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May Blog Index
Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America (The Gospel and Our Culture Series)
"If a missional community saw itself primarily as the Spirit's steward of the calling and gifts of its members, its internal activities would, in one sense, diminish. it would spend much less time on providing activities that take its members out of the world. it would devote more of its times of gathering for the equipping, support, and accountability of its member-missionaries. the ancient sense of the conclusion of public worship as the sending out of God's people would be translated into the concrete forms of congregational life. our concept of "active church member" would, of course, have to change. we would expect to see less of our more mature and accountable members, and focus more of our gathered time on the young, the new Christians, those in training for their missionary vocation."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:30 AM
Found at ToddHunter
"This thinking about meetings can get a little scary reading Isaiah chapter one.
Why this frenzy of sacrifices? GOD’S asking. Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of burnt sacrifices…? When you come before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, running here and there, doing this and that—all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?
Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way.
"Ouch! I honestly don’t know exactly what to do with this. Like some others, I’m sure, I want to think something like: “Well THEY must have been REALLY bad!” Meaning, “this can’t really apply to us, could it?” Plus, I don’t want to say that it is bad to have a meeting.
"Perhaps we just need to re-locate meetings on a map—or to switch metaphors--to locate them in a Story. A way forward could be found in the verses that follow:
Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.
Thus: “How will this meeting help us “wash up”…help us in our spiritual transformation into Christ-likeness?” “How will it help ALL the members of our community of faith discover their passion, find their mission—the defenseless they see--and learn about their gifts?”
* * *
The Friday Five become seven..
1. What brand of toothpaste do you use?
2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer?
3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear?
4. What brand of soda do you drink?
5. What brand of gum do you chew?
6. What is your favorite animal?
7. Who is your favorite author? posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:20 AM
"The Church of the Saviour also gives great attention to breaking free of what they call our "addiction to the culture." Says Gordon: "Most of us are living, to some degree, as addicted persons, striving anxiously after power and money and prestige and relevance, trapped in the turbulence of wanting more. These addictions are so subtle for most of us that we have the illusion of being free people when in actuality we are immersed in society's expectations. We have given ourselves to God, but who decides what we do with our lives? Usually, we do. We are subtle control freaks, truly believing we are turning our lives over to God but demanding a minimum of comforts, whether it be good health or a secure home or caring friends. We are addicted to having more and more comfort, which society says we deserve.
"We are addicted to things that money and power can buy. We spend more on entertainment and pet care and toiletries than on the needs of children barely existing in poverty; we strive after positions that seem important in our jobs and our churches, whether or not God is calling us to them; we long to be noticed and honored, superficially if necessary. We forget that Jesus, 'though he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself.' Our culture promotes a constant filling up, but our disciplines will draw us toward greater emptiness, so that we can be better prepared for obedience and, ultimately, for finding our place in God's plan-finding true relevance."
"When we see the culture as it really is," Gordon says, "with its empty, illusory promises of success and power; when we plant ourselves into the common life of a small group of people intent on listening to Jesus and following wherever he leads, we will find our hearts flowering, opening to the needs of the afflicted, the oppressed, the poor. Those whom we quietly despised for their lack of hygiene, their lack of education, their lack of willpower, their lack of being more like us, we will begin to love-really love-in the way that Christ loves each of us despite our despicable and continual human failures.
Gordon Cosby, Interview in CUTTING EDGE
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
8:30 AM
Church as Subversive Community (Mike Bishop)
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
"For the past generation, one of the hottest topics among pastors and church leaders has been church growth. “Pastor, Pastor, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” Theories abound and models for 'doing church' come and go like teenage fashion fads. But in the middle of all this discussion and strategy a few very practical questions remain: "How does God intend his church to grow? What are the means by which the gospel of Jesus is spread? What is the job of the average Christian? How should pastors lead in this endeavor?" One attempt to answer these questions should be very familiar. For lack of a better name, I will call it the 'Church Growth' paradigm."
and see also Paul's Gospel and the Emerging Church
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
7:45 AM
More on the Scenic Route
On Tuesday I wrote about the Matrix-esque feeling I've had lately while driving. It may be that spending less time in the car and more time reading and writing and at home has isolated me from the world of car windows.. but whatever the reason, it really feels weird to watch life zoom by from the front seat of my car.
The weirdness is increased by the fact that I have been biking and walking more than usual. Most of the places I need to be are within biking distance, unless I have to do the taxi thing for one of our teens. Together with the reality that I need to be more intentional about exercise, I find myself looking for alternate ways to get where I am going. The old ways just don't work for me anymore.
The pedestrian view of life is very different from the isolated, individual, warp-drive experience of getting there in a car. It's the difference between the universal and the particular, and I must say.. I like it.
I wonder if this can work as another metaphor for the modern to postmodern transition. The car conjures a fast paced, isolated and objective tourist perspective, a sense of unreality and disconnect from the world. Compare this to the subjective, involved, up close and personal, and much more relaxed walk through the neighborhood.
It's amazing how perception shifts from the isolated behind-the-wheel experience versus the walking experience. You see the relationships between people and places. You see the expressions on faces. You smell the scents, the french fries, donuts, car exhaust.. you hear the sounds, the laughter of children, the screech of tires, the light banter of birds.
When I am behind the wheel I tend to be very focused and goal centred. I want to get where I am going, and I want to be there ten minutes ago. My eyes are forward and my nerves are on edge. It's not about the journey, it's about arriving.
I find myself a very different person when I am walking or biking. I am no longer purpose driven. I start to relax.. I start to observe.. I begin to open myself to what is around me. I feel connected to the world of humanity... I feel "human."
I wonder if we sometimes forget this about machines.. that when we rely on them, we risk losing something essential about our humanity. Somehow they act back on us, shaping us and changing us. Like the world view we choose, they become a filter for reality. Instead of "driving the car," maybe we are driven by it. I do want to be purposeful, I do not want to be driven.
Not long ago I read an interview with Randy Frazee in CUTTING EDGE magazine. The discussion focused on Randy's book, "The Connecting Church." There were a few things that grabbed me in that interview, but one of the most basic elements was the simple value of living physically close to the people with whom we are walking together on the journey.. our "church." In past years when we were members of various communities we lived as much as three miles from the nearest member. It was almost impossible among the demands of work and family and ministry to have a relationship beyond Sunday morning and Wednesday evening with these brothers and sisters, and I always felt this was a huge gap.
"We don't know who discovered water, but we know it wasn't fish." Santayana
How can you have any kind of normal relationship when it is meeting centered? And how can you achieve any kind of intimacy when you don't see one another in normal life.. mowing the lawn, fixing a bicycle, building a tree fort for the kids, baking cookies, painting the fence, skinning your knuckles under the car... We are swimming in the ocean of individuality and isolation, but we have forgotten that we are fish. There is a world of difference between building congregations and building community.
Worse, we are too busy and frazzled and have too little energy left to even consider how we can make changes. Few of us have chosen a new path.. we found ourselves on it kicking and screaming. We have been caught in a cultural collision.. our journey no longer worked for us. We hit a brick wall and have been forced to find a new way forward.
On Thursday morning I happened to visit "What Is Church" and read a blog that shared the writer's experience at an ALLELON get together back in January. Mike begins by complaining that initially it is more talk... and we are all getting tired of the brain strain and the lack of practical movement forward. But then something gripping happens..
"What followed could only be described as kingdom ministry 101 for the emerging church. Eric reincarnated John Wimber for a few minutes and modeled ‘the stuff’ by sharing a prophetic dream and then publicly praying for Kevin Rains and his friend Tawd. Then Dieter Zander shared about his journey from Willow Creek stardom to San Francisco kingdom obscurity. Finally, Bryan McClese, a grey-head from Colorado just about killed me with his plea, “He has called us to take the scenic route. Up ahead, we will run into many who are bankrupt. We need to be ready to accept them and love them and not say, “I told you so.” What an amazing word for us as we plow ahead. The scenic route is slow, often fraught with danger, and usually ends up getting you lost. That’s the road we find ourselves on together."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
1:30 PM
Bruce Almighty has some great lines, framed by a very funny story. When Grace decides to leave the ego-centered Bruce, in spite of having all the powers of God, he can’t stop her or change her mind. In desperation, he asks God, "How do you make somebody love you without affecting free will?" The Lord replies, "Welcome to my world, son. If you come up with an answer to that one, let me know."
Of course, there is only one answer to that.. which isn't an "answer" at all but an action.. He gave Himself for us, "We love Him because He first loved us."
You can find the trailer HERE.
Last night we watched "Groundhog Day" (1993), the film starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. The theme and formar are similar to Bruce Almighty. The movie is a comedy where a self-centered broadcaster has to get beyond himself in order to grow. If you liked Bruce Almighty, be sure to rent "Groundhog Day."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:35 AM
"One of the most significant issues for me is leadership. When it comes right down to it, I guess I'm just not sure that pastors should function like the chief executive officer of a large corporation. In a linear, analytical world, it's very important to have those kind of clear leadership lines-to know who's in charge and how decisions get made. If you've hung around the church for any amount of time, you've no doubt seen the business-style hierarchy in action. There may be dozens of committees, a board of elders and a handful of pastoral staff, but someone almost always has the final say. Enter the senior pastor.
"In Christendom, we spend a lot of time talking about building the kingdom-regrettably, however, I think it's often the kingdom of man. Recently, I've noticed more and more evidence of what I call "Spiritual McCarthyism." It's what happens, I think, when the pastor-as-CEO model goes bad-or when well-meaning people get too much power."
Spencer Burke From the Third Floor to the Garage
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:10 AM
2. What do you see as the two biggest problems facing leaders in the emerging church?
"The first thing is lack of maps and few cartographers. Our modernist moorings, where being seminar junkies and bookaholics was rewarded with the right answers for our analytical questions makes ministry in this emerging new era very problematic. The fact is indigenous ministry will not tolerate book answers to our questions. And the maps may look very different from what we are used to.
"The second big issue is how to create more workable models of life change and transformation. We find the information revolution so sexy. But the reality is for all the information floating around in the church there seems to be a nearly inverse proportion of life change."
Ginkworld: 7 Questions with Ron Martoia
"Today’s church is in serious trouble…. I am suggesting that the 21st Century Church looks little like- and has far less power than- the church as it formed in Jerusalem in the Book of Acts.
"[Some] might say that the church is on the verge of some radical transformation. And so it must be if the church is to ever regain its power, its edge, its robust health, its life-changing and world-changing mission.
"He then goes on to talk about the ‘seven modern deadlies’ that have crippled the church in America. (Developed from from the research of George Barna and George Gallup). These are that we have:
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
8:20 AM
There's No Such Thing as Pre-Marital Sex
Toward a New Theology of Marriage
* * *
Lately I've had this Matrix-esque feeling come over me while driving. It may be that spending less time in the car and more time reading and writing and at home has isolated me from the world of touring.. but whatever the reason, it really feels weird to watch life zoom by from the front seat of my car.
The weirdness is increased by the fact that I have been biking and walking more than usual. Most of the places I need to be are within biking distance, unless I have to do the taxi thing for one of our teens. The pedestrian view of life is very different from the isolated, individual, warp-drive experience of getting there in a car. It's the difference between the universal and the particular, and I must say.. I like it.
I wonder if this can work as another metaphor for the modern to postmodern transition. The fast paced, isolated and objective tourist perspective, a sense of unreality and disconnect from the world. Compare this to the subjective, involved, up close and personal, and much more relaxed walk through the neighborhood.
It's amazing how perception shifts via the walking experience. You see the relationships between people and places. You see the expressions on faces. You smell the scents, the french fries, donuts, car exhaust.. you hear the sounds, the laughs, the screech of tires, the light banter of birds. It's a very immersive experience.
* * *
Larry Crabb talks about the New Reformation that is needed.. The heart of the gospel is that we are given..
* forgiveness. a new purity posted by Len Hjalmarson |
12:00 AM
Found at PM Pilgrim
"Perhaps my favorite Kierkegaardian story is his parable of the ducks. He describes a town where only ducks live. Every Sunday the ducks waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddle into the sanctuary and squat in their proper pews. The duck choir waddles in and takes it place, then the duck minister comes forward and opens the duck Bible (Ducks, like all other creatures on earth, seem to have their own special version of the Scriptures.) He reads to them: "Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine you! No fences can hold you! You have wings. God has given you wings and you can fly like birds!"
All the ducks shouted "Amen!" And they all waddled home.
"How descriptive that story is of many church people. They hear of their potential in Christ. They agree with the declarations about the new life that can be theirs through a faith commitment. But in the end, they do not act upon what they have heard. They do not make the commitment. They simply say, "Amen!" and continue on in life as they always have.."
At THEOBLOGICAL - Experts and The Threat of the Net
"Thinking back to the discussion at Vanderbilt led by Weinberger and AKMA, and the debate that arose over the nature, role, status, and value of "the expert", I was just thinking about the way the Church leaders of Luther's day looked at him and his use of "printing" as a channel to circulate his views. They immediately procalimed the printing press as "evil" because it allowed "just anybody" to be heard by a larger public than they as "official leaders" had gained over the centuries. The Church had, in conjuntion and cahoots with the crown, a mponopoly on the "truth" and the "education" of the day, and so wielded enormous power. Read more in Some Peasant Monk."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
8:00 AM
Equilibrium is a movie about a time when freedom is illegal. A 2002 release, Equilibrium is another Matrix-esque movie with a message. See also IMDB.
The Story We Find Ourselves In.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
12:20 AM
"Ward sketches six ‘dreams’ by which he attempts to envision how the reality of liquid church might appear. 1) The congregation would be replaced by a network structured around a diversity of hubs (‘a retreat center, a sports team, a music group, a record company, a Christian shop, and so on’); membership would be measured not by attendance at worship but by participation in the network. 2) Community is expressed through constant communication: modern technology encourages a ‘culture of continual contact’. 3) ‘Liquid church will abandon congregational structures in favor of a varied and changing diet of worship, prayer, study, and activity.’ 4) The role of the leader will be less to consolidate and preserve the congregation than to function as spiritual guides for people to follow in the pursuit of holiness: ‘Leaders relocate themselves as fellow travelers telling tales of wondrous sites and risky pathways.’ 5) Liquid church will offer not a ‘regular and regulated weekly diet’ but imaginative and stimulating events. 6) Worship will find new forms that will not be dependent on a routine congregational pattern and the limited options of the Reformation tradition."
Liquid Church Review
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:00 AM
Found at FutureMargins - The Ethos of Innovation
"We know that 85% of the population can take a program out of a box and implement it. An additional 10% can adapt the “out of the box” program and apply it to context. The remaining 5% are the innovators. The 5% are committed and convinced their context will be best served by creating ministry models and paradigms indigenous to their local culture.
"When the core leadership team deeply believes that the best ways of doing ministry are yet to be discovered—you’re creating a generative ethos. Leaders must cultivate habits of creativity, such as reading outside of typical ministry disciplines, learning to mind map, engaging in whole-brain games as a staff team, building staff solitude into the rhythm of the calendar, and learning how to design synergistic interactions.
"The result of this ethos: no votes, elections, or committees of any sort. New ideas are tried instantly. Some succeed, some fail. That’s the ethos of innovation."
From That Life Giving Feeling by Ron Martoia
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
11:00 AM
It seems like half the people I know are working on a book. Myself, I'm more or less in process on two of them.
That is worth celebrating.. so why does it bother me?
Maybe it bothers me because.. it's a risk. What if the publisher doesn't accept it?
Maybe it bothers me.. because I'm too introspective and I need things to worry about.
Maybe it bothers me.. because I worry it won't be good enough, fresh enough, worth the price of admission.
But maybe it bothers me because I am part of a cultural shift, where we give our best freely all the time for anyone who cares to listen. Blogging space includes a lot of talented, innovative, creative and kingdom minded people. Why should I ask people to pay what they can find free everywhere? What would Jesus do?
Yes.. that worries me.
* * *
Our cherry trees are becoming very pregnant.. heavy with fruit, as the branches seem to bend lower every day. The peach tree is at the stage where I need to thin the fruit.
It may hit 30 C today, our first taste of summer. We've had a lengthy, mostly dry spring that has truly been beautiful. I'm not crazy about heat but sitting in the sun today with my shirt off.. I felt overwhelmed with the goodness of God and the glory of His creation. Who could deserve this?
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
3:30 PM
At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:10 AM
Bruce Almighty sounds like a movie worth seeing. You can find the trailer HERE.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:10 AM
Junk E-Mail Filters for OUTLOOK
Lately the volume of spam I have been receiving has been horrendous. Some of you will know that as soon as you have an email link posted anywhere on the Web, someone is searching for it to add it to some BOT list somewhere so they can send you junk mail.
Junk mail includes INSTANT MONEY, SEX, and ENHANCING YOUR BODY with various creams and snake oils.. Whew, this stuff is ridiculous.
If you happen to be running MS OUTLOOK, you can turn on a mail FILTER to automatically take care of most of this junk. I'd forgotten about this until recently. I checked and you can also get an updated FILTER from Microsoft. It's very easy to set up this feature by clicking on ORGANIZE in your OUTLOOK tool bar. Then visit Microsoft to update your filter list.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
8:10 AM
The Recovery of Self and the Gospel of Sin Management
Not long ago I listened to a set of tapes by Dallas Willard, recorded as part of a lectureship given at the School of Leadership at Regent College in Vancouver, BC. In that lecture series he referred to "the gospel of sin management." It was a striking insight.
Isn't it incredible how the enemy traps us in one error by our dislike of its opposite? We see the world filled with evil and idolatry, and so we determine that we will not have this in the church! As a result, we swing to the other extreme and become so pre-occupied with sin that we are naval gazing and self-centered once again.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
7:10 AM
"Many belong to the church who do not belong to God;
"The tradition of primarily using church facilities for activities to bring missing people closer to the presence of God is not the creation of "safe places." Church buildings are owned and managed by the church, sometimes to good effect but always subordinated to some other purpose. God’s people would come closer to fulfilling the requirements of a mission to the emerging culture if they could define this common ground in such a way that it is not directly under the control of the organized church. This is the significance of the boundary between the sanctuary and the “Court of the Gentiles”—such as; believers must come out of the church in order to play on the common ground. They do not cease to be believers, but the rules of the game have changed. "
New Vision for the Future Church
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
8:20 AM
Matrix Reloaded didn't do it for you, either? Maybe The Thirteenth Floor is where we should all get off...
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
8:20 AM
O my people, your leaders mislead you, and confuse the course of your paths.
"It is you who have devoured the vineyard,
says the Lord, the God of Hosts. Isa. 3:12b-15
For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,
* * *
"We now know that human transformation does not happen through didacticism or through excessive certitude, but through the playful entertainment of another scripting of reality that may subvert the old given text and its interpretation and lead to the embrace of an alternative text and its redescription of reality." Walter Brueggemann, Cadences of Home
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:30 AM
"Rest is the ultimate humiliation because in order to rest, we must admit we are not necessary, that the world can get along without us, that God''s work does not depend on us. Once we understand how unnecessary we are, only then might we find the right reasons to say yes. Only then might we find the right reasons to decide to be with Jesus instead of working for him." Mike Yaconelli
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:00 AM
"Postmodern preaching is more than communicating to a new generation. It is speaking to a new era. We are now facing an entirely different worldview than with we found with modernism. To be effective, our preaching needs to crystallize into a postmodern shape."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:45 AM
For the past few days I have wanted to pick up Walter Brueggemann's "Cadences of Home" and finish it. Finally, after delivering my daughter to the wild and expansive youth gathering that occurs here yearly,
I lifted "Cadences of Home" from the table.
You may know (or not know) that the cover of Cadences of Home displays what looks like a wild rose, growing in the desert. In the spring of 1983, while lying on my bed early one morning, the Lord placed the same picture in my mind.
I saw a flower.. and it stood singly and alone in a vast desert of sand. Then I saw myself in the picture.. watering the flower. Three times I bent and poured out water.
At the time I only knew that the picture represented something true about my life and calling. I knew that I would be nurturing wild plants, growing in lonely places. It's only in the last two years that I have come to some clarity about all this.
It seems that some of us .. many of you who are reading this .. were made for these times. The cut of our keel, the shape of the sails we raise to the wind, were given to us to catch these very breezes. Brueggemann in his book offers much wisdom for we exiles.
For one he notes that the response of exiles is shaped by Isaiah 40-55.
Get you up to a high mountain,
"How beautiful on the mountains
As we deconstruct, and as we tentatively look for the presence of God in the desert regions,
let's find a way to utter those fresh, subversive, and liberating words. Because whatever we make of the current situation, we can't despair..
Because OUR GOD REIGNS.
Whatever has been lost, much more will be gained, because these three abide..
FAITH, HOPE, LOVE.
God's sovereign newness is wild and free, amazing and spontaneous, unpredictable and fresh.
But it will come.. OH YES.. it will surely appear.
Brueggemann closes his work..
"We can only stand in readiness for what God may do.. that standing requires the use of intentional disciplines that in every case are marked by danger:
DANGEROUS MEMORIES reaching all the way back to our father Abraham and our barren mother Sarah;
"The gospel, in our moment of exhaustion, is a caring promise and a wondrous assertion that we belong and are intensely cared for:
But now thus says the Lord; posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:30 AM
Matrix Reloaded Reviews
I saw "Reloaded" yesterday and found myself disappointed. Fortunately, after viewing the long Trailer, I was expecting to be disappointed.
Technique replaces depth; art is at the service of teen appeal. Some scenes are much too long (Zion, the fights); some pieces were just unnecessary; dialogue becomes too convoluted as the Wachowski brothers spew pieces of their philosophy. Where the Matrix allowed images to speak, this time we have to have everything explained to us. And what was innovative the first time around now feels a little strained. Ah well.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:40 AM
"Most people have a desire to love their organizations. They fall in love with the identity that is trying to be expressed. They connect to the founding vision. But then we take this vital passion and institutionalize it. We create an organization.
"The people who loved the purpose grow to disdain the institution that was created to fulfil it. Passion mutates into procedures, rules and roles. Instead of purpose, we have policies. Instead of being free to create, we impose constraints that squeeze the life out of us. The organization is frozen in time. We see its dead and bloated form and reset it for what it prevents us from doing." Margaret Wheatley
* * *
Roland Allen on education..
"Experience leads to learning "doctrine" and practices.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:30 AM
"Within a matter of seconds the Spirit of the Lord moved powerfully on
little Ben and he began to see an unfolding vision of what we have come
to believe is a part of what He would like to bring forth in His end
time church. Ben began to sob and tremble as he related this vision and
burden which the Lord gave to him. Benjamin said,
"I see a man planting a bomb under the stairs outside of our church".
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:20 AM
I recall a time when everywhere I turned I was reading about the importance of character in a leader. The stuff left me cold. I couldn't imagine why the issue was so important.
Now, a few years further along the road, I can't imagine an issue that is less important. Furthermore, as I have written in the last few months, I can't imagine an issue less important than spirituality. If I fail to stay close to the Lord, the game is over. I will end in building my own kingdoms rather than His.
* * *
Having said that, it is amazing how easy it is for me to overlook a devotional time. There are so many important things to do.. answer that email, work at my business, visit with a friend, finish an article, fix my daughters bike etc etc etc... Why do I so easily neglect my closest friend?
"Lord, in seeking your kingdom, help me to remember that it is all about You. Let me never promote myself under the guise of promoting You.
"I confess that I enjoy attention, enjoy being seen, enjoy sounding good. Lord, let it all fall to the ground, that You may be exalted. Teach me to rest, and teach me the prayer of the heart."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
3:40 PM
It's my birthday :) Unfortunately, I can't reveal my age since my PC tends to crash when I input extremely large numbers.
We've continued to search for a home here in Kelowna. Betty had a dream that we were looking at a house valued at $400,000.. more than twice what we can hope to afford. Suddenly we closed a deal at $188k. We aren't sure what this means, except that perhaps the Lord is going to do the impossible. We would really like to find a home that allows for extended hospitality, since we continue to be involved with people who need care or need transitional space. We are believing that the Lord has his hand in this.
* * *
It's cool to see that in general I am more spontaneous in intercession than I used to be. Generally if someone has a need I'll pray for them on the spot. Missed that yesterday with Nick, however. He came to offer a hand in taking a friend's garbage to the dump, and he was limping all the way. I asked him about his knee and made a mental note to pray for him before we parted, but I forgot.
Lord, you know how much this man's heart is for you and your kingdom. You see how unselfishly he gives of his life and his time.. first to his family, then to those around him. You know what a friend he has been to me. Thank you for his friendship and for his family. Heal him, Lord, and empower him to walk forward from strength to strength!
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
8:20 AM
The Other Side
The Other Side is a diverse nonprofit ministry founded in 1965. We advance a healing Christian vision that's biblical and compassionate, appreciative of the creative arts, and committed to the intimate intertwining of personal spirituality and social transformation.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
11:45 AM
"Do we need new leadership models? I confess to a love of and a weakness for models. I like diagrams, and I am good at conceptualizing new ones.
"But the danger is in identifying our models too closely with the reality we purport to represent. Our knowledge is too limited for this; every framework is potentially an idol, and every act of attention excludes other important information. The second danger is in the sense of control they offer, and the illusion that it is with our knowledge that we will build the kingdom of God.
"How do we measure Spirit? How do we control love? Since love and understanding require humility, sacrifice, and emptiness, control and love are a contradiction in terms."
Metaphors and Models and the Way of Love
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:25 AM
"God alone is free enough from wounds to offer us a fearless space. In and through God we can be faithful to each other: in friendship, marriage and community. This intimate bond with God, constantly nurtured by prayer, offers us a true home." Henri Nouwen in "Lifesigns"
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
11:20 AM
"If the thought of a kid with green hair and tattoos occupying the front row of your church is unsettling, you are not alone. This person represents more than just the latest in body piercing. He or she is a symbol of an emerging culture that requires the church to rethink how disciples will be made in the 21st century.
"My argument is simple: real disciplemaking today is a missionary enterprise, and every effective missionary operates on the principle of contextualization."
Disciple Making in a Postmodern World
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:25 AM
Once upon a time there was a Canadian family who owned a black and white cat. Her name, based on a German tradition, was Mitza (German slang for "kitty.") Mitza came from a well established family with deep roots. She was born on a farm, one of a litter of eight black and white kittens.
Kiara was born a wanderer. She was left by her mother under a bush with her two brothers, and found by a compassionate farmer's wife. Since the area was dangerous (coyotes) she was offered to my family as a second cat. Although my two daughters were now teenagers, they found her beautiful and appealing, and she came home to live with us and Mitza.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
12:05 AM
It's hockey playoff time. So far I've caught two games in the last eight. A friend of mine says it just ain't the same as it used to be. With players moving around so frequently, it is tough to develop a sense of loyalty to a team or a region. It's also challenging to find time to simply watch TV these days.
My TV habits have mutated greatly since I discovered the Internet in about 1994. Back then I was probably watching 15 hours of TV a week.. My average monthly viewing is about ten hours now. And we generally see a movie a month via rental or in the theatre.
* * *
It's time to have a good look at the peach crop and do some spacing. We have a single peach tree which has grown up with us on this rented property. It was probably about ten years old when we moved here, and is now fifteen years old. I've pruned it and fertilized it every year, and it is doing very well.
Thinking about pruning and fruitfulness this morning as I thought about the peaches. Got me thinking also about rhythms and linearity. It seems life is both circular (there are repeating patterns) and linear. Rhythms like seasons are the circularity, but rhythms move along a linear path. Think of a series of connecting circles, moving along a line into space, or, a slinky stretched upward into infinity..
We experience both rhythms and progress in life. Every year I prune and fertilize the tree: that's a rhythm. But every year it is a different tree; that is the movement forward through time, a linear path. The tree is growing and expanding and aging. Every year it is more fruitful.. but eventually that cycle will end.
* * *
This was a pancake morning. We have the most amazing pancake mix; it's a commercial mix that we buy in 10 kg bags, produced in Alberta with a whole wheat flower and some kind of quick rise yeast. These are the best pancakes we've ever had. We have them twice a week for breakfast and usually for Saturday at brunch. The Saturday production is our major effort. We often make fresh applesauce and whip up some real cream, and we have often shared this meal with guests. A simple meal but very rich.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:05 AM
Roland Allen, The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church, wrote in 1925,
"If we, toiling under the burden of our organizations, sigh for that spontaneous freedom of expanding life it is because we see in it something divine, something in its very nature profoundly efficient, something which we would gladly recover, something which the elaboration of our modern machinery obscures and deadens and kills.
"The great heresies of the early church arose not from the rapid expansions resulting from the work of unknown teachers (new converts), but in those churches which were the longest established and where the Christians were not busy winning converts." Danger to doctrine lay not with illiterate converts, but among highly educated and philosophically trained Christians in Ephesus and Alexandria.
"The church of those ages was afraid of the human speculation of learned men: we are afraid of the ignorance of illiterate men.
"The church then maintained doctrine by her faith in it: we maintain our doctrine by distrusting our converts capacity to receive it.
"The Spirit which breeds heresy is a spirit of pride which is puffed up with an undue sense of its own knowledge and is unwilling to be taught."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:00 AM
Having viewed the trailer for part 2, I'm prepared to be disappointed. Part 2 looks to have MORE of everything, more violence, more tension, more blurring of matter/spirit boundaries, and this time around, even sex. It's a must-see for me, but I doubt it my teenagers will be seeing this one. Read the original reviews at Next-Wave.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:40 AM
Interacting with some Allelon people the other day, I was reminded of Ephesians 4, where in verses 8-10 Paul tells us that Jesus ascended on high to fill all things.. and from this place of kingdom authority and majesty He "gave gifts to men."
But these gifts are not ONLY the fivefold ministry.. because the entire context of Eph.4 is community, unity and love.. and the upbuilding of the body as "each part does its work." The fullness of Christ is not achieved unless we have participation, unless every part is empowered to make its contribution.
The "fullness of Christ" in Eph.4:13 is the whole body working properly (4:16) - precisely the interrelation of all the ministries.. the very charisms of Christ. In our modern individualistic and leader centred (human, power centred) church we focused on a few of the gifts, neglected the rest, and disempowered the people of God. This wasn't always intentional, in fact sometimes quite the opposite. But we failed to understand that exalting by giving them all the time and space was crippling to others. We built congregations and not communities.
The result..? A crippled church, and the dishonoring of God''s intent and Jesus ascendent majesty and authority.
As I consider all this I feel a terrible grief. We have failed to make Jesus priesthood real in his body and have replaced him with human priests. We have taught and spoken about a priesthood of believers while failing to live it out, and we have thereby dishonored the authority of Jesus in His body.. to "distribute" and to empower as He will.
May the Lord bring us to repentance...
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:10 AM
"In the knowledge era, we will finally have to surrender the myth of leaders as isolated heroes commanding their organizations from on high. Top-down directives, even when they are implemented, reinforce an environment of fear, distrust, and internal competitiveness that reduces collaboration and cooperation. They foster compliance instead of commitment, yet only genuine commitment can bring about the courage, imagination, patience, and perseverance necessary in a knowledge-creating organization. For those reasons, leadership in the future will be distributed among diverse individuals and teams who share responsibility for creating the organization's future." Peter Senge
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
4:20 PM
This is one of those odd mornings where sleep has eluded me, so I am updating the site with some material I have wanted to add for quite some time.
First, I have added a new link at top right.. "Resources." Second, I have divided the "Articles" index into sections and added a section for book and movie reviews. Third.. well, I just know there is something else and if you browse around you may find out what it is...
Time.. lying in bed at 4 AM thinking about time.. I read somewhere recently that time will be the new invaluable commodity for the coming generation. Ultimately it is all we have.. and you can't buy any more of it. What are you doing with the time God gave you? How are you investing for the kingdom?
My family is looking for a home.. we have been renting here in Kelowna for five years now, after financial disaster (well.. nearly) six years ago. We are hoping to get back into the market this summer. Initially we were thinking of a five BR house with a suite downstairs. This would allow us to take in singles and/or small families while they get some healing, deliverance etcetera... and for the rest of the year it would supplement the mortgage.
Yesterday we were looking at a rental with a friend of ours who desperately needs to move. It was one half of a duplex.. this got me thinking that purchasing a duplex could be a good alternative to a house with a suite downstairs. It has a few drawbacks, but also advantages, particularly for discipleship. This particular duplex is near where our friend will be living, and she could use the extra support. The timing would allow another friend of ours to move and rent from us, thus escaping the very bad situation she is currently in, also saving some money, and birthing an instant community in this part of town on Holbrook and Dougall.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
4:50 AM (!)
Andre is a powerful artist whose canvas is sound.. He sent me a link to some new work he has composed. These pieces are beautiful; they are also long, and I like that. Start with Quietude and go from there.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
4:30 AM
An astonishing document.. Roland Allen was seeing and responding to a man-centered system of control and institutionalization when others weren't even aware of the issues. If you haven't read Todd Hunter's review, please do.
Read the Review at Allelon then download the entire manuscript HERE.
"There is grist enough here for a year of reflection. To me it is almost unbelievable that this revolutionary faith is all but lost to us.
I say "faith," because it is evidently a radical dependence on the Lord of the church to be about the work of building His kingdom; it is a clear decision to avoid at all costs creating dependence on human leadership. It is "faith" because it doesn't look to the things we can measure and therefore control, but is a chosen dependence on the Lord rather than on any human leader or any rationalized perspective.
I recall the last time I heard John Wimber speak. At the time I was on a Vineyard leadership team.. it was about a year before his death. He exhorted Vineyard leaders to take risks with younger leaders.. not to wait too long before releasing them into church planting and other forms of ministry. He asked them to recall how young some of them were when they were released.. and how naive.. self-willed, imperfect...
The other thing that strikes me is this:
"Paid and trained men acting in fear of what might happen" hinder growth... and cause.. less gifted but able people to "wait" for the teacher and thus lose their spontaneous zeal..and learn to be receivers, not givers."
Jean Vanier somewhere writes that we must be willing to limit the participation of the more gifted people so that others will participate, or we lose one of the essential qualities of community.
Furthermore, it is always hard to be measured against the most gifted.. and few of us are secure enough to face it. But unless we have significant participation by even the weakest members, we disempower the laos of God and thereby limit the expansion of the Kingdom. As soon as I see myself as a less than adequate priest of the gospel, as soon as I say, "I haven't enough training or spirituality.. let the paid ministers do it," I have surrendered my priesthood and authority to men and am no longer submitted to the Lord of the church.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
11:30 AM
"Now back to how we perceive Truth, truths, absolutes, and reality. Absolute Truth is something only God can perceive. It exists in His mind. But only His mind is big enough to see it all. Previously in this thread #52, I compared this Absolute Truth to a huge diamond. Because God has revealed parts of it to us, we are able to preceive some truths. Many truths, actually -- certainly enough to lead us to salvation through faith in Christ. But no matter how many truths we see, our minds will never be able to grasp the whole diamond. Only God's mind is big enough for that."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:10 AM
What makes pharisaical sin so dangerous is that it disguises itself as a form of enlightenment. This is what Jesus meant when he said, "If the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:23).
The darkness is great because one is deluded into thinking it is light. You think you are seeing better than anyone else, when, in fact, you can't see at all. This means the idea that you can't see is farthest from you. A blind person knows he is blind. A Pharisee thinks he can see, and this is why the "light" within him is actually darkness. Jesus called the Pharisees "blind guides."
"So it is necessary in this darkness we call light to identify our error and get free from our entrapment--exactly the job of all recovery groups. It could even be argued that our churches ought to be more like this. The church should be the most honest place on earth--a place where it is possible to say among friends: "Hi, I'm John, and I'm a Pharisee." John Fischer
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:50 AM
X2: X-Men United
Ok so I went to the opening of X2: X-Men United. Now, I don't go to the movies often, but this was an experience. It was the opening night of a much-hyped movie so the theater was packed and the energy in the room was buzzing. Even though I think movies are the literature of my generation, I am often bothered by the passive nature of sitting and watching a movie. There is not usually interaction, between you and your friends, you and the movie… but you and your girlfriend, well, that's a different story.
Read the Review
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
2:10 PM
"Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of
remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name." Malachi 3:16
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:10 AM
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:45 AM
Ravi Zacharias tells the following story addressing postmodernism:
"A few weeks ago, I did a lectureship at Ohio State University. As I was
being driven to the lecture, we passed the new Wexner Art Center. The driver
said, "This is a new art building for the university. It is a fascinating
building designed in the post-modernist view of reality.
"The building has no pattern. Staircases go nowhere. Pillars support nothing.
The architect designed the building to reflect life. It went nowhere and was
mindless and senseless.
"I turned to the man describing it and asked, "Did they do the same thing
with the foundation?" He laughed. You can't do that with a foundation.
"You can get away with the infrastructure. You can get away with random
thoughts that sound good in defense of a world view that ultimately doesn't
make sense. Once you start tampering with the foundations, you begin to see
the serious effects."
Read the Discussion...
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
10:45 AM
One of the books that reshaped Todd Hunter's thinking was The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church: This is from the foreword by Leslie Newbigin: Allen advocates self propagating, self-supporting and self-governing churches. To understand Allen, one must focus on all three words of the title:
Read the Review at Allelon then download the entire manuscript HERE.
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:15 AM
1. Church is a Way of Life, not a series of religious
meetings
15 Theses for a New Reformation
posted by Len Hjalmarson |
9:15 AM
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It was violent, stunning, fast-fire, horrific, dark... brilliant, convincing, provocative, and compelling. "The Matrix" was one of the best movies of the year, and wove its compelling story while raising questions about the nature of reality. Chock full of biblical allusions, it represents more to me than a postmodern excursion into entertainment: the Matrix reflects the tension between the surface level of reality, and the deep (truth) level. What is real? Is there an illusory quality to life? What is wrong with the world? Are we battling unseen foes? How will we awake to the deeper questions, amid the many distractions. Who can save us?
