• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

Global QuickVIEW once again

Posted on July 25, 2012 by wtdavid

I was reading again in Globalizing Theology: Belief and practice in an era of World Christianity and I recognized a number of insights which confirmed much of what the WT working group on global trends had discovered.

One of the chapters in this book cites three areas where globalization will continue to have an impact and the opportunities and challenges these present to the church:

  • “Because of globalization there is a reason for Christian mission to focus more on promoting holistic transformation.  Local theologizing must address issues of physical poverty along with spiritual poverty.”
  • “As urbanization and globalization come together in the megacities of the world, they present incredible opportunities but also tough challenges for the church.”
  • “In a globalizing world, we must chart a course through postmodernism with epistemological humility and confidence in the gospel, recognizing the social construction of our own worldviews in a world filled with enormous diversity.”

Granted that third impact is a “mouth full”, but the author seems to be stressing the necessity of having a holistic approach to mission, open eyes to the opportunities and challenges of urban migration, and a firm hold on the truth of Gospel all the while recognizing how our own cultural worldview influences how we ‘work out’ our Christian life.

There are no easy solutions or approaches to the cultural and global shifts occurring around us, but we must prayerfully continue to seek to discern how we will change and respond.  The Global QuickVIEW and Solution Snapshots documents serve as our first stepping stone towards such a change in our approach and work.

Filed under: Global realities, Humility, Planning | Leave a comment »

What’s Our Work (2)?

Posted on June 3, 2011 by wtdavid

Here’s one possible response to the question I raised in yesterday’s post from Craig Ott and Gene Wilson in their book, Global Church Planting:

“From the outset national must be trained to do all essential ministries: evangelism, preaching, teaching, counseling, administration.  The church planter must surrender the desire to have “up front” ministry.  His or her primary role is behind the scenes, equipping others.  The church planter who loves to preach must learn to focus on equipping others to preach; the church planter who is gifted in counseling will need to shift emphasis to empowering others to counsel.
The lay sermons will probably not be as homiletically polished or theologically astute as those the missionary could preach. But the reward will be the development of truly empowered local leaders who will serve the church well after the church planter has departed. The missionary is constantly working himself or herself out of a job, performing a ministry only so long as necessary to train a national.  Indeed, apart from evangelism and initial follow-up, if a national is not available and willing to be trained, the ministry should probably not be initiated.  This may make for a slower start but will result, we believe, in a more solid finish for the church plant.”

One of the essential attitudes, though, needed to keep our hearts and minds focused on the endpoint is gospel humility.  Without a heart mastered by Jesus, convinced
of His incredible love for us, we could not keep an other-centered focus, where we would always seek to equip others in ministry and release them to that task.

 

 

Filed under: Church planting, Gospel, Humility | Leave a comment »

What Do We Bring?

Posted on May 31, 2011 by wtdavid

In a recent WT Asia newsletter, Tim posted the following article.  I share it with you as an insightful reflection on how the Gospel works itself out in our lives and ministries:

“Recently I finished a book, When Helping Hurts, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.  I was affirmed in some ways and challenged in others in regards to our present ministry at Mercy Medical Center.  In the first few chapters, the author lays out a framework for the four foundational relationships of humanity: relationship with God, with ourselves, with others, and with creation in general.  Each of these relationships (the latter 3 flowing out from the most important relationship with our Creator) has been severed by the fall.

If we are to see lives truly transformed, each of these relationships, beginning with and foremost with God through Jesus Christ, need to be restored.

One of the main themes of the book is “poverty”. Westerners tend to think of poverty only in material terms, but in reality every human being is suffering from a
poverty of spiritual intimacy, a poverty of being, a poverty of community, and a poverty of stewardship.  This has led me to reflect on our ministry here regarding these foundational relationships.  (No answers yet; I am still in process.)

Another point that has me contemplating is: “We missionaries in the developing world are not bringing Christ to poor communities.  He has been active in these communities since creation” (Heb 1:3; Col 1:15ff).  Obviously, the people there may not recognize that God has been at work or that God even exists.  Again I wonder how this affects how I do ministry.  Do I think I am bringing Christ to people?  Maybe I should be looking for how He is working and join Him in that work He has already begun. (Again, no specific answers yet; I am still in process.)

Bottom line is that I find myself striving under a works mentality, at times feeling like I need to do the work instead of depending on Christ and walking in His Spirit.  Last week I turned 53, and I was thinking to myself, I have been walking with the Lord almost 30 years.  Why am I not more sanctified?  Why do I still get so anxious and have sleepless nights at times about my circumstances?  Oh, I have times where I am at peace, but then I want to grab the reins back from God and control things. Why don’t I just rest in Him more and rely on myself less?  (No specific answers yet; I am still in process.)

Wretched man that I am!  Who will free me from the body of this death?  Thanks be to God …”

Filed under: Gospel, Humility, Listening | Leave a comment »

Prayer Work(s)

Posted on April 4, 2011 by wtdavid

I started trying to write out some ‘prayer cards’, like those that we read about last week in Paul Miller’s book, A Praying Life.  It’s not an easy task.  But then I read his short chapter on “Prayer Work” and realized what Paul is talking about is not a task, but a journey; a process in which I am intimately involved with the Father, and with others:

“My prayer for Bob had a familiar threefold pattern.  First, I wrote the prayer down.  Then I watched for God to work while I prayed.  Finally God provided an opportunity where I “worked” the prayer request. By worked I mean that God involved me in my own prayers, often in a physical and humbling way.” (236)

In reality, God is working to change me through my work in praying for others.  As Paul Miller writes later, “If Satan’s basic game plan is pride, seeking to draw us into his life of arrogance, then God’s basic game plan is humility, drawing us into the life of His Son.” (238)

How has this been your experience in your journey in prayer?

Filed under: Humility, Prayer | 1 Comment »

Feeling Weaker All the Time

Posted on February 28, 2011 by wtdavid

Thanks to Karry for this week’s post:

I’ve enjoyed reading A Praying Life by Paul Miller.  I have always wanted to be more committed to prayer and deeper in my own praying.  A few times I’ve felt frustrated, wondering what it will take to spur me ahead in this area.  This book has helped, and chapter 20 touches on one of the things God is doing to teach my heart to pray.

Early in Chapter 20, Miller writes about his prayer for his teenage daughter. “I was keenly aware of my inability to grow faith in her heart.  God just had to do it.”

I’ve really noticed that.  My own inabilities drive me to prayer.  I probably should say they leave me with no other recourse than to pray.  The things that matter most to me are mostly out of my control. 

As I have coached and taught and mentored my three sons from childhood to adulthood, I have constantly been reminded of the reality. Although I work hard to teach them well, in the end, they make their own decisions.  In disciple-making and church planting, it’s similar.  The ultimate outcomes depend on other people’s decisions.

For an action-oriented person like me, this is a very frustrating situation.  My first impulse usually is to figure out what to do, to find a way to solve the problem, to see the opportunity and seize it.  My first impulse is to leave prayer for later.

During our oldest son’s senior year in High School, he developed a relationship with his first girlfriend. The nice young lady had previously dated a Mormon, and during the 18 months our son pursued her, she became increasingly involved with Mormonism.

Charlyn and I, of course, had many talks with him.  Our son desperately wanted to convince her of the falsehood of Mormonism and win her to true faith in Christ.  We were pretty patient.  Our basic strategy was to present biblical truth, sound reasoning, and our own hearts.  But it took forever.  Those 18 months felt like 18 years. 

I realized how weak I really am.  So much hung in the balance.  Could our son get himself trapped in a cult?  Or might he be led into moral compromise?  What was going to happen to our son?  He had to sort it out for himself.  I was completely out of control.

I could only pray.

One thing I learned through that experience is that I really am weak. Seeing my weakness for what it is strengthens my faith in God who alone is strong.  It also moves me to pray.  And when I really see clearly, I can even relax about it.  Even though the most important things in life are out of my control, they are in God’s control!

I wish that were a lesson I had learned once and for all, but my basic makeup has only changed gradually.  A few days ago, Charlyn was exhausted, so I stayed up to help our female dog deliver puppies.  After the dog pushed and groaned for more than two hours, I decided she needed a C-Section.

I woke up Charlyn and, after her more experienced examination, she agreed.  We quickly packed for a midnight run to the vet emergency room.  Then Charlyn said, “Let’s pray.” Charlyn’s first reaction nearly always is to pray.  “Now she’s doing it again,” I thought to myself.  Even though I knew better, I blurted out what I was thinking: “What good will that do.  She obviously has to have a C-Section.  You can pray while we drive.”

Charlyn glanced over at me, her husband and leader.  And of course, we stopped and prayed right then.  Within ten minutes, the first puppy was born and the danger passed.  God is relentlessly working to tame my desperately activist heart.  I’m glad He is patient.  And I’m glad He is so innovative.  He has spoken to me through a Mormon girl, and He has spoken through my son.  He’s even spoken to me through our dog.  And of course, He always speaks to me through my wife.

Karry

PS:  Our son finally broke up with the Mormon girl and put that experience behind him.  Several years later, God blessed him with the woman of his dreams.  They were married in June, 2008 and live in Chicago where he is in medical school and they are members of Willow Chicago Church.

Filed under: Humility, Prayer | 2 Comments »

Getting In Touch With My Inner Brat

Posted on January 24, 2011 by wtdavid

Thanks to Laura for today’s post on A Praying Life:

It did me good to re-read (for the third time, ha) chapter 18.  Mr. Miller ends this section, “Learning to Ask Your Father”, with this lovely line at the bottom of page 161:

“We can’t pray effectively until we get in touch with our inner brat.  When we see our own self-will, it opens the door to doing things through God.”

 And earlier on page 157, he states;

 “The great struggle in my life is not trying to discern God’s will: it is trying to discern and then disown my own.”

 Thanks Mr. Miller, you’ve done it again, you’ve managed to nail me to the wall with your honesty about the role of self-honesty in abiding.

This week, I realize that I am touch irritated with my husband (gasp). I am sure no one can relate, but there I am.  I spoke about this with a friend trying to put a good spiritual face on it by making it clear I knew my husband was not the problem and that I didn’t want to pull away from him emotionally.  She wisely suggested that I speak to him directly about it and get it out in the open so we could pray through it.  “Great idea”, I responded, “I’ll do that before it becomes a big deal”.  But later that day and the next I find that I don’t actually want to talk to him about it for the very reason this author mentions—I haven’t disowned my own will.  I see my own will (there are certain things I want) and I know it is wrong, and I am NOT so quick at disowning my self-will as I thought.

The women I disciple/coach tend to have difficulties discerning their own will as being over and above God’s.  They say, “Of course I want God’s will here,” when they really don’t.  Much of this is an issue of time, maturing and spiritual breaking (for these particular women).  We can’t disown what we don’t own up to in the first place. 

Then there is the actual letting go once we own up to our “brat”.  This is my battle. This is where God becomes God in my head and heart and I say, “Ok Lord, I give this up to you and I won’t demand it from someplace else”.

Reread chapter 18.  What is harder for you, to own up to your self-willed brat or to disown it?

Filed under: Gospel, Humility, Prayer | Leave a comment »

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