberal, Hollywood-types who think we are the most evil entity on the planet, but I trust that they don’t spend too much time in our neck of the woods.

So, what would you think if a Chinese economist stood before you and told you that America’s time in the spotlight is over and it’s China’s turn to rule the roost? How would you feel if he told you that China is already the #2 economy and will surpass the US in the next decade and lead the world for the next 500 years? What would you do as an American Christian if he asked for your blessings for China to develop as a Christian nation?

Well, that’s what happened in a challenging session at the Leadership Summit last Thursday. Chinese economist, Dr. Peter Zhao Xiao, speaking thru an interpreter, said that China will rise to world dominance economically. He also explained that his study of America taught him that our success was due to our Christian ethic. Therefore, he implored the church of North America to commit to developing a vibrant Christian influence in China.

So, what do you think, Christian? Ready to hand the reins to China? Not now? Not ever?

But isn’t that what we do all the time? Isn’t there a season when we realize that our time is waning and it’s time to pass the baton to the next generation? Now, I know that there are many who continue to hold firmly to the baton, and it can’t be pried from their clenched fist. “Like my gun, you can have the baton when I’m dead and can’t fight you for it, maybe.”

That was the case with King Saul. When David was anointed to be the next king of Israel, Saul didn’t take it too well, trying repeatedly to pin the lad to the wall with his javelin.

But that is not the Christian way. That’s not the way that John the Baptizer modeled. Speaking of the appearance of Jesus, he said,

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

And Jesus, at the end of His earthly ministry told His disciples,

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16:7

Face it, we all will likely die before Jesus returns. It has been that way for 2000 years. And the church is only one generation from extinction.

So, who are you pouring into? Who will carry on in your absence? It’s never too soon to start preparing your replacement. Are you a godly “father” in the church? What young man are you mentoring? Are you a “seasoned” woman? Are you dedicated to teaching the young about being godly wives? (Titus 2:2-5)

Or, if it’s God’s desire to move global prominence to China, will we fight Him to keep it?

Consumer Christianity

So, what do we get if we don’t use the right scorecard? Well, in plain English, we get a product other than what we desire or intend. If our scorecard doesn’t reflect our mission, then we will strive toward something other than what we are supposed to strive for.

The 3 B’s create a culture of consumerism as churches strive to attract and keep a crowd. Honestly, this is the second post I have written today on this subject. The first one turned out too harsh. I don’t mean to attack, but to challenge.

Rather than disciples for Christ, we make consumers of a product. If they like what you offer, they demonstrate it by returning and offering you a few bucks for it. If they don’t like it, they either leave or let you know what you need to change. So, the ultimate human product of the ministry is Sunday morning critics. Sounds neat, doesn’t it? Does it sound like it’s pleasing to the Lord?

I’ll be honest again. The thing which produced this series of posts was our Youth-led Communion Service last Sunday night. Frankly, every Communion Service should be packed to overflowing as the Lord’s people come together to celebrate Him. Furthermore, our annual Youth-led service is a time for the younger generation to share what God is doing in their lives and for the older generations to express their support of and confidence in that new generation. But we had fewer people show up for Communion than we did for the last PrimeTime Hymn Sing. Have we created a culture of consumerism? Have we communicated that Grace is here as a product to be consumed rather than a self-replicating community bringing glory to God?

All I’m saying, folks, is that we need to focus our entire ministry upon the mission that the Lord gave to His church. If we miss self-replicating and end up on self-serving, we end up with a church like the one in this video…

So, what’s it all about, anyway?

Lately, I have been thinking deeply about every aspect of ministry. Not just individual areas, but how things fit together. And just so you don’t think that this is purely an organizational analysis, I have been considering this all in light of a new scorecard.

Well, the expression “new scorecard” indicates that there was an “old scorecard.” Since the days of the Church Growth gurus, the scorecard has been the 3 B’s: Bodies, Budget, and Buildings. That’s what churches measured in order to determine if they were “healthy.” Now, don’t hear me wrongly. I believe it’s very important for leadership to track these areas of ministry. But, since we seek to feel good about what we’re doing and if we use these measures as the indicators of success, we have now determined how we will move forward in ministry, namely in ways that show advancement in these categories.

But is that what we should really be measuring to determine if we are doing well has a church? While I believe that we should still measure in these areas, isn’t there a better, more biblical way to measure health in the church? At the heart of these questions is the fundamental question of what the church is. Or rather, What is the purpose of the church?

Well, not to get into a lengthy ecclesiology (theology of the church), the purpose of the church is to bring glory to God,

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6

And the method by which the church glorifies God is found in the Great Commission,

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

And finally, the manner in which this is done is found in the Great Commandment,

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40

So, I am considering a new scorecard. Rather than the 3 B’s, how about one that I picked up while reading recently. How about we measure:

• People who are being transformed to be more like Christ,


• Congregations that are acting like the Body of Christ, and


• Communities that are beginning to reflect the Kingdom of God.

Later, what’s at stake if we don’t get this right…

BLINDSIDED!

Have you seen the movie The Blind Side? This is a great movie about a true story. We won’t discuss that it’s about a member of the unspeakable NFL team in the Baltimore area. Rather, I’d like to talk about the idea of a “Blind Side.”

Are you familiar with the term? Your blind side is the place you can’t see. On cars, we call them “blind angles,” that place where the driver cannot see using peripheral vision or rear view mirrors.

Think about a time when something caught you totally off guard. You’re cruising along thru life when all of a sudden, WHAM!!! You’ve been “blindsided”! Do you know what I’m talking about now?

That’s what Sandra Bullock tells Quinton Aaron, playing the part of Michael Oher, that he was made to do… Watch the quarterback’s blind side!

So, tell me about your blind side. What does it look like? If you try to answer me, you’re mistaken. Because that’s the definition of a blind side, the place you can’t see!

How dangerous does a blind side sound to you? Well, scuba divers developed dive masks with side windows to increase their peripheral vision. That’s kinda a nice thing to have if you might encounter something like a shark, right? Add side windows, decrease your blind side. Sounds like a step in the right direction, agreed?

Let me introduce you to the Johari Window. It sounds like an exotic name, but it’s really just a blend of the first names of the developers, Joseph & Harry. The Johari Window is a tool to help you understand yourself better, especially how self-aware you are. Now, some of you are tuning out because this sounds too much like self-help psychology. Hang with me. It’s just a tool!

Everyone’s Johari looks different because it is determined by your own self-awareness and people whom you have invited into your life for accountability. If you are rather dull when it comes to introspection and self-analysis, your self-awareness is low. With good openness to accountability, your blind side can be radically reduced. However, teaming good self-evaluation with accountability, it can nearly be completely eliminated.

OK, now, back to God’s Word. The best way to reduce the likelihood of being blindsided in your Christian walk is a two-pronged approach:

First, it involves Scripture reading and prayerful reflection.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:23-25

But also, it includes brothers or sisters in the Lord with whom you are doing life together, people who have access to you and with whom you are open about your thoughts and deeds, your struggles and your failures. People with whom you are intimate.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Get Naked!!!

A couple weeks ago, we heard a message from Pastor Scott on Intimacy from the story of Enoch found in Genesis 5. I wanted to take the opportunity of that story to talk a little more about Intimacy.

In the passage, it said that “Enoch walked with God” (vv.22, 24). This is the second time in Genesis where we read about God walking around. Can you guess where the first time is? It’s Genesis 3, the story of the Fall.

It says that Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden during the cool of the day (3:8). The idea behind the Hebrew word for walking (halak), which literally means “walking around” is the idea of “living out one’s life.” We would say “doing life” or, in CONNECT Ministry, “how you roll.” And since Adam and Eve recognized the walking about of the Lord in the garden, it’s pretty clear that walking about with Him was a big part of their life before they met a serpent and an opportunity to doubt God.

Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were described as “both naked and unashamed” (Genesis 2:25). But, once “their eyes were opened” (3:7), they covered and hid themselves in shame. So, life before the Fall could be characterized as walking naked with God.

Fastforward back to Enoch who walked with God. This is the picture of Intimacy that we get from the context of Genesis. The life that was pleasing to the Lord was the one that walked with Him in nakedness. There was nothing coming between Enoch and the Lord. There was nothing to hide. There was openness and transparency.

Now take a look around you. Look at the folks in your church. And the ones in your small group. And the ones in your family. I’m just betting that they are covered. They are covering their shame even as they are covering their nakedness. And I’m willing to bet that they are covering up before the Lord also. These are all signs of the curse!

So, get naked! Start with the Lord. Share your deep, ugly secrets. Open up to Him the dark places in your heart. Will they shock Him? Will they surprise Him? Of course not! He sees them all anyway! And He wants you to bring them before Him. But here’s the really scary part: He wants you to do that in Christian community also. Because you cannot have Intimacy with God and not with His people, the Body of Christ.

Start small, but get real. This is when groups really start to see life transformation. Because, guess what? We all have marks of the Fall in our life. And God has decreed that we would work all that out in redemptive community. So start by uncovering your feet. I bet they’re like mine and could use a cleansing.

Get intimate! Get real! Get naked! And ROLL!!!

On Vacation!

Well, I hope that you didn’t give up on this blog or me over the past month. Many of you already know this, but I took my family back to California for 3 weeks. Yes, a real vacation!

I’m told that’s what you’re supposed to do during the summer. In fact, we are conditioned from the time we enter school as a child to understand that there are certain pauses in the routine. There’s a short one in December that used to be called “Christmas Break;” that’s now “Winter Break.” There’s another short one in March or April that used to be called “Easter Break” but now is “Spring Break.” And the biggie is SUMMER VACATION!

But what happens on vacation when you’re a pastor? Does ministry stop? Does it stop in Lancaster County when I leave? Is it nonexistent wherever I go, visiting my family in CA or Shawna’s in AZ? Can I just turn it off and say, “Hey! I’m on vacation!”

Well, in CA, we reconnected with family and friends and found that ministry opportunities were abundant. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the midst of a marvelous economy where people are losing jobs and homes and healthcare. So we headed to Phoenix over July 4 weekend and guess what? Yep, the same story only a little worse. You see, when money dries up and things go away, you’re left with relationships and if those are awful, maybe you’re noticing how miserable you really are, maybe for the very first time. When the intoxication of things and activities wears off, maybe you realize that you really hate your life. Guess what? Ministry opportunities abound there!

Can you go on vacation from being a Christian? What would that look like? “What happens on vacation, stays on vacation!!!” Hopefully you recognize my rhetorical questions. Hopefully you’re struggling with the concepts here. Because, during the summer, groups tend to go dormant. It’s cultural! We are so programmed to see summer as a time to take a break, and we view group life as a weekly event rather than a lifestyle. Therefore, it makes sense that we should take a break. But what would it look like in your marriage if each summer your husband said, “Wow! I’ve been waiting for this a long time! Thought I’d never make it! Well, see you in 3 months. I’m off to Jamaica, baby!”

Certainly, group life looks radically different in the summer months. But, if we were to be brutally honest, we’d have to admit that we actually have more available time during summer. Days are longer. Kids are out of school. Most school sports take some kind of break.

So what do you say? Maybe you set the studies aside for the break you need. How about getting together for a BBQ or two? You could invite neighbors whom you might want to ask to group or church in the future. Maybe plan a service project, either for this summer or something for the holiday season, if you plan big. Maybe you could dream about what God really wants to do in and with your group.

That’s what my group is going to do now that we’re back home. I’m going to talk Ed into sparking up the fire pit and we’re going to get around the flames and talk about life. We’ll discuss the struggles in our lives. We’ll share hopes, dreams, and prayer requests. We’ll encourage one another with stories of where God has met us most recently. And we’ll discuss how He’s calling us right now to live life to the full.

You see, it’s easy to slip into a life of numbness and routine, to be robbed of good things and to settle for an imitation. But God is calling you to an intentional life of thrills and challenges and ultimately, significance. And don’t you want your life to be about something more than a few weeks under a palm frond umbrella?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

Leadership 201

How do you make a leader? For some time, the thought was that leaders are born. But that’s simply not the case. That concept is decidedly unchristian. It leads to the notion that leadership is all about gifts and abilities – certainly important components – and not that leadership is about influence. Here’s an example. A Christian leader must be humble. Is humility a gift or ability? Well, James 3:13 says that humility comes from wisdom. Paul, in Galatians 5:22-23 lists nine fruit of the Spirit. But in Colossians 3:12 there is a parallel list with the insertion of “humility” as well as “compassion.” So, while I wouldn’t dogmatically say that these two qualities need to be added to our list of nine fruit of the Spirit from Galatians, I will say that humility is something God develops in our life. Therefore, leaders can be made.

(How well do you know me? Many of you have already guessed where I’m going to go with this. Maybe that makes me boring and predictable. Maybe it makes me sure of where to look for guidance and instruction. I’ll let you decide…)

In three short years, Jesus started a movement that remains to this day. And He started that with a handful of misfits. So how did He manage to prepare these guys to carry on with His great work after He had left? Sanders wrote,

Jesus trained His disciples superbly for their future roles. He taught by example and by precept; His teaching was done “on the road.” Jesus did not ask the Twelve to sit down and take notes in a formal classroom. Jesus’ classrooms were the highways of life; His principles and values came across in the midst of daily experience. Jesus placed disciples into internships (Luke 10:17-24) that enabled them to learn through failure and success (Mark 9:14-29).

That’s what we’re doing in our CONNECT small groups ministry. CONNECT is a Leadership Factory. Our Commission from the Lord is to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20). A disciple is a follower, not just a learner. A disciple is striving to be like the Master. And the proof of discipleship is engagement in the work of making disciples. Is that how you view your involvement in your CONNECT group? Do you understand that you are actively engaged in a Leadership Development program which closely resembles on-the-job training?

Maybe you haven’t jumped into a small group yet. Maybe you’re worried about the misfits with whom you’ll be yoked, guys like Peter, John, or Judas. Maybe you’re worried that you might be the one labeled “misfit,” like Thomas. Maybe you just think that what you’re already doing is good enough and you don’t need redemptive community to be a true disciple. I guess the question is, “How’s it working for you?” Or better yet, “Where are the disciples you have helped produce?” It’s easy to pick them out. They’re the ones out there, making more disciples.

Summer is Here!

OK, so maybe we’re still about a week away from the official start of summer. But for any of you who were out and about last Sunday afternoon know that it doesn’t get much more summer-like in Lancaster County than 90+ degrees and 90+% humidity. Praise God that He delivered a little rain and a breeze to cool things a bit.

So, what happens to group life in the summer? Well, we are all trained by our culture to want to “take a break” in the summer. From the time we enter school as a child, we are enculturated into believing that summer is the time when we disengage. Once you become parents, you plan vacations around the time when the kids are out of school. It becomes part of our habits and our rhythm. But, does that pertain to group life?

Well, if your time in group is like school, a place to go to learn information, then the answer is “Yes.” But, if group is how you live out your Christian faith, the answer is radically different. It would be the equivalent of saying, “Whew, summer is here. I can finally stop breathing for 3 months!” And, ironically, the very time when we have the most availability to serve God’s Kingdom purposes, especially as families with school-age kids, is the time when we are most likely to go AWOL.

Listen up. I totally understand that we all need a change of pace. And that’s the beauty of group life. You have incredible freedom to modify your group experience. In fact, it’s necessary! If you have just finished a season of studying God’s Word, it’s time to put it into practice! In fact, that is what it means to lead a worshipful life. God expects us to respond to His Word. If He tells you to “Love your neighbor,” He expects more than, “Wow! What a concept to ponder!” out of you. If He tells you that He crafted you for service and uses your acts of servitude to create Christ-like character in you, a child of God will jump at the opportunity to serve.

So, how do I know so much about how hot it was on Sunday afternoon? Well, my CONNECT group was engaged in Kingdom work in our neighborhood at that time. We were occupied with our Second Annual Flag Day Block Party and Parade. We had tried this as an experiment last year to see if folks would come out to connect as neighbors and it was a HUGE success. So this year, we expanded the party. There was no agenda beyond loving our neighbors in a way which reflects the things we claim to believe about God and people. And once again, the people came in numbers.

Why did they come? Was it because they can’t resist a good party? Was it that we supplied all the meat? Or was it that most of them realize that they don’t really know their neighbors? At our core as humans is the desire to truly know others and to be known by them (another blog post on another day).

And this year, I was asked twice as often about why we were doing this. Last year, the answer was simply about wanting to get to know everyone. This year, the answer was more along the lines of “Well, we claim in church and in our Bible study group that we are supposed to love our neighbors. We decided to try it out and see how it goes.”

Last year, conversations were superficial and neighborly. This year, I personally was invited into 2 deeper discussions of spiritual matters. And, as I wandered through the crowd, I heard others being asked serious life questions, even specifically about the Christian faith. We didn’t go around commenting on tattoos and those who had brought beer. We didn’t pretend that everything is perfect in our lives. We did open up and invite others into our lives and they responded likewise.

The ones God has prepared for party planning did it with excellence. The ones He made to be servants pulled off the enormous plan. Those who are merciful entered into the suffering of others. And those who were made to be evangelists figured out how to listen more than talk and then to speak with relevance and clarity on the things which we know are true.

So, how is your CONNECT group going to stay on mission with God this summer? Take a little time and let me know your ideas for the summer season.

Leadership 101

How many people tuned out the moment they saw the title for this post? I have found that, when the topic of leadership comes up, there are two types of people. There are those who lunge at the opportunity and those who shy away. So, we all know who the leaders are. It’s that easy, right?

But whose definition of leadership are we using? Pastor Doug has me revisiting a book I read years ago, Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders. As the weeks progress, I will occasionally reference this book in posts about leadership. If any of the thoughts from this book intrigue you, I recommend you consider picking up a copy to read. Sanders would say that there are two types of leaders, natural and spiritual. The differences are conspicuous. The natural leader trusts in his abilities, while the spiritual leader puts his trust in the Lord. The natural leader relishes in power and control, while the spiritual leader delights in faithfulness to the Lord. And the natural leader creates methods, while the spiritual leader looks to the model given by the Lord. Do you see a pattern developing here?

The world says that leadership is all about power. It’s about coercing or manipulating others into doing what you want. It’s the leadership methods of Attila the Hun or Machiavelli. It’s about using every resource available to you without restraint to advance yourself and your will. There’s no room for others except as they profit you. Do you know anyone like this? I used to be one. Sadly, some days, I still am.

But the biblical model of leadership is one of influence. Do you know the difference between manipulation and influence? It’s your focus. If you’re focusing on changing the behavior of the other person, you’re manipulating. But if you are seeking to model Christ-like devotion and servitude and find that it’s attracting other to do likewise, that’s influence. It’s not so much telling as it is showing. Christ could have visited to tell us how to live. Rather, He chose to enter His creation and demonstrate a faithful life. And in a mere three years, He was finished and He left, giving us all we need to follow in His ways. And His disciples transformed their world.
In one sense, everyone is a leader. If you consider long enough, you’ll find someone with whom you are influential, someone who is watching you and learning, good or bad. And Paul wrote, “To aspire to leadership is an honorable ambition” (1 Timothy 3:1). But what of those eager for leadership? Peter wrote:

…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5-7)

So, after pondering this, how will your interactions in group, at work, at school, in your family be different, Christian? Will others look at you and see Christ or a self-serving horror?

A Life Worth Honoring

A week ago, we as a country celebrated Memorial Day. Again, I’ll be honest with you. I come from California and we talk a little about honoring fallen soldiers but we don’t really do that. It took coming here to Lititz to realize that Memorial Day in Southern California is mostly about marking the beginning of the water sports season and usually involves a long weekend at the Colorado River. But this year, my second Memorial Day in Lancaster County found me reflecting deeply about the men and women, both military and civilian, who have given their very lives for something much bigger.

Some are probably wondering why this post didn’t come up on Memorial Day. Frankly, it’s because I intend to mess with that holiday just a little bit and I believed it would be disrespectful to do that on that day. But here, one week later, I want to muse about a day set aside to honor Service.

Because, isn’t that what Memorial Day is really about when you strip away the very specific instances of heroism and sacrifice? Isn’t your life your most precious possession? I don’t mean your “life” in the worldly sense, limited to your days from birth to death. Rather, I mean the biblical view of your life, your entire being, who you are. In fact, Scripture teaches us that the actions of our earthly life reveal the condition of our soul. So, the one who pours him- or herself out for a bigger cause is demonstrating the values and priorities of that person.

This is incredibly relevant to the materials that we are going through right now in our groups. We are learning how God has uniquely prepared each of us to fit together and to serve together to further His Kingdom purposes. Also, by committing to follow Christ’s model of Service, we grow to be more like Him and to walk more intimately with Him.

The life worth honoring is the one poured out in service to the Lord. In Romans, Paul devotes 11 chapters to laying out his Soteriology (Doctrine of Salvation). Then he starts Chapter 12 by saying:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

And Hebrews 11 is a list of notable Old Testament saints who gave their entire life over to following God’s unfurling plan. These are the types of Christian lives that should be honored and celebrated. Do you want to know how you can finish the race well? Do you want to know how to live without regrets? Do you want to end your days knowing that you were part of something bigger than yourself, something that will last? Are you looking for something worth dying for?

Then find out who God created you to be and throw every bit of yourself, your very life at it.

After all, that’s why He gave it to you.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10