If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? (James 2:15-16)

I prayed. Amy said, “come with me, let’s go get something to eat,” and took off with him across the street to Bubba Gump’s. Tiffany yelled after her, “don’t go, he’s trouble!” and I rushed after Amy so she wouldn’t be alone. Clint followed a few steps behind. We stood in line at Bubba Gump’s and then just as we sat down, they kicked us out because of Bobby. They said he had come around a lot and bothered everybody all day long. So Clint got food though, courtesy of the folks at Bubba Gump, as Amy and I stood outside and Bobby went back to his corner.

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. (James 4:17)

Clint brought half his meal out to Bobby, who didn’t eat it. But on that corner we met Ali from Ghana, his friend in a wheelchair. We learned that Bobby was from Liberia. Later we met Testimony, his East African friend. They all sat on that corner and talked to us for a few minutes. Close to two hours after we got there, we hadn’t traveled more than three blocks from the car, and had done zero interviews.

I was looking forward to the interviews, because I have this whole personal philosophy of “anyone, anywhere, anytime.” I stole it from Southern Miss’s football slogan, but it works. Or, it did. But as I stood there in front of Bubba Gump, watching the people as they walked by- the guy who had the walker and seemed to have cerebral palsy, looking sheepishly like he wanted to cross the road; or the Bobby on his corner; or any one of the other random people walking by- I thought about that slogan. I thought about how that’s all it was- some pumped up slogan about evangelism or whatever.

And it’s like this. I can talk to rational, everyday, normal people… all day long. Seriously- anyone, anywhere, anytime. But then there are those who I can’t hear well, can’t understand, who aren’t rational, who go on and on about some random political issue native only to Liberia or Ghana or something, who rant and rave and get real good at it. And I freeze up. And I pray for them and wish them well, and tell them God Bless, and walk off. Sometimes I even feel good about it. (Not usually though; I’m a naturally melancholy and reflective kind of person.)

So Clint reminds me tonight of what Dr. Ortiz told us in Encountering the Biblical World. After he reconciles the gospel accounts of the disciples and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the healing of the blind men, Ortiz explains: “That’s not even the point. The point is that we get so busy doing God’s work that we forget to DO God’s work. We completely miss the folks standing right there asking for our help.”

A refugee crosses the ocean to stay in the land of the free and begs for food. One night he meets a disciple of Christ, and says he is hungry. The disciple prays for the refugee and sends him on his way. “Be well fed and stay safe,” he says, but does nothing for him.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:37-40)

FaithHighway has insinuated that they will take legal action against my friends, therefore I am taking this account down. Apparently it’s good to know that you’ve signed away all legal rights to a “Christian” company before you realize they’re acting in an unethical manner.

Full disclosure: While none of the business practices by FaithHighway are overtly unethical, as someone with knowledge of web design, I would not recommend their service to any church or church plants. There are easier ways to do things considerably cheaper. Yesterday I posted about ProPhoto Blogs, a WordPress theme which I use for Words Are Not Enough. ProPhoto will pay me a small sum ($7) for every person I get to sign up using my promo code. However, while I believe WordPress itself is perfect for organizations and individuals alike, I do not recommend the ProPhoto theme for a church website. ProPhoto is best for individuals or couples interested in promoting their personal thoughts and photography. There are many WordPress themes which are better suited for content-driven sites, and I encourage you to use them instead.

I’ve spoken to Greg Johnson via Twitter, and he is aware of these grievances. He denied some of the allegations on Twitter, and I invite him to address the allegations in this post personally.

[E. Stanley Jones, Source Currently Unknown]

“I am Second is a movement where significance in life is a shared value among people of all kinds. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Your next-door neighbors. People just like you. Their authentic stories here on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. You’ll meet people who overcame destructive lifestyles. Plus you’ll discover those who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed, yet still found a life full of hope, peace, and fulfillment.”

“The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.”

“I used love like money, but love doesn’t work like money. It is not a commodity. When we barter with it, we all lose. When the church does not love its enemies, it fuels their rage. It makes them hate us more.” [Don Miller, Blue Like Jazz]

When we are passive-aggressive, we tend to make snide, underhanded, and indirect comments toward those whom we harbor ill-feelings. We are not direct with them. We do not approach them, as Jesus mandated in Matthew 18. It is only through direct confrontation with God or people that reconciliation is possible. We use our love a a commodity, withholding it from those with whom we’re angry. Nothing is resolved through passive-aggression, nor is its primary goal to resolve conflict. The priority of passive-aggression is to release anger and frustration while maintaining the façade of spiritual maturity. Passive-aggression could not be further from spiritual maturity; it is the foundation for vanity.

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. [Matthew, 18:15-16, ESV] 

I know we all have moments of passive-aggressive behavior, and there are plenty of times when it is better to bite our tongue than to act out in aggressive confrontation. No question, it is imperative that we use wisdom when picking our fights. Still, we cannot hide behind the ruse of false humility and conflict avoidance by protesting, “but it’s for the greater good to avoid division!” More than likely, it is not. By avoiding the conflict, we are merely festering division within the ranks. We are suppressing division and conflict, and like a volcano erupts under great pressure, so will that division and conflict erupt at the least opportune moment. This is why entire church staffs turnover in less than a year. It’s how churches split. It’s of Satan, and passive-aggressiveness must be rebuked.

Do not read this as an invitation to stir up trouble or speak out for no reason. The Scriptures are very clear about how we are to approach others with whom we are in conflict. Five years ago I was introduced to the Heart Attitudes by my church planting professor Jack Allen. Having seen the wisdom they speak into my life, I’ve spent much of those five years trying to integrate them into my life. It’s a daily task. The following are two of the Heart Attitudes that speak directly to the issue of passive-aggressiveness and conflict resolution.

Live an Honest, Open Lifestyle
What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. [Ephesians 4:25]

Humbly Give and Receive Correction
Warn each other every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. [Hebrews 3:13]

Listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace. [Proverbs 15:31, 13:18]

Keep Relationships Straight
If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
[Matthew 5:23-24]

Could it be that some pastors, particularly among the denominations with more congregational autonomy, are upset when other churches start up in “their” territory because they view that congregation as their life-support? That the tithes given to the church are not only their primary source of income, but also their retirement fund, and any competition that threatens their church attendance affects the tithes and in turn, their income? Is it possible? (Yeah it is.)

There’s something to being bivocational. In fact the way I see it, there’s nothing particularly Biblical about the professional ministry outside of the Old Testament. Jesus appeared to rail against the institutional religious leaders (often). Maybe we should spend less time bringing in a salary from our churches, instead pouring that money back into the community (both local and global missionary activity). I’ll deal with that stuff more another time… right now I really want to pose this question:

What would happen if we put God’s money back into the hands of His people with the sole instruction to pay it forward- to change someone’s life- instead of using it primarily as the support system for our pastors, our buildings, and our traditions?

Until you can stand up in front of a group of people and honestly say, “Imitate me,” you have no business being a pastor or a church planter. This is the advice that has filtered down to me through a couple prominent pastors in North Texas.

The character of a church’s leaders will determine the character of the church as a whole.  How many times have you seen a church torn apart because its leaders were out of step with Christ?  What we do as leaders in the church, whether it’s in the local church or the denomination as a whole, determines the direction of the people aligned within that body.

I remember telling my dad once that I had trouble following my pastor’s leadership.  In fact, until I moved to New Orleans I don’t think I had ever had a pastor I felt I could follow within biblical guidelines.  I’ve seen the destructive ability of a pastor whose character is broken.  I’ll repeat the statement from above: until I can stand before a group of people and humbly and honestly say, “Imitate me,” I have no business leading a church.  I’m not there yet, but I work toward it every day.  What I will not tolerate of myself is to become the very kind of leader I have so openly held in contempt.

One of the first papers I was assigned in seminary was on character.  Not surprisingly, it was assigned by my church planting professor who knew that above all, the church’s leadership must reflect the character of Christ if it is to exalt God.  I’m grateful that God ordained it so I could take that class in my first semester; it laid the foundation for everything I learned afterward.

It was in that same class that I first heard the phrase “You get what you reward.”  At NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas, they say “Celebrate your heroes.”  To me, those mean the same thing.  At a recent conference at NorthWood, the team brought out a panel of church members who have stepped out into society to be the change they wish to see in the world.  Our heroes aren’t necessarily the guys writing the largest checks.  They’re the ones choosing to sacrifice themselves in an effort to expand the Kingdom of God.  They’re disciples who make disciples of Christ.  NorthWood celebrates their heroes, and as a result, the people within the church are willing to become heroes themselves.  You get what you reward: if you want big check writers, then celebrate the check writers.  Expect to name a lot of buildings after people.  If you want your church to actively make disciples, then you celebrate the disciple-makers in your church.

My first and only real priority in ministry is to make disciples.  It’s not to be a pastor or to plant a church.  God hasn’t called me to plant a church; He’s called me to make disciples. If a church grows out of that work as a result, then great!  But it’s not a priority.  When the time comes that I can stand in front of those disciples and tell them, “Imitate me,” we’ll see where that takes us.  I encourage you to examine yourself in the meantime.

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. [Hebrews 13:7, ESV]

Over the last month, I’ve been driving to Denton for church.  The Village Denton is a video venue of The Village Church, so Matt Chandler’s sermon is piped in via video each week.  Beau Hughes is the campus pastor in Denton.  A couple weeks ago Beau spent a few minutes before the weekly communion time speaking from his heart.  What he said was deeply personal and his attitude reflected his genuine care for the folks who are a part of The Village Denton, myself included.  When I got home I took the opportunity to send him an email encouraging him and thanking him for letting the Holy Spirit speak through him to those of us in attendance.  This past Sunday I introduced myself and we talked for a few minutes.  He thanked me for my email and said that the encouragement meant a lot.

Good pastors put a lot out on the line.  They pour themselves into the people around them.  They genuinely care about the congregation’s well-being and spiritual standing.  The good ones give themselves over to servanthood.  And we in the congregation have a tendency to take.  And sometimes all we do is take.  And take.  Sometimes we end up sucking the life out of our good pastors, and they end up burned out and emotionally spent.  After my experience in New Orleans, I made an extra effort to encourage my leaders.  Jack Allen teaches his students to be a “joy to lead.”  It’s a core belief I’m sure he’ll credit to Hope Church here in Fort Worth, and it’s one worth spreading.  I know I didn’t cause my pastor and mentor in New Orleans to burn out and leave the city, but I know I could have given more of myself toward ministering to his needs.  So as long as I’m in Fort Worth and driving to The Village Denton, Beau can know I’ll do what I can for him.

My encouragement to you is to be a joy to lead- whether your leader is your boss at work, your parents, or your pastor, just be a joy to lead.  And take a moment to encourage your pastor whenever you have the opportunity.  It might make his day.

My friend Brad has followed up on his initial detective work regarding Lifeway’s new “read with discernment” labels.  You can read his post here.

The folks he interviewed at his Lifeway are friends of mine as well.  Your local Lifeway employees are not to blame for this, so if you go in and ask them about the “read with discernment” policy, please be nice.  Just because the company has an asinine policy doesn’t mean the employees should be harassed.  I’m just making that especially clear.

On the other hand, if you’d like to send a letter to Lifeway (or email), I say go for it.  At least let them be equal opportunity labelers, taking into consideration many of the authors I previously mentioned.

There was a big gathering of New Orleans’ homeless in front of City Hall Saturday.  I usually catch some of the local news every day, but I’ll be the first to say I didn’t hear anything about this until I came across the article on CBS News.  Maybe because it was an election weekend, we just didn’t cover it much.  More likely, I just didn’t watch enough news to know.  But I do know, and so I’m reminded that this is another big prayer need.

Before Katrina we had a lot of homeless folks.  The population probably wasn’t larger or smaller than any other normal city in the US.  The CBS article (read the whole thing here) says, “New Orleans has 12,000 homeless people, up from 6,300 before Katrina, according to UNITY of Greater New Orleans, a group that helps the homeless.” When I came back from my Katrina exile, I was told there weren’t a lot of homeless in town because, generally speaking, nobody had any sympathy- everybody was homeless.  I can’t say what percentage of our now 12,000 homeless were among the 6,300 pre-Katrina homeless.  It’d be interesting to know, but probably not terribly important in the long run.

Statistics are always interesting to someone, but interesting doesn’t get people off the streets and into homes.  And it’s getting cooler here now.  Winter in New Orleans isn’t easy.  Sure, we’re practically living in a tropical climate.  Sure, it’s going to be in the mid-70s for Thanksgiving Week.  But it’ll be getting into the 50s at night.  Hear me when I say this: the humidity during the summer makes us live in a sauna; the humidity during the winter is like walking into a cold bath.  It’s brutal for the homeless.

So take a moment now and pray for the 12,000 homeless in New Orleans.  And pray that all the new leadership we voted in will actually make a positive difference in this city, like they promised.  We’re all sick of being lied to down here, and for the sake of everybody, we need a positive change.  Just like those 250 homeless shacked up in tents outside City Hall.

[Read "Katrina Homeless Make Tent City of Despair" on CBSNews.com]