EVANGELISM

On Saturday, January 17th, we hosted a one day evangelism seminar called “One Step Closer.” Our leader was Lisa Orris, the new director of evangelism for the Evangelical Covenant Church. Our denomination offers this excellent seminar to help people (Covenanters--Christians!) better understand what evangelism is about, the latest thinking and practice on reaching people with the “good news” of Jesus, and the seismic changes happening in our culture that we must grapple with so our methods convey the gospel message in a way that people can receive it as “good news.”

It was a challenging, eye-opening, and exciting day! As Lisa shared with us and took us through the workshop, so much of what I have been reading, pondering, discussing, and learning about Christianity and culture today was affirmed and given fresh context. Right from the start, an exercise we did about what the word itself--EVANGELISM--conjures up in people’s minds clearly demonstrated the assumptions, stereotypes, and actions that many of us hold and expect to have happen. Words like “Billy Graham,” “Four Spiritual Laws,” “stadiums/crusades,” “asking Jesus into your heart,” “pressure,” “television evangelists asking for money,” and “faggot fires” showed the historical, cultural, and theological understandings that we evangelicals in America have regarding this vital component of Christian life.

But is this what “evanglism” is? The first thing Lisa had us do is look at the definition of evangelism--and what she offered was not what most of us have commonly understood it to be. Lisa reminded us how usually we have focused on “closing the deal” in our methodology of evanglism; of “getting people saved” by “asking Jesus into their hearts.” We have zeroed in on trying to get people to “cross the line” from damnation to salvation, and have made this a mental exercise about assenting to and believing a bunch of information, right ideas, and correct doctrine. We have also made it about us doing the work of evangelism; of us taking the responsibilty to “get people saved;” of us being persuasive enough with our logic and arguments and biblical knowledge to get people to “accept Christ.” Perhaps this comes from assuming too much personal responsibility for people, because we do take seriously the Bible’s admonition in Ezekiel 3:18-19: “When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin, but you will save yourself.”


The model, method, and image that has been normative in evangelical history to get people to “accept Christ,” and that most often comes to mind, is the “big event": arenas and rallies and huge “outreaches” where high-powered speakers and dynamic music and worship “present the gospel” and, hopefully, hundreds of people will “go forward” during the “altar call” to “ask Jesus into their hearts.” It is not relational in its approach. Emotion and crowd energy and public demostration are all part of the dynamic in this understanding of evangelism.

Lisa’s definition was vastly different: “To ‘evangelize’ is to 1. cooperate with the Holy Spirit 2. and others 3. to bring one person 4. one step closer to Christ. Yikes! Look at all the implications this has for us: 1. GOD is the evangelist, not us! 2. Evangelism is a team effort, not one individual’s responsibility. 3. Evangelism is highly relational (indeed, isn’t it all about a relationship with Jesus Christ?!); it is not about stadiums, cities, neighborhoods, etc. 4. Evangelism is a process. It involves movement and time and steps. It is not simply a matter of “closing the deal!”

This amazing seminar reminded me of the all-too-narrow view of evangelism that has become normative and standard for the evangelical Church. In our all-too-human tendency to want to organize and control, standardize and program our lives, we have done the same to the huge, vibrant, uncontainable, uncontrollable reality of entering into a relationship with the infinite, all-powerful, all-loving God of the universe! We have reduced this awesome opportunity and reality to a simplistic formula that only requires our mental capacities and a specific moment in time, not our entire being and the ongoing commitment and expectations that relationships require.


Why have we done this? How could we ever have taken something so big and grand as EVANGELISM and think we could reduce it down to sound bytes, simplistic concepts (that aren’t really simple at all! e.g. atonement...), a formula, and a specific thing like “I decide!”? Who can dictate the ways that Christ draws people to Himself, and the ways people receive this relational gift from Him? I believe that people today, living in our postmodern culture, grasp this “bigness” of God intuitively and so our reductionistic, simplistic efforts and methods to get them to “close the deal” with Jesus smacks of gimmickry, shallowness, triteness, and manipulation. We know that people today are thinking a lot about spirituality, religion, and ultimate realities, so I think they are very savvy and aware that we are involved in gigantic issues and realities when we are discussing a relationship and connection with the God Of All. When we evangelicals package it in the ways we have in the past, it comes off as trivial, cheap, irrelevant, even meaningless. The assumptions we Christians too often bring to spiritual conversations are no longer part of the vocabulary and world view of non-believers. There is a chasm between the worldview of us who exist in an “evangelical bubble” and our culture at large. We see this over and over again in “man on the street” video interviews. We read about it everywhere in books, articles, and reports. We hear it discussed at conferences, workshops, and on panels. The statistics are clear--and yet we evangelicals tend to ignore, deny, or even remain clueless to what exists in our world today. We continue to hold onto what has been familiar, meaningful, and comfortable to us. (Although, if we are perfectly honest, I think 99.9% of us would confess that we are NOT comfortable with the more pointed, manipulative, formulaic, “close the deal” methodology of evangelism--and actually, few of us even practice it.) We get very defensive, reactive, and critical of fresh perspectives, ideas, and anything that challenges our beliefs, our habits, our past, even insights that are biblically and theologically sound.

For example, in our topic here, “accepting Christ” is certainly part of evangelism--indeed, it is a vital part! Having one’s eyes opened to the actuality of sin and of our need to be free of its debilitating, death-orienting energy is certainly a component of evangelism. The amazing fact that JESUS himself is the source of eternal salvation because of who He is and was and accomplished through His life, death, and resurrection is definitely the centerpiece of “the gospel” (the “good news”). But for many people, especially those totally unfamiliar with the lingo and concepts we utilize in our evangelism approaches, to appreciate the true depth and meaning and reality of coming to Christ takes time, thoughtful reflection, discussion, and concrete example (incarnation!) with someone they know and trust. I think that people today need and want the bigger picture of what a relationship with God entails because, unfortunately, the picture they have had too often instead is one of a Church that seems irrelevant, institutional, judgmental, religious, and horribly hypocritical. The relational reality has been obliterated by this other very detrimental image. We who are in the Church beg to differ, I know. We certainly think otherwise, looking from the inside out. The lenses we use to see the Church give us a very different picture. But the statistics are clear: when it comes to what and whom people trust these days, the Church is near the bottom of the list.

When we have zeroed in on one small piece of “evangelism” and made it all about one aspect or part of having a relationship with Jesus, without valuing equally the other parts and the total, overall reality of evangelism, we have in effect distorted what it is we are asking people to embrace: an ongoing, vibrant relationship with God Himself forever! It’s like we’ve taken a magnifying glass and enlarged one component of a bigger reality and then not given attention to the whole picture--sort of like zeroing in on our destination with “Mapquest” but forgetting the rest of the map that is necessary in getting us to our destination! We defend our approach of “closing the deal” by saying “It’s just the first step” or “Of course there has to be more follow-up.” But if this is so, why is there such a crisis in discipleship in our churches today? Our intentions may be good, but we have not followed through well when it comes to the lengthy process of molding believers into fully formed disciples of Jesus. John Perkins hits the nail on the head: “We have over evangelized far too lightly.” The weight and emphasis we have put on evangelism as “making a decision” has overshadowed the bigger truth of what evangelism is about, which includes discipleship. Because we have not kept a wholistic understanding and perspective on what is involved in evangelism and not made following up and following through as necessary as simply “accepting Christ,” we are now living with the unfortunate results of our narrowness of vision and understanding: lack of depth in far too many Christian lives. I know from my reading that this is a huge issue and concern in Africa, where Christianity has been booming. Church leaders there are sharply aware of the shallowness that has accompanied the mass conversions and “decisions for Christ” throughout that continent and they are perplexed by it. Again, “we have over evangelized far too lightly...”

Have we evangelicals ever considered that maybe this step of “closing the deal” is supposed to happen at the end of an evangelistic process of moving “one step closer” to Christ, rather than pushing it to the forefront of the process? I have to say that in all my growing up years in church, I never heard evangelism presented in this way. Evangelism has always been commonly assumed and understood as “accepting Christ into your heart”--with all of the expected terminology, emotion, behaviors, and other accoutrements surrounding this salvation event. Certainly, these perspectives and methodologies did bring people to Christ too! They were effective at the point in history when they were developed and, no doubt, prayerfully engaged by people. However, can we admit that they are time-worn, outdated, and less effective today?


And can we also confess that these understandings and strategies of evangelism have even done damage to many people over the years? That too often this approach has entailed arm-twisting, guilt, fear, peer pressure, and calculating results from a human perspective rather than God’s, and turned people off to entering into a relationship with Him? That the words we’ve spoken, the canned approaches we’ve used, and too often the haranguing judgments of too many well-meaning “evangelists” (the Billy Grahams and everyday people in the pews, like us) have actually driven people away from God--and from salvation? This is a hard pill to swallow, especially if we “came to Christ” through these methods and understandings.

All I’m trying to say here is how refreshing and enlightening and true I found Lisa’s understanding and approach to evangelism to be. There is biblical and theological support for it. There are sociological and cultural bases for it as well, which are extremely relevant to the times we are living in now. I am convinced that RELATIONSHIP is the key to effective evangelism today, more than ever--for relationship is what people are craving more than ever. Our world is so fast-paced, so isolating, so individualized, so technologized that people are searching for deep, honest, meaningful connections with others. If we are intentional about building relationships with people who do not yet know and follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit will be able to do His amazing transformative work in people, others will be brought into the picture as we expand the circle of our relationships--and, one person at a time, people will take one step closer to Christ! To be honest, we are all taking steps either closer to or farther away from Christ constantly, daily. The only difference is that some of us have embraced the grace of God and established an eternal relationship with His Son, our Savior. Again, this is one of the steps--a beautiful, exciting, transforming step--that we can help prepare for, pray for, and guide people toward, through our spoken and lived-out witness to the reality of Jesus present in our lives. The “One Step Closer” seminar reminded us that this is actually the process of evangelism: PRAYER, CARE, and SHARE! With SHARE as the end of the process, not the first step.

Unfortunately, this fresh approach to evangelism will be difficult for many to embrace. Most of us who are evangelicals are firmly entrenched inside our churches, secure in our friendships and relationships with Christians only, and ensconced in spiritual patterns that are too comfortable and familiar to give up. Perhaps we are even unwillling to see evangelism in this broader light. It will cost us something to accept this approach, because it will force us into new behaviors, attitudes, and relationships that we have never experienced before. It will be painful, disorienting, and messy. No doubt it will be challenged and criticized by others.

However, it could also be the most transforming and invigorating change in your relationship with Christ since you first “asked Jesus into your heart!” You will certainly grow in your faith, for you will be stretched and enlarged in every aspect of your life! Isn’t this more exciting than the status quo you might be finding yourself in right now? Isn’t this more intriguing than the tired routines and conventional understandings you’ve been holding for too long? Aren’t you ready for a fresh wind of the Spirit to blow through your life and show you new things you never thought possible as a Christian before? You know that in order for something new to be birthed in you, other things have to die. The Bible says so! It’s true in nature too. What is it that needs to die in your life in order for your life in Christ to grow in fresh new ways? What is our Lord trying to offer you, but your customary seeing and hearing and behavior are blocking His exhilarating gifts to you? Understanding evangelism in this “one step closer” view is so freeing, and can help us see that the fullness of our lives is included in helping people take “one step closer” to Christ. The pressure is off! There are no canned phrases to memorize, no simplistic, pat answers to remember, no stress in saying words that too many people don’t understand anyways. And then, YOU just might be given the awesome privilege of being the one person at a given point in time to share the rich reality of salvation with another person--and actually see them take that transforming step into the arms of Jesus!


Matthew 28:19a: “Go and make disciples of all nations...” NOT “go and convert people” or “go and make people ask Jesus into their hearts.” Evangelism--”good news”--make disciples. Hmmmm....

(I'll be back after the Midwinter Conference in Chicago, where it was 4° yesterday morning. Ahhhh!)

"LEADERSHIP AS A 3-LEGGED STOOL"
Hilmar Covenant Church Council/Staff Retreat - January 9-10, 2009


Last weekend, we had our second annual church council/staff retreat. It was held at one of my most favorite, beautiful places in the whole world: the Honoré cabin in Felton, just north of Santa Cruz, in the middle of a huge grove of towering redwoods, not far from the Pacific coast. Even in January, it is often sunny and warm here, and the comfortable setting--inside the cabin and out--makes it the perfect place to retreat. Bruce, Bret, and I went over early on Friday to shop for food and to prepare supper so it would be ready when everyone arrived. But of course this also gave the three of us some time to relax and enjoy this exquisite bit of “paradise” before the retreat agenda began. Bret and Bruce headed for the hot tub, but my paradise was building a warm fire, putting my feet up on the couch, reading a fascinating new book I received for Christmas (“Demon”), and sampling some delicious lemon stilton cheese, rice crackers, and Bernardus “grape juice” with the towering trees rising up, visible through the skylights overhead. It was what I call: “a moment!”

The retreat is a time for new council members to get connected with those who are already serving, for church staff to share plans and concerns, for everyone to hear the priorities that the leadership considers most important for the coming year, and for issues to be discussed, questions to be raised, and perspectives and feelings to be shared all around. Usually a devotional or brief meditation is offered and there is prayer. However, like most church meetings, the amount of time given to this spiritual focus, compared to “business,” is rather small. Almost no time is spent just getting to know one another either.


Last year in one of our day-long staff gatherings to help us grow stronger as a unified team, Alan Forsman offered the image of a three-legged stool to demonstrate the important aspects necessary in developing a strong group or team of any kind. The three legs are: spirituality, chemistry (relationships), and strategy. For the stool to work correctly, it is obvious that all three legs must be equal in length, in strength, and be level. In terms, then, of building a strong, effective, unifed team or group, it is necessary for all three components--spirituality, chemistry, and strategy--to be given equal attention. If any one of the legs receives more emphasis, the other two legs shrink, are weakened, and of course the stool falls over.


How do most meetings, study groups, programs, and activities usually unfold in churches? How much focus do we give to strengthening the spiritual life and connection of those present? How much time is spent in getting to know one another--truly and deeply understanding the others--in our group, fellowship, or congregation? How much attention and energy is given to discussion of the business, the activity, the issues, the problems, concerns, and other matters related to strategy and the running of the church?

I would venture to say, based on my 28+ years in “professional” ministry, as well as many more years as a member and participant in various churches and Christian groups, that the third leg of the stool--the STRATEGY--is where most of our time and energy goes when we gather together for any reason. It is easier, more interesting, and perhaps more purposeful (we think!) to “take care of business!” To dive in and only focus on the program or activity, or just get into discussions about our perspective and understanding of things, our ideas and concerns, and to try and solve any problems that are affecting the work of the church or organization. Little to no time is given to the spiritual and relational components of the group. Consequently, the three-legged stool, which represents the congregation or organization, is unbalanced, weakened, and demands much more effort to maintain itself and to stay upright. Unfortunately, the energy that is expended to correct this often deals with the third leg--STRATEGY--even more! With changing approaches, activities, programs, staff, styles, times, and so forth, for the purpose of getting things balanced, stable, and successful once again. This only compromises the other two legs even more--and so forth and so on, in a downward spiral, that only comes to a halt when a major crisis erupts that focuses everyone’s attention on the church or group or organization once again.

I am so excited to say that this was NOT what occurred at our council/staff retreat this year! In fact, not a speck of time, attention, or energy was given to STRATEGY at all! Instead, the entire two days were about spirituality and chemistry.

After our fantastic dinner of barbecued steak and chicken, baked potatoes (with all the fixings), and salad, Rylen Dickey led us in some activities that sort of warmed us up to one another and got us talking. Then we moved into an exercise that had us sharing more deeply, one on one. We were asked questions like: “What does the word ‘father’ mean to you?” “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘church?’” “Tell about a significant spiritual moment in your walk with the Lord.” Each person had one minute, uninterrupted, to share their answer and then we moved on to a new partner for the next question. After this, our council chair, Bill Ahlem, offered some reflection about being a council, our roles as spiritual leaders for the church, and the importance of knowing one another so we can become a strong council and leadership team in the coming year. To do this, Bill asked each of us to share our life story in 5-7 minutes and then for everyone to offer prayer and anointing with oil for the person who spoke. Ten people were in attendance, so what should’ve taken about 2 1/2 hours ended up taking the entire retreat--no time at all for that third leg of the stool, STRATEGY!

It was a powerful experience. As each one began to open up more and more about their lives, and as the Holy Spirit brought us together in an attitude of deep unity and concern, the spiritual depth and powerful connection that resulted among us grew strong and rich. The level of honesty that we offered to one another about our lives, our faith, and our needs and concerns brought us better understanding and awareness of each other, which will certainly affect the way we speak and discuss and disagree with one another in the coming year! Our perspectives of each other now are clearer, more true, and full of dimension. We grasp better the spiritual journeys and personal issues that each council member and staff person has grappled with in their lives, and so we appreciate and love one another all the more because of what we now know. People’s life stories grew longer than 5-7 minutes, and then we always gathered around them, asked what they would like prayer for, and every single person prayed for the one who had shared, ending with anointing with oil on the forehead of that person. It was highly emotional and deeply meaningful for all of us, as you can imagine! And late on Saturday morning, when Bruce briefly pointed out that we would never get to the rest of the agenda at the rate we were going, everyone agreed that what was occurring among us was more important than the agenda! We continued to let the experience we were caught up in unfold in its own way, at its own pace, and I am convinced that the council and staff will be all the better for it as the year unfolds. For we have strengthened and highlighted the spiritual and chemistry (relational) legs of our leadership stool in such a way that we will now be able to handle the STRATEGY leg in more healthy, affirmative, timely, and effective ways than would otherwise be able to happen. The council and staff now bring so much depth, connection, awareness, and spiritual capital to whatever lies ahead that nothing will be able to weaken or deplete us as we strategize and handle the church’s business in the year ahead. All of you at Hilmar Covenant Church should be encouraged and excited about the council you have elected and the staff you have chosen to lead the congregation forward into our 107th year of ministry!


Spirituality-Chemistry-Strategy...a three-legged stool...”healthy missional church...” These are words and images and concepts that we have been exploring at Hilmar Covenant the past few years. The definition and meaning and reality of what these mean is becoming clearer for me. Last weekend’s council retreat experience brought me more understanding and focus, and I am eager to see what will unfold in the coming year as we implement these ideas more and more into the life of our congregation.

Ephesians 4:15-16: "...we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

HABITS FOR SPIRITUAL HEALTH


Happy New Year! At the beginning of each new year, I always wonder what might lie ahead. Last year, no one could’ve predicted the flooding in the Midwest, the housing crisis, the economic collapse, the terrorist attack in Mumbai, etc. Usually, we are positive and hopeful on January 1, and it is common to make new commitments and resolutions to improve one’s life in the coming year. We know that losing weight is the #1 resolution for Americans! But I would like to suggest and encourage some spiritual resolutions that can improve your Christian growth and strengthen your relationship wth the Lord in the year ahead.

Last Sunday I had to be the “preacher” (not something I prefer at all!) and my sermon addressed the importance of “Habits For Spiritual Health.” I am going to summarize what I shared with the congregation as my first blogpost for 2009. Perhaps my words will inspire you to begin or recommit to some things that will strengthen you in your walk with Jesus this year. Here, in a nutshell, is what I preached last Sunday:

I started with “good news:” that you can have a relationship with the God of the universe! God has made this possible through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. All you have to do is say “Yes” to Him! Realize you really can’t make it in life on your own; that no matter how hard you try to control everything and even do things right, you’re doomed to failure, because sin still has influence on this earth. Just admit your failings, your darker, hidden habits, your self-centeredness, and your need of a Savior. Then thank God for His indescribable love, and for the gift He’s given us in our Savior, Jesus, and you will be poised to begin a relationship with the God of the universe yourself, for all eternity.

But then I shared some “bad news” (or at least some news that is not as nice and easy to swallow) that comes in the words of Jesus Himself: “If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must deny himself and take up his cross day after day and come with me.” Deciding to say “yes” to God’s gift in Jesus means, in the words of Oswald Chambers, giving up all rights to yourself. Your life is no longer your own to do with as you please. New and different obligations are placed on you, including how you treat others, use your money, and spend your time. This really irritates our American, individualistic understanding of life too! It’s very inconvenient and upsetting. Maybe a relationship with God is going to cost more than you can afford to pay.

I said that this little scenario goes to the very core of developing “habits for spiritual health” because, in order to have a relationship with God (or with anyone else), it is necessary for time to be spent together in meaningful, engaging, nurturing ways. This is not always easy or as tangible and obvious with God as it is in our human relationships. That’s why the word “habits” is so crucial here. Another word for this is “exercises”--and I put in a strong plug for our ‘Fit ‘N Free’ aerobics class here at church to make the point!


Also, it is far easier to develop bad habits than it is to instill good, healthy habits into our lives. This is why it may be more like “taking up a cross” when you commit to habits for spiritual health! It can be tough to do. It takes practice. It has to do with commitment and with setting priorities. Skills need to be learned and developed. It can be very inconvenient, especially with the way our lives are today in America. But if you claim to be a disciple of Jesus, all of this is necessary. As that pesky verse about “carrying your cross” says, it has to do with following Jesus; with being a disciple of his. To be a disciple is to become like the one you follow; whom you accept as Master. You willingly offer your devoted allegiance to him. Disciple is also related to the word discipline--not in the way we usually understand this word though; as correction or punishment. Discipline has to do with systematic instruction; from a Latin word that means “to learn” or “to instruct.” Therefore, if we are truly a disciple of Jesus, we must be disciplined in our learning and in our following of him. He is our Master! Our Mentor and our Model.

Then I shared three spiritual habits that were important to Jesus, and that I continue to practice in order to be a better disciple of Jesus: the written Word (Scripture), prayer, and generosity.

1. The Written Word Of God (see Psalm 119:9,11, 05; II Timothy 3:14-17; Luke 24:25-27)


Some of what I preached about Scripture I took from an earlier blogpost (see October 23) to explain why reading, studying, and applying Scripture is so indispensible for healthy growth and renewal, both individually and as a church. Because it is a trustworthy account of God’s purposes and actions in dealing with His creation and His people on this earth, I must understand and appreciate the incredible message that it sets forth. However, I’ve also discovered that the Bible lets me know that not everything is to be known and answered or figured out. “God is God and I am not!” The Bible puts me in a correct posture before the God of the universe, as His dear child, but also as a limited human creature who can only bow before this awesome God in wonder and in worship. If Scripture simply answered everything for us, explaining everything at our level, it would not have the appeal, the fascination, and the transcendent impact it is meant to have on us, on the world, on spiritual reality. We sometimes hear that the Bible is a “living Word,” or “living document,” and I have certainly found this to be true. As I have continued to read and study this fantastic book, and especially the past eight or nine years that I have used a method to read through the entire Bible each year, I have gleaned many new insights, rich meanings, fresh connections within the Bible itself, and discovered more concrete connections between Scripture and everyday reality.

At the Covenant Annual Meeting last June, one of our finest preachers and seminary teachers, John Weborg, spoke about the Bible. He offered some fantastic perspective on why we who claim to follow Christ must develop habits that allow us to deeply engage the written Word of God. I offered some highlights of his sermon:

"It’s possible to treat the Bible as a consumer, as you would read USA Today or Reader’s Digest: quickly! You just want a quick summary of everything, like email or text messaging. It’s all for consumption.

Or you can treat the Bible as capital, with seriousness and intention, realizing its true weight and potential, building up resources and the critical capacities of your mind so you can deal with the hard questions of life."

Weborg asked: “If the Word of God is central to our lives, do we treat it as such? Do we engage it regularly, alone or in gathering together to read it? To ask “what does it say?” in regard to the issues facing us today? We’re not consumers looking for email messages from God, but for biblical perspective--and we’re not going to get it in one night! This book takes awhile to read; it is a long story." John gave several examples of how to read and apply Scripture that are challenging and weighty, not simplistic or shallow at all. He continued: "The Bible is this kind of capital for us. Its interest grows the more you read it. But you’ve got to read it! It’s a big book with an awful lot in it. Delve into it, and practice more of what it says, especially the hard stuff. The Bible is great capital for the socially separated, the spiritually silenced, and for those striving for service where they can take risks for the sake of the Kingdom."

He ended his sermon with this: “Settle down with the book. Prepare to be unsettled--then resettled. Prepare to be funded by a spiritual capital you didn’t know possible. It’s a word that demonstrates its claim. You can bank on it!”

Through the healthy spiritual habit of engaging Scipture in this manner, you too will be renewed, challenged, and enlivened in your relationship with Jesus. I’ve found it to be true. Indeed, “you can bank on it!”

2. Prayer (see Philippians 4:6-7)


To be honest, I’m rather new at this practice. It has only been since the “school of prayer” that we offered here at church about 12 years ago that I would consider myself a man of prayer. Which is not to say that I didn’t pray before. I have exercised this “spiritual muscle” somewhat ever since I was very young, and I did try from time to time to make it a healthy habit. However, in looking back to how I understood and engaged in prayer prior to that “school of prayer” in 1996, I realize that I had only been wading in the shallow end of what prayer is intended to be and to do in the lives of Christians. I never dove in to the wild, brisk, exhilarating ocean that so beautifully illustrates this immeasurable resource of connection to God. Never before had I learned to swim in its renewing and healing waters which, I now realize, is imperative for anyone who seeks to follow Christ. Prayer is a discipline--a practice--that is as essential to spiritual growth and life as breathing is to physical life. Without it, you die. It’s that simple; that cut-and-dried. There is not--there cannot--be any life in Christ without prayer. If we continually make excuses, allow other things to have more priority in our lives, or look on prayer as a burden, consider these helpful words from Emilie Griffin: "When there is no time to do it, that's when you most need to unclutter the calendar and go apart to pray. When the gridlock in your schedule relentlessly forbids it is the time you most need it. That is when your heart beats against the prison walls of your enslavement and says, "Yes, Lord, I want to spend time with you."

I can’t pinpoint exactly what happened to me during that school of prayer that wakened me to the exciting realm of prayer. It was definitely a movement of the Holy Spirit. It’s easier to look back and see how I prayed before and realize the transformation within me after that three day event. All I know is that a huge new vista was opened to me, regarding the reality and power and energy of prayer, and I dove into it. As I have practiced and explored this resource of spiritual nuture, I have connected with God in ways I never knew before. Some of you here know what I’m talking about! Some of you are, perhaps, just a step away from discovering what I’ve found in prayer. Some of you are probably skeptical; others may be downright cynical, thinking “what on earth is he talking about?!” I can understand why you might feel this way about prayer. From the outside looking in, prayer appears as nothing, as just a holy religious activity, ineffective, even impotent, meaningless. Again, from Oswald Chambers: “Naturally, prayer is not practical. It is absurd. We have to realize that prayer is stupid from the ordinary common sense point of view.” All I can do here, from the inside looking out, is testify to what prayer has become in my life as a disciple of Jesus. Prayer allows us to tap into realities that are beyond our understanding and comprehension, to cooperate with the movement and plans of the God of the universe, to impact people and situations and events--and even the future--in ways that money or power or worldly influence can never do. Praying people are simultaneously in touch with the here and now and with what’s happening in eternity. Through prayer, we are fully engaged with the truest, ultimate reality that is far bigger, transcendent, and supernatural than what we humans grasp with our senses. Honestly, it is so invigorating, stimulating, challenging, FUN! Simply put, prayer changes things, and through prayer we can participate in those changes with our Lord Jesus.

3. Generosity (see Matt. 6:19-20; Acts 20:35b; II Cor. 8:7; 9:6-7,13)


I confessed that my testimony to developing this healthy habit comes from living and serving with everyone here at Hilmar Covenant Church! It is their witness and practice throughout these past 28 years that has challenged me and helped me discover the thrill and freedom of living a life of generosity, not only financially but in terms of time, talents, and relationally. Before coming to Hilmar, I always carried a feeling of concern--even apprehension--about money. Also, because of other issues early in my life, I was always hesitant about freely stepping out and trying new things, taking on challenges, doing anything I was not sure I could accomplish. I avoided anything unfamiliar and I kept my life carefully circumscribed and contained, under my control, never risking anything.

This was “me” when I arrived in Hilmar and began ministry on June 19, 1980, and I stressed again that it has been through living and serving among the people of Hilmar Covenant that I have grown far beyond these former patterns, attitudes, and actions. Then I enumerated a long list of things that I have learned here in Hilmar: what it is like to give sacrificially of one’s time to help and serve others, from taking positions of leadership on professional boards to serving the community through school and civic organizations to giving time sacrificially to assist people during times of crisis, grief, and need. I have seen how they have used their talents and abilities to freely bless others: medical professionals giving assistance, farmers encouraging young people interested in agriculture, teachers helping students beyond the classroom, the women offering food, clothing, compassion and consolation, and the men helping to build, assist, and support projects and people in need when those people have no one else to turn to. In terms of relationships--where to begin? The way so many offer themselves to others--in our church, our community, and beyond--is truly awesome, and generous! Teaching Sunday School, leading 4-H, sharing their lives with children and young people, visiting the elderly, the shut-ins, the sick, writing to and supporting missionaries, befriending people who are lonely and in need, caring for their workers--where to stop? Financially, too, I have never known people to be more generous than the people here at Hilmar Covenant. They give, of course, to church, but also to community events and projects, to fund raisers of every kind, to conference and denominational ministries, in times of crises, in times of celebration, to support special pleas (like the KICY offering last fall and missionary Christmas gifts), to help people and projects be successful--on and on it goes.

I shared how Lee Barkhousen used to irritate me when he’d say that “your checkbook tells where your priorities and commitments truly lie: with the Kingdom of God or with the things of this world.” But a number of years ago, something clicked and I took Lee’s good word to heart, after finally being set free from my old attitudes about managing my finances and resources. I began to fill my checkbook with as many entries as possible that helped to do what Lee said: build up the Kingdom of God. What I discovered is the absolute, almost giddy, thrill of trying to get rid of as much of my financial assets as possible to Kingdom priorities and, in the process, purposefully shattering the grip that the world tries to place on me with its priorities.

I told how I have personally benefited from their financial generosity throughout the years as well, and it has been their example that broke my former patterns and helped me develop the joyful habit of “checkbook generosity.” Their financial risk bought me to Hilmar in the first place. Their creative use of funds helped me buy my home. Their willingness to budget experiences of learning and growth has nurtured and expanded me in countless ways. They have helped me and many others fulfill our passion for global missions, like going to Mexico, India, China, Taiwan, Ecuador, and Brazil. They gave so much to make my sabbatical to Israel possible that I not only had enough funds to spend four fanatstic months there in 2006, I had plenty left over to return in 2007 and continue my sabbatical experience with Bridges For Peace! More recently, they have committed to supporting Harvey and Linda Lundquist in Alaska, beyond what some think is reasonably feasible financially for our church budget. It is this spirit and practice of generosity that has soaked into my own being. I eagerly continue to make it a personal habit, and I encouraged them to acknowledge and continue in this habit too. Our God is greater and works in ways far beyond the human accounting and reasoning that we are so often tempted to rely on. God’s economy is different from the world’s systems. Prayer helps us discover this, see it clearly, begin to rely on it, and to practice it. Scripture affirms it! So in a wonderful way, all three of these particular habits for spiritual health interact and engage each other, allowing us to grow deeper and richer in our relationship and walk with the Lord.

One final thought about spiritual habits: they don’t remain the same! It’s not like once you set down a plan to read the Bible or to practice prayer or to be generous that you’ll be doing them exactly the same way for the rest of your life. No! And that’s another wonderful, life-giving thing about developing habits for spiritual health: they are also fluid, in motion, related to the realities you face in life. In fact, it is not the habits themselves that are even the real focus here, but on what they enable you to be and to do in your relationship with Christ. I then gave a personal testimony of two recent examples that show how the spiritual habits in my life have shifted and changed: going to Mexico the first time in 1999 and reading “The Dangerous Act Of Worship” in 2007. Because of my willingness to do something completely uncomfortable and even frightening to me, like going to Mexico, many of my spiritual habits were transformed:  the way I spend my time, prioritize my finances, build relationships (now with the very kids I never thought I could relate to), what I pray about, how I read Scripture, and my passion and commitment to the global Church. As a result of reading "The Dangerous Act of Worship," I began to read the Bible differently, with a fresh set of spiritual lenses that has made the impact of the Bible in my life stronger and richer, causing me to reach for more in my relationship with God.  Again, as in 1999, my habits of reading Scripture and praying were changed; refreshed.  These new understandings have also impacted my priorities. 
 
Now, at the beginning of 2009, let me encourage all of you reading this blog to engage in healthy spiritual habits during the coming year. These habits are not just “oughts” or “shoulds” and they are never to be sources of spiritual pride. Because they are rooted in life, they will continue to have meaning and purpose because they will always connect you to Jesus wherever you are, whatever you are doing in your life every day. It is in this way that the wonderful meaning of that verse I spoke of at the beginning of my sermon truly comes alive: “If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily--day after day--and come with me.” It is a sweet thing to accept this; to “take up the cross of Christ” in your own life, because it leads to a sweeter relationship with Him. It is not difficult or boring or irrelevant at all. For as Jesus also said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Once again, our expectations turned upside down and inside out: it is a delight--not a burden--to truly follow our Model, our Mentor, our Master--our Savior! Healthy spiritual habits actually help to make it easier! When we come to Jesus, really come to Him, accepting His cross in our lives, He promises to give us rest.

You can bank on it!