Monday, November 27, 2017

"Road Trip" Sermon #4 - Balance

Message #4 in my "Road Trip" series at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church.

Title: "Balance"

Summary: Begins with a quick tip for abiding in prayer using a prayer posture that emphasizes receptivity and joy rather than humility. Main topic is observing how Jesus attends to three dimensions of life - "Up" with the Father; "In" with the disciples and his faith family; "Out" with the crowds. He works to keep a balanced attention on all three of these relationships. Introduces the Triangle as a simple graphic to help us remember this. As disciples, we seek to pursue the same kind of three-point balancing in our own lives.

SlidesClick here to view slides in a new window.

Video: View the video from Sunday November 26th here.


Thursday, November 9, 2017

Announcement: Kevin McClure to Speak at Unfinished Business Conference

I'm so pleased to round out the speakers for the Unfinished Business with Kevin McClure who will be both a panelist and opening sessions speaker.

Kevin has been a Christ follower for nearly 45 years and a pastor for 39. Kevin and his wife, Laura, have been married for 42 years and they have four grown children and six grandchildren. His ministry has included church planting, pastoring, consulting, writing and more. Kevin's heart is to see God's Kingdom more fully materialize in each Christian's circle of influence. He loves to equip people to pray more effectively, believing that a church can't be stronger than its prayer ministry. He currently leads Family Room Church in Shoreview, MN.

Click here for more information about the Unfinished Business Conference, taking place on Saturday, November 18th in West Saint Paul, MN. If you are interested in the conference but unable to attend, sign up here for links to documents and video available after the conference.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Speaker Announcement for Unfinished Business Conference

I'm delighted to announce that my good friend Carol Coomer will be one of our speakers at the Unfinished Business Conference! Carol is one of the founding members of Liberating Spirit, a small independent congregation, organized in 2014, that very much resembles the kind of "Evangelical Order" community that Luther described. Carol will be one of our panelists and bring her experience of helping to lead a kind of "house church" that happens to meet in a funeral home! She is also a proud mother and grandmother, and is retired from her work as the office coordinator for a medical practice.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

"Road Trip" Sermon #3 - Abiding is Job #1

Message #3 in my "Road Trip" series at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church.

Title: "Abiding is Job #1"

Summary: As disciples of (apprentices to) Jesus, we want to learn from him how to abide. A great example he gives us is in Luke 3:21-22 which tells about Jesus' baptism. We see him there, in prayer, having a moment of "quality time" with the Father and hearing the Father remind him; "You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." This is a simple, clear and direct practice that we can learn from him: find ways to "soak it up" as we listen to the Father declare the same things to us. The most straightforward way to do this is by having a moment of listening prayer every time you take a shower or bath.

SlidesClick here to view slides in a new window.

Video: View the video from Saturday November 4th here.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

"Road Trip" Sermon #1 - The Great Commission

This is the first message in my "Road Trip" series at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church.

Title: "The Great Commission"

Summary: In a series of messages I will be taking the congregation on a "Road Trip" of sorts. We'll start and end with Matthew 28 where Jesus tells us to make disciples. Of all the good things that the church can do and does, the core task of the Church is to make disciples; not converts, not Lutherans, not churchgoers and not good, moral people, but disciples. On the Road Trip, we will be focusing first on what it even means to be a "disciple," and then build on that to explore what it means to make disciples.

SlidesClick here to view slides in a new window.

Video

"Road Trip" Sermon #2 - Go and Make Disciples - What Does This Mean?

Message #2 in my "Road Trip" series at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church.

Title: "Go and Make Disciples - What Does This Mean?""

Summary: A disciple is an apprentice to Jesus: we learn not just information from him, but we learn how to be human by walking and working with him. A very helpful tool for thinking about being human is the L-shaped Pipe metaphor. The Pipe describes how humans are built for connection in relationships with God and each other, and also for flow so that all that God pours into us naturally flows out of us to bless others. We do encounter a lot of "plumbing problems" in our lives, the worst of which is disconnecting from God and our neighbor to curve into ourselves. The most important thing is to keep a strong and healthy connection with God, which Jesus refers to as "abiding."

SlidesClick here to view slides in a new window.

Video


Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Special Speaker Announcement for the Unfinished Business Conference

I am very excited to announce another speaker confirmed for the conference. But I can't tell you who it is.
Seriously.
I was introduced recently to a woman who is a seminary student here in town. She was raised as an atheist in northern China up until the age of 12 when her mother became a believer. She herself came to faith later, and has attended House Church in China for many years. House churches are illegal in China, where only the state-authorized church bodies are allowed to gather openly. So to avoid putting friends and family at risk back in China I won't use her name or give her hometown online.
We will be greatly privileged to have her share her perspective with us at the conference!

Friday, October 6, 2017

Gina Mueller to Speak at Unfinished Business Conference

I'm beginning to get confirmations from the people who will be speakers at the Unfinished Business conference, and I'm delighted to introduce you to Gina Mueller. Gina will be one of our panelists, looking at the pros, cons and unanswered questions around Luther's house church proposal. Here's her bio:
"Gina Mueller is a national leader with 3dmovements. She trains leaders and teams how to create a culture of discipleship that results in a mobilized church. As a practitioner, she’s done the hard work of going first. Gina has led teams and served in various contexts - shifting the culture of a mega church as well as church planting. She is passionate about awakening the church to live into her sentness by activating the missional creativity of ordinary people. Gina has been building and multiplying extended families on mission called Missional Communities for almost 10 years. Gina loves hanging with her neighbors, her local coffee shop, and pizza night with her family!"
You can learn more about Gina's work with the 3dm discipling movement here. I have been working with 3dm materials and coaches for 5 years and HIGHLY recommend them!
Registration for the conference is now open. Come and be a part of the conversation!


Saturday, September 30, 2017

Conference Announced! "Unfinished Business: Bringing the Church Home"

I'm very excited to announce a conference that I will be hosting in November to dig into Luther's proposal for house churches! (TLDR folks can get straight to the registration page here.)

It was nearly 10 years ago that I first posted on this blog the little-known proposal that Luther wrote, in which he described lay-led, home-based faith communities. Since then it's never been far from my mind.

Now it's time to start a conversation and see what emerges from that. Like when Luther posted the 95 Theses expecting to start an academic debate and things kinda took on a life of their own. Just a little bit.  ;)  So here's the lowdown:

Date: Saturday, November 18th
Time: 9am - 2pm
Location: St. Stephen's Lutheran Church
                 West St. Paul, MN
Cost: $10 (includes lunch)

Registration Page
Facebook Page

What to expect:

We'll set the table with some information, first by looking at the text of Luther's proposal and any historical attempts to put it into practice. Then we'll have a quick fly-by of contemporary groups that are exploring ways to be church that are similar to Luther's proposal. With that as a starting point, the main focus of the conference will be working together to assess the pros and cons of this approach, and the arguments for and against putting it into practice.

The conference is open to the public. It will be of particular interest to people who are looking for renewal in the Church, and for those who have become frustrated or disillusioned by the challenges of the "standard model" for congregational life, with it's dependence on property, programs, professionals and presentational worship. (These people are often referred to as the "Dones," as they are "done with church, but not with faith." For more on them see my posts here and here.)

When the conference is over, I  will have print materials, summaries of conversations, and no doubt video of some sessions/presentations that I will be making available. If you would like to be notified when these materials are available, just fill out the form below and I will keep you in the loop.

Hope to see you there, and please, SPREAD THE WORD!!!

Tim

Mailing list for resource updates:


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Universal Basic Income and The Workers in the Vineyard

Here's an interesting reflection on theology, justice and economics for you...
A friend just posted a Buckminster Fuller quote that spoke to Universal Basic Income (UBI), and since I had been percolating on last Sunday's gospel text it seems I was ripe for recognizing a connection that had eluded me until now.
That parable perfectly describes a UBI scenario. Workers are paid the same regardless of how long they work, which is at the crux of why the parable is an offense to many. But *relative* compensation is not what it's speaking to. Rather it's speaking to *minimal justice.* That can be seen in two places:
First, they payment is "a days wages" which represents the amount needed for basic life for a family, maybe even more. That interpretation is consonant with what Jesus invited us to ask for in The Lord's Prayer, i.e. "our *daily* bread."
Second, it's notable that when the owner hires people at later hours of the day he says that he will pay them "whatever is right." Is it *right* to pay the same for less work? Not in terms of capitalistic wage equity. So in what sense *would* it be "right?" In the sense of UBI, in which it is socially and morally *right* to ensure that everyone has *enough* to live on (again, "daily bread.")
You could also note that this reading does not in fact *contradict* a capitalist ethic & system completely. Yes, it established a "floor" below which no one should have to fall. But it also allows for an Owner who is no doubt better off, financially, than the workers in his vineyard. This is the same sentiment as we find in 2 Cor. 8:15 where we read that "“The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”"
So, there's that.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Birth Defects and the "Image of God"


Thought I'd share a little theological musing with you this morning.

In a clergy group I belong to, a member asked; "God creates us and we are made in the image of God, what are some good responses to someone who questions this because they were born with severe handicaps/illness, etc.?"

Here's the reply I offered.

To me, being created in the "image of God" means that humans have, in the essence of what they are, a similarity to God in the essence of what God is. I understand the essence of God as being "persons-in-relationship" (with all the good Trinitarian stuff that evokes), and so I see the essence of being human is in our design to also be persons-in-relationship. From that perspective, the condition of one's physical body isn't that much related to how one bears the image of God.

As regards congenital handicaps etc., I see that as simply an aspect of the brokenness of creation which leads to some of us being born with bodies that are far from what God intended in the original design for humans. In my own case for example, I was born with propensities that have shown up over the years as both depression and diabetes. That's a reflection of the uniqueness of my personal brokenness.

Monday, August 28, 2017

NonRandom Acts of Kingdom-Bringing Kindness

Today I just want to lift up a really important post from my friend Ry Edwards. He tells the most amazing story of how "routine" contacts in everyday life with service people can be so important. I absolutely believe this is part of what it looks like to see the prayer "Your Kingdom come!" answered in people's lives.

Please, take a few minutes and read his story.

And for my part, I just want to add that when I think of the kind of faith community I long to see and hope to foster, it's one where people get together every week to eat, laugh, pray, play, and tell each other stories like this from their own lives so that we all grow to live like this more and more.

Monday, August 14, 2017

The "Unchurching" Comic Book and the Unfinished Business of the Reformation

Friends - I've been mulling recently about what I consider to be the "unfinished business" of the Reformation as we are in the midst of the 500th anniversary of all that getting going. To me, the unfinished business is the empowerment of the "laity," which is the churchy word for "everyone who's not a clergyperson."

Luther himself proposed a bold move for that, but never launched it, and I've written about that on this blog before. That may be the most important post on this blog, come to think of it.

In the mean time, I want to lift up for you the work of Richard Jacbson who's written a really engaging book called "Unchurching: Christianity without Churchianity." There's a Facebook group and podcast around that now, and the latest incarnation is a comic book version that the focus of a Kickstarter campaign featured below.

I encourage you to take a look, and consider supporting this work! I for one believe it is past time for us to be asking better questions and launching bolder experiments in how we follow Jesus and bless the world. I salute Richard for being a part of that work.


Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Interview with the Blogger


My friend Ry Edwards just posted an interview he did with me! It's 20 minutes and touches on why I believe in God, my favorite metaphor for understanding what it means to be human, and a Developers Conference I'm presenting at coming up in August. I've written about The Pipe metaphor on this blog before but I think this video gives a better introduction. Take a look and let me know what you think!


Here are some links you may want to check out as well:

Gofundme page for my conference expenses: www.gofundme.com/resource-developers-conference

The website for 3dm: 3dmovements.com

My blog of occasional posts over the last 10+ years: http://feralpastor.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

A Little Bit of Kingdom Come

People sometimes think that God *causes* bad things to happen in order to bring other good things out of it. Most of us, I think, have a problem with that as an "ends justify the means" kind of thing. But among Christians I think it gets currency from various directions.
  • Some people read Romans 8:28 in that way, as if it said "we know that God is the cause of everything and no matter how awful it seems it's actually good because of the good that comes out of it."
  • Our tendency to recite the Lord's Prayer as "Thy will be done, (hard stop) on Earth as it is in heaven" as opposed to "Thy will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven" plays into a kind of resignation in the face of tragedy rather than an appeal for God's *good* will to actually be realized on Earth.
  • Plus, there's that sense that if God is "omnipotent" then it would seem that everything that does happen is ultimately because God wants it that way.
  • The kicker is the story in John 9 where most translations literally say God caused a man to be born blind in order to heal him later. (I think Eugene Peterson gets it right in his The Message version.)
I don't buy any of that stuff, but it's out there and feeds into the notion that God works evil to obtain good and we just have to deal with it.
At any rate, what I do believe is that in every situation - regardless of how it came about - God is present and is an active force to bring good forward.
And here is a very beautiful and touching example of what that can look like.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

The Burnt Over District - video reflection

This is a seasonal reflection I created on video a couple years ago. The music is "The Burnt Over District" by Hem. I I slowed it down somewhat for time and effect.


Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Done With Church but Not With Faith? You're Not Alone.

There's a large and growing group of people who have left traditional church life (buildings, budgets, programs and pastors) but are decidedly not walking away from their faith in Jesus. Or from their desire to follow him and bless the world. Or from their hunger to be in community with others. In fact, many of them have "left the church in order to save their faith."

Sociologist Josh Packard has coined the term "the Dones" to describe this group in his book Church Refugees. He finds the term "refugees" particularly apt because it speaks about people who didn't really want to "leave home" but felt they had no other choice and often flee out of a sense of self-preservation.

I highly recommend the book. Below is my own summary, drawn largely from the book, about who the Dones are. If you would like to download a copy you can find it here.


Key Research Findings on the Dones
Timothy Thompson, 4.4.17, FeralPastor@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, observations presented here are from Packard and Hope, Church Refugees, (Group Publishing, 2015); Joshua Packard, Exodus of the Religious Dones: Research Reveals the Size, Makeup, and Motivations of the Formerly Churched Population (Group Publishing 2015); and “Meet the ‘Dones”” by Joshua Packard (Christianity Today, http://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2015/summer-2015/meet-dones.html)

1.       They were highly active in their churches.  Dones are not disgruntled consumerist Christians whose preferences were not met, or controllers who stormed off in a huff when they couldn’t get their way. Neither are they marginal members who drifted away over time.  Rather, they were typically very active and highly committed members in their congregations, frequently having served in leadership roles.

2.       They didn’t want to leave. Dones often worked for years to reform the church from within and address the challenges they were encountering.  This is a key insight, and why Packard refers to them as “Church Refugees,” evoking the plight of people who desperately wanted to stay “home” yet felt compelled to leave as an act of self-preservation, suffering a deep sense of loss as a result.  One person interviewed described it this way; “At first it was just survival, man. Spiritual survival. We had to get out.”

3.       They felt stifled by church structure. A key factor in why the Dones left is not that the church was flawed, which they expect to be true for humans and their institutions, but that the structures in place prevented them from helping to address the flaws. “I don’t think the institutional church is filled with bad people. I think the church in America is an inherently flawed structure that compels people to make poor decisions” said one person interviewed. This distinction between the structures of the institution as opposed to the people and the faith itself is what is expressed by the saying; “They are done with the church but not with their faith.”

4.       There were four key desires that they found frustrated by life in the conventional church:
a.       They wanted community in the form of an extended spiritual family of care with shared life and substantial intimacy.
b.      They wanted to be able to affect the life of the church.
c.       They wanted spiritual conversation that invited exploration rather than doctrinal teaching that squelched it.
d.      They wanted meaningful engagement with the world.


The Dones are a large and growing group. Barna and Kinneman (Churchless, Tyndale Momentum, 2014) argue that the “dechurched” comprise about 33% of the American population and are the fastest growing segment as well. Packard estimates that about half of the unchurched - roughly 30.5 Million people - would qualify as Dones, no longer attending church services but retaining their faith in God and Christian identity. An additional 7 Million still attending church report that they are “on their way out the door” as Almost Dones.  Beyond the sheer size of the group, it should be stressed that the impact of these people leaving congregational life is greatly multiplied by the fact that Dones tend to come from among the most active and committed members in the church.

Monday, March 27, 2017

Illumination Conflict Sermon

Conflict in the community?
Family bonds strained?
Division among religious leaders?
People disputing the facts?
Personal attacks on the sources?
Beliefs impervious to evidence?

I had the opportunity to preach at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church yesterday and those are some of the themes I found playing out in the story of the man born blind in John 9. And amidst all that furor, there's a story of a man who receives his sight, finds his voice and comes to faith as well.

If you're interested in hearing the sermon, I've provided the audio for you below.

It's a call to action in challenging times with a word of comfort to take along with you.

Blessings!

Tim