Responding to my hate mail...

...or was that KATE mail? Anyway, yes, I have been seriously delinquent in posting to this blog. I think this is partly because I suspect no one's reading but me. And also, there have been some significant events in my life lately which I did not yet feel ready to post for public consumption. But now I am...

I think it's likely that this blog site will be discontinued soon, as we will be setting up a new one. As of last Thursday, February 15, my family has been appointed by our denomination as missionaries to the Czech Republic. YAY!! Now we begin the "people raising" phase, until we are funded to a point where our denomination allows us to board a plane and move to Europe. In order to track our journey and give people a central place to check on us, we'll be setting up a website and a blog.

So that's what's new in our piece of the world...

The rest of the story...

Well, the rest of the library story is that AFTER I had spent several days turning my house nad van upside down looking for the book that I was pretty ding-dang sure I had already turned in, I visited the library, ready to do battle. I was going to search the library shelves until I found that book myself and then ask that they remove all the fines from my account. When I got there, the employees were busy, so I just logged on the computer and checked my account. There was no record of the book. I asked the ladies at the counter about it, and was told, "Oh, if it's not on your account, then it's been found." Nice. Could you have dropped me a line to let me know before I wasted good time looking for it? Before you caused me to doubt my fool-proof plan to keep my children from losing library books? But the good part is that I do not have to fight with the library, which is close to city hall. And you know what they say about city hall. And also I was right. And my faith in my library book return system is restored. I'm sorry I doubted you.

So I Need to Quit Bugging the Q-Tip Man

I have a friend who had not posted since two days before I had lasted posted. We pestered him unmercifully until finally he posted again. So it occurs to me that I live in a glass house, and really shouldn't throw stones.

But my life, like yours, is crazy busy. And somehow taking care of my children takes precedence over blogging. At least I still have these types of priorities straight.

I'm still learning a lot about how to speak the truth in love. I'm learning that sometimes you can speak the absolute truth and even mean in it love, but if you don't package the message in a way that communicates compassion (even strong, no-nonsense compassion), then it probably won't have the intended effect. If your harshness provokes defensiveness in someone, then he or she has to work through that defensiveness in order to hear your message. Don't clog up your communication channel any more than you have to. I think that's why Proverbs 15:1 says, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. " Don't stir up the anger already...ask questions instead of accusing...consider that you may not have all the information you need to form an opinion or judgment.

And, in unrelated news, what do you do when you are quite certain that you returned a library book but they say you didn't? It's not like I can prove I returned it...I don't have the book to show you! You have it!!!

Planning Ahead

Here's another non-earth-shattering insight, but one which is finally sinking in for me: My husband and I were discussing the volcano issues (see previous post) last night, about the backlog of leadership.

And it occurred to me that leadership is a relay race, not a one-person supermarathon.

Many leaders desperately hold on to their positions of authority as long as they possibly can, often outliving their effectiveness. They do not develop leaders to carry the baton after them. Or they develop leaders, but only to a point. Without launching into a huge analysis, I'd say this type of leader is driven by fear and pride. Often, the ministry or business which this type of leader leads does not survive the leader, because no one is there to carry on the work.

Another type of leader, which I fear is less common, works hard to develop the leadership potential in those around him/her. This leader gives away important assignments so that others can practice leading. This type of leader, I believe, says in his/her heart: "This ministry/business/etc. is too important NOT to develop others to carry it on after I'm out of the picture."

The first type of leader is self-focused; the second is focused on the ministry/business/etc. that is his/her life work.

I enjoy being around the second type of leader, and I want to become that type of leader. I want to invest in others, to allow them to make important decisions, to have a share in the ministry. I'd better get growing...

Relevant: a discussion on semantics

I've become aware that there is a controversy in the "church world" about "relevance." I'm also aware that this isn't breaking news, but I'm not really on the cutting edge, so it takes me a while to figure these things out.
To set the stage (as I understand it) briefly:
Some churches attempt to practice "relevance," which generally seems to mean that they try to package the gospel in a way that appeals to 21st century [American] people. [I'll limit myself to Americans, since I am one and know them the best.]
Other churches attempt to stay true to traditional forms, which generally seems to mean that they try to package the gospel in a way that seems tried-and-true to them, which perhaps was proven to have appealed to people at some point.

I'm confining this relevant-not relevant argument to churches which really do want to be the body of Christ on earth. That is, they seek to preach the gospel and make disciples. I'm making this distinction because I realize that some churches are not actually interested in doing these things. They are happier being social clubs or believers-only pow-wows.

Churches which practice using "culturally relevant" forms to package the gospel (CRF churches, for short) usually seem to believe that those churches using traditional forms to package the gospel (TF churches) are out of touch, out of date, and out of luck. TF churches seem to believe that CRF churches are on a slippery slope (to hell, I presume, although they don't usually finish the phrase), having traded God's absolutes for cultural relativity.

I've heard, understood, and have in fact agreed with the arguments on both sides, about how people won't stick around to hear the gospel if the church experience isn't delivered in a way that they can relate to, and on the other hand, how church shouldn't be comfortable to unrepentant sinners. But, in my theologically uneducated opinion, the argument over "relevance" is mostly an argument about semantics. And I think both of the sides, as I've described them, are wrong.

I think what makes a church relevant is whether or not it is proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's not about the music or the video projectors or the multiple screens or the video arcades. It's not about the hymnals or the stained glass windows or flannelgraphs. It's about the MESSAGE delivered via these tools. Yes, some forms of communicating may be more successful with one demographic group than other forms. Some may find multiple screens and light shows to be distracting, while others may find wearing a tie to church and singing from a hymnal to be stulifying.

But is the church really being the body of Christ? Do we love people as he did? Do we care for their needs? Do we call them to surrender to him, to reach for more and more and more of him? Do we oppose sin, yet lovingly help the sinner to see there is hope and forgiveness in Christ? I'm sure there are things I've left out, but I think these are some of the things that makes a church relevant. People may want to be entertained, but their true NEED is to know Christ.

I'm making my head hurt.

The growing volcano under the surface of the church

So lately, as I've been blogging, I've spent a lot of time reading other people's blogs. I am awed and amazed when I stumble on all these blogs of people who are really wrestling with God and how to understand him and how to live him. I think church leaders have this, "What is the church coming to?" fear about the younger generation, but I think the truth is the church will go farther and bigger and better and more like the bride of Christ than ever before in history.

I've been fascinated with the idea that there is a backlog of leadership in the church, and maybe in all of society. In a nutshell: People are living longer and are holding on to positions of power longer, thus there are increasing numbers of men and women who have no formal outlet for the leadership gifts God has given them.

I can jump from blog to blog and read these awe-inspiring, intelligent, honest, scary, rebellious, angry, beautiful posts from person after person. There is so much simmering under the surface of the church. The basic message, distilled from hundreds of blogs and conversations, is "I love God and I want to see his kingdom come on earth, but I'm not sure we've been doing it the right way. How can we do it differently?" Like a volcano, this mass of passion and power and gifts will have to break out some way.

John the Baptist

Lately I've thought a lot about John the Baptist. Read Matthew 11. Jesus says this to John's disciples: "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

Was Jesus referencing Isaiah 61? "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."

A friend of mine observed that Jesus and John were both rabbis, who knew Scripture through and through. John would have immediately recognized the allusion, and it would have been glaringly obvious that Jesus did NOT tell John's disciples that "the prisoners are freed." Was this Jesus' way of telling John that he was not going to be released from prison? This is the end of the road, John. Your time is up. Your mission is accomplished.

So how did John feel about that? He had to have known he was a special person. He would have known the story of his conception and birth, and apparently he didn't have a typical upbringing, what with the living in the desert and eating locust and all. In Matthew 11, Jesus even says plainly that John is the Elijah who was to come before the Messiah. If John knew he was "Elijah," what must he have expected to accomplish with his life?

John was apparently willing to surrender--he said, "He must become greater; I must become less." But what dreams did he have, even within the context of surrender and service? What did he hope and expect to accomplish for God? Did he hope to be used by God to turn the Pharisees' hearts to Jesus? Did he expect to bring Herod to God's feet? He was the new Elijah--but Elijah performed miracles. We have no record of John doing so.

Sitting in his prison cell, unable to preach to the crowds anymore, did John feel confused? Did he feel dismay that all the fanfare had come to this? Did he feel he'd been wasted? His whole miraculous conception and birth, his strict devotion and servanthood, for a short time of preaching and now prison?

From my vantage point, he was born simply to get people's attention so he could point them to Jesus, for a short time. Then he would be killed by Herod. That's it. No softening of Pharisees' hearts, no sweeping revival in Jerusalem. Just a weird life, then a gruesome death. In this context, it makes sense that Jesus says to John via John's disciples: "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." You'll be blessed if you hang on to Jesus even when Jesus doesn't make sense to you.

In 21st Century America, we are repulsed by the idea of God "using" someone like that. I'll wager that even many people who call themselves believers would come up for air about it. What about John's self-actualization? What about the wasted potential?

I've gone round and round with myself about this. I've even written and then deleted paragraphs here. I do not believe that the purpose of this life is simply to secure fire insurance against hell, then to grit our teeth and bear this poisoned world until we're airlifted out. I think part of the kingdom of God is to redeem THIS world, to live redeemed lives, following Jesus' example. But I also think we perhaps cling to this world too tightly, out of fear and an inability to see past the day our heart stops beating. So the idea that God created John to be used in this way seems cruel and manipulative. But from his current vantage point, what do you think John thinks about it all now? If he's seeing Jesus face to face, I don't think he thinks about it at all.

Here's Peter Kreeft's take on this world/that world:

"In the light of Heaven, everything we do and everything we experience takes on two new meanings. On the one hand, everything becomes infinitely more important, more serious, more weighted with glory than before. If we are practicing only for a casual pastime, our practice is not terribly important, but if we are practicing for the world championship, it is.

"On the other hand, Heaven makes everything earthly seem light and trivial by comparison. Saint Theresa says that the most horrible, suffering-filled life on Earth, looked at from Heaven, will seem no more than a night in an inconvenient hotel. Saints and martyrs know the value of this life and this world; they love it because God loves it. But they lightly give it all up for Heaven. Heavenly light gives us not only 'an eternal weight of glory,' but at the same time a lightsome spirit, as in the Cavalier poet:

'Man, please Thy maker and be merry,

And for this world give not a cherry.'"

(From "Thirty-Five FAQs About Eternity," found at http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/35-faqs_eternity.htm.)

So what does this mean for me?....