What I am believing God for at CapeTown2010

The turn of events that has led me to this point - registered and preparing for Cape Town 2010 - are quite exceptional. I find my self continually asking, "how is it that I get this honor?". Due to this circuitous series of events, I have been praying and reflecting on what it is that I would like to see God do in and around CapeTown 2010.

1. Expand my Kingdom perspective. Recently my small slice of the global Body of Christ has been convicted of our inward focus. I am not referring to our ministry focus, as that is heavily focused on boldly proclaiming Jesus Christ to the people's of the world. "Inward" refers, here, more in the sense of resource sustainability. It often came out like this, "we're heading somewhere, why don't you come join us." Now, we didn't mean it that way, but it sure sounded that way. Instead, in Cape Town I want to revel in the breadth and depth of the global Body of Christ and ask these two questions:

• God, what can I learn about you through the ways that you are working around the world?
• God, where are you not known, and what can your church do together to get the gospel there?
  

2. Reconciliation. Because of the above, one can imagine that we have hurt or discouraged other parts of the Body. This is a wonderful opportunity to humble myself.

• God, lead me to people who have been hurt by us so that I can - face-to-face - confess, ask forgiveness, and experience reconciliation.
  

3. Seek out servant-oriented partnerships. Through prayer and repentance, we have been reminded that we cannot do it alone nor should we even try. Different churches and organizations have their unique gifts and audiences they minister to, but when mission and values are aligned...why not do it together?

• God, what do we have which we can give away that could bless others?

4. Whole Church = every disciple mobilized. Recently, my family and I have been traveling around the places where we grew up. As we have reconnected with family, friends, and churches they have received us as heroes. Great for the ego; horrible for the soul.

Reflecting on the last ten years of service in a cross-cultural setting I can call up numerous examples where the "professional" minister as been the biggest stumbling block to raising up and sending out disciples. The ministry becomes about the professional rather than the disciple. The professional has to be the keeper of knowledge and final authority of most decisions as it feels good to be important and needed. We don't have to look too far in the Bible to find those types, and they were not welcoming of the God-man Jesus Christ who came as a servant.

That is why I am really excited about some of the plenary sessions forecasted in Tim Keller and Willy Kotiuga's plenary session papers. If the gospel will saturate urban and rural spaces, it must get out of the hands of the full-time professional...but can we set aside our egos and need for significance to give away all that we have to the disciples that we shepherd?

• God, ordain appointments with disciples in all domains of society so that I may better learn how to equip every disciple as a Christ-centered lifetime laborer in the harvest for your glory.

Thanks for praying for me and for believing God for these things with me.

100W

where are the posts?

to the two readers still waiting for posts - sorry! We've added another child since my last post as well as digging into a new (and larger) role. Life has been crazy.

Looking to reboot and start up again as a forum for sharing things that i am getting to see and learn as i prepare for CapeTown 2010 and the Lausanne Conference for Worldwide Evangelism. You can join the global conversation here in the run up to the time in October.

You can follow my journey at this blog or follow me on twitter (@100WLightbulb)

"The whole church getting the whole gospel to the whole world."

100W

RE: Spiritual Movements and Multiplication Constipation

As I finished up my last post I was reminded of a Perspectives lecture by a cross-cultural missions expert by the name of Carol Davis (at the time she was a professor at Golden Gate Seminary).

She was relating an experience with a fruitful church planter in Latin America; the below is the best my memory could retain these 15 years.  

The church planter had been raising up multiplying churches and indigenous leaders for a long stretch.  The planter returned to his home country for a time and then took a trip back to visit the leaders.  

At his first stop, the leader took him to the local house that the church was meeting in.  They were growing and were actively planning the next stage of multiplication and expansion to nearby villages.  He left encouraged and confident that they were on track and were practicing the principles they had inherited.

When he landed at his second stop the leaders met him with great excitement on their faces.

"We have something incredible to show you", they gushed.

As they traveled down the road and neared the last turn, the planter related that his heart immediately sank.  He knew that the chances of this church ever multiplying again was slim to none.

"What do you think?!" they exclaimed in great anticipation of the joy that the church planter was sure to have.

Before them stood a towering spire topped with a cross.  The brand new church building, a gift of a generous and well meaning American short term missions team, instead must have looked to the church planter like an iron anchor.

Why was this such a terrible thing?  How can a church building be a bad thing?

From that point on, that particular church saw a literal building as a necessary ingredient to growth and maturity.  In order for them to multiply, they were going to expect that they also had to multiply the environment - brick, cement, steel, steeple, cross and all.

This is the equivalent of constipation for multiplication.

A note to remember.  Even though well meaning - in our rush to bless others like we have been blessed - we end up giving them things that become a burden and hindrance to their growth, maturity, and multiplication.

A few questions to reflect on.

Take a look at your discipleship process for new and maturing believers.  

What are the expectations, rules, or environments that they must move through?

What do these things help you accomplish in their lives and what has been some of the results?

Are any of them extraneous, burdensome, or downright legalistic?

If the list is long for that last question, you are building a high maintenance and HIGH ROAD spiritual environment which is dangerously close to a NO ROAD environment (which we will look at in my next post).

One quick example from my context is that the discipleship process emphasis is on ministry skills while the heart is usually touched on but mostly assumed to be strong and growing.  This results in disciples with strong hands and sharp minds but unsupported by a heart relationship with the God they are serving. Very, very dangerous.

One way we are trying to change this is to ask everyone involved with us three questions - and the order is paramount.

1. How have you been reflecting a true follower of Jesus the past few weeks? 

If a disciple cannot clearly articulate this, then there is no need to process with the other questions.  We have narrowed down into the place of deepest need.

2. How is your relationship with your wife, kids, family, friends, and "neighbors" (in the Good Samaritan sense of neighbor)?

Again, if a disciple cannot clearly articulate how they are following Jesus into these relationships and being an agent of faith, hope, and love then there is no need to proceed.  

Only after the first two do we get to the skills part.

3.  How is your ministry?

The assumption and implication of this order is that:

• ministry flows from relationship (with God and others).  See Great Commandment in Matthew 22.
• our work for Him, though an important part of our service, isn't the only part of our service.
• ministry IS relationship.  How many marriages of Christian workers wouldn't be strained to breaking, how many children wouldn't be embittered toward their fathers if this was the attitude rather than that it is o.k. to sacrifice our families and friends on the alter of ministry.

100W

RE: Spiritual Movements and the Tabernacle

This post will continue our look at the HIGH ROAD style of architecture as defined in a previous post and how it relates to environments Christians set up to experience God.  I had written in an earlier post that HIGH ROAD buildings tend to move toward becoming a museum or a monument.  In an email, one of the readers of 100W Lightbulb wrote, "I like your thoughts and the parallels drawn - but I am also a sentimental person who likes to remember the past and enjoy my time in museums.  I think there is a good tension there but not sure how to articulate it."  

Thanks for writing in, and I think you articulated it well.  HIGH ROAD architecture is inviting, it is complex, it is rich, it forces us to pay attention to detail and tradition.  I love museums and institutions as well.  It gives a permanence and place that allows me to put my life in the context of something larger.

Please hear me, HIGH ROAD is not a bad thing.  As we will see in this post, there are clear instances of HIGH ROAD architecture in the Bible and it had an intended affect on how people related to God.  My intent with these early posts is not to say that HIGH ROAD spiritual environments have no place in Christianity, but only to ask the question - is a complex and more rigid HIGH ROAD environment the best to foster multiplying spiritual Movements?  

Last year I had the opportunity to travel to Israel. Awesome trip, and the journey there was as informative as any of the sites I visited.  NOTE TO TRAVELERS: if you are flying on El Al airlines arrive to the airport VERY EARLY!  If not, they will take a great interest in you.  Let's just say my suitcase was dumped into a bin, and I was down to my underwear for a strip search. Hello!  

Anyway, I made it and while there had the chance to stop in at a full scale replica of the Tabernacle at Timna Park in the Negev desert. They do a good job with the resources that they have.  When I thought about Biblical examples of HIGH ROAD architecture, the Tabernacle came to mind as a good example.  

Let's see if it meets our HIGH ROAD test:  

Beautiful - from Exodus 25 we can see that the people gave to the LORD "gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goat's hair, tanned rams' skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyz stones."  Check.

Complex - from 25:34 we read, "and on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand.  Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold." Uh... complex?  Check.

Carefully crafted - from Ex. 36:2,8 we read, "and Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work.  And all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains.  They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked."  Twice in the narrative, God makes a point to remind Moses to construct the Tabernacle "exactly as I show you concerning the pattern".

Why was God so concerned with the minute detail that He was requiring?  I mean, we're talking down to the pomegranate tassels on the hem of the robe of the High Priest!  I think the environment that God mandated in order to dwell with them reinforced the relationship that God had with them - present but separate. Only through the Law and rituals were the people (through a mediator none-the-less) able to approach God.  

Alright, I think at this point some of you might be asking "so what?"

The so what is this.  Why did I have to go visit a replica of the Tabernacle last year?  It is because that incredibly beautiful structure doesn't exist.  Why didn't I choose to write about my trip to the Temple while I was in Jerusalem?  No temple.  Just  some stone and shrines to mark where it (probably) used to stand.  

The book of Hebrews makes the point most articulately when the author writes, "for when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, 'See that yo make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain'.  But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.  For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second." (8:5-7)

The structures don't exist because the purpose they served is no longer needed.  The HIGH ROAD veil of separation was ripped top to bottom.  In Ephesians, Paul writes that the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile was torn down.  All this was done through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the victorious Jesus Christ.

Since that day, however, Christians have been temmpted (intentionally or ignorantly) to rebuilding, separating, and isolating.

• Paul to Peter and the Apostles in Acts 15 and Galatians 2 who had become a stumbling block to Gentile faith.
• Plague of the judiasers on the early Church.
• Descent of the Catholic Church into Papal Infallibility and gross excesses that isolated the people from Scripture.
• Cultural moralizing that confused the place of real life change.
• Over emphasis on seminary training to be fit for service.
• The legalist that conditions relationship to rules and confuses actions with heart.

HIGH ROAD structures - both physical and metaphysical in nature - have their places.  There are times when we need stable structure and clear policies.  Those serve to support entities that are meant to be in one place serving a singular purpose for a long time.

There is an ugly side to the HIGH ROAD, however.  It is one where the weight of history mandates certain rigid processes that serve to protect legacy.  It is the 150 year old church on Main Street that has multiple committees (any time you have to use a word that repeats three letter twice you know you are in HIGH ROAD territory)  to manage the details for running the church.  It is the religious organization that has an HR manual as thick as a phone book so as to protect itself from any and every possible threatening situation.  it is the top down leadership style that puts knowledge, resources, and mandates of ministry into the hands of a select few specialists while everyone else sits and watches.

Before we get to the LOW ROAD environment, which I will argue is the most conducive to multiplying spiritual movements, we will take a detour into what Stewart Brand calls the NO ROAD or Magazine architecture - those beautiful buildings full of glass and steel that totally exist for themselves and are completely inhospitable to those that inhabit it. 

As we pull the plug on this one, a question to consider: as you observe your current spiritual spaces, how much do they reflect a HIGH ROAD atmosphere?  How does that help or hinder bringing others with you into that space to experience Christ?

100W

RE: A Flat World

Was recently talking to some friends doing business in China.

Jet lag had them up at 2am looking for lunch.  Low and behold, McDonalds offers 24 hour delivery there so they rang them up hoping to order some Big Mac meals.

Here's how it went after dialing:

Lady speaking Chinese.... and then hope, "for English please press 2".

Beep as the 2 is depressed and then a ring.

[To be read in a distinctly Indian accent] "Hello, thank you for calling McDonalds.  I show you are caling from *****, may I take your order?"

Are you kidding me?  The Chinese just got outsourced!  These are indeed crazy times.

100W

a HIGH ROAD moment... at KFC

I was in an Asian country today and... I know, I know... I am ashamed to say it, ate lunch at KFC.

I got meal number six and my two traveling companions got meals number three and two.  It wasn't busy, but for some reason they didn't have my sandwich nor any fries ready. 

Ok, no problem.  At least the fries will be hot.  They told us to take a seat and would bring it to our table.

After a few minutes my friend noticed that a sandwich and two sets of fries were sitting on the counter undelivered and with no staff around.  He got up to get the tray only to be stopped quite abruptly and not a little rudely by the counter manager.  Here is when it went the way of the HIGH ROAD.

"I'm sorry, what are you doing?", inquired Counter Manager.

"Uh... I am just picking up my food", my friend rejoined.

"This is not your food."

"Yes it is."

"No it is not."

"Yes it is."

"No it is not; yours has been delivered."

"No it has not."

"Yes it has."

Now right here this conversation had two possible roads to traverse. 

First, my friend could lean in to the shift manager as close as possible and, with the skill of a ventriloquist, precisely enunciate through gritted teeth "Y-E-S... I-T... I-S", and then wrest the tray from her vice grip.

That would have been my tactic, but it probably would have cost not too few fries on the floor after that fit of violence.

Thankfully, my friend chose the second path, the path of progressive revelation.  We continue...

"No it has not", my friend says with relaxed jaws and teeth unclenched.

At this point co-workers began to gather to watch the show.

Counter manager to Co-worker A, "Their food has been delivered, right?"

Co-worker A, "I don't know."

A glance askance to Co-worker B.

Co-worker B, "I don't know."

Shift manager to hungry foreigners, "please sit down and we will come look. Co-worker B, please go look."

We dutifully went back to our seats and escorted Co-worker B to our table, hands plainly visible so that we could not be accused of stuffing fries into our pockets, socks, shoes, or other places unnamable on a family blog.

She peered down at our table.  We waited, smirks barely suppressed.

I thought she was going to pull out a swabs, black light, and potato DNA kit. Nope, a cursory glance revealed to her that there indeed was no french fry sleeve nor uneaten french fry nubs nor greasy residue nor smudge of ketchup.

Case closed.  30 seconds later our (now much colder) sleeves of fries and sandwich arrived along with "many apologies".

Was this necessary?  What was really at stake here?  Had the McDonald's Fry Guy been masquerading as hungry white people and rampaging local KFC's like a high school panty raid?

How is this HIGH ROAD?  

- a convoluted process to solve a simple issue.

- a knowledge specialist that held authority... without actual knowledge. 

- lack of trust with the consumer/customer that hindered their participation.

- dispatching of a trusted individual where only THEY can make the official decision... once it's been relayed back to the boss of course.

- it was about protecting the company/organization/institution than the customer enjoying the service.

Granted, KFC doesn't want to be a multiplying movement but DONT EVEN get me started on the medium sized ice tea for the price of a large.

100W

RE: Spiritual Movements - the HIGH ROAD structure

Have you ever walked into a building and your jaw just dropped in awe? The pure grandeur of the space instilling a sense of wonder. You find yourself whispering under your breath, "how in the world did they do this?"

During the past Olympics, I got to vacation in Beijing, China and had the opportunity to stroll with the masses through the Forbidden City. As I ambled through the immense complex I had a number of those moments. There was just too much detail to take in. I couldn't decide if I wanted to take pictures of the sweeping views or zoom in on the gold leafed hand painted claw of the dragons that adorned every wooden beam.

The Forbidden City is a perfect example of a HIGH ROAD structure.

Reputed to have had 9,999 rooms, it was completed in 1420 after 15 years of construction. Through a series of gates the palace has a stone road running north and south where only the feet of the Emperor could walk.

Characteristics common to HIGH ROAD structures such as the Forbidden City are:

beautiful........................... it is a UN World Heritage site.
complex........................... 9,999 rooms (enough said).
carefully crafted............... 1 million workers took 15 years.
constant maintenance..... most recent renovation is taking 18 years.

In his book, How Buildings Learn, Brand remarks that HIGH ROAD buildings are structures that "become highly evolved, refinement added to refinement, the sensible parts kept, the humorous parts kept, the clever idea that didn't work thrown away, the overly ambitous... torn down, the loved view maintained... the measure of successful evolution is intricate vivacity."

That sounds really nice in a luxurious sort of way, but Brand continues.

There are substantial disadvantages as well to life in a High Road building. Occupants in a lean time can be crushed by trying to maintain what was built in fat times. The High Road is high-visibility, often high-style, nearly always high-cost.

While I will grant you that HIGH ROAD buildings were usually designed and built to service the needs of the occupants at the time, as it ages it tends to preserve/protect the past rather than adjust to newly realized needs.

Can you imagine how much work it took to install plumbing and electricity in the Forbidden City while keeping true to its ancient mystique? For a more modern example check out this project by This Old House to refit a NYC rowhouse and their unique challenges to balance the history of the place with the desire to bring it into the 21st Century.

Brand summarizes it well by pointedly stating that, "the sustained complexity of High Road buildings leads in the fullness of time to rich specialization. They cannot help becoming unique."

As I type this post I cannot help thinking about words such as Monument and Museum. Most of the examples in How Buildings Learn for High Road buildings are just that, monuments to and museums for the past - Chatsworth House, Salisbury Cathedral, Monticello, Mount Vernon, Library of Congress, and the Tor House.

In an address to the Acts 29 church planting network, Mark Driscoll talked about this same phenomenon within the church. How many churches have you entered and the walls are lined with pictures from the past and stories of glory long gone?

I distinctly remember attending an infamous business meeting at my childhood church. One member was in the minority opinion on a certain contentious issue, but he specifically told the assembled congregation that his vote should count more than others because his family name was on the cornerstone of the church. Uh... I thought there was only one cornerstone of the church? Talk about HIGH ROAD!

A few questions to reflect on. Please post your musings.

1. What examples of HIGH ROAD architecture do you see in Scripture?

2. What was the purpose of that environment in terms of people's lives and connection to God?

3. Is a HIGH ROAD environment conducive to multiplying spiritual movements?

In my next post we will explore how High Road styles are often used to create spiritual environments.

It's time to flip the switch on this one.

Until next time,

100W