The Rise of Apostolic Leadership.

Today, I will highlight the last of six new realities presented in "The Present Future". I hope that this has been beneficial to you and that we are better for it.

I'll turn my thoughts and this blog to another recent read next week.

I'm headed to Ft. Worth with a great group of men and leaders in the Church of Oklahoma City. You can learn a bit more about our endeavors at www.Vision360.org. And I look forward to sharing some thoughts on our time with you.

New Reality Number Six – The Rise of Apostolic Leadership.

You are being asked to lead during a time when you are not sure where all this is going. If previous history is an accurate indicator, the kinds of changes we are undergoing will not settle out for another century or more.

This really encourages me to slow down and seek an evolutionary approach to change rather than a revolutionary approach that demands change now. Let's not euthanize an old model and latch on to a new up-and-comer. The cycle of change may in fact be: conception, celebrate, wait, birth, infancy, grow up, life, come of age, death, grieve, resurrection.

Wrong Question #6: How Do We Develop Leaders For Church Work?

This is probably harsh, but who cares about church work? Kill the bubble -Serve the world!

We are training mechanics to work on machinery of the church industry when we need a new engine. We need transitional leaders who will help the church find a new expression in the emerging world. What does this leadership look like and how will it be developed?

I'm sure I'll get to this in more depth with a future blog book review, but try this on for size. If the railroad people were really concerned with transporting people then they would own the airlines. But instead railroad people became about the railroad and were passed by, left in the dust, reminiscing about the good ole days of superior travel by rail. Meanwhile people are whizzing by overhead. What is our version of transporting people? What does this mean to the Church? Let's not miss the point.

Tough Question #6: How Do We Develop Leaders For The Christian Movement

While the term "movement" is becoming quite cool of late, I still love what it entails, movement, journey, change, go, new, next, flex, give, take, stretch, etc.

The goal of a congregation’s leadership development process is to create a core of leaders who are capable of strategizing, launching, and conducting a mission for expanding the kingdom of God.

What strategies do you often think about? What are you becoming convinced of? What new thing would you like to see? What has never been done? Where does the light of the kingdom of God need to push back darkness?

I believe Jesus is the hope of the world. I believe God has called out a people to make sure the world knows this. These people are the church. Nothing less than dying to ourselves will free us from ourselves so we can come alive to God and become captured by his heart for people.

Let's be a people that are full of hope. Let's extend that hope to people everywhere. Let's be the church. What do you need to die to? Be freed from? Come alive to? Be captured by?

Wake Up.

Here are the thoughts and ideas shared at this past week's KAMP's Gathering.
We continue our journey of The Art of Living.

See Mark 14 1-9.
3-5Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That's criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year's wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.
6-9But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial.

She did what she could when she could…
People sitting around are mad, upset, they are criticizing…talking about perfume and money
Jesus says they missed it…what she has done is beautiful…preparing for burial…act of worship to god…holy sacred act
Teaching us to see a whole other world, other story, greater depths…
they see jars, perfume, etc…
Jesus see something holy profound…
Jesus is aware of the sacred and the holy…in the midst of the mundane

See Genesis 28:10-22.
“10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway [c] resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."

Jacob is on the move…not aware…odd dream…calling…work…God was here the whole time…wakes up to a god that has been present all along…not god just showed up…wakes up from his sleep and his spiritual sleep…finding the god who has been there all along…becomes aware of a god who has been there…and I’ve missed it…

Come into the awareness that god has a call a work for you to do…what do you want nothing more than…purpose…what you’re made for…what needs to happen to accomplish that…divine urging…and we are waking up to it…and then God showed up…no you did…and then we became aware…

See Exodus 3:1-12. "1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."
5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, [a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
12 And God said, "I will be with you."

Ends up in midian standing at a bush that’s burning…the bush happened 40 years after he arrived in midian…God speaks to him…how long has he been walking through this section of land…was god speaking the whole time…or did he hear when he stopped…is the ground you walk on holy or has god been present the whole time…waking up to holiness and deepness….we wake up…

As a follower of Jesus, a person of the way, mastering the art of living… Developing radar for the sacred and the holy…not that god shows up…we show up

See John 5:1-18.
The Authority of the Son
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

At this point they believed the prophets quit speaking…Romans are in control…no freedom to worship…that maybe god has stopped working…my father is always at work…we believe this..school, work, buying things, interacting…god is doing something here, right here where you are…every relationship, person, time, mess, those rejecting god, interactions with people you cannot stand, pursuing, loving them, what if we internalized that god is always at work…Jesus sees a depth to the experience that others are missing…Jesus is fully awake

Mastering the art of living is becoming fully awake…shaking off the slumber…cutting through the fog…

God is speaking, at work, convicting, showing us, prodding, pushing, tapping on shoulder, telling us your loved, that we are ok, your not alone, always at work with you doing something, calling, reminding you, speaking into you values

John Robinson, “Honest to God” – “For Christianity, the holy is the depth of the common, just as secular is not a (godless) section of life but the world (God’s world, for which Christ died) cut off and alienated from its true depth. The purpose of worship (church) is not to retire (escape) from the secular into the department of the religious, let alone to escape from this world into the other world, but to open oneself to the meeting of the Christ in the common. The function of worship is to make us more sensitive to these depths; to focus, sharpen and deepen our response to the world and to other people. The test of worship is how far it makes us more sensitive to the beyond in our midst, to the Christ in the hungry, the naked, the homeless and the prisoner."

the purpose of worship is not to escape, but to opens oneself up to the Christ in the common

The point of church is not to meet god, but that we learn to see and find god everywhere in life…being woken up to the Christ who is present everywhere

The function of worship is to make us more sensitive to these depths…
This opens us up and wakens us up…

See Genesis 28 Again.
Certain Place – in between nowhere and nowhere…not a temple, tabernacle, church, Christian bookstore, event sponsored by a church, wilderness, rocks and stones, god has been here, anyplace, a certain cubicle, hall, dorm, driveway, neighborhood, home, road, store, relationship, phone call, email, certain place…

We feel like we’re missing it…that its over there…it’s easy believe that if I went there…challenge who you are and what’s going on here…lameness follows you from town to town…wherever you are there you are…learn to be here…hear god here…wake up…

What happens when you master the art of living…taking steps…now…the revolution is alive and well within you…love has to spill over…the revolution is alive and well wherever you are…my god is always at work…we want to make sure that we don’t look for it over there…but that the revolution is here…in you…around you…take off your shoes…stop listen…here…the kingdom of god is among you, in you

God is alive all over the place…enter in and the kingdom will be alive here, now…waking up to a god that has been here all along and we were sleeping

God is near…god is always at work…not somewhere else or just there…here near…you and me right now near…speaking, convicting, wake up I have things for you to do…too much noise…listen to me and you’d understand…Jesus on palm Sunday…if you only knew what was happening today in your midst…waking up to the sacred

Luke 19:41 When the city came into view, he wept over it. "If you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you!"

Closing Prayer.

Ephesians 1 says, “15-19That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

Pray that the eyes of your heart may me enlightened…here all along, just not aware…show us how loaded place and people are…give us radar to see what me miss…eyes to see what’s around us…

The Shift from Planning to Preparation.

This continues our look at "The Present Future"...

God is making waves all around the North American church. Some churches are going to get to ride them. These are the churches that are prepared to get in on what God is up to.

Wrong Question #5: How Do We Plan For The Future?

Tough Question #5: How Do We Prepare For the Future?

People tire of visionless activity and organizations, but people never tire of vision when it’s the right one.

Vision is discovered, not invented.

Listen. Listen to the heart hopes of the people you lead. Ask them what they would like to see God do in their lives and in the lives of the church and in the community.

So, we're listening. What do you have to say? I love this language. What are your heart hopes? Stop and listen to your own heart. What is it telling you? Not your head. Your heart. What would you like to see God do in your own life? What would you like to see the church, our church become?

I recently posed this question to some in our community. Here are the short one or two word responses to what they hope Mars Hill would be and become: a place of challenge, pursuit of God, know Jesus, be Jesus to people, full, deep reservoir, functionally and usefully deep, diversity, scandalous grace, radical inclusion, people of peace, whole, complete, abnormally normal, social work church, accept the rejected, go to the margins, love everybody, you add to the list.

Look. Look at your town, your city. Look at where you are. Look at what’s going on around you.

So, what do you see around you? Your neighborhood? Workplace? Community? City? What is happening all around us? What is the most natural response?

Talk. When do you see the energy go up?

What gives you energy? What are you passionate about? What are you indignant about?

In the emerging world people are increasingly looking for intentionality and organic to be joined together. What do we value? Values are demonstrated by behavior.

Here are some values that have risen the surface: culture, ideas, change, relationships, knowledge, real, alive, local church, spirituality, creativity, openness, family, risk, life together friends, evolving, leadership, flexible, poor, adaptability, marginalized, gospel, forgotten, future, next generation, urban context, you add to the list.

Create venues where people can practice the core values.

Where do you, me and us practice what we preach? Let's remember that we the kingdom of God is not a kingdom of words but rather a kingdom of action. Because after all, talk is cheap!

Every idea for ministry needs to be accompanied by a list of values it champions.

Our world is in no shortage of ideas. Let's be a value-driven community.

Often we tell children they need to spend more time on the things that come the hardest to them, leaving underdeveloped those talents that are most natural.

What are your most natural talents? Are you putting them to use? And for whose benefit?

Balance is a myth. Leaders are “out of round” in the areas of their passion, their giftedness and their vision. Your best shot at making your best contribution is for you to get better at what you are already good at.

In what ways are you "out of round"?

Someone in our community said that, "the world and the Church is being robbed because people are not utilizing their giftedness and uniqueness."

The church is so self-absorbed that most inquiries will tend to perpetuate innovations in doing church, not being church.

Together, let's keep turning outward. Serve our community. Extend mercy. Exist for others. And love more than others think is necessary.

The Story Continues...

Here is the latest feedback on our journey together...

"I've been around Mars Hill a couple of times in the past month or so and it's been really refreshing. I'm pumped about your heart for a church that is ACTIVE and moving. I spent the summer overseas and coming home has left me aching for ministry outside the walls of a church."

What refreshes you in life?
What do you ache for?

Tell us your story.

Much Love.
Ben.

The Return To Spiritual Formation.

Here are the continuing thoughts from "The Present Future" by Reggie McNeal. Specifically we'll be looking at New Reality Number Four – The Return To Spiritual Formation.

Wrong Question #4: How Do We Develop Church Members?

Have you ever joined something? What was it like? Good, bad, indifferent? Did it feel holy? Sacred? Were you joining an organization or becoming family? Have you found your tribe?

We have made following Jesus all about being a good church member. The truth is, the North American church culture extracts salt from the world and diminishes the amount of light available to those in darkness who need to find their way.

I think I'd rather be a good husband, dad, son, friend, neighbor, citizen than a good church member. A good church member sounds so sweet and tame. I want to be a good follower of Jesus, his words and his actions. A follower of Jesus sounds like a risk and adventure.

Tough Question #4: How Do We Develop Followers of Jesus?

What does discipleship mean and look like to you?

The church is there to help people develop an abundant life promised to them by Jesus. Imagine helping people see how God can get into the life they already have instead of asking them to give up their life for the church. This means less church activity and more people development. Life has been getting pushed to the side.

If we miss living life in all of this, well, we've really missed it.

In many cases, we’re not peddling Jesus – we’re peddling church with the assumption that if people will come to church and convert to churchianity they will get Jesus. What they often get is a poor substitute. Evangelism that will introduce Jesus to this culture will flow from people who are deeply in love with Jesus.

I've probably said this before and I will most certainly say it again.

If we pursue community we may not find a cause worth living for.
But if we pursue a cause worth living for we will most assuredly get community of the best kind.

If we pursue friendship we may not find discipleship that changes us.
But if we pursue discipleship that changes us we will most assuredly get friendship of the best kind.

If we pursue church we may not find a Jesus who saves.
But if we pursue a Jesus who saves we will most assuredly get church of the best kind.

Disney Princesses On Ice.

Hope the week is going well for everybody out there.

I spent last night at Disney Princesses On Ice with my wife, 4 year-old daughter Harley AND some wonderful friends of ours along with their 3 year-old little girl. Both of the girls were decked out in the princess get up, darling. I

was first of thankful that I was able to bring Harley to such an event. She was completely mesmerized by it all. The climax for her was the appearance of Cinderella.

In the midst of overpriced everything there was a wonderful moment provided us by the Make A Wish Foundation (www.Wish.org). Two beautiful little girls were invited on to the ice to spend time with their heroes, these Disney Princesses. Make A Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. So you can only imagine what these little girls and their families have endured.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here exactly. But it was Good, Kind, Just. It made me wish I could bring every underprivileged little girl in OKC to such an event, so that their dreams could come true OR to help them begin to dream again OR for the first time.

What if the church helped people live again, dream again, love again, smile again, dance again, cry again, give again, on and on and on?

Move Into The Neighborhood.

Here is some thoughts, ideas, scriptures shared in our journey toward living the best possible kind of life.

See Genesis 1.
Genesis 1 is this beautiful creation poem. Good…good…good…

Genesis 2:18 says, “God said, "It's not good for the Man to be alone;”

Break in the rhythm…its all good…and then something about a person being alone that is not good…something about loneliness…tragedy and suffering…tragedy and suffering alone…something about loneliness…somebody left you…taps into something deep…as bad as it gets…our primal origin…loneliness is the first thing God said is not good…

The flip side…somebody saying they won’t leave…or I’ve been there…telling their story and its your story…they understand…I could have sworn I’m totally crazy in this feeling…and you realize you’re not the only crazy one…somebody voices something that you have been feeling all along…a music album…that puts words and sound to you…powerful words, ME TOO…yes I’m not alone…when somebody joins us understands gets it…and when somebody puts in word what is a loose rumbling in your soul…loneliness is not good…loneliness is conquered with connection…you’ve gone through something terrible and somebody committed to going through it with you

See Hebrews 4:15-16 - The High Priest Who Cried Out in Pain.

Does God know what it’s like?
Jesus is the high priest…he knows what we’re going through…early Christian belief was that God came to earth…god in the flesh…knows what it’s like…

John 1:14 says, “14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
14The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

Jesus is showing us what God is like…love, compassion, passion, patience, kindness, etc.

See Hebrews 12:1-3.

The one who came among us…who understand…knows what we’re going through…

Endured, to go through the worst kind of suffering possible, betrayed, denied, spit on, slapped, mocked, insulted, falsely accused, condemned, humiliated, scorned, killed

In addition to knowing what’s its like to be human…he knows what its like to suffer

The God who knows what its like…not distant…someplace else…waiting up there…not sitting up above with a beard…crash in like a parent at a high school party…on the cross…I know how you feel…”you don’t know what its like”, yes I do

See John 14:9-14.

Do you want to know what God is like…look to me…God is working through me…living in me doing his work…God took on flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood…living in and working through what God is like…in my actions and words what God is like

Incarnation – in the flesh, personification, embodiment, manifestation, materialization, living form

God coming among us taking on flesh and blood

The first Christians didn’t stop there…this historical moment had endless ramifications that went on to today…not a one time historical event…it had implications for everyone of Jesus’ followers

See I Cor. 6:19.

The group of you it’s a plural…speaking to a community of people…god lives in your midst…he lives there…living in you…working through you…same language…all of you working together…a body of followers…a body of Jesus

See I Cor. 12:12-13.

You are Christ's body—that's who you are! You must never forget this.

Like a body…something to add…everybody does its part…you would be acting like Jesus…you are a temple…as you act and speak…you as followers of Jesus are showing the world what Jesus is like…they would get a sense of what God is like…If you were there loving serving accepting…if they came into the group…they would see what Jesus is like…the same way that God is present in Jesus…Jesus is present in us

That is the point of the incarnation…God came into the world and screamed alongside of us
I’m thirsty, forsaken me, I don’t want to do this, wrestling, sweating drops of blood,
God is not distant, removed, knows what its like, present

God loves to show up dressed as people…and he’ll show up looking like someone you least expected…he has know concept of favoritism, status, prestige…that why we are like a temple of God…we have the potential to show the world what God is like…Jesus showed God in the flesh, now you show Jesus in the flesh…Jesus looks an awful lot like you…

We don’t sit around passively…we are the temple, the body, Jesus on display, making an appearance that looks like you

Incarnational possibilities…developing radar for when God wants to show up…they were like Jesus to me…at the moment they needed it…god showed up…

If you keep the cross a one time historical event we are robbing it of its mystery and power…the incarnation…a God who shows up…and you have the opportunity to put this in action…

Be-Incarnation – God shows up as people, show the world what I am like…Jesus is teaching us Be-Incarnation…simply trying to act like Jesus in the world…orienting your life how god is…