Embracing the Small Church - An Intergenerational Church

The bouncy music booms through the speakers as kids, students, and adults of all ages wave their arms, jump and sing “Jesus is my superhero, you’re my star, my best friend…” Smiles, laughter and joy fill the room as we all participate in active worship with our Kids Praise Team.  All ages sitting around tables sharing a celebration meal together during an Easter Brunch, July BBQ or Thanksgiving Dinner.  When we, of all ages, partake of communion, serve alongside one another, learn, play and worship together we embrace being an intergenerational church.

If you attend a smaller congregation (100 or less) you can often look at the larger church across the street and long for its successful programs: high-energy kid’s ministries, or cutting-edge youth programs, parent resources, elderly adult activities and trips, or single adult programs. They may be staffed by called, full-time pastors and leaders who create dynamic ministries and programs for each generation.

One advantage a small church has over larger program churches is being an intergenerational church. To honor, value, and celebrate each generation, as well as, to worship, connect and serve together of all ages. We truly become the church family that God calls us to be. The Apostle Paul affirms our kinship relationship with one another in 1 Timothy 5:1-2, Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.  Being fewer in number gives the smaller congregation more flexibility and ease to participate in church life together. The needs of each generation become our responsibility and not just the responsibility of full-time staff.

Within our family we have a responsibility to one another to show respect, love and care for each age-level needs. 50 years ago, Jim Rayburn founder of Young Life said, “It’s a sin to bore the kids with the gospel”. Our youth and young adults face many challenges to faith and morality that we (older adults) have never had to deal with. Single and married adults have distinct needs. Parents are burdened by over-committed schedules, unbalanced family budgets, and multiple jobs that drain their emotional, spiritual and physical resources. Mid-to-older adults face many relationship, career, health and family challenges as well. We all have distinct needs and hopes, but when we recognize the needs of the other generations we can then best reach out and serve one another with respect, love and care.

As a Pastor I am encouraged when I witness the whole family, joyfully worship, connect and serve as one. I am encouraged when each generation sets aside its preferences, fully engages in intergenerational praise and worship, develops friendships across age-levels and serves one another. I think God, our Father, smiles in affirmation over his family during those times. Embrace the small church and the joy we have in being an intergenerational church.

Celebrate World Day!

Celebrate Earth Day! For 40 years our Nation has set aside this day to respect and cherish our natural resources. I have been privileged to live in some of our most beautiful Western States, and explore many of our National Parks. Most of my favorite memories are within the beauty and majesty of God’s gift of creation to us.

I remember camping with my parents in the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, and hiking along trails through the scrub oak, aspen groves, meadows of wildflowers, and being terrified as a large owl takes flight only a few yards away. While hauling bales of hay in the baking heat of the North Dakota fields, I remember standing in awe at the approaching ominous dark sky. Giant menacing thunderclouds rolled across the horizon with the terror of tornadoes, vicious lightning and deafening thunder within. While attending college, I walked hand in hand with my beloved along the Santa Cruz beaches. Dolphins played in the surf, Monarch butterflies gathered in the eucalyptus and firs along the cliffs, as the sun peaked through the coastal fog. I remember silently skiing through a foot of new powder as the Colorado Rocky Mountains lay before me in a breathtaking vista. In the Northwest we have stood in the spray of majestic waterfalls, gazed as the sun set over frothing waves, hiked though canyons, hunted for agates, fished for crab and trout and have made lifelong memories outdoors as a family.

When God finished each stage of creation he declared it “Good”. But after God created man in His image He declared it, “Very Good”. To God, today is not merely Earth Day, but World Day, to show His love, appreciation and devotion to His pinnacle of creation…us. For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

Good Friday, the day to remember, honor and worship the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is the day God celebrates World Day. It is the greatest demonstration of His love toward us, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

On this day, I am humbled to think that the glory and power of Earth’s Creator, sets me atop his creation and extends His love to me on Good Friday, the day God so loved the world…

Silent Love

The accused stood silent among the seething anger and pointing fingers in the room. Some hurled various accusations but no agreement of two witnesses could make the charges stick. This court took place in abnormal circumstances that violated its own rules. The accused was arrested without charge, they meet in the High Priest’s home into the darkness of night, and on the day of celebration and worship. In an act of desperation the judge steps down from his office of guarantor of justice to vehemently take on the role of prosecutor. The High Priest hurls a leading question to the accused. “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” The life of a man hangs in the stillness of the air. All eyes are starring intently into the face of one they loathe, fear and don’t understand. The accused says, “I am”. Men gasp at his words as he continues “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” “Blasphemy!” yells the judge. That this man claims to be God, who has divine authority over us, and will establish his future rule and reign with power. The High Priest tears his clothes and pronounces his verdict, and immediately the court sentences the accused to death.

The volcano of anger, fear and hate erupts as officers grab the condemned, spit on his face, and blindfold him. They mock his divine acknowledgement yelling “Prophesy!” and striking the defenseless man in the face as they mercilessly beat the Christ, the Son of God. He was sentenced to death not for murder, stealing, or any violation of the law, but for simply being who He is, the Son of God. – Mark 14:53-65

Why? For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son… John 3:16, and This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:9,10

Why would the innocent willingly stand condemned to death? Out of love. The Son of God, full of immeasurable power who set the stars in the heavens before life on earth, who always was and always will be took our place of condemnation. With each virulent insult, hurl of degrading spit, or rage of balled up fists that slammed into his cheek…He took it out of love. Love for the world and specifically love for you. If you were present in that mockery of a court room that fateful day, and could catch the eye of Jesus. You would gaze into the depth of unfailing, unflinching, unwavering love which has no bottom. His gaze would penetrate into your soul that would transcend the swirling hate and rage of others and in contrast offer a longing tenderness of compassion for you. His silence is a gift of his life so that you may live. A life of freedom from guilt, sin and death – that you might receive his gift of eternal life with Him.

Thank you Jesus.

Have a Smile : )

“If you see someone without a smile…give them one of yours.” – author unknown A simple proverb to keep in mind as we begin the morning with our family, interact with co-workers, students or neighbors, and end it by saying “good night” to the ones we love. Through the hours of the day do we have a smile to give away? Are we a miser with our smiles hoarding them to ourselves, or are we a smile philanthropist generously giving to all? How are we able to do this?

First, our smiles flow from the well spring in our heart. Is our heart full of God’s goodness, optimism, hope, love and joy? If so, smiles will become a natural part of who we are all throughout the day with plenty to spare. Others will notice. Second, to give someone a smile is to engage in an act of service. Service is to see a need and offer a hand of support, encouragement or assistance.

I remember learning how to roller skate as a seven-year-old, lacing up my skates with the disco ball lights swirling throughout the rink. John Denver belted out “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy” through the booming speakers as I wobbled to the wooden floor gripping the side rail. After a miserable lap, falling repeatedly and wishing I had a pillow on my backside, I was about ready to give up. After one embarrassing out-of-control spin, legs kicking out in all directions, I fell hard. Just then an angel appeared and offered her hand. My Aunt Julia, a few years older than myself, helped me up, took one arm and her friend took the other and they taught me how to skate. After a number of laps with their support and encouragement they let go…I was skating! I beamed with exhilaration as I joyfully skated in pace with the others making karate chops in the air to the song “Kung Fu Fighting”. I still love to skate.

Jesus taught that his whole purpose was to serve as he instructed his disciples in being great in God’s Kingdom.

Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant. 44 Whoever wants to become the first among you must serve all of you like a slave. 45 In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.” – Mark 10:43-45

To serve others is a key quality in being a follower of Christ to the point that one may not truly be following Christ unless they actively engage in service. We can serve in limitless ways to family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and even strangers. We can serve an individual or even join an organization or church that serves many. I am encouraged to see many friends giving away smiles as they serve others in Christ’s name by taking boys out camping, teaching kids Bible stories in homes, offering hope through prayer, counsel and support, cleaning out a friend’s basement, moving furniture, teaching English as a second language, or even bringing an elderly person to church. You serve within your church, you serve within your home, you serve within your schools, you serve within the workplace and you serve within your community. In your service, Christ’s love is extended and a smile is given.

Jump!

Today’s News! Introducing Smell-o-Vision, forget 3-D or high-def., and elevate your TV experience by the breakthrough technology of smell from your TV. The Prime Minister of New Zealand has announced that all cell phones are banned within their borders. Burger King will be offering Whoppers for left-handed people where the condiments will only drip off the right side. The landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery has been diverted from Edwards Air Force Base to a small municipal airport in San Diego. All of these headlines are real stories that were broadcast on April 1st.

Today, April 1st is known as April Fools Day where we like to fool, pull pranks or deceive someone in good fun. The origins of this day takes us back to medieval Europe with the story of Chanticleer and the Fox, one of the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (1392), or possibly in France mocking those who celebrated New Years on March 25th ending on April 1st., and in 1698 where many people were tricked into going into the Tower of London to “see the Lions washed”.*

In reading of the Gospel of Mark, one could see where the headlines of Palestine might be too outlandish to believe: “Traveling Rabbi dismisses mourners and raises young girl from the dead”, “Free Lunch for Everybody - Teacher feeds 5,000 plus with a boys lunch - baskets of leftovers to take home”, “2,000 pigs die, Tortured man tells story of Legion cast out by Jesus”. As Jesus laid out the plans for his betrayal, death and resurrection and his expectation of them, the Disciples must have questioned, “Am I a fool for following him?”

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” – Mark 8:34-35, NLT

The Disciples had expectations of being in high position, the inner circle of the Messiah, to be men of influence, to be part of the restored national kingdom. Jesus turned their expectations upside down: to be great you must serve, to follow me you must suffer, to save your life you must first lose it. The Disciples must have had many days where it felt like April Fools Day as they said to one another “Are you kidding! Did that really just happen?” as Jesus commands the wind and waves to cease, cast out demons, heal the afflicted, or even raise the dead. They were also tested in their trust, hope and faith of Jesus as he flipped their expectations of Him and of themselves.

One of my favorite April Fools Day pranks was the 1976 Jovian-Plutonian Gravitational Effect. British astronomer Sir Patrick Moore told listeners of BBC Radio that a unique alignment of two planets would result in an upward gravitational pull making people lighter at precisely 9:47 a.m. that day. He invited his audience to jump in the air and experience "a strange floating sensation". Dozens of listeners phoned in to say the experiment had worked.*

For many in this world would say that following Jesus is a “fool’s life”, for myself I have placed my hope and faith in Jesus Christ and I am ready to “jump”. The difference between the headlines and pranks on April Fools Day and in following Jesus are they are false, fake and deceptive, but with Jesus…He is the Truth.

* Headlines and resources from Wikipedia.