Where are Your Fields?

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Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Matthew 9:37-38

Where are Your Fruit?

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"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

John 15:1-6

Christian Formation Quote By Reggie McNeal

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“Spiritual formation is the number one issue for the church. It doesn’t immediately present itself as the major concern. But the loss of mission that plagues many churches is a direct result of not being shaped by the heart of God. The fact that we focus on creating members instead of missionaries grows from our lack of being captured by the heart of God for people.”

Reggie McNeal, A Work of Heart

"Jesus Picture" -- Getting Jesus Outside the Church

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Heard a wonderful, powerful, Spirit-filled sermon this morning in the African American tradition.  There were a lot of "Amens" which filled our worship space.  But I wanted to share, as best I can, the story that began the sermon…a story about taking Jesus out of the church and into the world.


There was a church (as often these stories go)….

There was a church in a downtown area of some town somewhere.  In in this "somewhere church" there was fire that broke out on a Sunday evening.  Some trustees of this church were in the area and saw the smoke coming out through the stained glass windows.  The trustees ran in to the building because they knew that there was a picture of Jesus hanging down in fellowship hall.

Now, this was a pretty traditional picture of Jesus and had been in the congregation, hanging on the same wall of the fellowship hall for 25 year.  It had been painted around, straightened when it got a little crooked.  Persons had eaten many a doughnut and drunk many a cup of coffee at its feet.  Children had run wild.  Youth had held lock ins.  All with little regard to its presence in their midst.

Then the fire came.

Well, those trustees raced into the church, raced downstairs into fellowship hall, and raced on out with the picture of Jesus.

There wasn't much else that could be saved that day.  Those two trustees, some other members who got the phone call about the fire, and a lot of the people from the neighborhood gathered around and watched the church slowly burn to the ground.

They stood there and looked at the picture of Jesus in their midst.  It was traditional.  Jesus was a traditional lily-white, gazing up to heaven.  But their was a beauty about him.  Someone noted an irony of "saving Jesus from the fire."  The trustees got to share why it is that they would run in and save this one thing from the fire.  Church members got to talk about some of the great, holy, life-changing events that had happened in that little church.  And persons, some of whom had been in the community for years, heard about the saving power of this "saved" Jesus for the first time.


We need to be about the business of taking Jesus out onto the streets.  We need to take the message out on the highways and byways…to the neighborhoods and coffee shops and bars and parks and homes and businesses and lives around us.  We CANNOT keep our Jesus confined to our fellowship halls and our libraries and sanctuaries and church offices.  We CANNOT keep our Jesus inside our church.  We have a world out there that needs to hear about and be transformed by our Jesus.

The Small Church -- This gave me chills...really.

As I go to speak at a "small" church in Fairmount, Indiana, this AM....and as I think about the great worship that's going to be had in Girdwood later on, I think this is appropriate.

This post by Jared Wilson at "The Gospel-Driven Church" gave me chills.  It's entitled, "Our Church Isn't 'Cute'" and made me think of all the times we've had visitors say that about our building was "cute." It's a little 90'x90' building with a port-a-potty outside.   So, maybe it is "cute."  But it's so much more than just that word.  It is, after all, a place where the Gospel is read and proclaimed and people are married and buried and baptized.  "Cute" is such a shallow word for what really goes on in that place.

I usually don't post something in entirety, but I'm doing that here.  Please go check out the thoughts of Pastor Wilson at his blog or go buy his book, "Your Jesus is Too Safe" (which I just did after finding his blog).

But read the post below.  It's for anyone who's ever been in a small, but powerful church.  It's good.  Very good.

"Oh, it's so cute."

The photo is of the building in which Middletown Springs Community Church, the church I pastor, gathers each week.

The quote is something I've heard several times -- that or something like it -- typically from friends and family hailing from some steamy portion of Six Flags Over Jesus where church buildings are indistinguishable from office parks or the galleria.

Our church is "cute." Because it's small, old, traditional. "Cute" is the backhanded compliment for those who'd never go to a "cute" church, but want you to know they admire it and perhaps even those who aren't privileged enough to go to a church "successful" enough for a building that is big, impressive, full-service. You know, not cute, but rather "awesome."

But our church isn't "cute." It's beautiful like a bride both blemished and perfect.

Our building is just a building, but it has stood for over 200 years on the stony soil of the oldest part of our nation, the land of Christian pillars Whitefield and Edwards, of the Great Awakenings, of Puritans and patriots, of Green Mountain Boys and hundreds-of-years-old family farms. The building is just a building but it has weathered over 200 years of harsh Vermont winters, not to mention pastors strong and weak, congregations passionate and passive, spiritual ebbs and flows of Old Testament proportions. Once upon a time the church kicked out Joseph Smith's secretary for heresy.

Our building is just a building, but it's not just a building. It's a symbol of the enduring evangelical presence, small but hearty, in this least-churched state in the nation, and of the endurance of the great salt-of-the-earth people who are the church that gathers in the building for which they're called.

The gates of hell will prevail against espresso bars and KidzTowns. But not our church.

Our church is not cute. It is epic.

Going To Live With Shane Claiborne in Philadelphia? Not that faithful

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Last Monday, as I drove Shane Claiborne into Anchorage for a meeting with some fellow clergy, he told how hard it is to keep families in his community in Philadelphia.  It's a rough place. There's gunfire most nights.  There's a constant battle with heroin in the neighborhood.   He recounted how a young man had died of gunshot wounds on his front steps earlier this year.  Oftentimes families come to his community and stick it out for a while...and then they decide to move...maybe a mile away...maybe two...maybe more.  But they move someplace a little safer, not quite so challenging.

But it's a place that healthy, wholesome families are needed.

I told Shane that our family has struggled with living in the privileged areas we've been able to live and that there's a part of myself that would find that wonderfully freeing...recognizing that it would be a challenge for myself and would involve sacrifice.  But, more difficult, it would be "forcing" a sacrifice on the part of my kids -- their scholastic education, their friendships, and perhaps their safety.  It would be asking a lot.  And while it may require faithfulness to make sacrifices in your own life, I think it requires a different level of faithfulness to require sacrifices by your children or your spouse.

Shane said, "Jim, if you and your family would like to come to Philadelphia to be part of what we have going on there, we'd love to have you.  We could always use some families who are willing to stay."

My answer was:  "That's an interesting offer, but I'm not that faithful yet."

Thinking Small

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We are in a world that likes to think BIG to dream BIG to act BIG.  We like our plans to be all-encompassing.  We like our leaders to cast broad visions.  And, in the life of the church, we're happy when the numbers are good, when our pews are full, and membership classes are busting at the seams.  I've served three smaller churches (although one could argue that Girdwood Chapel is not "small" in Alaska standards) and at each one we've struggled with some identity issues as we've seen all the great and BIG ministries that occur in larger churches.  "Why can't we be like them?" we've asked.  And sometimes we've tried to take on their programing as our own...even though we really could never have pulled it off.

And, as pastor, I have to say that occasionally my heart still sinks when some event is planned or some worship service begins or some schedule is set and I look out on those gathered round and see that it is far fewer than I had hoped for...far fewer than I had expected.  It still happens.

But a couple of things have helped...

First, when I was in Kenai, Alaska, I was trying to work with the church to do some visioning for where it is that God wanted them to be over the next several years.  We talked about it for a month or so.  I had preached on "vision" and we had flyers posted around the church.  We were going to make it into a big deal.  The pastor of Soldotna United Methodist Church was going to be leading the event.  Saturday came.  The coffee was brewed.  The table was set.  Candles were lit.  And we waited.  A lot of time has gone by since then and I really don't remember how many people were there, but it was bad.  There were, maybe, 3 or 4.    I was disappointed.  I was very disappointed.  But that pastor started us off in a prayer and then said, "God has gathered those of us who are ordained to be here today.  He has called us to this place, around this table, to do his work."

And we did it.  We did his work.  And it was good.  Perhaps it could have been more satisfying if 30 people had shown up.  But that's not what happened. And, I pray, that is just how God wanted it.

Secondly, I've been thinking (a lot) about all that Shane Claiborne said during his time in Alaska a week or so ago.  One of the things he said, and it comes through in his writings, is that ministry happens through relationships...and, particularly, through intimate relationships.  Small is good.  That's why those giant churches our smaller churches are so desperately trying to be like are focusing on small group ministries.  That's where ministry really happens.

I'm reminded of this again this morning.  A couple of nights ago we didn't have the number of kids we'd like to see at Vacation Bible School.  We were far from it.  One adult asked me, "Is it worth it?"   It's a good question.  It really is.   It's a good VBS program.  I like the material.  I think our staffing is good.  The music and dancing is great.  I had fun.  I think my kids had fun.  But is it worth it for so few kids?  It's a question that's been asked in previous years as well.

Well, here's how I look at it.  Games may be a little harder in smaller groups, but the crafts are awesome.  The singing may not be as loud but each kid was able to get a little more personal attention.  And, if one kid comes out of it with a greater sense of who God is and how God loves them, then it's worth it.  And if I get to have fun with the whole process as well, why do we need to ask the question.

Maybe we just need to think small.

When The Church Kicks Homeless People Out

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This is another post about Shane Claiborne as we look forward to his visit at Girdwood Chapel on Sunday...tomorrow.

The following is part of a transcript from "Speaking of Faith" on Public Radio where Shane Claiborne talks about what he was involved in when a church tried to evict homeless persons who were seeking refuge in a church.  It is a dialogue with Krista Tippett, the host of the program.

Mr. Claiborne: Yeah. Yeah. Well, my first encounter with Kensington in North Philly was when there was a group of poor and homeless families with the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, which was just a group of mostly homeless women and children that had gotten together. And they did something really courageous. In the midst of the ruins of North Philadelphia where there's, you know, over 20,000 abandoned houses and 700 abandoned factories, they found an abandoned Catholic church building, and they moved into it.

And we read about that in college. And the newspaper article that we read said that these families had resurrected the church, you know? And that they had also, ironically, been given an ultimatum eviction notice — that within 48 hours, if they weren't out, they could face arrest for trespassing on church property. So that really stirred all kinds of deep questions in us. And a group of us from the college got involved and, basically, put our lives alongside theirs and said to the city, 'If you come to evict them, then you got to take us, too.' And over 100 students…

Ms. Tippett: Wow.

Mr. Claiborne: …eventually got involved in this. And that made a big difference. Because the media became very involved and now…



Ms. Tippett: Right.

Mr. Claiborne: …you know, we were all facing arrest as well. And they made it look like the church was kicking homeless people out. And that's because the church was kicking homeless people out, you know?

Ms. Tippett: Right.

Mr. Claiborne: And so, it just lasted not for 48 hours, but for weeks and weeks and weeks that we were there.

Ms. Tippett: And, I mean, it had a happy ending, didn't it? They didn't get evicted. And is it right that those homeless families had, for the most part, found a place to live by the time you all left?

Mr. Claiborne: It was incredible, what happened. Folks saw it on the news. And they bought houses or donated houses. Some Section 8 and low-income housing vouchers were released. And there were hard stories, but there were also beautiful stories. And those families have been our theologians. You know, they've been our teachers…

Ms. Tippett: Yeah.

Mr. Claiborne: …and sociologists, and the folks that have really opened our eyes up to the world. 

Missed Opportunities in Ministry -- My First Church

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The Frankfort Church (Clinton County, Indiana), we were sent to right out of seminary was a big church -- in size if not attendance. It was a stone church constructed in the early 50s if I remember correctly. There was a very large fellowship hall with a stage, on the basement level. It had a good kitchen there. A half level up from there were a couple of classrooms and bathrooms that looked like they hadn't been updated since the 50s. On the main level, a half a flight up from the ground level was a sanctuary that could probably hold 250 people with a choir loft front and center. There was no Narthex or "gathering room" which was always a problem. The folks there liked their sanctuary quiet. There was a large classroom, a small "library," and a couple of offices. There were actually two more levels with some pretty big rooms and a balcony over the Sanctuary. It was big. But not fully utilized.

Now I knew that this was an older congregation. There's nothing wrong with "older congregations." Some can be very vital and have important ministries. I understand that. However, sometimes older congregations can become older for not very good reasons. First, the community around them can be dying with no new influx of jobs to attract younger folks. In a place such as that, the folks who grew up in the church suddenly look around and they realize that all of their kids (who WERE the future of the church) are gone. Secondly, a church, in the presence of kids in the community, can, over time, make the place unwelcoming to children. This congregation had both of those issues going on.



Well, a sign of trouble occurred shortly after we had gotten to Frankfort in 1994. I was that, young, bushy-tailed, wide-eyed, conceited pastor and I was very eager to be the bearer of exciting and new ministries. I noted that the church was located about 100 yards from a school -- a school that saw children from the community go to it every day of the week. These were kids that passed by our great, big, underused church each day. So, I asked what types of ministries they had tried with the school over the years - VBS, Kid's Club, tutoring, adopt a grandparent?

"What do you mean?" was the answer I got back. 50 years across the street from a school and they had never done a thing. Well, I said, it's time to start something.

Too late. The school was getting closed the next year.

It was too late.

Sometimes, it can be too late for a ministry. Sometimes we can miss the boat.

It was easy...too easy...to blame persons in the church at the time.  But, really, it's not a matter of blame.  It's a matter of looking what you have, what you've done wrong, and going on in a new way.  I wonder how many times I've missed the proverbial boat in ministry and it just became "too late" for a ministry of some sort or other.


Then again, maybe it's more comfortable not to be made aware of all of the missed opportunities I've had.  In some sense, ignorance really is bliss. It's not helpful.  But it's bliss.  It's always painful to be confronted by our missed opportunities. 

Good Read -- Shane Claiborne "Letter to Non-Believers"

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Hey everyone.  As stated, this is a good read. It's Shane Claiborne's "Letter to Non-Believers" found in Esquire Magazine (how often would you think they'd have Christian writer?).  I used this early on as a way to introduce persons to Shane and to be confronted by some of his writing. 

As with many of the things I've been posting here, go ahead and read the whole thing.

I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion, or politics, for that matter. (If there is anything I have learned from liberals and conservatives, it's that you can have great answers and still be mean... and that just as important as being right is being nice.)

The Bible that I read says that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it... it was because "God so loved the world." That is the God I know, and I long for others to know. I did not choose to devote my life to Jesus because I was scared to death of hell or because I wanted crowns in heaven... but because he is good. For those of you who are on a sincere spiritual journey, I hope that you do not reject Christ because of Christians. We have always been a messed-up bunch, and somehow God has survived the embarrassing things we do in His name. At the core of our "Gospel" is the message that Jesus came "not [for] the healthy... but the sick." And if you choose Jesus, may it not be simply because of a fear of hell or hope for mansions in heaven.

Where I've had people complain about this is the last paragraph:

In closing, to those who have closed the door on religion — I was recently asked by a non-Christian friend if I thought he was going to hell. I said, "I hope not. It will be hard to enjoy heaven without you." If those of us who believe in God do not believe God's grace is big enough to save the whole world... well, we should at least pray that it is.

But, that's pretty much what one of my professors said in seminary -- "It may or may not be Christian to believe in universalism, that all persons are saved.  But it is very Christian to pray that this will be the case."  Or it's like a little skit I remember from youth group days that closed with Jesus up on the cross and asked, "When Christ is up on that cross, arms spread wide, who is it that he cannot embrace, who is outside of his saving arms?"