Break Time

Pray for John and his family. It is just too much.

The Government and Africa

I recommend the article China Africa in the June issue of Fast Company if you want a better understanding of where I am coming from on this. The information that I will share comes from my understanding of this article.

It seems that we have been conditioned to look to the government for answers or maybe just for help in dealing with large cultural problems. I have seen this mentality very clearly recently when a person said they were going to push for legislation on a specific problem that was close to their heart.

When I began to tell them what I thought we as a church could do it caught them totally off guard. The thought of the church leading with such an issue had never come to mind. They hadn’t thought of the problem in that context. Well that is the only way I look at these problems and the way I believe the church should look at them.

So what does this have to do with Africa? Good question. It has to do with the idea that government is the place to go for answers to problems. One thing that I recently discovered about Africa that you may not know is that many countries in Africa were once financially sound. Many had very healthy economies going into the 60’s and 70’s.

Do you know who helped destroy them? That’s right, the West and some of its policies. The corporations from the U.S. Government support for brutal regimes that exploited the people. People like Mubutu Sese Seko who pillaged his country while Ronald Reagan called him “a voice of good sense and goodwill.”

Listen to what the article says, “Mobutu almost singlehandedly destroyed an economy that was one of Africa’s best in the 1960s. Then, while his starving people looked on, he bragged to 60 Minutes in 1984 that he was the world’s second-richest man.”

Think of how Ronald Reagan’s words sounded to the people in the Congo? Think what people think of the United States even today because of such statements.

So the West now puts pressure on Africa to clean up its act, acts that we helped create by past policy. Do you understand why they think we are hypocrites? Try to think of their opinion of our demands for human rights when in the not so distant past we were applauding some of the worst human rights violators?

So guess what is happening? The Chinese are moving in to control Africa and guess what, they put no moral ties on their aid. The west demands better treatment of workers etc. and the Chinese demand nothing but the rights to the resources. Who do you think wins on that one?

So not only do human rights violations continue but the Chinese pay less and abuse even more and the West pushes Africa into their arms.

Why would we as believers want to be connected to that mess? Why would we want to hitch the gospel to such a past?

There is more about Africa to come, we will see just how willing we are to really make a difference in one of the poorest continents in the world.

I didn’t make it

I didn’t make it through Everything Must Change by Brian McLaren. I tried and I really wanted to but in the end it couldn’t be done. I wish I could have because I know it would help me but in the end I just don’t agree.

This is where I ended my reading. It was page 94 with these words, “the Bible instead is the story of a partnership between God and humanity to save and transform all of human society and avert global self-destruction.”

I don’t see that so much that I felt it pointless to continue. If that was what the book explained I didn’t see how I would benefit. Maybe you have read it and maybe I jumped off to soon.

Well let me know where I went wrong because that one put the book on the shelf. Closed, done, I should have known that anyone who could find a secret message about Jesus 2000 years later that everyone else missed, well, anyway.

I want to like his books so much because I know that not liking them puts me on the outs with a lot of people who I respect and agree with for the most part.

Okay, so all of you who love the book and Brian McLaren show tell me why I should continue because that statement is so wrong I don’t know what else to do.

Your Assistance

I wanted to get some feedback and ideas. First, what do you think of them and then I need a line of text to put with the two videos.

We are looking for a short tag to place in each one. Please share what you would say after watching these two videos. Keep in mind that the text will be up for a short period of time so they need to be concise.

The one that is chosen will receive a free short film and a book compliments of me. So start throwing out your ideas.

Video #1

Video #2

Relationship Marketing, Inc.

I worked there for three years. To be honest it was the longest time I spent at any marketing or advertising firm. We worked with several Fortune 500 companies in those years. We specialized in building relationship tools for companies like Volvo and Time Warner.

In the end one of the ideas we sold was a best practice web site for different companies. We created a place where Volvo dealers could share solutions and ask questions. It was a place where dealers could come for inspiration and ideas dealing with promotion and sales. It was a place for testimonies.

Why do I bring this up? Well, other then the fact that as a company we had a great idea but failed to see the big picture, this is where I am.

Today I want to announce a web site where people can share best practices, testimonies, videos and inspiration as it relates to being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in the world we live in.

I want it to be a place where someone could go and find exactly what it takes to start an outward focused ministry. What you should think about, what you will need, what it will cost in time and money. I want it to have everything to inspire and help move the church forward as it becomes the hands and feet of Jesus more and more.

This is intended to be a grassroots movement. In my experience many individuals want to impact their community but they may not find the same level of excitement from leadership or leadership may have too much on their plate already.

The reason doesn’t matter but inaction does. So instead of trying to inspire leaders to change course or think differently I want to get in touch with those who already want to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I want to go directly to those with a burden for their community. I want to give them the tools they need to begin a Hands and Feet ministry within their church family.

What do I need from you? I need your help getting the word out.

The site is handsandfeet.ning.com. I need you to join and I need you to encourage your friends to join. The more people inspired the more chance we have of seeing the hands and feet of Jesus really move. The more people you tell who tell others who take an idea and run with it the more Kingdom impact that we will see.

I need your help.

I also want to give my creative talent away for any ministry willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their community. I will create logos, posters and aid with the promotion of any Hands and Feet related ministry.

How did I get here?

Well, as I said this is a shift in my thinking. Originally I thought we would impact the community in such a way that other churches would take notice and begin to impact the community as well.

I don’t see that happening anymore. People are only impressed with numbers. That is when leadership takes notice. Well I’m not satisfied with that fact. I know people in other churches want to impact the community so why not work from the ground up? Why not give people tools to start something instead of waiting for leadership to get on board?

In the end isn’t there something really Jesus like in working from the ground up? Going past the religious rulers to be his hands and feet? I need your help and feedback. What do you think? Good idea? Will you join? Will you tell others?

Let’s not just talk about being Jesus hands and feet in the world we live in, let’s become it while we help others at handsandfeet.ning.com.

State of the Blog Address

First, thanks to everyone who reads the blog or even pretends to read the blog. You are loved and appreciated. As I have said before, I started blogging to have a place to organize my thoughts and a part of me hoped that I could inspire others. Doesn’t everyone blog for themselves while also hoping to inspire others? I know I have been inspired by many of you.

My first blog was called Backtrack Journey. I called it that because at that point I was processing a trip from the edge of church experimentation back to a place that would be considered more normal. We were doing all types of creative things but they were killing us.

A point came where I felt like we had finished backtracking. I knew I was ready to move on. It was such a clear point in my life that I started a new blog, the one you are currently reading.

Well I have come to that point again. A new chapter begins in my thinking. For the past several years the fellowship that I work for has been trying to impact our community in positive Christ-like ways. I had to make a decision recently in my own mind. We get a lot of visitors but they always ask about what we have for them and we can’t compete with the big churches in the area. Not only that I know that we don’t want to. It just isn’t who we are or what we want to be.

I used to think we needed to grow so that we could do more services and offer more help and have more people to do tutoring and home remodeling for widows and…

I have come to a place where I’m not sure more people would get more of that done. I wonder if it would just cause us to focus on them instead of these other areas.

But guess what, there are people at those other churches who want to make a difference in the community. They just really like what their church has and don’t want to give it up. Can you blame them?

Recently I have been helping a volunteer at a local church to get their fellowship more involved in the community. I helped her brainstorm what they could do and gave her direction on where to go and who to talk to. I even steered her away from some areas that are a need but might not be practical. We talk regularly and I encourage what they are doing. They have begun a used furniture ministry for people in need.

Well that just got me to thinking but I need your help. I have a major announcement to make Thursday that will impact my blogging world. It is something that I am excited about because it marks a new chapter in my thinking and a new direction. I need your help though. I am really going to want your thoughts on this new endeavor and feedback. So check back Thursday please and let me know what you think.

Conservative or Liberal?

It seems a study shows that one group is happier than the other. Which do you think it is? Why do you think that?

Read this article and see what you think.

Uphill Battle

I can’t imagine anyone being a big fan. Yesterday I had a discussion with a local charitable ministry that receives little money from any church and is on the verge of closing the doors.

My neighbor who isn’t a part of a church was hired by one locally to watch their children. She now goes up during worship on Sunday morning and evening and is paid to watch their children while they worship.

Not that long ago I was told a story about a group of Americans who went to Africa to do some mission work who ended up hiring locals to do the work while they went on a safari. Now I don’t believe that is a true story but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were.

We have conditioned people to be served. We have told them the church is for that purpose and so no one stops to ask if it is a good idea or a good value to teach. People just ask do we have a budget to do that with. If the money exists then get it done. No one seems to stop and ask about the message that is being sent. No one seems to ask if this is a good idea.

Recently I was reading about church plants and do you know what they found about those that are considered successful? They are the one with the most staff at the beginning.

So a ministry to bridge the gap for those in need is closed while we staff up our nursery during worship because everyone is busy worshiping God and can’t help.

How do we show worship to God again?

Hitler, Germany and Government

Often times a discussion of government involvement ends up at a place like Nazi Germany. If Christians are not involved in government what is to stop another Hitler?

I will be honest it is a hard one to disagree with. Recently I was reading the book Glow in the Dark by Bill Bright and Ron Jenson and they made this observation.

There were millions of Christians attending church every Sunday in Germany during the 1930’s, but with only a few exceptions, they did nothing to prevent their nation’s humiliation. In fact, many justified it and supported their government’s policies.

Now that is pretty stark isn’t it? They did nothing to prevent the holocaust. Embarrassing I should say. German pastor Martin Niemoeller has a famous quote in which he says that no one spoke up when they came for the communists, the Jews, the Unionists etc. until they came to get them.

Here are my struggles. First, the church was actively involved with the government at that point. How can we be so sure that this wasn’t part of the problem? People backing a government that claimed it would do good that actually carried out some of the greatest atrocities known to man.

You see a big assumption is that Christian involvement would have changed things when the actual facts show Christian involvement supported what happened.

We can argue that they didn’t follow the Christian ideal and the values of Christ and I would agree but how can you be so sure government involvement didn’t contribute to that fact?

One of the great stories that came out of World War II was that of Oskar Schindler. The story became Schindler’s List. The story is clearly not about a man who got involved in the government to change it or correct it. He worked against the government and within a corrupt system for the sake of 1,100 Jews. It is the story of one man doing what he could to save lives.

Think about this. What if after Hitler did what he did and the armies stopped him, what if the church had similar testimonies but not one but thousands? What if instead of individuals standing up for them it had been entire congregations? What would the story be today? What would the movie be?

It is easy to say government involvement could have stopped this but impossible to really know. It is a fact that a different response, no matter what Hitler decided, would have looked much different.

Imagine reading this in a book today…

There were millions of Christians attending church every Sunday in Germany during the 1930’s and with only a few exceptions they began to hide Jews and other undesirables as they worked to get them to a safe place. Many died for their efforts to stop this Holocaust and many Jews today have Christians to thank.

Imagine what that would say, think of how God would have been glorified.

The Government

I had a couple of posts recently about politics and our responsibility as believers in the world we live in. I think one of the important components of the discussion is the government. What is the role of government and what is our responsibility in that?

Do we really have one? Just because the government says we do does that make it wise? Sound? What God wants?

I know people will disagree and I don’t mind. I would love to hear a compelling argument for a Christian’s active involvement in the government of this world.

It is my personal opinion that we try to get the government to do all of the things the church is supposed to be doing. I think we do that because we think it is an easier way to make things better, maybe I’m wrong.

My view says that this not only robs God of the glory he deserves, but it makes lazy Christians and it turns peoples view from people helping to government help. Everything becomes the government’s job and look what that brings.

Recently a little boy did die and what do you think happened? His father blames the government. The father wants to know where DHS was when his child was being abused. He wants people to give the government more money because he doesn’t want to see this happen again.

The ten ton elephant in the room is where was the father while all this happened? Why should a government agency that doesn’t even know the people involved have a better grasp of the situation than him? If the dad who should be spending time with a son doesn’t know why would they?

I understand why Christians feel they should be involved in government but what if the results they hope for never come? What if the very fact that they look for government to solve problems actually exasperates problems? What if it also keeps Christians from their responsibility of loving children, orphans, widows and the alien?

Thoughts?