Archive for the 'Church of Christ' Category

Pepperdine Lectureship

Published
by
Mike
on May 1, 2006
in Church of Christ and travel
. 35 Comments

It has been my Mecca since 1986: the Pepperdine lectureship. For 20 years, it has been a fresh breeze in my life.

It’s been a place to speak openly — in evening lectures, classes, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. (Jerry Rushford has had a way of talking you into doing more than you’d really like sometimes. He’s a very persuasive sort of guy!)

It’s been a place to listen to rich teaching and to be refreshed by times of worship. Great memories of Ken Young’s welcoming smile and worshipful heart, leading at the evening lectures.

For me, it’s especially been a place to connect with good buddies. Lunches with Rick, Chris, Randy, and Milt. Hangin’ with Darryl and Leonard–as well as with Rubel, Brandon, and many others. Even catching up with Searcy friends (David, Don, and some years James and Marla) and Abilene buddies (Thom, Dwight, Eddie, Jack . . .) in a more relaxed environment. This year, for the third time, I think, my parents will be there.

And then there is that other little serendipity: the outrageous beauty. Mountains smacked up against the ocean. What more could you ask for? Plus, the Reel Inn, Malibu Seafood, John’s Garden, The Chart House . . . .

Once again this year, I’ll be teaching my class with Zoe. (Brandon, we’ll miss you!) The class is called “Baptism and Sex.” I know, I know, it opens the door to way too many jokes. But what I really want to talk about is living within a story. The way we live flows out of the story we participate in.

This year makes 21 straight years to speak there. But next year . . . my final year to manage one of Chris’s baseball teams . . . I’m trying to keep the whole Spring schedule open . . . . We’ll see! The string has to be broken sometime.

But not this year. In a couple days, I’m headin’ west!

The Lynn Anderson That Doesn’t Sing Country

Published
by
Mike
on April 20, 2006
in Church of Christ, General and Highland
. 43 Comments

As I read those wonderful comments about Terry yesterday, it reminded me of other encouraging ministers in my life.

Every time I’ve come across Lynn Anderson, I’ve walked away a stronger person. Seriously.

Years ago when I’d come speak at the ACU lectureship, Lynn and Carolyn would keep me at their house. Around midnight, Lynn would just be coming alive with a room full of young guys he was encouraging. I’d sneak off to bed as he kept challenging. Then he’d be up early the next morning to go find some other guys to be with.

Lynn was Highland’s preacher for 19 years before I came. A beloved, gifted minister. That’s not always a good situation to walk into. But Lynn told me from the day he resigned that I needed to be the next guy. And on my first day in the pulpit he came back to tell the church that. I have walked in his blessing for 15 years here. He’s the same age as my dad, so it’s been like having a fatherly blessing as well as the blessing of a predecessor.

For the last several years through Hope Network, Lynn has traveled around the country building teams of men in ministry, encouraging them to encourage each other. That may prove to be the most lasting impact of his ministry. How many guys out there have been loved, affirmed, taught, and challenged by him?

I once heard one of his sons say this at a dinner in his honor: “A large part of my dad’s brain is complete mush. But there’s about 20% that is more brilliant than anyone you’ll ever meet.” What a tribute!

Lynn’s renowned for being unable to locate his keys . . . or his notes . . . or his notes about where his keys are.

But he knows the good news. And lives it out as such a blessing to others.

My life is much richer because of it.

Loving a Flawed Heritage

Published
by
Mike
on April 3, 2006
in Books, Church, Church of Christ and scripture
. 37 Comments

As we’ve thought about the charges leveled against Churches of Christ by a minister on the Nancy Grace show, we’ve had to face the truth: there is much in our heritage that is honorable (and that makes us want to scream “that’s not fair!”) and much that isn’t. (For example, is it any wonder that some consider us exclusivistic?)

We’re learning how to love a flawed heritage.

We don’t want to love our heritage like a two year old loves his parents: “Mommy and Daddy are perfect.” Nor do we want to respond like some adolescents: “My parents are mindless aliens.” But we want to respond as mature adults, recognizing both the strengths and the flaws of those who came before us.

I like these words from N. T. Wright:

“Paying attention to tradition means listening carefully (humbly but not uncritically) to how the church has read and lived scripture in the past. We must be constantly aware of our responsibility in the Communion of Saints, without giving our honored predecessors the final say or making them an ‘alternative source,’ independent of scripture itself. When they speak with one voice, we should listen very carefully. They may be wrong. They sometimes are. But we ignore them at our peril. . . .

“It is important for Christians today to be aware of the tradition(s) within which they themselves stand. Each tradition has much about it for which its adherents can be thankful. None is complete in itself — including those . . . that pride themselves on being ‘biblical.’ A way of assessing how valuable, and how incomplete, any tradition may be is to discern the extent to which each tradition can find itself at home in both public reading and private study of the scriptures, without resort to selective readings and exegetical trickery. That is precisely where the proper task of historical exegesis (as opposed to the improper one of trying to undermine Christian faith altogether) needs to make itself felt again and again. The challenge of living with tradition is not so much, as in official Roman Catholic understandings, that one should let tradition and scripture flow together straightforwardly into a single stream, but that trradition should be allowed to be itself; that is, the living voice of the very human church as it struggles with scripture, sometimes misunderstanding it and sometimes gloriously getting it right. That is why the challenge comes fresh to each generation. Traditions tell us where we have come from. Scriture itself is a better guide as to where we should now be going.”

(Taken from The Last Word, pp. 117ff.)

Sometimes You Have to Quit Talking About It

Published
by
Mike
on March 31, 2006
in Church and Church of Christ
. 57 Comments

Part of the charge the minister made earlier this week on the Nancy Grace show is that the Church of Christ is exclusivistic, thinking that they alone have the truth.

I’m so thankful for so many unity movements — some large and formal, but most small and informal — that are taking place. What’s happening with the Christian Churches isn’t the final thing that needs to happen; but for many it’s a place to begin.

This year there is a focus on this move toward unity at ACU, Pepperdine, Rochester, Lipscomb, and the Tulsa workshop (among other places, I’m sure).

I love what Bob Russell said at the Tulsa workshop: maybe we need to quit talking about those areas where we disagree. We don’t have to agree on everything to be brothers and sisters. “You don’t have to be twins to be siblings.” Bob pointed out that most Christian Churches aren’t going to become a cappella, and most Churches of Christ aren’t going to become instrumental. So why keep talking about it? Does it really matter?

There’s a wonderful lead article about this in the new Christian Chronicle. (Actually, there are several powerful stories in the issue. Thanks, Bobby and others! Don’t miss the insightful conversation with Royce Money.)

But then this sobering reminder that not everyone agrees with this unity movement:

“All the panelists supported stronger ties between the two groups. That concerns Howard Norton, a Bible professor and assistant dean for church relations at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.

“Focusing on unity without substantive discussion of instrumental music represents a doctrinal compromise, said Norton, who was honored the second night of the ACU Lectureship — along with his teammates — for mission work in Brazil in the 1960s and 1970s.

“‘I think there is a very strong movement within our fellowship — the a cappella church of Christ — to completely join up with the Christian Church and say that what they are doing by introducing instrumental music, that there’s nothing wrong with that,’ Norton said.”

I agree with Bob: we’ve talked about it and talked about it and talked about it. Has anyone besides Diane and me ever reached this point about something in marriage? You suddenly realize you’re just never going to agree, you’ve heard all each other has to say on the subject, and it hits you that your love is much larger than this one matter.

Let’s recognize that we’re brothers and sisters in Christ and move forward. We can’t all worship in the same building, anyway!

The Call for Unity

Published
by
Mike
on March 25, 2006
in Church of Christ
. 23 Comments

Last night was a memorable evening with Zoe leading worship and Bob Russell and Max Lucado speaking. The call to unity was clear–as was the plea to announce Christ (as a united body) to the world. Some apparently stayed away from the workshop because they thought there would be less emphasis on reaching out. Wow, were they wrong. I’ve never heard as much on living out the message of Jesus for the sake of the world.

This morning at breakfast I asked Max if he knew why people were laughing when he started speaking (at a time when he wasn’t expecting laughter). He said he had no clue but thought he might have said something wrong. I explained that he was being projected up on the big screens with the words BATTERY IS LOW flashing. I told him I thought it helped lower expectations but that if, indeed, his batteries were low they seemed to become recharged as he spoke.

Bob Russell. Such a great guy. When I visit with him, I forget that he built a church from 150 to 18,000. I just think of him as the kind of granddad every kid needs–a godly man, a guy who loves his wife, kids, and grandkids, the sort of person who is listening deeply instead of just thinking about what he wants to say next.

Tulsa

Published
by
Mike
on March 22, 2006
in Church of Christ and General
. 18 Comments

Anyone out there going to the Tulsa Workshop? Randy Harris and I will be doing a class together on Friday, then I’m speaking Saturday morning on Ephesians 4:17 - 5:21.

My nice, settled life took a dramatic turn in 1989 at the Tulsa Workshop when I spoke on the topic of unity — a topic I was assigned. I had been the preacher for the College Church since 1984, and nothing I said was really new. But it was a more open venue. With cassette tapes (remember those?) that got quickly distributed.

If you’re going Friday evening, get there early! Max Lucado and Bob Russell will be speaking, and Zoe will be leading worship.

I don’t want to publish my Saturday morning message here now for two reasons: first, because then no one would need to come hear it; and second, because . . . well, it’s still a work in progress!

But, here are five of the things that have struck me as I’ve been working in 4:17 - 5:21:

1) Greed is a very big deal, mentioned in 4:29, 5:3, and 5:5. Would we think to list it alongside “every kind of impurity”? Or is it one of our excusable sins? How do these words strike us: “No . . . greedy person — such a person is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God”?

2) The powerful words of v. 20 get obscured some in translations, but it says, after mentioning the life of darkness that comes from ignorance that comes from hard hearts, that this is not how we have learned Christ. Great phrase. We have learned Christ. He’s the teacher; he’s also the curriculum.

3) The goal isn’t just to eradicate sin but to “be like God” (4:24) and to “follow God’s example” by walking in the way of love (5:1-2). I would say this is a rather loftly goal!

4) As we put aside sin, there are positive reasons: we must quit lying becasue we’re all members of one body; we must deal with anger because we don’t want the devil to get a foothold; we should quit stealing and work so that we have something to share with those in need; we must give up unwholesome talk and speak helpful words so we can build others up according to their own needs.

5) The command to “be filled with the Spirit” is explained through four participial phrases: speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit; singing and making music from our hearts to the Lord; giving thanks to God the Father for everything; and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

(Note to Highland members: I won’t be back until Saturday evening, but there is a praise night at our building at 6:30. Should be an incredible evening.)

Thursday, March 2

Published
by
Mike
on March 2, 2006
in Church of Christ and missional
. 74 Comments

Highland just received an invitation to the “Contending for the Faith” lectureship with such scintillating class topics as (I kid you not):

“Are We Holding a Form of Anti-ism Because We Oppose False Doctrine and False Teachers in ACU, OCU, Harding, FHU, DLU, and the Like?”“Are We Occupying an ‘Anti’ Position When We Oppose the Church of Christ Disaster Relief Agency?”

“Anti-ism Is Not God’s Answer to Liberalism”

“The ‘Hats-and-Hair’ Doctrine Refuted”

“Is There Biblical Authority to Eat in the Church Building, and If There Is Such Authority, Does That Same Authority Authorize Gymnasiums and the Like?”

I have a suggestion for another class: “Is It Appropriate to Appoint a Committee to Rearrange Chairs on the Deck of the Titanic When the Whole Thing Is Sinking?” Perhaps also this one: “How to Be Opposed to Almost Everything But Still Not Be Considered Anti.”

- - - -

My Beloved is not a morning person. There are certain times (this morning, for instance) when she has the opinion that I’m too happy, too loud, and have too many lights on. Now she’s up, of course. School teacher, you know. I think she’s waiting for a school board who will admit that 8:00 is too early to start school. A 10:00 - 5:00 schedule would work better for her.

- - - -

Here are some groups I really appreciate:

Healing Hands, International

Disaster Relief Effort

Health Talents, International

Rapha International (led by one of my former elders, Ray Hughes)

Malawi Project

White’s Ferry Road Relief Ministries

Partners in Progress

International Health Care Foundation

Bread for a Hungry World

Manna International

Of course, I know more about some of these ministries than about others. (I just finished touring one of the Healing Hands facilities, for example.) But I appreciate all these efforts to reach out to the needs of this world that God so deeply loves. Perhaps you know of other ministry groups.

Right now our children have been focusing on helping one orphanage in East Africa. In light of the huge needs of the world, in one sense that isn’t much. But it is something.

KAUAI: Someone Had to Do It

Published
by
Mike
on February 10, 2006
in Church of Christ, marriage and travel
. 29 Comments

All abuse coming to me is richly deserved. A pastors’ conference in Kauai?

Those Christian Church guys know how to pick a conference site. In Churches of Christ, we usually go for exotic places like Abilene, Lubbock, and Midland. (Well, there is that annual pilgrimage to Malibu.)

Actually, I think this was exotic even for them. They went there because this is the last year for Bob Russell (who I think maybe started the group many years ago) as senior pastor of the Southeast Christian Church in Louisville–a church of about 19,000. This year is the 100th anniversary of the formal division between Churches of Christ and Christian Churches, so it’s one of many activities planned together.

Building megachurches is no longer a big vision for me. I more prefer the idea of sending out Christ-followers who will seep into every crevice of society as they participate in the mission of Jesus. This may result in large churches, small churches, cell churches, etc.

Having said this, it was wonderful to meet so many of these men and women who have given their lives for evangelism. Very inspiring. (Some of the specific lessons I learned I’ll try to come back to later.) They have built churches that have preached and lived the good news.

We come from different backgrounds, different schools (theirs tend to be Bible colleges and ours tend to be universities), different conferences, different churches, etc. But we have so much heritage in common. One of their ministers told me that it seems to him that they were trained to be evangelists while we were trained to be theologians. That’s exaggerated, of course. But it does indicate that we could certainly use the help each group could offer the other.

Now — about Kauai. What can I say? (Unnecessary note to Highland members: yes, we paid our own way.) Diane and I love to hike together, so we hiked all over the canyon: on the stunning Kalalau trail (with views of the Na Pali coast), to the top of the Sleeping Giant on the west-side trail, to the bottom of Wailua Falls, and on parts of several trails through Waimea Canyon. I also snorkeled a little, but Diane thought the water was a wee bit cold. Against my best judgment (with a touch of acrophia that only kicks in with tiny aircraft, bridges, and some buildings — all things made by people — I feel pretty good on things that God made like mountains), we took a helicopter ride that is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done for sheer beauty.

We missed the last part of the conference. A 7th grade basketball game to get back to, you know.

Tuesday, January 31

Published
by
Mike
on January 31, 2006
in Church of Christ
. 65 Comments

One of the talented women of our church has been asked several times to write for a magazine owned by the Gospel Advocate. She was invited to write again for a spring issue, which she did. But then word came back that her articles were no longer welcome because she’s a member of Highland.

The Gospel Advocate has the right to do that, of course. They can decide which churches meet their standards and which don’t. But honestly, Highland isn’t exactly the whacky church they might think. (Besides, what happened to congregational autonomy?)

The funny thing is that the Gospel Advocate was my original publisher. An editor from there heard some of my sermons at the College Church in 1985 and asked if they could put them in a book. So a couple books came out that sold quite well.

My thinking has changed a lot through the years, and I hope it continues to as God keeps shaping me, but the things that might offend the Advocate are things I thought the whole time I preached in Searcy: that there is a much wider communion of saints than Churches of Christ, that women have been called to share fully in their talents and gifts, that a cappella music is an amazing gift but not necessarily “God’s way.”

- - - -

We had a great planning session in Nashville Sunday evening and yesterday morning to get started for next fall’s Zoe conference. What a creative bunch I get to hang around!

Remembering 1956 & My Beloved

Published
by
Mike
on November 8, 2005
in Church of Christ and marriage
. 39 Comments

Remember When

Yesterday was my beloved’s birthday. I won’t say how old she was, but my birthday card was a little booklet called “1956: Remember When . . .”

It listed others who were born that year: Joe Montana (greatest QB ever), Carrie Fisher (AKA Princess Leia), Bo Derek (numero diez), Kenny G, and Sinbad. The hit tunes were dominated by Elvis (”Don’t Be Cruel,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Love Me Tender”). The Evil Empire won the World Series.

More significantly, Martin Luther King organized a boycott of public buses in Montgomery, the Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation in instrastate public transportation, and Dwight Eisenhower was reelected.

- - - -

Religious Porn

Two different people told me the same story in the last two weeks. They were in churches that had magazines out, happened to pick one up, and saw something about me.

The first was in a Christian Church in Kansas where they saw an article I’d written on Christian unity. Must have been in Christian Standard or, perhaps, One Body (another journal that picked it up from the Standard).

The second was in a Church of Christ somewhere. They told me they read an article that was attacking me for what I’d written on unity in the Christian Standard. It was in the Spiritual Sword, they said! Are you kidding me? I had no idea it was still being published.

There was a time that I couldn’t resist peeking at the heretic-detecting, faith-contending religious pornography that came through the office. But it’s been a long, long time. I guess I hoped they’d gone out of business. But no — someone brought me this copy back. It was strange holding it my hands, since I’ve sworn off religious porn for so long.

Don’t get me wrong: there are undoubtedly some edifying articles that have appeared in all of these. (Little known fact: long ago Contending for the Faith picked up something I’d written and published it. That was about 1979. So yes, I’m one of their writers.)

But overall, the tenor of these rags has been so sour and arrogant.

And by writing this little blog, there’s a chance I’ll reappear again soon in a magazine near you. But please . . . don’t tell me about it.