An Armchair’s View of the World
I have always been a fan of the NLT. I think this new copy will be a great edition to the already awesome array of NLT Bibles. If you are looking for a Bible it looks like this is the one for you.
Recently I have been involved in many conversations about bad behavior. These conversations were from people who follow Christ and are involved in their local church. I’ve frequently wondered who their spiritual authority is. Who do they recognize as having the right to speak into their spiritual lives (which will influence the other aspects of their lives as well )?
I found that mostly they feel that the church they worship in does not have that right. People do not see their church as having the right to say, “Turn around, you are going the wrong way!” So the church is allowed to preach the truth on Sunday or teach it in a general seminar; but when it becomes a personal admonishment, this is not something that many people feel the church should be doing.
So, how does the everyday Jesus-follower receive spiritual input without submitting themselves to some form of spiritual authority? Of course, I recognize God’s Word as the supreme authority; however, we have come a long way from the early church’s approach to truly accountable community. If someone wants to divorce their spouse, they do so openly and without any push back. I tried to contact a “brother in Christ” to tell him to reconsider his divorce and was told “I am not talking to anyone until the divorce proceedings are underway in order to ensure that nothing is used against me in court.” If a church does insert itself unwanted into someone’s life, a simple drive down the road to the next church is a quick fix.
A former church attendee of a previous church I worked at was embarrassed that he had been confronted of some sexual immorality in his life. He left our church only to become a church leader of a church down the road. This destroys the reputation of the faith and hurts our ability to effectively minister.
As I continue to lead a church plant, I am amazed at the number of people who do not see the need for authoritative spiritual guidance in their lives. The weight of what this will do to the church of America presses heavily on my heart.
One of my absolute favorite things to do (as a hobby) is speak at retreats and camps. I do about 3-4 a year. I would never consider a career in it, or promote myself too much because I feel that having my vocation as a pastor grounds me. I am too afraid that I would be one of those guys who acts like he knows students but really is using 1990’s stories. I don’t want to be that guy.
What I like about speaking at a retreat or camp is the way that you can really challenge students. They are there because they want something to happen in their life. They want transformation. This helps me to speak the “truth in love”. I also like the fact that you can build relationships quick with the kids. One of the things I do at a camp or retreat is try to have every student’s name memorized by the 3rd day. The most I have done is 97. That really gets the students to know that you want to know them. When you say their name they feel important. I will get someone who says, “I bet you don’t know my name.” To which I will reply, “Ryan.” They are always impressed.
This weekend I get the opportunity to speak at a retreat. I am excited to share with students the complexities of who God is, his love for them, and his desire to use them. It humbles me to know that I will be a memory maker in a student’s spiritual life. I never take that for granted. That is another reason for not wanting to be a professional speaker. I never want that feeling to go away.
When I think of all the people who have shaped me, I am humbled. Thanks, God, for this opportunity.
So, as Rally Coordinator at Challenge 2008 I have to balance a lot of details and handle a ton of issues. I tried to solve two problems every 30 minutes. That is about how fast they were piling up. After taking care of umpteen issues we were ready to go. At about 10 till doors open and 5300 people come streaming through, I was told that two of the main video projectors were out of commission for the session. This meant that 75% of our people would be without the benefit of screen, worship lyrics, and video. You could not have planned this any better. There was actually nothing we could do, which is exactly what we did.
The band, Starfield, did its best to teach the words and the speakers walked around the stage as best that they could. The energy level was definitely affected. But God still worked. It was a powerful night in which Francis Chan spoke about how amazing God is. So amazing that I don’t think that we are even capable of impressing him with our technology. I was so blessed to be a part of the evening. I told the group, this was my best Challenge Conference rally ever as a director!
My hats go off to everyone who made that happen, which include:
I loved it all.
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