Discipleship Archives - Page 142 of 167

I was able to get my hands on a free copy of The Tangible Kingdom last week, which thrilled me because I was going to buy it anyway. It’s the newest book from The Leadership Network, and so far, I haven’t read a book from them that I don’t like. The Tangible Kingdom was no exception, and it is going on my “Missional Must-Read” Book list.

This book really hit me hard, partly because the story of Hugh Halter (one of the authors) mirrors so closely my own story. He was well situated in the established church, but didn’t feel quite at peace with himself, or with God, in such a position. So he left it all behind to see if he could find (or create) something that was still true to Scripture, but was also more effective in engaging and redeeming our culture. Doing so created lots of tension. Here is what he wrote, which is exactly what I am feeling:

You can’t go back, but forward doesn’t feel much better, because forward may not pay the bills or make it any easier to live the Christian life you’ve always wanted to live (p. 18).

He made it through this time of uncertainty (so there’s hope for me!) and ended up in Denver planting a community of faith called Adullam with some friends. As people wanted to learn more about what they were doing and why, they also developed a Web-based practicum for pastors and church planters to help them innovate new ways of effectively being the church.

What I found most refreshing about the book is that the authors are not trying to criticize, judge, or condemn the way the typical church functions today. Instead, they just explained what they are doing and why, and how it is effectively bringing people into the Kingdom of God. His bottom line premise is that the church is supposed to be living out the Kingdom of God in our communities and with our friends. As we do this, the aroma of the Gospel simply attracts people to us. They put it this way:

Church should be what ends up happening as a natural response to people wanting to follow us, be with us, and be like us as we are following the way of Christ (p. 30).

Do you find that other people are strangely attracted to you, your life, your family, and the way you “do church”? If not, it may help to read this The Tangible Kingdom.

What is the Gospel?

By Jeremy Myers

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What is the gospel? The gospel is good news.

Do you want to know what good news is? Well here’s some:

I just got word five hours ago that I passed my Thesis! (I got a B).

Which means…I passed all my classes!

In othe words, I just finished 20th grade! (Slow at math? 6 for grade school + 2 for Jr.High + 4 for high school + 4 for Bachelors + 4 for Masters = 20 years of school; i.e., 20th grade. … 21 if you count Kindergarten … 22 if you count pre-K. Yikes. No wonder I’m not up for a Doctorate.)

Anyway, the point is…I’m DONE!!!!!!

I’m so done, I won’t even be walking in the graduation ceremony on May 10. Instead, I’m going to spend that day with my family (they’ve barely seen me for three years!) at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival eating food, laughing, watching Dr. Kaboom, and talking more with Lance.

P.S. I’ll have more to say about my seminary experience after I officially graduate. Stay tuned.

Bite me

By Jeremy Myers

2 Comments

I have found that when I criticize others, it always comes back to bite me, generally with me doing the same thing I criticized others about. I guess this is just one way God keeps us humble, and teaches us not to judge a fellow servant. After all, to our own master we stand or fall (Rom 14:4).

I have so many examples of my criticism coming back to bite me, but let me just share one. Last year at this time, I remember talking with a fellow student at Dallas Theological Seminary who was graduating. He was two weeks away from graduation, and when I asked him what he would be doing after graduation, he said he didn’t know.

I remember thinking, “How could you not know? You’ve known graduation was coming! Why weren’t you looking for a job!? How can you allow your wife and kids to live with such uncertainty? Why didn’t you try harder to make simple life decision about a career?” I remember going home and telling my wife about this silly seminary student who was two weeks away from graduation and had no clue what he would be doing afterwards.

Well….now I am in the same boat. I’ve been frantically looking, applying, and praying for a job for well over a year (I started looking even before I had talked with that student). I can’t count the number of applications I have filled out and the number of places I have sent my resume in to. And so far…nothing. I am ten days away from graduation, and have no idea what I will be doing afterwards. My current job (which follows the school year) ends on May 9. I graduate on May 10. I will preach on Sunday, May 11. I have no job as of May 12. I remember that when I came to seminary, I thought it would open a lot more doors for me. Well it has, but so far, all of them have also slammed shut in my face.

I’m sure I could get a job “flipping burgers” but those sorts of jobs won’t provide enough to even pay off my school loan.

It’s a scary place to be, but also a great place, because I am learning to not depend on my degree or my education, but solely on God. He is growing my faith. If/when I get a job, He’ll get all the glory.

I’ll keep you informed!

Rural Rant

By Jeremy Myers

2 Comments

Ok, I need to rant, but I’ll try to do so in love…

I listened to a message a while back by a famous pastor in Seattle who gave a message called “Building a City Within the City” in which he basically argued that God’s heart was for the city, because that is where culture and education and art and music all happen. Rural people, he implied, are trying to escape culture and remove themselves from what God is doing in the world. I remember getting quite upset at hearing this since some of the most godly people I know and have ministered with live in rural settings.

I thought about blogging about this, but then decided to let it go. I hate to be critical.

Then yesterday, I read at Chris Elrod’s blog that someone at Exponential stated that “Urban church planters care way more than rural church planters about cultural relevance…probably because they need to.” I love Chris and his blog, and he is only reporting what was said, but now I’m all fired up again! I get upset at the same sort of thinking that comes from urbanized politicians who view rural people as backward, Bible-thumping hicks. Some of the smartest, hardworking people I’ve ever met live out in the boondocks.

I pastored for five years in a rural setting and now three years in an urban setting. I can say with complete confidence that while the two cultures are very different, effective rural pastors care just as much about the culture as do effective urban pastors. And in fact, to be effective, I could argue that a rural pastor must care about the culture more than an urban pastor. Here’s why:

In a city, there are so many varieties of people, that any type of church culture will find connections with someone. In a city, even the most culturally ignorant pastor can still gather some people who like whatever “culture” is in that church.

In a rural setting however, the people are more culturally homogeneous, which means that the pastor must understand the culture to gather anybody. If a successful urban pastor tried to set up an urban-culture church in a rural setting, they would fail miserably. At the same time, if a pastor came from a rural church into the city, and brought the rural values with him, he will probably still be able to gather some people.

The bottom line is that to effectively pastor anywhere, whether in the city or in the country, the pastor must be a student of that particular culture. Just because urban culture is more diverse (even that point could be debated!), this does not mean that urban pastors care more about cultural relevance than do rural pastors. And it definitely doesn’t mean that urban pastors care more about God’s mission and the kingdom of God than do rural pastors.

I can feel myself getting more worked up…I better quit here.

When I Became a Christian – by Adrian Plass

By Jeremy Myers

7 Comments

I was just listening to a message given by Michael Frost, and in it he read the following poem by Adrian Plass.

This poem is exactly what I am thinking and feeling. For me, following Jesus has become a life full of deep faith and great fear. The poem portrays both wonderfully.

When I Became a Christian

By Adrian Plass

When I became a Christian I said, Lord, now fill me in,
Tell me what I’ll suffer in this world of shame and sin.
He said, Your body may be killed, and left to rot and stink,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen – I think.
I think Amen, Amen I think, I think I say Amen,
I’m not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say my body may be killed and left to rot and stink,
Well, yes, that sounds terrific, Lord, I say Amen – I think.

But, Lord, there must be other ways to follow you, I said,
I really would prefer to end up dying in my bed.
Well, yes, he said, you could put up with the sneers and scorn and spit,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen – a bit.
A bit Amen, Amen a bit, a bit I say Amen,
I’m not entirely sure, can we just run through that again?
You say I could put up with sneers and also scorn and spit,
Well, yes, I’ve made my mind up, and I say, Amen – a bit.

Well I sat back and thought a while, then tried a different ploy,
Now, Lord, I said, the Good book says that Christians live in joy.
That’s true he said, you need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow,
So do you want to follow me, I said, Amen – tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Lord, I’ll say it then, that’s when I’ll say Amen,
I need to get it clear, can I just run through that again?
You say that I will need the joy, to bear the pain and sorrow,
Well, yes, I think I’ve got it straight, I’ll say Amen – tomorrow.

He said, Look, I’m not asking you to spend an hour with me
A quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity,
The cost is you, not half of you, but every single bit,
Now tell me, will you follow me? I said Amen – I quit.
I’m very sorry Lord I said, I’d like to follow you,
But I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do.
He said forget religion then, and think about my Son,
And tell me if you’re man enough to do what he has done.

Are you man enough to see the need, and man enough to go,
Man enough to care for those whom no one wants to know,
Man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,
To battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear.
And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,
The moment of betrayal by the kisses of a friend,
Are you man enough to hold your tongue, and man enough to cry?
When nails break your body-are you man enough to die?
Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,
Man enough to love the world and turn it upside down,
Are you man enough to follow me, I ask you once again?
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said Amen.
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen; Amen, Amen, Amen,
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said, Amen.

Does this express your feelings in following Jesus?

The Tangible Kingdom

What is the Gospel?

Bite me

Rural Rant

When I Became a Christian – by Adrian Plass

When I Became a Christian

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