The Delusion of Organic Church Intensity

February 17, 2013 By in Church Planting, Existentialism, Fellowship, Frank Viola, Gifts, Great Commission, Organic Church 9 Comments

Have you ever noticed how those who heavily promote organic food and natural health with the most enthusiasm and sincerity, sometimes look the most sickly and anemic and seem to have the most health problems?

They are reacting to real problems, but have turned their idealistic and seemingly good-sounding concepts into an all consuming idol – to the exclusion of real health which comes from a balanced life.

I’ve also see this among some who are the most ardent proponents of organic church. They’ve fallen prey to unbalanced reactions and aspirations which prevent authentic life and sustainable, healthy fellowships.

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Christocentric Buffoonery

February 15, 2013 By in Authority, Bible, Existentialism, Frank Viola, Postmodern, Relativism 2 Comments

Those with the hutzpa to claim that their personal perceptions of Christ are more accurate than His written word of scripture deceive themselves. They have rebelled against God’s own chosen revelation, and worship at the feet of postmodernism instead. I would rather that my sensibilities shatter against the rock of God’s Word than subvert Christ to their subjective, existential angst. 
 
Here’s a little song about the dilemmas facing my existentially-consumed friends:
Beyond Scripture? (Part 2).

Finding Organic Church Health

February 14, 2013 By in Church Planting, Existentialism, Frank Viola, Fruit, Leadership, Organic Church 7 Comments

I believe a new “organic” move of God is emerging in the West, which affirms the good things about organic/simple church but rejects the crazy stuff of the past.

Stuck in a Rut

With this new move, we are finally climbing out of our ruts and catching up with our “organic” brothers and sisters in the rest of the world – who never fell prey to the crazy stuff and thus moved far beyond us.¹

We also are seeing healthy connections form between fellowships in different regions, as locally-rooted leaders use Skype and other Internet tools to build mutually helpful relationships with each other.

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Breaking Free

February 10, 2013 By in Abuse, Predatory Leaders 2 Comments

More than anyone else, a narcissist knows how to make you feel affirmed, needed and important.

It’s how they control and use you to feed their own need to feel affirmed, needed and important – at your own peril because ultimately they consume you to advance their own self-serving agenda.

Whether in your personal life, church, job or wherever …

Don’t be co-dependent. You deserve better.

Tyranny and Murder by Presidential Decree

February 6, 2013 By in Absolutes, Obama, Postmodern, Relativism, Tyranny, Virtue 6 Comments

In America, we’ve lost the right to be born, the right to practice our faith without government dictate or penalty, the right to proclaim moral sanity in the public square, and now the right to due process of law against a president who thinks he literally can pull the trigger and execute fellow citizens at his whim.

Who's Next?

Who’s Next?

In a bizarre “legal memo”, President Obama has asserted that he can target and assassinate Americans – at will – simply on his belief that they are subversives.

The memo’s specific focus is Americans who President Obama has unilaterally concluded are affiliated with al-Qaida (not that this makes it right), but its rationale and justification can now be applied to anyone else who he likewise concludes is a non-combatant subversive.

America was once a great nation, ruled by law under a Constitution that was consciously written to embody a Judeo-Christian worldview.

The bedrock of our constitutional republic – rooted in Biblical principles articulated by men like James Madison and his mentor John Witherspoon – was the liberty to pursue virtue by imposing checks and balances against the evil of unrestrained government power.

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Authentic Discipleship

February 4, 2013 By in Community, Discipleship, Fellowship, Gifts, Hospitality 2 Comments

A newly-wed couple in our fellowship invited Marianne and me to a Super Bowl party at their apartment last night.

True Discipleship!

True Discipleship!

Marianne couldn’t make it because she needed to finish her lesson plans for the week (she’s an elementary school teacher), so I went.

When I showed up, I was blessed to see some old friends – including guys I knew from the surrounding woods. That evening, we enjoyed lots of good food and good times as we hung out and watched the game together.

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Single Parents

February 2, 2013 By in Church, Community, Fellowship, Ministry, Single Parents, Struggles 6 Comments

single momSingle parents are ubiquitous in the church; however, often they are a very misunderstood group that usually doesn’t quite comfortably fit anywhere.

As a former single mom with 25 years of single parenting experience, these are some of the impressions I have collected. Maybe it is different if you are a single dad, but I don’t have any expertise in that area.

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Traction

February 1, 2013 By in Institutional Church, Organic Church, Postmodern 5 Comments

treadmill

I’m having an interesting online (but private) conversation with someone, talking about the state of things in his part of the country.

Here was my observation:

“My impression from interactions on Facebook with various folks in the [deleted] area is that there is a lot of angst that has driven folks from institutionalism and legalism, but not much in the way of any solid foundational Biblical principles operative among them.

“Your area seems to be a hotbed for interest in ‘organic’ things, but mired in lots of unrealistic sensibilities. They seem to have idealistic expectations rooted in those sensibilities but can’t seem to find traction, yet they are not willing to change and so they keep trying and trying without success.”

I wonder if this describes other areas around the country as well?

~ Jim

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Ekklesia: Diverse or Cookie-Cutter?

January 31, 2013 By in Church Planting, Great Commission, Organic Church 6 Comments

be_healthyAs I delve into the history and status of the organic church community in the U.S. (and to some extent Europe), I’ve been impressed with how some “church planters” are able to help diverse fellowships emerge. Each fellowship they help looks very different based on the context of its own local community.

Others, however, seem to forge fellowships that look strangely the same – and like them – from locale to locale.

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Christ Chapel Sexual Abuse: An Update

January 28, 2013 By in Christ Chapel, Judgment, Justice, Sex Abuse 5 Comments

shameLast Friday, a Federal judge rejected Christ Chapel’s claim that under the First Amendment its pastors could, in essence, sexually abuse others with legal impunity – and no court had authority to stop them.

As a result, the court ruled that a Federal lawsuit may proceed against Christ Chapel, which alleges a pervasive pattern of sex abuse at the church.

That suit was filed on behalf of one victim and her husband, and alleges employment discrimination through sexual abuse, exploitation, harassment and a hostile work environment directed against women in general and victims of abuse in particular.

Although many victims of abuse, at the hands of several men on staff at Christ Chapel, are alleged in the lawsuit, Virginia has a two year statute of limitations. Thus, not all of the victims could actually join in the lawsuit (some of the abuse happened as long a six years ago) as actual plaintiffs asserting claims against all of the alleged abusers.

Nonetheless, the one named plaintiff and her husband were able to set forth in the complaint the history of abuse against multiple women by multiple men on staff at Christ Chapel – based on an alleged overall pattern of sexual exploitation and overall hostile environment at the church – on behalf of all the victims.

Addendum:

After failing to get the sex abuse allegations dismissed, Christ Chapel Assembly of God – a large church in Woodbridge, Virginia – agreed to come to satisfactory terms with the plaintiffs and settled the lawsuit.

The factual case against Christ Chapel primarily was investigated and assembled by Nathan’s Voice, a ministry created several years by our local fellowships to help church abuse victims.

I want to personally thank and acknowledge the help of countless people, as well as the courage of the many victims, in helping with the investigation and eventual successful outcome of this case. I believe that because of this case, it is highly unlikely that sexual abuse will ever be tolerated again at Christ Chapel.

There were times I was moved to tears as I got to know many of the victims and their families, and witnessed their compassion and resolve. It gave me the strength needed to devote over a year to this case before finally handing it over to a litigation law firm for final prosecution.

If any further issues or questions surface regarding Christ Chapel, the complaint (Todd v. Christ Chapel, with all the factual background) and related documents are a matter of pubic record and can be obtained from the Federal District Court in Alexandria, Virginia. You also can open the full complaint here.

See Christ Chapel: Pastoral Sex Abuse for more information.

~ Jim Wright

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Patience

January 27, 2013 By in Courage, Fruit, Gratitude, Patience, Struggles 9 Comments

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience… Gal 5:22

The King James Bible calls patience long suffering. Somehow to me patience sounds like a virtue to desire, but long suffering… well that sounds tentjpgtoo much like Job!

I think everyone would love to be able to say that they are patient, but probably none of us enjoy the process of long suffering that is required to actually become patient.

I believe the only way to grow in patience is to experience times of trials, disappointments, frustrations and failures. It is during these difficult stretches that the Lord enables the fruit of patience to grow strong.

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When “Intimacy with the Lord” Goes Bad

January 22, 2013 By in Existentialism, Fruit, Grace, Grace Movement, Pietism, Works 2 Comments

When “Intimacy with the Lord” Goes Bad is a must-read blog by Steve Crosby.

In the past, I was concerned with some of Steve’s blogs because they seemed to dance right up to the line with some of the “half grace” doctrines and existential nonsense going around these days.

With this blog, however, all’s forgiven! It strikes just the right balance between “being” and “doing”, which I’ve also tried to achieve in some of my own past blogs. But unlike me, he avoids obscure, big sounding words. 😉

Plus, I love his swamp analogy – especially since I often use it myself when I teach!

Discipleship

January 19, 2013 By in Discipleship, Fathers, Great Commission, Healing, Redemption 1 Comment

Marianne and I have the greatest privilege in the world. God allows us to introduce Him to those who have reached the end of themselves, and then allows us to walk with them towards healing and wholeness.

We have the privilege of then seeing those who some consider the discards of society grow in the Lord to become mighty men and women in His Kingdom.

But the highest privilege of all is this: To call them friends.

This is the story of so many when we first met. Listen, and may the Lord move your heart to compassion.

Though You Slay Me…

January 14, 2013 By in Faith, Grace, Gratitude, Pain, Redemption, Scleroderma, Struggles 8 Comments

I don’t know about you, but the Lord sometimes loves me enough to nearly kill me. And I’m not talking metaphorically.

In fact, for those who have given our lives to Him, the Lord loves us so much that some day He literally will take our lives so He then can give us eternity.

Short of death, however, the Lord sometimes kills something important to us or in us – some vision, some hope, some confidence, some quality or attribute, some accomplishment, or even something good He previously gave us.

It’s not that the thing He kills necessarily is wrong. It’s just that it needs to die so we then are free to be and do whatever He wants of us, and for us, as we move forward in Him.

As Job understood, in the midst of everything good in his life being stripped away, “Though you slay me, will I trust you Lord.” Job 13:15.

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Joy

January 13, 2013 By in Fruit, Joy, Prayer, Tears 7 Comments

The fruit of the spirit is love, joy… (Gal 5:22)

JoyJoy is a word that I believe is easily misunderstood.  Let me give you an example. About eleven years ago, I adopted my little dog. I named her Joy because her personality radiates joy.

One day a young workman came to my house. After he finished the repairs in the kitchen he asked me, “You named your dog after soap?” He was referring to the bottle of Joy detergent that was on my kitchen counter. I explained that she was not named after soap, but I named her because she always acted so joyful. He did not seem to really understand, but I think that is not as unusual as it may seem.

Joy and happiness are often used interchangeably and people assume that they cannot have joy unless they feel happy. I disagree.

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