Month: January 2008

God & Politics

Tonight the PBS NOW program focused on God and Politics in 2008. Surprisingly, this piece was even-handed, demonstrating both the socially progressive and politically charged expressions of faith in Evangelicalism. Pastors from across Kansas were interviewed, revealing disturbing to encouraging stances on the role of faith and politics. An interesting quote (as best as I can recall):

“More often than not, when you mix religion and politics, you get politics. As a preacher I am called to preach the gospel, that’s good news. Its about deliverance. Politics can’t deliver; it never will.”

See also the Pew Foundation’s Young White Evangelicals: Less Republican, More Conservative

Web stream will be available.

Qualifications for Elders and Pastoral Accountability

I meet with two guys every two weeks for pastoral accountability. I hesitate to use the word “accountability” given all its negative connotations. I have written on those here, charting a more gospel-grounded approach to accountability. We read through a book of the Bible every two weeks and then meet to do “Text-Theology-Life”. Currently we are reading through 1 Timothy.

Chapter three is about the qualifications of an overseer/elder. These are easy to read with a view to cultivating more elders/pastors, but the Spirit slowed me down enough to consider, not assume, my own status in practicing these qualifications. The string of adjectives can be intimidating: “must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…” In particular, I have been lingering over “manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity.” One way to get at what Paul means is to consider the opposite.

If your house is in disorder, with kids managing the parents based on their incessant wants and unruly behavior, then chances are the household is not well managed. If kids schedules and pleadings are constantly caved into, its the kids that run the home, not the parents.

Some planters/pastors abdicate this responsibility in pursuit of “nobler church ministry,” but the logic of Paul is exactly the opposite: “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” Some are so busy managing their churches, that they neglect their own families. This is a disqualification for pastoral ministry. It puts the cart before the horse, church before family. Some of us need to repent both privately and publicly over this sin.

However, we can’t mistake generally problem free households for well-managed households. My kids have a pretty good tempermants, but am I managing—protectively and caringly leading—my family practically and spiritually? Am I modeling and cultivating tenderness, respect, and obedience? Or am I just coasting on good kid temperament? Do I take time to instruct my children with patience and love? Do I pray with them and teach them about Jesus? Do I spend time with my wife away from the kids discussing family life and just delighting in her? These are questions I am asking myself.

For some helpful audio and notes on the qualifications of pastors/elders, check out Darrin Patrick’s talk “Developing Elders, Deacons, and Members.

The What and How of Church Planting (from Luke 9)

Below is a summary of thoughts I shared with our launch team this week. These statements about church planting were culled from Luke 9.

Four Points:

o Church planting/kingdom work is hard, self-denying work.

§ Take up your cross, deny yourself daily, embrace social ostracism, sacrifice of your time, even excess family time to follow Jesus on mission in being the church. (9:23, 62)

o Church planting is multiplying work.

§ Jesus SENT 12 and 70 to proclaim the kingdom message and make disciples, not to build a building or launch a service.

§ Church planting is a community project, not a paid position. When confronted with the needs of feeding 5,000, Jesus said “You give them something to eat” (13).

§ Son of man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them (56). We have a winsome, saving gospel, not a destructive, legalistic message.

o Church planting is city renewing work.

§ Jesus set his face to Jerusalem to save the city and may cities to come (51). Paul followed this pattern in his urban church planting focus. We exist not to be a hip church but to renew the city socially and spiritually with the gospel of Christ.

o Church planting requires humility.

 

§ Jesus puts God’s glory above our own desire for praise and recognition (46-48). Planting is not about personal praise for your sacrifices. Your reward is from God.

§ We are about expanding His kingdom, not just our church. We are one of many local churches that will cooperatively bring in spiritual and social renewal.

§ Our worth should not fluctuate with numerical shrinkage and growth. Instead root your significance in Jesus death and resurrection to accept, love, and change you.

            § We should not think of ourselves as great because we are living the missional life. This does not make                 you special; it makes you obedient.

 

One Foundation: God in Christ through the Spirit is our nourishment and strength to live the self-denying, church multiplying, city renewing, humility requiring work of church planting.

o We feed but we are not the food. God sets the table in the wilderness as he did with Israel and with the 5,000.

o The power for spiritual growth and multiplication comes from King Jesus: “Where you go, the King goes, and where the King goes, people bow.” – Neil Cole