David & Noah sitting by their Great-Pepa’s (Lou Burdette – Karen’s Grandfather) plague in the sidewalk at Turner Field. Lou was the 1957 World Series MVP and was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2001.

The boys next to the Real Home Run King Statue, Hank Aaron & The Braves vs. the Pirates (great seats behind home plate – thanks Atlanta Braves for the tickets!)

This post is not a political post about Presidential or Congressional policies, but rather about church initiatives. So often we in churches or even our denomination unveils a new grand plan that will reach more people, cause church growth, or disciple more people for example. We roll out the big signs have a big campaign push and talk it up. Eventually, the fanfare fades, people have lost interest and it is off to the next idea. I have seen this done repeatedly, just count the previous evangelism campaigns in recent years.

Here are my thoughts. In churches, there should be the freedom to try new things, to take risks and find what works, however, most of the time these trials are presented as visions from God with a Scripture verse to back it up and when they don’t work out, no one wants to say that the leader was incorrect or more obviously, God didn’t make his vision happen. These projects are then just not talked about, left to die, or like the putting America to Work sign by my intersection, the sign remains but no progress happens. Why don’t we just call them risks or trial runs and see if something develops. If it doesn’t then try something else, but don’t be too quick to declare this as a vision from God unless you are totally sure. In any other business, the research and development group occasionally finds a new product or idea, but often does not. We in the church expect a 100% success rate when it is declared as a vision from God, so don’t label it that unless you’re sure.

I think we need to examine our follow-through, maybe some plans we need to stick with and see them through and others should be scrapped. Sometimes, we may be guilty of giving up on a project too quickly. My thought here is to examine if it is worth continuing with the project, much like Noah continuing to build the ark when it had never rained. He knew that this was a vision from God and if we know for sure that the vision is from God then we must continue to see it through.

Let’s take risks and try new things, but let’s not label them God’s visions unless we know for sure. God’s desires are clear in Scripture but the methods to achieve it often are not. For example, we know that he desires that none should perish but all should come to repentance and salvation is only found in Jesus Christ, but how do you get the gospel to the world, let’s try different methods to engage people. The message is the vision from God, but the method is not. Let’s not mix up message and method.

I have a couple of observations from reading the book. First, the inside account of the history of the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis show the difficulty of the political situation. When people have been driven from their homes and forced into refugee camps, should we be surprised when the fight back? Often we only see the Israeli side, when in actuality there is plenty of blame to go around.

Secondly, the book reinforces the power of the gospel and how the words of Jesus can truly change a person. As Mosab begins to study the Bible, the light of the gospel breaks through the years of devotion to Islam. He begins to be confronted by a new ethic, the Jesus ethic, that doesn’t return evil for evil, but overcomes evil with good. He says, “As long as we continue to search for enemies anywhere but inside ourselves, there will always be a Middle East problem. Religion is not the solution. Religion without Jesus is just self-righteousness. Freedom from oppression will not resolve things either….Manipulated by lies and driven by racism, hatred, and revenge, I was on my way to being one of those people. Then in 1999, I encountered the only true God. He is the Father whose love is beyond expression, yet shown in the sacrifice of his only Son on a cross to atone for the world’s sins.”

To find out more about the book, check out the website www.sonofhamas.com
Also, I came across a video produced by Austin Stone Church in Austin, TX that is an interview with a Palestinian Christian and the issues he faces. You can check it out here: Interview with Daoud Nassar

See their article here: Wrong Way to Worship

Here is the movie trailer:

Just like in drawing, where is the light in my life and where are the shadows that the light needs to dispel? We are told in John 1 about Jesus, that “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:4-5) To examine the darkness in our lives and to allow the light to penetrate it requires a reflective attitude to slow down, then stop, and allow God to search our lives to uncover the shadows.

Here is a drawing that I did back in mid-January of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. It is from the perspective of looking across the Seine River and cathedral rising above the tree-tops. How do you force yourself to slow down and be reflective about your life?

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France

I had several things to finish up at work, but I knew that it would not be a happy bedtime, if Bear did not show up. So I left the church and went over to the mall. I walked past the movies and looked down the main hallway, thinking maybe he dropped him while walking. I then made it to the bookstore where they went shopping. My wife said to look over to the left where they looked at some handbags and where my son had been looking out the window. No Bear. I remembered that they had also bought some note cards, so I tried to find them. When I did, I looked down on the shelf at two year old level and guess what – there was Bear! I was so excited to have found him, because I knew that my son would terribly miss him. As I walked away, I realized in the same way that I so desperately wanted to find Bear, God does the same to find us.

Jesus tells the following parable in Luke 15:8-10 – “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (NIV)

For me on that day, the parable could easily have been: “Suppose your son loses his favorite bear, as a parent don’t you change your schedule, go out of your way, and look everywhere until you find it?” And when you find it, you call home and tell your wife and son, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found Bear.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Too often in churches, we present to the outside world a message that really only pertains to us as Christians or even more narrowly, those in our particular church. I am sure that the community don’t really care that they had meatloaf that night because what the community really needs is Jesus. Maybe that should be the message on the church sign. Join us for worship and Bible study where you can meet Jesus, it would meet a much greater need than meatloaf. Let’s watch our language and be aware of what we present to our community – does it address the community needs and provide a way to meet their ultimate need of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ? Let’s be known as the church that introduces people to Jesus and not just a group of people that eats meatloaf together on Wednesday nights.