God does not call us to love the world. He does not command us to love everyone. (yes, I just said that) God, the Bible says, loves the world. God loves everyone.

But the second greatest commandment is to “love our neighbor.”

The question, for thousands of years has been, “who is my neighbor?” Jesus himself got asked this question. And yes, Jesus greatly expanded who we are to think of as our “neighbor”- pagans, enemies, the poor, the unclean, etc.

But I would like to ask a different question. Not, “who is our neighbor?” But, “why neighbor?” Why not just command us to love the world, love everyone? If that is the nature of God, why not command us to do the same?

We do not have the capacity to love the world, to love everyone. God does. But we do not. The command to love our neighbor is a profound statement about what our love is to be like. Our neighbors are the people that God has placed in our lives. They are real, and tangible, and close. They have names. They are our family, friends, co-workers, and literally neighbors.

I think we have made a huge mistake in expanding the word neighbor to mean “everyone.” When we do this, we turn our love into an emotion without much content. Love becomes a feeling we are supposed to have, but a feeling that is incapable of changing the world. I believe that God called us to a much more powerful and tangible kind of love.

God calls us to love our neighbors. To love the people he has placed in our life… but to love them well. This is a tangible sort of love, expressed in action- time, meals, visits, phone calls, prayers, play, shared experiences, and so much more.

God does not call us to love the world. But He has called us to love our neighbors- the people He has placed in our life. But He has called us to love them well.

Our energy is not meant to be spent on trying to love more and more people. Rather, it is best spent on loving the people in our live better- in a way that changes things.

“Prayer does not prepare us for the greater work.  Prayer is the greater work.”

For the past 3 years I have read and studied about missional church planting.  I believe that the church in America has some serious challenges in the sense that it has become an institution, building, one hour service, and irrelevant to every day life (I could go on).  I believe that structure matters and that we need to work hard to structure our communities in ways that make a difference in our world.

However, what we really need is not a new “model of doing church”.  If this is all we are seeking, we are just reinventing the same problem in a new way.  Don’t get me wrong, I more than most, believe we need to do things differently.  But what is deeper than new models and structures, is the vibrancy of our prayer life.  “Unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers labor in vain.”  The model of the house is irrelevant.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples to lock themselves in a room and to not doing anything…….. until…… the Holy Spirit came upon them.  When the Spirit came, God began to use the church to flip the world upside down.

Regardless of structure, what is the state of your church’s prayer life?  Has God poured His Spirit upon your community, your city?   Have you asked Him to?  Or are you trying to change the world by yourself… with cool music, great sermons, and creative logos?

If our churches are irrelevant and ineffective in today’s culture, it is not because we do not have enough technology, money, books, lights, and music videos.  We have all these things and more.  But do we walk with God in the power of the Holy Spirit?

God uses people who pray.

But if you do not pray, He probably will not use you.

As of August 1st- I am officially unemployed.

I stepped down from my youth pastor position to follow the call on my life to plant churches.  In some ways, I feel like I am completely unprepared.  In other ways, I feel like if I read one more book or blog on how to plant a church, I will explode.

More than anything, I desire for God to do a new thing in the city of Rockford.  My prayer is that He would pour out His Holy Spirit in such a way that lives would be redeemed, restored, and transformed.  I know that unless God builds His Kingdom, all my labor is vanity.

I know I have a part in God’s agenda.  To pray, to learn, to be prepared.  But mainly I believe my part is to be available.  To let God have access to my life.  To help others here His voice and equip them to follow this call.

It should be an exciting adventure.  I will certainly keep you posted

I found this post by Bill Kinnon very funny and profound.  I think you will enjoy it and hopefully take a moment or two to think about it.

My mom always told me that all humor has a hint of truth to it.

Here is a cool post by Ed Stetzer about what we can learn from Atheists.

This is an absolutely hilarious sarcastic piece on the emergent church… when it becomes fad-ish/superficial.

Enjoy

I am becoming more and more convinced of the small.

We live in a world where small typically is associated with weak, unsuccessful, and undesirable.  America desires big, success, more, and power.

But God’s Kingdom is like a mustard seed, small and powerful.  Here is why I like small:

Small allows for deeper community.

Small reminds us that so much of what we have is unnecessary.

Small reminds us that we are to magnify God, not ourselves.

Small is more flexible, which means it can follow the promptings of God’s spirit easier.

Small is reproducible

Small is rebellious in a world of big… and I think God digs that sort of thing

Small things, small people, small faith, small resources are the sort of stuff God has used time and again to do big things.  It seems to me, as I read scripture, God has a preference for the small and weak (Gideon, 12 reject disciples, loaves and fish, a shepard boy who become king, power being made perfect in weakness, a mustard seek kingdom, a stable, etc)

if a lot of little people, in a lot of little places, do a lot of little things… we can change the world

Here is a good link on Christmas and this advent season.

It makes me simply wonder where would Jesus show up if he were to incarnate the world again.  Who would he hang out with?  And what cultural norms would he teach about/against?

Good thoughts.

In what ways to we over and under contextualize the gospel?

In other words, if I went down to Mexico and began talking to people about the kingdom of God, or the love and forgiveness found in Jesus, but the whole time was speaking English… that would be a ridiculous example of under contextualization.

Or, ifIwas trying to help military men follow the ways of Jesus and begin a relationship with God, but supported the ideas of violence and hating your enemies, that would be an example of over contextualzation.

Or, in what ways are do you think we need to oppose the cultrue we live in, and in what ways do you think we can “go along” with the culture we live in???

The Gathering

Sunday, November 2nd

7PM

@ The Lodge (YMCA by the River)
200 Y Blvd.
Rockford, IL

Everyone is welcome as we (the church) gather to worship downtown.

Come:

build relationships
pray for the city
worship

“love God; love people.”

I found this link on a friend’s website. Check it out!!!

www.storyofstuff.com

I think we need to be more aware of the systems we live in.  I will write more about this in the near future.

Here is a quote I found in Michael Frost’s book Exiles:

Only when the last tree has died, and the last river been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught, will we realize that we cannot eat money. – Cree saying