Thoughts of a College Pastor

First and foremost let me say this, I LOVE THE CHURCH. I believe God put all His eggs in one basket. I know you’ll never find a perfect church because the church is made up of im-perfect people.When I write these blogs please know that I’m actually looking in the mirror and looking at the church I lead as well.

But, with that said, may we never stop challenging the status quo (no matter who created it).

Here’s what this post boils down to ::

I believe that culture is effecting our churches more than our churches are effecting the culture.

What do we learn from our culture?

If you want it now, you should get it now.

If you don’t want to deal with people, you don’t have to deal with people.

If you want to be left alone, you should be left alone.

If you want it, then buy it.

Our culture has taught us that the whole story revolves around me. I get what I want, when I want it, how I want with no questions asked.

I’m afraid that this mentality has found it’s way into our churches. I’m afraid that when we reach out to people who need Jesus they come in and the church/Gospel/The Way of Jesus changes to meet their needs instead of them experiencing a life-altering, life-changing, substantial transformation.

The selfish continue to be selfish.

The rich continue to get richer.

The loners continue to be isolated.

The control freaks continue to fight for control.

The busy bee’s continue to be controlled by their schedules.

Please know that I understand fully that transformation happens over time. The problem is that our churches are changing faster to look like culture than those who are supposedly being introduced to Jesus.

I read an article on one pastor who talked about his wardrobe. He boasted about how hip and in style he was. He took pride in the $1,000+ outfit that he was wearing from stage as he preached the Gospel. This man reaches out to a very wealthy part of Charlotte and my question is, “What example are you setting for the rich?”

My answer, from a distance I understand, is this…you are teaching them to continue in their previous life.

What if the church preached the Gospel of transformation?

What if the selfish became others centered?

What if the control freaks became servants?

What if the rich became radically generous?

What if the loners became communal?

What if the angry became gentle and patient?

What if the whiners became listeners?

What if the popular reached out to the rag tag and the outcast?

What if volunteers, volunteered expecting nothing in return?

What if church was 24 hours longs, 7 days a week, 365 days a year?

What if there wasn’t a timer on when God’s people Gathered?

What if our worship services were planned around what we wanted to give God and not what we thought the people coming wanted?

What if? What if? What if?

Do we still believe that Jesus can transform lives?

Do we believe that the church should be bringing heaven to earth (which would mean that the church is changing culture and not the culture changing the church)?

The church doesn’t need to look like the culture.

The church needs to look like Jesus.

And then the culture will follow suit.

You might ask how do I know if real, substantial transformation is taking place?

Jesus answers that questions by saying, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”   [matthew.7v16-20]

What fruit are we bearing?

I had a re-freshing conversation today with Impact’s worship leader. We talked about how to make The Gathering more grassroots, more homemade, less programmatic and more Spirit driven. We talked about the difficult balance between being professional and organized but at the same time leaving lots of room for the Holy Spirit to move and direct. I told him that it drives me nuts to be apart of a worship service that feels so programed. He said he totally agreed but we both agree that it’s just as annoying to be apart of a worship service that is messy and disconnected.

And then I came home and read a couple articles about a new book coming out called American Grace by Robert Putnam that is due out next fall. Here’s a couple quotes that stuck out to me (don’t worry I’m going to make a point.)

“The young, in general, are not committed secularists. “They are not in church, but they might be if a church weren’t like the religious right. . . . There are almost certain to be religious entrepreneurs to fill that niche with a moderate evangelical religion, without political overtones.” In the diverse, fluid market of American religion there may be a demand, in other words, for grace, hope and reconciliation — for a message of compassion and healing that appeals to people of every political background. It would be revolutionary — but it would not be new.”

“If the megachurch is Budweiser, the house church is a microbrew.”

“What’s happening to church has already happened not just to beer, but to food, magazines, and music. As people reject a one-size-fits-all approach, they’re yearning for a church that’s more homemade.”

More and more people are becoming dis-enchanted with the programmatic way of doing church.

More and more people are becoming dis-enchanted with the pressure to be affiliated with one side or another.

More and more people are becoming dis-enchanted with man-planned worship settings.

What is their response to this dis-enchantment?

People are choosing to become un-affiliated.

They desire the homemade.

The Spirit led.

The grassroots.

The wiggle room that church around a dinner table offers.

They’re waiting for leaders to lead a revolution against the status quo.

This is what I would like to know…

How many of you resonate with this?

How many of you are dis-enchanted with the entertainment driven church service?

How many of you fall under the category of unaffiliated?

How many of you long for some wiggle room when we Gather as church bodies?

I think we can strike a balance and I’m thankful that I work with a team that is willing to give it a shot. I’m excited that we have a team that re-fuses to bow down to the status quo (no matter who created it). I’m stoked that I work with a team that wants to re-create a community that is a place of grace, hope, reconciliation, healing and unity.

What do you think?

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”     -Matthew 24v6-13

I was asked to preach on this section of Scripture the next two weeks at LifePointe Christian Church in Charlotte. Honestly I hadn’t given these verses much thought until I was given this opportunity.

I have spent the last 3 weeks wrestling with this passage. What is Jesus trying to say? Why is he saying it? What is the context? What does it mean for us who follow him? Is he talking about the distant future or the then and there? What does it say to us today? Those are just a few questions that have been floating around in my head.

This passage has taken me to some dark places…places of suffering and pain.

Why you may ask…

As I have reflected on Jesus’ words I have come to the conclusion that Jesus wasn’t talking about a date far off in the future…he was talking about the life that the disciples faced right then and the life that we face right now.

He points out an ugly reality…sin, pain, suffering, trouble, war, division…they will exist. And it’s not a sign of the end…this ugly reality is actually the beginning of the birth pains. Keep reading →

Read Psalms 22v1-21

Let’s start with what’s easy to see in this world…

We don’t have to look to far in front of us to realize that our world aches within itself. Most of us don’t have to look much further than our own lives and hearts to find the ache.

There’s pain, sickness, death, disconnect, brokenness, hurt, murder, divorce, abuse, gossip, back stabbing, sin, tears, broken promises, cheating…

As I sit and talk with college students I see pain, heart ache, division, stress, anxiety and so much more. I sit and listen to story after story of a family member that left wounds on them, abused them, forgot them, looked over them, didn’t believe in them. My heart literally breaks as I watch people hurt, cry, live in confusion and struggle forward with questions that cannot be answered. I watch this generation struggle to have relationships because most of them have never seen a healthy relationship.

Their stories are layered with brokenness and disappointment. And all of this shapes a view of God that is out of whack and completely skewed. Keep reading →

Earlier this fall I went on a church visit…

…mostly as a spectator.

I was excited to visit this church. The trip had been on my list of things to do for a couple years but I never made it happen. The opportunity finally came and I was stoked.

I arrived 15 minutes early (I know right…)

With bells on…

Smiling…

Open to any and every interaction that might arise…

I walked to the front entrance…

Approached the doors…

Walked in…

Scanned the room…

Found my seats…

Sat down…

Sat for 7 minutes and had to pee…

Got up and went to the bathroom and returned to my seats…

Sat through the service…Great worship, sound, stories of the Kingdom coming to the surrounding city, a good message on Nehemiah 3.

Took communion…

Service was over…I helped pick up chairs…

And then walked out the same doors I entered through…

Did you notice anything strange about my experience? Keep reading →