Vew from the Pew

Why do you go to church?

2012-02-08T12:50:00.004-05:00

Ever ask yourself why you go to church? Many of us live a life of habit and assumptions. We run through the motions and thoughts that constitute a comfortable and stable life.

But do we take time to consider the reasons why we go to church? Our lives can go on for months or years without any reflection, until the balance and stability of our lives is shattered by a crisis - the loss of a job, health problems, the death of a family member, etc. Then everything begins to be questioned.

Sadly, for many people, going to church is a personal decision that does not cost anything or gain anything. There appears to be no compelling cultural, political or economic reason to go to church.

So why do you go to church? For many of us the answer is because we feel as if we should go, out of a sense of obligation or duty. Perhaps our parents or pastor told us that going to church was simply "the right thing to do." We may have certain images of ourselves that are nurtured by church attendance. We want people to think we are good, wholesome people - "church-goers" - because being a "church-goer" keeps us on the "straight and narrow."

Some approach church attendance by looking at needs. We may attend church to find peace, to calm our anxious, stressful lives, or to have a religious experience that makes us feel a certain way. We may even be seeking something or someone outside ourselves that will give new meaning or hope to our lives.

As an artist and one who loves ambiance, I can relate to those who go to church to find beauty and art in the experience. Maybe it is the atmosphere, the smells, the architecture, the music, the lights/candles or the poetic language of scripture that draws you in. If that is the case, church becomes an aesthetic experience, often no different than going to a nice spa or an art gallery. Ironically, people can enjoy the beauty of church without any formal Christian belief. This also can be true of the moral and spiritual reasons for going to church. They do not require commitment to any formal Christian faith.

And then there are those who feel a sense of guilt. "I have sinned, so I better go to church." Those who find themselves in trouble or whose life has taken on a heightened sense of uncertainty think that church will be the fix. They go to church to have God grant them their need or desire. But God is not a magical genie Who can be bribed.

I ask again, why do you go to church? The phrase "go to church" sounds as if the church is there for us, whether we attend or not. Let's remember that we do not "go to church," we go to "be the church."

The reasons given for "going to church" (moral obligation, our needs, aesthetic experience and crisis fixing) have one common theme. They start with ourselves. When we go to be the church, we encounter God and participate in the life of God's people. Church is not how we fit God into our lives; church is where we find our place in God. Church is not there simply or only to meet our needs. Church is the venue from which we have life and have it abundantly.

By Dr. Robert S. Henry
Pastor, Silverton Friends Church

A Critical Eye for Encouragement - A Peace Month Thought

2012-01-11T14:24:00.003-05:00

Grandma used to say, “If you can’t say something good about somebody or something, don’t say anything at all.” How many times have you heard that saying? Yet, why do we find it so hard to live up to that old saying, especially in the church?

Too often, I find myself and others having a “critical spirit” about the church or more appropriately the people within the building on Sunday morning. It seems everyone gets a shot taken at them – the usher who encouraged us to sit in a new section, the person who couldn’t get the right words up on the screen for verse four of the song, the preacher who “stopped preachin’ and went to meddlin’,” or the person who wouldn’t excuse their crying child from the sanctuary. It seems we have a critical eye on every aspect of what we label “church”.

And it doesn’t stop there. Our young children with “big ears” and innocent hearts repeat the words their parents share on the ride home from the worship service. “I heard Dad tell Mom that there was a big shot in the pulpit today, the choir murdered the anthem, and the music team drowned out our singing.” You and I may laugh at this because it may be true, but many times we know that the words used are even more destructive and biting than the example given.

Instead of a climate of peace necessary for the production of honesty, virtue and uprightness, we worship our God in an atmosphere that is anything but peaceful. It is as if we sit in the congregation judging a performance – much like Randy Jackson, Steve Tyler, or Jennifer Lopez with their latest victim on American Idol. The problem with our critical spirit is that most of the time we don’t even see the seriousness of the critical spirit until it has taken a toll on our spiritual lives and robbed us, and those around us, of our peace. We begin to realize that something is completely out of whack in our lives, but we can’t always put a finger on what it is.

Over the years, I have found that different things lead to having a critical spirit. It may be caused by external things around us or it may come from internal thoughts, beliefs or motives. Many times setting our heart on having our own way causes us to drift away from God. In turn we develop an obsessive attitude of criticism and fault-finding, which seeks to tear others down — not the same thing as what is sometimes called “constructive criticism.” The only criticism that is ever constructive is that which is expressed in love to “build up,” not to tear down — it is always expressed face-to-face, never behind one’s back.

Taking a moment to evaluate my own thoughts and views led me to realize that my critical spirit usually originates out of my own selfishness. Now, I have found that it is not so important to analyze the cause as much as it is to come up with a solution. Ironically, that takes me back full-circle to the reason I should be going to church in the first place.

The Bible says that the reason that we are to come together as a church is, not to criticize, but to “exhort” (encourage) one another (Hebrews 10:25). “Cursing the darkness” won’t change anything, but you and I must light a candle and “expose the light” of God’s Word. By sharing the truth of His Word, and encouraging people to live in its truth, we can all be changed.

Love and encouragement can and must become the “motivational force.”

If we ever hope to bring improvement in others and in our churches, we need to become people of encouragement. This is the only attitude that will change people, and our actions and words must be devoted to encouraging the spiritual progress of our brothers and sisters.

As the church of God, do you and I build people up or tear people down? Next time we are ready to criticize someone, let’s remember God’s law of love and say something good instead. Remember Grandma’s Motto “If you can’t say something good about someone or something, don’t say anything at all.”

An Advent Conspiracy Prayer

2011-12-13T12:44:00.003-05:00

O Lord, every day I drive the city streets, isolated from others by my speed, my heater*, and my radio. Each workday I sit in my office, buffered from people and sights and sounds that might distract me from my work. Every evening I see horrible things on the news that are promptly smothered in commercials and silly sitcoms. It's easy to lose any sense of concern, to feel compassion only as a fleeting twinge, to accept no responsibility for lives that are only a view from my car window or a picture on my TV screen. Help me, O God. Save my soul from drowning in comfort, efficiency, entertainment, and isolation.

-- Walter C. Sutton
*the original reads "air conditioning"

Advent: A Video

2011-12-03T15:29:00.001-05:00

Advent. from Spirit Juice Studios on Vimeo.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

2011-11-17T14:38:00.003-05:00

To us, your children,
Father, you have opened your hands and have shared with us the wonders of your world:
sun and sky,
leaf and flower,
surf and shore.

In your grace,
Father, you have given us one another. Into our keeping you have placed our selves that, united in your love, we may mold your earth into a home for each and every person: where we may live in peace and share in the love that alone warms life and gives its meaning.

For this, all of these things both small and great, and for the greatness caught within the smallest of your creatures we thank you.

Father, despite our best, our world is still weighted with sorrow: your sons and daughters still go hungry; your children take up the weapons of Cain against their brothers and sisters; we gouge the face of your world with greed and leave a wasteland where nothing, not even your children, may grow.

Keep us thankful,
Father, so that we may touch all things, and all people only with the delicacy of reverence and love. Keep us aware of the work, your work, that you have given into our hands. For only in your Spirit will your kingdom come, and that day shine when all people will see clearly that there is indeed reason for thanksgiving.

This, all of this, we ask in your Spirit, through our Lord and brother Christ Jesus.
Amen.

Adapted from: Home Celebrations, by Lawerence E. Moser, S.J. 1970

Community: From Buzz Word to Challenge

2011-09-29T14:18:00.004-04:00

“Community" is a buzzword today. It is overused, misused, confused and rather annoying at times. I used to think it seemed pretty elementary, but when done biblically, I find it much more complicated.

If asked, we probably all would have a slightly different idea of what good community looks like. Personally, I’ve had a few misconceptions about what constitutes community, one being the idea that everyone should be “best friends."

When I have pictured good community in the past, I usually think of myself in a group of really great friends. We get together on an autumn evening, have a cookout, talk about the “deep stuff," all the while making light of the greater mysteries of life.

Obviously, in this scenario of good community my happiness is very important. If I am experiencing true community, I know that I am pleased with the way things are going. My friends are always looking out for me, I feel supported, and I am comfortably content.

Over time, I have realized I was wrong about what constitutes true community. I have decided that one of the best, and most difficult, ways to live in community is to spend time with people who are not exactly like me. Knowing the way God works, it is most likely that he doesn’t encourage fellowship with one another for the sole purpose of our own satisfaction. He probably has something for us to learn through community.

For instance, in Romans 12:4-5, it talks about how believers are all part of the same body, but we all have different roles. We have each been given gifts that we are to use for God’s glory. As believers who are striving toward the same goal, we should appreciate one another’s gifts. Instead of thinking that everyone should do things the way that we would, we are to appreciate the diversity that God has placed within the body.

Once I realized this beautiful aspect of community, I was content. Then I found Ephesians 4:2-3.

St. Paul is talking to the Ephesians about being united as a body. He urges them to recognize each other’s individual callings. He also tells them to “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (NIV)."

I am very good at knowing when others need to make an effort to be humble or patient. I can point out when someone should be better at bearing with me in love. And, honestly, the Lord often convicts me about playing my part as well. But what hit me when reading this passage was the command to “make every effort." I may be completely justified in the fact that I do just enough, but have I done all I can to be united with my brothers and sisters?

Perhaps the Bible so often encourages us to love one another and to be united because it helps us take the focus off ourselves.

I cannot control how other people respond to me. I cannot make them be what they should. All I can do is what I have been asked. And uncomfortably for me, I have been asked to do a lot. I am asked to get my attitude right, no matter what the other person is doing. I am to love at all times. This love for others – whether or not they love me back – is part of my responsibility in encouraging biblical community.

Part of what community teaches us is to slowly and painfully begin to think about others, to forgive others, to bear with one another. Taking the focus off ourselves is part of living in community.

Too often I cocoon myself within my community. I use my desire for fellowship with other believers as an excuse to ignore those who do not believe the words of Jesus. Isn’t this the opposite of what we are supposed to be doing as a biblical community?

Community is less about a great group of people who can make me feel loved and important, and more about how I can make an effort to love those around me, and in turn, how together we can show God’s love to those around us.

Pay attention and get connected with God

2011-09-20T14:50:00.001-04:00

A few years ago, my family and I were heading home from church when suddenly we got a flat tire. Just before the blowout, my level of frustration was already growing. For our family, the drive home from church is a time to talk about the morning. My wife and I ask our children what they learned in Sunday School, and we discuss at length the pastor’s sermon.

Sometimes the trip home from church or the talk at lunch concerns Sunday morning dislikes, missed opportunities, or things that should have been done differently, too often lacking what God was saying to His people.

This can render valuable feedback and is often constructive for those of us in ministry, but on occasion it can digress into arguments or quarrels and ruin the day. A flat tire only added to my frustration that morning.

I pulled over to change the flat, took off my suit coat and rolled up my shirt sleeves. Changing a flat in good clothing means that there is no way to keep clean.

I grumbled and got out of the car, then looked up to see a man standing at the back of my car asking me to “pop” the trunk. I quickly glanced at his attire and wondered why he stopped. As soon as I opened the trunk, the man had my tire jack out and quickly had one side of the car in the air with my family still inside.

My shock had me stumbling over words. He looked up as he brushed off the sweat of his brow and asked me if I was coming from church. I replied with a simple “yes” and then proceeded to clutch the lug nuts he held for me to take.

“Isn’t it frustrating when things like this happen on Sunday,” he asked, “especially when we are coming from church in our good clothing?” I laughed and agreed. He soon had my tire changed. He finished without giving me a chance to do any of the work.

My wife handed baby wipes out the window. I handed him a wipe and shook his hand to thank him. I collected my thoughts and asked, “Can I give you some money for helping us out?”

He replied, “Absolutely not!” Then said, “For years I have passed cars on the side of the road because I was in a hurry, but today I heard a sermon that did not let me pass you by.”

What was the sermon he heard at church? The parable of the Good Samaritan. We both understood and chuckled.

In the New York Times best seller “Social Intelligence,” author Daniel Goleman says that people on busy streets worldwide are less likely to notice, greet or offer help to someone else because of what sociologists have called the “urban trance.”

Studies have shown that we fall into self-absorbed states on crowded streets, an attempt to prevent stimulus overload. We shut out the compelling need of those around us as simply another distraction of life.

For example, we give no attention to the unbathed, long-bearded man sitting outside the library asking for money, and then respond to the well-dressed outgoing woman who is asking for signatures on a political petition just inside the library door. When we simply pay attention, we allow ourselves to build an emotional connection. If we lack the attention, we find that empathy has no chance.

Perhaps “urban trance” isn’t the only thing with which we Christians struggle. I think those of us in the church suffer from a type of “church trance” as well.

During services, Bible studies and especially the sermon, we fall into a self-absorbed state in an attempt to restrain having to take up our cross. We allow the beauty of law and gospel to hold us back or let us off the hook instead of freeing us to make a difference in the world.

If we actually would allow God’s word to sink in, we may begin to have more than empathy, more than a desire to stop and help someone with a flat tire. Ultimately we may decide to live and act as Christ to our neighbor and to the world in the daily moments of our lives.

When we pay attention to what God is saying to His church in and through the word (read and preached), we allow ourselves to have a connection to the living Christ. If we lack the attention, we may find Christ having no chance in our lives and the lives of our neighbors.

Let’s snap out of our trances and truly begin living!

By Bob Henry
First published in The FWLutheran November, 2009

Destination or Journey

2011-09-01T13:36:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks have taught me a lot about “journeys.” I started out focused on “the destination” - getting my family and belongings to Silverton, Oregon - and instead found myself consumed by a journey.

This wasn’t a road trip, a vacation, or even a simple GPS led adventure. This was a journey. We were taken off the interstate on occasion by breakdowns, floods, and the occasional road construction. At other times we chose to see the sights, experience new things, eat, and rest. Often, the destination seemed far off, but we were growing, learning, and having new experiences.

After arriving in Silverton a couple days later than planned, I began to ponder what it really means to journey. The Bible is filled with journeys – Noah and his boating experience, Joseph walking like an Egyptian, Moses and his quest by land, through sea, and up mountains…and the list could go on and on.

These are all such great journeys, but I also thought about Jesus’ distinct journey and destination. Even though Jesus knew his final destination was Jerusalem and crucifixion outside the city, it did not stop him from experiencing the journey en route. Scripture is clear that Jesus took the time on his way to the cross to heal, welcome, bless and have compassion on those he met. I believe he did that to give us an example of what it means to journey together in this life.

That is what the church is all about – living this journey! You and I can become overly focused on the destination, and then miss the sights, the people, and some of the best experiences that God has for us. I don’t want to miss those here at SFC, and I hope you don’t either.

I encourage you this week, if you haven’t already, take a moment and get off the “interstate of life” and enjoy the journey!

Make time to know your ‘calling’

2011-06-07T14:08:00.003-04:00

If you have grown up in the church, there’s a good possibility that you have heard the term “calling” as it pertains to your life. We teach that everyone has some type of calling on his/her life. We may even get in arguments about its definition, which can easily muddy the waters as one seeks an answer for a personal situation.

The confusion may be in our understanding of “calling” as simply a vocation. Each of us will likely hold at least one job (more like eight) in a lifetime. That job or jobs may or may not be part of our calling. Instead, our calling is more of a lifestyle than a vocation.

Author and professor Jerry Sittser says, “The will of God is a way of life.” God’s will or call is to be part of how we live out our life. We are not called to a title or a diploma. Instead, we are called to a life of service, worship and growth with our Lord and Savior — and that is not dictated by our vocation.

Over the years, I’ve realized that there are three stages to living out our faith. First, we must see our calling as a lifestyle. At times that is going to cause stress, conflict and even strife. We are called as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor who was murdered by the Nazis because of his courage to speak out, to “count the cost” of this kind of living. Do we know what it entails? Do we know what we will have to sacrifice? Do we even know how to live the “Jesus way”?

Second, we must be sent out. Whether that means out our front door, to college, to relocate to a new community or country, or even to a new vocation, God wants us to move out of our comfort zones. We can’t be stagnant, self-serving, lazy or fixed in our ways because that is detrimental to those God wants us to encounter as we live out our calling. For some, it will mean getting to know your neighbors on a summer afternoon. For others, it will be taking a mission trip, attending evening classes or quitting your job to stay at home with your children. Others will sense the need to bring clean water to Third World countries or buy a home in an urban center.

The third and most neglected stage is reporting back. Too often we are called, sent and then left, which can lead to burn out. Churches are notorious for doing this. God wants us to be still and know Him. He wants us, just as He wanted His disciples, to report back and keep the conversation going. Too quickly, we rely on ourselves. To report back to God keeps us focused and prepared. We are rested to quiet our lives, to sense anew our calling. Then and only then can God send us out again.

What stage do you find yourself in this summer? Is God’s calling on your life lived out in your daily tasks? Is God sending you out? Or do you need time to sit at the feet of your Lord in silence, find rest for your soul and renew your call? Make time this summer to take inventory of your spiritual life, and see what God is saying to you.

By Bob Henry
First appeared in the FWLutheran June 2011

How can we be on Christ’s “cutting edge”?

2011-03-29T11:36:00.004-04:00

We seem to have a fascination with being on the cutting edge. Recently, I stopped at a local electronics store for a few moments before picking up my children from school. Unaware that it was any special day, I strolled through a fairly empty store.

As I stood looking at the new releases, my eyes caught a mass of people circling the inside wall of the store starting in the computer section. I wondered what was going on? Soon, someone asked if I was looking for the line waiting for the release of the newest iPad. Those in line couldn’t wait for the latest that technology could offer them.

Those of us in the church often have a desire to be on the cutting edge as well. In doing so however, we may miss those who really are on the edge. The people on the edge or fringe of our churches are often those whom members question, reject, and even deny. They don’t always conform to our church member “molds.” They may look different, ask difficult or unique questions, and have needs that the majority of those gathered do not.

Don’t Scripture and the early church teach us something about reaching out to those on the edge? Isn’t it the duty of the church to be the group that courageously goes to the edges, to the “least of the brothers and sisters” and even to the enemy? This is what being “cutting edge” in the church should be. How “cutting edge” is our local parish? How well are we reaching the “least of these”?

Author Richard Rohr says, “When any church defines itself by exclusion, it is always wrong. It is avoiding its only vocation, which is to be the Christ. Only as the People of God receive the stranger, the sinner, and the immigrant, those who don’t play our game our way, do we discover not only the hidden, feared, and hated parts of our own souls, but the fullness of Jesus himself.”

Only when we venture out to the cutting edge do we begin to see the full picture that Jesus intended His church to be. Many churches have become comfortable with a photograph that is only half developed – so they don’t have to see the people Jesus sees - the people that He wants His church to reach with His grace and peace.

What if our churches stopped trying to be on the “cutting edge” as the world describes and instead got on Christ’s “cutting edge”? What would this look like? We may again see miracles, experience fuller lives and again see Christ in our neighbor. What can we do today to be on Christ’s “cutting edge”?

by Rev. Robert S. Henry

First Appeared in the April 2011 FWLutheran Newspaper

Pouring the Spirit's new wine into renewed lives

2011-02-02T09:52:00.004-05:00

Every time I travel to Fort Wayne, I pass a gas station/convenience store that had a makeover a couple years ago, changing its Route 66 classic look into the ambiance of a warm and inviting café. The new look suggests a Starbucks coffee house, but with gas pumps in the front.

Usually I just pay at the pump, but I remember the first time I walked into the all-new facility. The employees may have missed the makeover memo. The youth behind the counter wore a new uniform that matched the warm, inviting appearance, but she had the same sullen look as before. She looked bored, checked her watch in anticipation of her next smoke break, and seemed miffed that a customer walked in the store to disturb her inattention.

It reminded me of how we try to put new wine into old wineskins. Jesus says it invites catastrophe because "the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined." (Mark 2:22 NIV)

Over the years, I've been in a lot of church meetings and ministry settings in which the image of new wineskins flows as freely as bad coffee and doughnuts between services. We apply the concept within church structure, however, discussing the "new wineskins" of programs, strategic plans and denominational ideals.

I rarely hear the concept of new wineskins applied to a life, as in your life or my life. Don't we often try to put new wine into old wineskins when it comes to our Christian journey?

This is an example: We place a new wine of "slowing down the pace of our lives" and pour it into an old wineskin of "extreme busyness."

The good news is that God pours the new wine of the Holy Spirit into the new wineskin of our renewed lives, and that sets us steady on our kingdom walk.

But too often we reach back into our closets and pull out our old wineskin, trying to put it back on and make it work as part of our new life in Christ.

Recently, I went on a silent retreat with some of my college students; I reflected a great deal on making changes in my own life. That meant I needed to consider some things about new wine and my old wineskins. I realized there are new wines that we try to pour into our old wineskins that leave us on the verge of calamity because we haven't allowed the Holy Spirit to give us new wineskins. These are a few examples:

The new wine of unconditional love poured into the old wineskin of hatred.
The new wine of worship poured into the old wineskin of idolatry.
The new wine of humility poured into the old wineskin of conceit.
The new wine of forgiveness poured into the old wineskin of bitterness.
The new wine of "others first" poured into the old wineskin of selfish ambition.
The new wine of joy poured into the old wineskin of jealousy and factions.
The new wine of peace poured into the old wineskin of discord.
The new wine of dependence on God poured into the old wineskin of independence.
The new wine of "trying something new" into the old wineskin of "running through the motions."
The new wine of dreaming into the old wine skin of worrying.

Congregations and schools across the United States, including Fort Wayne, have been dealing with a great deal of strife and challenge - from staff cuts to unbalanced budgets due to the current economic situation to a slowdown in congregational growth and vibrancy because of the changing face of life in our world.

The answer can't be to pour the new wine of a building makeover, new programs, or strategic or denominational ideals into old wineskins. The answer is more personal. It's going to take changing individual lives. That means you and I must open ourselves up to the new wine God wants for us in our day-to-day lives and the new wineskins that only His Holy Spirit gives.

by Bob Henry

First appeared in the February 2011 FWLutheran

Developing, nurturing a "vital" congregation

2010-12-02T11:02:00.003-05:00

My article in the October issue of The Fort Wayne Lutheran stated boldly that I believe leaders in the church are afraid of what might happen if we actually engage passion in our churches. What I was talking about was more than merely a strong feeling or desire to do something for God or the church. Perhaps, instead of using the word passion, I should have used the term "vitality." Passion often is left to individuals who have personal agendas or interests. What I meant to describe was what it takes to develop and nurture a "vital" congregation.

Many church researchers and focus groups have tried to come up with categories that would identify the "vital" aspects of congregational life.

Defining congregational vitality is not an easy task. One mainline denomination recently defined vitality as "the dynamic forward-leaning state of engagement that connects people to God, each other and the world in profound ways."

As I consider more about congregational vitality, I think there are three areas that I believe are essential, yet often deficient, in many congregations: prayer, mission and community.

If vitality takes connecting people to God, then prayer must be an essential practice for the individual and the corporate gathering. We must admit that many of our churches suffer from "prayer anemia," which leads to spiritual malnutrition. It is the embracing of prayer as a core spiritual practice that leads congregations to step out in faith. Encouraging prayer also deeply connects our ministry and lives to God, each other and the world. Too often, little focus or attention is given by congregational leaders to root prayer at the center of congregational life.

At best, prayer has become a back-up plan instead of an indispensable part of our faith.

Mission activity can be an example. Many congregations are experiencing a period of dryness in which church leaders are in survival mode rather than experiencing vitality. It may take an outsider or curious individual to join the congregation, and spark a new interest, desire or even a new mission. It is often these people who help the myopic congregation begin to have new eyes for their community or the neighborhood in which they reside. Too often, small-group programs, dynamic preachers and even youth groups accentuate this myopic behavior. They simply lack engagement with the needs of the world and miss opportunities to offer God's love in response.

At best, mission has been reduced to internally taking care of the needs in our churches, yet missing the opportunity to reach out and serve our neighbors.

I have been a member of churches and visited churches that radiated vitality when I walked on their property, but rarely was it connected to a particular worship style, the dynamism of the pastor or the programs offered. These congregations simply had an indefinable sense of life and energy, a passion for what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called "Life Together." These are communities where the members truly believe that special things are at work simply through their act of gathering together. You know they have something special, and yet, if you ask, most members could not fully define that "special something."

At best, community has been accepted as comfortable acquaintances that spend about an hour in close proximity each week.

So I must ask, what would happen if your congregation had an absolute commitment by each member that God was engaged in their lives together, and that life was connecting them to God, one another and the world? What if there was a belief that significant things were happening through prayer, and that belief created a passion and energy that was infectious? What if people in the community could see this commitment, and want to be a part of something special, thus leading to growth, leading to a belief that God was at work in their midst, leading to passion, leading to growth?

At best, the church would be found vital to our world, but sadly for many it is only seen as a nuisance. Friends, now is the time for revitalization!

By Bob Henry

First Appeared in the FWLutheran, December 2010

What is it I long for now?

2010-11-18T10:00:00.004-05:00

I was preparing for my Understanding the Christian Faith class the other day, when I noticed that the semester was quickly coming to an end. At the same time, I noticed that the Church Year was also quickly coming to an end.

I began thinking about Advent and how unprepared I was for Christmas this year. It dawned on me - that is what Advent is all about and it isn't even here yet! Seems everyone else is Christmas shopping, preparing for holiday parties and events, and stringing the Christmas lights, but I have no desire for any of that - actually I'm not even ready for Thanksgiving.

I realized I might need to do some work on myself this Advent. That is when I read this brief introduction about Advent online and it made me ask a different question:

Getting in Touch with Myself

One of the best ways to prepare for the very special season of Advent is to "get in touch with ourselves." It may sound odd, but one symptom of our contemporary lives is that we can often be quite "out of touch" with what is going on in our very own hearts. We are about to begin our Advent, right at the time our Western culture begins Christmas preparations. It is a busy time, and our heads are filled with details to remember. And, it is a time of emotional complexity that is part of this holiday season - with all of the expectations and challenges of family and relationships: who we want to be with and who we struggle to be with. So, our hearts are a bit tender, if not completely defended from experiencing anything deeply.

We are about to hear some very powerful and stirring readings from Isaiah, the Prophet. We will re-enter the ancient tradition of a people longing for the coming of a Savior. We may remember the days of our childhood when we longed for Christmas to come, because it was a magical time of receiving gifts. As adults, we have to ask ourselves: "What is it I long for now?" The answer won't come easily. The more we walk around with that question, and let it penetrate through the layers of distraction and self-protection, the more powerfully we will experience Advent. (Source)

"What is it I long for now?" - what a great question for this coming Advent Season. I pray you will join me in letting this question penetrate us through the distractions of self-protection in the coming days and weeks. Maranatha! - Come, Lord Jesus!

Resource for Common Prayer

2010-11-01T11:27:00.002-04:00

For those who are seeking a place for daily common prayer, this site Common Prayer is a tapestry of daily prayers inviting faith communities from around the world to pray, sing, and act together.

On this website you’ll find prayers for every evening, morning, and midday that celebrate the best of the Christian tradition and engage with the most pressing issues of our world today. There are also songs from various traditions, including African-American spirituals, traditional hymns, Mennonite gathering songs, and Taize chants—a ‘greatest hits’ from the church’s first 2000 years.

There is also a calendar to help you remember our saints and landmark dates in the struggle for peace and justice. And there’s a collection of prayers for special occasions.

Please share this resource with friends, neighbors, faith communities, small groups, etc...

Link to Common Prayer

Was Billy Graham more prophetic than we know?

2010-10-14T07:22:00.005-04:00

Frank Viola shared a couple of quotes from Billy Graham on his Reimagining Church blog. They seem to be very prophetic to our own day and age. What do you think?

The following quote was authored by Billy Graham in the year 1965.

Multitudes of Christians within the church are moving toward the point where they may reject the institution that we call the church. They are beginning to turn to more simplified forms of worship. They are hungry for a personal and vital experience with Jesus Christ. They want a heartwarming personal faith. Unless the church quickly recovers its authoritative Biblical message, we may witness the spectacle of millions of Christians going outside the institutional church to find spiritual food.

Quoted in “World Aflame”, pp. 79-80.

Here is another priceless quote by Graham:

I think one of the first things I would do would be to get a small group of eight or ten or twelve men around me that would meet a few hours a week and pay the price. It would cost them something in time and effort. I would share with them everything I have, over a period of years. Then I would actually have twelve ministers among the laymen who in turn could take eight or ten or twelve more and teach them. I know one or two churches that are doing that, and it is revolutionizing the church. Christ, I think, set the pattern. He spent most of his time with twelve men. He didn’t spend it with a great crowd. In fact, every time he had a great crowd it seems to me that there weren’t too many results. The great results, it seems to me, came in his personal interview and in the time he spent with the twelve.

Quoted in “Billy Graham Speaks: The Evangelical World Prospect,” Christianity Today, vol.3, no.1, p.5, Oct.13, 1958.

Sounds to me that he was talking about the missional church? What do you think?

Generating passion to heed the Living Christ

2010-10-11T23:25:00.002-04:00

Have you ever "faked it"? Before your mind goes down a certain path, I am talking about faking being a Christian. I am certain that you and I have put on a good show on some Sundays. For some, that may be every Sunday. The world has started to notice.

In August, CNN correspondent John Blake reported that "more teens are becoming fake Christians." As one who works with the college-age population, this caught my attention.

In Blake's report, he speaks of a study by Princeton Professor Kendra Creasy Dean, who warns of a "mutant" form of Christianity called "moralistic therapeutic deism" (i.e., God is a divine therapist whose existence rests on boosting our self-esteem). Dean says this is one of the biggest reasons youth abandon the faith.

This leads to a bigger question: Where are these young people getting this view of God? If students are reared with these ideas, could it be because we (the church) are doing a poor job of modeling and following Jesus ourselves?

Have we been so caught up with our traditions, our style, our politics that we have forgotten how to live for Christ? Have we, too, learned to "fake it"?

The average college student I meet today knows very little about the Bible, has very little experience of wrestling with the doctrines of the church, and has very little experience in living out his/her faith on a daily basis.

Most of what I hear about their faith experience is connected to laser tag, parties, sporting events, food and the dating scene at the local youth group.

On occasion, I hear of a mission trip that, for some, became a glorified vacation to a third world country. I seldom hear of what God is doing through them or teaching them. If there is a connection, it is to self-help issues rather than solid spiritual formation.

When I encourage these students to talk about how they are living their faith, I get baffled looks and shoulder shrugs. We have succeeded in having a good time and helping them think through their issues, but when it comes to living their faith, they are left to "fake it." Dean thinks students (or for that matter you and me) feel the need to fake it because the church doesn't present anything about which to be passionate.

Ironically, college students are some of the most passionate people on this planet. They want to change the world. They want to make a difference. And outside the church, many are doing just that.

Sometimes, however, they come against resistance from the place that should encourage a passion, certainly evident in the life of Christ. Instead, they are bored with our antics to keep members in the pews, and our response to their boredom is to keep them entertained and happy.

Ironically, many churches have gone to this mentality for worship services and small groups as well ‹ have fun and keep them happy, and they will come back and give money.

I believe leaders in the church are simply afraid of what might happen if we actually engaged this passion in our congregations (college student or not).

It may cause us to stop "faking" our own faith. We may open our eyes on Sunday and realize the pews are full of people just "faking it." Take a moment to assess your own situation. Is your church helping to ignite the passion for Christ's kingdom in you or your family's life? If not, it's time to stop faking it, and have a discussion with your pastor, youth minister or small-group leader.

We are not a people of "moralistic therapeutic deism." We are followers of the Living Christ; it's time we began living like it, not just for the sake of the next generation, but for this current generation.

By Robert S. Henry

First appeared in the FWLutheran October 2010

Stability, community and the "missional" life

2010-08-04T20:57:00.006-04:00

Recently, I was killing time before heading to a conference by looking for a quick, fun read at a local bookstore. With so many options, I was surprised that my eyes caught a small book that was hidden on the shelf. It was an interesting title, "The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture," and could be a good selection for the flight. I soon realized that the book was much more than a quick, simple way to pass time on a plane.

I paused as I came to the final line of the introduction: "Should you ever leave the place where you are? I don't know. But I trust we are able to best discern the call of God in the company of friends when we are rooted in the life-giving wisdom of stability."

I was hooked, because this is what many people (especially my students) ask themselves in our mobile world.

On numerous occasions, I have explored with college students the possibilities of leaving their hometowns or moving back home to make a difference for Christ. Many realize that the mission field is no longer overseas, but rather in their neighborhoods, in their hometowns and even ironically (and sadly) in their own churches.

College students find stability in the form of community - from dorm life to road trips, to the constant need to be with other people. If college students do not seem to have community, they have an inherent need to create it. Community is a part of their life. Their need has birthed aspects of the modern "house church" movement, an increase in community activism, and even new forms of monasticism found in large urban centers.

The intention of the local church for short-term missions has begun to wane. I often hear of how short-term mission trips have become glorified sightseeing/shopping adventures. They have also become simple eye-openers for the work we need to do in our own communities. Often people are surprised by the faith in Third World countries because it seems more alive than in our own pews on Sunday mornings. Upon their return, short-term missionaries refocus their attention on their local communities of faith and the needs around them.

For more and more people, the ministry of "missions" seems to be "Glocal" (borrowing a term from the movie "Up in the Air"). "Glocal" is created by mixing "global" and "local." Our world has become so mobile (being able to travel anywhere in 24 hours) and so connected (through the Internet) that it has created a genuine desire and need for stability and the local community.

These are topics the church frequently has neglected in lieu of enhancing technology, employing marketing tactics and worship performance.

Many authors and experts call this shift toward a needed stability "learning to live a "missional" life." Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, the author of the book I read on the plane, is a leader in the new monastic movement. Much like popular author and activist Shane Claiborne, Hartgrove has co-founded a new monastic community in Durham, N.C. He and many others are growing in their practice of stability and are learning the rewards of "staying put."

Maybe it is time we considered the wisdom of stability and what is going on around us in our neighborhoods, communities and churches. We could take up Hartgrove's challenge of "doing the long, hard work of life with other people in the place where we are."

by Rev. Bob Henry

This article first appeared in the August edition of the FWLutheran.

Shane Claiborne: Interview with a New Monastic

2010-07-02T10:35:00.003-04:00

This past year we had Shane Claiborne on our campus for a Service Emphasis week. Shane is always challenging and inspiring, but it is his humble approach to ministry and service that I found so appealing. Shane is a part of a new monastic community called "The Simple Way." If you haven't read his book "Irresistible Revolution" - I highly recommend it. Check out his books, speaking engagements, and work at www.thesimpleway.org.

To get an update on what Shane is currently up to, check out this recent interview on the Speaking of Faith (NPR) Observed blog: Shane Claiborne: Interview with a New Monastic

Team Edward or Team Jacob?

2010-06-29T23:24:00.002-04:00

With the "Twilight" hype at the box office, you may want to check out this article and book, "Touched by a Vampire" (Beth Felker Jones) on the series. Good insights and interesting thoughts. Click below for article from The Gospel and Culture Project:

Vamp ires an d Young Female Desire

This generation

2010-06-09T09:38:00.001-04:00

Would you like to know what it is like to be a student in our world today? Take a moment to be introduced to "This Generation." This is one of the most authentic and realistic portrayals of students today. I pray those of us who work and minister to high school and college students would take the time to learn from this. Pastors, many of "this generation" are not in our pews! Let's listen.

‘Milk-carton’ issues spur personal awareness

2010-06-09T09:10:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, while driving to pick up my kids from school, I came across an unusual scene. Lost in my thoughts, enjoying the music on the radio, I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

About four lanes of traffic over, waiting on a light to turn green, was a man in a car. What caught my attention was the gallon of milk on his roof. My instinct was to laugh and say, “What an idiot.” Then I noticed people in cars on all four sides of the intersection trying to get this guy’s attention. They were motioning with their hands, rolling down windows and yelling.

I chuckled to myself. Then I realized I was in the man’s view and may be able to get his attention. I began motioning by pointing at my roof. He saw me; I pointed up, and he looked up. He wasn’t getting it. Finally, the man in the car behind him jumped out of his car, grabbed the gallon of milk and handed it through a window to the puzzled man.

We all felt good. We drove on smiling, as if we had solved a major crisis. Then I started thinking about it. How many of us have “milk cartons” on the roofs of our lives?

Lent is a season of personal reflection for me. I like to focus on spiritual disciplines, find time to sit with my struggles, and reflect on the things I need to change. This past Lent, I used “Lectio Divina” (an ancient practice of “holy reading”) with the words of Christ from the cross. It was Jesus’ words, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,” that caught my attention. Anthony De Mello translated this passage simply, “They are not aware of what they do.”

As I read it, I asked myself, what am I doing of which I am unaware? Do I have a “milk carton” on the roof of my life?

To help us examine our lives, I developed some questions that I encourage you to seek answers to. I believe these questions help us become more aware of the “milk cartons” in our lives.

• What have I assumed this year?

• What have I kept to myself that I should have let others know?

• What did I nurture and coddle this year, a bit too much, that I should have let die?

• How often did I let laziness or procrastination win the day?

• How often was I selfish, more concerned about my looks, my successes, my abilities/skills, and neglected others?

• When did I have to be right, but found myself all alone?

• When should I have sought out counsel or a mentor, but instead tried to figure it out for myself?

• Was there something that I thought was great, but it ended up hurting me?

• Is there anything that I need to deal with immediately?

• What may I need to change, do or begin working on so I don’t have the same milk-carton issues next year?

After spending time examining your awareness, it’s time to take that milk carton off your roof. While seeking help for my issues, I found solace in Romans 12:5-8 (from Eugene Peterson’s “The Message”).

“So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t. If you preach, just preach God’s message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.”

Is someone trying to get your attention about an issue of which you are unaware? Let’s have the summer months bring awareness to the milk-carton issues of our lives, and we will find ourselves with smiles on our faces.

by Bob Henry
First Appeared in the June 2010 FWLutheran

Resurrection: Rob Bell

2010-04-09T15:25:00.001-04:00

Resurrection: Rob Bell from The Work of Rob Bell on Vimeo.

Resurrection gives full life now and forever

2010-03-29T15:21:00.006-04:00

"The do it yourself, self-help culture of North America has so thoroughly permeated our imagination that we ordinarily don't give attention to the biggest thing of all -- resurrection. And the reason we don't is because resurrection isn't something we can use or control or manipulate or improve on." Eugene Peterson, (Living the Resurrection)

I love Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday. This is one of my favorite times in the church year. Many people get caught up in Easter egg hunts and baskets, nice dinners or wearing new clothes to church.

For Christians, there should be no distraction with shopping, gifts or chocolate bunnies. Instead, the symbolism and beauty of Holy Week should far outweigh commercialism. Our attention should be solely on Jesus and His resurrection.

Yet we are easily preoccupied. Sometimes it's a struggle to see relevance in an event that took place so long ago. One big problem for Christians is that the resurrection has become an event that "happened," instead of an ongoing part of our lives.

Preparing for Holy Week this year, I found Scripture verses that may help us to see anew the "resurrection life" we have been given. I use Eugene Peterson's "The Message" edition of the Bible to emphasize this theme.

"The whole congregation of believers was united as one -- one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, 'That's mine; you can't have it.' They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them." Acts 4:32-33 (MSG)

Right in the center of those first Christians' daily lives was the resurrection. It's like the first cup of coffee in the morning, our eyes are opened, and we're ready for the day. Christ has risen, just as He said.

Because He did, everything is possible.

When we look at the cross through our modern worldview, we see it as the motivation for the first Christians. But the cross wasn't the focus; it was the resurrection.

"If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of His Son. Now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of His resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!" Romans 5:10-11

The resurrection was the ultimate reminder of God¹s power and love. The first Christians basked in it, rejoiced because of it, lived in it -- every single day. The resurrection wasn't just about receiving eternal life; it was about fully living life in the here and now. This life after the resurrection is full of opportunities and possibilities.

"God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike 'What's next, Papa?'" Romans 8:14.

It provided a barrier against all the hazards and hardships that the first Christians faced, and provided them with a glimpse of God's glory and His grace. It was motivation enough to endure, but not just endure -- to undergo the worst that life could bring and ultimately take a stand.

"I look death in the face practically every day I live. Do you think I'd do this if I wasn't convinced of your resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the resurrected Messiah Jesus? Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus, hoping it wouldn't be the end of me? Not on your life! It's resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection, that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live." 1 Corinthians 15:31-32.

Friends, we need to learn to "live the resurrection." We've been given a new lease on life, as well as a new life today and a new life tomorrow and beyond. Too often we take this resurrection for granted, become complacent and "run through the motions" of faith. We must remember that we have been led from prison cells into the wide open spaces of God's love and eternal power.

"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you.

Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ -- that's where the action is. See things from His perspective.

"Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life, even though invisible to spectators, is with Christ in God. He is your life." Col 3:1-3.

Look up and come together to see where our freedom takes us -- where this incredible opening we have in the veil of this life leads us into "resurrection life" today, tomorrow and the days after that.

By Bob Henry
First Appeared in the FWLutheran April 2010

Celebrate Lent as divine season of renewal

2010-03-08T08:51:00.004-05:00

The season of Lent has begun. The other day, a thought crossed my mind. What if shopping malls treated Lent the same way as Christmas?

Imagine the scene: One cold Wednesday morning in February, you walk into Glenbrook Mall and, suddenly, you realize it’s Lent. The heat has been turned off, and everyone is wearing an extra layer of clothing. No music is playing. The shelves, display cases and racks are empty. Gray ash frosts the windows.

Although there’s plenty of merchandise in stock, you look through a catalogue next to the cash register to choose what you’d like. Prices are substantially higher to discourage you from buying too much, but the cashier will make certain the extra cost goes directly to charity. Sales people are required to wear purple in the spirit of the season. The food court serves only salads, and there is no alcohol available at full-service restaurants.

You ask the same question you asked in July, when Hallmark introduced its Christmas ornament collection: Can it be that time of year already?

Of course, this would never happen. In the world’s eyes, Christmas has become a season of getting stuff. Many today don’t recognize the sights and sounds of the Lenten season. Yet for Christians, Lent is a time of reflection that urges us to do without.

The problem with Lent is that people don’t “get into it” the way they get into Christmas. This is probably because Lent asks for more; it asks for a change of heart. And that’s hard (if not impossible) to do on our own.

Lent isn’t what it used to be. Many of us remember the Lent in the past. Parents or grandparents ate only one full meal a day and fish on Fridays. Children gave up candy or sweets. Wednesday night Lenten services were mandatory; even sports were rescheduled. And from noon to three on Good Friday, businesses shut down, the world slowed down and, for some mystical reason no weather forecaster could explain, the skies always seemed to turn gray.

It was easy to be aware and sense a genuine guilt, but we have lost these feelings. Today, Lent seems to abruptly arrive in our busy lives, and we have a guilty conscience about not “feeling guilty” during Lent.

I grew up in the 1980s, a product of the “feel-good-about-yourself” culture. But my memories of Lent are of a “feel-bad-about-yourself” season.

Lent should be about renewal! As any good dieting or exercise program does, it may make you feel pain, but it also gives you pride and improves your self-esteem. Spiritual renewal can also bring pride and self-esteem, but not for selfish reasons — for God’s glory! In actuality, Lent is not really a “feel-bad” season at all. Rather, it’s a season for renewed life.
Renewal often begins with reflection. Since Lent has only just begun, maybe we need to take some time to reflect on our lives. I hope these questions will bring renewal to your life this Lenten season:

How do I care for my body? Do I feed it properly? Do I exercise? Do I follow my doctor’s advice? Do I have a doctor?
How do I care for my community? Who is my community? My family? My parish? My workplace? What role do I play? What do people expect of me? What do I expect of them? Are these expectations real?
How do I care for my spiritual life? How often do I pray? Does prayer enrich me? Is something not working? What? Does my faith make a difference in the way I live? Can I think of three examples when my faith changed or made a difference in my life this past year?

This is just the beginning. Lent is a beautiful season of renewal. If we celebrate it well, it will help us experience life and resurrection in our lives at the depths of our being. That feeling puts to shame the attraction of our “feel-good” society. It is that time of year already, so let’s celebrate Lent!

By Rev. Robert Henry
First appeared in the FWLutheran March 2010

Parental example is key to preventing school violence

2010-02-02T19:19:00.004-05:00

Not that many years ago it was gum chewing, forgetting a pencil, or excessive talking that topped the list of problems in the local school. The world has changed and become more violent. These days, teachers and students alike wish their problems were so minor.

Mention towns such as Jonesboro, Columbine and Santee, and people cringe in fear and sadness. Now we must add our own city and Lutheran high school to the list. We may not know the specific reasons why this happened, but we must develop awareness and learn what role we play in curbing school violence.

I borrowed some ideas from Sheli Casteel's article, "Understanding why our children/students are resorting to physical violence in school." The first step to awareness is to understand our children and their needs. More often than not, children who behave violently have been victims of physical violence themselves. Our "culture" hasn't been a good example for our children.

When parents or adult role models act physically to solve a problem, children see that violence and think that it is okay to be abusive to get what they want. This is not the behavior responsible parents want passed on to their child. Instead of revenge through violence, we should teach children skills that will bring healing, reconciliation and resolution (Matthew 18, James 4).

Students who have been isolated by friends, family or youth groups act out by lashing out verbally, emotionally or physically toward others. Some educators would see this as a simple behavioral problem caused by a child who wants adult attention. The child doesn't distinguish if that attention is bad or good as long as the neglect and isolation are remedied.

However, if the child continually lashes out and is never given the attention he seeks, he goes into survival mode. When a child has feelings of rejection that create a deep anger within himself, he develops a reprobate mind. His conscience is severed from rational thought; he has feelings of indifference about hurting someone.

We may be a contributing factor in a violent child's life. Our actions may confuse children about wrong or right, especially when we don't practice what we preach.

When our children watch us exhibiting road rage, bad behavior at sporting events or argue with a spouse, children often mimic their parents' behavior without even thinking. Children are the products of their environment, so they must be taught responsibility and right and wrong at church and in the home. Then that will be exhibited in our culture.

How can a parent do this? Talk to your kids frequently, and be aware of their behavior. If it needs modification, solve the problem as soon as it begins.

If the child is unsupervised at home and at school, he feels more license to misbehave. Although it is impossible for a child to be supervised 24 hours a day, it is important to give your child your time, prayers, understanding and love. They need these to be spiritually, mentally and physically healthy adults.

So what can parents do to prevent their children from displaying violence in school? Make time to help their child develop in his faith and learn to become a productive member of society. It may sound trite, but talking with your child is a good start. Answer his questions as honestly as you can. Teach him clearly the difference between right and wrong, and give him good problem-solving skills that are grounded in God's word.

Parental example can say more to a child than a thousand conversations, so let your actions speak louder than your words. Home is the best place to give your child morals and ethics that will carry over into school, church and, ultimately, the world.

By Robert Henry
This article first Appeared in the FWLutheran February 2010

Why do you attend church services?

2010-02-02T19:08:00.004-05:00

Ever ask yourself why you go to church? I have been asking myself this question a lot more lately, especially with the extra services during the Advent and Christmas season. Many of us live a life of habit and assumptions. We run through the motions and thoughts that constitute a comfortable and stable life.

But do we take time to consider the reasons why we go to church? Our lives can go on for months or years without any reflection, until the balance and stability of our lives is shattered by a crisis - the loss of a job, health problems, the death of a family member, etc. Then everything begins to be questioned.

Sadly, for many people, going to church is a personal decision that does not cost anything or gain anything. There appears to be no compelling cultural, political or economic reason to go to church.

So why do you go to church? For many of us the answer is because we feel as if we should go, out of a sense of obligation or duty. Perhaps our parents or pastor told us that going to church was simply "the right thing to do." We may have certain images of ourselves that are nurtured by church attendance. (Remember those perfect Sunday School attendance pins?) We want people to think we are good, wholesome people - "church-goers" - because being a "church-goer" keeps us on the "straight and narrow."

Some approach church attendance by looking at needs. We may attend church to find peace, to calm our anxious, stressful lives, or to have a religious experience that makes us feel a certain way. We may even be seeking something or someone outside ourselves that will give new meaning or hope to our lives.

As an artist and one who loves ambiance, I can relate to those who go to church to find beauty and art in the experience. Maybe it is the atmosphere, the smells, the architecture, the music, the lights/candles or the poetic language of the liturgy that draws you in. If that is the case, church becomes an aesthetic experience, often no different than going to a nice spa or an art gallery. Ironically, people can enjoy the beauty of church without any formal Christian belief. This also can be true of the moral and spiritual reasons for going to church. They do not require commitment to any formal Christian faith.

And then there are those who feel a sense of guilt. "I have sinned, so I better go to church." Those who find themselves in trouble or whose life has taken on a heightened sense of uncertainty think that church will be the fix. They go to church to have God grant them their need or desire. But God is not a magical genie Who can be bribed.

I ask again, why do you go to church? The phrase "go to church" sounds as if the church is there for us, whether we attend or not. Let's remember that we do not "go to church," we go to "be the church."

The reasons given for "going to church" (moral obligation, our needs, aesthetic experience and crisis fixing) have one common theme. They start with ourselves. When we go to be the church, we encounter God and participate in the life of God's people. Church is not how we fit God into our lives; church is where we find our place in God. Church is not there simply or only to meet our needs. Church is the venue from which we have life and have it abundantly.

This month, we celebrate Epiphany; it's a time to focus on the manifestation of God in the person of Jesus. When we gather to worship, we enter into the movement of God. Our gathering is literally the epiphany of God in this world. You and I actually become the manifestation of God because we are His hands and feet to a hurting world. When we leave our earthly homes to gather as the church, we participate in a journey much like the Magi who were drawn by the light, a light that enlightens the world.

This Epiphany and new year let us enter the movement of God and become His manifestation to our world.

By Robert Henry
This article first appeared in the FWLutheran January 2010

Have you read the Jesus Manifesto?

2010-02-02T15:08:00.003-05:00

Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola have put together a beautiful Manifesto - a Magna Carta for restoring the Supremacy of Jesus Christ. Not only is this something needed in Christianity, it must be taken seriously. As one who works in academia, I was struck by point number 8 as follows:

It is possible to confuse an academic knowledge or theology about Jesus with a personal knowledge of the living Christ himself. These two stand as far apart as do the hundred thousand million galaxies. The fullness of Christ can never be accessed through the frontal lobe alone. Christian faith claims to be rational, but also to reach out to touch ultimate mysteries. The cure for a big head is a big heart.

Jesus does not leave his disciples with CliffsNotes for a systematic theology. He leaves his disciples with breath and body.

Jesus does not leave his disciples with a coherent and clear belief system by which to love God and others. Jesus gives his disciples wounds to touch and hands to heal.

Jesus does not leave his disciples with intellectual belief or a ―Christian worldview. He leaves his disciples with a relational faith.

Christians don’t follow a book. Christians follow a person, and this library of divinely inspired books we call ―The Holy Bible best help us follow that person. The Written Word is a map that leads us to The Living Word. Or as Jesus himself put it, ―All Scripture testifies of me. The Bible is not the destination; it’s a compass that points to Christ, heaven’s North Star.

The Bible does not offer a plan or a blueprint for living. The ―good news was not a new set of laws, or a new set of ethical injunctions, or a new and better PLAN. The ―good news was the story of a person’s life, as reflected in The Apostle’s Creed. The Mystery of Faith proclaims this narrative: ―Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. The meaning of Christianity does not come from allegiance to complex theological doctrines, but a passionate love for a way of living in the world that revolves around following Jesus, who taught that love is what makes life a success . . . not wealth or health or anything else: but love. And God is love.

To read more of the Jesus Manifesto click here

Also become part of the discussion at the Jesus Manifesto Facebook Page

Lord have mercy on Haiti

2010-01-12T23:30:00.002-05:00

Join with me in prayer for Haiti:

Lord, God of all creation, we ask that you would come to the aid of those who have suffered through this violent earthquake in Haiti today. Bring help to those who have been injured. Bring comfort to those who have lost friends and family. Bring support to those who have lost their homes. Bring wisdom and courage to those who are providing leadership and relief at this time. Bring faith to those who are afraid. Especially bless the children who are suffering under this trauma. Guard their hearts and through this tragedy let them somehow see your heart of love and your hand of mercy. Amen

A Reply To Those People - by Shaun Groves

2009-12-18T08:08:00.001-05:00

I’ve always ignored those people: The ones who get very upset at Target this time of year and decide to e-mail me and the rest of their address book about it. This year, to those people, I would now like to preemptively say Simmer down. And also…

There was a time in American history when Christians could be counted on to get angry about the right stuff – the stuff that seems to have made Jesus angry. In the 1920s, for instance, when Saint Nick became the patron saint of American consumerism, most Christians in this country opposed the holiday because of its inextricable connection to materialism and self-indulgence.

In 1931, the New York Times surveyed Christmas sermons and found that they held to one main theme: “the suggestion that Christmas could not survive if Christ were thrust into the background by materialism.” One sermon called the days leading up to Christmas, commonly called “Advent” by Christians, nothing but a “profit-seeking period.”

Fast forward to 2005. The American Family Association spearheaded a boycott of Target because the retailer wished shoppers a “Happy Holiday” instead of a “Merry Christmas.” The AFA wanted to make sure all our self-indulgence and materialism was being carried out in Jesus’ name.

Bizarre.

Skye Jethani, in his book The Divine Commodity, points out the nuttiness and inconsistency of those people better than I can:

In less than a century, Christians have gone from opposing over-consumption at Christmas to demanding it be done in Christ’s name alone. The explanation may be in the numbers. Two thirds of the U.S. economy is based on consumer spending, and 50-75 percent of most retailers’ annual profits are generated during December. This makes the weeks before Christmas the high holy days of consumerism. If Christians engaged in the Advent season as they did in generations past, by modeling moderation and self-denial or by ignoring the holiday altogether, it would likely destroy the economy. To ensure economic survival, consumers are stirred into a buying frenzy every winter with the goal of making this year’s shopping season more prosperous than the last. Santa Claus has been the mascot of this manipulation since the early twentieth century, but if more Christians have their way the season of shopping will someday be inaugurated by the appearance of Jesus Christ at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Feel free to copy and paste this post as a reply to the angry e-mails you’re sure to receive this month. My gift to you. Merry Christmas.

Visit Shaun Groves at shaungroves.com

Here's why pastors should be on Facebook

2009-12-08T09:20:00.007-05:00

On most Sundays in church, it is hard to find 25- to 35-year-olds in the congregation. Actually, they are not that far away. Simply grab your iPhone or Blackberry device, connect to Facebook and, in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen under the category "chat," they are ready to engage in conversation.

Chris Forbes and Greg Atkinson, in their eBook "Facebook for Pastors," state that "all pastors should be on Facebook." I agree. I had a conversation with a couple of pastors recently who told me that they had never been on Facebook - one of them didn't even have a cell phone.

Technology is moving at such a fast pace in our world today that, with a quick click of a mouse or button on a cell phone, we can connect to anyone on earth in mere seconds. Some pastors may see this as just a fad or another time-consuming distraction to their hours of sermon preparation, but I believe there are some benefits for the pastor (church, congregant) who is on Facebook.

Here¹s some examples of my own and from Forbes¹ eBook:

Being a member of Facebook allows you to be accessible to others.

Almost every pastor struggles with accessibility, especially those in larger churches. Four years ago when I joined Facebook, I didn't realize how accessible I had just become.

If anything, I am having more conversations with the people I minister to and with, and even others that I would never have had a chance to connect with on Sunday mornings. Meeting people online via Facebook, setting up real meetings face-to-face, and getting to know people a little better during "down" times are extremely beneficial considering our schedules.

Being a member of Facebook is in line with a kingdom focus.

Studies show that effective pastors/leaders are those who are able to network. Facebook is a great way to share ideas, resources and encouragement with other church leaders. Pastors often become too comfortable in their church's "bubble." Relationships, ideas, even friendships outside of their parish diminish for pastors over time. Through various features and applications on Facebook, pastors (and congregants) are able to hear what God is doing at their church or other churches, see the global church in action, and rejoice with those who rejoice and cry with those who cry.

Being a member of Facebook shows that we're all human.

Vulnerability is a quality that 25- to 35-year-olds find lacking in most pulpits and with most pastors. Facebook's "status updates" allow others to feel your mood and read what's new with you. Sharing with others what I am doing, reading and watching opens up new conversations. It also allows others to see me as human, especially when posting comments or pictures that include activities with my wife and children. For senior pastors, this is especially beneficial for opening communication between clergy and laity. It is healthy for a member to see the pastor cutting the grass, raking leaves, going to a football game, watching a movie with a spouse, etc.

Facebook is another door into your local church.

Web presence is something that is greatly lacking in many churches across the country. Thus, it is critical for pastors and churches to make a positive, useful and encouraging presence on Facebook. For most younger people searching for a church to join, this is the first stop for them, not sitting in pews or attending services. Pastors, millions of people are on social-networking Web sites such as Facebook. Your presence on Facebook may be more important than your actual Web site. Pastors need to be careful what they say on Facebook. Use Facebook as a handshake of welcome to the many in cyberspace who seek Christ.

Obviously, there can be both benefits and challenges with getting involved with Facebook or other social networking sites, but if used properly, God's kingdom has another way of communicating to a broken world. If you or your pastor are not on Facebook, it might be time. With new technology, when you have mastered Facebook, it's time to get connected to Twitter.

To download or read the entire eBook "Facebook for Pastors" by Chris Forbes see side column of this blog under "Thoughts from My Favorite Authors."

By Bob Henry: First appeared in the December 2009 FW Lutheran Newspaper

Giving Thanks,Together: A Prayer for Unity

2009-11-25T09:04:00.002-05:00

Turkeys being dressed this eve

Norman Rockwell table setting
Families sitting elbow to elbow
Gestures preparing the moment

Conversations link to yesterdays
A time when time was breathing
Prayerful celebrations of thanks
Snapshots of where it all began

Empty chairs of of lost feelings
Ceilings echoing voices passed
Nodding dreams sleeping away
A photographic gallery of family

A season of trimming windows
Window shopping for a purpose
Finding quality in mere quantity
Lighting roof lines with promise

Hands to chin mosaic reflections
Colored fragments, introspections
Framed into a thanksgiving feast
Humanity harvesting a collection

A symposium of what is worthy
Where humility should find rest
A monumental gesture of prayer
Putting each member to the test

It is not in the fare of the harvest
Where Thanksgiving finds her heart
It is in the careful considerations
That every human has their part

Let nothing divide family meaning
As a house on sand will not stand
It is in the foundations of God's love
Where thankful hearts will understand

Thanksgiving is the grace of understanding
That together we can provide provisions
For a world longing to know the true meaning
Of the First Thanksgiving, a prayer for unity

Kathy Paysen 2009

Pay attention and get connected with God

2009-11-11T13:51:00.006-05:00

By Rev. Robert Henry first published in The FWLutheran November, 2009

Our coarse culture needs common sense

2009-11-11T13:35:00.009-05:00

The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary says “common sense” is sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts. During the past couple of weeks, many of us have struggled with the lack of common sense in our world and in our churches.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a phone call from a friend. He asked me a question about something that happened at his church on Sunday. He said their worship service began with a long explanation about questionable decisions made recently by another denomination. Then, in a derogatory tone, he was told why that denomination was wrong in making those decisions. People were distracted and began passing judgment during worship.

Whether we agree or disagree with the decisions of other denominations, the question that my friend posed regarded the appropriateness of this discussion during worship.

Most of us were raised with the understanding that talking about or putting down our neighbors in public is not good judgment. Instead, we were taught to love and pray for them as stated in Scripture. Sadly, a wide variety of people in our world have demonstrated a colorful display of lack of judgment and common sense.

We have seen the antics of Kanye West on stage and Serena Williams on the tennis court, heard people from both sides of the political aisle behave badly, and witnessed people across this country engage in angry, contentious conflict.

We don’t have to ask where this behavior was learned. Turn on the television and radio. Talk show hosts, such as Jerry Springer or Maury Povich, boost ratings by inciting onscreen riots for pure entertainment value. Talk radio shows and biased news media outlets point fingers (from both sides) rather than give the news.

Is this taking a toll on our lives and our spiritual formation, and is it creeping into our services, small groups and church meetings? It is difficult to build relationships or have conversations unless we first draw sides and take a position.

To add this dissension to our worship is inappropriate and a lack of common sense. The outcome of this will be worship services or pulpits that look no different than the media circus we see every time we turn on our television.

I have tried to grasp common sense from a biblical point of view. While reading Hal Urban’s book “The Ten Commandments of Common Sense,” I was able to shed some light on the problem and how followers of Jesus Christ may begin to set a more biblical standard for our world by promoting basic common sense. These are Urban’s words:

Don’t be seduced by popular culture. It prevents you from thinking for yourself.
Don’t fall in love with money and possessions. It will make you greedy and shallow.
Don’t use destructive language. It hurts others as well as yourself.
Don’t judge other people. It is better to work on your own faults.
Don’t let anger get out of control. It can wreck relationships and ruin lives.
Keep a positive outlook on life. It’s the first step toward joy.
Bring out the best in other people. It is better to build up than to tear down.
Have impeccable integrity. It brings peace of mind and a reputation of honor.
Help those in need. It really is better to give than receive.
Do everything in love. It is the only way to find true peace and fulfillment.

Do not think these issues are about a decision by another denomination, politics, or even positions or agendas – this is about our nature as children of God, a chosen people, holy and set apart. It is time we as the church led by example and modeled to the world how God’s way is truly “common sense.”

By Rev. Robert Henry first published in The FWLutheran October, 2009

Donald Miller: Million Miles Tour

2009-10-01T13:52:00.001-04:00

A Prayer We Need to Pray

2009-09-25T13:25:00.001-04:00

A friend shared this prayer with me this week. I know many who would find this a prayer to remember and pray often.

O Lord, every day I drive the city streets, isolated from others by my speed, my air conditioning, and my radio. Each workday I sit in my office, buffered from people and sights and sounds that might distract me from my work. Every evening I see horrible things on the news that are promptly smothered in commercials and silly sitcoms. It's easy to lose any sense of concern, to feel compassion only as a fleeting tiwnge, to accept no responsibility for lives that are only a view from my car window or a picture on my TV screen. Help me, O God. Save my soul from drowning in comfort, efficiency, entertainment, and isolation. -- Walter C. Sutton

Finding new perspective, not glib cliches

2009-09-19T08:17:00.004-04:00

Lately, I have found myself in some fairly interesting conversations. Some have been unpleasant and others very challenging. The other night, I had a thought provoking conversation that will stick in my mind long after the exchange ends. It's the kind one ponders and thinks about over and over until it becomes the topic of every conversation.

It started with a simple but intriguing question: “Why has the church become a place for pat answers and clichés?”

Immediately, my mind went to a question that a pastor challenged me with over the summer: “What is the thing behind the thing?” What was behind the question that this person was laying on the table?

As I continued the conversation and began talking with others, I was intrigued to find out that a great deal of those I talked with considered church, including sermons, Sunday school, Bible studies, small groups, and even fellowships, a place where a basic set of knowledge was being bounced around over and over.

After further discussion, this basic knowledge was defined as a set of “go-to” Bible passages to give finality to almost any discussion, repeated stories that may fit the situation but mostly were mediocre to make you feel good, and perspectives on issues that come from the same viewpoint every time – giving very few if any new ways of seeing things.

As an artist myself, I like to capture rare angles and perspectives, use a full pallet of colors, and, when finished gather a variety of interpretations of my work. If every painting or photograph used the same color scheme, was taken from the same angle, and interpreted the same, art would quickly become monotonous, and would lack the depth and beauty it was meant to convey. Just maybe this can be applied to our conversation.

On reflection, the “thing behind the thing” became apparent. The real question was, “How do we recall people to a deeper level and purpose?” Obviously, this is a loaded question but needs some serious thought and attention. You may think it unorthodox, but instead of asking pastors or theologians for these answers, I risked looking elsewhere for a new perspective.

At a summer institute, I had the opportunity to teach alongside author and Harvard research professor Dr. Sharon Daloz Parks. In her lecture, she talked about how we often need to see things from varied perspectives.

She challenged us to imagine how much different it is to watch people dance from a balcony than from the actual dance floor – how much more you can see and experience. When confronted with challenging questions such as the ones posed to me, we need to find the stairway leading to the balcony.

Another suggestion Parks had was to see things through the eyes of artists - ironically something the church has done for centuries, but since modern times has often negated. Dr. Parks shared six things that she has learned from artists that are helpful in recalling people to the deeper purposes of their lives.

When you think of the best work of musicians, poets, painters throughout the generations, you will find the following six categories and accompanying questions behind their best work.

Haunt: What haunts us?
Gap: What IS and what COULD BE?
Pause: When do we CONTEMPLATE and take time for true SABBATH?
Edge: Where is the edge of the known AND THE UNKNOWN?
Spirit: What do we know about the work and voice of the Spirit in our lives and communities?
Fire: Are we looking to be REMADE and what will come out of the fire if we go in?

With these in mind, listen to your favorite song, gaze at your favorite work of art, recite again your favorite poem, I guarantee one or several of these questions will be addressed. The best in us does not allow for pat answers or clichés, so why should the church? Instead we should be digging deeper and getting to the “thing behind the thing” in our lives and communities.

As we launch our church programming for the fall, I challenge you to take a moment to work through these questions and see where you and your church have been given over to pat answers or clichés. It could make a world of difference to you, your members and those visiting your church this year. And as you go to ponder these questions, start by finding the stairs that lead to the balcony.

By Rev. Robert Henry
This article first appeared in the FWLutheran, September 2009

Do you have the structure believe for you?

2009-09-19T07:58:00.002-04:00

I'll begin this article with a bit of a confession. My mind often wanders when I worship in church. I don’t know about you, but I often find myself thinking about what I am going to be doing after church or just working through my to-do lists for the week while methodically running through the motions of worship on Sunday morning. Sorry pastor, but I'm being truthful.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself slipping into a bit of wondering and question during church, but this time it was different. The topic that was on my mind was actually my faith.

Just days before, my wife had shared with me an interesting conversation in the Pressure Points section of The Reporter (July 2009). In it, an LCMS teacher was writing of how his faith had changed over the years.

The Rev. Bruce M. Hartung, PhD., dean of ministerial formation at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, responded to this teacher.

“We teach and preach the facts of the faith as well as minister to others with the reality of the faith. But somewhere along the line, our own hearts have erected barriers to the personal application of the Gospel to our own lives. We become practitioners rather than penitents, lecturers rather than experiencers, objectifiers rather than personalizers. I think that this is a natural process, but it is not a healthy one…Regardless of how dead you feel in relationship to Christ, He lives always in relationship to you...”

Hartung’s response to this teacher sparked a connection in my mind to a question by one of the key note speakers at a recent conference I attended. He asked seriously,

“Does the structure believe for you?”

All of this hit my mind like a freight train in the middle of worship and hasn’t stopped travelling through my thoughts. I probably couldn’t tell you what the sermon that Sunday was about, nor much else from that service. I confess I had become lost in the world of structures. Sorry pastor, but I'm being truthful.

As I pondered the questions running through my mind, I thought of my own faith structure. From day one, my structure has almost always been Lutheranism. As any faith structure, it has presented me with many challenges. I enjoy meeting those challenges and learning from them because they instill in me a sense of responsibility and connection to those “like me” in my tradition and heritage.

I learned, as many of us did, about my structure while attending a Lutheran day school, high school and university. Those experiences helped to strengthen my commitments and beliefs in that structure. Over the years, it has also offered me opportunities to strengthen my character, motivate me, contribute to my inner strength, and has at times become a source of pride. Overall my structure has been a great foundation for my faith to spiritually form.

As my mind wandered further during that service, I continued to contemplate Hartung’s response and the question from the conference. I began to think of how often I have felt the same way as the teacher. How that same structure not only has caused me to feel dead, but has also limited or blocked me from seeing my faith and world from new or fresh perspectives.

From early on, many of us have been put in a so-called “Lutheran bubble.” Often faith seems spoon-fed, questions seem out of place, and discussion or dialog is simply intimidating which keeping us at an “I know the answers” level.

On many occasions I hear struggles with faith simply brushed aside with statements such as, “That is just what we believe as Lutherans” or “That is what the Book of Concord or Luther’s Small Catechism says.” These all lead quickly to the ease of letting the structure believe for us.

I have heard people say, “I no longer need to grow in my faith, study, or even attend church.” Or “I am Lutheran, that in itself says what I believe.”

Does it? Or does it leave us empty, questioning and looking for some real structure like the teacher with a lack of passion in his faith life?

In the past couple of years, I have found many 20- and 30-something friends with “sharp pointed objects” in their hands who want to pop their “Lutheran Bubble.” In some cases they are looking for new structures to believe for them. But often they are looking for Someone to believe in rather than a structure.

We have become so quick to give answers or offer a structure that we may have missed the opportunity to introduce another person to Jesus. Don’t miss understand me wrong, we all need structure, but we need Jesus more. If the structure leads us away from Jesus or to simply take Him for granted, it might be time to return and renew our relationship with Jesus. Sorry, pastor, but I'm being truthful. This may take a couple more services to work through.

By Rev. Robert Henry first published in The FWLutheran August 2009

Vampires and Young Female Desire

2009-08-20T14:20:00.002-04:00

Here is a link to an interesting article on the "Twilight" young adults book series. It is by Beth Felker Jones (former Huntington University and now Wheaton College professor). It sheds light on the impact these books can have on your young adults - especially young women. Check it out here: Vampires and Young Female Desire

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Take The Time To Re-form Ourselves Spiritually

2009-08-04T13:12:00.005-04:00

Summer has finally arrived! It is time to go to the lake cottage, do some landscaping, plant a garden, even go on a vacation and find time away. All of these are beneficial and often greatly needed in our busy lives.

As my family and I started preparing for our summer vacation, I began to realize that much of my summer had been planned before it ever arrived and looked to be as stressful as the other 10 months of the year. There is so much going on in our summer schedules that we return from the cottage or from family vacations more exhausted than when we left. The landscaping and garden look great for a while, but weeds seem to sprout over night and tomorrow there is more work to be done. So we make priorities or eliminate things to make room for these “summer activities.”

Sadly, for too many, church is one of the first things cut. All of a sudden Sunday mornings seem to be a good time to mow the grass or get in a round of golf. Family vacations rarely include plans for finding a local church to attend on Sundays. Even at church, Bible studies, Sunday school and small groups cease over the summer months.

The additional busyness we call “church activities” become next to nothing in lieu of summer vacation (with the exception of Vacation Bible School, which often translates to daycare for busy parents). When all of this stops, what happens to our spiritual lives over the summer?

It is ironic that one of the only times in the year that we can take some needed downtime, we spend little if any of it on developing our faith. Though it isn’t a wise option, many of us put our faith on pause over the summer months, when we actually should be growing in our faith.

A major priority for all Christians should be the continual nurturing and sustaining of their spiritual lives. How odd to think of putting God on hold for the summer so we can be renewed. Something is undeniably wrong with that.

Throughout the year, weeds have grown in our spiritual gardens. The busyness of our lives, combined with the numerous church activities, has most likely taken a toll. We probably don't need a break; we probably are burnt out from the stress and pressure of our lives that leave no time for reflection or contemplation about spiritual matters.

Like students during the school year, much of congregational education during those 10 months is based solely on informative processes – knowing and learning answers, Biblical competency, and Church history and doctrine.

Sadly, not much time is spent on formative processes, such as the influence of others, understanding values and beliefs, handling hardship, our environments, etc. Interestingly, the word "formation" is the root of many words that we as Lutherans use regularly – for example (re)formation, (trans)formation, even (in)formation.

In her book, “Soul Feast,” author Marjorie Thompson states that looking at our spiritual formation “…invites us to consider: What or whose form we are seeking? What in our personal or corporate life, needs to be re-formed?”

Summer is a great time for us to evaluate the past year from a spiritual perspective. It offers time to reflect on the choices we’ve made about our beliefs, values, commitments, patterns of life, and practices of faith – all things that have allowed Christ to be formed in us throughout the year.

In Robert Mulholland in this book, “Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation” I was first introduced to the formative side of my faith development. He succinctly defines Spiritual Formation as “the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.”

For many Lutherans, our formation is either private or within the walls of the church on Sunday morning. Too often, little formation takes place outside the church or for the benefit of others.

This summer let's begin to see, name and love God “in the flesh” of our everyday experiences, not just at church. Let's not diminish God to mere information, learning doctrine or running through the motions of Bible studies or Sunday morning services.

I hope we can see Christ anew through walks in nature with our spouse or children, conversations with people we didn’t even know the day before, long car rides across the country, sunsets and sunrises, and the simplicity of watering the flowers growing in our gardens. Yet this is only the beginning. If you and I take the time to re-form ourselves, we may be surprised at just what and who God is using to spiritually form us over the summer months.

First appeared in the Fort Wayne Lutheran, July 2009
By Rev. Robert S. Henry

Harry Potter's Magic (First Things - Article)

2009-07-15T23:43:00.004-04:00

A friend reminded me of this article from First Things after sharing with me his thoughts on the newest Harry Potter film. I agree that this is the best thing written on the uses of magic in the Potter films. The article is from 2000 and it is by Alan Jacobs, Professor of English at Wheaton College. Check it out for yourself.

First Things - Article

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I also recommend you check out John Granger's Website: Hogwarts Professor and books, (especially "Unlocking Harry Potter") for more interesting dialog on Harry Potter from an intellectual and Christian perspective.

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

2009-06-28T22:37:00.002-04:00

This is a link to an article about Michael Jackson. It is brief but a serious thought for all of us, especially the church. Check it out here:

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan

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Knowing Audience is Key to Winning Souls

2009-06-25T22:54:00.008-04:00

I am not one to usually critique curriculums or programs for church use - probably because most “canned” programs are tailored for a specific audience which usually is not our local situation. Yet when I first heard about The Truth Project by the good people at Focus-on-the-Family and noticed the number of area churches planning to use it, I was bit alarmed. I was introduced to it through a conversation I had with a college student who had worked through the curriculum at her church over the summer months. Unlike the usual response to programs of this nature, the student found herself surprisingly doubting her faith and her church’s intentions after being involved - and sadly that was not the last student I would meet who struggled with and questioned this “Project.”

Throughout the years, churches have come to value almost anything with the Focus-on-the-Family logo. With three boys of our own, the book Bringing Up Boys has been very helpful. So do not misunderstand me, I believe Focus-on-the-Family does care for the church and has often rightly pointed out the need for the church to reconsider her identity within our current cultural context.

However, the fact that they have some helpful insights and suggestions concerning the church’s faithfulness today does not exempt them from critique of several glaring problems in their Truth Project. I think that it is obvious that there is a great deal of solid Christian teaching found in The Truth Project, and I don't feel the need to point those out. What is not obvious are the pitfalls, dangers, and errors found in this project - those that are causing my students and others inside and outside the church to question, doubt their faith and even develop a negative perspective on Christianity in general. So here are just a few observations that should give Christians pause before taking the teachings of The Truth Project at face value and offering it in their church. (Some of the following observations can be found on Benjamin Lee's blog, The Hopper. I recommend his blog for further study.)

A common problem I find in The Truth Project is the way it will base an argument and a solution on a faulty assumption. "For instance, if I were to say that Darwin’s theory of evolution states that God is a monkey. Then, based on this observation, I go to great lengths arguing how Darwin is wrong, as well as state all of the important reasons why we as Christians should not consider God as a monkey. While I might be correct in my argument that he is wrong, and I might be correct in my reasons for why it is important for Christians to avoid this way of thinking, all of this is for not because it is based on a false understanding of Darwin's theory - Darwin never said that God is a monkey. How helpful would that be to anyone? I’m not suggesting that we not critique Darwin, but in order to give the best critique of Darwin, we must first be so well acquainted with his theory that we are able to give it a fair summary that even Darwin would agree with."

"One of these faulty assumptions is the way The Project categorizes the conversation on truth, namely that all of reality can be located in two eternally consistent categorical columns – True vs. False; Fact vs. Fiction; History vs. Myth. Contrary to popular belief, the people of God have not categorized reality in this way for thousands upon thousands of years. But don’t take my word for it, take the conservative historical theologian Thomas C. Oden and his book After Modernity...What?. In short, he critiques both modern and postmodernism from the perspective of a multi-millennia old community called the church. He also points out from this perspective that the tendency for the church to categorize in this two-columned fashion is relatively new (200 years old) and definitely not a perspective that is grounded in either scripture or historical theology."

And an even more problematic assumption is the idea that Jesus came to divide the world. This is a fairly common view amongst many western Christians today- that the world is divided into "Us" and "Them". It tends to be a rather thin slice of "Us" because there are many Christians in this equation who just do not measure up. A wrong answer on the orthodoxy litmus test will quickly put you in the "Them" category. Before any of us spend too much time isolating ourselves from our neighbors and non-church going friends, I think we should consider Paul's advice in Romans 2:1-4:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

Throughout the curriculum, the "us/them" relationship is promoted often by translating scripture into war metaphors - the world is a battlefield and we must defend ourselves. I believe Jesus called his followers to a forward movement of love, rather than a defensive posture of fear. It may be a strong metaphor, but with it Christianity can easily resemble Islamic extremism, Mao atheism, or Rwanda warlords - submit or be conquered! How is this the good news of the Gospel? Do we submit to Christ because he is the most powerful? How is that different? Did Paul not declare "God's kindness leads us to repentance"?

I disagree with any curriculum that presents an "us/them" position or resembles a “boot camp” in its presentation. I believe there is only "us.” Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” Paul does not make a distinction here. He puts himself into the same camp as his neighbor. There is no superiority. The only one superior in the equation is Christ.

Thus, I believe the church has a responsibility of making sure that ALL people taste, see, hear, smell and touch Christ – specifically through Word and Sacrament. It has been my experience, on countless occasions and in numerous conversations that projects like this have not only disgusted people who are looking for God, but even worse, they have given people a slightly distorted view of Christ and Christianity. Just as several of my students found out, The Truth Project might present Christ in a nice-and-tidy way to believers, but to many non-believers and even those who are questioning it can be not only unintelligible but also repellent. My hope is that we would be aware of the pitfalls of this type of material and even more know our audience before implementing it in our churches.

By: Rev. Robert Henry

This article first appeared in the June 2009 edition of the Fort Wayne Lutheran

Problems with the Latest Article

2009-06-04T11:20:00.003-04:00

Dear friends and readers of my work in the Fort Wayne Lutheran Newspaper. Due to a saving issue on my computer the final edit was not what was put in the June 2009 paper. It was totally my fault in the saving of the article. In my article, I referenced the work of Benjamin Lee from his blog The Hopper. I do not want anyone to think I have plagiarized his work or that Benjamin Lee should not get the credit. There should have been quotes throughout the article and a siting for his blog - where some of the article was taken directly from. My apologies to Benjamin Lee and my readers in the Fort Wayne Lutheran. Due check out more of Lee's views and writing on the Truth Project. I recommend them. Thank you.

Building Relationships Takes Putting Down Signs

2009-05-12T08:33:00.004-04:00

Springtime always reminds me of newness, hope, renewal and life. And that reminds me of an annual event my church participated in when I served in Michigan. We were strongly involved in the local Right-to-Life campaign – specifically the program known as the “Life Chain.” Every spring our main event was to participate in a “silent protest” at a major intersection in our town. We would hold signs with phrases like “Abortion Kills Children”, “Thou Shalt Not Kill” and “Abortion Kills Two Lives” for nearly two hours on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn’t until a man running through our silent protest with a coat hanger looked directly at me and yelled some obscenities that I realized that just maybe I was sending the wrong message. Looking at it from a worldly perspective, there is no difference between his coat hanger and my sign. What began eating away at me was that I noticed no one (including myself) even attempted to say a thing to this man (I guess they were taking the “silent” protest seriously). That is, until he left – then everyone around broke out with condemning remarks and name calling.

It was then that I realized that we Christians often do not know how we sound to the rest of the world – and that is when I put my sign down for good. Let me explain.

[Please understand: I am “pro-life” – actually I consider myself trying to live a Biblically consistent ethic of life – meaning all of life is sacred not just those issues dealing with abortion. I would also include issues of economic injustice, euthanasia, capital punishment, and unjust war to be a part of my understanding of being “pro-life.”]

As believers, you and I often like to get on our soap boxes, hand out tracts, hold up signs or place them in our yard, even preach from our pulpits about our “issues,” and often it is to the neglect of actually building relationships with those in our pews, our neighborhoods, and ultimately our world. I will be the first to admit that relationships are complicated, messy and difficult and utilizing these other methods much easier. But be honest and ask yourself – who are your non-Christian friends? Or who do you consider a friend who has differing views than you do? The guy with the coat-hanger obviously wanted our attention as much as we wanted his. He was crying out for someone to hear him, all while we believed he should “hear” us – this was not relationship building or conversation, it honestly would get us nowhere but into a possible stand-off. The reality was it was possibly my sign that evoked this graphic response from this man.

Just as disturbing and anger-provoking as the message of the man with the coat hanger was to us, I believe we in the church simply do not know what our message often sounds like to the rest of the world. And some of that comes with arrogance. You and I have to admit it – we often could care less what others think. Most of the time we know we are right (and that may be true) - but to add insult to injury, we just will not listen.

If we listened for a minute, we might understand how “Abortion Kills Children” comes across as “We hate confused and stupid women who can only see abortion as the way out of their difficult life situation.” Something a sister in Christ told me she felt because she had been carrying the pain of an abortion with her for 20+ years. She went on to tell me that this misunderstood message stunted her faith development for those years – and remember she was a believer. We never know who may be sitting next to us even on Sunday morning. We must consider what people actually hear in our messages? Our signs? Our sermons?

And what if we don’t think that’s what we are saying? If that’s what others are hearing, what’s the difference? You and I can’t be concerned with whose fault it is – we can’t accept this communication breakdown. We must ask ourselves, “Should the burden be on our lips or their ears?” I guess it all depends on whether you and I want to have a conversation or we simply want to be right. I find Jesus engaging the conversation more often than looking to prove himself right (and if anyone could have proven Himself – Jesus could have.)

I am starting to believe we have a lot to work on in the way we communicate with each other – both inside and outside the church. In our day, Christianity has become a “bad word” with a dubious meaning, especially in American society. Just maybe that is because we don’t care how we sound to those who don’t agree with us. I found Dan Merchant’s question in his book “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers” to be a place to start: “Are we trying to fit Jesus into what we’re doing as a people, as a country? Or are we trying to fit into what Jesus is doing?”

I think it is long time we put down the signs, the tracts, the “Christian bookstore paraphernalia” which spouts our beliefs for us and begin conversations with real people – that to me was and still is the Jesus Way. We may just find newness, renewal, hope and real LIFE in our Christian walk and be able to share it with those who really need to hear it.

By Rev. Robert S. Henry
This article first appeared in the FWLutheran, May 2009

A Mediation to Ponder

2009-04-29T07:50:00.003-04:00

I used this mediation at the end of my "Reflection" chapel this week at Huntington University. It is a variation of Cardinal Newman's meditation. I first came across it as a post on Margaret Fienberg's Facebook site. Margaret Fienberg is one of my favorite contemporary women writers. (Check out her newest book, "The Sacred Echo" - I highly recommend it.)

A Meditation

God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission -- I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for nothing. I shall do good, I shall do His work.

Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am. I cannot be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, even seem as if he is hiding my future from me -- still He knows what He is about.

Amen. And amen.

Preparing for Earth Day as a Biblical Christian

2009-04-20T16:30:00.004-04:00

So what is the Christian perspective on going green? Many conservative Christians think of going green as something that alarmist hippies do. They turn their noses up at the environmentalists who chant about global warming and dying animals. This is a terrible tragedy! To quote Francis Schaeffer:

"The Christian who believes the Bible should be the man who--with God's help and in the power of the Holy Spirit--is treating nature now in the direction of the way nature will be [when Christ returns].... God's calling to the Christian now, and to the Christian community, in the area of nature... is that we should exhibit a substantial healing here and now."

When we look at the biblical perspective on going green, we see that being a caretaker of the earth is at the very heart of who God our Creator is. To honor and glorify our Creator, we should seek to be caretakers of all that He has created, preserving it as best we can until His return where His Creation will be restored. The Bible says that all of Creation speaks of God. What are we, His creatures, saying to the world about Him when we consume without thought and live without any concern for what impacts our actions have on the Creation, and the people living in it.

The poorest of the earth's inhabitants are the ones who are most impacted by environmental issues. They can't afford a water filtration system, air purification or clean food. Our toxic tendencies directly affect them first. Christ cares for the least of these, and we should too.

The prevailing thought in most homes is that our small individual actions couldn't possibly make a difference. Most of us can't afford to install solar energy or drive a Prius, even if our kids would all fit in it! But the truth is, the small efforts we can make to conserve the energy we do use and other creation caring actions we can take, make a big impact on our earth. Don't get overwhelmed, taking one step at a time, we can be better stewards of this world God has created.

From Mama Goes Green