next steps

as part of my new role as director of discipleship at wadsworth united methodist church i've create a discipleship blog, titled NEXT STEPS.  it is my goal to share short, simple inspiring and empowering words, videos, images and quotes to help disciples of Christ navigate their faith journey throughout the week.  check it out:  http://disciplesteps.tumblr.com

i hope to keep blogging here at fantastic distraction - it's something i've been doing for 8 years now.  i took a bit of a hiatus this past summer - but i'll hopeful and confident i will get back at it.

i have to be honest, i'm still striving to find my rhythm here in the midst of new surroundings.  it's taken perhaps longer than expected.  i've not blogged as much, read as much, ran as much... but it's been busy (not that that is anything to brag about.)  so i aim to establish new rhythms here in the near future.  God is revealing things to me and my family, this i know... but in the midst of all things new, i'm slowing navigating my own new journey of faith, and slowly discovering new forms of expression.

a challenge, no doubt, but a welcomed one at that.  God has given us all purpose and vision.  i know a destination is in front of me - at this point, the journey is the destination.

next steps. one foot in front of the other...

Not of this World

 13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth." ~John 17:13-19

What an amazing scripture.  What an amazing prayer.  Jesus is in the garden... it’s the night before his eventual death and demise... and he’s recounting to God the Father all that he has said and done and taught the faithful disciples.

“I have told them many things so they may be filled with joy."
“I have given them your word.”
“Protect them from the evil one.”
“Make them holy.” 

 I love it when Jesus says “They (the disciples) do not belong to the world any more than I do.”

 Jesus, in essence, calls the disciples, the faithful ones, aliens. Foreigners. Outsiders. Something was different about them now. But Jesus didn’t ask them to be taken away from this world - to be taken away from the challenges that come to those who follow. Jesus knew their potential. He knew what had to happen next. He’d go to the cross - sacrifice Himself - so the faithful few could be made holy. Sanctified. Set apart. By doing so, He set in motion a path for transformation and the world would never be the same.

What an amazing prayer, a prayer for any follower of Jesus - a hopeful inspiration to us all. What’s the least we could do for the One who gave his all for us to live? What if we all truly claimed that prayer and accepted being ‘made holy’ and set apart? What if we lived as aliens, foreigners and outsiders? Maybe the world would take notice. Maybe others would say ‘there’s something different about you. I want what you’ve got.’

Accept the words of the Father. They have been given to us by His son, Jesus. Accept God’s truth. Change the world, just as the disciples did. Jesus believed in their ability. He believes in your ability, also.

the 3 Muscles of Visual Life

In this Intel Visual Life short documentary, Michael Wolff, co-founder of Wolff Olins Agency and considered one of the preeminent visionaries and perhaps the father of 20th century brand expression and identity, talks about his approach to looking at the world, including the muscles of curiosity, appreciation, and imagination.


i value this mini- documentary (thank you to my wife for finding it) because of its fresh perspective on life... what we see... how others see us... how do we bring about inspiration?  how are we branded? 

While watching i thought of many parallels to faith and the church.  There are so many elements of value found in this short 6 minute film.  I'd like to focus on a few.


How Am I Known?

as Christians - we may think we know how we see ourselves - but we certainly don't know how others perceive us.  the same could be said for the church.  (but that's for another blog post)

"I don't know what I look like to other people therefore I must package myself in a way that reveals who I am."

What Do We See?
From a faith standpoint, do we, the church (or we, as Christians),  have a holistic view of our design? 
Michael Wolff talks about the 3 Muscles:
Curiosity (being willing to ask why?) + Appreciation (noticing) = Imagination.

Part of appreciation is brand identity.  What is the purpose, the vision?  what does it do?  what does it bring?  we need a brand that makes it so people can take it, receive it, value it, treasure it & choose it.
This is the whole process of branding.


This is a message for the church.  This is a message of discipleship.
We (the church/the body of Christ) need to brand our process of discipleship... we need to present to others an identity that compels others to take it, receive it, value it, treasure it & choose it.

Think of the impact we might have, for the glory of God, to brand our identity in Christ in a way that would entice others to follow Jesus.  In a real, honest and humble way.  That's Kingdom work.  That's the Gospel in action.  People are drawn to authenticity.  How might we brand that, so to speak?

This is something that each church needs to investigate and digest.

Curiosity matters.
Appreciation matters.
Imagination matters.

Utilizing our imagination is an outward expression of who we are in Christ - created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) - to do great and mighty things (John 14:12).  Our process of discipleship can naturally derive from that.  Nothing more, nothing less.  In the simplicity of curiosity and appreciation - there God can be found, because God is in vastness that our imagination. 


Open Your Eyes.

"If you walk around with a head full of preoccupation you're not going to notice anything."

We need open eyes.  We need to see new things.  May God gives us the vision to see the new thing in front of us (Isaiah 43:19).  May our preoccupations wane so that Christ may abound (Phil. 1:9).

Just think what God might do through us...
How will you now visualize life?

notes + quotes from You Lost Me. (Book Review)

NOTES FROM THE BOOK:

You Lost Me. Why Young Christians are Leaving the Church... and Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman

valuable quotes and statistics from Kinnaman's book on why young people are leaving the church. This book gives great insight as to how the church can adapt in order to reach a generation that is currently disconnected from the church community.

[spoiler alert]

Millions of young adults (MOSAICS age 18-29) leave active involvement in church as they exit their teen years. some never return, while others live indefinitely at the margins of the faith community, attempting to define their own spirituality. (pg. 19)

Millions of young Christians describe Christianity as hypocritical, judgmental, too political, and out of touch with reality. (20)

The dropout problem is a disciple-making problem. the church is not adequately preparing the next generation to follow Christ faithfully in a rapidly changing culture. (21)

61% of young people with Christian background have “dropped out of attending church after going regularly.”
41% have struggled with significant doubt.
35% have rejected their parents faith. (24)
(these averages are among Protestants)

“I’ve never lost faith in Christ but i have lost faith in the church.” ~ Kelly, a young adult ‘Nomad’

FACT: young Christians perceive and interpret reality through screens. (43)


NEW REALITY: young people expect to participate as well as consume.
young people desire to stay connected at all times.
young people do not have a network of older adults to help them succeed.


Young need access, feel alienated and are not interested in the authority structures of that animate Christianity.


Mosaics are tech savvy but not necessarily truth savvy.

Young people are interested in spirituality, but on their own terms.

Young people feel it is more important to be fair and loyal to their peers than to be loyal to the institution.

The Christian community needs to consider our allegiance to these authorities; we must be honest enough with ourselves to determine where our allegiance is merely cultural rather than biblical. We need a new mind in our approach to faith formation in the changing spiritual narrative. (56)







WHY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.








NOMADS:
still describe themselves as Christian.
believe that personal involvement in church is optional.
importance of faith has faded.
angry and/or hostile towards church.
spiritual experimentalists. (65)

PRODIGALS:
Christian beliefs don’t make sense.
Spiritual needs not met.

EXILES:
want their faith to matter.
want to follow Jesus AND connect with world they live in.
skeptical of institutions but not wholly disengaged with them.
see God moving outside walls of church (and they want to be a part of that movement).
not disillusioned with tradition; they are frustrated with slick, shallow expressions of religion.
faith isn’t instructive to their calling or gifts.
struggle when Christians question their motives.

“A film isn’t Christian just because it has inserted the gospel message in there somehow. A film can point to Christ when it honestly portrays our human condition and invites us to experience something about redemption that each of us needs.” ~Justin

How modern exiles compare to the Bible: SAME SONG, DIFFERENT MILLENNIUM (87-88)

The challenge for the Christian community is how to respond to the growing number of exiles. Will we do what we can to equip them to make the choices that faced Daniel in Babylon -- choices about balancing cultural accommodation and faithful, Christ-centered living? Will we listen to and take to heart their faithful prophetic critiques of the church’s posture toward our increasingly pluralistic society? Will we change our structures, guided by unchanging truths of Scripture, to nurture their gifts and unique calling into a world deeply loved by, yet in many ways hostile to, God?

IDENTIFYING THE DISCONNECTION: (92-93)
they find the church to be:
OVERPROTECTIVE - they want to reimagine, recreate, rethink and they want to be entrepreneurs, innovators, starters. To mosaics, creative expression is of inestimable value.
SHALLOW - the most common perception: church is boring. Also, the Christianity they received does not give them a sense of calling.
ANTI SCIENCE -
REPRESSIVE -
EXCLUSIVE - Christianity’s claims to exclusivity are a hard sell. (mosaics want to find areas of common ground...)
DOUBTLESS - don’t feel like church is the place to express doubts. do not feel safe admitting that faith doesn’t always make sense.



Young Christians - it’s your turn to listen.
Well established Christians - it’s time to trust in a deeper way of God working within the next generation.


Mosaic frustration:
Christians demonize everything outside of the church.

Christians are afraid of pop culture (especially movies + music)

Christians maintain a false separation of sacred and secular. (research shows that this generation does not see a divide between the sacred and secular, at least not in the same way their parents do.)

Christians do not want to deal with the complexity or reality of the world. (church = to rigid, unreal + not able to comprehend the world as it really is) (97-98)


Many mosaics grew up in a risk-free Christianity which led them AWAY from God/Church.

Perception of Church: fear based to get you to do something as opposed to giving you logical reasons why you should or shouldn’t do something.



WHAT CHURCH COULD DO TO REACH MOSAICS:
help young people understand fundamental brokenness in humans and an adversary who intends to derail mankind in every possible way.
no fear of ‘secular’ culture/media, etc. let’s watch, listen and read together and do ‘cultural exegesis’ asa faithful community.
guide young people to trust God fearlessly and follow Christ in the power of the Spirit - even at the RISK of their lives, reputations, and worldly success.
(104)

Matthew 16:25
24-26Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Current Church seems shallow - with a faith that is a mile wide but an inch deep.
Don’t just convey INFORMATION about God - DISCIPLE young believers to live wholly, deeply in the reality of God. (115)

Mosaics desire humility.

Christian communities of all kinds must find ways to include teens and young adults in the spiritual life of the church, rather than relegating them to the game room. We need a new mind for facilitating meaning filled rites of passage. How might young people be involved in Scripture reading, praying, leading worship, giving testimony, or providing a short teaching to the congregation?

Responsibility outside of worship, too: serving, mentoring, discipling, etc.
(123)

Churches expect too little of its young people.

Don;t focus on the numbers - focus on discipling like Jesus discipled.
Make disciples. (Matt. 28:19)
Committed people make disciples.

MOSAIC FRUSTRATION: Christians are too confident that they know all the answers. (137)
Christians are not accepting of gay and lesbians
Christians are afraid of the beliefs of other faiths
Church ignores problems of real world
mosaics don’t feel accepted by church people.
(175)


The next generation needs workable, biblical, grace filled ways to relate with people who are not believers.
(empathy)
(183)

NEW THINKING:

The church is a partnership of generations fulfilling God’s purpose in their time.
(more interaction between cross generations / build inter-generational relationships)
(205)

Mentors needed to help young people with wisdom. (204)

God-centered relationships create faithful, mature disciples.

Christians have no idea that their faith connects to their life’s work.

We need new ways of measuring success. If you are in church ministry, one metric of success might be to help young people make one or two relational connections, younger or older, that lead to significant mentoring bonds that will last for several years. (208)

Jesus was in close contact with his disciples that he was able to shape the rough edges of their faith + ministry.

We have done everything humanly possible to make the church as "easy" as possible. We kept the services short and entertaining, discipleship and evangelism optional, and moral standards low. Our motives were not bad. We figured we could attract more people by offering Jesus with minimal commitment. But we ended up producing nominal Christians whose unchanged lives have deterred others from being interested.

There is a new generation rising up. Young adults are studying the Bible without missing the obvious. They see how shallow methodology is incongruent with the Jesus of Scripture who asked everything of his followers. They are bored with Sunday morning productions and long to experience the Holy Spirit. They need to be challenged with the awesome responsibility of praying for, baptizing, and making disciples of their acquaintances. They need to be reminded of the Spirit who supernaturally empowers them for this task.

The days of merely bringing our friends to an event so the pastor can save and disciple them need to end. New churches must be formed where all believers are expected to do the work of evangelism and discipleship. This generation sees the potency of a church where pastors equip and shepherd disciple-makers rather than service-attenders. ~Francis Chan, as quoted in You Lost Me by David Kinnaman (pages 215-216)

FINAL THOUGHTS:
The Church needs to embrace reconciliation.
Recover its imagination.
Hand-craft disciples (not cookie cutter)
Discover ones vocational calling (and how God is at work in the midst)
Radical faith is not about doing edgy things, but about embodying the self-giving love of Jesus. a love that RISKS suffering and matters more than life itself.
Don’t overreact. Reactionary thinking plagues much of evangelicalism.
Make disciples like Jesus.

Increase your Expectations

We have done everything humanly possible to make the church as "easy" as possible. We kept the services short and entertaining, discipleship and evangelism optional, and moral standards low. Our motives were not bad. We figured we could attract more people by offering Jesus with minimal commitment. But we ended up producing nominal Christians whose unchanged lives have deterred others from being interested.

There is a new generation rising up. Young adults are studying the Bible without missing the obvious. They see how shallow methodology is incongruent with the Jesus of Scripture who asked everything of his followers. They are bored with Sunday morning productions and long to experience the Holy Spirit. They need to be challenged with the awesome responsibility of praying for, baptizing, and making disciples of their acquaintances. They need to be reminded of the Spirit who supernaturally empowers them for this task.

The days of merely bringing our friends to an event so the pastor can save and disciple them need to end. New churches must be formed where all believers are expected to do the work of evangelism and discipleship. This generation sees the potency of a church where pastors equip and shepherd disciple-makers rather than service-attenders.

~Francis Chan, as quoted in You Lost Me by David Kinnaman (pages 215-216)

Natural Selection: Why the Church Must Adapt or Die

Of people born from 1981 on, some 26 percent claim no religious affiliation. Among people born between 1965 and 1980, the percentage of non-believers is a lower 20 percent. Heading farther back, those born from 1946 to 1964 are only 13-percent non-religious.

A doubling, that is, between the boomers and the most recent generation. As you know, doubling is a geometric function. If the number of non-believers doubles again in 50 years, then by around 2050, the United States will be a majority non-religious country. Clearly, if Christianity seeks to not only stay relevant but viable, it must adapt. The proof is in the numbers; Christianity is suffering. ~Alex Wilhelm (from his article Why Christianity Must Adapt... or Perish)

i've heard a lot of chatter lately about going back. "i want my America back!" frankly, most go beyond chatter - yelling might be a better word. in the world of American Christiandom, the conversation often steers towards the proverbial 'we need to go back to America's roots as a Christian nation.' i think those who say that might very well have good intentions. after all, the past always seems better as time goes by, does it not? nostalgia has a funny way of almost distorting the actuality of past events.

don't get me wrong, i have some fond memories of the past. and there are times that i'd go back to being 12 years old in a heartbeat. as Richard Dreyfuss most eloquently put it (a la Stephen King) in the movie Stand By Me "I never had friends later on in life like I did when I was 12. God, does anyone?"

be that as it may - going back doesn't always mean things would be better than they are right now... or in the future.

from a political stand point - what exactly do 'we' want to go back to? war? slavery? no civil rights? oppression of woman? with all the good that came about when our sweet nation began governing - there were certainly a number of flaws.

we've made progress over the years. we'd all agree with that. so why go back? why not go forward?

i often here this same argument in the church. if you took a magnifying glass and looked at the way many churches function, you see many institutions stuck in the past. recreating what has already been done is not progress. there is nothing progressive about it. but progressiveness and post-modernism are scary things for the church these days.

and so the argument goes like this: "why can't we go back to our roots of our nation, with Christianity at the center?" in a perfect world - we'd be a nation of people seeking after the heart of God - not after our own selfish wants and desires. in a perfect world, we'd care about other people and other nations as we do ourselves, too. but we live not in that world.

should or could that be a goal for the 21st century church? yes. absolutely. but that will never happen by wishing and hoping to 'go back.' save your breath. save your energy. 'going back' will not bring non-religious, non-Christ like or nominal Christians either back to church or closer to God.

going forward will. like the statistic says above: less and less people in America are claiming any religious affiliation at all. Natural selection is in full effect: we must adapt or die. it's survival of the fittest and the church is that sloth lounging on the couch in front of the television.

so what are the steps deemed necessary to bring about adaptation?
(my humble opine follows)

1. The church and/or Christians must stop their obsession with proving how wrong everyone is and how right 'we' are. frankly, we've got Plank Eye Syndrome. We concern ourselves so much with the sins and imperfections of others that we neglect to see the sins of our own. (Jesus talked about that in Matthew chapter 7 verses 3 through 5) Following Jesus is not about being right - it's about obeying. it's about loving. it's about empathizing and caring... with no conditions.

2. Strive to become 'quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19) We like to talk a lot. but how well do we listen? Are we listening to the heartache and cries of our communities? Are we seeing their true needs? or are we telling them what we think they need? telling a man he 'needs Jesus' doesn't put food on his table. am i suggesting we squelch our desires to share the gosepel? not at all. i am suggesting though, before we speak it - we live it. We show Jesus to the world through our acts of compassion and love. Actions do speak louder than words.

3. Realize that church does not exclusively exist for 'us' - but for those not part of the Christ-centered community. we do things we like and expect others to just show up. 50 years ago - the fact that churches had doors and a steeple and a bell that rang on Sunday mornings compelled people to come. Many churches still hold to that same expectation. Understand this: in the 21st century people will not walk through the church doors simply because the church doors are open at 9am every Sunday morning. I believe the church doors should be open... but perhaps they should be open so that we would 'go out' rather than wait or expect others to 'come in.'

4. Learn to deal with conflict differently. i recently read about how metaphors rule our lives. i've never thought about that before - but when it comes to conflict or disagreement - we often think of it as a battle or a war. "Argument is War" When disagrement comes or when arguments arise - our passion gets the blood boiling. We aim to 'defeat' our opponent. we want to destroy their message. We aim to 'defend' our point of view. We want to 'WIN!' But what if our arguments and disagrements were not viewed as war - but as a dance.

Robert Schnase, a Methodist bishop so eloguently wrote about this in his book The Balancing Act (with inspiration from Metaphors We Live By.) In a dance - both performers play essential and important roles - but one is not out to 'take down' the other. IF our disagrements within the church and with the world were not combative - but more like a graceful dance, think of how more productive we might be or could be?

Both dance parties compel the others movement - "pushing each other along - closer to the truth. We might 'focus on where we need to go and whether we are farther along than the last time we talked. Rather than winning or losing we might say things like 'He really pushed you forward with that idea. er suggestion took us a step higher. We made real progress. I feel like we're getting closer and closer.'"
When conflict and disagreement comes - if we expect a war, then a war we will get. If we expect a dance, something more graceful might arise. Which one is a more Christ-like approach?

5. Act like disciples. Dallas Willard, author, pastor and theologian said this: “Generally, what I find is that the ordinary people who come to church are basically running their lives on their own, utilizing ‘the arm of the flesh’—their natural abilities—to negotiate their way. They believe there is a God and they need to check in with him. But they don’t have any sense that he is an active agent in their lives. As a result, they don’t become disciples of Jesus.”*

One's faith is meant to be active - not passive. the church needs disciples who are disciplined and dedicated to Jesus first.

lastly,
6. Separate Politics from Church. yeah - i have high expectations if i think this will ever happen - but it doesn't mean it couldn't. imagine. imagine if Christians in America made their decisions based on Christ Jesus first, political party of choice second. Imagine. Imagine what the world would look like if we truly lived the Greatest commandment: Love God. Love People. (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus said EVERYTHING hangs on these two commands!

Jesus is not a politician. And he need not be a second fiddle to any candidate, movement or call for political action.


this list could go on. and frankly - i could be wrong. but this is what i am thinking... right now.



i love the church and am hopeful that it might become viable and authentic and humble and loving - beyond what we may ever comprehend. but we need to adapt... or we will die. the church will die. yeah, there will probably still be churches on every corner - but will they be alive? full of life? full of love? full of Jesus' active messages of truth? a building does not a church make. loving, intentional, selfless disciples do.



just my 2 cents. for what it's worth.

what a disciple looks like

A Disciple:

One who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.
A follower of Jesus.
Disciplined.
A pupil.

It is enough for the student to be like his teacher. [a]

Do not live according to the sinful nature. Live according the Spirit.
A mind controlled by the Spirit brings a full life of peace.
The Spirit is powerful. Follow Christ, truly follow Him. Follow Jesus closely. Close enough that His dust covers your clothes. That dust will be the outward sign to the world that you are truly His disciple. Live like him.
Do not be a slave to fear. Share in his sufferings in order that you may also share in his glory. Be empathetic. [b]

United with fellow disciples.
Take care of others.
Share. Give freely. [c]

Lend a hand to the poor and weak. But not do bring glory to ourselves and not only when it is convenient. Ask "how can I help?"
Take on the troubles of the troubled, just like your mentor and example, Jesus.
Be in harmony with one another. No personal agendas.
Get along with others.
Be alert for what's on the horizon.
Remember: the personable God is dependable, steady and warm. May He develop maturity in us. [d]

Preach. Proclaim. Share the Gospel, the Good News.
Through words and actions. Not one without the other. Ever.
The Lord will confirm His truth in you when you obey.
Do not be discouraged. [e] [f]

Conduct yourself in ways that are not contradictory to the Good News Jesus proclaimed.
Live like a follower. No pretending.
Do not fear those that oppose you. And you will face opposition. if you don't, you may not be following Jesus as closely as you think. Perhaps.
Your courage, strength and unity will show those who oppose you what they are up against.
There is more to this life than trusting in Him. Suffer for Him, also.
Did He not suffer for you? [g]

Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Love life.
Keep your words pure.
Pursue peace. [h]

Be eager to do good.
If you suffer for what you do, you are blessed.
Make Christ Lord in your heart. Be cautious with your heart. The temptations to fill it with other things will be prominent.
Give a reason, to those who ask, for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect.
Keep a clear conscience.
Remember: Christ died, once for all - for the righteous and the unrighteous so that all may be brought to God. Remember all of the truths of Christ: the living water. the blood sacrifice. the removal of our grime. the salvation He gives. The resurrection, as well. [i]

Obey.
Love.
Your actions are your response to God's amazing grace.
That grace accepts us, assures us, sustains us and embraces us with divine love.
Radical grace prompts a radical response.


[a] = Matthew 10:24-25
[b] = Romans 8:5-25
[c] = Acts 4:32-37
[d] = Romans 15:1-5
[e] = Mark 16:19-20
[f] = James 2:14-26
[g] = Philippians 1:27-30
[h] = 1 Peter 3:8-12
[i] = 1 Peter 3:13-22


inspired by: A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God by Shawchuck & Job