Evangelism vs Me-Ism

Last night was my church's annual renewal banquet. I think it is the highlight of the year because it gives us time to reflect on all God has done through the church. It is designed so that members and regular attenders can commit to Northbrook and it's ministries as a participating member of the church for one year. Our keynote speaker was the missionary in residence at Union University name Mark Ellis. This post shares some thoughts inspired by the banquet, the speaker, and other such ponderings. I am referring to my church in this post, however, much applies to the Body, Christ's church as a whole.



I was really inspired from the message Mark shared. It was so nice to hear from someone with such passion in his heart! I LOVED IT!



I think He used the phrase "savior Jesus Christ" about thirty times in his talk and I was thinking to myself...it's Jesus...it's Jesus...it's all about Jesus.



Then I asked myself it we talk enough about Jesus at Northbrook? Do we hear about Jesus at Northbrook? It there passion about Jesus at Northbrook? Can there ever be enough Jesus at Northbrook?



When it comes to evangelism, we are always talking about inviting people to church. Do we think people need church? People don't need church! People need Jesus! JESUS! Think about inviting people to meet Jesus!



You know what? Inviting people to church is a good thing, but even better is inviting people to know our savior Jesus Christ. Inviting a person to Sunday service is not evangelism! Evangelism is sharing our faith in Christ! I'm not saying don't invite people to church, because that may be the way God intends that person to come to Him, like I did, but I know I sometimes do this...my goal is to get that person on my "impact list" to church. The goal shouldn't be church...it should be CHRIST! I'm just convicted a bit about evangelism. I wonder if I don't expect NB to do MY job in sharing my faith. As if getting a person into the building on a Sunday morning is sharing my faith. It is and it isn't. It is because my faith is represented at NB, it isn't because I'm expecting worship teams, pastors and teachers to do my job. It is not up to the worship team to sing and play such wonderful music that it stirs emotions and leads a person to Christ. It is not up to the pastors to give such a resounding message that leads the person whom I invited to church to Christ. It is up to me to be a vessel worthy of His Presence! It is up to ME to share MY FAITH IN HIM! That is an awesome responsibility! AND THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE GIVES THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO ME! Yes, He does the work, but I have to allow Him to work through me. I can't simply invite a person to church...Jesus said "GO!" Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." He didn't tell us to invite a person to visit someplace where they might hear the gospel, He said "GO PREACH IT SISTER!" (or brother of course!)



One of our techie people produced a video for the church. It was intended to be what it is like for a visitor when they come through the doors at Northbrook. The video was in black and white and followed a young couple into church from the parking lot. Then there were short scenes of their experiences, and some of the things that they observed once inside. It really made me think about what it is like for someone coming into our church for the first time. Do they feel welcome? Are they informed about the church and what it has to offer in the way of ministries? Are they invited to visit a SaLT group? I thought about the video that we saw last night and that made me ponder too, do people really see Jesus, do they FEEL Jesus' presence, when they come to Northbrook?



I really make an effort to introduce myself to someone new each week. One time I introduced myself to someone "new" to only find out they had been coming to NB for a year! LOL I guess that's another "growing pain". After I meet them one week, I try to go and find them again the following week if possible. It's become kind of a game for me to make mental notes of names and attempt to recall them a week later! LOL And I rarely do! But it's fun trying and it's not too embarrassing because the people rarely remember my name either!



I am constantly looking for open doors, and praying for open doors to share Christ with people. BUT WHAT AM I DOING WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED! Am I inviting them to church? or am I sharing Christ? Am I taking a drive on the Roman Road?



I still remember my first day at Northbrook and I really felt the Spirit of the Living God present. I think it is still alive and well at Northbrook! I believe that hearts are focused on Christ at Northbrook, or that they want to be focused on Christ. Are we pointing others to Christ? Does the passion for our savior Jesus Christ show? Can visitors see it? Can they feel it?



He is the Vine, we are the branches. If we are doing our part as branches...just clinging to the Vine for dear life and working to build our relationship with Him, we will grow. We as a branch will grow. Off a small branch comes small fruit, from a large branch, grows large fruit. If we are clinging to him as we should, the fruit will naturally be produced and be pushed through the branch, through us. We don't have to do any fruit growing! We just need to grow our relationship to Him and be a good branch! If we are good branches, people will see...they will see the fruit, they will see Jesus!



Do you have a passion for Jesus Christ? Is He the Lover of your soul? Are you in love with Him? When you are in love with somebody, don't you just want to tell all the world! Tell all the world about your Savior! It is really GOOD NEWS! The world needs more GOOD NEWS!



There are great things in store for NB's future. It is very exciting to watch God at work. My prayer is that we won't stifle Him. My prayer is that our hearts be opened for His Will, and that we all commit to be in prayer about our personal roles in NB's growing process, even if it means stepping out of our comfort zone...and it probably will! My prayer is that NB always be "savior Jesus Christ" focused! My prayer is that NB abolish MEISM!



I've had a song running through my head recently that speaks to "me-ism" a bit. It's by Bebo Norman, and if you haven't heard of him...you should. Great lyricist and song writer. These are some lyrics from his latest release and song called "Disappear". It does get some airplay on CCM radio, so you may have heard it.

I don't want to care about earthly things

Be caught up in all the lies that trick my eyes

They say it's all about me

I'm so tired of it being about me...



I would rather be cast away

Separated from the human race

If I don't bring You glory

If I don't bring You glory

If I don't bring You glory

I love that line "I would rather be cast away, separated from the human race, if I don't bring You glory." That is the climactic bridge of the song. My prayer is that NBer's all have such an attitude as this.



If you'd like to hear the song go HERE. Don't worry, it's not my normal rockin', "headbanging" music...it's soft, your ears won't bleed! The Bebo guy cracks me up on the website! (Once the page loads, click on "playlist" and then "Disappear" which is the third song listed after the title "Try". I posted the full lyrics below.)



I'm excited to start Wednesday night class, which is on "one on one evangelism" and learn to use even more tools to share "Savior Jesus Christ" with others. Mark Ellis did much to reignite the fire within my soul that burns to share about Christ! Woohooo!



Jesus said "GO!"





-----------------------------



Disappear



On a day like this I want to crawl beneath a rock

A million miles from the world, the noise, the commotion

That never seems to stop



And on a day like this I want to run away from the routine

Run away from the daily grind that can suck the life

Right out of me

I know of only one place I can run to…



Chorus:

I want to hide in You

The Way, the Life, the Truth

So I can disappear

And love is all there is to see

Coming out of me

And You become clear

As I disappear



I don't want to care about earthly things

Be caught up in all the lies that trick my eyes

They say it's all about me

I'm so tired of it being about me...



I would rather be cast away

Separated from the human race

If I don't bring You glory

If I don't bring You glory

If I don't bring You glory

My Goal in 2005

My goal this year is to eat healthy. So far I am doing rather well replacing Coke with water and reducing my fat intake. I'm replacing eating unhealthy snacks with fruits like apples and bananas.



The heart-stopping episode I had last year has motivated me to pay more attention to this body God gave me, and take better care of it.



It's not easy!



And there is a side effect of all the fruits and veggies....



caused, I think, by fiber!

I Reformatted

Good news...I saved all the important things I needed before I reformatted.



Bad news...I apparantly am not the amateur techie I thought I was because I didn't save things correctly and lost the majority of my documents and all the pictures stored on the hard drive.



Bummer.



Oh well, it's like starting all over again with a new computer!

Funny Things Kids Do and Say

While sitting here reinstalling everything from the reformat job I did yesterday, I hear a stumble and a great THUD from the direction of Tif's room.



She landed across her doorway with her head peeking out in the hallway and I caught a view from the corner of my eye. She was okay and chuckled as she got back on her feet.



She said "I just tripped over my pants."



"Maybe you should pick your clothes up off the floor" I suggested.



She then replied "No, I tripped over the pants I am wearing."



NOT the quip I was expecting! LOL

What About Women in Leadership Roles At Church?

This post is a reprint of an email I just sent out to my SaLT group. We communicate ideas throughout the week by email in regards to our current study. It is one way to share ideas that we can't get to in an hour "class" each week. This helps keep us all sharing ideas and it keeps us in the Word.



Sue wrote this so the "I"s" are me, however Katie shared her input as well. It was a collaborative effort from a few nights of study the past couple of days. I love studying His Word, even though my brain could combust at any moment!



As I recall different things we discussed in SaLT with WaLT this past Sunday, I get confused. LOL We always ponder more than my brain can handle in such a short time! LOL



With regard to the role of women in church I have things to add to the conversation. Please don't hurt me!



This whole issue has been somewhat fresh on my mind because of the book I am currently reading. It is written by Anne Graham Lotz and is called "My Heart's Cry; Longing for More of Jesus".



In the book, Lotz shares about her experience when she first started out in her ministry as a result of God's call on her life through the Just Give Me Jesus revivals. She stepped out in faith, however she says there was much confusion to whether her ministry was to be to women alone, or to women and men. She heard from a few pastor's that refused to participate in any way shape or form in her revivals with words such as "God told us to tell you such and endeavor is harmful to the church. We don't want our men exposed to a woman on the platform speaking to a mixed audience." or "God told me not to lend my support, or the support of my church, or the support of even the women of my church to your revival since you allow men as well as women to attend." She shared about an experience at one convention that when it was her turn at the podium, many of the men stood up and turned their backs. (I immediately thought...wow, that's a real Christ-like behavior!) She stated that she immediately went to the Word for direction. I was curious to continue reading how God resolved this dilemma in her early ministry.



The Lord took her to Ezekiel 44:1-3"



1 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary (Lotz described the arena to the production crew as the "sanctuary" asking them to be mindful that as they set up the platform, screens, lights, and sound that they are setting up the Most Holy Place."), the one facing east, and it was shut. 2 The LORD said to me, "This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD , the God of Israel, has entered through it. 3 The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD . He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way."



She then Lotz went on to say "Almost a physical shock wave went through my system as I read those words! The Shepherd's voice was unmistakable! While I still felt called in forums other than the revivals to speak to whomever God place in front of me, I had no doubt that He had confirmed through Ezekiel that our Just Give Me Jesus revivals were to target women--although the "prince" (select men: pastors, husbands, or anyone God chooses to draw to the arenas) was welcomed and would be fed by the Lord there." Lotz goes on to wonder how she can determine who to teach to, but she concludes that she can't. It is all God.



I feel that she has a point...if she, or any woman, is giving a gift to teach and to share a Word from the Lord, the Lord will prompt His children to listen and heed it. His children, the sheep, will know that it is His, the Shepherd's, voice. I think that is pretty cool! While her ministry is geared toward women, there are men who choose to listen to her teachings and she is not about to stop that. I wonder if the men who choose to listen to a woman teacher are sinning?



I also know that God gifted many women with prophecy and we read about them throughout scriptures... including Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14).



The Scripture presents their stories, making no issue of their gender. Women judges and prophets were both recognized. Now, reading through the Timothy verses, it seems obvious that women should not be in leadership or teach the church, for Paul says "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." The first thing I notice is "I do not permit". Who is "I"? Paul explains his reasoning for this is that Eve was not formed first and that she is the one who was deceived. Using the fall as a reason for women not being in leadership would indicate a universal truth for all ages, however, I question this because after Christ was resurrected, we were now under a new covenant and that

we were ALL forgiven. So, are women for all generations punished for the sin of Eve? Great, now I am debating with the apostle Paul. My brain is going to explode. It's Wednesday, my last day off this week, I don't have time for digging any deeper! I can't figure out the entire Bible today!



AAUUGGHHH! I wish I understood more about the culture of Paul's day. What I do know is that women were not held in very high regard in society. Their role was insignificant when it came to theology and society in general. I would think that a reason women wouldn't be advisable in positions of leadership would be because men simply wouldn't respect their authority.



If one takes literally the Timothy verses to "be a husband of one wife", this clearly indicates that only a male should be in a pastoral position. If that verse is taken literally then so should the aforementioned Timothy verses and the Corinthians verse when Paul says "women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission".



(The following is paraphrased from a source I found online at a Methodist site) What is interesting is how Jesus treated the women of His day. He showed great respect for them and took the time to talk with them (John 4), He healed them (Luke 8:48), forgave them (John 8:11), engaged them in theological discussion (John 4:19-26; 11:23-27), and welcomed them as disciples, i.e., learners (Luke 10:39, 42). He used the experiences of women as subject of some of his parables (Luke 15:8-10). Jesus' treatment of women was unlike any other rabbi of that day. The first people to whom Jesus' appeared after the resurrection were women! (John 20:17) Then He commanded she go and share what she saw! Moreover, Jesus made no statements limiting women in their ministry for him. One of Jesus' greatest commands in Matthew 28 is "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Was this a man only command? It was given to His chosen disciples, but are we not all His disciples, both women and men?



Katie adds "God didn't choose a man to be the mother of Jesus!" LOL We sure do have fun doing Bible study!



In looking over this I found many women of the Bible in prominent roles of authority. Deborah, a judge, Esther a Queen, and Mary the MOTHER OF GOD! We learn about Lydia who basically was a church planter. (Acts 16:40) What if she had remained silent?



I looked at the Northbrook responsibilities/qualifications for the PLT and they are based on the Timothy and Titus verses. That's a good thing for a biblical church! The only qualification I see there that a woman could not possibly adhere to is the "Husband of one wife" qualification.



In reading through scriptures I believe that women and men do have different roles in life, thus different roles in the church. God does mandate that women have the role of submission, however submission does not equal a "lower life form"! God himself has given great honor to many women through scriptural history. God was able to use women to His glory because of their submission, submission to His authority! In fact, many of the men in leadership roles that

we read about in Scripture, were influenced by women...sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a not-so-good way. Either way, women are influential.



I believe that God gifts women to teach, and to teach His Word to His children. God will prompt the hearts, eyes, and ears, for those who need to hear a word from Him. God will use a willing instrument to deliver His message, whether through man or woman, or heck, didn't He even once use an ass? (Numbers 23:5)



Personally, I am frustrated that I can't answer with certainty any single question we ask in SaLT with WaLT!



Ugh! I wish I was more of a Bible scholar and expert in ancient Jewish, Greek, and whatever else culture I would need to be an expert in to thoroughly understand God more! I CAN'T WAIT TO ASK HIM FACE TO FACE! nevermind! BY THEN I WON'T CARE AND I'LL BE TOO BUSY WORSHIPPING!



I personally do not think I would necessarily have an issue with a woman on the PLT (Pastoral Leadership Team), because she would still be under the authority of the Lead Pastor. Because even great theologians debate this women's role thing, I would choose to error on the side of caution and not want women as the lead pastor in any church. I do wonder sometimes though if we miss out on any blessings with

strict adherance to this law...is it God's? or man's?



Bummer, I won't be at class on Sunday! I'm gonna miss more great discussion!

The Beginning

While cleaning out her bookshelf today, Sue came upon an old email. It was a response to the first emails we exchanged after I posted a prayer request in a guestbook on May 27, 1999. This is how it reads:



Sue, I am so glad that you responded. Your letter deeply touched my heart. I am as desperate as I sounded. I have asked people to pray for years. I hope that through many prayer chains I have created, people all over the world will be praying for my husband and my marriage. Pray that I act on wisdom an discernment from God instead of desperation. You can reach me through icq if you have it and we can talk in person (if you want to call it that). My ICQ # is 35711880. If you don't have [ICQ] and would like me to send you an invitation just let me know. Or, look it up under ICQ on the internet. I will definately pray that God sends you an extra blessing. God Bless You!!!!!



[Then was a response from Sue:]



I prayed my prayer for you as I said I would. I will continue to do so. I do have ICQ and my # is 107088030. God bless you in you walk with Him today.



As I sat beside my best friend (soulsister) and read this note today, it caused me to make a brief reflection of where God has brought us since that day of desperation when I posted that prayer request. Who would have ever thought that two souls with such a different history could come together as we did. God is wonderful and He truly does the unexpected.



We thought that Sue would pray for my husband, he would get saved and things would all work out in my marriage. It's no secret that things didn't turn out that way, but my prayer was answered. God did give me wisdom and discernment and I did not act out of foolish desperation. Sometimes we can't understand why things happen the way they do but we look back and see How our God truly is a God of infinate wisdom. He sees the whole picture and He knows the end of the story. He only wants us to trust Him...childlike faith.



Before I blogged this note, I told Sue that I want to blog my story this year. So, with this blog I will begin to take our interested readers on a marvelous journey of God transforming a beaten down caterpillar into His beloved butterfly!



I can only pray that others who can identify with the events of my life will find in my story a message of hope.



May God bless this.

Another Year Gone

Wow.



Time sure flies by when you are getting older! I remember reading once somewhere that as a person ages, time really is psycologically perceived to go faster. I think that is weird, but I experience it.



I remember as a kid, summers lasted forever. So did the last day of school! LOL I couldn't wait for the bell to sound at 3:00pm so I could run out to the bus, be dropped off to a whole summer of freedom and joy and laughter and fun! Something interesting I learned when I became a teacher is that the last day is just as anticipated and just as long! LOL



Now years are flying by for me. I can't believe that I will now be going into my sixth year living in TN. One of my employees asked me this morning at work if I was going to eat black-eyes peas and hog jaw tomorrow? I said firmly "NOOOOOO! that must be a southern thing. I never even heard of it until I moved here! ICK!" LOL



She said "you have lived in the south long enough, it's time!"



"NO! I will never refer to myself as a southerner!"



Black-eyed peas and hog jaw? Interesting.



Where I'm from, the Midwest, it was pork and sauerkraut. It all does seem to be pig related. Wonder what makes a pig so special?



I hate sauerkraut. I hate anything having to do with cabbage.



What the heck am I talking about? LOL



I have to work tomorrow. It's too late for absurd posts such as this!