BLeach

Good For Us, Not For Him

I'm looking forward to preaching the Good Friday services at Allison Park Church this week. It's an honor to inspire people to remember the cross, and lead them in communion.

It's always been interesting to me that we call it "Good Friday." I guess we do because we know the end of the story. We have the benefit of hindsight and know what happened three days later. But for those who loved Jesus, in the moment, there was nothing good about it.

I also wonder if I call it good because my default position is to evaluate something based on what it does for me. It was good for me, but not for Jesus.

To flip it, the reason I'm free to live for God today, is because Jesus was willing to surrender to something that was bad for him, yet good for me.

So here's my challenge to you. This week, to honor the memory of "Good Friday," what is one thing you can do for someone else that's good for them, but not for you. 

Good for your wife, but maybe painful for you. Good for your parents, but maybe inconvenient for you. Good for a friend, but costly for you.

This is, after all, the attitude of our Savior. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2.4).

My Struggle to Leave Detroit

Before tomorrow's official announcement of the city we're moving to, which at this point is ultra obvious thanks to my not so difficult clues, let me expose part of my heart that still feels a little raw.

One of the most difficult parts of this decision for me to process has been leaving Metro Detroit.  I've spent the majority of my life here.  When we started COTK it was with the intention of filling Detroit with church plants.  My family lives here.  I love the Pistons, the Tigers, the Wings, and even the Lions.  And up until recently, I believed I would spend the entirety of my ministry in the Motor City.

When I began to sense God releasing me, I had a tough time reconciling all of that.  And to be honest, it's still a struggle.  If you search the archives of this bog you'll probably find posts that at least on the surface seem to contradict this change my life.  And while I feel confident that God is leading us, I'm still concerned for Detroit.

This morning I bought a bag of salt at the gas station.  As I was paying, the attendant joked, "It's that time of year again isn't it?"  I laughingly said, "Maybe we should all just move to Florida," to which he responded, "What reason would any of us have to stay in  Michigan?"  I understand that mentality is prevalent.  It dominates our city.  I've pushed back on it for several years.  So it's difficult for me to join those who are moving away.

I don't believe that God is done using me in Detroit.  I will continue to support friends and ministries in this city with my prayers, finances, and encouragement.  I've also wondered if God might allow me to come back later on in my life.

I do know this.  During this process God has taught me to loosen my grip on my plans for the future.  I'll be slower to make sweeping statements that involve the phrase, "the rest of my life."  Really, as followers of Jesus, what right do any of us have to our own plans?  Jesus is a King, and his sovereignty gives Him the right to spend my life anywhere He wants.

Oh How He Loves Us

Your Kingdom Come

This weekend our church had some great opportunities to serve our community. On Friday night we projected the Wings game on the side of our building. And on Saturday we staffed the Chamber of Commerce booth with volunteers for the Berkley ArtBash.

Yesterday during our leadership team meeting we did some follow up by walking through downtown Berkley.  I asked our leaders to worship, note any businesses that stood out, and ask God to share His desires for our community.  I felt like some great insights surfaced.

• 12 Mile is lined with signs declaring, "Berkley is Unique." One unique characteristic is that there are only a handful of chain restaurants/businesses in downtown Berkley. We're not looking for a pre-packaged, conference-inspired move of God. Hungry for God to do something unique!
• Most of the businesses on our street are service or product oriented operations that cater to consumers. We can't be just another consumer-driven organization. We've got to develop missional disciples.
• Felt the pressure of so many businesses trying to make their voice heard and compete for dollars in a tough economy. Praying our church is not just another competing voice. Desperate for God's voice to be heard.
• I really believe God wants our community to experience the untainted influence of His Church.
• At one point I passed a business that closed. Now their windows are covered and it's impossible to see what's happening inside the building. It reminded me of all the closed families, secret sins, unknown needs and hidden pain that quietly exists in our community. My sense is that God wants to reign in those places.

Our team spent some time talking about what it means for God to reign in our community. What would it look like for the Kingdom of God to really grow in influence? In downtown Berkley we've got a Dairy Queen, Burger King, and a street called Royal. And then there's Church of the King!

As followers of Jesus we've got an opportunity to establish the Kingdom of God in our cities!

Let Jesus reign!

The Cross and My Barista

One of my greatest fears as a pastor is that somehow, our church would accidentally and unintentionally make sacred things trivial.  So every time we plan to take communion, I always pray for God to make it fresh again.

Yesterday morning I was doing that at Starbucks while making some final preparations for our service.  And a question came to me as I watched the coffee being prepared.  What does the cross mean for my Barista?  I pulled out my journal and wrote something that I later shared with the church as we celebrated communion.

The cross means his life is worth something. That God himself would descend to earth and accept execution says there is some potential in him, some image, that God can see.

The cross means, that like any of us, sin could kill him. The blood and cries and horror say that sin has weight; it has a price; and it ends with violent death.

The cross means there's nothing God won't do to be certain that my Barista's sin won't win. The proof is recorded in history, because the cross says Jesus has already crossed the most extreme option off the list.

The cross means his forgiveness is precious to God. If a son is precious to a father, and if epic sacrifice for the good of others means anything, then the cross says he can be clean.

The cross means that grace is amazing for more than just preachers who come into his store for some decaf coffee on Sunday mornings. Rather, our hearts say, this is the human story; this is his story.

The cross means everything to my Barista. Because of Jesus' unusual triumph, He says to all Baristas, "Be Healed! Be Cleansed! Be Forgiven! Start Again! Be Free!"

Now, if you're reading these words and wishing you were a Barista, then you've missed the point. Please, don't miss the point!  The point, which has been boldly proclaimed for more than 2,000 years, is made to mechanics, and engineers, and athletes, and preachers, and moms, and dads, and high-schoolers, and widowers. The point is for the disappointed, the disilusioned, the hopeful.

The cross of Jesus Christ is a marvelous light, showing the place where you sin dies and real life begins.

O Little Town Of...

For your Christmas critical thinking pleasure...

Our church is located in a highly populated Jewish area.  One of the Rabbis I've spent time with emailed me these two articles in which two scholars debate the birth place of Jesus.  One of them argues for Bethlehem, the other for Nazareth.

It's interesting reading.  Additionally, I think it's helpful to read authors with differing points of view, particularly historians and scholars.  It helps keep our critical thinking skills sharp.

To me, the geography of Jesus early life is one of the most convincing proofs of His unique identity.  The Old Testament prophets predicted that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, spend time as a refugee in Egypt, and grow up in Nazareth.  It's breathtaking to observe how first century politics played into the fulfillment of these promises.

• He wound up in Bethlehem because Caesar called for a census.
• He wound up in Egypt because Herod launched a genocide.
• He wound up in Nazareth because Archelaus came to power in Judea.

So faith-building to see how God used seemingly out of control events to orchestrate his plan.

Getting Rid of a Good Thing

What happens in a community when the church stops offering people Jesus?  Burger King figured out the answer.

Connecting our City to Christ.  That sums up the mission of our church.  We are founded by Jesus, for Jesus, in order to give Jesus to the people of Metro Detroit.  We don't operate from a missional menu.  Churches without Jesus are like BK's without the Whopper.

Pointless.

Washing the Face of Jesus

Today I came across a riveting thought that originated with Peter Kuzmic (a brilliant missionary from Eastern Europe).  He describes the mission of the church with a beautiful picture.

The missional role of the church is to wash the face of Jesus.

Just as a few Roman soldiers spit in Jesus face during his crucifixion, His features continue to be muddied today from a variety of sources.  University professors, philosophy textbooks, and even self-righteous religious types make His face almost indistinguishable to many of our neighbors. 

Enter the church.  We humbly wash our Savior's face.  We bring His true features to light.  And we make Him visible again to those who have never seen and others who have never wanted to see.

WDJD

What Did Jesus Do?

Filled with the Holy Spirit (as Luke stresses often), Jesus ate and drank with the poor and the marginalized, fed the hungry, talked with children, taught the crowds, comforted the bereaved, restored the ostracized, released the demon oppressed, challenged the rich and the authoritiies, brought people forgiveness of sins, healed relationships as well as bodies, and in all of this declared that God reigns--here and now, and still to come.

--Christopher Wright (Knowing the Holy Spirit Through the Old Testament)

Let Jesus Lead

My title at our church is Lead Pastor.  That might be misleading.  I'm actually an under-shepherd.  I'm an apprentice.  I'm a steward and a disciple.

Spiritual leaders aren't large and in charge.  Quite the opposite.  Our leadership isn't guaranteed by people under us.  It's secured by the One over us.

The leadership of Jesus has real priority implications for spiritual leaders.  We learn before we teach.  We repent before we counsel.  We listen before we talk.  We pray before we plan.  Jesus sets our pace.

We can't lead anyone further than we have personally journeyed?  Have you found that to be true?  Then who's leading you?

Gotta run...

So I can kneel.