What word is OUR word?

When folks think of our church, what is the word that pops into their minds? I mean, something must come to mind, what is it? I'd love to hear the one word that pops into the minds of those reading this blog when they think of Desperation Church.

I've heard churches described in several different ways. Whenever their name comes up in a conversation, there is usually some specific quality that is quickly attributed to them. Here are some suggestions:

WORSHIP
Some churches are known as worship churches. More than anything, they want to connect people to the heart of God through passionate corporate singing and other creative ministries. Often these churches devote a significant amount of time to this and don't really feel compelled to share a message if it might get in the way of what they sense is going down during their worship time.

EVANGELISTIC
Some churches are known for being super evangelistic. Due to their preaching ministries and programming, they're known for challenging people to make an immediate decision for Christ. Many times the weekend sermons feature an altar call and midweek visitor follow-ups. They're known for their evangelistic fervor.

DOCTRINAL
Some churches are identified as doctrinal churches. They're serious about regularly and systematically equipping their attendees in the foundational elements of faith and usually their particular denomination's distinctives. Doctrinal understanding and conformity is pretty important to these folks, and as a result, this is often how they're perceived in the community.

SERVICE
Some churches are known for how they serve. They feel it's their responsibility to BE 'salt and light" by meeting the material needs of those around them. These churches are known especially for their work among the poor and the disconnected of society.

RECOVERY
Some churches are known as a place that helps people recover from life's disappointments, challenges, and sorrows. They spend an enormous amount of energy and time dedicated to this end. From their weekly sermons to their recovery/small groups, they focus their efforts on healing people's emotional and spiritual wounds. People that have been wounded and are in pain usually find a helpful home in this type church.

Now, a church may be known by one of these descriptions, or none of these descriptions, or even ALL of these descriptions. But what exactly is it BEST known for in their communities?

What is Desperation Church best known for? What is our word?

Letters To The Pastor

Just received the following email and am left wondering. Perhaps those who read this blog can let me know your thoughts on sermon length? It would be much appreciated. Thanks.



Dear Pastor Michael,

My husband and I are a young couple in our 20's seeking a church to join, get involved in, grow in, and bring others to-a hip seeker-focused church. When we saw your website, we were excited about coming to your church. During the worship singing, I REALLY felt God's presence and even teared up a little-it was so good to feel His presence again and reconnect with Him. When you got up to talk, told a joke, and were very engaging in your preaching style, I was enthused that maybe we had found a church home. After the first 20 min of your preaching, I was trying to retain what you said, and felt the message really spoke to me. After the 2nd 20 min, I was trying to pay attention but couldn't-I felt everything was repetitive and was easily distracted-definitely not feeling God's presence at the church anymore. After the 3rd 20 min, I started getting upset, wanting to leave and feeling trapped and held prisoner by your message. I want to be a part of a seeker-friendly church--I have a lot of unsaved friends and want to bring them to church--how can I bring them to church if I can't even stand to sit through the sermon? Why do preachers feel that the longer they talk the more they are getting through to people? The average human attention span is about 20 min. If you're trying to reach the unsaved, why do you think you can reach them by making them feel imprisoned in church--forced to sit there for an hour and listen to some guy go on and on and on, all the while, the longer the sermon is, the more time they have to daydream and think of excuses as to why they can't come back.
Also, when people come to your church for the first time, ESPECIALLY seekers, do you think they want to be yelled and made to feel guilty about not "serving" or "ministering to others" or "tithing"? Because you went on forever, I left church feeling guilty and upset and remembering hurt other churches have caused me and my husband instead of feeling God's presence and excited about being with people who really want to serve Him.

I'm sorry to have to write this email and sent you a semi-nastygram, I just prayed about it and feel you really needed to know. It seems like your church really wants to follow Christ and bring others to him, and I'm excited to find that in a church and want to be a part of it. Because you do seem to really be a church that seeks after God, I feel it's important to let you know of a trend I've seen in other churches. It seems that whenever sermon time has increased from 30min-40min-50+min, over that time, as the sermons get longer, people in the church get more pious and preachy and focused on "thinking" they're serving and seeking God and seeking to bring others to Him, when in reality, they're seeking and serving something other than God and the church moves toward piousness and away from Godliness. All I'm asking is that you pray about this, the length of your sermons, and take a 2nd look at making sure your church and you are still a church and a man after God's own heart. And, if God still does want you to be a seeker church, then let the sermons be closer to 20-30 min, so I can bring my nonchristian friends and hopefully they'll want to come back.

You are a great, engaging preacher. I could really tell you were enthused about what you were saying and seemed to feel energetic and passionate. The people in our rows who belong to your church were very friendly. Most of all--it's been forever since I actually felt God's presence in a church--how amazing is it that His presence is so strong at this church!

Thank you for hearing me out. My husband and I look forward to continuing to come to this church for a few more Sundays and seeing if it's what God wants for us. We will be keeping you and this church in our prayers.

Sincerely,
XXXX

My response:

Dear XXXX,

Thank you for your email. I would recommend Shoal Creek Community Church to you or the new Restore Church that meets at the Community Center at 10am on Sunday mornings. They advertise themselves as being "Seeker Sensitive". We do not. I'm not sure where you got the idea that we were 'seeker sensitive'.

Desperation Church desires to be a place where intimate worship happens, but also in-depth study of God's Word. I'm sorry that you felt it was repetitive, or boring. This is probably just a good sign that it's not for you. The messages are ALWAYS going to be around 40-55 minutes long. That's the way it's been for fifteen years and multitudes of folks, new believers and old, love this aspect of our particular Church. It may not be the 'popular' thing to do, but again... we seek to be who God has called 'us' to be. We do not have Sunday School, a Sunday evening teaching service, as many churches do, or even a mid-week teaching service. The main service on the weekend is all that there is. We've never felt that 40-55 minutes was too much to devote to teaching and learning from God's Word. It has not failed us so far, and we are happy to recommend other awesome churches that would better be a fit for those who are looking for the 'seeker-sensitive' model, as you apparently are.

The above churches I've mentioned are great and will get you and your friends in and out in an hour. God bless.

Michael Craft
lead pastor of Desperation Church

Jesus is Alive... apparently in Houston!

It’s EASTER! It’s time to celebrate that Jesus is alive! However, after ABC Primetime aired an extremely interesting and revealing story, I realized that Jesus is apparently living in Houston, Texas. One of their reporters, Jim Avila, sums up what the program was all about:

A few weeks ago, in a tattoo parlor in the hip art deco district of Miami Beach, people were lining up to get "666" tattooed on their bodies, and then smiling through their pain. But these are not devil worshipers. They see themselves as devout followers of Jesus Christ. But the major difference that separates them from other Christians around the world is that the Jesus Christ they worship is alive and well -- and living in the suburbs of Houston.

These people belong to a new movement devoted to a man who calls himself the Second Coming of Jesus, and also claims the title of Antichrist, which to him is the next incarnation of Jesus on earth, not an evil being. To show their devotion, some followers ink themselves with "666." One follower said, "I just want to make sure it's visible, that everyone knows my life belongs to the man." Another said, "I want everyone to know I'm one of the antichrists."

They and others like them are fervently devoted, some say fanatically, to a 60-year-old Puerto Rican whose legal name, to his pleasure, is Jose de Jesus, or "Jose of Jesus." He counts followers in more than 30 countries; some say they total more than a million. But where does this man, who claims to be God, live? Not where you might expect: He resides with his wife in a suburban community just outside Houston.

When asked to explain who he is, de Jesus responds: "Jesus Christ, man, the second manifestation, the Second Coming of Christ." He acknowledges that "it bothers a lot of people" that he calls himself Jesus.

De Jesus' beginning was anything but grand. Born in Puerto Rico, de Jesus grew up poor, living in government housing. He stole for a living to pay for his teenage heroin addiction and admits to eight felony charges that put him behind bars for nine months.

Like many, de Jesus says he was born again in prison. From there he moved to the United States, where he became involved in church youth groups, and eventually a minister in Boston. But it was a vision, de Jesus says, that turned him from man of God to being God.
"The same spirit that was in Jesus of Nazareth, and the same spirit is in me. He came to me. He [integrated] with my person in 1973." de Jesus says this happened when two angels came to him in a vision, and while he admits there's no real way for him to prove that he's Christ, he says his followers aren't asking for proof.

"So you tell the millions of followers I have that … this guy is a liar. You know what are they going to say? Is that I prefer his lies than what religion gave me. I prefer, see because when they believe in what I teach, they activate angels in their life."

De Jesus has come a long way from Puerto Rico, and those rough times. Today his believers give money freely. And where does all the money go? Joane de Jesus, the daughter of the man called Jesus, is the official accountant for the ministry. She says, "What you see as luxuries are gifts that members have given him. They're just very grateful, and they want to give him gifts."

There are no rules in de Jesus' church. Anything goes when you follow "Jesus of Suburbia." But he is serious about being the Second Coming of Christ. And along with his followers, he also has many detractors. Some who think he's the devil incarnate and others who think he's just a charlatan and a con man. One of the things that makes him so hated, so controversial, is that he preaches the Catholic Church is evil, and his followers burn pictures of the pope and hold protests outside churches.

And what about the children who grow up in his movement believing that Jesus is alive and well? He calls them the "super raza" or the super race, because they are being brought up pure and with no stain of false religion on them.

The de Jesus ministry is growing, with big followings in Venezuela, Columbia, even Cuba, and the man who believes he is the Second Coming of Christ is now turning his attention to America. "Miami is the bridge for all nations," he said. "That's where Hispanics are, and then eventually I'm going to find a lot of beautiful English-speaking people who will want to believe in me and I'm going to have millions of them.”

Did you catch that? ‘Millions’. He wants more, but apparently he already has upwards of a million followers! That’s even more than we’ll see this Easter weekend at Desperation Church! Actually, that’s more than we’ll see attend all the churches north of the river in the Kansas City metro area!

Did you also catch this quote, “So you tell the millions of followers I have that … this guy is a liar. You know what are they going to say? Is that I prefer his lies than what religion gave me”?

Wow. Am I the only one that is blown away by this? I can’t be. Apparently people are so eager to fill a void in their lives that they’ll fill it with just about anything… or anyone. I can’t help but grieve over the loss of all these precious people to the family of God.

And who’s to blame in all this?

It kinda seems like those involved in religion.

Ouch.

Slim Fast, Runny Noses, Midgets, and Jesus

This morning, on my way to church, I stopped at our local Quick Trip. For those reading this that live outside the Kansas City area, Quick Trip is much like a 7-11 convenience store/gas station. I ran in, grabbed a Slim-Fast shake (also called ‘breakfast’), and took my place in line in order to check out. The poor fella working behind the counter was a bit stressed as he was obviously doing the job of two or three employees. Usually there is more than one, but apparently not today. As he rushed about grabbing cigarettes for some and lottery tickets for others, all while consistently welcoming every person that walked in with a “Welcome to Quick Trip”, he began to cough. I watched him and greatly appreciated that he covered his mouth with his arm each time a coughing fit came about.

When all others were helped and I finally had made my way to the counter, I said something observantly clever like, “Wow, you sure are busy”. He grunted something under his breath and then began coughing again. This time, however, when he removed the crevice of his arm from covering his inopportune and unrelenting hacking, he had unknowingly smeared a bit of something on his cheek. The something that I’m talking about was not pretty. It was a greenish-yellow color and seemed to have the consistency of tapioca pudding.

Perhaps you think this is a made up story? I guarantee you it’snot.

I realize now, I was being presented with a test.

You see, if I was the one with a glob of gelatinous sinus scum on my face and I was completely unaware that it was glistening in the gleam of the fluorescent lights and jiggling for all the Sunday morning world to see, I think I’d want to know about it. But would the embarrassment of being told, by a complete and utter stranger, that a slippery secretion produced by mucous membranes had escaped the safety of his nostrils be too much for him? Would it not be best for a friendly co-worker, who would more than likely be coming back from break any moment now, be the one to share the precise details of this unfortunate phenomenon? What was I to do?

Ruthlessly fighting the urge to regurge, I paid for my shake and left. I stared at the counter the whole time. I said nada. I wimped out. I just left the kid in his slimy, unknowing bliss.

Now I’m haunted. Did I do the right thing? I’ve always said that if I was in a similar situation with my zipper down or a nagging piece of spinach between bicuspids I’d desperately want someone to clue me in. But don’t I want that to be somebody that I know? Don’t we earn the right to talk into one another’s lives?

What about the snot of sin?

Is it our place to walk up to complete strangers and tell them that they have a sin problem? Or should we earn the right to talk to them by building relationship with them first? I mean, everywhere I look I’m faced with people who are in blatant sin. Those who call themselves ‘Christian’, and whom I have relationship with because of the mere fact we are brothers/sisters in Christ are ones that I feel I can more openly discuss sinful issues with. However, those not in ‘the family’ per se, those not having made a commitment to follow Jesus, what about them? Is it my job to point out what awful sinners all the sinners are? I’m not so sure.

What did Jesus do?

Some Christians believe that the way of the Master was to point out people’s precise sin problem. But when I read of how Jesus behaved with sinners, I see Him responding differently. I see Him lovingly living out His Message.

For example, remember the midget in the tree? This height-challenged tax collector was a pretty bad guy. A sinner. What did Jesus do? He simply told Zack that He wanted to have lunch with him. The next verses describe this horrible sinner completely turning his life around! Jesus even says, “Salvation has come to this home today” (you can read this cool story for yourself in Luke 19).

Sure, when the religious folks – those supposedly already following Jehovah – were sinning, Jesus was all over them. Telling the truth in love is definitely one of the ways of the Master, but it is important to look at who His audience was at those times.

So yeah, maybe I wimped out. I probably should have done that kid a favour and clued him in on the gloop clinging to his cheek. However, it has reminded me that entering in and building authentic relationships with others is extraordinarily important and desperately needed. It’s needed, if for no other reason than to occasionally have someone who loves me and shares my desire for pleasing the Lord, hold a mirror up to me from time to time.

Sadistic?

It’s been a weird week for me. I’ve had more tiredness (perhaps due to Daylight Savings time?), more burn-out, and I suppose just more need for refreshing than in quite a while. I received three different reports from people that they had heard ‘rumors’ about me (One rumor was that I drink to get drunk and party with folks in the church all the time. The other rumors were basically the same type of thing having to do with being a false Christian, tattoos, drunk, lover of gays, etc. Each time I receive reports like these I struggle with wanting to defend myself in order to have a good reputation with ‘men’ and the enemy beats on me pretty good about it).

I told my wife this morning that I was looking forward to just spending some time alone with God today and reading the Word… for me personally… not to prepare for the weekend’s message. So, as I began the daily reading plan for today, I found myself chuckling. I think God has a sense of humor that’s downright satirical sometimes… if I didn’t know Him and His loving character better I might even say ‘sadistic’.

First, I was sent to the Book of Numbers (the fourth Book of the Old Testament) chapter 28 and began reading through a long list of specific instructions on certain offerings (burnt offerings, grain offerings, Sabbath offerings, nodding off…erings). This is incredibly in-depth material, and although super important to the Israelites at the time, seemingly unpractical for me presently. I was anxiously in anticipation of getting through this stuff and getting to my New Testament reading for the day. So, once I had trudged through Numbers I proceeded, as instructed, to Luke 3:23-38. Praise the Lord… It was a riveting genealogy! You know, one of those passages of the Bible that goes on and on with unending and delightful substance like, “the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of…”.

It was at this moment that I prayed a short and powerfully holy prayer that sounded something like: “Lord, what’s up? Did you not get the part where I’m feeling like I need some refreshing? Do you not get that I could have gone out and ‘fleshed out’ (that’s a made-up term meaning gotten drunk or something even stupider in an attempt to drown away depression and burn-out)? Do you not understand that I could have sought help from Oprah? I mean, c’mon Lord! I actually made the effort to open up the Bible and read it. Couldn’t You at least have it say something significant and maybe just a tiny bit relevant?”

Like I said, it was powerfully holy.

Then I turned to the verse I was supposed to read in Proverbs, which had within it, (“He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life”11:19).

The word “steadfast” jumped out at me. Steadfast means, “firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, etc”.

“Okay, Lord. I’ll keep going. I’ll be steadfast. But You better start speaking pretty soon Buddy.”

The final portion of Scripture to be read would be a short chapter from the Book of Psalms (62). It starts out: “My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

The writer (some guy named David) then goes on to talk about how bad guys are always coming down on him. He even says that "They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse". He then basically repeats that first line again: "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Stronghold; I shall not be shaken."

At this point, I'm starting to get it. Unfortunately, I don't have time to write of all God opened my heart to in this chapter, but for the sake of my point in this blog, allow me to simply say... He spoke to me in a pretty cool way.

Proverbs 62 ends this way: "Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God".
The Message translates that this way: "God said this once and for all; How many times have I heard it repeated? 'Strength comes straight from God'."

I don't know if anyone reads these ponderings of mine. I guess it doesn't really matter. What I do know is this: God wants Michael to be steadfast (firm in purpose), and He longs for my soul to wait on Him. Sometimes I don't hear Him speaking. Sometimes I think He's playing a cruel joke. Sometimes I want to slam shut the Bible and say, "This Book sucks and is not only boring, but totally doesn't apply to where I'm at!" However, when I wait, when I remain steadfast, when I press on, I hear Him say again and again "Strength comes straight from God". I can't explain how that happens or why it is so stinkin' true in my life. But following my devotion time today...

I felt okay... I feel okay.

I feel strengthened.

I feel refreshed.

So, thanks God. Sorry about saying I thought You might be a bit sadistic. You're not... and I know that. I'll end this with a 'shout-out' to You, like David's in this powerful Psalm:
"Love to you, Lord God!" (Psalm 62:12 - The Message).

John 13:35

Studying for my message this week I found myself re-reading a book I had read less than two years ago: "Mother Teresa: No Greater Love" (New World Library - Novato, California September 1997.) This book came out in January of 1997 and just a short nine months later this astounding woman went home to be with her first Love, Jesus. I'm totally blown away by how this woman radically influenced such a variety of people... by just being a woman who loved God and loved others, regardless of what they looked like.

Mother Teresa influenced millions of people, of that there is no doubt. However, I wonder how she would have responded to the famous image of her face being tattooed upon somebody’s neck? If you ask me, I think it is beautiful - in so many ways.

I wonder why he was drawn to Mother Teresa? Was it her service of the poor, her humility, her love and devotion for her Savior or the Catholic Church? I wonder what this young man’s experience of Jesus is? What about the church? Has he ever been? I wonder how he feels about the people and community of God that Mother Teresa was deeply embedded within? How would he respond to the word Christianity? What does this say about spirituality today?

Mother Teresa once said, "Love each other as God loves each of you, with an intense and particular love. Be kind to each other: It is better to commit faults with gentleness than to work miracles with unkindness."

This past week I spent some hours in a tattoo shop. One of my favorite things to do is notice people’s artwork, and ask them what significance it has to them personally? Does their tattoo speak of a heart of longing, significance, hope, life, death, attention, desire, love or loss?

Looking at this picture, I wonder how this guy would respond?

I know that if I saw this guy face to face, I'm pretty sure he'd wonder why I was staring. I hope he'd be surprised to find that the reason I was staring might be far from what he was imagining.

What can I say; I love, and am fascinated by, God’s children.

One last tidbit from the book that totally rocks me (page 23-24) :
"One day I picked up a man from the gutter. His body was covered with worms. I brought him to our house, and what did this man say? He did not curse. He did not blame anyone. He just said, 'I've lived like an animal in the street, but I'm going to die like an angel, loved and cared for!' It took us three hours to clean him. Finally, the man looked up and said, 'Sister, I'm going home to God.' And then he died. I've never seen such a radiant smile on a human face as the one I saw on that man's face. He went home to God. See what love can do!...Jesus said, 'As often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for Me'(Matthew 25:40 RSV). And this is where you and I fit into God's plan."

Dumbing Down the MESSAGE

Someone recently commented on a recent ‘shift’ in my teaching/preaching style at Desperation Church. They brought up various ‘physical object lessons’ that I’ve been using in my messages, such as cardboard boxes, jelly-bean filled oranges, conch shells, and even live jazz saxophone players. They were asking why I’ve started preaching in this way, and even asked if I was trying to ‘dumb-down’ the Message. Let me try and explain:

I’ve stated in earlier blogs how I’ve been studying the writings of a Messianic Jewish teacher by the name of Lois Tverber. Her insights, as well as other Messianic Jewish writers have greatly influenced me over the past five years or so. One of the things that I’ve learned is that Jesus, being Jewish and being called ‘Rabbi’, must have taught in ways that are pretty foreign to our culture today. Yet His teaching style would not have been foreign to the way that Jewish Rabbis taught in that day. This revelation has caused me to look at how I am communicating to others, and seeking to emulate His teaching style as often as I possibly can with my meager abilities.

You see, Jesus was a Master Communicator – I’m pretty sure everyone would agree with that. You don’t draw the kinds of crowds He was drawing if you can’t put your thoughts together in a way that people can understand, let alone “be amazed at His teaching” (Matthew 7:28). He spoke with authority. He spoke boldly. And, something that I’ve always loved, He told stories. Now, along with stories that used images to teach, rabbis would frequently use situations to go along with their teaching. For example, we know that Jesus washed His disciple’s feet. Another distinguished rabbi, named Gamaliel, got up and served his disciples at a banquet one time. When they asked him why he did such a humble deed he said;

“Is Rabbi Gamaliel a lowly servant? He serves like a household servant, but there is one greater than Him who serves. Consider Abraham who served his visitors . But there is one even greater than Abraham who serves. Consider the Holy One, blessed be He, who provides food for all his creation!”

Abraham was the most revered of all of their ancestors, and Gamaliel reminds them of when God and two angels came to his tent in Genesis 18, that he prepared a meal and served it to them. Then he hints that God Himself serves when He gives us our food. God Himself is a model of serving others rather than wanting to be served.

Jesus also used visual lessons many times, for instance, when He called a child and had him stand there as He taught.

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me” (Matt 18:2-5).

What is this Master Communicator doing here? He is using the child as a concrete example to show the humility that His followers must have, and the importance of not leading the innocent astray. Jesus may have used another example in this particular teaching as well, which I think is ubber-cool! Capernaum was the center of production of millstones, and was right on the Sea of Galilee, and was where Jesus did much of His teaching. Jesus continues...

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matt 18:6).

Considering where He was saying this, can’t you just imagine how He may have had His hand on an 800-pound basalt millstone as He gestured to His neck, and then to the Sea of Galilee?

Bruce Wilkinson, in his book “Secrets Of The Vine” suggests that when Jesus gave His famous “I Am the Vine” talk in John 15 that He very well may have been walking through an actual vineyard at the time. Can you just see Jesus talking about vines and the need for us to be those who are bearing fruit, while He is holding up a bunch of grapes?

What if while He was talking about the faith of a mustard seed, He was holding up an actual mustard seed for all to see? Listen, we know at other times He used fig trees and even a boy’s lunch to make strong points, right?

Do you think Jesus was guilty of dumbing down His Message?

My point: I’m not trying to dumb down anything. I don’t think Jesus was either. I suppose not everyone enjoyed Jesus’ teaching, and there’s probably no way everyone will be pleased with mine or anyone else’s teaching styles and methods. However, trying to be like Jesus… even in His teaching style… doesn’t seem like all that bad of a goal for anybody.

Galations 1:10 - NIV
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."