In Spirit and in Truth

On Friday evening, my family and I were enjoying the Sabbath together.  As part of that, my wife and I were listening to a recorded teaching by Art Katz.  The kids read books quietly and hung out with us in the living room as my wife and I listened.  The teaching was called “The Law of God p pt 1” and focused in on Psalm 119. 

Almost 30 minutes into the teaching, Art shared a prayer that he and his fellowship once prayed with respect to worship.  The prayer was, “Lord, don’t let our praise exceed the truth of our life.”  As a result of praying that prayer, he shared that some of their gatherings became downright painful and that their praise seemed flat, out of tune, not harmonious - because their lives were flat and out of tune, even contradictory. 

He said they prayed that prayer so that they would not be deceived by their own musicality, or by something they produced –(versus authentic praise / worshiping in spirit and in truth).  I think that was a very bold and honest prayer.

Lord, let us not be deceived.  Lord, if we’re not living what we’re declaring, may this thing fall flat. Lord, if we don’t have an honest, authentic, close relationship with You, let that be revealed.  May we worship the creator and not the created.  May our worship of You not depend on music or a leader.  May the reality of our worship of You be uncontainable by songs.

If you’d like, you can download Art Katz’ teachings titled “The law of God” pt 1 & pt 2 at SermonIndex.net by clicking this link: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=173&min=280&orderby=titleA&show=20

Trust Daddy

Admittedly, I regard schmaltzy, sentimental, Hallmark-ish Christian writings and sayings with a certain amount of disdain, particularly those that are mass marketed.  I often view them as a symptom of deeper issues… systemic issues related to consumerism, sensationalism, shallow theology, and the foothold they’ve taken within Christian culture.

I share that as a disclaimer due to the fact that this particular post is schmaltzy, sentimental, and Hallmark-ish.  Sorry.  It is what it is.  And with that, I shall begin. 

Every now and again, I get glimpses… little bits of heavenly perspective from the vantage point of the Father - Not because I’ve reached some great spiritual mark, not because I’ve fasted or prayed, but in this particular case because I’m a dad.  And every so often, the shadow that is our world, aligns in such a way that we catch reflections of the Heavenly realm... little shimmers which can give us moments of divine illumination.

As I was getting my children ready for bed this evening, my youngest was a little weepy.  She gets that way when she’s tired.  Just about anything can set her off and her eyes will water up, her bottom lip will quiver, and she’ll struggle to communicate the words she so desperately wants me to understand.  In this particular case, she wanted her “critters” (her stuffed animals).  Then she wanted a glass of water.  Each time, I asked her to wait patiently as I finished what I was doing, and each time, she became weepy.

I simply said, “Trust daddy.”  The second time I said “Trust daddy,” is when it hit me (that little bit of divine illumination).  I realized that The Father was saying the same thing to me.  Trust Daddy.  Abba.  Trust Daddy in the midst of your waiting.  Trust Daddy in the midst of your pain and struggle.  Trust Daddy to work it out.  Trust Daddy to order your steps.   

I could almost hear the ancient echoes… (Moses being sent to Egypt) Trust Daddy… (Joseph in prison) Trust Daddy… (Abraham going) Trust Daddy… (John the Baptist in prison)… Trust Daddy… 

My children are in bed now.  I can hear my youngest talking quietly to her critters.  Hopefully she'll be asleep soon.   

Thank you Daddy.  I will trust You.  Help me to trust You.  

True Fellowship

I re-read some of the introduction to the book True Fellowship by Art Katz today.  Art (as some of you know) is one of my favorite authors/speakers and his work and ministry has had a profound impact on my life.  Below is an excerpt from the introduction that I thought I would share.  It's long, but hang in there.

It would not be unfair to say that the Church of today is essentially an aggregate of individualities; we sit alongside each other, but we are not yet "together" in the biblical sense of that word. We do not yet constitute that wholeness or completeness. We do not yet reflect the genius that is in the Godhead itself, where the Son does everything for the Father, likewise the Spirit for the Son, and the three are One. When we come to that kind of corporateness, the principalities and powers of the air will know it; but God first needs to reveal to us how deep-seated our individualism, self-will and rebellion are.

The powers of the world are increasing, captivating the souls of men, rooting them in time, and blocking from their consideration the things that are eternal. We cannot come to freedom from this evil influence by ourselves alone. Separation from the world is so painful, and those evil powers are so pervasive and strong. And it is only through the support, the encouragement, the prayer, the wisdom, the counsel of others and the atmosphere that we generate together as the community of God's people that we can live and maintain that freedom without again being sucked back into the power of the world.

Community or life together is one of God's main provisions to resist and to overcome those powers. The sons and daughters of God are those who overcome the world, the flesh and the devil, and there is no place more conducive for being or becoming this kind of people except in such an intensive community setting.

There is not a living soul whose life is, or will be, totally free from deception. Our lives need to be submitted to the examination of God through the brethren in Christ. It is a painful revelation, but rather that pain now than the unspeakable pain of learning at the Judgment Seat of Christ that we were living a delusion. We may have thought ourselves to be spiritual, while all along we were far removed from authenticity and reality. The Lord is not going to indulge our romantic or wistful view of what we think true spirituality is. His gracious provision, therefore, is community life in which the true condition of our heart, and the things that would not otherwise have been understood, have the greatest possibility of being revealed to us!

The quality of our fellowship with the Lord vertically cannot be any better or more authentic than our fellowship with the saints horizontally. We cannot have the one independent of the other, and we cannot have the one out of proportion to the other. How many of us think that we can, and love to be solitary and isolated saints, having some kind of imagined and euphoric relationship with God privately, but hardly having any patience at all for the saints who are His Body? How can we cherish the Head more than the Body, and how can we honor the Head outside of the Body? The Lord has fixed it like that-the vertical and the horizontal beams of the Cross-and the one is in exact proportion to the other. It saves us from exactly that soulish thing we would love to indulge, namely, isolation, separateness and privatistic living.

God has called us to fellowship, and we are not going to see resurrection power and authority if we are not related in the Body authentically. God will not let us 'get by' with a supposed and imaginary vertical relationship with the Resurrected and Ascended One independent of an actual and existential one horizontally in His Body. 

This requires something more than Sunday services. The Church needs to consider becoming a community in the sense of a closely-knit integration of life together in an intensive way. If it exceeds the numbers by which true relationship is feasible, then it cannot, in my opinion, attain to this reality. A generalized congregation of three hundred, five hundred or a thousand cannot effect what I am suggesting. Sadly, large church numbers are the great emphasis today, and constitute, therefore, a moving away from God's very provision for our sanity as well as the greater glory, namely, of being "witnesses unto Him." 

As the conditions of the world become more extreme, people are going to be forced to choose more radically for or against God. We are in that painful interim between a conventional Christendom and the apostolic entity that God is wanting established again. And as we shall see, it is only the Church as an authentic, apostolic presence in the earth that can possibly fulfill its eternal purpose of making known the manifold wisdom of God to the principalities and powers of the air (Ephesians 3:9-11).

Apostolic Authority

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.  John 5:30 (NIV)

“By myself, I can do nothing.”  It would seem that if there were ever a person who DIDN’T need to say that, it would be Jesus.  Yet, He said it.  It goes without saying then, that we should be a people who follow our King’s example and become nothing in our own eyes, and in the eyes of the world.

By our flesh and our striving, we will achieve only that which is temporary… that which will not withstand the refining fires of judgment at the end of this age.  It is only the things that are born of the Father… born of the Kingdom of God that will stand.  All of our plans, strategizing, and best intentions will amount to little more than ash if they are not truly heaven born.

"I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”  Such a King is worth following.  Such a King is worth losing everything for.  In this simple yet profound declaration, our Lord sums up what is at the heart of His apostolic authority…His apostolic perfection.  “I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” 

It would appear that Jesus’ death to self was not limited to His sacrifice on the cross, but encompassed every waking moment.  What would my life look like if I truly lived that way?  What would the church look like if we truly lived that way?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.  Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV) 

The Cost of Following Jesus

Luke 9:57-60 (NIV)  As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  He said to another man, “Follow me.”  But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”  Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”  Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

These words seem (to me anyway) to fly in the face of what we’re often told, and what we’ve come to know concerning what it means to be in the service of our Lord.  In fact I think these words fly in the face of all human civility and sensibility.  These words seem so cold and callous, even heartless, especially coming from someone we know to be so loving...so merciful.

“Let me bury my father.”  No.  “Let me say bye to my family before I make this choice to come follow.”  No.  “Let me first do this or that.”  “Let me raise these funds, or get these credentials, have this meeting, or work out a plan.”  “Let me prepare personally and professionally so that we can do this thing responsibly.”  And the answer is still the same… NO.  Come follow Me.

And when we receive such a calling, may we not follow the lead of Lot’s wife, but instead follow the lead of Elisha who did request to say goodbye to his family, but ultimately returned to slaughter his oxen and burn his plowing equipment – essentially burning his bridges, making sure that he would not have anything to return to.

Such a calling, like the one we receive when Jesus calls us to go, demands that we with both word and deed declare our intent with ultimate finality.  “At once they left their nets and followed Him.” (Mt. 4:20 NIV).  I believe it is only then that we become fit to serve in the kingdom.  Not because we’ve reached some great spiritual mark, but because we’ve become absolutely nothing.  We have no credentials.  We have no personal ambition.  We’ve been humbled… even made a fool in the eyes of the world… in the eyes of our culture… in the eyes of our friends… in the eyes of our family.  We have nowhere to go, nothing to do, other than that which the Father has asked of us.  And it is from Him that we shall receive our manna.  Not by our own hands.

To what degree are we (am I) willing to pay that price?  Will we hang onto that which we should not hang on to?  Will we trust in what we should never trust in?  Will we fear what we should not fear?  Will we continue to make Ishmaels for ourselves?  Will we accept something “good” because the “perfect” thing He’s asked of us is just too hard?

“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

The Lost Practice of Sabbath

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Exodus 20:8 NIV

Clearly, the Sabbath was/is important to God.  It wouldn’t be one of the 10 commandments if it wasn’t.  The Sabbath, which begins on Friday evening, was to be set apart as holy... as a time to rest, remember, eat, celebrate, and pray. 

A piece of the new covenant, is that Jesus (the fulfillment of the law) is now our Sabbath rest (i.e. every day is holy… every day is set apart).  And while I believe that is true, is it true of us?  Do we really set every day aside as holy?  As a time to remember?  As a time to rest, eat, celebrate, and bask in the amazing grace that is our Lord?

Yes, the law has been fulfilled.  Yes, Christ paid it all with His sacrifice.  But is it possible that there is still something special in observing the Sabbath?  Could there be some value in that for us today? – not out of a sense of duty or obligation, but because God really knew what He was talking about when He told us to set it aside.  He knew how good it was/is/and can be.

I do not presume to speak for God in this matter, but I can speak from personal experience – and I was reminded of this just last night.  Picture this….  Friday draws to a close.  The day’s tasks are winding down.  A meal is being prepared… not cheese and crackers… not chips and pop… but a MEAL… a good, stick-to-your-ribs home cooked meal.  The aroma fills the house.  Fresh bread is baking in the oven.  Music is playing.  The kids are playing.  Evening draws near.  The curtains are pulled shut.  The table is set and the meal is served.  A prayer of thanks is given, but this time a little different.  This time, the prayer includes remembrance of how Christ’s body was broken and that His blood was shed for us and for all.  Usually at that point, the bread is broken and passed.  Sometimes there is wine at the table.  Sometimes it’s just milk or water.  Sometimes the meal is shared with another family (I highly recommend this).  But the meal is not rushed.  We take our time.  We talk.  We enjoy.

After the meal is over and the table is cleared, it’s into the living room - Sometimes for singing, sometimes for storybook time, sometimes for just lying on the floor and playing.  There have even been times when we’ve had another family over, and the adults clapped and stomped their feet while the kids just danced around the living room.  Last night, my girls took off my hat and brushed my hair for a good half hour while mom read a book aloud.

And almost always, there’s a thought that is never far from me…. and it is, “Thank you Lord.  Thank you for everything.  This is so good.”  We’ve done this off and on for the last 2 or 3 years now (more off than on).  Sometimes it doesn’t work out because of travel or plans.  Sometimes we just forget.  But I’m thinking that I’d like this to become a practice that is more “on” than “off” in our household.  Shabbat Shalom!

Confidence ≠ Casual

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.


That verse always gave me such peace, knowing that I (the mess that I am) can approach God and know that He receives me through the blood of Jesus. But if we take these words lightly, and ignore their full meaning, we might be tempted to think we can now approach the throne of God casually… even flippantly.

And while we should bask in the AMAZING reality that the God of the universe calls us friend, we should not make the mistake of taking that lightly. Jesus is NOT your “home boy.” He is the LION of JUDAH. HE came as the Lamb and will return in all His glory as the Lion. Yet with a cup of cappuccino in one hand and a program in the other, I sing my songs to God. How dare I?

On this Super Bowl Sunday, chances are we will give more honor, reverence, and awe to a group of grown men (millionaires), dressed in tights, playing a child’s game, than we will to the Great I AM… the ALPHA…the OMEGA… the HOLY GOD of the universe.

Our tendency to become star-struck and enamored with celebrities and well-known personalities (even Christian personalities) is a direct testimony to our fascination with the false… the plastic… rather than that which is true… that which is real… that which is Holy. We forsake the Holy for the profane and justify it by calling it “entertainment” or a relaxing time. Such tendencies are at enmity with the ONE we should really be enamored with. And it is at HIS NAME that we should tremble… in holy reverence.

I can’t remember the last time I trembled like that. God have mercy on me. God have mercy on us all. “Aw, lighten up Wilkinson. It’s just fun.” I’m not against fun. Ask my wife… I’m a complete goofball. But I can’t remember the last time I was fascinated by a celebrity… a professional musician… or a Christian personality. They simply don’t do it for me. They’re just people… like me… subject to the same joys and temptations. They use a toilet just like I do.

Why then do we often give them more respect and reverence than He who is worthy of such honor? My guess is that if one of the Green Bay Packers were to have walked into this morning’s church gathering, that hearts would begin to palpitate… adrenaline would begin to surge... imaginations would soar… and all attention would be upon him….and probably not because people were excited about the possibility that he might be repenting and giving his life to God.

We need to turn from such idolatry. I’m not saying we need to give up enjoying music, or watching sporting events. We just need to keep them in their proper perspective, and reserve our heart palpitations… our surges of adrenaline… our blushing… our wide-eyed expressions… our roaring cheers and emotional outcries…our TREMBLING…for the only ONE who is worthy of such things.

Apostolic Foundations

Today I started reading Apostolic Foundations by Art Katz for the 3rd time… and it still smacks me in the face. There are a handful of writings outside of the Holy scriptures that have greatly impacted my life. Apostolic Foundations is most definitely at the very top of that list.

I appreciate many of Art’s writings, but I believe Apostolic Foundations was (to borrow a phrase from another blogger) his grand opus. I find it strange that you would rarely (if ever) find any of Art’s works in the local Christian bookstore or within popular online Christian resources. Yet in his lifetime, I believe he was a true prophetic voice.

Although he traveled the world and regularly spoke in many countries, Art lived a very simple, quiet life with his wife Inger in a small community in a rural part of Minnesota. My good friend Joe once took a road trip up there to go talk with Art – as he (Joe) resonated with Art’s work and wanted to know this man more. I remember Joe saying that when he arrived and made his request to see Art, that Inger (now a good friend of Joe’s) very matter of factly told Joe, “He’s just a man.”

If you’d like to know more about Art Katz the man, click the links on the right of this page named “Art Katz” and “Ben Israel.”  And I would certainly encourage you to pick up a copy of Apostolic Foundations.

The road to the cross…

Are you willing to endure the difficult thing? Are you willing to walk alone? Are you willing to NOT be one of the boys? Are you willing to stand for righteousness? Are you willing to say what must be said, regardless of its political correctness? Are you willing to be mocked? Misunderstood? Will you walk the narrow road which leads to life, or will you choose the wider, more accommodating road which leads to destruction? Will you truly embrace your cross… the death of your flesh… your illusion of control… power… prestige? Will you follow Jesus, regardless of where that takes you… regardless of whether or not people support you? Will you endure? Will you be at peace in the midst of painful “uprooting?” Will you identify with our Lord in His sufferings? Will you celebrate and worship Him in the midst of your suffering? Will you be obedient to Him?

These are the questions I’ve pondered (to one degree or another) for the last 3 years or so, but more intently lately. In the end, I pray that my answer will be a resounding “YES!” Amen

Hope Deferred

Proverbs 13:12 (NIV)
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

Where does your hope lay? I’m discovering that where our hope lies has a profound impact on whether or not we will experience deferred hope. We all too often put our hope in men and relationships. We put our hope in our own wits. We put our hope in our education and experience. Some even put their hope in their charm and their looks.

But men will fail us and let us down, our wits will not always be what they are today (in fact we often think higher of ourselves than we ought to in the first place), and ultimately, it’s God who provides and allows us certain opportunities (sometimes regardless of our earthly qualifications). Ultimately, putting our hope in such things is a recipe for disappointment, pain, and despair. And a sick heart is of little use to anyone.

As followers of Jesus, we are involved in God’s kingdom activity, yet all flesh along with the powers of darkness rage and conspire against us. Therefore, our hope must be in God alone… no other.

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

At Once

Matthew 4:18-20 (TNIV)
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.

“At once… they followed Him.”  When I’ve reached the end of my days, will that be said of me? What an utter failure I’d be if all that can be said of me is, “He was a good man,” or “He was a real nice guy.” But to have such a thing said about us (“At once… they followed Him”) will cost us something. Such radical obedience to the call of our Lord is a direct assault on human sensibility. Such a response would be thought of as utter foolishness in the eyes of men. What about his career? What about retirement? What about his mortgage? What about providing a comfortable life for his family?  What do you mean you won't take costly vacations?  What do you mean gifts and possessions aren't important?  What do you mean you're not going to do this or that?  What do you mean you're not going to "play church?" 

When you become an "at once" follower of Jesus, don't be surprised when your very LIFE becomes an offense to the world of men.  The stink of Jesus will be all over you.  And that will be a beautiful fragrance to some... but a repulsive odor to others.     

“At once, they left their nets and followed Him.”

Conventional wisdom would tell us to temper our response. “Let us consider this for a while.” “Let us truly count the cost.”

“At once, they left their nets and followed Him.”

Will I take the narrow road which leads to life? Will I respond to the call of the Lord “at once?”

In the Dirt

Here are the lyrics from a song I wrote back in 2007. It's called "In the Dirt" and its based on Matthew 13:44-46.  This little tune turned out to be rather prophetic in my own life.  Who knew.   


What price would I pay for the things of heaven,
to clear the stones away and find the treasure You’ve given

Would I give all I am just to be with You, take this broken man
would I say, take it all; I give everything to You

Such matchless worth; my hope and my vision
uncovered, unearthed; such priceless provision

Would I give all I am just to be with You, take this broken man
would I say, take it all; I give everything to You
Let Your kingdom reign; I’d give anything if just to gain You
I’d say, take it all; I’d risk everything for You

Repentance Precedes the Kingdom

Working my way though the book of Mathew, I came to these verses this morning:

In those days, John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Mathew 3:1-2)

In reading this I was reminded that our salvation… our “ticket” into heaven is more than praying a perfunctory prayer… more than ascribing to a certain philosophy… more than associating with a particular sect or denomination… more than engaging in upstanding religious activity… more than attending “services”… more than being “a pretty good person”… more than mowing lawns and shoveling snow. Repentance precedes the Kingdom of God.

Repent means “to turn from.” That means we do a 180° turn from the direction we were previously heading in – whatever that direction may be. Perhaps we’ve oriented our lives (consciously or unconsciously) toward consumerism, materialism, humanism, or self-sufficiency (which is pride). And it is my belief that our repentance… our “turning from” must be a daily occurrence, lest we find ourselves aligned with a trajectory which leads to destruction. As a side note, I believe the most dangerous direction we can head in isn’t the one that’s blatantly opposed to the things of God… (that’s easy to detect). The direction that’s most dangerous is the one that’s off by just a degree or two (usually in the form of one small compromise or another). Those are harder to detect, and can often be socially acceptable… even fashionable. But if left unchecked, it can lead to the same destruction as if you’d been headed in a direction directly opposed to the Kingdom of God. As one of my favorite authors/speakers, Art Katz used to say, “A little leaven, leavens the whole lump” (referring to 1 Corinthians 5:6).

So, as we love one another (which is a sign that we are followers of Jesus), there must be a place… a point… when out of our love for them, we call people to repentance. For repentance precedes the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 3:2 (NIV) and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 4:17 (NIV) From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Mark 6:12 (NIV) They went out and preached that people should repent.

Luke 13:3 (NIV) I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Acts 2:38 (NIV) Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19 (NIV) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord

Acts 17:30 (NIV) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

Creamed Duck

A few nights ago, I had a very surreal experience. I was on my way home from my evening band rehearsal. As I came to the end of Ransom St. at U.S. 31, through the dark I saw a man with a flashlight in the road. There was also a pick-up truck with its hazard lights on, parked on the side of the road. I pulled up alongside the man with the flashlight, rolled down my window and asked if everything was alright. It was an elderly man who I’d guess to be in his late 70’s. He said something like, “Yeah, I’m getting my ducks.” Right at that point, I looked up ahead and saw about 30 full-grown ducks (mostly male mallards) waddling along in the road. The guy who owned the pick-up truck was trying to help the elderly man “herd” the ducks (I have no idea if that man and the elderly man knew each other).

Apparently, the ducks belonged to the elderly man who owned a farm down the road. And when the temperature dropped, the surface of the water where the ducks hung out froze…which meant they couldn’t get at the fresh water. Rather than waiting around for their master to remedy the problem, they decided to take off and look for fresh water. The trouble is, they lived near a highway. And as I would discover once I turned the corner onto the highway, a few of the ducks did make it out to U.S. 31 (at least for a few moments… long enough for 3 of them to get creamed).

I thought again today about this surreal experience, and thought this whole thing was sorta like how the Holy Spirit speaks to us as Christ followers in our lives. Ok… so we’re the ducks. God is like the old farmer calling to, and caring for his ducks so they don’t get creamed. Sometimes, we’re impatient with our master when trials come (when the water freezes), and we take off down the road. Rather than waiting and trusting that our master will provide a way, we wander away looking for open water. Trouble is, we don’t see the danger in doing so. Why? Because we’re ducks, He’s the master, and we’re not. Sometimes we ignore the voice of God speaking to us… calling us… prompting us… counseling us. We ignore the Spirit of our Master and strike out on our own….toward the highway. We forsake the wisdom of the Father for the wisdom of men… of popular culture... of our fellow ducks. What is it we’re looking for? Fresh water? Greener pastures? A better relationship? Fulfillment? A pleasant “church experience” which requires very little real sacrifice or lasting life-change on our part?

My guess is that if we continue to ignore God’s voice, one of two things will happen. We’ll either get creamed, or before long we’ll forget the sound of the Master’s voice and be unable to hear it when He calls. We’ll continue to wander down the road of life. We may even be lucky enough to live out the rest of our days in quiet comfort, free from the “confines” of any master other than ourselves. But ultimately, without the wisdom, protection, provision, love, grace, forgiveness, and healing the Master (the Creator of the universe) can provide, we’re just a lost duck.

Life in the Body

If one wishes to see glimpses of true life in the Body of Christ (The Church), one needs to look no further than the New Testament. I deliberately use the word “glimpses” because it is my belief that while the New Testament is indeed a treasure trove when it comes to examples of how we are to live as Christ followers and how we are to function as His Body, the glimpses we see are just that… glimpses… glimpses of an imperfect, yet beautiful bride.

There is not a 12 step recipe for healthy Church (at least not that I’ve found). Ultimately, we are not left to rely only upon these historical snap shots of the phenomenon that was the early Church, but we are also given the Spirit of Truth which resides in every follower of Jesus. And it is this Spirit which counsels us, guides us, comforts us, and instructs us. It is for that reason that we, as the Church, must be a people who not only know His written word, but who also know His voice (John 10:3-5)….His living word for today….for this moment….A voice which is not reserved only for the educated, professional minister….but available for all who call upon the name of the Lord.

It would seem that God could’ve just as easily given us a list or recipe to follow giving us the specific what, where, when, how, why, and who of Church rather than giving us only pictures, patterns, and principles. But that would be contrary to his nature as our Daily Bread; and it is this Bread that we must seek each day if we are to have any hope of staying on course. I share this as a reminder that the following is not a comprehensive recipe or a checklist. They are characteristics….glimpses of the early church and how they lived.

The Body is gifted and diverse: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV)

The members of the Body participate when the Body gathers: 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 (NIV)

The Body lives as priests (i.e. While there are clear roles {apostle, teacher, pastor, prophet, elder, etc} there is not a religious elite; that is the old order of things): 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

The Body lives in close, loving community: Acts 2:44 (NIV), Acts 2:46 (NIV), John 13:34-35 (NIV), Romans 12:10 (NIV)

The members of the Body grow… on purpose: Acts 2:42 (NIV), Romans 12:2 (NIV)

The Body goes (as sent ones): Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

The members of the Body are alive and bear good fruit: Matthew 21:19 (NIV), Luke 6:43 (NIV), John 15:1-17 (NIV)

The Body loves: Acts 2:45 (NIV), John 13:35 (NIV), 1 John 3:17 (NIV), Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV), Luke 10:25-28 (NIV), James 1:27 (NIV), James 1:22-25 (NIV), James 2:14-26 (NIV)

The Body proclaims: 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV), Matthew 10:7 (NIV), Acts 5:42 (NIV)

A healthy Body is admired: Acts 2:47 (NIV)

Confessions of a Worship Arts Pastor

A couple years ago, I was ready to leave the institutional church – not “THE CHURCH,” just the institutional expression. This was motivated by several things, but I felt that the system as a whole was broken. Understand that this has nothing to do with the people I work with – I LOVE those people….DEARLY. My issue was with the current state of THE CHURCH as a whole. I felt like over the last 1700ish years or so, we’d drifted far from the principles, practices, and lifestyle with which the early church operated; Far from the original mandate we’d been given – to GO and make disciples, love the Lord, love people, and to live as a priesthood of believers. But instead of going with authority (as sent ones)… into our world… our neighborhood… our workplace..........., we stayed and built, and we said “Come to us.”

Essentially, I felt like we took the curtain that was ripped in two at Christ’s death, and sewed it back together. We rebuilt an elaborate religious system. We rebuilt the temples – rather than living in the reality that WE are the temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). We installed our own priests - rather than living as a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). We even rebuilt the altars (Protestants call them “stages,” and have “altar calls.”)

Our buildings got larger and larger. Our programs and products got better and more elaborate. We thought that in doing so we’d compete with the world (on their terms) and win people over. But we were so busy developing programs, and productions, and concerts, and facilities, and events, and youth facilities, and groovy gadgets, and hip bands, that WE FORGOT TO GO. And in our staying, we got lazy. We paid trained professionals to conduct “the service” for us, rather than operating as a priesthood of believers. (Check out 1 Corinthians 14:26 and Acts 2:42-47 for a couple glimpses of how the church used to operate). It seemed to me that more and more Christians, (not “new believers,” but folks who’d been in the church for years) seemed to be consumed with their programs and products. Think for a minute about what church-folk get upset about…. The music… The drama team… The children’s ministry… The youth group… The service went 15 minutes long.  And don't even get me started on denominations. 

So… to sum it up, I went into meltdown mode. I was overwhelmed and paralyzed - especially given the fact that this was a system which I helped perpetuate - a system from which I received 100% of my income. In my desperation and despair, I was ready to bolt and just do house church. But fortunately, I have wise friends… some involved in institutional church life, some involved in house church life, and they counseled me to sit tight and see what God would do. I’m thankful they said that, because slowly, over time, something began to happen. “I” began to change. I realized that many of the frustrations I had with the institutional church were true of me. I wasn’t loving people. I wasn’t “going.” Even though I was reaching out to some of my neighbors, I wasn’t doing it to the level that I should or being as deliberate about it as I should. I wasn’t living as a priest. I wasn’t living as a sent one. But as I (along with some of my friends) began to change some of that, I saw something happen. I saw others within the church doing the same….not because of me… but because I believe the same Spirit that was working in me was working in them as well. I saw people sacrificing, giving, serving, going, and risking. And the more I saw it, the more I was challenged and inspired.

And while my following of Jesus is FAR from perfect…. I have hope again. I believe that in some ways, God is redeeming His church… and as a result, I now believe it isn’t so much about institutional church, or house church, or simple church, or organic church…… I just believe that the church needs to BE the CHURCH. I believe that “I” need to BE the church. And whatever happens as a result of that….. so be it. Amen.

Black Friday

Here's an interesting vid someone tossed my way.  The last time I watched it (this past Sunday) I "almost" cried.  Had I been alone, I might have wept.   

Sunday's Coming

Funny, but unfortunately.... this is all too true.  Perhaps this will cause some momentary discomfort... and that's ok.  The challenge is for us to look at our own current practices... have we drifted?... if so, how, and in what way?  A more pointed question to ask is, "Is this really what Jesus had in mind?"

   

I Can Be a Real Jackass Sometimes

I really blew it today…. well, I think I learned some lessons so it wasn’t a total loss. I was at Sam’s club earlier today. I went there to pick up a box of scouring pads. The box contains like 496 million scouring pads or something and it’s like 8 bucks. Anyway, so I step into the shortest check-out lane. There were 2 customers (ladies) in front of me. The line was held up a bit. I wasn’t sure why, but soon saw that the cashier had a bunch of cash spread out in piles and was counting it. Apparently the lady at the front of the line gave it to her to pay for her cart of groceries. I could barely discern that she didn’t have enough cash to pay for everything. Immediately I thought, “Oh man. I’d hate to be her right now. I’d be so embarrassed.” I also started to think that it might be nice to just pay for what she owed and be the hero of the moment. Just then, the cashier told her she needed like $35 more. I was like…. I’m almost broke! I’ve got a twenty to last me all week, and that’s it. So I hesitated and waited in line, and pretended not to know what was happening up ahead of me. I then saw the customer at the register start to pull things out of her cart. The first item was a HUGE pack of sausage – chorizo, I think. As soon as I saw that I thought, “Well that’s a luxury item. She didn’t need that anyway.” Then I started to rationalize….. “Maybe God is trying to teach her to pay better attention to her finances, or at least know enough to keep a running total of her expenses while she shopped.” She was a slightly heavier woman, so I thought, “She’s certainly not starving. One less jumbo pack of chorizo sausage isn’t going to kill her.” All the while, the woman at the front of the line continued to pull items out of her cart. Just then…. in the midst of my rationalizing…. judging….. and contemplating whether or not to help this woman with a few bucks, the woman directly in front of me stepped forward and handed the lady at the front of the line some money. The woman looked a little embarrassed and said “she couldn’t.” The woman who gave her the few dollars just said, “Consider it a gift from God,” and that was the end of it. I stood there and felt so happy to see the Body of Christ in action, yet I was so completely ashamed of what a complete jackass I was. The kindly woman in front of me showed MERCY to the woman "in need."  What did I show?

What is church?

What is church? I believe church is the people of God BEING the people of God. The church is the bride of Christ. The church is the body of Christ - of which Christ is the head. The purpose of the body is to be a display of the life that is in Christ. Would you leave a dead finger on your hand?....sure you may try to revive it somehow....but ultimately a dead finger is good for two things....spreading disease and death, and being what it is - garbage. Garbage that should be tossed away - thrown into the fire. As God's people, are we alive? Are we a display of the life that is in Christ? Or are we dead meat rotting?

Are we being renewed? Or are we up to our same old tricks?.... anger…. malice…. gossip (we love this one particularly in the church don’t we? - though we attempt to mask it by calling it "sharing" or better yet - "filtering" through others).... slander.... jealousy..... immodesty.... lust.... greed..... sexual immorality.... witchcraft? Are we lazy?.... Slothful?.... Indifferent that we've made no attempt to get to know our neighbors, co-workers, and classmates in the hope that we might share the love of Christ with them in word AND in deed? When we gather, do we sit and “spectate,” only punctuating the proceedings (as Art Katz would say) now and again with our occasional amens? Are we given to passivity? We will be held accountable for our actions, and our inaction - - and honestly….that terrifies me….and it should. As the late Art Katz once wrote:

I am suggesting a prescription that is totally opposed to passivity. In the conventional situation, we sit inactive, and only punctuate the proceedings now and then by our "amens" or "hallelujahs." In the Body, however, this posture is altogether unacceptable. "When you assemble," Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:26, "each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation." That is how the life of the Body is expressed to the Body. But where are we ever encouraged to "each one having"? Rather, we have been compelled to a passivity, and to looking up to trained men to conduct the service. Furthermore, we are only too willing to pay the cost of it that we might be absolved from the spiritual responsibility of having to share a hymn, a psalm, a tongue, an interpretation, a prophecy, a revelation or a teaching! The Body is therefore emaciated, being inadequately fed. We cannot grow, and we are therefore limp, disjointed and anemic. We are left weakened if this life-giving provision does not come out of, and into, our midst. There can be no excuse to justify our inactivity and passivity. When we come together, we should have prepared ourselves already in the place of prayer, fully expecting that God is going to quicken and bring something through us.

So where are we? Are we living this life in Christ in word AND deed? Are we expressing life in the Body, and as the Body are we expressing life to the world?  Or are we dead meat rotting?... camped out in our beautiful buildings equipped with all the latest gadgetry a dying world has to offer.  Still think church is a building or a "service" you go to?  Still think a Christian is called to "GO" to church - (rather than BE the church)?

My Utmost Really Isn't Much

I appreciated the reading today in "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. http://utmost.org/ He mentions how God does not want to teach us something in our trials - He wants us to unlearn something. He also mentions the idea of simplifying our beliefs until our relationship with Him is like that of a child.

I've fretted for a while now about my prayer life - or more accurately, the lack of depth thereof. Over the last year, I've had very few (if any) deep, lasting, and epic prayer "experiences." As someone who has experienced that type of life in The Body in the past, I've felt for a while now that something must be wrong. And perhaps there is something wrong...something that needs attention....perhaps a GREATER sense of devotion.

But last night as I gave thanks for our meal, and this morning as I read Mr. Chambers writings, I think what is happening is an inner simplification. A reducing of my grandiose ideas of what prayer is. A realization that my Utmost really doesn't amount to much. A newfound sensitivity to the simple - so simple that my prayers have amounted to little more this past year than "Thank You Lord"...."I Love You."

Am "I" ok with that kind of simplicity? Am "I" ok that my ideas of prayer and adoration have been reduced to a few pitiful syllables?      

Books that Rocked My World

Below are a few of the books that have shaped who I am and how I view the world - or at least, are writings that I ressonate with.  You'll see that the Bible is not listed.  That's because I do not consider The Bible to be merely a book.
 

Apostolic Foundations by Art Katz

The Rabbit and the Elephant by Tony and Felicity Dale, and George Barna

The Spirit of Truth by Art Katz and Paul Volk

Pagan Christianity? by Frank Viola and George Barna