Many years ago, I read a biography about a famous Christian inventor who gave away 90% of his income. I remember hearing others speak of his “sacrifice” in awed tones: “Just imagine! Most people only give God 10% and keep 90% for themselves, but this man gave God 90% and only lived on the remaining 10%.” I was duly impressed as well, until I learned that the man earned over $10 million annually…in the 1940’s and 50’s. So while I am truly impressed by his generosity, he nevertheless still lived on $1 million a year…which in today’s economy, would be like making about $10 million. (See tables here.) 

Then yesterday I read an article in a leading Christians news magazine about a plastic surgeon who gave up an income of $7-9 million here in the States to go help Ethiopians who have facial birth defects. He is now making $60,000 annually. That truly is quite a praiseworthy sacrifice! However, when you realize that the per capita annual income for an Ethiopian is $700, a $60,000 income in Ethiopia would be like making about $4 million annually here in the States (where per capita income is $46,000).

None of this is to criticize what these men have done or are doing. I do think they both went way above and beyond what the average person would do with their money. However, I think that God judges by a different standard than we do. Personally, I think that the person who is making $25,000 a year here in the states, and is barely able to pay their rent, but nevertheless gives $1000 a year to help others in need, is way more sacrificial than the men and women that get all the worldly praise and recognition.

(Some Christians might say, “Yeah, but $1000 still isn’t 10%. That Christian should be giving $2,500.” To this I graciously say, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. The 10% tithe is an Old Covenant principle used legalistically by some to steal from others so we can build bigger church buildings. And it never was even 10% anyway. It was closer to 30%.” But that’s another blog post…)

Anyway, I think God views giving much differently than we do. Is God pleased when rich people give away (or give up) large sums of money to serve Him? Sure. But I think He is just as pleased (if not more so) when people who don’t have much of anything at all, choose to use some of their money to help others. That, I am convinced, is true sacrificial giving.

I had lunch today with several great people: Dr. Carl Raschke, author of The Next Reformation and the soon to be released GloboChrist, Tony Brown, author of the eventually to be released Poseranity, Stephen Hammond, pastor of Mosaic Arlington and co-director of Square1 Church Planting, Carey Gable, pastor of The Vine Community in Paris, TX, Nathan Laughlin, facilitator of the Open Circle Network, and Joe Bryan, NAMB missionary in Bonham, TX.

We came together to talk about Rhizomic Networks. Apparently, this is what Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, authors of The Tangible Kingdom, are doing in Denver with Adullam. A rhizome, from what I gathered, is a type of plant that spontaneously spreads through sending out shoots which then multiplies and sends out more shoots. Potatoes, vines, and St. Augustine grass are rhizomes. From what I gathered, rhizomes spread amazingly fast, are able to adapt to nearly any sort of climate or soil, and it is very difficult for the farmer to get the rhizome to go where he wants it to go. The best thing a farmer can do is figure out where the plant is naturally going, and then nurture it in that direction.

This can be applied to living as followers of Jesus. A rhizomic believer seeks to develop relationships, with no strings attached to that relationship. While the believer may desire to see others believe in Jesus and follow Him, if the friendship doesn’t go that way, we have to be okay with that, and maintain the friendship. Otherwise, it’s not a true friendship. But if we’re patient and observant in such friendships, we may begin to detect where God is at work in our friend’s life. But we can’t try to get ahead of God, or ahead of our friend, but should instead let God and that person initiate when, where, and how spiritual investigation takes place. In this way, discipleship is not something we have a program for, or something we can force on anyone, but is rather a product of God being at work in and through our genuine friendships with other people. 

So the catch phrase of a rhizomic approach to friendship and church planting is this: “Where it goes is where it grows.”

What are your thoughts on all of this?

There are three kinds of people in the world, those who make waves, those who ride waves, and those who sit on the beach.

Wave Makers
Wave makers are those who innovate, create, and change the direction of culture and society. They are often well known, and people who know about them feel very strongly one way or another about them. Such people are catalytic, sparking great excitement or great contempt. Steve Jobs is a wave maker in the technology realm. Brian MacLaren is a wave maker in Christianity. He may be the father of the Emerging Church movement, and people who are aware of him think that he is either a genius or a heretic. I’ll withhold judgment for now.

There are really more wave makers than you might think. The problem with being a wave maker is that it is hard work, and often involves swimming against the tidal wave of tradition. As a result, most wave makers are never heard of, because most of them drown. Though wave makers are necessary and needed, being a wave maker is risky and tiring.

Wave Riders
The second type of person is a wave rider. This is the person who waits in the water for some brave soul to create the wave, and then they jump on for the ride. They are students of culture and can feel the subtle changes in the current of society. They look for patterns and new developments, and upon sensing them, paddle madly to catch the next big wave. The most dedicated wave riders will ride one wave for a while, and then paddle back out to wait for the next one.

There is risk in riding waves, but not nearly as much as in making waves. As such, there are always a lot more wave riders than wave makers. Most wave riders survive, but the drawback is that most of them do not become well known. A few will get book deals and prominent leadership positions, but most will just keep riding waves. Another drawback is that many wave riders are criticized for “going with the flow” and just following every new wave that comes along.

Sand Sitters
Finally, there are those who sit on the beach and watch it all happen while soaking up the sun. They are the sand sitters. They either “Ooh” and “Aaah” at the wave makers and wave riders, or criticize them and tell each other what they would have done differently if they were the ones out in the water, braving the sharks and rip tides. There is nothing really wrong with sitting on the beach, enjoying the rays of the sun. After all, the wave makers and wave riders need someone to cheer them on.

But sand sitters have the danger of getting burned. If they aren’t careful, never get out and splash around in the water, and fall asleep on the beach, they end up with nasty sunburns (Read 1 Cor 3:15).

So what kind of beach goer are you?

I’ve written briefly on this before, but Wendy and I are coming to the firm conviction that we are not cut out to be what is commonly thought of as a “Pastoral family.” I am no longer a pastor, and she is not a pastor’s wife.

Nor are we going into “church planting” even though I have talked and written a lot about it.

Instead, we have decided to go into missions. We are going to be missionaries. We will be a missionary family. The only question now is “Where?” Well, that question is still a little bit up in the air, but we do have a general area of the world that we know God is calling us to.

God is calling us to be missionaries in a part of the world that is increasingly hostile to Christianity, is largely unchurched, and according to some studies, unreached.

The great thing is that since I’m pretty bad and learning foreign languages, this part of the world speaks English. Also, I’m somewhat familiar with the culture, which is helpful as well, since all expert missiologists say that indigenous missionaries are typically the most successful missionaries.

What part of the world are we headed to? It is the part of the world known as the United States of America. Please pray for us as we make preparations, look for sources of income (which will include a job), and ultimately settle on a specific location within the United States to continue our missionary efforts.