The Teachers of Today

I don’t know about a collective unconscious, but I do know this. Every generation of Christians chooses a select group of teachers for its own and before the dust settles these men and increasingly women have shaped the church for its day. O.K. perhaps it’s a bit more complex than that.
Now with the rise of “push” media in which the individual user chooses the who, what when and where of the pulpit this has never been more significant for the church. Philip Jacob Spener shaped the church out of a calling to preach the truth yes, but also because he taught from a prominent pulpit in a prominent town. These days Christians click on the pastor/teacher they like best and listen on their way to work.
The most immediate difference is predictably generational. My parents Christian lives continue to be bolstered by radio broadcasts and the names are familiar: Swindol, McGee, McArthur, Dobson, and Andy Stanley’s dad. I forget his name.
In the mean time whether you like him or not Andy Stanley is proceeding to reshape Christian church and the Christian Pulpit without ever broadcasting on T.V. or radio. If you want to know what’s coming in the church in the United States turn off the radio. It’s not there.
Personally I’m listening to Matt Driscoll, Rob Bell, Tim Keller, Matt Chandler and Louis Brenton. Louis Brenton? A great pastor out of Memphis who happens to be my brother.
So, there’s the internet and how that is and will continue to change the church. That’s a conversation or two right there. But, I’m more interested in this question:
Who are you listening to and what does that say about you? What does that say about the church?
I just remembered. Charles Stanley and yea, he’s still really good.

The Self Centered Blog

When we talk sooner or later I will tell you something about me. It will usually connect with something you just said. Example: (You) We’ve been shopping for a used car. (Me) Really? We just bought a used car. The deals are great right now aren’t they? Have any luck?
I don’t just want to chat with you. I want to connect with you because I believe God will use that connection for your blessing, mine or both.
When I teach you I will usually do something similar, telling you about the cat that ran away from home or the mess Joshua made in the kitchen. I do this because to a far lesser extent I want to connect with you. (I am well aware that the degree to which we connect with our teachers influences greatly the weight we give to what they say.) But the far greater reason for mentioning my life in sermons, etc is because I believe that if we can make the leap together from abstract spiritual principle to concrete reality and that concrete reality is very similar to what happens in your life, then the door has opened for God to truly change people through eternal spiritual truths.
Others use jokes and stories they have picked up in one place or another to great effect, but I like my way. I suppose if I’m going to be honest there is another thing even more important to me in all this.
I can’t stand pride in leadership. I adore humble leadership.
Even more important, I believe that people are desperate for leaders that are not perfect. In other words that are just like them. People come almost to tears upon the realization that they aren’t not doing so much worse in following Jesus than their pastor.
So, the stories are not merely of success or example, but far more often of embarrassment, mistake, misunderstanding even abject failure.
The world is sick and tired of perfect pastors in crisp new suits telling them they are sinners, but to have someone say “I am fallen. I need Christ and whether you want to admit it or not you do too.
That to me is preaching that God can use and if that means nobody will ever put me on a pedestal then so be it. I’ll be honest. Some would say my self references ultimately flow out of a self centeredness. More often than not what I find is that I have traded some influence, some leadership mojo for these moments of openness. Then again there is a chance they are correct. Does arrogance hide behind all self reference?
There is no place in my world for arrogance in the pulpit and yet we so often find it there. Why is that? How do we crush it?

Politics

O.K. I know this is a dangerous one, but it came up in my quiet time so here goes…

Politics has no place in Church, but rather it is our faith that must invade our politics.

Despite opportunity and even encouragement Jesus pointedly kept his ministry apolitical. Although He came to change our world he did not plot a course through Rome, nor through the power base of Jerusalem, but through the souls of everyday people, civic leaders and prostitutes alike.

The Church, His people, must do the same today.

Despite great persecution by the powers that be, Paul never turned his message away from that of Jesus Christ. At times he was frustrated with the world he lived in, as we all are, but in the end his instruction to Christians on politics goes something like this: Pray for our leaders no matter their faith or the goodness of their souls because we need peace and order so that we may continue our mission as Christians.

Christians should be very cautious and thoughtful before aligning ourselves with any secular political movement because it is not a gospel priority. As a Christian I must care and participate in shaping our society and its government. Indeed I rarely miss the op-ed section of the paper. I would feel almost sinful if I didn’t inform myself and vote, often based upon my Christian principles. But as a church our priorities, given to us by God, are clearly to be elsewhere.
What this means for me as a pastor is that I will often talk about social issues that intersect faith, but I will never publically endorse a candidate. Do you want to know if I’m going to vote Republican or Democratic? You’ll have to ask me, because you won’t hear about it from the pulpit.

I think Oz Guinness said it almost perfectly, “Called to be “in” the world but “not of it,” Christian engagement in politics should always be marked by a tension between allegiance to Christ and identification with any party, movement, platform, or agenda. If that tension is ever lacking, if Christian identification with a political movement is so close that there is not any clear remainder, then the church has fallen for a particularly deadly captivity.”

Blended Worship

The crowd begins to gather. A few gather to talk and catch up on the week behind. Some will help lead and now is the time for final preparations. The last of the announcements fades from the screen. People begin to find their seats. Words of welcome are given and music begins to play. The Christians are about to worship.
These Christians realize that the church is in a time of transition in worship. Many churches in town have chosen to use newer songs and musical styles in worship. Many have chosen very traditional worship elements and present them through the instruments that have been used for the last few generations of Christian churches. This church though feels led to bridge this gap. This morning they have prepared a service that blends both the new and the old, the contemplative and the celebrative, the head and the heart. By the end of worship there have been organ preludes, guitar led praise choruses, organized readings and spontaneous prayer.
Now, here’s my question and I can’t say more without giving away my hand. This description of the blending of styles is beautiful, but when Christians try it, is the end result beautiful? Have we brought worshipers of different personalities and generations together in true worship or have we simply created a service in which nobody is able to truly sink into the worship of their God?
In other words, do blended services work? I’m still deciding what I think. What do you think?

Change

I recently read an editorial mocking the overblown and unending use of the word change by our current crop of presidential candidates. Apparently it the one thing every one of every race, economic background and political persuasion can agree on. The time has come for change. There’s a very good chance a man named Obama may be our next president. The thing is if he does win it will not be because he’s better (at least that’s my view) but because in a season where change is so badly desired by so many Mr. Obama has managed to embody it. Change is powerful stuff. And yet, so many of us fear it.

Very often Christians stand against change. This puts us in an awkward position because this is a battle we will usually loose. Change will come.

Funny thing is, we often loose because God created a world for us that is in constant flux, ever changing, never fixed.

So what this means is that at least some of the time, when we are fighting again change we are fighting against the way God made the world. Let me put that more directely. Sometimes when we defend against change we are waging battle with God Himself.

So, how do we know when we are noble, standing firm on things that matter? How do we know when we are simply fools defending our way of life or some personal belief that God never asked us to stand for?

Sooner or later we all play the fool. I for one am a repeat offender. The difference is in how long it takes to discover our foolishness isn’t it?

Home in Albuquerque!

After months of prayer, discussion and discernment the bags have been packed, the home has been sold, movers have arrived and left, kids have said goodbye to one school and hello to another. Work has begun, church has begun, there are only a few hundred new names to remember and there are mountains now outside our window.

The deed is done. We’re here! The McMillan’s are now Albuquerquians.

Epic is the only word to describe it. Some things are so big and hard that you can only just begin, there is no easy way. I think though that those are often the best things. God has been good though. Though meals, flowers and many great conversations about church life and life in general we have begun to feel at home.

Thanks to all who have received us so warmly. Thanks to all who are missed in Alabama! You are loved.

-Aaron

The Golden Compass

(spoiler alert)
It wasn't until I was an adult that I read the Lord of the Rings, mostly because the movies were coming out and it was my last chance to truly experience Tolkien's world as he created it. Like many Christians there were moments in the story when Christian themes seems to flow benieth all that was happening on the page. I can still remember the moment when I relized that Frodo's struggle to possess yet not be influenced by the ring was ultimatly everyman's battle with sin. I can still rememeber the moment when I understood that Gollum was not to be hated, but pittied because he was what we all could be were sin to overcome. My faith surged in those moments.

Perhaps you have read the Narnia books. Can you remember the moment when you first understood that Aslan was a type of Christ. That his love for and sacrifice of himself on behalf of Edmund was exactely what Christ did for all humanity on a cross. We are all Edmunds. That us why later in the books when Edmund becomes a true hero that I wanted to cry, because I felt once again that there was great hope for me, because there had also been a great and eternal love for me.

Literature is powerful stuff. Only fools (as I once was and often still am)will rest all their hope in science and progress. Tolkien didn't make sin true. Lewis didn't make grace occur. Rather they both created a place in which grace and sin could be observed clearly. Grace needs no ally, only to be seen clearly. These stories helped me to do that.

There has been much hullaboloo about The Golden Compass, how it is the spawn an athiest out to steal our kids from God.

I wasn't aware God lost those kind of battles.

More to the point. I think its absolutely fair that concerted athiests make their case and that observant Christians listen closely as they do. If we are right, then there is nothing to fear from a powerful story illustraiting a world in which reason triumphs. (I can only guess what actually happens in the movie.) I happen to think reason is pretty powerful stuff because it is grounded in the being of God. In my book its stands right next to faith and grace as pillars of strength and godliness offered to all people. Strait to the point, I think Christians should go see The Golden Compass. We should see it because if Jesus was who he said he was then the questions it asks will only lead one back to God. We should see it because hiding from these kinds of questions has simply left Evangleical Christianity unable to answer honest questions any seeker would ask and in doing so we have portrayed Jesus Christ and his followers as fools. Our refusal to see this movie or to excitedly dialogue about it justifies its very point. That faith is for silly people. That Christians are backwards and spend their lives with their heads in the sand.

There will always be times when we are called to be fools for Christ, I don't think we need to invent new opportunities. Go see The Golden Compass and then talk about it with other Christians and hopefully a few athiests. It think its the most Christian thing you could do.

Unless of course its a just bad movie. In that case forget all that stuff I just said.

What do you think?

-Aaron