Thoughts from Paul Hill

Vibrant Faith Ministries is an entrepreneurial servant organization (sometimes called para-church.)  It seems to me that denominational Christianity (as opposed to emergence Christianity) has a love/hate relationship with organizations like us.

On the one hand, we are seen as an important “outside or creative” voice to congregations and denominational structures.  We provide “yeastie” services to a flat loaf of church bread.

On the other hand we are seen by some as opportunists trolling for a contract.  Recently a bishop called me a “real hustler”.  Not sure what that meant.

Those of us who charge directly for providing ministry services fit into a more “free enterprise” model. Church camps and social services do a modified form of the same thing.

Those who advocate for free consulting and ministry services provided by the denomination/synod/district/judicatory fit a  “pooled resources”  model.

Actually whether your mindset is more “free enterprise” or “pooled resources”, no ministry services or resources are ever free.  The cost is either charged up front (free enterprise), or through the generosity of the offering plate, endowment, or other sources (pooled income) that then filters through the system.

At VFM we live with this tension every day.  We are usually received with great enthusiasm for the services and resources we provide AND we sometimes get accused of seeming like an infomercial for the services and resources we provide.  I don’t expect this tension to dissipate anytime soon.

My point is not to complain, but to talk about our understandings of church and how, as the culture continues to change, we need to think differently about funding for ministry support and services.  It will require a bit of confession of sin on everyone’s part.

Read More…

Our team leader for VIBRANTFAITHATHOME.ORG, Leif Kehrwald, showed us a Youtube video this week (Nooma-Amy)in which a woman named Amy says, “a sense of entitlement kicks gratitude right in the butt.”

This profound insight had everyone on our  Vibrant Faith Ministries team nodding in the affirmative.  Yet our team is made up of people with significant heart issues, sight problems, extended family dysfunction issues, spousal health challenges, and health-of-a-child concerns.

My point is that our team pretty much reflects the rest of the population.  We are human, broken, and struggle with the vagaries life dishes out.  Just showing up some days is a victory!

Yet, everyone agreed with Amy. Why? A sense of entitlement (expressed in phrases like, “I deserve it!”, or “That’s not fair!”, or “It’s all about me!”, or “I did this for God so God will make me rich.”) really sets one up for disappointment.  Unrealistic expectations are just preplanned disappointments.

Read More…

Ok readers, stay with me on this, it will get relevant, REALLLY relevant.

Many of us are in the habit of separating our spirituality from our physical selves.  It’s done all the time.  The early church had a name for this: gnosticism.  It comes from the Greek word “gnosis” (don’t pronounce the “g”) which is where we get our word “knowledge”(don’t pronounce the “k”).  It was and remains heresy even though it is a common perception.

An overly simplified explanation of gnosticism goes like this: “Your true spirit is not physical but ethereal.  This “spark” of our true self is our connection with God, who is the “great gnous” (pronounced noose) in the sky.”

The implication is that when we die our “spark or spirit” separates from our physical body (considered sinful, flawed, broken) and reunites with God. (You see this scenario played out on all the Touched by an Angel type TV shows, movies like Ghost and those captivated by talk of the Rapture).

In the early church gnostics nearly won the Christian theological debate.  If they had, our chances of being here today would be slim because many gnostics were celibate.  In fact, one of the early champions, Origin, actually castrated himself. (His theology and his attempt to appease his wife’s family led to this decision.)  If it had been me I would have found a different theology and new in-laws…but that’s just me.

Nice history lesson…but so what?  Well, it has huge implications with how we think about ministry, especially with males.  My research on male spirituality (see Coming of Age: Exploring Identity and Spirituality in Younger Men), combined with my work on early adolescent male (junior high boys) spirituality clearly shows that gnostic theology-besides being heretical-won’t work.  Why? Because these guys don’t separate their spiritual being from their physical being.  Rather, they often discover their spiritual self THROUGH physical activity such as sports, hiking, gardening, doing something with their hands, etc.  A good wound (see photo) can provide a good story and spiritual discovery.  They do their spiritual growth the way God chose to be known…in the flesh!

Harvard psychologist John Ratey, in his book Spark makes the same point about learning.  Ratey demonstrates at the neuro-molecular level how physical exercise can help us learn better as well as treat a wide variety of mental illnesses (depression and anxiety in particular).  In other words God made our bodies and our minds as one.  Our spirit and our bodies are inseparably linked.

God in Jesus was incarnate (physical and spiritual) and Jesus was a true man.  We are made as Jesus was made.  Flesh (understood as skin…not sin…that’s another blog) and spirit are woven together.  Thus, God speaks to us, certainly in males, through the physical beings that we are.

Implications:

• Ministry done through the holistic lens of body and spirit together will touch the whole person as God made us to be.
• Males will generally respond well to this holistic approach (i.e. your church gymnasium, local Y, or health club may be holy ground waiting to happen).
• Physical adventure (through camps, ropes courses, retreats, mission trips) can also be Christian spiritual adventure when designed well.

So tell me, how does physical activity feed your spirit as well?

I was recently asked to reflect on what it means to be the executive director of a non-profit. While at first glance, you may think it doesn’t apply to your situation (you may not be a director of anything).  I think the themes apply to all of us in varied settings.

Directing any non-profit these days is like rebuilding the ship while you are sailing it…in a storm. (Or as my photo shows, like learning to surf at 60….wild…fun…with disaster only moments away.) The point is, (whatever your metaphor…sailing or surfing) the entrepreneurial servant organization works in a constant state of uncertainty. Why?
• Every aspect of denominational Christianity in America (including evangelical conservatism and fundamentalism) is in decline and aging rapidly.
• The “Christian” brand is badly damaged and defined negatively by the dominant culture. It’s a “bad rap” we well deserve and need to change.
• Technological innovation drives one of the most exciting times in human history in regards to learning, invention, and the shifting of paradigms.
• The capacity of human organizations (especially governments, corporations and denominational hierarchies) to manage the change is questionable.
• How one relates to ones constituencies changes daily due to the powerful impact of social media.
• The pressure on the natural environment (and the denial that this is a problem…especially by Christians!) presents huge challenges for future generations.
• Emergence Christianity presents new signs of life and hope even as it is multifaceted and largely undefined.
• Putting together a business plan in this milieu challenges every executive, non-profit as well as for profit.

Read More…

Internet predators, human traffickers, and pimps of prostitution feed on the vulnerable, naive, and the at-risk.  Often their victims are teens.  Their crimes are horrific and regularly go unchecked.  Parents, grandparents, godparents, adults and youth need to become street wise and savvy regarding the lurking dangers of these vultures.

To help you understand what could and is happening, as well as  inoculate yourself and your children from these dangers, Vibrant Faith Ministries offers two powerful resources.

A two volume set titled Parents Arise! Grandparents Arise!, by Rev. Al Erickson, helps adults, teens and children become street smart around these issues.  The author (through the personal experience of his own daughter) provides both good descriptions of the methods that steal away our kids  on a daily basis and practical solutions for prevention.  Full of real stories and accounts his writing is gripping.  His work is grounded in how the Christian Gospel can immunize our kids from these dark forces of human exploitation. Significantly, the introduction to these books is written by former Governor of Minnesota, Al Quie

Parents vs. Predators is a 50 minute video that tells of the dangers of internet predators.  It’s a personal story as well, recounting the murder of my goddaughter, Katherine Olson. by a Craig’s List predator.  Katherine’s dad, Rev. Rolf Olson, tells the wrenching story of his worst nightmare, and he frames his account through his Christian faith.

While these are difficult topics to view and read about, they demand our attention.  Yet, I am astounded at how often I hear church councils and congregational leaders rejecting the idea of doing background checks for volunteers, putting policies and guidelines in place for youth workers and teachers, and preparing their facilities in such a way that all behavior and activity can be viewed publicly. Denial is not just a big river in Egypt.

And the streets are a much meaner place.  A number of years ago I was doing a congregational consultation in a small, rural Minnesota town.  I asked the pastor if they had any gang problems in their community.  “Gangs? Not in this town.  This is ______ Minnesota.”  That evening I was strolling through the town and walked passed dozens of gang “tags” painted on the sides of the local grain bins.  Denial is not just a big river in Egypt.

Jesus teaches us to be wise as serpents.  These resources will help and can literally save someone’s life.  They can be purchased through the Vibrant Faith Ministries store.

I’m blessed with wonderful neighbors who came to our house yesterday for an Easter banquet. Sitting around the table were 7th Day Adventists (vegetarian menu and no alcohol), Roman Catholics (carnivores with alcohol), and Elaine and I (typical ELCA Lutherans-we can eat veggies or meat, and drink or not drink…just don’t offend.)

The Adventists come from New Orleans, are home-schooling four wonderful kids and are African American. The Roman Catholics are the same age as Elaine and i (aka old), Irish, with grown children, no grandchildren.  Elaine (Texas German) and I (Finnish mutt) are the empty-nester power couple with grown kids over indulging one grandchild.

We sat down at the dinner table and the Christian narrative took over.  We held hands and we prayed together.  There was real comfort in the room.

Now, we could have wandered into issues of Christian doctrine (i.e. Canon law, substitutionary atonement, homosexuality, Scriptural hermeneutics and on and on and on), but we didn’t.  The narrative took control.  It was Easter, He is Risen! Now pray, eat together and celebrate. The common ground of the Easter story was more than enough.

Ironically, the salmon was enjoyed by all.  (Loaves and FISHES perhaps??)  The three growing boys in particular loved the salmon. (I’m not sure how that works out in the world of the Adventists…but it sure was eaten all the same.)

It’s only this morning that I am fully understanding what happened yesterday…at my table and at the tomb.  But they are related.

Conclusion:  I think Christians (i.e. me) spend too much time dwelling on the doctrine-I’ve actually read all five volumes of Jaroslav Pelikan’s books on Christian doctrine-while missing the living narrative that is Christianity.  While doctrine is informative (faith seeking understanding) and grounding (living tradition), it can turn the faith into a stalactite that calcifies the believer and the church.  Or, as one of my board members says, “Doctrine is the bumper sticker on the narrative of faith.”  It has its place, but…

Christianity is a living  narrative, more like poetry than math.  It is verb, music, breathing, living! As narrative we don’t celebrate Easter, we are always Eastering.

I’ll admit it, I am bias to all things “church camp”. I started going to church camp in 4th grade and I loved it. Not least of all because I got a girlfriend. In 5th grade I went to camp again (got a new girlfriend) and loved the experience again.

During the turbulent 60′s it was a Christian camp that kept the spark of faith kindled. In fact, I would not be a Christian were it not for my six summers as a camper and canoe guide at Wilderness Canoe Base in Northern Minnesota. So camp runs deep in me.

Only recently did I realize that my experiences reflect what is now often called “emergence Christianity”.  Do these characteristics of my past sound like the characteristics of “emergence Christianity” today?

• It was deeply spiritual, with a healthy skepticism for religion.
• We explored theological and social questions in the context of powerful, cross-generational, trusted community.
• Our lives were steeped in daily rituals of worship and devotions.
• Scripture was authoritative, but so was Bonhoeffer.
• “Making a difference in the lives our campers” was the ultimate goal of our life together.  In other words, we were disciples.

I wonder how you would define “emergence Christianity?”  What characteristics would you add/subtract from my list?  I look forward to hearing from you.

Our homes (how ever you want to define them) are the primary places where faith, values, and behaviors are transmitted and practiced.  Therefore, for Christians, “home is church too!”

Yet, congregations, seminaries, church leaders, and the Christian resource sales industry have been slow to recognize the importance of the “home church” and to support it robustly. (At the risk of sounding boastful, our own Dr. David Anderson has been saying it since the late 80′s.)

That is why we built and launched (March 6th) vibrantfaithathome.org.  Full of Christian tips, tools and resources for all ages and stages, this website maximizes today’s technology for purposes of strengthening, in our home settings, our daily Christian faith walk.

AND IT IS FREE!!!  Building vibrantfaithathome.org has been our biggest priority at Vibrant Faith Ministries.  Conceived over 18 months ago we found the best person, Leif Kehrwald (LKehrwald@vibrantfaith.org), to design and build it for the spiritually curious as well as the life long Christian. Read More…

The older I get, the more I know that I don’t know much.  Signs of early senility or worse?  I don’t think so.  I rather think it signifies a growing comfort with (or resignation to) the mystery of God.

God is just flat-out mysterious. Consider, I have a friend struggling from a severe car wreck and going through a divorce.  Come on God, work with this would you?  Silence.

A co-worker just had a baby.  He is spectacularly beautiful.  Nice touch God.

Syria?  Really God?  You just going to let this happen?  Jesus wept. What a mystery.

I am a big fan of Richard Rohr.  In his book The Naked Now he discusses the mystery of God.  Rohr says, “In the West, religion became preoccupied with telling people what to know more than how to know. telling people what to see rather than how to see (pg. 33).”  Rohr encourages doing the practices of the faith rather than trying to unwrap and explain all that is God. He says, “I would not respect any God that I could figure out.”  Augustine said the same thing in the 5th century, “Si Comprehenderis, non est Deus” (If you understand it, then it is not God. pg. 75) Read More…