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U2 Reflections

Wow - we just finished a teaching series called "U2-The meaning behind the music". It was challenging for me as I'm not a huge music person. Which means I had to engage in research - who is U2? - What do their songs mean... if anything? - Is there more to the songs than the words? (yes there is!) Songs included were "I still haven't found what I'm looking for", "Sometimes you can't make it on your own", and "Miracle Drug".

We recieved great feedback from all real fans. And positive feedback from casual fans. And no feedback from sports junkies! It was a very interesting experiment for us and one I think we will repeat in various forms. If you're interested in getting a cd write the church... the messages should be posted online soon!

U2@CHURCH??

The point of U2 series wasn't U2 or music. It was to find a way in. A way in -means how do we get to open up spiritual conversations and have meetings that speak the language of our culture. Our goal is to mine our culture for these open windows and doors (a 'way in') to greater truths.

U2 songs were a way to do it. Which would you rather invote your friends to a series call "U2@CHURCH" or "a walk through the book of John".

This doesn't mean we won't teach the book of John. We'll just look for portals into our culture to introduce them to John and the rest of the Bible. (We said as much about Jesus and God as we do every Sunday)

Our goal is to create experiences of spiritual growth and discovery that are intriguing to our society (friends). This is why we've done series like "crossWinds at the movies" or "what would Jesus say to.." And it's why we steal pop images from our culture anytime we can ("iLife" - "Life Swap" - "Heroes" - "Deal or No Deal")

This week I will be searching for these window into our culture where the gospel can shine as I plan the next 4-6 months of teaching.

Your prayers are appreciated!

Lucky

The Conference

This week I have been at a conference in New Mexico! I know... I missed a cold week in MN. Lorri and I attended an Evangelical Free Church Pastoral conference called "Midwinter Theological Discussions". The topic was "an evaluation of the emerging/emergent church movement. Are you on the edge of your seats? I was.

It was a great conference... I hope to write more later. But the quick notes are: God is up to some wonderful things in the emerging church. Are there some dangers? Sure... but there is danger in any effort to reach people. I am encouraged by the tone of the Free Church towards the movement. I learned a ton... my brain is tired.

The other insight I had is that relative to the values of the emerging church crossWinds has much in common. Some key words: honesty, transparency, authenticity. These are values I think we hold in common. Anyway more to come... as my brain cools off.

Reflection Time

The other thing I wanted to say tonight at 11:30 PM from New Mexico is that I've had some time to reflect. That's what happens when we leave our normal patterned lives. Most pastors announce major life changes after time away from church... I have no such major announcement to make.

But I will tell you this... I realized again this week how blessed I am. I'm not one to use the word blessed often or casually. In fact I wanted to say I'm lucky... but blessed would be a more accurate term.

Why am I so lucky, I mean blessed? I feel blessed to be a part of this church - crossWinds. To be with you (cW). I realized again what an incredible church you are this past Sunday. The topic was forgiveness... and without much prelude or time for the spirit to massage hearts... I asked you (cW) to write down on some index cards we had provided a resentment or bitterness... an instance where forgiveness was a challenge for you today. I told you no names because I was going to read some of them during the message that morning.

I didn't know how this one would go. I was a little afraid we wouldn't get any cards. Or that we'd get a few but it would be low level trite stuff. We got back about 80 cards (of about 250 adult attending). And there was nothing trite or shallow written... it was real and painful. It made me so proud that we would tell the truth about the fact that even those of us who are following Christ struggle with forgiving.

I took the cards back to the office and left them for the staff to read and pray through. We don't know who wrote what... but our prayers are that God would bring healing and power to our lives... that the work on the cross done for our forgiveness would empower us to bring freedom from resentment to others.

It was a morning I will not forget... I am blessed to be so lucky... or lucky to be so blessed! I love this church and how God is at work within us.

Changing Lives

Here's a blog that was forwarded to me (written for pastor-type folks):

You Get What You Preach For

When you preach salvation, people come to know Jesus.
When you preach about loving Jesus, people become better lovers of Jesus.
When you preach prosperity, people want to be prosperous.
When you preach about the second coming, people get ready.
When you preach healing, people will be healed.
When you preach hope, people are more hopeful.
When you preach about tithing, people tithe.

What you talk about is what people are going to respond to. In other words, you get what you preach for.

This is not about communication manipulation. This is about communication transformation.

So, friends, what are you preaching for?
What are you communicating for? ---Brad Abare 1-8-08

Thoughts after reading the post:

1. Cool - I should teach on tithing! ...a lot.

2. Really? This makes people sound like lemmings (see pic - yup, that's a lemming.) Can we really just teach on whatever we want and people will morph into whatever we choose?

3. I wonder... Are people changing or do congregations shift? If one teaches on the Second Coming over and over again... do people really begin to get ready? Or do the people who are not engaged leave the church and other people who love to hear messages about the return of Christ, associated events and theories start attending?

Bottom Line for those of us who teach (including parents):

We must be careful and intentional because we will be held accountable.

Dear brothers and sisters,not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. ---James 3:1 NLT

My Resolutions...

We watch the Today Show. It's the background noise to our morning rituals. The last week the noise has been full of "why" and "why not..." and "how to..." and "how not to..." make resolutions.

The advice of the experts... keep it real: real simple and real do-able. Otherwise it will be another defeating experience. The resolution will be "I should have" instead of "I did".

I agree. I'm not a fan of regret. I am a fan of goals. It's how things get done. Someone says "I'm going to..." and they do it. Someone aims and hits the target... maybe not bull's eye. They might even miss the target they were aiming at... but at least they took a shot.

So what am I shooting at this year? And why would I tell you? I write it down to merely to make it more real for me.

1. To continue to be disciplined in exercise and food. Not to brag, but for the last couple of months I've been on the mark with this one. It requireds a little OCD on my part (thanks to my family for putting up with me). My goal is not simply to lose weight... but to be in-habit at this time next year. To energizer-bunny this area of my life ("still going").

2. To read more. I know, bad goal. Not specific enough. But this past year I felt I was so busy doing that I didn't have enough developmental aspects in my life. So... I'm going to a conference end of this month. And I'm going to read more... some for fun and some for development... and of course, I want to stay on top of my Bible reading. I'll try to blog about some of it as I go.

3. To enjoy the day. I don't know about you, but as I look at these first three months of the year, it just looks tough. I see all the things that must be done... it could overwhelm me. So I've got to break it up into daily bites... My goal: enjoy the bites. Enjoy the day.

4. To finish Zelda on my WII game... such a goal might be too lofty.

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. I Corinthians 9:24-26 NLT

Merry Christmas!

It's 9AM Christmas Morning! We are at Lorri's folks. In 3 hours there will be 11 people gathered around a tree opening gifts. The stockings are already opened. Yes, there were some oranges! (some things never change)

Right now people are getting showers. I'm next in line. So I am not being crazy or delinquent by writing a blog. Do I get bonus points for writing one of these on Christmas?

I can't help but think how grateful I am to God today. Not merely for the day, or even for Jesus (which I am). But also for you who are a part of cW church. As people were headed to Christmas Eve services last night, I realized next Christmas we will be having our own in the building God is giving us. I can't wait!

If you are reading this on Christmas day itself... remember to take your card (from church) and be intentional about drawing close to Him today!

Shower is now open... my turn. Merry Christmas!

It's about time... and stuff.

1. I confess. I am blog delinquent. Sorry.

2. Just got back from Vikings/Bears Football game. Lesson learned: football and baseball have totally different style of fans. Man was it loud. Man was it rowdy. Man was it fun. Molly and I went courtesy of a friend who prefers not to become a message illustration. It was especially fun to go to a game because it was Monday night... those Sunday noon games are a little difficult for my schedule.

3. WE WERE ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEWSPAPER... check the picture. Here's a copy of the article(italics below). Now let me just say... reporters never seem to get everything right...there is nothing "modest" about $1.7 Million Dollars! But 9000 square feet is on the modest side for a church. I am happy for cW to get the ink. This is "The Rev. Mathers" speaking... although everyone I know calls me "doug". I am excited about the future... crossWinds or Crosswinds... is the greatest and most rewarding team I've ever been a part of... by the way, that's Diane Nickel standing there with me as I point to the window of my future office!

Anyway... here's the story.

$1.7 million church is a 'modest' start
12/18/2007 12:21:53 AM
By Matt Russell

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

It's one step at a time for a Rochester congregation as it builds a worship center on the city's north side.

The congregation, CrossWinds church, is erecting a 9,000-square-foot facility on 31st Avenue Northwest. The $1.7 million church will sit on a 20-acre site about a mile from the 75th Street Northwest interchange at U.S. 52.

"Its a modest first stage for us, but we're excited about it," said the Rev. Doug Mathers.

Modesty of ambition is a mindset Mathers stresses, but the master plan CrossWinds has developed -- allowing for a 100,000-square-foot building -- would result in one of Rochester's largest church complexes.

So what is CrossWinds church?

In a general sense, the 10-year-old congregation is an offspin of Calvary Evangelical Church in Rochester. Its pastor, the Rev. Doug Mathers, is a former Calvary Evangelical Free youth minister who wanted to start CrossWinds as a way of reaching people turned off by traditional church settings.

Mathers' congregation, which has met at Willow Creek Middle School in Rochester for its entire 10-year history, stresses a contemporary worship style with music, drama, and multiweek sermon series on themes connected to people's everyday lives.

Between CrossWinds' two Sunday services, the church's average weekly worship attendance is about 320 people, Mathers said. The new building will seat 260 people, but the master plan allows for a sanctuary with 1,500 seats.

"I don't have delusions of grandeur," the pastor stressed, saying the church will expand as need dictates.

In 20 years, however, he hopes people will ask him why CrossWinds bought only 20 acres of land.

If that happens, Mathers said, he'll tell people what he says now when asked why CrossWinds was ambitious enough to buy 20 acres.

"Because we couldn't afford 40."


4. Finally - thanks for your patience with me. I will try to BLOGON more faithfully.