the drum|rob fairbanks

Exercising "Indifference"

I've been writing the last couple of weeks about the discipline of listening. I must again admit that I'm a novice at this discipline.

This week I've been trying to put into practice the spiritual discipline of “Indifference.” “Indifference” doesn't mean anything like “I don't care” or “It doesn't make any difference to me,” but has more to do with the idea of holding things lightly. As Ruth Haley Barton puts it,

“This is an ‘interior freedom’ or state of openness to God in which we are free from undue attachment to any particular outcome….There is a capacity to relinquish whatever might keep us from choosing God and love, and we have to come to a place where we want God and God’s will more than anything – more than ego gratification, more than wanting to look good in the eyes of others, more than personal ownership, comfort or advantage.”

As someone with a personal makeup that is fairly intense, I find the idea of listening in general hard and exercising “indifference” towards something a bit of a departure from my core make up. 

While I think there are many nuances to this concept, where it has shown up for me is in the interactions I've had this week. I've tried to move into each one of them holding the “outcome lightly.” The ultimate goal has been to try to listen (dual process – listening to the person and attempting to attune my ear to the voice of God) and not being dominated by what I want or what would be best for me.

One example can be found in an interaction I had with another pastor here in Spokane. As potential result of the connection could have been a significant advantage for myself and for the church plant I'm working on, so I had to prepare myself going into the meeting to not try to move the conversation a particular way or to create a pathway so that I could get it where I wanted. What I attempted to do was stay in a listening posture hoping to hear through what he was sharing and hoping for God's Will to be displayed in some way. I think that was accomplished.

How hard is it for you to engage others while holding your personal aspiration lightly?

r

Zags Harlem Shake

 

Church Planting in Real Time

I've been involved in church planting for a long time now. Practically my whole adult life. The first church that I planted was 26 years ago. It was a massive learning experience and an abysmal failure. We closed it with a sad groan after 3 arduous years. I don’t know if you remember the CD some years ago by Lauren Hill, but it was entitled, “The Miseducation of Lauren Hill.”  In a very real sense, my first church planting experience could’ve been given a similar title – The Re-Education of Rob Fairbanks. For the first two or three years of pastoring prior to launching out in the church plant, I found my tutelage in the “Church Growth Movement.” It was an inebriating experience. As a voracious learning, I drank long, hard and often. With my competitive orientation, the “by the numbers” approach to a growing a large church became a drug of sorts, which deeply confused my motivation for planting.  I have written about that wonderful/painful progression elsewhere, so I won’t go into detail here, but suffice it to say that I needed breaking (which happened) and re-educating (which I am still doing almost 30 years later).

The second church that I planted was in 1991, 22 years ago (New Community). I went on to pastor that church for close to 20 years.  To say that it was an easy experience would be to lie, but the community of people that eventually emerged ended up being a beautiful and fruitful symbol of what church could be in a west coast city of the U.S.

Running parallel with both of those experiences I have had, in varying degrees, the privilege of assisting in planting eight other churches.

For the last four years I've been leading an organization with a stated purpose that is exclusively church planting. Its mission statement reads: “The mission of Christian Associates is to establish churches who follow Jesus in transforming their world.” I got the chance to drop in on communities from North and Latin America, through most of Europe, all the way to Russia. It was an exhilarating experience. (Link to Christian Associates)

Now, at 54, I'm embarking on a new church-planting venture. Some have wondered about my sanity. Heck, I've wondered about my sanity. I've always said that church planting is a young man's sport. The church is called Immanuel Church and is in Spokane, WA. While I have a veritable lifetime of experience in church planting, I find that moving back onto the ground as a practitioner brings about many challenges that I simply don't have pithy answers for (I am finding that it is much easier to be a strategist when you don’t have to actually put it into practice - :-/). I am a bit of novice all over again. Well, I don't want to suggest that I don’t have any answers. I do have a general idea of how to go about this and a functional progression in mind of how church planting happens best in Western culture. Perhaps I will talk little bit about that in future blogs but it is my intention to travel along those guidelines that I have, along with others, discovered over the last 27 years.

Some have wondered if I will utilize methodologies for church planting such as an "attractional" approach or simply planting a "worship service" as I begin this new project. Seems like odd wonderings. If I did, it would be the first time. We have always operated out of a decentralized approach where the "gathered" community was responsive to what the church was doing in the world...even before there was "missional" language to describe it.

I guess the only thing I can promise is:

• I'll try not to be stupid regarding things I should already know.
• I will attempt to stay in a humble, learning posture.
• I will seek to honestly travel along the pathway of my personal convictions about how I believe mission happens.
• I will seek as much as possible to follow sensitively where I perceive the Holy Spirit is leading.
• and all 4 of those will happen within a community of real people who are trying to live out the Gospel of the Kingdom in a particular context.

Is that enough?

I hope so. I can't think of anything else besides that as a way forward.

Peace,

r

More Zags!

I mentioned in a blog or two ago that “my” Gonzaga Bulldogs are number one in the nation right now. It's been amazing to me to see the backlash from the larger BCS schools about allowing a teeny mid-major to occupy the number one position. It seems like they feel like it’s okay if a mid-major is number two or number three, but not number one.

The ranking is really just ceremonial, but it is a sign that Gonzaga is to be considered among the elite basketball schools in the nation. Now all they have to do is go and win the national championship, and that will settle it.

Go Zags!

r

Using Church Resources in Alignment with a Missional Approach

I believe that there is a direct correlation between how a church spends its money and its effectiveness in engaging the world. If the church spends all its money on itself (I mean using it to run the “show” – I would include staff, building, etc. in this), there's a pretty good chance that it's going to be stalled out as far as growth is concerned. I am shocked (although, I shouldn’t be) by how most churches use their money. Seriously, many churches feel like it is a herculean achievement to allocate 10% of their money outside of the building and its members. 

One of the churches that I've had the privilege of helping start, Emmaus Church, actually spends 50% of its budget outside of their building/members, in the community where they reside.

Their Budget looks like:

• 50% - General expense
• 25% - Global Engagement
• 25% - Local Outreach

The Global and Local would include things such as trans-local outreach, evangelism, social justice, community development and church planting. It is incredibly ambitious for a group to spend that much money outside of running the church, but I think it is the direction churches have to go to ensure that they are viable and missional into the future.

The church plant that I am starting is going to initially use a breakdown of:

• 66% - General
• 12% - Trans-local (out of our region)
• 12% - Local Outreach
• 10% - Save

I obviously don’t have the faith that David Von has at Emmaus :)

Regardless of allotment percentages, a church has to think/pray long and hard about how they use the resources God has charged them to manage for His Kingdom. A church has to settle whether it really wants to behave “missionally,” or just use the word in its Mission Statement! To be sure, it is not a magic formula or a panacea for engaging the world. Money is only one facet in how a community operates. That said, if the church’s identity is “missional” than it is imperative that it is somehow reflective in its use of money.

Do you know of another church that is giving away more than Emmaus? Budgeting 50% of their resouces to be given away? I'm sure there are - I just don't know of them.

How much does your community set aside to be used for something other than "your community?"

r

What Motivates Your Life to Do Good?

“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I looked up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” Psalm 63:3 

Yesterday, I wrote about the amazing gesture of adoration the woman in John 12 gave to Jesus by pouring a bottle of pure nard, an entire years wages worth, onto His feet. The follow-up question that must be broached is what would bring about such an extravagant gesture? What drove her to such an act?

The only thing I can think of is that it is in response to an even greater love. She somehow received a love from Christ that was as profound or even greater. That is similar to what the Psalmist says in the above passage. He says that his praise (or activism) was in direct response to a love that is better than life itself!

For the Christian, this love is most beautifully and tragically demonstrated in the crucifixion of Jesus. A group of us are reading a series of weighty theological books right now - the current one being Hans Urs von Balthasar’s, Mysterium Paschale.  I feel smarter just typing that out (and my Word spell-checker is just freak’in out)!?!? 

Anyway, Balthasar writes,

“The cross is…the event towards which the history of his (Jesus’) life is oriented and through which it's other episodes receive their meaning. The cross is the midpoint of saving history, all the promises are realized in it, every aspect of the Law, with its quality as curse, is dashed to pieces on the Cross.” (p.17)

In other words, what Christ did on the Cross changes everything. Personally, it certainly did and continues to for me. The trajectory of my life has been permanently altered as a result of the forgiveness, that for me was only discovered and received in Jesus.

Although, the Biblical location of the story of Martha and Mary is certainly found pre-crucifixion, the reality of forgiveness is firmly fixed within the Gospel account. In a similar story involving a different woman but the same type of gesture, Jesus tethers the motivation of her extravagant love to this idea of forgiveness. He says to his guest, “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:47)

My concern is that many people today who are involved in the Missional conversation are not living into such a responsive life.  As the Apostle John put it, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (I John 4:10) Our activism is always a 2^nd movement. They are surely motivated to do good, to care for others and to act forcefully for justice in the world (all critical Kingdom activities), but are missing the important centered concept of Christ’s all loving act of dying on a cross for the forgiveness of their sins. His death obviously carries with it more meaning than forgiveness, but it certainly doesn’t carry less. For me, living outward toward the world with compassion is inseparablely connected to my experience of forgiveness of my sins.

“Because your love is better than life…

I serve those who have little or nothing, I contour my life so that it coincides with your Kingdom, I sacrifice in small and large way, and I will give all, even a year’s wages!

r

GOZAGS!

Gonzaga Basketball team is #1 in the Nations. Just thought it was important to shout it out!!!

GOZAG!

An Extravagant Gesture of Love for Jesus

John 12:1-8 -  Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

I will be speaking at The Porch, here in Spokane on March 17^th.  They have asked me to teach from John 12.  The story is fairly familiar to most Bible readers. A few usual suspects: Jesus, of course, Lazarus, Judas Iscariot and the polar opposite sisters of Martha and Mary.  The center of the story captures Mary pouring out a seemingly inordinate amount of expensive perfume (pure nard) on the feet of Jesus. Crazy, right?

In looking at the story I'm struck initially by a couple of things.

The first is Mary's apparent imperviousness to the pressure to do domestic stuff with Martha. We know from their other encounter with Jesus (Luke 10) that Martha was quite a fastidious (and demanding) hostess and almost certainly wanted Mary to help with the service part of caring for Jesus. Mary, however, was resolved. She must have been incredibly focused on what she was about to do.

The second thing, however, is the difficulty of how to describe what Mary did. The common homiletical description is that Mary “worship.” For me though, that doesn't sum up what was happening accurately. It almost seems trite and a bit lazy to describe it that way. I was trying to think of several other words that described what she was doing. It very well could be called worship, but I think what was going on was more along lines of “adoration.” A definition of “adore” is, “To regard with deep, often rapturous love.” She was expressing adoration. I don't think she was thinking I'm going to worship Jesus, but she was simply expressing her love for him in the way that made the most sense to her.

So, what of it? What are the take aways?

1. It was sacrificial. It cost her a great deal. We see that in the response from Judas Iscariot in the text. It says that it cost about a years wages! That’s why Judas got so bent out of shape. It says that he was dipping into the community purse at his pleasure and when he saw this un-collected bit, he sanctimoniously weighed in, “We could use that for the, a-hem, the poor…and stuff.” Here's a question: When was the last time, in one sitting, have you committed the equivalent of a years wages (without any tangible ROI) as a gesture of love for Jesus? My answer, "A...ne-ver!"
2. The second thing though, it must've been awkward. Try to put yourself in the room...even as a back 
   row by-stander. I have a hard time conceiving of the scenario that took place without some feeling of awkwardness in the room. Though I am not one of those who believe anything weird went on between Jesus and the women around him, this event is incredible sensual (related to our senses). It may have been slightly more comfortable in their context, but can you imagine a group of people in the room and all of a sudden such an intimate act begins to happen? If I were there I would almost go, “Um, would you put your hair away? It's quite distracting! I'm trying to pay my respects to this guy and you're making a spectacle.”

Mary seemed indifferent to the excessive expense or the potential awkwardness. She simply loved...in a tangible way.

One other thing about this beautiful story though is it says that because of this self-effacing and astonishing act of Mary’s, the room, no the whole house was filled with the stunning fragrance of the perfume. I suppose that could be the missional element of the narrative. By a real person extravagantly adoring Christ, in a natural way, there was a beautiful fragrance that billowed through the entire house. Could that be a model for us? In our homes? In our churches? In our cities?

I’m afraid that many people I hang around with are more concerned about what others think of them than an unrestrained gesture of adoration of Christ. I’m afraid I might be one of them.

Communal Listening Liturgy

Here is a liturgy I wrote for our new group, Immanuel to attempt to put into practice what I have been talking about the last two days.  Enjoy!

Note: I passed out the texts in advance to others so I was not the only one leading.

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There are many things that we need from God. One is how he is leading us. In the Old Testament, we are told that under Moses, the People of God followed God in a cloud and a pillar of fire. They refused to move until the cloud or pillar moved and when it did move, the people packed up and went forth.

I hope we can always receive fresh revelation from God, but also discernment.  One thing that we have looped back to several times is the potential of, instead of launching something new, joining something else that is going.

3 thoughts:

1)    Joining God where he is already working.

2)    Supporting a need that is clear we can assist

3)    Seeing ourselves in a humble manner. 

Listening exercise.

Breath – Breathing is one of the most vital and involuntary things we can do. It is both required and innate. Most of the time we are completely unaware of its rhythm. We just do it.

When we move into an anaerobic state, we become completely aware of our breath, because we are heaving for more.  There just isn’t enough air around us to satisfy our need. It is more like gulping, then breathing. It is like we are reaching out for just a bit more so our body can recover.

It is noticeable when we are still as well. When we are completely still many things that are happening become apparent. Noises that are unnoticeable become glaring when we stop. For me, I can hear my “tinnitus (a ringing in my ears from listening to music too loud).” I also become painfully aware of my thoughts swishing around at break neck speed. I touch on things that are unresolved, insecurities I have, and dreams that I long for. I also notice my breath.

For a moment, let’s just concentrate on that...our breath. It is a sign of life.  If you can sense your breath, it is a sure sign that you are still on the earthy side of living.

Psalm 146:1-4 - Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

Psalm 104:24-30 - O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

Stop…

Breath is a gift from God. In fact, the Greek and Hebrew from breath is the same God chose for His Spiritual manifestation – the Holy Spirit. It is the same word. Both are a gift.

Job 33:4 - The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life 

Stop…

Let me state some core beliefs.

• We believe in the Holy Spirit, His indwelling and attentive leading.
• We believe that the Holy Spirit not only desires to speak to us individually, but as a community.

I Samuel 3:1-9 – The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

This is our prayer – Speak to us Lord, WE are listening.

Stop…listen (I gave an unusual amount of time on this one, bordering on awkward, attempting to do my own listening to the Holy Spirit for when to conclude the silence)

After, spend time to debrief what people have heard.

One other practice that is related to breath in the Bible is praise…

Psalm 150 - Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

End by going around the group allowing people to express praise or gratitude to God in response to last reading.

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Peace,

r