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It’s always fun when I learn something new while teaching, and that’s exactly what happened at the ECO conference last week as I was presenting the 6Ms–a list of ways to follow Jesus as presented in Fruitfulness on the Frontlines by Mark Greene. The book calls it a framework for fruitfulness:

• Model godly character
• Make good work
• Minister grace and love
• Mold culture
• Be a Mouthpiece for truth and justice
• Be a Messenger of the gospel

The book makes the point that this list should NOT be taken as yet one more set of things to feel guilty about or add to our already too-long checklist. It’s designed rather as an encouragement as we consider the ways God can use us in our environments. 

Often, we think only of the first and last items: of course, I want to ACT like a Christian, modeling Christian character, and that will give me an opportunity to be a Messenger of the gospel. For sure that’s true, but God uses us in many more ways than that. Work is very important, in and of itself, and I want to write more about that, maybe beginning tomorrow. It may be that our ministering grace and love will result in a kinder, gentler culture in our workplace, neighborhoods, our families, and even online. We all know the kind of posts that usually land on Facebook. In addition, I’m on NextDoor, which I had hoped would bring our neighborhood together. Instead, many observations posted by our neighbors are met with harsh criticism and put-downs by other neighbors (sigh).

What did I learn while presenting this information? One of the pastors offered the observation that the 6Ms also could be seen as areas for growth, in which I will not be equally competent all the time. And I won’t be performing equally in all 6Ms every day. But I can look back over the day and see in which areas God was able to use me. 

That’s nice. None of us is “omnicompetent,” as a friend of mine likes to put it. The 6Ms remind me that there is a variety of areas in which I can grow and serve. And that’s good news!

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life… (Philippians 2.14 – 16, NIV)

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I normally don’t write about current, political events, but I am concerned about the “piling on” that has become prevalent in today’s society. The Virginia governor (Democrat, about whom I know nothing) has been shown in a racist photo from college in 1984. Really? 35 years ago? What happened to growth and change? What happened to forgiveness? Jesus’ “let him who is without sin cast the first stone” was applied to someone actually caught in adultery TODAY! Do we really want to be held accountable for things we thought and did when we were 20? (More than 50 years ago for me!)

Do people just draw pleasure in the alleged sin of someone else because it’s someone else and not them? Someone else’s sin, no matter when it happened, is irrelevant to me. So then each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. (Romans 14.12) And I have to avoid pride in not committing either the sin being judged or the sin of judging!

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Isaiah 43.18, 19

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I often write about how churches should be equipping their members for mission “out there” in the environments where they already are. The challenge is that even if the pastor or church leaders want to do this, it might be difficult. At the most basic level, most of us just don’t like change! In addition, at the ECO conference this week, one speaker (I’ve forgotten who!) described a set of specific factors that often make change difficult.

Some church members are less tied to the grand vision of the church, whatever it is, than to one or more of the following, which we can call “The 4 Ps.”

• Personality of the pastor, possibly including his preaching style, interpersonal skills, ministry habits.
• Place to include the building, service times, decor, etc.
• Program, which includes how Sunday morning church is done as well as other specific programs of the church.
• People, meaning my friends.

The key is that if any of these change, some people are likely to leave the church. I knew of a church, where, in the middle of a merger, the leaders started tinkering with the decor of the platform. People left.

I can think of two possible antidotes for this phenomenon. First, talk about the real vision of the church and orient the folks to The 4 Ps. Then if people start getting distracted by one or more of them, we can gently point them toward the larger vision of the church and point out that we’re getting distracted by The 4 Ps.

The second possible antidote is to encourage folks have an experience with God outside of church. Daily time with God and living on mission come to mind (both of which I wrote about in Join the Adventure!). One of the staff pastors of the church where people were leaving over the platform decor told me, “My Christian experience is so much more than what happens on Sunday morning. I can’t imagine someone leaving a church over something as trivial as how we decorate the platform.”

Maybe the real solution is that we stay focused on Jesus…

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2.19, 20, NIV)

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I love the story in John 9 of the healing of the man born blind. There are so many lessons, beginning with the first verse, “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.” First, the encounter happens “as he passed by.” It’s an interesting exercise to see how many of Jesus’ conversations with folks were “unplanned.” Jesus illustrated steps one and two of missional living described in my book Join the Adventure:

• Be there
• Pay attention

Jesus saw a man, and it’s apparent as you read the story that other folks had NOT seen him!

But I want to focus this blog on the end of the story. Jesus is absent from verses 8 through 34 when all the discussion occurs. The way he healed the man, sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, allowed Jesus to disappear while the healing actually occurred. Then we have this exchange:

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (John 9.35 – 38, ESV, emphasis mine)

We tend to use the word “worship” only in connection with the “worship service.” Sometimes with only part of the worship service, the singing part. Some pastors, as I wrote on January 13, believe that the purpose of the church is to gather to worship. I wrote yesterday that according to Ephesians 4.11, 12, the purpose of the church is to train and equip all the members, much like a trade school, “sending out workers.”

Jesus is doing his ministry “out there” in the neighborhood. And Jesus’ ministry resulted in worship. But, as my pastor pointed out last Sunday, this worship occurred outside the synagogue. “He didn’t even have a bulletin!”

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (John 4.23, ESV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12.1, NIV)

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I just spent a delightful two days at the National Gathering of ECO, the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians, a 7-year-old branch of the Reformed faith that is eager to “…be a movement…to saturate our broken and hurting world with the transforming power of Jesus Christ.” I was encouraged that they talked a lot about making disciples and helping their folks understand that they are all on mission.

I teamed with Chris Lake of Vere Institute to present a 2-hour workshop: Equipping Disciples for “frontline” Ministry–Empowering the Scattered Church for Fruitfulness in Everyday Life.

We captured the highlights of the Imagine Church workshop that I arranged for in Colorado Springs two years ago. You can read about that here.

I want to share something today that I tried out for the first time during our workshop–a metaphor that seemed to resonate with the pastors and church leaders this week. See what you think.

I’ve quoted before what the Apostle Paul said about the purpose of the church:

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up… (Ephesians 4.11, 12, NIV)

I asked, “If we were building houses instead of making disciples, would the church be more like a general contractor or a trade school?” The answer, I believe, is a trade school. Trade schools don’t build houses; trade schools train carpenters, plumbers, and electricians, and they build houses.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9.35 – 38, NIV)

What just caught my attention in this familiar passage was “send out workers.” That’s what trade schools do.

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I love the story of the four men carrying the paralyzed man to Jesus:

Mark 2:2-5 (Passion Translation NT)…While Jesus was preaching the word of God, four men arrived, carrying a paralyzed man. But when they realized that they couldn’t even get near him because of the crowd, they went up on top of the house and tore away the roof above Jesus’ head. And when they had broken through, they lowered the paralyzed man on a stretcher right down in front of him! When Jesus saw the extent of their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “My son, your sins are now forgiven.”

“When Jesus saw the extent of their faith…”

• The four men decided they would take their friend to Jesus
• When they couldn’t get in, they brainstormed a solution
• They did the unorthodox: climbing onto the roof, tearing away the roof (without falling in!), and lowering him down
• I still like what I heard a pastor say years go. “When it says that Jesus saw their faith, what did Jesus see? I think they they dropped the ropes!”

The men were persistent, and they were “all in.” 

Faith = persistence! Jesus even taught that explicitly in Luke 18:

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

James said, “I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2.18)

Recently, June and I paid our house off. We decided a number of years ago to make that a goal, and we really hit it hard. We put nearly all of our discretionary income against the house. Persistently! God came through with extra money a few times that we hadn’t counted on, and protected us from significant unexpected expenses.

What paid off the house? A combination of persistence over time (faith) and the power of God. Just like the man’s healing was a combination of Jesus’ power and his four friends’ faith shown by their persistence.

What could God do in our midst if we exercised active faith?

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I think this will be the last post about indifference for a while, but you can tell the impact its discovery has made on my life. Please see January 23 for the first in the series and a definition. 

My friend Bill (not his real name), retired after 28 years in the Air Force, and now teaching at the Air Force Academy epitomizes contentment that we’re both realizing comes from holy indifference.

Bill is a smart guy, he has the same earned doctorate in education that I have, and has strong opinions about, for example, the way a course he’s teaching should be run. But at the moment, he’s not in a position to do anything except do as he’s told. For sure, he appropriately makes his concerns known, and often, changes get made eventually.

But in the meantime, Bill practices the following philosophy which he’s shared with me in the context of many stories spanning his career: “If the commander wants something done a certain way, and it’s not illegal, immoral, or unsafe, then I’ll do it.” That’s indifference!

Bill is a very successful guy by any measure, but by his own admission, he is not overly ambitious, he doesn’t need to make more money than he does (and he’s been up and down a bit since his retirement from the Air Force). His priority is his wife and adult children. His work is excellent; for example, when he teaches, he cares about the students as individuals. (I met an Air Force Academy senior who told me that Bill was the first teacher that treated her like a human being.) So he definitely doesn’t have an “I don’t care” attitude. But he is indifferent…to success, to methods, to practically everything that doesn’t directly affect his loving God and loving people. 

Bill lives out the indifference that Paul wrote about, the text we opened these short essays on indifference with:

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4.11 – 13)

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I’ve been writing about indifference, a concept developed by Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He defined indifference as being detached enough from things, people, or experiences to be able either to take them up or to leave them aside, depending on whether they help us to “to praise, reverence, and serve God” (Spiritual Exercises 23). (See January 23 – 26)

I wish I had learned this concept of indifference (my wife likes to call it holy indifference to distinguish from an I don’t care attitude) way earlier in life. 

For example, I like to watch sports. Several blogs about my alma mater Clemson’s winning the national championship confirms that, doesn’t it? And in the past watching this week’s “game of the year” often caused conflict. “I have decided to watch this game! Don’t bother me.” The fact that a baby might need tending to or that June and I might be better served doing something else didn’t occur to me.

I could have used some indifference. Yes, I would like to watch the game; however, the game will go on whether I watch it or not. For that matter, my life will go on whether I watch the game or not. I knew a man who didn’t miss an Auburn football game, home or away, for more than 20 years. I wonder what the cost to his family was. Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer is a book about rabid college football fans. It opens with the story of a couple who didn’t attend their daughter’s wedding because it conflicted with the Alabama-Tennessee game. Seriously? 

Sometimes it’s a matter of getting our priorities straight. Other times it’s about preference versus principle (and most of the time it’s preference). I know a couple whose teenage daughter doesn’t like the church the family attends because to her it’s “too big and too loud.” The father is learning some valuable principles in child-rearing, which emphasize listening and not being over-controlling as the kids get older. So he has chosen not to make an issue out of this situation. The church is their preference, but they understand that forcing their daughter to go will do nothing but damage the relationship. I think he’s wise to practice indifference to their choice of church and look around for an alternative. 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (Ephesians 5.25, NIV)

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6.4, NIV)

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The Gospel of Mark is an action gospel, and Mark wastes no time describing in Mark 1.21 – 39 what any of us would say was a busy day in the life of Jesus:

• He enters Capernaum on the Sabbath and teaches in the synagogue (verses 21, 22)
• He casts out a demon in the synagogue (verses 23 – 26)
• He went to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law (verses 29 – 31)
• Then at sundown(!) “…they brought him all who were sick or oppressed by demons…He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons.” (verses 32 – 34)

I wonder what time he got to bed?

Yet, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1.35)

We’ve had a busy week, early show times every day, and what’s the first thing to go? Yep. Morning prayer. 

I’m challenged every time I read Mark 1.35. Or Luke 5.16, “Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”

And the immediate result of the prayer time was direction, as we read in Mark 1.36 – 38:

And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

People were clamoring for attention right where he was. He hadn’t healed all of them since verse 34 says, “He healed many who were sick…” But his Father said it was time to move on. So he moved. I’m waiting for God’s specific guidance regarding a conference in London I’ve been invited to attend, and I’m sure that if I set aside time to listen, he’ll make it clear.

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I’ve been writing about indifference, a concept developed by Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. He defined indifference as being detached enough from things, people, or experiences to be able either to take them up or to leave them aside, depending on whether they help us to “to praise, reverence, and serve God” (Spiritual Exercises 23).

A friend of mine works for a Christian organization and finds himself at odds with some of their theological perspectives. That would be OK except he insists on challenging them on their beliefs that are different from his. 

I would argue that he would do well to practice indifference. John Wesley apparently did not originate this quote, but he certainly advocated it:

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.”

Indifference would help us practice this, would it not? I don’t have to be right! And I certainly don’t have to convince my brother that I’m right and he’s wrong. I don’t have to escalate every difference to the point that it’s life or death if I don’t correct the other person.

I’m enjoying meeting with a young pastor who is in a small denomination that in their Sunday services sings only from the Psalter a cappella. I’m a church pianist! And I love many styles of Christian music. But why would I ruin our relationship by trying to argue him into a broader view of church music? I am indifferent to how his church does music. And I think he is indifferent to my church’s musical preferences. It makes the rest of our interactions possible.  

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with…So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. (Romans 14.1, 12, 13, MSG)