Just Be Ben

I love this quote from James Farrior when asked what were you thinking after Larry Fitzgerald scored the touchdown as the Cardinals took the lead? "All I was thinking was, "Just be Ben". James Farrior's hope was that if Ben Roethlisberger just did what he had done all year, if he just played his game, if he would just "Be Ben" the Steelers would win their sixth superbowl.

Only a born and raised "Younzer" who grew up with watching Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann could relate this to Jesus, so here goes!

I believe we are in the fourth quarter in the reality of life. The game is almost over and it appears the other team is winning. My hope and my faith is that when all is said and done, we win!!! All I am thinking as the clock ticks down is "Just Be Jesus!"

Missional Churches (Part Two)

What does it mean to be a church in this time? Are we the "come to" model or are we crossing over and becoming churches that are missional, relational and incarnational? I believe to be effective in the coming days the church has to be actively engaged in the life of its communities and neighborhoods. To be "incarnational" we have to declare to our neighborhoods that we are here for you. Our values have to stay shaped by the Gospel but we have to come out of our walls and let God work through us in our communities. This is not going to be easy for the church who for the last decade has developed programs and attractions to bring them in. Not that this was wrong, it was what it needed to be for the season we were in. But it is a new day, we have crossed over. The past season had it's successes and people came to Christ and the Church grew. We also learned how to make the Gospel relevant to our changing cultures. But in this current day we must see our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces as places for us to bring an incarnational presence, Bringing Jesus into our everyday lives.

My reflections are being influenced by a book called "Borderland Churches' by Gary Nelson. I highly recommend the book especially to pastors and leaders of churches.