FCC Minister's Blog

The Bait and Switch of Contempary Christainity

2012-03-05T09:53:00.003-06:00

The following is a blog post from Richard Beck, who is a professor at Ablene Christian University, one of our sister schools. I believe it has particular relivence to the challenge we have been recieving from James - to be whole, complete followers of Jesus. . . people whose heart, mouth, and hands are working in sync. . . people of integrity.

Enjoy and Be Challenged (I know I was),

Pastor Mark

To start, a story.

A few years ago a female student wanted to visit with me about some difficulties she was having, mainly with her family life. As is my practice, we walked around campus as we talked.
After talking for some time about her family situation we turned to other areas of her life. When she reached spiritual matters we had the following exchange:

"I need to spend more time working on my relationship with God."

I responded, "Why would you want to do that?"

Startled she says, "What do you mean?"

"Well, why would you want to spend any time at all on working on your relationship with God?"

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

"Let me answer by asking you a question. Can you think of anyone, right now, to whom you need to apologize? Anyone you've wronged?"

She thinks and answers, "Yes."

"Well, why don't you give them a call today and ask for their forgiveness. That might be a better use of your time than working on your relationship with God."

Obviously, I was being a bit provocative with the student. And I did go on to clarify. But I was trying to push back on a strain of Christianity I see in both my students and the larger Christian culture. Specifically, when the student said "I need to work on my relationship with God" I knew exactly what she meant. It meant praying more, getting up early to study the bible, to start going back to church. Things along those lines. The goal of these activities is to get "closer" to God. To "waste time with Jesus." Of course, please hear me on this point, nothing is wrong with those activities. Personal acts of piety and devotion are vital to a vibrant spiritual life and continued spiritual formation. But all too often "working on my relationship with God" has almost nothing to do with trying to become a more decent human being.

The trouble with contemporary Christianity is that a massive bait and switch is going on. "Christianity" has essentially become a mechanism for allowing millions of people to replace being a decent human being with something else, an endorsed "spiritual" substitute. For example, rather than being a decent human being the following is a list of some commonly acceptable substitutes:

•Going to church
•Worship
•Praying
•Spiritual disciplines (e.g., fasting)
•Bible study
•Voting Republican
•Going on spiritual retreats
•Reading religious books
•Arguing with evolutionists
•Sending your child to a Christian school or providing education at home
•Using religious language
•Avoiding R-rated movies
•Not reading Harry Potter.
The point is that one can fill a life full of spiritual activities without ever, actually, trying to become a more decent human being. Much of this activity can actually distract one from becoming a more decent human being. In fact, some of these activities make you worse, interpersonally speaking. Many churches are jerk factories.

Take, for example, how Christians tip and behave in restaurants. If you have ever worked in the restaurant industry you know the reputation of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Millions of Christians go to lunch after church on Sundays and their behavior is abysmal. The single most damaging phenomenon to the witness of Christianity in America today is the collective behavior of the Sunday morning lunch crowd. Never has a more well-dressed, entitled, dismissive, haughty or cheap collection of Christians been seen on the face of the earth.

I exaggerate of course. But I hope you see my point. Rather than pouring our efforts into two hours of worship, bible study and Christian fellowship on Sunday why don't we just take a moment and a few extra bucks to act like a decent human being when we go to lunch afterwards? Just think about it. What if the entire restaurant industry actually began to look forward to working Sunday lunch? If they said amongst themselves, "I love the church crowd. They are kind, patient and very generous. It's my favorite part of the week waiting on Christians." How might such a change affect the way the world sees us? Think about it. Just being a decent human being for one hour each Sunday and the world sees us in a whole new way.

But it's not going to happen. Because behavior at lunch isn't considered to be "working on your relationship with God." Behavior at lunch isn't spiritual. Going to church, well, that is working on your relationship with God. But, as we all know, any jerk can sit in a pew. But you can't be a jerk if you take the time to treat your waitress as if she were your friend, daughter or mother.

My point in all this is that contemporary Christianity has lost its way. Christians don't wake up every morning thinking about how to become a more decent human being. Instead, they wake up trying to "work on their relationship with God" which very often has nothing to do with treating people better. How could such a confusion have occurred? How did we end up going so wrong? I'm sure there are lots of answers, but at the end of the day we need to face up to our collective failure. I'm not saying we need to do anything dramatic. A baby step would do to start. Waking up trying to be a little more kind, more generous, more interruptible, more forgiving, more humble, more civil, more tolerant. Do these things and prayer and worship will come alongside to support us.

I truly want people to spend time working on their relationship with God. I just want them to do it by taking the time to care about the person standing right in front of them.

A Note On Lent

2012-02-21T11:29:00.004-06:00

For followers of Jesus around the world, lent begins this Wednesday. Lent is the 40 day season of reflection and preparation for the death and resurrection of Christ. Traditionally, it is a time of repentance, of considering the sin (both individually and collectively) that led Jesus to the cross and how we are called to take up our own crosses.

Some followers 'give up' something, like chocolate or TV as a sort of fasting. Others seek to integrate something new into their lives, like visiting folks in nursing home, or exercising, or expanding their time alone with God.
This year, we as a faith community, are seeking to move from being fans to followers of Jesus. So as we go into lent, I want to challenge you to ask yourself a few questions:

What exactly could I do during the next 40 days to draw me into a deeper relationship with Christ?

Is there something I need to give up during this season because it represents - for me at least - the sins which sent Jesus to the cross? (For example: gluttony- so give up a certain food, Lies/distortions- so give up listen to TV talking heads, etc.)?

Is there something I need to add to my life during this time? Are there some 'Jesus habits' I need to practice? (For example: getting up 1/2 hour earlier to pray, only buying fair trade coffee/chocolate, visiting our shut-ins, feeding the poor, etc)?

The season of lent affords Jesus' followers the opportunity to once more rethink how we live. It is an opportunity to ask ourselves: Am I reflecting the values of this world that is passing away or the New Creation that is coming into being through Jesus? Are my priorities being shaped by the society around me, or God's counter-cultural society that Jesus refered to as The Kingdom.

So this Wednesday, as you see the ashes on the foreheads of other Christians, let it prompt you to ask yourself these kinds of questions. May you to let some things go, or maybe to develop some holy habits. As we do, I pray it lead us to be better and more fully devoted followers of Jesus.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mark

According to Jim

2012-02-13T13:10:00.003-06:00

At the beginning of the year, we as a community of faith committed ourselves to not just being FAN’S of Jesus, but 1st chair, fully devoted FOLLOWERS of Jesus.

But over the course of our journey together, you may have begun to ask yourself some questions. For example:

• How do I deal with temptation?
• How can I hang on through intense struggles in my life?
• What are the signs that my faith in Jesus is real?
• How can I learn to shut my pie hole?
• What's the key to being a person of integrity?
• How can I learn to look past the surface with people?
• How can I have more power in prayer?

If you’ve asks one or more of these questions over the last few months, then James is your book. If you're ready for some practical, hard-hitting straight talk on what it means to be a Jesus follower, then saddle up for the no-nonsense gospel according to Jim.

Begins this Sunday. Grab your Bible, invite a friend, and join us!!

Pastor Mark

Moving Beyond the Rules

2012-02-06T11:10:00.002-06:00

This year, we as a faith community are on a journey together. We are seeking to move from being Fans to Followers of Jesus.

Yet one of the dangers that many Christians fall into over time is to reduce this journey to making sure I have the right beliefs and that I’m following the correct rules. This is so that I can be assured that when my time on earth is done, my heavenly passport will be stamped.

But is this is really the reason Jesus came? To provide us with the correct information so as to know how we could escape this world one day? Wasn’t Jesus vision bigger than helping individuals save their own personal skins?

This week, I challenged each of us to begin and end each day by saying what some have referred to as the Jesus Creed. It comes from Mark 12. It says,

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 . . . ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Jesus says that the number one defining characteristic of the people he was gathering around himself would be love. His followers would be known as people who love God and love others.

My proposal to you, if you want to be a follower of Jesus, is to step into Jesus' larger vision. To being and end each day by saying the Jesus Creed. In fact, say it whenever it comes to mind. . . and then see what God does in and through you.

I’m looking forward to hearing all the amazing stories.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mark

The Comfortable Cross?

2012-01-30T10:01:00.005-06:00

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9. 23

The journey from Fan to Fully Devoted Follower involves not only entering into a intimate relationship with Jesus (as we saw last week), but it also involves a willingness to be changed, transformed by Jesus. It is a willingness to reorient your entire life around the person and the teachings of Jesus.

I've found over the years that there are many here at FCC who are hungry for a deeper life with God. They want to see him working actively in their lives. They want to learn to live in His presence throughout the day. They want their lives to count. They want to be a part of God's bigger, unfolding story.

To do that, however, requires a willingness to pick up our cross.

It's a willingness to embrace that which the world looks at as weakness. It's a willingness to 'die' to the ways and the values of a world that's perishing and to take up the ways and values of the New Creation that Jesus is bringing into being.

This week, I gave two action steps you can begin to put into practice this week:

Admit, to a trusted brother or sister in Christ, a specific area of weakness in your life: It's easier to say, "I'm a sinner" then to say "I'm a lustaholic or I'm a gossip". Generalities are places many of us like to hide. But deep and lasting change begins when we we get gut -level honest and specific about the places we fall short in our lives.

Begin doing something that is uncomfortable: As we start to consider the places in our lives that need transformation, we begin seeing how ingrained our responses are. We don't have to try real hard to get angry at the guy who cuts us off in traffic. It comes naturally, because of our many years of being trained by the values of THIS world. So, I'm encouraging each of us - myself included- to begin to do the OPPOSITE of what you want to do or feel like doing. The controlling person needs to let someone else call the shots; a self-absorbed person needs to 'be quiet' and listen; the loner needs to join a small group; the 'social butterfly' needs some time alone with God; the angry person needs to underreact.

Let's commit together to putting these actions into practice. As we do, we as a church family will be well on our way from FAN'S to FOLLOWERS.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mark

Choosing Relationship

2012-01-24T10:04:00.002-06:00

Based on the many conversations I’ve had with folks over the last few weeks, it would seem that God’s spirit is using the current teaching series NOT A FAN to move many of us from the sidelines to the playing field of Faith.

This past week, we saw that Jesus is not looking for FANS who know facts about Him, but FOLLOWERS who are pursuing a real relationship with Him. A key component in the building of any relationship is communication. That’s true also in our relationship with God. We speak to God about our cares and concerns – that’s called prayer, and He speaks to us primarily as we read His Word.

A method of Bible reading that has been particularly helpful to me in my relationship with God, has been what is called Lectio Divina or ‘Spiritual Reading’. It’s a method that has been practiced since the early days of the church. It’s comprised of 4 parts.

• Reading: Read a section (chapter, etc) of Scripture. Read it over a few times until a certain word or phrase ‘jumps’ out to you.
• Meditation: Turn that word or phrase ‘over and over again’ in your mind.
• Prayer: Ask God, “God, what are you trying to tell me today through this word or phrase”.
• Contemplation: Wait silently to hear God speak specifically to your heart, your situation.

Give this method a try, starting this week. I truly believe this way has the potential to take your relationship with God to a whole new level. To move from knowing FACTS about Jesus, to having a living relationship with Him.

One more step on the journey of us moving together from FANS to FOLLOWERS.

See you Sunday,

Mark

True Christian Christmas - A Poem by Joanna Fuchs

2011-12-07T14:17:00.000-06:00

Christmas isn't showy gifts or glittering decoration;
It's honoring our Savior, Jesus Christ in humble adoration.
It's serving those less fortunate, meeting their needs before our own.
It's making sure at Christmas time, that no one is alone.

It's taking what we would have spent, on things that no one needs.
And using it to help someone, with service and good deeds.
Our Savior showed us how to live, with charity, faith and service.
It makes the holidays a joy, more peaceful, and less nervous.

So let's remember Christmas is about our Savior's birth.

That's the way to happiness.
The way to peace on earth.

Doing Justice

2011-10-03T09:26:00.004-05:00

Here is a list of links that can help as you seek to follow the Great Requirement
("Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with your God". -Micah 6:8)

Behind the Label – stories of those fighting for human and labor rights
Better World Shopper – helping people vote with their wallet
Bread for the World – working to end hunger
Carbon Footprint – calculate and learn how to reduce your carbon footprint
CARE – fighting global poverty
Chelsea Green – the politics and practice of sustainable living
Chris Jordan Photography – photographs of the magnitude of American consumption
Coalition of Immokalee Workers – working to bring justice to farm workers
Creation Care – worshing God, loving his people, caring hor His creation
Earth911 – information on where you can recycle most things
The End of Poverty – documentary site looking at the root causes of poverty
Energy Action – home energy conservation made simple
Enough Project – the project to end genocide and crimes against humanity.
EPA – Climate Change – information about climate change and what we can do
Equal Exchange – fair trade information and products
Fair Trade Federation – creating a just and sustainable economic system through fair trade
Faith in Place – giving religious people tools to be good stewards of the earth
Farm Aid – helping keep family farmers on their land
GenGreen – find the green in everything… locally
Global Partners for Development – ending hunger in the world
Consumer Report’s guide to making green choices
Heifer International – ending hunger, caring for the earth
Jubilee USA – working to break the chains of debt
International Justice Mission – securing justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and violent oppression.
Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment – people of faith working for trade justice
Invisible Children – helping war affected children in northern Uganda
Local Harvest – a resource for discovering farms and organic foods in your area
Micah Challenge International – helping Christians deepen their commitment to the poor
Mustard Seed Associates – creating the future one mustard seed at a time
National Labor Commitee – supporting worker’s rights in a global economy
New American Dream – helping American consume responsibly
New Community Project – promoting peace through justice, care for creation, and experiential learning
One – fighting extreme poverty and disease
One Day’s Wages – fighting extreme poverty
Oxfam International – working for peace and justice
Polaris Project – working for a world without slavery
Rodale Institute – finding organic solutions
The Simple Way – loving God, loving people, following Jesus
Slow Food USA – supporting good, clean, and fair food
Stop Chocolate Slavery – raising awareness of the slavery/chocolate connection
Stop the Traffik – working to end human trafficking
Sustainable Table – educating consumers on food-related issues
Trade As One – a resource for bring Fair Trade products into churches and organizations
TransFair USA – Fair trade certification in the USA
UN Millennium Goals – ending poverty by 2015
USA Government – information of how to contact your elected officials
What’s Your Response? – working to end modern day slavery
Word Made Flesh – serving Jesus among the poorest of the poor
World Vision – building a better world for children

I hear people talk about God as our protector, but if there is still suffering, what is he protecting us from?

2011-07-18T11:06:00.002-05:00

This question is a great follow-up to the one last week, because both really deal with the subject of God's power. Last week, we saw that God's power is not a raw, dictatorial, almightiness, but is the power of suffering, liberating, reconciling love. In other words, God's power is always consistent with His own character and nature.
So what does that mean in regards to God's providence and protection over our lives? A few particulars could be mentioned:

The Biblical story makes no cheap promises that if we will just 'trust in God' we will be spared the hardship, pain, and suffering that are the 'dark side' of the free will choices of God's creatures, whether they be visible or invisible. You can go down the list -Abraham, Moses, Ruth, David, Esther, Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul - none of God's people were able to escape the hurts and pains of life.

The power of God is not like that of a human kind which is only seen in sovereign majesty. God's power is seen, time and time again throughout scripture, in weakness as well as in strength, in defeat and suffering as well as in victory, in the form of a lowly Servant as well as in the form of an exalted Lord. We see this in the tragic history of a little insignificant people called Israel, as well as a man dying on a cross as one of us. So if we know that God was powerful enough to accomplish his purposes in those circumstances, how is it we can think that God must only be powerfully at work when we are experiencing times of happiness and success? How can we limit God by thinking that God's powerful will for our good can only be accomplished in the positve things that happen to me and not the painful things?

God's power and protection is demonstrated in the presence of people who love enough to risk their own comfort and security to sit at the bedside of the sick and dying, befriending the friendless, accepting the unacceptable, defending the cause of the victims of injustice-even at their own peril. This means we can recognize God's power and protection when others come along side of us and minister in this way.

The Biblical story bears witness to the fact that God is so powerful that evil must finally serve God's good will for our sake. In other words, God's power is so great that it can make good come out of evil. This can be seen in OT in the story of Joseph and his brothers. The brothers shameful act made it possible for Joseph to eventually become a ruler in Egypt and save his family. The same point is made even more clearly in the death and resurrection of Jesus. God did not will the sin and injustice of the leaders, the rejection of the disciples. Yet it was those very things that made possible the salvation of the whole world. Just when it looks like evil is going to 'win the day', it ends up serving the powerful, liberating love of God.

Finally, to be in Christ and to walk by the Spirit, is to participate in God's powerful, liberating, sacrificing love and to experience it protective care. This love alone can transform a broken planet and bring healing and renewal. Only this love can forgive the sin we've done as well as the sin done to us, so we are sheltered from bitterness and revenge. Only this love can shape us into a new kind of community and sustain us to continue Jesus' mission to heal the hurting, feed the hungry, include the lonely, and help people find their way back to God, while shielding us from the spirit of this age - racism, nationalism, consumerism, materialism, etc. Over time, God's love builds a barrier around us from the things that have the potential to divide and distroy our lives.

There is much, much more that can be said here (theologians have build entire careers on this subject ) but it's safe to say that God's providential protecting is a subject that precludes 'easy' answers. But I pray that these points will, at the very least, set your mind toward some uncharted waters, and lead you into an even deeper relationship with our loving God.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mark

One of my students asked me if God can kill a super hero that is invincible?

2011-07-12T09:58:00.004-05:00

I'll have to admit, I laughed out loud when I first read this question (children do say the 'darnest' things, as the old TV show used to say :-).

However, beyond the fact that this particular question blurs the line between fact and fantasy, it does nevertheless led us along the path to an important question: What do Christians mean when we say that God is ALL - POWERFUL?

Scripture tells us that God is the Almighty, sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth, unlimited by anything or anyone. But it is a power that works together with his love and justice. In other words, God's power is not the sheer brute force of a heavenly dictator who may decide to be for us one day and against us the next. It is a power that is 'for us' and not 'against us', whose kingdom will come and whose best will be done, no matter how strong the opposition from evil individuals and forces.

So when the Bible speaks of God being all-powerful, then, it means that God can do anything and everything that is consistent with God's goodness and love. God cannot do evil, cannot be uncaring, cannot act in self-contradiction to his nature and character. The power of God is the power of God's justice and love, the unlimited ability to do everything that God's justice and love allows and requires - and only that.

So the next time we hear a song on the radio or sing one on Sunday that mentions God being Almighty, I hope together we will praise Him as the greatest force in the universe, whose goodness and love toward us can never be stopped- superhero's included :-).

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mark

The True Meaning of Freedom

2011-07-05T09:58:00.005-05:00

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th this week, filled with friends, family, and fireworks.
However, there is another word that begins with 'f' that gets thrown around this time of year - the word FREEDOM.

You hear it as the reason that America's founding fathers revolted against England over 200 years ago. You hear it as the reason that American soldiers have fought and died. You may have heard it in prayers prayed in churches this weekend, as worship leaders thanked God for the 'freedoms we enjoy in this country'. It's a word that has taken on even more significance of late in light of the ongoing 'Arab Spring' that is unfolding in the Middle East.

But what does this word 'freedom' really mean? If you were to ask many people today, they most likely would say that freedom is the right to pursue whatever it is that makes one happy, with as little interference from others as possible. But is this all there is to freedom? The right to a day off to grill brats in a nice corner of the local park were I won't be bothered by loud stereos or 'those kids' playing Frisbee?

When Jesus says to his followers, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8. 32) or when the Apostle Paul says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" (Gal. 5.1), they have something deeper in mind. Jesus death and resurrection would free us from the enslaving powers of sin. By setting us free, Jesus enables us to live differently from the selfish, oppressive and unjust ways we see all around us. True freedom means to live - not for the pursue of ones personal pleasure- but according to the revolutionary values of the Kingdom of God: caring for the needy, loving our enemies, feeding the hungry, working for justice, and helping people find their way back to God. Because as we do these things, we find that we are functioning as originally designed. In other words, we a 'free' to be fully human again and to once more reflect God's loving character to the world around us (Gen. 1. 27).

So as we hear people this week speaking of 'freedom', let it remind us of the true meaning of that word and let it spur us on - by God's grace-to reflect to those around us what freedom truly looks like in action.

See You Sunday,

Pastor Mark

Why is the Bible filled with so many contradictions?

2011-06-20T13:59:00.002-05:00

This is a difficult question to answer without the benefit of specific examples that the person may have had in mind. So I will attempt to address this issue from ‘big picture’ perspective.

• Some contradictions can be described as only apparent. For example, one passage in Exodus says God parted the waters of the Red Sea, but another says a strong wind did it by blowing all night. However, first and second causes do not exclude each other: God parted the Red Sea by using a strong wind.

• Some contradictions have been solved through archaeology. For example, the pool of Siloam (described in John 5) seemed to contradict what was known about the ancient city of Jerusalem, until archaeologist unearthed it in 2005. So is there a possibility of future excavations clearing up modern areas of confusion?

But even if we were to find a 'contradiction' in which there was no explanation whatsoever, this in and of itself would not be enough to destroy my faith. Because the Bible never claims to be a ‘snapshot-tape recording’ account of every event it records. First of all, the authors of Scripture expressed God’s truth in the concepts and understanding of the period in which they wrote (see Gen. 1. 6 - lit. ‘water dome’ in Hebrew) using the oral and written sources available to them. Second, the reason they wrote was not to give us biological information or to satisfy all of our historical or scientific questions. If we are to understand the Bible, we need to read it in light of its own stated purpose. The Apostle Paul says to his young apprentice Timothy,

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[ may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 2. 14-17).

Paul says that the Scriptures were written for the purpose of bringing people like you and me into a saving relationship with God through faith in Jesus and transforming us into the people God always intended us to be. In other words, the Bible was written for the purpose of SALVATION and TRANSFORMATION.

So when we understand the Bible in the context of its own stated purpose, the ‘contradictions’ disappear. Not because they are explained away, but because they become irrelevant. Because the fact is, I look around FCC all the time and I see God’s Word accomplishing its purpose. And for that, I give glory to God.

What is the best way to tell a non-Christian or atheist about Jesus without 'forcing' your beliefs?

2011-06-06T13:38:00.004-05:00

Another great question! There is no doubt that Christ has called and commissioned His followers take the good news to all nations (Matt. 28. 19). However, many Christians idea of evangelism could best be described as “Closing a Deal on a Sales Call”. They think they have to dump their content on someone and then close the deal or else they really haven’t shared their faith. One of the problems with this definition of evangelism, of which there are many, is that all the results ride on US.

This past Sunday, we began a series called ENCOUNTERS. Over the next few weeks, we are going to be looking at the ways Jesus encountered the people in his life that were far from God. We do this because we believe that Jesus is not only our model for life, but also our model for witness. John chapter 5 tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with a man who has been an invalid for 38 years. Jesus asks him a question, ‘Do you want to get well?’ Then He heals him right then and there. When the religious leaders show up and are scandalized that he healed someone on the Sabbath, Jesus responds by saying, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (5.19). Here Jesus shows us that God was already at work in this man’s life before Jesus even arrived on the scene. Jesus simply needed to recognize what the Father was up to so that he could join Him in that work.

In the same way, God’s spirit is already at work in the lives of the ‘non-Christian’ and ‘atheist’ that you know. So our job is not to sharpen our sales pitch, but to learn to recognize what the Spirit maybe up to. How do we do that? Well, first, we can ask God to help us be attentive to His quiet whispers and gentile nudges as we talk to people. Sometimes after praying a prayer like that, someone will ask a question and you get a sense that God’s up to something. Yet at other times, you won’t get a sense of anything. Don’t force things; let the Spirit lead the way. Second, like Jesus, we need to learn to ask great questions. By asking questions, we often discover clues as to where God maybe at work (examples: “How would you describe your spiritual background?” “Do you think there is a God?” etc.). Third, we can collaborate w/ God in prayer for the seekers and skeptics in our lives. (ex.“Is it ok if I pray for you about that issue in your life?”).

Hopefully, what you see from Jesus’ example is that we are not ‘forcing’ anything on anybody. We are simply listening for the Spirit’s promptings, asking good questions, and following the path wherever it might lead. That may mean a deeper on-going spiritual conversation and eventual baptism into Christ, or it may mean a temporary detour or dead end (with the idea that God may have you reengage that person down the road or have another Christ follower cross their path). So with this in mind, maybe we should see ourselves more as travel guides on a spiritual journey with people rather than traveling salesmen going door-to-door. We are guides, who nevertheless, know that it’s the Holy Spirit, the one who has been pursuing conversations with people he loves for the past two millennia, who is ultimately navigating and leading our way.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mark

Should FCC start an outreach program that takes it to the next level, can we do more to as a church to reach out to our neighbors?

2011-05-31T13:19:00.000-05:00

Great question! You know, as 2011 began, the leadership of FCC discussed having OUTREACH as the focus of all of our teaching on Sunday mornings. The idea that God is calling his followers to get off the sidelines and into the game of being His change agents to a broken world. Now, here we are at the half way point, and it seems- at least from this question- that the message is starting to break through.

Also, this year, we saw the formation of a new outreach ministry. This ministry identified some specific areas of need right here in our own back yard. The issue of hunger and people who are struggling with just putting food on the table each week. So a food pantry was started and it has been a source of blessing- not only to people here in our own faith community- but our neighbors as well (the same could be said of our clothes closet). They also identified the issue of education, and how many schools in our immediate area are struggling (budget cuts, inequity in funding, etc). They decided to 'adopt' Lord's Park Elementary School, and as a result people from FCC have helped with their book fair, end of year festival/fundraiser, as well as baking goodies, writing thank you notes, etc, for teachers appreciation week. Our prayer is to continue to reach out during the summer months with a summer reading program as well as our annual 'Children's Summer Outreach'. They also identified the issue of teen pregnancy. They have been in touch with the Life Choices Center here in Elgin and hope to begin to develop some specific partnership opportunities in the coming month's.

But I can honestly say that I rarely have a week go by when someone doesn't come up to me with a new outreach idea. That awesome. It really gets my blood flowing. Again, I can see that the message is really starting to sink in.

So my encouragement to you is that if you are interested in FCC's ongoing efforts to reach out to our neighbors to join in with one or more of these efforts. Or better yet, join us for the next outreach meeting. It's Tuesday, June 7 @ 6PM here at the church building. We look forward to hearing your ideas.

See You Sunday,

Pastor Mark

Is it right for Christians to celebrate a person’s death?

2011-05-13T23:21:00.000-05:00

Now that the dust is finally starting to settle, after the news of the death of Osama bin Laden, questions have started to emerge. One of them came up last week in my Wednesday night Community Group. It went something like this, “When I saw on the news all the people celebrating in the streets after the news broke, it made me feel uncomfortable. I know Bin Laden was a bad guy and did horrible things, but is it right to celebrate a person’s death?”

So for the next 20 minutes or so, the 10 people in my living room discussed that very question. Here are some of the conclusions we came to together:

The celebrations that broke out in places like New York and elsewhere are completely understandable on one level. Many of those people lost loved ones and others close to them on 9/11. For them, in particular, this event has served as a type of closure for which they have longed. Also, for them and for many others, this event means that a mass murderer has finally been brought to justice. And the human desire for justice – where one gets what they are due, be it protection, punishment, or care- is a reflection of being made in God’s image. Scripture says that our God is a just God (2 Cor. 12:6; 2 Thess. 1:6; 1Jn. 1:9).
Yet for those who call themselves followers of Jesus and citizens of another kingdom, pumping our fists in victory, celebrating in the streets, and shouting USA, USA, is probably not the best response to anyone’s death, even the death of a dangerous and violent enemy. We can be relieved that someone this evil can no longer plot the death of innocents. We can be grateful that his distortion of Islam into a message of division and hate is finally ended. And we can be hopeful that the face of the Arab world might now become the young nonviolent activists for democracy rather than a murderous smirk of a religious fundamentalist. The book of Proverbs warns us not to ‘rejoice when your enemies fall’ (24: 17) and Jesus tells us to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Matt. 5:44). So Christ followers don’t celebrate the death of other human begins. They are still image-bearers of God and someone for whom Jesus hung, bled, and died, regardless of how twisted and evil they have become.
Not only that, but the violence of terrorism, the violence of war, the violent reprisal against Osama bin Laden, the threats of violent retaliation against the U.S. should cause us to take pause. To ask if there’s a way out of this viscous cycle. I believe this is where Christ-followers can lead the way forward. Because we follow one who when confronted with the worst kind of human evil, refused to stoop to that level. Instead, on the cross, Jesus practiced what he preached – he loved his enemies, he turned the other cheek, he went the second mile- and by doing so, he broke the cycle of evil once and for all. Violence and revenge is no longer the only game in town. A new way and a greater power are now possible - for those who believe.

Now (as I recently wrote our state senator) with Bin Laden gone and rendered irrelevant, we finally have a chance to turn the page on the 10-year trauma of 9/11 and to begin to pursue a better path to settling our conflicts, defending ourselves, and undermining the threats against peace. And it is my prayer that it will be simple Jesus people like you and me, that will help lead the way. The way of non-violent love.

See You Sunday,

Pastor Mark

Understanding Japan

2011-03-14T10:59:00.002-05:00

Many of us no doubt have been moved by the images that have come out of Japan over the past week. It is a devastating situation almost beyond comprehension. Disasters of this magnitude often prompt questions much like the one put to me by my daughter over the dinner table last Saturday night: "Why would God allow something like earthquakes and Tsunami's?" You may have asked a similar question over the last few days, or maybe you have overhead someone else ask it. In any case, the following was my attempt (feeble as it may be) to give some understanding in the language an 9 year old could understand. My prayer is that it may help others as well.

God created a world with tectonic plates. These plates allow for life on earth because new material passes between these plates continually replenishing the surface of the earth. But not only does this happen, but these same plates -which bring the potential for new life -sometimes slip- bringing potential for death and destruction. In other words, creation (and human beings for that matter) has been given a certain level of freedom and independence to act within its created design. So God does not "CAUSE" things like earthquakes any more than he causes one person to murder another.
We need to understand, especially in times like these, that the God we believe in is not a distant spectator when it comes to hurt and suffering. We believe that God came to earth and experienced suffering himself. Because of the cross, we know that our God understands intimately and feels every tear we cry.
This present world of suffering is not the end. God has launched His new creation with the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, we know that because of Easter morning, when all is said and done, there will be a brand new heaven and a brand new earth one day.

I pray this gives some perspective, understanding and hope.

Let us continue to pray for the people of Japan. If you would like to encourage them with a financial gift, the Christian churches (in which we are a part) support an organization called International Disaster Emergency Services. You can contact them on the web at http://www.ides.org/

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mark

Gift Ideas for Relational Giving

2010-12-15T10:23:00.003-06:00

Being a part of the Advent Conspiracy means doing Christmas differently this year. One of the ways we can demonstrate that difference is in how we give to one another. Like Jesus, we can give gifts that draw us in a deeper relationship with the recipient.

Here are some more ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Give creative coupons:

Babysitting for your worn out sister in law
Yard work for an elderly neighbor
Road trip adventure with your child
Car maintenance to change the oil in a single mom's car.
House project to help them build that shed, plant that garden, convert a closet, etc.

Give a certificate for a day of doing something together:

A new bat and a promised trip to the batting cages
Copy of a classic book with a promised discussion to follow.
Wrap popcorn and a classic DVD for a movie night with a friend.
A Photo Exchange day. Have family members and friends bring 4-6 pictures that they have been holding in their computer.
A day hike together, you bring lunch.

Things to do with the Kids:

Make cookies and deliever them to neighbors
Make a scrapbook with pictures of time with the person you're giving to, pictures to far away family.
Get a gift catalogue (like a World Vision, World Concern, CMF International) and sit down together as a family and choose one thing to give to someone half a world away.

Hope these ideas help. Remember, this is not about being grinch-like when it comes to Christmas. It's simply trying to give in ways that are more like Jesus. To give of ourselves, not just our 'stuff'. Try it. Step back from the empire of MORE, be thoughtful, and enjoy the celebration.

Pastor Mark

Join the Advent Conspiracy this week!

2010-12-02T10:35:00.002-06:00

I'm really stoked about this upcoming series. We will be joining other Christ followers all over the country who are seeking to do Christmas in a whole new way.

I mean, let's face it, the story of Christ's birth is supposed to be the story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? How did Christmas turn into the season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. How come so many people, when its over, are surrounded by credit card bills, boxes of 'stuff' to return, and the empty feeling of missed opportunity.

Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

But what if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mark

What Difference does Prayer Make?

2010-11-18T17:26:00.002-06:00

I came across a great article this week on the subject of persistent prayer. Thought I would share it with all of you. -Pastor Mark

Prayer and the Persistent Widow
by Nadia Bolz-Weber 11-17-2010
Well, it’s parable day again boys and girls. Parables are like Jesus’ subversive little stories of an alternate universe. This alternate universe is comprised not of alternate things but of ordinary things: coins and yeast and wheat and sons and fathers and widows. Yet these ordinary things are how the nature of God is revealed in surprising, even shocking or scandalous, ways within the quotidian — within the very ordinary. Today’s (paraphrased) parable comes from Luke 18:

“In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually being all up in my face.”’

Jesus’ parables tend to be deeply engaging and really frustrating at the same time: You can meditate on them, struggle with them, enter into them, speak of them, but you just can’t solve them. The best way to suck the life out of a parable is by attempting to neatly allegorize it or worse try to figure out the so-called moral of the story. Parables aren’t about morals; they are about truth — hidden, unyielding, disruptive truth. The kind of truth that simply can’t be contained.

So rather than look at parables straight on, we sometimes only discover the meaning they contain for us by closing one eye and tilting our heads and looking at them sideways. It’s tempting to look straight on and see the story of the persistent widow as a self-help technique by which we can get all the cash and prizes we want out of God’s divine vending machine if we just kind of bug God to death through ceaseless prayer. When it comes down to it though, we know better. And when we find ourselves saying something is an “answer to our prayer,” we might do well to ask what exactly is an answered prayer? Do we only think God answers by giving us what we ask for? We know that just praying hard enough or righteously enough doesn’t get us what we want. We know better because even in the midst of prayer, we have seen cancer be defeated and we have seen cancer win. We’ve seen the powerful exploit the weak, and we’ve seen the weak rise up. We’ve seen teenagers who flourish, and we’ve seen the sullen reality of depression steal the joy of youth.

Yet Luke tells us that this parable of the persistent widow and the unrighteous judge is about our need to pray constantly and not lose hope. So maybe an alternate reading of this parable is that it’s yes, about persistence and prayer and hope, but maybe it’s about the persistence of God. Maybe it is us who, even though we fail to fear God or care about people, are finally worn down by the persistence of a God who longs for justice. Maybe prayer isn’t the way in which we manipulate God, but is simply the posture in which we finally become worn down by God’s persistence — God’s persistence in loving us. God’s persistence in forgiving and being known. And God’s persistence in being faithful and always, always, always bringing life out of death.

Maybe the persistence of our prayer is nothing more than our spiritual exposure to the persistence of God’s longing for a world of justice and beauty — a world where we are finally no longer alone but connected to God and each other in ways that are as surprising as a parable. Ways which seem ordinary but which reveal a different kind of relationship. And to pray is to connect ourselves to this persistent longing of God.

New testament scholar Fred Craddock describes this as a process by which a person is being hammered through long days and nights of prayer into a vessel that will be able to hold the answer when it comes.

In this world we live in — a world of western individualism and alienation — I think prayer is radically about connection. It is to live not unaffected by what is happening in each others’ lives. To pray for each other is to live not unaffected by what is happening in the blessed and broken and beautiful world in which God has placed us.

In Luke and throughout scripture we are told to pray constantly, pray without ceasing, so that we do not lose heart. And how do you pray without ceasing? Only by having others pray for you, with you. Because let’s face it, who can pull off praying without ceasing alone? We all need to occasionally, you know, sleep and eat and run to King Soopers. So to pray without ceasing is not an individual sport. If anything, it’s a relay race. It’s what we do for each other, and it’s what we do for the world.

And these prayers are like these gossamer threads connecting us to God and God’s people. When we pray on another’s behalf we become connected to that person through God, and we become connected to God through that person. And in these connections God gets stuff done. Not necessarily the stuff we think God should do, but the work that God is always about, which is redeeming us and all of creation. These gossamer threads of prayer, woven through the space and time of our lives, are like the network through which God sends God’s own love for the world.

I started to think this week that our prayer is less how we get what we want and more how God gets what God wants. And if Jesus’ final prayer for his disciples at the end of John’s gospel is any indication, then what God wants for us is a kind of redemption that comes not through individualism and looking out for #1. Right before his death, God the son prayed for us to our Lord asking this about us: That they may be one, as we are one, in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

So the very prayer Christ prayed for us is one of connection. That we might know love and become completely one. None of us is alone. We are connected by prayer to each other and to God.

It hurts sometimes. But the more you see suffering and injustice around you, the more you pray, and the more you pray the more connected you are to that suffering, and the more connected you are to that suffering the more connected you are to the crucified and risen Christ. For these silken threads of prayer which connect us to God and to one another and even to our enemies are how God is stitching our broken humanity back together. So church, pray without ceasing and do not lose heart. For God has some stuff to do.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Nadia Bolz-Weber is a Lutheran pastor living in Denver, Colorado, where she serves the emerging church, House for all Sinners and Saints. She blogs at www.sarcasticlutheran.com and is the author of Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television.

Why are so many churches abandoning some of the old traditions -- from leadership to choice of music?

2010-11-09T08:59:00.003-06:00

Someone has said that the only constant in life is change.

In the same way, those who are part of Christ's resurrection community should recognize that there will be a continual developing, growing, adapting as the Holy Spirit does his transformational work in and through us. The process of 'making all things new'.

Unfortunately, there are churches today that are griped by the old dragon of traditionalism, that squeezes this new life right out of its victims.

Now notice, I did not say tradition. I said traditionalism. There's a difference. Let me explain:

Traditions are those things that keep us grounded and rooted in our faith a world where truth tends to be up for grabs. For example: Believing in the authority of the Scriptures, accepting Jesus as forgiver and leader of life and demonstrating that decision through the act of baptism, weekly gathering around the Lord's Table, committing oneself a small group where you can be discipled and mentored by servant-leaders, and becoming a person who shares their faith with others. Such traditions are important absolutes in a world of relativism and uncertainty.

But there is a big difference between tradition and traditionalism. Traditionalism is an attitude that resists change, adaptation, and alteration. It's blindly and forcefully holding fast to customs and behaviors. It's being suspicious of the new, the up to date and the different. It's turning away from what really matters (see above) and focusing on what doesn't matter, it's an obsession with the insignificant. Traditionalism in a word - is pettiness.

You can probably guess where I stand. Over my years in ministry, I have seen many traditional churches grow and flourish as God's opens more and more doors to reach those who are far from Him. On the other hand, I've seen my share of churches sickened with the disease of traditionalism (with the terminal case of discord, disruption and destruction) who never fully become what God intended them to be.

It is my continually prayer that FCC would be a place rooted and grounded in tradition, but that continually breaks through the dead leaves of traditionalism, ever growing together -reaching toward the SON.

What do Muslims Believe?

2010-11-04T13:14:00.003-05:00

Islam is a religion that believes in one God (monotheism) and originated in what is today Saudi Arabia in the 17th century as a result of the teachings of Muhammad. Muslims follow the teachings of the Qur'an in which they believe is God's last word to the world (after the Old and New Testaments).

There are 5 articles of faith that are the main doctrines of Islam. All Muslims are expected to believe:

There is only one true God and his name is Allah.
In the existence of angels.
In four inspired books (Torah of Moses, Psalms of David, Gospel of Jesus, and the Qur'an).
In the prophets (From Adam to Muhammad).
In the Last Days (or Judgment Day)

Beside the five major beliefs (or doctrines) in Islam, there are also 5 pillars of faith.

The Creed: 'There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah.'
Prayer: 5 times a day
Giving: Charity to the poor
Fasting: During the month of Ramadan
The Pilgrimage: To visit the city of Mecca once in their lifetime

Now while there may be some similarities between the Christian Faith and Islam, there are also some noticeable differences. Islam denies the fatherhood of God and the doctrine of the Trinity. Islam believes if ones good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they will attain salvation, whereas followers of Christ believe that salvation is based solely on God's grace through faith in Jesus. Islam does not believe that Jesus is God in human flesh or that he died on the cross for the sins of humanity and rose again.

I hope this is helpful in giving you an overview of Muslim belief's. It is my prayer that in a world that swings from assimilation ("All religions are really saying the same thing") to fear/paranoia ("Muslims are taking over this country!!!"), that we would live out the third way of Jesus as described by the Apostle Peter, 'Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.' (I Peter 3. 15).

Where did God come from?

2010-10-21T09:11:00.004-05:00

This question begins with the assumption that everything, including God, must have a specific beginning point. This assumption is correct when it comes to that which is found within the confines of time and space. However, Albert Einstein's theory of relativity showed that time can actually be altered, slowed down, speeded up, when objects begin to travel at extremely high speeds. This blew out of the water the idea that everything that exists must operate within the context of fixed time and space. For the first time, it showed that it was possible for something (or dare I say- someone) to exist outside of time and space.

Often when explaining this to people, I will take out a blank piece of paper and draw a line. I'll ask something like, "Do you remember having to draw those time lines for history class when you were in school? You would make a little hash mark and put down 'WWI' and the dates and then move down and put WWII and the date. Then you might write down the name of a famous figure like 'Winston Churchill' and then put their birth and death date." Then I continue, "Everything on this timeline must have a beginning and an end because its contained within the timeline. However, in the case of God, God is not contained within the timeline because God is the creator OF the timeline. Therefore God is outside of it. And because God is over and above the timeline and not on it, God has no beginning and no end."

While difficult to wrap our minds around, this fact helps us to understand the biblical teaching that God exists outside of time and space as we know it (Psalm 90. 4; Colossians 1. 17; I Peter 3. 8). To accept that God exists outside time and space as we know it renders any question of where God came from meaningless.

Jesus led by serving, why are we not doing more service projects as a congregation?

2010-10-12T13:10:00.001-05:00

This is a great question, because it really strikes at the heart of what I believe we should be about here at FCC. Now Jesus service in reaching out to others took two forms:

It Was Attractional: The Bible says that ‘large crowds followed him, and he healed them’. (Matt. 19.2). There was something about Jesus that caused people to want to be around him. Through his words and actions, Jesus conveyed the message: “Come as you are. God does not hate you nor is He angry with you. He has been lovingly searching for you, drawing you into relationship to help you to be all you were intended to be.” Therefore, to serve like Jesus, we need to create a ‘come as you are’ culture. A place where spiritual seekers can experience God’s grace in Christian community, feel free to ask questions, and learn at their own pace.

It Was Incarnational: If you were here this summer for our Big Questions series, you might remember the Sunday we studied Jesus as God ‘incarnate’. Carna means ‘meat/flesh’, so to say that Jesus was God incarnate means that Jesus put ‘flesh’ on God, Jesus came and showed us what God is like. As author Eugene Peterson put it, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood’ (Jn. 1.14). To serve like Jesus then means to go the places lost and hurt people are and show them (embody) what our loving God looks like.

Attractional and incarnational, these are the ways God in Christ reached out to us, and therefore should be the model in how we reach out and serve others. Recently, two individuals have stepped up to lead us in these areas here at FCC: Ron Skipper has agreed to head up what we are calling our hospitality ministry. This ministry will work in conjunction with different Sunday morning ministries (Greeters/Connection Café) in making sure that the message we convey to our guests is that FCC is a place you can truly ‘come as you are’. Ron will also be working with our other attractional events (Trunk or Treat, Christmas Program) to make sure that when we invite a spiritually seeking friend or coworker, they will feel that this is a warm, safe, and welcoming place to be.

In addition to Ron, Andrea Anderson has agreed to lead a new ministry focused on neighborhood engagement. Drey’s focus will be looking for problems within our community (homelessness, hunger, school budget cuts) and developing ways to tackle them that revel God and his love for broken people.

So if you are someone who has a heart to serve, to reach out to the lost and the hurting in our community, please contact Ron or Drey to see where you might be able to plug in. By doing so, I pray that together we might be a church that serves our community just like Jesus.

I see my parents sometimes ‘texting’ in the worship service. Is this a sin?

2010-10-06T09:42:00.004-05:00

I’ll admit I laughed when I first read this question, sense it came to us on a Sunday when I encouraged everyone to text in their questions. Apparently this was not as new exercise for some of us.

As parents, we are constantly communicating to our children what is important. But, as I have said before, every message we relay has three components: our actual words (7%), our tone of voice (38%), and our non-verbal actions (55%). Confusion begins when the three components contradict each other. So, for example, we can say to our kids that worshiping regularly with our brothers and sisters in Christ is important, but if we are skipping out regularly to attend ball games or birthday parties, then our non-verbal actions will not only cause confusion, they will also hold more weight. In the same way, we can say to our children, “You need to listen to God’s word and put it into practice in your life”. But if that same child witnesses during the teaching time (in place of an open Bible and a note pad) a phone – that will not only cause confusion, but most likely negate whatever words we’ve said.

However, our actions within the worship service have implications beyond our own immediate family. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. As we saw back in the spring, here was a community of Christ followers who were all about exercising their ‘freedom’. Paul reminds them, however, that just because you’re free to do something, doesn’t mean you should do it. In chapter 8, he warns them to be careful that the ‘exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block for the weak.’ (8.9). In chapter 9, he describes how he had given up some of his freedoms for their sake. In chapter 10, he says ‘Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.’ (10. 23-24). Paul’s point throughout the letter is that as followers of Jesus, we are characterized not by what we are ‘free to do’ but our sacrificial love and respect for others. So if Paul was alive today and he was addressing the issue of texting in the worship service, I believe he would say, “Your focus should not be on what you are free to do, but what do you need to sacrifice so as not to be a stumbling block for someone else. It's sacrificing your freedoms for the sake of building up others. After all, that’s what it means to look more like Jesus. That’s the Calvary-shaped life.”

Is texting in worship a sin? No. Am I free to do it? Yes. Does texting in worship communicate the importance of worship to my children and build up my brothers and sisters in Christ? I’ll leave that one for you to decide.

Is the ‘sinner’s prayer’ actually in the Bible anywhere?

2010-09-27T12:04:00.002-05:00

Regardless of how long you have been a follower of Jesus, you have probably at one time or another encountered this prayer. Maybe you went to Christmas/Easter program at a large local church. At the end of the service, someone stepped forward and asked everyone to bow their heads and quote ‘repeat this prayer after me’. After the prayer concluded, the audience was invited to ‘celebrate these decisions that have been made today’.

You have just experienced what is called the sinners prayer – and it’s not found in the Bible.

In fact, it was Dwight L. Moody who developed the sinner’s prayer that was then made popular during the 1950’s with the ministry of Billy Graham. With it came the popularization of phrases like ‘I asked Jesus into my heart” and ‘my personal relationship with Jesus’.

Now, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for both Moody and Graham - and the idea of a personal relationship with Jesus is not untrue, as far as it goes. But I believe this prayer fails to convey the broader reality of what’s involved in salvation. The sinner’s prayer gives a false impression that salvation is simply an individual agreeing to a list of facts and it separates following Jesus from all the mess of having to live together as followers of Jesus.

In other words, in many churches the sinner’s prayer replaced the sacrament of baptism. Baptism, at least for the early church, was an act in which individuals claimed God’s grace in the washing away of their sins, of having their lives shaped by Christ’s self-sacrificing love, and it signified one’s entrance into the community of Jesus followers.

Unfortunately, it’s easier to sell a message which calls one to personally accept certain phrases, then it is to live out the standard ‘love one another as I have loved you’ (Jn. 15. 12) in the context of a community of recovering sinners. It’s easier to have a personal relationship with Jesus then it is to ‘Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything back’ (Lk. 15.12). Therefore, when communicating to good news of salvation with people, we must be clear that it is bigger than a personal transaction. That God seeks to put to death our selfish self and birth us to a brand new way of life, in the context of a local forever family, with whom the radical love of Jesus is continually transforming us as well as transforming the world through us. Baptism, I believe, is the God-given symbol that best illustrates the completeness of our salvation.

Is the 1000 year reign of Christ a literal 1000 year time period?

2010-09-21T09:24:00.003-05:00

The subject of the millennium (1000 year reign of Christ) excites and preoccupies many students of the Bible. However, the only place where the specifically mentioned is Revelation 20: 1-7. It describes a time when a) Satan will be bound; b) the First Resurrection from the dead occurs; and c) those raised will reign with Jesus.

So you can understand the excitement in studying this subject. However, what do these things mean and when will they take place. There are several approaches to this question:

Some believe that the millennium is a future paradise on earth, brought about when the whole world has finally heard and responded to the preaching of the gospel. Christ will reign from heaven and after 1000 years will return to earth. This view is called POST millennial ism.
Others believe Christ will return before the millennium and reign from Jerusalem over a LITERAL, physical kingdom. Christ followers of all ages will be raised from the dead to reign with him. This view is called PREmillennialism.
Still others say that the events described in Revelation, including Revelation 20, are symbolic in nature and not to be read with a 'wooden literalism'. They say that the blessings described in Revelation 20 are descriptive of what Jesus accomplished when he came the first time and the millennium describes the period of time we are living in now; the time between Jesus' first and second coming. This view is called Amilllennialism.

This last view, in my opinion, is the best one. It is the most true to the nature and structure of the book of Revelation and to the overall teaching of Scripture. My reasons are as follows:

The language of Revelation is symbolic: Just as we understand the dragon standing over a woman (Rev. 12) or beast rising out of the sea (Rev.13) are not literal creatures, but symbols; then consistency dictates we understand the millennium (Rev. 20) the same way, as a symbolic.
The events of Revelation are not chronological: Many assume that the book is one long series of events. Since the 1000-year reign is near the end, it's assumed that it must be at the end of human history. However, Revelation appears to move back and forth; moving forward, pausing, moving forward again, and then circling back to the original point. It 'sounds' more like a piece of jazz, that circles and builds, circles and builds-bringing us eventually to the end.
The purpose of Revelation is to show that GOD IS IN CHARGE. Therefore Revelation 20 describes how Jesus has already begun to bind Satan/limit his power (See also Matt. 12. 22-30, I John 3.8, Heb. 2.14), that people are being raised up to new life (John 5.24; Rom. 6.3-4; Eph. 2.1; Col. 2.12-13), and that Christ followers are now reigning with him-sharing his victorious power over sin and death (Eph. 2. 5-6; I John 4.4; Rev. 1.6; 5.10).

The message of the millennium is that because of Jesus, Satan's power over us is limited; WE have power over HIM. This is what it means to 'reign with Christ'. We are already doing it. May we be reminded of this the next time we are tempted to give into the lies that we are helpless victims to this sin or that addiction. May we be reminded of this the next time we see real people being crushed under a corrupt system and we wonder if there is anything we can do. By God's grace, may we live our lives like we really believe that OUR GOD REIGNS!

When We Sin Does God Discipline Us For Being Bad?

2010-09-14T12:07:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, we had a great Q & A time, during the Sunday Service. However, we were not able to get to all the questions that were asked. Over the coming weeks, I will attempt to answer the remaining questions here on my blog, on our newly redesigned website (thanks Tom B :-).

This is a great question to begin with because it ties so well into our current study of Jonah. The Bible is clear that God does in fact discipline us His children.

Hebrews 12, beginning in verse 5 says:

And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 For the LORD disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way (NLT).

Over the next few weeks, we will see God disciplining his ‘son’ Jonah, as he attempts to run from God and his direct commands. But what we learn from this passage in Hebrews, and from the book of Jonah, is that the purpose behind God’s discipline is to expose our heart; to expose our sin. Not so he can crush or humiliate us, but so He can cleanse us and shape us into the people He originally created us to be. That we, by God’s grace, would learn how to leave behind the self-centered, self-absorbed, childish ways of the past and grow up into Him. . .that is, Christ (Eph. 4.15).

God’s discipline is for the purpose of helping us to grow up - so that we speak, act, react, serve, sacrifice, offer hospitality, forgive, include outsiders, and share the Kingdom message, more and more like Jesus. That in the end, it could be said of us that we ‘share in His holiness’: a way of life so radically out of step with the culture, but is nevertheless attractive to every person we come into contact with who is lost and seeking. May our gut-level, honest prayer be, “God, do whatever it takes to help me mature, so that I may fully reflect Your image as seen in Jesus and point the lost people I know to a new way of life found in You.”

Foundations

2009-08-27T16:39:00.000-05:00

Well, our house is really starting to come together.

It had been a few days since we had stopped by to see how the remolding was going. The basement is framed in and all the new drywall is up. Before to long, we are going to be ready to paint.

As Jeanette and I walked around, I couldn't help but remember back to a few months ago, when we wondered if we were ever going to get to this point. Between the back and forth with the financing, as well as getting the guys lined up to work on the foundation.

The foundation. Now that was the cause of many sleepless nights.

We had as many different options on how to address our problem, as we had companies that came out to look at it. We didn't know what to do. It seemed like God had confirmed everything else as far as us moving to this side of town, why this headache.

Then one night, after a particularly stressful go around with this issue, Jeanette was sitting up reading her devotions. She started laughing. She then turned to me and handed me the Bible. It read:

^{He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. Is 33:6}

In the midst of all this stress and worry, we had forgotten a key component. God alone is our foundation. He is the one we ultimately rest our lives upon and he alone is the one in whom we should fear.

That verse was both a slap in the forehead as well as an incredible source of comfort. To be honest, I haven't really worried much about the foundation since that night. Because I know that what holds up our house is not just concrete and steel, but the mighty Creator of concrete and steel.

To Him alone be praise.

See you Sunday,

Mark

⁶ He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

Let's Face It

2009-07-16T16:29:00.000-05:00

It was great yesterday night to have our community group over at our house. Because of the craziness of our summer schedules, we decided to take a few months off from our weekly meeting time. Instead, we are meeting once a month for a potluck meal, fellowship, prayer and lots of laughter. One person took the words right out of my mouth when they said, "I forgot how much I missed this!".

Many people on their way out thanked us for our hospitality, and so often when we use that word we generally do think of welcoming people into our homes. But as Christ followers there is something much more important than opening our front doors to people. And that is opening our lives to them. And even opening our faces.

Opening our faces? What do you mean by that? I don't know about you, but when I think of the most hospitable people that I have had the pleasure of worshiping beside over the years, they all had something in common: It was a smile, a gaze, a tone of voice that communicated "Your safe with me. This is a place where you will receive grace not condemnation, understanding not a lecture."

Jesus had that kind of face. It was a face that encouraged a woman with loose sexual morals to engage him in spiritual questions by a well. It was a face that led a man steeped in religious legalism to seek him out for an evening interview. And a member of the occuping military force to come and ask for the healing of his daughter. And a ragtag group of fishermen and relgious dropouts to follow him to the ends of the earth.

As those who have been clothed with Christ through the waters of baptism and been empowered by his very spirit, let us likewise show hospitality. Let us like Jesus, open ourselves up to not only to those like us, but to the poor, the outsiders, the excluded, the ones everyone else has forgot (0r would like to forget).

The way we do this - is through our face! Our eyes, our smile, our voice that says, "Come on in. You have nothing to fear from me. I care about you!"

Who do you know that needs to see the face of Jesus?

See you Sunday!

Mark

North American Christian Convention

2009-07-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

It was great to attend the NACC this year. Not only is it an opportunity to hear the ways God is working through the various ministries conducted by our churches, it is also a chance to worship beside brothers and sisters from all over the country. Being a part of this mighty anthemof praise, as well as being fed by God through the preaching of His word always re-energizes my batteries, right at the time of the year when pastors like me struggle with the mid-summer lull.

I'm excited by what God is doing in and through FCC. I'm so thankful that He has allowed me and my family to be a part of it. I look forward to the second half of this year -and beyond!

Growing in God's Garden

2009-06-12T10:51:00.000-05:00

I'm not much of a gardener.

But that hasn't stopped me from growing different kinds of herbs and vegetables out on my back porch over the last few years. Even last year, when we lived in a second story apartment in Austin, I had two or three pots filled will natures bounty.

This year, I have tomato's, onions, peppers, as well as basil and cilantro.

One of the things I've noticed this year that I never cued into before is how plants seem to grow in spurs. For example, I have plants that look like they are the same size as when I brought them home from the nursery, while others are growing like crazy. Then what seems like overnight, those plants that were growing like crazy seem to have stopped and others are suddenly HUGH.

This has caused me to reflect on my own life. Like these plants, my growth in Christ is never uniform. I have spurs of growth, when God is teaching me things about myself, His Kingdom and the world that I never knew before. As I begin to live those insights out, my spiritual life flourishes, my walk with God grows deeper, richer, than ever. I don't want this rush to end.

But then that growth is inevitably followed by a period of relitive dormancy. I don't doubt that I'm growing in my walk with God, it's just that it is such small steps it seems nearly inperceptable to my eye.

This inconsistancy used to upset me. I felt like that as a follower of Christ, and as a minister of the gospel, I should always be experencing explosive growth. But I have come to realize that whether we are talking about nature or our spiritual life, this cycle is normal. That if we remain rooted in that place where we can continue to draw nutretients, when the time is right, growth with come.

So my word of grace to you is that regardless of where you may feel like you are on that cycle, remember Jesus' words 'remain in me, and I will remain in you. ' (John 15: 4) and when the time is right, maybe even when you least expect it, growth will come!

See you Sunday,

Mark

God's Party

2009-05-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

The other day I came across a story in the newspaper about a neighborhood in Chicago that has one of the highest concentrations of drug activity, prostitution, alcoholics, and. . .churches. Huh?!

That's right, Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood claims to have over 200 churches, with most consitrated on only two roads (Roosevelt and Pulaski).

The question that immediately came to my mind as I read was, "With so many churches, why is the community in the shape that its in." It didn't take long for me to find my answer. Some who were interviewed said it was because young people tend to grow up and move away, instead of staying to invest in homes and businesses. Others claimed its because churches, which are tax-exempt, are building on commercial land and stifling economic growth. But Omar McRoberts, a sociologist from the University of Chicago offered this comment. He said, "With the birth of civil rights organizations in the 1960's that formed to meet the needs of the community, many churches looked inward and shifted their focus from activist work to serving their members. Pastor Terence Raven, of Christ Baptist church agreed saying, "I think there are too many churches not doing what they need to do!"

As a read about this neighborhood, which is jokingly referred to as the 'community of 1,000 churches', I couldn't help but think of my own city of Elgin. Elgin also is known as a city of many churches. And although we don't struggle with the level of problems facing North Lawndale, we too have our share of challenges- from gangs and teen pregnancy to poverity and food pantry shortages.

Yet as I read the gospels, I find that Jesus preoccupation was with people in need. He is not concerned about our claims to love and serve him, but our willingness to demonstrate that love through caring for 'the least of these'.

One of Jesus' favorite images of the Kingdom, God's loving in-breaking rule, was a dinner party. And anyone who 's been to a dinner party knows there are certain rules of etiquette. The first rule is - you don't eat until everyone is at the table (This is one of the rules at our home that dad is most apt to break).

But do we as Jesus' party guests do the same thing? We've learned that its rude to eat before everyone is seated and served, but when we enter into God's rule and we see this incredible meal laid out before us, we start gobbling it down. Do we demand, "Feed me, Feed me!!" rather than being focused on what Jesus is focused on, which is gathering all those who aren't yet at the table.

So as we look around our neighborhoods, our city, our places of work, let's ask ourselves - Who do I know and care about that is not yet a regular guest at God's table? What can I do to help that person connect with the God revealed in Jesus? How would these places change as more and more people came to dinner?

Pray, think, dream. The party has started. We have the invitations in our hands. Don't be afraid to take a risk.

Mark

God Whispers

2009-05-07T13:18:00.000-05:00

The other day I was driving around town and listening to the local public radio station. They were reporting on a study that was recently published concerning Chicago's suburban schools. They said that over the past 15 years, more minority students have moved to the suburbs. But the study showed that suburban black and Latino students are attending increasingly segregated schools.

The report mentioned two districts the specifically illustrated this problem: District 300 (which includes Carpentersville, Dundee, etc) and U46 (which includes Elgin).   It said that these school systems most clearly showed the growing division between races and cultures.

As the program came to an end, many thoughts came to my mind. First, I whispered a prayer of thanks to God, for giving me an opprotunity to help lead such an increadibly diverse community of Christ Followers. In a day when 90% of churches are made up of one race and culture, FCC looks very much like the city we live in.

Second, I heard the whisper of the Spirit speaking into my spirit. It simply said, 'This is the churches hour'. Like Mordecai speaking to Esther and saying, 'And who knows but the you have come. . .for such a time as this', I believe that God has placed us in this time and place to accomplish His Kingdom purposes through us.   In a city that is apparently growing more divided, God wants to raise us up as a living example of His dream for our area. That God is, right here, today, building a community where the old divisions, agendas, sterotypes, have died and been buried in the waters of baptism and something brand new is being formed. A place where there is 'no more Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female', but there is instead an unbreakable unity because of what Jesus Christ has done for us!

Church, this is our hour! Jesus said that the day would come whenthe things whispered in secret would be shouted from the housetops. Will you join me in shouting the message to our divided city what God is doing here at FCC? Will you share it with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, everyone you meet?   God is up to something, and as for me, I want to be smack dab right in the middle of it. I pray you do as well.

See you this weekend.

Mark

Being the Light of Christ in a Dark Place

2009-04-28T11:13:00.000-05:00

If you haven't had a chance to read the recent article about FCC's own Mark Rotundo published in the Northwest Herald, check out the link below. Also, continue to keep Mark, Erin and the kids in your prayers.

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2009/04/07/r_3brrl0gurdaxm5lt4etrwa/

Starting Over

2009-04-23T16:04:00.000-05:00

Coming in to the office today, I couldn't help but notice how 'green' everything is becoming here in Elgin. It has been a long, brutal, winter and it is as if creation is suddenly coming back to life.
Many of us have also been suffering through a tough winter of sorts. A troubled economy, job losses, financial strain.
Yet, as I look at the trees and flowers staring to bud, I cannot help to think of the message of Easter. That, because of the Resurrection of Jesus, the world is now a different place. Regardless of what the pundits and talking heads might say, we as Christ followers know we live in a world full of potential and possibilities.
I thank God for the spring (and although I'm not looking forward to the summer heat, at least I'm not living in Texas anymore). Spring reminds me that winter's grip has at last been broken and something new and beautiful awaits us.
Likewise, Easter reminds me that evil no longer has ultimate power. It has been replaced by something greater: A power to change lives and circumstances. A power to raise up that which had been torn down. A power to bring life and color to that which was once dead or dying, whether that be our dreams, our circumstances, our relationships, our community.
Will you join with me, in seeking to live out the good news of Easter. Let's announce with our lips and our lives that 'our present sufferings are not to be compared to the glory that awaits us'. The gray days are giving way to a deeper and lasting reality and 'gates of hell' will not stand against God's dream for us and the world.

Spring has sprung! Let's live like it!

Getting Started

2009-03-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Wow! I cannot believe I'm actually doing this. I'm one of least computer savy people I know, and I'm actually writing my own blog. The Apocalypse must certainly be around the corner.

I also cannot believe that it has been over half a year since I became the minister here at First Christian Church of Elgin. I have enjoyed getting to meet all the wonderful people who are part of this community of Christ followers, and I'm looking forward to the BIG things God has planned for us.

This week, I wrap up my teaching series Defiant Hope in Troubled Times. I appreciate all the feedback I've received over the last few months on how God has used these messages to encourage you and keep your eyes on the BIG picture.

We are going to be looking at how to have hope despite anxiety. Our 24/7 news cycle constantly bombards our minds with the bad, leaving us loaded down with worry and fear. Now, more than ever, we need to rest on the power God provides through our brothers and sisters in Christ.

This week, I read about two elderly ladies shopping at the mall. One was in a wheelchair and the other was pushing. At one point, the one sitting down turned around and said, 'Let me know when you get tired, I'll push for awhile.'

Carrying around the weight of our all our fears can get tiring real quick. But the good news is that God wants us to 'cast all our anxieties on him' (I Peter 5:7). That might mean regularly bringing our cares to God in prayer, or it may mean humbling ourselves enough to ask for help from the people God has placed in our lives. But one thing is certain, God doesn't want us to buckle under the weight of all our fears.

Look forward to seeing all of you this Sunday!

Peace,

Mark