Category Archives: mission
I consider that the life of the Christian should exhibit a dispersive nature. Anywhere that we go is a place that we are sent intentionally. Sentness forms our identity. Below are some thoughts on that.
J.R. Daniel Kirk on withdrawal and isolation from the world
I’m reading through a book by J.R. Daniel Kirk, called Jesus have I loved, but Paul?, which seeks to harmonize what some see as discrepancies between Jesus’ mission and Paul’s. One of them is Jesus’ love for outsiders, and Paul’s supposed judgment of them. But after Kirk corrects this faulty understanding (e.g., Matt. 18; 1 Cor. 5), he then shows how we’ve lived out a different lifestyle than the intended mission of Paul to outsiders.
This sentence stands out, in particular,
Too often modern church concerns for purity entail a withdrawal from the world around us, creating an isolated community that stands in perpetual judgment of the world. (Kirk, p. 109)
Think of the rhythms and spaces that intersect your life outside of your Christian community. How do we take on the life Jesus and Paul lived while on mission among outsiders, without being judgmental of the world we live in? What does this look like with your athletic team? With your co-workers? With your agnostic friends? With the sexually promiscuous couple you met in class? With the binge drinkers next door?
Millennials: The Promising Generation
Millennials want to make a difference because they are pampered and sheltered.
When generational experts, Neil Howe and William Strauss, wrote their defining book on Millennials, they highlighted our generation’s pros and cons, namely, that we had a desire to achieve greatness, and our parent’s generation was the driving force behind this.
We are the result of a domino effect.
Some mothers will recall the tragic crime in September 1982, when “a cyanide-tainted Tylenol triggered an October wave of parental panic over trick-or-treating” (Howe and Strauss, 43). On its heels was a “national hysteria over the sexual abuse of toddlers,” an immediate distaste for classic 80′s horror flicks victimizing children, replaced with a flood of sitcoms portraying kids as the heroes. While parents filtered the family television, American school teachers experienced a newfound pressure to raise better kids in the classroom. And the trend continued.
Our generation is almost entirely conditioned for greatness
By the time we reached grade school, we had already adopted a skip in our step (or perhaps a leap in our step). And why not? We were being preened to take over the world by an earlier generation that wanted to leave a better legacy. We evolved from the latchkey kids of our ancestors to kids inheriting all the keys on the latch.
Millennials are unlike any generation that has gone before. And because of this, there is an overwhelming pressure to succeed. Unfortunately, the opportunities available to an aspiring millennial are underwhelming enough to damper the passion of the most resolute college grad. Our parents didn’t just leave us with a different outlook on life, they left us with a different life. Look no farther than a broken economy, steep living prices, and a job famine. It’s as if someone taught us how to fish in the middle of the Sahara. The world’s greatest generation, pampered with hopeful expectations, and sheltered from the grim truth of everything our parents never wanted us to experience. How do we handle this? Can we take advantage of the momentum we’ve been given?
What do you do when someone promises so much and gives back so little?
Setting Yourself Up For Failure
Go with me on this for a few minutes…
Billy Graham has preached the gospel to 2.2 billion people [1]. According to his staff, 3.2 million people have responded to his gospel message. Gnarly numbers, right?
Now imagine that God’s calling on Billy Graham was to preach the gospel to 4 billion people. What would that do to his numbers? Wouldn’t that mean that he was unfaithful with his calling?
Now imagine that God put you where you are, to work the job that you have, and cultivate the relationships you are in for the glory of God. And let’s say that God had a calling on you to preach the gospel to that one person you’re always eating lunch with in the cafeteria. Let’s also imagine you did, and the person got saved. That would mean you were faithful to God’s calling on your life. Oh, and it would mean something else…
You were more faithful than Billy Graham!
You see, hidden in much of the Millennial’s drive for significance is the mistaken assumption that our lives must be remarkable in order to fulfill our calling. We like to see change, and we love to be instruments of change, so it make sense that our litmus test for success is how much we are able to accomplish.
Does God have the same standard we have for ourselves? Are they even related?
To think that God has been waiting centuries for you to come along and shake things up, or that he was loosing sleep until Billy Graham showed up is a bit anthropocentric. God does not think more highly of charismatic leaders than stay-at-home mothers. And if we live with expectations like that, we are weighing significance much differently than God, who once noted that “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones” (Luke 16:10). He wasn’t trying to motivate Millennials to climb over life’s stepping stones to get to better things; he was accentuating loyalty.
God wants faithful servants, not superstars.
There is enough of the latter invested in his Son, Jesus Christ. If he so chooses you to be the next Billy, than by the grace of God, you are who you are (1 Cor. 15:10), but stop idolizing what others have told you is “radical.”
Of course, all of those previous situations were hypothetical; I have no way of knowing the specifics of what God called you or Billy Graham to accomplish; I’m pretty sure Billy Graham has been faithful, and at the very least, beloved by all who call on the name of Jesus.
But the point still stands.
We make too much out of our own accomplishments.We keep score, and God does not. The problem with scorekeeping is that our identities get wrapped up in the excentric nature of a particular calling, to such extent that Millennials may become depressed if they are not doing something as remarkable as “everyone else.” The solution to this is to remind ourselves that nothing we do is extraordinary; we are “unworthy slaves” doing what we ought, in the presence of an extraordinary God (Luke 17:10). He can save 3.2 million people through Billy Graham, Billy Jean, and he could have chosen anyone to do this because he is the one actually saving.
What God wants are a few faithful men and women, vessels in the hands of a master craftsman.
Why you should write a personal mission statement
Last week I railed about the mess of New Year’s resolutions that are motivated only by a longing for self-worth.
Assuming it sunk in, I want to back up the drama horse a bit and balance that chariot. See, the LACK of structure or goals can have the same effect. It goes something like this…
Well, since Jesus loves me, I’m not going to be proactive.
Well, since my wife loves me, I don’t have to vacuum the carpets anymore.
Well, since my boyfriend loves me, I don’t have to tell him I appreciate him.
Well, since Y3K is coming eventually, I don’t have to create a budget.
You get the point. It’s still good to plan, and even New Year’s resolutions can be fine, if they flow out of your identity as an image-bearer of God instead of sucking on your identity.
But instead of making New Years resolutions, I prefer to make personal mission statements.
Ever make one of those?
Remember those nice corporate buildings in the 90′s that always sported those engraved plaques in their foyers with a pithy statement expressing why you should care about them?
Those were mission statements.
A mission statement is a short description of an objective to which you are called.
Business do these a lot, and some are really good…
“Finding the very best ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment and the farmers.” – Chipotle
Simple, clear, and driven. They know what their goal is, and whether or not they’re reaching that goal.
Other mission statements, well, not so much…
Guided by relentless focus on our five imperatives, we will constantly strive to implement the critical initiatives required to achieve our vision. In doing this, we will deliver operational excellence in every corner of the Company and meet or exceed our commitments to the many constituencies we serve. All of our long-term strategies and short-term actions will be molded by a set of core values that are shared by each and every associate. – Albertsons Read the rest of this entry
Is Tim Tebow a missional millennial?
In case you haven’t already heard of Tim Tebow, the outspoken Millennial turned Broncos star quarterback, I’ll catch you up in three hundred words. Whether it is changing the improbability of winning, making a decision to wait until marriage, or having an ability to inspire a team, Tebow keeps upsetting odds and showing up rivals.
But…it’s his faith in Jesus Christ, not excessive success, that has created the most buzz. 
Tebow is well known for giving credit to Jesus for his football victories. He is constantly crediting his “Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” while ending interviews with “God bless.” During a 2009 BCS game, he inscribed “John 3:16″ on his eye-lids with black ink, eventually provoking the NCAA to create “The Tebow Rule” forbidding inked messaged on football players eyelids.
He prays publicly too!
Praying has been done by football professionals long before Tebow existed, and is nearly cliche, but what makes him controversial is the saturation. Tebow will actually get down on one knee while the rest of the stadium is doing something completely different in order to speak to God. This eventually sparked a phenomena called “Tebowing,” and has resulted in a bunch of satirical blogs showing people “Tebowing” in random places.
People either love Tebow or hate him.
Christians love him for his outspoken willingness to use his platform for the Gospel. What type of platform, you say? How about the 94 million people who Google searched “John 3:16″ after his eyelid stunt during the 2009 championship game. That’ll preach.
Of course, some oppose Tim Tebow’s antics, not for reasons of faith, but for the way he wears his faith on his sleeve. While his Christianity has meaning, I do believe saturating a worthwhile platform with pithy sayings can have more of a door-to-door salesmen effect on most unchurched people. You can see this tension develop in a SNL skit that came out recently… (warning: some distasteful jokes)
What do you think? Is he being effective on mission, or is he doing more harm than good? Is he taking himself too seriously? Or do critics need to chill?
I suspect that both critics and evangelical supporters are taking themselves too seriously.
He’s a football player and a Christian, so let him live out both. Critics should spend less time tearing apart an upstanding player amidst all the scandals than normally plague sports. And Evangelical Christians should rely less on celebrities to see the Kingdom of God expand, and look at ways we can be on mission!
When “Jesus’ Name” becomes terminology
I want to share with you five recent interactions that cause me to suspect that “Jesus” is turning into a byword.
Jesus’ name in prayer
Evangelicals are often reared to pray in “the name of Jesus,” or “in Jesus’ name.” What this sometimes equates to is a literal attaching of the phrase “Jesus’ Name” to the end of every prayer.
Jesus’ name in song
A few months ago, a well-meaning man approached me after I had led music worship at our church to tell me that none of the songs in the first set ever “mentioned the name of ‘Jesus.’” He suspected that a lack of verbally stating Jesus’ name would detract from the glory given to Him. Ordinarily, I would agree with such beautiful Christology for music—except that in this case, the songs he was referring to that morning were Come Though Fount and We Exalt Thee.
They didn’t mention Jesus’ name anywhere, but…how much more Christ-exalting can a song can be than these?
Jesus’ name in evangelism
Let’s get this straight: I believe that the Gospel must be proclaimed and lived out in unison, without compromise between either. Most Millennials resonate with this (especially the “living out” part). But on occasion, people will insinuate how important it is to bring up the name of Jesus is in every conversation that takes place between believer and outsider. It sometimes feels as though the verbalization is of more importance to the said believer—like a check mark on a to-do list—rather than a carefully established relationship and opportunity to witness, to the outsider. Once again, evangelism (sharing of Good News) is watered down into a formula in this case, called “Jesus’ name.” Read the rest of this entry
We SHOULD care what others think
Typical scenario:
Christian #1 enters a room filled with several outsiders. Making a b-line for the unholy huddle, he immediately engages them in conversation while aggresively diverting all available subjects to matters of faith. Upon religious dialog, #1 begins to make short work of everyone who disagrees with his airtight logic. What a stud. After this, he drops the conversation and makes his way to the grocery store where he badmouths his landlord while griping about the holiday checkout lines. Before scanning his Martinelli’s, the cashier greets him with a friendly “Happy Holidays!” to which our stone-faced Christian rejoins with “You mean, Merry CHRISTmas, right??” As he exits the building euphoric over another missional encounter with bad people, everyone else around aisle nine goes back home more disillusioned with Jesus and less loving of his Church.
The End.
There is one side of most of us that will recall the verses warning us that we will be hated by the world (Matt.10:22), that we should not be ashamed of it (Rom. 1:16), and that committed Christians care only about what God thinks. Then there are those on the fringe who care only about his nomination of us as the greatest thing that happened to the planet, while everyone else can either get out of the way or bow down before our brilliance.
We use Jesus’ promise of being hated for the gospel as a sweeping cop-out for ALL of our silly behavior.
Perhaps we should have a more honest view of ourselves?
And by honest, I mean sobering rather than inflated, and considerate rather than selfish. We should care about what others think about us…at least to some extent.
Don’t forget THAT part of the Bible…
- “For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.” (2 Cor 8:21)
- “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)
- “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:12)
- “Behave properly toward outsiders” (1 Thess. 4:12)
K…I’ve belabored the point.
Unfortunately, whether it’s our Socratic conversations, satirical Christian t-shirts, the change in facial demeanor when speaking about evolution, our Christianese “code” language, the spiritual gossip, double-standards, lack of empathy, or the silly things we say in the name of evangelism, the ways we stunt our image in public is endless. Nay, it is humorous, but on a depressing level…yeah, it’s “depressing” humor. Irony is another good word for that, and John the Evangelist employs it often in his rhetoric against Pharisees. Oops. (#belabored)
The Scriptures strike a tension between persecution and acceptance that Christians can expect. There should be a mixture of reactions by the world to our faith and practice. So if everybody outside the church likes us, maybe it’s because we’re soft on the Gospel. But if everybody hates us, maybe it’s because we’re a jerk. And if that’s the case…we shouldn’t blame our bad behavior on Jesus. We should blame it on an inability to survive in a worldly setting.
Maybe a higher view of non-believers would help?
Related articles
- The Gospel should be comprehensible (christopherlazo.com)
Pray for the sick
God wants to heal people.
He has been using his people for this since the first century…
- Part of the breaking forth of God’s kingdom means that there will be physical healings as a result of God’s power.
- We don’t just see this in Jesus, but in his Apostles who were sent out to pray for sick people (Luke 9:2), and would lay hands on them and see them healed (Mark 6:13).
- This was not exclusive to the Apostles, for even unnamed Ananias lays hands on Saul who regains his sight (Acts 9:17), and…
- The elders of the church are told to anoint sick people with oil and pray for their physical healing (Jam 5:14-15).
God heals through our prayers.
When Brianna and I first got married, we lived in a small studio apartment. Sometimes the landlord would offer us lemons when we needed them to cook dinner, and would sometimes tell us that we could “help ourselves” to his backyard. So… I took him at his word. One day, I hoped the fence, went over to a tree, and started plucking fruit!
Here’s the deal with prayer: God CAN do anything he wants, and he wants to heal people. But there will be times when God (who wants to heal) will simply wait for his children to ask him (Matt. 7:7). There will be times, when all God is waiting for is for his Children to hop the fence, and start grabbing lemons. There will be times, when the lemons are so high up in the tree that you must grab a branch and begin shaking it vigorously. That’s prayer. Shaking the tree vigorously until an answer from God falls.
This post was adapted from a talk I gave last night:
Any thoughts on this topic? Don’t be so quiet! 
Introverts in a Church Community
Are you introverted? Me too.
Herein lies a wonderful irony:
The Scriptures implore (introverted) Christians to be in active fellowship with others.
I know it seems like keeping to ourselves is to our benefit, but the Scriptures suggest a multi-faceted approach. Along with the rest we find in solitude, comes a deeper form of restoration in Christian community. Honestly, this has always been a difficult thing for me to square with the body of Christ. I often fight the urge to retreat into a corner of isolation when I know I’m suppose to mingle with people. So it may take a bit of work for you to jump into an awkward social setting as well, but it is worth our struggle.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” ~ Hebrews 10:25
There is another mistake we often fall into.
We sometimes put so much effort into showing up, that we leave conversational initiation to others.
“Ok, I came to the gathering. Now, someone please talk to me while I hide in a corner!”
This is not introversion, but simply being shy, and non-committal.
We may be tempted to remain on the edge of a community, or float from one community to the next, without making commitments or becoming known. If we stay on the outskirts we don’t owe anyone anything and people don’t expect anything. (Adam McHugh, Introverts in the Church)
This kind of non-committal self-entitlement will cause us to end up as wall flowers; feeling neglected, ignored, overlooked, and wondering why we can’t make meaningful relationships. Sometimes it’s because people do ignore us. But more often it’s because we’re too scared to put both feet in the door by reaching out to others despite our discomfort. Now is the time to try.
But allow me to offer a liberating suggestion as a fellow introvert….
You will be more successful in Christian community when you think of the well-being of others instead of your own.
In other words…
Let your drive for community be mission instead of self-aggrandizement.
You’re already in the building, and that was difficult! You might as well go all the way in your effort. You may find the reward of committed human contact in the body of Christ far outweighs the momentary anxiety of meeting new people.
The Church needs to do more!
Heard that one before? Said that one before??
Millennials thirst for significance, and we are no different in the church; too restless to settle with the status quo ante, we want to push any limit that smacks of apathy. Neither do younger generations like to fall into routine, just because “That ‘s how it’s always been done,” especially when we see some traditions actually harming the body of Christ or the world around us. This Millennial boat-shaking ought to be welcomed as a blessing.
With limits, of course.
Sometimes we take it overboard, and may grow disgruntled with the church because it won’t move as fast as we would like.
Ever been in that Bible study where the young dude shouts in zealous angst, “The modern church should be more like the church in the book of Acts! More like the Early Church!”
To which I reply, “No, YOU need to be more like the Early Church! Drink some decaf and stop yelling.”
Sometimes our zeal is too tightly packed. We end up waving a gun around at anyone who gets in the way….including the Church.
But how can Millennials remain passionate without dishonoring the Bride of Christ? Below are means that will help us more effectively siphon a passion for change back into the church.
Let’s repent of our pride, and remember that we ARE the church.
Things always seem to go awry when we remove ourselves from the mayhem (even if we had nothing to do with it!). When you join a church, you are joining the mess! And when you follow Christ, you join his Church. I’ve heard Millennials cite Martin Luther’s reform of the church as reason to rebel, yet unaware of how hard he struggled to bring change from within, in fact, he never left the church—he was kicked out! And when the prophet Daniel wanted healing for God’s people, he did not do so from a safe place, but identified with the mess, praying, “We have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulation” (Dan. 9:5, emphasis mine), though he is one of the few men in Scripture whose sins went unrecorded!
Passion must never travel without humility.
Conviction must not go unchecked by a community.
Change must always be accompanied by empathy.
And this is where we often thrive, anyway: through collaborative relationships.
