There is more

"If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."

--1 Corinthians 15:19

It is really incredible to deeply consider paul's words here. For Christians, our hope really is all about eternity. without eternal reward, Christianity is pointless. As Americans, however, we focus so much on living for the now and we enjoy such freedom to worship that we've lost that sense of living for eternity. Martyrs the world over have understood what Paul meant. It is a worthy cause to die for Christ because the treasure for Christ's children is fournd in him, not in our own posessions or worldly ambitions. If he was merely a good man, we are to be most pitied. However, because he was more than a man, because he did rise from the dead, we can rejoice in his resurrection knowing that we will be joined to him in resurrection.

Subdue and Have Dominion

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.”

What are we to do with this section from Psalm 24? It is a Psalm written to glorify God and to magnify his holiness. However, how can we consider these first two verses? As we look at the world around us, as we consider the way that we are called to “subdue and have dominion” over the earth that God has entrusted to us, we must always remember that we are merely stewards of this good land that God has given to us. As evangelical Christians, we understand our primary objective is to glorify God and to fulfill the Great Commission. However, I would challenge us to consider how it is that we are glorifying God in the way that we are managing the creation over which God has given us dominion.
I’m not writing to advocate tying ourselves to trees in Oregon or to suggest selling our SUV’s and buying hybrids. I only hope that in considering our responsibility to conservation and protection of the earth, we be always reminded that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” What can we do daily to glorify God, not only in our Christian life and witness, but in the way that we steward His creation. To rightly determine our roles, we must divorce our thoughts and understandings from the political power play that is depicted in environmental concerns and search for truth and God’s will, not the will of a political party or activist group. Are we working to take the same care of God’s earth as we do our own homes?

Is Vision Really Necessary in the Church?

Vision casting is a big catch phrase in ministry today. A quick look through a Christian book store will yield more books on leadership than any person could be expected to read in the course of a year. Inevitably, all books on leadership within the church, and most on secular leadership, address vision casting in some form or another. Unfortunately, even with all of the information available on vision casting, many churches and church leaders are yet to grasp the concept or to see the need for casting vision beyond their current situation. The purpose of this paper is to examine relevant literature and classroom material that deals with vision casting and to determine the need for new vision and appropriate ways to cast and implement vision in the local church.
It is sad to note that even after many years of writing and teaching on leadership and vision casting, there is still little fruit to show for the efforts. There continues to be such a great need for visionary leaders that the book market is filled with leadership material. Vision casting has become such a huge market in our current church culture that some men, such as Andy Stanley, have based nearly their entire writing ministry on vision and leadership. But before anyone can properly cast vision, it is essential that vision be understood. In his 2001 book, Visioneering, Stanley lays the “blueprint” for establishing personal vision. The first chapter of that book defines vision as that which is “formed in the hearts of those who are dissatisfied with the status quo…Something that should be done…the element that catapults men and women out of the realm of passive concern and into action” (Stanley 2001a, 17). On the same page, Stanley quotes Aristotle who says “The soul never thinks without a picture.”
Webster’s 1970 edition of The New World Dictionary lists six definitions for vision, the fourth says that vision is, “the ability to foresee or perceive something not actually visible, as through mental acuteness.” Myles Munroe says, “Vision is the ability to see farther than your physical eyes can look” (Munroe 2003, 17). According to George Barna, “Vision transcends time” (Barna 2003, 15). Yet another author says vision includes optimism and faith and is venturous (Sanders 1994, 56). Jim Collins sees vision a bit differently. His “hedgehog concept” is realizing the one thing you were called to do well and focusing and filtering all other ideas through that one concept (Collins 2001).
Biblically, a vision can be several things. Isaiah had a vision of the Lord in the temple. Samuel’s vision of the Lord in 1 Samuel 3 was auditory and apparently not even visible since Samuel responded by going to Eli three times before receiving the vision through the voice of the Lord. Paul’s vision of the Lord was both in Word and sight as he experienced the resurrected Lord on the way to Damascus. In Hebrews, faith is described in the ESV as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Needless to say, the definitions for vision are seemingly endless; but for the purpose of this paper and to understand the appropriate use within the church all of these definitions are important. However, since the basic definition of “vision” suggests that it is clearly seen, a definition of the term must be given for this paper. The definition of vision as understood by the author and as intended by this paper is, seeing beyond current situations and circumstances into the clear and necessary possibilities of the future. Vision means knowing where the ship is going, even if the captain is not completely sure how to get there. Even in the midst of the storm, the vision of the captain is not on the waves and winds, but rather his port of destination. Vision enables the captain to maneuver through the obstacles of maritime travel because he knows where he is going.
Having established then a clear definition for vision, vision casting becomes a relatively easy term to define. Vision casting is the process of making the vision known. The ship captain “casts vision” by telling his crew their port of destination. Jesus, cast his vision to the disciples by telling them where they would go and what they would do, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” but he did not tell them exactly how it would all happen. John Maxwell says, “All great leaders share their dream with others (Maxwell 2003, 60). Vision casting is not necessarily a road map, but it is an address.
Effective vision casters—or visionaries—are those people who are focused on their vision and not on the processes of their church, company, or organization. Much has been written in recent years on the failure of systems seen in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries because of advances in technology. Visions are the catalyst for creating systems. Systems may fail, but those systems that have been created in response to a vision have the ability to change and adapt because the end result (achieving the vision) is the goal, the process of production is merely the means by which the goal is reached. True visionaries in the church build their ministries around their vision and not vice versa. It is for this reason that visionaries are able and willing to change worship styles, or small group structures. The effective vision casting leader places focus on the vision of the church (you may fill in the blank to fit your vision here) rather than on the carpet color, music style, the church bus, or the traditions of the specific church in which they are ministering.
Unfortunately, effective visionary churches seem to be the exception rather than the rule today. Perhaps the reason that most churches are not living by vision is because most churches have no explicit vision. Leaders of previous generations tend to rely on the systems present within the church rather than on vision to guide the church. For example, a visionary pastor with a vision to glorify God in worship will make necessary changes in the worship to be confident that God is glorified in the service. A pastor stuck in the paradigm of previous generations will hold firm to old traditions because that is the way that the church has always worked. The leader stuck in old paradigms fails to recognize that the systems present within the church today are in place because there was a vision in the past and the systems of the church (whether worship style, government, Sunday School or a wide variety of other things) were created in response to that vision.
Because the old systems have failed, it is essential then that pastors take their hands off of history and dream toward the future. The most terrifying aspect of scrapping old systems in view of new future vision is leaving the security of those systems behind. Erwin McManus, in his book Chasing Daylight, talks about the fear of the unknown in the future. McManus uses Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as an example of people who let go of the past and stepped into an uncertain future following their vision. If their vision was to see God honored even in exile, their purpose statement certainly was not “step into a blazing furnace.” Surely those three young men would rather have experienced the presence of God in the temple; however, they were willing to face an uncertain future as long as it was in line with their vision. There was security for those three boys in silent and secluded prayers, but the future was uncertain when their faith was found out and exposed in public. God, however, honored both their willingness to pursue him in an unusual circumstance and their decision to be true to their vision (McManus 2002, 100).
The future is uncharted territory; it always brings some level of risk and discomfort with it. The future in the absence of a security blanket can be downright terrifying. Before being overly critical of pastors who do not embrace vision, it is worth noting that no God-called pastor desires to see membership decline and churches die. The problem is not desire, the problem is fear. The new way, Visioneering, as Stanley puts it, is scary, but it is necessary. It is necessary because the Great Commission is still not complete and the church is still called to be actively spreading the gospel. Surely Paul had no idea early in his ministry how he was going to accomplish the task put before him by God. However, near the end of his life, he does not tell King Agrippa, “I did it the same way I’ve always done.” No, in Acts 26:19 Paul says, ‘I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Paul did not always know the way, but he knew the destination. God gave Paul a vision, and it was this vision that kept him on track.
Realizing that overcoming the fear of change is essential for the church to grow, the process of establishing vision is a necessary task before vision can be cast or implemented. Aubrey Malphurs, in Planting Growing Churches for the 21st Century, suggests six elements that are necessary in every vision. “First, a vision is clear” and easily communicated and understood. “Second, a vision challenges.” Any idea that does not challenge is not a vision. “Third, a vision consists of a mental picture.” The leader should be able to visualize in his or her mind the vision lived out. ”Next, a vision relates to the future.” If it relates to now, it’s a news report, not a vision. “Fifth, a vision can be.” In other words, vision is a noun and a verb, all at the same time. The vision must be understood and seen (noun) as well as lived out in the life of the church (verb). “Finally, a vision must be. A critical sense of urgency [must exist] about a vision” (Malphurs 1998, 264).
Malphurs goes on from describing the necessary elements of a vision to giving an outline of six events for establishing vision. Those events are very functional, but the main idea is to pray hard and specific about developing a vision, dream big, and take plenty of time. Great visions usually do not appear overnight. The vision for a church or other ministry may indeed be many months in the making. However, if good things come to those who wait, then the aspiring visionary can rest assured that the time and effort put into a meaningful vision will reap rewards in the future. God’s timing may not be the preferred timetable of the future leader, but “those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Strong, clear vision that is in line with God’s will is an invaluable ministry tool.
Once a clear and definite vision has been established, it must be clearly communicated and implemented. If the vision is urgent, as Malphurs suggests it must be, then a sense of urgency about implementation should and must accompany the communication of the vision. Change is always uncomfortable. The leader, therefore, must understand that people will need a good reason to change. A sense of urgency communicates a good reason for change and motivates people to accept and live out the vision. Often times the sense of urgency is communicated through education.
Aubrey Malphurs, in Advanced Strategic Planning, points out that a growth curve is present in every living organism and organization in the world. There is always a growth phase, a plateau phase, and then a decline phase. Educating a congregation on the realities of the growth curve is a beginning point for instilling a sense of urgency. That urgency can be further stressed as the congregation is shown where they are on the curve. For instance, a congregation who begins to understand the growth curve and discovers that they are in the plateau stage will know that the stage of decline is just around the corner. A church that finds itself in the decline stage should realize that survival mode is necessary, and even a growing church will realize that growth will not continue without beginning a new “S-curve” (A growth curve follows the general shape of an S, and is thus referred to as an “S-curve.”). Education gives birth to urgency (Malphurs 2005).
Once a sense of urgency has been created within the congregation, they are more likely to be open to the new vision of their leader which can lead them into “greener pastures.” In other words, people will only be open to a “fix” for the church when they see that there is a problem. Educating the congregation about growth curves, and then encouraging the congregation to gauge itself honestly along the “S” curve reveals the reality of the current or soon coming plateau or decline within the organization. Once the problem is perceived by the church, the pastor and leadership team are given fertile ground upon which to cast their vision and see it take root.
The vision is essential at the stage of urgency because a congregation aware of a poor future is likely to become urgent with or without a definite vision. Urgency without vision results in chaos. This would be comparable to pulling a fire alarm in a crowded school without any plan of evacuation. Urgency with vision results in passionate and productive work toward seeing the vision realized. In this scenario, the illustration is of the same school during a fire drill with an organized plan of evacuation. Vision establishes order.
The convergence of vision and urgency is seen throughout history in the casting of many great visions. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech serves as one of the great vision casting moments in American history. However, King’s “Dream,” announced at any other time in history might not have found an audience. But, during the height of the civil rights movement, when minorities in America felt the urgency for equal status in society, King delivered a vision that united the movement. The results of King’s vision are now evident in America today, where his dream of equal rights has been realized.
Implementing the vision, however, will not happen overnight. The vision must be communicated clearly and overwhelmingly. In a church setting, any successful vision must be cast by the pastor. His belief in the vision will empower others to buy into the vision. The pastor must cast the vision from the pulpit first. The pastor has authority on the basis of his position in the church, and the pastor’s authority is perceived to be greatest when he speaks from the pulpit. Therefore, the vision must be cast first by the pastor and it must be cast from the pulpit. However, one mention of the vision or promoting the vision in only one way is not a sufficient way to cast a pastor’s vision for the church.
Establishing urgency, casting the vision, and then seeing the vision carried out is spelled out by John P. Kotter as an eight stage process. Kotter, writing form a secular perspective, gives a very helpful paradigm for the process of vision casting that ends with the “anchoring” of the vision into the culture of the organization. His eight stage process is:
1. Establishing a sense of urgency
2. Creating the guiding coalition
3. Developing a Vision and Strategy
4. Communicating the change vision
5. Empowering broad-based action
6. Generating short term wins
7. Consolidating gains and producing more change
8. Anchoring new approaches in the culture (Kotter 1996, 21)
A new vision for a local church must permeate all aspects of the ministry. The pastor must be the primary vision caster; but for a vision to move from ink and paper to action in the church, the leadership of the church must be convinced of the need for and usefulness of the vision. The church leadership, which may include staff, deacons, elders, board members, or other key leaders, must work to support and cast the vision as well. These leaders would be the equivalent of Kotter’s guiding coalition. The purpose of the “coalition” is to guide the organization, in this case the church, through the process of implementing the new vision.
All ministries of the church should seek in some way to provide education about the vision of the church. This is, in Kotter’s terminology, the broad-based action. The church must put into action its vision throughout the organization, not only in the front office or the worship service. Sunday School, small groups, senior adults, youth, and all other ministries of the church must take the new vision seriously enough to act upon the vision. Malphurs says that every activity within the body of the church represents an opportunity to communicate the message (Malphurs 2005, 64). The broad-based action of the church to execute the vision within each smaller ministry results in the execution of the vision by the larger church over all.
The vision should also be referred to in some way on print publications, church bulletins, and websites. If a vision is to take root in the fertile soil of urgency, the vision must be cast far and wide. Scripture plainly says that the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly. The same is true for the vision of the church. If the vision is not cast far and wide, the leader should not expect that the vision will be accepted by a large number of congregants. However, if the leadership of the church believes in the vision and in the possibility of a brighter future and works to spread the excitement of the vision, the visionary can and should expect to see the vision carried out in the life of the church.
As a final note on communication, nothing should be assumed in the communication of a new vision within the local church. The story is told of Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time, that he started the first practice of every season in the locker room with a football in his hand. To his professional football players, Lombardi would show the football and say, “this is a football.” From there Lombardi explained his coaching strategy and their team objectives, but he assumed nothing and communicated everything. The pastor, leadership, and guiding coalition of a church during a new vision must assume nothing and communicate everything.
Once the vision is actively being pursued within the church, then the visionary leader is liberated to continue developing vision for the church. The freedom to do this will be given as the church finds small wins upon which it can celebrate. Andy Stanley refers to this process as “clarifying the win” (Stanley, audio). The clearly defined win will result in celebration. As the church sees the results of the pastor’s vision, the church will empower the pastor to continue implementing change upon which the church can be built. This is Kotter’s concept of consolidating gains and producing more change. In the church, one example is seen in new members. New membership will add to the overall workforce of the church. As the church is blessed with a greater number of laborers, the harvest can be even more plentiful. The visionary pastor in this situation, then, is faced with the task of implementing changes that incorporate expanded membership into the ministry of the church. A church engrossed in celebration and success can accept that change is good and beneficial.
As mentioned earlier in this paper, a great vision does not mean that there will not be uncertainty. In fact, uncertainty is the reason that vision is needed. Vision provides clarity in the midst of uncertainty. Andy Stanley suggests that leaders are allowed to be uncertain, but they must always be clear. Further he states, “The goal of leadership is not to eradicate uncertainty, but rather to manage it” (Stanley 2003, 84). “Uncertainty will not be your undoing as a leader. However, your inability to give a clear directive in the midst of uncertainty might very well be the thing that takes you out or causes you to plateau early in your career” (Stanley 2003, 98). People can trust a transparent leader who admits his fears and uncertainty as long as they are confident that the leader can navigate them through the future, regardless of what it may hold.
The visionary pastor is not a fortune teller, but he is a leader. The visionary leader is willing to say “I don’t know,” but he also says “but, we’ll find a way.” Many writers today use the term coaching in reference to leadership. This is an apt term because coaches can never predict what will happen during the course of an athletic event, but their game plan (or vision) enables them to adapt and adjust to address every situation on the court or playing field. The 21st Century is defined by rapid change. For the church to thrive in this new era, pastors and other leaders must develop and implement vision that will enable the church to address the ever changing future while remaining true to the sacred past and the command of God’s word.
The old adage holds true, if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. The church aiming at nothing is nearly always satisfied, but it is never living to its full potential. The church without clearly defined vision is like a person stumbling in the darkness. The apostle Paul was not content to stumble in the darkness, instead he pressed on toward a goal. Paul had a vision and he overcame all obstacles because he knew where he was going. In the book of Acts, as quoted earlier, Paul tells Felix, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Paul knew he was obedient because he was sure of his purpose…he had a vision.
People, for the most part, do not like change. This is especially true within the church. Human beings are creatures of habit and ideas that threaten those habits are often met with opposition. However, for a church to reach its full potential, change is essential because those habits to which people become so addicted create ruts into which Christians often fall. Those ruts, over time, are dug deep, often so deep that church members can see only themselves within the ruts and not the possibilities of God outside of the ruts. Change is the automatic byproduct of an active vision. Change is not always comfortable, but change that is in line with God’s will keeps the church’s faith energized and its community excited. Routines bring order and stability, but they also put people to sleep. Visionary leaders wake up the church to do the work of the Lord.
Implementing new vision will not be easy, and the older a church is, the more difficult it will be to spur it onward to change. So, is it really worth the effort? Absolutely! Not only is vision casting worth the effort within the church, it is essential for the life of a congregation. The question that must be asked by all pastors, leaders, deacons, lay people, and even entire churches is not, “is it worth it,” but rather “can we afford not to implement new vision?” Churches holding on to a Twentieth Century paradigm for ministry and leadership will attract people with a Twentieth Century mindset. Those people will feel very comfortable and their mindset will not be challenged. However, the church will not adapt to the changing culture and as a result, the church will slowly waste away as members of the old paradigm pass away. Pastors and other leaders within the church must wake up and realize that the current model is broken and will be broken again in a short time as the world rushes by. The church model must be “fixed” and the fix will come through visionary leaders who prayerfully develop and institute exciting vision for the new century.







REFERENCE LIST
Barna, George. 1993. The Power of Vision. Ventura, CA: Regal Books.

Blanchard, Ken, and Phil Hodges. 2003. The Servant Leader. Nashville, TN: J. Countryman.

Collins, Jim. 2001. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t.
New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Cionca, John R. 2004. Before you Move: A Guide to Making Transitions in Ministry. Grand
Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Kotter, John P. 1996. Leading Change. Boson, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School
Press.

Malphurs, Aubrey. 1998. Planting Growing Churches for The 21st Century. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Books.

Malphurs, Aubrey. 2005. Advanced Strategic Planning. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker
Books.

Maxwell, John C. 2003. Equipping 101: What Ever Leader Needs to Know. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson Publishers.

McManus, Erwin Raphael. 2002. Chasing Daylight. Nashville, TN: Nelson Books.

Monroe, Myles. 2003. The Principles and Power of Vision. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker
House Publishing.

Prime, Derek, and Alistair Begg. 2004. On Being a Pastor. Chicago: Moody Publishers.

Rainer, Thom S. 2001. Surprising Insights from The Unchurched, and Proven Ways To
Reach Them. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Sanders, J. Oswald. 1994. Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer.
Chicago: Moody Press.

Stanley, Andy. 2001. Visioneering: God’s Blueprint for Developing and Maintaining Personal
Vision. Oregon: Multinomah Publishers, Inc.

Stanley, Andy. 2003. The Next Generation Leader. Oregon: Multinomah Publishers, Inc.

Stanley, Andy. 2003. Practically Speaking (downloadable audio from Northpoint Community
Church). http://www.practicallyspeaking.org/.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

What is the church really called to be? I think that is a question that we do not ponder often enough. Sure, the church is about the five purposes that Rick Warren has shown us. Further, the church is not about me, but is about the glory of God. But, what does all of that mean? How is the church to give God all of the glory?

These are questions that I have pondered lately. Through some reading, and some praying, and some thinking, I think I have a few answers and they can all be summed up in one word concerning what the church is to be about: "Reconciliation." The church is to be all about reconciliation. Think about it, the church is the extension of Christ's ministry and is his body on the earth. Christ came to earth, lived, died, and rose again to reconcile mankind to God. Jesus founded the church as a community of sinners reconciled to God and cleansed of their sins through faith in Christ.

Further, the church is to be a community of reconciliation with the world. The church exists to glorify God and to carry out the Great Commission. If the church is indeed working to carry out the Great Commission, then the church is working to reconcile the world to Christ through evangelism. Missions is a ministry of Reconciliation.

Lastly, the church, if it is to be about reconciliation, must be about reconciliation between believers. The church must not about "forgive and forget, "or "just don't worry about it," or even "ignore it and it will go away." The church is about reconciliation, and reconciliation forces the church to deal with reality and to call a spade a spade, a sin a sin, and a praise a praise. Matthew 18 says that we are to approach our brothers when we are offended, not to ignore the offense. Paul goes on in 1 Corinthians to say that all of our actions should be done with love.

The ministry of reconciliation is not about retaliation, it is about love within a community of faith. The ministry of reconciliation recognizes that Christ died to reconcile us to himself and that the Spirit of Christ is unity. Division is never of God or glorifying to God. Reconciliation, however, is an extension of Christ's grace. As the church, let's focus on loving enough to do the hard work of reconciliation with our world, and with one another. What a beautiful picture it would be if the body of Christ looked and acted like the redeeming and reconciling Christ all of the time.

For more on this, see Making Peace by Jim Van Yeperen

Parents: The Ultimate Servant Leaders

Though I am not a parent yet, I am convinced that good, Godly parents represent one of the best models for servant leadership. As I reflect on my years at home, on my years on my own, and even now on my year (plus a couple of months) as a husband, my parents have always modeled true servant leadership in their home and in our family. I am hard pressed to recount the number of liberties that my parents surrendered to provide a godly home. I feel confident that my father could have become a better businessman or fisherman and my mom a more prominant woman in the community or gardener, or a whole host of other things, but they chose to sacrifice much of their own personal life to ensure that my brother and I received the love, care, attention, and training that we needed.

Good parents point to the accomplishments of their children as their children's accomplishments, and not an extension of their own success. Parenting, like other leadership, takes patience and time and requires the sacrifice of many activities that may seem in the short-term to be more enjoyable or fulfilling. However, all leaders reap the rewards of their sacrifices not in the short-term, but in the long-range success of their students, families, churches, and/or organizations.

As I talk about my dad, I am reminded of the aggravation my brother and I must have caused him. We talked with him recently about one song that we used to play over and over again in his truck. Surely he grew annoyed with the repetition of that song, maybe to such a degree that it would have been easier to leave us at home with our mom (though I'm sure she wouldn't agree with that) rather than carry us along as he ran errands. But, he doesn't remember the annoying song as much as the time we spent together. The same is true of me and my brother, we remember the rides more than the song. I bet that the same is true of all great leaders and their apprentices. In the big scheme of things, the small annoyances fade into the dark places of the mind, but the long-term success of the underling becomes the crowning achievement of the servant leader.

Are We All Postmodern?

While in Indonesia, we talked some about Spiritual Warfare and the concept of the "excluded middle" in western culture as set forth by Dr. Paul Hiebert. As westerners, we have become so dependent upon and trusting of science and technology, that we tend to doubt anything that can't be explained scientifically or logically. To a large degree, we have worked to kill the concept of spirituality.

Having just read the account of Elisha making the axe head float in 2 Kings 6, I am reminded that this is a favorite target for liberal scholars to cast doubt upon biblical credibility. According to many, if it seems unbelievable then it is impossible, or at least, improbable.

However, in "less advanced" Eastern cultures, these extraordinary stories are accepted without question. The people of these cultures believe in and experience unexplainable spiritual phenomena regularly, so miracles are relatively easy to accept. As many might explain, they simply know no better; an advanced scientific mind expects that miracles are surely explainable with more knowledge and understanding.

I believe this points to an interesting reality. Generally, people are more "post-modern" by disposition than even "post-moderns" realize or are willing to admit. Everyone more readily accepts or believes things that agree with their own experiences than things that do not. Indonesians, for example, are untrusting of a simple cleaner like bleach because they are unfamiliar with it, the can not see it work. Yet, many in that culture believe that wet means clean simply because they can watch water wash away dirt (surely, this is a place where science would be very valuable because the could see the effects of bleach on germs and bacteria). Whether we like to admit it or not, experience usually trumps all else.

All cultures and people are shaped by experiences. As western Christians, we fight for the credibility of the Bible against opposition from the outside. We even struggle with ourselves to understand miracles recorded in Scripture. However, maybe even the fight is partially a result of our cultural indoctrination. The Bible is truth, it is God's Word given to man and God can never lie. God is truth and His word is a trustworthy foundation, not because I say so, but because God says so. Try as they may, man can never strip away the credibility of God's Word, because truth is not based on our experiences, rather it is realized in the Son of God, the embodiment of truth, who is, "The way, the truth and the life."

Borrowed, For Your Enjoyment

I thought that two following entries from Dr. Albert Mohler's blog were worth passing along. Since I believe he says it better than I can, I decided it would be best to allow him to say it. His blog can be found at http://www.albertmohler.com/blog.php.

"It's Always a Disaster" -- Young People on Marriage


Posted: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 at 4:09 am ET

The Boston Globe offers a frightening view of marriage in the eyes of young African-Americans. The article is haunting as it reveals the bleak view of marriage held by these young people:

``I'm not looking forward to marriage," says Nakeeda Burns , a 17-year-old resident of Revere and daughter of a single mother, ``and I don't think we [people in general] should be married, because I see how other marriages ended up in my family and on television. It's always a disaster."

Even the married couples these teens know don't seem particularly happy. ``All of my friends who are married, they tell me not to get married," says Anderson Felix , 17, of Dorchester. `` `Wifey is going to keep you on lock.' `Everywhere you go, she'll call you every five minutes.' I won't be able to deal with that."

Anita Marshall blurts out, ``I want a big wedding if I get married," but she doesn't think she'll make it to the altar. Her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were married; now they're all divorced.

More:

Their disillusionment mirrors a growing resistance to marriage among African-Americans. In the post-Civil War era, when African-Americans had the option to marry legally for the first time, many did. The 1890 Census showed that 80 percent of African-American families were headed by two parents, according to Andrew Billingsley 's 1992 book, ``Climbing Jacob's Ladder: The Enduring Legacies of African-American Families ."

But in 1970, census figures showed that only 57 percent of black men and 54 percent of black women were married. By last year those numbers had slipped to 42 percent for men and 35 percent for women. In comparison, 68 percent of white men and 63 percent of white women were married in 1970, vs. 59 percent of men and 57 percent of women in 2005.

This is not only a matter of demography -- but of worldview and the future of marriage as an institution. When young people see marriage as a "disaster" in the making, something essential to civilzation and human happiness is lost.



The Accommodating Middle


Posted: Friday, August 04, 2006 at 2:27 am ET
Robert A. J. Gagnon, Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, has contributed some of the most important biblical scholarship on the question of homosexuality and the New Testament. He is also a committed churchman who writes with outrage and grief over his denomination's recent vote to allow what amounts to a local option on the issue of ordaining practicing homosexuals to the ministry.

In a recent paper, Professor Gagnon responds to Professor Mark Achtemeier of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, a member of the Task Force that brought the proposal adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) [See this news article].
In this important section, Professor Gagnon rejects the position that poses as a "middle" option. The entire paper deserves a careful reading, but this section is mandatory:

The truth is that Prof. Achtemeier has truncated the gospel definition of grace, which includes God caring enough about us to turn us from self-dishonoring, self-degrading sexual behavior that mars the image of God stamped on our sexual being to God-honoring, life-sustaining sexual behavior that enhances that image. Here too Prof. Achtemeier would have done well to compare Rom 1:24-27 with 6:12-23: Whereas God's wrath is manifested in giving persons over to the mastery of pre-existing impulses for sexual "uncleanness," of which impulses for same-sex intercourse are a paradigmatic instance, God's grace is now manifested in delivering us from the primary lordship of such impulses so that we no longer put our bodies at the disposal of such "uncleanness" (Rom 1:24; 6:19).

It is a terrible thing to manipulate the text of Scripture to advance what is essentially an anti-Scriptural agenda. There can never be true Christ-centered unity around the toleration of sexual immorality that would have appalled, and does appall, Jesus. The church should be about graciously and humbly recovering the lost, not training them to be content with their lost condition.

In all too many cases of theological declension in denominations, the forces of theological and moral revisionism are "enabled" by an accommodationist "middle" faction that refuses to draw essential biblical distinctions or to defend necessary theological and biblical boundaries.
See "I Am of the Middle": The Subgroup of the "Middle" and Its Accommodation to Sexual Immorality / A Response to Mark Achtemeier by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D., July 12, 2006. See other resources at www.robgagnon.net.

We're Home

We are home. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. We have tons of exciting news to share and good stories to tell, but there will be plenty of time for that later. Our flight home was nice, especially because it was shorter than the flight over there. For now, we are working to overcome jetlag and get settled in at home.

Thanks for checking in and contine to do so, I'll be sure to post more about our experiences in coming days.

A Real Shower

Last night a few of us had the opportunity to stay with an American family working on a teaching farm on the island of Sumatra. It was wonderful to sleep in a bed and have a warm shower. It has been interesting to learn of the different farming techniques used here and to see the other things being accomplished through this project.

Needless to say, as the time draws nigh, we are growing more and more excited about being at home, but we are really enjoying our time here. Continue to pray for us, we leave for home on Monday about noon (that's around 12 am for all of you at home).

Panas sekali

That means very hot. Today was really the first day that the heat got to us. The heat level has exceded South Carolina finally, but it was still a great day. We did some more clean up and Angela and the other girls visited with a family and prayed for one of the children who has sores of some kind in his mouth. The family was encouraged and our women were excited to establish relationships that can carry over beyond this trip.

Today was the last day for Angela and I here in the earthquake region. Tomorrow she and I will leave with three other members from our team to visit an agricultural project on a different island. I am hoping to see a monkey while we are there, if I do, we'll be sure to have plenty of pictures. Maybe we could even get one home to play with Rowdy (that's our dog for those of you who do not know him).

We only have three full days left here and part of two of those days will be spent in travel. We are excited to get back home, but are sad to leave our friends here and the people who have touched our hearts. There is such a need here. We are humbled and thankful to have been able to help in anyway possible, with physical and spiritual needs. Please continue to pray that our work here will not stop when we leave, but that fruits of our labor will be seen for years to come as the soil we have tilled is planted and springs forth fruit in accord with the will of God.

Have a great weekend if we do not get to post before it ends. Someone remind our parents that we need a ride on Tuesday, and Angela wants Rowdy to be waiting at the airport (she has him a bit spoiled, she says he is merely over-loved).

Anyone up for the Beacon on Wednesday? (we had curry brains on our table tonight..mmmm)

Not Much To Say

We are at a loss for words today, just wanted to let everyone know we are great. We love you all...

Sleep..

We're not sure what it is about this culture, but we get tired so early. It could be the fact that we are up so early. I haven't slept past 6:00 am yet, most mornings we are up by 5 or 5:30. It's insane. Needless to say, by the time we post these blogs, we struggle to keep our eyes open and then walk back to our bedrooms (it's more like a bunkhouse, guys on one side, girls on the other).

Today, however, I just want to brag a bit on our team. We are surrounded by some wonderful people who are truly passionate about their cause here. We feel tremendously blessed to spend this time with them. I truly wish that each of you reading this would have the opportunity to meet and spend time with our entire team. Words really just do not do them justice.

There really isn't any news from today, just continued to move rocks and spend time with the people here. We are confident that we are tilling the ground and leaving fertile soil in our wake. There is a process involved in this kind of work, and we anticipate results not only now, but far into the future. Please pray for those future endeavors.

Sleep..

We're not sure what it is about this culture, but we get tired so early. It could be the fact that we are up so early. I haven't slept past 6:00 am yet, most mornings we are up by 5 or 5:30. It's insane. Needless to say, by the time we post these blogs, we struggle to keep our eyes open and then walk back to our bedrooms (it's more like a bunkhouse, guys on one side, girls on the other).

Today, however, I just want to brag a bit on our team. We are surrounded by some wonderful people who are truly passionate about their cause here. We feel tremendously blessed to spend this time with them. I truly wish that each of you reading this would have the opportunity to meet and spend time with our entire team. Words really just do not do them justice.

There really isn't any news from today, just continued to move rocks and spend time with the people here. We are confident that we are tilling the ground and leaving fertile soil in our wake. There is a process involved in this kind of work, and we anticipate results not only now, but far into the future. Please pray for those future endeavors.

So Much Debris...

We continue to work to clean up debris in the villages from the earthquake. Some of the villages here have been nearly totally destroyed. However, it is exciting to help others rebuild their lives and to show hope in the midst of despair. The most exciting aspect is knowing that we are interacting with people of different faiths and giving them a positive view of Christianity.

Please continue to pray that those whom we encounter will see Christ in us. The perception of Christianity here is not great, but with each brick we remove and floor we sweep and vegetable we chop (the girls have helped in some of the cooking) we are removing barriers and giving people of other faiths a transparent view into the heart of Christianity and the love of Christ. God has used the events and disasters of recent history here to bring hope.

We hope and pray that each of you had a wonderful Lord's Day and we look forward to worshipping at home again soon.

On a more exciting note, we are bringing home tons and tons of pictures...even of KFC. KFC is huge here because the people love chicken. Tonight we bought ice cream sundaes there for $.75 and cones for $.14.

Church in Bahasa Indonesia

Bahasa means language. This morning we attended a local church. We were blessed to worship with our brothers and sisters from a different country. The sermon reminded us that regardless of our language and cultural barriers, we are united as one in Christ's sufferings and His word is not contained anywhere, but is free for all to experience. We do miss the opportunity to worship with our church, but we feel blessed to be where we are doing the work of the Lord.

Many of you will be excited to hear that even on the other side of the world, I have already had a Sunday nap and plan to have another. Worship here starts at 8:00 in the morning. The people were very cordial and seemed truly happy to have us in their worship service this morning.

It is kind of hard to believe that we have been here over a week now. We actually have only a week left and part of that will be spent in travel. Please continue to pray that we will be effective witnesses and workers in the short time we have left here. We are confident of God's sovereign will here and are convinced that He will bring about His good purposes as He sees fit.

We have enjoyed the comments that have been left and look forward to others, it is exciting each day to come to the internet cafe and read the words from home. Please stay in touch and keep us informed of the things going on at home.

Oh...and by the way, I haven't eaten any more intestines, but I did have Baskin Robbins today...it's a tough job but somebody's got to do it.

Ahh...Western Toilets

Sorry if that seems a bit vulgar, but until you have been without western style toilets, you can't really appreciate them. The culture here uses a toilet that amounts mostly to a hole in the ground, but we have found a few places that appeal to us westerners and we are grateful for that...but enough about that.

We apologize for not posting yesterday, but it got late in a hurry and we were totally worn out. We toured an ancient bhuddist temple. At the top of the structure, we stopped and read scripture. It was really a special time to be reminded that we serve the true God.

Today we had off as well, so we spent it doing some sightseeing. We toured a silver factory and got incredible deals on silver jewelry for Angela, but I won't brag about that. We also toured the old part of the city where we are staying and saw some ancient structures and breathdtaking view of Mt. Merapi spewing smoke in light cloud cover, we have pictures.

Tomorrow we are worshipping in some local churches. A couple of our guys are preaching with interpreters. Please pray for them, we are excited. Our work will begin again on Monday, but we try each opportunity we have with the locals we encounter to share our stories and our hope with them. We love to see our team members share their stories as we pray for them and look for our own opportunities. God has indeed been good to us and we look forward to his continued faithfulness.

Angela is rushing me, so we'll be sure to give you some more info tomorrow. Please contine to pray for us.

Oh, and P.S. I got a blowgun and I am an expert already...Angela is soooo excited.

Good Day

Today was a great day. We realized for the first time just how much impact we can have while we are here. Angela and several of the ladies did puppets and ministered to some ladies and children here. She also enjoyed fellowship in the home of a native Ibu (mother) with the other girls from our team. One of the Muslim ladies was impressed with the way that Christians could relate to her. Her stereotype of Christians was very negative, she was shocked at how nice Christians are and how much fun they can be.

My group continued to work with the same church where we have been all week. It is exciting to have a presence in the native communities to show them a different side of America and Christianity than they expect to see. Please continue to pray that the Christian image will be elevated to the level of holiness and love to which Christ has called his children.

We are reminded today that we come to this land with a message of hope. We come to share the light with people in need and distress. Indonesia has been shaken and the people here are anxious for hope. We pray that our efforts rock sterotypes and open doors for hope to be realized in this nation.

Starting tomorrow we have some time off, we are going to visit an ancient Hindu (or Bhuddist, can't remember) temple near here. We'll be sure to get lots of pictures. We hope everyone is well.

Intestines...They aren't just for digestion any more.

So, this morning I ate intestines. I didn't know what it was until tonight, but needless to say, it was NASTY. Other than that, today was wonderful. The temperature was a bit warmer, but everything was great. Angela got to spend some time cooking, sort of. Maybe when we get home, she can cook intestines for everyone.

Angela spent some time with some Indonesian believers today. She was excited that they all sang together. As the Indonesian women sang, she recognized some of the hymns and sang along. God's children can worship him even through the barrier of language and Angela experienced that today.

This morning, I spent my quiet time next to an open sewer. It really stinks, but I was reminded that God is present among us regardless of where we are. On the other side of the world, the same God present in Spartanburg is active in our lives. God is great and we look forward to the lives he is changing.

More to come in the future, especially about the church we have helped to repair.

Volcanos!!

Last night we were beat and really did not have time to share our exciting experience as we posted our blog entry. We went do Mt. Merapi, the volcano that has been active in Indonesia of late, and watched it spew lava from about three miles away. It was truly incredible to see the hand of God at work in nature. We indeed serve an amazing God. It was better than fireworks.

Today we went on sites for the first time. Angela and our other femail team members played games and sang songs with some children in a nearby village. They also spent time building relationships with some of the Indonesian volunteers here. She also slept late, it was nearly 7:00 am when she got up.

I say she slept late because me and about half of the guys woke up at 4:30. Since we were all awake, we went ahead and got our mondies (Indonesian bathing, no showers here, just big buckets of water and drains in the floor) and started eating and drinking coffee. By 8:00, I had eaten breakfast three times. I was concerned about losing weight, but Angela and I have both been very impressed with most of the food. In fact, there is a Dunkin Donuts right across the road.

We are really amazed that we have been away from home for five days already, it has flown by. It's amazing how much you can enjoy yourself and ministry even when sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor and sharing three bathrooms with 50+ people.

I spend my day in a nearby village demolishing and helping to rebuild a small baptist church. It was exciting. I also met a cute little four year old little girl named Ekka. Her parents wouldn't let me bring her home. I also ate some food from a street vendor, some sort of fermented fruit, it was terrible. But, what's life without risks...

We have been welcomed with open arms everywhere we have been and look forward to continuing to work and minister here. There are indeed needs and we are grateful for the opportunity to meet some of the needs.

Please continue to pray, and if you see my mom (Craig's) wish her a happy birthday from us.

We're Fine

I am sure that by now you are all aware of the earthquakes and such in Indonesia tonight (this morning for you guys). We are all fine, the quakes hit about 350 miles from us. We understand, however, that preliminary reports are that there is significant damage. Please pray for the people and the relief work that is underway already.

We were truly blessed to be able to pray with a relief team as they left our headquarters headed for the disaster. They were hoping to be on site less than eight hours after the quakes. Please pray for us and all that is going on here.