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‘Christianity’ Category

  1. A nice vibe. . .

    May 4, 2009 by Nate

    Wow. . . it’s been a long time since I last posted. Sorry for the unexpected hiatus.

    Today was an interesting day. I got to work/church around 6:15am and got started on getting the roadcases out of our loading trucks. (For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, I work for a portable church. We meet every week at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick, NJ and the Hyatt Hotel in Morristown, NJ.)

    As I was getting our roadcases up to the second floor, I walked past a Hyatt employee who stopped me only to say a quick few sentences: “Hey man, I love that Liquid Church! Every Sunday there’s such a nice vibe in here!”

    I couldn’t have been more proud of my church than I was in that moment.

    Sure, it’s awesome to hear people talk about how powerful Tim’s message was or how touching Jens’ worship leading was.

    But this Hyatt employee may have never even been to a Liquid service. He may have never experienced a Tim Lucas sermon or a Jens Madsen song. He may have never even had the opportunity to share a word with Mike Leahy after a passionate service.

    Yet his life has been directly impacted by Liquid.

    Which then begs the question. . .

    Are we living life so that others may see Christ in us? Or are we relying on music and messages to tell them about him?

    Category Christianity, Church, Personal | Tags: | No Comments

  2. What does true love look like?. . .

    March 17, 2009 by Nate

    I came across this article recently, and I couldn’t help but resonate with the writer’s frustrations. Have we forgotten what it means to be Christ-followers?

    At Liquid Kids this Sunday, I walked the children through Christ’s final meal with his disciples. I’m sure that since Jesus knew he was going to die soon, he chose his words very carefully. The words on his lips were these: “Love one another.” He said that love would be the defining feature of all his followers.

    So why isn’t it the defining feature of his followers today?

    Take a look at the Christians roaming the country today. The church-goers glaring at the visitors who stole their seats at the Sunday service. The preachers pounding the pulpit, proclaiming New York/Chicago/Las Vegas/San Francisco to be the new Sodom and Gomorrah, and calling down God’s “wrath” on these cities.

    Remember Jesus? Remember how he wept and called out to the city of Jerusalem, longing for the rebellious metropolis to come back to his love?

    Perry Noble said this in a message last week: “God didn’t call us to condemn the city. He called us to rescue it.”

    Have we forgotten how to love like Christ? Have we forgotten what true love looks like?

    Christ’s description of love is one of complete self-sacrifice. We have no right to talk to anyone about hell until they know that we’re willing to die for them.

    The greatest command from God is to love. Even Christ’s “Great Commission” takes a backseat to his command to love. We can’t effectively fulfill any of his commands if we can’t truly love.

    So before you open your mouth to people about their eternal destiny, ask yourself, “Am I willing to put my life on the line for this person?” If your answer is no, don’t say a word to them about it until you can answer yes.

    Category Christianity, Scripture Musings | Tags: | 1 Comment

  3. Christianity’s future in America. . .

    March 13, 2009 by Nate

    I’ve often wondered if Christianity is in need of a facelift. According to the 2008 American Religion Survey, the results of which were just released last week, mainline Christianity has suffered a significant decline.

    According to David Gushee of the Associated Baptist Press (see this op-ed piece), this decline signals a winnowing process that is taking place in Christianity.

    Am I discouraged by this? Not at all.

    First, I believe that nominal Christians will fade away. Christianity will no longer be defined by the people who self-identify as Christians but don’t truly believe in Christ. A movement that sheds its fat will be far more effective.

    Second, Christians will begin to cross denominational lines and reconsider their more controversial identifying doctrines in favor of working together to spread the Gospel and share Christ’s love.

    Third, Christians will slowly move away from the culture war they’ve been waging these past few decades. They’ll soon begin to realize that a political battle is not the battle we’re meant to fight.

    Sure, the [C]hurch will be smaller because of it, but a stronger and more effective group of Christ-followers will emerge.

    Category Christianity, Church, Direction | Tags: | 1 Comment

  4. The serving chart. . .

    March 11, 2009 by Nate

    This chart was too good to leave alone. I want to thank Prodigal John and Stuff Christians Like for the awesome concept.

    Category Christianity, Church, Personal | Tags: | No Comments

  5. Revealed through us (pt. 3). . .

    March 10, 2009 by Nate

    (Continued from my previous post. Read that first.)

    . . . Paul wrote that regardless of motive, as long as Christ is being preached, he rejoices. So why is it that anytime we see people proclaiming Christ through a method we don’t fully understand or use ourselves, we get our panties all bunched up and cry, “Heresy!” or shout, “Stuffy!” or, “Cold and unfeeling!” Is it really our place to do that?

    If Christ is truly at the center of our lives, we would recognize that his word is in fact being proclaimed and preached through methods we may consider “unusual” or “out of the ordinary.” But he’s not at the center, and so we argue and bicker about what the other church is doing.

    And therein lies the problem. Our lives and churches are no longer Christ-centric. He’s been replaced by whatever gift he’s given us. X Church is a teaching- and doctrine-centered church. Y Church is a service- and outreach-centered church. Z Church is a connection- and community-centered church.

    And guess what? All three churches are practicing idolatry. I don’t think I’m stretching things either.

    The [C]hurch is the Bride of Christ. As such, her sole responsibility is to love him and do what he says. Like a bride’s devotion to her groom, the [C]hurch is supposed to be obsessed with Christ’s whole being. How long can a woman repeatedly say to her husband, “I love that you’re a musician,” without saying, “I love you”? How long can that continue before he gets pissed that she’s not in love with him, but rather in love with his job or abilities?

    If a church constantly says that their gifts are more important than the gifts of another church, they’ve abandoned Christ and replaced him with an idol. They’re worshiping teaching/service/community and not Christ.

    And don’t get me wrong. I’m not against “specialized congregations.” If a church is made up of people who are good in just one of those three functions, awesome! Expand on that and sharpen your skillset, but know that it was given to you by God; it isn’t God, so it’s not worth arguing with the church down the street over. Because the moment you’ve done that is the moment you’ve turned the gift into the god.

    Category Christianity, Church, Spirituality | Tags: | No Comments

  6. Revealed through us (pt. 2). . .

    March 9, 2009 by Nate

    (Continued from my previous post. Read that first.)

    . . . But why is it that so many churches focus on one of those gifts, at the expense of the other two? I understand there are churches that are made up completely of one kind of people. But the sad trend that’s built up among many of these congregations is that they argue with other churches that their gift is the “right” gift.

    Let me use an example. X Church on South St. is made up of people who are great students of the Scriptures. They know the Word of God inside and out, and they are well versed in proclaiming the truths embedded in the Bible. “Christ was the greatest Teacher that ever lived, and we are his students, charged with becoming teachers ourselves. So we must give ourselves over to the study of the Word,” is the motto of X Church.

    But along comes Y Church on Bank St. Y Church is made up of people who have been given the gift of a humble servant attitude. They pour God’s grace into the community around them, serving food to the homeless of the town, rebuilding dilapidated or devastated homes of the needy, and handing out free newspapers to the commuters at the train station. Y Church’s motto is this: “Christ served the least of these. He stooped down and became a Servant to the people of earth. As Christ’s servants, we too must share that spirit of servanthood.”

    And then Z Church opens up on Morris St. full of people who know what it means to love and connect with others. Everyone at Z Church devotes their time to listening to each other, learning about each other’s hurts and desires, and filling each other with love and grace. “Christ knew how to connect with people lovingly and without judgment. As the children of God and brothers and sisters with Christ, we must learn to love sacrificially.”

    But X Church thinks Y Church is lenient with their doctrine. And Y Church thinks Z Church is too busy having conversations instead of working. And Z Church thinks X Church is cold and unfeeling. And X Church thinks Z Church relies too heavily on emotions rather than rational thought. And Z Church thinks Y Church has no concept of the true heart and longing of the people they claim to be serving. And Y Church thinks X Church believes themselves to be smarter than anyone else, which is why they won’t serve the community.

    So a church war breaks out. X Church takes out an ad in the local paper calling Y Church heretical. And Z Church puts a PSA on the local radio station calling X Church stuffy and boring.

    And all three churches have forgotten why they’re doing what they’re doing. They’ve forgotten whom they belong to. They’ve forgotten that Christ longs to reveal himself through them. . .

    (Post continued here. . .)

    Category Christianity, Church | Tags: | 1 Comment

  7. Nostalgia. . .

    February 27, 2009 by Nate

    I’m currently reading through the book of the Acts of the Apostles for my quiet time. It’s been such an enlightening experience looking through the eyes of the early followers of the Way and peeking into their experiences as the Church first entered the world. It must have been an exciting time.

    But as the church scattered abroad, I can’t help but wonder if the Apostles ever thought, “I wish things were the way they used to be.” I mean, the church was pretty successful for a while remaining in Jerusalem. But Christ had told them to go around the world. And around the world they went.

    Churches sprang up everywhere. Starting in Jerusalem, then Antioch, then Corinth, Rome, Philippi, Ephesus. . . the new movement spread like wildfire. How many times do you see phrases like, “and about three thousand were added to their number that day,” or “and a great number of people were brought to the Lord”? Over and over again we see the church surging in the number of people reached.

    “Remember when we were all in Jerusalem? Man, those were the good ol’ days! When we were healing people in the big city, sharing all we had, giving speeches in all sorts of languages. I never even studied Italian, and there I was, speaking it!”

    As I read through passages where major changes were taking place in the early Church, I began to feel nostalgic. I began to miss the days just a few short chapters ago when all the believers assembled in Solomon’s Colonnade.

    Just a few months ago, Liquid Church was a group of believers meeting in one place. Early on a Sunday morning, I could walk up the Hyatt stairs and brush past Mike. We’d walk together up to the top of the stairs and chat with Lauren and Tom. The stage would be shared by both David’s moving vocals and Jens’ intense shreds. Bobby and I would lead the same group of kids in learning and worship.

    But so much has changed since then. David and Jens no longer share the stage. Mike and Tom no longer greet people on the same set of stairs. Bobby and I no longer share the lesson for children.

    Watching Mike introduce the service in Morristown brought me back to those days. The days when “all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.”

    And I found myself thinking, Remember when we were all in Morristown? Remember when we gave away gasoline and car washes? Remember when we raised money to build wells in Africa? Man, those were the good ol’ days!

    But I’m wrong. No, these are the “good ol’ days.” The moments we’re in right now are the ones to treasure and make the most of. It’s nice to remember, but without those difficult changes, Liquid would have half the impact that it has now. And the Kingdom of God is moving through New Jersey twice as fast as it would if we were all still meeting in Morristown.

    After the church spread out beyond the borders of Jerusalem, these words were written: “The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.”

    See how far we’ve come?

    Category Christianity, Church, Friends, Personal, Scripture Musings | Tags: | No Comments

  8. The pain and power of the Church. . .

    February 9, 2009 by Nate

    My friend and I were having coffee yesterday with a girl from Rutgers when I started thinking about how important church is.

    But it’s heartbreaking when I look around at so many churches and see arguing, bickering, gossip, and bitterness pervading the congregation, and all too often, the staff.

    Jewel (the girl from Rutgers) had some very insightful views on the Church that weren’t too positive. And frankly, I’d have to say that I agreed with her. Churches are hurtful groups of people that are more concerned with being right than they are with living right.

    Jewel is an agnostic. And her view of churches represents the prevailing view. Arrogant, bitter, judgmental, nonsensical. And the Church has done nothing to change that view.

    Christians are known for condemning people who are different, and then telling them that we love them.

    Love them? Yeah, right.

    We just want to beat them over the head with our opinions.

    So, if I have such a low opinion of church, why is it so important to me?

    Well, for starters, it has hurt me in some very profound ways. It has instilled in me an unhealthy fear of God and a desire to please God through rule-following. I figured that since the way to please the elders in the church was through following rules, that’s how I would make God happy.

    I know the church can change. It has to change.

    Jesus said that he came to earth so that we “may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn 10.10)

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but trying to please God by following a bunch of rules isn’t exactly a full life. And living under the constant judgment of Christians is a painful way to live. It’s this pain that drives so many people out of the Church.

    People like me.

    But the Church was given great power to do good in the world. While many Christians have forgotten its purpose, there are a handful in the world who realize that the Church should be more than a Christian Country Club.

    When Jesus established his church, he did so with these words: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

    This new church was described like this:

    All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

    They were world-changers characterized by love. . . because Jesus said to them, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

    That’s what church is supposed to look like. That’s the church’s power and calling. It’s not about proving to the world that we have all the answers, because we really don’t. And it’s not about telling everyone that they’re sinful and broken, because everyone already knows that humanity is flawed.

    It’s about love. And I believe I’m supposed to be a part of that. I believe I’m supposed to change the world through love.

    Category Christianity, Church, Spirituality | Tags: | No Comments

  9. Giving away $6100. . .

    January 14, 2009 by Nate

    I thought I’d make you aware of a little raffle going on at Anne Jackson’s blog. If you’re into Bible study software, this raffle is for you. Just head over to flowerdust for instructions on how to enter.

    Category Christianity, Church | Tags: | No Comments

  10. Taking church to the people. . .

    January 13, 2009 by Nate

    It wasn’t until recently that I got to experience a God-sized spiritual tsunami. I can’t help but feel completely humbled by those few experiences. And they’re all directly related to my church. I’ve written about witnessing God touch the lives of villagers in sub-Saharan Africa through the love and sacrifice of His people here in New Jersey. I’ve also told you about the smiles I saw on the hundreds of people seeking relief from last summer’s soaring gas prices as they received an unprecedented discount from the pockets of His followers in Morristown.

    But this past weekend, I was part of something so overwhelming, it can only be described as a God thing. No amount of man’s effort could have moved so powerfully or stirred the Church in such an incredible way. History was made. Not just in the life of Liquid Church, but in the life of the Church as a whole.

    On January 11, over 2000 people experienced the gospel of Christ in a whole new way. And not just in Morristown, NJ, but also in New Brunswick and across the world via Liquid’s brand new iCampus.

    Church can be a frightening thing for someone who’s never been to one or hasn’t set foot in one for many years. Why? What reason do people have to be afraid?

    Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that question? Have you ever wondered why your friends, family, and co-workers are so apprehensive about visiting church?

    May I submit that they’re afraid because they’ve seen how church-goers act? They’ve seen the bigotry, the hatred, the infighting, and the backbiting. They know that Christians are more judgmental and condemning than almost any other group of people.

    Who, in his/her right mind, would willingly go to a place filled with people like that? Besides, “I can’t go to church dressed like this. And I have to get my life cleaned up before I go anyway.”

    One Sunday several years ago, a girl was getting ready to go to church. As she was stressing about what to wear, her younger brother, who was not a believer at the time, asked her, “Does God care about what you wear to church?”

    She replied, “No, but they do.”

    I’ve seen the faces, and I’ve heard the stories. And it makes me sick to think that churches are so self-absorbed that they miss out on the people who really need them to show love.

    But in New Brunswick, NJ, over 450 people experienced church for the first time, and they walked away with smiles on their faces. They experienced God’s love because almost 200 people who knew about church decided that it was time to show them what true love is like. The love was so overwhelming that 10 of the 2100 people who experienced Liquid this week decided it was time to take the first big step in their journeys of faith: believing Jesus’ words, death, and new life.

    So, thanks to a family of Christ followers in Morristown, New Brunswick, and Melbourne, the love of Jesus is entering places it might never have reached were it not for the BHAG of Liquid Church—”Take Church to the People.”

    Category Christianity, Church | Tags: | No Comments

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