I have this other theory that a parable in Luke 14 is one of the forgotten parables of Jesus.

It’s sad to me though, because this parable gives one of the most practical instructions on how to manage yourself with humility in a gathering you’ve been invited to.  (I think it’s important to note that I believe Jesus would teach something very different if He were teaching you how to host a gathering.  Don’t apply Jesus’ lesson on being a guest to the idea of leading or hosting.)  Over and over I see believers not put this wisdom into practice.

Below you’ll find the parable in it’s entirety.  It’s better if you read it and apply it to your own life.  But this time, read the parable as if Jesus meant you to apply this idea in any event you’ve been invited into.  How would it change how you act?

And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them,

When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,

and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.

But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Now that you’ve read the parable, where does it apply to your life?  Are there other places (i.e. like when you’re hosting or leading) where this wisdom won’t work?

Photo Credit: Parables Notebooking by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Basic Introductions: The Bridal Paradigm

Ever heard people talk about Jesus as a Groom or the Church as His bride?  Ever wonder why people are so excited about the love of God?  This is the post for you.

Basic Introductions: The Song of Solomon

If you’ve ever heard people talk about Jesus and the Song of Solomon in the same sentence and not understood where they get Jesus in that book, this post is a great place to start.

Basic Introductions: Characters and Plot in the Song of Solomon

Once you understand the Song of Solomon a little better, you may want to dig a little deeper.  This is the post you want to check out next.

Basic Introductions: The End Times

If you’ve always thought that we really don’t need to know much about the End Times because we won’t be here during most of the scary stuff, you should probably read this post. 

Now the King had one son, as just and good as his father. He was the apple of his father’s eye and more than anyone else represented the good that could come from being subject to the King.  The son loved the Kingdom as much as the King and it caused them both great pain to see the rebellion sweep through the Kingdom.  The King’s son asked for permission to lead the Kingdom’s army in restoring order to the Kingdom and the King. Seeing the love that his son had for the Kingdom, the King sent the son to the furthest reaches of the Kingdom to restore the reign of love and justice.

For a long season the King’s son fought on behalf of the Kingdom.  He did not just battle the forces of the rebellion.  He helped them.  He was determined to demonstrate to the rebellion that the King’s reign was not just rules, but a good way of life that benefited all.  His army would restore buildings destroyed by the battle, even while the rebellion looked on and mocked the King’s authority.  He would personally take in the orphans of battle, especially if the orphans’ parents were part of the rebellion.

One day, the son came across a faction of rebels that was like most they had encountered.  One rebel in particular thought he would prove a point and he shot the king’s son with an arrow through the arm.  This incited others from the rebellion to fire at the king’s son, something no one had ever dared to do previously.  And that day, the King’s son died, watching the people that he loved rejoice over the victory they had achieved in killing him.

The news reached the King back at his palace and those of the army that escaped reported to the king the names of the villagers that were involved.  The King rose from his throne, rallied an army and fought through the rebellion until he found the very group of men who had killed His son.  He captured those men, brought them back to His kingdom and showed them his kindness.  He treated them with the same love that he treated his only son that they had killed.  He treated with special kindness the one who shot the first arrow.  It was his intention to love this man more than the rest, because he knew that the deepest rebellion was in him.

In time, the prisoners of the King learned of his goodness and justice.  The man who had killed the King’s son especially became convinced of the King’s love for his people.  Though he had cost the King the most, he experienced the King’s acceptance and favor unlike any other in the kingdom.   He who was the King’s sworn enemy became his friend and they shared a special bond because of the love the King had for not only this prisoner, but also the son he lost.  And that prisoner, who fought the King, rebelled against his ways, and tormented his son was named Travis.  And he spent the rest of his life gratefully accepting something he could never have earned.

Photo Credit: Sant Pere de Rodes by Rienante El Pintor de Fuego

I would be lying if I didn’t say that this week started out rough.  For a combination of reasons, I ended up deeply questioning myself and the things that the Lord has been doing.  It was a rough few days of me being locked into self pity, worry, and hurt.  In the midst of these couple of days I had a couple of incredible brothers that listened, encouraged, and shared the Gospel with me again. And while that helped, I still hadn’t quite found the resolution I was looking for.

If I’m honest, this rough spot has been coming for a while, brought on by some disconnect from the Lord in an ongoing way.  I just hadn’t been living connected to Jesus daily.  Sometimes it’s the basics that you think you know where you are the most vulnerable.  (Anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall, anyone?) And while I needed the Gospel, and I needed the listening, and I needed the encouragement, I really needed to meet with Jesus.

I can’t pinpoint an exact moment on Monday, but at some point the darkness broke. I had begun to take small steps to get reconnected with Jesus.  Just doing those small thing seems to have shed so much light on all the things covered in darkness.  The burnout goes away when Jesus becomes much more clear.  And in His light we see more light.

Since that time a lot has gone on.  We joined with believers in Cedar Rapids for a solemn assembly this week called the Response.  At some point I’ll write a bit about house churches, the future of Christianity, and the place of solemn assemblies, because they really will intersect in our future, but that’s for another time. But it was good to participate with the larger body of Christ in Cedar Rapids and it’s great practice in preparation for what the Lord is going to be doing in the near future.

We also dedicated Josh and Alyssa’s new apartment to Jesus with them.  It was really a blessing to be with these two. They are going to be a treasure to us as we step up the church planting going on here in our neighborhood.  Thursday we got a call from some friends in our house church who stumbled on a family and was able to come alongside and provide them some substantial physical help as well as pray and minister to them.  It seems like every day something new pops up that is showing us Jesus is leading and in control of this thing He started.

From my point of view I’ve noticed a couple of things.  It’s important for me to stay connected in to Jesus at a significant level.  I’m beginning to fight again for that in my every day life.  The more I stay connected, the more I see and honestly the more whole I am. Also, Jesus is serious about us embracing an apostolic, missional lifestyle that intersects with lost people who need Him.  And He is worth it.  And the more we encounter the grace of Jesus and the love that He has for us, the more willing we will be to embrace this apostolic lifestyle He’s called the whole church to.  It’s not external progress in numbers or conversions yet, but it’s a different kind of progress.  But if we can embrace it, we will see Jesus do amazing things.

In my attempt to keep things up to date on the blog, I think it’s important to catch everyone up on the developments that have been going on the last several months since posting has been so sparse.

Fifth Avenue Cafe, a picture the Lord used to speak to me in Kansas City

In the early part of October we journeyed with several families from Cedar Rapids to Kansas City to be a part of Rock International’s Tribal Gathering.  For those of you who don’t know, Christy and I were significantly impacted by The Rock of Kansas City during our time there, and often we journey back to Kansas City in October to reunite with old friends and catch up with what Jesus is doing with them.  We had no idea what was waiting for us.

The Rock had invited Jeff Vanderstelt from Soma Communities and Acts 29 in to immerse their whole tribe in the Gospel intentionality that Soma Communities has been living out for several years.  I think we were all struck by the simple but profound ways that the Gospel had shaped and compelled their communities and we all came back from Kansas City with a desire to experience and demonstrate the Gospel in a more real way.  For me two things became increasingly clear: it’s time for our house church to multiply and one of those house churches (the one I’m going to be part of) needs to be intentional about reaching Wellington Heights (the neighborhood I’m part of).

So we came back to Cedar Rapids and began trying to articulate the incredible shifts in thought and practice that the Lord was speaking to us about.  In the midst of all of this, I also had the awesome privilege of welcoming my buddy Josh Hulme to Cedar Rapids and helping him and his (then future) wife find work and a place to live here in Cedar Rapids.  Josh, lead by Jesus, had an apartment and a job after being in Cedar Rapids for only two weeks.  He returned to Kansas City to marry his fiancé, Alyssa.  After getting married and honeymooning in Branson, they returned to live in four blocks from us.  Josh and Alyssa also feel called to Wellington Heights, so they’re going to be a key asset in helping us plant a house church that is attempting to live out the Gospel here.

To be honest, all of this is exciting, but for me it’s been stressful as well.  While some elements of this transition have been very clear, other parts of it have been very confusing.  Through it all, I’ve felt pressure to know and understand what God is doing with every part of this transition, and I just don’t.  I’ve been thankful through this process for the friendship of so many people who have been encouraging me to trust Jesus more than my own understanding.  If you’ve read this far, pray for us.  We’re attempting to balance the need of community and discipleship with the need of evangelism.  Pray that we walk behind Jesus and don’t just wait until we understand everything.

One thing is clear though: God is developing our understanding of what it means to both be a spiritual family and to be on mission at the same thing.  I’m learning the importance of seeding vision in people long before the need.  I’m learning the need for investing in people much sooner than when I “need” to.  The things we are learning now will help us in the future to multiply house churches.

Next week, I’ll try to be more specific about this coming week.  For now, pray for us, that God would be glorified as we try and send out believers to plant churches all over our city.  Also pray that Wellington Heights would begin to be invaded by the Glory of Jesus.

In much need of Jesus,

Travis

Our House Church at Sean's Birthday Party. Circa August 2010.

Have you ever met the guy who no matter how good things get, he always thinks they can be better? You know the guy…he’s the one on your team at work who after the project has been finished, still thinks it could be just a little bit better.  Even if something’s perfect he can see the downside of the good thing.  He’s the guy who’s never satisfied.

Well, that guy is me. And because that guy is me, sometimes I have to work to maintain an attitude of thankfulness and appreciation.  This reality is especially important and necessary when it relates to my work with a group of people.  To aid myself in that important work I submit to you, my loyal readers and to the larger interwebs, the first ten things that I love about my house church:

1. My house church is generous.  This is true on a corporate level as well as an individual level.  Corporately almost all of our money goes to someone besides us.  I’ve watched as those in our midst who steward our corporate finances have made tough, sacrificial choices about how our corporate money is spent.  I’ve watched individuals in our family dig deep in their pockets for the sake of the nations, the lost, and one another.  I think there is something in our sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
2. My house church is discreet. This may strike you as odd, but I’ve been a part of other churches where it was okay to talk negatively about another brother or sister openly.  We’ve never made a rule about not exposing each other, but somehow we’ve become a people who don’t.  I had a mentor of mine who interacts with our church tell me the other day “Whenever someone from your house church talks about a problem they’re having, they are incredibly careful never to name the person they’re having a problem with.” I think our love for one another shows through in this.
3. My house church hears the voice of Jesus. They really, really hear the voice of Jesus.  I mean, really!  I can’t tell you the number of times that someone has visited our church and has wound up weeping because Jesus is addressing the real issues of their heart through someone who is prophesying. Sometimes these people aren’t even believers! This is especially amazing to me because we didn’t have a ton of extremely prophetic people in our midst in the beginning. However that happened,  it’s been because of Jesus and it’s been an organic transformation.
4. My house church loves the Presence of Jesus. I’ve been a part of a lot of churches who love Jesus but hate it when He does miracles a way they don’t expect.  My house church loves the presence of Jesus and isn’t offended when He does something that is outside of someone’s grid.  I’m absolutely blessed that my church loves Jesus no matter how He comes to us.
5. My house church isn’t bitter. I’ve met lots of people who are bitter at the institutional church.  But the people who are part of our house church love the rest of the body. They attend events with other believers from other churches.  They learn from the institutional church, they serve it, and they do it with a heart of gladness.  And none of it (at least that I know of) is out of a desire to “convert” people to our house church.  This may not seem like a big deal, but to do something different without becoming bitter is incredibly difficult in our age.
6. My house church knows one another.  Not much more needs to be said on this topic.  We know each other. We know each other’s strengths and we know each other’s weaknesses. I’ve been in larger churches and house churches where people didn’t know each other, but somehow we’ve come to know each other and not forsake each other at the same time.  This fact, as humble as it is, is still amazing to me.
7. My house church is full of brothers who tell me truth about me. There is an incredible lack of truth-telling in the body of Christ currently, mostly because we lack courage and conviction.  But because my house church knows me (see #6) and because they love me, the guys in my church have consistently and lovingly confronted me about issues in my own heart.  They’re not always right about a topic when they confront me (but more often they are), but every time they tell me the truth, I know they love me and are sent by a Father who loves His children (Hebrews 12:5-11).
8. My house church wrestles with difficult truths and their practical applications. There have been multiple times where I’ve seen our church wrestle with a difficult or controversial concept.  Some of the concepts have been truth and some have been outright heresy.  But in both cases, my spiritual family has dug into the Bible and wrestled with both the truth itself and the practical outworkings of believing the teaching in question.  In every situation this has benefited and matured our church.
9. My house church legitimately supports the life movement. But they do it in a way that is more than just lip service or a political agenda.  They pray for the lives of unborn children.  They reach into their pockets (see #1) and provide for children that are unwanted.  One couple in our church is on the verge of our church’s first adoption and a second family in our church just got approved as a foster care couple.  The folks in my house church are laying down their lives for the sake of children no one else wants and I believe they touch a part of God’s heart every time they do.
10. My house church is serious about the Great Commission happening in the nations. Since the beginning we’ve always talked about how the Gospel has to go to the nations.  Several years later six of us have gone as part of our church. That’s about half of our spiritual family.  Other’s have given shamelessly to our cause (see #1), prayed for us while we were away, and listened to our stories when we returned. I would not be surprised if ten years down the road 75% of the people who are part of church currently have been to another nation and several of them are living in Africa, working to bring the Gospel to places it’s never been.

So, that’s my house church.  I love them all as people, but these are some things I can say the Lord has done in us.  Now, what about your house church?  What are some of the things the Lord has done in your midst?

Photo Credit: Cedar Rapids House Church Network by Brandi Sawyer and Bryan Hamilton

In his fourth interview, “Barney” is describing the wider context in which movements happen.  Near the end of the interview, Barney talks about three different things that work their way in and distort the DNA of a church multiplication movement.  Most of us would expect these things to be things like heresy or sin.  What’s shocking about the things that he lists is they are things that well-intentioned people want to do for successful ministries.  What does Barney say hinders movements?

• Buildings- According to Barney, church planting movements happen in all sorts of unconventional places: houses, restaurants, wherever people gather.  When someone comes in and builds a building for the movement, the focus shifts from starting multiple churches in many people’s homes to getting as many people to come to the building as possible.
• External Funding- When money comes in from outside of the movement, it can cause the movement to embrace activities that in can’t sustain on its own financially.  This can cause the church receiving funding to not be responsible for the resourcing of it’s own activities.  Financial independence is crucial in the life of movements.
• Non-Practical Training- Probably the most seductive of the three, this typically happens when someone comes in and offers to build a bible college to train workers.  The reality, though, is that this training takes people away from a more hands-on, obedience based training already happening within a movement.

Pretty interesting.  Now, here’s the real question: these realities cause movements to slow in the third world.  Is it possible that they hinder us as well? If so, why haven’t we noticed it before? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

Photo Credit: Social Media Patterns (Energy Minimized / No Overlap) by KentBye

It’s painfully obvious that summer is almost over.  Now we await the cold of Fall and Winter.  The plus side is my office will become more usable and that may mean more time for blogging. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and let you know if that ever materializes.

Time for America to Turn Back to God

I was encouraged by this call to repentance from Bob Roberts Jr. It lacked the typical “time to take back America from the Godless” rhetoric, but still called America back to God in practical, essential ways.

Monuments: Destiny

God calls us to set up monuments to His work in our lives. In this post, Josh recounts the moments God has directed him in supernatural ways to work  and live among the poor of the Earth.

Teams That Build Movements

One of the things that I’ve been hearing from the Lord is that our inability to work as a team is a hindrance to creating disciple making movements.  Guy’s post is an excellent primer on what makes teams work.

It’s Not About Church Planting

I’m encouraged by the fact that more and more people are gaining this perspective.  Church planting is fruitless unless it is the result of new converts coming to Jesus.

BONUS MEDIA LINK:

The Salvation Army – Lessons for Us

Lex Loizides, uber Christian historian from the New Frontiers tribe, made his conference session on the history of the Salvation Army available for download.  The Salvation Army has an amazing history that should provoke us all to live a missional lifestyle and Lex’s retelling of their story is a great way to “touch the bones” of this movement.

Photo Credit: Design Probes – Food for Thought by centralasian.

Discouraged.  That’s one of the words that consistently describes my attitude toward Kingdom finances.  The reason? I frequently see much of the money given in the name of Jesus used in ways that Jesus didn’t use money.  And at the same time I see a number of legitimate people attempting to follow Jesus but lacking crucial funding that could amplify their substantial work.  Somewhere there’s a disconnect when there are starving children in Africa  America down the street* and we’re concerned because the carpet on the floor of a church building is wearing out.

It’s a startling fact, but some statistics say 97% of money given in churches is spent on people who gave the money. This means that no matter how much we say we desire the lost to be saved, the hungry to be fed, and the nations to be reached with the Gospel, our money is not where our mouth is.  Now I could spend a lot of time debating on the legitimacy of pastors’ salaries and church building budgets, but the truth is that buildings and salaries only consume about 60% percent of most churches’ budgets.  My question is where does the other 37% go?

My point in bringing all of this up is this: our giving tends to go right back to ourselves.  We give and feel good about being sacrificial, but in reality we are consuming so much of what we give that no radical change takes place.  Those who are strategically placed to significantly impact the world and extend the Kingdom of God often struggle with financing very real needs in spite of our overwhelming “generosity.”  This is why no matter how much money we give, we fail to see significant Jesus movements take shape.

This is nothing new.  Whenever the church has found herself disconnected from her apostolic purpose, she has used her resources poorly, most often for herself.  But God has a financial system that is designed to meet legitimate needs and fuel the Kingdom of God.  Our part in the process is to stop using our resources poorly, get connected with the purposes of God, and begin to channel money towards people and ministries who are actively pursuing those things that are on God’s agenda.

What if we put our money into the hands of people where God is powerfully manifesting His Kingdom right now?  What would happen if we actually supported men and women who were raising up multiplying disciple-making movements in the earth? What would happen if we actually fully funded apostolic teams planting churches and reaching unreached people groups?  What if those who were frequently engaged in caring for the poor or healing the sick through the workings of miracles never had to spend time writing another support letter?  Would that be better than the new carpet?

Photo Credit: Empty Pockets by Danielmoyle

*Editor’s Note: Africa (especially) and America in general both have significant needs. By striking them from the record my goal is to show that need is nearby, not that one form of need is greater than another.

Wolfgang Simson will be the first person to tell you that much of what you’ve heard about money in church is wrong. We often teach about money in a way that causes us to put all of our hopes in non-Kingdom financial principles.  However one thing that remains true is that all Empires (including the Kingdom of God, which is the empire we belong to) have a financial system in place to fund their activities.  Not all money given to a church is used well, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t use our finances to further this Kingdom revolution.

The truth is that all of us have a part to play in financing the advancement of the Kingdom.  I remember reading Brother Yun’s book Living Waters where he described offerings that the Chinese house churches would take for members being sent off as missionaries.  Some of the members of the house churches were so broken because they didn’t have money to contribute that as they wept, they would place themselves in the offering sack as pledge to devote their whole selves to the cause global evangelism.

This is the kind of giving that moves forward the Kingdom: Financial giving that flows from a life fully given over to Jesus.  That’s what makes the testimony of the early church so powerful.  They were continually giving everything extra they had to the cause of Jesus and His Kingdom.  This enabled the poor to be taken care of and the Gospel to continue to spread through the apostles and others.  Today the Kingdom of God continues to spread, but it does so with little access to the funds that could so enable to spread quickly and without the financial sacrifice that is characteristic of an apostolic movement.

So how do we finance a Kingdom revolution? It begins with giving our very selves to God and letting our finances reflect that level of sacrifice.  In our next post we’ll look at where those finances need to flow to.  But today, let me ask you this question: What do you think holds us back from joining God in financing the advancement of the Kingdom?

Photo Credit: International Money Pile in Cash and Coins by epSos.de