Mom, Experience & Theology

I wonder how much a person's experience influences their theology. I'd imagine it must be quite a bit. For example, I grew up spending a lot of time with my mother. My dad worked rotating shifts and my siblings were much older so it was often me and mom for supper. Plus, we lived out in the country so it wasn't like I was running around the neighborhood with a pack of friends. I'd often do things with my mom like play tennis, or golf or go skiing. We had a lot of fun with a lot of great conversations over meals.

With that background, maybe it's not too much of a surprise that when I read the Bible I see God using women freely and I quickly see scripture that affirms women in leadership roles. But, as some of you know, there is a pretty strong divide in the church over this issue. Others see verses that support women playing a much diminished role. They think women should never be in key leadership positions and never teach men. My guess is that if you did the research you'd find that past experiences with mom's and other women have a big impact on how people interpret scripture on this issue.

I'm thankful that God gave me a positive experience, not only with my mom, but with other women. I've often worked either with or for women in business settings with good results. And I can't forget my wife and daughters. I know that they too have influenced my thinking. Lisa is one of the most intelligent, trustworthy people I know. And both of my daughters are sharp as tacks with big hearts for God. I would never hesitiate to promote any one of them into leadership roles in my charge.

I know that Cedarbrook Church wouldn't be who it is without our women leaders. There are too many for me to attempt to name and do them justice in this small space. But those who attend Cedarbrook know who I'm talking about. God has filled them with his Spirit and used them to touch hundreds of lives and build the ministry.

If you are a women and have been diminished by people in your life, I want to encourage you that those experiences aren't accurate reflections of either your personal worth or how God wants to use you. Don't let small minds control you. Let God's Spirit be the one that affirms and directs you in this coming year.

Our Desire for Perfection

I watched "The Apprentice" again tonight. I wish I liked the people better. They all seem to be so self-absorbed. But I still like watching it because it's a great study in human nature and decision making.

There's nothing like pressure to bring out the best and the worst in us. The amazing thing about this show is that these people are supposedly the "best of the best" - chosen from a million applicants! Yet under pressure they all crack. You see their dark side - their pettiness, their pride, their self-preservation. This guy, Alex - he had it won tonight. He had it in the bag. But in the final moments - literally seconds - he lied to Trump. Then he did a poor job of covering his dishonesty. Trump fired him and it was a good call. Amazing.

The sad thing is that I'm just like Alex. So are you! Ah...the wonder of being human. No matter how polished we try to be we can't iron out all our wrinkles. We are permanently crooked. That's gotta make you wonder - Why is that? Why can't we get it right? It can't be that hard. But no one has gone to bed, or even to their grave, saying "I'm perfect. I can't improve. I've got this life thing down." Yet, most of us, keep trying. We don't give up. Something in us longs for perfection and we continue to pursue the dream- in our relationships, our character and for some of us, our golf game!

I think that's all a reflection of God. That drive, that longing, is put there by God. Why else would we be so resilient, so hopeful? What else explains the incredible come-backs that people have performed from Auschwitz to Lance Armstrong? Genetics? Survival of the species? No. I'm convinced that God is calling us back to himself through our desires. Ultimately, He is what we seek - the Perfection that we long for.

I believe what the Bible says, that one day we will meet God face to face - and then we will be satisfied. Then we will truly be at peace. But until then we don't have to bite our nails. We can know God now. The image is blurred and His voice is not always clear, but we aren't alone. He's with us. He speaks. And he brings fulfillment. As the apostle Paul said, God has given those who ask a downpayment of their future inheritance by sending his Spirit to live inside of them. It's not heaven. It's the appetizer for things to come.

How Much of the Bible is Enough?

I've recently gotten a few comments back about my sermons not having enough scripture in them. I appreciate that. I love the Bible and I love a good sermon that helps me to understand it better. But some topics are hard to draw from any one Bible text. For example, my current series on "boundaries". There are some texts that show one or two aspects of boundaries but I can't think of any one text that teaches everything there is to know about boundaries. To cover all of the Bible necessary to make a good teaching would take months. I'm afraid I'd bore people to tears, and then it's not a good teaching!

So, as a speaker, I have a choice. I can spend my twenty five minutes surfing the Bible, taking a lot of time to tell one or two stories to make a few points, or I can spend my time making lots of points and make a few pertinent quotations from the Bible. I've chosen the latter. It may not satisfy the serious Bible student but it's really the only practical solution to my dilemma.

To satisfy people's need for more Bible verses, some preachers attach verses to their points in a forced way. I won't do that. That's not being intellectually honest with my listeners. The verse isn't being used to support the point. It's simply there to make people feel the sermon is more "biblical". But think about that. Does the volume of Bible quotations really make a sermon more biblical? Not at all. I've heard plenty of sermons, full of the Bible, that I think totally misrepresent God.

Read Paul's sermon in the book of Acts (17) to the Greeks. He didn't quote the Bible at all. He quoted their local poet. Yet Paul spoke truth that drew people to Jesus. There's a time to quote the Bible and there are times not to. I'm trying to find the right balance.

This summer we are going to do a study on the books of Psalms, Proverbs and Job. Hopefully that will satisfy those who are looking for more of the Bible.

The New Reformation

I think that two hundred years from now people will look back on this generation and realize that these were the days when the church went through a Second Reformation. The first, of course, was started by Martin Luther with the Protestant Reformation. Luther objected to a religious system that favored the religious machine over the people themselves. The same is happening today, only in a different way.

Right now you can find churches that exist in two completely different worlds. The world that is passing away is one that is based on form and function. It focuses on what you do and what you know. Whether that's a focus on the liturgy of main line denominations (things like the sacraments) or the liturgy of the evangelicals (things like Bible teaching and singing), both are concerned about procedure - everything must be done appropriately to please God.

On the other hand, there are new churches that focus on being, on life change and on relationship. They too use the sacraments or Bible teaching as above, but they are a means to an end, not the end in themselves. In my opinion, it is this focus that breathes life and attracts people to God. People walk away sensing that they've encountered God while the former leaves people feeling empty and wondering if they did something wrong - maybe that's why church is so unfulfilling.

While I'm happy for the transition it also makes me sad because I feel out of touch with a large segment of the church. I'm not excited about what they are excited about. I used to be. But I'm not any more. And so a separation has taken place. I wish we could all walk together and share the same joy but I guess that is what transformation is about...a process.

Unfortunately the two extremes don't understand each other. We tend to call the former group backward and the latter group liberal. I've gotten my share of criticism, and to be honest, been critical of others. I hope we can make it through the next twenty years without doing too much damage to each other and God's name on earth. After all, it's all about Him, isn't it?

The Art of Preaching

I think preaching is an art in many ways. Today I'm thinking of the art of persuading people without manipulating or intimidating them.

Everyone knows when they are being "sold". We've all been in that uncomfortable position with a slick salesperson - it sounds good. You are reaching for your wallet but there's a small voice inside that says "He's not sincere. Don't do this. You'll regret it!" I don't want my listeners to have the same feeling when they hear me speak. So I try to show them that I respect their intellect.

I always speak with my listener in mind. I'm a cautious listener myself. I don't buy everything I'm being told in a speech (or a sales pitch). So I try to ask myself the critical question that I think my listener is asking at the time. I want to speak the answer to the natural question in their head so they say, "Hey, he anticipated that question...cool. I appreciate that."

I do that to show that I respect my audience. I don't think they are simple minded. They've got good questions and concerns that I need to address if I'm going to win them over. I never want to imply that they should simply check their brains at the door and believe everything that I say. That's insulting. If I want to help them see that God loves them and accepts them I need to start by showing them love and acceptance in how I speak.

So, even though I want to persuade people to what I consider is God's view (based on the Bible), I never want them to feel like I'm cramming "truth" down their throat. They have to buy every word and thought so they truly own it for themselves. I want them to not merely agree with me but be convinced that God has added to my words and spoken to them personally through his Spirit.

If that happens, that's the ultimate satisfaction - to have people sense that they heard from God somewhere in or around my speaking. But the quickest way to invalidate that experience is to cheapen it through manipulation or intimidation.

The Privilege of Pastoring

Someone asked me today if it wasn't wearing to counsel people all the time. I thought I should address that here because it's a common misperception.

Actually, counseling, and any pastoral "work" that brings me into the life of another person, is an honor. I really mean that. It's a privilege to be invited into the most personal part or time in someone's life. I'm invited into a person's most holy place - their "inner sanctum" so to speak. It's truly a holy moment to know that someone has trusted me (and trusted God by trusting me) to be that deep inside their life.

The other reason I like pastoring - specifically counseling - is that it is real. I don't deal with superficiality well. I know when people are giving me the fake smile and phony "happy" answers. I like hearing the truth and that's what I hear in counseling. I enjoy giving people permission to be honest without having to be "nice" or "spiritual" or anything like that. They can share all their thoughts and emotions without feeling like I'm going to tell them they are wrong or "unspiritual". There are few places you can be so honest. It's very rewarding to know that I serve that purpose in the lives of others.

The realness of counseling also helps me in my writing and speaking. When I write/speak, I'm not addressing lofty ideals. I'm addressing real life situations that I've helped people through at some time in the past. Or I'm relating how I suceeded or, more often, failed in life. That kind of reality makes my ministry that much more helpful.

I suppose some people would be bored or overwhelmed by such intimacy with people in these moments. But not me. I thank God all the time for the ministry he's given me.

Creating a Culture not a Program

I've been an observer of church life for about 30 years now. I haven't always been pleased with what I see. Church communities are often forced. People know how to talk about building community and take efforts to build community but I haven't seen a lot of church communities that strike me as authentic - that is - real people, expressing real joy and pain and finding true friendship with one another as well as God.

I guess that shouldn't surprise me. That's just the human condition. We are broken at a very deep level and intimacy is at the heart of our brokenness. But if God has come into our lives then I think we should be able to transcend this dilemma. We don't have to "fake it". We don't have to just have a shell that "looks" or sounds like community. I think we have the potential to experience the real deal.

Because of that I often resist trends to develop community out of a box. You can find lots of adult small group curriculum that promise that. But no program will create authenticity or intimacy. It has to be inspired by God, directed by God and given by God. And we have to be willing to long for it and wait for it without forcing it prematurely.

I long for that sense of authenticity and intimacy at Cedarbrook. I see glimpses of it and that excites me. Andre (youth pastor) has been thinking recently about the importance of "being" over "doing" and I think this is a big part of what I'm talking about. I much prefer to be a part of a group that longs for intimacy and authenticity (being) but has no idea how to achieve it than to be a part of a group that has the latest program that "looks" good (doing) but only goes through the motions of community and never achieves it.

As a leader, I think that it's more important for me to cast a vision for this kind of community - to stir our hearts - than to offer quick and easy solutions. Instead of developing programs we need to develop a culture that values authenticity and intimacy. If that is where our hearts are, it will happen. It's in the waiting and longing that causes the depth of our character and prepares us to embrace community when it develops.

How do we create a culture that breeds community? Boundaries play a role. Healthy boundaries have a lot to do with accepting people where they are and respecting them for who they are - not trying to force them to be like us. When boundaries are respected, then community is free to take root. We can relax and enjoy each other because we no longer have to fear being judged or rejected. We know that people accept us because of our inherant God-given value, not because we look or think like the crowd.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I have the quietest readers in blogging history! What's up with that?????? : ) Click and share your thoughts. Thanks!

Jane Fonda, Insecurity & Faith

TIME magazine has an interesting article about Jane Fonda this past week. It's always interesting to me to see the common thread in everyone's life. The "verses" may be different in our lives but the song is the same. We all need to be affirmed and when we aren't, we malfunction.

Fonda said that she had "the disease to please" her father and every man in her life. Like a chameleon she became whatever she thought these men wanted her to become. When she failed at pleasing them she turned to an eating disorder to satisfy her insecurity - provoking a 30 year struggle with bulimia.

Yesterday I spoke in church about the three types of boundary disorders that people have. Either we enter people's space without their permission (The Space Invader) - we keep people out who should be in our space (The Wall) or we allow people into our space who shouldn't be there (The Sieve). ( You can download this here.)

Every one of us has a tendency to do at least one of these and they can all be boiled down to our insecurity and need to be affirmed. But if we were content in ourselves and confident of our value, we wouldn't have the need to do any of the above. And Jane Fonda wouldn't have had to live her life of pain either.

Is it too simple to think that we can find our sense of worth/value in God? It makes a lot of sense. If God says that we are valuable (not perfect, but valuable) then I don't have to jump through hoops to prove myself and win your approval. Just like the government determines the worth of the paper in our wallet, not me, God determines my value. Once I can grasp that then my performance in life flows out of my confidence rather than my fear of rejection.

The fact is - God has stated that we are valuable...so valuable that he manifested himself as a person (Jesus) and died for us. There is no stronger statement of our worth than that.

If you struggle in life finding acceptance and worth I want to point you to God - specifically Jesus. Ask him to reveal your worth to you from His perspective. If God says you are valuable, it really doesn't matter what you feel or others say. Let that truth permeate your being. Then take a deep breath and enjoy your life!

Does God Abandon Us?

Speaking of views of God (below), one false view I often hear from believers is that they think God "abandoned" them during a time of crisis. What kind of god would do that? I can't think of anything more crushing than to be left hanging at your moment of greatest need. In reality, what's probably happened is that the person in crisis thinks God has abandoned them because they don't think God is pleased with them. They, in essence, cut God out of their life because they think they "deserved" it. They have judged themselves unworthy and expect God to do the same. But the truth is that God is there all the time - undoubtedly sad at His inability to help the person because they shut him out.

I mention this in case you are in that place right now. Maybe you are going through a hard time (divorce? failing health? financial stress?) and you are tempted to think that things aren't turning around because God has left the scene. Trust me, God hasn't abandoned you. He's never far away. He's always near and quick to take our hand.

The truth is, many of our troubles are simply consequences of a long series of life decisions. God isn't going to magically fix our mistakes or even the offenses done by others to us. Rather, he promises to be with us through the hard times. Remember, the promise is that he will never leave you or forsake you. He walks with you through the fire. He doesn't snatch you from it. Just because your problems don't disappear doesn't mean that God has abandoned you. But if you'll reach out for his hand, he'll grab it and show you how to walk through these hard times and come to a place of new beginnings.

The Impact of Your View of God

I attended a conference this week on forgiveness. One aspect of forgiveness is that people tend to forgive in direct correlation to their view of God. If they view God as kind, compassionate and forgiving they are much more likely to be the same toward others. Along those lines I've heard it said that every person develops into their image of God. If you think God is harsh and judgmental, odds are you too are a harsh and judgmental person.

It's always a bit confusing when I come across people who say that God is loving and forgiving yet they aren't that way themselves. There's a disconnect there that they don't even see. If they are honest about what they really believe about God, they'd admit that deep down they believe God is harsh and condemning. And that is why they are the same way. They are created in their image of God. Who they say God is is just a cover up for what they really believe. Until they discover this disconnect they are dooming themselves to being harsh and condemning themselves. It's too bad because they could be experiencing a totally different life - a joyfilled, peaceful life - but their view of God is shutting them off from that.

So, it's worth a look. If you find it hard to love and forgive others, check what you really believe about God. Ask him to reveal your heart and show you what's true. And then ask him to reveal his true self to you.

Going Deep with God

At Cedarbrook, we are passionate about helping people find God. We recognize that there are all kinds of obstacles that keep people away from God so we see it as our role to help clear the path for them.

We are also passionate about helping people to find emotional healing. Life can be pretty cruel. We not only want people to connect with God we want to help mend their wounds.

But what about those who are connected to God and healthy? What place do they have at Cedarbrook? They are the backbone of the church. They are the ones that serve those finding both God and healing. Without their dedication we could never reach new people the way we do.

There is a misperception in churches that "going deep with God" means that you can quote a lot of the Bible and pray for hours at a time. People expect their church to offer a lot of programs to help their members know more. But I think the truly deep things of God focus around serving others and allowing God to change your character. I'm not trying to put down Bible reading and prayer - just offer a balance. I think we've all known people who can quote the Bible flawlessly who don't seem to be very concerned about their own personal flaws.

If you are a part of Cedarbrook (or another church), I want to challenge you to consider how you can help build various aspects of the ministry so we can be even more effective at helping people connect with God. It's not about you learning more. It's about you helping others who know nothing about God. Help with the youth or the children, lead a small group, assist one of the helping ministries like Celebrate Recovery or Divorce Care, be the most welcoming greeter or usher, offer your technical talents, start new ministries that help the poor or single moms or simply invite your friends.

Our goal is to echo Jesus who said that he didn't come to be served but to serve and to give his life for many. You can't get any deeper than that.

Dying with Dignity

I just heard that the pope is dying with dignity. I wish the same could be said in regard to Terry Schaivo. No matter how much I understand and appreciate the complexity of her situation and those who care for her, nothing justifies starving someone to death. I'm amazed that people could sanction health care providers to do this, as if starving her is not euthanizing her. Who are they kidding? Can anyone walk away from this and not feel like they just killed someone?

I wouldn't starve my dog to death. We wouldn't starve prisoners to death. Why her? It would have been more honest and humane to give her a lethal injection. At least we do that much for people on death row. But they didn't do that because then it would have been murder.

As is often the case, it takes a death before justice is established. I hope that Terry's death will serve that purpose for others in her condition. It's an emotional and highly charged issue. I don't want to come across as self-righteous because I know there are many elements that have to be weighed in all of this. I just struggle with the thought of starving someone to death. It can't be the best decision.

If I'm ever in that situation and people want to kill me, then please tell them to kill me flat out. Don't let me suffer while they do the politically correct thing in order to salve their conscience.

Clarifying the Vision

One of my favorite business/management authors is Marcus Buckingham. He used to work for Gallup, now on his own. I just read a timely article by him today called "The Clear Leader". His main point is that a leader doesn't have to be exciting or revolutionary but he/she does need to be clear. This is "timely" because one of my leaders told me today that he wasn't sure he knew what the vision of Cedarbrook was. Oops. Not good.

I think one of my problems is that the vision is so clear to me that I think it's obvious to everyone. Working three days a week at a treatment center I get the privilege of bringing good news of God's life-changing love/power to people who have no doubt that they need it. Many of them soak it in like a sponge and it has transforming effects. I don't doubt the reality of God or his ability to impact lives because I see it every day.

The mission of Cedarbrook is to offer this same experience to its members and beyond. We've put it this way - "Our passion is to first experience, then share, the life-changing love of God." Maybe that sounds too religious to be believable. But that's exactly what we are looking to do...first help our members experience the life-changing love of God - in their lives, their relationships, their thinking - and then have them share that good news with others. Churches are great at telling others about God - telling the Bible story. That's well and good. But I want us to add our own stories to that - our stories of how God has changed us in tangible ways. If we don't have a personal story then we shouldn't be telling others. That's phony and people smell it a mile away.

Our vision helps to facilitate our mission. Our vision is to facilitate this life-changing experience with God through biblical teaching, creative arts, opportunities to serve and authentic community. Once God changes a life there is a domino effect. They come into the church and add to the community by serving and they reach out to their families and friends with their story. It's not a canned presentation. It's real life. It's authentic. Believable. And that's why Cedarbrook keeps growing.

Branding a Church?

I just sent the following out to some of the leaders at Cedarbrook. I thought you might be interested. I offered my thoughts on five points on "branding" printed in Fast Company magazine - a business mag. Branding has to do with creating a corporate identity that connects with your customer base. I thought it had some application to Cedarbrook Church too.

Andy Spade on Branding
The visionary designer offers lessons from the world of fashion on how to brand your products -- and how to sell your brands.

1. The bigger you get, the smaller you should act.
Never, ever start thinking like a big company. Otherwise you become corporate, and there's no interest in that.

(To me, this means I need to see more people one on one, not less. I can't remove myself from the daily lives of our people. One of the things that has fanned our flames in the early days is the fresh stories of life-change and the passion of volunteers. When we reduce everything to a policy or a doctrine we've become corporate and lost what attracted people in the first place.)

2. Never believe anything you've done is successful.
Challenge it every second, every day.

(We are able to pull off events like we just did at the Mabel Tainter Theater because we have been willing to scrutinize every ministry for what works and doesn't work. We haven't been afraid to ask, "How can we do this even better?" Every time we do that we create the potential to reach more people more effectively.)

3. Brand consistency is overrated.
The brand doesn't have to look the same, but it has to feel the same. An element of newness and surprise is important for any brand.

(This is where core values come in. We want to offer new things in different ways. Someone stopped on the way out of the service last Sunday and said, "I've learned that I can never assume what's going to happen here on Sundays" -That was a good thing to her! But even though things are new, they still need to come from a common place, a core system of beliefs with the same message being offered-just in a different package. )

4. Brands should have some mystery.
Customers should never understand the whole picture of a brand.

(If we reduce God down to something too manageable and understandable, then we aren't being true to God. I personally am offended by simplistic - sound bite - faith. We have to maintain a mystery about God and church life.)

5. Your people are your product.
They are the vehicle through which everything happens, and they define what you put out.

(From the very beginning, others have been the driving force behind CB. As we grow, my biggest fear is that WE will become the driving force....what is best for us. Not just the insiders, but the leaders. We have to fight this tendency with everything we've got. The unchurched person who doesn't know Christ and the marginally churched person in our seats...THEY are why we do what we do. THEY are the ones we need to be in touch with and design our services and programs for...not us.)

There's a Crack in Everything

I like to read through TIME magazine to stay current with world news. I can't say I read it for inspiration. But the closing essay this week was excellent- written by a follower of Jesus commenting on Ashley Smith and Brian Nichol's, the gunman in the recent Atlanta massacre. He offers an interesting view of grace. The quote at the end is worth the read itself. Go to http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/printout/0,8816,1039693-1,00.html

Happy Easter.

Risking Failure

I wrote below about Cedarbrook being in a time of transition. As new ministries are added the web of communication and responsibility gets more and more complex. I've worked hard at delegating authority so the success of any one ministry doesn't rely on me. The "I have to touch everything in the church" mentality that many pastors have is what condemns their church to stay small.

But letting go also means risking failure, at least in the short run. We've had very few meltdowns in our existence. Most, if not every big event we've offered has gone off incredibly well. But that's not reality. There will be meltdowns. There will be failures along the way. And, as much as that is disappointing at the time, it's really a necessary step in the process of transferring responsibility from the few to the many. Every failure exposes the weaknesses in the system that we can't see on paper. We can get mad at the mistakes (and maybe revert back to consolidating decision-making to a few) or we can be proactive and address the issues to make sure they don't happen again.

I believe that God has called Cedarbrook to reach hundreds of people, but that will only happen if leadership and decision-making is released to an ever-increasing circle of individuals. My input and the input of the LEAD Team will always be there to guide our direction, but we can't micro-manage if we want to develop our full potential. And we have to be willing to embrace failure as part of the growth process.

Why do I tell you all this? Because the same is true in life. We can stay "small" spiritually/emotionally by not risking failure - playing it safe - maintaining high control. Or we can "get big" by being willing to embrace failure and learn from it rather than running from it.

Growing Pains & Dealing with Loss

I've noticed that whenever I find myself frustrated/angry that it's often during a time of transition. Things in my environment have shifted and I need to make changes. The problem is that I don't always recognize the changes. I just feel the frustration and want a quick fix.

For example, there have been a variety of communication breakdowns among ministry leaders over the last month at Cedarbrook. At first I was tempted to just see it as mistakes that people were making. But it's more than that. I think Cedarbrook hit the tipping point in communication. The system that got us this far has finally revealed its weakness. It's insufficient. In other words, it's not the individuals who are at fault as much as the system that we have in place.

My frustration has become a red flag to me if I am alert enough to see it. I have to step back and ask, "Is there a change/transition in process that's causing me to feel this way?" Any change implies a loss. What was is no longer. A simple email or touching base with someone on Sunday doesn't get the same response that it did in the early days of the church. That's a loss. Life is more complex requiring more attention on my part. That too is a loss. I have a choice (as we all do in these moments of transition), I can remain angry/frustrated and hope that current problems merely blow over and get better on their own, or I can address the systemic problems to alleviate future breakdowns. It takes time and effort, but in the long run it's what enables us to grow and reach more people for Christ.

Overcoming the Pain of Loss

This week I'm preparing to speak on grief and loss. I've come across a number of articles that I want to pass on to you if you are interested;

• Fording the River of Grief. This article gives a good overview of grief and how to approach it. http://bgea.com/DMag_Article.asp?ArticleID=527
• God in the Journey of Grief - an interview with Evelyn Husband, wife of the Challenger astronaut who was killed when the spaceship blew up. http://bgea.com/DMag_Article.asp?ArticleID=406
• When the Grief Stricken Get Grief Stuck. This piece helps people learn how to move through the stages of grief. http://www.ctlibrary.com/9844

Easter week is a time to reflect on Jesus' sufferings. It's also a good time to reflect on your personal sufferings and find God's healing.

Why Bother with Church?

If organized religion has problems, why bother with church? (see my post below). That's a question I honestly ask a lot. But I'll tell you why...

1. God doesn't have any "only children". God has a family and he wants us together. We may not like our family at times, but he calls us to love each other and spend time together. Just like reunions bring children together who have parents in common, church brings people together who share a common faith in God.
2. The church speaks truth into our lives (hopefully!). When we gather for a worship service or a cup of coffee with other believers, God uses each other to speak truth to each other. Truth keeps us close to God and close to each other. Truth encourages us and frees us to become the person that God called us to be.
3. We can impact a community in significant ways when we all come together and pool our time, talent and finances. It's easy to become independent and self-centered. Church keeps our focus on being a blessing to others.
4. People are attracted to God and added to the family when we work as a team to honor God with our lives.

There are many more reasons, but these are the ones that keep me coming back! If you think there are better things to do with your time I want to challenge you to join us at Cedarbrook for three months and see if it doesn't change your life. (I'm talking about more than Sunday morning. Get involved with a small group and find a place of service). Give God a chance to show you what he had in mind when he created the idea of church in the first place. My guess is that you'll come to the same conclusion that I have; the church is the hope of the world and I have to be a part of it.

The Problem with Organized Religion

I spent time with my brother this week. He really has trouble with church. It's not church so much. It's the people. He thinks there is a lot of phoniness associated with the church - a lot of people who talk about God and Jesus who never let it truly affect their lives. He's one of those people that doesn't like organized religion.

The funny thing is, neither do I! That may seem odd (being a pastor), but I know exactly what he's talking about. Organized religion can do strange things to people! I visited a church recently. It was fine. The music was good. The message was good. The people were nice. But there was phoniness. There was baggage - things in place that weren't necessary ...expectations, assumptions..."If you become a Christian you need to be like us." I know that from their perspective they were just seeking to develop community. They didn't see the baggage. But I did. And it was disappointing because I sat there thinking, "If my brother was here, he'd be so aware of the baggage he wouldn't be able to hear the truth of your words." There are millions of people like my brother who would love to be in church but they feel like attending would actually compromise their values. They want to know God better but they don't want to take on all the "extras" that church seems to require of them. So they keep their distance.

The sad thing is, I'm sure that Cedarbrook has it's own baggage. I just don't see it. But I pray for eyes to see the baggage so we can get rid of it. Our only purpose should be to help people connect with God and then let God connect us with each other. Community and commitment can't be forced by intimidation or obligation. They develop naturally as we find ourselves following Jesus together. Is that too much to expect?