PILGRIMGUIDE

Len Hjalmarsen has a wonderful post titled “tentmaking in the digital age,” regarding issues of financially funding ekklesial ministry and leadership. As he states; “something that will become more important in the coming years.” He shares some valuable thoughts regarding his reasons for not being paid for ekklesial based ministry…. well worth reading.

As one who left the professional clergy ranks a number of years ago and struggles with balancing and stewarding my own financial resources and sometimes the lack thereof alongside the responsibilities of ministry, I find this personally, a difficult issue to confront. I see a larger issue or better said a related issue that needs the same attention as to whether or not church leadership ought to receive money in exchange for service in God’s kingdom. This larger issue is: “how do we confront the God of Mammon that so dominates the most western church folk.” IMHO this is the larger issue. Statistics show that the average monetary giving per church person is two and a half percent, therein is at least a portion of the problem and ought to be a portion of the conversation. Can we address the one without the other?

In a recent George Fox Journal article titled “Rethinking Evangelism,” Todd Hunter states:

We now have 30-40 years of data demonstrating that systematic or mechanistic approaches to evangelism do not work as far as producing actual followers of Jesus. All the research I’m aware of concerning the church growth movement — from David Kinnaman in UnChristian. George Barna’s Revolution. The Pew Research Center, and Gallup — agree that the systematic, marketing approaches to evangelism haven’t really worked, not in terms of making genuine disciples.

We hear a lot that the culture today is postmodern and post-Christian. But there’s another very important “post” going on. The vast majority of Americans are post secular — meaning they know that a purely materialistic, secular view of the world is bankrupt. Studies all show that most American believe in God and they know that there’s a nonmaterial world that’s every bit as real and important as the material world. They just don’t know how to access it or what it means. That’s why there’s a lot of pluralistic, relative thinking going on.

I think the number one thing that can get the attention of the world is for people to actually be Christians.

I love you, GOD —

you make me strong.

GOD is bedrock under my feet,

the castle in which I live,

my rescuing knight.

My God — the high crag

where I run for dear life,

hiding behind the boulders,

safe in the granite hideout.

I sing to GOD, the Praise-Lofty,

and find myself safe and saved.

The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat;

devil waters rushed over me.

Hell’s ropes cinched me tight;

death traps barred every exit.

A hostile world! I call to GOD,

I cry to God to help me.

From his palace he hears my call;

my cry brings me right into his presence —

a private audience!

Earth wobbles and lurches;

huge mountains shake like leaves,

Quake like aspen leaves

because of his rage.

His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke;

his mouth spits fire.

Tongues of fire dart in and out;

he lowers the sky.

He steps down;

under his feet an abyss opens up.

He’s riding a winged creature,

swift on wind-wings.

Now he’s wrapped himself

in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.

But his cloud-brightness bursts through,

spraying hailstones and fireballs.

Then GOD thundered out of heaven;

the High God gave a great shout,

spraying hailstones and fireballs.

God shoots his arrows — pandemonium!

He hurls his lightnings — a rout!

The secret sources of ocean are exposed,

the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered

The moment you roar in protest,

let loose your hurricane anger.

But me he caught — reached all the way

from sky to sea; he pulled me out

Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,

the void in which I was drowning.

They hit me when I was down,

but GOD stuck by me.

He stood me up on a wide-open field;

I stood there saved — surprised to be loved!

GOD made my life complete

when I placed all the pieces before him.

When I got my act together,

he gave me a fresh start.

Now I’m alert to GOD’s ways;

I don’t take God for granted.

Every day I review the ways he works;

I try not to miss a trick.

I feel put back together,

and I’m watching my step.

GOD rewrote the text of my life

when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

(Psalm 18:1-24 THE MESSAGE)

Tozer once said:

As base a thing as money often is, it yet can be transmitted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor; it can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touch with immortality.

A.W. Tozer, “The Transmutation of Wealth”Born After Midnight,

(Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1959), 107

Barna’s latest report showing the most recent American patterns in tithing and donating was just released. The following portion of the report is something that caught my attention.

Whether they believe in the principle of tithing or not, few Americans give away that much money. In 2007, the research revealed that just 5% of adults tithed.

Not surprisingly, some population groups were more likely than others to have given away at least ten percent of their income. Among the most generous segments were evangelicals (24% of whom tithed); conservatives (12%); people who had prayed, read the Bible and attended a church service during the past week (12%); charismatic or Pentecostal Christians (11%); and registered Republicans (10%).

The biggest percentage among Americans who tithed or gave away 10% or more of their income are Evangelicals at 24%. My question, what are the other 76% doing? According to other statistics they are somewhere down around 2 or 3% in their giving. Granted its hard to make a case for tithing from the New Testament and I’m not wanting to establish some new form of Old Covenant legalism, or pour old wine into new wineskins, but this issue is like the elephant who is in the room everyone is pretending it doesn’t exist.

I know there is no mention of tithing in the New Testament, but all examples of giving and financial stewardship go far beyond the tithe; like the Widow and her two coppers coins, the Rich Young Ruler, the Macedonian Christians giving to the Jerusalem saints, and Zacchaeus to mention a few. And Jesus was all continually was about raising the standard to a higher level of the Old Covenant.

The “elephant” is metaphoric for the 76% of Evangelicals who are dominated by the “god of mammon.” The issue that most want to pretend doesn’t exist, and if it does, its certainly a matter of personal choice - to give or not to give. But every time a survey or statical report documenting the generosity of the church or the lack thereof surfaces, we all at least subconsciously ponder our own responsibility. IMHO, the bottom line point of giving for a follower of Jesus is at the 10% mark.

More later…

I found myself in conversation with some friends the other day about Oprah Winfrey. A woman with a great deal of power and cultural influence as she continues to grow her empire. (media, print, entrepreneurial, etc.) and now a new hit television show The Big Give. We all like her as a person, and were commenting about some of the “good” things she seems to be doing, with the multitudes chanting her praises along within the church. We agreed that Oprah is definitely doing some good. Personally, I like Oprah as person, but have reservations regarding her authenticity and agenda. What is behind the person herself? Many who are naive think she is a Christian, but not so — at least in the orthodox sense. What she is promoting is a new kind of spirituality. Here agenda and what she believes is important. We need not be confused.

I will not die an unlived life,

I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible

to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing,

a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance,

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom,

and that which came to me as blossom,

goes on as fruit.

By: Dawna Markova

From: I Will Not Die an Unlived Life:

Reclaiming Purpose and Passion

Conari Press, 2000. p.1

Today, Good Friday, Christian Today web link provided a slide show of pictures and paintings of the Last Supper. The one below, by Rembrant titled, Ich Habe Euch Ein Beispiel Gegeben, 1655 is my favorite.

The caption below the picture reads; “The title of this sparse yet dramatic sketch is translated, I Gave You an Example. It portrays Peter watching his Master choose to partake in this most unexpected act, some of the other disciples watch, and perhaps begin to understand what kind of life Christ is calling them to when he says, ‘Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’ (John 13:17).”

It provides for us a wonderful pictorial of missional leadership still appropriate for a our contemporary context.

Last Tuesday evening our Missional Learning Community invited Jon Stock from The Church of the Servant King in Eugene, OR to share around the question; What are some current missional eccleisal (church) forms and how might they be structured? Just as a side note or point of information, The Church of the Servant King (with sister congregations in Portland, OR and Gardena, CA) looks a good deal like what many are currently describing as “New Monasticism;” and have been in existence for nearly 30 years. For more information on this subject check out this Christian Century article.

Rather than address the question regarding ecclesial forms and structure, Jon redirected our conversation toward two primary issues that need attention prior to the formation of any type of ecclesial structure. The first is one of “shared identity.” A mutual consensus among those desiring to form or structure some type of church expression to comprehend who they are in Christ; at both individual and communal levels. Without deliberation toward a shared communal identity in conjunction with the Spirit, discerning purpose for ecclesial existence is minimized. But in this context the likelihood of consensus for purpose is possible.

The second issue Jon referenced revolves around a community’s understanding of the terms “ends and means,” which is often fuzzy and confusing within culture and church. The well known phrase, “the end justifies the means” is counter to kingdom values. And counter to the way our Lord functioned. Jesus always used means that justified his end. From the outset his earthly end was his sacrifice for the world’s redemption. The means he used justified this end.

Reflecting this last week-end on Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem is a case in point. Many of those who were placing their cloaks and palm branches down before him on his route into the city were those expecting him to establish his Messianic kingdom in the near future. Jesus could have done so, it was within his power, but it was not the means ordained by the Godhead for King Jesus to establish his Kingdom. The means to that end was found on a Cross at Calvary. This should have been no secret to his followers, for on several occasions Christ warned them what the “means” and “end” of his life and ministry were to be, but they were not focused on the same “end,”

Their “end” was an immediate kingdom where power and might would be theirs for the taking, ridding them of the awful Roman occupation. No longer would they live under such cruel domination, now they would possess free to control over their destiny. Worldly power and dominion is never our Master’s mode of operation (means), but always issues forth from a place of powerlessness and humility. Like Christ our Lord, it is a willingness to take up our cross and follow him to wherever he leads; to places where love and mercy meet.

For Christ followers looking at forming or structuring missional church expressions a “shared identity” in the context of an understanding of “means” (cruciformed life) should result in the end purpose, his Kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Like many others, I’m as frustrated as ever concerning governmental politics and the upcoming elections and my participation in the whole process– as I’ve probably stated before. Gregory Boyd, author of The Myth of a Christian Nation blogs concerning Christian involvement at a national level as he reviews Charles Colson’s latest book, God and Government and recent feedback he received from his review. He wants to state clearly for the record the four things he was arguing for throughout his review of Colson’s book. He states:

Thanks for the all the feedback on my review of Colson’s God & Government. In light of some of this feed back, I feel I need to clarify my view. I am not suggesting Christians can’t or shouldn’t be involved in politics (though I can easily understand how the New Testament leads some Christians to this conclusion). Am I am not at all negating the good that Christians like William Wilberforce accomplished by political means (though non-Christians have of course accomplished similar things), Rather, in my review of Colson’s book and my other writings, I am simply arguing four things:

 The rest of Greg’s post