I Want to Be Honest About This Church Planting Thing

This morning at one of the churches we've visited before, a woman asked me how things were going with ERC (Emmaus Road Church). I answered her as I do nearly everyone who asks. I tell the good stories about the people we've met, about the dreams we have, about how God seems to be opening doors for us. And all of that is true, and I think people need to hear that encouragement.

But the reality is, I wonder if I'm misleading them into thinking that planting a church is easy, that things just fall into your lap, that there's little hard labor and sorrow and loneliness and disappointment and uncertainty involved. That it's something you can do in your spare time when you feel like it. That it doesn't shake you to your foundation. That, at the end of many weeks I resonate with the exasperation of Charlie Brown when he exclaims, "Good grief!"

If I'm honest with you, I will tell you that I don't have a "game plan." That I don't really know what I'm doing. That I've questioned myself and God more times than I can count. That I've looked at other churches with a mixture of envy and despair (both envying and despairing at the same exact things). That I've been laid bare and found wanting on too many occasions. That my best attempts at anything seem about as effective as stopping a hurricane with an umbrella.

I say all of this because, as those who believe in the reality of God's love manifested in Christ, I owe it to you not to put a varnish over the very real scuff marks and gouges in the wood of this thing for fear you could get the wrong idea about following God. It's not easy. We're fools if we ever think it will be.

And yet, as difficult as it is, there is good news in all of this: At least I don't have to fake desperation for God anymore.

On Gratitude

I've been reading Brennan Manning's book "Ruthless Trust" lately. Time after time, he reminds me of what God is graciously doing in my life at the present moment--and for that ,Manning's been a good companion as of late.

I wanted to pass along something from the book in light of it being Thanksgiving and all. Here's a quotation from Henri Nouwen that Manning includes in the chapter, "The Way of Gratefulness." Maybe as a way of saying thanks, you might pick up a copy of Manning's book, read it, then express to God how grateful you are for the life He's giving you.

"To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives--the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections--that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for. Let's not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God."

Happy Thankgiving.

Let's just be real for a moment . . .

. . . some days are better than others.

Our Next President--Barack Obama

For me, this day, this night, was a demonstration of all that is good about America. It was about loving our neighbor, about seeking something higher than our own self-interests, about the reality that God has created all of us brothers and sisters. The speeches by both McCain and Obama gave testimony to and called us forward into a future where we are not identified by our differences but rather known for our charity and unity.

I believe this brings us much closer to the intent for this nation of our country's forefathers. More importantly, I believe it brings us that much closer to the message of Christ and God's intent for us as His beloved creation. Of course my hope for our country and indeed our world rests firmly upon God and His mercy in Christ, but my heart cries out "Yes!" when I catch a glimpse, as I did tonight, be it ever so faint, of the image of God in humanity--of people of all colors and ages, incomes and cultures, hoping and pledging to sacrifice for each other and a better tomorrow.

I know Barack Obama will not be able to fix everything. I know I will disagree fundamentally with him on certain, if not many, issues. But I believe, and want to believe, that He will bring an end to the hatred and fear and partisanship that have divided us from one another and prohibited us from accomplishing great things. And that gives me great hope.

Hear me clearly, Christ is our Lord and King. We ought not put our complete trust in any other but Him. Nevertheless, we live in a world that needs good men and women who will call us to live for something greater than ourselves. Perhaps Barack Obama will be one of them.

May God give him wisdom and grace--and may he listen and lead justly.