I wrote yesterday about the need for innovation in ministry. But innovation is tough, and marketing Guru Seth Godin explained why in this piece from October 29, 2023. It’s short and makes only three points:

• New approaches will never be embraced by everyone at first. If you need unanimous consent, you’re not going to move forward.

• And it’s not convenient. If it were, someone would have done it already.

• Finally, it’s not sure to work.

I’ve seen all those things starting with the objection to a great idea for a Sunday morning: “That’s not church!”

We had a great idea back in the early 2000s to combine volunteer ministries with intentional disciple-making. It wouldn’t have been convenient. It would have been difficult, and, at the first sign of difficulty, we folded.

And it’s true that innovations are not sure to work, but we try anyway. And what does “work” mean? Often in the church context, there’s the expectation that success requires that we reach everyone. I was in a meeting with a pastor and one of his elders planning a discipleship initiative. The elder said something like, “Not everyone will want to do that.” The pastor wisely responded, “It will never be the case that everyone wants to do something. That’s no reason not to do it.”

So let’s innovate! We don’t have to keep running the same plays that no longer work. As I wrote last week, “If the horse is dead, dismount!”

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead… (Philippians 3.13, ESV)

Let’s transition out of “warning” mode into something that feels more positive! My friend Bill Mowry wrote an excellent article on the importance of innovation in ministry, adapted from his new book, The Ways of the Leader: Four Practices to Bring People Together and Break New Ground.

Bill opens by pointing out that the familiar Navigators verse pack was once a ministry innovation of the founder of The Navigators, Dawson Trotman:

Early in his Christian life, Trotman’s life was transformed by memorizing Scripture. As he ministered to sailors in the 1940s, he wanted to create a way to encourage Scripture memory. His imagination led him to create verse cards that fit into a packet that a sailor could slip into his chest pocket so he could review verses anytime of the day. To encourage memorization, Trotman grouped verses around topics. Nothing like this existed at the time.

This was the birth of the Topical Memory System (TMS), the most widely used tool for memorizing Scripture today.

Here was a local leader meeting a local challenge with an innovative solution. Life and ministry today need more ministry innovators! – Bill Mowry, Wanted: Ministry Innovators (I recommend Bill’s article in its entirety.)

Bill goes on to point out that while “local challenges demand local, innovative solutions,” church services, for example, seem to be the same all over the world.

I’ve written about this before. If someone does try to innovate, they’re often met with, “That’s not church.” Seth Godin, the marketing guru I quote from time to time, could have predicted that response. Stay tuned.

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43.18 – 19, ESV)

It’s Veterans Day, a day of remembrance, and I think it’s OK to recall what I’ve written before. A friend of mine said once, “Just because I’ve heard it before doesn’t mean I’m thinking about it now!”

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder… (2 Peter 1.12, 13, ESV)

It’s important to remember that God values warriors. Consider:

• God is referred to in scripture as a warrior: But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior… (Jeremiah 20.11, NIV)
• One of the last pictures we have of Jesus is as a warrior.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (Revelation 19.11 – 14, ESV)

• Many of God’s key men were warriors:
  • Abraham led his men on an armed mission to rescue Lot. (Genesis 14.11 – 16)
  • Joshua was a general who led a series of campaigns to capture the promised land.
  • Gideon (and most of the judges) led the Israelites to conquer their oppressors.
  • David, of course, was a warrior demonstrated first in his defeat of Goliath. (1 Samuel 17.31 – 49)
  • A significant chunk of scripture is devoted to Davd’s mighty men. (1 Chronicles 11:10 – 12:22)
  • The first recorded Gentile convert was Cornelius, a Roman centurion. (Acts 10)

I’ve been challenged in adult Sunday School classes about being “too military.” But I don’t write this stuff…I just report it! If God didn’t value warriors both for what they do and for the fact that warriors remind us of spiritual warfare, God wouldn’t have devoted so much space to honoring warriors. Here are some snippets of 1 Chronicles 11:

• He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.
• He took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.
• He wielded his spear against 300 men and killed them.
• He struck down two heroes of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen. And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. The Egyptian had in his hand a spear like a weaver’s beam, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff and snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.

Those were some tough men!

This is a day to honor all the men and women who have served and are serving in our armed forces. God bless them.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6.10 – 13, ESV)

We’re still on the topic of warnings, this time from what has been an enigmatic verse for me…

You’ll be glad you read this blog because I’m going to offer an explanation of a verse I’ve wondered about for years (but not enough to really find an answer). Here’s the setup. Jesus is talking about his return, his “coming,” in Luke 17. He mentions Noah and the flood and Lot at Sodom. Then:

It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out, and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding grain at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.” And answering they said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.” (Luke 17.30 – 37, LSB)

Observations:

• Jesus is coming…in judgment, compare the flood in Noah’s day and judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah in Lot’s day. “It will be just the same…”
• The earth is round – really? Yep. “Two in one bed” is a nighttime activity while women grinding grain and men in the field are daytime activities.
• Jesus isn’t always clear: I’m 76 years old, and I still don’t know what verse 37 means.

“Where, Lord?” And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.”

So I asked ChatGPT!

And you know what? It gave me what looks like a good answer. Note, please, my introduction: I promised to “offer an explanation” – a construction my grammar watcher recommends I change to “explain.” But “explain” is too strong. I’m “offering an explanation” which will work for me until I find something better. Here’s what I learned (with some additions of my own) from what ChatGPT suggested:

We’re in the context of judgment. The vultures are that judgment coming for those who are dead in sin (compare Romans 6.23 or Ephesians 2.1 – 3). Jesus’ response is a warning to turn from sin and to accept God’s remedy for sin, which is also in this passage:

But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. (Luke 17.25, ESV)

I like the way ChatGPT closed our conversation:

So, my friends, as we reflect on this enigmatic verse, let it serve as a reminder of the choices we make and the consequences that follow. Let it lead us to a place of repentance, where we turn away from the path of sin and embrace the abundant life that Jesus offers. And may we always seek to be aware of the presence of the Lord, so that we may be free from the gathering vultures and find our refuge in His love and grace. – ChatGPT responding to a query about Luke 17.37

I can’t improve on that. And, be assured that I write every word of these blogs myself UNLESS I am quoting someone else, and I’ll always let you know…even if it’s ChatGPT.

But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21.34 – 36, ESV)

In the context of warnings, let’s look at the well-known Parable of the Two Sons (most often called “The Prodigal Son”). I wrote about the parables of Luke 15 extensively, beginning here. Today, let’s focus on the older brother:

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable… (Luke 15.1 – 3, ESV)

Remember, Luke 15 is about the contrast between tax collectors and sinners wanting to hear Jesus and Pharisees and scribes grumbling about it! Remember also, that it’s all about fruit. Jesus is trying really hard not only to reach the tax collectors and sinners, which he’s doing a pretty good job of, but also the hard-hearted religious leaders. Hence, the parable of the two sons.

The Prodigal, representing the tax collectors and sinners, comes home. What about the older brother, representing the religious leaders?

Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.” But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,… (Luke 15.25 – 28, ESV)

It’s a warning. Are you Pharisees going to stay outside judging everyone, including Jesus? Or are you going to join the party?

Most of us who read this blog, including the writer, are in danger of being older brothers, are we not?

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Timothy 1.12 – 15, ESV – We forget that the Apostle Paul, who describes himself this way, was a religious sinner who joined the party.)

Luke 13 opens with warnings. Here’s the first:

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13.1 – 5, ESV)

I quoted the end of this a few weeks ago in the context of disasters avoided. It’s serious stuff: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” ALL? Apparently so. The text immediately follows with this:

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13.6 – 9, ESV)

“My fig tree has no fruit…cut it down!” What’s the context? “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Repent. Change. If you’re barren, do what needs to be done to bear fruit. Else, “you will all likewise perish.”

Technically, this is most likely referring to Israel, symbolized by the fig tree. When Jesus walked the earth, the Father was still seeking fruit from Israel. Who is the vinedresser? Jesus? Jesus comes and challenges the common people and the leadership. Maybe Israel will bear fruit. No? Then cut it down…precisely what happened in 70 A.D. (See Luke 19.43 – 45)

It’s about fruit.

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15.8, ESV)

It’s not just about what theology we know, what church we attend, or who our favorite Bible teacher is. It’s about fruit, and one framework for understanding fruit is “the 6Ms,” which I began writing about here. Here’s the list:

• 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

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. (Matthew 21.18 – 19, ESV)

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: “The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.'” (Revelation 3.1, 2, ESV)

There are more warnings to follow, the next one from a very familiar text. Stay tuned.

A major hurricane struck Acapulco in the early hours of October 25: 165 mph winds and up to 15 inches of rain. At least 30 people were killed and much of Acapulco was reported destroyed. Our prayers are with them.

Here’s what’s odd: as of 24 hours before landfall, ALL the weather forecasting models were predicting a tropical storm with 40 – 50 mph winds:

It seems we’re still not that good at forecasting weather OR that unexpected events can still take us by surprise.

Psalm 29, the psalm of the rainstorm, seems appropriate here. I quote it in its entirety:

¹  Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
²  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
³  The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.
⁴  The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
⁵  The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶  He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷  The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
⁸  The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
⁹  The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
¹⁰  The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
¹¹  May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace! (ESV)

Keeping with yesterday’s theme of saving time by not insisting on perfection, here’s another gem from Sahil Bloom: “The Christmas Tree Effect.” You know what I’m talking about: we keep buying all these “cute” ornaments, but pretty soon there’s so much on the Christmas tree that the overall beauty of the tree is diminished. And some of our “special ornaments” aren’t even visible any more.

Sahil quotes David Epstein’s October 9, 2023 blog which opens with the story of states’ using electronic road signs to alert people to the number of deaths in that area. Guess what? A scientific study came to this unfortunate conclusion:

The duo studied eight years of traffic data, and 880 electronic warning signs. Here’s the conclusion, in an unfortunate nutshell: the fatality signs increased the number of crashes. The scientists estimated that the road-sign campaign caused an additional 2600 accidents and 16 deaths per year, in Texas alone.

Why? Because the addition of one more sign, took the drivers’ attention from the road! The US Army kept adding more things to soldiers’ body armor so that it actually weighed more than some of the soldiers!

Let’s get practical: how many programs does your church have? I saw a billboard once where a church proudly advertised “165 Ministries.” Really? What would the focus of such a church be? Who would know? If you were a member, how would you know which ministry to choose to either volunteer for or participate in? Would there be a way to weigh the importance of, say, the discipleship ministry (I’m sure they had one) versus the casserole ministry (I bet they had one of those too!)?

How do I know? Because I’ve been in churches, large and small, seen lots of ministries started but very few discontinued. Pretty soon the system collapses under its own weight.

Paul’s prayer is appropriate:

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1.9 – 11, ESV, emphasis mine)

“Approve what is excellent” and, maybe discontinue what is not excellent. Or, as a pastor friend of mine said with respect to programs that are no longer effective, “If the horse is dead, dismount.”

Sometimes it’s fun to throw some practical advice into the Ewellogy, especially when someone articulates a philosophy I’ve practiced for years.

Sahil Bloom quoted Kevin Kelly a few days ago:

In Excellent Advice for Living, Kevin Kelly proposes something I like to call the 90% Rule:

“When you have 90% of a large project completed finishing the final details will take another 90%.”

The idea here is that closing out that last 10% of any big project is actually a significantly larger undertaking than anyone anticipates. Many large projects are known for taking just as long to get through the final details as they did to get through the bulk of the actual work.

Reminds me of taking a break at the 12,000-foot level of Pikes Peak while doing the Ascent one year. It’s a 13.3-mile hike, 6,800 feet to 14,115 feet. You hit the “A-Frame” at 12,000 feet, 10 miles into the hike. Let’s see: 13 miles total, we’ve been 10, how far do we have to go? That’s what a group from Arkansas wanted to know. My response was simple: “We’re here in 3 hours, it will take us half that to get to the top, so we have 90 minutes to go.” NO! It can’t take that long! But it did.

So back to our project that’s 90% finished “with 90% to go.” What’s the solution? Here’s what the CEO of NetFlix says:

One solution? Don’t do the last 10%! Sahil Bloom goes on to write:

Good enough is often the optimal solution.

Ambitious, high-achieving people are more likely to get caught up in the perfection of that last 10% (which takes another 90% according to Kelly) than accept the good enough outcome and move on to the next important thing.

Or, as a mature youth director once said, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”

Applications?

• When you’re writing a daily blog, 90% (or less!) has to be good enough!
• I knew a fellow who wanted to write commercial software. But his product was never finished (software products never are!). At some point, as Seth Godin frequently says, you have to ship it!
• I hope, if you’re a pastor, you don’t spend an inordinate amount doing that last 10% of polishing on a sermon. Time that you could use investing in people.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5.15 – 16, ESV)

Here’s a chilling end to an exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders at the end of Luke 11:

Woe to you, scholars of the Law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering. (Luke 11.52, LSB)

Pretty scary stuff. Here’s another version of it:

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matthew 23.13, LSB)

Leaders have special responsibilities and special dangers to avoid. A big danger is not permitting common people to “enter.” I wrote four years ago about the pastor who didn’t like Calvary Chapels’ allowing hippies to come to church “as they were.” The leaders in Acts 15 seemed sensitive to this:

It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. (Acts 15.19, NIV)

“Not make it difficult” = not “not allowing those who are entering to go in”

How might we do that?

• Insisting people dress a certain way
• Insisting they vote a certain way
• Insisting they understand a lot of obscure teaching
• Making understanding the Bible seem difficult

Everything I do should be helpful not “more difficult.” If you’ve read the Ewellogy for any time at all, you know that I work really hard to help folks hear from God through the scripture. But my approach needs to be, “Try this way of Bible reading, but if it doesn’t work, we’ll find another way. We want you to connect to Jesus.”

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15.1, 2, ESV) Yes, he does!