Rick Warren on Marriage

Six characteristics of a satisfying marriage by Rick Warren

When
my wife, Kay, was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, the doctors
hospitalized her about halfway through her 12-week chemo regimen
because of her serious reaction to the therapy. The effects of the
chemo plunged her into the misery of extreme nausea. Kay was wiped out,
and I was keeping visitors away so she could get some sleep.

I sat there, quietly thanking God for my wife and for his amazing
invention of marriage. With all its ups and downs, I'm certain marriage
is God's primary tool for teaching us unselfishness, sensitivity,
sacrifice, and mature love. As I looked at my wife, I saw that life is
a precious miracle, and that I’m privileged to care for her in sickness
and in health.

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Dan Reiland on Compassionate Ministry

A Wave of Compassion By Dan Reiland

On January 18, 2005 I returned from a tsunami relief trip to the country of Sri Lanka. Four others from Crossroads Community Church (where I serve) and a group from World Hope International comprised our team of nine people. We traveled halfway around the world to the center of the devastation caused by the tsunami on December 26, 2004.

What we saw, felt and experienced is difficult to put into words – that's one of the reasons why two of the people on our team were part of a film crew. It was our desire to capture the story of God's compassion, both already in action and the potential to be expressed, in a country where Christianity is not only the minority, but persecuted. Let me tell you about just a portion of our experience.

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John Maxwell is Wired (8.1)

WHAT ARE YOU COMMITTED TO? By Dr. John C. Maxwell

What do you think of when you hear the word commitment? Perhaps you picture a loving husband caring for his invalid wife. Maybe you envision a business owner who puts her resources and reputation on the line to lead her company through a crisis. Perhaps you see a dedicated teacher who spends hours of his own time tutoring underprivileged children. Or maybe the scene that comes to mind is one of a group of soldiers who willingly enters harm's way to protect their countrymen.

These are all wonderful examples of commitment. But have you considered the fact that individuals who act in less admirable ways also are committed? People who watch the clock at work are committed to making it through the day so they can go home. People who spend most of their free time in front of the television are committed to taking life easy. People who cheat on their income taxes are committed to beating the system.

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Rick Warren on Life’s Meaning

God's purpose gives life meaning and value by Rick Warren

One
of the reasons life is devalued in today's culture is that many people
value their own happiness and fulfillment over God's purposes for their
lives.

As a pastor, one way you can protect the sanctity of human life is
to help your people understand that the purpose of their lives is far
greater than personal fulfillment, peace of mind, or even happiness.
It’s far greater than our families, our careers, or even our wildest
dreams and ambitions. If they want to know why they were placed on this
planet, they must begin with God. Each of us was born by his purpose and for his purpose.

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Angie Ward on Discerning Hidden Core Values

Every living body – individual or corporate – lives out of values. Often times these values are not explicitly stated. In the church not stating these values makes it difficult for new members of the body to find their place. Their DNA can seem imcompatible with the body's DNA. In human bodies this leads to rejection … could it mean the same for the church? As we move through our visioning process in the coming months this is the God-prompt that pushes me … what is our DNA (what are the core values and beliefs we hold dear)? Read how Angie Ward describes another situation and see if any of it looks familiar to you? (WAB).

"Discerning Your Church's Hidden Core Values: It's the unstated, underlying purpose that really drives a church" by Angie Ward, Leadership Journal (January 17, 2005).

A lot has been written lately about the church and culture; most of it, however, refers to the culture around a church. Just as important is the culture within a church, the shared attitudes, values, and beliefs that define a church and shape its practices.

Fresh out of seminary, my husband and I began ministry at an established, 850-member church in a large city. During the interview process, we were impressed by the church's forward-thinking mission and values, and we were excited to join such an apparently dynamic ministry. As time passed, however, it became clear that there was far more bark than bite at that church, missionally speaking.

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Brian McLaren’s New Kind of Christian

Link: The Christian Century Magazine.

Every recent book review loves to quote Brian McLaren ‘s definition of his theological leanings as a “missional evangelical post/protestant liberal/conservative mystical/poetic biblical charismatic/contemplative fundamentalist/calvinist anabaptist/anglican methodist catholic green incarnational depressed-yet-hopeful emergent unfinished CHRISTIAN.” Take a moment to get acquainted with this voice … Brian has a depth of compassion and maturity that reflects his pastoral heart.

"New kind of Christian: Brian McLaren’s Emergent Voice" by Jason Byassee, The Christian Century (November 30, 2004).

Brian McLaren’s two most important books—A New Kind of Christian and the recent A Generous Orthodoxy—both open by raising the specter of an evangelical pastor leaving the ministry or the church altogether. The fictional lead character in New Kind is poised to abandon his ministry until a wise new friend initiates him into the ways of postmodern Christianity, rehabilitating his ministry and life. Orthodoxy reaches out to the disaffected in first-person plural: “So many of us have come close to withdrawing from the Christian community. It’s not because of Jesus and his good news, but because of frustrations with religious politics, dubious theological propositions, difficulties in interpreting passages of the Bible that seem barbaric, or embarrassments from church history.” Something has to change, or those on the ledge may go ahead and jump.

McLaren wants to make space for someone to be “postconservative.” According to the subtitle of A Generous Orthodoxy, he himself is a “missional evangelical post/protestant liberal/conservative mystical/poetic biblical charismatic/contemplative fundamentalist/calvinist anabaptist/anglican methodist catholic green incarnational depressed-yet-hopeful emergent unfinished CHRISTIAN.”

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The Emergent Matrix

Link: The Christian Century Magazine.

I have been paying attention to quiet revolution going on within Western Christianity … especially the next generations (whatever label you want to pin on them). The buzzwords are numerous, the spritual paths often divergent, and the theology is kind of fun. Scott Bader-Save explores the terrain here.

“The Emergent matrix: A new kind of church?” by Scott Bader-Saye, The Christian Century (November 30, 2004).

Last spring the Nashville Convention Center played host to both the National Pastors Convention and the Emergent Convention. While the former was largely geared toward evangelical baby boomers, the latter catered to Gen X and Millennial evangelicals ( and “postevangelicals” ) who are trying to come to grips with postmodernity. Though the two conventions intentionally overlapped, that proximity suggests a closer kinship than may actually exist. Indeed, the professed goal of many in the “Emerging Church” is to embody an alternative to the model of the Willow Creek, seeker-driven church that blankets the contemporary evangelical landscape like kudzu on a southern hillside.

At first glance the differences between the two conventions seemed to be primarily stylistic: the Emergent music was hipper, the videos faster, the clothes trendier, the technology more sophisticated. But for many of the Emergent leaders, the convention’s flashiness did more to confuse than to clarify the nature of the emerging church.

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Good Christian Men

Link: The Christian Century.

Fathers … now here is a topic of widely varied conversations today. Are they attentive to their children, are they good for families, are they home, are they providers, are they …? Don Browning’s review of a recent sociological study reveals that the activity level in a community of a faith says more about who a father will be than does their theological convictions. At least this is the case among Protestant men, whether they are conservative or liberal. Once again, faith (conviction) without works (practice) is a song you can’t sing … (WAB).

"Good Christian Men: How Faith Shapes Fathers" by Don Browning (The Christian Century, January 11, 2005). Review of Soft Patriarchs, New Men: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands, University of Chicago Press, 337 pp., $62.00; paperback, $20.00 by W. Bradford Wilcox

"By exploring the contradictions between official theologies and the actual behavior of religious communities, sociologists of religion help religious people to view themselves more honestly—a sometimes deflating and even painful process. Such may be our experience in reading W. Bradford Wilcox’s Soft Patriarchs, New Men, perhaps one of the most important studies of American religion to come along in recent decades."

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Rick Warren on Matching Music to Your Target

"Match the Music to the People You Want to Reach" by Rick Warren
Three thoughts about music in worship

I'm often asked what I would do differently if I could start Saddleback over. My answer is this: From the first day of the new church, I’d put more energy and money into insuring a first-class music ministry that
matched our target audience.

In the first years of Saddleback, I made the mistake of underestimating the power of music. Because we didn’t have a lot of talented musicians, we minimized the use of music in our services. I regret that now.

Music is powerful

Music is an integral part of our lives. We eat with it, drive with it, shop with it, relax with it, and some non-Baptists even dance to it!
A song often can touch people in a way that a sermon can’t. Music can bypass intellectual barriers and take the message straight to the heart.

It is a potent tool for evangelism.
In Psalm 40:3 (NCV) David says, “He put a NEW song in my mouth. … Many people will see this and worship him. Then they will trust the Lord.” Notice the clear connection between music and evangelism: “Then they will trust the Lord.”

Music is a force that cannot be ignored. The rock lyrics of the 1960s and 1970s shaped the values of most Americans who are now in the 30 to 50 age bracket. Today, MTV shapes the values of most people in their 20s. Music is the primary communicator of values to the younger generation. If we don't use contemporary music to spread godly values, Satan will have an unchallenged access to an entire generation.

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Rick Warren on Facing Your Future

How to Face your Future By Rick Warren

"Decide to make the most of each moment this year."

No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one
can accurately predict all that is going to happen in the next 365 days.
Our best forecasts are just educated guesses.

Changes in our society have not only increased in speed and intensity,
but also in their unpredictability. Doing business in this environment is
what Michael Annison calls "Managing the Whirlwind."

How can anyone — including ministers — succeed when the future is so
uncertain?

The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing your future:

Include God in your goal-setting. Frankly, it's dumb to make plans without
consulting God first. He's the only one who DOES know the future — and
he's eager to guide you through it. The Bible says, "We may make our plans, but God has the last word" (Proverbs
16:1, TEV). In other words, planning without praying is presumption. Start
by praying, "God, what do YOU want me to do in 2005?"
Live one day at a time. While you can plan for tomorrow, you can't live
it until it arrives. Most people spend so much time regretting the past
and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today! The songwriter John Lennon once wrote, "Life is what happens to you
while you’re busy making other plans." Decide to make the most
of each moment this year. Jesus said, "… don't be anxious about
tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time" (Matthew
6:34, LB).
Don’t procrastinate — do it now! "Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1, NAS) Procrastinating is a subtle trap. It wastes today by postponing things
until tomorrow. You promise yourself that you'll do it "one of these
days." But "one of these days" is usually "none of these
days."

What did you plan to get done last year that you didn't do? When do you intend to start working on it? “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

Have a happy and fruitful New Year!

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