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Some media from last sunday someone asked me to post...

 

How Facebook is Ruining Me

Some thoughts running through my head today... 

There was a time when I think I was much more balanced, much less likely to anger others with my opinions, much more thoughtful of how my words would land with certain people. 

And then Facebook happened. 

I should say at the outset, the blame for thoughtless words lies squarely on my shoulders. The one who says them is responsible for the damage they do. But...

Facebook and Twitter have brought a real change for me, and not a positive one. 

In the beginning, there was the blog. And though things would get heated at times, and though I certainly have blogged things I wish I hadn't, the medium of the blog essay demanded a certain amount of circumspection and self-editing. 

Status updates, with their 140 character constraints, may demand pithiness, but self-editing? For length, maybe. But there's something about the medium of Twitter/Facebook updates that encourages a certain stream-of-consciousness, write-whatever-comes-into-your-head kind of thing. 

And while authenticity is a great value to pursue, for me, the unintended side effect of unedited authenticity has been a less pastoral presence, more arguing over issues (whether they be important or not, arguing on Facebook solves nothing), and more interpersonal strife. And frankly, it's just not worth it.

I think when it comes to many issues, the pastor is best left a blank slate. Unless your goal is to have a community/church full of people who think just like you, there isn't a whole lot of upside to arguing one side or the other of most (not all) of the current things people get spun out over. 

Yes, I recognize it matters whether McCain or Obama gets elected, whether Health Care Reform passes or we start down the slippery slope to socialism (whoops- there I go), but as a pastor, I'm coming to realize that others will debate those issues, and better. I have a certain amount of capital/good will in people's lives, and I'm coming to see that I can choose to spend it on arguing about politics and current events, or encouraging them to believe the Gospel and trust Jesus. 

I know that there are people who feel called to do both. God bless both Jim Wallis and James Dobson. That's their thing. Mine is to pastor a community full of Republicans AND Democrats, independents and Libertarians (and even a few Socialists and Greens!). Our political and ideological diversity is one of our strengths, and it's a part of the crucifixion of ministry to understand that my job is to love them all, challenge them all, and do as little needless antagonizing as possible. I still have opinions- but my freedom to get uppity about them is something I need to learn to lay down.

To the extent that I've failed at that over the last few months (and I HAVE failed at that over the last few months), I'm sorry. 

Haiti- Day 4

Yesterday was our first full day of clinic. Lots of people, a few happy stories (the woman who was told she had an inoperable cancer got to be told at our clinic that no, it was just a fibroid) and many sad one. The saddest are those with the issues that in the States would be treatable, but here are death sentences- like kidney failure. 

We've seen 8 year old aids patients and mothers who have lost multiple children in the earth quake. Heartbreaking stuff. 

And yet, these people are not despairing. There's a quiet energy that pervades the place. Smiles are generously given, there's none of the short tempers and nervousness you'd expect in people who have lived through so much. They are grieving, but not as those without hope.

Yesterday I got to work in the clinic and then in the afternoon toured the small area where the water filtration project Evergreen has been supporting for three years takes place. The filters are built out back behind the clinic and distributed to towns all around the area. The money evergreen provides (others also are funding the project through Haiti Foundation of Hope) provides about 12 filters a month. That means in the 3 years we've been at it, we've been able to outfit more than 100 homes with the means to have clean water. I love that. 

The filters are amazingly simple- a tall concrete box with a mixture of sand and gravel poured in. There's a tube from the bottom that run up inside the concrete and comes out toward the top. When the lid is taken off and the water is poured in, the pressure pushes the water through the gravel and up and out of the tube into whatever bucket you have handy. Water goes in dirty and comes out clean. The instances of diarrhea (a potentially deadly thing here) have declined dramatically in the homes with the filters. The difference in quality of life is incalculable.

Later in the afternoon I heard music down by the "center" of the village where there's two large trees in the middle of a cleared out space- an open-air meeting area with the only water pump around on its edge. It was an International Women's Day meeting (I thought for a while it was a "Farm Association" meeting- the boy who translated for me said "Famn Association"- meaning "women's association"- so I was a little confused at all the AIDS pamphlets. Though the older ladies getting up and dancing? That was a true highlight of my day. I have video of it all, but the connection here is too slow to upload, so it'll have to wait till I'm home. 

I *love* all the singing and dancing here. They do it at every possible occasion. We think we're music fans because we BUY albums and ATTEND concerts? And yet, when Sunday comes and we have a chance to sing and worship, it's with so little gusto. 

I'm beginning to think you don't have much right to say you love music if all you do is listen to it. These people MAKE music- in the morning, in the evening, to celebrate, to worship, just to have fun... Can't wait to show you. 

Haiti- day 3

Yesterday was packed. After a good, chilly night's sleep (it's been cold here- especially at night- everyone is commenting that it's very unusual), we had breakfast, put on our Sunday-Go-To-Meetin' clothes and piled in the cars to head down the road. Pastor Delamy is a district superintendent with the Free Methodists, and has a number of churches under his care. So instead of worshipping in Terre Blanche, we went to a town a couple of miles away. It's amazing the difference just being on the other side of the river makes. This town was clearly more properous- it was green, the houses were more put together- they had crops in their fields and water in their irrigation ditches. 

The church was packed with the littlest children sitting right up front the older ones behind them and the adults behind them. I was absolutely amazed at the ability of the children to sit still, without adults being near them and *on* them for the entire service- probably two hours. They barely talked, only got up to use the bathroom, and a good number were engaged (though many of the younger ones just stared blankly ahead. SO while it wasn't exactly age-appropriate learning, massive props on self-discipline. (The grave ushers who gave stern looks to the kids who seemed about to act up didn't hurt either)

Lots of singing, many special numbers by groups of kids, groups of men, groups of women. We all got to give greetings (we were sitting on a bench/chairs ON STAGE facing the crowd) and I got to preach. It was well received, though very short. I was thinking I certainly wasn't the *main event* so just shared a brief Gospel-y "exhortation" from Galatians 4:3-8. It was maybe 20 minutes with translation. They probably think we americans don't have much to say. 

But it was fun speaking with a translator- especially one as passionate as Delamy, and preaching in a responsive crowd and getting to get a little "babdist" up in there? Priceless. Love that. 

After church was lunch and a brief 3 hour clinic where we got to run through all the procedures and practice a little. I've been in the pharmacy, filling prescriptions yesterday and today. 

Last night, after clinic and after dinner, I was laying on my bed, waiting for the evening debrief, and in the distance could here a band. Marching band-style drums, some horns- no discernible melody, but slowly getting louder. 2 hours later it seemed as though they were right outside the compound. 

There are NO lights here- electricity only in the compound and that only in the inner part around the clinic. I wandered down to the outer part of the compound, intending to go outside the gate to listen, but decided going alone might not be wise. As I was walking back up, I found Antoine, one of the men hanging out and doing "security" of a sort at night. I asked if he'd take me down to see the band and so we walked back to and out the gate.

Right outside the gate was a genuine Haitian Rara band. Rara is a period after Mardi Gras of celebration- some say "to distract Christians from Lent." It's not specifically Voo Doo, but there have been known to be some connections. The band was slowly shuffling down the road, playing in a building frenzy, banging on drums and cymbals, blowing horns made out of PVC pipe, no melody, just the same rhythm and notes over and over, all led by a man dancing at the front, blowing a whistle, cracking a whip every few seconds- all in the dark. 

I have to say, it gave me the creeps- especially after having seen some of the voo doo talismans some people leave at crossroads and hearing of the clash of voo doo and the Gospel here. 

I'll write more about this in awhile, but some of the people are in absolute slavery to voo doo, expected to sacrifice goats and liquor to the spirits, forbidden to send children to school, living in fear of evil and yet trying constantly to placate and serve it. Many in this area are finding real freedom from all of that thru Jesus, and that's exciting. 

Good News looks and sounds a little different here in Haiti than Portland- but it's still all about Jesus and the freedom the Gospel brings.

Haiti- Day 2

Yesterday was our first full day here and we took it a little slow. After a leisurely get-up, we worked in the clinic for a few hours sorting medicines and supplies and pre-packaging some gastro-intestinal packs of pepto/antibiotics and other things to fight off the GI bug that's endemic here. 

After lunch we got to walk around the village- Terre Blanche is a poor place, even by Haitian standards. I can't imagine what life was like here before the Pastor Delamy and others began some improvements. 

The houses are small one and two room cinderblock deals- no electricity, no running water. Those too poor to have built out their houses yet have made do with large sticks and thatched roofs. No crop has come in in 3 years- there's a drought on, and the river is dry, partially because of lack of rain, and partially because it's been diverted by others upstream to water their crops. Many of the children under the age of seven have little to no clothes...

But everyone here, though life is hard, seems happy. A whole different feel than in Port au Prince where we were surrounded by beggars immediately. Here, we walked around the village all afternoon, and the only thing anyone asked us for was to have their picture taken. Some, over and over. 

The water comes from a single well in the village- put there by Living Water International. The water filtration units Evergreen has been paying for/providing for the last few years are what help made the well water potable. The only school around is run by Pastor Delamy and paid for largely by the Haiti Foundation for Hope. My sense is that with the lack of crops, people are dependent on the rice and beans we'll be providing. It's amazing the concrete difference that followers of Jesus are making here. Our money and efforts are what God is using to bring health and education to a place sorely in need of both. 

In just a bit we're going to load up and head to another village/town where I'll get to preach a short message. Guess I don't get the Sunday off! :) Thinking of our Evergreen family back home, praying that their worship of Jesus is heartfelt and their hearts are glad for all the ways that God has blessed them.

Haiti- Trip there and first morning

What a trip. Almost 24 hours after we left Portland, we arrived in Terre Blanche. The plane rides were fine, though packed. And the PDX to San Francisco to Miami to Hiati route felt long, but the real fun started when we arrived here in country.

Lots of people here to help- I've seen Japanese, Canadian, Dutch... even one actor from "Band of Brothers" here to do who-knows-what.

Haiti isn't like I expected- though there's evidence of the quake, the parts of the country we've driven through have seemed quickly to get back to some semblance of normal, with the caveat that many people (most, probably) in Port au Prince are sleeping outdoors- in cars, tents, whatever. But the place is bustling- we saw open markets, open stores, people out enjoying themselves. I understand that there are parts that are up to 90% destroyed (with the remaining 10% not something you'd want to live in), but we didn't drive through those areas.

I think it took us about 6 hours to drive the 100 miles or so north to Terre Blanche. It's a no-lane road with kind of a Mad Max ethos prevailing. I lost count of how many trucks we passed on blind curves! The highway runs through a lot of towns, and people pretty much stay off the roads as the traffic comes through/by at a fair clip. Most of the road was paved, though in some areas the difference between paved and unpaved was negligible. It's amazing how many pack into the buses and on the backs of make-shift taxi's fashioned out pick-ups. The bus art is amazing- you could make a book just of the amazing blend of religious and musical/movie/sports stars they have colorfully painted over every surface. The main industry here seems to be "taxi" with "hair dresser/barber" a close second. The way we have coffee shops on every corner in the PacNW? They have hair salons.

Terre Blanche seems to be a more dispersed village- I hope to find a way to post pictures here pretty quick- but a lot of farm land, make-shift houses/huts, not a lot of power. We spent the morning preparing for the clinic we'll run the rest of our time here, and after lunch, I think we're taking a walk through the village.

The Haitians have greeted us warmly- more in a bit!

αγγελος 2010 Church Planter Training

This year I have the privilege to again help out with the Ecclesia Network's annual church planter training/Bootcamp. I'm so excited for the conversations, the missional energy and especially again being back at Richmond Hill, a former monastery and current community of prayer in the midst of Richmond. Such a peaceful place, and such a great time with current and future church planters. 

The teaching line up this year is fantastic- including some seasoned planters and two in particular I'm looking forward to spending some time with- David Fitch from Life on the Vine in Chicago-land and Jon Tyson from New York. 

If you are considering, about to or in the midst of church planting, you really need to come. 

Here's some more info: 

αγγελος is church planting training  that presents a theological and practical trajectory for missional church planting.

αγγελος is unique in comparison to other church planters training opportunities available.

First, there will not be hundreds of people here. More than likely, there will be somewhere between 20-30. This means plenty of room for dialog, conversation, and questions amidst all of the planned training.

Second, everyone stays, eats, and prays together for the week. Most people leave with better friendships, some of which will be life-long, because they started the church planting journey – in this way – together.

Third, there will be a host of different equippers with unique planting stories. This gathering (as in all we try to do) isn’t dominated by just a few individuals or models of church planting. You’ll hear from a variety of planters, both seasoned and new, and learn from their experiences and approaches.

Finally, we hope to provide a good balance of theology, theory, and practicality. Each component is vital
We hope you’ll join us in May!

Topics Covered:

• Planting Missional Churches
• Planting Equipping Churches
• Staying Healthy While Planting
• Developing a Philosophy of Discipleship
• Incarnational Ecclessiology: Reading Your City
• Developing Models & Approaches
• Developing Your Team
• Navigating Team Dynamics
• Fundraising for Church Planting
• Administrative & Legal Issues
• Keeping Heart Till the End ….

General Information

Location
Richmond Hill Urban Retreat Center (www.richmondhillva.org).
Richmond Hillis a former monastery, located in the heart of the city of Richmond. Most people will be sharing a room with one other person throughout the week. All meals are all included as part of our stay and will take place on the grounds.

Registration
Email info@ecclesianet.org to confirm your spot followed by payment. A 20% deposit is required within two weeks of registration to qualify for rate and space. Full payment due May 1st, 2010.

More info HERE

From the Archives: Why I'm Not Done With Church

I've often wished I could write off church... It certainly would make life easier in many ways and at least I'd get to sleep in on Sundays. But, I'm beginning to think that if I truly understand the Gospel... I just can't. 

More and more people are declaring "I want to follow Jesus... I just can't handle church." The rise of the free-range Christian along with its attendant cynicism towards all things institutional has been one of the big stories of the last couple of years, most notably highlighted in George Barna's book Revolution.

In it, Barna describes a new movement that "entails drawing people away from reliance upon a local church into a deeper connection with and reliance upon God." 

He envisions a generation "choosing from a proliferation of options, weaving together a set of favored alternatives into a unique tapestry that constitutes the personal 'church' of the individual." 

"The personal 'church' of the individual"?

This week...

I'm gearing up to head to Haiti on Thursday. Can't say my mind is entirely there yet, but it will be soon enough.

 This has been an insanely stressful week- lots of little things adding up, lots of pressure, not a lot of balance or self-care. We always talk about pastors burning out or flaming out because those are the ones that get the most attention. Me? Lately I've just been running out. 

I get to that point where it's been too long since I've been inspired by new ideas, had a really good night's sleep, had time with God that moved beyond discipline and into life-giving. At that point it's not any one thing, just everything in general- and I feel like a car trying to move uphill on momentum alone- no gas, just slower and slower. Preaching begins to feel monotonous and like I'm just saying the same things over and over, there's a lack of creative ideas in anything I do, I know I need... something, but am too unfocused to name it or do it. 

And that's where God's grace has been really apparent to me lately. 

I've known for awhile that certain side-projects weren't really sustainable for me. I loved the extra income, but they were draining in ways I couldn't afford to be drained. Well, that's ended this week. Not sure how I'll replace the income, but for now, I feel free. 

I stumbled through yesterday thinking- "This is as tired and stressed as I can ever remember having felt." And yet, I woke up this morning feeling light- not necessarily full of energy- not yet, but not weighed down either. 

It's amazing how the math works- doing too much and so feeling too stressed? Do less. And if you won't choose that, maybe God will just begin to strip away. 

Grace. 

I expect to be blogging a lot more again. I feel the energy and the need for it. Sorry for the long, long hiatus of not much happening here. Thanks for hanging in there (if you are still out there, reading this)...

Now to get to work for the week, nail stuff down church and family-wise before heading off to Haiti this Thursday.