Daily Meditation - Philippians 1:1-2

April 19, 2010

Philippians 1:1-2
As we begin spending time in this letter, we need to set the stage.

Paul is writing to the Church in the city of Philippi. This city was given special privilege by Octavian. After 31 BC he ordered the citizens of Philippi to surrender their land to his veterans. Apparently citizens in Philippi had supported Antony and Cleopatra rather than Octavian, so their land was taken and given to Octavian’s soldiers. The city was then given the title “Colonia Iulia Augusta Philippensis” which basically meant that people who lived there lived as though they were on Italian soil - they had some breaks when it came to taxes and such.

Philippi was a favored city and the citizens were very proud of their colony. As you read this letter from Paul, look for allusions to this fact.

To better understand the establishment of the church in Philippi, one must go to Acts 16. While we could spend much time reflecting on this passage, I refer to it only to provide context for Paul’s words in our passage. Lydia is the first convert. She is a probably a Gentile who was more than sympathetic to Judaism, but she was also a very successful businesswoman.

Upon establishing the church in Lydia’s house, Paul soon ran into trouble with the law. He cast out a demon from a young slave girl who would tell fortunes. Her owners realized that they lost a major source of income and got the city into an uproar against Paul. In the end, the city was embarrassed because they improperly treated Paul who was a Roman CItizen (something highly prized in a favored city like Philippi!).

As you read verses one and two, here are some things to consider:

Paul calls himself (and Timothy) “slaves of Christ Jesus.” Despite our modern concept of slave, this term does refer to ownership and servitude, yet Paul uses it to introduce himself. When you are introducing yourself to others, what images do you want them to have of you? What matters to you when it comes to how others think of you? Would you consider yourself a slave of Christ? How do you see this play out in your daily life?
Next, Paul refers to the people in the church at Philippi as “God’s holy people.” The Greek really says to the “saints” at Philippi. Throughout the New Testament the word “saint” (haigos) is always in the plural, referring to a group of people. How do you see yourself as part of the “Saints” of Terra Nova? What does that mean when it comes to how you view yourself and others in our church?
What connections do you see between Paul and Timothy being “slaves of Christ Jesus” and the members of the church being called “Saints in Christ Jesus”?
Lastly, Paul calls special attention to the overseers and deacons. This is the leadership of the church. In what ways do you view the leadership of the church? Do you pray for them? Do you support them by helping out and encouraging them?

As you go through your day today, allow this passage to guide you. What key thoughts impress you as you slowly read the passage? What is God saying to you through the Holy Spirit?

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Thoughts on Ministry

For the Delaware Ministerial Association meeting yesterday we had asked a veteran seminary professor from Methodist Theological Seminary of Ohio to come and speak. Dr. Diane Lobody shared with us a summary of some ministry lessons she has learned in her 35 years of being an ordained minister.

Over the next couple of blog entries, I want to share a couple of these and what they mean to me (I am approaching 20 years in the ministry).

Dr. Lobody sat on the desk at the front of the room and simply began with a story. Let's face it, stories are what make up our lives, so any life-lessons have to be in the form of a story. I won't tell all her stories, but this one deserves a summary.

Thirty-five years ago she was in her Bronx apartment with her family preparing to go down the street to her church for her ordination service. Her elderly grandmother, who was from Slovakia and was a losing grip with the world around her due to age, asked where they were going. Dr. Lobody's dad, with all the pride a father can muster, told her, "Diane is getting ordained." Grandma didn't quite understand what this meant and they tried to think of the Slovakian word for ordained. Since nothing came, he told Grandma, "Diane is becoming a Priest!"

Diane's grandmother walked up to her and in the holiness of that moment uttered some of the most profound, spirit-filled words that Diane could hear as she began her journey into ordained ministry...

"Don't take shit off nobody!"

And she walked away.

Dr. Lobody's take on this piece of advice was to listen to the grandmothers in the church, they have a lot to offer. I agree 100% with this and have made it a habit to listen them. As a young man in ministry, I remember always looking at the older generation for wisdom that a young punk like me would need.

I want to go down a different path with this. I want to comment on the advice itself.

Jesus was a pacifist and literally gave Himself up in the face of violence so that through His death and resurrection we might be saved from God's wrath. But Jesus did this when the time was complete and at His command. If you look through Jesus' life, He never backed down and He never took "S**t from anyone." Without being mean or hurtful, Jesus was able to be confident in Himself, His purpose, and His task.

I wonder how many of us can truly say that we are confident enough in our purpose and our self to stand up in the face of criticism and resistance and not lose our focus. I have struggled with this for years. I feign humility, but in reality it is a lack of confidence in the calling that God has placed on my life.

Today, I want to encourage you to be strong in your calling (everyone is called into ministry, some of us just happen to do as our vocation as well - so this is for everyone!).

For the Spirit God gives us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. (2 Timothy 1:7-8)

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

You have been called by God to serve in His Kingdom. Be confident in this.

And don't take any s*** of nobody.

Under the Mercy,
Jason

2010: A Year of Living Missionally

At Terra Nova we are committing to living one full year in a missional way. This means that we will commit every day to live in such a way that the people around us will see and experience God's love. Want to join us?

The "how" of living missionally

These are 3 questions we are asking as we pursue an entire year of living missionally (they are from Dave Gibbons' book "The Monkey and the Fish"):

1. Where is Nazareth?
In John 1 Nathanael asks what good could come from Nazareth. At Terra Nova, we are asking where is Nazareth? Where are the people that are the outsiders, the outcasts, and the oppressed? Where are those that I don't really want to believe in. Who do I think is "less than"?

When I can answer this, I know who I need to be focusing on in my pursuit of living missionally.

Craig Groeschel said, "To reach unreached people, we have to do what is not yet being done."

Who are the people around you that need to hear about HOPE?

2. What is my pain?
In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul says that to the Jews the cross is a stumbling block and to the Greeks it is foolishness. The Gospel is about meeting people at their point of pain. Too often in our culture we are focused on success and being "all together." We want to hear success stories and how we can become our best self. We want to relate to people within the context of success.

Unfortunately, the most common denominator between us is not success but pain. If I am going to relate to the people around me in a real, authentic way, I need to be willing to accept and even embrace my pain. It is within the context of this shared pain that we will be able to truly touch those around us.

3. What is in my hand?
In Exodus 4 God asks Moses a very simple question: "What is that in your hand?" The question encourages us to focus on what we have not what we are lacking. What do you have that you can use? What talents and gifts do you have now that will help those around you?

As we wrestle with these questions, we will begin the process of living every day with a missional mindset.

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Terra Nova's Christmas Show

Last night the Terra Nova band did a wonderful job with the 2nd annual Christmas Show. The room was packed, the energy was high, and the music was great! Pastor Jason shared a few brief comments...here's a summary:
Welcome to Terra Nova. Tonight we hope to help you get your soul ready for Christmas. We spend a lot of time and energy (and $) getting every other part of ourselves ready for Christmas, but tonight, we want you to set that aside long enough to prepare your heart for this season.

Christmas is all about lists isn’t it? Naughty and nice list. Wish list. To Do List. List of who you are buying for. Christmas Card list. You almost need a list of your lists! For the next few minutes, to help you clear your head, jot down some of your lists. Parties to attend, decorations to put up, family members to visit. Write it down. At least do enough to get the big picture of what the next 20 days are going to look like for you.

I wonder what God’s to do list looked like on that first Christmas?

• Put Star in the East for the Wisemen
• Convince Joseph to stay with Mary
• Immaculate Conception
• Get Mary & Joseph to Bethlehem
• Fill the rooms so they end up in a stable
• Send Angels to the shepherds
• Make sure birth goes okay

I wonder what God’s Christmas list might look like in 2009. Does He use Post-its? Does an angel write it down? He seems to like books in the Bible, maybe He has a big journal. I don’t mean what He wishes for or wants, I mean the list of things He wants to do this Christmas. What do you think that might include?

As you look over your lists, is there any crossover between what you think God wants to do this Christmas and what you want to get done this Christmas?

We are going to finish with some Christmas Carols. We would love for you to sing along. You’ve probably heard them so many times that you don’t really hear the words any more, but tonight as you consider what God wants to do this Christmas, let this be a time when you consider how you might join Him.

Suffering (and the $20 Challenge)

Note: this blog entry was first published at the $20 Challenge blog for Terra Nova. To learn more go to www.my20dollarchallenge.com.

Rick McKinley writes an interesting chapter in his book "This Beautiful Mess" about suffering. The key point he makes (much more eloquently than I will in this short blog entry!) is that we Westerners spend most of our lives doing everything we can to avoid suffering. We even, without meaning to, consider ourselves somehow superior to those who suffer.

Even when an American Christian goes some place and suffers, they usually have speaking engagements, movie rights and book deals waiting for them when they return.

"The American church doesn't produce martyrs; we produce celebrities."

As I look at my life, this statement breaks my heart because most of my life I've secretly (or not so secretly) dreamed of being a celebrity, not a martyr.

Suffering is doing without, living in pain, being abused and overpowered. I have never purposefully put myself in a position where there is even the possibility of that happening. Yet many of my brothers and sisters around the world (and throughout history) were rarely in a situation that didn't involve suffering or the fear of suffering.

$20 may not seem like much right now, but to me, it is a starting point. It is the place where I take a stand and say that I will take the road that might involve suffering - sacrifice, energy, time, resources, pain. I will choose this road and make it mine. I see my $20 as a down payment on "the pearl of great price."

How do we grow?

Right now Terra Nova is at a slight impasse. We keep bumping our head at an attendance level of 100+. We just can't maintain a growth curve because our meeting room is too small. We are currently exploring several options to manage this issue. I will be meeting with a friend next week who shared this resource with me on the multi-site concept for churches. I would love to hear any thoughts.

I'm just not sure that Delaware is a big enough county (in population as well as geography) to warrant this strategy. I wonder if we ought to be thinking bigger (sites in Marion County, Morrow County, etc) or not even think about mult-site at all.

One thing I did notice is that most churches that go to multi-site venues have a large attendance to begin with and can give up 100+ people to a new location to get things going. Obviously we are not at that point yet.

No matter what, the vision for Terra Nova remains the same: build a community (communities?) of people who love God and love people. Our strategy remains the same - help people experience lasting life transformation by connecting with God (Sunday morning Gatherings), connecting with people (Life Groups) and serving the world (Ministry Teams). Where we do this or in any number of venues doesn't matter.

I would love to hear thoughts...

Jason

What the Church Can Learn from "Public Enemies"

I went to see the movie “Public Enemies” with the guys from my family last week. I won’t give a critical review of the film, but I did notice something that made me think. The movie was about John Dillenger – public enemy #1 in the 1930’s. It traced his heyday of bank robberies and narrow escapes from the law. He became a sort of hero (many would call him an “antihero” today) in those hard times.

Here’s what caught my eye. In a poignant scene, Johnny is talking to a Syndicate (mafia) boss. They are in a hidden room filled with telephones and guys taking bets on horse races. Johnny is ready for another big score and is a little frustrated that his mafia connections are letting him down. As he confronts the mafia guy, the mob boss finally says:

“Johnny, what did you score in that last heist? $74,203? Yeah! Well this operation in this room brings that in every day now! This is a river of money from all over the U.S. Helping you is too risky because what you are doing is making the Feds pass laws to make interstate crimes a Federal issue. When that happens, this river could dry up!”

That is a paraphrase – I wasn’t taking notes in the movie theater!

Here’s what ran across my mind. Johnny was stuck in an old way of doing things. He couldn’t move forward with the times. He couldn’t think outside of his one way of doing things – robbing banks. When you already have the answer to the question – no matter what the question is – you will eventually be wrong. Johnny’s answer was “rob a bank.” It didn’t matter what the question was. But the question was changing…

In our life as a church (we don’t rob banks or run a gambling syndicate…or anything illegal!) we have to constantly ask ourselves if we are doing the most effective thing to accomplish our goal. Our goals are not nice clothes, lots of money, and fast cars – like John Dillenger. Our goals are helping people find hope in Jesus and live lives of meaning and significance.

Are we doing the best things possible to accomplish our goals? Are we becoming more known for a method and not for the message? Are we more married to a method of doing “church” than to the message of Jesus?

These are questions we must constantly ask ourselves.

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Evaluate Input to Optimize Outcome

This past week our text on Sunday was 1 John 2:27-3:10. As I reflected on the passage it became clear that John was saying, in essence, take a good look at the lives of the people (and things and companies) that are shaping your life. If they don't look like what you want to look like, don't follow them!

I wonder who and what are shaping my life. I know a lot of the people who give input into my life. I wonder if there are others that I am just not aware of. Authors, writers, directors, marketers, web page hosts. What corporations and organizations shape my life?

I have decided that I am much more than one of Pavlov's dogs. I will not simply drool everytime I hear McDonald's commercials or see a Golden Arch. I will not reach for my wallet everytime I see a shirt that might make me look more cool. I will not let hidden writers and directors shape my life.

I will evaluate every person (and thing) that has input into my life. I want to know that they are shaping me into what I want to become based on God's dream for my life.

In a phrase, I will "evaluate input to optimize outcome."

I don't put water in my car's fuel tank. I don't feed my kids junk all the time. I don't allow those I love to breath in foul air or eat spoiled food. I evaluate what goes in those things and people I treasure.

Do I treasure my soul enough to evaluate who has input on it? Do you?

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Dentists, Decay, and Fruit

I went to the dentist a few weeks back because I had a toothache. I hadn’t established a dentist since we moved to Delaware, so I deserved the toothache! Ended up, I needed a root canal, crown, and had a couple of cavities as well as some old fillings that needed to be replaced.

I hate the dentist (not any particular dentist, but the concept of “dentist”).

As I was pulling into the parking lot of my dentist yesterday to get a cavity filled, it dawned on me that if it weren’t for the Fall (original sin), decay and death would not be an issue. If Adam and Eve hadn’t sinned, I wouldn’t have a cavity!

As I reflected further (I was actually stalling so I wouldn’t have to go in the office) I started connecting dots. Jesus was crucified on Passover and resurrected on the First Fruits Feast. He was (and is) the “firstfruits” of the Kingdom of God – the new creation (see 1 Corinthians 15:23). We are then the “harvest” – the rest of the fruit that makes up the new creation.

I started thinking about this. The role of those who have experienced new life in Christ is to spread the seeds of this new creation in the world around us. These are seeds of life and hope. These are the opposite of decay and death. I started asking myself if my life was truly a life that brought life and hope or was it one that caused decay in those around me.

How would you answer that question?

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Smelly Gifts

This week my kids purchased gifts for their teachers. I find this practice an interesting concept. It seems a bit like tipping a waitress, only we entrusted our children to her for 6 hours a day and expected her to provide them with an education and hopefully reinforce the same values and expectations we have. She is grossly underpaid and under-resourced. She somehow convinced my child that learning was a good thing and worth time and effort. She kept a good attitude despite the stress I know my child caused in her life.

So we bought her some nice smelling stuff.

This just doesn’t seem right. But we do it every year.

As I pondered this, started wondering if we haven’t begun to treat all that God does for us like we do our kids’ teachers. Scripture says that in Him we live and breath and have our being. He is the author of life. He is our redeemer. He is the giver of all good gifts. And the list goes on…

So we come to church (usually) and throw a little cash in the basket.

This just doesn’t seem right. But we do it every year.

Under the Mercy,

Jason

Bad Moods and Pancakes

Tonight, I made pancakes for dinner. I went so far as to add chocolate chips. (For any of you health-conscious worry-warts, it was Fiber One pancake mix and I made the kids eat the eggs before I let them have the pancakes).

Here's the amazing thing...my kids still whined and complained. While eating chocolate chip pancakes!

I know, you are thinking that I must be a terrible parent who is raising whiny kids. Well, you might be right. But they aren't always whiny. They were just in a bad mood (and therefore, so was I).

This evening, as the kids were playing together (and not whining!), I starting reflecting. How often in my life has my Heavenly Father given me chocolate chip pancakes while I was whining? How often has my bad mood caused me to miss, or at least not enjoy, some of the best gifts He has ever given me?

I know we all have bad days and get in bad moods. I do. I just hope, in the midst of it, we are able to step back enough to realize that we might be missing chocolate chip pancakes.

Looking for pancakes,
Jason

40 Hours of Prayer

Last weekend Terra Nova held "40 Hours - A Journey of Art & Prayer" in downtown Delaware. It was amazing. Several artists from our community submitted artwork so that we could have an art gallery. Then we created an inner room in the back of the storefront (which was given to us for free!) where people from Terra Nova took 40 one-hour shifts to pray. The room included several stations and prayer exercises.

It was a truly moving experience. I was humbled to hear the spiritual growth people experienced while "in the room."

There was a prayer journal in the room where people could anonymously write prayers. Here are a few excerpts:

"It wasn't until recently I began to examine why this (I couldn't ask for specific prayer requests for myself) was an issue for me. God revealed to me it was all about my faith in Him to do something for me. It was like this big 'elephant in the room' of our relationship. Even though I felt the intense and intimate love of God - there was still something between us, something I would not, could not 'give' to him in prayer. I knew it was because I could not handle the disappointment of not getting what I asked for. It was easier not to ask in the first place. God is gently coaxing this elephant out of our relationship and I am beginning to trust him...with everything."

"Dialogue with God: Can I really be called into ministry? God answers - your work in ministry is not done (Luke 15:4-7). God's work is not done and I have the chance to participate - to join Him in what He is already doing."

"Father, help them (my children) to see that following you is better than chasing selfish goals. Help to them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give our children strength to hold their faith in you... Thank you for your unending love and buckets of grace."

"Dear Lord, fill me with your desires...Give me a heart like yours."

"You are the voice that wakes me in the morning and that guides me through the day. Some days I choose to ignore this. Like a defiant child i pull the covers over my head or take a different direction instead of following you and trusting you know the direction. "

"Change me God. I dont know how to change myself."

"Take me into your big bear hug, Father and never, never let me go so that I may never stray from you."

"I have reached a juncture in my life in which absoulutely every person I am closest to is amid poignant struggle. In my heart I know you are near me - us - Lord, and daily I am blessed by You, Your protection, Your perfect love. But in my day-to-day movements you seem farther than you once were. Show me how I can come to you and rejuvenate our relationship. I miss you."

"Thank you for our struggles, for without them we would not see you as clearly."

"Jesus, I am overwhelmed by your presence and the weight of my needs, wants, and desires."

"I need you."

"Refresh me"

"Thank you" (repeated about 50 times!)

I hope some of these prayers encourage you.

Under the Mercy,

Jason

Organic Community

It has been a long time since I last posted...my apologies.

This week we will be studying the concept of an "Organic Community" at Terra Nova. This term means a lot of things to a lot of people. I want to set out here my working definition of this term and get some feed back before Sunday.

An organic community fosters naturally occurring relationships and creates spaces for them to grow and flourish. An OC is focused on people as opposed to programs.

Some further explanation...

Naturally occurring relationships are those relationships that grow out of commonality (i.e. proximity, common interests, mutual friends, etc). In other words, an OC strives to create space for these relationships to be established and then grow rather than focusing on creating a program that forces people into relationships. An OC leverages what naturally happens and waters and feeds those relationships so that they can grow into healthy, thriving communities.

An OC might have programs (probably will!), but the focus is always on the people. The programs are only thereto help people grow in relationships. As soon as a program becomes more important than the people who run or for whom it was developed, it is scrapped.

Personally, I think the majority of churches in America today are far more programmatic than they are organic. That is pure opinion and I admit that. I hope Terra Nova can break that model and be a truly organic, connected community.

I guess time will tell.

Any feedback?

Under the Mercy,

Jason

Forgiving Ourselves?

It has been a while since I have posted...sorry. I haven't wanted to post simply to say that I have posted something. Below is an email reply I wrote to someone in our church who commented on a statement I made in a sermon a few weeks ago. I mentioned that accepting God's forgiveness is something we all need to do. Forgiving others begins with accepting God's forgiveness. This also means that we often need to forgive ourselves.

This person's (loving and gentle) push back on my statement was that the Bible never tells us to "forgive ourselves." In writing my response, I had to think through the concept quite a bit. While it probably boils down to semantics (forgiving ourselves or accepting God's forgiveness and therefore not living in guilt in shame might simply be 2 ways of saying the same thing), I wanted to post some of my own thought process on the topic. I hope you think through some of this as well.

(This is an email reply. I have tried to edit it so that you don't feel like you are walking in on a telephone call, but my apologies if I have missed something).

I agree that you won't find the words "forgive yourself" in Scripture, however, I do think that it is a Biblical concept to release yourself from false guilt and shame. The reality of grace is that we have been forgiven by God and our sins are no longer held against us. Too often Christians (especially ones that grew up in a guilt-ridden community) feel like they are supposed to live in guilt and shame - they call this humility.

Ephesians 4:32 says that we are to forgive one another. I think there is some authority and power within Christians to forgive - not ultimately for salvation, but within the Kingdom of God we are image bearers of God and therefore must reflect God's actions...one of which is forgiving. Colossians 3:13 says the same thing, adding "forgive as the Lord forgave you." If I have no authority to forgive, how can I forgive AS THE LORD FORGAVE ME?

Maybe this is all semantics, but I think we can withhold forgiveness and it has an effect on others (or even ourselves). This is not pride, this is simply the way we were created to live in relationship. Maybe what you are calling accepting God's forgiveness is really the same as what I am calling forgiving ourselves.

I am wrestling with the mixing of psychology and theology. They often come from different starting points and even have different goals. When you mix the two improperly, I have seen a lot of damage done to Christians. Guilt is a powerful motivator, but it destroys those it motivates. Too many "Christian" psychologists are using guilt to motivate. On the flip side, too many "Christian" psychologists are rejecting the sinfulness of humanity and are not allowing people's conscience to convict them. I don't know what the exact right mix is. I really struggle in my teaching as I try to unwrap the "mystery" of God which He destined for our glory (see 1 Cor. 2:7) while remembering that the wisdom of this world is coming to nothing (1 Cor. 2:6). In a culture of self-help, psycho-babble, teaching people that they are the spotless Bride of Christ for whom Christ is passionately in love while teaching humility and servitude can be a difficult line to walk.

Thanks for engaging God's Word and thinking about your life in Christ beyond Sunday morning! It reminds me that Terra Nova might be doing some things right...

Under the Mercy,
Jason

To the Pastor

I was reading 1 Timothy this morning. As I start studying a book, I take the first day and simply read through the whole thing as the first readers would have. As I reflected on the letter, my first reaction was to put myself in Timothy's place and receive instruction from my mentor.

• How do I need to teach and lead and shepherd.
• How I should talk to different people in the church.
• What leaders should look like.
• How a community should work.

After a few minutes of reflecting on this, I realized that there was someone else I needed to think about...Paul. What would I write to Terra Nova and her pastor if I were Paul?

Three different thoughts came to mind:
1) Don't get too comfortable.
2) Stay zealous for the lost, the oppressed, & the needy.
3) To the pastor: give the people something to do that is worth sacrificing for.

We live in such a time of finding what is comfortable and easy that we don't have anything in our lives worth making a sacrifice for. The question really isn't what are you willing to die for, the question is really "What are you willing to live for?" What vision am I casting for the people of God that is worth giving something up to pursue?

This is a question I will have to soak on for a while! I hope you will, too.

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Healthy Church

I just finished an interview with a consultant from LifeWay Church Resources. He was a really nice guy and I enjoyed my time with him. Apparently I took a survey a few weeks ago and Terra Nova ended up being in the top 10% of healthiest churches in America. I really don't know how they "scored" that, but I'll still take the compliment!

After the interview, I started thinking...

What is a "healthy" church? I think a healthy church is a church that is actively loving God and loving others. A healthy church will have times of expressing culturally relevant worship together as a community. They will have times of challenging each other from God's Word. They will have times of fun and relaxing together. A healthy church will make the community/city in which it lives a better place. A healthy church will make it clear to everyone how much God loves the people of that city. They will work together to build a taste of the Kingdom of God in their community.

While this is a nice vision, the pragmatist in me now asks: "HOW?" If you are still reading, here are a few thoughts:

• This kind of "Christianity" has to be taught and modeled from the pastor and staff. People should hear stories regularly of how the pastor and his/her family have been involved in loving God and loving people. The staff ought to be able to share stories about caring for others and authentically worshiping God (individually and corporately).
• People need opportunities or venues in which to learn to live this way. While it would be great to say your neighborhood is your mission field, let's face it, 90% of the people in a church are scared to death to share their faith with their neighbors. So part of the role of the leaders of the church is to create opportunities to model and then let people practicing this kind of "loving out loud."
• People need safe places to remember how good God is. This happens when small groups of people do life together. This happens on Sunday mornings when corporately we talk about God and how He is working in our lives. This happens via email and phone calls between people who are in authentic relationships with others in their community of faith.
• People need to be inspired. This world is full of depressing and dark news. People need to know that the God they love is bigger than this world. They need to know that life is more than an accident of nature, but it has meaning and significance.
• People need to be prayed for and cared for. Ezekiel 34 challenges the "shepherds of Israel" to start truly caring for their sheep. The prophetic call to shepherd needs to be sounded again. Pastors and leaders need to care for the people of their congregation...really love them! When you do, you will pray for them, you will invest in them, you will teach them, you will inspire them to be more than they ever dreamed they could be.

Terra Nova may have "scored" well on some survey, but in reality, our health boils down to our people learning how to love - God and others. So far, they are amazing at this. My prayer is that we continue to grow in this. I can honestly say that I love this church (and I don't mean the building!). I hope I get to pastor here until I die!

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Abraham Lincoln Photograph

This week in the news the great-great grandson of Ulysses S. Grant discovered a photo in an old album that seems to have Abraham Lincoln in front of the White House. Since there are only about 130 known photos of Lincoln and this one places him in front of the White House, it was a very significant find.

My father-in-law and sister-in-law (Sarah Packard who attends Terra Nova!) run a business that deals in Civil War relics. A few weeks ago I spent a few hours looking at relics at my in-laws’ house and it was fascinating to say the least. Holding pieces of history, learning the stories behind the pieces – it was really neat.

This made me think about what kind of relics I will leave behind. In 100 years what will be left of me. I know there are more than 130 photographs of me (I even have one of me in front of the White House!) but I really don’t think very many of them are pictures I want to share with the world! What else am I leaving behind? Too many King Dong wrappers! A lot of books. Hopefully a healthy, thriving church.

After everything is said and done, really the only thing we leave behind of any significance is the difference we made in people’s lives. This week I hope you will take a minute and think about what kind of difference you are making in the lives of the people around you. I doubt any of us will live in the White House, but I do live in a white house in Delaware where I can make a difference in the lives of my neighbors and community.

Who knows…maybe in 100 years there will be a picture of you that turns up and people will stop and reflect on the impact you made in the lives of the people of Delaware.

Under the Mercy,

Jason

I just got old...

My wife and Jimmy (worship leader at Terra Nova) are watching American Idol while I try to ignore it and do stuff...but it is hard to ignore. Some 16 year-old sang and it dawned on me that she was born the year Christan and I got married. We are now old enough to have kids who could be on American Idol.

I'm old.

I guess I should have some spiritual twist to this post, but I'm not sure what it is. Maybe we all need to reach that point where we allow our feet to settle firmly in reality and start living out of that position.

Do you have a realistic view of the world around you? Do you have a realistic view of yourself and how God sees you? Even if you're old.

Jonah 4:5-11 The End of the Story?

God and Jonah have a discussion. Jonah continues to whine. God teaches him a little lesson with an unpredictable plant. Just as God provided a fish, now he provides a gourd and then a worm and a scorching east wind. Sometimes we don't realize how generous God is.

Just as the story of the prodigal son ends with a strange awkwardness, so does Jonah. Three times in this chapter Jonah wants to die because he is so upset that God didn't wipe out Nineveh. In Jonah's defense, when a prophet preaches fire and brimstone and there ends up being no fire and brimstone, it can look bad on his resume. He wanted to see some fireworks!

There have been (and continue to be) too many times when I wished a person would see the "smite" button from God but instead they see blessing. I know I often find myself thinking that I am much more just and fair than God. And up shoots a plant...

Maybe it's a growth spurt at church...
Maybe it's a little extra cash we weren't expecting...
Maybe it's some unsolicited praise or recognition...

I really didn't make it happen. I didn't tend it or make it grow. And when it disappears or fades away, I get a little miffed. God may ask me if I have any right to be mad about it, but my response is simply, "Woe is me, I have it so bad, my life is so hard, wah, wah, wah!"

God's response is usually something to effect of:
"When I do what I want done through you, be content in knowing that you are working within my ultimate plans. Don't be so self-centered to think that it is all about you. There are many of my children that you don't know about that I am working to reconcile to myself. If I use your talents in the process - GREAT! If I use someone elses - GREAT! If I use your failure - it's not a failure. Your job is to enjoy a relationship with Me. My job is to work on people's hearts. When I do, enjoy it with me."

As we wrap up our reading of Jonah, take a minute and ask yourself if you a really okay with God working how ever God wants to work in this world. Or have you already decided how God should work things out and if it doesn't go the way you want, you will either say it wasn't God or you will question God's goodness. There are several places where Jesus has to remind the disciples that they are not the only ones who get it or are being used by God. Today, Jesus still has to keep reminding me that He is working and I need to be content with His plan, not mine.

That is a hard pill to swallow!

There is a lot more we could say about Jonah...maybe I'll write a blog or two about the topics I didn't get a chance to talk about (death being swallowed - see 1 Cor. 15:54; The gates of Sheol - see Matt. 16:18; vocation versus calling - Jonah 1:8 - what kind of work do you do? And more...).

I hope you've seen how Jonah was really a type of Israel (and I would say the Church today). Satisfied with the status quo, not wanting to shake things up, looking for physical and political security rather than God's will to be done. God made sure things got shaken up. Just as Jonah was given a fish, a plant, a worm, and a hot wind, so the First Century Church was giving persecution. What is God giving us today that we might regain a fire for Him?

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Jonah 4:1-4 - From Prodigal to Older Son

Every time I read these verses I am drawn to Jesus' story of the prodigal son. For the first 3 chapters Jonah is more like the prodigal son, but here he becomes the older brother. He is apalled by the Father's graciousness and mercy. He's mad at God because God is too nice.

In a few verses we will be upset at the lack of resolution to the story, but even that reminds me of Jesus parable! I have to wonder if Jesus didn't have Jonah in mind when He told that story 750 years later.

Jonah has become a type of Israel (and now I would say the Church). His character has played the part of a people who have been blessed and then become satisfied (read: fat and happy) and therefore quit listening to God. Jonah, like Israel, realizes he can pay his own fare, yet it is a downward passage he is buying. Finally, God sends a fish - not necessarily as judgment, but as salvation. So Jonah obeys but is indignant that God's grace would be seen outside the boundaries Jonah decided God would work in.

This reminds me of the modern day American church. We are fat and happy. We have reached a point where we can pay our own fare, but it is a journey downward. Not to get to weird, but I wonder if the current economic crisis won't become the big fish that at first seems like judgment, but in reality is our deliverance - from ourselves. I just hope we can repent and complete the circle without becoming bitter like Jonah.

In today's verses, Jonah admits that he ran to Tarshish so that God would destroy Nineveh (v. 2). Would I really run toward easy street knowing that others would suffer because of my self-centeredness? I hope I wouldn't do that...but I know I do it in small ways every day. I'm not careful with my money. I'm not mindful of my words. I'm interested in easy, not holy.

God forgive me.

Under the Mercy,
Jason