Simple Organic Church and the Existential Fringe

January 1, 2016 By in Existentialism, Felicity Dale, Frank Viola, House Church, Organic Church, Simple Church 7 Comments

Haven’t the repeated failures by the existential fringe of the “organic” church movement – with authors like Felicity Dale, Frank Viola, Milt Rodriguez, Jon Zens, Keith Giles and their buddies – made it abundantly clear?

Without the plenary authority of Scripture, simple participatory churches don’t succeed.

Snake Oil SalesmenThese fringe authors dismiss the plenary authority and discipline of Scripture – and in some cases even deny that the Bible is His written word – to peddle a Jesus of their own perception.

Their false Christ – who is little more than a projection of their own “deeper life” angst, post-modern sensibilities and trans-Biblical agendas – inevitably leads to dysfunctional, insular and anemic “communities”.

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The Impossible

December 21, 2015 By in Prayer, Struggles 2 Comments

Often it seems that the Lord places “the impossible” directly in our path and nothing we can do will change or alleviate the circumstances.

impossible giraffe“The impossible” are situations totally out of our control and they frequently converge within our normal everyday life. At times like these we have to look beyond what we can do. Our solutions are so finite, whereas His solutions are eternal.

Recently I have been pondering “the impossible” since it seems like the Lord is illuminating two impossible situations. Sometimes it is hard to know how to pray because there is nothing that I can do to change them. I might be able to give some advice, but in reality, my input can do nothing to alter the outcomes. They are literally and figuratively life and death.

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Elders

September 5, 2015 By in Bible, Discernment, Elder, Spiritual Disciplines 1 Comment

I get it: A confused generation of young millennials raised to believe they’re the center of the universe keep trying to create a Christ of their own perception by shunning the plenary authority of His written word.

What I don’t get are those who should be old enough to know better, but don’t.

It’s time for those who do know better to start acting like grown ups once again in the Body of Christ.

~ Jim Wright

Insane Church

August 14, 2015 By in Church, Culture, Great Commission 1 Comment

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

Seriously, can anyone defend “church” as a carefully produced weekly “service” that feeds the need for affirmation through a staged “sermon” which mimics secular “motivational” speakers and staged “worship” which mimics intense worldly concerts?

Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all nations, not entertain the masses by catering to a culture which craves emotional affirmation and intensity – then calling it “God.”

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8

Let us return to the Lord, and His ways, once again.

~ Jim Wright

Non Sequiturs of a Postmodern Jesus

August 5, 2015 By in Bible, Existentialism, Postmodern, Sovereignty, Truth 2 Comments

Things Jesus never said …

(But are implicit among those who implicitly jettison Scripture to create a trans-biblical Jesus of their own perception):

Non Sequitur

Non Sequitur

“It’s about relationship …

So forget obedience.”

“All scripture points to me …

So your own perceptions of me trump any scripture that offends you.”

“I am the living word …

So you no longer need to submit to the authority and discipline of my written word.”

“‘Be holy as I am holy’…

Now means ‘I am postmodern as you are postmodern’.”

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Going to Church or Being the Church?

August 2, 2015 By in Church, Community, Gifts, Institutional Church, Organic Church, Simple Church 1 Comment

When you “go to church” these days, it seems that staged teachings and “worship” performances by the “anointed” few during Sunday “services” have become substitutes for the diverse gifts and “one another” imperatives of the New Testament.

When you truly “are the church”, however, shared teachings, songs and diverse gifts arise among us – each and every one – by encouraging and strengthening “one another” in the Lord as functional communities which gather together.

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The Power of the Gospel

July 8, 2015 By in Confession, Discipleship, Forgiveness, Jail, Redemption, Repentance 1 Comment

I went to the jail yesterday with another brother named John to be with one of the indigenous churches we helped start there.

When we arrived, John felt the Lord’s prompting to ask if anyone was struggling with anything and wanted some one-on-one help. A young man raised his hand and I met with him alone while John remained with the larger group of about twenty inmates.

God and Man

As we talked, that young man openly confessed and released to the Lord years of hurts and regrets he had suffered. The pain he carried from the abuse he suffered as a boy contributed to addictions and emotional enslavement, which had been destroying his life. As he began to expose and gave them to the Lord, Jesus met him in a very personal way.

Then, without prompting, he started talking about all the stupid sins he had committed in reaction to the wrongs he had suffered at the hands of others. He began crying and asked how to be free from the guilt and weight of his own wrongs.

I find that’s often the case: When we forgive others for their wrongs against us, we often experience genuine conviction as we clearly see for the first time the significance of our own sins.

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Crossroad Nugget

June 28, 2015 By in Faith Tags: 4 Comments

When shifting concepts of personal autonomy become the supreme law of the land, not by legislative deliberation through democratically elected representatives or constitutional provision but by the whim of judges, then all other rights – including those expressly enumerated in the Constitution – eventually must fall.

Sound Doctrine and Snake Oil Theology

June 26, 2015 By in Church, Discernment, Doctrine, Elder Leave a comment

My prayer for the Church in this age of itchy ears and false teachers …

Lord, raise up true elders – “grown ups” among us who serve your people in their local communities – to teach sound doctrine and confront those who redefine:

Faith as doubt;

Grace as excuse;

Love as license;

True as relative;

Real as subjective;

Moral as optional;

Unity as conformity;

Leadership as hierarchy;

Church as scripted; and

Diverse gifts as distractions.

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Crossroad Nugget

June 10, 2015 By in Faith Tags: 2 Comments

Those who “profess” Christ know not Christ if their concept of Christ produces contempt for Biblical truth, repentance, redemption, virtue, honor, service and sacrifice in all spheres of life – both public and private.

A passion for redeemed lives, sustainable churches and healthy nations means rejecting their false Christ of existential angst, cultural anarchy and postmodern sensibilities.

Memorial Day

May 24, 2015 By in Gratitude 2 Comments

This video (despite the goofy background music!) brought back lots of memories of the time we lived in Newfoundland, Canada.

Robert Russell Wright

Quantico National Cemetery

In the 1960s, my dad, Robert Wright, was stationed there as a navy pilot in VW-13 (the sister squadron to the video’s VW-11, but same air base, planes and mission). Although I was in elementary school, I remember well many of the scenes shown in this video!

My dad’s mission was to fly Super Connies over the North Pole for early radar detection as part of the North American missile defense system. While there, he and my mom encountered Jesus (or maybe I should say that Jesus encountered them) and their lives became devoted to advancing His Kingdom while also serving our nation.

Later, he did two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Naval aviator and squadron commander, where he saw combat and lost friends while also earning two Presidential Unit Citations and being awarded the Air Medal. He also was exposed to Agent Orange and suffered heart damage which eventually contributed to his service-related death decades later.

This Memorial Day, let’s not forget those who served with honor and gave their lives to defend others.

~ Jim Wright

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Why Is Bart Breen Stalking My Wife?

February 28, 2015 By in Cult, Frank Viola, Predatory Leaders, Sex Abuse

I need your help to stop a stalker who has been harassing and threatening my wife.

Bart Breen - Stalker

Bart Breen – Stalker

For over a year now, an obscure blogger named Bart Breen has been acting on behalf of a cult that’s upset and trying to silence me (and others) for daring to warn folks about their history of sexual predation, abuse and cover up.

As more and more people learn the truth about that cult – centered on narcissistic “Beyond Evangelical” author Frank Viola and his mutual promotion network of self-proclaimed “apostolic workers” – they’ve become more and more shrill in a desperate attempt to hide their history of shame, failure and abuse.

As a result, Mr. Breen is now stalking my wife in a perverse bid to silence me. He’s even openly boasted about it on Facebook and in his various blogs.

Why? By harassing my wife and publicly boasting about it, Bart Breen and Frank Viola are sending their victims – and those who stand with them – the clear message that they too will be attacked if they don’t toe the line and remain silent about what has been going on within their “Beyond” Cult.

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Robert R. Wright (1933 – 2015)

February 26, 2015 By in Discipleship, Fellowship, Missions, Organic Church 5 Comments

Last month, on January 6, 2015, my dad died peacefully in his sleep after a seven year struggle with dementia. His was a life well lived, in service to the King of Kings and His Kingdom.

This is a blog I first wrote a couple of years ago about my parents. I am re-posting it as my tribute to him and the legacy he leaves behind.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Roots

The last several years have been a wonderful journey of seeing folks come to the Lord and fellowships emerge in highly improbable places. In my own life, the roots for this go back to my dad and mom, Bob and Mary Jane Wright.

tree_roots

In the 1970s and 80’s, the Lord used them as pioneers in what we’d now call simple “organic” church – before that term became popular (even though today, unfortunately, it can mean nearly anything).

Forty years ago, they helped birth a regional network of open, participatory fellowships in Maryland, where people could find and express the vibrant life of Christ in dynamic gatherings as everyone ministered one to another – rather than having directed, scripted meetings.

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Local Church Leadership

February 19, 2015 By in Elder, Gifts, Ministry, Organic Church, Simple Church 2 Comments

Last evening some elders from among our fellowships took time to share a meal at a local pizza joint and talk – just talk, with no agenda.

body-of-christ

Our conversation turned to how the traditional model for church leadership is to inspire folks to “come” and be part of our own gift, calling or motivation – but that we don’t see this in Apostle Paul’s life.

Rather, Paul’s main approach was to unleash Christ within existing communities where God sent him. As Paul would “go,” he was secure enough to then let Christ be expressed through the wonderful diversity of the many unique gifts, callings and motivations He chose to bestow among His people in each church.

Thus, it was never about Paul inspiring people to come gather around his own gift, calling or motivation. Likewise, there is no example in the entire New Testament of any single “pastor,” one-man ministry or other person serving as a primary focal point “over” any local church.

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