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I received an email from a college student this week that made me do some reflection on our “community” and the Lord’s Table we share together.

This person who had been brought up in a fairly formal church was struggling with what she called our “relaxed style” of taking Communion. She was missing a piece of her common experience taking Communion being passed out and shared in together.

No doubt, her struggle is not new, but real for her. The community of Faith down through the centuries has wrestled with this very issue. From my tradition of practicing a “open table” it is very common to not so much focus on the formality as it is the purpose. Easy said, not so easy lived out!

What I mean is that what Jesus established during his life-time had deep roots in Judaism and Passover. Now that for sure hits at some formality doesn’t it! Passover was about remembering where you came from and the sacrifice that was paid. Still holds true in the Lord’s Table.

The Passover setting was a family meal. I suppose depending on how “well to do” your family was it would determine the atmosphere for the meal. Thus, that probably varied quite a bit. That variance would ring true today also at a family meal.

When you look at the family setting in a church building the same ethos or culture would exist. Our building is a long way from a little one room school house it once was! Our atmosphere for the family meal is quite different now. Not wrong, just different.

The key I shared with this college student was this; it is about your personal focus on remembering what Jesus did for you. That is the biblical center. In that remembering you spend time in confession and repentance as is necessary. This is our judging the body correctly. Paul refers to this in I Cor. 10-11.

Can we take Communion both personally and corporately? Don’t know any other way. It is my personal focus on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus applied to my life AND OUR LIFE. Anything that takes away from that is a problem. The problems Paul dealt with in Corinth may not be the same as our at MCC, but the principle is the same. Worship Him, love Him, feed on Him, come clean before Him. Use music, scripture and prayer to center your mind and heart on what is essential.

Whether you are relaxed or uptight in taking Communion, these values remain the same. Stay centered in Christ! Whether the meal is formal or informal share it in the love of Christ!

The Church in Conflict

The Church and Holiness

Litany of Repentance

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=1116150

Serving in the Cause of Christ can cost you your life. This is a very hard reminder of what many good samaritans pay for the good deeds they share.

It is a healthy reminder that the persecution we talk about coming one day is really here and now, not someday.

The price of the loving acts of God’s people is high.

Pray for those who serve the good of mankind in the name of Jesus in terror filled countries.

Now there is a title that caught my attention! I am a “revival” kind of guy and have been praying for that for many many years. What could

be better than that?

The article was in Christianity Today, a great publication. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/june/25.38.html

This is an example from Argentina on how city-wide transformation is more signifiant than a “revival event.” For these pastors and churches it is critical for the body of Christ to be “one.” The unity they have is astounding.

Most pastors and Christians would agree with “one church” kinds of issues but not really practice it on a every day level. Not a new theological problem at all! Most of the things we “believe” have a hard time working themselves out in how we live and act.

“The Buenos Aires pastors believe their city of 13 million should have only one church.” Wow, I know, that doesn’t even seem realistic. BUT, honestly, it is.

One Church, many different fellowships with one Mission. The things that unite are stronger than the things that divide. Crucial to understand and live out. Diversity doesn’t have to prevent Unity. This city is a glowing example.

My prayer and my dream is that is will be true of my city, Terre Haute Indiana. 62,000 people and one church!

Prov. 14:34 ¶ Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”

Clean us up Jesus as a people and a nation!

We all have our political and national wishes and choices to make America well and strong. These are all well and good and as they should be as a republic. BUT

Those things are like cleaning up the outside of a tomb as Jesus said. It looks good and certainly has the appearance of wellness, but inside are dead peoples rotting bodies.

Whether you like a lot of our history as a nation or you find big problems, the truth lies in the heart of a “nation under God.” Yes, I know, we are a pluralistic nation that grants freedom of worship to all faiths. For that I am grateful. But it does not change the reality of the universe! There is only one God, Yahweh, He is a jealous God and there is only one way of following Him and that is obedience.

Our nation wants to find favor in allowing the worship of all gods and not only The God. We have to return to a worship of The God and at the same time allow the worship of other gods to exist without violence. I would like a peaceful existence with those who do not believe as I do. That historically has not always happened. Our nation tries hard to make it reality and for that I am grateful.

As I have plowed through the Old Testament again this year it is apparent as always, we cannot worship other gods and come out smelling like a rose! That mixture will always bring about a bad result. That is the mess we live with in reality today. I wrestle along with other leaders in every generation as to how to handle living among a people of unclean lips and with those who don’t worship my God.

Daniel and Jeremiah both struggled with this ordeal. Both successfully as you can read. Yes, I believe I can live among them and even pray for them and at the same time Worship the One True God. Not without problems or sometimes even persecution and suffering. But we must if God is to bless us as individuals or as a nation.

Don’t surrender your right as a follower of God to worship Him alone fully and totally! That would be truly giving away the land many have died for! We are a remnant that most pray for the prosperity of our nation and stay holy to our God.

Have a blessed Memorial Day!

This Sunday May 23 is Pentecost Sunday. This is an annual reminder of the birth of the Church. It is a great reminder of the spiritual origin of God’s earthly entity we call the Church.

The Holy Spirit generated the earthly family of God on Pentecost as recorded in the book of Acts. Wow, what a day that was! It is one of the key texts that Pentecostals base much of their theology, and rightly so.

I must admit I long for another day like that! As a pastor I get so frustrated with human directed, human empowered and human organizations. I need a move of God in MCC and the Church of Terre Haute! I long for God to rend the heavens and come down and stir us up to what we could be and should be! Only the Holy Spirit’s fire can change our fleshly motives and powers.

Since 2001 the world has been invited to the largest prayer gatherings in history. These gatherings are all over the world and in 220 nations. It is referred to as the Global Day of Prayer. It originated in South Africa. We as Americans are slowly grabbing hold of it as it creeps toward a conclusion possibly this year.

Our gathering here in Terre Haute will be at First Baptist Church on Poplar (2 pm). Thanks Bernie for hosting us! Churches from al across our city are encouraged to come and pray. For repentance and the healing touch of God from heaven. Our world needs revived! Our city needs revived! Our churches need revived! The Church of Terre Haute needs revived! The Church in America needs revived! I wonder if I didn’t get all covered, but I tried.

I believe God pays attention to his people when they gather corporately to pray and worship. I feel an intense need for this gathering in our city. I need the presence of all God’s people in a location crying out together as the body of Christ without denominational labels. Just His kids crying for His help.

Let’s be a “city on our knees” as Toby Mac sings. Sinners and Saints in a beautiful display. Why not now? Let’s start here!

“Ironically, if we speak about spiritual formation purely in individual terms, we will not be able to form individuals well. Part of what is needed for our formation is membership in and submission to and compassion for a community larger than or individual selves.” John Ortberg

* Membership is about relationships. We want them, need them and flourish in them. Being a member of the body of Christ is life and health. A needed place of care, support and encouragement. (Heb. 10; Acts 2)

* Submission is about humility. There is a God, it is not you! We live under authority for the good of God’s kingdom and not ours. (Jam. 4:7, Rom. 8:7)

* Compassion is about loving God and our neighbor. The great commandment, fulfilling the Law of God. Selfishness is overcome as we give to others. Bearing each others burdens and meeting their needs is being a follower of Jesus. (Mt. 22:37, Gal. 6:2)

“A community of people” is a core value of MCC. We are not individuals on a journey so much as we are a family on a journey. We travel together, with each other and for each other.

Are you a part of a community of followers of Jesus? These are the nuts and bolts of church membership. Far more important than a lot of people realize. We are not a club or just another non-profit helping people. We are the household of God and the door of fellowship is always open!

After 37 years of preaching, I am not preaching this Easter! Wow, what a strange feeling!

I am excited about “Illuminate” and all the great work and prep in the services that will happen tomorrow. I have such a wonderful staff of great people who have really prayed and worked hard at presenting the resurrection message. It will be awesome! One of the truly highlights of every year.

Scot Longyear will be preaching a nine part series called “Wide Soul” beginning April 11. He will be doing it two times a Sunday. This is a part of our transition from two communities to one @ MCC. Justin will be doing the same music along with the same message each Sunday. It will be an exciting and challenging new day for everyone involved both staff and congregation.

I will be teaching various Bible studies on James and a class called “The Me I Want To Be.” I love teaching and this will be a whole new season for me as a pastor and leader. I have been really excited about the James class I have been leading with one of our Elder Interns Dan Gisel on Tuesday mornings at Art Reach downtown. Great group of young guys learning together and doing theology together.

I will be doing the study on Sunday afternoons and on Wednesday evening with a small group I have been leading. The emphasis on James comes from the texts that Scot will be using in the “Wide Soul” series. This will be a new opportunity to pair preaching and teaching in a new way. Chance for people to go a bit deeper in study and relationships.

The Thursday night class on “The Me I Want To Be” is taken from a new book by John Ortberg. Spiritual formation is so crucial in this day and this will be a great way to help us grow in this area. It is a video curriculum combined with a great book and study guide. It is also accompanied by a web based tool to help with individual growth plans called Monvee. We have been a beta congregation in its development. Great future for this tool.

I am so excited about the future of MCC and some new roles I will be playing on the team. God is good! All the time! And this new time is so good!

Here is an article in Leadership Journal that summarizes much of what I have been teaching on for the past four weeks. It is a good summary of things in his new book The Me I Want To Be.

Article: ChristianityToday.com