Back On Track
January 7, 2021
Yesterday was another tumultuous day in our nation. I had hoped that 2021 would somehow be more peaceful, but it looks like it’s picking up right where 2020 left off – more protests, more lockdowns, and more instability. And yet the body of Christ does walk to the cadence of culture; we take our cues from the inbreaking Kingdom of God.
#JesusStories: Mark 9: 33ff captures an all-to-human moment with the disciples. They were arguing about which of them would be the greatest. In response, Jesus’ brought a child into the midst of their talking circle and told them to become a servant to everyone, even a child. This was perhaps the equivalent of Jesus walking into a modern-day church office and demoting the Senior Pastor to a Childrens Pastor. (And no, I do not see Childrens Pastors as less important than Senior Pastors). The disciples had wandered off the path of Christian leadership, and Jesus got them back on track by reminding them of their ‘servant of all‘ calling.
We too, sometimes wander off the path of solid Christian leadership. In self-reflection, over these past months there have been numerous times when I’ve heard or seen something on the news that made a spirit of hate rise up in me. I wish I were more spiritual than that, but no. Over and again I have felt a dark desire to “set somebody straight” for their fool-headed political perspectives. I am glad I do not have a FB account or it would have been too easy to spew a diatribe of my self-righteous words. Even though I have not gone public with my disgust, I’ve still had to deal with an ugly spirit coursing through my veins; I’ve wandered off the path of Christian leadership during those hate-fests. It is interesting however, how quickly my soul has been restored once I remember the servant of all calling – even for those who had previously been the subjects of my distain. The uprising kingdom of darkness traffics in hate and division; the inbreaking Kingdom of God traffics in servanthood and unity. When our souls are filled with the latter, we know our Christian leadership is back on track!
#DinnerChurchQuotes: “The whole Bible in six sentences: OT = They tried to kill us! We survived! Let’s eat! NT = I love you! I forgive you! Let’s eat!” – Leonard Sweet
#PracticalStuff: It has been my practice to start most mornings early, sitting with Melodee, a cup of coffee in hand, and talking to Jesus. Some years ago I realized that my image of church and the prayer altar was controlling my image of prayer during these morning times. And all-to-often there was a feeling of resistance to talk with Jesus only because it was 6am and I wasn’t yet in the mood to go to church. But after we starting recovering the historic Jesus Table, my morning image began to change to a breakfast table. Interestingly, my resistance to talk with Jesus started to fade; meeting Jesus at a breakfast table always sounds better than going to church, especially at 6am. What is your devotional image? Our ‘prayer-setting-image’ matters. As you take the first steps into 2021, you might want to try meeting Jesus for breakfast.
Dr. Verlon and Melodee Fosner have led a multi-site Assemblies of God Dinner Church in Seattle, Washington since 1999 (www.CommunityDinners.com). In this decade when more churches in the U.S. are declining than thriving, and when ninety-six churches a week are closing, Verlon and Melodee sensed that a different way of doing church was needed for their 97-year old Seattle congregation. It soon became obvious that they were not the only ones in need of a different path. They joined the FX team in 2016 and founded the Dinner Church Collective. And then in 2019 founded the Dinner Church School of Leadership. There is a lot to be gained when church leaders begin to see open doors in the American landscape that they had previously overlooked. Therein lies the journey for those who will forge a new future for the American Church.
Categories: Uncategorized
01.8.21
By: Gary Johnson
It is said that if something is mentioned in scripture, its importance is raised by its being repeated 2 or 3 times. In Leonard Sweet’s condensed Bible version “Lets eat!” is in there twice. Certainly this gives rise to the idea of a Dinner Church’s standing.
But to the prayer time point,I was taught to think of God as friend or father and so I approach it that way. I say what I think (does he not know my thoughts anyway?) Doesn’t a child say things or ask his/her father some of the strangest questions? At the strangest times? So say what is in your heart in prayer. Do you think you are holding back, timidly not mentioning to God something on you heart he doesn’t already know? You need to voice all your concerns because you need to ask of Him to receive an answer. God knows every thought and situation but like David we need to ask about everything.
01.8.21
By: Marion Sortore
It wasn’t until I saw it in print in your post, yes, most of us thought to open our eyes on January 1st 2021 and have the world be different – like what had happened in 2020 was that year’s fault, and now 2021 was in power and would make it all better. We knew logically, that this wouldn’t happen, but oh, how our hearts yearn for it! The ‘it’ we yearn for is just the relationship with Jesus that you are talking about, Verlon. It is having that breakfast table relationship with Jesus – comfortable in knowing that you are having a rough morning, or a great start, or just waking up. Rest your head on His shoulder and let the conversation begin.
01.11.21
By: Josh Gering
I feel this way too much. How is the world going to be different if those who are followers of Christ don’t let the fruit of the Spirit exude from our lives in speech and action? I too am brought back to the attitude of service to others. I can’t change the world by what I do but I can see Jesus change lives in my community, around the tables that create space for people to gather. It’s hard to hate someone who sits across the table from you for dinner. Another miracle of the dinner table might just be unity. Let more of us gather to eat together, talk about Jesus and pray.
01.12.21
By: Nicole Fike
Jesus is weeping with us! My new morning rhythms for January is transcribing the book of John. I am getting so much insight from this. Next, I will transcribe Acts.
01.13.21
By: Roger Bird
This has been a tough year to be on social media. I have written countless posts and/or “rebuttals” most of which that I have ultimately (thankfully) deleted before sending them. I don’t want to look back in the coming years and think, “I should have said something,” but I also don’t want to think, “Boy, I should have just shut up.” On both counts, I probably still have some repenting to do.
My biggest struggle has been not wanting to be partisan, nor political, nor attacking, but still speaking out for truth and justice, and for those who don’t have a voice. For the most part, that has driven my comments on social media, am I speaking out for justice or for Roger? I want to use my voice to serve those around me and not myself. It’s my prayer now and always to fulfill the call that God has given me for my life, to reveal the heart of the Father – even when my humanness really wants to reveal my own dark heart.
01.14.21
By: Shawn Rutan
I had a very similar thought this past week. I was thinking about God’s kingdom vs Mans. I was reminded of the passage where Jesus asked to see a coin. “Who’s image do you see?” Give to Caesar what is his and Give to God’s what is Gods.” We are not of this world. We are people of the Kingdom. The Kingdom agenda must alway be more important than any other agenda. This great truth lifts the burden of anxiety. This truth also keeps us on track. It guards against fractures in the church over worldliness.
01.14.21
By: Carl Bauchspiess
I feel you. I call that guy my inner Pharisee and I actually spoke of him this past Sunday in my message on lament. And if I’m not careful, he comes out. I’ve pretty much controlled my social media presence, by the grace of God, but in my mind and spirit, he can rage. Thank you for the reminder that we are servants to all, even those guys. I read a quote that said, “the reason the church can’t go into the world effectively is because so much of the world has gotten into the church”. I believe that reflects in our attitude as much as anything else. May we (I) pick up the towel much more often.
01.14.21
By: Verlon Fosner
Oh Carl, I have an inner Pharisee too. Sigh
01.19.21
By: Michael Cox
The issue of Christian leadership getting off track is timely. The fact that John and James can be so intimate with Jesus and still miss the central point of his story is compelling. The idea of wanting to elevate ourselves and our ideas over the creator is idolatry. The worship of “greatness” has distorted the Christian call to forgiveness and reconciliation within the American pastorate. I have been involved with many ministries that abandon the love of Christ for the power of personal political ideologies. Sadly, it seems Christians are more concerned about identifying as politically conservative or liberal than being know for their love of neighbor. Jesus never asks people who they voted for before he heals them. The desire to “win” and be first is contrary to how the King of Kings operates. Greatness for Christ looks like welcoming and receiving the powerless. “And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me (Mark 9:36-37).”
05.16.21
By: Penney Forbes
Sad to say that for decades I had been thinking about praying through the Psalms every day like Christians have done since the first century and Jews for thousands of years before that. When COVID-19 locked us down in the Yellow Zone for several months, I started.
Given that Lectio Divina is the second oldest prayer practice in our Christian faith and dates to before the time of Christ, I decided to use this process to pray. It has been referred to as “Haggadah” in the Jewish faith for thousands of years.
Every morning at 6:30 am in 2020, and 7 am in 2021, a group of people that have become our Dinner Church planting team has been praying through all the Psalms every day, even holy days.
We use Marshall D. Johnson’s book, Psalms Through the Year. His book has broken down all 150 Psalms so that you can quickly pray them through in one year. The way that it is sectioned off is perfect for this meditative prayer practice.
Reflecting on Professor Fosner’s post, praying the Psalms has helped me keep my heart aright before God by instructing me how to pray for evildoers, the organizers of oppression, and instigators of injustice.
Before developing this daily practice, I felt tossed two and fro by every wind and wave of Christian leaders’ interpretations of events, daily news stories, politicians, and broadcast journalists running commentary.
Through the practice of Lectio Divina, the Psalms have become my container for life challenges ushered in by COVID. Using this practice, I pour my heart to God, confess my sins and struggles to trusted friends, and journal my thoughts for continued reflection. Thus, this has been a robust practice lasting at least two hours every day. Getting serious about praying the Psalms using the ancient prayer practice of Lectio Divina has been the best thing that has happened to me during COVID.