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I last weekend in Sacramento where I had a BridgeBuilders presentation and then got to spend the weekend with some wonderful folks on an incredible journey. Five years ago these folks have gone from being a traditional congregation with a facility, staff, Sunday morning meeting and a full complement of the normal programs. And this was a group that did those things better than most and were very commitment-oriented and outreach minded. However, not content with the depth of their spiritual growth or their life together, they began to ask God what was the matter and what did he want to do with them. Over the last five years they have slowly deconstructed their institution out of existence and became even more the people of God. Over that time in simple steps of obedience that they were never sure where it would lead them they gave up their programs, opened up their gatherings, gave up the hierarchy of leadership and eventually the salaries of the staff, stopped their Sunday morning gatherings, and sold the building.

Anyone looking from the outside might conclude this church failed and went under. In truth those that made it through the process have discovered what it is to live as the body of Christ and their lives have been transformed as they live out that relationship together. We’re going to let them tell their story next week on The God Journey. While they don’t offer their process as a model for others, it’s encouraging to see what hungry hearts and following Jesus can do.

I’ve been with these people a number of times over the past three years, and no, I did not recommend the course they took. I’ve been as surprised as they have. What I noticed among them, however, on this last trip was how much ownership most of these people haven now taken for their own spiritual growth. No longer able to rely on the false substitutes of programs and leadership they have had to ‘sink or swim’ in their own relationship with God. And swim they have! The things they are learning and the initiative they take in getting together and in sharing what they are learning when they are together are incredible. All of them talk about how hard this process was, but they also recognize how much it has challenged them to live more deeply in Jesus. I didn’t meet anyone who told me they wanted to go back to the more comfortable, but less effective arrangement they had five years ago.

I see this same active engagement of spiritual growth in many who spilled out of organized religion, especially those that didn’t immediately find an alternative gathering, theology or leader to fill the void. Learning to walk with him is the essence of life in this kingdom. Can it happen inside a religious institution? It can. That’s where my life began. But it can also walk outside of it and not whither away to nothing, but actually grow and become even more dynamic.

I know we’re so worried that if people learn to do that they will live independently and not share life with other Christians. But it is an unfounded worry! People who are growing in the love for Father, desperately want real and vital connections with others in the family. The two go hand in hand. But if you let others become a substitute for his presence, you will miss out on both real relationships with him and effective relationships in the body.

I see the Catholics have a new Pope. Someone asked me last night if I thought the Holy Spirit was involved in that decision. I do! If God raises up rulers for nations, why wouldn’t he care about the Vatican nation-state, even though it also claims to be the church? While I’m convinced the Catholic system is significantly at odds with the priorities and example of Jesus, I have known many Catholics in my life who exhibit a deep and profound relationship to God. It always amazes me what God is free to use to draw people to himself. Of course God would be concerned with who leads them, though his reasons for choosing their leader might be very different from what we would assume.

And lest you think that system is significantly different from Protestant ones, don’t be too sure. It’s just that it has had 1700 years to build its exhaustive machinery. The Lutherans have only had 500, the Baptists about that as well, and Charismatics only 40 or so. But the seeds of institutionalism and exalted clergy infect those systems as well. They just may not be as developed.

I like what Sara said about all of this while we watched part of the funeral for Pope John Paul II. “Wouldn’t you like to hear the sermon he would preach today?” Sara asked me.

Ahh, I would! He had been five days already in eternity and I’m certain he sees things far differently now than he did during his sojourn on the earth.

And I think that will be true for all of us as well when the time comes!

I’m sorry I’ve been so busy of late. I wanted to finish the next chapter of Jake Colsen before I leave town tomorrow. I’m headed up to Sacramento for some BridgeBuilders assignments and to hang out with some brothers and sisters on a pretty cool, though sometimes difficult journey.

Thus, I’ve not been able to add to this blog nor the discussion going on below regarding how God transforms us. I’ve followed it, but I haven’t had time to chime in, though I like a lot of what folks have written there. It might be worth your reading through all the comments if you haven’t. But don’t think anyone has any final answers there.

The answers are in Christ alone. As I’ve read through that discussion on how we deal with sin and temptation, I am reminded how easily words fail us. I know some of the people in that discussion and when I read their words I both know what they are trying to communicate, and how others might take what they are saying in a way they may not mean. Don’t misunderstand that comment. Theological discussions can be helpful, but the kinds of things being discussed there will not be solved by theology alone. Those things are sorted out in the reality of a relationship with the Living God that flows from our security in his love, even at our most damaged. That doesn’t justify our damage or provide us with an excuse to be cavalier about our brokenness. But it does allow his healing love to flow through our lives and us to hear his heartbeat as he leads us into ever greater heights of his freedom. < /p>

I’ve had people right me this last week with a host of questions about how to deal with people in the Body of Christ who bully others, or use others to build their own following. I’ve been asked what people should do in specific situations with people or body life. It seems that we’ve been trained well to look for structures, methods or a process that we can just implement and know we’ve done what God wanted.

I don’t mind offering some thoughts where I have them. It is valuable for us to sort out in Scripture and in the experience of others who are following Jesus the ways in which God works. Those are powerful tools. But in the end our deepest issues will only be solved relationally. He has not left us with systems and formulas, but with his Spirit. When you don’t know what you’re to do, go to him. If you don’t know what he is saying to you, it is a perfect time to let that relationship deepen so that you will. If you need help, get help learning to listen, not getting the answers from someone else so you won’t have to.

The answers are in Christ alone. He will use the very things going on in your life to draw you to him. Get with him—alone! Ask him for what you need. Then go through your days looking for him to make clear his way to you. That can happen a thousand ways, from a growing conviction in the heart to a circumstance change that opens an unseen door. Learn to follow him and you can face anything, even those lonely moments when you don’t have any idea what he is up to!

Our Third Webcast of The God Journey has just been posted on our sister website. This one takes a look the recent deaths of Terry Shiavo and Pope John Paul II and the reactions to them that have dominated our headlines and news shows for the past two weeks. What are we to make of these historic moments? Click on the links above to listen to the mp3 file and if you want, take advantage of the new channels at The God Journey to join the conversation.

Over the last couple of days I’ve been sharing some quotes from Robert Farrar Capon’s Kingdom, Grace and Judgment. It is an interesting look at the parables of Jesus from an Episcopal priest. I’ll warn you that the reading isn’t always easy, but there are some real nuggets in this man’s heart.

I love it when people inside the box are thinking and, it would appear, living outside of it. Here are some of his thoughts about how religious thinking has become so embedded in Christianity that it has distorted the reality and power of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The kingdom defies every box we try to smash it into. It invites us to live in the extravagant love of God as he comes into our lives and transforms us.

That’s why it is so important to me that we learn to live in Father’s reality apart from our religious paradigms and thus experience the fullness of his mystery at work in our hearts.

Here’s more from Robert Farrar Capon’s Kingdom, Grace and Judgment. Here is some thoughts he had about the Ascension:

Isn’t that awesome? As believers, we do our most damage when we assume we’ve got it all figured out and lose the immediacy of Jesus leading us day by day in the Father’s life. The grand strategies are beyond us. God only shares with us the pieces we need to live this day in his life. And if we just keep following him with that freedom and simplicity we will, six months from now, two years from now or four decades from now, be exactly where he wants us to be doing exactly what he would have us do to most extend the reality of his life and kingdom.

It is such a freedom to not have to sort out things we were never meant to know or perhaps are even incapable of knowing. Some things Father has retained for himself, and it is simply enough for us to live in the security of his hands, instead of living in our false conclusions about the future.

Someone loaned me a copy of Robert Farrar Capon’s Kingdom, Grace and Judgment with the warning not to let anyone see me reading it because some think he is a heretic. Of course that piqued my interest right away. I don’t know about the heretic part (or at least I haven’t come to it yet) but this Episcopal priest has some interesting things to say about the parables of Jesus.

I’ll warn you, however, that this is no easy read. He’s overwhelmed with word comparisons, and makes some wild conjectures about things Jesus might have been thinking at various times, but I love some of the places where he lands on interpreting the parables of Jesus.

At the beginning he has a fascinating discussion of what he calls right-handed power, which is using the force you need to get the result you want. And yet the One who has all the right-handed power to force his way on us, has decided that relationships of love are far more valuable to him than terrified slaves. Capon writes…

He then defines left-handed power as, “power that looks for all the world like weakness.” But it is the power that Jesus vests his kingdom as the dying, rising and disappearing Messiah. And yet he warns us that we all prefer right-hand power.

The discussion fascinates me, because I think he puts his finger on something very important. The kingdom of God comes in the mystery of his power transforming lives, not in our power to compel others to act the way we want them to. Right-hand power conforms, but left-hand power transforms. I like how he plays this out in the ministry of Jesus. He was touching people at a relational level, not an I’m-God-and-I’m-here-to-make-you-do-it-my-way. The one will produce slaves or hypocrites, but not children transformed by the Father of all!

There are some other nuggets in that book I’ll let you in on as well over the next few weeks…

The deaths of Terri Shiavo and Pope John Paul II have dominated our news over the past two weeks. What are we to make of these two events as we think outside the box of organized religion?

Later this week Brad and Wayne will be taping their third edition of The God Journey and will be examining these two events and what they tell us about Christianity in the 21st century.

We have now opened up four channels for people to participate with us in the conversation, sending in their comments or questions before we begin. Our favorite is a Voice line where you can record your questions or comments for play on the webcast. To find out how you can participate with us, please see The God Journey Blog. We’d love to know what some of you are thinking about these events.

As previously announced, we released our second webcast last night at thegodjourney.com.

The Adventure of a Lifetime discusses how thinking outside the box means pushing away from the safe, but boring confines of routine, and growing in a dynamic relationship with Jesus. Brad and Wayne also discuss the gay marriage debate, triggered by a recent court decision in California that overturned California’s ban on gay marriage.

The response to our first show has been a bit overwhelming. We appreciate your feedback and your patience as we continue to grow with this medium and provide the means where others can join the conversation.

Blessings to you all!

What a fabulous time we had together for seven days in Hawaii celebrating our 30th Anniversary. Yes, we got it in a bit early because Sara will be busy with year-end school stuff when our actual date rolls around in May. Thanks for all your prayers and blessings! We had an incredible time relaxing, reading, hiking and seeing the sights on Oahu. We also met a lovely sister there whose family who felt called away from the box of organized religion a couple of years ago. If you want to see more photos you can check out our Ofoto album of the trip at here .