[subversive underground] MISSIONAL

Today I had a breakfast meeting with a guy who is a house church network leader for Orange County named Ken Eastburn.

I was late, but praise God he was still there when I pulled up at the Krispy Kreme (yes, that's where we met).

We shared together about how God had called each of us into this crazy thing called House Church and were thrilled to see where our testimonies converged, and intrigued where our stories contrasted. But, all in all, it was evident to see that God is indeed doing something significant throughout the world, and even in Orange County, as He calls people to step out of the traditional church and into this new (and yet not so new) thing called "House Church".

I'm not sure what will come from our meeting. I wasn't really sure how to respond when he asked me how he could help me. I don't think I have any really need for "help" at this point in the life of our house church, but perhaps there will be a benefit from knowing others in my area who are also in this same Kingdom work alongside me, and perhaps there can be something to learn or to gain from sharing with other house church planters and pastors about what God has been doing or saying to us as we follow the Holy Spirit in this way.

For the most part we are alone in this venture. I am aware of a few others who are planting house churches, but most of them are in other States, and of those who are in California I've not met many of them face to face.

So, maybe there's a real value for us to have community with others outside of our own autonomous house church?

I've been a bit concerned about the fact that, although we've called ourselves "The Mission" in order to emphasize our calling individually as missionaries and to remind us that we are on a mission, for the most part we've been pretty self-focused.

Granted, some of us still serve at the motel in Santa Ana each month, and individually many of us in our house church are living out the missional calling in our private lives.

But as a Body, we the members of "The Mission" have not yet stepped outside our comfort zones and become missional.

Except of course for the recent incident with "Tommy" the homeless man that Jason responded to. And we've yet to make contact with Tommy again since that time. He's vanished. I drive by that same intersection a couple of times each week and I've even made extra trips just to see if I could find him, but so far no luck.

So, maybe God is gently urging us and nudging us outside of our little comfy spot in my den and asking us to venture outward? Maybe we do need to become aware of others in our own area who are doing something similar and share ideas, even fellowship with them and pray for them, encourage them, worship with them.

Maybe...?

One thing Ken and I discussed was the possibility of publishing a magazine that would resource the Orange County/SoCal House Church movement with articles, testimonies, and even just provide visibility of other house churches being planted every month. I'd love to be in on something like this.

It makes me realize I need to be spending more time on my knees praying for God's direction about not only our house church ("The Mission") specifically, but also about what God has in the future for us. It makes me realize that I might have some other role to play in the southern California area regarding house churches and helping to encourage others in the same boat as I am.

Ken and I discussed the possibility of creating a website with a forum where other house church leaders would be able to share ideas, stories, and concerns. I know I could probably help with that a little bit too.

It also makes me realize that this little newsletter has something to do with what God is doing in the house church movement as well. I'm not exactly sure what yet...but something, I think.

I preached a message at Soul Survivor last Sunday night about The Gospel of the Kingdom, specifically about "Conversatio Morem" and what it means to us as followers of Jesus. It was refreshing to me (if no one else) to remember what all of this is about. It's refreshing to contrast the ethics and the doctrine of the early church fathers and the great thinkers and theologians of recent history (Fenelon, Tertulian, Jonathan Edwards, A. W. Tozer, etc.) and see how insanely radical these guys appear when you hear them alongside the likes of modern "pop-Christian" preachers of the day (reference anyone on Christian television, radio, bookstores, etc.).

We've been looking at the words of Jesus over the last few months at Soul Survivor and I have to say it's like getting a cold splash of water on your soul when you hear Jesus say such powerful things like "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matt 5:17-20), or "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33).

Jesus did not pull any punches. His words are powerful and life-changing. They shake us up. They make us doubt. They cause us to examine our own lives seriously.

Maybe that's why we avoid looking directly into the red letters for extended periods of time?

I am more determined than ever to surrender all of my life to Jesus. This is why we need Grace.

Conversatio Morem!

Keith
**


ARTICLE UPDATE: My new article "Green Card" is now published online at www.ginkworld.net
**

PODCAST UPDATE: Just added two new podcast/sermon mp3's from DALLAS WILLARD at my website. They're free! Go and download now. Very good stuff!
http://www.keithgiles.com

**
T-SHIRT UPDATE: Yes, I've been moving forward with the t-shirt idea. Hopefully I'll have some cool designs available to show everyone in the next few weeks or so. Keep watching this space.

**
MOMENTUM '06- Seriously, if you're wanting to hear some of the most incredible teaching and worship ever, you'd be crazy to miss this! The registration fees go up on June 1st so don't miss your chance to get in on the Early Rates of $49.99.
The conference features MIKE PILAVACHI, TODD HUNTER, BRENTON BROWN, DAVID RUIS, JOHN THOMAS and many more. (I'll be teaching a couple of workshops as well. One on "Compassion Ministry" and one on "Missional Gospel").
Register online and get more info here:
http://www.soulsurvivorusa.com

**
[END TRANSMISSION]

[subversive underground] SEASONS

[subversive underground] SEASONS by Keith Giles

Recently God has been speaking to me more and more about a "Change of Seasons" coming soon in my life.

Part of me is excited by this, as my wife and I have gone through a lot of hardships and challenges over the last eleven months. We've endured financial hardships, having to move against our will to a new home, losing an unborn child through miscarriage, change in employment status, and a change in our Church affiliation.

Even one or two of those changes is enough to send most any of us into the fetal position. Yet, our family has endured each of these things in quick succession and only the Grace of God has seen us through.

Now, what makes me nervous is, I'm not sure if this "change of seasons" means we're in for more challenges or if it means a time of favor and blessing. The reason I'm not sure is that, even though we've gone through such difficulty lately, the truth is that God has been very, very good to us all along the way. So, does that mean we'll have to endure more pain without His blessing? Or does it mean we'll have a season of plenty and a rest from the trials of life?

As I ponder this, I'm constantly drawn back to the opening chapter of the book of James. The message there is one I've lived out on an almost daily basis for several years now. I've learned to "count it all joy" when we face "trials of many kinds", knowing that "the testing of our faith produces perserverance" and that is the sort of faith that will not let go....no matter what.

I've learned, first-hand, that James isn't kidding when he tells us to "count it all joy". He's also not suggesting that we simply "turn our frown upside down" and pretend that our hardships are fun. Not by any means.

What James does mean is that, when we truly understand that the testing of our faith produces in us a type of faith that is strong and then, in turn, creates in us a maturity that brings us closer to the image of Jesus, we'll actually be able to seriously rejoice when trials come. How? Why? Because we seriously understand that God uses the trials and hardships of life to sharpen us, and mold us, into the very image of His Son.

As hard has the last eleven months have been, and they have been very hard at times, the truth is that my needs are met. Every single fear I've had has been without warrant. God has always taken care of us, even when I had no idea how...or if...He would. God has proven Himself to be faithful to me, all along the way.

As I look ahead to a change of seasons, I wonder what it could really mean?

I'm also reminded of a prophetic word given to me by a dear friend several months ago, about several "windows of opportunity" that God had in store for us. Will God begin to open one of those windows for us now?

I pray so. And I also pray that, whatever this change of seasons holds for us, that I will have the faith to "count it all joy" no matter what may come.

**
PLEASE PRAY: This Friday night and Saturday morning I will be leading a small team of college students on to the streets of Santa Ana here in the OC to minister to young prostitutes. This is only our second attempt at an outreach to these girls and we're taking a more relational approach. Please pray that God would grant us favor with these girls, that we'd be able to strike up meaningful conversations and relationships with the girls that God wants us to focus on over the next few months. Please pray also for our protection as we attempt to serve and minister to these girls.

I'll post an update next week about how things go with this ministry. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!

**
TATTOO ME: My friend, Keith Seckel recently got a tattoo of 'CONVERSATIO MOREM!' based on an article I wrote of the same name. (I can't believe he did that...but in a way I think it's darn cool!). Anyway, be sure to check out the image of the tattoo posted on my website at http://www.keithgiles.com

**
NEW ARTICLE- "GREEN CARD" by Keith Giles- (Just posted this one today on the website in response to all the recent Immigration Reform issues going on nationally, and locally...check it out):
http://www.keithgiles.com

**
ARTICLE ALERT: My new article "Harder Than You Think" is now online at
http://www.theemerge.com/

**
[END TRANSMISSION]

[subversive underground] TESTING

[subversive underground] TESTING

I've switched the e-newsletter to an onlne list service called FEEDBLITZ. This is my first test of the service, so hopefully everything works out.

The way it works now, I will simply make a new blog entry on what used to be the SUB-UNDERGROUND ARCHIVES site (where all the previous [subversive underground] newsletters are posted, and the good people at FEEDBLITZ automatically email everyone on the current subscription list for me.

The old way involved my personal hotmail account and two distribution lists (because Hotmail will only allow 50 people per list), which meant that every time I wanted to send out a new article to the list I had to do it twice.

Now, at least I hope, all I need to do is to post something on the archive blog and everyone will receive the email of my entry.

If anyone has trouble reading, receiving, etc. PLEASE reply to me at and let me know about it. I'll try to correct any problems or issues if at all possible.

In the future, if someone wants to sign up for the [subversive underground] newsletter, all they have to do is to come to the archive blog site:
http://subunderground.blogspot.com

and there is a "SUBSCRIBE ME" box on the upper left where they simply type their email address and hit the button.

Voila! They're added to the list.

Isn't technology wonderful?

Again, thank you all for being part of the team and for reading this stuff. Many of you have responded to let me know you're praying for me, for our house church ("The Mission"), and for my writing. I appreciate that more than I can ever express.

Peace!

Keith
www.keithgiles.com

**
ARTICLE ALERT: "TOMMY"
My new article, "Tommy" is now online at Seed Stories. Go check it out and leave a comment.
http://www.seedstories.com

**
COOL STORY-
My good friend John Wahrmund is a Captain in the Air Force and recently was stationed in Turkey and visited a few Holy Sites while he was there.

Here's a brief report he sent me:

"I'm still in Turkey right now on my deployment.  It's been pretty good
but 70 days away from home is too much fun.  I did get to go to some
cool historic biblical sites like Cappadocia, Tarsus, and Antioch.  For
Good Friday I went to Antioch and attended a service in the church that
Peter and Paul worshipped in (the one in Acts).  It is still there!

The crazy thing is that it is in the side of a mountain.  They worshipped
In a cave!  It was carved out some and around 1000 AD the Pope at that
Time put a front on it but it is still a cave.  The part that was even
crazier was the escape tunnel in the back of the cave that went up into
the mountain.  It was there so that when people came to try to kill
them, they could flee out the tunnel.  We ended the service saying the
Lord's prayer and it hit me.  Here I was in one of the first churches
In the place where the disciples were first called Christians saying the
same prayer Jesus taught them and still teaches us today!  Very moving."
**
John and his wife Lisa will be performing at MOMENTUM '06 as "West Of Verona". They have a great EP of six songs called "To Jupiter and back", and you can preview a few of those songs online at their MySpace site:
http://www.myspace.com/westofverona

**
MOMENTUM '06- June 23/24, 2006- newport beach, ca
With MIKE PILAVACHI, BRENTON BROWN, TODD HUNTER, DAVID RUIS, and more...
I'll be leading two workshops at MOMENTUM; one on Compassion Ministry (with Crissy Brooks who rocks, btw), and one on Missional Life and the Gospel.
Join us if you can!
More info here:
www.soulsurvivorusa.com/momentum/
**
[END TRANSMISSION]

[subversive underground] FAILURE

[the following was sent to the faithful subscribers on the subversive underground on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006]

[subversive underground] FAILURE
by Keith Giles

Have you ever had God show you what you're really like on the inside?

In recent memory, God has done this to me twice. Once was when I was reading
Dallas Willard's "Renovation Of The Heart" and the Holy Spirit showed me how
my attitude was dangerously similar to that of the Pharisees. I was crushed.
It just took my breath away to so suddenly see my own sinful, black heart
and to realize that I had been blind to my hypocrisy for so long.

The second time God revealed my hypocrisy to me was last week during House
Church.

I had been praying that day about what God would have me to share with the
group, as we all do before our Thursday evenings together. I had scribbled
down several scriptures about serving the poor, loving our brothers, and
Jesus own words about how those who truly love him will obey his teachings.
I was set to go.

But then my God-orchestrated undoing began. The phone call came that one of
our house church members was bringing a friend along. I knew this person and
he wasn't one of my favorite people. I rolled my eyes as soon as I heard he
was coming to our group. My mind began planning how I would contain this
person so that he wouldn't dominate the conversation with talk of politics
or internet conspiracy theories as he is often prone to do. By the time he
arrived my strategy to corral him was firmly in place.

As we moved out of our worship time and into our share time, I was on my
guard for his interjections. When he began to share with us about his
anxiety over his business issues, I countered with my own words of wisdom. I
shared my scriptures about washing the feet of others as Jesus washed our
feet. Every time he began to speak up, I was there to interrupt and to shift
the message back on track.

However, one of the ladies in our group wasn‚t hip to my strategy. She
repeatedly asked him to finish his sentence or to share more about his
anxiety. She returned again and again to him to ask if he was really ok and
if he needed us to pray for him, or if he had really shared all that was on
his heart. I began to squirm.

By the end of the evening, this man was sitting on the "hot seat" in the
center of the room and we were all praying over him, including me. Suddenly
my heart began to break for this man. My attitude softened, my compassion
began to pour out for him. I had several words of encouragement for him, and
as we prayed for him, he wept freely.

After our prayer, this same woman got down on her knees and looked into his
face. I could see her eyes as she looked into his and she began to encourage
him with words of affirmation and sincere Christian love about how he was
one with us, how he was precious to Jesus, and how we loved him as a brother
in Christ.

I was now fully convicted of my own sin.

Here Jesus had entered my home in the form of this man I had pre-judged and
I had missed Him. Jesus had come in need of compassion and mercy and I had
planned to keep him on the outside looking in. If not for the genuine
compassion of this woman in our house church, I would have missed Jesus
entirely, and this man would have no one to wash his feet.

If my friend had not washed this man's feet, I would not have done it. If it
were up to me, Jesus would have left my house with dirty feet.

Ironically, two weeks before, there had been another visitor in my house
church, and both men even shared the same name. I saw Jesus in this first
visitor instantly. He had MS. His outward physical handicap
allowed me to see Jesus clearly. In this case, I was able to love and bless
someone without prejudice. But in the case of the second visitor, I had
missed Him completely. Why? Because this was a man I had already determined
was unworthy of such extravagant compassion.

The full effect of what I had done didn't hit me fully until about 3am the
next morning. For about two months now, Jesus has been waking me up at about
3am to draw me into prayer. I can honestly say that it's Jesus because,
quite frankly, I would prefer to sleep most of the time. But like clockwork
I snap awake at 3am on the dot and can't get back to sleep unless I get up
and go into the den to talk with Jesus for at least an hour.

As I made my way into the den that early morning and sat down on the same
couch where our guest had been sitting. God spoke to my heart and convicted
me of my shameful behavior. Slowly, methodically, Jesus revealed not only
the inner darkness of my heart to me, but how I had missed all the cues and
signals along the way.

I was crushed.

How could I have missed Him? Even as I had my Bible open to the very
scriptures that should have made this clear to me, I had missed Him. Even as
I opened my mouth to teach the rest of our group about what it means to love
Jesus, I was oblivious to Him in my own home.

And so, I don't know any easy way to wrap this up, except to say that I hope
that a few of you can learn from my humiliation. I have to believe that God
can teach me something profound in the midst of my failure, and perhaps he
can teach you something too.

In times like this I realize even more how much of a miracle it will be if
the Holy Spirit is able to transform someone like me into the image of
Christ before I die.

Christ in me, the hope of Glory.

I can only hope.

Peace,
Keith

[subversive underground] PROSTITUTION

*sent on Friday, April 7th to the faithful subscribers of the email newsletter called the [subversive underground].

PROSTITUTION by Keith Giles

Some of you know that I took a team of young adults from Soul Survivor out to minister to prostitutes on Harbor blvd in Santa Ana a few weeks ago.

It was a big step outside my comfort zone, and for most of us in fact, yet this is something that I knew I needed to follow Jesus in doing.
Here's what happened and what we learned from the experience.

We had the benefit of going out with a team from a ministry called "Side By Side" that had done this sort of thing before. Their pastor is a former police officer so he knows the streets very well.

It went well, in the sense that it was a first step into an unknown world for all of us.

We met and had a short orientation first at our church building. Then we drove down to the area where the girls usually "work" and split into four teams of four or five people and started out.

At first it was hard for me to recognize which girls were prostitutes or not...but eventually, by the third girl, I was getting the hang of it.

What I didn't like about the way we did this was that these girls were all too busy to talk very long. Imagine the worst possible time to try to have a conversation with these girls....and THAT'S the time we were there!

So, my group prayed for 3 girls, but only for about 30 seconds each...before the light changed at the corner and they had to cross the street.

Very frustrating for me.

SO...our plan is to go back and work in 2 phases. First, we'll go out again between 8pm and 10pm to quickly hand them a coupon for a free coffee/breakfast at a local 24 hour restaurant. We'll invite them to meet us at 6pm where we will buy them coffee and breakfast and just hang out and talk to them. That's it. Just hang and talk. No Bibles. No tracts. No "Four Spiritual Laws". Just coffee and breakfast and "What's your name? Where are you from? What's your favorite movie? Etc."

We plan to do this at least once, maybe twice a month, on a consistent basis. Over time we hope to build genuine friendships with these girls and build a foundation for sharing with them, as friends, that there are other options for them to get off the streets...if they're interested and if they're ready.

I think it's going to be much more effective than our "drive by evangelism" strategy with the other group.
-kg
__

HOKEY POKEY

*the following was sent to the faithful subscribers of the [subversive underground] list on 3/28/06

HOKEY POKEY by Keith Giles

"You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out..."

We do this all the time in our spiritual life. We surrender to Jesus on
Sunday, and we take it all back on Monday morning. We mean well. We intend
to serve Jesus with our life, but the daily pressures of life wear on us and
we end up returning to the old patterns of life.

The good news is, God knows that we're dust. He knows we're weak. He
understands that the flesh is willing, but the maturing of our spirits takes
time.

"If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown
Himself."- 2 Tim 2:13

God is patient with us, and because of this we still have hope.

"...you put your right foot in, you take your right foot out..."

I've been tested lately about some of the same things I've been through many
times before.

Why does God keep putting me through these tests of faith? I look to the sky
and ask, "Haven't I already learned this lesson three times before? I
thought I passed this. Why are we having to go through this again, Lord?"

A dear friend reminded me the other day that God's purpose for allowing
challenges in our life is to draw us nearer to Himself. "We just want God to
fix it, or do it, or make it better, but God wants us to take His hand and
walk through these things alongside Him," my friend said.

Still, I'm weary of putting my faith into action again and again. I'm tired
of wondering if God will work this miracle and save my family (again), or if
this time we'll have to endure the pain.

God whispers to me, "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness,
and all of these things (food, shelter, daily needs, etc.), "will be taken
care of as well."- Matt 6:33

So, I do my best to seek the Kingdom of God. I try to focus on Him instead
of on my own challenges. But still I find myself drifting back to the
question; "What if this time God doesn't rescue us?"

"...you put your whole self in, you take your whole self out, you put your
whole self in, and you shake it all about..."

God wants all of me. He wants all of you. He wants my time. He wants my
heart. He wants my trust. He wants my entire life. He wants my "whole self
in".

Surrender to Jesus is, in reality, a gradual exercise in trust. It would be
wonderful if that one time I went down front and bent my knees on the altar
was enough. I wish it were true. Maybe for someone else it is true, but for
me, I must confess, I'm still daily learning to bend my knees, surrender my
heart, and trust Jesus with my life...with my entire life.

Maybe, in some strange way, the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?

"You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. That's what it's all
about."

Peace,
Keith
****

[subversive underground] RISEN?

*sent to the faithful subscribers of the [subversive underground] newsletter on Monday, March 20, 2006


[subversive underground] RISEN?
by Keith Giles

We as Christians have an unusual fascination with the death of Jesus. I know that what Jesus did for us, on the cross, is an astounding act of love and sacrifice. Without this, none of us would have any hope, and yet Paul the Apostle declares that, "..if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (I Cor.15:17)

I wonder if our fascination with his death has something to do psychologically with our view of what it means to be a Christian?

For instance, the modern church, especially in America, can't seem to go on enough about the death of Jesus. It seems that all the television preachers can talk about is the fact that, "Jesus died on the cross for your sins".

When a Christian person is interviewed on television or stands to talk about Jesus, inevitably the only thing they can find to say is that, "Jesus loves you and he died on the cross for your sins".

At times it all starts to sound monotonous and cliche. I can almost hear the lost saying, "So what?"

The message we send most loudly to the world is the idea that Jesus died.

Even the most prominent media message in our lifetime, Mel Gibson's mega-evangelistic "Passion Of The Christ", which was dubbed "The Greatest Evangelical Message in Two Thousand Years", was all about the death of Jesus. The resurrection scene at the end was so vague and quick that most of us, even those of us who know the story, were left going, "Huh? What just happened?"

At Easter this overt focus on the death of Jesus is most noticeable. For me, when we spend those two weeks before and after Easter talking about the irrefutable fact of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, it almost seems strange. Like, "Oh yeah! He DID rise from the dead, didn't he?", as if this most historically provable event is something we need to be reminded of, but only once a year.

This has got me thinking. Why is it that we focus so much on the death of Jesus and very little on the resurrection of Jesus? I mean, why isn't the resurrection the main thing we talk about? Why don't we go around proclaiming that "Jesus is Risen!" and argue with people about the fact that there's no refuting the fact of Easter?

Here's my theory.

We, the Church, are the Body of Christ. We are the physical representation of Jesus in the world today, and I think we're more comfortable being the "Body at Rest" than the "Body in Motion".

As the Body of Jesus, we're more comfortable in the dark of the tomb, wrapped in our own shroud, meditating on this death of our Lord, with the stone rolled shut across the door.

We ignore that what we are called to do, as the living Body of Jesus, is to go out and proclaim, demonstrate and testify with our lives the awesome miracle that "Jesus is Alive!" and that we are living examples of this fact.

What I long for is the day when we are bold enough to declare, as one people, with one voice, that Jesus is Alive, and that our conduct in the world would bear witness to this fact.

Our inactivity, our apathy, our aversion to serve others and live out the compassion of Jesus, sadly proclaims that Jesus is dead.

It's when we live for Him, when we continue to love the way He did, when our lives are in sync with His, that we proclaim by our actions that, yes, indeed, Jesus is really alive!

Is Jesus really alive? Has He really come to live in your life? And how would anyone know this to be true if you never actually demonstrated the life and love and ministry of Jesus in your own life?

Do we, as individual followers of Jesus, feel safer within the quiet of the tomb? Or are we willing, even eager, to roll away the stone and begin to live the truth of the power of the Gospel?

If we, the Body of Jesus, do not act as a living Jesus would, within this world, loving those He loved, sharing with those He spent time with, continuing His ministry of transformation, then we do not demonstrate that Jesus is alive, we simply testify that He has died.

What we must do is to wake ourselves from our slumber, shake off the apathy, and begin to proclaim, with our own lives, that Jesus is truly alive.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing."- John 14:12

"Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."- 1 John 2:6

He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Peace,
Keith
www.keithgiles.com

[subversive underground] MODELS

*Originally sent to the faithful 56 who currently subscribe to the weekly [subversive underground] newsletter on March 9th, 2006

MODELS by Keith Giles


After my last underground (HOUSE) I had several responses from a few people I highly respect who were questioning the source of my passion, and my undue fascination with models.

I do want to clarify that the model isn’t necessarily the “answer” in itself. I affirm that church can take place under a tree, in a restaurant parking lot, or a gymnasium, or even, (yes), in a traditional church building or service.

What matters is, of course, how much the Holy Spirit is really in charge, free to move, and whether or not the people are being discipled, or whether or not there is true communion taking place (between people and God…at the same time).

Still, I do think that the model does play a large part in facilitating this dynamic. I do still feel that meeting together to share a common meal, spending time in fellowship together, allowing the Holy Spirit to move, allowing everyone a chance to share according to their gifting, etc., is best lived out in the House Church model.

I admit it. I’m biased.

Granted, this sort of thing can be fostered within any form of church, in addition to what happens on Sunday morning…and several churches do this very well.

I suppose I’m still biased. Forgive me.

Seriously, I do want to be open-minded and to share my convictions without making my friends in the traditional model of church feel blasted or undervalued. Help me to do this. Pray for me.

I fear I am becoming a radical. I don’t want to get so far off the map that only other radicals can relate with me…or me to them.

To make things worse, I'm currently reading a book called "Constantine, The Great" by Michael Grant which is a real eye-opening book to me about how the modern church was shaped by this one person into what it is today. Fascinating stuff, and a little disturbing to be honest.

What's also fascinating to me is that, even after Constantine stepped in and protected the Christians, gave them the pagan temples to worship in, and stopped the persecutions, many kept meeting in homes and eventually Constantine actually had to make it illegal for them to keep doing this in order to
funnel believers into his “new way”, his new model, of gathering.

I've not written anything yet on the effects of Constantine on the practice of the Church, but this is a pretty fascinating subject for me.

I mean, yes, God has used this form of doing church for over 1,700 years now. And, yes, God certainly "allowed" this change to take place and to remain up until this very day, predominantly around the world...but it still troubles me that our modern forms of worship are built upon setting up a
sort of royal clergy, handing them a castle, creating a peasant congregation for them to "tax" and support the royalty and the upkeep of the castle, etc.

This just doesn't seem right to me...or Biblical either.

We try to make connections between this modern form of church and the OT synagogue/temple form of worship...but clearly this was not Constantine's intention. He simply removed pagan priests and installed Christian priests, adding a cross to the back of the room and changing the subject of the worship to the Christian God.

So, to this very day, do we have a paganized form of Christianity? I guess I never noticed before, but now it does trouble me. This book points out how, previous to his “conversion” Constantine worshipped Apollo, the Sun God. After turning to the Christian God, he ordered that the feast of Apollo, on December 25th, become an observance of the birth of God’s Son, Jesus. This kind of creeps me out.

I'm not so sure that Constantine himself really "got it". At least according to this book on his life I'm reading now, Constantine had a problem with the crucifixion and the weakness of Jesus, rebuked his own sister for worshiping Jesus, and mainly wanted to re-define the Christian God as a warlike "Zeus" figure, a god of war and power and victory, not a God who, as Jesus suggested, was like Him, a loving, compassionate, merciful God.

As if this weren’t bad enough, Constantine murdered his second wife, his own son, and many of his friends and advisors, all after his apparent “conversion” to Christianity.

We call this guy a saint?

See? I am becoming a radical.

What does this mean for my faith? Honestly, it strengthens my faith in the Biblical Jesus. The Historical Jesus we see in the Gospels becomes my solitary focus, not the traditional church practice, or the liturgy, or the religious mainline.

However, it also puts me a bit at odds with the universal Christian church, and that’s what I don’t want to happen.

I’ve grown up in the mainline church. I’ve been blessed, I’ve matured in my faith, I’ve had great fellowship and I’ve received the power of the Holy Spirit in my life through this “paganized model” of church.

It is a good thing. God loves His Church. His Bride. All of the Church. The entire Bride.

I cannot condemn the traditional church. I cannot judge my brothers and sisters in Christ who continue to feel this way of church is “home” for them. Up until a few months ago, not even a year ago, maybe six or seven months ago, I started feeling that, for me, there was a “better way”. Not better in the sense of being more holy or spiritual, but better in the sense that it scratches the itch I have for holistic spiritual life, discipleship to Jesus, communion with others and with God, and all the rest.

While washing the dishes the other night, and thinking on this very subject, it occurred to me that I could just decide to accept these historical facts about the early church, Constantine’s impact on the church today, my own convictions about house church, and just let it go. I mean, just accept this is the way things are and not let it freak me out so much.

Maybe there is no fire to put out? Maybe I’m feeling revolutionary about something that requires no revolution? Or maybe the revolution is within my own life and I don’t need to thrust it upon others in order for it to be acceptable?

So now the question I ask myself is, “Can I just let this go?”

I don’t know yet. This is a work in progress…just like me.

More later.

Peas,
Kg
www.keithgiles.com
***

CONSTANTINE THE GREAT (at Amazon.com)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684195208/103-1582316-6649451?v=glance&n=283155


NEW BLOG UPDATE: “Closed Windows, Open Doors” (New article online now at the main blog: www.keithgiles.com)

[END TRANSMISSION]

[subversive underground] HOUSE by Keith Giles

[sent on 2/27/06 to the faithful subscribers of the subversive underground newsletter]

HOUSE by Keith Giles

As I’ve been studying the practice of the early church, both historically and scripturally, I’ve learned quite a bit about how these first disciples of Jesus gathered, shared, and lived out the Gospel in their everyday lives.

What’s come as a shock to me has been the wide range of reactions from other Christians when this subject comes up.

My favorite response, so far, has to be this one: “It’s not Biblical”.

No, really. Someone actually said to me that what we’re doing, meeting in homes to share a common meal, study the Scriptures and minister to one another in the Power of the Holy Spirit, isn’t Biblical.

So, just to set the record straight….The House Church is the Biblical Church. No other form of church is described in the New Testament.

There are more than 21 references to House Churches in the New Testament.

While the early part of the book of Acts suggests that the early believers “…used to gather…” at Solomon’s Porch (or Collonade), it is clear that, even at the time Acts itself was put to paper, this practice had already been abandoned.

Early on, those who followed Jesus were mostly Jews, and they were welcome to gather in the temple and in the local synagogue to worship and to read the scriptures aloud, even have their own “Rabbi’s” teach that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

However, soon it was too dangerous for the Jews to continue to worship alongside the Messianic Jews. As persecutions of Christians intensified, Jews and Messianic Jews were lumped together, and soon the same Jews who crucified Jesus began to apply pressure on the followers of Jesus.

Most likely it was the execution of Stephen that prompted the Jews to close the synagogues and temples off from the Messianic Jews, as their persecution of them intensified.

At any rate, specific references to the gathering of Christians in the homes of fellow believers is cited, in part, below:
House Church in Caesarea: Met in the house of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:7-12)
House Church of the Collosians: Meeting in the house of Philemon (Philm. 1-2)
House Churches in Corinth: The house church of Titius Justus (Acts 18:7); The house church in the home of Chloe (1 Cor. 1:11); The house of Stephanas (1 Cor. 16:15); The house of Gaius (Rom. 16:22-23).
House Churches in Ephesus: The house of Aquila and Priscilla (1Cor.16:19); various un-named house churches referenced (Acts 20:17-21)
House Churches in Jerusalem: Various house churches (Acts 2:46-47, Acts 5:42, Acts 8:3); The house church of Mary (Acts 12:12)
House Church in or near Laodicea: The house of Nympha (Col. 4:15)
House Churches in Rome: The house of Aquila and Priscilla (Rom.16:3-5); The house of Aristobulus (Rom. 16:10); The house of Narcissus (Rom. 16:11); The house of Asyncritus (Rom. 16:14); The house of Philologus and Julia (Rom.16:15); The house of Paul (Acts 28:16, 23, 29-31)
House Church in Thessalonica: The house church in the home of Jason (Acts 17:1-9)
House Church in Troas: The house with an upper room (Acts20:7-12)

Therefore, let there be no doubt that, Scripturally, the early Church met in the homes of the believers and had no central building of worship for over 300 years.

I always like to remind people that America hasn’t even been a Nation for 300 years.
Historical documents support this as well.

The practice of worship in the home, gathering together as a family of God, breaking bread, exercising the gifts for the building up of the Body, the priesthood of the believer, etc., are all concepts which developed out of and flourished because of this model of church.

I personally feel that it was not an accident that the form of church inspired by Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit, and intentionally modelled by Peter, James, John, and Paul the Apostle, was based on the concept of family. It wasn't something arbitrary. It wasn't because they couldn't afford a large building, as if they would have met in a mega-church format if they could have.

I believe that the early church made a conscious, intentional choice to meet as a family, in homes, to facilitate a strong sense of community, build disciples, freely exercise all the gifts of the Spirit, and evangelize in a more organic way.

Their fruit in these areas (community, service, discipleship, evangelism) is legendary. The system worked. We ourselves are living evidence of this.

Not to say that God isn’t using the traditional form of Church. He is. I remain a firm and loyal supporter of all expressions of worship, but as for me and my house, if I am offered the choice of something built on a corporate business model, or an organic, family-based form of church that sets people free to engage one another and facilitate community, discipleship and spiritual growth, not to mention evangelism based on relationships, then my choice is the same as that of the first disciples of Jesus.

Just had to get that off my chest.

(Ahhh…..)

I feel better now.

More later…

Kg
**
UPDATE: So far this little e-newsletter has grown to over 55 people. Wow. Thanks to all of you for making this work. I hope these articles and bits of info are encouraging to you in your walk with Jesus.

ARTICLES ONLINE:
"TWO OR MORE" by Keith Giles
My newest article online at Seed Stories here:
http://www.seedstories.com

BIG EVENTS:
ENGAGE: APRIL 22ND WITH DAVID RUIS
Be sure to check out the groovy website now online here:
http://www.soulsurvivorusa.com/engage/

BOOK UPDATE:
I'm on Chapter three of my book so far. Thanks for helping me stay on target for this little project. Hopefully this will be available in a bookstore near you in time for Christmas.



[END TRANSMISSION]

[subversive underground] WEAKNESS

[sent on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006, to the faithful subscribers of the subversive underground]

WEAKNESS by Keith Giles

In my own life, I’ve had more than one opportunity to embrace my own weakness in search of Christ’s power within.

My first discovery of this truth was early in my Christian walk, and to be honest, I didn’t really understand it completely at the beginning. Not the way I do now.

I was a Junior in High School and I had fallen in love with a beautiful, red-headed girl from Houston, Texas. She was a Senior, and I really wanted to see her graduate at the end of the school year. The only problems were that I lived in El Paso, several hundred miles away, and my semester finals were one week after she would actually walk the aisle and take her diploma.

I was undaunted. For weeks I prayed that God would open the doors for me to get down to Houston one week earlier than my semester finals in order to watch her graduate from High School.

My plan was simple. First, I would begin to mow lawns and wash cars, and do odd jobs, for the members of my church in order to raise money for a plane ticket to Houston. By the end of the school year I was sure to have the few hundred dollars necessary to purchase a ticket.

Secondly, I discovered that I would need a special waiver from my principal allowing me to take my semester finals with our Senior class, which were one week earlier than everyone else’s final exams, because I was only a Junior.

For weeks I held fast to the scripture verse from Philipians that says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I repeated it all the time. I reminded God of that verse every time I prayed, and God even reciprocated by inserting the verse into the strangest places and from the most unlikely mouths, as the weeks wore on.

I was certain that I could do this seemingly impossible thing, because God was going to help me.

However, with only three weeks left before the end of the semester, I had raised no funds whatsoever. Not one person in my church had called to hire me to do a single thing. I had no money for travel expenses. What’s more, I still had to convince my principal that I should be allowed to take my finals a week early along with the Seniors.

Then, an astounding thing happened. I gave up.

I remember lying on my bed, praying to God, with tears of frustration and disappointment streaming down my teenaged face. “I give up God. I’ve tried God. You know how I’ve tried. I thought I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but I have to admit I can’t do it. So, if you want me to go to Houston, God, you’ll have to make it happen because I can’t.”

I had no idea what those words did as they reverberated through the walls of the Kingdom of God. “I can’t do it, God,” I said. “It’s up to you”.

Two days later my miracle came. I answered the phone and my youth pastor was telling me that he was leaving El Paso and moving away. Before I could lament my condition any further, he asked me if I’d like to help him move down to his new house in Houston.

I couldn’t believe it. Here God had provided a way for me to travel to Houston and it hadn’t cost me anything at all. Of course, I said yes.

But the matter of the waiver from my principal was still hanging over my head. The next day I went to my counselor and received the waiver that my principal needed to sign in order to be allowed to take my finals a week early. I saw him talking in the hallway between classes to the associate principal and made my way towards him, practicing my speech under my breath about why he needed to allow me this special favor.

As I stood before him, waiting patiently for him to finish his conversation with his associate, he suddenly reached out in mid-sentence and took the slip of paper out of my hand. Before I knew it, without even having looked at me twice, he had scribbled his name on the line and handed me back the paper.

For a moment I stood frozen in place. I couldn’t really believe what had just happened. All that I had strived for and failed at, God had sewn up in a matter of hours, and I had not done a single thing to make any of it happen.

Later that night, I took out my Bible and I re-read those words in Philipians. “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” Suddenly they made a different kind of sense to me than before. It wasn’t that God was waiting to bless what I wanted, or to strengthen my efforts, it was that God was the one through whom all things should be done, for His glory and in His strength.

His power, not mine. His wisdom, not mine. His strength, my weakness.

I wish I could say that every day afterwards I operated on this divine principal of weakness, but I did not. It would take many more trials and tests of my faith before I would really begin to get it.

So, after taking my finals with the Seniors, helping my youth pastor pack up the moving van, and driving hundreds of miles towards the lights of Houston, Texas I discovered something else about the amazing power of weakness and depending on God’s strength.

The house that my youth pastor was living in was across the street from the red-headed girl’s house. I kid you not.

For that one summer, I enjoyed the leisure of God’s amazing grace to me, expressed in His kindness to me at refusing to give me what I wanted the way I wanted it.

Praise God that he didn’t allow anyone to hire me for odd jobs. Praise God that I wasn’t allowed the pleasure of persuading my principal for special consideration. Praise God that I didn’t have to travel to Houston alone, book a hotel room and rent a car in order to see my girlfriend graduate from High School.

Praise God for my amazing weakness. Praise God for His amazing strength in the face of my inability.

There’s a popular bumper sticker I remember from several years ago that read, “God Is My Co-Pilot”. The truth, I was soon to learn, was that if God isn’t the pilot, you’re on the wrong airplane.

kg
[END TRANSMISSION]
**

[subversive underground] BRINGING JESUS

[sent on 2/13/06 to the faithful subscribers of the underground newsletter, now approximately 56 people strong]


BRINGING JESUS by Keith Giles

As I've been learning more about how to love and serve the poor that God
puts in my path, I've discovered a new struggle and challenge.

Earlier on, I had to learn that serving the poor isn't about curing them as
much as it is about getting to know them, learning to love them, and then
being changed profoudly in the process.

At the same time, I learned that it's more about sharing than about giving.
Anyone can write a check or drop a bill in an open hand, but it takes more
than that to fulfill what God's after from us- the sharing of what we have
with those who are in need. Sharing is not the same as giving. Sharing
requires a more intimate relationship with those who are in poverty. It
involves risk, it costs more, and it produces an inner fruit that giving
never touches.

Now I'm struggling with something new.

I became aware of it when I began to notice the young, twenty-year old guys,
begging for money at the off-ramp where I catch the 5 fwy on my way to work
each morning.

My first thought was, "These guys should just hang a sign around their necks
that says, 'Need Money For Heroin', or something." Unlike the older men who
I'd seen around town, these younger guys were more obviously homeless
because of a substance abuse issue. The more traditionally "homeless" are
those who suffer from mental illness, or perhaps have an addiction to
something more socially acceptable like alcohol. These guys, quite
obviously, could easily get a job somewhere and earn a living, or at least
function within society where someone with mental illness, or another sort
of handicap, could not.

I was finding it hard to have compassion on these guys.

That was until a good friend of mine shared a testimony with me of a young,
Christian man who was now homeless, on the streets, and addicted to heroin.

This guy's story was heart-breaking. He had come from a Christian home, had
attended a Christian University, lead small groups, played in the worship
team, and lead others to Jesus in his early walk. Now he was sleeping on the
park bench and hustling money from people at gas stations for cash to score
more heroin.

As my friend shared with me this guy's story, I was softened. My heart began
to ache for this young man. How could we reach him? How could we love him
back into the family of God again?

Then, a week later, I was sitting in line to get gas at a local station and
there they were...two young men pan-handling for cash. I knew what they
were doing. I knew they were just like that young man trapped by addiction
and separated from their families, friends, and hope.

My heart began to beat faster. Do I give them money if they come over to my
window? Do I confront them? Do I engage them in dialog?

More importantly, I wondered, how do I bring Jesus to them?

That's what I really, deep down, wanted to know. How do I bring Jesus to
them?

Because what they need, really, is Jesus. Not money. Not a place to sleep.
Not a hug. Not even just freedom from Heroin or Meth. They need Jesus.

And that's when I realized, we all need Jesus.

I need Him. You need Him. Those young men, addicted to heroin and begging
for cash to score a high need Him.

Now the distance between myself and these young men seems so much less
significant. Or important.

A few weeks later, having breakfast with my friend David Ruis, I asked him
about this. I asked how I can bring Jesus to these people.

David is much further down the road than I am on this journey of faith,
especially when it comes to loving and serving the poor in light of the
Gospel of Jesus.

David's answer was simply, "I think it still comes through relationship".

Of course, I kind of knew this already. I know that a relationship with the
poor, with the broken, with the lost and the forgotten, is really what Jesus
is trying to get us to embrace. Maybe I was expecting something more
metaphysical? I don't know.

Part of me does want to ask these young men if they're willing to ask Jesus
for help. I'm fascinated by how often Jesus would ask those blind, lame, and
leperous what they wanted him to do for them. The answer seemed so obvious,
and yet Jesus almost always asked them first what it was they wanted.

I think it's because sometimes the blind don't want to see. Sometimes those
who are lame and crippled don't want to have their condition taken away.
They take comfort from their handicap. They make a living on their
infirmity, even if it's not "Life", it's a living, and it allows them to
keep their addiction.

I keep reading the passage in Acts where Peter says to the beggar at the
Gate called Beautiful, "Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have I
give to you. In the name of Jesus, take your mat, rise up, and walk."

Inside me I yearn to have that sort of faith. I yearn to bring Jesus to
those so helpless and broken in this way. I want to see some of these come
to Jesus in such a dynamic and miraculous display of God's power.

Maybe that is part of what God is calling me to explore? I don't want to
talk myself out of the possibility that God is after that in the lives of
these people.

But even so, the question is whether or not I'm willing to love these people
should the miracle take more than a moment.

A miraculous solution, with the power of God breaking through at the sound
of the name of Jesus, is much more exciting and glamorous. It also involves
less commitment and it costs me nothing other than the temporary risk of
looking stupid should my prayer fail to produce.

David shared with me how he has started to develop a friendship with a young
man who begs at a stoplight near his house. How their conversations have
turned to more than a few folded dollar bills or a shared smile, and how he
now goes out of his way to park his car and walk over to talk with this
young man.

I marvel at this sort of miracle. How someone can share so much, and yet so
little, and bring the Kingdom of God, even Jesus Himself, to a lonely,
forgotten, and addicted person on the side of the freeway.

You know what I just realized?

Wherever we go we bring Jesus. The only question is whether we will go into
those places where He is needed and allow Him to love others through us.

If we never step out, we'll never know.

kg
WWW.KEITHGILES.COM

[subversive underground] FOOD

[the following was sent to the faithful subscribers of the subversive underground newsletter on Febuary 6th, 2006]

FOOD

Hey you subversives,

Just wanted to give you some food for thought.

1) My blog is updated today with an article on POVERTY AND RELATIONSHIPS.
Check it out:
www.keithgiles.com

2) INVISIBLE CHILDREN: An amazing article on Vanity Fair that explores the
genocide in Africa and how it's affecting children, all in the name of
Jesus. You must read this.

EXCERPT:
Childhood's End
For 19 years, Joseph Kony has been enslaving, torturing, raping, and
murdering Ugandan children, many of whom have become soldiers for his
"Lord's Resistance Army," going on to torture, rape, and kill other
children. The author exposes the vicious insanity˜and cynical
politics˜behind one of Africa's greatest nightmares
By CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS

FULL ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.vanityfair.com/commentary/content/articles/060109roco03


3) BONO'S SERMON: This is an amazing...and I can't stress this
enough..."AMAZING" sermon by U2's frontman, Bono as he delivered the keynote
address for the National Prayer Breakfast in front of President Bush,
Members of Congress and the Senate, and national religious leaders last
week.
Your mouth will fall open. You will cry. You will cheer. You must read this.

FULL TRANSCRIPT OF BONO'S ADDRESS HERE:
http://www.data.org/archives/000774.php

UPDATE: I'm working tonight and later this week on my book project. Chapter
one is a look at Paul the Apostle and his revelation that God's Grace is
sufficient, even in our suffering, and that there is true power in weakness.

I'll show it to you (and only you guys) when I'm done.
Later this week.
(This keeps me accountable, btw. If I know you guys are expecting this, I'll
actually sit down and write it. Thanks for being my "carrot" as I attempt to
complete this book project).

More later this week on "Bringing Jesus To The Poor", "Fasting And Sharing",
and a brand new podcast sermon link on "Worship and Justice".

Until then...

kg

[END TRANSMISSION]

[subversive underground] JOY

[originally sent to the faithful subversive underground list on Feb 3rd, 2006]

JOY by Keith Giles

Last night we hosted our very first official meeting of our new house church, "The Mission".

Two weeks ago our house was full of the curious and the searching as we explained our vision, how we got to this place, and answered questions about what this might look like.

That interest meeting had been sweet. We had spontaneously, seamlessly, shifted from talking about how to do house church into actually acting it out in the middle of the meeting. The sense of the Holy Spirit's leading and presence made our ministry to one another effortless and natural.

I sat back and marveled.

Last night, as Wendy and I prepared to receive our first guests there was a sense of uncertainty in the air. Our meeting time was six o'clock in the evening. At 6:05 there was no one in our home but Wendy's sister Felicia, our own two boys, and two boys from the neighborhood who were playing together while we made coffee and heated up a dish for our dinner together.

We were wondering about whether or not we'd just have to do this ourselves or not.

Then the first person showed up. About six minutes later, another showed up. And then another. And then four more. And then....

Soon our house was just brimming with people. There was laughter and there were warm hugs of welcome. We shared stories of the week, some people brought gifts, everyone brought a dish to share, and the sound of our fellowship resonated throughout the house.

After a prayer of blessing over the food we all got a plate and started to sample the various dishes.

Even as we sat to eat, more people kept coming in. Before long we had another wave of people who also came to take a plate, find a seat and begin to share with the rest of us.

After a while I passed around a loaf of bread and a glass of juice. Everyone took a bit of bread, dipped it in the glass, and passed it to the next person. In this way, in the midst of the fellowship, we celebrated the "Communion" of both the saints and the Lord with us, remembering the Lord's death until He comes again.

I read an excerpt from Tertullian's "Apology" dated in the 3rd century that explained how the early church gathered together in homes to share a meal, offer money to the poor, sing a song from their heart and pray to God together. It was amazing to read about how this was exactly what we were doing, even in the same order as they did, without intending to.

After a bit more time for people to finish their meal one of our members who played guitar took my old Applause out of the case and tried to tune it in the other room. Soon he returned to play some worship songs for us.

I was in tears watching the little toddlers, the elementary children, the teenagers, and even my own sons, begin to join in the worship with the rest of us. We all worshipped together, as one Body. Young and old alike.

After a few songs some of us began to offer spontaneous prayers to God. We sang another song together, and then some of us prayed a little more.

Some of us began to share what God had been showing us during the week, as we'd been asked to do at the interest meeting two weeks previously.

One person shared a song from a Cd that had ministered to her and it blessed us all as well. One person shared about how God had prompted her to pray for her unbelieving, and sometimes abusive, boss at work whose leg had been injured. Still another person shared an encouraging word to another in the group. Even the childen got involved, reciting memory verses to the group, with applause following.

I was especially blessed when a young boy who is in Jr. High asked for prayer from the adults so he could draw nearer to God. We also prayed for his younger brother who was having trouble sleeping at night.

Everyone gathered around these two young men, laying hands on them, and praying for them from the heart. It was sweet.

After this we shared some more, and then at 8:30pm we prayed to dismiss, but with the assurance that everyone was free to stay as long as they liked, but we had to have a stopping point "officially" so that those with children, or those who needed to get home, could do so.

Most stayed after 8:30pm.

Some even stayed to talk and pray and share until 10:30pm.

I am in heaven.

This is just so much more robust and sweet and rich and wonderful than anything else I've ever done in my life before with the name "Church" on it.

My favorite part of this sort of meeting is that, even though Wendy and I are the pastors and founders of this house church, we're just as much the followers as everone else is. And everyone here is also the leader, as the Holy Spirit leads and as we respond according to our gifting.

It takes so much pressure off of me to make things work or to keep people entertained. I'm not the one in charge of this church; God is! In fact, we just invite the Holy Spirit to come and we expect Him to show up and then...get this...we actually allow Him to lead the meeting the way He wants to.

Some of us are still working through the old model of waiting for the leader to spout out information. But I know in time that we'll all loose the "spectator sport" tendencies so ingrained in us and begin to actually embrace the priesthood of the Believer, ministering to each other and receiving ministry at the same time.

I can understand now why so many people who have done church this way say they can never go back to the old way of doing church.

I can never go back.

Only one more week until we meet again!

I can't wait!

*kg
***

HERE AND NOW by Keith Giles

[originally sent to those faithful few in the underground on Jan. 27, 2006]

[subversive underground] HERE AND NOW
by Keith Giles

At the core of the ministry of Jesus is the Gospel of The Kingdom. Nearly every single parable of Jesus is designed to explain a particular facet of the Kingdom. His Sermon on the Mount declares the values of this Kingdom. His teachings are intended to show us how to live within the Kingdom, and His life was a blueprint for us to follow as we ourselves enter the Kingdom and learn from Him.

This new order that both John the Baptist and Jesus the Messiah came to announce is a counter-cultural, and therefore counter-intuitive, system of life.

What we must keep in mind, as we begin to explore the concepts found in the Gospel of the Kingdom, is that this new system of life is God’s system. It is not one way of living, but in truth it is the way of living. Even as these new ways of thinking and living and being confound our minds and defy our logic and reason, we must constantly strive to remind ourselves that it is not God’s system that is unrealistic, but it is our own pattern of thinking and living that needs to be reformed and renewed.

When Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20) this is a counter-intuitive, counter-cultural statement. In the world you and I live in every day, it most certainly is not the poor who are blessed, and neither do we associate great spiritual gain with poverty. In fact, in modern times the mega church and the splendor of the televangelist franchise would suggest to all of us that it is the rich and the successful who is most likely to inherit the kingdom of God. Is Jesus mistaken, or are we the ones who have misplaced our priorities? I suspect it’s the latter and not the former.

It’s fascinating to me that if we read the most famous sermon Jesus ever preached we will see a version of reality that most of us who proudly call ourselves His followers would find surprisingly alien.

Most of us live with a practical version of the Beatitudes that go something like, “Blessed are the popular for they will be promoted. Blessed are the investors for they will inherit a secure retirement. Blessed are those who are strong, who are entertaining, who are physically beautiful and strong, for they will receive all that they hope or desire.”

The words of Jesus from the sermon on the mount seem to be for another world and another place, not for the actual world you and I live in and deal with every single day. It’s because of this apparent disconnect that most Christians dismiss the wisdom of Jesus as something for the age to come. “When we get to Heaven things will be the way Jesus describes them,” we tell ourselves. But for the here and now, it’s survival of the fittest and every man for himself.

Nothing could be further from the truth, or more blasphemous to the life and ministry of Jesus.

When Jesus came to preach the Good News of the Kingdom, it was for today. It was intended for the here and now of life, not for some mystical afterlife beyond the grave.

What Jesus was proclaiming was that we could live today under the rule and reign of Almighty God, as we will one day when the New Jerusalem comes down from God out of Heaven. Instead of waiting to have this quality of life, Jesus was presenting an alternative system of living whereby we could reap the benefits of a God-Ruled Universe right now.

This is why so many people followed Jesus. This is why his message, his Gospel, was so compelling, and therefore so dangerous, to those who held spiritual power over the masses.

Most of modern Christianity has assumed that the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed had something to do with his death on the cross and the promise of eternal life after we die. This is what we’ve all been taught in Sunday School and through sermon after sermon all through our lives.

Most of us would define “The Gospel” as a spiritual transaction whereby we who are sinners receive a ticket to heaven when we die because of the death of Jesus upon the cross in our place. Yet, if we take this definition of the Gospel and apply it to the scriptures, we can easily see that this was not what Jesus or his disciples had in mind when they went around proclaiming the Gospel.

Even before we examine specific scriptures, those of us who have even a basic knowledge of the disciples can agree that, even as Jesus described his imminent arrest, torture and crucifixion to his closest friends and followers, there constant response to this was confusion, denial or flat out dismissal. If this were a central part of the Gospel as Jesus was proclaiming it to them, and as they themselves were proclaiming, it would seem logical that they would be able to grasp it. But this is not the case.

When we look at passages where Jesus sends the disciples out into the surrounding area to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, it doesn’t make sense that what they were sharing with the community had anything to do with a guy who was going to die very soon for their sins and, once he did that, if they repeated a careful prayer, then they could go to heaven when they died. Obviously, whatever it was that the disciples went out preaching, it wasn’t anything to do with a subject they exhibited zero understanding of or agreement with.

So, what was it that the disciples went out preaching? It was simply the Gospel of the Kingdom. The same message that we see Jesus publicly proclaiming over and over again in the Gospels. Here are just a few examples from Scripture:

“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (Luke 4:43)

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” (Matt 9:35)

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom..” (Matt 4:23)

In my own spiritual journey, from a nine year old convert in a small Texas town, to a licensed and ordained minister of the Gospel pastoring others in their walk with Jesus, I have to confess that most of my progress has assumed the more popular Gospel of Salvation and not the actual Gospel that Jesus himself actually preached while he was here in the flesh.

It was only a few years ago, as I was doing my first interview for a brand-new online column on American Spirituality called “Subversive” that I quite literally had my little spiritual paradigm re-arranged forever.

I was interviewing a gentleman named Todd Hunter. Some of you may know him as the former National Director of the Association of Vineyard Churches, others as an emerging church-planting coach with Allelon Ministries, and perhaps others of you as the President of ALPHA Ministries here in the U.S. To me, he was someone I had heard preach at various times on Sunday mornings when our main pastor was out of town or sick. He was a practical and real-world teacher of the scriptures, and someone I respected in the arena of modern church development.

At one point in the interview, I asked him what, in his opinion, was the single biggest problem or challenge in American Christianity today. I suppose I expected him to cite apathy, or a lack of humility, or perhaps a lack of observable spiritual conviction among the Western Church. But what he said in response to this inquiry literally rocked my world and I have never been the same since.

Here is an excerpt from the interview with Todd Hunter that day.

“I think America is largely inoculated against the Gospel now, against what it believes the Gospel is all about,” said Hunter. “I don’t believe the Gospel is about saying a prayer and then when you die you get to go to heaven. I think the true Gospel is about the in-breaking of the kingdom into your life today. The Gospel is not, ‘Jesus paid the price for my sins so I go to heaven when I die,’ or at least it’s not the Gospel that Jesus announced. The Gospel that Jesus announced is the good news of the present availability of the kingdom through Him. When we only think of Jesus as an atoning sacrifice, then His life and teaching and modeling just totally go out the window. Discipleship then becomes optional,” Hunter argued. “But, if the Gospel is the good news that you can enter the kingdom and receive a different kind of life now, then you’ve got a basis for discipleship, or ‘follower-ship.’

(the full interview, in two parts, appeared originally on RelevantMagazine.com and is now available online at my blog: http://subversive1.blogspot.com/)


To be honest, I had two more follow-up interviews with Mr. Hunter after this first one just to make sure I could get my head around what he was trying to say.

It was this single concept, the Gospel of the Kingdom, that radically influenced the most significant spiritual re-education of my life in every area of my personal theology. From this point, I began to realize that I had lived most of my Christian life trying to follow Jesus without my cross. Discipleship to Jesus began to be my primary focus. I began to develop a fascination for Jesus himself that I never knew before. Who was he? What did he really teach? Why did he do things the way he did? How could I actually deny myself daily, take up my cross, and allow Jesus to be my teacher and my Lord.

It was along this newfound path of discipleship to Jesus that I discovered this hidden concept of weakness and humility as a source of spiritual strength.

I hope we can discover together a dynamic spiritual principle that has been embedded in the Word of God all along, and yet somehow we seem to have overlooked it all this time.

In our modern culture, obsessed with growth and wealth and popularity, we have lost sight of the simple, quiet and humble path that Jesus himself modeled for us, and that Paul the Apostle later discovered as the source of true spiritual power.

I hope that you will find yourself at the heart of God’s magnificent plan to change the world and advance His Kingdom. The amazing thing about the power of weakness is that it opens up the playing field for all of us to participate with the Spirit of God as He transforms lives and does the impossible in our midst.

You are the man or woman that God is looking for. You have a specific calling, gifting and destiny to radically influence the world you live in as an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. Regardless of your education, ability, status or wealth, God is longing to work hand in hand with you to change the world.

All that you have to do is to trust in His power, embrace your own weakness and inability, and develop a radical posture of total obedience to the Holy Spirit of God.

kg
[END TRANSMISSION]

[subversive underground] BBQ WAFFLES?

[orginally sent to the subscribers of the underground newsletter on Jan 24th, 2006]

BBQ WAFFLES ANYONE?
By Keith Giles

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had….There was no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.”- Acts 4:32-35

As I read about the early church in the book of Acts I am amazed at their simple devotion to one another, to the poor, and especially to Jesus.

Reading about how “there was no needy person found among them” I am humbled and inspired. As I see their eagerness to share, not just to give an offering, but to take what is their own and give it away to others who are truly in need, I long to know this kind of “koinonia” or “Agape Community”.

How did they do it?

As someone who has been involved in ministry and on staff at various kinds of churches over the last sixteen years, I know first-hand the frustration of reading the book of Acts and then trying every possible program and gimmick available to duplicate this kind of simple Christian life within the congregation I’m helping to pastor.

Anyone who’s ever tried to lead a group of believers, or to pastor a church knows the pain of this same frustration. We attend seminars taught by high-powered business executives turned church consultant gurus. We buy their books, their tapes, and we try every possible way to produce the fruit we see in the book of Acts within our own church body.

What happens is, we get larger churches, we get happier churches, we get culturally-relevant churches, we get hip and cool and slick, but the one thing we don’t get is more like the people we read about in the book of Acts.

Why is that?

Here’s my oversimplified explanation. Let’s pretend that what the early Christians in Acts were great at was making waffles. They made the best waffles known to man. Their waffles were legendary. We read about those amazing waffles and we determine to make waffles like they did. So, we go to the successful culinary experts in our modern world and we ask them for advice. They tell us to buy the biggest Barbecue Grill we can find, the one with dual propane tanks and the built-in meat thermometer. They tell us to get the complete serving dish set, all the chrome cooking utensils and even a chefs hat and matching apron. We buy it all and we even put a cross on it to make it holy. Next we start trying to grill up some waffles, and of course, those waffles are lousy. No one wants our waffles and we can’t understand why.

Why won’t we accept the fact that, unless we start trying to make waffles the way the early church did, we’ll never ever be any good at making waffles?

Very simply put, I feel very strongly that if we don’t do what they did, we’ll never get what they got.

That’s why we’re starting “the mission”, so that we can begin to learn from The Holy Spirit how to actually love, and share, and give, and live out our faith the same way the early church did for over 300 years.

Even the big business executives agree-“The systems you currently have are perfectly designed to give you the results you are now getting” (Peter Senge).

If we want different results than what we’re getting, it means we’re going to have to completely change the system we’re using.

I’ll be mixing up the batter in the kitchen, please don’t forget to bring the syrup.


“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”- Acts 2:44-47

[subversive underground] STEP ONE

[originally sent to the faithful subscribers of the underground on Friday, Jan 20th, 2006]


STEP ONE by Keith Giles

Last night we hosted our first interest meeting for our new house church, "The Mission".

It was a sweet time.

I had been praying all week that God would bring the people He wanted, as He promises in 1 Cor 12, and God had been showing me that the one person who desperately needed to be at this, and all future meetings, was the Holy Spirit. In fact, we should always leave an open seat for Him, invite Him, expect Him to show up, and to let Him lead the meetings exactly as He desires.

Last night we got a taste of that.

First, we had around 12 people who had RSVP'd to attend, and only one did not make it out of that group. Then, we had two people show up who were complete surprises, but very welcome nonetheless.

As Wendy and I began to share our vision, our heart, our calling into this new house church model, the Spirit began to move throughout the room. Several people even stopped to say out loud how they could sense the Holy Spirit among us during the meeting. The conversations and the responses were all very natural, organic and encouraging.

I had started off explaining how, in a "real meeting", we would all be leaders and we'd also all be followers. I explained how each of us should expect to come and to share with the whole group what God had been saying to us during the week, or share a testimony or a scripture, or anything that the Holy Spirit might be prompting.

Before I knew it, we were all doing it on the spot. As people shared ideas, or thoughts, or testimonies, I sat back and realized that this interest meeting was turning into a living example of what we were being called to do together in harmony.

So, after we ended in a time of prayer, I realized that, no matter who God calls to this church, no matter how big or how small, the best thing is that this is His church. He will build His church and He will accomplish what He desires.

I know that God's heart is much bigger than mine when it comes to the lost, the least, the forgotten. I'm praying that God would do something so astounding among us that no man could ever take credit for it.

Honestly, I feel like once this thing gets rolling we'll all be holding on for dear life as God takes us on a full-blast adventure into a Spirit-led community of dynamic interaction and discipleship.

Starting February 2nd, at 6pm, the Mission begins.

I can't wait.


**

[subversive underground] PRACTICE

(originally sent to the subversive underground email list on Friday, June 13th, 200)

[subversive underground] PRACTICE
by Keith Giles

My last transmission generated the most response I’ve ever received before so I thought I’d write a little more on the subject.

First, I culled my responses to several of you into a single draft and posted it on the main blog here: http://subversive1.blogspot.com

Go check that out for more on the issue of the American Poor, our Biblical Mandate to care for the poor (complete with scriptural references), and the difference between “Our Poor” and the “Real Poor” we see in Third World Countries.

I’d love to hear your reactions to these assertions, ideas, etc. on the main blog so if you do read this, please leave a comment there.

Now….
As I’ve continued to think about this subject, and to dialog with some of you, I’ve realized that there are a few things I’ve never written about or talked about much.

One thing I’ve learned is that serving the poor isn’t about curing hunger or making poverty history. I honestly don’t believe it’s possible (sorry Bono) and I know that we can’t hope to compete with or even to equal what all the various non-profits do in the area of food, shelter, counseling, community development and all the rest that goes with healing and helping those trapped in poverty.

That does not mean we don’t support organizations and initiatives aimed at relieving poverty or providing food to the hungry, it just means that our goal shouldn’t be to eradicate poverty forever or something so “out there” that we can’t get a handle on what’s really important.

What I do think it’s about, for you and I, is touching and knowing our poor.

I know that something changed in me when I stopped seeing the poor as “The Poor” and started thinking of them as Mike and his wife and kids.

There’s a family in the motel where we started our Compassion Ministry that has become very dear to us. As we began to befriend them, to eat with them, to laugh and to cry with them, suddenly we didn’t think of the poor as a large, faceless group of dirty beggars.

Suddenly they were our friends. The poor became a man and a wife with two small children. Their problems became our own challenges. Their needs became something we prayed specifically about. Their struggle began to intertwine with our own daily struggle.

Soon, I began to be changed, and I think that’s a major part of what serving the poor is all about.

When we start out serving the poor, we believe that we’re there to fix them. We have Jesus, we have jobs, we have wisdom and great ideas. We believe that these people will benefit from an association with us.

After a while, if we really see them, and if we really befriend them, what starts to happen is that they change us. We become the one’s who receive the benefit. They teach us things about life, about love, about courage, about dignity and humility and sharing that we could never have learned or experienced in any other way.

Isaiah affirms this concept. Chapter 58, verse 6 begins with God instructing us on the purpose and process of true fasting. He says, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry, and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked to clothe him, and not to turn away your own flesh and blood? THEN YOUR LIGHT WILL BREAK FORTH LIKE THE DAWN, AND YOUR HEALING WILL QUICKLYAPPEAR.”

I’m sure noticed that last part, especially since I made it all caps. Do you see this? It’s when we care for the poor that our healing comes. It’s when we help those around us in need that our light breaks forth.

See that? We’re the ones who get blessed when we show mercy and compassion.

Now, that’s not to say we should only help others because we’re looking for the kick-back. I think God, who looks at the heart, might actually withhold our blessing if we only serve the poor around us because we’re hoping for a new car or raise at work. Still, the principle is clear. When we bless others, we’re the ones who get blessed.

And the blessings, I believe, are not material. They’re even better than that. They’re eternal. They are spiritual.

One Sunday afternoon we invited Mike and his family over to our house for lunch. We sat around the table and ate a wonderful chicken dinner. Afterwards our kids played together in the large backyard while the adults sat in the living room and shared some coffee.

Lunch turned into an afternoon visit, and then it turned into a pizza dinner, and then it turned into a movie night with everyone back in the living room.

At one point, I was playing in my boys room with my sons and Mike’s son who was about 3 years old at the time. As we sat on the carpet and played with Legos, this little boy suddenly sat up, looked around and said, “This is a house” and then went back to building his robot.

I couldn’t breathe. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that this little boy had never been inside someone’s house before.

I looked around the room where my sons sleep and realized it was larger than the entire room at the motel where his whole family slept.

In my heart that afternoon, someone rearranged the furniture and I don’t ever want to put it back again.

I could go on. There have been times when I have gone out to serve the poor and to help people in need, but when I come home I realize that I am the one who was more blessed.

That’s part of why I sometimes feel guilty afterwards. I can sense that I’ve taken from them much more than I’ve given to them. I always feel that I could have done more, no matter how massive the gift or the service may have been. I always know deep inside that I have gone home the better off for it all, while they sleep in their motel beds much the same as they were before I came.

So, serving others, caring for the poor around us, isn’t about feeding every single hungry person in our city. It’s not about changing the face of poverty forever. It’s more about engaging others, serving them and learning to see with different eyes.

I love the scripture where Jesus washes his disciples feet. It says that he wanted to show them the fullness of his love, and so he put on the clothes of a slave and performed the most personally degrading service possible by washing their feet.

Afterwards, Jesus puts his regular clothes back on and sits down. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asks. “Now that I have washed your feet, you also should was one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” He ends by saying, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13)

Do we get this? We are not blessed because we know something. We are only blessed when we do the things we know.

We cannot know that God has commanded us to have an open-hand to the poor and then expect that we will be blessed or that we will grow in Christ because we have the understanding. We have to put the words of Jesus into action if we hope to reap the benefits.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6)

***

[subversive underground] POVERTY LIGHT

[the following article was sent out on the subversive underground on jan. 9th, 2006 to the subscribers of the e-newsletter]

POVERTY LIGHT by Keith Giles

The other day I happened upon an article on MSN entitled "Poverty Now Comes With A Color TV".

If you'd like to read the entire article, (because I'm about to spend a lot of time ripping it apart), it's here:
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest/extra/P140067.asp

Basically, it's one of those articles that puts forth the assertion that since the "poor" in America have luxuries the rest of the nations don't have, they're not really poor.

The underlying innuendo of those sorts of articles and commentaries is that these "American Poor" aren't really poor at all and therefore they should just get a job and stop leeching off the welfare system.

It really makes me angry.

Here's a sample from the story itself:
**
"Census data find an ever-growing material prosperity, with formerly high-dollar luxury items now commonplace in even poor households."

"In terms of the items people have ... it amazes me the number of people who
are at or near the poverty line that have color TVs, cable, washer, dryer,
microwave," says Michael Cosgrove, an economist at the University of Dallas
in Irving, Texas. That's not to ignore the hardships of poverty, he adds,
"but the conveniences they have are in fact pretty good."

**
Ok, I've worked first-hand with the poor in Orange County, California, which is incidentially one of the top 10 economies in the entire world, and I've got a different perspective on poverty in the U.S.

Most of the poor I work with live in motels. Most of them have jobs, or a source of steady income. In fact, for Orange County, 80% of the homeless have a job. They work at Taco Bell, or at the local Grocery Store, or cleaning toilets in large corporations, but they can't afford the monthly rent here, along with a security deposit and the last month's rent. They can barely buy food for their children and they're lucky to have a motel room to shelter themselves in.

Think about it. Those in the motel have access to cable tv, refrigerators, microwave ovens, swimming pools, and heck, they even have a maid who comes in every day to change the sheets and provide new towels. Doesn't that sound great? How can we really call them poor?

Because they are.

I've been in these motel rooms. I've seen whole families crammed into a single room, sleeping on floors because they can't all fit on the bed. Kids toys piled up in the corner near the air conditioner, which usually leaks and barely works.

I've prayed with pregnant moms who have no insurance and no idea how they'll feed their baby once it comes.

I've stood in the rooms of the elderly who are barely able to pay their rent, (about $275 a week), and who weep with joy when you give them a small box of macaroni and cheese or a loaf of bread because it means they'll have something to eat.

These people strive for dignity and survival every day, working their guts out, trying to save their money, trying to get ahead so maybe they can get into an apartment one day, so their children will have a safe place to play.

I once walked through one of these motels in the middle of the night, trying to help a guy who needed a place to sleep for the night. I passed drug dealers, prostitutes, and drunks, on my way to the guy's room, wondering if I'd make it back to my car without getting stabbed or robbed.

And this is where hundreds of families raise their children in Orange County.

But, look, they've got cable TV! They've got air conditioning! Shouldn't that make it all better?

No. It doesn't.

I recently came across a very large report commissioned and published by the County of Orange in 2004. It was a county-wide assessment of the economy, housing, education, crime, etc. in Orange County. Here's some of what I learned from this report:

*A minimum wage earner in Orange County must work 112 hours a week to afford a fair market one bedroom apartment.

*Orange County is one of the top 5 wealthiest places in the world to live.

*Orange County households average $1.39 per household in charitable giving.

*There are approximately 35,000 homeless people in Orange County.

*70% of these are families with children.

So, when I read articles like the one published by MSN that suggest that the poor in America aren't "really" poor, it pushes a button in me. This is insulting and misleading journalism.

The truth is, we don't have to travel to Ethiopa or India to find the poor. We can get in our cars and drive five minutes in either direction and find someone who is living in poverty, who doesn't know the Gospel, and who desperately needs the love of Jesus.

The real question is, will the people who are called by His name step out of their comfort zones and make a difference?

The poor are all around us. As Jesus promised us, "The poor you will always have with you."

Are they not poor because they have cable tv and air conditioning?

I'm tired of hearing the argument that since the poor in America have it so much better than those in other countries who are "really poor" that must mean that they're not actually poor or that we don't need to take responsibility to help our own people.

If Katrina didn't pull back the covers for us and reveal the true depth of poverty in this nation, nothing will I guess.

I just know that I wouldn't and couldn't live in the places that these people have to live every day. I don't have the courage.


[END TRANSMISSION]

SUCCESS AND FAILURE

[originally sent to the subscribers of the subversive underground newsletter the week of Jan 1st, 2006]

SUCCESS AND FAILURE by keith giles

While we prepare to launch our new house church adventure here in our community, I realize that part of the process involves a new way of thinking about success and failure.

One morning, a few weeks ago, I was sitting in our den, drinking my cup of coffee, and trying to think clearly about how we’d start our house church here, what it might look like, how we might begin.

There are various ways for us to start. We’ve tentatively picked a date later this month where we’ll invite a few friends over to our house and explain our vision to them. Some will come to support us, to hear our plan, some to pray for us, others may actually decide that they also want to take a turn at being church in this way and come with us when we have our first meetings in February.

Still, there is an element of missional life surrounding our calling here in this specific house and in this exact neighborhood. Already we are making friends with the children in this community. As these kids get to befriend our own two sons, we are slowly getting to know their families. It’s actually kind of cool that, to this point, it’s mainly been our boys who have been living the missional life here, as we coach them and play off of their lead.

As I was thinking about this house church ministry, I began to wonder about how we’d know if we were being successful or not. At first I thought success might be a house full of people meeting every week here in our den, praying, worshiping, serving others and getting to know one another. Honestly, that’s what I think I’d want to be able to show to another pastor down the road if I was ever asked, “How are things going with that house church?”

Then I realized that this was a very traditional church way of measuring success. Bigger must be better, right? Growth must signal the favor of God on something, and if it’s not large then maybe something’s wrong with you.

I’ve made a conscious choice to reject this sort of measuring stick. Yes, healthy things grow, but growth doesn’t always have to be outward. Sometimes a tree grows faster and larger beneath the ground, as roots are spreading and nourishment is flowing into the trunk, limbs and branches. Growth can be measured by how deep a single person is growing in their relationship with Jesus, or in their understanding of the Gospel.

So, it was then I realized that success for us, in this house church ministry, was simply about following through with everything that God had been saying to us to this point.

As long as everyone in this community around us knows that we love them and that God loves them, no matter what, we’ll be successful. Even if only one or two people attended a weekly meeting in our home, we’ll be successful. In fact, even if no one came to our weekly meetings, we’d still be a success as long as the people in our cul-de-sac knew that we actually cared for them because we had demonstrated the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

Early in the process of our responding to the call to start this house church, I had a conversation with a friendn of mine about what we were doing. He told me he was disappointed that we would leave the traditional church to do this because we had so much potential. That and he was pretty sure that once we started this thing we'd quickly fall on our faces and fail to do what we hoped to do.

I can remember my response, mostly because it was unrehearsed and seemed to come from somewhere other than my own brain. I said, "For us, to decide not to do this just because it looks difficult, or because we're afraid, THAT would be true failure to us. And if in ten years we've got the same five people sitting in our living room, living out this vision together, sharing life and giving all of our tithe to the poor, serving others and enjoying community, then for me that would be success."

This new definition of success demands a longer term vision for us than how things look a year from now, or how many people we have coming and contributing to our house church. In this new definition of success, all that matters is that we are following through with our calling to love God, love others and to express the love of Jesus in our everyday lives.

Sure, I would love to speak at a conference a year from now and tell the inspiring story of how we touched a hundred lives, outgrew our living room, spawned three new groups out of our first group, and established lasting ministry in the community around us.

Maybe one day I will get to share that story, or maybe I’ll simply be able to tell the story of how our family shared life with a few of the families on our street and allowed the Holy Spirit to direct us as we showed the love of Jesus to them.

Either way, this is God’s project, not ours. He will direct us and lead us. He will be the one who builds this church here in our home. We’re only the hosts and the servants who open the front door, and our own lives, to invite those He calls inside.

Kg
**

[END TRANSMISSION]