• 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!

One impact of knowing He was here first

Posted on February 25, 2014 by wtdavid

Last week, I posted about an article in the French evangelical journal, Théologie Evangélique.  At church (our local community of believers) this past Sunday, I leaned over to one of our elders and mentioned how much I appreciated the article.  He replied that he had another article that he wanted to share with me.  It was an article he felt would help expat workers better understand work and ministry in the French culture.   humility sign bis

The unique twist was that the article was about the life and ministry of Roger Williams. an English pastor and theologian who immigrated to the American colonies in the early 17th century.

It was history being used to aid in understanding the history or context of another culture.

I haven’t read the article, and my familiarity with the breadth of Williams thinking and teaching is limited.  However, I was beginning to see a theme running from David Bogue to Roger Williams to our work today.  Knowing that God was here first before my feet even touched the European soil will create above all a gospel  humility in my heart and thinking.

How can it do otherwise?  As I read through history and understand what God has been active at doing around the world through people like you and me, I recognize that this is not our mission, but His mission.  When I consider how easily I can misunderstand cues or insights because of my cultural blinders, I have to reach out to others for help, particularly brothers and sisters from the culture or people group where I have been called to serve.

We will never stop learning about God and what He is about.  Likewise, we will be regularly pushed to set aside our deep rooted pride to humbly join His cause in this world to seek after lost people.

Filed under: Humility, Vision | Leave a comment »

He was here first

Posted on February 21, 2014 by wtdavid

I read an interesting article in the French evangelical journal, Théologie Evangélique, this past week.  The article presented the ministry of David Bogue who was the impetus behind a missionary training centre in the UK in the late 18th century.  Though he never served as a cross cultural worker, he was instrumental in the preparation and sending of numerous workers to many parts of the then known world.god_is_here

What particularly caught my attention was the fact that several workers from this school either came from Europe or left to serve as workers in Europe once their training was completed.  I have often looked upon Europe or other parts of the world as somewhat ‘untouched’ by the Gospel.  However, God has been ‘working this soil’ for quite some time.

He was already here building His Church in Europe (and elsewhere) long before we arrived in the late 80s.

Two takeaways come quickly to mind.  First, we should see our work in the larger context of His work, of His mission.  Doing so, will allow us to recognize that the success or fruit in our ministry does not ultimately depend on us.  Second, we need to read more history.  I was stunned by the fact that this British pastor, with limited resources, had a vision so much larger than many today, and saw the fulfillment of that vision.  To think that France, for one, was already being touched by the Gospel efforts of one man in the late 18th century should  encourage many of us in the further work of sowing now in the 21st century.

No matter where we are in the world, God was there before we ever got there.  He is still seeking out people.  The amazing truth is that He chooses to use us as part of the means to accomplish His missionary purpose.

 

Filed under: Mission, Reflection, Wisdom | 2 Comments »

Self awareness is narcissism … NOT

Posted on February 13, 2014 by wtdavid

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in doing.”

(James 1:22-25)

narcissism1-300x240Self awareness is not by nature narcissism.  Self awareness through hardy self questioning, gives rise to transformation.  That’s why one “looks intently at oneself in the mirror.”  We are trying to make sure there are no smudges on our face or that our hair is combed/brushed appropriately.  Self analysis, self questioning is meant to bring about change; to not just hear how we are being “received” poorly by others, but actually working to present a godlier disposition so that we might serve others better.

So where does all this self awareness talk lead us? 

At least three very practical and specific outcomes come quickly to mind.  First, being the strong entrepreneurial and individual spirits that most of us are, we must step back from our day to day activities on a semi-regular basis and write down the feelings we may  have experienced during the day in our interactions with others.  Second, we should lay these before our Father in prayer and ask that He would open our eyes to see ‘in the mirror of His glory’ those hurtful ways which might be causing us to minister poorly to others.  Finally, we would do well, for our own growth, to share these Spirit led insights with a small group of fellow journeyers who can support and push us in our ongoing growth in Christ.

Self awareness is one element of a much needed emotional competency.  To grow in that competency, we need the Spirit, an open heart and others.

Filed under: Reflection, Self awareness | 4 Comments »

Becoming aware (ii)

Posted on February 11, 2014 by wtdavid

The Protestant reformer, John Calvin, makes this statement at the very outset of the Institutes of the Christian Religion: “Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God.”  Another way to express this thought might be that to serve God and others well, we need to regularly take a hard look at ourselves.Self reflection

In other words, self awareness comes from a hearty self analysis.

Jeannie posted this comment after the previous blog post: “One of my core beliefs on becoming more self-aware is that it occurs best in the context of accountability or a Biblical community model. When we invite others in to find out how they perceive us, or what impressions we give off – we are seeking, in humility, a better version of ourselves, one that looks more like Jesus. The only way to gather that kind of information is to be vulnerable, to seek each other out, and to rub shoulders in ministry so we can truly observe one another and potential blind spots.”

Definitely!  Probing to understand how we are being “received” by others must occur in the context of a small group to which we are accountable.  Yet, there is work to be done on our end as well. The heart cry of the Psalmist is: “Search me, O God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”  (Psalm 139:23-24).  Such Spirit-led self analysis could come through asking oneself a number of questions such as:

  • When I receive negative feedback about myself from others, how do I normally respond?
  • What would demonstrate that I have or do not have a good sense of how I cope with situations that are ambiguous and uncertain?
  • I am conscious of the areas in which conflict and friction most frequently arise in my interactions with others?

There are lots of other questions that can help us dig deeper into our hearts in order to become more self aware, and as a result more aware of how we can serve others well.

What questions come to your mind that help ‘dig deeper’ into your heart motivations and make you more self aware?  Are you able to share the answers to those questions with a trusted friend or group?

 

 

Filed under: Gospel, Self awareness | 2 Comments »

Becoming aware

Posted on February 7, 2014 by wtdavid

“Being aware of your own business, your competition, and the environment is critical to the success of any organization.”  Read past the business language and you will see how relevant this statement is to the mission in which we are engaged.  A lack of awareness as to our ultimate vision and purpose could lead to fruitlessness.  Being unaware of those forces that work against us and the changing context in which we live and minister could slow down a movement of disciples and communities of believers.

A natural question that follows from this insight is: how does one become more aware?Self Awareness _The Thinker

The Gospel Leader Profile (GLP) is a tool used by World Team leaders and workers to challenge to further growth in God’s grace.  One of the areas that this profile focuses on is: self awareness.  The GLP puts it this way:

Self-awareness of one’s own need for the Gospel and personal development in relation to God, self and other team members.  A leader/worker reflects a proper estimate of their own strengths and weakness and also seeks insights from others around them.  They keep a close check on their physical and emotional health in the varying seasons of life.  They seek to maintain healthy boundaries in relationships and on the use of their time.”

A natural question that follows from this insight is: how does one become more aware, more self aware?

This is worth chewing on over a few more posts.  I would welcome your insights.  One step to start with might be to ask others how they are “receiving” us as an agency; and how we as individuals make others feel when we are with them?  Not easy questions.

 

Filed under: Self awareness | 7 Comments »

I read it in a book

Posted on February 4, 2014 by wtdavid

A lot of you are readers, like me.  We enjoying “swapping” or sharing insights that we have gleaned from the latest book (or article) we have read or been reading.  Usually the conversation starts off something like this: “Interesting that you should say that.  I was just reading something along those lines in ….” It is great to hear about what others are reading and profit from one another as we share what we are learning.Young-man-reading-a-book-001

However, reading a book or hearing someone’s summary or insights does not mean that you have actually appropriated those insights for yourself or “taken them downtown to your heart” as one writer puts it.

I have read a number of books on the Gospel over the past number of months: The Prodigal God, The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness, and Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary.  Each of these books has great insights and I could easily delineate some of those truths. Real change, though, comes as I interact with others and we ask one another the hard questions of what will be the outcomes of such insights in our lives and ministries.  What will transformation really look like for each of us?  How does the Spirit apply such insights and work change in our hearts?

If I’m just a ‘talking head’ of insights, I would be better helped by someone coming alongside and ‘talking me through’ my learning to be able to move it from my head to my heart.

Filed under: Gospel, Lifelong learning | 6 Comments »

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