How then should we preach?

CHOG blogger, David Owens, in Message in a Bottle has posted a review of Preaching Re-Imagined by Doug Pagitt, a leader in the Emergent movement.

 

The topic of preaching is an important one during these shifting times, as we seriously address the ways that truth is communicated. I remain convinced that preaching is still essential and powerful, but recognize that many of the models familiar to our own movement are increasingly ineffective among the people to which we wish to minister. I struggle with this myself, as I am sure many of you do. While I haven't read Pagitt's book, I affirm that it has to be much more than just a shift in methodology. Unfortunately, however, we tend to be always looking for that magic formula that will revolutionize, and fail to see the importance of our own spiritual formation and the dialogue that is required within our local context.

 

I invite you to leave comments regarding your perceptions of preaching today, including examples and resources that you find helpful.

 

While I am far from having figured this all out, let me offer a few initial thoughts for those of us who preach:

 

First, utilizing the power of the Internet, take advantage of the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of other preachers. Many churches now offer audio archives of their sermons, some even in podcasting format. Don't try to copy what they do (because in most cases it will incongruous to who you are and where you preach), but expand your preaching horizons. On my blog page you will find a small, but growing list of Church of God podcasts. Of course, there are excellent preachers outside of our movement too. Among others, I regularly listen to Rob Bell (Mars Hill Church, Grand Rapids, MI) and Bruxy Cavey (The Meeting House, Oakville, ON, Canada).

 

Second, get into the mind and heart of other preachers. Build relationships with some, or connect with those you respect. This could be someone in your neighborhood, a friend online, or even through the blog of a preacher. Discover how they are wrestling with preaching in their own ministry. An excellent blog is Odyssey by Chris Erdman, who has recently written some profound stuff on the topic of preaching.

 

 

Mission idea

It's great to see more churches taking seriously the calling to minister in the world!

 

Church of God Pastor, Tina Robinson, from Madison, WI shares on her blog, HeavyRevvy, an outreach project they are involved in:

 

"We have adopted the teachers at the neighborhood elementary school and this morning we are providing snacks to get them through the day of meetings they have all day today. My car is filled with muffins, cupcakes, fruit, candy, cookies and two ginormous cheesecakes"

Gulf coast update

Below is an frontline update posted on CHOGTalk by Debbie Weiger:

The following update came from Earl Wheatley in Mississippi, concerning some of the Churches of God in the Gulf region.  I’d like to add that work groups are going into Laurel / Hattiesburg area.  More are needed!  (Contact Rachael Woosley 205-812-3486, rwoosley@riverchase.cc )  Rachael and I went to Laurel and then on down to Gulfport last week, to carry supplies and do some organizational work.  It is just heartbreaking!  And the one thing we heard from our COG pastors and church families was, “Don’t let them forget about us!”

Tony also talked just this morning with Don Coleman at Camp Pollack in Louisiana.  Over the weekend they had 240 evacuees, but now they have 150 – and this without electricity or running water!  Today they are now dealing with the Health Department (another camp has already been shut down) but these folks have no where to go.  Please pray for God to make a way for them to continue to help these people.

The shelter at Austin Road Community Church in Daphne, AL is still in operation, but they are down to about half the number staying there.  They are working to help find permanent housing, jobs and vehicles for those families.

Debbie Weiger

Hi Friends,

Let me give you a site by site update - God is continuing to work through His people in some powerful ways!

Natchez, MS.  Natchez has continued to be an active Red Cross shelter.  As of last Thursday night they had 41 Katrina evacuees still living at the church.  At 2:00 a.m. Friday morning they received another 70 Rita evacuees! People were bedded down in the church, in the fellowship hall and in the gym.  I am attaching a couple of photos sent by  Del Loy.

Del also reports that one couple who has been at the Natchez church since it opened for Katrina has accepted Jesus as their Savior.and several of the other evacuees have been regular attenders in the Community Chapel worship services.

Palmetto, LA.  Pastor Dale Fontenot has shared that they were about 100 miles East of where the eye of the hurricane came ashore.  The Palmetto Campground has another 60 evacuees.  They were without power for 36 hours and had some damage to metal roofs.  But Palmetto was still able to minister to others!  On Saturday, a Red Cross Shelter called, needing food for 285 evacuees. "Because of the generosity of the church all over the country, we had enough food to send to the Red Cross shelter to help in their time of need."

New Orleans - Metairie, LA.  Pastor Paul Matte reports they are beginning to cut out sheet rock and get the building back into shape.  Reports from congregational leaders tell us that many homes of the congregation were damaged.  Rita's flooding hit some of the homes a second time.  Between the two storms, 3 families lost everything, 3 other families had extensive roof damage, at least 8 families have varying degrees of flood damage.

New Orleans - Caffin Avenue.  The church was flooded again from the water that hit the lower part of the city from Rita.  No updates yet on specific families and their losses.

Gulfport, MS - Workteams have been in and others are in route.  Good work is taking place in the community.

Now - on to Lake Charles, LA - and "Rita" news:

Pastor Rick McClain of Christ Community Church of God is in Meridian right now, staying with extended family.  As of last night (Monday), 44 Louisiana parishes are without power.  Many of the major transmission towers are down and will be a major piece in the repair/restoration work that is yet to be done.  He has had reports that their church building is in relatively good shape.  Rick has also been in touch with Pastor Terry Aridizzone of the CrossRoads Church of God.  Terry reports that one of their main entrance doors was shattered in the storm and there has been some minor building damage. 

From all current reports all Church of God families are physically OK; but we do know of many homes that suffered tree and other storm damage.  We have five Church of God congregations in the Lake Charles area.  None of them were able to meet this past Sunday and will probably not be able to meet this coming Sunday.  As you know, when the church cannot even meet, finances weaken quickly!

For more information or to give assistance to the Lake Charles churches you can contact Rick McClain at mcclain2005@ccclc.info or (812) 962-4971.or (877) 853-7513

Future work:

New Orleans:  This Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. a strategy meeting will be held at the Landmark Church of God, Covington, Mississippi, hosted by Pastor Ron Allen.  At that time we will assess needs, consider resources and (hopefully) identify a work coordinator for our ongoing assistance to our New Orleans churches and families.   As you pray about this, please remember Ron's wife, Sue.  She has a fractured rib and will be seeing the physicians this week.  Please join me in asking the Great Physician to touch Sue.

Lake Charles:  This situation is still being assessed.  Hopefully more will be known about specific needs and physical assistance opportunities within the next 5 to 7 days.

Blessings,

Earl Wheatley

 

Fleeing Rita

Here's a report from Dr.Magaret Dunn posted on CHOG-Talk today, giving a first-hand report of someone in the path of Rita:

 

All:

I am going off line in about 15 minutes but wanted to give you an
update. Please pray for those involved in the evacuation process. It
was taking 5 hours yesterday to go from Galveston to Houston's south
side. This morning, I-45 and 290 will be opened northbound on both
sides of the interstates. I-10 west will be opened as soon as this
process is complete. Officers will be at each ramp to protect traffic.

Rita is scheduled to hit about 1:00 am on Saturday morning very close
to Galveston Island.

I learned about the church at large in my evacuation planning since I
made one phone call to a Church of God congregation and had a place
for my cat and myself to stay. God is good.

Will be back on line when the storm passes and I am back on line.
Thanks for your prayers for myself and the Church of God congregation
in this area. 

Blessings to you.

Margaret Dunn
Pasadena, Texas

Church of God and disaster relief

Over the past few weeks, we have all been impacted by hurricane Katrina that ripped through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Of course, none have been affected more than the residents there who have had their world turned upside down. And now we dreadfully await Rita's assault on Texas.

 

Living in dry central California (where we haven't even seen rain in four months) it's hard to fathom what is going on in the Gulf Coast states. TV images and newspaper reports seem so inadequate, even as they shock us with the devastation. And, for those of us not living in the area, it's hard to know what to do to assist people living many miles away.

 

Unfortunately, the evacuation and relief efforts have been marred by bureacratic bunglings and ineptness. Compounding the situation is the divisive climiate in our nation, resulting in those on both sides who are getting caught up in political posturing. On the positive side, however, is the rallying together of people in the U.S. and around the world to support the relief efforts through financial contributions and volunteer assistance.

 

So, what has been the involvement of the Church of God in this catastrophe?

 

From all accounts, it appears that we have responded with action. Congregations in the ara are doing the best they can with whatever resources available to them. Some church camps have been housing evacuees. Church of God Ministries has been coordinating efforts at a national level. And, individuals and congregations (e.g. read the story of Winton Road First Church of God, Fairfield, OH at dodgeparkcog) have been doing extraordinary things in an effort to help.

 

I cannot be critical of our response, mainly because I am not fully aware of all the details, and secondly, because my own response is paltry in comparison to what others have done.

 

My point of interest is the future. These tragedies have reinforced the need for us to become actively involved in human needs around us. Here are some initial thoughts for further consideration:

 

- Relief and service efforts are best delivered by those closest to the ground (i.e. local congregations in the area, if possible).

- Most local congregations are poorly equipped for mobilizing people for service within the community, especially during times of devastation. Churches that have a missional outlook are probably better able to respond. In other words, if service to the world is already part of our congregational culture it will be more natural for us to respond during times of calamity. (This is an important lesson for me, as I question how my congregation will respond when the "big" earthquake hits California).

- We must avoid the temptation to centralize our relief efforts in Anderson. While Church of God Ministries can assist through communication and coordination, the last thing we need is a new level of bureacracy expected to do what should be happening at the local level.

 

Our prayers remain for the many people affected by these hurricanes, and now even for those fleeing in Texas. I trust that we can all say that we will continue our service in the name of Jesus.

 

Reaching a New Generation

Occasionally I will highlight a recently read book that might be of benefit to others in our movement.

I didn't intend for this blog to become a journal of book reviews. But, I do a lot of reading, and can't resist wanting to recommend those writings that others might find helpful.

I almost didn't read Reaching a New Generation. It's one of the many books in my library that I haven't' read (although I'm working on it!) because I tend to acquire books at a faster rate than I can read. What moved this book to the top of my reading list was the author, Alan Roxburgh, who I heard for the first time at a seminar early this year. Roxburgh is one of the most significant leaders in the missional church movement, and is one of its deepest thinkers.

It was probably the title, Reaching a New Generation, and subtitle, "Strategies for Tomorrow's Church" that previously had kept this book lower on the stack. It sounded too much like a book about reaching Gen X'ers (which is why I bought it in the first place a few years back), and I'm tired of "strategy" books full of programs and ideas that are hardly transferable to my setting. Unfortunately, these titles are very poor indicators of what to find between the covers. It's not just about the younger generations, and is weak on what we normally call strategy. A more accurate title would serve the book better.

Reaching a New Generation is a relatively short book (140 pages with notes and index!), but is a rich discussion on the shifts that are taking place in our culture, and how the church can appropriately respond. Certainly other authors have tackled these issues with greater depth, but few have packaged it as succinctly as Roxburgh. After reading this profound book you should not be able to help but ponder on how our theology can speak to the questions being asked with our society.

After describing the changing worldviews around us, and the rejection of modernity and Christianity, Roxburgh asks, "How will the Gospel be Heard?" (page 63). He goes on to emphasize that "the mission strategy for each congregation must, increasingly, be shaped by the values, needs and style of its context" (p. 65). In order to do this we must learn to listen and see what is going in the culture around us, and then construct a local theology that allows us to "learn to read Scripture with the eyes of our context, allowing the Bible to engage the culture and reshape the congregations' self-understanding. Strategies for evangelism grow out of this engagement, as such a gospel encounter calls for the congregation's own transformation and conversion as well as the culture's" (page 73).

But, this book is not an abstract discussion. Roxburgh goes on to apply these insights to three of the most significant trends emerging in our society: the ecological crisis, the hunger for community, and the quest for spiritual transcendence. Those living in insulated Christian sub-cultures may have trouble seeing the primacy of these issues, but an honest look around us will show that Roxburgh is both accurate in his assessments and insightful in his theology.

If you are at all concerned about the mission of the church, this is one of the books to add to your reading list and to actually read!

What foundation?

Here are two diagrams, from Thoughts from the Cheap Seats, that contrast the difference between traditional and missional churches. Quite straightforward.

 

 

 

 

Where the Saints Have Trod

Occasionally I will highlight a recently read book that might be of benefit to others in our movement

I love shopping for books. While at the North American Convention in June I forced myself to browse through the disheveled stacks in the Reformation Publishers tent, just in case I could find a gem in the rough. I was pleasantly surprised to find a normally out-of-print book that I had read years earlier during research for my Master's thesis: WWhere the Saints Have Trod: A Social History of the Church of God Reformation Movement by Val Clear (Midwest Publications, 1977).

Val Clear was a professor of Sociology at what was Anderson College when he wrote this book. His intent was to examine our movement from a sociological perspective, and in comparison to other emerging religious movements. Clear starts with the assumption that "All social institutions arise out of their environments, but none is more closely related to the soil in which it grows than a Christian church" (p. 1). He then goes on to demonstrate how the Church of God transitioned itself over the years to become an organization much more closely resembling a denomination than a movement. This change occurred over many years, and can be summarized in the following stages:

1. Social unrest; milling about

2. A leader appears and defines the issues.

3. A self-conscious minority emerges and rallies around the leader.

4. The parent body rejects the idea of the new group and separation takes place.

5. The new group is isolated.

6. The new group is institutionalized.

7. Sophistication develops.

8. Unrest anew; milling about. (p. 10)

Writing from the vantage point of the 1970's Dr. Clear pegged our movement at stage seven, suggesting that there were "only undercurrents of dissension" (p. 180). We had reached the "quietude of middle age", but were trying to find our "raison d'etre ... in a world that has changed rapidly". (p. 180).

Almost thirty years have passed since the publication of this important book. The insights are valuable for anyone who wants to better understand our movement, and there are critical implications for us today. I, for one, believe that we have moved closer to stage eight, not only because of our own organizational dynamics, but also because of the shifting religious and secular environments around us. In light of this, what can we learn from Clear?

First, we must be honest about the social influences that have shaped us. We cannot continue to assume that we function as a true movement.

Second, it would be good for us to assess current movements through Clear's template. In particular, the Emergent movement has the potential to be one of the most significant Christian developments in over a century. A growing number from within the Church of God are resonating with this trend. Clear's insights can help us be better prepared for these movemental changes within and around us.

If you can find a copy of Where the Saints Have Trod, I urge you to read it.

Hurricane Katrina

In case you haven't seen this from Church of God Ministries ...

 

Hurricane Katrina has devastated the Gulf Coast of the United States, hitting Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama particularly hard. The Disaster Relief Committee has met to plan our relief efforts. While specific information is not yet available, with 175 Church of God congregations in these three Gulf states, it is inevitable that numerous churches and individuals will need assistance with both emergency relief and long-term recovery. Assistance with flood damage may also be needed in southern Florida.

 

The anticipated emergency relief needs along the Gulf Coast are great. Compassionate Ministries, a ministry of Church of God Ministries, Inc., is now collecting money for emergency relief needs. Funds will be distributed through the state offices and local Churches of God in affected states.

 

If you would like to help with hurricane relief, you may give online with your credit card at www.chog.org or send checks made payable to "Church of God Ministries" to Church of God Ministries, PO Box 2420, Anderson, IN  46018-2420. Please write "Hurricane Relief, Project 45.04502" on your memo line.

 

Updates will be made available via the Church of God Ministries Web site at www.chog.org as more information becomes available.

 

For more information on giving, visit www.chog.org or call Obadiah Smith, Compassionate Ministries coordinator, at 800-848-2464, ext 2165.

 

The Forgotten Half of Change

Occasionally I will highlight a recently read book that might be of benefit to others in our movement.

 

The Forgotten Half of Change, by Luc Brabandere, is a new book written primarily to the business community. While Brabandere is not writing to the church or even claiming a Christian perspective, his insights are worth pondering as we all struggle to lead and implement change.

 

The subtitle of the book is: "Achieving Greater Creativity Through Changes in Perception". It is on this aspect of perception that Brabandere stands above other writings on the subject. While not revealing anything earth-shatteringly new, he probes and packages the dynamics of change in a manner that have certainly got me thinking in new ways. Drawing from philosophical and psychological concepts, he makes the point that there are two aspects of change: reality and perception. The former is a matter of changing actions through innovation. But, the change of perception, derived from creativity, is often neglected or missing because it is typically the most difficult to execute. Brabandere states that both of these aspects are needed. In fact, he says that successful change requires that we "change twice". Related to churches, this is evident when we introduce our programs without seeing an accompanied perception change among our members. Conflict and failure are often the result. Yet, these are the dynamics we must consider especially as we work to transform our orientation to being missional.

 

This tight relationships between reality and perception also relate to our theological understanding of sanctification. The debate that often arises, provoked by our holiness orientation, is whether sanctification is an instanteous event or gradual change. Utilizing Brabandere's model it confirmed my assertion that while sanctification is a life-long process, life-change of the perception-type (remember: spiritual change ultimately takes place at our deepest levels, including our perceptions) also typically involves a more sudden break with our past (i.e. a crisis experience). Translating that change into our lives, however, is a much more gradual process.

 

The Forgotten Half of Change succeeds to change one's perception of change itself. For that reason it is worth reading. If you are looking for practical, hands-on strategies to implement change in your church you will find the book disappointing. But, then, Brabandere's intent was to highlight the part of change we have often forgotten.