Top Heavy

The International Church of the Nazarene will be celebrating its centennial on October 5, 2008. God has worked through the Church of the Nazarene to spread the message of Entire Sanctification around the world. I am glad that I am an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene.

That said, I would like to note not only the Church of the Nazarene, but many denominations move toward more hierarchy. Denominations, and local churches, tend to become top heavy.

Let's look at individual local churches first. In a small, church that is just large enough to have a full time senior pastor, the focus is on the people that make up the congregation. In other words, the pastor is focused on shepherding and caring for the people of that particular congregation. But as a small church grows and eventually becomes a large church, the emphasis on the people slowly transitions to the pastor. In other words, rather than the pastor serving the people, there is a subtle move toward the people "idolizing" and/or propping up the pastor. This is more true in non-denominational churches.

Yes, I realize I am making large generalizations here.

The beginning of most denominations seems to be a grass roots movement of the people. There are individuals who are fueling the churches, not the bureaucracy or hierarchy. But as the denomination grows and it moves into the second, third, and fourth generation of the denomination, it begins to get top heavy.

For example, many district leaders, while they may not say it, view the local church more as a cash flow instrument to help fund the district ministries. Early in the life of the Church of the Nazarene there were no "district ministries." (Church planting wasn't viewed as the responsibility of the district, but of the local churches, for one example.)

The district and general church administration and hierarchy were formed to empower, encourage, and equip the individual local churches. I wonder, have we lost that?

In 100 short years of our own history have we made dramatic changes in our polity without actually changing the wording of the manual?

Maybe one reason for the transition to a "top heavy" way of going about things is because local churches leading the way is to static and undependable. A bigger, more financed, hierarchy has more control and stability.... or does it?

Just a minority worldview.

Obama, Palin, Politics and Little 'Ole Me

McCain or Obama?

I got an e-mail the other day... again... from someone that said Obama was a Muslim. If he is, he isn't a very good one.

I got an e-mail the other day that said McCain was a Christian. If you believe that I've got a few acres on Venus I can sell you.

As a Christian approaching politics you certainly have to make priorities among moral issues. For example, while I believe God has placed us here to take care of creation, the issue of abortion (life vs. death) diminshes the glitz of my greenness.

At what point does a Christian refuse to vote for the "lesser of two evils." (By the way, is that in any shape or form Biblical?) That just sounds too much like compromise.

"But we'll lose the election if everyone started voting third party." Who will lose? God? I don't think so.

Long after Obama or McCain have taken their last breath here on Earth, God will still be King of Kings. Of that I am sure.

For most Christian voters McCain has been eclipsed by Sarah Palin. I must admit that while she is much more appealing a candidate than McCain she is not going to draw my "evangelical vote." Because she won't be president, she'll be vice president.

So what does the vice-president do? Wait around for the president to die so that they can be president. That's it! (Technically there are a few responsibilities like baby sitting in the senate or something.)

Who will I vote for? A Republican or Democrat? I'm going to vote for the only person I have confidence is really a Christian.

Mike Huckabee. (By the way, someone tell him to stop speaking for McCain.)

Church, Economy, Politics, Alcohol, and UFO's

Okay, the title was just to get your attention.

I was discussing an issue with someone not too long ago when I was asked: "What do you [the church I am a part of] do for this community?"

My response was: "We're [the church] trying to get see lost people born-again."

To which that person said: "That's it!?...the lost, born-again?"

So I must ask: What effect does someone being born-again have on the community at large?

There is a pesimistic side of me that bemoans the lack of transformation in the lives of people who claim to have "received" Christ.

What is the function of the church? Is it really relevant? Does it matter? Sure, as a pastor and Christian (pastors aren't always Christians... I can name some) I would say yes it does matter, but does it really?

Our nation is full of churches. There are churches on every corner! But our society continues to make the wide sweeping spiral downward morally. Something has to give!

The church is suppose to be the called out. That's how it is literally translated from Greek. The church is suppose to be the body of Christ; described as such by the apostle Paul. So what was Christ about? He told Nicodemus I've come to seek and save the lost.

SIDE NOTE: For all the tele-evangelists out there: That doesn't mean he came to make humans rich. For all the social justice over-emphasized crowd: That doesn't mean he came to erradicate poverty. Whoa, I stumbled upon something there... tele-evangelist and 'wacky' social justice folks have similar theology. (My lawyer told me to add this clause: I am for social justice and using media to communicate the Gospel.)

But I must ask myself: where is a New Testament church?

Liturigical worship? Yeah, remember at Pentecost where they all dressed up in funny garments and put on crazy hats, then read prayers while chanting about Mary, then mumbled incoherently while performing some other rituals. You remember now... 3000 people got saved.

No, it must have been more relevant than that. Yeah, I remember now. At Pentecost, Peter preached on four steps to financial freedom, how to have a 'marvelous marriage,' and "Your best life now." Then 3000 people were born again (even though nothing was said about repentance).

Well, maybe it was more punk than that. Everyone in the upper room wasn't actually praying. In all actuality they were getting tattoos, piercings, and practicing for the 'rock' concert. They had people drive Harley's (donkeys named Harley) across the 'stage.' 3000 people were head-banging during the concert so they assume that 3000 people were saved.

So, back to the original question: Is all you do is lead people to Christ?

Yes, but that's all that really matters. A Real God brings Real Change in Real People.

What does revival look like?

Maybe if I could actually answer that question I would not be posting on a blog, but publishing a best-selling book.

Back on March 1-5, 2008 we had a revival that was just that. It was revival, renewing, and refreshing. It was unbelievable. Our church is still feeling the positive effects of what happened in that particular series of services. Certainly there were some who, following the week of services, reverted back to the same sub-standard Christian life they had before, but as a whole the church took a leap forward in a intimacy with God. There are individuals in the community that still talk about that revival.

The church as a whole and individuals of the church have definitely faced difficult times since the beginning of March. Physical, financial, stress, temptation, trial, and more seemed to be magnified following what God had accomplished in the life of the Greensburg Church of the Nazarene.

Then we approached Green River Camp Meeting 2008. I must admit that my expectations where that we would have a series of service similar to those we had in March except that they would be more intense and far reaching in our church and community.

It did not happen that way.

Instead, the church went through a purification process. The evangelist came pretty near preaching a message like you would read in the New Testament (specifically a typical sermon by John the Baptist... Luke 3:7). Some of it was near scathing and at times I sat in bewilderment the faithful core was attacked for lukewarmness, spiritual callousness, apathy toward spiritual matters, or outright sinfulness.

I must admit that there were a few times that I was discouraged as well as completely confused spiritually as to what was going on. I remember praying during the week of camp meeting on a number of occasions in which I asked God to show me whether I need to stop the services, the evangelist, the worry, or my own doubts.

I stopped worrying.

I continued to test the spirits throughout the services and found that consistently there was an oppressive "spirit" about the service. Resistance seemed to reign.

The thing is, people were changed. Yes, some sinners were saved. Yes, there were a few Christians who were sanctified through and through. But the most dramatic changes have been observed following the revival. Individuals committing to being in the presence of the Lord. People I have never seen in church at a Wednesday night Bible study, save something special, have started to come. Couples, families, individuals, singles, etc. are starting to come every service.

There is an enthusiasm in the church from people have never been enthused to be in church before. I am hearing new people talk about what God is doing in their lives that I have never heard talk about such things before.


Real change.

As I continue to try to put together what exactly happened during camp meeting, I hope that I never miss what God is trying to do like I did that time.

What does revival look like? Emotion, feelings, hard decisions, sacrifices, & surrender.

Who knows what revival looks like; I just know what it looks like to see people moving forward spiritually.