A Few Lessons in Church Planting -

For the last several years we have been in the halcyon age of church planting.  It seemed that for a long time every Sunday there was a new street level sandwich board advertising a new church with a trendy name.  Interestingly the names were typically not descriptive of something substantive.  In fact, out here in the Northwest we even have, The Coffee Church.  Moderately-able worship leaders are in high demand and often move from one trendy new church to another.  During our church plant we even had long-distance musicians solicit us for a place on the team.  For them there was no philosophical or theological inquiry, nor inquiry into church planting vision...simply a tight worship set was the draw.

 

A while back we finished up a 5-day vacation with family in Idaho.  On our way home and just outside of Walla-Walla, Washington we got off the beaten path and drove to the Whitman Mission.  Every time I visit here it has a significant effect upon me.  If you don’t know the story of the Whitman Mission let me give you a little history.  In 1836 several Presbyterian missionaries made their way along the Oregon Trail and settled near Walla-Walla.   Of those who made the trip were Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife, Narcissa.  They married on February 18, 1836 and the day after their wedding they left for the Oregon Territory.  They were convinced that they were called to bring the gospel to the Nez Perce Indians and to help them by educating them.  The Whitmans committed their lives to loving and serving the indigenous natives in the area.  Their life was not an easy one.  Their first winter was spent in a very small hut, and the second winter their home was flooded out and they had to move to higher ground.  Their only child, Alice Clarissa, was born in 1837.  At age 27 months she drowned in the river just a short distance outside of their home.  Their lives were characterized by privation, hardship, and backbreaking toil.  In 1844 seven children arrived at the mission that had lost their parents in the journey across the Oregon Trail from Missouri, and Marcus and Narcissa adopted them as their own.  Known for their hospitality, their home was a place where those headed west often stopped, but they never lost sight of their first priority to bring the gospel to the native Indian tribes in the area.  On April 2, 1847 Dr. Whitman ended a letter this way, he said, ‘…we live at all times in a most precarious state….’  And then on November 29^th, 1847, 11 years after they had begun their mission, Marcus, Narcissa and 11 others were killed and another 47 were taken hostage.  In a terrible misunderstanding and tragic circumstance the Whitman mission came to an end.  For almost forty years Presbyterian missions were ceased in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Here are a hard few lessons from the Whitman Mission church planting and missional efforts that likely will not be taught in college or seminary missiology classes:

 

Sometimes signing up for ministry is akin to signing a death warrant.  Often there is no forward progress of the gospel without significant suffering and this should not surprise us.  After all, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

 

Sometimes the people God sends you to serve will not let you out alive.  It is an interesting tension biblically, but if you look at the life of Jesus there was a great deal of difficulty imposed upon His ministry by those closest to Him.  For another couple of eye-openers do a little research on Jonathan Edwards' last days of ministry at Northampton or Nate Saint's ministry to the indigenous peoples in Ecuador. The servant is truly not greater than the Master.

 

The most thankless job in church planting is that of the church planting pastor’s wife. Untold grief, tears, and hardship are sown by the church planter/pastor's wife as she serves alongside of her husband.  God keeps a record record of every tear.

 

Bi-vocational church planting and missions work is profoundly difficult.  It requires a rare skill-set and often comes at an incredible cost to family and well-being.  Marcus Whitman was both a doctor and a missionary, and even wore several other hats as he toiled at the mission for 11 years. 

 

There are casualties in church planting. Sometimes this means reputation, sometimes relationships, sometimes our very lives, but anything worth something will require everything.  We are fools to think of church planting lightly, knowing the gravity of what’s at stake.

 

Sometimes it is impossible to count the cost beforehand.  There are some tasks that God calls us to that we would run far away from if we knew what they would cost us.  God gives grace in the moment and not beforehand.

 

Church planting success cannot be measured in the here and now, but can only be accurately considered in light of eternity.  In the eyes of some the Whitman Mission was a colossal failure, and as a church planter it is a strong temptation to look at numerical growth as the yardstick for true success.  This is a fool’s errand.  Wood, hay, and stubble, as opposed to true gospel fruit, will be made evident at the day of the Lord.

 

Walking around the Whitman Mission I was reminded of Jesus’ words in John 12:24:

 

‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.’

 

I’m thankful for men and women like Marcus and Narcissa.  They paved the way for Pacific Northwest missionaries and church planters that would follow. It may not be pretty as we consider the incredible cost, but they’ve showed us the inestimable value of bringing the good news to a world that desperately needs it, and the incredible privilege of following God’s call no matter the cost. 

 

-DJM 

 

9/8/2024 (Adapted from a blog post from 2013)

Remembering to Remember

One of the most important things we do in life is the exercise of remembering. In fact, when you talk to folks as they begin to age one of the oft-repeated fears of getting older is that they will no longer remember. Remembering helps remind us of who we are and where we’ve come from. Remembering aids in keeping us from making the same mistakes over and over. With the loss of memory and the ability to remember, we slowly become adrift from reality. Remembering keeps us anchored in what we know to be true. 

 

There is an interesting story tucked into an obscure passage in the Old Testament book of Joshua. The context is the story of Israel’s wanderings toward the land God had promised them. In this part of the story God gives instruction to Joshua to set up ‘stones of remembrance’ as physical markers to be observed by following generations, and in their observing to remember God’s faithfulness and deliverance. The passage says, “When your children ask in times to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you? (4:6).’” The older generation was to tell the younger generation what God’s deliverance and care looked like. God instructed Israel to remember to remember, and even to set up physical markers to remind them. This idea of remembering to remember is so significant that it comes up often in the Bible, and the Old Testament book of Judges even chides the Israelites for their forgetting (2:10). 

 

It's interesting that in the New Testament God gives two markers of remembrance. He gives sacramental significance to two signs of God’s faithfulness and deliverance in baptism and The Lord’s Table. Not unlike the stones of remembrance during Joshua’s day, these signs are to tell a story; a story to be remembered and repeated to others and to the next generation. Often we see the words ‘In Remembrance of Me’ on communion tables in Christian churches. Even the Apostle Paul includes the language of remembering in his instructions to the Corinthians regarding The Lord’s Table in 1 Cor. 11:24. In this passage Jesus encourages His people to remember, by saying of the bread and wine, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the simple act of inviting us to the Lord’s Table, God is helping us to remember His faithfulness to us and His deliverance of us. He is helping us to remember to remember. 

 

True Christian worship is characterized by remembering, and the hymnody of the church reflects as much. Consider Isaac Watt’s ageless hymn, ‘O God Our Help in Ages Past’ (1719) or Thomas Chisolm’s, ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ (1923). Even contemporary worship songs call us to remember. Consider Jenn Johnson’s ‘Goodness of God’ (2019). In her hymnody the church is emulating the sweet psalmist David whose psalms were frequent recitations remembering God’s faithfulness (36:5, 40:10, 57:3, 89:1,2,8, 91:4, 100:5, 111:7,8, 117, 138:2, 143:1).

 

In a juxtaposition on this idea of remembering it is of no small account that one of the thieves being crucified alongside of Jesus made this appeal to Him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus’ response, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42,43). Not only does God call His people to remember, but He remembers His people as well.

 

There are a million things that beckon for our attention. We go to bed at night exhausted from our non-stop busyness. For most of us it’s not a matter of intentional forgetfulness…it is just that everything else clamors for every second of our day. For the Christian, in mercy God gives us two aids for remembering in our baptism and in The Lord’s Table. By giving us tangible markers in baptism and The Lord’s Table we can attest to God’s faithfulness and deliverance. These are stones of remembrance to help us to remember to remember. The Lord knows we need it, and He knows the next generation needs to hear about it as well.  

- DJM 

8/15/2024  

An Independence Day Lament

This morning, I hoisted the stars and bars on the flagpole in front of our home. It’s a small gesture for sure, but deeply heartfelt. Each time I raise the flag I try to remember those that have gone before and the innumerable sacrifices that have led us to this point. Anymore, I not only see it being hoisted, I feel it. Soon this morning Judy and I will be headed into town to watch our small-town Independence Day parade. There will be flags and veterans and patriots of every shape and color, gathered from all walks of life to remember the origins of this grand American experiment. We will see the flags hoisted, and we will stand with them to remember. 

 

More often than not our family Independence Day celebrations are a great deal of fun. Barbeque, corn-on the cob, watermelon, games, lots of laughter, and the perennial fireworks display, but truthfully, in all of the fun the import of the day often has gotten lost. But this year seems different to me. There seems to be a weight coinciding with the celebration. It’s as if I’ve awakened from a dream only to realize the dreamt of dangers are still lurking in the distance. Rather than celebrate I find my initial reactions are both alarm and imploring God for mercy. To quote Ulysses Everett McGill in O Brother, Where Art Thou? “We’re in a tight spot.” And anyone who watched last week’s Presidential debates will know we’ve got rough water ahead.

 

The question has crossed my mind, what will happen with this grand experiment we call America? Will freedom and liberty still be our watchwords? Both within and without there are plenty that deign to harm us. Will we have the courage, fortitude, and gathered will to defend her from enemies foreign and domestic? What America will our children and grandchildren inherit? Will they know the freedoms we have known? In case you are wondering, handwringing and tut-tutting are not an option. 

In an article for The Constitution Center, Richard Beeman writes this,

 

There is a story, often told, that upon exiting the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of citizens asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: "A republic, if you can keep it." The brevity of that response should not cause us to under-value its essential meaning: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people, they are also absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health.[1]

 

While at times it may seem hopeless, the success of this American experiment requires an informed and active citizenry, and part of our enlistment as citizens is to pray like our very lives depend upon it. Perhaps in the end God will show mercy and give us cause again for great celebration.

-DJM

Independence Day 2024

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[1] https://constitutioncenter.org/education/classroom-resource-library/classroom/perspectives-on-the-constitution-a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it#:~:text=His%20answer%20was%3A%20%22A%20republic,of%20the%20people%20for%20their

I Wanna Talk About Me

 

The late Toby Keith had a creative and funny tongue-in-cheek song dedicated to our insatiable appetite for self-recognition. In the 2001 hit country tune Keith croons,

I wanna talk about me,
I wanna talk about I,
I wanna talk about number one,
oh my me my,
what I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see. I like, talking about you, you, you, you, usually, but occasionally,
I wanna talk about me.
I wanna talk about me.

The song is a pointed and self-effacing tune that pokes fun at our inexorable grasping to be number one. Every time I hear it, I smile. 

 

These days we’re surrounded by me-ism. At every corner social media feed into our voracious appetite for recognition. Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, they all appeal to our baser nature in feeding of the self. We love the clicks and likes that feed our craving for recognition and attention. Somehow, we have connected our self-worth to our insatiable hunger for acknowledgement. Our identity has become intrinsically linked to our Facebook friends list or to the number that subscribe to our X (Twitter) feed.  

 

Incurvatus in se is a fancy Latin phrase that describes a phenomenon of the self-obsessed life…a life that curves in on oneself. When a person endeavors to make themself supremely important their universe begins to bend inward and ultimately finds that same person as its gravitational center. Before long that self-obsessed universe begins to look like a relational black hole.

 

Here's how my favorite Lutheran put it,

 

 “Our nature, by the corruption of the first sin being so deeply curved in on itself (incurvatus in se) that it not only bends the best gifts of God towards itself and enjoys them, as is plain in the works-righteous and hypocrites, or rather even uses God himself in order to attain these gifts, but it also fails to realize that it so wickedly, curvedly, and viciously seeks all things, even God, for its own sake.”

-       Martin Luther, Lectures on Romans

 

I, me, my becomes the three-fold mantra of the self-obsessed, and needless to say, a universe with ourself at the center is a tendentious and lonely place. At the end of the day, we don’t need to be crowned king or queen; we need to be dethroned from our position of self-importance. We need one worthy to be enthroned as King.

 

The Apostle Paul wrote about this very thing to the church at Philippi in the first century. He encouraged them, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Christian folks are not immune from self-promotion. Churches, pastors, ministries, and everyday Christians are often vying for position and acknowledgment, and truthfully, self-promotion is almost always a bad look. Whether we are first century Christians, or twenty-first century Christians the message remains the same.

 

As a corrective I think it needs to be said that as Christians our aim is not total self-disinterest, but rather kingdom parity…an interest that includes others. There was an early church heresy that remains to this day. These folks would twist the good news of Jesus in such a way that expressed an annihilation of self. They endorsed the complete destruction of self and anything that clings to self. They said personality and physicality and material things were to be cast away in favor of pure “spirituality.” The Bible teaches this is patently false. Authentic Christianity has rightfully eschewed “anti-flesh” Gnosticism as an old error that often dresses up in new clothes. 

 

Notice Paul’s language again from Philippians 2, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (v. 4). Paul’s point is not the obliteration of self-interest, but rather the pursuit of the interests of others as well as our own. The Christian faith is not the destruction of self. The Christian faith is the reorientation via rebirth of self. With Jesus as Lord, rather than self-absorption, the Christian looks out for the needs and interests of others, as well as his own. This reorientation, under the Lordship of Christ puts self in its rightful place. Self, once enthroned, is now submitted to Christ as Lord. Instead of curving in on one’s self, it reaches out in love to serve others.

 

Here’s the simple math of it - Less of me and more of Christ and more of others. Less self-promotion and more others-promotion. In fact, the next time we’re together let’s talk about the  indescribable majesty and worth of Jesus as Lord, and then let’s talk about you. 

- DJM

June 2024

 

The Silence of the Lambs

Controversy…the truth is...very few of us enjoy it. We would much rather fly under the radar than become a target. And yet somehow along the way we have convinced ourselves that silence is better than speaking. We’ve persuaded ourselves that many Christians are brash and unwise in what they say, while at the same time we’ve convinced ourselves that it is best to say nothing at all. In our minds, to speak about any number of moral matters in a public venue may appear uncharitable and un-Christian and certainly not 'grace-filled.' After all, to speak is to voice an opinion, and to voice an opinion…well, these days...in many folks’ mind, it’s just not the 'Christian' thing to do.

 

I’m particularly intrigued by the Apostle Paul’s approach. I find it curious that his ‘I’m not ashamed…’ of Romans 1:16 is followed by a list of behaviors that God condemns in Romans 1:18 and following. Perhaps Paul knew something about the correlation of shame and not speaking up...both for the power of the gospel to save, and for a world at odds against God himself. This is a strange environment we live in where we’ve somehow decided that we want to be faithful to give the good news of the gospel without telling anyone why they need it. 

 

Our forerunners in the faith had a bit to say about this as well. Zacharias Ursinus, one of the primary contributors of The Heidelberg Catechism, made this pithy statement in the sixteenth century regarding the importance of speaking up. He said, ‘Undue reservedness is to dissemble the truth....’ In other words, not saying something when we should say something is akin to telling a lie. 

 

In some instances, silence may be golden, but silence is not the gospel way, nor is silence Christ’s way. Jesus could have adopted a ‘go along to get along’ mantra and saved himself much grief, and he likely could have saved himself the cross. However, declaration and proclamation are to be part and parcel of the Christian life. When the authorities, both religious and political, attempted to shut down the courageous proclamation of the newly formed Christian gatherings in the Book of Acts, it’s interesting that of all they could have prayed for, they prayed for boldness to speak.

 

As Christians it is incumbent upon us to say something. We are to declare that a real Jesus saves from real sins and in this declaration we must not be ashamed. We must be willing to speak because the future depends not only upon the efficacy of God’s Lamb, but also the unashamed words of our testimony (Rev. 12:11). Christian friends, someone needs to hear what you have to say. Someone needs to hear your story and to hear about God’s power to save, and it’s both your privilege and your duty to speak up. 

- DJM

June 4, 2024