I thank God and I thank you for the privilege of serving in this way and I pray that as many thoughts as possible will be God's thoughts and as many words as possible will be God's words. You can be assured that EVERY reflection in this Blog Journal, however personal it might feel to you, will be something that's challenging me, something that I'm working on and in some way wrestling with. In sharing this stuff, my prayerful hope will be that we can grow together and that we might be able to sharpen each other for the cause - alone we will never get the job done, only as we release and empower each other to find our full potential in Christ will we see and utilise all that is possible.
The June Heartland News Update refers to this first blog and even though in some ways I'd like to apologize for the Title, it's actually the shortened version of it. I figured that the short version said it all and challenged me in every situation - hence the exclaiming and desperate nature of it. The full title however, is a bit more specific and probably helps me begin to express what I believe this new stage of the Heartland journey to be all about. "For God's Sake, What Will it Take for Me to Listen to Jesus and Drop the Net on the Side of the Boat He Tells Me To. It Matters Not How Clever or Experienced I Think I Am, Only Jesus Actually Knows Where the Fish Are!"
Heartland is NOT about starting another church institution or organization. It's not about shuffling deck chairs between sinking church ships or justifying all of our comfortability with existing church structures and efforts just so we can continue to be supported by the status quo. It is definitely not about developing another outreach program that we can franchise to a church world that wants another fix so it can feel like it's "doing the job".
It IS however about accepting that God is God and we aren't and therefore we can't possibly create or manufacture something that will do the job; only Jesus' strategy will do. It is about God being a missionary God, that His Primary Purpose is that the lost are rescued and redeemed and that EVERY believer is equipped and supported towards completing the missionary task we've been given. Not JUST to lands far off, but ALSO to the families we are a part of, to the neighbourhoods we reside in, to the places we are working in and to the sportings clubs, the common interest groups and community associations we are connected to.
Jesus said GO! (Matthew 28:19-20) He didn't say come and hang out in my church building or at my church programme until you trip over something that could change your life. He didn't say STAY where you are happy, safe and comfortable and everything will work out. When Jesus said COME, it was "come to ME" (Matthew 11:28-30) or "Come FOLLOW ME" (Matthew 4: 19); trust me, walk with me, learn from me, abide IN me because apart from me you can do NOTHING (John 15). When Jesus said STAY, he said "WAIT" for/with ME (Matthew 26:36-46) or "WAIT for MY HELPER to come" and he will empower and resource you with all you will need to live a victorious life and to do all Jesus asked us to do (John 14:15-16:16) (Acts 1:4-8). Jesus said GO so we would journey his way and with his help and whilst ON that journey be enabled to engage every resource we could possibly need. (Ephesians 1:3ff)
If you are 'attending' a church somewhere we want you to stay being a part of that church but maybe do something to become salt and light within that community for something more. If you are frustrated or discontent with 'church' or you've been struggling and haven't been connected with one for donkey's years, we want to help you see that the church is the only plan Jesus gave us but the church Jesus talks about is the one HE BUILDS not us.
Jesus says follow me. That means he wants us to see what he did and do likewise with HIS help. What did Jesus do? He did what he saw his Father doing and he said what he heard his Father saying (John 5). So it is for us. We ONLY do what we see Jesus doing and we ONLY say what we hear Jesus saying. As Neil Cole once wrote, "we need to lower the bar of church and raise the bar of discipleship". Discipleship is the way we follow Jesus and in Matthew chapter 16, Jesus tells us clearly that if anyone would follow him, they will deny themselves, take up their cross and simply follow (Matthew 16: 24). The great revivalist Jonathan Edwards said it this way. "The responsibility of each generation is to discover where the move of God is - and BE IN IT!".
This is God's deal. It is His plan and primary purpose. Heartland isn't saying that it is the answer nor that it has the answers but it is fed up with the way things have been and are and wants to hang about with anyone who actually wants to discover some real answers.