My Moment Of Terror

I experienced a moment of sheer terror last week, and it made me realize something profound.

You may know that I’m in the planning stages for a proposed series of meetings that would provide 

an opportunity for non-Christians to come and learn more about who Jesus was, and what he taught, and why he’s still relevant today, but without all the typical baggage – politics, religion, etc. – that seems to follow him around.

Part of the inspiration came after writing the fourteen part blog series, “Jesus Untangled”, which makes a strong case for separating our faith in Jesus from our politics. But that’s not the only thing that spurred me to take this next step. It was also the excitement I felt after reading a book by Carl Medearis called “Muslims, Christians and Jesus”, which of course is focused primarily on sharing Jesus with Muslims, but still makes a strong case for giving people Jesus apart from doctrines, denominationalism, Western culture, or political dogma.

So, I’ve been spending a lot of my free time lately trying to design the curriculum for this class, which I’m calling “Jesus Without Religion (Or Politics)”. I’ve worked out a nice place to host the sessions, and I’ve picked out a tentative date for when we’ll start, and I even know where and how I’m going to recruit the people who are most likely to resonate with the subject matter and approach.

Everything really seems to be coming together so far, but a few days ago, as I was sort of imagining what those meetings would look like, something wonderful happened – I had a mild panic attack.

My heart started racing. I began to breathe faster. My nerves were on edge. Everything I had put together so carefully for these meetings suddenly began to appear weak and foolish and totally worthless. “What if I screw this up?” I thought. “What if no one shows up? What if they do show up and I don’t measure up to their expectations?”

That’s when I did the best thing possible – I abandoned my self-sufficiency and I went down on my knees to pray. “Lord Jesus,” I said, “please, show up and take control of this. You know I don’t know what I’m doing. Help me, Jesus, to just point everyone to you. Give everyone eyes to see you and open their ears to hear your voice. Help me to get out of your way – and to stay out of the way – so they can do that.”

Amen.

That’s my prayer. I know that the best I can do is hardly enough, but I do trust that if I listen carefully to Jesus and allow Him to take control, everything will be alright.

Jesus Without Religion (Or Politics) will start on Wednesday evening, July 15^th, at 6:30 pm here in Orange County, at a business park in Irvine, CA.

I appreciate your prayers for me as I listen for God’s voice and wait on Him to lead me one step at a time into the great unknown.

Please also pray especially for the people who need this meeting the most. Pray that they will hear about it, and that they will have the courage to show up with their questions, and pray that the teacher will have the good sense to get out of the way so that Jesus can introduce himself to each and every one of them.

Thanks.

-kg

HOMELESS: THE MOTEL KIDS OF ORANGE COUNTY

Premieres This Monday, July 26th at 9pm on HBO

About this documentary
HOMELESS: THE MOTEL KIDS OF ORANGE COUNTY explores the world of children who reside in discounted motels within walking distance of Disneyland, living in limbo as their families struggle to survive in one of the wealthiest regions of America.

The parents of motel kids are often hard workers who don’t earn enough to own or rent homes. As a result, they continue to live week-to-week in motels, hoping against hope for an opportunity that might allow them to move up in the O.C.

For more information on the show - AND TO WATCH A TRAILER OF THE FILM:
GO HERE

IDEAS FOR SERVING THE POOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY

I want to stress that most of these do not require a large budget, or a team of thousands. Most of these can be done with families, including children of all ages, and two or three adults who are willing to listen, love and share what they have with people in need.

Idea for Ministry to the Poor:

*Lower-income families (Housing projects, apartments, motels, etc.)
*Motel Ministry (especially for kids and families)
*Food/Grocery Distribution
*Homeless Ministry (Hot Dogs in the Park)
*Senior Home Visitation
*Prostitute Ministry
*Single Moms/Widows (Free oil changes, yardwork, grocery assistance, etc.)


Details:

*Lower-income families (Housing projects, apartments, motels, etc.)

This ministry works best when you get to know the management of the apartment or motel, etc. Explain to them that you're not there to preach or to promote your church. Disarm them with the idea that you really just want to bless people. Explain to them that your ministry will involve giving away free groceries (if possible) or hosting game times for the children (or puppet shows, crafts, etc.). Help them to visualize a monthly or bi-weekly carnival that they get to help bring to their residents. It makes them look like heroes and it gives you an opportunity to express the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

*Motel Ministry (especially for kids and families)

Essentially the same as above. I'd only add that befriending people is the key here. Pray for them. Listen to their problems. Find ways to help them that are practical. This should not be about money. It should be about helping them discover resources in your community, hooking up with other ministries doing work to help with education, rent, health concerns, etc.

Also, ask God to highlight one or two people or families that He wants you to focus on and love them with all you've got. Invite them to your house for pizza and a movie. Hang out with them. Learn to love them. This is where you realize that the real ministry is being done to you, not by you.

*Food/Grocery Distribution

Find a food bank nearby. Second Harvest is a national food bank, but you may have another in your area. Our small house church can purchase a week's worth of groceries for twenty or thirty families for under $100 a month.

As I've said previously, don't distribute the food after you preach. Just give them the food up front and bless them. Ask them at the end of the food line if they want prayer. Most will say yes. If not, just smile and bless them as they go back into their rooms. Consistency is vital.


*Homeless Ministry (Hot Dogs in the Park)

Again, this is very cheap and it's more about getting to know people who happen to be homeless and less about throwing food at the poor and running home.

We found a park where a lot of homeless hang out that also had barbecue stations at each picnic table. Our group set up the grill, cooked the dogs, laid out the fixings and then fanned out to invite the homeless to join us for a picnic. We sat with them, ate with them, asked them their names, where they were from, etc. Even our kids enjoyed getting to know our new friends.

*Senior Home Visitation

You will not believe the treasures that are hidden away in the senior homes near your house. Former Generals in WW2, former actresses, singers, engineers, writers, and even regular people who have amazing stories to tell. All they need is someone to listen. Give it time and you will soon find yourself falling in love with these people.


*Prostitute Ministry

This one is waayyy outside my comfort zone, but I've been out around 3 times with small teams to try to connect and pray for these girls. I'll write in more detail about the challenges and dangers of this ministry next week. Not for the faint of heart.

*Single Moms/Widows (Free oil changes, yardwork, grocery assistance, etc.)

This is more of a Men's Ministry thing, but it can be awesome to bless single Moms and Widows who need assistance around the house, with the yard, the car, etc.
Oh, and it's Biblical too.


Other Ideas for Ministry

*Local Newspaper/Community Response Ministry -
This is one I've always wanted to do but have yet to attempt. Basically it involves reading the local paper and responding in compassion to people in your city who experience the death of a loved one, is the victim of abuse or rape or violence, tragedy, etc. This is one that I feel could have a huge impact on your community if your church or small group could consistently respond to people in need of comfort and prayer support.

*Community clean-up (graffitti cleaning, trash pick-up, etc.)
Steve Sjogren and Mike Pilavachi have championed this form of "no strings attached" service to the community. When I was at Soul Survivor I was involved with massive groups of teens taking to the streets and cleaning up parks, neighborhoods, etc. This may involve contacting city officials and cooperating with them to discover their needs and partner with their employees.

*Clean toilets for local businesses
Again, Steve Sjogren championed this one a long time ago. It's an amazing way to demonstrate the love of Jesus in practical ways to local business owners. Most will be blown away that you show up with a bucket and cleansers to do the ugly job that none of them wants to do. When you explain to them that you're doing it because Jesus washed feet and this is the closest thing in our modern society to that, you'll be amazed at the reactions you get. Worth it for the stories you get to tell later, if nothing else.

*Free Car Wash
Be careful. People will argue with you to take their money. They simply cannot bring themselves to receive a free blessing with no strings attached. Do it anyway.

**
NOTE: Taken from my series, HOW TO START A MINISTRY TO THE POOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY (PART 4 OF 5).

-Go to PovertyInTheOC.com and see links at left for the entire series

EVERY BELIEVER IS ORDAINED OF GOD

Is it a sin for Christian churches to ordain specific people into the ministry of Jesus? Emerging author Tony Jones has been saying exactly that over at his blog lately.

His position is that it is a sin for Christian denominations to ordain specific people into the ministry of the Gospel, and on the basis of the doctrine of the Priesthood of the Believer, I can see his point.

However, I think the real sin here is that everyone who follows Jesus isn’t ordained into the ministry.

As W.C. Ketcherside remarks in his book, “”The Royal Priesthood”:

"Those who were Christians did not speak of "entering the ministry." They were already in it. Everyone entered the ministry at baptism. To be in Christ was to be in the ministry. No one went away to study for "the Ministry." Each one began where he was and announced the Messiah who had come. People did not send for a preacher. They just began preaching. All who had been inducted into the kingdom could tell what they did and why they did it. Every Christian was a minister, everyone was a priest. The congregation was a priesthood--a royal priesthood composed of all believers."

So, I would agree with Mr. Jones that the current model of ordination in our traditional churches is flawed, but for me the flaw is not that certain men are ordained, but that not ALL men (and women) are ordained into the ministry.

If we take Mr. Jones’ position we would be condemning those who hear God’s voice and respond to His calling on their lives to serve others and follow Jesus with their whole life. Instead of condemning those people, we should applaud their example and take this practice all the way to the finish line by opening wide the doors to enter the ministry of Jesus.

“Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." – John 20:21

Every baptized believer is in the ministry. Each of us has been called, and sent, and gifted, to love and serve and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom to everyone we meet.

This doesn’t mean that we are all evangelists, or that we are all church-planters, or that we are all teachers,(see 1 Corinthians 12). However, it does mean that we are all part of the Body of Christ and that the Holy Spirit has gifted each of us with an important and necessary set of spiritual gifts. These gifts are meant to be used in proportion to our specific calling.

Honestly, I have been licensed and ordained since I was 22 years old, but these days I wish I didn't have the paper. In the beginning it gave me validation for stepping out under the authority of God, but now I can see that it has also created a false sense of clergy/laity - even in our own house church setting.

For example, when we had a baptism recently I was the one who performed it. It didn't even occur to me that by taking that position I was robbing others of the experience we should all feel free to enjoy. I will not do that again, nor will I lead the communion for everyone else.

So, are you a Priest in God's House? Yes, you are! You are in good company with people like Peter the Apostle, A.W. Tozer, and others who love God, have studied His Word on their own, and are passionate about putting it into practice right now.

Every follower of Jesus is a “Missionary”- in the sense that each of us “in the ministry”. The essential thing for each of us, then, is to discover our mission field (where we live, work, eat and sleep), and to step into our ministry (which is determined by our specific gifting by the Holy Spirit).

Now, for those of you who consider yourselves followers of Jesus, I encourage you to go out into your mission field and to step into your daily ministry, because you and I are all ordained into the ministry of Jesus. We are all filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God. We are Temples of the Holy Spirit. We are all priests of God. We are all living sacrifices.

You have been ordained into the ministry of Jesus, my friends. Let us walk and live and love accordingly.

Peace,
Keith

THE LEAST OF THESE?

CLICK TO EXPAND IMAGE

UNITY?

God has been teaching me lately that I have to be ready to speak the truth in love. Often I am eager to speak the truth, but I forget to remember that I am commanded to love the people I am speaking to.

What makes it difficult is that, even with my best efforts, there are those who will respond to me in anger, and who will also forget to love me, especially when it comes to issues concerning the Church such as paid pastoral staff, tithing, running the church like a business, etc.

I am currently trying to reconcile and make peace with a few of my friends who have more vocally and publicly opposed me here on my blog. It's slow going, but I believe it's a worthy effort, especially in light of the fact that I am called to be a peace maker, and to take up the ministry of reconciliation, and to live at peace with all men - as far as it depends upon me.

Of course, the aim is not to bring my friends around to my way of thinking. In fact, whenever I do finally sit down with my friends my hope is that we do not debate or argue or discuss these issues that divide us at all. Instead, I hope that we can remember what we hold in common and agree to love one another even though we know we disagree on these issues.

So, yes, I will continue to write and to speak and to publish articles regarding the New Testament ideas of leadership, church modality, the priesthood of the believer, making discisples, caring for the poor, and everything else I have always been passionate about. My calling has not changed. But my approach may have.

For the last several months I have all but stopped writing my book, which is about the New Testament teachings concerning the people of God as the new temple, the new priesthood and the living, daily sacrifice. Why? Because I needed to make sure that I was really hearing from God about this subject and to be certain that what I was saying was done in love.

During this time I even went so far as to invite men of God, some of them my peers, some of them far above me in maturity, to rebuke me and to correct me on these issues. I needed to know if I was really off base or if my reading of the New Testament on these issues was accurate.

After this season of introspection and evaluation, I feel even more passionate about the book, and the subject of new testament ecclessia, but I have resolved to write a book that communicates these ideas in a more winsome and less provocative fashion.

I still haven't shaken my position that much of the traditional church today is a Jewish Temple-based form of Christianity which attempts to repair the veil that God ripped in half as Jesus finished his work upon the cross.

There is still, and always will be, a little of the reluctant radical in me. All that I'm writing about and the way I'm living my life and practicing my faith really is all about crossing those boundaries and many, many people are pretty upset that I would dare to think this way or encourage others to behave as if none of the Temple Christianity was valid (because it's not based on the New Testament).

I'm also learning that God is still working on my attitude and my heart in all of this, too.

My challenge is to point out these things and oppose these man-made ideas while still maintaining a sincere love for my brothers and sisters in Christ - even when they oppose me and respond hatefully.

Maybe there isn't a way to speak these things and write these things without severing these bonds, but if there is a way, I know I must try, for the sake of the Body and for unity among brothers.

Peace,
kg

OC REGISTER RECOGNIZES SOUL SURVIVOR CHURCH

My good friend John Thomas, pastor of Soul Survivor Church in Costa Mesa, CA was interviewed in a great article for the Orange County Register about churches who have decided to focus their attention on the poor rather than on themselves.

Read it
HERE

Not My Church

Yesterday at house church God reminded me of something pretty important: This is not my church. It's His.

Seems like I would have figured this out already, and of course I "knew" this, but in practice I have been acting as if The Mission House Church were mine. It is not. It is God's Bride. I am blessed to host the weekly gatherings in my home, but it is not mine. I am only one member of this awesome family of God, and I am very grateful for each person who contributes their time, energy, talent, gifting and resources to this living organism.

Needless to say, yesterday was a significant day in the life of our house church and I was very blessed to sit at the back of the room and observe the Spirit of God as He lead us through the conversation and taught us from His Word.

More later...
kg

HOUSE CHURCH 101 - OCT. 4TH

"House Church 101"
Saturday, October 4th
10am to 11:30am
at Triangle Square in Costa Mesa, CA

- Registration Now Open

Join us at Triangle Square on Saturday, Oct. 4th for this opportunity to learn more about the House Church experience and how you can start your own house church, or join an existing one, here in Orange County, California.

For more info and to register for this FREE event, please visit
OCHouseChurch.com

Peace

"...the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - Jesus (John 14:26-27)

If there's anything I need right now, it's the peace of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

I've felt so disjointed the last few weeks, as you may have noticed due to my less-than-frequent blogging here. Life is busy.

I know that everyone in Orange County is "Busy". If you don't believe me, just ask them. They'll tell you with a sigh that they are busy.

But for the last several years my wife and I have been, intentionally, living as simple and as stress free a life as we can manage.

A lot of our friends say we already do too much, but the truth is we normally only do the things we love doing and then we just do a whole lot of it. For instance, we love to serve the poor and to spend time with people so we do as much of that as we can with our kids and our house church. We also love our kids and so we spend as much time doing family stuff as we can. We also love our house church family and so any chance to be with them we take advantage of it and we do that.

Lately, however, we've been invaded by a series of time-stealing activities that have made me long for those days when we could spend more time doing what we love instead of what we have to do.

So, today at work, where I am buried under a never ending mountain of projects, I googled this verse and took a moment to meditate on what it means to lean on the Holy Spirit and to ask Jesus for his peace.

I need that peace right now. I need the joy of the Lord to be my strength.

Granted, these things that are stealing my time for the moment are passing. Soon enough my life will return to normal (in about six more weeks) and then I can stretch out and enjoy the luxury of a quiet moment with my family, or a fun time with my sons, or a warm cup of coffee with a good friend.

Until then, I am daily seeking Jesus for His peace and for the strength that God provides me through His joy.

Peace,
Keith