Last Sunday, Grace Fellowship Church and Bridge of Hope Church had another "pulpit swap." Pastor Luther of BoH came to Grace to teach here, and I went to BoH to teach there. A suburban church and an urban core church being taught by pastors who are easily identified with their sending churches.
Why do we do this? It interrupts the flow and makes it a little more difficult for the worship teams and the administrative staff. So, why go through the trouble?
First, perspective. Every pastor, no matter how experienced, has blind spots. I have them, Luther has them, every pastor I've ever known has them. A congregation that hears only from one pastor is going to hear very little from those areas occluded by the pastor's blind spots. No matter how good or how varied a pastor's teaching is, his blind spots will inadvertently keep his congregation from certain, important teaching and perspective. A pulpit swap brings in someone with different blind spots, giving the congregation a broader perspective of biblical theology and discipleship. Furthermore, the pastor's perspective broadens because he is faced with a new set of challenges and needs.
Second, partnership. Bridge of Hope and Grace Fellowship have been developing a very strong partnership in many areas - youth group, outreach events, small groups, retreats, and ministry. A pulpit swap helps forges that partnership, so that each congregation gets to know the partner church's pastor more deeply. We get to understand each other better, we develop better personal relationships, and we get more of the heartbeat of each church. As a result, our partnership works more effectively.
Third, proving that the pastor is replaceable. We don't want any church to have an unhealthy dependency on the pastor. The pastor should be a strong factor in the church, but a healthy church should be able to thrive without him or when someone else is fulfilling the responsibilities. Furthermore, the pastor should never feel like he's irreplaceable. A pulpit swap proves to both the congregations and the pastors that it's not about the pastor. The church can go on just fine with a different man in the pulpit. The church is about Jesus Christ, not about the pastor.
Fourth, the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Getting out of our routines and exploring new avenues of ministry create openings for the work of the Holy Spirit. We can get into ruts, and ruts can become substitutes for the Spirit's work. Shaking it up makes for fresh opportunities for the Spirit. Last Sunday, I saw the Spirit at work in some amazing ways, and I heard that He also was busily at work through Luther's ministry here. The artificial props are removed, we are more apt to rely on the Spirit, and we see Him move in refreshing ways.
Pastor Luther and I plan on making this a periodic habit. I pray that we will continue to see fruit produced through serving one another's congregation.
Thanks to all of you who make him feel so welcome when he comes. I feel the same from the church family at Bridge of Hope.
Showing posts with label spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirit. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
More Cool Stuff in Scripture
Our reading through the New Testament together now has us in the Book of Acts, Luke's "sequel" to his Gospel, tracing the key events of the early church. There's something very cool in Acts that could well be Luke's cues to us about the structure of the book. There are six summary statements throughout Acts that seem to summarize the action that has preceded, and prepare for what follows. These six verses create six "panels," or sections, to Acts, which help us to see the important progression of the book.
The first summary verse is 6:7 ("And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith"). All of this action happening (especially persecution), and then all of the sudden, a summary verse that talks about the Word spreading, even to Jewish priests (success, despite the persecution). In the first section, the main character is Peter, the location is Jerusalem, and the audience is entirely Jewish. The very next thing is the story of Stephen, the first recorded martyr of the church, and as the persecution intensifies, many of the disciples are driven out from Jerusalem.
The second summary verse is 9:31 ("So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase"). Again, the narrative is talking about amazing events, and then out of the blue, a summary statement about the progress of the Gospel. In this second section, the main character is still Peter, but the location now includes Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, and therefore the audience of the Gospel now includes "half-Jews" - people who are not fully Jewish, but still have similar history and connections with Israel. The Gospel is beginning to spread out of Judaism, forced by the persecution. The very next thing are the accounts of Peter coming to terms with the Gospel spreading to, of all people, Gentiles. That was a huge paradigm shift for Peter and the others.
The third summary verse is 12:24 ("But the word of the Lord continued to grow and be multiplied") - the Word is continuing to spread. The main character is still Peter, but the location is now Palestine and Syria, which means the audience is primarily Gentile. The very next thing is the calling of Barnabas and Saul to become missionaries to the Gentile lands.
The fourth summary verse is 16:5 ("So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily") - another statement about the progress of the Gospel, despite the persecution of the new missionaries. The main character is now Paul (the Greek name for Saul, which he used as soon as he started going into Gentile lands). The location is now vastly different - Antioch and Asia Minor. The audience follows the same pattern in every town. First, the Jews, and then the Gentiles, who get far more attention because they are now more receptive than the Jews. The very next thing is the vision Paul has in a dream to go over to Europe (specifically, Macedonia), crossing greater boundaries with the Gospel.
The fifth summary verse is 19:20 ("So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing"). Still more progress with the Gospel despite violent rejection of the missionaries. The main character is still Paul, but the geography is Europe (Greece in particular) and the audience is overwhelmingly Gentile. The very next thing is Paul emphatically stating his determination to get to Rome with the Gospel. Rome is the center of the Western pagan world, the epicenter of Gentile politics, military, and religion.
The last summary verse is the final verse of the book, 28:31 ("And he [Paul] stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered"), a statement of how Paul, even though under arrest on false charges, has freedom to preach the Gospel of Christ right in the center of power of the pagan West, the most influential city of the Greco-Roman world! The main character of this section is still Paul, the geography is Paul's journey from Jerusalem to Rome, and the audience is again mostly Gentile. The very next thing is ... the rest of church history!
The book starts in occupied, Jewish Jerusalem with a small band of scared Jesus freaks who have nothing but a command to make disciples of all nations and to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. The book ends in Rome, the Gentile capital, with the missionary to the Gentiles preaching the Gospel freely even within the household of Caesar himself. All along the way, Luke appears to give us summaries of the Gospel's progress even while telling us of the difficulties suffered by the apostles and missionaries. In every case, the very next thing is some brand new barrier that will be successfully crossed by this Gospel.
So, what is the book of Acts about? The structure itself tells us: by the power of the Holy Spirit, who is the real main character of every section, the Gospel will advance, not only in spite of the suffering of those willing to carry it across new boundaries, but even through their suffering. And the very next thing is the rest of church history!
As you read the Book of Acts with us, check out this structure and keep it in mind as you follow the storyline. It's a ripping good story!
The first summary verse is 6:7 ("And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith"). All of this action happening (especially persecution), and then all of the sudden, a summary verse that talks about the Word spreading, even to Jewish priests (success, despite the persecution). In the first section, the main character is Peter, the location is Jerusalem, and the audience is entirely Jewish. The very next thing is the story of Stephen, the first recorded martyr of the church, and as the persecution intensifies, many of the disciples are driven out from Jerusalem.
The second summary verse is 9:31 ("So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase"). Again, the narrative is talking about amazing events, and then out of the blue, a summary statement about the progress of the Gospel. In this second section, the main character is still Peter, but the location now includes Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, and therefore the audience of the Gospel now includes "half-Jews" - people who are not fully Jewish, but still have similar history and connections with Israel. The Gospel is beginning to spread out of Judaism, forced by the persecution. The very next thing are the accounts of Peter coming to terms with the Gospel spreading to, of all people, Gentiles. That was a huge paradigm shift for Peter and the others.
The third summary verse is 12:24 ("But the word of the Lord continued to grow and be multiplied") - the Word is continuing to spread. The main character is still Peter, but the location is now Palestine and Syria, which means the audience is primarily Gentile. The very next thing is the calling of Barnabas and Saul to become missionaries to the Gentile lands.
The fourth summary verse is 16:5 ("So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily") - another statement about the progress of the Gospel, despite the persecution of the new missionaries. The main character is now Paul (the Greek name for Saul, which he used as soon as he started going into Gentile lands). The location is now vastly different - Antioch and Asia Minor. The audience follows the same pattern in every town. First, the Jews, and then the Gentiles, who get far more attention because they are now more receptive than the Jews. The very next thing is the vision Paul has in a dream to go over to Europe (specifically, Macedonia), crossing greater boundaries with the Gospel.
The fifth summary verse is 19:20 ("So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing"). Still more progress with the Gospel despite violent rejection of the missionaries. The main character is still Paul, but the geography is Europe (Greece in particular) and the audience is overwhelmingly Gentile. The very next thing is Paul emphatically stating his determination to get to Rome with the Gospel. Rome is the center of the Western pagan world, the epicenter of Gentile politics, military, and religion.
The last summary verse is the final verse of the book, 28:31 ("And he [Paul] stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered"), a statement of how Paul, even though under arrest on false charges, has freedom to preach the Gospel of Christ right in the center of power of the pagan West, the most influential city of the Greco-Roman world! The main character of this section is still Paul, the geography is Paul's journey from Jerusalem to Rome, and the audience is again mostly Gentile. The very next thing is ... the rest of church history!
The book starts in occupied, Jewish Jerusalem with a small band of scared Jesus freaks who have nothing but a command to make disciples of all nations and to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. The book ends in Rome, the Gentile capital, with the missionary to the Gentiles preaching the Gospel freely even within the household of Caesar himself. All along the way, Luke appears to give us summaries of the Gospel's progress even while telling us of the difficulties suffered by the apostles and missionaries. In every case, the very next thing is some brand new barrier that will be successfully crossed by this Gospel.
So, what is the book of Acts about? The structure itself tells us: by the power of the Holy Spirit, who is the real main character of every section, the Gospel will advance, not only in spite of the suffering of those willing to carry it across new boundaries, but even through their suffering. And the very next thing is the rest of church history!
As you read the Book of Acts with us, check out this structure and keep it in mind as you follow the storyline. It's a ripping good story!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
A Journey
I'm on a journey that leads to destinations unknown. The ride has been good - a bit rough at times, but interesting. Sometimes I feel like I can see over the horizon and get a glimpse of the destination, but then it slips away, and I'm not sure I saw anything at all. But I know I will get to a good destination - I just can't tell you what that place looks like. I'm taking this journey at the pace of one step each morning.
For my daily Quiet Time, I'm spending time in the Word on the topic of God's Spirit. I made a list of every occurrence of the word "spirit" in Scripture, and am identifying which ones refer to the Holy Spirit in some fashion. Plus, there are some references that don't use the word "spirit" at all, such as "Comforter," "Helper," and "Counselor." I take one reference in context each day, study it, journal about it, and then pray through the passage for my own life. And then I pray that passage for those who are on my prayer list for that day - whoever is on the list, I'm praying from that passage for them.
There are 628 occurrences of the word "spirit" in the New American Standard translation, and a large portion of those refer to the Holy Spirit in particular. So - this journey will take a while. I'm in no hurry. I've already made it as far as Matthew. Most of my journaling is asking questions rather than answering them - and that's OK.
After I finish going through all the passages, I plan to then retrace my steps and collect my observations and questions into categories. I want to be able to see the variety of lessons there are for us about the Holy Spirit. I'm learning new things about the Spirit already, and I expect to find out more new things when I make this second pass.
I'm not sure where the journey is going, but I know it's good, and I'm excited to find out where it will lead me. Maybe it will become the stuff of a future sermon series on the Spirit, but even if it does not, I pray that I will know the Spirit more deeply as a result. Not just know more about Him, but to know Him better.
For your own Quiet Time, consider taking a topic and discovering all that you can from the Bible about it. There are plenty of tools and helps available to make this easier - I'm happy to help you with that part. Remember always to study a passage in context - most passages are understood rightly only by knowing the context (historical, cultural, and literary). At minimum, study a paragraph at a time.
For my daily Quiet Time, I'm spending time in the Word on the topic of God's Spirit. I made a list of every occurrence of the word "spirit" in Scripture, and am identifying which ones refer to the Holy Spirit in some fashion. Plus, there are some references that don't use the word "spirit" at all, such as "Comforter," "Helper," and "Counselor." I take one reference in context each day, study it, journal about it, and then pray through the passage for my own life. And then I pray that passage for those who are on my prayer list for that day - whoever is on the list, I'm praying from that passage for them.
There are 628 occurrences of the word "spirit" in the New American Standard translation, and a large portion of those refer to the Holy Spirit in particular. So - this journey will take a while. I'm in no hurry. I've already made it as far as Matthew. Most of my journaling is asking questions rather than answering them - and that's OK.
After I finish going through all the passages, I plan to then retrace my steps and collect my observations and questions into categories. I want to be able to see the variety of lessons there are for us about the Holy Spirit. I'm learning new things about the Spirit already, and I expect to find out more new things when I make this second pass.
I'm not sure where the journey is going, but I know it's good, and I'm excited to find out where it will lead me. Maybe it will become the stuff of a future sermon series on the Spirit, but even if it does not, I pray that I will know the Spirit more deeply as a result. Not just know more about Him, but to know Him better.
For your own Quiet Time, consider taking a topic and discovering all that you can from the Bible about it. There are plenty of tools and helps available to make this easier - I'm happy to help you with that part. Remember always to study a passage in context - most passages are understood rightly only by knowing the context (historical, cultural, and literary). At minimum, study a paragraph at a time.
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