Wednesday, May 22, 2019

winning

This morning I had coffee with my sister-in-law, Jess.  She pastors in a different context and in a different denomination.  She is in town visiting Becky and our family.  This was the first I got to visit with her since I returned from 1383 mile round trip visit to Two Harbors, MN for retreat.  A little bit of Coffee and a Whole Lot of Jesus (see previous post).  Jess and I sat and chatted about life, family, ministry, and more importantly.....Jesus.  Jess took the Amtrak to Milwaukee.  We even reminisced about her taking me to the Erie, PA train station, only to stop at a local Perkins Restuarant meeting a guy who gave himself a nickname Tbone. (Quick wisdom: you are NEVER allowed to give yourself a nickname.  Nicknames are earned from other people.)

As Jess and I chatted, I began to tell her some of the wisdom of my retreat, not all of which I have processed, prayed about, or even written about here.  One of those bits of wisdom that I am still wrestling is Anna sharing the Ore boats coming into harbor, the horn that blows when they get out of line with where they are intended to be.....she called it 'knowing that to which you are tether."  In other words, the christian life is as much knowing to whom we belong as anything else, and yet we tether ourselves and our churches to things that are not necessarily things that belong under the category of Jesus is Lord.  And with all of that, Jess unloaded this terrific and wonderful gem of a phrase; 'What you win them with is what you win them to.'




This phrase says so much about no particular context or tradition but it flew right in the face of tradionalism.  Tradionalism is the what and the how we do things as a church, not to that which we are tethered.

Her point was if we win people with pizza parties and bowling, we have won people to pizza parties and bowling.  Jesus is somehow missing.

Her other point that she didn't have to make is that if we win people to Jesus following, then we have made disciples.  Jesus is definitely what we are tethered to.

Winning in a post christian culture cannot be determined by pizza parties and attendance in whatever awkward social structure past results have determined successful.  Winning, if there is such a thing, must be seen through the lens of how we invite people to follow the one with we are tethered.

6As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8

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