a beautiful mess

to learn more about why i became interested in making moonshine (except not really. but kind of), please read the first post here.

this post is more like the sparks version. quick(er) and concise(er). the distilled version of the once-already distilled version of my (current) philosophy of vocational ministry.

» be about filling every wineskin instead of spilling a lot of wine. as per discipleship: we can not convince ourselves that bigger is better: better is always better: and one full wineskin with deep, rich red wine is always better than a few skins with few drops of watered-down, premature wine. and i believe, if we pursue this, we will be in pursuit of the true gospel of yeshua of nazareth.

» look not to the fastest growing local churches but to the longest living local churches. we focus our efforts as the church platform on health and vitality, not, in a word, “growth,” which is unspecific in it’s direction and purpose: also, causing things to grow (in this context) is GOD’s concern, not ours (i.e. acts 2.47).

» praying for communitas, not only community. community is not bad. but if we could take even that idea deeper, our prayers might include a language reflective of transformation that is born out of hardships, moves toward and through endurance to become something greater than just a “group of people on a journey.” here, we’re invoking socio-politico-religio change on account of us changing first: in this, we will naturally become unified in our diversity.

» releasing debts and debtors instead of raising fists and fighters. we must be a people living in the habit of forgiving others as we’ve been forgiven, unconditionally* or we will surely become a people indebted to much more dangerous things than people. moreover, we are only as free as our hands are open: if we are a community holding on to debts or debtors, we are unable to receive/utilize with open hands the freedoms and liberties which are already ours in christ jesus.

» living toward redemption now rather than learning about it later. if we are not a local church living toward and into redemption now – we will not be when it matters most. our very ethos: language, block parties, liturgy, songs, art, business meetings (!) – it all should contain this dna – yeshua’s did: it is all part of the reality of the kingdom of heaven.

» substitute singulars for plurals more often than not. the whole corporate worship experience is shifted when we lead in this fashion: where songs typically isolate the “i, me, my” we breathe out the current reality of “we, us, ours”. we are, quite literally, composing a different song! and, i would argue, we are potentially creating a different future – but that’s for another time and…book.

» committing to conversation versus controlling the conversation. being committed to conversation has all the makings of humility, honor, wisdom, and discernment which leads to unity and advancement; however, when we are interested in controlling the conversation, we actually stunt growth, close doors of opportunity and isolate ourselves and our ministries through fear, pride, or short-sightedness.

» embracing what has prepared us instead of performing what we have planned. we use planning to channel what’s prepared us – but we can never substitute that preparation!

» MQLS or +?-! this is my hidden freebie and anchor to theology. ask more (disturbing) questions, administer less (formulaic) statements! YHWH is truth: we fear nothing else when/if we fear him alone.

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what’s up with the green text?

ultimately, i hope these are a catalyst for conversation and prayer and response. i absolutely beg your insight, comments, guidance, challenges, etc.

and i ask you, what are your “few drops” of philosophy as it relates to vocational ministry? what are those tangible, rubber-meets-the-road kind of things that you find yourself returning to time and time again?