Radical Together

Radical: very different from the usual or tradition; favoring extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions or institutions (Miriam-Webster)

In his book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, David Platt drew a line in the sand to show how the worldview of the US goes against God’s desires for His people seen in the biblical gospel. In his follow-up book, Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God (2011), Platt expands these principles to be applied to all of God’s people who are in fellowship and walking the journey of life together.

Platt presents six principles that are very different from the common viewpoints of the church in America today. The first is that often we settle for good things in the church, while missing out on what is best. We have the potential to fill our time with religious activity that does nothing for the spiritual growth of the body of Christ and the advancement of his Kingdom. Platt does not suggest getting rid of every program and building, but rather that we should put everything up against the measuring stick of God’s Word and seeing God glorified around the world to discover what is best.

Second, Platt tackles the concept of working for God’s Kingdom. He helps the reader understand that while we do not have to work for our salvation, the grace that God provides and our love for Him compels us to be a part of the work that God is doing. The third principle follows this, putting the burden of change on God and the transforming power of His Word. Sometimes in churches today we depend too much on an engaging performance and inspiring speaker, rather than filling our time with the study of God’s Word and letting His spirit speak through us.

God’s Word is transformational, but how can people hear unless there is someone to tell them? Platt reminds the reader that each one is called to make disciples as outlined in the Great Commission in Matthew 28. The work of sharing the gospel and helping believers grow in faith is not up to only the paid staff of a church, but it is the privilege of each believer. Platt said, “If you are a member of the church, start dreaming and strategizing. Consider where God has placed you, who God has put around you, and how God desires to use you for his glory where you live and work” (73). All of us have opportunities to love and serve those around us.

Our task of sharing and making disciples is bigger than just our community, although that is a great place to start. Platt says we must have the vision of seeing the whole world with access to the Gospel. Here he discusses unreached people groups, the distinct ethnic groups who have no way of hearing the Gospel in a way that is culturally relevant to them. Platt does not mince words by pointing out that we are not just called but commanded by Jesus to reach these peoples.

The final chapter of Radical Together looks at God’s desires for His own glory. It is God’s amazing glory and His worship around the world that compels us to move forward in sharing and making disciples. Platt says, “I know of no greater motivational tool for the church than a glimpse of the sovereign, holy, majestic God, worthy of all worship, who is high and lifted up. This vision alone will compel a church to radical, risk-taking, death-defying obedience to the purpose of God in the world” (119).

What does radical obedience look like for the body of believers desiring to walk in God’s path? Platt’s book is small and easy to read, and provides a great springboard for churches as they wrestle with this question. The principles he puts forth are backed up with Scripture and his experiences as a pastor of a large church. Coupled with individual study and a desire to seek God’s heart, the book can help churches understand God’s work in the world and how each of us can be a part of how He is working.

Simple Church

I have been reading a book by Felicity Dale called "An Army of Ordinary People" in which the author shares stories of regular folks who are engaged in starting churches around the US. This book has really challenged me because these people are finding ways to share Christ with those around them in simple and easy ways that any of us could do.

One story is of a couple who lived in a trailer court. They began to prayer walk around the neighborhood every night, and as they did, they stopped and visited with anyone they met. As they did, they began to find ways to meet needs and love people who were struggling. They invited many of their new friends over to eat a meal with them, and as they ate, the couple shared the Gospel and the group responded. People began to come to Christ and their meals became a church service as they broke bread together, discussed their life struggles and prayed for one another.

Another story told of a woman who called up a local nursing home and asked if she could start a Bible study there. It began to thrive, and she turned over the leading of the study to one of the women who lived there so she could start Bible studies at other nursing homes. This resonated with me as something I could try in my area.

This book has made me stop to think about the people I come in contact with every day. I may not know them, but how can I reach out to the postal workers, the men who hang out in front of the local convenience store waiting for work, the people in my neighborhood (many of whom do not speak English), the people in line in Wal-mart? I am still pondering and praying, but I encourage you to take a step back and look with fresh eyes at the people around you too. How can you love them? Is there somewhere you could start a Bible study for people interested in learning more? Are there people to whom you could open up your home for a meal?

"Most Christians today are trying to figure out how to bring lost people to Jesus. The key to starting churches that reproduce spontaneously is to bring Jesus to lost people. We are not interested in starting a regional church, but rather in making Jesus available to a whole region".
- Neil Cole, Organic Church

What is Worship?

I have been taking a class this semester called Global Worship. For one of the final projects we must each develop our own Philosophy of Worship, and then use that philosophy to evaluate a church that we visit that is very different from the one we normally attend.

We have plenty of ideas about what a worship "service" should look like- the type of music, the preaching, at what point the offering should be taken, should people sit or stand, kneel, jump up and down or wave their hands. But is this truly worship? Does worship have to involve singing? Is it a communal or individual activity? As I have been preparing for this paper, these are some of the questions I have been thinking about.

First and foremost, I believe worship is about a heart focused on God and reveling in His glory and being amazed at who He is and what He has done. Isaiah 6 paints a wonderful picture of this as the seraphim called out, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!" (NLT) I have mistakenly gone to church many times, or to prayer, with the desire to get something out of it. I'm tired and I need to be filled up. While God does refresh us in His presence, it's not about us! The focus is on God. Isaiah knew that he was unworthy to even be in God's presence, because of the holiness of God.

How does this influence how we worship? Colossians 3:16-17 says, "Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God, with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father" (NLT). There are different ways that worship is lived out in these verses. There is the music element, singing praise to God and expressing what is in our hearts. There is the element of teaching, and encouraging one another in our faith walk. But above all, everything we do is to honor and glorify God. This includes the time that we gather with other believers, but also how we live our lives at work, at school and in our everyday lives.

What do you think? There are many aspects of this I'm still pondering and I would love to get your input.

Ready, Set...Wait

I have been reading through 1 Samuel lately. When I think of King Saul, I picture the guy who tried to kill David and in general was not really a nice guy. It has been so interesting as I have been paying more attention to see how he started out.

Israel wanted to be like the nations around them and so they asked God for a king to rule them. Basically they were saying they didn’t want to answer to God as their Ruler but wanted a human ruler. God’s prophet Samuel met Saul through an interesting series of events and Samuel told Saul he was to be set apart as Israel’s first king. Samuel also gave Saul several instructions and signs that would show Saul what to do. Saul started out with a heart for God, even prophesying in His name (1 Samuel 10:10). But then, Saul rushed ahead of Samuel and God. Samuel had told him to wait at Gilgal and he would come and make a burnt offering and then give Saul more instructions. Saul grew impatient and made the sacrifice himself. Perhaps it seemed simple to Saul, but it was the beginning of the end for him.

1 Samuel 13:10-14 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came”.

“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.

It is so easy sometimes to rush ahead of God and make our own plans. Yet, God wants our obedience. This means sometimes following His instructions even if they don’t completely make sense. Sometimes it is hard to wait! That has been my stage in life the last few months. I was pretty sure God was calling me to Cambodia once I returned from helping with VBS in August. Yet, I knew that I needed to take the right steps in the right order so that I ended up in the spot the Lord had for me. There were times when I wanted a decision right that minute, but the workers on the field were not ready yet to make that decision. And, in the time of waiting, God has been drawing me closer to Himself, He has been working on the heart of a potential teammate, and He has been confirming core principles that need to be in place for the Cambodian missionaries and workers. Instead of being like Saul and taking things into my own hands, I want to walk in obedience to the Lord and be ready for action when He says “Go!”, rather then when I want to say, “Go!”.

School Review

This is my third year in graduate school and I was asked by someone recently if it was all that I thought it would be. It was a good reason to stop and ponder the last 4 semesters as I look at my last two and what I have taken away from this experience.

I know that I have enjoyed the other students in my classes and what I have been able to learn from them. I have had classmates from South Korea, Brazil, Japan and China, as well as many from various parts of Texas and the US (even one currently living in Nebraska in one of my online classes). My professors are experts in their fields and many of them have a number of years in missions or full-time ministry work.

There have been those classes and assignments that challenged me to think outside the box, or at least outside my normal realm of thinking. There have been classes that affirmed things I already knew, hopefully deepening that knowledge and understanding. There have been times along the way that I have questioned if this is really what I should be doing. Once I get to the field, will it really be helpful to have a Master's degree? Will that make it even harder for the local people to relate to me? Will I set a precedent that school is needed before one can start ministry?

I have wrestled with these questions and have come to the conclusion that God led me to DBU and to this program. While I would not suggest that additional schooling is at all necessary for following God's heart in missions, for me it was the right decision. I have seen many examples of missionaries from the past that have served as an encouragement to me, or shown me what not to do. I am excited to graduate in the spring and look forward to how God continues to teach me and further develop the lessons I have learned.

Encouragement for the Day

I Am Covering You

My Princess Bride,

My love covers you like an umbrella on a rainy day. When you walk with Me you are never alone, My beloved. I hear your whispered prayers and answer in ways you are not aware of. When you are in need of comfort, I hold your heart in My hands.

When you sing, it is Me who puts the song inside your soul to give you unspeakable joy and powerful peace. I came to cover you and bless you.

You are my beloved bride, so look up towards the heavens today and allow yourself to breathe in the joy of knowing I have always covered you and will continue until I return for you.

Love,
Your Prince and Sole Provider

~

"You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!"
~Psalm 139: 5-6~

From His Princess Bride by Sheri Rose Shepherd

The Glory of the Impossible

Much of my time and effort over the last 3-4 weeks has been preparing for our Plano Office Open House. I was part of a team that planned and orchestrated this event, which was held on Sunday, September 25th. Although it was a lot of work, it was really an awesome time of celebrating what God has done.

When I arrived in Plano 3 years ago this month, there were 3 of us in the back corner of the First Baptist Church. The rest of the staff was in Seattle, although it felt like we were two separate entities. I loved my work with Kent and Erika, and we definitely made do with what we had.

Two years ago the Board voted after much research and prayer to move the home office to the Dallas area. There was greater access to donors, volunteers, and other like-minded organizations here, plus the cost of living was lower. I got to be part of the team that explored the Metroplex to find the best location and building for the new MUP office.

I remember the first time we saw the building that is now our office. It had been vacant for quite awhile, but there was something exciting about dreaming of what could be. From the very beginning I knew this would be "our building".

Office staff from Seattle started to make the move and we expanded our little space in FBC as more and more were added. Plans moved forward to lease our new building but then roadblocks came along that prevented us from moving in. It was over a year after we signed the lease that we finally got the clearance to move in, in May of this year. We went from having 3 people in each office at the church to each having our own space as well as lovely training and meeting areas.

All along the way God provided exactly what we needed. We have had to buy very little furniture, but churches, organizations and individuals have donated very nice furniture and every office is filled! At our worldwide conference in February, our field staff brought items from their areas that represented their faith in what God was going to do in their people group. These items have added a beauty to the home office and daily reminders of God's faithfulness. We prayed for a stove and refrigerator for the kitchen, we prayed for chairs for the training room, and God has answered those prayers exactly in His timing and to fit our needs.

Sunday as guests came through our building, it was an opportunity for them to celebrate with us all that God has done. While they admired the many lovely things that we have, people saw God's goodness and provision shining through it all. It is exciting to be a part of seeing God's Word and Truth shared around the world with those who need to hear about His grace and love. I'm so thankful for the part He has allowed me to play in His overall story.

Journal from the Heart of Cambodia #3

Entry dated Friday, August 18th

Today we started VBS in Ou Thmaa (pronounced oo t-ma). It's a village east of Sompavloun where the church here has been working. We didn't go to breakfast but had granola bars and french bread. The plan originally was to take tuk tuks and motos but then the drivers doubled the price they had originally quoted so Sophan hired a cart type thing to take all of us and our things. It was crowded and bumpy and I didn't have the best attitude, but the scenery was beautiful- the mountains and fields. We passed a few houses along the way and there were various modes of transportation. It took longer than we had planned so we arrived and got started a bit late.

The kids definitely aren't used to seeing foreigners so they didn't swarm around us and give us hugs and hold our hands. We met in the school, which was a 3-sided lean-to with a thatch room and wood floor a couple of feet above the ground. Lots of parents came and sat around the edge. Gayle said at first the parents were very cautious and didn't trust those who came from Kilometer 13 with their "foreign" religion. Yet even though Buddhism is the main religion in Cambodia, its basically in name only. While they are very aware of the spiritual realm, they saw that Buddhism did nothing for them during the Khmer Rouge years and many of the wats were destroyed. Many in Cambodia are searching and wondering and so believers have many opportunities to share about Christ.

I'm not sure if its the emotions of the trip but I'm feeling a bigger tug toward Cambodia, particularly the rural areas. Perhaps even Western Cambodia, but I don't know. I have felt so at home here this week. I don't know if being with people who speak my language all the time and having some comforts distorts that, but I know I have more of a burden for these people to know Jesus and for each aspect of their lives to be transformed.

We actually broke down on the way back so we had to walk about 30 minutes and then got motos the rest of the way. Everyone was so sleepy at lunch! I haven't felt like I have gotten good rest even though we've been going to bed at a decent time.

I wasn't sure how English would go since I was so tired and we skipped yesterday but it went really well! Paula and I had YoLa and Dee. Thankfully Pastor Sophan was there to translate but Dee also had a Khmer-English dictionary which helped too. They enjoyed when we talked about emotions and opposites.

Gayle told us the story of Khru Map, the teacher in Ou Thmaa. He isn't a believer but he has had a dream about Jesus several times. He told Sophan that he wasn't even looking for God, and Sophan said, "God is looking for you". He would open a lot of doors I think if he became a Christian.

Journal from the Heart of Cambodia #2

Entry dated Tuesday, August 16th

Yesterday was our first day of VBS! The kids were lined up and waiting when we got there after breakfast. The first part is the singing and Bible story time. We acted out the story of Ruth and Naomi (I got to be Naomi) while Pastor Sophan told the story. He tied it in with the theme of honoring one's parents, which is an important issue because people who become believers seem to not honor their parents wishes and religion. Gayle told us later he did a really good job of making it applicable to the kids.

Then we split boys and girls and taught them how to make the friendship bracelets Megan had taught us to make on Saturday. Some of them got it and others just made up their own pattern but I think they had fun. Next was the skills development time. It went better than I thought it would! We each had a table of about 5-6 girls. First they marked off their seams and got everything pinned. The girls at my table had sewn before so they just needed help with the pattern and what to do next. The time went by really fast, at least for the first day.

After lunch and some down time we headed back to the Center for English lessons with some of the young people. Ben and I had a group of 3 beginner students. I was nervous but once we got going it worked out okay. We had a lesson plan thankfully and we made it through the first day's lesson. Mostly Ben worked with the two guys and I worked with the girl going through the different activities. The first hour went pretty fast and the rest kind of dragged but it was a good experience.

The son of a friend of Gayle's had a pickup and so he came and gave us a ride to supper because it was raining. All the "kids" rode in the back covered with a tarp which was cool.

While Betsy and Megan were doing their English time they were able to talk with Meng about faith. He said his worries and pride are getting in the way but he's really close to accepting Christ. When we had our prayer time and meeting we prayed he would step across the line and be ready. There are no other Christians in his family, but his mom was a believer.

I hope the kids and our English students see that its not just about learning how to sew or about verbs but about Christ.
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It's been raining a good portion of the night and this morning. Some braved the muddy roads to go to breakfast but Kristin and Jeff and I just stayed and had a granola bar. It's been nice to catch up a little bit and put off getting wet and muddy.
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I think the adrenaline has worn off, I was lacking in energy and just wanted to fall asleep today! We had to meet inside the Center because it was still muddy outside. The kids were wound up and I didn't have enough energy to correct them. Sewing went well, at least I know how to tie knots and point out where to stitch. I have one little girl who is just precious. She is so animated when she gets to the end of a row or to a new part.

We split up into different groups to prayer walk after lunch. Kristin, Micah and I went to Kilometer 12 with Thal, one of the youth. The village is a really small area where people live on the west side of the main road. We were walking pretty fast but I was praying that God would make Himself known to each person and that they would experience His mercy and grace. God is beginning to transform the whole area and I know He wants more people to come to Him.

For English Paula and I were together and we had two different students: Dee and YoLa. Both have a hard time understanding so it took a while to explain each thing. Yet they were trying so hard!

We sang several songs after our team meeting tonight which was great. Josh brought a guitar back from the Center which added a lot.

I was about ready to shower and get ready for bed when Megan came to ask if I could show several people how to play Nerts. I helped Ben out, and then played one round. Then all the "kiddos" including Micah played Spoons. It was great to have some down time and I almost won. :)

Journal from the Heart of Cambodia #1

Entry dated Saturday, August 13th, 2011

What a long but incredible day! We left the guesthouse at 5:15 a.m. to begin our journey to the village. The van was pretty spacious and nice actually. The 6 "kids" were in the back and we all started talking and sharing more as we went along (even me!). We stopped for breakfast at this nice little spot that actually had fancy coffee- yay for fried rice and an iced latte to start off the day! Toward the end Megan spilled her coffee and I happened to have a clean shirt in my backpack plus a little bag to put her wet shirt in. It had seemed like she had been a little unsure of me but after that we've been buds all day.

We went through passport control, immigration, and visa application and everything went smoothly. Gayle had hired 3 cars to take the group to the village. She, Kristin and I went together which was fun. I wasn't sure what to expect with the roads but except for a couple muddy spots it was about the same as last time. It was great seeing the little villages and the countryside go by. I love this place so much! We all made it safely to K13 and after depositing our luggage at the guesthouse we went to lunch- more fried rice!

We worked at the ministry center this afternoon learning to make friendship bracelets so we can teach the kids on Monday. Kids started coming in to watch and we gave finished ones to them. I am hoping that through our smiles and care they will see Jesus.

Father, thank you for answering my prayers for a day of encouragement. I pray that we would continue to enjoy You and enjoy each other as we love these kids and these people. Show me how I can be a bold witness for You and how to show Your love. Amen