Easter: What You Need to Do
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/30/2009
If you weren’t at church last night, then you missed the announcement regarding Easter at Ethos. I will repeat the information here, because we need lots of help from you guys.
Why are we doing something different for Easter?
For whatever reason, there are certain times each year where people (including those that don’t go to church) stop to reflect on Jesus. Easter is one of those times. Our prayer is that Ethos can play a role in sharing the Good News of Jesus with people that typically wouldn’t think twice about church.
What You Need to Do
In order to reach as many people as possible, we really need everyone in our church to help us with a couple of things.
One: 4 pm and 6 pm
If you have been at church during the last 6 weeks then you know we are out of room. We have added 150 more chairs, we added more chairs tonight, and we are still out of room. Since we believe we will have a record crowd at Easter we are going to host two Sunday Night Worship Gatherings.
For those of you that are a part of the Ethos Family, we need you to sign up for the 4 pm or the 6 pm Service. You can sign up through email (ethoschurch@gmail.com). Just include your name, and time (4 pm or 6 pm) in the subject line. We need at least 200 of you to sign up for the 4 pm and 200 people to sign up for the 6 pm. This will greatly help us as we try to make sure we have enough seats for everyone.
Two: Bring a Friend
This is the most important aspect of Easter. We are asking that every single person bring at least one friend to our Easter Service that does not know Jesus, or does not go to church. Please spend time praying, and thinking about who you will invite, and go ahead and invite them. If we really believe Jesus is the author of life, then lets make sure we don’t show up to church alone (this doesn’t just apply to Easter).
Three: Eat a Meal
As a part of our Easter Service we will be providing a dinner upstairs in the Mercy Lounge. This will be a great opportunity for your friends (the ones you will bring with you) to meet other people from church. There is something very sacred about sitting down and breaking bread together. For those of you attending the 6 pm service, you will be eating dinner at 5:00 pm in the Mercy Lounge. For those of you attending the 4 pm service, you will be eating dinner at 5:45 pm in the Mercy Lounge.
Four: Leave Your Socks
Finally, we are asking everyone to bring at least one pair of new socks when you show up on Easter. The socks will be given to our homeless friends in the neighborhood. For our friends that spend all day walking around the city on their feet, a clean pair of socks makes a big difference. Bring as many socks as you like, but we are asking that you bring at least one clean pair.
Alright, that is all for now. If you want to print up fliers to hand out, you can get them here. Spread the word any way you can (i.e. email, facebook, twitter, personal invite, pigeon with a letter, etc).
Sunday Night Reflections
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/29/2009
Sorry I have been absent from the blogosphere recently. To be completely honest, I just hit a wall last week. After returning from our PCB Mission Trip over a week ago, I was just exhausted, and thought it would be good to take a break from blogging. Anyways, I’m back.
It was a great night at Ethos. Here are just a few thoughts from the evening…
+ It was wonderful seeing so many new faces. For those of you that are regulars at Ethos, please make sure you follow up with those that are new. Remember what it was like to be new?
+ When the Created loses sight of the Creator, there is no purpose, where there is no purpose there is no hope, where there is no hope, there is no life.
+ If we aren’t choosing Jesus, we are choosing hell.
+ Communion was powerful tonight.
+ We talked through our plans for Easter as a church. This blog will be dedicated to our Easter Service between now and April 12th.
+ Sin begins the moment we take our focus off of Jesus.
+ God created us for so much more, why am I so comfortable settling for so much less?
I hope it never gets old gathering with friends, and strangers in a bar to worship Jesus. Have a great night. Love you guys.
New Life
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/29/2009
In case you haven’t heard, Nick Shong made the decision to give his life to Jesus this past Wednesday. Around 9 pm, nearly 30 of us circled around a friend’s hot tub as we heard Nick confess his love for Jesus, and watch as he died to himself through baptism. What a night! If you see Nick, give him a big hug and tell him how much you love him.
You and God
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/17/2009
This morning’s post will be short, sweet, and to the point, but I think it has the ability to change the course of your hour, your day, your week, maybe even your life. Whatever you are doing right now (besides reading this blog) stop. Turn off the phone, turn down the volume on your ipod, quit multi tasking. I’m not asking you to do this because of what I am typing, but hopefully because of what God will reveal to you in the next couple of minutes.
My question for you this morning is so simple, yet very difficult to answer honestly.
Are you truly seeking the heart of God?
Not yesterday, last week, or over the course of this month — I mean right now. At work, driving in your car, wherever it is that you are reading this blog…today, are you truly seeking the heart of God?
If you said yes…
Why did you say that? Is it a feeling? Is it because of something you’ve done today? I’m not trying to talk you out of your answer, in fact I hope that is true. I just want you to think about it. What does a typical Wednesday look like when you are seeking the heart of God?
If you said no…
What is going to change, and when is that going to change? Don’t wait until after your meeting. Come on, we both know that meeting doesn’t have eternal significance. Don’t wait until after lunch, your appointment, or making the next phone call. Take some time to do the things that matter.
At the most basic level of your life, right now, how are you and God doing?
Lead, Search, Love
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/16/2009
Over the last several months I have gotten hooked on the Book of Ezekiel. One of my favorite passages is found in Ezekiel 34.
In this passage, God is upset because the leaders of Israel have failed to be good leaders. He is using the analogy of a shepherd, and basically God paints the picture of a bunch of lazy shepherds who are so consumed with taking care of themselves that that they fail to care for the ones who have been entrusted to them.
“So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.” – Ezekial 34:5-6
1.) When leaders fail to be leaders, no matter what the reason is, the people find themselves drifting spiritually.
2.) When people find themselves drifting spiritually, they become easy prey for the enemy.
3.) When we notice that our people have wandered away and fallen prey to the enemy will we go and rescue them?
Will you Lead? Will search? Will you love?
Who are the people in your life that you have failed to lead? Who is wandering? Who do you need to go searching for this week?
I don’t know about you, but I want to spend more time taking my cues from the Good Shepherd, and less time falling into the trappings of the shepherds in Ezekial. Love you guys.
I’m an Idiot
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/15/2009
The other night, I was on campus with Brandon. We had both spoken on a panel that went fairly well. Afterwards, we had to rush over to a training session for a mission team we are leading in a few months. It was late. I had been on campus for 13 straight hours. I can honestly say that patience was not leading the way in my life at the moment.
As we were leaving, a student who I didn’t really know, stopped us to talk for a moment. Even though we were in a hurry, we realized that our ultimate responsibility is with the students, so we stopped to answer a few of his questions. After about ten minutes of talking with him, and answering his questions, he ended the conversation by insulting Brandon and I.
Brandon handled it like a champ. I did not. It crawled all over me. Brandon even laughed at me a little for allowing this guy to get under my skin. I stumbled across this post earlier in the week and it caused me to reflect on the “conflict” from Tuesday night.
Read 2 Samuel 16:5-14 sometime. It’s entertaining and enlightening.
The recap:
-Someone curses King David
-One of David’s men volunteers to cut off the guy’s head
-David replies (in effect): “Let him curse me, God’s got my back.”
I long to have that kind of restraint and perspective.
I’m not there, but this is where I want to get as a leader.
After all, how will it hurt me if someone doesn’t agree with my theology?
Let them disagree…maybe I can even learn something from their disagreement.
Why get so emotionally revved when someone makes a false accusation about me?
Let them accuse…no weapon formed against me shall prosper.
I’d be a whole lot happier and exponentially more effective if I could learn to let things go, bolstered by the confidence that God has got my back. Those who are spiritually secure are able to hear the critical voice, filter and digest what’s helpful, process out the rest, and stay in the zone.
Obey
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/14/2009
Have you ever found yourself standing face to face with a decision you knew God was calling you to make? Maybe God was calling you to do something very specific — such as change your job, move to another city, or make what seemed to be a huge personal sacrifice. How did you respond in that situation? There is a really powerful story in Genesis 22. You know it was one of those stories that defined the rest of Abraham’s life.
As I read this verse out loud, I can’t imagine what I would go through internally if God was calling me to do what Abraham did.
” Take your son, your only son–yes, Isaac, whom you love so much–and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” – Genesis 22:2
I can’t imagine what it would be like to know that God was calling you to do something so crazy. Don’t you know Abraham wanted to spend time rationalizing all of the reasons why God couldn’t be serious? You know he was tempted to figure out what kind of “metaphor” God was using when he talked about sacrificing his son. But instead of doing all of things I typically do when God calls me to something hard, Abraham did something really radical…he obeyed.
If you read the next verse in that story, it paints a picture of Abraham’s relationship with God. He didn’t wait until a week or a month. He didn’t put together a six month strategic plan. He didn’t seek counsel from Godly men. He listened to the one true God and the story says, the next morning he set off towards Moriah in obedience.
How many times have you found yourself challenged to step out in faith, but instead of responding like Abraham, you found yourself waiting to see what God would do next, searching for more proof, bartering with the creator of the universe?
I have been there so often, and I confess that my hesitance to obey God shows how short sighted, and faithless I can be so many times. I confess that I often take instructions from my boss, my wife, or even close friends more seriously — treat them with more urgency, than things handed down from God.
God is calling us to be obedient with our families, our lives, our church, our careers, and everything in between, whether or not his instructions make sense to us.
Are there any commands that God has been placing on your heart recently?
How will you respond today?
Psalm 34:4
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/13/2009
I’m not sure if any one verse has ever captured my heart for such an extended period of time as Psalm 34:4. I stumbled across this verse a little over a year ago, and I find myself quoting it nearly every day. I’m not sure why this verse has taken root in my heart the way that it has, but I know God has really encouraged, challenged, and even stretched me because of it.In this Psalm David makes a pretty simple statement that carries profound significance:
“I sought the Lord, and He answered me. He delivered me, from all of my fears.” – Psalm 34:4
Over the last year I have really digested this verse, torn it apart, questioned it, believed it, and even recently experienced it.
I found myself about a year ago asking the question, “if I really seek God with the deepest questions of my heart, will he answer me?”
This was tough for me. From a cognitive standpoint, I could answer the question easily, “well of course God answers us.” But I started thinking “if this is something I really believe, how come I so rarely take the deepest questions of my heart to God?” I realized that my actions were uncovering what I really believed. Our beliefs always directly affect our actions. For example, I believe that when our stove is turned on…it is hot, so therefore I don’t touch it. Ever. Because I truly believe it will cause me great pain, I am never tempted to place my hand on the glowing red eye.
I know that sounds simplistic, but when we start honestly looking at the things we do, we begin the process of truly discovering the things we believe.
So my question for you is do you believe this verse?
Do you believe God will answer the deepest questions of your heart if you ask him? Do you believe that He alone will deliver you from your deepest fears?
Over the last year God has taught me a lot through this simple line of poetry in the Psalms. I pray that you will wrestle with this verse in ways that matter, and that in a few hours, days, weeks, months, or maybe even years you will come to believe that God not only cares about the deepest questions of your heart but that will answer them, and in the process He will help you overcome your deepest fears. Have a great Saturday.
Beer Commercial Gospel
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/11/2009
I love Beer Commercials. As far as I’m concerned, beer commercials are always the best. In recent years, ESPN and Sonic have gained some serious credibility in the funny commercial department, but I would still argue that they are playing for second place. Beer commercials are always the best.
All beer commercials seem to have the same basic elements.
First, every commercial involves some lame guy “stuck in an unfortunate situation.”
Second, every commercial involves the point of decision (i.e., the guy from the above mentioned “uncomfortable situation” choosing to get beer)
Third, after the point of decision is reached…the unfortunate situation mentioned earlier is corrected (i.e., Thousands of Hot Chicks wearing bikinis madly in ove with the lame guy enter the room, etc)
Four, the same general message is sold…”If you drink this beer then your life won’t suck and you will get the hottest chicks on the face of the planet.
If you think I’m wrong, just use this little mental formula next time you watch a beer commercial.
During our last series at church we studied the Book of Acts. One of the most challenging chapters is Acts 12 where James is killed and where Peter is released from Prison. I found myself longing to be like Peter — mainly because his story turns out much better than Jame’s.
Every time I read this chapter, It reminds me of how tempting and easy it can be to preach a beer commercial gospel.
Sometimes in our effort to share the love of Christ with people that don’t know him…we can easily find ourselves preaching a false gospel that sounds a lot like a beer commercial.
The problem is that this just isn’t the gospel. So when people come to know Jesus under false pretenses they blame Jesus for letting them down. Jesus calls us to obedience–not a better social outcome. So what gospel are we preaching? I pray that we will have the courage to share the truth about Jesus. I think the truth is pretty simple. Jesus has come to give us life to the fullest–despite the situation of our lives.
Lay aside the Beer Commercial Gospel, and make the most of your opportunities today to share the gospel story that Jesus wrote and purchased with his life. Love you guys.
This Samaritan Life
Posted by Dave Clayton on 03/10/2009
I read a really intriguing article by Tim Stafford. I am going to post a few excerpts of it on this blog. Hopefully it will help us think through what it looks like to be followers of Jesus in a city where “being Christian” is more often a category on your facebook page than a way of life. Denis Haack, who critiques films, books, and music says that Christians often act like they live in Jerusalem. Not so argues Haack–Christians live in Babylon. If this is the case, then why are we surprised when we see a movie that offends are values? Babylonian movies reflect Babylonian values, not Christian ones.
The problem is, as Christians, we don’t live in Babylon. We live in Samaria.
Babylon is far from Jerusalem and it doesn’t know much about its religion. What you believe or how you worship is of little significance to Babylon, so long as you keep the peace and contribute to civic life. This was the case with Daniel and the other Jewish exiles. They only got in trouble when the undermined the government or got caught up in petty politics. Babylon could have cared less about their religion.
But Samaria is different. The people in Samaria know plenty about Jerusalem’s religion (though some of the information may be distorted). And unlike Babylon where the people are indifferent to Jerusalem’s religion, Samaria holds a grudge against it.
If you read the story of Jesus sitting around the well with a Samaritan woman (John 4), you will remember that Jews and Samaritans had a long history of not getting along. They were like estranged relatives. They had a partly shared worldview (both studied the first 5 books of the Bible), they had a shared point of origin (both came from the line of Jacob), and they had well defined points of contention (where do we go to worship and be forgiven?).
They knew each other…or at least they thought they did, so therefore they didn’t associate with one another. Their familiarity with one another led to suspicion and hostility.
This often rings true for life in America. The problem is not that my religion is strange. The problem is that my religion in familiar. Like Samaritans and Jews, Christians and Non-Christians have a partly shared world view (Our Western Traditions, Our Southern Values, even the Bible and Prayer), we have a shared point of origin (after all America was born out of Christendom), and well defined points of contention (the exclusivity of Jesus).
We are familiar with what one another believes. Or at least we think we are. This often leads to hostility, and at the very least…deep seeded grudges.
For us to move past this, we must respond the way Jesus did. Jesus sidestepped all of the classic arguments, using creative language (i.e. “living water”) to provoke curiosity. He pointed ahead to times when Samaritans and Jews would drown their differences in a newer, and deeper reality.
It is more than refining our conversation though, living in Samaria requires patience and love for the long haul. No one can change a grudge by direct assault. Instead we have to outlive it, and look for fresh opportunities to begin anew. We have to love the people on the other side of our grudges and presuppositions.
After all, Jesus clearly did. He honored Samaria when he chose a Samaritan for his parable of being a good neighbor (who do we choose for our illustrations of virtue?). He sent his disciples to Samaria to announce his resurrection (Acts 1:8). If you remember the rest of the story, Phillip took Jesus seriously and amazing things happened.
What does it look like for you and I to follow Jesus in a place like Samaria? Do we have the patience and the love to outlive our country’s presuppositions about our faith in Christ? Do we have the ability to view Samaria the way Jesus did…not as our enemy, but as our neighbor?
