Merge - The Next Six Months
So I'm feeling pretty good about our new Sunday morning set-up... Merge Worship Gathering, 10:30 am, you know...
Last Sunday was really beautiful, I think. You should come see for yourself. It was comfortable, it was casual, but also challenging and impactful, too. Everybody got to have a say, get involved, get to know each other in an authentic way. I liked it.
Now I'd like you to know what I've got in mind for the next six months, as far as the discussions go. For now I'll just mention the framework to give you a rough idea. I'll work on the creative stuff later. Here's a few things you should know first:
-So far, Merge's definitions of a "discussion" is some people sitting in curved rows, some at tables, some at couches, at varying distances from the platform. The discussion leader sits on a stool placed on the floor somewhere toward the front of all this. This could change, and it could vary. I like it, but I hope it does change and vary. And I expect other speakers to rotate in from time to time.
-When I talk about "going through scripture" I'm not checking off chapters or verses like a to-do list. I want people to get a sense of the Grand Story of God, and simultaneously to realize that they have an important part to play in it. So scripture will be used as a springboard for real life issues, and as a measuring stick to hold us accountable. So scripture is one of those bendy rulers that are fun to wack on your desk when you're feeling ancy.
-The discussions will be a combination of asking questions, but also clear teaching. God has given us real truth to work with, just not as much as some people think. And unless we listen to those we are addressing, we're in danger of speaking to someone who's not even in the room.
NEXT SIX MONTHS: The Jesus Saga
(this is all subject to change at any time)
(this is all subject to change at any time)
November - Prophecies and Pre-figurations of Jesus
November 4 - The Fall of Man, the Curse and the Promise
November 11 - The Exodus, the Angel of Death
November 18 - Melchizedek, the Pre-Incarnate Christ?
November 25 - Prophecies of Pain - Psalm 22, Isaiah 53
December - Advent
December 2 - Messianic Prophecy, Inter-testamental period
December 9 - Anticipating a Savior (Israel, Elizabeth, John in the womb)
December 16 - Mary & Joseph
December 23 - The nativity
December 30 -
January - The Early Years
January 6 - Jesus' circumcision, Simeon & Anna, Epiphany
January 13 - John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin & fore-runner
January 20 - Water into Wine, the first miracle
January 27 - Calling of the Disciples
February - The Ministry of Jesus
February 3 - Sermon on the Mount
February 10 - Two Greatest Commandments
February 17 - The Inspirational Miracles
February 24 - The Compassionate Miracles
March - The Road to the Cross
March 2 - Clearing the Temple
March 9 - Jesus and the Pharisees
March 16 - Palm Sunday - Last Supper & Good Friday
March 23 - Easter - Resurrection Day
March 30 - The Great Commission & Ascension
April - The Aftermath
April 6 - Pentecost & the Holy Spirit
April 13 - Explosive Growth
April 20 - Saul's Coversion & Contribution
April 27 - The First Century Church
Posted at 11:30 AM
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8 Comments:
I enthusiastically applaud your longish-term vision for the upcoming "teaching series", and for putting it out there for people to see ahead of time. So many pastors seem to work from Sunday to Sunday, and with no apparent direction... just whatever has their britches twisted at that particular point in time. Obviously your decision to communicate the Story of Jesus via redemptive history is strategic, and I believe it is vitally strategic. I wish I could be there to experience it. :)
Can I get through a comment without at least a little bit of iron-sharpening? ;-) Of course not... so may I offer an admittedly distant and detached observation? When I hear about a "laid back worship" experience, I wonder how that jives with what we see throughout Scripture when God's people encounter His presence. I'm pretty certain I don't need to offer an apologetic to you for that. :)
Over the past couple months, I've been learning quite a bit about the nature of the "gathered community" of worshipers through our exegesis of Colossians, as well as a recent study of the "people of God", and there seems to be a real expectation that God is "with us" and that his presence is manifest when his people earnestly seek it. With that in mind, shouldn't one of the preeminent goals of "God's gathered people" is to usher in and then respond to the presence of God?
One other point of interest is that this local "gathering together" (sunagoge) is the most basic biblical definition of the "local church". So, despite the very real fact that the local church must be the incarnate presence of Christ, day in and day out, its defining characteristic is "the gathering" of believers for corporate affirmation of faith, instruction, and response to God's greatness and grace.
So, back to my original question. Do you think that, as leaders, facilitating a "laid back" atmosphere is fostering an awareness of and response to the imminent presence of the Almighty God of the universe? Again, what is the picture painted in Scripture of the people's response to God's glory manifested in their presence? I really don't mean this to be condescending in any way whatsoever... simply wanting to offer some potentially helpful insight.
Much love.
It seems like the question is exponentially complicated by all of the permutations of pentecost in this century, and especially by being under the shadow of the Assemblies of God, with its own steep traditions. There has been so much variation of how to properly show that you are in the presence of God, all the way from speaking in tongues to passing out, or just general charisma. The danger in our generation is that we may just be hanging on to the style handed down to us by lovely saints who really did get to blissfully freak out in their own day, in response to the Spirit. So I guess I read "laid back" as "without artificial affectations".
You're right though. Somewhere or other we've got to get off the hook with the whole "spew you out of my mouth" problem.
I'm glad Brent found the phrase "without artificial affectations" because that is exactly the description of Merge that I would use (maybe not on a sign, but still.)
I absolutely love that expression. The term I use for it (from the opening story of Exod. 10) is "fake fire". Worship leaders and worship service planners have to walk a hair-thin line between not trying to conjure up a response to something that's not God, and at the same time, producing (I'm not even sure that's the right word) an environment in which God's real presence is truly manifest, and to which the people cannot help but respond, as Matt Redman puts it, "rejoicing with trembling". Trembling at the recognition that God can cast one's soul into eternal hell if He so pleases--and indeed we all deserve it!--and rejoicing at the fact that He has had immeasurable, unmerited mercy upon us! That's why every element of every service must point people to the Cross. For at the cross, wrath and mercy meet in the divine person of Jesus, the Lamb slain before the foundations of the earth.
For me, the line between mere 'charisma' and genuine expression of worship is the stimulus of response. If one's response is stimulated by an expectation imposed by the gathered community, then its authenticity is greatly jeopardized. If one's response is stimulated by a mantra-like, touchy-feely "worship time", then it is suspect. If, however, we respond to the truth that the Lord our God is One in three, that He is glorious and sovereign and good, that He has mercifully pardoned us wretched sinners, and that He is preparing a place for us with Him in eternity, then we have true worship taking place. Simply, worship is response to truth, not technique.
Thanks again for highlighting this!
That's such a frightening business with Nadab and Abihu...and their silly little fires. It's hard for me to equate anything to it in the church today. Maybe the whole process of God knocking off ministers who are rather pretending to be in the center of real Holy-spirtual power has just grown into a grander scale sort of thing. Maybe it's more like the ministry dies off over time.
Seems like the ironic thing is that the fake fire can do really well on its own. I mean, I watched a documentart on PBS the other night about a fellow who got a commune started up in the 60's. He was very charsimatic and even preached about civil rights and such. He had a wonderful following. Then later it turned out that he had been setting up fake healings, and there was even homosexual stuff going on. And my point is...that...as long as your ministry is a true blue fraud right from the start, then you should do fine. It's the ministers who really get involved with the Holy Spirit, and then sell out that are asking for trouble.
If Nadab and Abihu had just been a couple of, like, fire jugglers in the desert who decided to take a shot at being priests, they probably would have done real well for themselves. But Moses and Aaron had complicated things by communing with Yawheh too much.
I'm a lot less interested in how much of a following I can attract than in what God thinks. He'll allow us to destroy ourselves and others, and He certainly allows people to deceive and manipulate others. "Allows." But no one gets away with it when it comes judgment time. And if we truly love the people we're (supposedly) ministering to, it will be of utmost priority that we do not manipulate them, for ultimately, they can only be set free by the truth.
I'm assuming that your last comment was a bit tongue-in-cheek and that you'd agree.
Sorry. Totally tongue in cheek. I was caught between not having time to bring things around to a constructive conclusion because I was watching our kids, and actually beeing a bit in the mode of, as Asaph said in ps 73
"as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant, I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death; and their body is fat."
Your'e entirely on the right track with your excellent desire for purity.
Yeah, I should've just played along. I'm such a moron. :-p
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