old. rugged. cross.

On a hill far away . . .

So begins one of the best-loved hymns of the faith, The Old Rugged Cross.

Yet have we considered what it really means that the central symbol of the Christian faith is an instrument of execution?

Can you imagine if church steeples were topped with guillotines or we wore small electric chairs as jewelry around our necks?

Stood an old rugged cross . . .

What is unique about this man executed in that way?

Did some sort of transaction involving God, the devil, and the human race occur on that dark day so long ago?

Or is there more to it than that?

. . . the emblem of suffering and shame.

And what does it have to do with us? Today? With how and why we live in the year 2010?

Join us for the next three weeks as we wrestle with these questions and more.

old. rugged. cross.

A series in which the far away comes very close.

Sunday.

8:30. 10. 11:30. (And remember to set your clock ahead one hour!)

The Goal Beyond The Goal

It is very tempting in ministry to focus so much on the goal that you neglect the goal beyond the goal.

For example, I'm part of a team that puts a great deal of thought and effort into Sunday morning worship experiences. We want the Sunday gathering to be powerful, unexpected, cool, and inspiring. That's sort of the goal and that's where our minds and hearts focus.

But to what end? So that we can say we've had a worship service with all of those elements? May it never be!

We want that kind of worship experience so that, little by little, piece by piece, people are transformed into what C.S. Lewis calls "little Christs." So that they are captured by his love and as a result of that love become people who are themselves full of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

That's the goal beyond the goal.

Whether it's worship ministry, youth programming, or children's environments, don't get so locked into the goal that you neglect the goal beyond the goal.

To You & Then Through You

I'm quite sure it's not original with me, but recently I have been praying that what God does to me he would then do through me.

So that if he fills me with joy, that same joy would then flow through me to others.

If he drenches me with the Holy Spirit, that same Spirit would then move through me to others.

If he overwhelms me with his love, that same love would then radiate from me to others.

If he gives me serenity, that same serenity would be then travel through me to others.

I guess it's like this: I don't want to be a cul-de-sac, hoarding the blessing of God for myself. I instead long to be a connecting street, so that I give whatever blessings I receive.

What do you long for God to do to you or in you? Give him the space to then do that same thing through you.

How To Make Sure You Have A Bad Church Experience

Whether or not you attend Good Shepherd, there are certain things you can do that will ensure you have a bad experience in Sunday worship:

• Assume the worst. Be wary of the smiles of the people sitting next to you in the pew. Question the preacher's motives. And of course . . . have assurance that the people in charge of the money are mis-using it.
• Look for mistakes. Listen closely for any off-key note by the band or choir. Jot down the preacher's grammatical errors. Share all faux pas in the bulletin with your friends.
• Evaluate the fashion sense of other worshippers. If you don't do it, who will?
• Compare your pastor with Andy Stanley. Um, Andy always wins that one. Whoever your pastor is.
• Compare your worship leader with Chris Tomlin. See above.
• Decide whether people surrounding you are "spiritual enough" based on how many raise their hands during music. Of course.
• Think about all the people you know who aren't in church that day -- your spouse, children, or friends -- but who really "needed" that sermon. Then tell the pastor that on the way out. Make sure you're not on the list of people who "needed" it.
• Keep your bible closed between Sundays. Ditto for your prayer list.
• Continually ask, "what am I getting out of this church?" Don't ever ask, "how can I give to God & the community through this church?"

WE Virus Spreads

We showed this yesterday as a way of capturing how people catch and then spread the WE Virus at Good Shepherd:

carolyn update from Andy Weibley on Vimeo.

I'm grateful as always for the ways God harnesses all the talented people here to impact people's lives in meaningful, tangible ways.

Insights From A Former Methodist

The Methodist blogosphere (yes, it exists) is abuzz about the recent series of posts from Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv.

You can read them in succession here. Click on the link, and scroll down to the posts from February 22 - February 27.

Groeschel started ministry within Oklahoma United Methodism, grew frustrated with the bureaucratic hurdles he would have to jump in order to start a new congregation, and ultimately launched an independent church.

LifeChurch.tv now has well over 20,000 people attending in multiple sites all over the country, including the world's most advanced online church community. You can find out more about it here.

Groeschel's recommendations for us -- as a former part of "us" -- are pretty straightforward: 1) discard the itineracy system of appointing pastors; 2) change or abolish the apportionment model in which local churches underwrite the expenses of the national and international level bureaucracies; 3) simplify the ordination process; 4) enable more churches to go multi-site; 5) stop funding any efforts at denomination-level marketing or branding; and 6) arrange an amicable separation between theological liberals and conservatives.

I believe many of Groeschel's suggestions will become reality not so much by choice as by necessity. The itineracy and apportionment, in particular, will likely undergo fundamental change within the next 15 years or collapse under their own weight. The same is true for our cumbersome way of approving and ordaining pastors.

But I hope one change happens immediately: let's give up the ghost on denomination-level marketing. I've posted on the subject here. Funnel thoes funds and that energy towards enabling local congregations to be the best marketers -- and evangelists -- they can be.

2 Timothy 1:7

I went to sleep last night asking God to give me a word or Scripture for use in a meeting today.

I woke up at about 2 a.m. and 2 Timothy 1:7 was planted firmly in my mind:

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-control."

It is quite easy in church leadership to adopt that spirit of timidity. It's the spirit that wants to offend as few people as possible, the spirit that endorses the status quo, the spirit that says don't fix what's not broken.

The spirit of timidity leads to death in churches.

That's why the spirit God does give us is fascinating to me. Look at the balancing act necessary between power, love, and self-control.

Usually people with great power have little love. Many times, people consumed by love forget their self-control. And self-controlled people are often too "in control" to demonstrate much power.

In Christ, God gives us the marvelous mix of all three.

Hearing that word is worth waking up in the middle of the night.