GlocalNet

I just watched the movie The Postman from beginning to end. I’d been watching bits and pieces of it over the years, but never the whole thing. It’s utterly incredible. What stood out was how relevant it is to today. It’s an old movie, but very prophetic to some degree as to what we face today and the challenges we see. Thirty years from now, I wonder which movies will be reality and which will still be just movies.

Little men who have little jobs with no passion or future and no way to channel their energy wind up becoming tyrants waiting for a war to unleash the fury they have. When they do, it’s all about intimidation. They create a language that supports their “idealism” that gives them permission to destroy others. That was Col. Bethlehem.

Running men--who just want peace and to be left alone--if their energy is channeled they “give out hope like candy in the pocket.” Nobility lies in most of us--we just don’t have a place to let it run wild. Unless you’re a follower of Christ and then, of course, if you believe all Jesus says, your life is consumed in Him and others. Not a bad place to find meaning.

Every man longs for hope--something of significance. Any man can matter. Meaning is found in how we connect--the mail, the Internet, and most important, a cup of Joe at Starbucks. It’s true, every thing in our West is unraveling and being redefined--but I love the ending of that movie. The end of post-modernism or whatever philosophy you believe has to give a man some sort of hope and meaning--or what’s the purpose?

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.

What should I be seeing, hearing, reading? From whom should I be learning that are really accurate? Books, more than speakers, seem to influence me. People influence me more than speakers. Who are they and what are they doing? I love risk, and I love sailing into the uncertain and then finding my way through it. I am a speaker--only somewhat of an emerging writer. What’s written can be interacted with, digested and thought about. You can hang out with those you know, watch them, observe them and see what they’re really about. I think a good speaker can pull the wool over your eyes easier than anyone. A good story and an inspiring challenge are good, but where does it lead? Reading a book and observing someone’s life is far more powerful. If it’s a good book, it gives breadth to context and practice. If it’s a good book, it isn’t written in a vacuum of only one perspective, but the author has critically read other key thinkers in a field and has the ability to assimilate information. If it’s a good life you’re observing, that person obviously practices what he preaches. But, I’m equally interested in how they learn, who they listen to, and what they do with what they’ve heard. I’m also interested in their humanity--what do they laugh at. Do they have a life beyond their “work” and this is big for me--does their family love them or despise them? I guess, what I’m really after is not how smart they are--it’s their intelligence that caused me to stop and listen, watch, etc., but, how good at life are they?

Recently I was with some of our interns as we traveled through several countries around the world. It was fun. It was the first time we ever had a global trip. In the past, we taught them and told them the stories. This time, we took them and let them see and taste--it was awesome. Next year, I want to do this a lot quicker in the process. It created some real bonding.

In one country, we had just gone out to eat and were returning to the hotel. We were riding in the taxi when the taxi driver in very broken English said, “I get you girl.” “What?” we asked. “I get you young girl--I get you all the girls you want.” I had prepared the guys for stuff like this, but it’s still an awkward thing.

“No--we’re married.” “It’s OK--she no find out,” he persisted. So, I pushed back. “You married?” “Yes,” he replied. “You have girls?” “Yes”, he said. “Your wife know?” “No, she no know.” I was applying to his moral nature, which didn’t get me far. So, I focused on his philosophy of family, “Your wife do that?” “No way!” “Then, why you.” “It’s OK, these girls--they like it.” “Nope, they’re someone’s daughter, wife, some relative.” No matter what I said, he still justified it. Finally, he said, “The girls only $60 for whole night--very expensive for me, but very cheap for you.”

It made me sad. I wondered--were these girls the sex slaves you hear about? I thought about a lecture I heard from the International Justice Mission in DC and about how difficult and torturous the life of people in the sex trade was. All these women were to men were either a sex object or a price tag. I wanted that truth to sink in to the other guys in the car. Just a price tag.

Yet, no one paid for their price tag more than what Jesus did on the cross.
He came to set the captives free--that is what ministry is all about--setting people free.

You can read the books, you can hear the stories, you can listen to the talks, but you just have to see it to get it. I was in Jakarta with our interns and now Thailand, and soon somewhere else. It’s wild! They’ve heard this a million times, but seeing it--that’s the real deal. They’re getting it. It’s kind of like being in love--you just have to experience it.

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