The Study Corner    

Mark reports on one of the distinctions Tim Elmore talked about during a Catalyt lab session.

He talked about two kinds of change: programatic change and organic change.

Programatic Change is change from the outside-in. It is behavior modification. It is artificial and typically short-lived.

Organic change is change from the inside-out. You have to wait longer, but it is reproducing so it has a much greater effect over the long-term.

What does this mean for our Christian walks? For our church leadeship, programming, and preaching? Are we moving people simply towards modifing their behaviour or to change from the inside-out?

One of the many conferences I wanted to attend this year was Catalyst. Rick McKinley, pastor of Imago Dei in Portland, is one of the speakers I wanted to see. Out of Ur has some thoughts on the “lab” McKinley led at Catalyst…

“As pastors, we are tempted to build the church,” [McKinley] said. “So we send out postcards to targeted Zip codes and we promote church programs.” But that misses the point, he argued. “Our job isn’t to build the church. We’re supposed to BE the church, and build the kingdom.” He emphasized that the kingdom is to be experienced NOW, on earth, as Christians exemplify godly living, but he also pointed out, as the recent school shootings demonstrate, that the kingdom is also “not yet.” God’s kingdom won’t be realized in its fullness as long as such sin characterizes our world.

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“The best expression of the church is NOT what happens on Sunday morning. It’s what happens in the world during the week. And that’s not something you can market.”

His most provocative statements focused on the Christian’s calling to love their neighbors, even if those neighbors don’t respond to Christ or clean up their act. He told of his church’s messy efforts to love those with addictions, mental illnesses, and other conditions that aren’t easily cleaned up.

“We’re not called to change people’s behavior; we’re called to love them whether they change or not. It’s up to God to change them.”

The cover story of the September 18, 2006 Time magazine, which was entitled, “Does God Want You To Be Rich?” raises some interesting questions. Here are a few quotes from the article which is an interesting back-and-forth between some rather well known names.

I think God wants us to be prosperous. I think he wants us to be happy…I think he wants us to be a blessing to other people. But I don’t think I’d say God wants us to be rich. – Joel Osteen This idea that God wants everyone to be happy? There is a word for that: baloney. It’s creating a false idol. You don’t measure your self-worth by your net worth. I can show you millions of faithful followers of Christ who live in poverty. – Rick Warren

Here is a sampling of some Time polling numbers… 1. God wants you to be financially prosperous: 61% -yes 26% – no 2. Poverty can be a blessing from God: 45% – yes 49% – no 3. If you give away your money God will bless you with more: 31% – agree 63% – disagree 4. Giving away 10% of your income is the minimum God expects: 39% – agree (47% – Protestant, 18% Catholic) 57% – disagree

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson

Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn’t chase. You will regret the risks not taken, the opportunities not seized, and the dreams not pursued. Stopping running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path. In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture: Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it (II Samuel 23:20-21). Unleash the lion chaser within!

This book is an excellent read so far. I have had the honor of being allowed to read the first chapter before the book came out for public purchase today. It was an excellent appetizer for the main course of the book which I am sure is going to be a must read for anyone at any point in their walk. Chapter 1 is entitled Locking Eyes with Your Lion. Mark uses excellent imagery and well thought out word craft to draw you into the story of Benaiah with wonderful success. I highly encourage anyone looking for a challenging read to go pickup this book as soon as you can. It will be worth every moment of your time. Author Bio Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church (www.theaterchurch.com) in Washington, DC, and is a daily blogger @ www.evotional.com. Mark lives on Capitol Hill with his wife Lora and their three children.