• All my Christian, church and faith-related entries will go here;
• posts related to software design and development, hardware and other technology will go here, and
• other stuff into a catchall here.

New blog entries will still be announced via twitter & facebook.

Several reasons, but the precipitator was that this blog has been around for about 3 years and I’ve messed with it so much it was starting to do some very weird things – pieces of admin pages going walkabout; cache acting strangely; stuff like that. So I started fresh, exported everything to the appropriate new blog, and away we go…

Happy reading!

… and the slides are here:

Further readings on ‘A Father’s Heart’:

Want to know what your teenage kids are up against? This is an eye-opener:

… and here’s another …

Maybe 10 years ago I came across this web page – a self-referential story titled, “This is the title of this story, which is also found several times in the story itself”, and a few years later tried to take this self-referential test.

Every once in a while I bump into a video that stands out from the vast sea of usual-ness. In the above vein, some 4 years ago on YouTube.com, ‘bramsvan’ from Community Christian Church uploaded a (not terribly good) cover of ‘DaVinci’s “Title of the Song” from their 2000 release CD called “The Life and Times of Mike Fanning” – a song about boy-bands. The song is self-referential – see it here.

Then at the beginning of the year, Charlie Brooker (who has a satirical news show in the UK on BBC 4 called ‘Newswipe’) put on a self-referential piece about how today’s broadcast news shows build each piece from a template. This meta-news piece was bumped up to YouTube.com in late January – you can see it here, but be aware that there are occasional outbursts of inappropriate language.

This was followed in March by a brilliant meta-drama – a satire on what goes into making an Academy Award movie.

And 2 days before that, this self-referential trailer appeared on Vimeo.com – North Point Church made this video for a series called “Sunday’s Coming” …

… which I’m guessing was about how stuck in a rut we can get in worship. Yesterday’s liturgical tradition has become today’s contemporary tradition. It rings almost painfully true for the contemporary worship that we see in large churches (and that many smaller churches are moving towards). And just like any music worship anywhere you go, there are many, many people who have dug down deep to provide wise criticism without having the faintest idea about why the video was put together – check out all the comments if you want to see sadness in action. Truly, no area of church is more criticized than worship, and nothing there more than the music.

Isn’t it also true, though, how we need to keep on changing? This last video shows us that already, even though we’ve only been doing ‘contemporary worship’ for 20 or 30 years in even the most progressive churches, we’ve got it down to a formula. If God wants us to grow (and He does), that means we have to change. Maybe it’s time to think of new and different ways to do worship – not just for the sake of, but for the reach.

Evidently I like the books that are part of the Leadership Network Innovation Series. Dave & Jon Ferguson’s The Big Idea ¹ which I reviewed here and Larry Osborne’s Sticky Church ² reviewed here were both significant reads for me, and now Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon & Warren Bird’s A Multi-Site Church Roadtrip: Exploring the New Normal (Leadership Network Innovation Series) ³ dropped in wanting to be read and I’ve dog-eared many of the pages, just as I did their previous book, The Multi-Site Church Revolution ⁴.

The authors seem to enjoy drifting around the country visiting other multi-site churches – and they must have done it a lot in preparing this book. It’s a great scam! I only wish I’d thought of it first – but it’s always such a big deal for me to get organized for travel. However, I think they should take me with them for the next book.

‘Roadtrip’ is not an obvious book. Obvious would have been to write a chapter on each church visited, list the goods and bads of their implementation, then perhaps the history of the transition and a bunch of facts. And they do that, to a certain extent. But they also use each chapter to open up a sort of discussion on other areas of the multi-site challenges: technology, for instance (chapters 6 & 7) or international campuses in chapter 9. The end result is that they cover different approaches to multi-site – Do we want to open a new campus locally, in another state, in another country, on another continent, even on another world (the internet (not Mars (yet)))? Does the preaching happen live because the other campus has its own teacher? Or does the preacher drive from one campus to the next to preach? Or is a message transmitted by satellite or the internet or mailed or driven around? All these have their discussions. Then again, what triggers the church to open the new site? Is it a deliberate spin-off, or did the second site start as a church in its own right and merge in (and why)? How do you go about doing this? What are the hard-and-fast rules, and what are the guidelines? (See IPOD for instance, chapter 1.)

(As an aside: Not so sure about the (somewhat difficult to read) infographic on p. 17 that has 6 milestones of multi-site history; number 1 is the birth of the Church and number 5 is the publication of their previous book. Seems like the relative importance of things went adrift somewhere there – not sure I’d put my book on quite the same level as the birth of the Church!)

Their definition of ‘Multi-site’ is “one church meeting in multiple locations, sharing a common vision, budget, leadership and board” (p. 10).

• You don’t have to be a mega-church to go multi-site.
• 10% of all Protestant Christians in the US and Canada worship in a multi-site church. (This seems high to me, but I’m convinced that multi-site is a trend that God is using – read ‘Is God Dismantling Denominations?’ for more on that.)

I appreciated the summary facts about each church at the front of the chapter. As it happens, many of the churches they visited are the same ones that get me excited about church innovation, and so I get this extra low-down on them. Cool.

Other points of interest:

• What kind of madman launches multiple new campuses at the same time? I mean, why would it even cross your mind? (See chapter 12 for how well it worked.)
• What’s the difference between being a church with multiple sites and a church of multi-sites (See chapter 3.)
• Think a long-established liturgical church made up of parents and grandparents can’t go multi-site? Wrong. (See chapter 3.)
• Do not overlook the appendices. They’ve got some great summary information – resources, job descriptions and pitfalls to avoid.

There is one page in the book that I think is very wrong (sorry guys!), and I realize that the authors may have been more carried away with the idea than considering the ramifications: Chapter 6 has the story of the woman who lives in Texas but every Sunday turns to her old church (in Florida) on the internet for her time of worship. True, some weeks she invites friends and family over to watch with her. But we’re specifically told that she is not connecting to a local church. Usually when you move to a new town you put down new roots; you find a new church; you make new friends and enjoy and grow from their fellowship. It’s not all perfect, but it’s important. Sad to say, at this point the book lionizes the fact that this woman ‘and a growing community of people’ have used the internet to remove themselves from fellowship. This self-isolation – or clinging to the past – is emphatically NOT what we are called to do as Christians.

OK, flame off – I’ve just written about the only bit I disagree with. Not bad for 3 paragraphs of an entire book.

In summary and in the main, I found it a tremendously helpful book. Questions that have been surfacing as my church plays with the ideas involved in expansion – such as planting, moving to a second service or going multi-site – are finding answers here. And between it and its predecessor, The Multi-site Church Revolution, a good ‘roadmap’ of options and their costs has been laid out.

Give it a read – it’s a tremendous resource and documents the early days of what I am convinced is one of God’s next steps for His Church.

However, it does give an indication of inclination to certain ministries based on the gifts it draws out. My church uses a list similar to this in the SHAPE class that we have everyone take when they become a member. So just for griggles and gins, I took it again. It only takes about 10-15 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the areas that take no major physical effort were my high scores – Wisdom, Apostle, Leadership, Shepherd, Administration, Knowledge & Teaching. Mid-range were the more physical gifts – Missionary, Voluntary Poverty, Giving, Evangelism, Service, Hospitality & Helps (Service was dead center!), and the purely spiritual were mostly and pathetically waaay down at the bottom – although I was surprised that Prophecy, Exhortation and Faith fell above the physical gifts.

Give it a go – what are your high points? Spill the beans in the comments below.

(v 1-4) Shepherds: Peter is an elder, a witness and Heaven-bound; as such, he appeals to his fellow elders in churches that will read this letter. They are to shepherd the churches entrusted to them tenderly, so that when Jesus appears to them they will be rewarded. (You get the sense here that Peter is expecting the return of Christ from the clouds, rather than an appearance at death; not that the end result is different.)

(v 5-7) Sheep #1: listen humbly to those in charge. (Here Peter quotes Job 22:29 – as does James 4:6.) Being humble now also brings reward later – in this case you will be exalted. Similarly, He cares for YOU, so cast your cares on HIM.

[A side note – how interesting and consistent God’s method is: pray for patience and get the chance to exercise it (gack!); pray for wisdom with time management or humility likewise brings the opportunity. But the end result of gaining humility is to be exalted. What is the like result for patience and margin?]

(v 8-9) Sheep #2 (and presumably shepherds as well now): “Be sober-minded” – just as alcohol allows the drinker to make foolish decisions, in the same way avoid foolish choices in daily life – think before you act (indeed, ACT rather than REACT); be thoughtful and considerate. Be aware that the devil wants to bring you down – to devour you (or your witness – how many times in recent decades have we seen men with great witness brought down because they overlooked these words?). Resist him. All your suffering is shared by others. (Other Scriptures of note here: Jam 4:7; 1 Cor 10:13.)

(v 10-11) Back to suffering: At the end of suffering, all is more than restored – you are not just healed, you are confirmed (i.e., what you stood for was true), strengthened and established by the One who has all power for all time.

(v 12-14) Closing: Peter’s Greek in this letter was apparently far above the ability of a Galilean fisherman. Silvanus (or Silas), who also traveled with Paul was a Greek scholar though, and Peter here credits him with the writing down of this epistle.

“She who is at Babylon”: The Greek has “The elect one in Babylon”. Babylon was probably a code name for Rome. The KJV has ‘the church in Babylon’.

Mark: we also know him as John Mark, author of the Gospel of Mark; he traveled with Paul for a while (Acts 12:25), had a breakup (Acts 15:38-39) but later Paul referred to him as a trusted companion (2 Tim 4:11). Peter and Mark may have had something else in common: many think that Mk 14:51-52 refers to John Mark. If so, they both ran off on the night Jesus was betrayed.

(v 1-2) Suffer: Because Jesus suffered on Earth for the will of God, assume that you may well be asked to suffer for His sake as well. The verse does not mean that you quit all sin once having been made to suffer; nor does it imply that subsequent sin will be overlooked. Rather you yourself have changed. Once having suffered for Christ and for God’s will, you have made a high personal investment in what is right and will certainly continue in that vein.

(v 3-5) Rejected: You used to do all those things, but now you’ve put them behind you. However, your old cronies have not, and they resent your moving away into ‘Holier than thou’ status. They know what’s right; they see you doing what’s right; but because they like what’s wrong they put you down in order to feel you are somehow lacking (where they are not). However, at the end, they will have to pay for their unbelief.

(v 6) Preached to the dead: This is a bit tricky. There are apparently some who hold that, on the strength of this verse, when you are dead you get a second chance. But there is no Scriptural backing for that thought, and in fact it is quite contrary to the evident intent. Then there are some (for instance, the ESV study notes) who hold that ‘dead’ refers to those who have become Christians and then died by the time of writing – i.e., converts between Christ’s death and around 63AD when this letter was written. But that doesn’t explain the sense that the word ‘even’ brings to the verse. I think we have to see this as linked to v 19 of the previous chapter – it’s always wise to consider the context! – and see it as Jesus having preached to those faithful dead from before His death (cf 1 Peter 3:19; Luke 16:22; Psa 66:18; Eph 4:8; Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18). As such, they anticipated the coming Messiah, and this preaching completes their salvation (in the same sense with which today we use the expression ‘A completed Jew).

(v 7-11) The end is near: Not just an expression for sandwich boards and Hyde Park Corner! If the end is near, we must be vigilant over ourselves. There follows a list of areas to focus on: love, hospitality, using one’s gifts (prophecy and services are mentioned here) to the glory of God.

(v 12-14) And … back to suffering: Talk about the gift of prophecy! Peter was truly prophetic here (vv 12-19). The first persecution was a year away, started by Nero as an excuse for excess (the fire in Rome, 64AD); but it was coming! (And in view of the reason for the persecution, the adjective ‘fiery’ seems peculiarly apt!)

(v 15-16) Suffer for the right reasons, though: This thought too has already been put forth – suffering that you deserve is nothing to boast of or wish for; nor does it bring glory to God or His praise to you. Suffer for being a Christian is the only reason to be proud.

(v 17-19) If God’s children will suffer, what will happen to those who don’t have that protection to trust in? (v 18 is quoting Prov 11:31)

See you tomorrow!

(v 1-2) Wives: Here is a word to the wise. In Peter’s day and age, the idea that a woman should have a religion other than her husband’s was unthinkable. A Greek historian living c. 46-127AD, said,

“A wife should not acquire her own friends, but should make her husband’s friends her own. The gods are the first and most significant friends. For this reason, it is proper for a wife to recognize only those gods whom her husband worships.” Plutarch, Advice to Bride and Groom 19, Moralia 140D

So when she becomes a Christian, what should she do? Should she push/demand/nag her husband into becoming one as well? Should she separate from or divorce him? Peter says no. Instead, continue in the way you were going; only make sure you show him respect and purity of conduct.

(v 3-6) Adornment: Fashion is not a new phenomenon – dying hair, wearing wigs, new hair styles, jewelry, haute couture was all very much in vogue in those days too. And Peter wasn’t saying don’t do it (presumably in moderation); he was saying that the internal beauty was so much more important – “The imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

(v 7) Husbands: Husbands only get one verse, but it’s a doozy! The stale old saw is that no man can understand a woman. Peter puts the lie to this – it is the husband’s job to do exactly that for his wife. And by understanding her, he finds her heart, for she is then loved and she knows it. What wife doesn’t long for that? Further, she should be shown honor, not treated as a second-class citizen just because the husband is physically bigger or has society ‘on his side’. She is fully his equal in God’s eyes; she is a fellow-heir to the kingdom. And lastly – if you’re messing with her, you’re messing with God – kiss that prayer life goodbye!

Do not miss what Scripture says each is to give the other – she craves love, which he is to develop and demonstrate through understanding. Love is not his deepest need – he yearns for respect, which she is to give without qualification. Respect is not a reward, any more than love is – it is what is right in God’s order of things.

(v 8-12) Unity: be as one with God and each other, and if you are thinking God’s thoughts, these areas will fall into place. (In vv 10-12 Peter is quoting Ps 34:12-16.)

(v 13-14) Be zealous for good: Peter is writing around 63AD, just before the burning of Rome when Nero outlawed Christianity and began the first of many waves of persecution. Up to this point, Christianity was perceived as a sect of Judaism which was a lawful religion in the Roman Empire. As a result, the general feeling at this time was that obeying the government was no harder for a Christian then than it is today. However, if you do suffer for righteousness, then there is a reward in Heaven.

(v 15-16) Defense: Be ready to defend your hope in the Savior who defended you against the cost of your sin.

(v 17-18) Suffering: here is a flavor of 1 Pet 2:19-23 popping up again – and our sufferings connect us to Christ as well (James 1:2-3).

(v 19-20) Christ in Hades: He preached to those who were lost before His crucifixion.

(v 21-22) Baptism: We are not saved by baptism but by the blood of Jesus; however, baptism is an indication that we are resurrected just as Jesus was – cleansed not of dirt but of sin.

Poetry speaks in ways that prose doesn’t. Why is that? Is it the use of extravagant imagery? Is it the rhythm that strikes some chord? Is it the word-form that makes us focus more intently in a search for meaning? I have no idea – possibly all of them combined.

But this poem Mike quoted by Amy Carmichael spoke to me:

Amy Carmichael

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?
- Amy Carmichael, “No Scar?”

How many people grow to fame within the church and act as if they are perfect? We want to follow people who have no flaws – flaws are a sign of weakness; they tell us that you have problems, so who are you to lead us? So some leaders work hard to overcome any such limitations, while others simply try to cover them up. But the greatest of the leaders acknowledge them, shame or no shame; get help if they need it and get on with a life of obedience.

Having flaws as a leader is a two-fold gift: First, it forces you to realize that you are not perfect, no matter what your follows may say. Secondly, it forces you to remember that you must rely on Jesus for your victory. Thirdly, you are not alone – the Master Himself took on flaws in His desire to make us whole. (OK, that’s three-folds there. You’ll have to deal with it.)

But this doesn’t just apply to our church leaders. It applies to us and also to our fellow travelers. If He can bear and acknowledge that brokenness, then we must do no less. As people walk through the church doors and stay a while, we begin to assume that they are now all perfect.

“He’s been in church for 2 years,” we say. “How come he still gets drunk? He’s supposed to be ‘one of us’. Hasn’t he learned anything while he’s been here?”

We need to stop thinking about ourselves as healed and rather think of ourselves as healing. God isn’t finished with us yet.

(v 1-3) milk – Put aside the old junk from your life (malice, etc.); start all over again (milk) and if you’re really born all over again, the simple single-focused approach is what you’ll want. Straight answers, nothing devious or convoluted. Stuff from God is pure and good.

(v 4-8) The cornerstone was the first one laid in a building; it was always visible from the front and side of the building; it was used as a guideline so the walls would line up true; it was huge and unmovable; it was foundational. This cornerstone (Jesus) was placed by God, and although it was rejected by men, that didn’t stop it from being exactly what it was supposed to be. We are to be imitators of that stone, and together become a temple acceptable to God. For those who rejected the cornerstone, it turned into a stumbling block – they fall to their doom through His rejection.

(v 9) Priesthood – I have nothing to add to this utterly glorious verse!

(v 11-15) Again with the old ways! How often we need to be told. There’s a battle going on inside each of us, even though the war has already been won. It’s not just for us, though; our behavior influences others; they either copy or mock our faith walk, so we need to get it right.

(v 16) Live free – not to say, “I’m free so I can do whatever I want, including the old evil!”, but live in such a way as to show that you are free of the old evil.

(v 17-18) Honor everyone – Christian and non-Christian alike; presidents and all those in charge. Honor those generally and specifically to whom you owe responsibility.

(v 19-23) Don’t be proud of how you accepted with grace that smackdown that you deserved – it’s how you behave when it’s undeserved that counts. And it counts because you are behaving as the sinless Jesus did when He was executed as a criminal on your account.

(v 24-25) He was an example, but more than an example He was a conscious, deliberate sacrifice. (cf Isa 53:5)t have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. – 1Peter 2:1-25 (ESV)