What? Me, Read?

Someone asked me recently, after seeing other bloggers posting their "current reading" list of books, what I'm reading these days.

Well, here goes:

• Christianity & Culture by Charles Kraft
• Anthropology of Christian Witness, also by Charles Kraft
• Postmodern Biblical Criticism by A.K.M. Adam
• Constructing Local Theologies by Rob Schreiter
• The Emergence of Reader-Oriented Criticism (Postmodern Use of the Bible) by Edgar McKnight
• and just for fun, in my spare time, as a diversion, I'm reading "Relic" by Douglas Preston (the movie wasn't that great, but the book is pretty good)

What's in my CD player these days? Nobody has asked me this, but since I'm on a roll with Trivial Pursuit...

• Bruce Cockburn: Waiting for a Miracle
• Bruce Springsteen: The Rising
• Rush: Vapour Trails
• Colin James: The Travellor, and
• Deep Purple: Greatest Hits

What this really means is I'm at the last leg of my semester, and I'm procrastinating homework because my brain resembles a tiny, over-cooked dung beetle at this present moment in time.

Nothing a pot o' coffee can't cure.

I hope...

Pomergent: The New Fundamentalism?

Almost a century ago, modern Fundamentalism began to develop into its present-day form after the "Modernist/Fundamentalist" controversy of the early 20th century. The "liberals" won the battle, and "fundamentalists" were discredited in the academic world, and made to look like idiots at the Scopes Monkey trial. Fundamentalists went on to become the "fightin' Fundies" who fought and debated and sentenced to hell anyone who deviated in the slightest from their view of, well, just about everything.

As time went on, the Fundies gave up fighting with the Liberals (although they would rant tirelessly about them amongst themselves) and turned their guns on each other, endlessly writing scathing diatribes against any perceived (and the emphasis should be on perceived) deviation from the accepted party line, and went to the extremes of censoring people who even associated with people whose fundie credentials were under suspicion -- they called this "secondary separation" (you don't associate with infidels and you especially don't associate with those who associate with infidels). Billy Graham endured many scathing attacks from them for this reason.

What we know as Fundamentalism today is the result of people reacting against perceived enemies, and eventually degenerating into attacking their own colleagues who didn't "get it". End result: increasing irrelevance, except within their own small, closed circles.

Postmodernism, as a philosophical/theological construct, needs modernism. Without modernism to "deconstruct", postmodernism has nothing to say. It's just a reaction against something. It offers few, if any solutions. Postmodernism deconstructs beautifully, even gleefully, modernity and its influence on churches, but doesn't reconstruct anything in its place. It just critiques everything even remotely labelled "modernity". It's like a rebellious teenager trying to establish an identity by lashing out at anything his/her parents stand for.

Like the "fightin' fundies", pomergent groups run the exact same risk of living in constant reaction against modernism, and as time goes on, they will turn their attacks on each other for not being "emergent" enough. Trouble is, if the "emerging" groups don't actually ever get around to "emerging", they'll just become increasingly isolated, ranting amongst themselves about the evils of modernity (and McChurch), but failing to provide anything proactive, positive, engaging, or attractive in its place (Philippians 4:8).

Or, as has happened with the whole Christian recording industry, and more recently the "worship industry" (what a miserable combination of words!), pomergent will just become another marketing subgroup of greater Christendom. And like the fightin' Fundies, they run the risk of becoming just another splinter group that is irrelevant outside of their own small, closed -- but trendy -- circles.

What's your "calling"?

Maybe it's the things in ministry you just can't keep our mouth shut on. I've noticed, from time to time, that some friends of mine can't talk or write about ministry (postmodern or modern) without what could be described as:

Negatively Talking about their "agenda", which they keep hammering at and working into the conversation, no matter what the starting point is/was; a fanatic is someone who "won't change their mind and won't change the subject" (who said that first?)

Positively Speaking out of the calling that God has placed on their life, which comes across in their words, their actions, and that they just can't keep quiet about it; they're equally fanatical, but we admire their zeal

Sometimes, what looks like "hammering an agenda" may just be people speaking out of their calling from God - but because our calling from God might be in a different area than theirs, we can be tempted to view them as "fanatics", while we (of course) are merely humble & dedicated servants.

Without giving any examples other than myself, I recognize that I generally read Scripture and see all kinds of implications for "leadership" and youth/emerging ministry, and at times I can't figure out why other people don't see the same things, or at least get excited about what I'm trying to share with them.

Until I meet/hear someone with a different area of calling, which shows up in their speech/actions/writings repeatedly, and I think to myself "wow, are they ever on an agenda" -- and the Spirit gives me a loving (but firm) kick in the patookus to remember that they're no different than me. They just have a different piece of the puzzle.

I need their piece, and they need mine.

And for those trying to fathom "what is my calling", it really could be as simple as "what is it that you just can't shut up about?".

Re-Thinking Power

Here's a mind-bender from the Revelation of St. John the Divine, chapter 5:2-6 (The Message):

I also saw a powerful Angel, calling out in a voice like thunder, "Is there anyone who can open the scroll, who can break its seals?"
There was no one--no one in Heaven, no one on earth, no one from the underworld--able to break open the scroll and read it.
I wept and wept and wept that no one was found able to open the scroll, able to read it. One of the Elders said, "Don't weep. Look--the Lion from Tribe Judah, the Root of David's Tree, has conquered. He can open the scroll, can rip through the seven seals."
So I looked, and there, surrounded by Throne, Animals, and Elders, was a Lamb, slaughtered but standing tall.

What an amazing juxtaposition! One of the Elders tells John to look at the Lion, and what John actually sees is a slaughtered little sheep.

We picture Lion as strong, majestic, triumphant in power. Jesus, as the Lion of Judah, expressed His power as a slaughtered Lamb.

There's definitely a strong message to those who would like the be "leaders" in this passage, on what true "power" in ministry looks like.

Piper on Pastors

I know, I know, there's been the occassional rant here about people posting "cut and paste" without providing their own commentary. But this is so good, I had to read it out loud to my wife, and also post it (edited for length) here, and it's so good that I really don't want to add anything.

This is part of the first chapter of John Piper's "Brothers, We Are NOT Professionals":

"We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry. The mentality of the professional is not the mentality of the prophet. It is not the mentality of the slave of Christ... For there is no professional childlikeness (Matt. 18:3); there is no professional tenderheartedness (Eph. 4:32); there is no professional panting after God (Ps. 42:1).

"Our business to weep over our sins (James 4:9). Is there professional weeping? Our business is to strain forward to the holiness of Christ and the prize of the upward call of God (Phil. 3:14); to pummel our bodies and subdue them lest we be cast away (1 Cor. 9:27); to deny ourselves and take up the blood-spattered cross daily (Luke 9:23). How do you carry a cross professionally? We have been crucified with Christ; yet now we live by faith in the one who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20). What is professional faith?

"Then, wonder of wonders, we were given the gospel treasure to carry in clay pots to show that the transcendent power belongs to God (2 Cor. 4:7). Is there a way to be a professional clay pot? The strong wine of Jesus Christ explodes the wineskins of professionalism. There is an infinite difference between the pastor whose heart is set on being a professional and the pastor whose heart is set on being the aroma of Christ, the fragrance of death to some and eternal life to others (2 Cor. 2:15-16).

"Humble us, O God, under Your mighty hand, and let us rise, not as professionals, but as witnesses and partakers of the sufferings of Christ. Amen."

That about sums it up, methinks.

Adventures in Advil

If I may be permitted a minor whine: I've just spent two days in a row having a collection of needles and drills focused on my head, at our friendly neighbourhood dentist's office. In the immortal words of Han Solo, after he was 'questioned' by Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back -- 'I feel terrible'.

I tried to comfort myself with a nice steaming cup o' coffee, but if you've ever tried to drink coffee with a frozen face, you know that it can't be done -- unless you count absorbing coffee through your t-shirt as "drinking".

We have two shows this weekend, too, starting tonight. Don't know how much singing I'll be doing... We have six gigs in the next nine days, plus recording a song for the Guess Who tribute album being recorded this month (a Celtic version of "Share The Land").

No problem!

Can Advil be administered intravenously?

Some Muse-ables

There's been some interesting discussion over at Radical Congruency regarding some new metaphors for "leadership" (Len Hjalmarsson should be heading over there about .75 seconds after that first sentence travels from his retinas to his cerebellum). One of the good questions that has come up has been how this could (I would suggest should) affect the existing paradigm regarding paid, professional clergy.

I found this tidbit today, from "Creation, Covenant & Work" by William Bumrell in Australia. I think it could easily apply to the discussion:

"There is nothing to support the Greek or Stoic view, then, according to which the higher class person has to have the leisure to fashion himself physically, intellectually, and aesthetically into a harmonious being, with the real working classes existing to provide for the gentleman who is occupied with his own concerns...

"It was the Rabbis' rule that no Rabbi should accept payment for his teaching... Each must acquire a trade and support himself with honest toil... Paul thus was called to be an apostle and supported himself by tentmaking."

I'm not going to go off on a rant about paid clergy being wrong, because I'm not willing to go that far. But I would like to mention the attitude that I've seen all too often among "professional" clergy. Here's a real-life example:

I was going through a season in the mid-1990's where God was calling me to learn what Matthew 20:25-28 meant: "Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

For me, it meant that, as a worship pastor, that I would give away my opportunity to play bass at a Island-wide conference, and volunteer (be a servant) to do all the grunt jobs that no-one else wanted to do. Which translated into hauling sound gear, stacking chairs, doing all the tape duplicating for the conference sessions, and basically running non-stop from 8AM till 2AM for five days straight. I noticed some really interesting things from this vantage point:

• all the other people running the "undesirable" grunt jobs were almost exclusively youth and new Christians (except me), while all the "mature" Christians sat comfortably in their seats, hoping for a "word" from one of the prophets up front
  
• the pastors all had "Reserved" seating up front, and seemed mostly concerned with getting a lunch/supper/coffee date with one of the four celebrity speakers that had come to the conference; which, being translated, means that most of the pastors weren't involved in ministry time (prayer for conference attenders) at all; quite a number left the building quite early, in fact, if it meant getting some personal time with one of the celebrities
  
• some (not all) of the conference speakers were quite rude to the youth and new believers who weren't doing a "good enough job" hawking the speakers' books and merchandise
  
• I was really impressed with the attitudes of the youth and the new believers, especially when the conference ended and -- despite several announcements asking for help tearing down -- people left for local restaurants and the grunts had to work for hours cleaning up the mess they left. It was quite an eye-opening contrast.

I'm not against pastors being paid. I would like to see a huge "attitude adjustment" when it comes to recognizing that Jesus was quite serious when He said "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant."

And somewhere in that process, your definition of "great" changes for the better.

Go figure...

A church, where I spent four years as a pastor, has posted their history online at their church's website. Every pastoral couple ever associated with that church is listed, along with the areas of ministry they had a passion for, and also where they are now (if they aren't still at that church).

Except for Wendy & I. It's as if we never existed.

Then, I discover that a church that we merely attended a few years ago, and could never "break into" the group enough to get really involved, has my blog listed on their website as part of the group of bloggers who either attend that church, or are considered part of the community by extension (I guess we'd fit the second category).

Churches. Go figure...

What Really Counts

Let me tell you what's been happening over this past weekend, which will give some context for why I'm choosing to avoid a segment of blogdom at present.

On Sunday, at the church we attend here in Winnipeg, to use the classic Vineyard phrase (although we're not presently in a Vineyard), "God showed up." True, God is always present, but there are times (Mt. Sinai, Elijah on Mt. Carmel in the OT, the day of Pentecost in Acts, for example) where God's presence is much more "obvious" -- it's often called the "manifest" presence of God.

I can't speak for the other 70+ people who were at the front receiving prayer, but I know that for some of the young adults in our home group, it was a profound time encountering God and feeling called out to a deeper walk with Him. Watching from the stage (after I had been prayed for, I was playing my bass with the worship team, which gave me a cool vantage point), I was blown away to see the freedom, the passion, the celebration in the dancing before the Lord. These are people who I know very well, and I'm very aware of two things:

1. They aren't the type to "fake it to fit in" -- they're very honest, down-to-earth, real people who aren't interested in religious games or putting on a good show while in church.
2. We have been talking almost constantly among ourselves these past few weeks of the hunger we all have to see God move in our lives like He has in the past.

I think Sunday morning's ballistic prayer time (which became an exuberant celebration time of worship) was the beginning of God's answer to that heart cry.

Last night's home group was another example. Worship was passionate -- all 9 of us! -- and our prayer time for each other went for over two hours. The gift of prophecy was flowing; there were prayers of forgiving others (with some deliverance from demonic attack resulting); there is such a sweet sense of community among the young adults in that group, as hurts were shared, people were encouraged; God was in the house!

These are the things that stir my heart, that awaken a sense of humble gratitude to God that I'm privileged to be a part of this group's story, and that -- in short -- bring "life" to my soul. These are the things that I want to invest my time, energy, and life in. Seeing God bring life and freedom to people that I care about. Seeing people fall more in love with Jesus.

That's what really counts.

Lent: I got an idea...

One of the points of giving up something for Lent is to focus ourselves more on Jesus, and thereby, to nourish our souls towards more Christ-likeness. Wendy has our whole family entering the Vegetarian Matrix for Lent this year, but I think I'm going to add another element for myself:

I'm going to fast from blog-surfing. Not all blogs, just the more negative ones -- which unfortunately seem to be a growing majority.

Next Wave often re-posts entries from various blogsites (Ie. they republished my entry on Springsteen & prayer from a few weeks ago), and I found this gem there today, from Jason Evans (the post is from Feb. 24: "Beware, I'm ranting again..." -- this is only an excerpt):

"I long to hear stories of wonder and joy, of passion and love, of falling down and being picked back up. But please no more of the continual unhappy banter that seems to always be taking place... But we need to move forward in faith. Find some joy in finding our way into God's Story. I'm just getting tired of all the complaining... It's time to engage, to reconstruct, to believe and profess something holistically, to live abundantly."

Great words, Jason. You've hit my nail on the head.

P.S. For those fellow bloggers who visit this site, and wonder if I meant you, just assume I was talking about somebody else, and you'll be correct. I look forward to spending time with many of you in the New Jerusalem, because you've encouraged me in this present darkness already.