Open Mike

Kicking Down Counterfeit gods: Ash Wednesday (5:30 & 6:30) & Lent

The aftermath of the Superbowl has strangely caused me to crave our Ash Wednesday worship with anticipation.  Extra pounds from overindulgence and extra despondence over 'our' loss cause me to reflect, half in jest and half seriously - how am I doing enjoying the good gifts of God in this life, without overattaching to them and giving them god-like power over me?  Our Ash Wednesday worship services kick off our Lenten sermon series: Counterfeit gods.

Sometimes I say that Lake Forest aspires to be an ancient-future church. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, and I'm preparing to lead two meditative and hauntingly musical (new this year!) services of communion and the imposition of ashes on our Huntersville campus (5:30 & 6:30, lasting about 35 minutes, childcare available at 5:30; LFC-Davidson will hold worship at 7pm).  One way I define ancient-future church is:

1. We are future oriented in mission - changing forms and methods of worship in order to speak the gospel effectively in today's language of ever-changing culture (technology, idiom, arts, servanthood through a toy store, musical styles at our campuses that reflect today's musical language of the soul). 

2.We practice humility by being ancient in doctrine faithful to the most ancient Christian creeds, as well as through time-proven spiritual practices like Lent and Advent, taking our grateful place in acknowledged succession from 2,000 years of faithful followers of Jesus.

Join the Lake Forest tribe in practicing Lent this year - allow fasting, almsgiving and prayer to be a way the LORD re-tills the soil of your heart with humility, repentance, and room for Christ alone to dwell and rule in his infinite love.

For Lent this year, we are encouraging people to:

*Worship on Ash Wednesday (thirty minutes services at 5:30 & 6:30 @ LFC-Huntersville, shared with our Anglican friends, Church of the Good Shepherd; 7pm LFC Davidson, shared with Davidson Presbyterian Church)

*choose a Lenten fast for 40 days, giving whatever money is saved to assist the poor Pope Francis' advice on Lenten fasting

*fast absolutely from Good Friday evening until Easter morning

*celebrate in Easter worship by 1)inviting an unchurched friend, 2)naming and celebrating Easter lunch as a resurrection feast

*BONUS: our sermon series for Lent is based upon Tim Keller's book, "Counterfeit gods." Feel free to purchase one and join me in using it for your daily devotions this season.

Here's a succinct, kinetic guide to the purpose and practice of Lent:

 

What is Prayer?

"When I prayed I was new, but when I stopped praying I became old."  So said an early Christian leader. 

The foreword in my newest prayer book, "My Orthodox Prayer Book," is a super helpful essay defining 'What is Prayer?'  And something else cool about it - it's an official publication by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of N. America and, dude, this could've easily been written by an evangelical Protestant. Except its better than an evangelical would have written.  I hope this content is helpful to your prayer life:

What is prayer?  Prayer is doxology, praise, thanksgiving, confession, supplication and intercession to God.  "When I prayed I was new," wrote a great theologian of Christian antiquity, "but when I stopped praying I became old."  Prayer is the way to renewal and spiritual life. Prayer is aliveness to God.  Prayer is strength, refreshment, and joy. Through the grace of God and our disciplined efforts prayer lifts us up from our isolation to a conscious, loving communion with God in which everything is experienced in a new light.  Prayer becomes a personal dialogue with God, a spiritual breathing of the soul, a foretaste of the bliss of God's kingdom.

How is one to pray? Only the Holy Spirit can guide us to pray as we should.  Just as a child learns to walk by walking, one can best learn to pray by praying, trusting in the help of God.  Put your whole soul into prayer.  Think about the meaning of every word you pray.  Make it your own personal prayer.  Be persistent in prayer.  Don't yield to carelessness or neglect.  Strengthen your prayer through a lively faith in the Lord, a spirit of forgiveness toward others, and genuine Christian living.

As we pray deeply within our hearts we grow in prayer.  By the grace of God we suddenly catch a glimpse of the miracle of the presence of the Holy Spirit working within us.  At first it is only a spark but later it becomes a flame freeing and energizing our whole being, provided we do nothing to grieve the Holy Spirit; and if we do sin we repent of our sin immediately and ask for God's forgiveness.  To experience the fire of God's holy love, to give it space within us to do its cleansing and healing work as a breath of the Holy Spirit, and to use it as light and power for daily living - such are the goals as well as the fruits of true prayer.

'My Orthodox Prayer Book' is published with the hope that it will help Orthodox Christians in their private and family devotions.  Reflecting the treasures of Orthodox worship, it contains basic cycles of daily and other prayers. The language is contemporary yet maintains a liturgical flavor.  Traditional prayers have been slightly revised so as to be more readable in English.  Some new prayers, many selections from the Psalms, directions for Bible Study and brief explanatory notes are also included.  It is humbly offered as an encouragement to Orthodox Christians to pray and grow in the life of prayer.

Prepare Your Spirit with an Easter Fast: Fasting Guide with Prayers Attached

So friends, here we are toward the end of Holy Week.  Some years ago I began taking our church through 'ancient-future' explorations, though the term isn't original to me.  It's simply been a way for a hyper-modern 'low' church like ours to apply humble teachability to the wisdom of Christians from centuries before us.

The most helpful ancient Christian practice we've learned, to me, has been the Easter Fast, and I invite you to join me in it beginning this evening (after you enjoy a full dinner!).  Before practicing Lent and the Easter Fast, I used to arrive at Easter worship as though it were any other Sunday, just a little amped up.  Which isn't entirely bad - every Sunday is a celebration of Resurrection Day.  Every day, for those who follow Jesus, is an opportunity to live out of the resurrection power and values of our Lord.  BUT it is good and right that annually we specifically remember and celebrate this central fact of human history - the bodily resurrection of the God-Man Jesus Christ from the dead, in victory over death, suffering, sin, shame, and human division. 

One member of the LFC tribe wrote me this encouragement just yesterday: "We are so incredibly thankful for the ways that LFC has mentored and taught us how to draw near to the Lord through Lent and fasting corporately over Easter weekend.  Easter has more meaning for us spiritually than any other time of the year because its been such a powerful experience for us the past 3 years."

The Easter Fast prepares my spirit with readiness to worship along with the Holy Spirit in powerful ways each Easter.  It uses a spiritual practice that is best exemplified by Jesus, and the Bible teaches that fasting uniquely reorders the desires of our flesh and hones the attuned-ness of our spirit to God's Spirit.

Attached is an excellent guide for this year's Easter Fast (again, to begin after dinner tonight, Maundy Thursday, and continue to Saturday morning or longer, as you choose).  It has instructions for how to fast, specific prayers during the beginning, end and over each scheduled meal time during the fast.  And a way for you to give the money you would have spent otherwise to feed the hungry if you so choose, in the name of Jesus.  It has been adapted by us with permission, as noted.

Download 2015Easter FastingGuide

I will post some helpful thoughts on fasting from my readings on Friday and Saturday mornings this week.

The only suggestion I will add to the attached guide is this - when I fast, whenever a hunger pang pangs me, I turn it toward God in a prayer of these words of Jesus during two of his fasts:

"Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”. Matthew 4:4

"My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." John 4:34

 

'The Holy catholic Church' Shatters Our Dreams

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that the church is the place where our dreams are shattered—and that is a good thing.

This week at Lake Forest Church we learned that to 'believe in the holy catholic church' is every bit as essential for believers of 2,000 years, according to the Apostle's Creed, as is our belief in the Trinity.  And honestly its the most offensive part of the Creed for already- or long-time Christians, particularly in our cynical, tongue-in-cheek age. The rest of the Creed is about high theology, things we can't touch or immediately access. But this phrase is about the group of believers we gather to worship with every seven days, in all of its particularity, for better and for worse.  Here's one reason why it's essential (you can listen to my sermon from last Sunday to hear 'the rest of the story' if you'd like www.lakeforest.org ):

Everyone comes to church with a certain set of expectations. New believers often enter the church expecting to find a little bit of heaven on earth. We all think and hope and expect that our new family in Christ will treat us better than the people of the world. And we all have certain ideas about music and worship and preaching and about what the church should do and how it should go forward.

But sooner or later we discover that the saints are not always saintly, and the people of God are not always godly. Sometimes they can be mean-spirited, unkind, and sometimes downright cruel.

The church—I mean the local church—routinely disappoints us.

When that happens, for some of us our faith is shattered and sometimes our hope is destroyed. Bonhoeffer teaches this is another work of grace by God.  "He who loves his dream of a community more that the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial." - Bonhoeffer

Once our false expectations are shattered on the hard rocks of reality, then (and only then) do we begin to experience the genuine grace of God. It is only in the nitty-gritty of life together with all its disappointments and rude awakenings that we discover the Holy Spirit at work in us. This is often the very means God uses to shape us into the image of Christ.

More from Bonhoeffer (forgive the male-centric language, please):

"Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge    of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great    disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate,    with ourselves.

By sheer grace, God will not permit us to live even for a brief period in a dream world.  He does not abandon us to those rapturous experiences and lofty moods that come over us like a dream.  God is not a God of the emotions but the God of truth.  Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it.

The sooner this shock of disillusionment comes to an individual and to a community, the better for both.  A community which cannot bear and cannot survive such a crisis, which insists upon keeping its illusion when it should be shattered, permanently loses in that moment the promise of Christian community.  Sooner or later it will collapse.  Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be banished if genuine community is to survive...

 

And is not what has been given us enough: brothers, who will go on living with us through sin and need under the blessing of his grace?  Is the divine gift of Christian fellowship anything less than this, any day, even the most difficult and distressing day?

 

Even when sin and misunderstanding burden the communal life, is not the sinning brother still a brother, with whom I, too, stand under the Word of Christ?  Will not his sin be a constant occasion for me to give thanks that both of us may live in the forgiving love of God in Christ Jesus?  Thus, the very hour of disillusionment with my brother becomes incomparably salutary, because it so thoroughly teaches me that neither of us can ever live by our own words and deeds, but only by the one Word and Deed which really binds us together--the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ.  When the morning mists of dreams vanish, then dawns the bright day of Christian fellowship . . ."

To read Bonhoeffer's full essay, click here Bonhoeffer: The Church Shatters Dreams

 

From Royal Flush to Royalty Announced: Holy Land Pilgrimage Day 6-Day 9

Our pilgrimage continues to be a remarkable privilege and adventure.  But not without struggle.  We are learning so much that at times we've not known how to untangle learning with our mind, or our heart or our soul. 

We sat at one incredibly important historical site (the original City of David, below Old Jerusalem) and were taught by the foremost archaeologist today in Israel (who showed us this 10th century BC toilet seat that is a strong indicator they've JUST NOW uncovered David's original palace at this spot - a royal flush as historical authenticator).
Later we held an extended Bible study overlooking the most devilish-pagan worship site in Jesus' time. Each and every bus ride includes additional historical and theological reflection on the place we've just been and are going to.  At each site we may have an historical/archaelogical lesson (here's LFC-WestLake Children's Director Dee Gallivan, and our own 'Samson' Terry Paskadi, heading into the 'manger' like what Jesus would have been born in inside a relative's house, in a 1st century BC home reconstruction).
Or we might have an extended teaching through an entire period of biblical history, or both types of lecture. Most of us are taking copious notes, a treasure for a lifetime (here's Dr. Laniak, our leader and Dean of Gordon-Conwell Seminary Charlotte, teaching us in a vineyard above Bethlehem; LFC's Andy Muhich and Lake Norman Baptist's Assoc Pastor Darryl King researching the Bible at one site):

Several evenings we've worshipped and prayed as a group, and talked over how our spirits are engaging, or not, with the pilgrimage.  Most of us think we will need months to sort through the different types of growth that right now feel like an unsorted pile of encounters - intellectual, spiritual, and practical-life growth through this experience of the entire story of the Bible in its original landscape (valley where David faced Goliath and we learned the history and biblical significance of war between Israel and Philistines in the hill country; me and Angie in 1st century reconstructed synagogue, reading Torah after learning about 1st century rabbis and synagogue customs that amplify Jesus' practice and teaching - since he was a rabbi who taught in synagogues; since I didn't bring a wide brim hat I went native and am wearing an Arab headdress called kafiya - it looks awesome when our Arab Christian driver ties it for me, but when I tie it, its just kinda weird)

I mentioned learning with our mind, heart and soul, which out of devotion is worship for us.  We've also worshipped with our strength.  In order to take advantage of the world class teachers we have with us, and to cover as much territory and Bible as possible, we've kept an aggressive pace in the summer heat. We leave our hotel between 6:45 and 7:15 am and hit 4-6 sites per day including hikes in and out of parks and digs (today down a cliff).  Our bodies have paid a price.  Most in the group have had some form of illness or dis-ease for a half day or day.  A few have been struck with a serious malady here and there.

But the LORD has used this for good.  Our weakness has demonstrated a primary theme running throughout the Old Testament - human beings have limits and live best when we accept limits, including staying within the way and the care of God our shepherd.  Many (not all) of our illnesses have come from not taking our trip leaders warnings seriously about staying hydrated, not trusting certain water sources, etc. Most of my problems here are because I didn't trust the 'rabbi's' of the trip enough to bring the specific gear they strongly suggested.

Our weakness has also demonstrated something else - the joy of caring for one another.  The group has come alongside those struggling each day, not left anyone behind, and become a microcosm of the Body of Christ.  I had no doubt this would occur with us Lake Forest people (22 out of 44 on the trip).  But i was worried about the 22 people I didn't know - what if we got stuck with some hyper-spiritual religious freaks who wanted to argue Bible details all day, or just as bad, drama kings/queens who could make the vibe toxic?  I should have known better than to have that fear - associating with Gordon-Conwell Seminary is an even better filter than I realized.  This is a harmonious group of grace-filled people who love Jesus passionately and want to know and follow him better. 

The joy of being a group has been the greatest unexpected surprise for me on the trip.  In the words of LFC-Westlake Youth Leader Andy Muhich (who is also a GCTS seminary student), "its great to learn from all these old rocks, but I'm experiencing the truth that God says after the resurrection WE are the 'living stones' [I Peter 2:5] who together make up his Body, his temple!"(speaking of a fun group, check out the pants-heads couple - LFC's Jim and Kathy Boone throw fashion to the wind in Jerusalem and wear Jim's zip-off pants legs on their heads to block the HOT sun long enough to experience the Rabbi Steps at the entrance to the Jerusalem Temple, where Jesus would have given much of his teaching to his disciples and all who had ears to hear)
In today's posting, I've obviously given up trying to capture our visit-by-visit travelogue in order.  It's too much, you're starting to lose interest, and I'm overwhelmed in the ways I just mentioned our whole group is facing.  This trip is glorious.  However, rest assured that we know that we are not gaining any secret knowledge that is necessary to understand the Bible - God has spoken in such a way any simple person can take up, read, and be unmasked, unmade in the flesh, and remade in the Spirit by the power of God's Word.  Yet it is an immense grace of God and of those we love to make allowance for us to be here in these places. 

We've been in or viewed 6 countries (Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, peeked at Syria today - yikes) and touched 6 profound bodies of water (Red Sea, Dead Sea, Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, Pool of Siloam, Mediteranean). 

God chose the intersection of these three great continents - Asia, Africa, and Europe - as His Podium.  God chose a people to be His messengers on that Podium (land of Israel) with the message of 'blessing to all nations' by the One True Great Good God.  And ultimately God accomplished the promise of the message Himself by coming as our Rescuer. (echoes of teaching by Dr. Jim Martin here)

The Rescuer arrived here - in Bethlehem, a little shepherd's town (Angie entering the Church of the Nativity, over the likely site of Jesus' birth; the spot revered as the manger - I rested my hand here, thanked God for Jesus, and prayed Lake Forest will love well in his name)

 The last couple of days, we moved from Jesus' birth north to his ministry in Galilee.  We've been operating out of a place where we each have our own cabin on the Sea of Galilee - here's our backyard view now:

I have high hopes for our last few days, following the ministry footsteps of Jesus, then following his steps to the cross and out of the tomb.  I have high hopes for how the LORD will use our growth in spirit and knowledge in the churches, small groups and pulpits given to each of us (in Charlotte, we also have folks here from Grace Covenant-Denver, The Park, Good Shepherd UMC, Forest Hill Church, Garr Church, Spirit of Joy Lutheran, Calvary Church, Carmel Baptist, and LKN Baptist). 

Yet I end today's post not with my hopes, but the hope of one of our hosts.  The Roman Catholic Church in Bethlehem has this posted over their exit door.  I am being hospitable to it and praying this exhortation for myself.  And I pray it would be true of Lake Forest Church every week as well.  Shalom Y'all: