Song of the Week: Mark Heard's "Stuck in the Middle"

"Why are you spending time with those far from God?" If you're a believer, you have to answer this question.

The Pharisees asked Christ's disciples this question (Matthew 9). Matthew had been far from God when Jesus called him to become a disciple. The first thing he did was throw a dinner party so all his friends--all as far from God as he once was--could meet Jesus, too.

The religious people, though, were aghast, convinced that socializing with people like this was tacit approval of their lifestyle.

So they asked the disciples why they were spending time with those far from God. How would you answer that? Maybe you might say, "Well, I don't. We've got to keep pure, you know. And besides, someone might misunderstand if we were seen together." Or you might have to answer that question, "I spend time with those away from God because I am more like them than I am like Jesus." In other words, you have no interest in being a positive influence in other lives--you are with them not only because you enjoy them but you enjoy their sins. Hopefully we can all get to the point where we can say, "I just want to be with Jesus and Jesus is with those who need him."

The late Christian singer-songwriter Mark Heard was a man who knew well the criticism that comes when you try to be close to Jesus and close to those who need him at the same time. I wrote about him earlier. From his 1981 album, Stop the Dominoes, here's "Stuck in the Middle"--

It's a funny world we live in
It's funny every day
Half the world prays like the preacher
The other half don't even pray
So no one understands you
If you pray in your own way

Now I'm stuck here in the middle
Everything is in a jam
Stuck right in the middle
Doors on both sides seem to slam
No one seems to want me
Only God will take me like I am

Well my brothers criticize me
Say I'm just too strange to believe
And the others just avoid me
They say my faith is so naive
I'm too sacred for the sinners
And the saints wish I would leave

Now I'm stuck here in the middle
Everything is in a jam
Stuck right in the middle
Doors on both sides seem to slam
No one seems to want me
Only God will take me like I am

In this Sunday's message, I'm covering the story of Jesus socializing with Matthew and his friends. It will be posted Monday (iTunes; website).
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The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

LeaderLines: “Reaching the De-Churched, Part Two”

There is a vast mission field of adults who have, for various reasons, become church dropouts. In a recent article in Outreach magazine, Thom Rainer called them the “de-churched.” We need to look for ways to re-engage these folks.

Last week I introduced you to 6 surprises about the de-churched that Rainer discovered. This week, let’s look at what formerly unchurched people said were the top 5 things that got them back into church again.

One of the most underestimated reasons people return to the Church is that someone simply invited them back. Rainer found that 41% of the formerly churched said that they would return to the local church if a friend or acquaintance invited them, and the likelihood increases the younger a person is: about 60% of those 18–35 would consider returning to church if someone they knew asked them to come back. Rainer pointed out:

A simple, yet powerful invitation is all it may take to prompt a homecoming for the dechurched. Is your church equipping people to invite others back? When someone strays from the church, friends and family should be there to encourage him or her to return.

Second, almost a third of the formerly churched mentioned that if they were to return to church, they would want to be part of a local body where they can make a difference. Rainer observed:

People want to serve and know that they are contributing something significant. Making new members aware that the bar is set high for their contribution does not deter but rather motivates them to be a part of the local church.

Third, almost half of those who are considering returning to the Church said that they would do so because they feel it will bring them closer to God.

Fourth, people return because they sense a void in their lives. “Over a third of the de-churched said that they would return to fill the emotional and spiritual gaps they’ve felt since leaving,” Rainer said.

Finally, those returning to a church want to be around those who hold similar values. Rainer notes:

Almost one-third said they’d want to return to a church in which people held the same moral standards as them--something to think about if your church is wrestling with how it will stand on moral issues. A church that compromises in that area only deters anyone who’s looking to the church for both high standards and people with similar values.

In Rainer’s research with those who used to attend a church but don’t at present, he found 62% were open to the idea of returning. That’s promising news. Don’t give up on your friends and family who used to attend someone’s church a long time ago: Your continued prayers and prodding could get them into the life and ministry of Hillcrest. Our prayer is that they will find and follow Jesus together with us!
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Understanding Islam

The North American Mission Board is featuring some great material on understanding the Islam of your neighbors, and how to talk about Christ with Muslims:

Islam: An Overview
Comparison Chart -- Islam and Christianity
Concerning the Muslims Among Us
Jesus, Justification, and Justice
Mistakes Christians Make When Trying to Reach a Muslim
Video Tour: Islam and the Gospel
Sharing Christ with Muslims

Network for Life Shows Ex-Offenders How to Get "Beyond the Bars"

Did you know that 698,000 inmates were released from U.S. prisons in the last 12 months? Did you know that most will be behind bars again by 2009? In the article, "Second Chances at Life," CT explains the sad trend and what faith-based groups are doing about it.

Cheryl Selby is doing something about it. Don’t miss “Beyond the Bars,” a dessert fellowship benefiting Austin's Network for Life, and organization that started at Hillcrest and still gets its major funding from Hillcrest. The event is this Saturday evening! See more information here and contact Cheryl to let her know you’ll come!

Winning Ways: “A Perfect THEM Day!”

Our Connection Celebration Sunday is a few weeks away. It’s a perfect day to bring a THEM.

As you know, we’re calling 12,000 households within 3 miles of our church building to invite those who are not involved in a church to visit us on Sunday, October 14. We hope to “connect” with 200 households on that day: that’s why we’re calling this our “Connection Campaign.”

In addition to all those telephone calls, though, we’re asking everyone who already attends Hillcrest to bring a THEM to our big day.

A word of explanation: At Hillcrest, we’ve discovered that the most important word in the Great Commission is the word “them”: “Go to the people all nations and make THEM my disciples. Baptize THEM in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach THEM to do everything I have told you” (Matthew 28:19-20, CEV). You can’t say you’ve fulfilled Christ’s command until you’ve reached “them,” so who are your THEMs?

The Bible says, “Let us invite them to come and join us” (1 Chronicles 13:2). At Hillcrest, we teach a six-step strategy for doing this, using the acrostic I.N.V.I.T.E.:

IDENTIFY your THEMs
NURTURE a relationship with THEM
VERIFY their spiritual condition
INTRODUCE THEM to your church family
TELL THEM your faith stories
ENCOURAGE THEM to cross the line of faith

If you’ve been building a relationship with someone in your world, now’s the time to take the fourth step and introduce your friend to your church family. On our Connection Celebration Sunday, October 14, we’ll have one combined service at 10:30am, and then you can sit with your friend at our barbeque lunch after the service. Please note: this is an outreach lunch, so it’s not just for anyone. It’s for our guests, for our Campaign hosts, and for you if you’re bringing a THEM. We schedule other events for church fellowship: this one is for outreach. So, your “ticket” for the lunch is a guest!

You’ll need to let us know you intend to bring a guest because we have to plan seating and serving. So, fill in the “Just One” card in your bulletin this week, or contact the church office (345-3771 or email). I look forward to meeting your THEMs!
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 830 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Connection Campaign: Day 13

We're telephoning 12,000 households within 3 miles of our church in a project we're calling the Connection Campaign. We've got two reasons for the calls: to invite anyone not already plugged in to a church to an Open House October 14, and to identify prayer requests in our community.

As to the first goal: we've had 114 households say they'll come, and another 168 express interest and ask for more information so they can think about it. On October 14, we expect to host about 200 households at our service and lunch.

As to the second goal: our callers have forwarded 769 prayer requests to our prayer team that is meeting in another room during our calls. Wow! The photo above is a shot of one of our prayer teams at work.

We have called for 12 nights and we have 8 more nights of calling to go, so there will be many more prospects and prayers to record. Good stuff!

Links to Your World--Tuesday Sept 25

What a difference it makes when you commit to serving others. An inspiring little video you should see—and then put it’s simple principle into practice at Hillcrest. (HT: Jason Spivey)

A wife in Bosnia used the code name "Sweetie" to chat online with a man using the nickname "Prince of Joy." Each of them spent hours telling each other about their marriage troubles. Finally, they both showed up for a date--and discovered they were married to each other. Sadly, they are divorcing (story). Didn't they learn anything from Rupert Holmes?

Rupert Holmes: Escape (The Pina Coladas Song)
Man fined for driving through a flock of seagulls. I didn’t know they were still performing.

On this day: 1957, With a military escort, 9 black students enter Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., under court order to integrate. Fifty years later, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton think they’ve found another cause to match that brave bunch.

The Drink Debate: What Christian leaders past and present have said about social drinking—and where to find them online. (The statements, not the drinks.)

Oklahoma Sooners request tapes of "Longest Yard" to prepare for the University of Texas. Book ‘em Horns!

8500 Days Until Dead: Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly’s life countdown clock—and why he created it.

"It's impossible to overstate the impact of cremation on the funeral services industry, insiders say. Although traditional funerals, which can cost upward of $6,500, were the norm a generation ago, cremations, which can begin at $700, are beginning to take their place." In the article, "More people choosing cremation instead of cemeteries." I think this is a good trend--what do you think?

"Dad, do you think you guys could keep it down? I’m trying to study.” The Boys in the Band Are in AARP.

“A woman who underwent in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is suing her doctor for the estimated expense of raising a child until age 21 because she gave birth to twins, not one baby.” (Story)

3:10 to Yuma screenwriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas . . . Baylor Grads. As dads (Brandt, 39, a father of three, and Haas, 37, a father of two), they wanted to explore an issue applicable to today’s culture: “How can an average parent who wants to do right compete with a culture that pays high attention to rock stars, movie actors and athletes who shouldn’t be role models?”

Mike Males at the New York Times: “What experts label 'adolescent risk taking' is really baby boomer risk taking. It’s true that 30 years ago, the riskiest age group for violent death was 15 to 24. But those same boomers continue to suffer high rates of addiction and other ills throughout middle age, while later generations of teenagers are better behaved. Today, the age group most at risk for violent death is 40 to 49, including illegal-drug death rates five times higher than for teenagers.” Males contention is that “youths are being maligned to draw attention from the reality that it’s actually middle-aged adults — the parents — whose behavior has worsened.” That’s just a silly conclusion to draw, but the findings are disturbing nonetheless.

"You'd like to tell yourself that you'd do what Mikey did. But until you're faced with that situation, you really don't know.” In this USA Today story, read about five Americans — two soldiers, two Marines and a Navy SEAL — who threw themselves on grenades to save comrades.

President Lincoln Shot by an Assassin. NY Times makes its archives available for free.

"'Finding little physical evidence to substantiate the theory only means there must still be a great deal of supportive evidence out there to be found,’ said an unnamed editor of the journal Nature.” New Lack of Evidence Boosts Certainty of Darwinism (Scrappleface)

We'll do anything: Man leapt from moving car to avoid an argument with a woman.

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Letters to Emily" by Julie Miller), the dangers of "roof-tile syndrome" reaching the de-churched, and song samples from the new "Above Grounds" compilation CD. To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Song of the Week: Julie Miller's "Letters to Emily"

In former Austinite Julie Miller’s song, “Letters to Emily,” a mother writes letters to a child she had given up for adoption. The letters are stored in a box, since the adopted child will never be seen again. The childless mother is filled with regrets at the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and the necessity of giving up her child for adoption, and yet she’s amazed at what God has done. What a great line about how God "causes all things"--even our failures--"to work together for good" (Romans 8:28):

Down in the ashes of mistakes and dreams
I see the outline of a heart
Well I've gone wrong
But still I know sometimes
God serves the best wine up
Right from a paper cup
Miller's Christian convictions inform her writing, but in a way that's natural and not in-your-face. The Austin Chronicle recognized this in a 2001 article: "There's none of the pushiness of the keen-on-Jesus types. . . . Instead, her spirituality comes out in the context of someone who's content and comfortable in their own beliefs."

Her most popular song is "All My Tears," covered by the likes of Emmy Lou Harris and Jars of Clay, among others. I'm sure that selection will be featured in "Song of the Week" eventually, but my favorite Miller song remains "Letters to Emily," from her 1997 project, Blue Pony--

The second hand counts out my thoughts of you
And every heartbeat says your name
But you don't know me and the way I feel
But still the truth remains
My blood runs through your veins

How can I hold you close when you're so far away
How long will we still be apart
How will you ever hear these words I want to say
How will you ever know my heart
How will you ever know my heart

I'm writing letters to you every day
Then I mail them to myself
And here inside a box they wait for you
And every day is postmarked
I've held you here in my heart

How can I hold you close when you're so far away
How long will we still be apart
How will you ever hear these words I want to say
How will you ever know my heart
How will you ever know my heart
How will you know my know my heart

Down in the ashes of mistakes and dreams
I see the outline of a heart
Well I've gone wrong
But still I know sometimes
God serves the best wine up
Right from a paper cup

How can I hold you close when you're so far away
How long will we still be apart
How will you ever hear these words I want to say
Someday you're gonna know my heart
Someday you're gonna know my heart
Someday you're gonna know my heart

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The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

Introducing "Above Grounds"

A new Austin ministry dropped off some promotional materials at my office. It's called Above Grounds, and their website describes their work as an effort "to bring Christians together by connecting Austin churches, Christian bands and ministries, and by acting as the informational hub of what the Christian body is doing in Austin." It's a well thought-out site for news on upcoming events, area churches, local charities, and Austin-based bands. I see they have Cheryl's "Network For Life" listed as a worthy ministry to support.

The promotional kit included a CD called "Red," a compilation of songs from thirteen Austin-based independent Christian artists:

1. I Will Bless the Lord (Threads)
2. Another Moment (The Stillpoint Band)
3. I See You (Fred Thomas)
4. Green Enough (Jerry Wise)
5. More Than Me (Rachel Keagy)
6. Fiyah Starter (DJ D-Lite)
7. FiveTwelve (Concept 7)
8. About You (Sylvester Treadway)
9. Covered (Progeny)
10. Lay It Down (Seven:ThirtyFour)
11. Sing in the Rain (Citizens320)
12. Move (Before the Throne)
13. Still Standing (The Plow)

The CD displays the talent and diversity among Christian artists who live in Austin. In the list above, if an arrow appears next to a song in the list above, click on the arrow to hear the song. These songs will appear on this blog for a short while. If you are the artist and do not wish to have your song available on this blog, write me and I will take it down.

LeaderLines: “Reaching the De-Churched, Part One”

I talk to Hillcrest leaders a lot about reaching the “unchurched.” While a segment of the unchurched in our town have had little or no church involvement in the past, the great majority of the unchurched in Austin are people who long ago quit attending a church.

They are what Tom Rainer calls the “de-churched.”

While we need to look for ways to reach those who have never really plugged into a church, let’s not forget that there is a vast mission field of adults who have, for various reasons, become “church dropouts.” We have to look for ways to reconnect with them.

In a recent article in Outreach magazine, Rainer listed 6 surprises about the de-churched. As you read these observations, keep in mind that Rainer isn’t necessarily speaking about people who have left your church but rather people who have left a church. These are characteristics of people who had somewhat regular involvement in churches in the past but no longer. Rainer writes:

1. The de-churched are not mad at the Church. While many within the Church might view someone’s departure as a sign that they’re angry, that’s not the case. Very few of the formerly churched expressed hostility toward the local body.

2. Young adults return out of obedience to God. Almost half of those aged 18 to 35 cited that reason. Today’s younger generation is sometimes viewed as rebellious or shunning God. While rebellion certainly applies to some, a large segment of young adults are returning for spiritual reasons.

3. The de-churched don’t feel awkward about coming back. Only 15% mentioned that they would feel awkward. So the Church shouldn’t feel awkward about seeking out those who have left and asking them to return.

4. Denominational preferences do not change among those who have left the Church. Fewer than 20% prefer to attend a church of a different denomination. Conversely, 64% of those who have left would prefer to attend a church of the same denomination. Clearly, denominational preference is not the impetus behind those who leave.

5. The second visit is crucial among those returning to the church. Almost two-thirds of the de-churched maintained that they would like to remain anonymous until their second visit if they were to return. While our churches should remain amiable and open to all guests, perhaps we should focus on second and third-time guests as much as first-timers.

6. Application of biblical teaching is important to those who return to the Church. Many within the de-churched camp affirmed that if they were to return, they’d seek a church that offered engaging and realistic dialogue about God and life. So the de-churched aren’t concerned with ancillary items, but rather sound biblical teaching that applies to their lives.

These are some helpful insights, and the observations should give us hope as we leaders work to bring Austin’s unchurched into the life and ministry of our church. Next week I’ll cover what formerly unchurched people said were the top five things that got them back into church again.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “Wreck the Roof!”

Are you willing to wreck a roof to get people to Jesus? Before we go any further in our Connection Campaign, we better have an answer to that question.

At the end of the first week of our Connection Campaign, 55 households told us they’d like to come to our Open House on October 14. Eighty-one other households expressed interest and wanted more information. We also gave 328 requests to our prayer team.

Imagine what those numbers will be after three more weeks of calling!

So, now’s the time for our entire congregation to settle the question: What are we willing to break to get people to Jesus?

That question comes from a story in the Gospels. Matthew said that some men brought to Jesus a paralytic, lying on a mat. Mark and Luke point out that since they could not get their friend into the house where Jesus was teaching, they dug a hole in the roof above Jesus and lowered the man to him. All three of these Gospel writers point out that it was “when Jesus saw their faith” that Jesus healed their friend.

Sadly, not every church has this kind of single-minded passion. Some churches are more interested in keeping the roof intact than in getting people to Jesus. Mark Buchanan wrote about this--

Roof-tile Syndrome is when we are so caught up in the preaching of Jesus, we turn our backs to the needs of those still outside the building. It's when we're more upset when stuff gets broken than excited when the broken are mended. It's when the church exists for itself; to hell with the rest of you.

Have no doubt about it: getting others to Jesus requires that we break some things. It may mean we have to break our comfortable routines, or break up our cliques, or break our Common Ground table into two. It may mean that we have to cheerfully break our habit of claiming that choice aisle seat! It may mean we have to break our preferences for what we think “ought” to happen in a worship service.

I’m struck by that line in the story: “When Jesus saw their faith” he healed their friend. Remarkable! I wonder what kind of faith Jesus sees in us during this Connection Campaign. I want it to be the kind of faith that sets everything aside to get people to Jesus!
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 830 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World--Tuesday Sept 18

In the WSJ, Naomi Schaefer Riley discusses the issue of Christians dating outside the fold.

Emmy award winner Angela Kinsey (The Office) . . . Baylor grad.

Remember that Baylor book that generated so much controversy earlier? Good news: A publisher has been found.

Being a Christian turns you into a wimp on the team? Not so, say this writer.

Answering Your Tweenagers “Why’s”

Read Ed Stetzer's convention sermon, "Come Over and Help Us." Frank Page, SBC President, called it “truly one of the great high points of the San Antonio Convention.” I wrote about it earlier.

You and your kid can build it, too! The Barbie Doll Electric Chair Science Fair Project.

Lifehacker has a list of web tools for students. Especially check out: Book Finder, XDrive, Ottobib, and Google Docs.

Lauren Winner has a word of warning about Chick Lit.

Ever heard of measuring by the gou, the mickey, and the smoot? Obscure units of measure.

Several Christians watch--and participate in--Ultimate Fighting. Should they? Read one author's answer (Part One; Part Two).

“Children who have received praise about their abilities ("you're smart") rather than specific praise about a task ("you did a good job at ___") are more likely to exhibit "helpless" behavior when they encounter problems. Even though they were praised in both cases, telling kids they are "smart" just didn't motivate them the way specific praise did.” (From the article, “What’s the Best Way to Praise a Child?”

Huckabee on creation. Why isn’t this guy at the top of the list for Republican presidential candidates? (HT: Danielle)

Creationism v. Evolution: the danger of misplaced dogmatism.

Yikes: "The annual impact of eating just 100 calories a day over what your body needs is an additional 10 pounds of pure body fat each year" (article).

When reaching the unchurched, how important is a church building? I think our church is doing a good job taking our building renovation seriously without letting it be the main thing.

On-Mission’s Missionary Spotlight: Dewey and Kathie Aiken. Our church financially and prayerfully supports the Aikens, so I was glad to see them spotlighted this month. The people in the Second-Half Ministry at Hillcrest are planning a mission trip to the Aiken’s ministry next summer.

Jesus didn't say: "Go into the world and make disciples after your children are old enough to be in school and you have a little more time." Here are five ways that moms with preschoolers can share Christ.

Catching Fireflies was just donated to the Hillcrest library by Sheila McHargue. It's a book of fun family devotions by Sheila's friend, Marcy Lytle (website).

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("The Turning" by Leslie (Sam) Phillips), and a discussion about the "attractional versus missional" debate among many younger bloggers. To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Song of the Week: Leslie (Sam) Phillips' "The Turning"

This is an intriguing song, from Leslie (a.k.a "Sam") Phillips' 1987 project The Turning. It was produced by T-Bone Burnett, who went on to produce and collaborate with Counting Crows and The Wallflowers, among many other musicians. Phillips and Burnett later married.

In her days as a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) artist, she had several songs break into the top 10 for that genre. Her label back then wanted to promote her as "the Christian Cyndi Lauper," but The Turning became her last project in the CCM world, and I lost track of her. Getting ready for this post, I discovered that she has stayed busy but remains largely unknown. As Jeffrey Overstreet put it: "Her songs have been the soundtracks for films, her catchy pop hooks have been the barbs of commercials, and her smooth harmonies have supplied the interludes for a popular television series. And yet today, she remains undiscovered.” She even played Jeremy Irons’ mute girlfriend in Die Hard With A Vengeance and was nominated for a Grammy in 1995 (Best Female Rock Vocal Performance) for the song "Circle of Fire."

Back to the featured song. The title track for The Turning is a prayer: Acknowledging that the world is not always a friendly place to the Christian faith, she asks God: "When it turns on me, don't let it turn me."

It's not the first time such a concern has been put into lyrics. In 1757, pastor and composer Robert Robinson said the same thing:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love
Take my heart, O take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above.

It's been reported that Robinson eventually drifted into a place where his doubts overwhelmed his faith. God forbid the same should happen--or has happened--to Phillips.

It's a worthwhile prayer to lift up these 20 years later. Here's "The Turning"--

The turning
From light to shadows
From burning to indifference
The turning
Of heart to granite
Of steel hopes to molten fear

And when it turns on me
Don't let it turn me

The turning
Of admiration to obsession
Of caring to control
The turning
Of shouts to whispers
Of warm and full to grey and hollow

And when it turns on me
Don't let it turn me

For more information, check out The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Sam Phillips. The site seems to have been taken down, but it's cached here. Also, Jeffrey Overstreet has some things at his site, LookingCloser.org.
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The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

LeaderLines: “‘Come and See’ or ‘Go and Tell’?”

What’s our job? Should we tell people to “come to church” or should we, as God’s people “go and tell”?

A lot of people are writing about this these days, dismissing the so-called “attactional” approach to outreach and advocating a “missional” approach. They contend that we abandon all efforts to invite people to experience the life and worship of a church body (“attractional”) and instead simply live an authentic Christian life in our workplace and neighborhood (“missional”).

It’s either-or, according to many: either compel the community to “come and see” or compel the church to “go and tell.”

Um . . . am I the only one who sees this as a false dichotomy? People veer off course in the whole “missional versus attractional” debate the moment they actually think the word “versus” belongs between those two words.

Should I build a genuine relationship with my neighbors? Yep. Should I live an authentic Christian life in their presence? Yep. Should I serve them? Yep.

But now, keep going: Should I bring my neighbors to sit in with my Bible study group and listen to us believers wrestle with the implications of the text? Yep. Should I invite my neighbors to the church ski retreat? Yep. Should I pray and work toward the time my neighbors begin to sit with me in a service where real worship is taking place? Yep. Should I enlist my neighbors’ help on a church mission trip? Yep.

The point is: Of course we should be “in the world” building relationships with our THEMs, but we’re not “doing church” right if we don’t spontaneously and naturally want to bring someone with us to experience our congregation’s life and study and worship.

We’ve gotten this silly idea that only believers would really care about what we do as a church. But if we have a church where people are doing all the stuff that a real church ought to be doing--praying for each other, serving each other, forbearing each other, worshipping God, challenging each other with the Word--well, wouldn’t that be absolutely the best environment for the spiritually-curious to see the life-changing difference Christ makes? As Jonathan Leeman points out at the 9Marks site, “The church should be attractive. In fact, this new-covenant, Holy-Spirit-indwelled community of love, holiness, and unity should be the most attractive people of all!”

Ed Stetzer said, “When we train people to reach out (go and tell) to friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers and the community at large, we often encourage them to invite others to some church event (come and see) where they can experience some sense of Christian community and hear the Gospel.”

So, does Jesus want us “out there” with people or does he want us bringing people into the Christian community where we share life together?

Yes.
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “The Lesson of the Seagull”

Jesus can help us overcome what overcomes us. But learn the lesson from a foolish seagull and don’t wait too long to ask for help.

Matthew recounted a story of Christ’s complete control over a force of demons that completely controlled two men (8:28-34). Read this report and gain confidence that Christ can overcome the things that overcomes you. Whatever addiction or sinful attraction overpowers us is no match for his power!

But, as I said, don’t wait too long to ask for help. You may end up suffering the fate of the seagull George Sweeting saw at Niagara Falls. One spring the popular speaker and author watched the large blocks of ice rushing down the river toward the falls. He noticed the carcasses of dead fish embedded in the ice, and gulls by the score were riding down the river on these blocks of ice and feeding on the fish. As they came to the brink of the falls, their wings would go out, and they would escape the falls.

But Sweeting noticed one gull lingering much longer than the rest, engrossed in the carcass of a fish. When it finally came to the brink of the falls, out went its powerful wings. But it had delayed too long so that its claws had frozen into the ice, and the gull plunged into the abyss.

What controls you can destroy you: it can destroy happiness, it can destroy a career, it can disintegrate a marriage, it can even end your life. The good news is that Christ can overcome whatever overcomes you.

This Sunday, we’ll take a close look at this hopeful truth. It’s the second week in our series called “Smackdown!” We’re looking at five awesome stories of Christ’s awesome power in the Gospel of Matthew. Join us at the “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

Also, the Anchor Course is underway, but it’s not too late to join us. Contact my assistant, Jami, and let her know you’re interested (345-3771 or jami@hbcaustin.org). And don’t let your kids miss out on the Kids Music Theater, a new program that meets from 5:30 to 7:00pm each Sunday night. It’s a high-energy program of games and musical training that will move toward a performance at Christmas! Parents can choose from a number of excellent classes while their kids are in KMT. Spread the word!

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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 830 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World--Tuesday Sept 11

For the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, read the fascinating account of the devout Marine (featured in Stone's World Trade Center) who found the last 2 survivors. The A-Team blog pointed me to a site providing time lines and images, and another site to view videos. Also, read Nancy Gibbs' article in Time, and Victor David Hanson's reflections in National Review. I was serving the First Baptist Church in Grand Cayman six years ago, and it was odd to be out of the country when the homeland was attacked.

In Austin, 130 Muslims gathered to march downtown last Sunday to tell people that peace is at the heart of Islam. Let's hope middle-class Muslims on college campuses get the message, since New York police have concerns over homegrown terrorism among that demographic.

So true: In the academic redrawing, Christ is confused and the Prophet is a great humanitarian (Jesus and Mohammad, Version 2.0).

Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god.

“By keeping your car for 15 years, or 225,000 miles of driving, you could save nearly $31,000, according to Consumer Reports magazine. That's compared to the cost of buying an identical model every five years, which is roughly the rate at which most car owners trade in their vehicles.” (Article.)

10 cars with bad reputations: “Hagerty Insurance asked its customers, mostly car collectors, to name the "Most questionable cars" of all time. These are the top vote-getters.”

A Spiritual Surge on the Frontlines: "Many of the troops have been forced to face God in a way most of us have not, and it’s often reflected in their characters and unconscious behavior."

Do you know an introvert? In this article learn more about the species.

KissThisGuy: The Website of Misunderstood Lyrics

Interstate 35 Voted Friendliest Freeway of 2007.

Eight Ways to Avoid Throwing Money Away.

Taxicab No. 666 May Be Cursed

Here's an absolutely fearless rabbit:


Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Only a Man" by Jonny Lang), and the danger of staff infections.To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Song of the Week: Jonny Lang's "Only a Man"

"When people used to try to persuade me with the message of Jesus, I would say, 'I understand that you believe that, but I don't. He's going to have to basically show up and let me know who he is, or I'm not going to believe it.' And that's what he did. He literally did that."

That's Jonny Lang, describing his conversion to Christ.

Last week's Song of the Week featured Lang with Joss Stone on Herbie Hancock's jazz project, Possibilities. There I described Lang as a cross between Stevie Ray Vaughn and Stevie Wonder, camping out on the funk side of rhythm and blues.

Lang started playing guitar at the age of twelve, released his first album, Smokin (1995) at the age of fourteen and quickly became a blues sensation, touring with The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, and Sting, among others. He released the critically acclaimed multi-platinum Lie to Me in 1997. His next album, Wander This World, earned him a Grammy nomination at 17.

But addictions were causing his world to unravel. He was smoking at 11, drinking and smoking pot at 13 and into "all sorts of other kinds of drugs" by 16, which makes the words of this week's "Song of the Week" all the more poignant.

The song is from the 2006 Grammy-winning project, Turn Around. In an interview with Sara Groves, Lang is asked about the meaning of the line: "I grew up singing songs in church with questions in my mind." He said:

My parents got divorced when I was about four years old. My mom lived in Minneapolis, and my dad lived in Fargo, so we'd go back and forth, my little sister and I, between them. My mom would take us to church, but it never really came off to me that I could have a relationship with God. Something about it was too big for me to get. So I just had all these questions: What are we singing about? What are we doing here? And to what end?

Nickel Creek violinist Sara Watkins contributes to "Only A Man," and Lang shares vocals with his wife, Haylie. Notice how Lang talks to God at the end of the song, with Haylie becoming the reassuring voice of God's Spirit, persuading Lang to trust him with his failures and addictions. Beautiful:

I used to live my life in fear
Was worried all the time
From waking up to laying down
I had no peace of mind
The world became a darkened place
A struggle without end
Although bitter times those were
The days that I had began to understand
I was only a man

I grew up singing songs in church
With questions in my mind
Then turned my back and ran away
From God who gave me life
Then one night his presence fell
I wept and shook and then
I fell down and cried, Dear Jesus, rescue me again
I understand I am only a man

And He said, What will it be now?
Will you choose me or keep swimming up stream now?
I've been inside your head hearing you scream out.
Well here I am, just take my hand and I'll take out
All of the pain and all of the fear
All of the fear

I'll give you my burdens (I'll give you peace)
All of my desires (I'll give you what you need)
Oh, what about these chains, Lord? (I'll set you free)
But they're so heavy (Lay them at my feet)
I'll lay them at your feet
Just promise you won't leave (I'll never leave)
So where do I go from here, Lord? (Just follow me)
(Just follow me)
I'll follow you (Just follow me) wherever you lead
Wherever you lead, wherever you lead

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The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

LeaderLines: “Practice What You Teach”

Did you hear about the driving instructor whom police discovered had never obtained a driver's license? It’s a parable about leadership.

The instructor in Berlin, Germany, had failed his first and only driving test 43 years earlier and was too nervous to retake it, despite the fact that he has prepared more than 1,000 students to pass it. He said, "I was too afraid to try again." In Germany, those who can't drive, apparently, teach (WORLD magazine August 14, 2004).

As I said, it’s a parable about leadership. Too often staff and lay leaders can competently prepare people to live the kind of Christian life we aren’t willing to live ourselves. So, we teach on tithing but we don’t tithe, or we teach on living by faith but we live in fear, or we teach about forgiveness but we live in bitterness, or we teach about self-discipline but we neglect our own self-control.

Let’s make sure that we leaders aren’t like this driving instructor. To that end, it’s important that we remember what I call the four “staff infections.” You’ve probably heard of a “staph” infection. It often enters the body through a minor cut, but ends up causing serious complications. A leadership team can develop some “infections” that result in serious complications, too. Each year in the churches I’ve served, the staff members have heard me bring my annual “Staff Infections” talk. These “infections” can affect all of us as leaders, not just the paid members of the team. Review your life for signs of the following infections:

Immorality: Our personal failures aren’t as “personal” as we’d wish. Just ask Larry Craig, the disgraced and now-former U.S. senator from Idaho. Our failures have a major impact on the rest of the leadership team. Let’s be sure we deal ruthlessly with our moral weaknesses instead of privately entertaining them. Of course, this includes sexual immorality, but it also includes misuse of funds and church property, gossip, abuse of alcohol, and crossing any other line God has drawn in his Word.

Incompetence: Leadership teams are plagued by this infection when team members have no interest in improving their performance. Symptoms include inattention to standards, constant excuses for failure to perform, and resistance to things that would help them improve.

In 1 Timothy 4:14, what Paul urged the young pastor of Ephesus remains good advice for ministers today: “Do not neglect your gift.” When ministers leave unopened the gift God has given them, laziness replaces vigor, routine ruts replace creativity, and the safety of sameness replaces the venture of faith. Instead, we need to develop ourselves into highly competent servants of the Lord.

Insubordination: We call our leadership group a “team,” but have you noticed that the teams we love to watch in sports have captains, coaches, and managers? To call a group of leaders a “team” doesn’t mean that lines of authority don’t exist. Teams don’t work well when members ignore these lines of authority.

To be honest, none of us always agree with those who lead us. But when this devolves into disrespect and open resistance, a staff infection has invaded the Body.

But insubordination can happen in our relationship with team members, not just in our relationship with team leaders. Remember, the Bible calls us to mutual submission. Ephesians 5:21 says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ministry teams suffer when members allow personal differences to remain unresolved. Ministry teams suffer when colleagues do not support each other in conversations with other church members.

Ingratitude: This is the worst of all staff infections, and source of the other three. Think about it. When I lose my grateful wonder that God has called me to serve his people, I can fall into sloppy habits (Incompetence). When I lose my thankfulness for the gifts of those I work with, I can quit being a team player (Insubordination). When I’m no longer grateful for what God chooses to give me, I can turn to embezzlement or adultery (Immorality).

David Livingstone had the right antibiotic for the infection of ingratitude. He said, “Forbid that we should ever consider the holding of a commission from the King of Kings as a sacrifice, so long as other men esteem the service of an earthly government as an honor.” In Philippians 4:12, Paul said, “I’ve learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.”

Staff infections, like staph infections, can create a lot of harm to the Body. Make sure that you’re not giving any opening for these infections to invade your life. I’m so grateful for the team of leaders we have at Hillcrest!
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “What Kind of Jesus Do You Have In Your Boat?”

Do you simply respect Jesus, or do you revere him? The difference impacts your ability to face your fears.

The disciples discovered this on the night they were caught out in the open sea on a little boat. They woke up Jesus in a panic, shouting, “Lord, we’re going to drown!”

Jesus made his way to the bow and said to the wind and waves, “Be quiet.” It was as if our Lord regarded this violent storm as nothing more than a yapping mutt that needed scolding. Immediately the storm died down, and the disciples whispered to each other in astonished gasps, “What kind of man is this?”

Well? What kind of Jesus do you have in your boat? Is he simply an inspiring teacher of moral truths, or is he the world’s Master who controls everything by his command? You tell me your answer to that question and I’ll tell you how you will respond to your next crisis.

We’ll look at that story in this Sunday’s study of the Gospel of Matthew. This Sunday we begin a five-week series called “Smackdown!” We’ll look at five awesome stories about Christ’s awesome power. Join us for our 9:30am “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday.

Also, spread the word about our new Kids Music Theater! KMT meets from 5:30 to 7:00pm while adults are in one of the Hillcrest Institute classes or the PraiseHill worship service. Your kids (age 4 through Grade 5) will learn music skills and prepare for a stage performance of a Christmas musical called “Angels Aware.” I believe parents will see the value of KMT just as they see the value of Upward Basketball. Upward builds kids’ confidence through sports, and KMT will build kids’ confidence through music and performance. I’m excited about what Lynn Chappell and her team have put together! Bring your children and their friends to the first night this Sunday! For more information, contact the church office at 345-3771.

Finally, join us in prayer as we begin our Connection Campaign this Sunday. We’ll begin a five-week operation to call 10,000 households in our area with the aim of finding 200 interested in connecting with our church. Lift the effort to God in prayer!___________________________________________________________

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 830 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World--Tuesday Sept 4

Good for her! Beauty contestant Lauren Caitlin Upton turns her infamy into fun on this geography quiz from People magazine!

God Took the Wheel: How God restored the marriage of Alan and Denise Jackson.

Dream Big (But Be Faithful in Little).

“Does the life of the Spirit, summed up in the Beatitudes of Jesus, rob one of the ability to lead effectively in a fallen world?” Russell Moore, reflecting on a recent Newsweek piece about Mike Huckabee’s “too nice” campaign for the White House.

18 Overlooked Things Everyone Should Bring to College (HT: Evangelical Outpost)

"I've been a deacon for 35 years" said Terry Cummings. "We were running things just fine around here. I'm not about to start serving food, or fixing someone's porch, I'll tell you that right now." From the article, "Church Takes “Novel Approach” to Deacon Ministry."

Can you identify with this mom with six kids at the grocery store? (HT: Nisha Coker)

The Washington Post examines evangelicals in the Arts. Locally, see photos from the Hope Chapel Arts Festival.

Do these come with Loaves-and-Fishes Happy Meals? Yeesh.

The New York Times notes a “noticeable shift” in television depictions of marriage toward a cold and sober look at “midmarriage malaise.”

"The omniscient Oracle of Starbucks can tell you everything about your personality by what you drink at Starbucks. Simply enter your full drink order -- including size -- and the all-knowing Oracle will tell you everything about your personality. Better yet, input your friends' orders to find out what they're really like."

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("When Love Comes to Town" by Herbie Hancock, Joss Stone, and Jonny Lang), thoughts about ministry to multiple generations, Tim Raymund's suggestions for books for new college students, a review of 300, and excitement about the remarkable growth of Christianity in China. To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

For Your Reading List: Jesus in Beijing

According to this report, 10,000 Chinese become Christians each day. Maybe it’s because of the kind of passionate, intentional Christianity described in David Aikman’s book, Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Transforming China and Changing the Global Balance of Power.

This book by a former Time correspondent struck me at two levels. First, I was inspired and humbled by the stories of Christian men and women holding up under prolonged persecution. In addition, I was challenged to pray for God’s people in China as they pursue what they believe is their unique mission mandate: They want to bring the gospel full circle Westward into Jerusalem, and that requires evangelizing in the Muslim-dominated lands between China and Jerusalem.

In the 90s, Chinese Christian leaders often stated the goal of raising 100,000 Christian missionaries to send out to the world by 2007. Since Aikman’s book was written in 2003, I don’t know if that goal has been reached. But what an aggressive goal! One Chinese Christian leader said:

“Even in 1994, when we sent out the first to 70 evangelists, we had a vision to take the gospel to the whole world. We have a vision today to send out missionaries to all countries. We have the same vision as the others to take the revival back to Jerusalem.”

This vision of China having a key role in bringing the Gospel through the Muslim countries to their West until they finally reach Jerusalem has been the heartbeat of many Chinese house church Christians for decades, at least as far back as May 1942:

A British woman missionary in Chongqing in 1949 wrote in one of her missionary reports that she knew at least five different Chinese Christian groups that wished to check the gospel out of China in a westerly direction. “The thing that has impressed me most,” she reported, “has been a strange, unaccountable urge of a number of different Chinese groups, quite unconnected with each other, who have left their homes in east China and gone forth, leaving practically everything behind them, to the west” (page 199).

This drive to take the gospel Westward comes from their conviction that they have received the gospel because missionaries headed west, and now the baton has been passed to them. From page 203:

As one Christian leader put it, “It was the apostle Paul who took the gospel to Europe and now, after 2000 years, it has come to China. When the disciples left Jerusalem to go toward East Asia and Europe, they were only a few people. They went barefoot. Now the gospel has reached China and we have several Christian networks. We believe that now that the gospel has reached China it will follow the old Silk Road back to Jerusalem. Once the gospel comes back to Jerusalem, it will mean that the gospel has been preached to the whole world. We have the view that Chinese missionaries will be part of the mainstream on the highway back to Jerusalem.”

And he added, “The Muslim religion is the biggest obstacle on the road back to Jerusalem.”

Chinese Christians are addressing this obstacle, according to Aikman:

To this end, there are several small missionary-training seminaries in different parts of China that are training Chinese Christians as missionaries to the Muslim world. Some Chinese have enrolled in Arabic-language programs in major Chinese universities. Some of the smaller, underground missionary seminaries have brought in Arabic-speaking Christians to train a new generation of Chinese missionaries to work in the Islamic world. Some Americans who encourage the Back to Jerusalem effort in China estimate that there may already be several hundred Chinese house church Christians operating as missionaries--perhaps filling professional positions like engineers, interpreters, or ordinary laborers--throughout the Middle East.

Many Chinese Christian leaders consider that the Chinese have an advantage in Muslim countries. As one put it: “Muslims prefer Chinese to Americans. They don’t like Americans very much.”

Why? First, he said, “The Chinese government supports [Middle Eastern] terrorism so the Muslim nations support China.’ By “supports terrorism,” he didn’t mean the government promoted the use of terrorism, but that the government supported the anti-American objectives of some political groups in the Middle East. He continued:

“Besides, we have a lot of experience of persecution. As Chinese missionaries, wherever we go, when we arrive in a place we always see what the escape route will be.”

Aikman explains that the 1989 massacre in Tiananmen Square caused an explosion in Chinese students examining Christianity for the first time. (Jesus said something about the evangelistic growth that comes from sacrifice, too). He said that after “hundreds, perhaps thousands of Beijing citizens, including many students, were killed the soldiers and trucks and tanks fought their way toward Tiananmen Square,” Chinese Christians began to notice something. In the 1990s, “hundreds of students, previously uninterested in religion, were coming to church or wanting to discuss the Christian faith. . . . Hitherto, the ‘Christianity fever’ that was changing China’s countryside seemed to a bypass China’s emerging new intelligentsia. Now this important component of China’s life and future was beginning to pay attention to the Christian faith. What was the attraction of Christianity to intellectuals and the post-Tiananmen era? One suggestion was that China’s traditional Confucian view of man as inherently good was shattered under the tanks that rolled into the center of Beijing in early June 1989” (page 171).

Aikman concludes his book with these comments (from page 285):

China is in the process of becoming Christianized. That does not mean that all Chinese will become Christian, or even a majority will. But at the present rate of growth in the number of Christians in the countryside, in the cities, and especially within China’s social and cultural establishment, it is possible that Christians will constitute 20 to 30 percent of China’s population within three decades. If that should happen, it is almost certain that a Christian view of the world will be the dominant worldview within China’s political and cultural establishment, and possibly also within senior military circles.

Put this one on your reading list.

300: My Review's Already Written

Despite all the raves, I didn't think I'd be getting to the theater to see 300, so I put it on my Netflix list. It arrived last week. I was going to write about my reaction to the film, but this blogger has already said what I would say. Read the Steven Pressfield book, Gates of Fire, instead.

Now, The Lives of Others, that's a film worth seeing. Mind the R-rating, but a fine film that explores the question, "Can a person change, do the right thing, and become a 'good man'?" The closing line is deliberate: "It's for me."

Song of the Week: Lang, Stone and Hancock Sing "When Love Comes to Town"

I ran across Jonny Lang's music a year ago. Think Stevie Wonder meets Stevie Ray Vaughn. I immediately thought, "Someone ought to pair this guy up with Joss Stone."

Someone did.

Herbie Hancock invited them into his "Possibilities" project to join him on, "When Love Comes to Town," originally sung by Bono and B.B. King on U2's 1988 project, "Rattle and Hum."

Pay attention to the words of this song. Bono makes himself one of the men responsible for nailing Christ to the cross. It's remarkable how many artists have confessed the same thing. I mention this in Chapter 18 of my book, The Anchor Course:

Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ, opens with a prophecy from the Hebrew Bible:

He was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
by His wounds we are healed.
Like a flower unfurls from a tight bud to reveal the full bloom, the entire film unfurls from those first words the viewer sees. What’s more, the director actually inserted himself into the film at a critical point. The viewer never sees the celebrity’s famous face, but as Jesus is being nailed to the cross its Gibson’s own hand that holds the first nail driven into Christ. He’s not the first artist to include himself in scenes depicting Christ’s suffering. In Rembrandt’s 1633 painting, The Raising of the Cross, a man in a blue painter's beret is part of the crowd raising Christ upon the cross. That man is Rembrandt himself. Another believer, Bono of the band, U2, confessed his role in Christ's death in his song, "When Love Comes to Town"--

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when they pierced his side
But I've seen love conquer the great divide.
Gibson, Rembrandt, and Bono all knew that their own sins required the cross. We, too, have to get to the point where we see that it was our own sins that Christ carried.

By the way, we're starting another 8-week Anchor Course at Hillcrest. If you live in the Austin area, come to our "Get Anchored" Dinner Wednesday, Sept. 12, 6:15 to 8:00pm. There's no cost for the dinner and no obligation to register for the Course. Just come and enjoy a great meal, meet some new friends, and get introduced to the Anchor Course. Those who register for the Course that night will be given a copy of the textbook, The Anchor Course: Exploring Christianity Together.

Here's Herbie Hancock, Joss Stone, and Jonny Lang:

I was a sailor, I was lost at sea
I was under the waves
Before love rescued me
I was a fighter, I could turn on a thread
Now I stand accused of the things I've said

When Love comes to town I'm gonna jump on that train
When Love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before Love came to town

I used to make love under a red sunset
I was making promises I would soon forget
She was pale as the lace of her wedding gown
But I left her standing before Love came to town

I ran into a juke joint when I heard a guitar scream
The notes were turning blue, I was dazing in a dream
As the music played I saw my life turn around
That was the day before Love came to town

When Love comes to town I'm gonna jump on that train
When Love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before Love came to town

When Love comes to town I'm gonna jump on that train
When Love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before Love came to town

I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when they pierced his side
But I've seen Love conquer the great divide

When Love comes to town I'm gonna catch that train
When Love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before Love came to town

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The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.