Monthly Archives: July 2009

Calling vs. Desire

Posted by Matthew on July 24, 2009 None comments |

“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” 2 Peter 1:10

“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Galatians 3:3

“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Galatians 5:17

Planting a missional gospel community is  a simple thing, truly. Engaging the neighbors and people you know in your own home for the sake of the gospel is so easy, that nearly anyone can start one. It has been good to see the organic side of Church and to have hope in a lasting vision that involves an organic and living church. I know I’m tired of dealing with dead churches and am more than ready for a new thing. Portland is ready for a new thing.

However there seems to be a lot more at work that is unseen than what is seen, and because of that, taking this direction in life to become a church planter has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I have met more opposition than I ever have with any other pursuit. Encouragement in this direction is almost non-existent. I think most people have very little faith in church planting anymore. You are perhaps thought to be either selfish, greedy, shady, or otherwise off in some way or other. There is also a constant stream of lies spoken to my mind intended only to make me doubt, fear, worry, or feel ashamed.  A lot of times they work–and I doubt, fear, worry, and feel ashamed about doing ministry. Then there is my self. My self doesn’t even want to do it. It’s the last thing I would have chosen to do as far as my life interests are concerned. I didn’t appeal to me. The responsibility is beyond me. There’s far too much contempt out there for ministers and they don’t make any money—unless of course you’re one of those contemptible ministers. They have to sacrifice more time than the average Joe or Jane does just to be there for them. And Joe or Jane are only occasionally there for him, or sometimes not there at all.

All the while one small still voice keeps the reign, and its tight. Obedience is the last unbreakable bond between learning to be a minister and losing it to the dogs. I would have given it up many times but that bond just can’t be broken. Perhaps it is so that God has a destiny for certain people and if they don’t like it at first, they will learn that it is actually the best thing. Nine years ago I received that call and despised it. I didn’t want to do it, nor did I feel it was right. It was definitely not in me. In fact it was an old man who had prayed over me and spoken those words to me. “Pastor,” said he.

“Bull crap,” said I.

I could never forget what he said though. God wouldn’t let me. I couldn’t run from it either—it followed me everywhere I went. Destiny seems to follow you and press on you until you learn to obey.

Nine years later, I am still battling and struggling through to break free from all of these rooted oppositions. I still have a measure of desire to not do ministry. There are still thoughts that ministry is weird and is for weird people, though I know it is not true. There are still accusations from the enemy that I am too sinful or weak to do it. There are still many, many doubts. But I press on somehow, like a miracle. It shouldn’t be, yet it is. I am not yet a true minister, but a minister in the making. I’m still hoping it turns out for the good and that it’ll be worth it even though I know it will be worth it. It’s like bootcamp for the soldier—for now I need to focus on doing my duty and deal with the dirty work.  Weeping may linger for the night, but in the morning: joy. (Psalm 30:5)

The spirit and the flesh oppose one another so sharply on this point, and I pray for the diligence Peter talked about to “make my calling and election sure”.

Church Reproof: Strive for unity in diversity

Posted by Matthew on July 15, 2009 None comments |

Strive for unity in diversity

America was never a cultural “melting pot” but rather more of a salad bowl. In some places you can actually find Somali refugees, Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, and Native Americans all living in the same neighborhood.  What is amazing is the lack of mixing among Christians coming from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Indeed it seems more difficult to be a congregation of diverse cultures than to just be a congregation of one culture. Of course, it doesn’t mean that the different cultures are unable to get along. But then what does it mean? Is not every Christian’s identity found in one heavenly nation and royal kingdom?  Pick almost any city in America and you will find that the Koreans have their own church, the Chinese have their own church, the African-Americans have their own church, the Russians, the Arabs, the Messianic Jews, and so on. Why aren’t they all intermingling and breaking bread at the same table?

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

From this scripture we can get a sense of the unity that not only binds every believer into the body of Christ, but which also supersedes our earthly identities and affinities. In this sense it might be understood that there should be no problem for us to have multi-ethnic and multi-cultural congregations, and indeed there are some in existence. Yet there remains a very definite division in the body of Christ along the lines of cultural heritage. This very well may be due to a lack of conforming to the image of Christ who is all, and in all, and through all. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that the old person has passed and the new person has come. This verse is understood spiritually and means we are bound together by a common spiritual identity. Underneath this truth we come with our earthly natures, whether it is Asian or Latino, male or female, or Black or White. We each bring ourselves as fallen treasures and living sacrifices to the heavenly throne being fearfully and wonderfully designed. (Psalm 139:14)

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

But that the body of Christ should be divaricated according to heritage and culture does not seem to fulfill the purposes and glories of God. We are to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3) which means that we ought to be bringing each of our cultural heritages to one table for all to partake of. We are not supposed to abandon what God has given each of us nor try to change another peoples’ culture. But American Christians are afraid of each other because we all come from so many different backgrounds. Therefore we need to come back to a genuine fear of God and stop fearing man, so that we can work together through the diversity God has graciously given to the American Church.

We must embrace these different glories in Christ, who is the redeemer of culture, the redeemer of man and woman, and in whom we are spiritually neither male nor female, White nor Black, white collar nor blue collar, young nor old. There is only one table. Let’s learn to share it.