Swimming

My oldest daughter Morgan just finished her first ever "swim season" last night - with her final meet of the summer season. She did well - swimming backstroke, freestyle, and breaststroke. Had a cool moment last night after she finished her last race. I went over to tell her how proud I was of her for giving this her all, and my mom happened to see me talking to her. She mentioned how cool it was for her to see me doing this, and how it reminded her of me growing up and the things I used to do (cross country and track races, etc). Later I thought - what a neat LEGACY moment. My parents being proud of me for who I was becoming ... and now me passing that on into my own children.

LEGACY is something often forgotten these days. We're so busy and so worried about so many other things that we forget what is most important. Passing God and the good stuff of life on...

Parables

Beginning a new series in our church community in a couple weeks. The focus is on the parables of Jesus and how they "reveal" God and the Kingdom to us. The longer I follow Christ the more I realize that the Kingdom is "here and now," as well as "future/not yet." My struggle is reflective of the Church's struggle in general - we turn the Kingdom into some future only reality (get saved and go to heaven someday). We focus so much on life after death that we forget about life before death - which is where we are right now. Jesus' parables revealed God and His Kingdom in the present in such a way that we ought to be changed/transformed. We cannot stay the same. If we do, we have missed the Kingdom entirely.

Jesus-led Worship

Once a month my church has a prayer and healing gathering we call "Remedy Worship." Last week had a small crowd (they are usually pretty small and intimate), and it was one of the most refreshing worship experiences I've been a part of in awhile. These gatherings are always very peaceful and flow pretty freely. Been reading a book lately called Pagan Christianity? by George Barna and Frank Viola. Here's a link to it on Amazon. Pretty tough book to read because it challenges so much of what we "know" as Christians and the Church - especially church practices. Anyway, the authors advocate what I would basically call Jesus-led worship where all in attendance at the meeting/gathering participate and minister. This, they say, is the first century model for worship. It's not something new to me, but I have been drawn to more of this in worship at my church. We try to be participatory, but this is even more radical. So at our Remedy gathering, I took a back seat and simply led the community in a time of worship through music (led by a couple), and then we discussed Galatians 6:2 for a few moments - focusing on bearing each other's burdens. Then I asked if anyone had a burden to share. Someone immediately spoke up. After they shared, I asked if anyone had words to share with them .. and someone immediately spoke up and shared what to me seemed like very God-inspired words. Then many of us gathered around the person and someone else prayed over them (I put the sign of the cross on their forehead with oil). This went on for several more people, we sang some more, prayed some more, etc. After about an hour or so it ended. Gotta say - it truly felt like Jesus led the worship. Quite an experience.

Do you like Jesus but not the Church?

My church is starting a new mission/ministry in our downtown community. You can check it out here. We're asking a question that many of us in the Church don't ask enough - "Do you like Jesus, but not the Church?" Many Christians/church people get offended by a question like this. We wonder how it is that people don't like the Church. We also may be offended by a church going out and getting into conversations with people about this question. But it's reality and something the Church must begin to face. There are many people in our culture who have serious struggles with us and "church." And avoiding these real people or just saying they are "lost" is not the answer. Jesus calls us to radical evangelism. I say radical because we in the Church have pretty much turned evangelism into a "committee" that plans events, etc ... but doesn't do much to get out into the real world where real people are. Radical evangelism is the evangelism of Luke 15 - where Jesus hangs out with the people of society that the Church of His day ignored. I for one have been like the Church of Jesus' day and ignored the world around me for too long. Maybe it's time we really think about who we are and what we're called to. Maybe then we'll be able to begin a real conversation with people Jesus loves - who exist "outside" our church walls.

LOUD LIVING

Starting a new series at Quest this Sunday. Been challenging as I've begun to study and prepare for it. The premise is that everyone's life speaks/says something. But when our lives say something for God they speak LOUD to the world in such a way that others are drawn to Him. Thing about it is ... in culture today this is best accomplished through our LIVING (instead of our words). The Church culture still has alot to learn about this, in my opinion. We tend to think the best thing to do is to SPEAK about God instead of simply LIVING for Him.

Looking forward to this series ...

3 in 1

Beginning a new series @ our church this Sunday - called "3 in 1" where we'll be exploring the mystery of the Trinity. Our concept of God can become so "boxed up" sometimes - meaning we think we have God and this faith thing all figured out. Truth is - God cannot be contained by our boxes. He's bigger than our thinking. He's more mysterious than our thinking. Just look at the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. 3 distinct "persons" (although not a "person" in the way we think about it) but still only ONE GOD. It blows the mind just to think about. The box becomes way too small. Anyway - looking forward to exploring our BIG God.

The Hardest Thing about Church

I used to think the hardest thing about being a pastor and "doing church" was preaching, teaching, administration, etc. But the longer I'm at it, the more I think it's something else. That something else is creating a real sense of "community." We talk about community and relationships alot at my church, and I do feel we have a genuine sense of community - but it's still not where I would like to see it be. And I know there are others in our church that probably struggle with it as well. I believe most of the struggle for community centers in our fears of really opening up and being who we are. I can't tell you how many times I hear people say they longed for community, but still said they hold back themselves in really opening up and being real, etc. Sometimes I feel like we're all walking around longing for community, yet we still lack the very thing we want because we're waiting for someone else to take the first step/make the first move.

I've been challenged in my own faith to be the one that steps first/makes the first move. When we do it - it's amazing what sometimes happens. We find a new friend, or a friendship goes deeper than we ever thought possible. Just this week I shared a deep wound with a friend (I became vulnerable) - and he in turn shared one - and our relationship has become more Christ-centered and what I'm looking for in relationships. We are developing more of a sense of "community."

So be challenged - step out. Make the first move. See what God does.

Peace my friends...

Discipling my daughter

Was inspired by another pastor and blogger awhile back to begin discipling my own children. By this I mean I'm spending intentional one on one time with them where we focus on specific spiritual "challenges" (I'll explain). I have four kids - so this will be a alot for me! However, I've decided I would start when each one turns 8, and continue until the 13th birthday. So this will help spread it out for me since my kids span different ages. Have met with my oldest daughter (who is 8) twice now. It's been really cool. Let her pick out her own Bible (she had a kids type one - but I helped her pick out a new one in a modern translation - it's pink!). She also picked another book to read. I pick her up from school on Fridays, we go to a donut/ice cream place, and we spend an hour together. During this time we discuss 4 challenges each week - 1) Bible challenge - where she reads at least a chapter of the Bible and we discuss what she learned (we're doing John right now), 2) Prayer challenge - where she decides on things she wants to pray for during the week, 3) Serve challenge - where she decides one thing she will do to serve another person during the week, and 4) Intellectual challenge - where she reads another book and we discuss it. Right now we're reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. She keeps a journal of what we're doing. Gotta say - over the next few years I'll spend 200-250 times with her like this AND I love what it will do for our relationship and her relationship with God.

Cool Image

This is a large "sign" we have hanging on our stage area at our church. Just thought it looked so cool I wanted to post it on the blog. It's for a series we're doing right now called "vintage FAITH" where we're looking at the ancient teachings of Jesus and how they relate to our world today. We're studying the 8 Beatitudes in Matthew 5.

Post-denominational

The world has changed. But has the Churched noticed? Culturally it is becoming more and more apparent that people are "post-denominational." By that I mean that people are less likely to choose to connect with a church community because of denominational affiliation than they've ever been before. Simply put - people just don't care alot about this anymore. In many ways, I think this is refreshing. Instead of a focus on institutional moorings, people are interested in God and community and being missional. But this new post-denominational culture is rocking the Church world/culture. In so many ways we don't know how to respond because we have attached ourselves so closely to things that culture just isn't interested in (at least anymore). The Church of the 21st century is faced with a challenge - understanding and moving toward a post-denominational mindset, or risk losing our voice with present and many future generations.

Personally, I'm excited about the challenge and the opportunities. Denominations don't have to die in this wake, but have the opportunity to be re-born. God help us, we pray.

Churches don't compete

Just put a billboard up in our city. The idea behind it is that so often churches and Christians can be divided. The image we present to the world is fractured and broken because of our denominational and institutional disagreements. I'm not saying we shouldn't join a certain "tribe" or whatever (I'm connected to a denomination), but so often it becomes more important to us than relationships with each other and our common mission.

Love a quote from Charles Spurgeon on this (From "A Divided Heart," 1859):

When the differences are of such a character, that as people of God we can still love each other, and still unite in the common battle against the cause of evil and in the common end of building up the church, then there is but little that is faulty. When when our doctrinal divisions grow to so great a head that we cease to co-operate; when our opinions upon mere ordinances becomes so acid towards each other, that we can no longer extend the right hand of fellowship to those who differ from us, then indeed is the church of God found faulty.

Stuff we don't talk about @ church

We're in a series at our church where we've been discussing issues the Church doesn't like to face/talk about. The series has been based on a couple new books that research perceptions people outside the Church have about Christians/the Church (UnChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons and They Like Jesus But Not the Church by Dan Kimball). We've been inviting questions and dialogue during the message/teaching time - which has really been incredible. The series has been very challenging as we've been looking at the following perceptions: 1) Christians are hypocrites, 2) Christians are homophobic, 3) Christians are sheltered, and 4) Christians are divided.

You can check out the series on our website's "watch/listen" page.

TV Preachers

Before I tell this story, let me say I think there are some GREAT TV preachers. I watch a few an am challenged in my faith journey. They hope me grow spiritually. I also watch several on the internet. But the other day I was flipping through some channels on TV and came across a religious station and particular preacher was preaching. My 5 year old was sitting with me on the couch. She asked, "Daddy, why is that preacher so mad?" I asked what she meant. She responded, "He's yelling at everyone." I quickly flipped to another channnel.

But it got me thinking. My daughter is 5. Her faith is being formed right now. Her image of God is being formed. And she's probably thinking - "God is mean. He's mad at me." Why do I make this jump - from the preacher to God? Because it's true. Kids images of God are formed by their parents and other adults.

I don't know what the guy was preaching about. Maybe there is even a time to express God in this manner - although I struggle with that. But wow. It makes you realize that the way we represent God to all people - especially the next generation - is an awesome responsibility. One we should not take lightly. One we should really consider.

PERSPECTIVE

Gotta admit - death gives perspective to life. Last week a long-time friend and member of our church community went home to be with the Lord. Being a part of his life, even his death, has given me renewed perspective. I worry about little stuff. I get bent out of shape over little things. It's not worth it. It's really not. We spend so much time in the minutia of life that we sometimes miss life itself. My real fear is that this renewed perspective will simply fade as the days go by and the little stuff becomes the "big" stuff again. Man, I hope that doesn't happen.

Christmas series

Can't believe Advent starts this coming Sunday (Dec. 2). Our church starts a new series in worship this Sunday for the Christmas season. Wanted to do something a little different this year. Sometimes as a pastor I feel I get stuck in a rut doing the same thing every year during Christmas. So our creative/design team worked hard to come up with a series we're calling "BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ... the story of Christmas." Basically we're telling the Christmas story by talking about how sin has made our world ugly and how Jesus Christ came as flesh to make the world beautiful again (a return to Eden, if you will). We'll also be discussing how we should see the beautiful potential in all people - through Jesus Christ.

Looking forward to this Christmas season.

Legacy

Our home/sponsoring church (Aldersgate UMC) hosted a worship gathering where we celebrated Quest's birth as a new church. At the end of the gathering the first Methodist Church in Augusta (1700's) gave Quest a HUGE Bible that can be displayed at our church home. As I walked up to receive it and was charged to "pass on the news of Jesus" I was overwhelmed at how the LEGACY of Jesus is passed from one person to the next, one generation to the next. Now that Quest has received this legacy, we must pass it on as well.

Beyond

Starting a new series in November at my church. It's been a tough one to think through. We're calling it "beyond" and exploring how Jesus calls His followers "beyond" the place we are now/today. And that's uncomfortable. We like where we are. We don't want to move or change or get uncomfortable. Will be focusing mostly on how the place God wants to move us to is a place of service. Humility. Washing the feet of the world. For most of us - true service is way "beyond" where we are. We're willing to call ourselves Christians, and even do a little bit for God - but only as long as it is "comfortable" for us. This series will definitely be a challenge - for me personally, and for our church community as we explore what living like Jesus really means.

Worship

Studying for our new series (worship [re]defined) coming up at Quest Church is wearing me out. The reason is I'm realizing I have a warped view of what "worship" really is. I think most of us probably do. Let's be honest - for most of us - worship is an "event" we go to. We go to a "worship service" or "worship gathering" (as we call it at our church). But is that what it is? Because when it's that, we tend to focus on the "externals" of it - the setting, the music (loud or soft, organ or guitars, hymns or contemporary praise stuff, good preaching or bad, etc.). I've been checking out the Bible this week as it pertains to worship - and do you know that there is NO PRESCRIBED WAY of doing the "external" stuff I just mentioned? None that I can find. All you'll find is the word "worship" being used to convey the idea that WE as humans are to ASCRIBE WORTH ("worship" comes from the old English "worth -ship") to GOD. It's about having an OBJECT of our affections - God. This means worship is not really an event - it's an attitude of the heart. It's love for God. It's surrender to Him.

Thank God He gets ahold of me sometimes and rocks my world. It's what I need.

What is worship?

Got a new series/theme coming up at our church. The focus will be on "worship." We realize that all of us have our ideas about what this is - so we're calling it "worship [re]defined." Because we believe that worship/faith should never be static. It should always be moving, changing, evolving. This isn't to say that there aren't foundational/absolute truths about these issues - it's just that sometimes we make what is secondary foundational and primary. When it comes to worship, we can really get bent out of shape. I've seen it happen. And we tend to get bent out of shape on secondary/non-primary issues related to it. In this series we're going to try to keep it focused on what's primary/most important as it relates to worship. It's going to be a great journey as we explore God and what it means to worship Him! Can't wait!!

The world's a changin'

I continue to be amazed at how our world is changing. Having kids today makes you realize just how much things have changed - especially in the realm of technology/culture. Here are a couple examples. I have a 7 year old. She thinks a "mouse" is a computer apparatus. And just the other day, she wanted to set up her own "blog." So now she 'journals' online on her own. And it's for all the world to see. She's 7!

Like I said - the world is changing!

Coffeeshop blues

The coffeeshop I have hung out at for over 2 years closed last month. That's tough. Not because of the coffeeshop itself - but because of the atmosphere, relationships, etc. I mourned a couple weeks and then decided it was time to find some new friends/a new shop. Love meeting new people and being in a new environment.

Reminds me of how we can get pretty comfortable as Jesus-followers - with our faith, church, etc. Sometimes we have to venture out, shake things up, do something different. Ritual and all that is great to a point - but it needs to be balanced with stepping out, too.

Just some thoughts ...

Disconnected

Starting a new series at our church this week. The main text for this series is the beginning of John 15 where Jesus basically says "I am the true vine ... you are the branches ... remain in me and you'll produce fruit ... apart from me you can do nothing." Gotta admit - I've heard it dozens, if not hundreds, of times before. But for some reason this time it is grabbing me and not letting me go. It's getting inside of me in a way it hasn't before. And I think the reason is that if I'm honest with myself - I feel pretty disconnected from Jesus Christ. To "remain" in the Greek means to "live" or "dwell." I think I live/dwell in myself most of the time - not in Jesus Christ. I'm not trying to be hard on myself (I've been accused of that) - it's the truth. Learning to "remain" in Jesus is not easy. It's just not. I think the "Church" has made it too easy. We've made it about coming to church an hour a week, doing a little for God, etc. Jesus made it about a relationship with Him that changes your core/soul in such a way that you die to you and live for Him, and in doing so produce fruit that impacts the world. I'm rambling - but just some thoughts I'm having ...

Family "Vision" Statement

Thought I'd post some preliminary thoughts on a vision statement my wife and I are creating for our family. A vision statement suggests a "destination" you are aiming to go. We are also developing goals and an action plan to get there. But so far, this is where we're at:

Kenney Family Vision

"Because of God's great love for us in Jesus Christ- we will demonstrate a great love for God, for each other within our family, and for the world around us."

It's basic - which I think vision statements should be. It starts with God's love for us, which requires a response. We want our children to understand and experience the love of God FIRST, then allow that to help them RESPOND to Him, our family, an dthe world they live in with LOVE as well.

For each of our kids, this will look somewhat different - because our kids are unique and different. We're currently looking at ways to make this more specific and practical for each child.

This statement is really giving my wife and I more direction and intentionality in the way we live as a family, raise our children, etc.

I'm back, mon!

Just got back from Jamaica Saturday night/Sunday morning. My wife, Shauna, and I spent about 5 days in Negril at a beautiful resort there. We had decided just before our twins were born that when they turned a year old - we would take vacation - just me and her. Well our twins turned one just a few weeks ago - and we made good on what we said we would do!

I learned something about myself in Jamaica. When we first got there - I had the hardest time relaxing! I just couldn't do it. I felt like I should be working, producing, etc. But there was nothing I could really do. My cell phone didn't work there and I left my laptop at home (intentionally!) - so there was no checking email, etc. After about a day, though, I began to relax. Then by about the third day - I was relaxing pretty well! Then, on the last 24 hours there - I began stressing more. Even though I had a day left to relax in such an amazing place - I just couldn't do it. Knowing that I was headed home soon, I began thinking of everything that awaited me.

So I have a tough time relaxing/taking a break. But I've decided to try to import that lesson to my daily life. If I have to go to Jamaica to relax - I'm going to go broke! I have to learn to work it into every day life somehow - even in the midst of the busyness and craziness of it all.

Getting ready to start a new series at our church that
talks about how to exist in a crazy/busy world. Looking forward
to studying and learning more in John 15 and how remaining
connected to Jesus (the "vine") is the key to living in our world.

Sabbath

The concept of "sabbath" is all over the Bible. It begins with God taking "sabbath" on the 7th day of creation and goes all the way to Jesus teaching about it in the New Testament. Sabbath is basically "rest." But not just rest for no reason. Rest "on purpose." Intentional rest for the purpose of renewal, rejuvanation, etc. Here's a confession - I stink at sabbath. I've learned that about myself over the years. So I've really begun to work on it. Isn't that funny? I'm WORKING on RESTING. Seems kind of backwards/ironic. But if you're like me you have to work on things like sabbath. I'm trying to have a small bit of sabbath every day now. And I'm also trying to take bigger chunks of it at times. In a couple weeks my wife and I are headed out of town for 5 days - no kids, just me and her - for the sole purpose of sabbath. When I get back I know that I'll be ready to go at it again - with the church, kids, and life in general!