The main lesson of the past is not to overvalue the past. Distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, mercy and cruelty, hope and despair. Without that ability to see clearly the stakes and the stakeholders of the moment, we all perish. With it, we live.
So much of my ministry is about non-anxious listening without a rush to judgment, which can be incredibly difficult! And I often compare it to the ministry of pulling rocks out of soil rather than reaping the harvest, because so many come with a troubled history with Christianity and “organized religion.”
Throughout the narrative, the author pauses the plot to report on the progress and growth of the church, which becomes a proclamation of victory for the gospel of Christ. Despite the persecutions, false accusations and abuses suffered, the Christian movement was unstoppable.
Zechariah is probably not commenting on the literal immortality of one group of people or extinction of others. He means instead that the prophetic word and therefore the witness of the prophets’ lives continues to exert a powerful influence. They spoke in ways that others must reckon with.
You cannot lead people somewhere you are not. If Jesus does not have your heart, it will be difficult to share a hope that may not be a reality in your life.
Worship centers on God—God’s character as the source of all mercy and love and justice, God’s infinity, God’s majesty and mystery. In contemplating God, we see our own sin, our need for redemption and protection, as well as the possibilities of profound spiritual growth.
What if we could think this differently about our partners in life and leadership? What if, rather than holding them to an impossible ideal of relationship or partnership, in the hopes that we would never be wronged, we treat them with love and respect and care even though we know they will hurt us, wrong us, annoy us?
We often think that we have to do something big for Christ. In fact, we sometimes even downplay or refer to our service as insignificant. We’ve got to realize that this type of thinking is not coming from the Bible but from the culture around us. We may not even realize how much of our culture has seeped into us.
Why should we listen to these prophets? We could start with the obvious: these texts were part of the Bible of Jesus and the apostles. Who would we be to reject the words our Lord took to heart?
Ministry rarely offers a choice between one building project or the other. Instead, it requires constant movement between both approaches. Leaders spend time honoring and remodeling inherited structures while also investing energy imagining and innovating new possibilities.
Congregations need ministers who humbly consider themselves as they present the good news. They need ministers who recognize that they are sinners saved by the grace of God, empowered by God to speak a message of hope and reconciliation to a hurting and distressed world.
When you talk to others about Jesus, take a look at how you tell that story and what it means for their identity. Is it a story of acceptance or rejection?
How can we find balance when our thoughts are in turmoil from the hard realities of life? Especially during times when we are seeking wisdom, preparing for important decisions, or in need of spiritual strength?
I’ve begun to wonder whether my lack of consistency in prayer has less to do with ignorance or interest, and more to do with impatience. I’ve come to the realization that, often, I neglect prayer simply because I’m not convinced that anything is happening when I do.
The church of our time, as the spiritual Israel of God, is called to embrace the figure of the suffering servant and renounce claims to political or economic power in a society that collectively can be seen as Babylon. As an alternative culture, we are to proclaim God’s justice to the world instead of conforming to it.
So how do you cultivate a healthy culture? In a few conversations I had this past week, the answer to the dilemma that each leadership team presented either found some significant connection to the healthy aspects of the culture or demonstrated a significant area of “cultural” work for the leadership team.
It is appropriate to focus on “go” as the main point of the Great Commission. But it is helpful to remember this emphasis may be more about going out into the world in which you live and making disciples.
It can be ok that that other church or denomination is more successful in our town; we don’t have to find fault with them or let jealousy steal our hearts. It can be ok that, in the past, our groups have had significant conflict; not all inter-group conflict is resolvable, and sometimes we just have to lay down our weapons and move on, seeking first God’s kingdom and righteousness.
I think what we’ve missed is that some matters of church life and spirituality aren’t a matter of right and wrong. To be certain, some matters are quite clear, but it’s not as common as we think. In some cases, we’re dealing with a continuum that might include a wide range of possible answers. In other cases, there’s ambiguity as to which position might be right.
