The Journey Begins

In February of 1999 I made a visit to Jacksonville, Florida for the graduation exercises at Logos Christian College and Graduate Schools. I was to receive my doctoral degree in ministry at the convocation, but little did I know that my whole spiritual and ministry life was going to be revolutionized by a wonderful experience in a convergence church. I'll keep the testimony short and follow up with other posts in the coming days.

Since graduation was on Saturday evening, I decided to extend my stay in Jacksonville to enjoy the warm weather, planning to fly back to Chicago the upcoming Monday. I was invited to attend what was described as a "charismatic episcopal" church. I thought the invitation was to an Episcopal church that was experiencing a charismatic renewal, but it didn't take me long to realize that I was totally wrong.

The service began with an opening procession (the ministers of the church were decked out in clerical robes), the aroma of incense and the blowing of a shofar (ram's horn). But then things got really interesting, the worship was as contemporary and intense as anything I have every experienced in any pentecostal church I have ever attended or lead. The preaching was clearly as biblical as any evangelical preaching I have ever heard. The time of communion was memorably meaningful, and an altar call was extended for accepting Christ, being prayed for if you had a need, or if you just needed to spend some time on your knees or face before the Lord. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. The blending of ancient liturgy with modern practices was seamless.

I cried from the opening procession to the final benediction, non-stop. One of the clergy approached me after the service and without introducing himself, or greeting me, simply took my hand and said, "Welcome home." It was a prophetic moment. Something inside of me came alive and I knew instinctively that I would never be the same again. And thus began my slow journey to investigating the convergence movement which has brought me back to Jacksonville 8 plus years later.

I know that whatever God has in store for me will incorporate ancient and modern elements in a way that will allow me to communicate to whatever audience the Lord gives me, that he has been alive and working in the affairs of men continually through the ages. Rather than simply acknowledging what God is doing in this age, I have been blessed to discover that it is possible to meld into what God has always been doing. To understand what it is to be part of the eternal church without interruption is a fascinating thing. To feel connected to the earliest expressions of Christian worship is incredibly fulfilling.

Even though this movement is young, it is not just a new expression of worship or another fad to grab onto, or another wind to move the sails of the church. I believe this is going to catch on to bridge the gap between evangelicals and traditional churches in fulfillment of Jesus' prayer in John 17 that, "they would all be one."

I am excited! I'll write more in a couple of days.

T'was the Day After Christmas

While we were celebrating yesterday there were 190,000 of our fellow Americans who weren't home with their families. Some have missed more than one Christmas at home over the past 5 years and their sacrifice should not go unnoticed.

Their mission is a personification of the teaching of Jesus who said, "greater love has no man than this, that he would give his life for a friend."

To all of our military personnel who have given so unselfishly to insure that our freedom remains intact, Merry Christmas! May God reward your efforts by placing a hedge of protection around you. May your mission to provide security and democracy for the Iraqi people be successful, and may you return back home to be reunited with your families and loved ones.

Thank you for your sacrifice. You will not be forgotten!

Incredible Techology

Did you see this? Israeli scientists have figured out a way to put the entire Hebrew Bible on a silicon chip smaller than a half grain of sugar! It's amazing to me what can be done with modern technology.

I remember when Bible's were made pocket-sized and I thought that was a great accomplishment. Of course it made it easy to misplace your Bible. Now you have to be careful not to dissolve your Bible in a cup of coffee.

The Psalmist says that that hiding His Word in our hearts will help us not to sin against God. As difficult as it would be to read the text on such a small silicon chip, no one is able to access the word of God that is written on your heart. Except you!

I especially found it interesting that of all the things that the scientists could have etched on the chip, they chose the Hebrew text of Scripture. There is just something special about the Book that causes it to surface in some of the most interesting places.

It reminds me of the words of Jesus when he said that the Holy Spirit would bring to our remembrance what God has to say in a specific situation when we may be concerned that we won't have the words. God's word pops up when and where you need it most.

But the most exciting event in history is when the Word became flesh. While it may be difficult to read the word on a chip, or in some one's heart, the Word dwelt with us and was seen and touched. His Word can be read in His life.

It is something to celebrate when technology can do something as remarkable as putting the entire text of the Hebrew Scriptures on a surface the size of a head of a pin. As difficult as that would be to read, during this Christmas season, celebrate the Word that became visible. The mystery of God revealed in the life of Christ, for all to see.

Merry Christmas to All

Your idea of Christmas is probably a combination of mangers and Santa Clauses. Somehow they have melded seamlessly in our culture. It is not unusual to walk into a home and find a creche and a tree, gingerbread men and wise men, shepherds and elves. Few seem to mind that together these images make no sense, but we mix them nonetheless.

As parents, raising children is a challenge. But children are amazingly resilient. They can process Santa Clauses and mangers with little or no effort. But sometimes the message behind the images gets lost in the vehicles used to communicate the message.

Children need to understand the real story of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus). It is a wonderful story that will warm the heart. They also need to understand the Incarnation that will not only warm the heart, but actually change it.

I hope you will take the time this Christmas season to appreciate the wonder of what we are celebrating. Enjoy all the bells and whistles, but go beyond the trimmings and celebrate the mystery and wonder that is awaiting rediscovery.