GlocalNet

Hello EVERYBODY!!!!  No I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth - I’ve been super busy - right at home.  The past couple of weeks various ones of us on the staff of Northwood have been working hard on our ministries, the back to school calendar, and all the stuff that Northwood does and how we continue to take it to the next level - both inside Northwood and outside Northwood.  It’s exciting to see God move the way that he is.  For the past 18 months we’ve been studying all of this and gradually getting things in place and seeing some really good results.  We still have a ways to go - but we have clarity and focus and that counts for a whole lot.  I’ll write more about that later . . . especially for some of you pastors that are planting churches, working globally, and leading initiatives.  I’ve found though that’s the norm around the world - it isn’t here in the U.S. but I see all kinds of good stuff happening with some young pastors currently in these arenas.

This has been an interesting week.  Sunday I preached to probably 75 people in Lindale, Texas at Bethesda Presbyterian Church where my wife’s mother is buried.  She was killed in a car accident along with their newborn baby when Nikki was 5.  They asked me to preach so I did and really enjoyed seeing some old friends and family.  The past two days I was with a group of church planters in Sherman having a blast at a retreat with their wives.  In a little while I’ll go running then go to the airport for DC where I’ll be speaking at Georgetown University.  Country church, emerging pastors, and global leaders, what does that say with regards to faith? 

First, faith is about life and belief.  As I was at the little church I knew many of those families.  Their whole lives have been committed to God, and though many had never ventured out of Lindale that much, they are people of great and deep character.  They each have a story, faith holds them, guides them, and keeps them as they move forward in life.  It is their belief system but it is more than that, it is the substance that carries them through life. 

Second, faith is about dreams and visions.  As I listened …

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Nikki and I were invited to Rabbi Jeremy and Rachel Schneider’s “bries” for their new born son. This is a commitment ceremony of sorts for the parents and an inauguration into the Jewish community and faith that takes place eight days after the baby is born.  I thought it was just a kind of baby dedication - but it is a lot more than that.  They did the circumcision in the ceremony - kinda made me queasy - but they really did it.  The baby didn’t even cry that much.  Helped me understand why the Jewish faith never got beyond a few million versus tens and hundreds of millions! 

It was a beautiful ceremony.  There were Jewish songs sung - that I absolutely love.  Then there were readings and words different people brought.  One of the most beautiful parts was when they brought out a prayer shawl that Rabbi Jeremy and Rachel used in their wedding.  It was also used to wrap and name their first born son, and now this son as well.  They wrapped themselves in it as a family.  I want to start doing that in weddings I do! 

There was a special rabbi they flew in for the circumcision - he was in his 40’s I think - and a very happy excited man who wanted to educate us, not just perform the ceremony.  He seemed excited to be doing it!  He asked Rabbi Jeremy three times if he wanted to do the circumcision, he had to by Jewish law - three times with hands shaking Rabbi Jeremy said no! 

Nikki and I were grateful to be invited and to be present.  Rabbi Jeremy has gone out of the way to invite us into his family and make us a part and we have come to love them and pray for them on a regular basis.  One thing I’m grateful for is that Rabbi Jeremy was born and bred in Texas!  Of all the Jews in the world - there’s nothing quite like a Texas Jew!

Rabbi Jeremy, Pastor Bob, and Imam Zia posing for this picture!!  We had volunteers from the synagogue, the church, and the mosque come together to clean up 3 different houses in each of our areas!!!  We wound up on the news - but the real news is how we are doing things together and getting along.  Zia - I love you in a T-shirt man!!!  Didn’t know you imams could be that casual!  Last week while I was briefly in the Middle-East my wife hosted Muslim, Jewish, and Christian women in our home as they practiced learning to cook Kosher, Halal, and Lard!  I’m having fun with you guys -

Tomorrow the rabbi is having a ceremony for his 8 day old son and I’ll be there - I wonder if they’ll let me participate???  Not sure what’s going to happen at that ceremony - I’ll tell you guys tomorrow.  I do have my old Bowie knife sharpened just in case! 

I’m sitting at DFW waiting to board my plane, about to head to Doha, Qatar, on the Arabian peninsula to meet with 250 Middle-Eastern leaders.  They are flying me there, putting me up, just to have conversations.  They don’t believe I’m really an evangelical because I like them and want to have a relationship with them.  It’s not hard for them to have that view.  Last night I listened to a brilliant report on CBN about Christians in the Holy Land and how they were leaving, not from Muslim persecution, but from the whole political situation.  I was proud of them - I thought maybe they’re getting it.  Then when the story was over, Pat Robertson, who I guess didn’t listen to it, commented “its sad all those Christians having to leave because of the persecution - don’t you believe it when they say Islam is a religion of peace!”  This morning I read another article from a European evangelical member of parliament in a particular country where he is trying to use the law and other conservative groups to stem Islam’s growth in Europe.  He was quoted as saying harsh and inflammatory things about the prophet Mohammed - it was so unnecessary. 

The response in the West on how we relate to Muslims and our fears is very different from evangelicals in the East and in Africa who have lived with Muslims for centuries.  I was with some of the world’s leading global pastors a week ago, one from India, one from Cote D’Ivoire, one from Indonesia, and one from Israel/Palestine, their response to Islam is radically different than ours. 

In the West, we tend to vilify our opponent - not just win the argument but demonize those we disagree with.  In the West, we project worst case scenarios in which we are being taken over and if we don’t act now certain doom follows.  In the West, we use politics, laws, and public policy to push our will on others.

My four pastor friends who have grown huge churches - one from the largest Muslim nation in the world - Indonesia, the second largest - India, an African, and one from Israel/Palestine - the heart of the conflict, would have a very similar response.

First, each one of them has strong relationships with the Islamic leaders in their countries.  Most are friends with them.  They eat …

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Yesterday Nikki and I celebrated our 30th anniversary.  I tweeted about it.  Len Sweet tweeted back that someone he knew had just celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary - later one of them died and within 24 hours the other also died.  Wow - that’s incredible.  I can’t tell you how to make it 71 years or even 50 - but I can tell you how to make 30. 

1.  Love is a commitment not an emotion.  I have a friend named Mazhar from Lebanon he says, “In America you marry the one you love - but in the Middle-East we love the one we marry.”  It’s true.  The first few months of a marriage are tough - for most people - not all.  Once the emotion is gone - then you can get down to work on the relationship.  That doesn’t mean emotions don’t matter - they do.  But emotions are not the basis of the relationship but the result of a healthy relationship.  I’m convinced this is the reason why Americans have the highest divorce rate in the world.  We are driven by emotion more than anything in our relationships.  You even see that in counseling at times,  “how does that make you feel?”  - just because I don’t feel ‘good’ or ‘happy’ etc., doesn’t mean it’s time to quit - our emotions change from day to day. 

2.  Learn to complement one another instead of compete with one another.  Nikki and I are both a little headstrong!  I have a wife who’s educated, smart, intelligent, and wise.  I didn’t want someone who didn’t think and have dreams.  She always wanted and felt called to be a pastor’s wife and a teacher.  Her being a teacher was just as important as me being a pastor.  Even though she doesn’t teach now, she is involved in global ministries and tutoring at a Title 1 school. It’s a calling.  She uses her teaching now in overseas universities, and health and hygiene training with the impoverished. Another thing we had to learn was that being so opposite was really a blessing in disguise.  She would see things I wouldn’t. I would see things she wouldn’t.  I NEVER hire a staff member without her input.  She’s incredibly discerning.  She is the one who led me to think deeply about how I could …

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MissionSHIFT July 12-15, 2010

Join today’s leading missional thinkers and practitioners at Ridgecrest Conference Center as we engage the missional conversation for the 21st century. If you believe it is time for the church to engage in the mission of God, missionSHIFT will inspire and prepare you to cultivate a missional movement in your church and community.

Register today!

Speakers include:
Bob Roberts
Ed Stetzer
Matt Chandler
Alan Hirsch
and many more!

Recently a new member sent me an email telling me how much they enjoyed being at NorthWood.  They then told the story of how they found the church and how they absolutely loved the vision, the ministry of discipleship and engagement - but there were a couple of things to them that were really important that had more to do with preferences - that we are not.  “The vision outweighed” the absence of something they preferred.  That’s good.

I got another email from a member telling me that God had called them to a new church plant - that being the culture of NorthWood, they were excited to serve in a setting like that - even though the new church didn’t have a lot of “services” they were used to or wanted. That’s good. 

How do you find the right church home for you? 

You don’t. You go where God leads you.  Instead of making a list of things you want in a church, ask God what church he wants you in, doing what?  Stop making a list of all you want a church to have - instead be a part of the body of Christ and help it be what he wants it to be.  How do you do that?

1.  Begin in prayer.  Ask God to open your heart - not be a religious consumer - but a servant of Jesus Christ to the body of Christ and the community.

2.  Get a passion for your community.  Ask God to give you a vision of what he wants to do on your street, your neighborhood, your city and what role you play in that as part of the body of Christ.

3.  Approach the potential church as a “giver” not just a “receiver”. What is it that you have to offer?  Be open to things that you may not have thought of that God can use in you, and through you, to bring something to the church that wasn’t there before you came. Knowing your gifts, calling, and passion for your area will help you on that.

4.  Make it a family decision.  Instead of - the kids ministry could have been a lot better - or youth - or the music - or whatever - the question with the family should be - “Forget all the externals, what was God saying to us today as …

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Many of you read my blog, but don’t attend NorthWood.  Some of you live in other countries and come from other beliefs.  I just wanted to show you a bit of our worship at NorthWood.  A few weeks ago we had several pastors from around the world come and we “team-preached”!  Here is a link to the video of the sermon.  Below is a video from one of the worship songs we did that same Sunday.

Revelation Song from Northwood Church on Vimeo.

All last week I was with a small group of global pastors whom I’ve been meeting with for the past 3 years. It was so much fun.  There are 12 of us with a combined total of 18,750 churches, representing 1,750,000 followers working in 82 countries!  We are collaborating together and learning to speed each other up! 

Last weekend Nikki and I chilled as much as we could. I did jury duty yesterday. 

Eddy Leo was with us and led a small group as if it were one of the 2,500 cells they have in Jakarta - it was incredible.  We went to a baseball game and Eddy got his picture taken with a highway patrolman.  Friday, Rusty and Jane Mayeax hosted a reception for all the tutors working at the Academy of West Birdville, an inner-city school.  Then, Nikki and I hung out downtown Fort Worth where they were shooting a TV show for the Food Channel.  Some guy named Tyler Florence, I think, was there and I had my picture taken with him. 

I will have a normal week - kind of - then Jill graduates from Baylor!!!!!  Only to start her masters in July!!! 

Last week Vicky Porterfield, who is the prayer intercessor for our group, showed me this and Wow! was it powerful!!  It’s from John Wesley’s journal:

Sunday a.m., May 5-Preached in St. Ann’s.  Was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday p.m. - Preached at St. John’s.  Deacons said “Get out and stay out!”

Sunday a.m., May 12 - Preached at St. Jude’s.  Can’t go back there either.
Sunday p.m. - Preached at St. George’s.  Kicked out again.

Sunday a.m., May 19 - Preached at St. somebody else’s.  Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.
Sunday p.m. - Preached on the street.  Kicked off the street.

Sunday a.m., May 26 - Preached in meadow, chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during the service.

Sunday a.m., June 2 - Preached out at edge of town, kicked off the highway.
Sunday p.m. - Preached in a pasture, 10,000 people came to hear me in afternoon.

We can’t give up - no matter how hard it is, no matter …

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In my book Real-Time Connections – I deal with people using their jobs – but also their passions and whatever they have.  We were acting in “real-time” as a family when we brought home an exchange student that lived with us for a couple of years and then became a part of our family through the holidays, etc., for many years.  We went to his wedding last Christmas in Hanoi.  Nikki was cleaning out a desk when she found these two emails from dated August 1, 2001.  One is from Mr. Tu, Ti’s father, speaking of Ti, the other was from me – I had been on a trip in which I was in 3 countries and I was writing it from one of them and our emails came at the same time . . . There was apprehension on all our part.  A Christian pastor’s family opening itself up to an animist, Buddhist, atheist – whatever – teenager to live in our home.  The living arrangements were all in flux – it would be a wild but phenomenal ride that would help us grow in understanding God, our world, and our family even more.  Nikki had emailed me a little stressed – I’d been gone, and they would be picking up Ti a few days before I arrived home. I’m trying to give Nikki moral support and the kids paternal encouragement . . .

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8/1/2001 – 3:48:55 am

Nikki,
When I woke up this morning – you were on my mind. . . . I’ll be home soon so you can relax . . . . give this to the kids . . . .

Ben and Jill, how I wish you were here with me.  I’ll be home soon.  I got you both surprises.  I know our lives are going to change some and I know you’re probably somewhat nervous about opening up our home to someone new and from a different country and religion.  I am too – but I know we are doing the right thing.  Over and over again the Bible, Jesus and Paul tell us to practice hospitality – that means more than being polite and inviting people over – it means opening our homes and lives to those in need.  This may be the biggest thing we’ve …

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