Am I going about this wrong?

For the second week in a row I find myself lacking a serious task to tackle. I find myself lacking a challenge to hang onto. It is kind of perplexing.

This last week I listened to my lifelong friend, Ben Rushing, preach at Rhapsody Church. While I must say he did very well, was inspiring and encouraging, I still left without action. There was an implied action given: be good soil. In other words, be ready to hear and respond to those things that God is doing well. I suppose I could take that as my application, but it feels kind of vague.

As I work through this year of doing everything I'm asked to do in a sermon, I can't help but wonder - am I doing it wrong?

The scripture talks about preaching as proclaiming, announcing, heralding the news about Jesus. So, Biblical preaching is really to tell people about Jesus. Biblical preaching has little to do with my task list that I am compiling, or attempting to. In fact, it is all about Jesus. Helping people know and follow him. I suppose that "what you do to follow" aspect is what I am looking for. Yet, I am finding myself mostly doing little or nothing in response to these challenges - not out of laziness or a lack of motivation, but because nobody is calling me to do anything.

I believe the Church is the hope of the world. People sent by God to serve and save everyone. However, I hear very little preaching of that message. Where I do see it, oddly enough is in bulletins and announcements. "We need people to serve this homeless shelter," "There is an opportunity to serve children," etc. There is culture within a church to do those things that Jesus did and made us to do. Yet, I wonder if much of our preaching hasn't changed to be more like a pat on the back to keep doing them. Would that necessarily be a bad thing?

A slight disappointment

Christine and I went to East Park Church Sunday. While the experience was great I was disappointed for three reasons.
1. We have visited before and missed the Senior Pastor, hoping to hear him, we wound up getting the youth pastor for the second time (of two) that we visited.

2. Pastor Gary? Where were you, man?! I was hoping to be envious of your long flowing locks of hair.

3. No application points!!!

I know, right!!!??! A guy decides that he will literally do everything and anything that he gets asked to do by pastors in churches for a year. Exploring several churches, I figured I would be overwhelmed with actions to take. I assumed I would be inundated with tasks. But, instead, thus far I feel like I haven't had a substantial challenge laid out. Moreover, this week, I couldn't even find a challenge. I thought for a minute he was going to recommend a Bible study, but he just trailed off.

Maybe, I'm to early for this to have any quantitive value with the limited sample data available, churches don't grow, succeed, or reach people because nobody ever gets asked to. Maybe a clear lack of a plan, vision, mission, or strategy is the problem. Maybe people don't invite their friends to church because they keep forgetting, and nobody bothers to remind them. Maybe people don't read their Bibles because they aren't asked to.

I'm starting to wonder if this expectation is kind of like one of my fading expectations of churches as I have been visiting many these last few months. I used to believe that people going to a church service should have a spiritual experience. Connecting with the living God is an opportunity afforded them by their presence. But, I often feel as though the songs are canned, planned and bland. The music is just a thing done before the preaching, and the preaching is as inoffensively encouraging as possible. Am I wrong to wonder, where the Spirit is in this? Where is the life-altering connection with God? I don't think there are many atheists standing solely on intellectual ground. I think many just look at Christians and see plainly unspiritual, uninterested people not on an adventure or doing something worthwhile.

Our faith is an adventure, an experience, a challenge, we live in a mysterious certainty. A place of comfort on moving ground. We are called to lives of faith, hope and love.

It's easy to be a critic. Please, don't take my words as an insult to any person or church. I am simply putting my thoughts digital paper. Leaving them out on the table for any person to read.

Honor: Part II

I'm trying earnestly, over the course of these 12 months, to do every application point I hear in a sermon. I'm two weeks in and I feel good. The first week called for some extra prayer and Bible Study. That was done fairly easily. This weeks has been a little more deep and to the heart.

The call was to honor those you serve. Show high respect. Serve those above you without complaining or grumbling. Respectfully serve your leaders.

So this week, I caught myself sucking at showing honor. Then, I fought to change it. So far, so good. But this will be an ongoing battle in my life. I've always had issues with honoring authority. Maybe it's pride. Maybe it's some mistaken since of independence. I'm not sure.

Tomorrow marks week three. My wife and I will be visiting East Park Church - probably. We don't have running water - the city turned it off due to a nearby leak. So, I will go to church either way. But if she doesn't want to go, I may visit elsewhere.

Honor

This Sunday, I had the privilege of serving my friends at Rhapsody church.

Brandon Berg, the senior pastor is a longtime friend. So, I had little surprise in hearing him preach. I always know that Brandon will tell those listening to do something difficult, yet essential. Sometimes he will give some small support tasks, but often his application will be doable and precise.

For those of you joining in now, I started a one year journey this month. My plan, to do EVERYTHING that I am asked to do in a sermon. Through this process I hope to figure out if churches really ask too much of people, or too little for that matter. Last week's direct application from my visit to City Bible Church amounted to a Bible study and some additional time in prayer.

This week's task is different. Brandon didn't ask something easily checked off on a to do list. He asked for a character molding decision: honor those who are in a place of honor, regardless of whether or not they have earned it.

So, here is my confession: I've been flustered lately. I have had frustrations with people I follow, who I answer to. I have mumbled against them, been openly frustrated and sometimes complained behind their backs. So, this week I am fighting against this.

Initially I had planned to write this after succeeding at this relatively easy task sometime at the end of this week. Turns out, this is really hard. I spend a lot of time at work, and when I have a problem I tend to say it. So, having caught myself badly yesterday and again today I am confessing a serious need for change in this area. Really, I just hope by publicly saying that I need to better honor those worthy of honor, I will make myself think more on this behavior. Perhaps, even, someone will read this and help me stand accountable for my behavior. Or not.

The point is, doing everything your asked to in a sermon can be hard. For that matter, doing ONE thing that you are asked to do can prove itself impossible.

So off to honor those worthy off honor.

Last Minute Post

The last four days have been a whirlwind. While I have certainly been working through those things that Pastor Frank Dimazio taught last Sunday, I also have played two shows with my band Better Days and been in a wedding, and a rehearsal all while working. It has been go time.

Last week Pastor Franks asked everyone in the church to read a few passages, and I earlier indicated that I would share those with you. So, without further ado, here they are.

Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!
Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Acts 9:6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Acts 9:17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 13:9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said
Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 3:19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.


So, that was last weeks to do list. Marked a passage in my Bible. Read some verses. Prayed for the Holy Spirit to come in my life. Used Spiritual language to build myself up. 

But, today is another Sunday. This week I am serving at Rhapsody Church. Rhapsody is an amazing church that I had the opportunity to help pioneer. I spent two years serving as the pastor of Small Groups and Discipleship. Today, I was asked if I could fill in on their soundboard. So, here I go. 

Pastor Brandon has been known to ask or recommend interesting things in the past. As he asks, so shall I respond. The challenge continues. Week 2: Rhapsody Church, next!

A Point of Clarification

A friend recently asked me about what I'm doing. Having seen my list a couple blogs back, my friend wondered about the nature of the list of things that I mentioned churches often ask people to do. I must clarify, that I do not endorse the list, nor believe the list to be complete or exhaustive let alone doable even lacking numerous Christian disciplines. So, for clarification's sake, here is a portion of my response to the inquiry.

"Now, as far as the list goes, the point of the list was more of parody. Many churches overcommit and overcomplicate following Jesus. In a sincere effort to help, people often times ask others to do more than they can. So, when I think about the things that people are asked to do in a church, I feel for them. That is the why I am conducting my experiment.

"As of Sunday (yesterday), I am, for the sake of discovery, doing everything I'm asked to do in any church service I attend. My hope is that I can fully understand how much churches ask, and if it is too much.

"The message of Jesus is simple, know him. Receive his grace and give him your heart. Simple as it may be, applying it can be very difficult, and sometimes gets complicated.

"The list of things that churches ask is not my own, and as a licensed pastor (who happens to work at a music store) makes me concerned for people who go to churches and try to follow Jesus sincerely.
Following Jesus is more about being than doing, the problem is - the easiest way to reach being is by doing certain things. Which things? How often? How many times? How hard? There is the debate - and rather than keeping life simple, many times churches elect to make things complicated."

I should add, that one other point of this experiment is to grow personally. Sometimes, doing to much can actually be healthy in a strange way. Working "too hard" at something can produce growth. That is the point of practice and repetition, to get better at something.

This Week's Spiritual To Do List

Yesterday I went to church. That's routine for Sundays. But this Sunday was decidedly different. I brought an empty list. Deciding to literally do everything I was asked to do in a sermon, I came ready for rules, actions, willful inaction, and other possibilities.

For the first time, I visited City Bible Church. Specifically I visited their Mill Plain campus in Vancouver. I have known the church from conferences I attended as a teen and from my experience the church is pretty clear on application. The other thing I knew was that this is a VERY charismatic church. So, I anticipated a lot of spiritual stuff. 

Before the sermon I was asked to do one thing repeatedly. Now, I am only making a point to do those things in a sermon lest I do everything announced and find myself unemployed and exhausted. But if, the pastor cares to preach to the announcements, say inviting me to join a small group, I shall involve myself as he tells me to. After being told, "Put your hands together," a few times, I decided to count how many times I take this action. Four more from the time I started counting. While that isn't what I wanted to do, I thought it was interesting and fun. 

The sermon was on prayer language. So, I obviously was not disappointed in the level of charismata present. However, I had forgotten that Pastor Frank Dimazio, whom I have seen speak on a handful of occasions, is the king of teaching points. I tried taking notes, but was constantly falling behind due to the sheer volume of information. Nonetheless, the sermon was good and interesting. I decided before hand that I would make a "To Do List" of application points from the sermon. So, here they are. 

1. Read:

Acts 2:4; 4:8; 4:31; 9:17; 13:9, 13:52, and 9:6

Ephesians 3:19 and one additional verse that I could not write fast enough to keep. I guess I fail on one verse this week. 

2. I need to mark I Corinthians 14:5 in my Bible

3. Use my Spiritual Language to build myself up - which was implied as a regular task, so I shall do this every day this week. 

4. I need to pray for, believe for, and receive the Holy Spirit - this had no particular amount of times, or date set on it. So, for the sake of not bogging myself down every day for the entire year I will choose the frequency of this point. Which, shall be daily for the week. 

My next blog will be me simply unpacking and doing these things. 

Thanks for reading!

Tomorrow

I have a journal ready. I am a bit nervous. While I have told my wife, and she agrees to support me no matter what. I'm a bit nervous for what may follow.

I've been going to church for years. In many eras of my time in church I have done my absolute best to follow the Spirit of all that God has taught in churches. I wonder, though, even in my most zealous moments did I filter what I heard? Have I, like I often worry of other Christians, picked and chosen the theology and practices which most appeal to me? Have I avoided certain Christian disciplines or behaviors because they are inconvenient, impractical, or even outside of my experience?

I have lately been looking for new ministry opportunities. Looking for a new place to serve and live out my calling. So, with that in mind, I have been visiting churches lately - rather than committing to one particular church. While I am in relationship (or fellowship if you prefer the Christianese) with several followers of Jesus - I am not locked down to one place, so I will likely visit multiple churches. Unless: A. I find a new ministry position at a church, in which case I will finish out the year there; or B. I am told in the sermon that I need to make this particular church my home. Like I said, whatever the application is - regardless of whether or not I agree with it, for one year. August 2012 through July 2013.

I wonder, is "stay here at this church" a common point in a sermon? Well, I guess I'll find out.

Tomorrow is my first day, and we have elected to visit the Vancouver campus of City Bible Church.

Updates and more tomorrow.

Yes and Amen

I'm in a kind of strange spot in life right now.

A little over six months ago I resigned from a position as a pastor at a local church. The resignation wasn't really about the church. It was barely even about the position. It was a lot more about me. About me needing to be excited about what I was doing in ministry. About me needing to figure out where I fit, and really what I was made to do. So, for the last several months I have visited different churches and taken in the experiences.

I drove around today, running errands. During the drive I kept thinking about my church experiences.

During my time as a youth pastor I just wished the teens that I worked with would take in those things I said and make use of them.

I've spent about half of my life in church now. I can't help but think of how overbearing some church demands and recommendations are. In fact, I remember a post about this that I read not too long ago by Tim Stevens, in which he gave a list of everyday demands churches impose on people.

• Attend church service weekly.
• Volunteer during another service
• Attend Bible study or Sunday school or midweek service (whatever brand your church offers).
• Serve in a ministry that helps the poor and needy.
• If you are a leader (and we know who you are), then we'll have a few more meetings to attend, contacts to make, events to organize and teams to rally.
• Attend periodic special events hosted by the church.
• Be a great husband or wife and invest time in your marriage.
• Oh, and make sure you are involved in mens' or womens' ministry.
• Get in a small group and meet regularly.
• If you are a man, you must be in a mens' small group for accountability. Otherwise we know you look at porn.
• If you are married, you probably should also be in a couples group if you care about your spouse.
• Read your Bible every day. Anything less than 30 minutes is probably not enough.
• Be a good citizen. Vote and get involved in your community.
• Give ten percent of every penny that you make. And give to the special offerings. And give to the kids going on the missions trip. And give to the building fund.
• Go on a missions trip. Been on a local trip? Overseas is your next step.
• Invest in relationships in your neighborhood and at your workplace.
• Invite people to church. Every week. The purpose of that, of course, is so you can get them to church so they can do #1 through #16 above.

The list is pretty crazy. Sometimes the idea of it and the truth of it haunts me in my sleep. While I've heard all of these things, I don't know that I've done all of these things. But you know, I have gone to church and ignored many things that have been recommended. Some of those things, I confess, I have recommended myself and never actually followed through on. 

So, add this to the list. Maybe. 

I had an idea. What if I actually did everything I was asked to do in a church service? 

I am a guy with a pastoral license, a Bible degree, a load of church experience and a question. "What if I did it all?"

So, for the next year, beginning Sunday of this week, I will do whatever a preacher asks to the best of my ability. I have a job that is not a church-job. I play guitar in a rock band. My wonderful wife requires my attention. Despite all these things that are happening, I will attempt to add to them the list of church assigned tasks. 

Maybe, I'll be surprised. Maybe the churches that I visit will have very low expectations. Maybe I'll be so overwhelmed with tasks that I won't be able to do anything about it. Maybe I will have to give away money that I don't have budgeted. Maybe, I will do things just to go through the motions. Maybe, I will find God in new ways in these tasks. 

I don't know what I will do. 

By the way, this is what I'll be doing on this blog I have pretty much ignored for a very long time. Stay tuned for updates. My first service where I MUST do what is said is Sunday. I am nervous already.