Thoughts on Evangelism: How do you Deal with Father Issues?
Last Sunday we heard a marvelous testimony of how a family had been hurt by a father’s actions (and inactions) and broken by divorce. Family members for years were among the walking wounded. Then, in a moment of clarity, the Lord touched the wayward father, and years of pain were healed. It is a great illustration of God working through prayer to change lives.
But what happens when that moment of clarity does not come? When fathers and children do not find resolution or when death separates family members before such clarity can come. Or what happens to children who never meet their fathers?
Hebrews 12 talks about fathers:
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
How does this read to a son or daughter whose father has been absent or abusive or self-absorbed? How do you witness about God the Father to someone who has never met his father?
Maybe a place to start is Matthew 27: 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus himself knows what it means to be a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”. Though he knew his death was necessary, he felt abandoned by God the Father. So Jesus deeply understands what it means to have a bad father or no father at all. As you witness to those with father issues, this may be a place to start. One huge difference is that God the Father was not “disciplining” Jesus his son: Jesus’ death is necessary to heal OUR relationship with God, not to heal Jesus’ relationship with his Father God.
To help a new believer understand this relationship between a father’s discipline and our adoption as sons and daughters I think there are two things you can do.
First, you can help the new believer (or someone asking questions) think about someone in their life who asserted authority in a caring way: a teacher or pastor or uncle or brother. If they can see that the person disciplined them for their own good, you have got a good example. Certainly you can emphasize that, as a human, that person in their life probably has made plenty of mistakes of their own. But we can learn even from mediocre examples. Try to draw parallels between that important person in their life and how God the Father has led and disciplined you in your life.
Second, and more important, you can become a leader in that person’s life as you disciple them in the faith. God grants us the authority to preach his word and do his will on earth. That authority is based on our relationship with Jesus Christ and is enabled by our knowledge of Jesus. That puts a responsibility on us to be in prayer and in God’s Word regularly so that we can align our will with our Father’s will. We will not be perfect. But we are responsible to do the Father’s work and that will include teaching and helping others understand their relationship with God. You may be called to be that caring, loving one who disciplines that we talked about in the last paragraph. Just because it is a heavy responsibility does not mean you are not called by God to assume it.
Pray about it. Maybe you have father issues. That might make you uniquely qualified to help a new believer with their own issues. Maybe God is calling you to have a discipling relationship that is modeled after the kind of loving Father described in Hebrews 12. If you are called to help or lead someone into a deeper walk with Jesus, remember to talk to those who are your spiritual leaders for help and advice and go to them for prayer. Taking on this kind of relationship may be scary, but it brings a deep joy to you and to your Father.
Monday, December 30, 2013
I guess I really do have a chronic illness...
Google "psoriatic arthritis" and read all about it. The description of symptoms matches me perfectly! There are 5 varieties and I seem to have symptoms of about three kinds. Right now I am experiencing a pretty bad flare up in the lower back: dance lessons canceled, cane retrieved from it holder.
Thinking back, I've had symptoms for years and for years have denied that there was any problem. Do you really mean it's not normal to be in pain all the time?? I thought it was a natural consequence of the various sports abuses I've put myself through over the years.
The “Last Week’s Sermon” Game or Are You Ready to Talk About Jesus?
The “Last Week’s Sermon” Game or Are You Ready to Talk About Jesus?
I’d like to invite you to play a game I made up. We are all familiar with the scripture: "...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." But, are you really ready?
Here’s my game: Imagine that someone asks you to tell them about Jesus and what he means to you and why he is important, and your response has to come from Last Week’s Sermon.
To play the game, you pretend to have a conversation where someone asks you a leading question about your faith or about Jesus and you respond by using last week’s message along with your own personal references and knowledge to tell the person about Jesus Christ.
It’s a game, but the rules are loose. You are certainly allowed to use other scripture references and certainly you should use some of your own personal stories and knowledge, but the main part of your response should come from the content of the week’s message.
Here’s a sample. “It’s Christmas and everyone is talking about Christ and I know that you go to church. What do you say about the meaning of Christmas and Jesus and religion and all that stuff?”
Like Nehemiah (Neh 2:4), shoot a quick prayer of thanks toward heaven and say: “I’m glad you asked. Just last week at church we heard a story about Jesus that came from a book in the Old Testament by a prophet that lived 800 years before Jesus even came to earth! BTW, a prophet is a messenger that brings God’s message to people, and this prophet, Isaiah, predicted that Jesus would be born and he would bring light and be a light for his people who were in the middle of a terribly dark period of their history. Isaiah was writing to a people that were have super hard times and they were cursing the government and life in general. Isaiah told them that a light would come in the form of a child and that light would be the Wonderful Counselor, the Might God, The Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
“And if you think about each name, you’ll get why the coming of Jesus means so much to me and to everyone: Jesus is God come to earth. He lived with us and walked with us for a season and then returned to God the Father to plead our case before his throne. We can call God our Everlasting Father because of restored relationship.
“My own connection with my real father has been tenuous at best. I met him only a couple of times in my whole life, and although he said that he prayed for me, it’s been hard to relate to him as a father and now he’s passed away. So thinking of God as my Everlasting Father is really meaningful for me.”
You get the idea. Use Last Weeks Sermon as a reference and as a springboard to talk about your relationship with Jesus. Use the game to mentally practice what you might say so you’ll be ready when God sends you someone with a question.
I’d like to invite you to play a game I made up. We are all familiar with the scripture: "...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." But, are you really ready?
Here’s my game: Imagine that someone asks you to tell them about Jesus and what he means to you and why he is important, and your response has to come from Last Week’s Sermon.
To play the game, you pretend to have a conversation where someone asks you a leading question about your faith or about Jesus and you respond by using last week’s message along with your own personal references and knowledge to tell the person about Jesus Christ.
It’s a game, but the rules are loose. You are certainly allowed to use other scripture references and certainly you should use some of your own personal stories and knowledge, but the main part of your response should come from the content of the week’s message.
Here’s a sample. “It’s Christmas and everyone is talking about Christ and I know that you go to church. What do you say about the meaning of Christmas and Jesus and religion and all that stuff?”
Like Nehemiah (Neh 2:4), shoot a quick prayer of thanks toward heaven and say: “I’m glad you asked. Just last week at church we heard a story about Jesus that came from a book in the Old Testament by a prophet that lived 800 years before Jesus even came to earth! BTW, a prophet is a messenger that brings God’s message to people, and this prophet, Isaiah, predicted that Jesus would be born and he would bring light and be a light for his people who were in the middle of a terribly dark period of their history. Isaiah was writing to a people that were have super hard times and they were cursing the government and life in general. Isaiah told them that a light would come in the form of a child and that light would be the Wonderful Counselor, the Might God, The Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
“And if you think about each name, you’ll get why the coming of Jesus means so much to me and to everyone: Jesus is God come to earth. He lived with us and walked with us for a season and then returned to God the Father to plead our case before his throne. We can call God our Everlasting Father because of restored relationship.
“My own connection with my real father has been tenuous at best. I met him only a couple of times in my whole life, and although he said that he prayed for me, it’s been hard to relate to him as a father and now he’s passed away. So thinking of God as my Everlasting Father is really meaningful for me.”
You get the idea. Use Last Weeks Sermon as a reference and as a springboard to talk about your relationship with Jesus. Use the game to mentally practice what you might say so you’ll be ready when God sends you someone with a question.
Best Year Ever (Year End Letter)
Best Year Ever! (Again!) I thought last year was the best ever, but this year was better.
This is the year that Spotlight (formerly Christian Youth Theater) came into our lives. First, Bonnie was invited to teach voice for the Lake County group. Then last summer, Bonnie costumed the Spotlight Adult show: Thoroughly Modern Millie. The talent (of Bonnie and the actors and the other people responsible for the production, including Elle who was the vocal director) was truly awesome. Michael got to see the show Every Night and loved it more each time he saw it! Bonnie got to make lots of new friends and work with some very talented people. Subsequently, Bonnie taught a voice class at the North Cook Spotlight group and is assisting in a Lake County class for the fall/winter session. Spotlight is a great organization dedicated to highlighting Jesus Christ through the performing arts. To complete the Spotlight part of the letter, Elle (Erin Laurel) is now a full time Spotlight employee working in several areas of the company, but mainly in marketing. This spring Elle will be directing a show for the Kenosha group and she has already invited Bonnie to work on the costuming.
You may have gathered that Elle must have left the Fred Astaire system, and you are correct! This is a huge change for her to leave the world of Ballroom and be totally involved with a Christian organization!
Another big, big change: Bonnie and Michael have closed the door on the Ballroom Dance Gown business!! The business was bought by our friend Michael, owner and manager of the Burr Ridge Fred Astaire. Michael always made us feel welcome in his studio, even before it was his studio and he made the dresses an important part of introducing his students into the world of Ballroom Competition. Once the Lord led Bonnie away from ballroom, it was a marvelously short time from that realization to the dresses leaving our house for Burr Ridge.
So, you might think that Bonnie might take a little time off to recover from years of intense work: you would be wrong. In addition to large, labor intensive contracts with the Mundelein HS Show Choir, Bonnie has started a new Etsy business: Bonnie’s Belle Babies, making infant and child clothing and accessories!
Giles, our SIL, has done a lot of graphic work for us. He made the banner above, but Michael inexpertly inserted our granddaughter’s picture over Gile’s graphic. Briana and Giles are working hard to realize their dream of a successful startup company. Cool Perks (mycoolperks.com) is a kind of electronic couponing company that uses smartphones and computers to actually pay people who distribute coupons to their friends. This kind of startup takes a tremendous amount of work and delightful and intelligent people (Briana and Giles) to explain and sell the concept to businesses.
Did I mention how Delightful it is to have Giles, Briana, and Giselle living with us? Getting daily exposure to this family and watching Giselle grow up is awesome!
We don’t get to see them every day, but Joel, Jen, and Sloane are just 30 minutes away. Sloane is awesome and Jen keeps us up-to-date with her amazing pictures. Joel works his computer magic mainly from home, so they are the Nuclear Family. We’ve had some great times with them this year.
Bonnie went to Haiti for the third time this year, then had surgery to repair her left thumb. She liked it so much, she’s going to do both again this coming year, but this time the right thumb. Michael had an ankle fusion and (finally) returned to daily bike riding and he hasn’t been physically so well off for a number of years! He’s teaching math two days a week at College of Lake County and spends another couple of days watching Giselle and Ezra, both great kids! He gets to read a lot of his favorite Dr. Seuss books and watch SpongeBob and Phineas and Ferb.
We’ve had a lot of changes, a lot of fun, a lot of little children, a lot of work, and, as always, we have found that God is Good, All the Time!
This is the year that Spotlight (formerly Christian Youth Theater) came into our lives. First, Bonnie was invited to teach voice for the Lake County group. Then last summer, Bonnie costumed the Spotlight Adult show: Thoroughly Modern Millie. The talent (of Bonnie and the actors and the other people responsible for the production, including Elle who was the vocal director) was truly awesome. Michael got to see the show Every Night and loved it more each time he saw it! Bonnie got to make lots of new friends and work with some very talented people. Subsequently, Bonnie taught a voice class at the North Cook Spotlight group and is assisting in a Lake County class for the fall/winter session. Spotlight is a great organization dedicated to highlighting Jesus Christ through the performing arts. To complete the Spotlight part of the letter, Elle (Erin Laurel) is now a full time Spotlight employee working in several areas of the company, but mainly in marketing. This spring Elle will be directing a show for the Kenosha group and she has already invited Bonnie to work on the costuming.
You may have gathered that Elle must have left the Fred Astaire system, and you are correct! This is a huge change for her to leave the world of Ballroom and be totally involved with a Christian organization!
Another big, big change: Bonnie and Michael have closed the door on the Ballroom Dance Gown business!! The business was bought by our friend Michael, owner and manager of the Burr Ridge Fred Astaire. Michael always made us feel welcome in his studio, even before it was his studio and he made the dresses an important part of introducing his students into the world of Ballroom Competition. Once the Lord led Bonnie away from ballroom, it was a marvelously short time from that realization to the dresses leaving our house for Burr Ridge.
So, you might think that Bonnie might take a little time off to recover from years of intense work: you would be wrong. In addition to large, labor intensive contracts with the Mundelein HS Show Choir, Bonnie has started a new Etsy business: Bonnie’s Belle Babies, making infant and child clothing and accessories!
Giles, our SIL, has done a lot of graphic work for us. He made the banner above, but Michael inexpertly inserted our granddaughter’s picture over Gile’s graphic. Briana and Giles are working hard to realize their dream of a successful startup company. Cool Perks (mycoolperks.com) is a kind of electronic couponing company that uses smartphones and computers to actually pay people who distribute coupons to their friends. This kind of startup takes a tremendous amount of work and delightful and intelligent people (Briana and Giles) to explain and sell the concept to businesses.
Did I mention how Delightful it is to have Giles, Briana, and Giselle living with us? Getting daily exposure to this family and watching Giselle grow up is awesome!
We don’t get to see them every day, but Joel, Jen, and Sloane are just 30 minutes away. Sloane is awesome and Jen keeps us up-to-date with her amazing pictures. Joel works his computer magic mainly from home, so they are the Nuclear Family. We’ve had some great times with them this year.
Bonnie went to Haiti for the third time this year, then had surgery to repair her left thumb. She liked it so much, she’s going to do both again this coming year, but this time the right thumb. Michael had an ankle fusion and (finally) returned to daily bike riding and he hasn’t been physically so well off for a number of years! He’s teaching math two days a week at College of Lake County and spends another couple of days watching Giselle and Ezra, both great kids! He gets to read a lot of his favorite Dr. Seuss books and watch SpongeBob and Phineas and Ferb.
We’ve had a lot of changes, a lot of fun, a lot of little children, a lot of work, and, as always, we have found that God is Good, All the Time!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Marriage
But I do have a couple of comments. Often wives store up their complaints over time. Sometimes it's over things that aren't quite worth mentioning at the time, or circumstances prevent bringing it up. But during hormonal times or other stress, often the filters come off and the whole pile of problems come tumbling out. When that happens it may trigger your own set of stored complaints, partly in defense, partly because you think "well, if she's going to bring that up, this is my chance to bring up the other thing that bothers me". Bringing up your complaints At This Time is hardly ever a good idea. The best thing to do is listen carefully and patiently. It may well be that you will hear something that you had no idea was a problem, or knew about but didn't think it was a problem. It may be a problem to her and you may get an insight on how to serve your wife and family in the future. Patience doesn't mean condescension! What your wife says is important for you to hear with a humble heart. You may not agree with everything she is saying, but this is also not the time to engage in lengthy arguments. It is time to listen.
That doesn't mean it is never time to respond and share your own feelings, but it is better to leave it for when you are both at your best - and then only one issue at a time. More later, but you need to know we care about both of you and want the best for your marriage! Last night you told me that you know of women who have husbands "worse" than, but are filled with joy and and are Godly women. I don't doubt that and celebrate that God can bring men and women to a place within difficult relationships that they can praise God and have an effective ministry. But this does not let the husbands off the hook. You are more than just familiar with Ephesians 5 and other scriptures talking about the relationship between husbands and wives, but this morning it hit me that, like teachers, husbands are held more accountable. The fact that a wife may be growing and rejoicing in God is a testimony to that woman's walk with God, but doesn't let the men "off" of their responsibility to love their wives like Christ loves the church. More than once, I have gotten the feeling that you want to let certain men off the hook.
Another thing that has bothered me is your claim that because there was a "presenting sin" like pornography in cases like mine that our cases are different than others. I am certainly not denying my sin, but I was a lousy husband and father long before I got involved in pornography. I was lucky to have a defining event that let me reset my life in better channels.
That doesn't mean it is never time to respond and share your own feelings, but it is better to leave it for when you are both at your best - and then only one issue at a time. More later, but you need to know we care about both of you and want the best for your marriage! Last night you told me that you know of women who have husbands "worse" than
Another thing that has bothered me is your claim that because there was a "presenting sin" like pornography in cases like mine that our cases are different than others. I am certainly not denying my sin, but I was a lousy husband and father long before I got involved in pornography. I was lucky to have a defining event that let me reset my life in better channels.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Below are excerpts from the Vision document I wrote (on another sleepless night) some time ago.
What I realized tonight, is that living the vision is not beyond any in our fellowship. Bonnie lives this vision more than I, but I thought I might provide some examples:
Bonnie for weeks cooked meals almost daily for friends with serious medical issues.
She and I are going to a friend who suffered an accident so that she can help plan and execute what is needed to facilitate our friend's daughter's wedding coming up at the end of July.
We participated with others on our block in a homecoming celebration for a soldier returning from Afghanistan.
After church I was able to pray with a brother obviously in deep depression.
Frequently, after-church interventions are embodiments of loving and serving each other, and loving and obeying God.
We have frequently been the recipients of this same love and care from the body. During our lowest moments financially (and emotionally), people brought us food (sometimes, seemingly out of the blue), gave us gift cards, and helped financially. I can't tell you how much that has meant to us both.
I feel these are all examples of what it means to be a Christian Community. These are the kind of things that are going on all over the church, but I think we can do a far better job. Even well connected people often feel alone in their troubles and pain. Too often we wait for disaster before we reach out. We need to encourage people to listen to the Spirit of God inside them prompting them to reach out. Many times, this kind of reaching out just requires some of our time to listen and pray with each other.
I think we need to keep asking ourselves: What is God prompting us to do? When I shared with Eric my concern for someone in the fellowship, he rightly pointed out that if God had put that concern on my heart, it was probably for me to do something about it.
My vision for the fellowship is to be a people who hears God and acts in love and obedience to Him to love and serve others.
Personal Vision
Or, I should say, Vision for Each Person.
a) We must love God and worship him above all else corporately and individually.
b) The fellowship of believers should be a family that loves each other. As in a family, we should feel at the same time both safe and challenged: safe to share our fears, joys, thoughts, and gifts in an atmosphere of love, and challenged to grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ. As a responsible member of the family we must listen, love, support, and encourage, as well as (at the direction of the Spirit), admonish or even rebuke each other.
This love within the fellowship enables love beyond the community of believers to all for whom Christ has died. From the safety of the fellowship, we are empowered to love those around us in our communities and workplace (even on the highway). We live the love of Christ.
c) We should serve one another. We should live lives of willing service looking for opportunities to meet the needs of others, first in the fellowship of believers (including our own families), then in the community.
d) We should grow in the knowledge of our Lord so that we might bear fruit through his power and in his name.
e) We should use our gifts to edify the body and to bear witness of Christ to the world. Here, I use gifts in a broad sense to include all the gifts of the Spirit and talents granted by God. As a fellowship, we should educate and encourage using our gifts to glorify God.
1. Those who sing or dance or play an instrument or deliver a line or reading should do so to the glory of God. Such talents are given to help us worship and glorify God. People with such gifts lead us in worship by letting us partner with them as they meet God and give their talents as an offering to him.
2. Those given a Word of prophesy, wisdom, exhortation, or knowledge or a gift of discernment must share, first with the Elders and then with the fellowship.
3. Those given a gift of healing, tongues, or interpretation must share with the fellowship.
I Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
4. All are called to testify of God’s work and glory, first to the fellowship, then to the community.
What I realized tonight, is that living the vision is not beyond any in our fellowship. Bonnie lives this vision more than I, but I thought I might provide some examples:
Bonnie for weeks cooked meals almost daily for friends with serious medical issues.
She and I are going to a friend who suffered an accident so that she can help plan and execute what is needed to facilitate our friend's daughter's wedding coming up at the end of July.
We participated with others on our block in a homecoming celebration for a soldier returning from Afghanistan.
After church I was able to pray with a brother obviously in deep depression.
Frequently, after-church interventions are embodiments of loving and serving each other, and loving and obeying God.
We have frequently been the recipients of this same love and care from the body. During our lowest moments financially (and emotionally), people brought us food (sometimes, seemingly out of the blue), gave us gift cards, and helped financially. I can't tell you how much that has meant to us both.
I feel these are all examples of what it means to be a Christian Community. These are the kind of things that are going on all over the church, but I think we can do a far better job. Even well connected people often feel alone in their troubles and pain. Too often we wait for disaster before we reach out. We need to encourage people to listen to the Spirit of God inside them prompting them to reach out. Many times, this kind of reaching out just requires some of our time to listen and pray with each other.
I think we need to keep asking ourselves: What is God prompting us to do? When I shared with Eric my concern for someone in the fellowship, he rightly pointed out that if God had put that concern on my heart, it was probably for me to do something about it.
My vision for the fellowship is to be a people who hears God and acts in love and obedience to Him to love and serve others.
Personal Vision
Or, I should say, Vision for Each Person.
a) We must love God and worship him above all else corporately and individually.
b) The fellowship of believers should be a family that loves each other. As in a family, we should feel at the same time both safe and challenged: safe to share our fears, joys, thoughts, and gifts in an atmosphere of love, and challenged to grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ. As a responsible member of the family we must listen, love, support, and encourage, as well as (at the direction of the Spirit), admonish or even rebuke each other.
This love within the fellowship enables love beyond the community of believers to all for whom Christ has died. From the safety of the fellowship, we are empowered to love those around us in our communities and workplace (even on the highway). We live the love of Christ.
c) We should serve one another. We should live lives of willing service looking for opportunities to meet the needs of others, first in the fellowship of believers (including our own families), then in the community.
d) We should grow in the knowledge of our Lord so that we might bear fruit through his power and in his name.
e) We should use our gifts to edify the body and to bear witness of Christ to the world. Here, I use gifts in a broad sense to include all the gifts of the Spirit and talents granted by God. As a fellowship, we should educate and encourage using our gifts to glorify God.
1. Those who sing or dance or play an instrument or deliver a line or reading should do so to the glory of God. Such talents are given to help us worship and glorify God. People with such gifts lead us in worship by letting us partner with them as they meet God and give their talents as an offering to him.
2. Those given a Word of prophesy, wisdom, exhortation, or knowledge or a gift of discernment must share, first with the Elders and then with the fellowship.
3. Those given a gift of healing, tongues, or interpretation must share with the fellowship.
I Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
4. All are called to testify of God’s work and glory, first to the fellowship, then to the community.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Vision Statement December 2009
Thoughts on Vision
I see a two tiered vision for TCC: the first personal, the second, corporate.
Personal
First, some scripture taken from Christ’s last words to his disciples: words meant to guide both in the short period of Christ’s absence from them and after the Spirit is given to them. Each paragraph contains an instruction from Christ as to how we should live. I can’t study the words in the original language, but the verbs are active. I have italicized the commands.
a) John 13:12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant [3] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Summary: we are called to serve one another.
b) John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” And John 15: 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, [1] for the servant [2] does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Summary: We are commanded to love one another.
c) John 14: 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; [1] believe also in me…6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. [4] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Summary: We are to believe in God (New International Version: Trust in God; trust also in me.)
d) John 14: 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, [6] to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you…21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
Summary: We are to keep his commandments because we love him. Keeping his commandments demonstrates our love for him.
e) John 15: 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Summary: We are commanded to abide in Christ.
f) John 15: 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Summary: We are to bear witness (New International Version: you also must testify).
I can’t quote all of Ephesians, but I take that book as a “how-to” manual both personally and for churches. The section below is typical:
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family [3] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Personal Vision
Or, I should say, Vision for Each Person.
a) We must love God and worship him above all else corporately and individually.
b) The fellowship of believers should be a family that loves each other. As in a family, we should feel at the same time both safe and challenged: safe to share our fears, joys, thoughts, and gifts in an atmosphere of love, and challenged to grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ. As a responsible member of the family we must listen, love, support, and encourage, as well as (at the direction of the Spirit), admonish or even rebuke each other.
This love within the fellowship enables love beyond the community of believers to all for whom Christ has died. From the safety of the fellowship, we are empowered to love those around us in our communities and workplace (even on the highway). We live the love of Christ.
c) We should serve one another. We should live lives of willing service looking for opportunities to meet the needs of others, first in the fellowship of believers (including our own families), then in the community.
d) We should grow in the knowledge of our Lord so that we might bear fruit through his power and in his name.
2 Peter 1: 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to [3] his own glory and excellence, [4] 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, [5] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities [6] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
e) We should use our gifts to edify the body and to bear witness of Christ to the world. Here, I use gifts in a broad sense to include all the gifts of the Spirit and talents granted by God. As a fellowship, we should education and encourage using our gifts to glorify God.
1. Those who sing or dance or play an instrument or deliver a line or reading should do so to the glory of God. Such talents are given to help us worship and glorify God. People with such gifts lead us in worship by letting us partner with them as they meet God and give their talents as an offering to him.
2. Those given a Word of prophesy, wisdom, exhortation, or knowledge or a gift of discernment must share, first with the Elders and then with the fellowship.
3. Those given a gift of healing, tongues, or interpretation must share with the fellowship.
I Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
4. All are called to testify of God’s work and glory, first to the fellowship, then to the community.
Although presented in outline form, no ranking is implied beyond points a) and b). Even the sub-points of e) are to be taken as co-equal with points c) and d). Actually, co-equal is not correct. As each is gifted by God, so each is empowered in a particular area, and so those areas, for that person, may become more important and most visible of that person’s ministry.
Corporate Vision
I believe that we are called to serve the community and communicate the glory and love of God to the community. I would like to think that in addition to serving the “baby boom generation” that we may also be called to serve the “Generation X’ers”: maybe even primarily!
We can’t do everything, and I don’t have a particular vision of how to proceed: I don’t know what our service will look like.
I do believe that by fulfilling the first part of the vision, the Personal Vision, we enable a people to work together to fulfill a broader corporate vision. So, in some sense, work on the Personal Vision must proceed and grow and never stop. As we enable the Personal Vision, we enable people to follow the call of Christ to serve in the broader community.
But what are we to do corporately to serve the community and engage those who do not know Christ?
I see a two tiered vision for TCC: the first personal, the second, corporate.
Personal
First, some scripture taken from Christ’s last words to his disciples: words meant to guide both in the short period of Christ’s absence from them and after the Spirit is given to them. Each paragraph contains an instruction from Christ as to how we should live. I can’t study the words in the original language, but the verbs are active. I have italicized the commands.
a) John 13:12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant [3] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Summary: we are called to serve one another.
b) John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” And John 15: 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, [1] for the servant [2] does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Summary: We are commanded to love one another.
c) John 14: 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; [1] believe also in me…6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. [4] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Summary: We are to believe in God (New International Version: Trust in God; trust also in me.)
d) John 14: 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, [6] to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you…21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
Summary: We are to keep his commandments because we love him. Keeping his commandments demonstrates our love for him.
e) John 15: 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
Summary: We are commanded to abide in Christ.
f) John 15: 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Summary: We are to bear witness (New International Version: you also must testify).
I can’t quote all of Ephesians, but I take that book as a “how-to” manual both personally and for churches. The section below is typical:
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family [3] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Personal Vision
Or, I should say, Vision for Each Person.
a) We must love God and worship him above all else corporately and individually.
b) The fellowship of believers should be a family that loves each other. As in a family, we should feel at the same time both safe and challenged: safe to share our fears, joys, thoughts, and gifts in an atmosphere of love, and challenged to grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ. As a responsible member of the family we must listen, love, support, and encourage, as well as (at the direction of the Spirit), admonish or even rebuke each other.
This love within the fellowship enables love beyond the community of believers to all for whom Christ has died. From the safety of the fellowship, we are empowered to love those around us in our communities and workplace (even on the highway). We live the love of Christ.
c) We should serve one another. We should live lives of willing service looking for opportunities to meet the needs of others, first in the fellowship of believers (including our own families), then in the community.
d) We should grow in the knowledge of our Lord so that we might bear fruit through his power and in his name.
2 Peter 1: 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to [3] his own glory and excellence, [4] 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, [5] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities [6] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
e) We should use our gifts to edify the body and to bear witness of Christ to the world. Here, I use gifts in a broad sense to include all the gifts of the Spirit and talents granted by God. As a fellowship, we should education and encourage using our gifts to glorify God.
1. Those who sing or dance or play an instrument or deliver a line or reading should do so to the glory of God. Such talents are given to help us worship and glorify God. People with such gifts lead us in worship by letting us partner with them as they meet God and give their talents as an offering to him.
2. Those given a Word of prophesy, wisdom, exhortation, or knowledge or a gift of discernment must share, first with the Elders and then with the fellowship.
3. Those given a gift of healing, tongues, or interpretation must share with the fellowship.
I Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
4. All are called to testify of God’s work and glory, first to the fellowship, then to the community.
Although presented in outline form, no ranking is implied beyond points a) and b). Even the sub-points of e) are to be taken as co-equal with points c) and d). Actually, co-equal is not correct. As each is gifted by God, so each is empowered in a particular area, and so those areas, for that person, may become more important and most visible of that person’s ministry.
Corporate Vision
I believe that we are called to serve the community and communicate the glory and love of God to the community. I would like to think that in addition to serving the “baby boom generation” that we may also be called to serve the “Generation X’ers”: maybe even primarily!
We can’t do everything, and I don’t have a particular vision of how to proceed: I don’t know what our service will look like.
I do believe that by fulfilling the first part of the vision, the Personal Vision, we enable a people to work together to fulfill a broader corporate vision. So, in some sense, work on the Personal Vision must proceed and grow and never stop. As we enable the Personal Vision, we enable people to follow the call of Christ to serve in the broader community.
But what are we to do corporately to serve the community and engage those who do not know Christ?
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