GlocalNet

We do this “turbo” church planting conference twice a year--we have this big one in May (200+)--but then these two smaller ones (20) that are condensed and initially were designed to train guys to plant churches who couldn’t come in May. I’ve come to really like them. There aren’t as many guys and you can talk a lot more and question a lot more. We’re in the middle of one right now and it’s so cool to see the changing face of church planting here in the States. Still not nearly enough--but a lot more non-anglos getting into the scene. At this one, we have 3 Vietnamese, 1 Chinese, 1 Korean, 7 Latin Americans--the rest anglos. Ed Stetzer is one of the speakers and is doing a knockout job. Still, the questions of the future church are framed by anglos and many out of our Western emerging church genres. I don’t think it will be much longer before the West is forced to wake up and listen to the global non-western conversation--but I still wonder when the Western church does wake up how much of what has been said will be totally irrelevant to everyone?

Yesterday, with his permission, I told the story of Tracey Goen and his work in Africa. He was a lot of fun to be with. He’s a very unorthodox guy. You can read Tracey’s story in the November issue of Christianity Today @ http://www.ChristianityToday.com. We spent a week together in Egbe, Nigeria. We went out with the Fulani people, 30 million strong, nomadic, cattle ranchers--it was very fascinating. We’re mobilizing churches there now.

As we were riding out, Tracey began to talk about what it was like for the men to have multiple wives and all the tension, etc. He told me he always took them “power pills.” What are those? He answered, “Viagra!”

“What?” I asked him. He said when there are multiple wives there are lots of issues, jealousies, etc., and trying to be fair and keep everyone happy was really a chore. I asked Tracey if he would be willing to do a men’s retreat at NorthWood and pass out free samples! He declined. I thought of how this would have been good for Solomon and others in the Old Testament.

Tracey’s been made a Fulani King--a white man, a Christian, a doctor--he’s totally identified with their culture. Who would have ever thought in a million years God could use Viagra for evangelism?!!!

I’m in and out of countries with war, famine, and major crisis, mobilizing communities of faith and followers of Jesus to serve those places as Jesus would have. I’ve just returned from such a trip to 3 nations and, though tired and fighting a cold, really had an awesome time. When I went to one of those places for the first time in early 2002, there was a man that followed me quietly around. He was from one of the ethnic minorities of that particular nation. One night, late, he knocked on the door of the room I was in--he wanted to talk. “You are Christen?” he asked in his broken English. “Yes, I am.” “Me too. I am pastor of my family and two other families here--but very dangerous.” I responded, “I, too, am a pastor.” His eyes lit up. “You pastor, then you must teach me.” How do you teach a guy in a few hours all he needs to know? I gave him my Bible, a Swindoll book on Moses I had with me, a Lucado book, along with Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven life--it had just come out.

On my trips there, I’ve never been able to connect with the guy or find him again, though I’ve tried. As I was getting ready last week, there was a knock on the door at the place where I was staying--it was my friend. I couldn’t believe it. We embraced, and began to talk. He told me how he had used my Bible and the books to help teach others.

What would his faith look like? How would it shape our view of God, not just how would we shape his view. I began to ask him many questions--this was a first generation believer--how did he view God? What was his theology? What would a first generation believer with very little contact with other believers believe? This is a fascinating thing I’ve been asking a lot lately given I meet people like that globally who don’t have centuries of the Christian faith. What are the non-negotiables, how do they define things? When Christianity is taken to its bare bones, what is it really? I asked him, “Who is Jesus to you?” God’s son--and God was his reply. “What do you mean, God?” He replied again, “He is God.” He didn’t know the language of the …

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December 9, 2005

In less than 24 hours, I get on a plane and head to a place that is filled with AIDS, poverty, and every other problem that the world has, to see how we can help them. Then, I head to another place in the world with all the above, and war. Often, in talking to people, if it comes up, or they ask, or there’s some reason to share what’s going on, the first response is, “You’re going where? Why?” Those 2 questions are followed by either a question or a statement. The question is, “Are you sure you should?” or “Be careful.” Most of the time, the people making these statements are always Christians. It’s viewed as so abnormal--but why should it be? My church knows what’s up so I get a lot of well-wishers and encouragers and people calling saying they’ll be praying. Many are excited about what God is doing. I’m not alone--both guys going with me are from NorthWood--one used to be in the special forces and another used to be leader on a SWAT team here in the metroplex. Not bad partners!

“God speed!” “Press on!” “Rock on!” “Have faith!” What would believers look like that said things like that? What would a church look like that believed things like that? Maybe, like the church in China or India or Indonesia or Iraq or. . .  Watchman Nee, in his book The Normal Christian, says that we have come so far from where Christ is and what He wants, that what is normal today would be really abnormal to the early Christians. He says that when we start living the Kingdom that we will look abnormal to others.

Father, I want to know You, serve You, experience You, love You in Your way--not mine. Holy Spirit, give me clarity to see the truth and power to live it. Jesus, I lay my life down, not without a struggle--and will have to lay down again tomorrow, and the next day, and so on, because my flesh is so strong--but nonetheless, I lay it down, so You can be raised up, the hope of
humanity--the Glory of the Father.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Nigeria in the city of Egbe. I was there with a friend, Tracy Goen, a doctor who does a tremendous amount of work with people there--and who has been very effective. He wants us to help him in doing more work and mobilizing churches to engage the community there in the various domains of society. There were many fascinating things about the people and the area. No work is done without the blessing of the King--so, one afternoon we went to his palace to meet with him. He vaguely knew who we were--it was more of a social call.

We bowed as we entered and were ushered into his court, following behind him. He went straight to his throne, climbed some steps, and sat down. We then sat down on chairs a few feet from his throne. He began by telling us the story of the first white missionary who came in the early 1900’s. They called him a “webo” and every white person since him. They had never seen a white man, so when he came out of the jungle into the village they thought someone had peeled the skin from him--thus “webo"—-peeled skin.

Tracy began to tell him what we did around the world and the more Tracy talked, the more the King became interested. He would ask us questions in his booming James Earl Jones voice, but couldn’t hear at times. At one point, he stopped Tracy, motioned to his servant, stood, and came off his throne and had a chair placed directly in front of us and sat there where he could look us in the eye and be sure he heard everything being said. He began to talk to us like individuals instead of a King on his throne. At no point did we forget who we were talking to, but it became very personal and warm.

That’s just what Jesus did for us at Christmas. God came down off the throne and dwelled among us. Jesus was still God, still reigning, still in control, but also simultaneously a suffering servant, an intimate friend, a close brother, a loving Savior. Christmas--the day God came down from His throne and dwelled among us.

Tribal leader and warlord are words we use interchangeably in the west, but we shouldn’t.  I’ve been with one of those tribal leaders this past week in Afghanistan, and what an awesome man he is.  No, he is not a Christian, but a Muslim.  Yes, he knows I’m a Christian and a pastor.  And, yes, we are very close.  When I came this time, he was concerned for my safety.  It’s hard to judge things here.  His Father was also recently murdered by Talliban, so he is all the more fearful.  Wherever he goes, there are people to protect him.  I told him not to meet me in Kabul but I’d get there and see him. When I got off the plane, who is there to greet me but him.  I was happy and sad at the same time.  He’s a significant target.  But he told me, “Bob you are my family and I love you.  I was not happy you came, but if you come and you die, I die with you.” All I could think about was “Greater love has no man than this, that he would lay his life down for his friends.” Know this, he loves God deeply and passionately--though we don’t agree--I so deeply respect his values and life.

We made the trip fine, but reflecting on this, I couldn’t help but think...here is this Muslim willing to die for a Christian trying to obey God.  Question.  How many Christians love Muslims enough to die for them?

What a woman! What a wife! I love my wife.  She’s an adventurer at heart. I’m a painter. She’s an engineer. I’m an explorer. She’s an organizer. I’m loud--she’s not. I’m crazy--she’s refined. I’m ENFP--she’s ISTJ. How we’ve made it 25 years must astound Mr. Meyers and Mrs. Briggs. (She’s real accurate--I guess at a lot of stuff.)

I just talked to her on the phone. She’s in Kenya in the bush on the northern edge of the Serengeti. She’s on a “real” safari. I haven’t been able to talk to her for a week. The tent they stayed in was more like a hotel once you went inside. She said they watched an old lion slowly move an entire herd of zebra into a den of lions that then landed on them for supper one night. She also told me about going to a Masai village where the men would dance in a circle and then jump as high as they could to get as many girlfriends and wives as possible. Their 2-year-old sons held their own staffs and would jump outside the circle as their fathers jumped. Nikki assured me she was still mine—however, Kay, the lady with her, looked very strong and very tall so some of the Masai men felt she could. I had difficulty hearing her. They were having to stop for giraffes in the road!

They’re on their way to speak to Kenyan pastor’s wives. Not white missionaries. As a matter of fact, it’s pure Kenyan through and through. She isn’t being escorted by “whites” but by beautiful black Kenyans. She gets to see the world through their lens and not one filtered by others. I’m glad for her. She’ll be talking to the pastor’s wives and others.

She told me it’s a place all it’s own. We’re in Asia a lot.  She said, “It’s not Asia--it’s its own place.” It is. I’ve been there. I wish everyone had to live in about 8 different countries for 6 months for a 4-year period. Only then, could we see the creativity of God and the uniqueness of each tongue and tribe.

Have courage. Have fun. Be bold. Be adventuresome. Rock on Nikki.

This week, I’ve been in a meeting with Loren Cunningham, and, wow! what a passion, a vision, a drive, and a love for God he has. I was learning so much from him about global engagement and other issues. He sees the future so clearly. It doesn’t matter that he’s 70. His best work, frankly, may be what he’s doing now. But, had he not been faithful in the small, risky things years ago, he wouldn’t be heard like he is and, I believe, will be by the broader church. As I was going to meet with him, I was traveling with Leighton Ford--another man who’s had a massive impact on my life. At 75, he stands as tall and as sharp as ever with keen insight and unbounded energy. As we were driving, we passed where Billy Graham lives. He said, “they’re getting weaker and older and it’s hard on them but they keep going.” When I got to the meeting, Steve Douglas was there—recently having taken over the reigns from Bill Bright--another giant. I want to finish like those guys.

In their youth, they blazed trails as pioneers and adventurers in ministry. In their midyears, they leveraged their influence and engaged society at significant levels. In their senior years, they continued to think, plan, see the future and position the ideas and leaders to come.

For all of them to do what they’ve done has taken entire lives--not just spurts and specialties. Father, I pray that I will finish like that—but, when my time is done, others will run on ahead because I’ve left them a fire, a wheel, and a network. Peter Drucker impacted Bob Buford pretty dramatically. I never met Drucker, but have read his books and heard him quoted, and benefited. I have met Buford and Drucker lives on in him, and will be passed on through me to young pastors and others. Legacy is created by value and impact that extends beyond oneself. Father, may that be true of me when I’m 95.

God answers prayers. This week, I was thinking “Lord, I must get my second book finished and to the publisher . . . I must get our church in its new building . . . I must get my sermon finished for Sunday . . . I must get these churches to engage this nation . . . I must help this intern with their church plant . . . I must meet with this person . . . Lord, just give me an extra day.  If I had one more day!  I don’t want to come up short and I want to get it all done!”

What if the seven days were granted by God at the request of people to extend the week an extra day? What if initially there were four-day weeks? You worked three, worshipped and played one. But, several had a hard time getting their work done and they dreamed of just one more day! So God created a fifth day. And, at first, everyone loved it--but, in time, they filled it up so fast that they were once again running like crazy trying to get everything done. So they prayed and asked God for a sixth day. “Oh God, give us that sixth day--if only I had one more day--what could I do!” So God saw that it was good, and created the sixth day. Men could now invent wheels and create fires, not just hunt and gather and count and sell. And, then, something happened--man learned to write and ride horses. Trips took a long time, writing took quiet and undisturbed reason to think through--now people could expand their business. They focused on breeding faster horses, and found that writing with charcoal was quicker than stone tablets and once again man was busy. So, he begged God, “Oh God, could we have a seventh day, if only we had a seventh day we could work, get it all done, and have time to enjoy life and our families.” God granted their request.

Father, this day, help me be focused and disciplined to do excellent work. Help me know when to say no.  And when I say yes, may it be a good and powerful and effective yes.

I was getting on the plane to return home from speaking somewhere and I lucked out. I got on the upgrade list and got to upgrade. I was getting my seat ready--my laptop was ready--books and files in the seat in front of me--I’d work like wild for the next two hours. The guy behind me was talking on his cell phone. It was as if he wanted the whole plane to hear him, or he was trying to talk to Helen Keller! You could hear the conversation. “Make sure they’re there to pick me up, have so and so get me so we can talk while heading to the meeting . . . have the projector set up. . .” What caught my ear, though, was his one phrase, “This will be an exhausting day—traveling--setting-up, for just 10 minutes.”

Isn’t it true, that most of what we do doesn’t take nearly as much time as getting ready for it? We study, prepare, write, organize, etc., and generally it comes down to 10 minutes of something--selling an idea, moving people to action, or organizing something. Big things happen in 10 minutes, or they don’t happen.

God, help me this day to really do well in those ten minutes that I plan. Help me recognize the ten minutes You put in front of me for which I have not planned: When You have me meet someone for some purpose in their life, or my life, that I can’t see at the moment--when someone is hurting and You place them in front of me--when someone is searching and they bump into me--when someone is singing, and it slows me to listen.

Ten minutes--ten thousand years--all the same in Your eyes, God.

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