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The Gospel Seeks the Flourishing of Life For All

NewParishBookCover4I don’t normally review books here. It’s not that I don’t read books, it’s just that most of the books I read I don’t really think most people would like. The reason I say this is because whenever Krista sees what I’m reading she says, “Andrew…why?” I figure her reaction is pretty much standard for most people.

But I recently read a book I really enjoyed, called The New Parish, by Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens, and Dwight Friesen. And there  was one line or idea that I really appreciated (among others). It’s this:

The gospel bids us to the seek the flourishing of life for all.      The New Parish

I just think that line is beautiful. The Gospel bids us to seek the flourishing, extending, and growing of life for all – all around us. I think this is a beautiful mission statement for Christians. You are to help life flourish in your community, your neighbourhood, your family. You are to be not only a source of life, but a catalyst for life all around you.

And this idea is deeply rooted in Scripture, because Jesus came to give us life abundant (John 10:10). I don’t think that was just so we could experience life, that was so we could share life.

So my question for you is this: how can you seek the flourishing of life for your community? How can you be a catalyst of life to grow in your neighbourhood? How can you share life with your family?

And the beauty of those questions is that they don’t have to be hard things. They can be simple but life giving things. What about throwing a party so neighbours can actually get to know one another? What about cleaning up a park so kids can play? What about mowing a neighbour’s lawn? What about dropping off food for your sister? What about watching your brother’s kids?

These are simple, but they are life giving things. And as the authors of the New Parish remind us – the gospel is about giving life for all, and the flourishing of all.

by Andrew Mills

The Leadership Trap

??????????I love learning about leadership. I have a book reading problem (just ask my wife) and many of the books are on leadership.

I want to be a better leader. I want to grow in my leadership so that the lives around me are better. This is a good goal. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. In fact, I hope everyone would seek to be a better leader.

But there is one subtle trap that reading books about leadership, attending leadership conferences, or classes (which I’m in right now) can create. And it’s this: we can trust the technique rather than God.

Now if you’re not a Christian feel free to skip the rest of this, because this is definitively a Christian problem. And here it is. When we read about a leadership technique, skill, or ability we start to implicitly believe that if we follow that technique good things will happen. What can subtly happen is that we start trusting more in leadership experts to deliver the right techniques to bring success, rather than trusting in the faithfulness of God.

The writers in a new book, The New Parish, put it this way, “Technique wants your trust, even at the expense of your trust in God”. And this is true. Whenever we believe that following a technique, method, or practice will bring us success more than following Jesus – we’ve created an idol. And in today’s day and age (especially in the pastor world) there is no bigger idol than leadership. That if we bow to the feet of leadership gurus our churches, lives, and careers will become more successful.

Now take this all with a grain of salt, as I am currently reading 3 leadership books, and enrolled in a leadership class online. So I’m not against leadership. What I am against is anything replacing or capturing my attention more than God, and for many of us it can be the practice or technique of leadership.

All I’m saying is this: leadership techniques matter, but listening to God matters most. And getting that order right is often the difference between learning about leadership, and demonstrating it.

by Andrew Mills

The Gift of Limits

1395612_80122675Today I want to explore a little bit about what God gives in Genesis 1 and 2 to Adam and Eve. The first few chapters of Genesis are crucial for theology as we see the foundation for humanity, without the mark of sin. And what is interesting is that God gives Adam and Eve two things: responsibility and limitations. And let me say this, both are gifts.

God gives Adam and Eve responsibility, to be “fruitful and multiply” and steward the earth (Genesis 1:28). We are familiar with this part of the story; that they are given responsibilities and a task. And we understand this for our own lives. That God gives us gifts, abilities, and responsibilities that go along with those gifts. We are called to steward not only the earth, but our responsibilities well – and to increase the flourishing of life around us.

Yet God also does something very interesting. He sets limits. He gives Adam and Eve the garden to tend to, but sets very precise limits about its location and its boundaries (Genesis 2:10). And I think this is really something that we miss. God gives limits because limits are a blessing. We cannot be responsible for everything. We cannot do everything we want to. Responsibility reminds us of our calling to others, and limits reminds us of our need for others.

We cannot accomplish the calling of God upon our lives without both of these things, limits and boundaries, in equal play in our lives. If we live without limits we burn ourselves out, tend to use people, and forget we need others. If we live without responsibility we become a burden to others, self-centered, and destructive. We need to use our responsibility, but acknowledge our limits. There is nothing wrong with saying, “I can’t do more”. God gave limits to Adam and Eve in the garden before there was sin. Limits then are not a result of the fall, but a gift of God to remind us we need each other. I can’t do it all, and neither can you. We need one another.

So I think this is worth thinking about. To reflect on what responsibilities has God given you? And what limitations has he also given you? Who can you lean on when you come to your limits, and how might they help you to see a greater flourishing of life around you?

The point is this, limits aren’t a bad thing, they may be one of the biggest blessings God has given us if we would but acknowledge them.

by Andrew Mills

An Impossible Step of Faith

200390_9299On Sunday we looked at the story of Joshua in Joshua 1 and 2, because the story of Joshua is really a story of “Plan B”. The Israelites have been in a holding pattern for years, wandering in the desert, wondering when their breakthrough would happen, wondering when Plan B would end and they would move into the promised land.

This is where we find the Israelites in the first few chapters of Joshua, anticipating the future but not sure how to get there.

And God comes and speaks to Joshua and tells him something clear, but also something difficult. He says take the Ark and go and stand in the Jordan River. That’s it. That’s all he says. That’s all he gives.

The difficulty is that the Jordan River is what stands between the Israelites and the Promised Land. The difficulty is that the Jordan River is not a lazy peaceful river. In verse 15 we read the Jordan River was raging, at flood stage, was not peaceful at all. The Jordan River starts way up high, and runs very quickly towards the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth.

And so what is happening is all the water, all the rain, all the moisture is now rushing downwards creating a raging, flood-high, dangerous river for Joshua to cross.

And God says go step in the river and wait. That’s it. That’s all Joshua has to go on.

But Joshua takes an impossible step. He steps into the raging waters. He steps into the flood and he waits, and God acts and does a miracle and makes dry land.

But here is the thing: God doesn’t act until Joshua has taken the step. God doesn’t do the miracle first, God’s miracle comes after the trusting step of faith.

So on Sunday we looked at how if we want to get out of the “Plan B” situations we are in, it often takes a step of faith. It often means us taking an impossible step. It means us trusting in God, and then stepping out to see how God might come through.

The main point was this: To move out of Plan B, requires a step of faith.

We closed by asking ourselves: what is our Jordan River, and what is our step of faith? What is the obstacle we face that is stopping us from moving forward into the Promised Land? What is the obstacle that is stopping us from receiving God’s promises? And what is the step God is asking us to take? For some it’s a phone call to a fractured relationship, for others applying for that job or starting that business, for others, to admit that you need help. The point is that before God acts, he asks us to trust. So what step in trust is he asking us to take?

The challenge then this week was simple: take the step of faith, and step into the flood. My prayer then was that this week we all might see dry land, and walk through to the Promised Land, as God proves his faithfulness to us.

 

 Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: To move out of Plan B, requires a step of faith.

Teaching Points:

  • Suffering, of course, can lead you in either of two directions: It can make you very bitter and close you down, or it can make you wise, compassionate, and utterly open. Richard Rohr
  • God’s promises don’t have an expiration date.
  • When life doesn’t turn out the way you thought it was going to turn out, you may think you’re losing control. But the truth is, you never had control in the first place. Pete Wilson
  • We don’t give up on God, and we don’t give in to fear.
  • You grow more through difficulty and hardship than through the easy times of life.
  • Plan B times are tough, but they are also times of growth.
  • First, that God asks us to take a step of faith, Second, that we don’t always know how things will turn out, Third, the step is often difficult
  • Moving out of Plan B requires an impossible step.
  • “Plan B situations force us to rely on a power outside of ourselves” – Pete Wilson
  • In Plan B times our faith will either grow or shrink.
  • What step is God asking you to take?

Adult Discussion Questions:

What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? How did God speak to you through it? What was new?

How have you seen Plan B times either shut down someone’s faith, or be a reason it grows? What about you personally? Has a Plan B time ever shrunk your faith, or opened it? How before has God ever asked you to take an impossible step? What happened when you stepped out in faith? What obstacles or river are you facing now? Do you have a sense of your next step? Who can help you support you as you take it?

Discussion Question for Families:

Talk to your kids about this week’s story, and how Joshua has to trust in God. Teach them that sometimes God asks us to take steps before we know what might happen.

Ask them if they have any obstacles in their life (Jordan Rivers) and what step God might be asking them to take. Pray about their obstacles, and help them take their next steps.

Challenge for the Week: Take the step into the flood.

by Andrew Mills

What’s Your River, Obstacle, or Challenge?

1445165_51775350This Sunday we are looking at how to do you get out of “Plan B” times. You know the times where life seems to fall apart, where Plan A is long gone, where you’re not sure how to move forward.

We are going to be discovering how to find the next step to take to start to move back in the right direction.

The difficulty is that the step we are all asked to take is often into a raging flood. It’s a difficult step, into a fearful situation. But we are going to be looking at Joshua and how God moves in his life to lead him forward.

But before we get there, feel free to read Joshua 1-2 ahead of time,and I have a question for you. What obstacle are you facing in your life? What is the difficulty you are facing right now?

For Joshua he was facing a river that blocked his way to the promised land. What is it for you? A job, a relationship, a health challenge, an uncertain future, what? Are there any obstacles before you? Spend some time reflecting on where God is calling you, and what seems to be stopping you.

And then come on Sunday we are going to see how not only can we overcome obstacles, but how God can do miracles. How he can give us the next step to take, and bring us to our promised land. And that is something worth finding out.

by Andrew Mills

Who are those who matter most to us?

I know I’ve often quoted Henri Nouwen in the past few months here on the blog, but the truth is he is worth quoting. So I’d like to do that again with a few questions at the end. He wrote this:

“When we honestly ask ourselves which persons in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.”

I think this is so true. So here are a few questions that for me flow out of that quote:

  • Who means the most to you? Have you told them that lately? Have you shared with them why they matter to you so deeply?
  • When you encounter someone who is hurting, is your first reaction to share words of advice, or share a touch of comfort?
  • Who around you needs help today? How can you share in their pain and give them hope?

Worth reflecting on. Worth acting on.

by Andrew Mills

The Joy of a Ziggle

What is a ziggle you may ask? Only the most amazing toy ever. Hudson has one of these at daycare, and just loves it. So I found it online, got it shipped, and Hudson had one of the best days of his life. Here is a video of him on it:

 

He loves the speed, he loves “ziggling”, and scootering around. He loves spinning faster and faster. He just has such a sense of joy with it.

Here is what struck me with Hudson. Do I get that amount of joy out of anything? I mean Hudson gets pure joy out of the ziggle? Is there anything that gives me that much joy in life?

I don’t ask that question in a downer way or depressing way. I would say I’m a pretty happy, and optimistic person. I ask that question out of a “depth or capacity” concern.

What I mean by that is this: have I through the process of living lost some of my ability to deeply feel joy?

Has my ability to fully experience joy been lessened by living life? Have I lost some capacity for joy, life, and love? Because Jesus is clear – he has come to give life abundant, full life, and joyous life (John 10:10). But have I lost some of that?

And if I’m honest, in some ways the answer to those questions are…yes. In some ways I don’t seem to enter into life as fully as Hudson.  I’m not as prepared as he is to shout with joy.  I’m not maybe as ready to experience joy as deep as he does. And for me this isn’t a guilty thing. This is just a real thing that I hope to change.

And here is how I’m going to change it in three steps.

  1. I’m going to pray and ask God for more joy. I don’t think I’ve ever really done this. But it seems like a good place to start. If you read the Psalms (like 51:8, 12) the writers are often asking for joy. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, so it’s something that we can be given more of.  Just like we can pray and ask for more patience and self-control. So why not ask for more joy? Seems like a good thing to get to me!
  2. I’m going to spend more time with my boys. I think if you find a source of joy, stick with it. And Jesus says that the Kingdom of God belongs to the childlike. So I’m going to learn from them how to enter the moment.
  3. Last but not least, I’m going to try to have more margin in my life. I’ve noticed the busier I am, the less joyful I feel. So I’m going to try to change this and really enter into the moment.

So those are some of the things I’ve been learning from Hudson, and I think it’s worth thinking about. Oh and there is one more step to finding joy…seeing if anyone makes an adult sized ziggle 🙂

by Andrew Mills

Is Jesus God or is Jesus…Jesus?

question-markI’ve found that my 4 year old has a way of asking theological questions that are both complex, and completely obvious. He asks the questions that I often just take for granted.

Like last week we were driving home after daycare, and I was listening to a sermon in the car. And Hudson stops me and ask this question, “Dad…Is Jesus God, or is Jesus…Jesus”. And right away he gets to the heart of a difficult but true thing that I don’t think many of us get. Because the answer to his question is yes. Yes Jesus is God, but Jesus is also…Jesus. Hudson was trying to understand, are Jesus and God the same (the answer is yes), but is Jesus also Jesus distinct from God (the answer is also yes).

This confused Hudson to no end, because it is confusing, because I was trying to explain the Trinity to a 4-year old. This is the heart of the trinity where we have one God (Jesus is God), but three persons (Jesus is Jesus distinct from the Father and Spirit).

My point isn’t to resolve or explain Trinitarian theology in a short blog post. My point is actually much broader than that. What my 4 year old is teaching me is that I need to dive deeper into my faith and understanding. He is pointing out obvious questions that I think we need to wrestle with that have implications for our faith. I think because we are so “comfortable” with Christianity that we stopped asking some of the obvious questions that matter.

Here are just some Hudson has asked me in the past month:

  • Is Jesus God or is Jesus…Jesus?
  • If Jesus died on the cross did God die then too?
  • If Jesus is always with me why can’t I see or hear him?

These are all questions that matter, questions that are worth thinking about, questions that should drive us deeper into faith. So my whole point of this post is really simple: what questions about faith should you be asking and wrestling with? Which ones have you maybe overlooked? Which ones are just accepted but not really understood for you? And how can you start to learn and grow? Because asking questions, searching for answers, praying, and searching the Scriptures is part of the quest of faith and growing with God. And if you don’t have any questions that’s okay, just spend some time with Hudson and he will soon have one for you J

by Andrew Mills

Fearful Futures, to Trust in God’s Control

829311_28468256On Sunday we looked at how in reality we control so little of our lives. Most of the time we move through life like we have great control over the outcomes of our life: friendship, career, marriage, parenting, future, health, etc. The truth though is that often we don’t have control, and when we get reminded of that fact we move from Plan A to Plan B.

Plan B times in our lives is when we realize we aren’t sufficiently in control to make our desired future come to pass. It’s when we realize the plan and promises of God that we were moving forward towards seem further away than ever before.

This is when fear comes in. Fear fills the void of our lack of control. When we don’t have control fear starts to take a grip on our lives.

And on Sunday we looked at how fear must have gripped David. David wanted to be king of Israel. David was promised to be king of Israel, but David is in a “Plan B” time of his life. It doesn’t look like he will be king. Saul, the current king, is trying to kill him and David is just trying to survive.

So after being on the run for months, David and his men are hiding in the back of a cave as Saul and his men hunt from him. They are full of adrenaline, scared, and anticipating what might happen. When all of a sudden the most unusual thing happens. Saul the current king comes into the cave alone, and doesn’t realize that his enemies are right there hiding in the shadows.

David’s men quickly tell him, “This is the moment. This is your time. Here is an opportunity from God. This must be how you become King.”

And David faces a decision. He can kill the king, something he knows isn’t right, or do nothing and stay in this “Plan B” place. He can kill the king, walk out of the cave and become king of the entire nation and only one person would die. That’s it. It’s simple, straightforward, and immediate. He could kill Saul, walk out with his men, and take charge and lead. He could regain the control in his life he’s lost. He could stop having to hide in caves just to survive. And he needs to make this decision now.

Or of course…he could trust in God.

See the decision for David to kill or not kill Saul is really a decision about trust. Will he trust in God, or trust in his fear that this is the only time and way he will become king. Will he trust in God’s plans for his life, or trust in fear that says take control of your life and make this happen. David is placed in a place of tension choosing where to place his trust: in fear or in God.

And David chose to trust in God. That God will get him to become king, but not through regicide hiding in a cave. God will be faithful to him, even though David has no idea how God will accomplish his promises.

Fear tempts us into trying to take back control. God asks us to trust that he is in control.

So on Sunday we ended with the main point that when we are in the “Plan B’s” of life we can either trust in fear, or trust in God. And fear will always drive us further from God. Fear casts out God of our lives, and leads us into difficulty every time.

So we ended by asking two simple questions: Is there any area of our lives that are being driven by fear? And do we trust God?

First, if fear is driving something in our lives, we need to recognize it and challenge it. And we challenge fear, not be debating or entering into a discussion with it. We challenge and root out fear by trusting in God. 1 John 5:18 says that perfect love casts out fear. Love is the antidote to fear. So we overcome fear, by trusting in God, and his love. We choose like David to not believe in fear, but believe in God.

So we ended the service with one clear and simple challenge. That whenever fear grips our hearts this week, to turn to God and focus on his love and his promises that we do not need to fear, but can trust in him. So may you this week experience all of God’s love, and see fear loosen its grip on any part of your live. Because we get out of our Plan B’s of life not by following fear, but by following God.

 

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: We need to choose to trust in fear or to trust in God

Take Aways…

  • The fact is this: we are not in control as much as we think we are
  • the natural and normal response to a loss of control is fear.
  • “When life doesn’t turn out the way you thought it was going to turn out, you may think you’re losing control. But the truth is, you never had control in the first place” Pete Wilson
  • A decision made out of fear will never be a good one.
  • Two options: To fear and grasp for control, or to trust and let go of control.
  • A bad option when things are good seems like a good option when things are bad
  • Whenever fear asks you to make a decision it is the wrong one
  • But that’s one way we can identify the devil’s voice: it always plays to our fears. Jonathon Martin
  • Fear casts out God in our lives. Jonathon Martin
  • Is there any area of your life – being driven by fear?
  • Do you trust in God?
  • Trust in God and his love, and get rid of fear

Adult / Group Discussion Questions

What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? How did God speak to you through it? What was new?

When have you been in a “plan b” in your life? How has fear gripped you in “plan b” times? What areas of your life are filled with fear right now? Can you relate to the temptation David faced to force things on his own? When have you ever had to make a choice like David’s? How can centering on God’s perfect love for you, help to cast out fear of your life? How can you trust in God deeper this week?

Discussion Questions / Actions for Young Families

Talk to your kids about fear, and how it can grip us. Talk to them about what makes them feel better when they are scared (parents, friends, God, etc). Share with them how when we get scared focusing on God and his perfect love for us can help us to get rid of fear. That God is always there for them. Share from your own life how God’s love has helped in a time of fear.

Challenge for this Week

Trust in God and his love, and get rid of fear

by Andrew Mills

Is fear driving your future?

Spooky old photoOn Sunday we are looking at the topic of fear. And here is the truth: fear grows when we feel we are not in control. The less control we have in our lives, the more fear takes hold.

And this can happen all over the place. We lose our job, and fear is in charge. A friendship breaks down, and fear directs our decisions. Our Plan A’s turn into Plan B’s and fear has a heyday.

The point is this when we lose control, fear grows.

The problem is that we aren’t ever really in control. I mean I know this is not a fun thing to say – but we actually control so little in our lives. We live with the semblance of control. We plan, prepare, and proceed if we are in control. But things shift, the economy changes, a phone call from our doctor, a friendship fails…and we find out we aren’t in as much control as we thought. That’s when fear fills that void.

But that’s not the only way it needs to be. The options aren’t pretend control, and fear. There is a third option. One of trust that we are going to look at on Sunday.

But before we get there I think there is a good question for us to ask today:

Is there any area of your life that fear is driving?

Because fear is subtle, it is hidden often just below the surface, but it so often drives our decisions, thoughts, and lives. So spend some time asking that question and reflecting on it. Because here is the truth: a decision made based in fear, is rarely the right one. So on Sunday we are going to look at how fear drives us, but also how we can live free of fear. Because there is a beautiful promise in 1 John 5:18, “perfect love casts out fear”. So we are going to work this all together, where hopefully we can leave with less fear, more trust, and most importantly, more hope.

by Andrew Mills