Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 9:26 pm

Prayer & Mission

Posted by Jamin Goggin | Comments (0) |

"Prayer is related to mission because it is to the extent that we have discovered who God is and how much a knowledge and love of God is constitutive of a comprehensive humanism and a full and complete existence that we suffer from, and are struck by, situations in which God is not known or loved.  At the basis of the missionary attitude lies a certain scandal with respect to the reversal of values in which God holds such a small place in people's various preoccupations while other things hold such a large one."

"There is therefore no opposition between contemplation and mission.  The notion that there would be, and that one would have to choose between them, is absurd.  On the contrary, mission appears as the self-unfolding of contemplation."

                                                                   -Jean Danielou, Prayer: The Mission of the Church

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Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 11:47 pm

What You Need

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I recently came across an interview with a pastor at an influential church in the United States talking about church planting.  The two prongs of the discussion basically covered successes and failures in church planting.  A large portion of the interview was focused on challenges in church planting and conversely what is needed to "succeed" in planting a church.  The pastor gave a list of three things that are clearly needed for success-(1) charismatic leader, (2) leader who can communicate well, and (3) leader who is adept at strategic thinking.

What I first found interesting was the complete collapse of needs into the Senior Pastor.  A gifted person is what is needed most.  Of course, how one defines "success" plays a large role in these perceived needs.  If we are defining success as gathering the most people as quickly as possible to the church then of course a more pragmatic turn is liable to be taken.  Don't get me wrong I understand that if the pastor cannot communicate, is terribly awkward with people or is not a strategic thinker then the church will face challenges.  My problem is not that the pragmatic is considered, but rather that is the sole concern. 

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Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 11:49 pm

Following up the Harvest

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I attended Harvest Crusade in Orange County, CA this past week.  For those of you who are not aware of Harvest Crusade it is a ministry started by Greg Laurie that hosts a yearly evangelistic outreach event.  For the past twenty years Harvest Crusade has seen thousands of people come to Christ at the Angel's Stadium in Anaheim, CA.  At the end of each night of the outreach event Laurie invites those who wish to put their faith in Jesus Christ to come down to the field in what is in effect a massive alter call.  As a believer it is encouraging and beautiful to watch as droves of people make their way down on to the field to take their stand for Jesus. 

This year I had the privilege of serving as a follow up liaison of sorts for our church.  Once the event is over Harvest Crusade collects basic information from all of those who came down to the field.  The information cards are then sorted and given to a representative of a church in the individuals residential area in order to make follow up contact.  The idea being to intentionally connect these folks with local churches in their area as opposed to simply hoping they take the initiative to find a church themselves.  It was encouraging to see Harvest Crusade's effort to fill a gap that is often prevalent in outreach events.

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Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 10:35 am

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Monday, August 2, 2010 at 6:56 pm

A Lament Long Overdo

Posted by Jamin Goggin | Comments (0) |

"The Lament Psalms offer important resources for Christian faith and ministry, even though they have been largely purged from the life and liturgy of the church.  Such purging attests to the alienation between the Bible and the church."-Walter Brueggemann

I remember that my high school football team was not very good (this is being generous).  The usual enthusiasm and excitement over Friday night games had been replaced with other opportunities and events.  Of course, the perceived solution was the traditional "pep rally."  As each new school year began the "pep rally" was designed to inspire hope and engender enthusiasm for the upcoming football season.  The players would come out in their jerseys marching in as though they were kings in a kingdom desperate for a true hero.  This of course was teamed with loud music that would build excitement and energy.  However, once the gymnasium emptied and students meandered back to their classrooms nobody truly believed that all was well.  Certainly nobody was truly inspired to see past reality and accept the false premise that in one short summer our football team had become the best in the County.  In fact, even the players still lacked hope and truth be told held fear that another summer of hard work would result in a losing record.

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Friday, July 23, 2010 at 12:58 am

The Gift of Criticism

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This week I received some criticism.  As a pastor I realize this is part of the gig.  That being said, I discovered this week that my knowing criticism will come has not changed my fearful and defensive reactions to it.  Of course, fundamental to my reaction to criticism is my need to please people and be liked.  I know, I know, how shocking that a pastor might struggle with such things.  Those of us in ministry seem to often be the types who feed off recognition and esteem of others.  I may be off base here, but from what I have observed over the years I am not the only pastor that seeks to find his value and self worth in what congregants think of me-think of my preaching, think of my programming, etc. 

So, when the criticism marched my way this week I discovered the familiar knee jerk responses I have seen in myself before.  However, by God's grace this awareness soon led me to ask much deeper questions than, "how can I protect myself against this one?"  The questions was, "what does God have for me in this?"  I know somewhere along the road of being a spiritual director I have told a directee that criticism can actually be a gift.  It hit me that perhaps the experience this week was just that.  God not only opening me to the truth of myself in relationship with Him, but seeking to cultivate in me true humility.  The Proverbs regularly talk about the divergent responses given by the wise man and the fool to criticism, rebuke, teaching and correction.  What is fundamental to the one who is wise is an understanding that they truly are a creature, they truly are a sinner and they truly are desperately in need of God's grace.  

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 11:33 pm

Suffering with Christ

Posted by Jamin Goggin | Comments (1) |

This past week I have had incredible joint and muscle pain.  The kind of pain that made it hard to stand up in the morning or pick up my son.  At first I took my usual stance of "I am sure it's no big deal" which then turned in to a bit of denial as the pain persisted.  After a couple of days I decided (really, my wife decided) I should go to the doctor.  After a couple of visits and a couple rounds of blood work I have become concerned and even scared.  There are a few items on the list of potential problems that are really scary.  Mind you, it does look like I am more than likely dealing with something on the "not so concerning" side of the list, but nonetheless the potential is scary. 

As we left one of the doctor's appointments I was simply sharing with God my physical pain and emotional weariness.  I was also making myself available to what it is He might want to teach me through such an experience.  I wanted to be present to him amidst the pain, confusion and worry.  One of the first things that popped in my head was, "wow, it is amazing what Christ went through."  I have not experienced a lot of physical pain or issues with my body thus far in my life, so I don't have much of a barometer for such things.  I started to think about people I know who struggle with pain and constant ailments and how challenging and difficult that must be.  I thought of a few who are believers and who truly seem to be open to God in the midst of their pain and willing to embrace whatever He has for them in this life. 

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Friday, July 16, 2010 at 5:23 am

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Friday, June 25, 2010 at 3:15 pm

Space for the Soul

Posted by Jamin Goggin | Comments (0) |

We recently took our first vacation as a family.  We packed up the car, and when I say packed I mean packed.  It is amazing how much stuff you need with you for a week long vacation with a 2 year old and a 3 year old.  I had visions of a mixed week filled with both relaxation and potential chaos.  Vacation is supposed to be relaxing, but the reality of driving 8 hours to Sedona, Arizona with 2 small children is not always one marked by relaxation.  Nonetheless, our kids were absolute champs.  They enjoyed the many new books and goodies we had for them in the car ride, and the appeal of this magical land called Arizona was enough to maintain their inquisitive gaze down the highway.  The week proved to be rich in relational time for our family and truly fun, peaceful and adventurous. 

For those who have not been to Sedona, Arizona it is absolutely beautiful.  The road to Sedona is "open" in the truest sense of the word.  Driving from California to Arizona one is struck by the expanse of the desert and the unique beauty of land uninhabited.  Throughout the week my wife and I would continually dialogue about how freeing it felt to just be on these open roads with nothing but earth and sky before us.  It was as though the physical space nurtured space for our souls.

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Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 2:08 pm

Thoughts from Deep Church

Posted by Jamin Goggin | Comments (2) |

I have been reading through Deep Church the last few days.  I must say up front I really like what Belcher is doing.  Of course, the fact that I am likely going to finish the book in two days and the fact that it has made its way to the top of my neurotic pile of "must read" books tells you I think highly of Belcher's project.  However, it is not just what Belcher is saying, but the irenic posture of his writing that I greatly appreciate.  As I read I can't help but think that I have suspected over the past few years that a book like this was needed, but in diving into Belcher's writing I find myself finally realizing what it was I suspected needed to be done.  He has truly filled a need, but beyond that has pushed a conversation stuck in stalemate forward with hope, grace, wisdom and creativity. 

That being said, I want to simply note some points of the book which touch on spiritual formation concepts.  I think this may be helpful for us as spiritual formation is strangely enough often disconnected from a robust discussion of ecclesiology which is truly the centerpiece of Belcher's project.

So, I offer this quote for reflection and dialogue.

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Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 10:59 pm

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Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 4:41 pm

Book Review: Untamed

Posted by Jamin Goggin | Comments (4) |

The title Untamed: Reactivating a Missional form of Discipleship by Alan and Debra Hirsch caught my attention immediately.  Alan and Debra have recognized the need to provide a more robust understanding of the missional life.  In essence, the Hirsch's are attempting to frame the missional conversation within a broad conception of discipleship.  The entire book is predicated upon "removing impediments to discipleship." (24)  The book is divided into four sections born out of this fundamental concern-Untaming God, Untaming our culture, Untaming the self and Untaming the mission.  At its base the present project seeks to unearth false perspectives, beliefs and practices within the Church which are impeding true discipleship, and seeks to provide helpful correctives.

What I appreciate so much about this book is its attempt to ground the missional discussion in a more robust conception of the Christian life than simply-"engage culture" or "just do it". As the Hirsch's state, "A book on missional discipleship must first get the basics right in relation to God.  If we get the fundamental notions of God wrong, it will negatively impact our personal discipleship and damage the very people we are trying to reach..." (57)  In this regard the Hirsch's have much to say that is helpful and thoughtful.  

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Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 12:10 pm

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Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 8:02 pm

Metamorpha Update: New Videos

Posted by Jamin Goggin | Comments (1) |

Often as we dialogue about spiritual formation issues-growth, suffering, disciplines, prayer, etc. we neglect to return to Scripture to ask what imperatives we find within the text that can inform how we articulate and conceive of the Christian life.  There are several new videos at metamorpha.com featuring Darrell Bock in which he does just that.  Check out Bock's thoughts on New Testament imperatives for spiritual formation. 

As you listen to Bock's thoughts what comes up for you.  What imperatives do you think has the spiritual formation movement embraced and championed, and what ones has it perhaps neglected?

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Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 8:55 pm

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