MDN Episode 2: Million Dollar Garage Sale

Ah yes, the Million Dollar Garage Sale. What a great event! This was the first initiative that the community came together to achieve ourselves. With many strong personalities, and people with great skills and successful experiences of pulling events like this off in the past, we were bound to have some conflicts on the road to the event itself.
Yes, we only had a week to pull it off. No, we didn't know where it would be held until Thursday, I believe, and the garage sale happened on Saturday. Yes, there was conflict between the PR team, the Logistics team, and Force Four (the production company). We were still getting to know one another, and not always liking one another. Most of these people have become strong friends through these events.

I was on the Entertainment sub-committee. You hear on the episode Bruce Sellery saying, "Let's put entertainment with food and beverage". I still don't really understand the rationale behind that, but the Entertainment group rocked! I co-led this sub with Liane, who has coordinated entertainment for many events and had a number of contacts and leads. We discussed entertainment options like clowns and roving entertainers, but we settled on focusing on bands. I had leads on equipment, Liane had leads on bands, and other committee members (the Smart family) had other leads.
We had some great entertainers at the event, including Jared Fowler and The Joel Brown Band, and MDN's own Jacey Gillis. The entertainers had plenty of footage shot of them. Unfortunately, none of it, not one mention, showed up in the show. I was particularly upset about this, not because I was involved in the committee, but because if you were there you would know that the music and the stage was a MAJOR part of the garage sale. Everybody was talking about it - both the families involved and the guests/shoppers. They were awesome. I don't know why the whole thing was ignored. I heard people's interviews on the show with all mention of the bands and entertainment cut out.
Because I was so involved in the entertainment - setting up the stage and sound, and running the sound - and because my family had done our own garage sale a month earlier, we didn't have a lot to sell and we didn't sell a lot. We got rid of a stroller, and some clothes. I think we made about $50.

Jeanette was painted in a negative light in this episode. Many people who watched the episode wondered why on earth she won the money. More attention was placed on the Sperger family, and rightly so. But the reality at the time was that we didn't know much about the Sperger family at all. Many people, even this week as we watched the episode, were surprised to learn about their loss. The real story that week was bringing about a consensus on location and time between the various groups (and when a consensus was not possible, people taking leadership and making decisions) and getting the job done. Jeanette did an awesome job of both of those. The time constraints were put on us by the production company, not Jeanette, maybe to give us more drama. But Jeanette did an awesome job all week. She attended meetings every night, and worked all day Friday setting up, spent all night on security watching the stuff, and spent all day Saturday working. She was a warrior.

This was an amazing event that we put together in 4 days. It showed me that it can be done. It inspired me how everybody came together to get it done. I haven't seen that before, even in the church. I don't think I'll see much of that again. It was a great event, a great week, and a great community. It's a real blessing to live in Aldergrove with each one of these people!

MDN Episode 1: Hidden Money

Well, Episode 1 aired on Sunday. If you haven't seen it you can catch it here.

Finally, you get to meet some new friends of ours - Joel and Tanya, Mark and Kyle, Annette and Alyssa, Andrew and Cathi... all great Aldergrove people we met through this production and we'll remain friends with for a long, long time. Hopefully our friendship will deepen over the years!

Our new friends Kathryn and Stephanie

That's what we signed up for, with Million Dollar Neighbourhood - to get to know Aldergrove people. We'd lived here for almost two years and had found it incredibly difficult to meet people. So many others have found the same. We live such busy lives that we barely have the chance - or take the chance - to slow down and spend the time getting to know our neighbours. I know that's been true of myself even since the wrapping of MDN. Of course, I was able to blame some of that on the craziness of the Christmas season. But now that's over, and it's still tough to find the time to nurture these relationships. It was one thing when we had tasks and challenges to accomplish together every week. Actually, it was almost too much. But in normal, everyday life, things go back to, well... normal. It takes intentionality to keep up the relationships that MDN initiated among us.

Carter on the Pony

We enjoyed watching the show. It was kind of neat, actually, seeing the people and activities and what was going on, and remembering it, and now being able to match the person we now know with the experience we remember. The Hidden Money Market fair was great fun. They had bouncy castles and pony rides for the kids, and Caleb and Carter had a great time with those! The greatest financial benefit we experienced was from Kerry from Squawkfox who showed us how we can save money on everyday things. A little here, a little there, and it's amazing how it all adds up!

We're ecstatic about Joel and Tanya's winning! They've been through a tremendous amount. It's been great getting to know them through the show. What an awesome family and deserving couple! The MDN Bank was a bit of a surprise to us when we saw it in the show. It was a case of the "magic of TV" creating something that wasn't really there. A few people have commented "I haven't seen that building in Aldergrove before!"

From a Gospel perspective, this really was Day 1 of getting to know a lot of our neighbours really fast. There are a whole bunch of ways to share the Gospel, and some people might have taken the opportunity right at the get go to get on a bullhorn and start yelling that Jesus is the way. I think that maybe the production company was hoping I'd do a bit of that. I wasn't sorry to disappoint them. To be honest, there were a few people on bullhorns for different causes, and it never really went down well with the community. For us though, the idea was to take it easy - to build relationships with these people. I was more aggressive than Taralyn in letting people that we 'had been' there in Aldergrove to start a church; she believed that would already set a disposition in peoples' minds. I think we balanced each other out - we often do.

Caleb with his sweaty face painted at the Money Market

Aldergrove needs the Gospel. Yes, the challenge to raise our collective net worth by $1,000,000 is fun and also needed (Jeremiah 11), but real, lasting positive change can only come through the Gospel. A number of people we met through MDN are Christians living in Aldergrove. Many of them have no context for living intentionally as missionaries in our culture. A few of them are legalists (conforming to rules while ignoring culture), and a few are libertarians (conforming to culture while ignoring Gospel imperatives). There are a few that we could relate well with, and we thank God that they're also at work for the Gospel in this town.
Please pray for Aldergrove as you watch this show, and ask if He would send more of His harvesters into the fields of Aldergrove to join us in reaping the harvest He is preparing. Is He calling you to be one of those harvesters?

Million Dollar Neighbourhood on OWN

So, tonight the world (or at least the nation) will be introduced to my town, Aldergrove BC through Oprah Winfrey Network Canada's "Million Dollar Neighbourhood". My family is a part of this town and this program, and I'm just as excited as anybody (and more excited than most) about tonight's premiere.

I grew up in Aldergrove. Until I was 10 years old, these were the streets I walked, the grocery stores I frequented, the barber shops I visited, and the schools and churches at which I studied and learned about relationships. My family moved not too far, to Langley and then to Brookswood, but Aldergrove always stayed with me. After living in Surrey, Abbotsford, Winnipeg, North Delta, and again in Langley, I moved my own family to Aldergrove almost three years ago.

We moved here to start a church. It didn't work out. For many reasons.

One of the biggest reasons our church didn't get started is because we found it incredibly difficult to get to know people in Aldergrove. We aren't alone in that evaluation. As I've talked with people I've finally met through the show, the biggest complaint about the town is that people are living such insular lives. They don't seem to WANT to get to know their neighbours.

Now, obviously that's not an entirely fair assessment. If people didn't WANT to, they wouldn't. And yet here we have a show featuring 100 families who DO want to get to know their neighbours. Quite deeply, actually. But I need to be careful about how much of the show I reveal before each episode.

But here we were in Aldergrove, with our dream of 'planting a church' on hold. We had to decide whether we were going to stick it out in town, or find a ministry job elsewhere. We were compelled to stay in Aldergrove. We felt that God had called us here, not just to plant a church but to BE an expression of His Church here. So I began the process of finding employment that would allow our family to remain here.

A couple of weeks after that, we heard that Force Four Entertainment, the same company that produced Village on a Diet were interested in possibly doing a show based in Aldergrove. A few other communities were being scouted, but Aldergrove ended being selected to film a test episode.

Soon after that, I got a job with Canada Post and we were also contacted by Force Four to see if we were still interested in being one of the 100 families that would make up the show. The rest will have to wait.

I can say now that the show, MDN has brought our town together in community like never before. We're talking to people at the grocery store, waving as we see each other on the streets, getting together for events, and it's great to know others no matter what their backgrounds or lifestyles. We're not presently pursuing a church plant here, but we're more determined than ever to be Good News to our new friends in our old town, and we're excited to see what God has in store for Aldergrove!

Keep following this blog, and I'll post sometime in the week following each show to offer my reflections and responses on the show that already aired (but no spoilers... so don't ask!).

Toy Story and the Gospel

I've watched the original Toy Story a few times recently with my sons Caleb and Carter, and through the lens of the Gospel it tells a compelling story indeed!

Buzz Lightyear is a toy who thinks he's a space ranger. He flies around the room, impressing the other toys with his impressive wing span and flashing laser. He's stolen the loyalty and affection of the other toys and Andy, the boy, from Woody. Woody used to be King in Andy's room, but with Buzz Lightyear's arrival he's been knocked down a few notches and is now just a regular toy.

Woody spends the majority of the movie trying to convince Buzz that he's delusional in thinking he's a space ranger. 'You are a TOY!' he screams at one point, 'A child's play thing!' Buzz doesn't buy it, and thinks that Woody is delusional and unwilling to accept how wonderful he really is. About 2/3 into the movie, Buzz happens to see a commercial of himself, showing that he is, in fact, a toy like several hundred of others just like him. He tries once again to fly in order to gain his freedom and prove his worth, only to fall flat on the ground, breaking his toy body into pieces. Faced with his delusion, Buzz finds himself with no identity, no purpose, no hope. He no longer sees any value in himself, until Woody reminds him that his value is found in his owner's eyes. Andy is who matters, and the value that Andy places on Buzz, or on any other toy, is the value that they truly have. Woody then reveals his own deep struggle, which is facing up to the fact that because Buzz has come along, Woody feels he no longer has any value in Andy's eyes. Buzz realizes that all that matters is getting back to their purpose of enhancing Andy's life. He rescues Woody, who in turn rescues him, and they ultimately find their purpose and greatest happiness in being the toys that Andy loves.

Buzz is like a lot of us. He is self-assured, and in that he overestimates who he is and what he's capable of. He can't be told he's less than what he thinks because he has learned all his life 'you can do whatever you set your mind to' and 'you need to tap into the power you have within yourself'. He'll accomplish anything, and overcome any obstacle because he is spectacular. He's not 'just some toy', he's significant.

Likewise, many people I talk to believe this about themselves. Their only worth is self-worth. It comes from being who they decide they are, and nobody can take that away from them or tell them otherwise. Popular media, particular pop music, reinforces this destructive delusion. They won't listen to the Woody's who try to help them understand who they truly are, because they see those people as the negative nay-sayers who will only bring then down and hamper their self-achievement. They believe they are good, powerful, capable and free. But in reality, they are human like the rest of us. They're not altogether good; they're selfish. They're not all-powerful; they're limited. They're not fully capable; they're restricted. And they're not free; they're bound by sin.

Is allowing the Buzz Lightyears to continue in their delusion a loving thing to do? The other toys thought so. They were impressed by his novelty. But what happens when that novelty wears off? What happens when 'falling with style' becomes just 'falling'? Is it unloving to let people know 'you're a sinner, living by the grace of God!'? Woody's exasperation at Buzz's denial of his true identity seems rude, callous, and mean. But until Buzz realized that Woody had been right all along, he didn't live up to his highest potential or experience true joy and purpose.

But we could also do great damage by only telling half the Toy Story. Buzz wasn't all he thought he was - he was much more! The movie didn't end with Buzz sulkily sipping tea as Mrs Nesbit, but instead with Buzz and Woody saving the day for Andy, relieving his broken heart, creating joy for him and, in that, for themselves. Buzz wasn't only stripped of a false identity; he was given a new, better one! In the same way, even as in love we help people realize that they're not all that, that what's inside isn't all that great, we also need to tell them that they're much more, and that God loves them and THAT makes all the difference. 'You are a GREAT toy!' Woody says to Buzz. I think great damage has been done to the Gospel by Christians who emphasize this part without the first part. The message gets muddy, because people are left thinking that they're great on their own merit. That their greatness is innate by who they pretend to be. But it wasn't until Buzz realized that he's not great in the ways that he had though he was, that he was able to understand that he is great because Andy loves him. When we just tell people, 'Jesus loves you' they likely think, 'of course he does, why wouldn't he?' They need to come face-to-face with who they really are before they can accept the wonder of God's great love for them. But I also wonder how often I have missed this second piece of the Gospel, instead letting people believe I think they're worthless because they're human. We need to be balanced in our presentation of the whole Gospel.

By the end of Toy Story, we get the idea that Buzz has learned two things: that he is just a toy, and that Andy loves him very much. It reminds me of a quote by John Newton: "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things; That I am a great sinner, and
that Christ is a great Saviour." It also reminds me of 1 Timothy 1:15 "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" and Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Toy Story is a great story. It reminds me that BOTH sides of the Gospel, both human depravity and human worth, need to be preached. I can't wait to see what I'll learn from the next 3 films in the franchise!

Vancouver: We Are All Canucks

On June 14, 1994 I was heading with a friend to Vancouver from Surrey on the SkyTrain. The Vancouver Canucks had just lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the New York Rangers, and I'd heard there would be a party in town, so we decided to go. On our way there, we met with people who were coming back urging us to turn around. I can't actually remember if we went to Vancouver that night, but I do know that we didn't see any of the riots that changed the city's psyche. I also know that I've told people for the past 17 years, "I was there... well, not at the riots, but I was in Vancouver".

Three days ago, the same thing happened again. The Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this time to the Boston Bruins, and there was a riot in Vancouver. This time, however, I was with my family and friends Randy and Allana Lemke and their family. But I saw on TV what many others saw. And since that night, much has been said about those who participated in the riots. Much has been said, which I want to respond to.

I find it odd and troubling that so much of the time, many of us (myself included) can sit back shaking our heads at the actions of others condemning them as immoral, evil, depraved, loose, angry, malicious, dissentious, etc and never for a second look at our own potential for sin. "Religion" is what happens when in self-righteousness, I look down on those who are less righteous than I am and puff myself up by saying "I would never do that, act that way, etc". This is what I have heard plenty of these past days. People calling down other people, as if they're any better themselves. I posted this on my facebook today:
'Our outrage and disgust against those who participated in the riot, or just stuck around watching, is thinly veiled arrogance. "I would never do anything like that" when really, we're all capable of that level of idiocy.'
One of my friends responded with 'Capable does not mean we would act upon it. Some people have much better morals than others.' I would agree... but as the old saying goes, put one person directly in another person's shoes, give them the same circumstances, the same upbringing, the same challenges and achievements in life, and see if they don't respond in a similar way. There's the old argument of nature vs. nurture - maybe some people are born with a more conscientious and empathetic attitude, but still who are we then to judge? Did I choose to have parents who had the will and understanding to instill moral character in me? Did I choose the situations to respond to through growing up, in school, in work situations, in life? Would I have chosen the same thing these "thugs" did if I were in their shoes?

The other thing I was struck with was how so many people calling into the radio stations, and many of the talk show hosts themselves, were decrying those who were not actively participating in the riot but wanted to stick around and see what happens. "How could they stay there, what kind of person would want to see what goes on in a riot!" Yet these are the same people who sat glued to their own Televisions until 11:00 to see how the riot turned out. These are the same people who will shake their heads for years to come and remind people, "yes, the riots of 2011 - I saw the whole thing unfold". It's hypocrisy at best, a lack of empathy at worst. The people watching the riots on TV are no better than those who stuck around downtown to see what would happen. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with either, but how can we curse others for doing the same thing we defend ourselves doing?

Now, does this mean I think the rioters should not be charged, should be let go because they were brought up differently, had different experiences which just happened to change the way they responded to situations? Not at all! We are all responsible for our behaviors and actions. If we let these go uncharged, we would be letting an injustice go unpunished. Yet, we can have empathy. In fact, I say we NEED to have empathy. To give them the punishment that they truly deserve to fit the crime, we need empathy. To show them that their behavior is unacceptable, we need empathy. I heard one of our politicians say that we need to root out these few rioters, so that going forward we can have peaceful events in our city. That's not what we need, because once those few (hundred? thousand?) rioters are rooted out we'll find that the problem is not "them", it's "us". If we understand that, then we can deal with the problem appropriately - with empathy.

Nearsightedness is what we call the condition where we can only see up close, but not far away. Farsightedness is when we can see further away but not up close. We are all nearsighted in terms of beauty, and farsighted in terms of sin. We are a beautiful people, made in the image of God, capable of good things. Thursday and Friday showed that, as people from all around Vancouver swarmed to help the cleanup after the riot. It's a beautiful display. And we have been rightly proud of that beauty displayed. But we can't grow so nearsighted that we think "we're" beautiful while "they're" sinful. We need to realize that WE ARE ALL sinful, WE ARE ALL beautiful, and in this polar confusion we need to depend on a grace greater than us all to make us ACCEPTABLE.

We are all Canucks, as the slogan has told us over and over. We need to own ourselves, warts and sin and riotousness and all. We need to take responsibility for ourselves, and not leave some out while we celebrate our diversity. We need to recognize ourselves, and finally, we need to recognize that we are all great sinners in need of a great Savior.

Virtual Community

The online world came into being in the late 1989's. At first, it was mostly used as a 'bulletin board' for communication between executives, corporations, governments, and a few savvy civilians. By the time I graduated high school in 1996, the Internet had been overtaken with chat rooms where one could escape the real world and enter a virtual world with a whole new identity and persona. It was often said that online, nobody knows that you're a dog. In the church, there were frequent warnings to stay away from the lure of the Internet - it was becoming a 'place' where there was virtually no accountability and plenty of temptation to give in to activity, real or imagined, that Christian virtue wars against.

Enter Facebook.

Unlike it's predecessor MySpace, Facebook didn't allow fake personas. Well, let me back up. It was easy enough to 'create' a fake persona on fb, but the whole purpose of Facebook was to connect with people that you know, or have known, in the real world. The thick, towering walls dividing virtual reality and true identity were, for better or worse, disintegrating. It was an experiment that took surprisingly little time to gain traction. At the same time, Second Life became an alternative, an online life where one could engage in activities such as dancing, dating, clubbing, vacationing, flying, spying, shooting, slapping, shopping, etc with 'no' direct impact on their 'real' life. But facebook's reality-based online connection with other real people superseded the popularity of Second Life. Today, though many go online to escape the real world into virtual space, there is much more honesty, vulnerability, and integrity in the online world than there was 10, even 5 years ago. One friend of mine pointed out that they tend to be much more honest with their Facebook friends (notice I didn't use quotations) than with the friends they see regularly in person.

Is that a bad thing? Many people seem to think so. Community needs to be flesh-and-blood. I need to look you in the eyeballs while we talk to see that you're genuine. We need to share experiences to deepen our relationship and fellowship. Friendships don't grow online. While I agree with all but the last statement, I would say that friendships can and do develop online. In a greater capacity, often, than at church. If you want honesty and vulnerability, don't look to most churches - look at Facebook groups or chat rooms. Things are brought up and left out on the table, like it or not. Maybe that's too much for many of us to take. Maybe that's why we prefer the comfort of our sterilized church communities. Maybe that's why when we venture out to Facebook, we're often quick to 'unfriend' those who swear or admit to clubbing or doing drugs or post photos we deem to be inappropriate. We're afraid of the honesty, even the accountability that Facebook allows.

This post isn't just about Facebook. It's about an online evolution in which Facebook has certainly played, and continues to play, a large part. Twitter is another big part of this (r)evolution. So is texting, which purely doesn't have to do with the Internet per se, but another medium through which people are increasingly prone to share themselves with fewer inhibitions (read, "walls"). Blogging, in fact, might have started this revolution. Journals and diaries were once kept hidden under lock and key, but sometime in the late '90s people started sharing their thoughts and experiences online. And, wonder of wonders, others actually started READING them! And then there's the online church.

For many of us, this concept has been difficult to swallow. Church isn't something that we attend or watch, but it's meant to be our people, our brothers and sisters, our community who we share life and mission with, who we serve with and pray with and have over for dinner after the service. How can we do all of that online? Online church is a copout, an excuse for people who want the benefits of having a great preacher and high quality worship band without the discipline of being involved, connecting with others, or even getting dressed. I share these concerns, but they aren't for the most part limited to online expressions of church. We all know that there are many people who 'go to church' regularly but aren't in community, aren't involved in church life or Christian discipleship. What I'm saying is that physical churches often haven't accomplished the same things we criticize online churches for neglecting, yet we keep on planting them, building them, attending them, investing in them. Maybe we can recognize the shortcomings of doing church online, address them, innovatively try to correct them, but continue to 'plant' those communities just as we do physical churches.

I'm excited to start Access Church online (read about that here). I'd love it if someday it could also become a physical community, but even if it doesn't, I still believe that it retains the same legitimacy as an online community. Maybe you'd like to join me? Maybe you disagree with me? Maybe I've challenged your thinking just as I've been challenged in mine. I'd love to hear from you! Please leave your comments below.

Access Online?

I'm contemplating something. Those who know me might see that as a problem. I have the habit of getting all excited about projects, and many of them don't see the light of day. Books I've wanted to write, bands I've wanted to start, a church I've wanted to plant... the list goes on. I'm a dreamer, and I dream of influencing people for Jesus. For the Gospel. To see lives changed for the glory of God through the Gospel of Jesus. That's my dream, my vision, my mission. And now that vision has a new possible outworking.

I've been critical of the 'online church' like LifeChurch.tv. I believe that church isn't simply something that people 'go to' or 'watch', but rather communities of redeemed people on mission together. And I couldn't see how that can happen in an online venue, but my mind is changing. A few months ago I met with a friend of mine, someone who used to be a part of a youth group where I was the pastor. He had been saved through the ministry at that church, but had since drifted away from the community and the Gospel. I was able to encourage him in the Gospel. A few weeks later I reconnected with another 'kid', from another previous youth ministry, who also needed a reminder of the Gospel. For the past year I've also engaged with a number of friends on Facebook and twitter, Christians, non-Christians, skeptics, atheists, and everyone in between. I realized that there are a number of people in my life who I do minister the Gospel to, but sporadically, infrequently, and because of that, probably ineffectively.

When we were dreaming of Access Church, we thought it might be effective to further the Gospel message by posting our sermons online through iTunes podcasts and vodcasts and YouTube. I have personally been built up in the Gospel through pastors* on iTunes and I wanted to give freely as I had freely received. When it became clear that Access Church wasn't going to be a go, I started thinking of developing my sermon series, 'Losing My Religion' specifically for YouTube to see if I could effectively minister the Gospel to people in that venue. That thought has been at the back of my mind for about three months.

Then this week I received an invitation from churchleader.com to download a free ebook on "The Art of Online Ministry". It was an easy read, particularly because it was articulation what I've wanted to do in so many ways. And now, I'd like to explore the idea of launching an online church.

Great! Another project.

Well if there's one thing I've learned in all my starts and stops, it's that I can't accomplish much on my own. The ebook also confirmed this fact. It says that it needs to be a team that does something like this. A team to own it and develop it. The investment, both financial and time, is much smaller than, say, church planting. But people have to own it together. Particularly, the team needs to include:

- A Captain
- A Network Catalyst
- At least 2 Prayer Room Volunteers
- Chat Room Hosts
- An Administrator
- Video Production
- Worship leaders/team
- Others

The beauty of online church (say, Access Online) is that it's manageable by a small group of committed people. The people don't have to physically meet together, or be in the same geographical region. It has low overhead. And it's effective. It can continue the mission of seeing lives changed for the glory of God through the Gospel of Jesus. It can spark conversions, communities (both virtual and actual) and maybe even physical churches. I can participate in it while providing for my family full-time, and while I'm also involved in my family's own church community.

As for the potential pitfalls of launching an online church, such as those I've already identified in this post along with others, I'll be addressing those in upcoming entries. But I've come to understand two things: 1. That virtual community IS a legitimate form of community (I'll be unpacking this further in later posts) and 2. That church ministry online doesn't have to stay online, but when appropriate can extend to physical meetups, mission, care, etc. Also, my mind has expanded from picturing online church as simply posted sermons to realizing the power of online chat, chat prayer rooms, polls, etc that contribute to building community online. Web2.0 (or 3.0?) might make online community a legitimate form of church.

My next step is to continue dreaming. I'll be developing two sermon series: 'Losing My Religion' (which I was planning to preach for the launch of Access Church in Aldergrove), and 'What Jesus'. Each series will be 4-5 weeks in length. I'll develop and record it in raw footage.

I want to know if anybody else is with me on this. I won't go unless there's a team. I want to hear from you. Have you experienced online church? Do you have skills I've listed above and are you willing to use them in this mission? Would you like to hear more about my vision, goals, plans, experiences, and life? Are you intrigued to know more about the Gospel, which compels me to keep trying, even though I may not succeed?

Drop a line in the comments below. Repost this on your twitter, Facebook, and blog. Let's see if we can get some momentum on this, by the grace of God!

What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church? A Parable.

Just a little something that goes along with the ER post I made a few weeks ago...

Why Hell Matters

Christianity enjoys a pretty popular reputation in the grand scheme of things. A loving God reaches out to save a lost world, demonstrates the right way to live, exemplifies 'turning the other cheek' in peaceful protest to his enemies... But the thing that gets people really riled up and divided, the most offensive doctrine in Christianity is the doctrine of hell. It's not just those opposed to Christianity that hate and oppose the doctrine of hell either. Some prominent Christians continue to endorse a hell-free version of Christianity. Historically these have been called Universalists, referring to the belief that ultimately everybody who ever lived will be saved from judgement, or anialists, who believe that those who aren't part of God's kingdom will simply cease to exist.

The question that is posed to Fundamental Evangelical Christians who believe in hell is 'why would a loving God send people to hell?' The question follows a number of false premises. For one, that God sends people to hell. Secondly, that God's love precludes any suggestion of judgement. The real question could be 'How could a loving God be indifferent to injustice and how can a just God show mercy to an enemy
race?'

The doctrine of hell matters. Not just because Jesus spoke of it, but also because it is the basis of salvation. For years I questioned what salvation could mean apart from hell. Is 'salvation' another word for 'life purpose'? Or 'abundant life'? It would seem then that Jesus, Paul and the other disciples, let alone thousands of Christians throughout history, were ultimately not saved. Yes, they may have lived an abundant life of purpose for a while, but they also died an untimely death. Definitely not the abundant life depicted by advocates of a hell-free reality. Jesus came rather to seek and save the lost, the perishing, the 'objects of wrath'. Without this understanding, the mission of God in Christ loses it's purpose. We already had Moses to tell us how to live. We would also have Mohammed, Confusious, Ghandi, and MLK. None of those claimed to save their followers from hell. Neither could they. But this was the essence of Christ's mission. This is the purpose of our mission as followers of Christ. This is why Jesus has sent us out. This is out Good News, our Gospel - that through Him people can be saved from the wrath of God (hell).

But what about that? God's wrath? Surely God isn't wrathful. Jesus showed us what God is like, right? Meek and mild. Sure He gets upset every now and then and flips over a table or two. But judging people for their sins? Isn't that a bit Old Testament? Didn't that God pass away with the New Covenant?

The Bible is consistent. God is always the same God, whether we like it or not. The same God who ordered the execution of sinners in judgment for their sin in Judges and 2 Chronicles is the same God who delivered sinners despite their sins in Exodus and the Gospels, and the same God who will ultimately judge and deliver sinners as depicted in Daniel and Revelation. This point is clear and crucial to understanding the Gospel: God's love is most clearly shown in His salvation through the cross and His judgment through hell. God's love for His people is made clear through His hatred of sin. A hell-free Gospel depicts an indifferent God, not a loving God. Not a God invested in the affairs of man, but a weak, hopeful, detached deity who has no interest or care in the affairs of man, just so long as there's a 'happy ending'. On the contrary, the reality of judgment and hell show that God is not silent regarding oppression, that those who act unjustly will be held accountable, and that the cross of Christ means something to those who are being saved (while it is foolishness to the perishing).

We are so privileged to have the luxury of believing there is no judgment. I am often disturbed and perplexed by many of the Psalms where David cries out for vengeance against his enemies, but I look beyond our comfortable North American 21st century lifestyle and I can start to understand. The preteen girl sold into sexual slavery has no recourse against her pimp or john. Innocent people jailed for crimes they didn't commit have no other court to appeal to. Money lenders who abuse and exploit their clients get off scott free. Governments murder their own people and nobody pays any attention. David prayed, pleaded with God, that these would be held accountable ultimately. His prayers are repeated every moment of every day by those living in oppression, and God's response is YES! Sin IS a problem that WILL ultimately be dealt with and sinners WILL pay for their outrageous acts. A God who won't hold these to account is not loving, but cruel and indifferent.

But wait, don't I believe that God will forgive even these? Yes! But at what cost? The life of His Son Jesus. The oppressed cry out 'grant me justice and vengeance!' and God responds 'yes, see how horribly my Son will suffer because of the sins inflicted on you, if only your oppressor will receive my salvation. And see how you also can be saved because of my Son's sacrifice.' We are all victims; we are all victimizers. For each person we cry out for vengeance against, there could be another person crying for vengeance against each one of us. And God will, in His love, answer each one of those cries, whether in the sacrifice of His Son or in the everlasting torment of those who have caused us, His beloved children, harm. The reality of hell shows the extent of love that God has for us, as well as the depth and severity of sin in it's consequence.

Finally, hell is the just penalty for our treason against a high and holy God. Those who diminish hell also diminish God's worth, as well as His Son's sacrifice. Even if we had never hurt another person, our act of defiance to God's rule and order, our unwavering insistence for independence over remaining dependent on Him requires no less than the fires of hell. It must be so. God commands it. The first Commandment is 'have no other gods before me'. For God to overlook man's rebellion and rejection of Him is for Him to choose man over God, making God a violator of his own command, an idolator Himself, and a sinner. God is holy, and wholly worthy to be praised. His act of salvation is to His own glory, as is His act of judgment. How he has worked justice and mercy together is a marvel much greater than the great artists have ever dreamed up!

'If hell didn't exist, wouldn't that be great?' Not really. Because there you get a weak, indifferent God, an ineffective Gospel, a lack of purpose, cheap grace, and we Christians are simply being warehouses for the afterlife. On the contrary, the reality of hell gives purpose to our mission and our lives on earth, strength to God's love by willing that none should perish (but some will) and impetus to share the Good News that Christ died on our behalf, absorbing the hell of God for us - those who believe. Salvation is found in no other name, and so the name of Jesus must be sent forth through all the earth so many will be saved - to the great glory of God Almighty!

I don't love the concept of hell. Believing it doesn't make me popular. Preaching it makes me even less so. But without it, there would not be the Gospel. The light is most clearly seen when we recognize that we are in darkness. Let's open our eyes to the glory of God and thank Him for making a way that we could be saved from the destiny of hell!

Responses...

I thought I'd repose my response to a blog post by my old friend Josh Singh, called 'Planting in the Wrong Pot' (read it here). Josh asked me some very good questions and I've done my best to respond to them :

Thanks so much to everybody who's commented on here. Knowing you're out there talking about meeting at Tim Hortons really gives me encouragement! To respond to your questions Josh...
My greatest dreams: that Aldergrove would be impacted and changed by the Gospel, right down to it's core, for the glory of God. Jeremiah 29 is a huge inspiration to me to dream for Aldergrove. No, not v 11, but where God tells His people to buy into the city, buy homes, build gardens and relationships, and to pray for the prosperity of the city. My dreams for Aldergrove are for it to prosper, for the glory of God through changed lives by the Gospel of Jesus.
My greatest fear: that I'll have to leave Aldergrove before seeing that happen.
How can people get involved: that's what I really need now. I need people to join in dreaming with me, meeting with me, praying with me, planning and implementing strategy with me. I need people who will get involved in this community and the people here, who will meet with people, open their home and their time and their life. I need people to buy into God's vision for Aldergrove, and to help shape the vision for Access Church.
Where I get funding from: presently, no where. I was on payroll part-time with the Lower Pacific District of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada, but that has come to an end as of December 2010. There are a fee people who have been supporting us monthly and one-time gifts through the LPD.

The last few months have tested my conviction that 1 I am a church planter and 2 I have been called to Aldergrove. If either of those turns out not to be so, there's no disgrace in that. But even through the hardships, frustrations, and seeming lack of fruit, I still feel compelled to keep on. Is it my stubbornness to hold on? Should I kick the dust off my feet and move on? Is it pride and arrogance and refusal to fail or give up? Maybe. Or maybe God really has captured my heart for this town.