GlocalNet

The Great Commission will not be fulfilled by any one person--any one group--it will be all of us or none of us. You are being affected by globalization in your faith at this very conference. We’ve all read Phillip Jenkins and know that there is no center of Christianity--if anything it’s East. The fastest growing church today is in China. We are talking about multiplication and movements--but the whole language that we are using talking about cpm’s didn’t originate from how the church was operating in the West but from how the church is exploding in the East. For the first time, we are desperate for a result that the East is experiencing. Sadly, most of you here today think this is the idea of some Western guy or that one of the US networks like Glocalnet, Acts 29, or Organic Church came up with. We do not have any legitimate cpm’s in the US. The closest we come to it is Neil Cole.

At the same time we are seeing more mega-churches planted than ever before. We are also seeing a decline of people in church. Has anyone thought what that means? To get to a cpm, we desperately need a different kind of disciple. Without it, it will never happen. But that isn’t what I’ve been asked to speak on here and I will deal with this some in my breakout. It’s not the preachers we’re producing but the disciples that will lead to a movement.

I will both excite you and frustrate you in the next few minutes. I am a sailor— explorer--driven by a love of life and the thrill of adventure. I come from having been in distant places with fascinating people and having seen many wonders of the world. Sadly though, I am not an engineer and am not as articulate as I need to be. I can tell you it’s there--I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I can point you--I can challenge you to go--I can give you a “pirates map” — but that’s it. If you need a precise map with a gps, you’re in trouble. Part of the trouble is that it’s not mapped, yet.

The writing isn’t on the wall--it’s on the earth for those who will see it.

Margaret Meade said that impact and change truly happen slowly and it …

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Last night you could hear the thunder and see the lightening. In Texas, we have extremes in weather. Either it’s too hot, too dry, or too flooded--no wonder Texans are so wild--our weather makes us extremist in whatever we do! There is no gentle breeze here. There is no slow rain. There are extremes. I wonder if, in reality, weather impacts us and, if so, how? I hear in Seattle there are more suicides there because of the overcast which leads to depression. It’s been proven that when the butterflies flap their wings in the rain forest in the Amazon, it affects the weather in Chicago. Jordan, NorthWood’s Worship Pastor, and I have talked about creating an atmosphere for worship in our services and how to read the “spiritual barometer” and know where we’re heading to get there. We really do create climates more than we think. We are affected by atmospheres and, at the same time, create atmospheres.

Father, help me this day to recognize, and not resist, the weather fronts you send my way. Also, help me recognize when a cold front comes that You didn’t send. Help me do a good rain-dance on people whose lives are dry and parched who need You.

If my parents had felt good, they were coming to see me Easter. It’s been a few years since they have, so I went out and did a ton of stuff to my yard, painted, etc.--things I knew my Dad would examine upon arrival.  I spent a couple of days in the yard and loved it.  I had no projects in front of me--just working hard and thinking while I worked. My parents didn’t say which service they’d attend, so Saturday night I was the only one in a suit for two services.

I got somewhat sad knowing I wouldn’t see my son--knowing my daughter was headed off for college in the fall and we would have an empty nest. I’ve enjoyed being a husband and father--it hasn’t been this huge sacrifice--so I’m sad they’re gone--but happy they’re all doing so good. I don’t feel old enough to have college kids, but I guess I am.

The yard was finished. It was 2:30 and I heard the door unlock. I was in the kitchen putting on my running shoes. I yelled, “Jill — you home?” No response. “Jill?” No response. “Nik?” No response. I stuck my head around the corner--it was Ben. I grinned from ear to ear. Then I wept and embraced him. “What’s wrong dad?” “Son, it’s fine--we don’t have cancer--I’ve just been thinking about you and am happy for your future--that’s all.”

In our 5 Easter services, I preached on the prodigal returning home. It’s awesome--but you know--the non-prodigal returning home I believe is even better.

The other night I had a blast! About a year ago, we had a guy find Christ in a very powerful way. He is a referee for professional wrestling--the kind you see on TV. He got started by Fritz Von Eric and Fritz was his hero. He has been after me a long time to go with him and I’ve not been able to. But, I did the other night. I went with him to a wrestling thing in Denton.

I had a blast!!!! It was some of the best entertainment I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m going back. I think Jesus would be there--and hope he remains a referee for a long time to come--what an awesome place of ministry. Cussing, beer drinkin, along with lots of other kinds of drinkin, wild looking, out of control people all over the place. Some things struck out to me as I watched this all unfold:

First, I was an old man at this thing. No one was in their 40’s. This is a very, very young sport. Everyone was in their late teen’s to late 20’s. I felt bad about the fact there were many young children and even a couple of babies there. I had figured everybody was older at this stuff--man was I wrong.

Second, I saw some of the edgiest and wildest looking people on the face of the earth here. I listened to how they referred to one another — “Goth” “white-trash” “----” and other assorted things! This crowd--they were beyond some of the wildest post-moderns I’ve ever seen--in language, dress, you name it.

Third, I was where I’m convinced Jesus would be. Who starts churches for these people? Who cares about these people? Many of them are the left-behinds and forgotten of society. I began to talk to a lot of them and ask them questions. I liked them a lot--they were really cool people--just trying to find a place of community. When you got past their façade — they were like anyone else. Many of them very kind, many of them hurting, many of them having been hurt--all of them looking for community.

Fourth, those wrestlers--they’re real athletes. I’ve never seen guys flip in the air and land on canvass like they did. People talk about what is fake and real at wrestling--it doesn’t …

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Things are always moving--they never stop. First was pre-modern, then modern, then post-modern. All of those words, however, do not really contain the emerging perspective. I am convinced, though, post-modern describes the West--it’s only a sub-reading of a broader view. In all of this, the church’s historical response was first community, then institutionalism, then industrialization, then market-communication, then back to community and add missional--but forward to what? A lot of people call it missionalization--that’s the new word “missional.” What is missional? I’m convinced a lot of bright people are using the word but really defining it differently. And, when it is defined, how do they practice it? That’s even more varied and inconsistent if not outright conflicting. I’m not so sure it won’t be short-lived. It’s still too tied to the old--and when I read that word, except for some US church planting, most of it is still a blend of market-communicated community. We “religious” people want to spiritualize everything. I believe the new word is “globalization.” It is beyond economics and is very syncretistic, plural, and diverse. There is no debate on this--this is reality. The only question is how do we, as Os Guiness would say, “Plunder the Egyptians without worshipping the golden calf.” Bosch wrote about all that the church does is “missional” — it’s true. I just wonder what implications would be placed on the church and believers if “all that the church does is global.” However, global creates in our mind not a whole as much as long distance geography. That’s why I like glocal.

Last week I preached on solitude and had lots of responses. Maybe, because of all the noise pollution it’s hard to get quiet and really think deeply. I remember when I began to get truly close to God; I wanted to be quiet. In my start-up days of ministry, it was about “loud” and “enthusiasm.” To communicate with people to move them takes one thing--to communicate with God for Him to move us is something “quiet” different.

Everyone who is into prayer is into intercession--good reason! It’s taking our concerns before God’s throne on behalf of others. Solitude is going before God’s throne on behalf of God.

Of all the forms of prayer, I’m convinced solitude is the most eternal form that exists--all others will cease. Our relationship with God will be secure and all our needs will be met in Him, by Him, and for others. What will be left will be intimacy. Solitude--alone with God, just God--not our agenda or lists--just God.

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