Calvary McAllen

THE CHURCH, Pt. 6

O.K. ... so do we want to be on the Cruise Ship (a Carribean Cruise) OR on the Battleship?  I have to admit the Crusie Ship is tempting. Look at it. It's beautiful and you can tell it belongs in clear aqua-blue waters and white sandy beaches. It has all the latest technology so that it can steer away from storms and promise you waters like glass all the way to your destination. Your cabin comes equipped with a king sized bed and a jacuzzi tub. It's a place of comfort and fellowship and fun. It's a ship built to cater to your every whim. You don't have to bring much on board because everything is provided. All you can eat at every meal. The best entertainment every night. Organized fun on the Lido deck.

Everyone once in awhile you stop at a beautiful port and rub shoulders with the natives. But not for too long. As soon as you tire of that you can get back on the ship where you are protected from the rest of the world. It's a great place to be. There's no real mission except your comfort and relaxation ... but, hey ... what's wrong with that?

Now look at the battleship. Yuck. It's an ugly gray and it has all those bulky guns that just get in the way making things too crowded. There are no cabins, just row after row of bunk beds where you sleep with dozens of others who are on the same journey. You eat mass procuction food that is served on long, crowded tables. No private bathrooms. No organized fun. No Lido deck parties. When you stop at a port it is to resupply the ship for the journey. You are not there to have fun. You are there to accomplish a mission.

You become family with the several thousand on the ship with you. Even though you may not know everyone on the ship, they are your brother or sister because they may save your life. You are there to get a job done. There is something that needs to be done and it is your job to do it and if you don't do it -- if you are not at your station at the right time -- people die. So when the captain asks you to do something ... you do it. If there is a battle to be fought ... you are there and you are ready to fight ... if necessary ... even die for the cause of the whole. It is called a BATTLESHIP because of what it was created to do.

Now, which metaphor sounds more like the church?  We'll take an even closer look next time ... stay tuned ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

THE CHURCH, Pt. 5

We're getting closer and closer to an overarching metaphor for the church. Please understand that whatever we end up with it will not be comprehensive. Any metaphor begins to fall apart at a certain point. That's because no matter how accurate a metaphor it may be, it is NOT the real thing. For instance, Jesus calls us sheep. He is the shepherd. There are many ways in which that metaphor works. But, according to what the experts tell me, sheep are basically dumb, smelly animals. I don't think that Jesus meant to say that we are dumb and smelly. Just one example of how a metaphor always has limits. Please keep that in mind.

We know that our metaphor must encompass the ideas of FAMILY, ARMY, and TEAM. Also, the ideas of growth (AGRICULTURE) and connectedness -- our being an ORGANISM are very important. I can't help but keep coming back to the MILITARY motif. It was such a strong comparison with at least ten points of commonality. Overwhelmingly more than any other. The ATHLETICS motif had seven points of commonality with the church, but all of them were also found in the MILITARY motif in that an ARMY is very much like a team.

Let's think for a moment on this analogy: Two ships at sea. One is a Cruise ship, the other a battleship. The Cruise ship has many of the characteristics of the church. There is a warm sense of family. There is a closeness and a spirit of cooperation. There is a feeling of belonging and fulfillment. But there are some very important characteristics missing. Perhaps the Battleship analogy can cover them.

The Battleship will contain all of the characteristics of the Army because it operates on the same MILITARY motif. But I think it gives us an overarching picture of how all of those characteristics work together to keep the battleship moving, working and on mission. The military uses the Biblical language of Mission and Spirit and Corps. I'm told that the control center of the ship is even called "the Pulpit." It may be that we have found a great word picture of the church and our place in the world. It is the picture of a BATTLESHIP cruising at sea, guided by the PULPIT, in sync with the SPIRIT of the corps (comes from the latin, CORPUS or BODY), in order to complete its MISSION.

Pray and reflect on that ... and we'll talk more about it next time. Stay tuned ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

THE CHURCH, Pt. 4

We have looked at several possible metaphors for the church in search of an overarching metaphor. Let's take a look at another: The TEAM.  We live in a world where athletics is huge. Those who can excel in the arena of sports become millionaires and are worshipped by multitudes (sometimes on Sunday). But that's not the correlation I want to make. Let's look at some of the more positive aspects to being a part of a team.

1. A team can become a lot like a family.

2. A team has to work together.

3. A team has many members each doing their part.

4. A team has one primary goal: winning.

5. A team is often in some kind of struggle against an "enemy."

6. A team must be disciplined in order to win.

7. A team must equip itself for the contest.

8. A team has to understand leadership and be willing to follow the leaders (coach, quarterback, etc.)

As you can see the TEAM as metaphor has a lot of the same characteristics as the ARMY metaphor. That's probably because an ARMY is, in many ways, a TEAM. The idea of team dynamics and teamwork must somehow be incorporated into any thorough understanding of the church.

Next time we will take a closer look at trying to synthesize the idea of TEAM, ARMY, and FAMILY. I believe we can come up with a picture that will encompass all of these and incorporate the 16 Biblical principles.  Stay tuned ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

THE CHURCH, Pt. 3

Another metaphor that is often used for the church is that of an army. I have to admit a biased against this metaphor. I'm not anti-military. Not at all. I thank God for all those who have served their country through the armed forces. I believe that we still have the freedoms we have because of those who have been willing to sacrifice their lives in military conflict. I am proud to live in a country that values freedom and am proud of those (some of my own family) who have served our country in the armed forces. The military is a vital necessity of our freedom.

I'm just a person of peace and believe that we should exhaust all avenues of peace before choosing war. However, I would also note that many who are career military and who have served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, or Iraq -- those who have seen actual combat -- would be the first to tell you that as much as they love the military, they hate war. Those who have fought in war are some of the strongest advocates of peace. I applaud that.

Having said all that (and admitting my biased ahead of time) I would also say that the metaphor of the church being an ARMY involved in an eternal, and sometimes, violent conflict is certainly a strong biblical truth. And if you think about it, the ARMY is a place that has a lot of the biblical characteristics of the church. Let me list a few.

1. The army is involved in a battle against a very real enemy -- so is the church.

2. The army operates as one unit with many members, each member doing his/her job, and each job is very important to the whole. It is vital for every member to carry his/her weight for the army to be victorious. So it is with the Church.

3. The army becomes a family. There are very few things that will make you "closer than a brother" than being in a foxhole with someone. When you depend on each other for your very lives, you become, sometimes, closer than family. So it should be with the church.

4. The army has a mission to complete. There are objectives, goals, and tasks that must be completed when you are a part of an army. It becomes imperative that everyone do whatever it takes to win the battle and defeat the enemy. Every member of the army understands that they exist to make a contribution for the fulfillment of the mission. The old military saying reveals this truth -- "Lead, Follow, or get out of the way." So it should be with the church.

5. The army preaches discipline. If there is one thing you learn in the army it is discipline. When the nation is at war and you are going through "boot camp," you know that everything you are learning could save your life. In that setting, the army is hard work. The old army slogan says it all: "In the army we accomplish more before 8am, than most people do all day." The army is the symbol of hard work and discipline. So it should be with the church.

6. The army is not a place of descrimination. Now I know that there are those in the U.S. Army who are racist and those who would descriminate. You find folks like that in all walks of life. But when you are in the heat of battle you don't care the color of skin of the guy who is watching your back. And when he/she saves your life, you go completely color-blind. Also, when the country is at war the army will take anyone who loves this country and is willing and able to fight. So it should be with the church.

7. The army understands hiearchy. The army understands authority and command. The army understands who is at the head. When the Commander-and-Chief (President) gives a command, everyone listens and obeys. Jesus is the head of the church. He is our Commander-and-Chief. The church must understand the authority of Christ and be prepared to hear his voice and obey.

8. The good army is well equipped for battle. It makes sure it has every tool it needs to win the war. So it is with the church.

9. The army has a tremendous responsiblity. In times like WWI and WWII, the fate of the entire free world rested on the armies of the allied forces. The church also carries the immense weight of responsibility. The eternal future of the entire world rests on the church's broad shoulders.

10. An army must be fed. Wars have been lost and armies defeated for lack of food and water. Armies can lose a war, not on the battlefield, but in the mess tent for lack of food and water. So it is with the church.

WOW! I have to admit that the ancient metaphor of an ARMY for the church is powerful. It seems apparant that any overarching metaphor for the church will need to somehow incorporate the idea of an army. We'll talk more about it next time ... stay tuned ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

THE CHURCH, Pt. 2

The church is a living, breathing thing made up of many people who are mysteriously connected to each other through Christ. In this connection alone they have everything they need to live, grow, and accomplish all that God created them to do. This is our working definition of the church. Behind it and foundational to it are the 16 principles we extracted from the four biblical motifs (for a review of those go to the August 10th blog).

Now let's begin to talk about the possible metaphors for the church that encompass this definition and the 16 principles. One metaphor that is particularly popular is that of a FAMILY. This is certainly a biblical metaphor and contains many of the principles discovered in Scripture. With FAMILY we find a certain connection that the Scripture identifies with the church as well. There is a biological connection with family which encompasses the idea of being an organism. There is a sense in which we do not choose our family but are "born into" the family God prepares for us. There is a love, care, nurture, loyalty and intimacy in the family that is virtually unparalleled in other human relationships. A family is most healthy when it operates in unity, each member doing its part ... so it is with the church. All of these satisfy many of the characteristics of the church.

But the FAMILY motif is not enough to cover all the biblical principles learned from Scripture. The idea of being engaged in a battle against evil is difficult to completely incorporate into the FAMILY motif. The idea of marching into a dangerous battle armed for eternal conflict is missing in the FAMILY metaphor. FAMILY brings feelings of warmth and love and nurture and care. These are all a wonderful part of family life, but if all we ever accomplish are "warm fuzzies" and personal spiritual growth, then we will miss a large part of who we are in Christ.

Another area of concern is that of the discipline of preparation for the Christian life. The language of athletics that we found in Scripture is not usually found in the metaphor of FAMILY. The idea of running in a race (and it's a marathon, not a sprint), excercising, and disciplining your body for the battle is not immediately found in the FAMILY metaphor. It could be argued that there is a type of discipline involved in family life, and that's true. But it's not the image that immediately comes to mind. There are other metaphors that better serve this aspect to the Church.

No, the metaphor of FAMILY, alone, is not enough to emcompass the sixteen characterstics of the church. Although, any accurate metaphor MUST contain within it a sense of being FAMILY. In the end, whatever metaphor we choose to use must portray a feeling of family.

Next time, we'll take a look at some other potential metaphors. Stay tuned ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

THE MIDDLE EAST

God is in control of all things. I believe that. I just have to remind myself that I believe it. In the face of what happened last week it becomes critical that I remind myself on a daily basis.

The news came across the wires that a major terrorist threat had been foiled by Scotland Yard, a threat to blow up one or more flights from the U.K. to the U.S.The alert status for the first time ever for flights from the U.K. to the U.S.was changed to red. It’s a scary world. With news like this cropping up on an almost daily basis, it is easy to fall into a downward spiral of fear and doubt.

As Christians we are asked to mourn over the things that break God’s heart. I believe God’s heart breaks when he sees children being crushed under bombs. It doesn’t matter who those children belong to – Arab, Israeli, Iraqui – No matter – we are called to weep for friend and enemy alike, because it’s a scary world for them too.

When I watch the news it doesn’t look good and the temptation is to throw my hands in the air and give up. But then I read another story in the news of a Jewish man in the northern Israeli town of Naharia whose two brothers were killed in a Hezbollah rocket strike. This Jewish man asked that his brothers’ organs be donated to others. One of the first recipients of one of these body parts, a cornea, was recently given to an Arab man who was blind in one eye and going blind in the other. A tearful meeting was held between the Jewish man and the Arab man. There were tears and hugs, and the Jewish man said ‘now we are brothers. We need each other.’

I read that story and think … there is hope. God IS in control. God never forgets us. We are the ones who forget him. I just have to keep reminding myself.

blessings,

pastor ellis

THE CHURCH, Pt. 1

Let's begin an attempt to synthesis and summarize what we have learned about the Church. We can divide what we learn into two basic areas: 1. The Nature of the Church. In other words, what is the church made of, what does it look like, and how does it work?  2. The Work of the Church. In other words, what was the church made to do, what is its purpose, and why does it exist?  Once we answer these questions based on the sixteen principles we have gleaned from Scripture then we can begin to develop an overarching metaphor for the church.

There are a number of things we have learned about the NATURE of the church. We have learned that the church is is a living, breathing organism with a life of its own. That life is connected to God through Jesus' life. It is made up of ANYONE and EVERYONE who calls Jesus Savior, and each member is vital to the healthy functioning of the organism. As an organism, the church needs to be fed, nurtured and encouraged. It needs love. God has given the church everything it needs to survive, grow and fulfill its mission in life. Christ is both the head and heart of the church and without Him, the church dies.

O.K., I think we can see some overarching principles developing from our understanding of the nature of the church. The church is a living, breathing thing made up of many people who are mysteriously connected to each other through Christ. In this connection alone they have everything they need to live, grow, and accomplish all that God created them to do. That is a simple summary of the nature of the church. I didn't read it in a Theology book. I didn't make it up out of thin air. It's just what I think describes everything we've been learning from Scripture about the nature of the church.

IF I'VE LEFT SOMETHING OUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I want us to use this working definition of the nature of the church as we move forward in search of an overarching metaphor. It's not written in stone. We can tweak it later if we find we have forgotten something or left something out.

Next time we talk about the WORK of the church. Stay tuned ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

ATHLETICS, Pt. 2

Let's talk about what we have learned from the Athletics motif for the church.

1. The church experiences spiritual growth (success) when operating in unity, like a team.

2. Christ is the head of the Church. He alone is the captain of the team.

3. The life of the Church is like a race that requires discipline and training to gain victory.

4. The common goal of the team is to run a good race, cross the finish line, and gain the reward.

Well, there it is. We have seen the church described in terms of agriculture, organics/family, the military, and athletics. From each motif we have extracted certain timeless principles. These principles will form the basis of our understanding of the nature and work of the church. The next task is to attempt a synthesis of the 16 principles we have learned (4 from each of the 4 metaphors), and then see if we can find an overarching metaphor that will effectively describe and encompass all 16 principles.

For the record let me state all 16 principles again:

1. The church has some very hard work to do. Fields don’t plant themselves and the harvest doesn’t happen without some hard work. The church has been given the specific spiritual task of sowing, planting, and harvesting.
2. The church has the immense responsibility of preparing the soil, planting the seed, watering the plants, and harvesting the fruit at the appropriate time.
3. The church can only function when it is connected to Jesus. Without Him we can do nothing. When we take our focus away from Jesus we begin to wither and die.
4. The church must understand its relationship to Jesus and learn to recognize His voice. Ultimately, the church is charged with hearing and obeying Jesus.
5. The church is to exhibit the love, care, honor, loyalty, and intimacy that are found in healthy family relationships. We are to take care of each other.
6. The church is to fully accept anyone that God calls family. We don’t choose our brothers or sisters or parents … we are simply called to love and honor them.
7. The church, as a living organism, needs to be fed, nurtured and encouraged in its quest to fulfill its reason for existence.
8. The church, as a living organism, has a reason for living and a mission to fulfill.
9. The church is in a global and epic battle against Satan and his reign of evil.
10. The church is under constant and aggressive attack from Satan and his powerful allies.
11. The church was created and equipped for this battle.
12. Ultimately, the battle will be won by the power of God.
13. The church experiences spiritual growth (success) when operating in unity, like a team.
14. Christ is the head of the Church. He alone is the captain of the team.
15. The life of the Church is like a race that requires discipline and training to gain victory.
16. The common goal of the team is to run a good race, cross the finish line, and gain the reward.

There they are. You can probably already see some repetition and potential synthesis in these principles. Look over them. Pray over them. Next time we'll attempt a synthesis. Stay tuned ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

ATHLETICS, Pt. 1

Well, we’re almost there. I hope you have been able to follow my sometimes rambling thoughts on the nature and work of the church. We have seen the church from three Biblical metaphors: Organism/Family, Agriculture, and Military. Now we turn to one that is used to a lesser degree but is still prevalent enough to consider: Athletics/Team.

Jesus did not speak directly to this metaphor but we do see the idea of team and working as a team in his ministry. He sends his disciples out “two-by-two” to do ministry in the villages (Mark 6:7-13). When they return, he calls them “together” so that they can debrief and spend time with the father (Luke 9:10). He speaks repeatedly to the importance of unity within the group and, in the end, he prays most earnestly for this unity (John 17:23).

The concept of athletics is developed in more detail by the apostle Paul. The most common form of athletics was track and field … it was the race. Paul talks about the Christian life in the church as the running and finishing of a race (Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 2:2; Galatians 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:7). Paul compares the Christian life to a boxing match (or more likely a gladiator battle), when he speaks to the strategic nature of the work (1 Corinthians 9:26). There is a discipline (1 Corinthians 9:27) and a persistence (Philippians 3:14) necessary to finishing the race or winning the fight. Ultimately, Paul is satisfied to have finished the race and the good fight (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7).

Paul uses the language of the gymnasium when he exhorts the church to train themselves to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8), and to follow the rules so as to not be disqualified after having run (2 Timothy 2:5).  Paul emphasizes the importance of the unity of teamwork (Ephesians 4:16-17) so that the church will reach her potential and fulfill her mission. John echoes Paul’s words (3 John 1:3-8), as does the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 12:1).

Paul tells us that Christ is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18) and if we lose touch with Him we cease to grow (Colossians 2:19). This is reminiscent of the words of Jesus when he said that he was the vine and we are the branches. Apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:7). Jesus tells his disciples that they are no longer his students, but have become his friends (John 15:17). Paul confirms this when he calls us co-heirs with Jesus in all the God owns (Romans 8:17) – We are on the same team and share in the rewards of the victory!

Next time we’ll draw some conclusions and begin the process of synthesizing the motifs we have examined over the last week.  Stay tuned …

blessings,

pastor ellis

MILITARY, Pt. 2

Jesus told us that we were in a battle against the darkness of this world. We are the light that fights against the darkness (Matthew 5:14-16). The world will hate us because of our affiliation with Jesus and the army of the light (Mark 13:13). Paul picks up on this motif and calls us to ready ourselves for the battle we face (Ephesians 6:11). John tells us that we wage a war against the evil in this world and if the world hated Jesus then surely it will hate us (1 John 3:13). Over and over again, the New Testament writers refer to the spiritual battle that the church must fight. Nowhere is that call to arms more evident than in John’s Revelation.

I’ll begin by saying that this is not meant to be an exposition or explanation of the End Times. I am not trying to set down a rigid interpretation of the book of Revelation. I simply want to show you how John obviously saw the church as an army fighting against Satan and his evil grip on the world as we know it. John tells us, for instance, that the Dragon (Satan) makes war against the inhabitants of the earth. Most succumb to his power without a fight. However, he intensifies his attack on those who remain faithful to Jesus (Revelation 12:12-17). This remnant that remains loyal to God is the true Church and she is definitely portrayed as an army in a great battle against evil.

The Anti-Christ and his followers will make war against the Lamb (Jesus) and his followers (the Church). This war will be horrific and violent, but Jesus and the Church will prevail (Revelation 17:14-18).  John portrays the final battle between good and evil. Satan and his army of millions stand ready to destroy the Saints (the Church). The battle lines are drawn and the battle is about to commence when God intervenes and casts Satan and his followers into the fire of eternal torment (Revelation 20:1-10).

I could go on, but I think you get the point. Let’s pause here to list some basic principles about the church that we have learned from the military motif.

1. The church is in a global and epic battle against Satan and his reign of evil.
2. The church is under constant and aggressive attack from Satan and his powerful allies.
3. The church was created and equipped for this battle.
4. Ultimately, the battle will be won by the power of God.

That’s a lot to chew on … next time we’ll look at the metaphor of athletics and teamwork … stay tuned …

blessings,

pastor ellis