Stephen Marche has written and important piece in Esquire on the reality of a generational divide in our nation now centered on economics and to a polarizing extent to politics. The article is worth a read. Here are a few snipets.

“ There is a young America and there is an old America, and they don’t form a community of interest. One takes from the other. The federal government spends $480 billion on Medicare and $68 billion on education. Prescription drugs: $62 billion. Head Start: $8 billion. Across the board, the money flows not to helping the young grow up, but helping the old die comfortably…”

“Only 58 percent of Boomers have more than $25,000 put aside for retirement, so the rest will either starve or the government will have to pay for them. But the government’s future ability to pay is decreasing rapidly precisely because the Boomers splurged so heavily during the Bush and Clinton years… “

“Nobody wants this. The Boomers did not set out to screw over their kids. The wind just seemed to blow them that way. But no matter what their motivations, a painful truth grows truer with every passing year: Through its refusal to act, the generation in power is willing to do what other generations before them would not — sell their children’s birthright for a mess of their own pottage…”

It is a harsh reality but one as a nation we get to address. But before we slide into politics, let us think these things through from a church perspective. How are these same issues playing out in the church? How are we prioritizing appropriately or not?

How can the church change and be truly counter cultural when it comes to the generational divide?

HT: TB

This morning in our Theology Breakfast we ended the semester with Colossians 4. Our study of Colossians was a buffer of sorts, getting us from one book to another. But the time in this short book has been refreshing. In Paul’s final words to the church at Colossae he sends greeting on behalf of those he is doing ministry with. Paul mentions 11 other people. All doing gospel work. All proclaiming Christ. These final words are not about Paul’s great ministry (he actually asks for prayer that he might preach better) but instead about the others doing ministry with him.

Paul is surrounded by committed Christ followers all devoting their lives to spread the truth of the gospel and the hope of grace. We know Paul well by his legacy but a big part of that legacy is the way he discipled others to do his job.

This is a challenge for me as I strive to be surrounded by a every growing and evolving group of ministers just like Paul. For the record, I am no Paul – I am actually more like Archippus; the guy he tells to get to work. But to be surrounded by those committed to Christ and the spread of his truth is a purpose I have held close. Thankfully, the Lord has allowed me to be influenced by people this way in each context I have done ministry and it only begs the question as to how He might use this season of following and building to surround me with amazing gospel proclaimers.

Are you surrounded? Maybe you could start by finding those ministering in a way that entices you – or in a way that is completely foreign to you. Then follow Christ together and see what happens. For those of you in the Tri-Cities; will you make my list of fellow faithful ministers and servant to the Lord?

Jonathan Martin has an important post about what he sees as an older generation of leaders within the church essentially warring against a young generation as competitors rather than disciples. This post is worth a read for those in church leadership.

A lot of what he says resonates with me and a lot of my friends. I think it is also a significant influence in the drive of young men to plant their own churches rather than be part of an established body. While the majority of my experience is different, I have noticed some of the things he addresses. But given that, it has actually steeled my resolve to be part of the established church and work for God’s glory in the midst of it.

Read the article here.

“1. Celebrity pastors/preachers de facto become unaccountable even if they voluntarily submit themselves to a group of brothers. In the worst cases they become uncontrollable. As long as the man is humble, and remains humble, it can work. But the temptations to lose humility are almost irresistible.

“2. A steady diet of one man’s preaching, one man’s perspectives on and means of approaching and applying the text, even if it is excellent, is unhealthy. Eating steak at every meal may sound good at first. But after just a few days of beef at every turn, you start to feel sick (that’s right vegans!).

“3. Reliance upon one preacher, even in the best cases, inevitably tends to promote the man rather than the message. Oddly, the Word itself can become less the focus than the one doing the exposition of the Word or the particular way the Word is exposited.”

Think about that for a minute. Is it happening where you are? I am at a healthy large church where we encounter some of these issues. The one I most notice as a new member of the church is number 2. When those we are in community with start to talk more about what our pastor said than what Jesus teaches I get worried. There is not intention behind the reality but it is something we deal with.

The concern only hinted at here is what happens when the celebrity dies or leaves the church? If you bring in a different personality hoping to continue the one-man-show, you will probably learn pretty quick that for many it was about the man not the mission. This then might lead you to pursue a “replacement” with the same characteristics revealing a reliance on style over preaching that opens the Word to your church. And often this pursuit will send you outside of your church body to bring in someone who is a good “fit” for your church rather than raising up men from within to preach the Word.

I preach most weeks to a small gathering of young adults and occasionally in other settings. I know how prideful I can be so I have purposed to share my teaching time with others (at least on a monthly basis.) I also do this because it is good to hear from others. This summer I am giving the teaching role completely to four men that I am attempting to intentionally disciple for leadership. It will be an opportunity for me to hear the Word preached by others and allow me to pour into and train these men. And it will ensure that any growth we have will not be about me but about our savior.

This is in no way lessening my influence or leadership but it is the discipleship that we are called to.

Barth closes out his piece with these thoughts. “In no way do I want to limit the ministry of the best and brightest men we have available for gospel ministry today. Please don’t hear me saying that. But I do think that in most “normal” churches and church plants, it is wise to have more than one regular preacher and deliberately to raise up cadres of preachers and teachers that can rightly handle the Word in all situations where it should be proclaimed.” Good word. Read the rest here.

Should the church be more careful about avoiding the celebrity model? Is there a generational shift coming that will change how we look at preaching in our churches? I think the answer is yes to both.

HT: OS

Justin Taylor has highlighted some great thoughts from R.C. Sproul Jr. on accountability groups and the fact that people routinely ask if he is in a such a group. He responds that what they think a different gorup would offer is handled by his friends.

“Now I have nothing against accountability, nor accountability groups. I am positively in favor of grieving, and have nothing against groups built around that theme. What puzzles me on both counts, however, is how we have lost what is natural, and sought to replace it with programs. What does it say about the culture, both inside and outside the church, that callings normally born by friends now are met by something so artificial, so inorganic. These groups strike me as the emotional equivalent of a multivitamin. Sure enough many of us are not getting enough vitamin D or zinc in our diets. But isn’t eating a few more veggies a better way to solve the problem?”

I think we seek the artificial relationship of “accountability” because we don’t want to do the work or be vulnerable in real authentic community. In the ministry I lead we are rolling out a new structure to include fight clubs. We routinely talk about doing life with “fighting friends,” those people willing to fight for and with us – the fight of faith. The traditional accountability groups are not all bad but maybe it is time to focus more on gaining some friends who fit the bill.

I have been thinking deeply about this since reading Total Church some four years ago. It gave a glimpse into church-as-life that I think the American, gathering/personality driven church has missed out on. This video expresses how The Crowded House approaches gospel communities.

Maybe it is time for us to determine to shift and be about living in missional communities rather than temporary commitments about temporary things.

We applaud the SOMAs of the world but rarely take the steps necessary to make it happen. Our context will have influence in how we do it but regardless of where you live, you are called to be making disciples as you go, this is life-on-life relationship. Maybe we should be about it.

HT: TB

Read more here.

If this doesn’t move you… check your heart.

Thanks Jake and Jen for sharing.

“Are our development programs about releasing leaders to the missional frontier? Or, more likely, are they about recruiting volunteers to keep the machine of the church running? To be sure, we should attend to the organization of the church, for it is a significant thing when the scattered church gathers. But as the Church stares precipitous decline in the face—as we look to re-embrace the missio Dei—we must learn again the art that Jesus exhibited: the task of multiplying missional leaders and releasing them into the cracks and crevices of society where there is little-to-no Gospel presence.”

Our efforts end up leaving the church leaderless as we have none truly equipped for it. And we leave a generation without a rudder for the church. Those that have the itch of leadership leave because frankly, it is easier to do it yourself and the church dies with the only leader it has known.

We are to make disciples, not for our own growth but for kingdom growth and sending. Let’s be about that.

Read the whole thing here.

I have just returned from a quick trip to D.C. to officiate my first wedding. It was a great opportunity to kick off my friends Ben and Marion’s marriage. And best of all, I got to talk about Jesus. Now back to work!