Searching for God in All the Right Places....???

Looking for God in all the right places in all the wrong ways??

I’m looking for God.

That doesn’t mean I have lost Him. I’m just still searching.

It’s not that I am yearning for some “new age” “Deepakian” way of higher consciousness or enlightenment. For a guy of a restorationist heritage, I’ve actually read quite a lot of what many conservatives would label, “junk”. I like to go foraging for truth where I can find it. That’s why I kept reading a Deepak Chopra book a while back even though in some respects I would still label it as a dangerous book for the uninformed.

I like to be surprised by God at where He shows up. Last summer when I first started reading Paul Young’s , The Shack, I almost threw it in the trash. I’m glad I didn’t. I found God there. That is, I found a dark place in my thinking. I identified a box I had tried to put God in for years. I found He lives outside the box....my box...and He always has. So I didn’t throw it away....in fact, I’m reading some of it for the third time.

And then I found this nugget in a book from a New Testament Theology course I had taken years ago.

The Bible must be the final authority; nothing else can safely be accorded that position. Now, of course, one does not mean by such a statement--nor did the Reformers mean--that the final authority over the Christian is a book. We do not worship a book. On the contrary, the sole legitimate object of worship, and the supreme authority to whom the Christian submits himself, is God--the God who, according to the Scripture, worked his redemptive purpose in Israel and, in the fullness of time, revealed himself in Jesus Christ.

The Christian’s God is the Creator and Lord of all things and is the Lord also of Scripture. He existed before there was a Bible, and quite independently of it. He performed his work of creation whhen no man was there to record it. He gave his covenant law at Sinai, and that law had authority in Israel before the Pentateuch was written. He did his saving work in Jesus Christ, who came, did mighty works, died, and rose again, and this would be just as true had the Gospels never been penned.

The Bible therefore, derives its authority from God; it does not have authority of itself, but rather by virtue of the God to whom it witnesses and who speaks in its pages. The God of the Bible is the Christian’s supreme authority in all senses of the word.

John Bright, The Authority of the Old Testament, p.31

And a few months ago I found this little nugget in a Peter Rollins book.

If theology comes to be understood as the place where God speaks, then we must seek, not to speak of God, but rather to be that place where God speaks. Through our words and actions we seek to be the site of revelation through which people encounter the life giving Word of God. Peter Rollins, How (Not) To Speak of God, p.21

So I’m still looking. Thirsting for more. Hungering for adequacy and continual faith development.

One more morsel before hitting the “publish” button.... In J.I. Packer’s classic of the 1970’s...

He says: “One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of Him.” Knowing God, p. 21 I take that to heart. I don’t think I will discover all that I desire in my search for God if I look only in books....and that includes the Bible.....thank you John Bright...but I will keep my Bible at my side to help discern what is right and what is erroneous about what people say about God.

I love the Search. I am enlivened by the Quest. I am encourage by the sojourners I encounter along the path.

See you on the trail ahead.

Late Summer Reading

Though summer is fleeting fast, I want to recommend a couple of books custom made for reading on the back porch or under a shade tree or at the beach. These selections are among the most contemplative of my summer reading selections. During the summer I also read Simply Christian by N.T. Wright and re-read for the umpteenth time, The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.
I enjoy the depth of these two authors but the two recommendations below are well worth the short time it takes to read. I promise, you'll be contemplating them long after you've read the final page.

These books speak well to the challenge we have in bringing the message of God to thinkers who are postmodern, skeptical and feeling a yearning for spiritual awakening within their Christian heritage.

The two books inspire one to seek a personal and honest relationship with God. Each book is in story form and invite the reader to explore and experience God in unexpected ways. I can guarantee that you will at times rest the book in your lap and question the ways the authors weave the story line. This is particularly true of The Shack. But I encourage you to plod along and finish it. The questioning, the pondering and the skepticism will only serve to make you think, grow and yearn for a more personal relationship with God.

The two books are:



The Shack by William P. Young




and



Dinner with A Perfect Stranger by David Gregory






Happy reading.

simple church

Back in 2006 Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger collaborated on a book entitled Simple Church. They call for a re-examination of how we approach our work as Kingdom people and how we can benefit greatly by simplifying and streamlining our Kingdom actions.

I was encouraged in the first paragraph of chapter one to discover that they are not offering some new model of doing church. They don’t get caught up in the emergent discussion nor an analysis of postmodern culture and the societal phenomenon so popular in ministry books in the past several years.

Read the book yourself and you will find they reduce their ideas to four simple words. Clarity, Movement, Alignment and Focus. I appreciate their faithfulness in keeping the book simple and straightforward.

Chapter 5 concludes with a section which particularly resonated with me. The idea is developed with the point that there is a major difference between a travel agent and a tour guide. A story is shared of a specific occasion where one of the authors is researching an upcoming white water rafting trip.

The metaphor continues….

A travel agent will mail you brochures. A travel agent will suggest a few rafting outfitters and a river to enjoy. A travel agent spouts out intellectual information, hands you some brochures, and smiles. A travel agent tells you to enjoy the journey. “Nice to meet you. Enjoy the trip.”

A tour guide is different. Their response is “Nice to meet you. Get in. Let’s go.”

The illustration becomes more specific and we are introduced to a character named, “Tripp”.

What makes Tripp a great tour guide is not his information. Even some of the local travel agents have the information. Tripp is great because of his love for the journey and because he takes you with him…..He does not instruct from a distance. He is with you. He is on the bus with you from the outfitter to the river. He is in the raft with you. And, if things do not go as planned, he is in the river with you.

Tripp has been where he is taking you. He is able to instruct because he is familiar with the journey. He speaks from a place of personal authority, and you listen. He is not perfect. His boat may tip over with you in it. But he is credible.

Well that’s enough of ripping off large quotes from the book. You get the idea.

Rainer and Geiger are promoting is not a church model here. It is about being a disciple. It is about following Jesus and inviting others to join in on the journey. The only way to be credible in our Kingdom talk is to illustrate it with Kingdom living.

In order for Christians to be effective in spiritual formation of others, we must be willing to be sojourners. We must transcend the role of just dispensing information. We must get in the raft. We must stay engaged with the adventure of Christian living. We must transcend the role of travel agent and become tour guides.

It’s risky. It’s unpredictable. It’s challenging.

But it’s the simple way to bring people to Jesus.

Oakhaven's Recent Young Adult Gathering

What follows is a set of sketchy notes I took at a recent gathering of young adults from Oakhaven. It was a bitter cold night and some who wanted to be there couldn't make it. The experience reminded me of our visit with students at Harding, York and Lipscomb back in November. I love hanging out with the young. I'm an old dog with a steep learning curve but I am learning.

Present: Josh & Kara Patterson, Kayla Dietz, Mike Entinger, Amber Bodenbach, Nick Luther, Gary & Deb Cleveland, Steve and Ann Frazier, Wayne & Gayle Hawley, Duey and Tina Unbehaun.

Saturday night, February 9, 2008 6 – 8 p.m. at the Hawleys

We shared some delicious hors d’oeuvres in front of a crackling fire and then settled down to a time of informal sharing and conversation. We explored ideas around the theme of reaching out to the young adults of our surrounding community. I asked our group what things they could identify as being helpful in being more attractive to young adults in our area.

In no particular order, here are some of the observations and ideas which emerged.

Some recent studies indicate that fewer than 18% of Americans in the 20 to 30 year age group are affiliated with a church.

Many are looking for meaning in life but church doesn’t seem to have an appeal.

Some of the friends of our group are no longer looking to a church relationship as a way to grow spiritually. Some are wounded and need healing. They experienced something painful along the way and attribute it to something having to do with church.

One of Oakhaven’s strengths was identified as being the quality of friendships and support available.

Small groups are seen as a plus in offering opportunities for new people to become integrated into the fellowship.

Assisting people in finding a place to become involved is seen as vital.

Young families with small children can be helped greatly if childcare can be an option so as to allow young parents a way to be involved and yet know that their children’s needs are being met as well.

Oakhaven has provided great encouragement and resources to young adults in their career pursuits and job search. Several Oakhaven people have provided assistance with resumes and job interview assistance.

Another strength of Oakhaven is the fact that we are less institutional than churches having a more tight control by way of a denomination or synod ruling. As a group we are organized but not stiff and formal.

We must be aware that it takes something special to get a person to get up out of bed early on a Sunday and drive to a church activity. Unless a person sees the personal benefits of such, they likely will not be open to even being a regular attendee.

The church is fundamentally a family of believers. The family aspect is vital.

Finding where you belong is important.

There is a need for balance in the role of structure. Some like things tightly structured and predictable. Others prefer diversity and variety. Extremes in either direction should be avoided.

Special events can sometimes offer a natural way for a new person to become involved.

Thanks to all who made the evening a success. I think we came out of it knowing one another better and with a stronger appreciation of what our congregation has to offer. In a few weeks we will meet again. Perhaps when weather gets better we can have a cook out or something. In the meantime, lets keep in touch by e-mail as new ideas come.

To close, I want to share something I read recently from Scott Thumma, a professor of sociology of religion at Hartford Seminary. See how his observations mirror some of the same things we were saying last Saturday night.

“The unchurched in our society are mostly secular, suburban and contemporary people. They shy away from overt religious trappings, the “religion of their parents,” and seem to prefer contemporary, user-friendly worship forms that are technologically conveyed. They are consumers of faith, but on their own terms. They want a practical message that touches them at a deep level, makes a difference in spiritual life and is meaningful to them as individuals. They want their faith to accomplish something, but they also want it customized to their own needs and tastes.”

To read the entire article as featured in the Christian Chronicle, January 2008, just go to this link.

Churchianity vs. Christianity

Right away my spell check tells me that “churchianity” is not a word.

Not so with the word, “Christianity”.

My word processor apparently has this word loaded into its’ dictionary and recognizes it as legitimate.

Not so with “churchianity”.

Just because it isn’t in the dictionary doesn’t mean there isn’t such a thing as “Churchianity”. Since Webster and Microsoft Word don’t offer a definition, let me give it a go.

“Churchianity” is a made-up term to describe our tendency to deify our human effort at being what God has called us to be and doing what He has called us to do. The oft quoted Matthew 16:18 finds Jesus telling Peter… “on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (New International Version)

But Jesus said the church would outlast Hades. Heck of a way to put it, don't you think?

So anyway, Jesus says that this church thing was going to last and endure whatever got thrown against it. Now, it’s just my opinion, but I don’t think our Messiah was saying that whatever ages might come and go, there would be “church” in the way we typically define it. And it’s not so much that we “define” it as it is that we “confine” it.

Here are a few things I don’t think Jesus was saying:

There will always be church buildings.

There will always be a morning and an evening service.

There will always be programs and a “meeting time”.

There will always be church budgets and salaried staff.

All churches will be listed in a yellow page directory.

All Christians will be “members” of an Oakhaven, a West Side, a Willow Creek, A Grace Community etc. That is….the church must always have an institutional/organizational presence in the world.

I’ve written enough already to get me into a lot of hot water and receive far more rebuttals and heated e-mails than I care to address.

But hear me out on this.

Our idea of church needs to be examined and re-examined and held up to the light of scripture. Whether we realize it or not the way “church” gets done in our culture has a very Americanized/Westernized look to it. Ask Christians in foreign countries about their struggle to effectively minister where the expectation is that they do things in the same order and format as their American brethren.

I see a lot of good outcome to churches like the one (Oakhaven) where I serve as a supported evangelist. I thank God for the faithfulness of this good family of God’s people. We have a budget. We have programs. We have a building. In many respects, we are greatly empowered by the hardware we use to be a missional presence in our community. Our building is a great tool for us. Our phones, photocopier, teacher supply room, folding tables, P.A. system and projection system are all great tools.

But I think we all know that God’s kingdom (reign) is not in things or stuff. His reign is in people. God reigns in believers who seek to be what He has called us to be and to do what He has called us to do.

What I fear has become the mantra of a disillusioned society is that the church doesn’t have relevance or meaning anymore. Churchianity has largely failed to carry out the mission for which God called His people. Even Christians can be heard to lament, “my church just doesn’t do enough for the homeless, the needy, the hungry, the disenfranchised”. People have lost faith that our churches can make a difference.

Herein lies the paradox.

We have allowed church to be defined more in organizational terms than in Christ terms. I hear people all the time who say, “I left this church or that church because they weren’t addressing the needs of our society.” People get fed up with an organization which fails to deliver the goods. Paradoxically it is the same people who are bailing out who have failed to transform their churches into Christ communities. Admittedly there is sometimes a restrictive leadership or control group who makes it difficult to bring transformation to certain groups. That’s a "whole-nother-can-of-worms" I’m not going to deal with here. But I know this contributes to the problem.

All too often, what happens is that people disengage from a local congregation to become more self-actualized in a para-church or a house-church or simply doing their own thing. I have to admit that I have envied those who can become so independent, so liberated, so free to do kingdom work without the encumbrances of “churchianity”. But there is a downside to becoming so fiercely independent.

We need to find ways to stay engaged with those who are doing Kingdom work in different ways than our own.

A careful reading of New Testament scripture clearly presents a view that the people of God are to have an association with one another. There are numerous “one another” passages indicating that Christians were expected to work together. Here’s a sampling: (John 15:17, Romans 12: 5, 13:8, 15:5,7, 16:16, Ephesians 4:2, 25,32, 5:21, Colossians 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 3: 12, 4:9, Hebrews 3:13, 1 Peter 3: 8)

To sum it up, I see a great need for Christians to “define” church by resisting our tendency to “confine” church. I am of the opinion that our culture needs us to keep “Christianity” living and active and dynamic. I am convinced there are Christians doing a lot of Kingdom work in coffee houses, soup kitchens and crisis centers. (By the way…. quite a few of these Kingdom efforts receive financial support by churches like Oakhaven, Northside, Eastside etc.)

There’s room for more than one look for the incarnational work of Jesus in His Church.

I work alongside some folks in my community who are doing it one way but I am aware of others who are taking a different approach.

Our world is becoming more diverse by the hour. No one is at liberty to change the gospel or to tamper with God’s standards. But let us be willing to define and not confine the church to the glory of God.

Postscript: One final question for benefit of the discussion: Was the apostle Paul ever a member of a local congregation?

Is Christianity in America in Decline?

The following observations provide an underpinning for why Oakhaven’s mission regarding young adults is such a passion for us. You are welcome to join in on the conversation. This blog is intended to be a dialogue. Leave a comment, voice an opinion, rant, rave or react…..just keep it respectful. – Gary C

Christianity in America is in decline.

Many main line denominations are witnessing a decline in membership. Congregations are graying and fading ever so slowly but ever so certainly. This phenomenon is being evidenced in main line denominations, evangelicals, liturgical and fundamentalist groups. Within my own fellowship of the Churches of Christ/Christian Churches, recent studies indicate our membership as having plateaued about 1980. Click here to see a recent article offering this and additional insights and observations.

So, what is happening?

Young adults/young professionals are not engaging Christianity in the same way as did previous generations. Surveys indicate a desire to address spiritual concerns but Church seems to have little appeal. An element of one of George Barna’s recent research projects underscores the need for Christians to be alert to what is going on around them.

He observes:

As young adults, teenagers and adolescents have become accustomed to radical individualism, they have introduced such thinking and behavior into the faith realm, as well. Faith is an acceptable attribute and pursuit among most young people. However, their notions of faith do not align with conventional religious perspectives or behavior. For instance, young people are still likely to claim the label "Christian," but the definition of that term has been broadened beyond traditional parameters.

In fact, the values that young people are prone to embrace are often consistent with Christian beliefs but are not based on biblical foundations. For instance, while young Americans have adopted values such as goodness, kindness and tolerance, they remain skeptical of the Bible, church traditions, and rules or behaviors based upon religious teaching.

If you are interested in more, read Barna’s full article regarding “Four Mega-Themes in Recent Research

As I see it, we can wring our hands and bite our nails but that won’t help. We can refuse to adapt our methods and we will disengage a generation, who, surprisingly enough, are actually open to spiritual development.

We can jettison our theology in an attempt to be popular but this will lead to a jaundiced spirituality. Or we can seek to engage people where they are and provide them time, space and pace which allows for growth. Those of us who are “old hands” at this church thing, can learn from those who understand this post modern age better than we. Those of us forty years of age and older need to realize that our younger counterparts are inviting us to be a part of the conversation. Most twenty something’s I have spoken with over the last few months are impressively authentic and purposeful. They are seeking a life that has meaning and is not just a lifestyle to be articulated but one to be experienced.

I believe there is a world waiting, not so much to hear the gospel, but they are waiting to witness it. They are skeptical of Christendom which is too long on sermons and deficient in service. Perhaps this is a result of the hatchet job the media has done on Christianity in recent years. Whether there is truth to the perception or not, if it is being perceived, it is being believed. We won’t change it by more rhetoric, we will see it change only with authentic lives centered on Jesus.

A final word by Barna is both instructive and hopeful:

"It is a well-established fact that our society is continually re-inventing itself. The outcome of such innovation and change, however, is largely dependent on the guidance provided by cultural leaders," Barna noted. "It is the core function of a leader to help people apply their creative ideas and energy to reinvigorating society in alignment with a positive and preferable vision of the future. Without a shaping influence that produces a common good, we devolve into anarchy.

"Each of us has an obligation to do what is best not just for ourselves but for others in the world, too," Barna cautioned. "Our society is running the risk of becoming so independent and self-absorbed that we will abandon our responsibility to society and to making the world a better place. 2008 will be an important year as America chooses future political leaders, pursues new spiritual forms, and shapes critical social policies. The choices will greatly influence the character of America for years to come. Hopefully, Americans will choose to apply their levels of personal influence in ways that generate social good, not just personal security and satisfaction. Identifying what each of us can do to avoid radical self-interest in favor of a more compassionate and collaborative society should find a place on everyone’s list of New Year’s resolutions."

Out of the Bible Belt

This is blog number one in what I hope will be a rich experience for sharing and keeping in touch.

If you've stumbled upon this blog unawares, let me fill you in on what it's all about.

There's a small but exciting group of Christians in Oshkosh, Wisconsin who are known as the Oakhaven Church. You can see our web site and find out more if you like. Our church is comprised of about 80 people. It has always been our mission to be a church with an outward focus. Since our beginnings back in 1976, we have sought to be missional and relevant in our ministries.

In recent months, we have begun praying for God to help us reach out more effectively to those in our community who are in the 20 to 30 year age group. (This is not to say that we are ONLY reaching out to that age group.) Our congregation is blessed with several of us in our mid to late 50's. Now, we've got a lot of life left in us....mind you....but we also know that our church could very easily find itself dwindling down to nothing in a few years if we aren't welcoming to those who are younger.

Bottom line: We think Oakhaven is a great family. It's provided a great spiritual presence in our community for several years and blessed a lot of people. We think God would be pleased to continue His work with Oakhaven into the next generation. We've bought into this mission and we are working with God to make it happen.

In early November 2007 a small Oakhaven team, Gary & Deb Cleveland and John & Tanya Loe, went on a trip to three college campuses. They met with students who will be graduating in a short time and proposed that Oshkosh, Wisconsin would be a great place to come, work and serve in the Oakhaven Church ministry. We spoke to prospective public school teachers, chemists, medical practicioners and many others.

Our goal is to enhance our own efforts in reaching out to the young adults in our community by building a core of people who might move here from other geographical areas. If you are interested in reading our informational brochure, we can make this available. It will give you all the particulars of what we can offer to those who are interested in moving here.

This blog will serve to keep people informed about our progress. It will provide a forum for sharing. It will be a gathering place for those who might be interested in what God is doing here.

Each person who visits this page has a story. Oakhaven has a story. God is the Great Story writer. Who knows? Your story and Oakhaven's story may be on the brink of merging into a chapter in the Greater Story being written by God.

It will be exciting to witness the story as it unfolds.....don't you think?

Postscript: A special welcome to our friends from York, Harding and Lipscomb Universities. We envision this blog as becoming a conduit of information where you can leave a comment or air a question or just introduce yourself as a character in this story God is writing.

So here we go.....once upon a time....a blog was introduced.....