The Power and Blessing of Forgiving

After almost three years of waiting, it’s finally over.

For days we sat on hard wooden benches and watched as two attorneys laid out in excruciating detail the events of October 26, 2005, which led to my husbands death. Witnesses, doctors, family members, police officers, photographs and drawings were all used to try to bring clarity to the day that forever changed my children and me. Twelve jurors listened intently, occasionally stealing glances at the two families represented. We had been instructed to not show too much emotion during the different testimonies at the risk of influencing the jury and potentially causing a mistrial. And so we sat and listened…and watched and swallowed and blinked.

My sweet daughter Emmie and her husband of less than a year, Peter, were to my left. On my right, my precious son Nate. The rest of the row was filled with family and friends.

The young man charged with vehicular homicide sat next to his attorney, their backs to us. According to several witnesses, he drove in an aggressive reckless manner passing cars for more than a mile before heading into oncoming traffic, side swiping a car and then plowing into Kevin head on. No skid marks, no evidence that anyone had anytime to react. Kevin was already gone by the time these strangers describing the scene ran to his van. One look was all they needed to know he didn’t have a chance. I remember thinking that the man who testified he was driving behind Kevin’s white minivan was the last one to see him alive.

In a crazy display of irony, the defendant’s attorney resembled Kevin not only in appearance, but also in his mannerisms. I struggled to focus as this man’s profile evoked a stream of vivid memories. If not for his voice, it would appear that Kevin was defending his killer. Especially during the closing arguments, I had to look away every few minutes.

The defense’s argument was that Naziim (the driver) had an epileptic seizure. His cousin, now a doctor, lived with him in India and then in New York for almost 10 years. According to her, Naziim had had a “spell” first at 11 months and then at 13 years old. In 2000 he also suffered some kind of spell at a convenience store where he had to be restrained. An MRI and EEG taken in 2003 before his marriage came back “normal”. His behavior after the accident was typical of a seizure according to the defense. The D.A. however showed that a person suffering a concussion (his head smashed the windshield) would show the same behavior. An expert witness for the prosecution in the field of Epilepsy testified that a person experiencing an epileptic seizure would not have been able to perform the complicated driving maneuvers required to pass and dodge cars at the speed he was traveling. It was confusing and exhausting.

When Naziim took the stand we kept hoping to feel some emotion from him. It seemed obvious he was somewhat awkward socially and his testimony centered on his inability to remember anything leading up to the accident or after. He claimed to remember having a strange taste in his mouth which can be a precursor to a seizure. At no time during his testimony did he communicate how he felt about what had happened. He had some serious internal injuries and spent two months in the hospital. The rest of the time leading up to the trial he had been on house arrest with a monitoring device on his ankle. If convicted, he faced up to 15 years in jail and probable deportation back to India since he was not an American citizen.

On Thursday afternoon, just before lunch, the jury was released to deliberate. We all thought that sometime that evening we would have a verdict. It was during that time it dawned on me one possible outcome could be a hung jury which would mean a mistrial. All these years I had thought this week would decide once and for all what happened. I was thankful that Naziims fate was not in my hands. I felt I would accept whatever happened as God’s will but as I contemplated all the possible outcomes it was hard to see how any of them would bring anything but uncertainty. The thought of him serving years behind bars brought no comfort. The thought of him being declared “not guilty” left me unsure and the thought of a hung jury or mistrial could mean doing the whole thing again. A couple of times the jury asked for clarification on certain issues and asked for Naziim’s testimony to be transcribed for them to review. The judge released them that night so that the court reporter could transcribe the testimony and have it ready for them the next morning. We all returned for yet another day and waited and waited in the special room provided for victims. Friday evening, our attorney told us the jury was divided 7 to 5 and the judge was going to give them the “Allan charge”. Basically the charge states that they were the most qualified to decide on this case and encourages them to press on. They went back once again to try to come to a decision. As a family, we gathered together and cried out to God for His will. I remember saying, “God, you are the only one who knows the truth!” A few hours later we were told they were now 6 to 6 and unable to come to a unanimous decision. We all filed down to the court room to hear the words we were dreading.

A mistrial.

We sat quietly as the jury filed in. Three of the jurors were crying. All of them looked exhausted. Nate and I stared in disbelief as Emmie and other members of our family wept. Was it possible that the emotional rollercoaster of the last five days, even the last three years was for nothing. I had felt the undeniable presence of God all week. My eyes could not see any possibility of the closure we longed for but I have walked with God long enough to know that all that I can see is not all there is. I felt a deep sadness but a peace as well. We filed out of the court room and as Nate and Emmie and I looked at each other we were all aware that this may be the only time we would ever have to have a conversation with Naziim and his family. The deputies and staff tried to usher us back up to the victim’s room but we stood there hoping the family would come out of the court room and we could talk to them.

As their family began to file out, it became very uncomfortable for everyone and several armed deputies postured themselves around us while another began to direct Naziim’s family to go back into the court room. Nate began to voice for all of us our need for a conversation. He was very firm but controlled. I was so proud of him. He said we had waited three years for this moment and we needed it. The deputies who were obviously concerned that there might be a scene continued to urge us to go upstairs or we would be asked to leave. They said it was impossible to have a meeting like that and that we would have to arrange it with the attorneys at another time and somewhere else. I told them Emmie was leaving the next day for California and it needed to happen today. It was very tense and we finally consented to go upstairs. We sat in stunned silence. The moment had come and gone.

After a few moments, Nate looked out the window and saw our attorney running after Naziim and his wife. They turned around and walked back into the building. A deputy came upstairs and told us a meeting had been arranged. We knew God was causing the impossible to happen. Our attorney came in and said we could have 15 minutes and that only a few of us could go. Nate, Emmie, Peter, myself and my two sisters walked back downstairs escorted by our attorney and a deputy. I knew this would be a Holy moment. To my amazement, they led us into a small courtroom. Naziim and his wife stood facing us behind the railing to the right. The officer led us to the front bench on the left. Peter, Emmie and I sat while Nate remained standing. Three armed deputies stood facing us. The attorney that looked like Kevin stood with his client. Another deputy stood near them and still another was by the door. Everyone had a look of disbelief on their face. Naziim and his wife looked terrified. She looked at the deputy standing in front of me and asked if she could approach me. I nodded and she walked over and the two of us embraced and sobbed feeling each others pain.

Nate was the first to speak. He said we had not come for punishment but for this. We needed to know how this had impacted them. At first Naziim seemed defensive. He began to beg us to believe him that he had had a seizure and that he was not who we thought he was. I told him again that was not why we were here. We needed to know how he felt.

At that point he began to cry. We saw for the first time his brokenness. I extended my hand and he clasped it with both of his. He said he had wanted to contact us but was not allowed to because of the case. Emmie had brought some pictures of Kevin with us and I placed one in my lap facing Naziim. I told him I needed to say something. He was still holding my hand and I looked into his eyes and said I had been forgiven much and that because of Christ’s love for me I forgave him and extended forgiveness over his life. He doubled over, his forehead touching my hand and wept thanking me over and over again. Everyone in the room including the deputies and attorneys had tears in their eyes. Emmie was able to finally tell him all she had lost. She told him her husband had never met her Dad and that her children would never know their grandfather. Naziim wept and told her how sorry he was. I was witnessing the moment she had prayed for. She asked him to promise her he would be diligent in monitoring his Epilepsy. I have never felt so proud of my children and I knew that Kevin was filled with pride as well. As we stood to go, I watched in awe as Nate embraced Naziim. Naziim then turned to me and I embraced him. We walked out and once we were a short distance down the hall the four of us stopped and just wept. I knew we had just witnessed a miracle. Once we were back in the room we sat in silent awe. Our attorney just shook his head and said, “Well, I have never done that before!”

I am still trying to wrap my mind around all that happened. Later I realized that the 6 to 6 division of the jury was significant as well. To me it was symbolic of the fact that only God knew the whole truth. It is hard to explain but I feel complete resolve. I don’t know if the State will try to bring the case to trial again but I think in light of the events of the day they may drop the charges. Either way, I will not be there if there is another trial. I will continue to pray for Naziim and his family. I am hopeful that now that the storm has swept through and we are still standing that perhaps some rebuilding can begin.

What ever happened to revival meetings?

What ever happened to revival meetings? Where did they go?

I grew up with revivals. I'm not referring to the outpourings that many of us long to see today; although that certainly occurred at times. I am speaking of the series of services pastors sat aside each year for the church to experience corporate discipleship and evangelism.

If you are in your 40s or younger you may have no idea what I'm talking about. But now you can!

Every year, usually 3-4 times a year, pastors scheduled evangelists or "revivalists" to minister in their churches during a series of services, referred to as "revivals." Church members were encouraged to share their faith; invite their friends to come to the meetings. For many years, revivals were planned with no definite end in sight. The people would gather each night, pray and seek God. The guest minister preached or taught until the church experienced the Lord's presence. It could be days, weeks or months.

In the '40s and '50s, 14-day meetings were commonplace. But in the 1960s 14-day meetings gave way to 7-day meetings. And in the '70s the 7-day meetings were reduced to 3-day meetings. Then churches conducted revival Sundays. Other things crowded out those exciting nights together when the focus was on God alone, to learn his Word, and see the lost come to faith in Christ.

Most people who know Alice and me, know that our ministry for the past 20 years has been largely focused on prayer. But the truth is that Alice and I traveled for many years as intinerant evangelists. We conducted almost 1,000 revival meetings or evangelistic crusades. We saw churches revived, powerful visitations of God on occasions, and were privileged to see thousands of people born again as a result of our ministry. We experienced encounters during these meetings where the glory of God was so strong no one left the building. Repentance, holiness and getting right with one another lasted until 2:00AM.

The weekly schedules often included mid morning weekday services or covered-dish potluck noon luncheon services along with 7:00 or 7:30 PM nightly services.

Recently, I asked several hundred Christian leaders, "How many of you were born again, or called into the ministry as a result of revival services or an evangelistic crusade?" More than 75% indicated they had.

Then I asked, "How many of you attend a church that has conducted revival services or evangelist crusades in the past five years?" Almost no one had.

My next question was the point. "If so many of you found Christ or discovered your ministry calling in a revival service or an evangelistic crusade, and you can hardly find one today, from where do you suppose the next generation of Christian leaders come?" A holy hush fell across the room.

What happened to revival meetings and evangelistic crusades?

A few years ago I taught on prayer at the headquarters of a major youth ministry. The 200 or more young people in attendance were the "cream of the crop." They had come from Evangelical, Charismatic, and Pentecostal churches to invest a year of their lives in preparation for full-time ministry.

As I approached the end of my teaching I felt impressed of the Lord to present a clear-cut presentation of the saving gospel of Christ. I could hardly imagine why. I thought to myself, "Why would the Lord want me to do that? After all, these young adults are 'ministers in the making.' If they weren't born again they wouldn't even be here." But the Holy Spirit wouldn't leave it alone. Finally I relented, and shared the new life Christ died and arose from the dead to give them.

When I finished, I gave a cautious no-pressure invitation. It was one of what I call my "negative invitations." I said things like, "Don't come just because your friend is coming. Don't come just because you're emotionally stirred. If you've personally met Jesus Christ and he lives in your heart, I do not want you to come. I'm only inviting those who know that Christ is not in their hearts and who have never been transformed by his saving power." Regardless of my restrictions, I opened the altar and one-third of those young people wept their way to the front to receive Christ. Their testimonies were touching. One girl said things, "When I was 8-years-old I walked an aisle with a friend who received Christ. He was changed. I wasn't--until tonight!" An older boy said, "I've tried to be a Christian for years. Now I know I was attempting the impossible. Only Christ can live the Christian life and now he's alive in me! NOW I know it!"

Frankly, I wasn't surprised. Why? Because when we tossed out the revival services and the evangelistic crusades, many good churches also dispensed with offering public invitations to receive Christ altogether. With that, church members stopped inviting their lost friends and family members to church.

Some pastors ceased inviting people to be saved because so few did. It seemed almost pointless to continue to do so when so few people responded. (Maybe it was an embarrassment to see such small results--but God doesn't see it this way!) But could it be the church has also concluded it didn't need the ministry of the God-ordained evangelist? Christians no longer saw evangelism in action, and saw no purpose for it. Because they no longer learned to share their faith, over time they withdrew from meaningful relationships with lost people--who were their mission field. Without a mission field, the church ceased being a mission force!

I hunger for revival services and evangelistic crusades. I long to spend 3-5 mornings in depth studies of God's word with his people. I miss the 3-7 nights of preaching the clear gospel of Christ to the lost, and the claims of Christ to the church. Bringing people to faith in Christ is an anointing on my life.

As we enter this new decade (2010) I feel strongly to share my concern, and offer myself to pastors and churches that have a vision to see the lost, who are in the church be transformed, and the lost who are outside the church come to Christ.

For the past 20 years churches have sought to identify and engage with their "apostles" and "prophets." It's time for us to identify and engage with our "pastor-teachers" and "evangelists." (Eph 4)

Perhaps you're a pastor, or will share this with your pastor.

Pray about scheduling revival services in 2010. Challenge your church to prepare, to attend, and to bring their lost family and friends. Have special emphasis for each night; mothers; teens in sports or children's night. I can help you with the details. Invite a minister who is ordained of God and anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel to the lost and to challenge the church to a deeper walk with God.

If you sense God's direction in this matter and would like to consider me or Alice in this regard, contact us. We'll gladly share the tools we offer that could strengthen your church, and rescue the perishing.

My email is: usprayercenter@cs.com
My cell phone is: 281-830-8724

Blessings,
Eddie
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The Leadership Jump

	SchLead 09-04-058
	The Leadership Jump Building Partnerships Between Existing and Emerging Christian Leaders Jimmy Long IVP Books, 2009, 205 pp., ISBN 978-0-8308-3364-1 To order this book click here.

Jimmy Long is a regional director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and the author of several books and resources. He has served as a long term elder in his church as well as in leadership with InterVarsity for perhaps more than 30 years. As he has become an older leader he has continued to work with younger generations of leaders as the culture and adult generations have changed. While agreeing heartily with the thrust of the book, I often felt compelled to push back. See my comments scattered throughout and at the end. Chapter 1. The Leadership Dilemma While the world is reeling from failed leadership we have a shortage of capable leaders and a growing gap between existing and emerging leaders. Too frequently, unable to work together, they part ways. Long insists that older leaders must be willing to give up the stability and predictability of the past and give up control to empower younger leaders. Not likely a smooth transition, this is a redirection. One of my complaints is putting the overwhelming share of the burden on older leaders. Much less is said about younger leaders adjusting, learning, and earning the right to be heard and lead. dlm Chapter 2. The Church's Dilemma Question: How do your church leaders need to change to minister and lead in the emerging culture? We cannot lead from outside the culture. We must lead from within. (24) We have moved from the compartmentalized, organized world of the Berlin Wall to the boundary-free world of the Web. Authority and leadership are moving from hierarchical rules, roles, structures, reason, and plans to a culture of networking, permission giving and empowerment, sometimes observed as chaos, confusion and complexity. The church must move from a "ghetto" or "gated community" to a Kingdom outpost of compassion and agents of change in the community. (26) Leaders must change before others will change. We need leaders like Peter, who recognizing God's hand, moved the church beyond being simply a Jewish cult. "Older existing leaders should recognize that they must both unlearn old habits and learn new strategies if they are going to be successful leaders in the emerging culture." (32) Emerging leaders must help interpret the culture, receive a sense of history and tradition from older leaders and be patient. (33) "Some existing leaders fear that the emerging leaders…are selling out to the emerging culture. They are becoming emerging churches absorbed by the culture…." (36) "We have to…be willing to develop a new understanding of what is going on." "…existing and emerging leaders need each other. We need the maturity, wisdom and order of the existing leaders, and we need the imagination, creativity and chaos of the emerging leaders." (39) We need new understanding and eventually new models. Instead of forecasting we need foresight, the ability to see what is emerging. (41) Chapter 3. From Heroic to Post-Heroic Leadership Heroic leadership is the John Wayne, "follow-me" style, people like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua and David. Long suggests that the modern church has emphasized a corporate culture of clear mission, goals and progress. The senior pastor assumes hierarchical authority. This leads to staff members operating independently in silos of ministry. Power and authority are characteristics of the past while character, influence and relational ability are increasing in importance. The emerging culture does not trust heroic leaders. The leader depends more on collaborative efforts in a team environment. Shared leadership in flatter organizations with more flexibility and room for initiative are required today. The new senior leader must develop a strong leadership team of people with mutual influence who can create and implement ideas to move forward toward a common vision. (53) This is more in line with the early church versus the Old Testament heroes. (54) Leaders must acknowledge and respect their limitations as well as their gifts. (56) The church can react to the changing culture more effectively as the right people in decentralized forms exercise their agility, flexibility, proactivity and autonomy. (58) Instead of the charismatic builder, the senior pastor serves as an architect who invites others into the process of building, empowering others to do the ministry. Like mountain climbers, people will not "clip onto a rope" with leaders whose decisions they don't trust. Mountain climbers are teams who pursue a mission or purpose together. Leadership is all about serving the team, facilitating decision processes. The decisions reside in the team. Leading is not "follow me," but serving and empowering others. Long suggests this was Jesus' style. He didn't demand power but gave it up to serve his disciples. (61) [It is obviously true that Jesus cared for and served his disciples - even unto death. On the other side, Jesus said, "I am the way," "follow me." He also received his authority from his Father and passed it on to his disciples. As far as we know he gave them instructions for going out, rather than having a discussion to get their input on the destination and the journey. These are examples, of course, of hierarchy rather than collaboration.] Chapter 4. From Guarded to Vulnerable Older leaders tend to be cautious about sharing information. Long says business leaders project being in charge, having the answers, being calm and having self-assurance. Younger leaders see this as a mask of invincibility that isolates them. By contrast Paul led through his weakness made strong in Christ. Leaders must be vulnerable and admit weaknesses, which gives more freedom for people to be themselves. (68) "The people we lead need to see us for who we are." (79) "Emerging leaders are crying out for an environment where the existing leaders and they can develop trust through vulnerability." (72) Jesus demonstrated this. He came with humility and vulnerability. "Clearly, demonstrating strengths lends leaders legitimacy--but not if weaknesses are denied." (73, quoting Goffee and Jones). "Vulnerability is a hallmark of leadership in the emerging culture." (74) "Part of...approachability comes from leaders admitting when they have made mistakes and asking for forgiveness." (74) "These relationships, built on integrity, trust and honesty, become more like a covenant." (76) Vulnerability is developed by spending time together as a team in a variety of venues getting to know one another, sharing our lives and praying for one another. (79) "Within this climate of suspicion, postmoderns above everything else want to experience authenticity. They are interested not so much in our truth claims as in the extent to which our lives correspond to the truth we proclaim." (81, quoting Eddie Gibbs, Leadership Next) Leaders are valued for their character and example. (82) Chapter 5. From Positional Authority to Earned Authority Emerging leaders want their leaders to "earn their trust." They are skeptical toward all types of hierarchical or formal authority. [Or perhaps any authority and may expect more trust-earning from others than from themselves. dlm] "In the emerging culture, the most important quality of a leader is the ability to give up one's power and replace it with compassion." (94) "Emerging leaders reject positional authority in favor of relational authority." (96) "Leadership comes when power is shared rather than authority exerted." (97) "They are looking for leaders who lead more by relational persuasion than by command." Trust is the foundation and it has to be earned. (99) [If this were a young leader speaking, I would perceive it as all one way. "You, my leader, must listen to me, care for me, share your authority with me, persuade me, and do not give me any orders, for goodness sake, for I would certainly reject that." Because the author is in the older leader's position, I recognize that he is simply interpreting the situation as he experiences it. Still, if the topic is building partnership among older and younger leaders, I wonder what is the responsibility for the younger leader to earn trust, learn from experience, accept correction, etc.?] Chapter 6. From Task to Community Community is the key ingredient to accomplish the task. In modern culture, we relied on hard data to measure progress toward grandiose goals such as church growth. However changed values and changed practices are some of the "soft stuff" necessary to be the community God desires. Leadership must change from goal-driven to relationship-driven. "We have to make sure we are loving people and not using them, caring for people more than our goals." (107) The Great Commission has been the rallying cry for evangelism. It is task oriented with an emphasis on 'go.' "For many reasons the rallying cry of the Great Commission has lost some of its luster in this emerging culture." "We just need to emphasize a new rallying cry that has a more relational dimension." "When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, he did not quote what we know as the Great Commission." Instead he quoted the Great Commandment. "The most powerful apologetic for the gospel today is true Christian community." "Task is not negated. It just flows out of community." "In the emerging culture context, community is essential to accomplishing the task." (110-111) [I would have appreciated some acknowledgement of the "all nations" aspect of The Great Commission and how that part relates to the discussion. Dlm] Today's leader is more a gardener than an architect. Communities grow rather than being built. Gardeners are flexible and patient, with no guarantees. One emerging leader states: "We measure our success by our ability to maintain relationships rather than an arbitrary mission…." (121) Younger leaders want to work in community and also set the agenda. (121) [Might there sometimes be confusion about what mission is arbitrary and what is biblically mandated?] Chapter 7. From Directing to Empowering [Does it have to be either/or? Dlm] Some leaders believe the senior pastor should be the primary vision caster and others are to implement the vision. Younger leaders want more ownership in collectively developing the vision. Too many church leaders are operating more like CEOs than shepherds, using a business model of control to produce numeric growth. However some younger leaders know how to drive better in this new culture. "Learning should replace control as the fundamental job of leadership." "As they make suggestions for change, they run up against a brick wall of the existing leaders who are not willing to make the necessary changes." "If we do not empower the emerging leaders of the future, they will walk away…" (132-33) [This is no doubt true in many situations. But just as we all know controlling leaders, we have also seen young, inexperienced adults who think they have all the answers and should be listened to as experts while they are not open to correction and learning themselves. The errors go both ways. I'm sure the author acknowledges this. Dlm] "Existing leaders will have to be givers. They will give away power, give away control and give themselves away to others." (136) "In addition to being a servant leader, the existing leader has to be willing to share leadership with the emerging leaders." (138) "To become true partners in leadership, both existing and emerging leaders should listen to each other." (141) Both need to admit they need each others. "The existing leader becomes much more of a guide than a general." "The emerging leaders will need to have patience. They must understand that they still have a lot to learn from older, wiser existing leaders." (144-45) [Oh, here it is.] Chapter 8. From Destination to Journey [As soon as I read the chapter title, this question popped into my mind: If it's all about the journey and not about the destination, do you need a leader? In this chapter, Long refers to a destination as represented by a master plan or a map in contrast to a journey represented by a vision and a compass. It seems to me that destination and journey are not proper opposites and that the conversation is more about how we make progress. We need adjustable, flexible plans based on a changing landscape rather than detailed and inflexible long range plans based on history. Chapter 9. From Aspiring to Inspiring More young people feel inadequate to lead, are overwhelmed by their baggage and fear that becoming a leader will separate them from the community. Many have a whole set of developmental needs and would not have been considered leadership material in the past. Many are full of passion but unfocused. We need hinge leaders who can move between existing and merging leaders, holding in tension the best of both. Emerging leaders need to be passionately committed to helping the existing church transition into a new way of doing ministry. They need patience and they need to recognize they have something to learn from existing leaders. Epilogue "Many existing leaders are concerned that the emerging leaders will not only seize the opportunity to minister within the emerging culture but also will be seized by the culture and become absorbed by the culture. On the other hand, emerging leaders are getting impatient with the existing leaders who are standing outside, afraid to enter into the emerging culture lest they get tainted." (187) [We always face the tension of how to be in the culture but not of it. Somehow we older North American Christians tend toward being of the culture while not in it, whereas many younger Christians seem to be of it and in it! dlm] * * * * Some additional thoughts: There seems to be a good deal of whining by young people that they aren't listened to or treated with respect (i.e. as experts), even if they have little experience or expertise. Among them are those who are products of broken homes and dysfunctional families, who have never had people who truly cared for them and taken their best interest to heart. Another subset includes those who have been idolized from birth and have come to a very high opinion of themselves. Both tend to have authority issues. In order to show the contrast in leadership styles, Long seems to have lumped older leaders into the hierarchical command and control model. Of course, there are many such leaders, but there are also a great number of older leaders who are much more caring and collaborative. Long blames secular management for the command and control leadership style. It may perhaps be more a military model. While many secular leaders exhibit the qualities he decries, the secular leadership and management literature have been promoting shared leadership, emotional intelligence, transparency, vulnerability, good listening, trustworthiness, even love and care for 50 years beginning with Douglas McGregor's The Human Side of Enterprise published in 1960. I wonder how Long would view today's college or professional sports coaches as models for the younger adult generations. Coaches often have to meld into a team a number of players who have been idolized and pampered and help them sacrifice their personal desires for the good of the team. Many who think they are above teaching must be taught the fundamentals. While appreciating and caring for the players, the coach must insist on his own way based on the experience he has that the players have not. The coach has very little leverage over the players who are often very much in demand. A successful sports coach must indeed be a wizard.

* * * * * *

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“Prayer that Changes Churches and Communities”

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PASTORS / PRAYER LEADERS MINI CONFERENCE:
“Prayer that Changes Churches and Communities”

Tuesday, .November 17, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
$25 registration includes lunch.

Facilitated by Rev. Phil Miglioratti the National Facilitator Cities /Communities Ministries for Mission America Coalition and Director National Pastor’s Prayer Network. Register by November 10

Compass Regional Training Center is a Light and Life Ministry and is located at 270 E. Chicago Street, Eagle's Nest Building, Elgin, Illinois

847.695.5133 or info@light-life-ministries.org or web lalm.org

Please register at Light and Life Ministries 9:00 am – 1:00 pm or 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Monday – Friday or mail registration fee (checks must be made out to Light & Life Ministries) to 560 Robertson Road, South Elgin, 60177 with your name, address, email, phone, class title and time of class you are attending. Checks must be received by class registration deadline.

Stetzer Interviewed Blecher: Deep Church

EdStetzer.com

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Book Interview: Deep Church with Jim Belcher

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 07:24 AM PDT

Jim Belcher is the founding and lead pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, California. He is co-producer of the docudrama "From Earth to Heaven: The Life and Art of Vincent Van Gogh." He is also the cofounder of the Restoring Community Conference: Integrating Social Interaction, Sacred Space and Beauty in the 21st Century, an annual conference for city officials, planners, builders and architects.

Jim's new book, Deep Church is getting a lot of attention as he works to make sense of the conflict between the emerging and traditional ends of the church while offering a "third way." Read the interview and then jump into the comments below. Jim will be with us today and will interact with your questions.

What motivated you to write Deep Church?
I was motivated to help heal the divisions in the church. As someone who has a foot in both camps, I wanted to call for an end to the rhetorical shouting match between the emerging and traditional branches of the church. This cease fire is needed to create a space for dialogue that is not super charged with distrust. My desire then was to lay out the areas we agree on before we jump to our disagreements. I wanted to eliminate some of the fear that is present about the other side of the argument and start listening to each other and possibly learning from each other.

What does the title, Deep Church, mean?
The phrase comes from an interview C.S. Lewis gave in 1952 where he talked about both the deep church and mere Christianity as the same thing. So the deep church is the mere Christian church. It is based and rooted in the Great Tradition, going back to the 4th and 5th Century creeds and confession before all the divisions took place. Others like Tom Oden have called it the rebirth of orthodoxy.

Who is Deep Church written for?
Deep Church is written for primarily four groups. First, it is for those caught in between, those who like aspects of the emerging and traditional churches but sense that there is a third way. Second it is for those who have heard about the emerging church but don't know anything about it. This is a good introduction. Next, it is for seminary students and young church planters who are formulating their own philosophy of ministry. Deep Church is a handbook for them. Finally, it is for veteran pastors who are discouraged in their ministry and need a shot in the arm--something to inspire them, give them hope and provide a road map for renewal in their own lives and churches.

For those new to the dialogue, can you tell us what the emerging Church is?
The emerging church is a diverse movement. It can't be characterized by one or two thinkers. In the book, I use your description of the three camps that make up the emerging church--the relevants, reconstructionists and revisionists. The relevants have the most in common with the traditional church, sharing much of its theology but wanting to be more contextualized. The reconstructionists share similar theology but are really interested in ecclesiology and changing the church to more represent first century Christianity. The revisionist are the ones that have challenged the traditional church's theology the most. Thus they get the most pushback from the traditional church and recieve most of the attention in the media. But as controversial as they may be, they don't represent the entire movement. I think they would agree with that statement.

Why are they unhappy with the traditional church?
If one spends any amount of time reading the literature, the blogs, and talking with those in the emerging camp, it is clear they are not happy with the traditional church. As I researched the movement I found seven protests that were common in their critique. I lay out these seven protests in my book. They are the following: 1) captivity to Enlightenment rationalism, 2) a narrow view of salvation, 3) belief before belonging, 4) uncontexualized worship, 5) ineffective preaching, 6) weak ecclesiology and 7) tribalism.

How has the emerging church critique been received by the traditional church?
Not so good. The pushback has been swift and strong. The conversation over the past 5 years has been marked by more of a shouting match than a dialogue. Lots of fear and distrust.

Can you describe how Deep Church is a third way?
My goal in the book is to listen and learn from both sides because they both have something to teach us. The way I do this in the book is to devote one chapter to each of the seven protests. I first let the emerging church explain its protest and then I give the traditional church a chance to push back. After appreciating what we can learn from both sides, I then present a third way that can get us beyond the stalemate and bring unity to both sides. My goal is unity and mission; if we are divided than we can't move out together into mission, presenting a unified front to a watching world. I use my own narrative and stories from my travels and church to tie each chapter together.

What do you hope this book accomplishes?
I hope it accomplishes three things. I hope gives people a deep passion and love for the church. Not to give up on it even though it is divided and we don't know all the answers. Second, I hope it brings unity to the Body of Christ-because without it our witness to the watching world is compromised. Finally, I hope that it inspires people to move confidently into the future, with a road map in hand, to participation in all the exciting things God is doing in his world. And what I am hearing from people and pastors on all sides of the conversation is that these four things are happening. Deep Church is really resonating with people across the theological and church spectrum. For that I am deeply grateful.

"What Keeps You From Hearing God's Voice?"

"Tony, What keeps you from wanting to hear God’s voice?"

1. Fear that God will ask me to go “out of my comfort zone,” like he did for so many Biblical characters.

2. Fear that the voice or prompting I heard was not really God and I may look foolish if I obey.

3. Not wanting to give up my self-will vs. wanting God’s will (at any price).

4. Doubt that it is his voice vs. my imagination.

5. Being caught in the busyness of life and not willing to be still and wait patiently to hear his voice. Ps 37:7

6. Laziness to do what he asks or tells me to do. Jesus told Peter… ‘Come’, it took effort to obey. (Mt 14:19)

7. Doubt that God has ‘my’ best interest in mind.

8. Doubt that God will resource, in my time table, what he asks me to do.

9. If I start practicing ‘hearing God’ I am fearful that he will not only affirm, encourage, counsel, teach and lead me through life’s challenges… but, he will ask me to do something. I do not enjoy surprises or change.

10. My blind spots of sin, pride and ‘right’ness.

11. Being caught-up in the ‘Woe is me’ of life.

12. My roller coaster ride of anxiety (Phil 4:6), fret and worry (Ps 37:8).

13. My ability to complicate the simple. God speaks to his children. Listen.

14. Fear that I am not wise enough or skilled enough to know God’s voice.

15. Fear that I will be tricked or trapped by Satan or powers of darkness.

16. Fear that my fiends and enemies will laugh me at.

17. My not being willing to obey the Lord at any cost.

18. Fear that God is going to speak to me about my sin of the past and/or present. (Ps 50:7)

19. Not knowing God’s word the Bible well enough to discern his voice.

Note: Fear and doubt deafens and paralyzes, while faith and hope awakens the ears and heart to hear and obey. Do you want great Joy & divine Adventure in your life? Wake up your ears and heart to hear God’s voice. He will lead you into many glorious faith assignments.

Tony Danhelka

"How Does God Speak To You?"

Tony... "How does God speak to you personally?"

1. Most of the time he whispers into my heart. It is so soft I could easily miss it. However, Praise God he doesn't shout at us... who could survive it?

2. Sometimes he gives me 'Words of Knowledge' that he impresses in my 'minds eye or soul. He literally types out a word in my mind a few times.

3. Then there are dreams while I am sleeping or resting. Dreams that are full of action and in radiant color. If I remember them after my morning shower I consider them from the lord and journal them with an attempt at an interpretation.

4. At times he speaks to me by simply answering my prayers. His deliverance shortly after a prayer like David in Ps 34:4-6 that I was reading this morning.

5. Certainly while reading the Bible, he speaks application into my heart.

6. Sometimes he encourages me to Journal. Then he gives me an answer or response to write down.

7. Then their are these crazy 'Promptings'. One to maybe four word statements. Usually early when I am relaxed & freer from distractions.

8. He speaks to me during sermons, inspirational tapes/CDs/DVD's and songs of Worship. He also speaks at times during a conversation with a trusted friend. He will say in my heart...."Tony, did you hear that? or Tony, did you see that?" to make sure I am listening and hearing.

9. When I get a surprise 'creative idea' I will often Praise God for the inspiration that just came from Him, rather than thinking it was my great ingenuity.

10. I often hear from the Lord a day, two or three after I ask in prayer... rarely immediately. Something like Mary and Martha asking Jesus to come and heal their brother Lazarus in John 11. Then 3 days later Jesus shows up with the 'resurrection' answer.

11. Also, it is common for me to hear from the Lord the day after a water only fast. Fasting is hard for me. I rarely feel great and alert to Christ during the fast, but right after it when I start eating again he starts speaking with greater clarity to me. If it is a 7 day or 21 day water only fast (which I have not done in a while), then it is more common for me to hear his voice during the 2 or 3 days after the longer fast via these kinds of methods listed here.

12. Some times he speaks to me while I am preaching. He did this on Saturday morning when I was speaking to some 100 College Students. He told me how to adjust my message if I ever share it again. Good stuff.

13. He mostly speaks to me when I 'relax' enough to hear him and do not try to 'force' him to speak to me. Donna has helped me a lot on this point. Resting in him.... Is. 30:15!

14. He speaks more to me when I obey what he already has told me. Who wants to speak to a friend and have them ignore what they say? God often speaks to us, but we rationalize it away as our own imagination. I frequently repent of this and ask the Holy Spirit to give me ears to hear him, wisdom to understand, courage and power to obey. Then relax and respond as best as I can when I am alert enough to catch his word to me.

15. Remember... Jesus voice will never tell you to do something that is inconsistent with the Scriptures ethics or morals. I find that he does a lot of encouraging, gentle correction and instruction in right living. He does not 'accuse or push'... that is the evil one trying to appear as an angel of light. Jesus leads us and points the way.

Well I got to go now. The day is before me. Hope this helps some. I would enjoy hearing how he speaks to you and others in the group some day.

Tony Danhelka

The Unexpected Adventure: Share

Day 15 Adventure ~ Mountaintop Experience
MARK MITTELBERG

Few places are as beautiful as Montana’s Beartooth Mountains in midsummer, and no outdoor activity is more fulfilling than backpacking among the craggy peaks, where the sky is clear, the air crisp, and the aroma of pine needles fresh and fragrant. Then there are the high-altitude flowers, with shapes, colors, and sizes you just don’t see down in the lowlands.

One summer, Heidi and I enjoyed a nearly week-long trek into this region. We set up a base camp next to a sparkling mountain stream and took hikes each day, exploring in various directions.

A few days into our trip, we met Dan, who had come up alone and set up camp nearby. We introduced ourselves and invited him to join us the next morning for a day hike up a mountain that overlooked the area. He accepted, and we met him soon after sunrise.

It was a beautiful morning. We walked along, chatting and enjoying the alpine scenery, and the higher we climbed the more mountain flower variations we noticed. After we had all commented about how amazing they were, it struck me that I might be able to bridge the conversation to more significant topics. So I decided to throw out a line and see what happened.

“You know, God must have quite an imagination to create such beauty,” I began. “We keep seeing all these incredible shapes and colors of flowers. The Creator must really be creative.”

I still have a clear mental picture of the scene: we were on a gentle incline, walking single file on the narrow trail. Heidi was up front, Dan was in the middle, and I was in the back (somebody had to guard our group from the grizzly bears). When I made my comment about God’s imagination, Dan glanced back at me and said, “Well, I guess that would be true if you believed in God, but I don’t.”

End of discussion. Or so he thought.

Dan didn’t realize it, but I’m an intellectual-style evangelist who was looking for an atheist to interact with in the mountains. Finally, something really interesting to talk about, I thought. Enough about floral life; let’s talk about eternal life.

It wasn’t hard to keep the dialogue going. I simply replied, “Really? You don’t you believe in God? Why not?” As I expected, he was more than happy to explain his rationale to Heidi and me.

In fact, the rest of the way up the mountain he did his best to lay out the reasons we shouldn’t believe in God, why he couldn’t exist, and how we can live without depending on some manufactured deity. We listened patiently, asking a few questions to gain a clear picture of his beliefs and waiting until it seemed right to offer some of our own thoughts.

That opportunity occurred during most of the hike back down the mountain. As persuasively as I knew how, I tried to answer the objections Dan had raised and to present what I considered to be compelling evidence for God’s existence. We talked about science, logic, philosophy, history, and archaeology, and I tried to explain how all of this — and how knowing Christ in a personal way — had impacted our own lives.

Our discussion lasted all the way back to our base camp, where we started a campfire and talked for a -couple more hours. I wish I could report that at the end Dan fell to his knees, confessed his sins, and then begged us to baptize him in the nearby babbling brook as the fish jumped in the warm glow of the late afternoon sunshine.

That didn’t happen. I do believe, however, that Dan heard some information he hadn’t encountered before. And I trust that God will use that conversation whenever Dan reflects back on our time together.

That said, I think we might meet Dan again in heaven someday. Why? Because there’s one more part to our mountain experience.

Heidi and I had to pack up our stuff and head back down the several-mile journey to where our car was parked. We got everything together and stopped to say good-bye to Dan and to encourage him about what we’d discussed.

Then, about halfway down the trail, we stopped at a little stream to rest and get a drink of water. While we were there we met five big, athletic, and very friendly guys heading up the trail to enjoy a few days of camping. As we talked with them, we found out they were also Christians — and not just any old Christians; they were leaders in the famed Navigators ministry. In other words, they were sort of like Green Berets for God.

As soon as we found that out, we figured God was up to something — maybe a revival in the Rockies — so we told them about meeting Dan, filled them in on our conversations with him, and even drew them a map so they could locate where he was camping. Then we sent them off with a challenge.

“Look, fellows,” I said, imitating the tone of a drill sergeant, “we got this thing started. Now you guys go find Dan and see if you can finish the job.”

It might be my imagination, but I think those guys were salivating as they bounded up the trail, swiftly heading toward the spot we had scrawled on that makeshift map.

Now you know why I think Dan might end up in heaven — whether he likes it or not.
 
Action Principle
Often the most amazing evangelistic encounters come out of making the right split-second decisions. You might not be thinking about spiritual matters or be aware of the opportunity that’s about to open up in front of you. But suddenly you see it and think: Should I or shouldn’t I? I’m not really “prayed up,” I don’t know what I would say next if the person shows interest, and I’m certainly not ready to answer a lot of deep theological questions. My advice? Ignore all of that and do four simple things: take a deep breath, say a quick prayer, open your mouth, and let it fly. God can guide and use you, but first you’ve got to take the small risk of getting the conversation started. That’s where the adventure really gets going.
 
Stepping into the Adventure
In John 4 we’re told about the conversation between Jesus and a woman drawing water from a well. Jesus asked her for a drink, and she quizzed him concerning why he, a Jewish man, would break the cultural customs to talk to a Samaritan woman. But Jesus wasn’t interested in such mundane matters. He saw an opportunity to turn the conversation toward a much more important topic.

“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water,” he told her (v. 10). Living water? What’s that? the woman wondered. So she started asking him about it.

Jesus had initiated a spiritual conversation, an initial element in the chain of events necessary to fulfill his mission “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). How can we follow Jesus’ example? Ask God each day to give you the awareness to see the opportunities as well as the courage to seize them. Then when you recognize an open door, do the four things I mentioned in the Action Principle:

1. Take a deep breath. Funny thing, but outreach always goes best when you have plenty of oxygen in your lungs.
2. Say a quick prayer. Ask God to lead and use you. But it must be quick — about the amount of time required to take the deep breath.
3. Open your mouth. This makes your words much easier to understand.
4. Let it fly. You’ve got air in your lungs, God on your side, and something to say; what more could you possibly ask for? Speak up and spark some spiritual action. Don’t delay, don’t change the subject, and don’t give the Devil time to whisper in your ear that this is not an opportune moment. Just let it fly, launch into the adventure, and watch God work.

Inspiration for the Journey
Good -people bring good things out of the good stored up in their heart. . . . For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 TNIV

Taken from The Unexpected Adventure by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg. Copyright © 2009 by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg. Used by permission of Zondervan.

The Unexpected Adventure: Care

Day 8 Adventure ~ Putting Love into Action
LEE STROBEL

Leslie and I burst into tears — and I mean that literally: we erupted into sobs when the grim-faced doctors broke the news to us at Leslie’s bedside. There was something terribly wrong with our newborn daughter.
Alison was being rushed into the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. The doctors needed our signatures on legal documents to authorize emergency tests. We were told to prepare for the worst. We were devastated and gripped by fear. Why her? Why us? It was the worst nightmare of every parent.

Alison’s sudden illness shocked us because everything had seemed fine the first day of her life. Although Leslie’s labor had been unusually long, the birth itself was uneventful and the baby seemed to be healthy, alert, and content.

Like all new parents, Leslie and I got caught up in the excitement and euphoria of the long-anticipated event. I remember calling relatives from the recovery room. “You know how most newborn babies are all wrinkled and ugly?” I would say. “Well, Alison’s not like that. She’s absolutely beautiful!” (Now when I look at old photos of Alison moments after she was born, she looks just like any other infant who had just struggled through birth. But such are the eyes of a new father.)

Then, the following day, Leslie and I were waiting for the nurses to bring Alison for her one o’clock feeding. But they didn’t come. We were starting to get impatient. Finally, just before I was going to find out what was holding them up, there was a knock at the door. In came a contingent of doctors bearing the terrible news that made our hearts jump into our throats.

The next several days were a stomach-churning blur. It was agonizing to see our firstborn child hooked up to machines and monitors, with an intravenous needle in her ankle. What’s worse, we weren’t Chris-tians at the time — and without God, there was really nowhere to turn.

In the midst of that horror, I was walking in despair down the hospital corridor when a telephone on the wall rang. A nurse picked it up and then looked around. “It’s for you,” she said.

On the line was David, a man I had known years earlier but hadn’t seen in a long time. At first I was puzzled why he would be calling me, especially there. The truth is that in the course of interacting with David in the past, I had lied to him, misled him, made fun of him, broken promises to him, and ruthlessly criticized his church and everything it stood for. But he was a committed Christian, and that’s why he was on the phone that day.

“I heard what’s going on with your little girl,” David said, his voice laden with concern. “What can I do for you? Can I come down there and be with you for a while? Would you like to talk? Can I bring you anything? Can I run some errands for you? Lee, just give the word and I’ll be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, I’ll be praying for your daughter, and so will my friends at church.”

I was incredulous! I couldn’t believe he had bothered to track me down and was willing to drop everything, take time off from work, and drive sixty miles just to help me. Or that he and some strangers in a church were willing to get on their knees and plead to their God for the recovery of a child they had never met — the offspring of an avowed atheist, no less. There’s no way in the world that I deserved that.

I thanked David, although I didn’t take him up on his offer. Then after ten tense days, Alison simply recovered from her mysterious illness. The doctors didn’t know what to make of it and, by God’s grace, to this day she has never exhibited any lingering effects from it.

Since then Leslie and I have tried to forget the trauma that we went through when Alison was hospitalized. Yet today, more than three decades later, I could take you back to the precise spot where I received that call from Dave. That’s how deeply it’s seared into my memory. His unselfish willingness to serve us was one more influence in my own journey toward Christ.

David’s actions illustrate the kind of impact that Christians can have when we’re willing to go beyond mere words and put the love of Christ into practical action. After all, talk is cheap. Look at Jesus: he didn’t just say he loved the world, he showed his love by becoming a servant.

Jesus served the blind by restoring their sight, lepers by renewing their health, sinners by forgiving their wrongs, and even wedding guests at Cana by turning water into wine. Then in the greatest act of servanthood in history, the Son of God willingly sacrificed his life in order to open the doors of heaven for anyone who would trust in him.

When we serve others as Jesus would, when we sacrifice for others as Jesus did, and when we put our love into tangible action as Jesus modeled, then this can open the hardest of hearts that would otherwise be impervious to the message of Christ. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16 that if we serve others with “good deeds,” they will be prompted to “praise your Father in heaven.” That’s because when we make the choice to sacrifice our time, energy, or finances to help someone in need — that is, when we act against the grain of our narcissistic, me-first culture — then -people will be curious about what motivates us. Their eyes will naturally drift toward our heavenly Father, who is prompting us to live out the kind of compassionate lifestyle that his Son exhibited.
Words evaporate quickly. Most of what a pastor says in a sermon will be forgotten before dinner. But -people remember a selfless act of servanthood forever. To use Jesus’ metaphors of salt and light, few things are as savory or illuminating as a simple act of kindness performed in the name of Jesus.

I can attest to that because I’ll never forget David.
 
Action Principle
If you want to inject some adventure into your life, use your “compassion radar” to scan the lives of your neighbors, colleagues, and other -people you encounter. Detect their needs and then seek out opportunities to serve them. Your sacrifice on their behalf will be an example of what Jesus is like, and there’s a good chance they’re going to want to know more about the One who motivates you.
 
Stepping into the Adventure
Is there an elderly widow down the block who needs someone to go to the grocery store for her each week? Or a junior high student who’s looking for someone to shoot baskets with him? Or a single mother who could use a baby-sitter for her two children every once in a while? Or a disabled veteran who needs someone to clear the snow off his sidewalk? Or a colleague who’s going through a divorce and could use a listening ear over lunch?

Opportunities to serve others are all around us; we just need to ask God to open our eyes to the situations where he wants us to get involved. You’ll be surprised at how easily and naturally spiritual conversations flow when -people feel sincere gratitude for the help you’ve provided them.

I remember flying into Midway Airport in Chicago late at night during a blizzard several years ago. An engineer from India was sitting next to me. As we talked, I found out he was planning to take a bus all the way to O’Hare Airport and then have his pregnant wife drive down from a distant suburb with his two young children to pick him up. To me, that sounded like a formula for frustration.

“Look, I have a car at Midway,” I told him. “How about if I give you a lift home?”

He was very grateful, and during our drive through the snowstorm, he asked why I had been willing to go out of my way for a stranger like him. I tried to explain by saying, “Has anybody ever done something so kind for you that it makes you want to pass a kindness along to someone else?”

He thought for a moment and then nodded slightly.
“Well, here’s the thing,” I said. “Jesus Christ has done something incredibly kind for me.”

As we talked, he began to understand how God’s outpouring of grace had motivated me to help him. When we finally arrived at his house, he braced for the cold as he stepped from the car. “I’m going to have to do some thinking about all of this,” he said as he thanked me and said good-bye.

There’s no doubt in my mind: my words about Jesus registered with him because he experienced the love of Jesus through my practical deed of giving him a ride through a storm.

The truth is that even the simplest acts can have an eternal impact.
 
Inspiration for the Journey
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 TNIV

Taken from The Unexpected Adventure by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg. Copyright © 2009 by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg. Used by permission of Zondervan.