John H Armstrong

New Blog Site Soon

Over the course of the next 24-72 hours a mentor/coach is finishing the design for my new blog site. It will be on a WordPress platform hosted by a different server than the one I have used for over seven years. Please check back in a few days and let me know what you think when this site is launched. I will be doing a series of blog posts on the extremely important new book, Bad Relgion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics, Ross Douthat (Free Press: New York, 2012) over the next several weeks. I really hope that you will read these posts and interact with me as you do. I believe this is one of the most important books for missional-ecumenists I have read. 

One of My Favorite Modern Authors

I have many favorite authors. Some are theologians. Some are pastors. Some are missiologists. Some are novelists. Not all are Christians. The ones I appreciate the most make me think the best. 

One of my favorite writers is a United Methodist Bishop by the name of Will Willimon. I am not sure when I first began to read Willimon but it has to have been at least 35 years ago. I like Willimon because he is a contrarian and a provocateur. He's been a pastor, a university chaplain (Duke University) and now is a Methodist Bishop (Alabama). If you ask Willimon what he is he will tell you that he's a preacher first. He says that he is called to be a truth-teller of Jesus Christ. A Pulpit and Pew Research Center study discovered that he was one of the most widely-read authors among mainline Protestant pastors. Willimon feels most at home behind a pulpit. If you've heard him you will never forget it. Sometimes Willimon rubs people the wrong way. He offends the Left and the Right pretty evenly. He has always challenged me. Maybe I inherited a tiny bit of his spirit. I hope so to be honest.

A new Willimon book was released last week. My copy, ordered months ago, arrived on time. It is simply titled: The Best of Will Willimon (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012). This book includes one gem after another. I encourage you to get it and read it slowly, whether or not you have ever read Willimon before now. Here is one quote, taken at random (literally):

To read Scripture is to risk transformation, conversion, an exchange of masters. You might think of Sunday morning as a struggle over the question, Who tells the story of what is going on in the world? Scripture reading can be uncomfortable, as we are made by the Bible to see things we would have just as soon ignored, as we hear a word we have been trying to avoid. Reading is not only a formative activity, but also a potentially disruptive means of existing in our culture, of defamiliarizing and making the normal seem strange and the strange seem normal, of having delightful respite from conventional, culturally sanctioned accounts of "the ways things are." Therefore, the primary interpretive question is not, "Do I understand this passage?" but rather, "How is this text attempting to convert me to Christ?" Behind all Scripture is not simply the question, "Will you agree?" but rather the more political, "Will you join up?"

I will likely give you some more Willimon in the future but chew on that and if you are moved by it get the book.

The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis

I recently became aware of a major gathering that is taking place this Saturday in Houston, Texas. It is called The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis. My initial thought was quite simple: “What could possibly be wrong with anything that calls the nation to prayer?” My second thought led me to visit the site online and ask some questions. My third thought came when I was invited to join a group of national leaders who listened to Gov. Rick Perry on a phone call set up to inform us about the event. But before I get to this conference call I must tell you that I personally called some trusted friends in Texas, friends who are not political partisans. These are wise Christian leaders with insights into the ways in which conservative political leaders have consistently linked partisan politics and candidates with calls for national prayer and renewal. The way this generally works is through large-scaled grass roots movements that get Christian leaders excited about our national crisis and then appeal to people to pray and vote.

On the website of The Response the following description is given about this one-day event:

On August 6, the nation will come together at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas for a solemn gathering of prayer and fasting for our country.

We believe that America is in a state of crisis. Not just politically, financially or morally, but because we are a nation that has not honored God in our successes or humbly called on Him in our struggles.

According to the Bible, the answer to a nation in such crisis is to gather in humility and repentance and ask God to intervene. The Response will be a historic gathering of people from across the nation to pray and fast for America.

When the day came last week for the conference call with Gov. Perry I was busy cleaning up a mess from storms that hit Carol Stream the evening before. As a result I did not get to hear about this event firsthand. Our town had been declared a disaster area in order to bring in outside help to clean up. Streets were closed, power out, etc. I suffered some broken branches and other damage, the worst being a deck table that was shattered, leaving glass everywhere. My gazebo, the lovely place where I retreat to pray, read and write had minor damage. I spent my morning cutting tree limbs and picking up glass shards from the crevices in my deck. I also pitched in to help a few neighbors as well. It was some day, reminding me that a huge tornado leaves damage that cannot be cleaned up in one or two days. All this to say that I missed the conference call. But I did get a report from a trusted and wise friend that I had asked for insight about this Saturday’s meeting. His response told me what I feared would be the case and thus made plain what I would had already felt would be the case if I had been able to join the phone call.

Today I heard the name of Jesus mentioned just once, somewhere toward the end of the reports.  Not once by the Governor.  In fact, Perry was far less "focused" and "biblically clear" than on the previous call.  "Generic God" prevailed in his language; as did "prayer as rescue.” 

My sense personally is that, once again, we are witnessing in the outworking of THE RESPONSE USA the oft-repeated ascendancy of "culture Christianity" -- or, maybe even more accurately, "civil religion" with a biblical veneer. 

I don't mean to be harsh, but I assure you that what I reported to you a couple weeks ago following my two lengthy conversations with a leader of this effort suggested an event that would be utterly dominated with Jesus Christ and New Testament paradigms.  Neither were in evidence [on the call] this morning.

Anyway, I apologize to friends I invited to call in if you felt your time was not well invested. 

My own heart is heavy.  The potential originally was great (in terms of "sparking" new steps toward a "Christ Awakening movement"), but I fear it has, once again, passed us by.  However, I will continue to pray that somehow the tide yet will turn.

My friend added this fantastic PS to his email:

The best thing I've ever read to help me understand what American culture Christianity looks like and the impact it has had on the spiritual thinking of our nation as a whole is Mark Noll's America’s God (Mark is professor of church history at Notre Dame, formerly at Wheaton College).  As Mark makes clear, what has evolved into America's God is NOT the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This just about sums up everything I feared upon visiting this website and reading about The Response. Once again a great gathering will pray and sing and call for revival. As much as I believe in real revival I honestly wonder if we can get this right when politics, and elected political leadership, are merged with spiritual concern that is plainly rooted in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A National Conversation on Revival

I am pleased to be a part of an upcoming meeting on spiritual awakening to be held in Chicago on June 7-8. This gathering is hosted by the National Revival Network, a group I have been a part of from its origin over ten years ago. This meeting is designed for leaders with a serious and thoughtful interest in true revival. Note that there are speakers at this event but this is a conversation. The size of the crowd will not be large thus each of us will be given an opportunity to contribute. This is not a typical conference event at all. I believe a few readers of this blog should attend. You decide and interact with me at your convenience.

The Church Alive to the Glory of Christ

Moody Church, Chicago – June 7-8, 2011

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which he brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1

Conversation 1

Tuesday, June 7, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened…”

Introductions

Erwin Lutzer – Welcome / Why we are here and where are we headed

Dale Schlafer – National Revival Network: Who are we? 

Discovering who has come to join “the conversation”

Worship and prayers

Jesus Christ: His Centrality and Supremacy in Revival

“He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, for above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet…”

David Bryant – A Consequential Christology is the Hallmark of Revival

The Conversation

Worship and prayers

Break for lunch 

Conversation 2

Tuesday, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Jesus Christ: His Call for Unity in Revival

“…and gave Him as head over all things to the church,  which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. ”

John Armstrong – Christ’s Call for Evangelical Ecumenism in Revival

The Conversation

Dale Schlafer – Practicing Evangelical Ecumenism for Revival: A Case Study

The Conversation

Bob Bakke – Concerted Prayer: A Key Unifying Factor in Revival

The Conversation

Worship and Prayers

Break for dinner

Conversation 3

Tuesday 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Jesus Christ: Manifested in Revival by Word and Spirit

“…so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ…” 

Erwin Lutzer – Proclaiming the True Gospel in Revival

The Conversation

Brad Bush – Recovering the Power of His Promise for Revival

The Conversation

Everybody – Free-flowing conversation concerning anything explored today

 

Worship and prayers

 

Break for evening

Conversation 4

Wednesday, June 8, 9:00 AM – 12:00 noon

Jesus Christ: His Passion for Purity in Revival

“…what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.’

Worship and Prayers

Everybody – Open conversation on any facet of corporate revival

Byron Paulus – His Character Our Focus for Personal Purity in Revival

The Conversation

Del Fehsenfeld – His Healing Brings Our Wholeness in Revival

The Conversation

Worship and Prayers

Break for lunch

Conversation 5

Wednesday 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Jesus Christ: God’s Eternal Purposes in Him and Revival

“…not only in this age but in the age to come.”

David Bryant – Revival as an Approximation of the Consummation

The Conversation

Concluding season of Worship and Prayers

Wrap up: Preview of Chicagoland Conversation on Revival, October 18, 2011

Dismiss at 5 PM

Important Information if You Would Like to Participate

• If you fly into O'Hare, there are airport trains that shuttle you almost to the Moody Church doorstep for under $3.  Or to the Retreat Center (if you come in the evening of the 6th)
• Everyone is invited to make reservations at the Cenacle Retreat Center, within walking distance of The Moody Church, where a single room plus full breakfast runs about $70 a night. (See http://www.cenaclesisters.org/chicago-retreat-conference-center).   You will probably need to reserve the nights of June 6 (we start at 9 AM on the 7th) and June 7. But we dismiss at 5 PM on the 7th, allowing everyone to leave that evening.
• Moody Church and its senior pastor Erwin Lutzer (a member of the NRN) are terrific hosts, so you will be refreshed by the venue itself, as well as all that unfolds during our gathering.
• There is no charge for you to join in the National Conversation on Revival. But a free will offering will be taken to help cover expenses, as each is able to give.
• Your next step?  Pray about this unique opportunity and  RSVP me as soon as you can, one way or the other. You can respond to me via the comments on this post and I will not publish your response.

Praying for a New Pentecost in Rome

Bridge building is the one metaphor of true ecumenism that has stood out in my experience over the years. Having recently returned from Rome I call tell you that the “Eternal City” is a place of many bridges. Everywhere you walk there are bridges connecting this place and that, crossing the Tiber here and there and uniting people and churches.

Catholic Deacon Nathaniel Bacon, who convened the meeting I just returned from in Rome, wrote a few years ago:

In the modern age of instantaneous social networking, however,
this role can be obscured, and at times appear obsolete. Nonetheless, those people whose lives connect us to others in deep ways offer us an invaluable gift—they open us to the presence of the Holy Spirit in one another. The  entire ecumenical enterprise might be summed up as one of bridge-building.

Ecumenism presents the Christian with a myriad of frustrations and large disappointments. I know this personally as so many of those I know fear this idea and resist me for engaging it with all my heart. At the highest levels of church dialog the last ten years has seen a tremendous setback in global ecumenism. Yet unbelievable progress has been made in ecumenical bridge-building if you look over the past  50-100 years.

The formation of what became the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue made concrete a whole new Catholic bridge-building enterprise that invites all of us to consider our part in the prayer of John 17. I needed to see this firsthand in order to genuinely understand how truly powerful the impact of these councils are in the Roman context.

Before I left for Rome I did a lot of reading about the city and the numerous historic sites. I discovered, to my great delight, that the word “pontifical” (which brings to our mind the papacy) has an often forgotten etymology. The root of this word is “bridge.” As a sign of unity for the church, the successor of Peter is called, according to ancient Catholic faith, to be a bridge-builder. Yet the papacy has historically not been at the center of bridge building. This is what makes the pontificates of both John Paul II and Benedict XVI so magnificent in this regard.  In John Paul II’s encyclical Ut Unum Sint (“That they may all be one”), he powerfully called on all Catholics to engage in the pursuit of Christian unity; i.e. to be real bridge builders. He also recognized that the way papal primacy has been exercised in the last twelve centuries or more has presented a serious stumbling block to ecumenism. He invited the greater ecumenical community to engage in a “patient and fraternal dialogue” with him “to find a way of exercising the primacy, which while in no way renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open to a new situation.”

Our group of Christian leaders and missionaries gathered in Rome to pray and form deep friendships. We came to talk about a New Pentecost, a supernatural movement that would bring believers into unity, breaking down centuries old barriers of language, culture and practice. Pentecost is God’s answer to Babel, the place where humankind sought unity apart from God and found itself mired in confusion. The church seemed to turn toward Babel after the early centuries and today is waking up to the damage this has done to the mission of Christ.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, the former head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said a few years ago: “Over the years, through the many ecumenical dialogues we have created an impressive stack of critical documents and agreements. Without diminishing their importance, we must remember that the Holy Spirit did not come as paper, but as fire. And fire burns up paper! What we need is a new Pentecost!”

Having spent time in Rome last week (March 7-15) praying and getting to know fellow ecumenists from many churches, and even many nations, I assure you this is truly our greatest need. What we sought in friendship and fellowship last week we enjoyed in the power of the Holy Spirit who indwelt each of us. Our prayer, small as it might have been with seven us, and no fanfare about our coming and going to speak about, is truly big. We prayed: “God send your blessed Spirit and refresh your people in this age. Grant us a new outpouring of divine mercy and unite us in the love of Christ.” I live for this. This is what my life and mission is truly all about: a New Pentecost that will bring God’s people together through the building of magnificent new bridges of grace and peace.

Governor Bobby Jindal: A Devout Christian and Faithful Catholic with a True Vision of our Greatest Need

It is fairly well know by now that the governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal (R.), is a Hindu convert to faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord. Jindal told Christianity Today this last week about his conversion, which he says extended over a seven-year period which included reading the Bible as well as works by modern writers like Charles Colson and C. S. Lewis. Jindal has sometimes been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate but he has not shown the kind of charisma many expect in a national candidate. He is widely praised for his initiatives in leading his state and yet remains a fiscal and social conservative with compassion and moral credibility. Whether you agree with the governor on his policy or not you will find him an impressive person if you get to know more about him as both a person and a leader. A devout convert to Jesus as Lord the governor is also a faithful, practicing Roman Catholic.

At the end of his interview with Christianity Today the governor was asked about his hope for America’s future. He responded in a way that is most atypical of political leaders. His hope for our society is clearly not in politics or leaders like himself.

I do think our society is hungry for revival. Many institutions we traditionally put our faith in have crumpled, and people realize that material things are not ultimately the source of our salvation. I can't promise you that just because you're a believer the hurricanes won't come, that there won't be an oil spill. As Christians, we're secure in the knowledge that in the Book of Life, our God wins. He gets off that cross. He beats Satan. We're not called to be despondent. We are called to be salt and light and to be planting the seeds of the gospel.

Amen Governor Jindal!

I may not always agree with you my brother. I may not even think that you are a viable presidential candidate, which time will tell anyway, but I promise that I will pray for you. And I hope more Christians will speak up as openly and as faithfully as Governor Jindal. The real hope for our nation and people is in the Son of God. We can protect the proper separation of church and state, we can refuse to make Christianity a state religion but we can also see righteous men and women in leadership with a vision that transcends the politics of self-promotion and ideology alone. 

An Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church (USA)

I so profoundly resonate with the following open letter that I happily publish it to provoke thought and prayer for renewal in the PCUSA in particular and the mainline Protestant denominations in general. The Presbyterian Church (USA), much like other mainline churches, is clearly dying. Millions of people have left and scores of congregations (maybe several hundred more still) are thinking about leaving. In the end staying or leaving is a question of conscience. But a number of pastors of the largest congregations in the denomination, and the leaders of renewal ministries much like ACT 3, have issued an open letter that expresses a different way to understand this crisis and a direct way to respond to it in faith joined with real missional hope. Some of the signatories are good friends and one is a former ACT 3 board member. Here is the letter without any editorial changes.

 

An Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church (USA)

February 2, 2011

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

To say the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is deathly ill is not editorializing but acknowledging reality.  Over the past year, a group of PC(USA) pastors has become convinced that to remain locked in unending controversy will only continue a slow demise, dishonor our calling, and offer a poor legacy to those we hope will follow us.  We recently met in Phoenix, and have grown in number and commitment.  We humbly share responsibility for the failure of our common life, and are no better as pastors nor more righteous than anyone on other sides of tough issues.

Our denomination has been in steady decline for 45 years, now literally half the size of a generation ago.  Most congregations see far more funerals than infant baptisms because we are an aging denomination.  Only 1,500 of our 5,439 smallest churches have an installed pastor, putting their future viability as congregations in doubt. Even many larger congregations, which grew well for decades, have hit a season of plateau or decline.  Our governing bodies reflect these trends, losing financial strength, staffing, and viability as presbyteries, synods, and national offices.

How we got to this place is less important than how to move forward.  We are determined to get past rancorous, draining internal disputes that paralyze our common life and ministry.  We believe the PC(USA) will not survive without drastic intervention, and stand ready to DO something different, to thrive as the Body of Christ.  We call others of like mind to envision a new future for congregations that share our Presbyterian, Reformed, Evangelical heritage.  If the denomination has the ability and will to move in this new direction, we will rejoice.  Regardless, a group of us will change course, forming a new way for our congregations to relate.  We hate the appearance of schism - but the PC(USA) is divided already.  Our proposal only acknowledges the fractured denomination we have become.

Homosexual ordination has been the flashpoint of controversy for the last 35 years.  Yet, that issue - with endless, contentious "yes" and "no" votes - masks deeper, more important divisions within the PC(USA).  Our divisions revolve around differing understandings of Scripture, authority, Christology, the extent of salvation amidst creeping universalism, and a broader set of moral issues. Outside of presbytery meetings, we mostly exist in separate worlds, with opposing sides reading different books and journals, attending different conferences, and supporting different causes.  There is no longer common understanding of what is meant by being "Reformed."  Indeed, many sense that the only unity we have left is contained in the property clause and the pension plan; some feel like withholding per capita is a club used against them, while others feel locked into institutional captivity by property.  While everyone wearies of battles over ordination, these battles divert us from a host of issues that affect the way our congregations fail to attract either young believers or those outside the faith.  Thus, we age, shrink, and become increasingly irrelevant.  Is it time to acknowledge that traditional denominations like the PC(USA) have served in their day but now must be radically transformed?

 

We need something new, characterized by:

1. A clear, concise theological core to which we subscribe, within classic biblical, Reformed/Evangelical traditions, and a pledge to live according to those beliefs, regardless of cultural pressures to conform;
2. A commitment to nurture leadership in local congregations, which we believe is a primary expression of the Kingdom of God.  We will identify, develop, and train a new generation of leaders - clergy and laity;
3. A passion to share in the larger mission of the people of God around the world, especially among the least, the lost, and the left behind;
4. A dream of multiplying healthy, missional communities throughout North America;
5. A pattern of fellowship reflecting the realities of our scattered life and joint mission, with regular gatherings locally, regionally, and nationally to excite our ability to dream together.

Our values include:

1. A minimalist structure, replacing bureaucracy and most rules with relational networks of common purpose;
2. Property and assets under stewardship of the local Session.  Dues/Gifts for common administration should only allow and enable continued affiliation among these congregations;
3. Rather than large institutions, joint ventures with specialized ministries as congregations deem helpful [PC(USA) World Mission may be a source of joint support, aspects of the Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Foundation, Presbyterian Global Fellowship, Presbyterians for Renewal conferences, Outreach Foundation, etc.];
4. An atmosphere of support for congregations both within and outside of the PC(USA).

We invite like-minded pastors and elders to a gathering on August 25-27 in Minneapolis to explore joining this movement and help shape its character.  Our purpose is to LIVE INTO new patterns as they are created, modeling a way of faith: the worship, supportive fellowship, sharing of best practices, and accessible theology that brings unity and the Spirit's vitality.

OUR PROPOSAL:

1. A Fellowship: The most immediate change we intend is creating a new way of relating in common faith, a Fellowship (name to be determined). The primary purpose of this Fellowship will be the encouragement of local congregations to live out the Good News proclaimed by our Savior, increasing the impact of the Kingdom of Heaven.   This Fellowship will exist within current presbyteries for the time being, but energies and resources will flow in new directions.  It is an intermediate tool to bring together like-minded congregations and pastors, to enable us to build a future different than our fractured present. 
2. New Synod/Presbyteries:  In the near future we will need "middle bodies" that offer freedom to express historical, biblical values amid ordination changes in the PC(USA).  More importantly, we long for presbytery-like bodies with theological and missional consensus rather than fundamental disagreement over so many core issues.  We need new processes that identify and support the next generation of leadership differently than the current model, which unintentionally weeds out the entrepreneurial persons we so desperately need in our congregations.  Many current functions should be removed; some, like curriculum and mission relationships, have become less centralized already.  We will work with the Middle Governing Bodies Commission since changes to The Book of Order will be needed to step fully into this reality. 
3. Possible New Reformed Body:  Congregations and presbyteries that remain in a denomination that fundamentally changes will become an insurmountable problem for many.  Some members of the Fellowship will need an entity apart from the current PC(USA).  It is likely that a new body will need to be created, beyond the boundary of the current PC(USA), while remaining in correspondence with its congregations.  The wall between these partner Reformed bodies will be permeable, allowing congregations and pastors to be members in the Fellowship regardless of denominational affiliation.  All kinds of possibilities exist, and much will depend on how supportive the PC(USA) can be in allowing something new to flourish.
4. Possible Reconfiguration of the PC(USA):  We intend to continue conversations within the PC(USA), and have met with both Louisville's leadership and that of the Covenant Network in the past few months.  We believe the denomination no longer provides a viable future and perceive that the Covenant Network also sees a broken system.  We hope to work together to see if some new alignment might serve the whole Church.

Any model that includes an entity outside the PC(USA) does mean fewer remaining congregations, pastors, and elders to fight the challenges of the current PC(USA).  Votes will swing in directions that had not been desirable before.  For many this outcome simply acknowledges that fighting is not the way we choose to proceed; our goal is not institutional survival but effective faithfulness as full participants in the worldwide Church.  We hope to discover and model what a new "Reformed body" looks like in the coming years, and we invite you to join us, stepping faithfully, boldly, and joyfully into the work for which God has called us.

We invite you to:

Download and share a PDF of this letter. Or download and share a PDF of the white paper "Time for Something New", or visit our temporary webpage for more information, and email us at [email protected] if you have questions and/or would like to be a signatory on this letter.

Steering Committee:
Vic Pentz, Peachtree Presbyterian, Atlanta, GA

John Crosby, Christ Presbyterian, Edina, MN                       
David Peterson, Memorial Drive Presbyterian, Houston, TX

Jim Singleton, First Presbyterian, Colorado Springs, CO     
David Swanson, First Presbyterian, Orlando, FL

Rich Kannwischer, St. Andrews, Newport Beach, CA          
Mark Toone, Chapel Hill Presbyterian, Gig Harbor, WA

Concurring Pastors:*

G. Christopher Scruggs, Advent Presbyterian, Cordova, TN

Mark Brewer, Bel Air Presbyterian, Los Angeles, CA

Allan Poole, Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian, Durham, NC

Rick Murray, Covenant Presbyterian, Austin, TX

Tim Harrison, Crossroads Presbyterian, Mequon, WI

Bob Burkins, Elmwood United Presbyterian, East Orange, NJ

Doug Pratt, First Presbyterian, Bonita Springs, FL

Mateen Elass, First Presbyterian, Edmond, OK

Rich McDermott, First Presbyterian, Fort Collins, CO

Richard Gibbons, First Presbyterian, Greenville, SC

Dan Baumgartner, First Presbyterian, Hollywood, CA

Jim Birchfield, First Presbyterian, Houston, TX

Jim Davis, First Presbyterian, Kingwood, TX

Jerry Andrews, First Presbyterian, San Diego, CA

John Sowers, First Presbyterian, Spokane, WA

Jim Miller, First Presbyterian, Tulsa, OK

Jack Peebles, First Presbyterian, Yakima, WA
Don Baird, Fremont Presbyterian, Sacramento, CA

Doug Ferguson, Grace Presbyterian, Houston, TX
Bill Teng, Heritage Presbyterian, Alexandria, VA

Ronald W. Scates, Highland Park Presbyterian, Dallas, TX

David Lenz, Hope Presbyterian, Richfield, MN

Paul A. Cunningham, La Jolla Presbyterian, La Jolla, CA

Bob Sanders, Lake Grove Presbyterian, Lake Oswego, OR

Kevin Pound, Mandarin Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, FL 

John Ortberg, Menlo Park Presbyterian, Menlo Park, CA

Jeff Ebert, Presbyterian Church at New Providence, New Providence, NJ
Douglas Garrard, Palm Desert Community Presbyterian, Palm Desert, CA

Paul Detterman, Presbyterians for Renewal, Louisville, KY

Mike McClenahan, Solana Beach Presbyterian, Solana Beach, CA

Steve Hartman, Third Presbyterian, Richmond, VA

David Joynt, Presbyterian Church of Toms River, Toms River, NJ

Douglas J. Rumford, Trinity United Presbyterian, Santa Ana, CA

Patrick H. Wrisley, University Place Presbyterian, University Place, WA

George Hinman (Senior Pastor) and Tim Snow (Executive Pastor), University Presbyterian, Seattle, WA

Peter Barnes, Westlake Hills Presbyterian, Austin, TX

Baron Eliason, Westminster Presbyterian, Lubbock, TX

*Signatories represent themselves, not necessarily the Session or congregation of their respective churches.

The Bible in 90 Days: A Whole-Church Challenge

On January 1st I embarked upon a challenge given to the members and friends of the Lutheran Church of the Master in Carol Stream, IL. I signed up to share in, and also lead a small group of, The Bible in 90 Days. You read approximately 12 pages a day in this program. (Zondervan produces an NIV that is nicely laid out for you but you really do not need to buy one at all. Divide 90 into the pages in your own Bible and you have your plan! I am reading the NRSV for myself.)  It takes anywhere from 40 minutes to 90 minutes to get through the reading each day, depending on your speed and pace. You read from Genesis right through Revelation at the end of the canon, without any jumping around from here to there at all. Reading the Pentateuch in fifteen days was noticeably “big picture” for me personally. Anita and I discuss the reading most days and this has been fun as well.

The creator of this program is Ted Cooper, Jr. (photo left). Cooper began his own journey in reading through the Bible. more than six years ago, as an agnostic. Halfway through his reading plan he became a believer. (Read that again since he did not get to the New Testament before he became a believer!) Reading every word of the Bible is not the norm for most Christians. In fact, I doubt few have ever done it, even with all the versions that we possess. (We fight about versions and I am just excited people read and study the Word.) Something profound happens to you as you read. I am in 1 Samuel today and have a renewed sense of the whole story of Israel and the covenant of God like I haven’t had in years. And I’ve spent my personal and professional life studying Scripture.

There are videos designed to be shown each week when the small group meets. The OT teacher we are using is Dr. John Walton of Wheaton College. The NT discussion is led by Dr. Mark Strauss of Bethel Seminary in San Diego. These twenty minute presentations give overview information and help the readers grasp the “flow” of what they’ve read for that week. We have small group discussion (in groups of four) and some larger group stuff as well. The accountability of the group helps us all stay on track as well. The Essential Bible Companion (Zondervan), by Walton and Strauss, is a helpful background source that provides two pages on each book and helps the reader again see the “big picture” of what they are reading and discovering. There is a website on the program that you can search as well. 

I am prayerfully watching to see how the people of my local church are impacted by this process. I see a growing interest and hunger for the written Word already. I know my own life is being impacted and I expect I will use this method again when the program ends. It is very different from the One Year Bible programs and editions that abound. These are very good too but you do not get the “large chunks” quite like you do in The Bible in 90 Days. I recommend this plan to pastors, small group leaders and others who want to have people read the whole Bible together as a group experience.

An American Spiritual Awakening?

Since I was twenty years old I have made a study of true revivals. I wrote a book some years ago with the title: True Revival. My life was profoundly altered by the campus revival at Wheaton College in 1970. I have never been the same since those remarkable days of blessing.

My very good friend David Bryant recently sent me some encouraging news about an awakening that is going on right now within the United States. You will not likely read about this great movement of God anywhere else. Why? This awakening is happening in a prison.

Here is David’s description sent to me a few days ago:

As you've heard from me previously, there is a "Christ Awakening" in progress in the East Jersey State Prison, a high security penitentiary. At this point upwards of 200 inmates (out of 2000) are turning out regularly for seasons of strong worship, Bible teaching and discipleship.  This movement is shepherded by the full time chaplain, formerly a top exec with GM who in his 40's went to seminary to prepare for the very ministry he's now in (he's African American, which is important because about 80% of the East Jersey inmates are African Americans). Rev. Larry Aikins devoured Christ Is All and now has distributed 200 copies of a new smaller version of the book among inmates. Daily he's in there, stoking the fires. And the fires are burning---evidenced, for example, by the depths of public prayers I've heard from inmates as well as original worship wrap music, both of which manifest levels of theological understanding that few lay people I know could match!

A team of us go in there every couple of months to spend an evening with all these guys, during which I'm given about 35 minutes to preach to hungry men exclusively about the glory and supremacy of God's Son. After 40 years in ministry, this whole  experience remains, for me personally, utterly unprecedented, incomparable and breathtaking.

The past couple of months, the chairman of my board has been leading weekly studies through Christ Is All (the new revised version).  He's done so using the free small group study guide downloaded from the Christ Is All web site (but he's lengthened the study from 7-9 weeks).  In two weeks, the whole group will graduate (I think there are 13---there's a limit the prison administration puts on the size; many others wanted to be in it and can be in the next go-around).  We designed a special certificate that each inmate will receive, called a "Certificate of Commissioning." When they graduate they become commissioned as MESSENGERS OF HOPE throughout the prison (as defined in Christ is All---the old term for it might be "revivalists").  The guys are excited about this special benchmark for them.  But there's more.

Last week the men discussed "where to go from here" and initially decided they would commit to pray together at the same time each day (when the 9 PM bell rings for returning to their cells), even if they are not physically together, and to pray for a Christ Awakening in the whole prison.  But then, as they talked further, one of the guys said: "Why don't we form a CAST" (Christ Awakening Servant Team)? This idea is covered in one of the last chapters of the shorter edition of the book  They discussed the proposal. All agreed to the CAST  strategy.  So, for their next meeting (in 2 weeks) that will be their focus: forming a CAST in EJSP!!

One more story. The current head of all of New Jersey "Crips" gangs was sentenced to many years in EJSP (Crips and Bloods are the two major rival gangs across the USA).  Recently, he gave his life to Christ, was baptized in the prison and now has entered into the flow of the emerging Christ Awakening.  Just last week, he stood up before all the other Crips members in EJSP to renounce his leadership (which, in gang world, means a death sentence -- he should be killed by other members for leaving the gang).  Then, he told them, as they stood before him in the exercise yard (and this is a direct quote): "I release you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to go and serve Him alone."  Sort of a combined exorcism and commissioning all in one, you might say. 

I said to my board chairman: What if every pastor in this nation would stand before their congregation one Sunday and say: "I release you from all the lesser issues and activities in this church that have consumed you---release you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to go forth, to begin again, to give yourself wholly to Christ and to serving Him alone!"  The implications for any local congregation are not unlike for those Crips members in EJSP, right?

One final observation to encourage all of us:  This is absolutely no coincidence---rather, it is clear evidence, evidence of the supremacy of Christ at work. The Father has placed some of us as participant-observers in the vortex of a most thrilling "awakening-in-progress" at East Jersey State Prison.  Of course, none of this could have happened without the previous years of faithfulness of Dick Griggs (my board chairman) in prison ministry, or the sacrificial daily labors of Larry Aikens.  Nevertheless, I truly believe as the "story" and testimony at EJSP unfolds and becomes better known, what the Spirit of Jesus is doing in that place will reverberate among God's people in many places.  As a result, it will stir up fresh vision, hope and desire among God's people for the Spirit to exalt and magnify Christ in whole new ways within many churches the way He is doing among these prisoners.

People often say "If it can happen in New York, it can happen anywhere"---true, but to this claim I would add:

"If it can happen in a prison in New York, then it really can happen in New York, and, thus, if it can happen in New York, for sure it can happen anywhere!”

EJSP may, in fact, become a primary catalyst for the outpouring of answers to years of prayer for the whole NYC region---and beyond. Surely, it is another (of many) "signs" of great things to come! 

George Barna on Mega-Themes

On the first day of the New Year it is fitting to look back for one last time and then ask, “Where is the church in America at the end of the first decade of the twentieth century?” There are a number of researchers who seek to measure various trends and developments in the culture and the church. I pay close attention to these because it is my calling to do so.

One person who writes a great deal about trends and themes is the well-known Christian sociologist George Barna. While I sometimes disagree with Barna’s analysis and prescriptions I respect his data gathering and his ability to succinctly inform about trends and changes. There are six mega-themes that Barna highlighted a few weeks ago when he looked back over 2010 and forward to the first decade of the 21st century.

There is nothing new here but it is truly worth reading to galvanize your commitment to missional-ecumenism in the coming decade and beyond. We are not going back to where we were a generation ago. The question now is very clear: “Where are we really going and what role will the church have in shaping the future?” If Barna is right we will have a smaller and smaller role unless we experience a genuine “Christ-awakening” (David Bryant’s helpful words) that brings believers together in a new ecumenism that is rooted in classical and forward thinking Christian faith and practice.

An awakening like those of the American past is not what we need today. This coming awakening must not simply awaken human passion and the moral earnestness of the church, though this is surely needed. This new awakening must move our minds to think Christianly. We have lost our way and Barna’s first point underscores this when he says we have a church that is biblically illiterate. And this awakening must reveal to us that Christ has called us to unity in our relationships with one another. The walls we erected must come down if we are to complete the mission Christ gave to us nearly 2,000 years ago. Our present stance is one of disobedience and a true awakening will correct this radically in my view.