Mike King

Caught up in the dance...

If Jesus came to give us "life to the full" (John 10:10) and I believe he did, then why are our churches often viewed as being places not "full of life" but places where people go to protect themselves from the "evil world" out there?  Why can't our church communities be about people who are caught up in the dance of our Triune God (perichoresis) engaged in a movement toward restoration and life to the full?  Wouldn't those outside of our communities of faith be more compelled to deal with their own brokenness if they knew there was an invitation from the savior to change their minds (metanoia) and enter into a community of other broken people who were beginning to lean into a new reality of life, beauty and redemption?  This missional view of church as fragrance of life with God, a community of people who embody the great good news is compelling to a world looking for beauty, love, life and meaning.

There is a video on YouTube that has had more than 8 million views so far.

In the video 200 plus dancers were performing and singing Do Re Mi in the Central Train Station of Antwerp, Belgium.  They were involved in a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program about finding a new Maria (the character played by Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music).  After a couple of hours of rehearsal they performed their routine right in the middle of the busy train station.  The response of the commuters is extraordinary as they move from surprise, awkwardness and discomfort to finding themselves caught up in the experience.  I think this video is a fitting metaphor for the church and our invitation to those outside our communities of faith to enter into the joyful story of God unfolding in the world.  The biggest difference is that our dance should not be staged but a genuine expression of who we are in Christ.

Rustin

My friend Rustin Smith wrote an insightful post on an issue that many people have with the "church" not being sensitive to their pain and needs.  He quotes Peter Rollins and reminds us not to be idealistic about what the church "should do" but implores us to remember to care for each other - person to person.  Read the post here... please.

The Coming Collapse

Michael Spencer is burning up the internet with the his three part commentary on The Coming Evangelical Collapse.  Topher Philgreen brought this to my attention today.  I spent some time reading through Spencer's thoughts and later dialogued with Erik Leafblad on some of these issues.  Very interesting thoughts.  If you haven't read this yet, please keep in mind that Spencer makes it clear that he is not saying these things based on extensive formal research.  Also, he is not saying that Evangelicalism is going to disappear and cease to exist but that Evangelicalism in its present North American form will continue to decline into "a smaller, more chastened, more diverse, less influential form."  There are some things Spencer writes that is obviously true even to Evangelicals who would disagree with most of Spencer's opinions.  Some of his thoughts really intrigue me and motivate me to think long and hard and some of his views trigger in an incredulous eye roll.  Regardless, all this hoopla is worth a look.

The Coming Evangelical Collapse - Part One
The Coming Evangelical Collapse - Part Two
The Coming Evangelical Collapse - Part Three

Mark Galli, the senior managing editor of Christianity Today weighed in on Michael Spencer's assessment of the Evangelical Collapse by writing a response that is here on Christianity Today's website.  I really like the conclusion of Galli's article and wholeheartedly declare the same, "What I will do, to my dying day, is work with anyone who knows he was lost but now is found, whose Bible is worn because she repeatedly looks there for God to speak, who finds the Cross the most meaningful of symbols, for whom the Resurrection is not just a doctrine but a power, and who wants nothing more than to find new and creative ways to share the evangel of Jesus in word and deed. I'll work with these people no matter what scholars decide to call them.  For now they are called evangelicals, and I suspect that in one form or another, they'll be around for some time."

A Statistical Review by Michael Bell of Michael Spencer's claims here.

Ethan Bryan, guest Blogger

Ethan Bryan is a stellar youth pastor who is passionately in love with Jesus Christ and the young people God has called him to do life with.  Bryan serves at Cornerstone Church in Lee's Summit.  The following is a response to this post I made last week.

The Good News

Recently I was reading the blog of friend Mike King, president of YouthFront Ministries.  He posted a list of ten questions that youth ministries need to consider if they want to continue preparing teenagers to follow Jesus for a lifetime.  The first question was, “How can the Gospel be communicated in a way that is really Good News?”   I have been wrestling with that question for quite some time, and by no means have definitive answers, but felt like I wanted to contribute to an important and necessary conversation. 

Why isn’t the Gospel Good News today?

After John was imprisoned, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, boldly declaring the good news of God.  “The time is now!” he said.  “God’s kingdom is here!  Change your lives and live in God’s kingdom!”  (Mark 1.14-15). 

1.    It isn’t “new” news.
I know that the numbers and demographics of USAmerica are rapidly changing.  However, I still believe that the simple majority have been exposed to a cultural Christianity from very young.  We have heard of Jesus, and through various media (movies, news, TV, friends) we think we know the fullness of his message.  Can you remember the first time you heard about Jesus?  Can you recall the first time that his “come and see” invitation was extended to you, and you dared to follow him in faith, in hope, in risk?  The stories of Jesus are too old to be heard in today’s latest-newest-greatest addicted culture. 

2.    We have grown too comfortable.
Unfortunately, most USAmericans honestly believe that we are fully capable of providing for our own needs.  As USAmericans, we have never been without food, drinkable water, clothing, or shelter.  The large majority of us have never truly been in “need.”  We are easily frustrated when our comforts are inconvenienced—when the air conditioner breaks, when the car needs repair, when the upstairs shower leaks through the downstairs ceiling.  Our comfort deadens our hearts and keeps us from hearing a call centered in not being comfortable.   

3.    We are too individualistic.
I can do it on my own.  I don’t need any help.  The rise of the individual has a long and colorful history, and I am certain that I don’t know half of the story.  The European intellectual movement known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason started with the philosophers and scientists of the 17th and 18th centuries.  Descartes’ famous statement captures the essence of the individual, “I think therefore I am.”  We have fully bought into the modern perspective of the self-made person.  Like an average four-year old, we erroneously believe the world to revolve around our wants and desires.  While the gospel is for the individual, it is for the individual in community. 

4.    We are too critical.
Thanks to marketing, we have been trained not to accept any statement at face value.  Without repeatable and “objective” proof, we struggle to fully embrace anything.  We have proudly placed ourselves in the judgment seat.  Though I am convinced that doubt and faith go hand in hand, we will never have all the answers to our questions.  How can God love me?  How can a good God allow evil to exist?  How can an all-powerful God allow “that” to happen?  While we must continue to wrestle and struggle with these questions, we can’t allow them to turn us away from the good news. 

5.    We are too easily entertained, distracted.
“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”  (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory).  The gospel is not entertainment.  In its definition, entertainment is a distraction from reality.  Today, there are millions of distracting choices to diverts us from reality, not the least of which is labeled “reality TV.”  Sometimes, just plain life gets in the way—bills, jobs, stuff, family.  And the stuff of life helps us turn a deaf ear to the call of the gospel. 

6.    We are numb.
We are aware of the power of our emotions, and have learned to suppress and contain them.  Joy, pain, and anger are all emotions that lead to a full life.  We are too rushed and hurried to allow our emotions full room to breathe.

7.    We long to be in control.
Barely three chapters into God’s Great Story, and we see the darkness of humanity.  Our desire is not only to know God, but to be God ourselves.  But if the gospel is truly good news, we will not be in control.

8.    We are too busy.
The gospel does not come quickly or with the flash and pizzazz of a Hollywood production.  The gospel is heard and lived slowly.  Until we get the time to allow the Story space in our lives, we will continue to be unimpressed by it.

9.    We misunderstand the Gospel. 
We have reduced the good news of Jesus’ invitation to personal, mental assent.  We have reduced Jesus’ call to “fire insurance” and life after we die.  The good news of Jesus is a way to live.  It is not just for me, but for all of creation.  It is not so much about my personal relationship as it is God’s Great Story of reconciling all things to himself because of his extravagant love.

How can we hear the Good News today?

The gospel transforms us as we live it, not as we sit and listen to it.  Jesus’ invitation is “Come and see,” not “Sit still and listen.”  The good news comes and orders our priorities, giving us the freedom to say “No” to unrealistic expectations and our wants.  The gospel transforms us in community, as we share life together, living out the Scriptures and breathing our prayers.  Having said that, here are some possible ways that we might hear the gospel anew today…

What if we went on a week-long retreat, attempting to live out the admonition found in Mark?
"Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.  Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.  Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.  And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."

What if we turn everything off for two or three days?  No cell phone, computer, or lights—an unplugged lifestyle!  It will take some planning in advance, for meals especially, but it is easily possible.  The simple goal is to remove all the distractions that keep us from seeing the awesome power of God already at work.  We have been invited to be in God’s presence, to share in His life.  Too often, we are focused on what just happened or what is about to happen and forget to fully live in the moment. 

What if you spent two weeks with those who are truly the poorest of the poor?  Experiencing life from the perspective of another, serving them, loving them, getting to know their story helps us to hear God’s call in our stories. 

The good news engages all of us, especially our imaginations.  We must learn to see that this world is saturated with God’s Love, that people are made in God’s image (no matter how broken that reflection is), and that we have been invited to a Way of Life that starts now, sends us wherever our feet may go, and never ends. 

Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!… As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness…Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.  (1 Peter 1.3-4, 14, 18)

Forgiveness in the "ekklesia"

Almost every time I read Scripture I find something new.  I say new and mean "new to me."  There are several reasons why something from Scripture might be "new to me." 
 
  1)  It might be new because I forgot about discovering it before.
  2)  It might be new because the lens through which I now read the Scripture is different therefore revealing something fresh. 
  3)  It might be new because I've just never noticed it before.
  4)  It might be new because the Scripture is a living word.
  5)  It might be new because Scripture has more to discover than one can discover in a lifetime.

Anyway, while reading Matthew 18 today I realized that Matthew is the only Gospel writer to use the word church (Greek - ekklesia).  I'm sure my New Testament Scholar friends will think less of me... duh, but this stuck out to me today.

I think the reason Matthew's use of "church" stuck out to me was the context in which Matthew uses it.  "If another member of the church sins against you..."  Matthew lays out a plan to reconcile conflict within the church.  Peter asks, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive?  As many as seven times?"  Jesus says to Peter, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times."

Jesus wants those of us in his church to be crazy people of reconciliation, relationship, and peace.  "Seventy-seven times" we are to forgive in order to love and embrace and demonstrate to the world that we (the ekklesia) truly are a gathering of the people of God.

Beautiful Sunday, The First of Advent...

Today was a beautiful Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent.  Everything in Kansas City is dusted with snow, yet the temperature is not too cold.  Perfect.

We didn't think we would be at our church today but it worked out for us to go to the 11:00 AM service.  The Sanctuary was beautifully decorated with large light brown scrims.  Lights illuminated the figures of trees behind the screen with leaves attached moving with the air currents.  The Altar devoid of the Eucharist Elements because of Advent was also beautiful, although Vicki and I lamented how difficult, truly sad it is to not partake of the Sacrament during Advent. 

Ahhh, the music was not of this world.  Many weeks I wonder how Mike Crawford or Micah Thomas could possibly put together a better group of musicians than what they assembled that particular night.  Today, well it was a collection of musicians and songs that was truly transcendent. 

Mike was relaxed, caught up in the moment - glorifying God.  Susanne Wessel was on the violin, Ian Davidson on Acoustic Guitar, Lori Chaffer on Piano and Vocals, Jeff Larison on the Steel Guitar, Kendon Powell on Percussion, and Roger Strong on the Stand-up Bass, an amazing collection of musicians.  The songs O Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, and others were focused on our preparation, desire and longing for Christ Jesus to Come - our focus during the season of Advent.

Tim Keel did a wonderful job speaking about the shift from living time according to the broader culture in order to embrace time according to the church season. 

Many of the musicians I have been bragging about are featured on the recently released Jacob's Well Double CD Worship Project called Mike Crawford and his Secret Siblings Present Songs from Jacob's Well.  Everything about this project from the art, to the musicians, to the music, to the production is real culture making, not wanna be imitation.  I can say this because I'm nowhere to be found on this project.  I'm telling you, this is incredible art.  If you get this project you will call me Blessed.

Order HERE

Missional Shift or Drift?

Leadership Journal has an article just released entitled Missional Shift or Drift?

The tagline is..."Research shows that pastors' views of the gospel and mission are changing. But should we celebrate or repent?"

The article opens with the story of a pastor who is leading a large church who takes a class from Dallas Willard and comes away with the conviction that the Gospel he had proclaimed was insufficient biblically.  I think Dallas has had that impact on many of us.  Divine Conspiracy was a seminal read for me.  Anyway, it is interesting that the questions that many of us have been asking for several years and criticized for are now moving very much into the mainstream of Evangelical thinking.  This is a good change and one that is not just a sociological and cultural shift.  It is a biblical shift and I'm reminded once again that Scripture is the norming norm.

Leadership Journal commisioned a survey to explore the dynamic of this shift.  "Leadership conducted a survey in May 2008 asking nearly 700 evangelical pastors how their perceptions of the gospel and mission currently compare with their understanding a decade ago. The results clearly indicate that pastors' attitudes and beliefs are shifting."

The typical person surveyed was a caucasion pastor in their mid-fifties who had served in ministry for approximately twenty years so the results can't be explained away as twenty something emerging church planter sensibilities.  Here are some of the results...

"Compared to ten years ago:

• Pastors are focusing more on the Gospels than on the Epistles.
• More pastors believe the gospel is advanced by demonstration and not simply proclamation.
• More pastors say the goal of evangelism is to grow "the" church rather than to grow "my" church.
• More pastors believe partnering with other local churches is essential to accomplishing their mission."

I will say that their is now a shift from emerging leaders back to a re-engagement in the Epistles, which is a good thing.  It may take this new crop being discussed a few years to get to that point.  The rest of these trends I think are extremely positive and biblically sound.

Here are five trends listed in the article "gaining momentum in congregations all across the country:

• Affirming the whole gospel
• Not looking to a megachurch model
• Focusing on making disciples
• Encouraging a missional mindset as a means of spiritual formation
• Establishing partnerships to advance the gospel."

Another significant point made throughout the article is the importance of partnerships for Kingdom minded purposes.  This is a good development for us here at Youthfront because it is a core part of our DNA to partner with local churches.  We hope that these trends will lead to more robust and synergistic church partnerships for us.

If you want to read the whole article click here.

What are your thoughts about all these issues?

A Turn To Liturgy

Scot McKnight wrote a post on Jesus Creed concerning the turn toward Liturgy by late adolescents.  I write about this issue extensively in Presence Centered Youth Ministry.  Scot makes several interesting observations and speculations about why this is occurring.  He speaks of evangelical students turning to the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church.  I believe that young people who have grown up in the Evangelical Church would stay in the Evangelical Church if we would recover a more robust, tradition-rich, missional and historic ecclesiology that breaks free from a Nationalistic Particularism which has permeated the North American Evangelical Church in the last 50 plus years.  What do you think?

On Pilgrimage

300 plus pilgrims from my church, Jacob's Well, are on Pilgrimage together until Sunday night at Youthfront South.  This is our third church-wide Pilgrimage and is a major part of our church calendar and rhythm of our community.  I will post some thoughts during the weekend.

Here is an excerpt from a book I collaborated on called Sacred Life: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Living.  I wrote about the formational role of Pilgrimage. 

We find the earliest semblance of pilgrimage showing up in the Old Testament when Abraham and Sarah were called to embark on a journey with God to a land of promise.  The concept of pilgrimage was woven into the spirituality of Old Testament believers.  Psalms 120 through 134 were written specifically for the purpose of being sung by pilgrims on the way to Zion and the temple.  These scriptures helped to prepare the pilgrims for their visit to Jerusalem and the Temple.  Jesus and his family made several pilgrimages to Jerusalem as did all good Jewish families living in the Middle East during that time.  The account of Jesus being found by his parents in the temple, confounding the scholars with his wisdom, occurred when Jesus was accidentally left behind in Jerusalem during a pilgrimage.  Pilgrimage continued to play a key role in the life of the early church.  Origen, a 3rd Century Church Father spoke of the passion that followers of Jesus had to walk in the “footsteps of Christ, of the Prophets and of the Apostles.”  From the earliest days of the new Christian Church, pilgrimage has been practiced as a way to emphasize a connection of the internal journey of the heart with an external physical journey of discovery and growth.  The earliest pilgrimages were a way to take up the via crucis (the way of the cross, the way of crucifixion).  The destination of these ancient pilgrimages were the primarily places connected to Jesus, especially his birth place, the places he taught and did miracles, his place of crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension.  A pilgrimage was a way to reenact and embrace of the way of Jesus, who was not only displaced by becoming a human being but also as a human being had no place to lay his head.  Jesus was on the road, on a journey, and on a mission.  We are invited to follow Jesus on this journey and mission.  The pilgrim willingly enacts displacement from his/her comfort zone for a period of spiritual discovery and enlightenment.   Pilgrims displaced from their normal environments for a period of time eventually return to their normal environments.  The goal was to return home from the journey and pilgrimage with a sense that they had taken a significant step forward in their spiritual development.  The concept of pilgrimage in early Christianity became firmly established and widely accepted as a metaphor for salvation and the spiritual journey. 

 

A Cynical Culture Needs to Smell the Fragrance of Good News

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. II Corinthians 2:14
      
Cynicism seems to be the primary mode of evaluating the world today.  We hear cynical talk jocks on the radio making sport out of unveiling the “real” and “hidden” motivations of politicians, athletes, movie stars, and really anyone who is a public person.   The word cynical defines the contemptuous distrust of human nature, motives and intentions.  Cynicism is based on the belief that human beings are mostly motivated by self-interest.  There was a time when this mindset was not the prominent way of evaluating people, institutions and the world.  This is no longer the case.
            
Engaging in ministry in this kind of culture is a real challenge.  The idea that we can just tell someone the truth about love, life, God and salvation and expect them to embrace what we say as sincere and true is no longer a common response from people, especially the young people that God has called us to minister to.  And yet, when the gospel is embodied and lived out in sacrificial ways, which focus on being a blessing to the world and the people God has created, cynicism can be neutralized.
    
When the world sees an example of selfless service for others there is a consistent response of amazement and curiosity.  People are drawn to beautiful demonstrations of love.  Criticism and cynicism flow when people suspect that individuals or institutions have ulterior motives and veiled personal agendas.
          
Our young people growing up in a culture of disbelief, mistrust and cynicism are very suspect of anyone who has “the answers” and “absolutely knows the truth.”  It is essential in our quest to be truly missional and set forth a kerygma (proclamation) that will truly be the evangelion (gospel, good news) to create an environment that produces a fragrance.  This fragrance should smell of a Holy Loving God who is just and forgiving, passionately eager to bring life in full and robust ways.
          
I believe the only way this fragrance will infiltrate the nostrils of skeptical and cynical people and help them get a glimpse of The Wonderful Story of our Triune God at work in the world is when they see, touch, and experience a community (church) of people who live in this story and embody holy loving, mercy, justice and forgiveness.  Those who are living in a story of lostness must see and hear the Good News embodied by God’s people before they are able to smell the fragrance of the Glory of God.

When the gospel is truly embodied and lived out by followers of Jesus it is very compelling and powerfully communicates the wonderful truth of Jesus Christ in a way that disarms cynicism.