I had the unique experience to hear a great leader (Skye Jethani) speak on Monday and he told the following story.  I had never heard this story but really felt that it fits our study of the culture and people we feel God is calling the Church to be.

Billy Graham (I know, I know, anytime you start a story with Billy Graham it is like saying Babe Ruth can hit a baseball or Abe Lincoln was a great president) Nothing like starting a story with a guy who is on the modern Mt. Rushmore of spirituality.  Anyway I digress the story is still worth it…

Where was I… Oh yeah… Billy Graham was going to have a interview on the Today Show, NBC’s morning news shows.  In preparation the show’s manager thought it would be best to set a room aside for Rev. Graham so he could spend time in prayer and whatever else as he prepared for the interview. The morning of the interview Rev. Graham showed up early.  The show manager approached Graham’s assistant and let him know about the room that had been prepared for him to pray and meditate.  It was at this moment that Graham’s assistant informed the show manager that Rev. Graham started praying when he woke up that morning, he prayed through breakfast, prayed on the way over to the show and would probably pray through out the duration of the interview.

The point… Being engaged in worship, and ultimately being engaged in relationship with God is not just five minutes a day to keep the devil a way.  It is a moment by moment conversation with the Lord of the universe who is equally involved in the details of each of our lives.  We can call on Him at anytime, in anyplace, for as long as we want to seek wisdom, to vent, to call on God for strength or to place with thanksgiving the prayers we have before so that we can know His peace which passes all understanding.

I encourage you to just as Graham did, to just as we see so many in scripture do, to live a life connected moment by moment to the God who loves just because…  the God who loves just as you are

I want to use our space this week to follow up on our service from this past week in offering some additional thoughts concerning God’s transformational power in the life of His children.

When we look at our brokenness we trace the origin back to sin’s conception in the garden with Adam and Eve.  In that moment the first man and woman directly disobeyed the one directive given by God.  Each had the choice as to whether they would eat the fruit on the tree in the center of the garden that God had forbidden them to eat.  In that moment the conscious choice to do their own thing was made.

Something else was going on there.  In that piece of fruit was the promise of the knowledge that God had,  apart from a relationship with God.  The tree was aptly name “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” and in the moment of temptation the serpent says “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”.

Here is the problem, they were already like God, they were created in His image and likeness just a chapter earlier.  So in their original creation they were like God and in relationship with God.  In this moment beyond just choosing to disobey, they were also seeking to be like God apart from God.  They wanted the blessings of God without wanting the relationship with God.

We explore this theme in much greater depth coming in October.  Needless to say this is our biggest hang up when it comes to experiencing God’s transforming power in our lives.  You see we want to be transformed.  We will do whatever it takes to find transformation.  We wait for it, yearn for it, even pray for it.  The problem often is we want this transformation apart from the relationship that is required to receive.  We want 3, 5, or 8 steps to a transformed life rather than the transformational relationship of God.

This in part is due to our great desire to do something.  Often we will ask the pastor in a sermon… “just tell me what to do”.  And I even found that a challenge this week.  Because transformation has very little to doing and a whole lot more to do with “being” (ie. resting from our doing and knowing the presence of God).  It requires the energy, vulnerability, honesty, and authenticity of a real relationship.

You see relationship costs us so much more.  Because we must hear from God, we must take what He says, and the areas of our lives that He exposes and then acknowledge these areas, repent of them, and then pray for His healing power to be at work in our lives.  We must willingly allow God to expose the idols of our heart and pray that He would give us the strength to uproot them.  Beyond that we must lovingly and willingly follow through in obedience which often flows against every fleshly ounce of our will.

To follow Christ is to deny ourselves, to deny our own self discovery, to deny our own righteous morality.  We must die to these things, literally take up our cross daily, and die daily to these things to follow Christ.  Which is to do as Mary does in Luke 10.  In that story Martha is busy doing, busy working like crazy to be a good host to Jesus, to please Jesus.  Mary on the other hand is at the feet of Jesus just listening.  She has put aside all the business and chosen relationship, chosen listening, chosen waiting, chosen the path of presence.

We all want our lives transformed, to truly experience the power of God.  But… we cannot have the power of God apart from a relationship with God.  I don’t have 3 easy steps to accomplish this.  Each of us must make the choice to stop trying to do the process of transformation and instead choose to take the time of being in relationship with God.  This will look different for each of us.  This begins with the repentant prayer from each of us seeking forgiveness for our sin, and for all the things we have done to try and earn God’s love.  This is followed with the prayer for God to become more visible, for God to give us a heart desires him first, for God to walk with us in relationship, for God to give us ears to listen.  This is a daily process of discovery that can only be found in the journey of relationship.

I encourage you to take this journey.  As in any journey, we often only know the next step, but in the end we find the trip was well worth it.

2 words that are shaping culture right now..  A great blog post by @prodigaljohn who is easily writing some of the funniest stuff out there, and also has great moments of insight like this.  I hear that statement as well.  The challenge is embracing the journey and taking the next step!  Check it out!

@rickwarren tweeted the following “Ultimately, it’s not what you know that shapes your life, but what you worship.”

That is a profound statement.  Right now your life is centered around something.  That is your object of worship.  Your priorities place it in highest esteem, your finances feed it’s purposes, the hours of your day give it the highest glory.

We all worship something, We all live for something… Even those who claim to believe in nothing, and believe they independently live for nothing ultimately are living for something even if it is just for themselves and their own sense of ideals or values.

So then is what you worship really worth it, will it last, does it deserve the highest place of glory in centering your life around it?

Just some stuff that has been rattling around in my brain as I was reflecting on the past week and came across Rick’s profound quote again.  Read Psalm 95 -100.  David makes a powerful case for the only being truly worthy of worship yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Sunday we talked about God’s call to live a life in glory to Him.  As the Psalmist David put it “Let us come with praises” and “Let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker”.  I heard a great story from one of our MCC friends following the service.  He shared with me that each day he and his wife begin the day together in prayer.  The result has been a growing closeness in their marriage, a growing closeness to the Lord, and daily mindset that frames the rest their day in seeing God at work.  God is worshipped when our marriages are bound to Him and strengthened by a mutual commitment to Him.  God is worshipped when we desire to know Him more.  God is worshipped when we live each moment of our lives in relationship and glory of Him.

In response, I wanted to know what leads you into worship?  Everybody responds differently and it is great to hear, celebrate, and maybe even explore worship together.

I look forward to your thoughts!

I came across this article in my study and unfortunately it did not make the cut for the sermon, but I wanted to pass this along.  I really felt this fit Sundays topic well.  Tim Keller is wicked brilliant, and his thoughts on worship here are right on. Enjoy!!!

Worship Worthy of the Name by Tim Keller

Dan Wakefield, a writer who moved to New York in the 1950s, was originally from Indiana. When he arrived in New York, he completely overturned his Baptist roots and became a bohemian. In one of his books, he describes how he wanted nothing to do with the values of middle America. He completely rid himself of religion.

Now, however, he’s near 60 years old, ostensibly needing spiritual meaning, and attends a liturgical church. Why? Probably because to him, the church feels safe, it’s connected with history, it doesn’t feel like a fly-by-night operation, and it is more satisfying aesthetically.

Historic liturgy often appeals to a certain kind of person. It opens doors to the heart that the art of pop culture-drums and guitars-can’t.

Personally, I like both. Each form of art opens different doors into my soul. But each form must have at its core true worship. It all begins with this question: What is true worship?

Instinct Run Amok

At our deepest level, we were created for worship. But this instinct has gone awry.

Jonathan Edwards spoke of religious affections-that core of our being that orients our mind, will, and emotions toward an object. Sin has caused our affections to stray, propelling us to worship relationships, achievement, work-everything but God. Alfred Adler would say we gravitate toward control or power or comfort or approval.

We obsess about those things, comfort ourselves with them, fantasize about them. Biblically speaking, those things are idols. Worship is pulling our affections off our idols and putting them on God.

The word worship comes from an Old English word meaning “worth-ship.” I define worship as a private act that has two parts: seeing what God is worth and giving him what he’s worth.

Job says, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” When I treasure something, I longingly look at it, for example, in the store window and think about how great it would be to own it. I ponder its virtues, talk to my friends about how great it is. Then I go out and buy it.

Worship is treasuring God: I ponder his worth and then do something about it-I give him what he’s worth. Every approach to worship must have those two elements.

Harnessed Worship: The only difference between private and public worship is that in public worship, individuals are doing it in concert with others. In a team of six horses, each horse is affected by the speed and direction of the other five. The same is true of corporate worship-it’s individuals worshiping God in harness.

If the minister is talking about the holiness of God, for example, I’m seeing God’s holiness in concert with the congregation. Together, God’s people are in harness, letting the worship leader guide them so they can respond to God individually by giving him what he is worth.

Scripture readings, exhortations, and sermons show people what God is worth. The offering, prayers of repentance and thanksgiving, and times of confession allow people to respond to God.

In order for us to worship, our mind, will, and emotions have to be moved. They’re all organically connected.

Merely learning a truth about God is intellectual education, not worship. For example, I can know intellectually that God is good but still be worried silly about something that’s coming up this week. If the morning’s sermon is on the sovereignty and goodness of God, I haven’t worshiped unless that truth descends from my mind and touches my emotions and my will.

I worship, then, when I realize I’ve been trusting in my own abilities, not the sovereignty and goodness of God. When I pull my affections off the other things I’ve been trusting in-which is why I’m anxious-and put them on God, I will be touched emotionally. I may cry; I may not. It depends on what kind of personality I have. But the truth will affect my emotions.

My will is also affected when I decide to change the way I handle that threat next week.

Worship is grasping a truth about God and then letting that truth strike you in the center of your being. It thrills you, comforts you. That’s when the truth has moved from left to right brain-from mind to heart. On the spot, it will change the way you feel. The whole brain, the whole person, is affected.

Mistaken Emotions: Not everything we feel Sunday morning can be labeled true worship. Several emotions can be mistakenly associated with true worship.

Nostalgia. Some people are moved to tears by listening to “The Old Rugged Cross” and others by “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” But those feelings are not necessarily worship. They could also be merely a sentimental connection; the song reminds people of a warm memory. This is one reason why people will say, “I can’t worship if I don’t sit in my pew,” or “I can’t worship because you rearranged the furniture,” or “I can’t worship if I don’t know the hymns.”

That’s nostalgia, a fond sentiment that people often need because everything else in life is changing. But that feeling isn’t worship, and there is no resulting impact on their whole lives.

Conscience clearing. Some people feel guilty because they haven’t gone to church for a while, or they haven’t been praying, or whatever. So because they’re in church, singing a hymn and putting something in the offering plate, they feel better. Their consciences are clear. Perhaps that feeling is better than the sentimental feeling, but it’s still not worship.

Aesthetic experiences. Other people may have only an aesthetic experience, which is still not worship. Even people hostile to the gospel can weep while listening to Handel’s Messiah. C. S. Lewis said that his imagination was baptized when he was still an atheist because of excellent Christian art.

Our emotions become a legitimate part of worship when, in response to a truth about God, we give something back to God: our money, our sin, our praise. Again, the three elements must be there: mind, will, emotion.

As it relates to worship, I’d rather use the word moved than the word emotion. If we don’t find that our affections have been moved from earthly idols toward God, we haven’t worshiped. Our affections are more than just our emotions.

Some of us, myself included, are not emotionally expressive. That’s just who I am. However, if I leave Sunday morning having had no emotional connection whatsoever, I haven’t worshiped. I must allow my heart to be touched to worship.

Baptized Art: In recent years, churches have emphasized excellence in worship, especially in seeking to reach non-Christians. In general, churches that focus on excellence tend to attract more non-Christians.

Non-Christians are attracted to the art of a tight-sounding worship band or string quartet. They are not, in general, attracted to the special music of Brother Joe’s seventh-grade nephew, who gets up and plays “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” on his clarinet. That music is meaningful for the members of Brother Joe’s church, who know and love the nephew, and who know and love the truth. But those who don’t have the relationship already are only made uncomfortable by the lack of excellence.

Aesthetics is a movement from the right brain to the left. Consequently, art is often a back door to truth. Clearly, people are brought to faith through great aesthetics. The power of the art draws people to behold it. After a while they begin to wonder if the ideas that inspired it are true.

As a general rule, the larger the church, the more important worship aesthetics become. It can be compared to the difference between two restaurants, both of which have great food. One restaurant is a dive, tucked away in a hard-to-find basement; its patrons are proud of the fact that not many people eat there. It attracts few new customers because nobody knows where it is unless you’re told by an insider.

The other restaurant, however, places a premium on good advertising and a pleasant ambiance. It’s easy to find, warm and friendly. Everything about the restaurant communicates, “Why don’t you try our food?” I would go so far as to say that when planting a church, you determine its future size in part by the importance you place on aesthetics in worship.

But it’s important to keep worship aesthetics in perspective. Frankly, I doubt that to God there’s much difference between the classically trained soloist and Brother Joe’s nephew. God is the one we want to please, and I doubt he judges on the basis of aesthetics.

Easy Access: Contemporary pop music is not the only art that attracts non-Christians, however. I’m always puzzled when I hear pastors suggest this.

Our largest service at Redeemer is not the one we started with the contemporary band (though that could change). It’s the one with traditional hymns and string quartets playing classical music. Perhaps that’s because New York faces Europe more than the rest of the country. I’ve found the people of Manhattan like formality. They’re used to cathedrals, art museums, symphonies. Many non-Christians feel safe in a liturgical service because they know what’s happening next. There are no surprises.

I’ve also found that many who come back to the faith often choose a liturgical church. These people tend to be intellectuals: professors, writers, musicians.

Nonnegotiables: The pressure on a pastor to create a good worship service each week can cause me to react wrongly when a service doesn’t come off the way I think it should. I’m a detail person, and occasionally, I cringe when a vocalist blows it or the microphone system goes haywire. That’s not good. It indicates an overemphasis on aesthetics.

Yet, just as people can have an aesthetic experience and not worship, they can also worship without good aesthetics. I need to remember that. I’m committed to excellence but don’t want to make it a nonnegotiable. Aesthetics are negotiable; truth is not.

Neither is the authenticity of the worship leader. Before Sunday, I must be worshiping God throughout the week. I use daily Martin Luther’s scheme of “garland” meditation, which he describes in a letter. I meditate until some thought of Scripture catches fire in my heart. I collect those thoughts, which stay radioactive all week, and use them in my worship leading the next Sunday.

This prepares me to worship in concert with the congregation. My people can sense whether I am worshiping or not. I believe the church needs to see me worship, to see my affections being moved by the truth of God.

Hey Friends,
I promised on Sunday I would post a longer list of questions you could your ask yourself in an effort toward recognizing and uprooting idols in your life.  Wel here they are.  As we discussed idols are often good things in our life that make us happy and make life worth living, THAT become elevated to a position our life where they become the only thing.  Ultimately idols are the root of our sinful nature.  We need to go beyond just recognizing and repenting of our idols but ultimately we need to replace them with Jesus life in our life and focus our lives in worship, in glory of the one thing we are called to treasure and desire most…  God!

Kill an idol my friends…

What am I most afraid of?
What do I long for most passionately?
Where do I run for comfort?
What do I complain about most
What makes me happiest?
How do I explain myself to other people?
What has caused me to be angry with God?
What do I brag about?
What do I want to have more than anything else?
What do I sacrifice the most for in my life?
If I could change one thing about my life, what would it be?
Whose approval am I seeking?
What do I want to control/master?
What comfort do I treasure most?

*By way of note I am indebted to the work of Dr. Tim Keller in his book Counterfiet Gods and Mark Driscoll for this broader list of questions as well as their tremendous work on this subject.  If you want to dig deeper.  Check them both out…

The following email was sent to Tim Steven’s Executive Pastor at Granger Church and posted on his blog                           ( http://www.leadingsmart.com/2010/05/something-just-doesnt-add-up.html ).  Jack’s thoughts really resonate with me because I agree, and I am a Pastor… The one potentially propagating the problem.  The question is do the methods of the Church work today.  This resonated to me so I want to throw it out there for you all with some thoughts.

“I left a comment but also wanted to email you. My name is (Jack) and my wife and I are currently attending a mega church in Phoenix. Having said all that I just wanted to say that I have been burdened by the thought of something just not adding up with the “come to us” strategy in today’s church culture. I haven’t been able to get it off my mind lately. I feel like something is wrong. Not that the Church isn’t doing good in the world, but that we aren’t living up to the capabilities God has equipped us with. I feel like my heart is to reach a crowd of people that the church has seemingly avoided due to it’s “come to me” attitude. I am really looking forward to seeing what you post in the days to come about this situation. It has been on the forefront of my mind and heart non-stop lately. Do you think that we have totally strayed from what the Church’s strategy was intended to be? Do you feel like my generation (I’m 20) will be the one to fix these issues?  I know my heart is to be a part of a local church but to do ministry in what seems to be an unconventional, missional AND attractional way.  Maybe in the near future what is on my heart won’t be too unconventional after all.”

Now that you have read Jack’s eloquent thoughts and spiritual discontent with the common solution I want to add my own sense of uneasiness with where the Church is at today.  Tim to his credit despite defending, and rightly so, his Church’s, and mine for that matter, current methodology and philosophy; notes that we maybe are only effective at reaching 40% of our community and shrinking.  I would argue our effectiveness is less, as in like 20%.

One thing that Tim states that I find interesting is that we go to the mall, to a concert, to a sports venue ergo we go to Church to be spiritual or to get our Church experience.  I would argue that even though we go to places to get things the Church is different because it is who we are as followers of Christ.  We have done ourselves a disservice over hundreds if not the better part of a thousand years by making the Church a destination and not a reality.  And now our culture is looking for the reality of Jesus not the destination.

The challenge for the Church moving into the future is how do we live this out, speak this language in an authentic and relevant way.  I believe it will mean we redefine what we call success, we redefine what we consider works which is hard because it feels like it flies in the face of everything we know and has yet to be created.  But this is the place where the next innovation and creation of God’s work in a new millenium will happen.

I cannot claim to have an answer but readily feel the heart of Jack…  A heart that cries out there must be more than this… Something more meaningful… Something where the true capacity of the gospel is unleashed and we can claim and praise God that Jesus’ words were true in that we have seen even greater things than those that followed Him on earth.  That we with all honesty can say to a man, woman, and child we have seen the movement of the Holy Spirit in a powerful and profound way that only God could have initiated.

Our world, our culture.  Is looking for real, looking for transcendent, looking for meaningful, life changing, and purposeful.  We are searching everywhere for it… But will only ever find it in God.  I want to know that, I want my Church to know that, I want Central Chester County to know that.  I pray for that day, and pray that God would lead us toward our version of the answer which I believe won’t be so much of an answer but more of a journey that molds and shapes itself over time as we exegete our culture and God’s word firmly planting ourselves in the gospel.

Hey All,

Wanted to follow up on my last post about this past Sunday with some stories and quotes.  I hope to throw a pictures up soon as well.  Enjoy!

-Kelly
“I will say how awesome it was that everyone in our group pitched in where are strengths are. My mom and I tag-teamed on cookies (much better than we’ve ever worked together before … must be the size of the kitchen lol), George offered to tackle the onions, and Stephen graciously taste-tested everything ;] Even the kids begged to do something, and they did a great job plopping dough balls on the cookie sheets for us while the adults grabbed lunch. I found out from Marcia (via Facebook) that the meal we made is for one of Bridge of Hope’s mentoring sessions. How cool is that? Here we were mentoring each other, helping, sharing our stories, and generally getting to know each other, making food that will a group of mentors to help out people who need it?–helping them, sharing stories, getting to know each other and such. I also shared our church format with one of my coworkers today, who’s in leadership at her church. She thought our idea was awesome and wished her church was that kind of church. I can’t wait to do it again!”

-Stephen
“I really enjoyed the fellowship and getting to know 2 new men who attend MCC (Isaac & George).  All while doing something good for the community.”

-Heidi
“I think it was a great way to get to know people from church while doing something nice for the community.  A win win event! =:)”

-Penny
“We had a great group of kids at the park.  Because there were so many we were done very quickly.  West Whiteland had a couple people out to guide us and it was a wonderful experience.  I was so thankful to those doing childcare.  We were able to have the bigger kids help in the garden but then go play when they were done.  The weather also held out so it was an enjoyable day.  I can’t wait to go back with my family and see the butterflys”

-Rich
“We went to the home of Marian (don’t know last name), in Cheyney.  We were met there by her son, Larry, who was wielding a chain saw when we arrived.  We were supposed to only have 6 volunteers on the job, but were challenged when we saw the work that was before us: clearing approx. 100 ft. of wild bushes, forsythia plants that had grown 10 ft. high, sticker bushes, tree trimming, etc.  Undaunted, our original crew:  Kelly and Joe Joyce (sp.), Radcliff and Cathy Cunningham, and Laurel and Mac, dug right in.  However, we were glad that we were joined later by Laurel and Jason Stroud, Angelica Tamborino and Riley McDermott.

It was amazing how much work our folks did in an hour and a half!  Joe’s pictures feature prominently the high and wide stack of debris that was piled up after we concluded our work.  We also lined up for a “tug of war” as we pulled Larry’s lawn tractor out of the swamp their lower back yard had become.

Everyone was all smiles and jumped in!  Darlene and I are both going back in the next couple of weeks to help finish one or two items that we could not do because of the wetness and dampness.    I was happy to see my team not mind getting down and dirty to help another.  It was a great way to start the day.”

This morning is a morning that will live on in my memory for a long time.  We have been preaching about the true nature of the Church.  One that is not confined to a building or an hour but is unleashed to change the world through the power of Jesus.

This morning at @MCCExton (Marsh Creek Church) sacrificed their normal time together to serve our community.  When we came up with the idea were excited by the potential but had no idea what to expect.  A lot was put into the morning by some great people to make it organized and well run.

Then we saw the weather forecast.  Rain! Ugh

I will admit as pumped as I was this for this morning when I woke up I was not feeling it .  I figured on a sunny day if we got like 2/3 of our normal group we would be doing good.  On a rainy day I have to admit I thought we were toast.  This would be a test of our heart.

Well I learned a lot about the Marsh Creek folk.  Nothin get’s these people down.  Not only did they show, but they showed strong.  They were jacked this morning and ready to roll.

I had the tremendous fortune of serving along side the crew at the West Whiteland Park right off of Ship Rd. in Exton. I would say we had a strong crew and a ton of kids.  The playground was rolling strong, we had a game of kick ball going and our crew rocked out 20+ wheel barrows of mulch in under an hour.  It was some of the most fun I have had in a while just hanging out, talking green thumb, moving mulch, and loving life.  It was a great way to spend time this morning just loving God, and lovin each other while we did our small part to bless the community.

This afternoon I feel so blessed.  I look forward to posting some more stories and pics from this morning here.

Much love and respect to my MCCExton fam.  You guys, rock and regularly rock my world