A Blog by Jason Salamun

Brilliant author and thinker, Leonard Sweet, shares a remarkable story in his must-read book, “So Beautiful” on the longing for human connection.

“A missionary writes of a leading a mission trip to the South African country of Namibia. The first thing his team noticed in the local village in which they were staying was that women had to walk every day to a well with a huge heavy bucket on their heads to fetch water.

“We immediately decided to do something about it.” he said.

Within two weeks flashy new water pipes were delivering water to every little hut in the village.

Within a week after the installation of the plumbing, the villagers removed all the pipes and piled them politely on the outskirts of the village.

When the missionary asked why they had plundered the plumbing and undone all their hard work, the Namibians explained that it is customary for women to walk to a well with other women sharing their experiences about life. Carrying heavy buckets on the head while chatting with friends. “It’s not a bad thing, it’s a good thing.”

When the walk to the well was taken away and life was made “never so good,” life was really made ever so difficult.”

Never underestimate the power of relationships.  We’ll go to great lengths for them- even carry buckets of water on our heads.

We get this from God. After all, He is in relationship with himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. When He created humanity, He designed us for relationships- with Him and one another. It’s in the fabric of our being.

We were never meant to do life alone.

A couple of years ago, my daughter asked to go for a walk.  We went outside, I reached down my hand to her, and she reached up her hand to mine.  As I glanced down I was struck by this image.  I thought, “What a picture of God and us!”

I pondered this image more and began to see how it was also a beautiful illustration of prayer.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to pray to Our Father.  His hand is always there reaching down to us and all we need to do is reach our hand up to him…and walk.

I love what Dallas Willard said in his great book, The Divine Conspiracy. “I believe the most adequate description of prayer is simply, Talking to God about what we are doing together. That immediately focuses the activity where are but at the same time drives the egotism out of it. Requests will naturally be made in the sharing with God my concerns about what he too is concerned about in my life. And of course he is concerned about my concerns and, in particular, that my concerns should coincide with his. This is our walk together. Out of it I pray.”

The scriptures say, “pray continuously.”  In the rhythm of our life, as we go, all the time. Taking hold of our Father’s strong, yet loving hand, and walking, talking, asking, confessing, venting, and listening.  A divine conversation so to speak.

Let me encourage you to take hold of your Father’s waiting hand and walk (pray).

It’s the most supernatural act we can partake in.

For more on prayer, you can listen to a recent message I gave at Project Church.

The Statement of Faith for Project Church.

We believe in God’s Epic Story.

This epic is revealed within the grand narrative of Scripture in a collection of 66 books known as the Bible. Inspired by God yet written by human hands, the infallible words of Scripture are God-breathed,without error, and are the supreme and final authority for life and faith.

In eternity, this story was formed.  It begins with the Author and Creator of all things- the one, true, sovereign God. He exists in community with Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit yet remains one God. He is altogether good, holy, just, wise, powerful, and loving.

In love, the Author created a world of wonder, beauty, and harmony for his masterpiece creation, humanity. Created in His image, human beings walked in relationship with the Creator and enjoyed the paradise of His creation. This is the beginning.  All was as it should be.

Then the story took a dramatic turn. Something had gone terribly wrong.

Sin entered the story through the deception of the evil one and the rebellion of humanity. Creation had fallen, paradise was lost, and separation came between humanity’s relationship with God and each other. Life was broken and nothing was as it should be.

In the darkest moment in human history, sin bled into the story resulting in shame, suffering, pain,distrust, despair, and pride. Although still bearing the image of God, all of humanity would now live in a fallen state of sin unable to rescue ourselves.

In the midst of this horrific event, hope and restoration is promised by God as He reveals the climax of His story. God would become a man with a mission to rescue his beloved creation and crush the evil serpent. God would write clues of His arrival into the story through various messengers, laws, events, and promises. All of which would be fulfilled through the hero of God’s epic: Jesus Christ.

Jesus entered human history miraculously as he was conceived by the Spirit of God and born to a virgin mother. Fully God yet fully human, he did what humanity could not do. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life teaching us to love God and others as ourselves. But it was his exclusive claim to being the only way to God, as well as his claim of being God, that led to his arrest, torture, and execution on aRoman cross.

He would show his great love for us through his willful yet excruciating sacrifice on the cross.  There is no greater love.

It is on the cross where the hero redeemed and rescued his beloved creation.
It is on the cross where the hero became our sin, enduring the just wrath of God.
It is on the cross where the hero became our substitute and paid the penalty for our sins.
It is on the cross where those who believe in him have right standing before God.
It is on the cross where we are cleansed from the curse of sin- past, present, and future.
It is on the finished work of the cross where Jesus died for us so that we might live for him.

But the story doesn’t end there…He came back!

Three days after being buried in a tomb, he rose from death defeating hell, conquering sin, and crushing the sting of death. He appeared to hundreds of witnesses and then physically ascended into Heaven and is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father.  Salvation is only found by God’s saving grace in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  God’s grace is not earned, it is freely given to all who truly believe. Those who believe will spend a life and eternity in relationship with Him. Those who don’t, get exactly what they want, a life and eternity apart from a relationship with God.

The story continues to be written through the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was promised by Jesus to supernaturally guide our stories, work in the hearts of humanity, and draw us near to Jesus. The Spirit resides within us and works to teach and transform us,  help us when we are in need, convict us of our sin, secure our salvation, and empower us with spiritual gifts to advance the Kingdom of God on earth today.

The mission of Jesus was, and is, crystal clear: to seek and save that which was lost.  And that’s exactly what He did…and what He’s doing.

Through the Church, followers of Jesus are united as one body made up of various expressions of church.  They gather in prayer, worship, teaching, community, and mission with baptism and the Lord’s Supper being visible expressions of the gospel story.

The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus and join God in the renewal of all things by announcing the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven and telling the story of God’s amazing grace, the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the ends of the earth- starting in our local communities.

Today, Jesus Christ reigns supreme as King of kings and Lord of lords. This epic will end when the King returns to earth in all his power and glory to gather his people, judge the living and the dead, and usher in a new Creation, a new Paradise, a new Kingdom, where we will worship and enjoy Him forever.

In the end, Jesus wins.

This is God’s epic story.

This is what we believe!

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At Project Church, we also value the ancient roots of our faith as found in the orthodox creeds.

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic [universal] Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

A friend bought this Jesus chapstick in Las Vegas.  The packaging offers up these little gems:

“Looking Good For Jesus.”

“Virtuous Vanilla”

“Be Worthy. Be Noticed.”

“Get Tight With Christ.”

“Look Your Sunday Best.”

“Protects. Preserves (with natural beeswax.”

Most disturbing is the image with the two chicks.

“Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.” – Miles Davis

We live in an amazing age.  The world has become increasingly connected and small because of the interwebs, cell phones, and nifty gadgets.

As a preacher, I’ve found that podcasts are incredibly useful.  Being able to listen to the best communicators in the world whenever I want is a real gift. Not to mention surveying the culture, listening to seminary classes on iTunes U, and keeping up with leadership stuff from people like Catalyst.

On a given week I listen to between 15-20 sermons to learn from well-known preachers like Tim Keller, Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, and Andy Stanley.  I also enjoy listening to preacher friends from around the country to stay up with their churches as well as other lesser known pastors who are further down the road than me.  When I think about it, I’ve probably listened to thousands of sermons and my life and ministry have been greatly enriched because of it.

But there’s a downside for the preacher.

We can end up sounding so much like those we admire that we don’t put the effort in to find our own voice.

For years, Mark Driscoll has been a can’t-miss podcast for me.  His blend of bible teaching, humor, and confrontational style appeals to my macho-man self.  Like many, I highly respect him and have learned a great deal from him through his preaching and writing.  However, last year I listened to a podcast of mine and noticed how much I sounded like him.

It was eerie and I didn’t like what I had heard.  Why? Because it wasn’t me.

I never wanted to be a cookie cut from someone else’s mold.  Just Jesus’. Yet that’s exactly what was happening.

Yes, we should learn from others. Yes, we are influenced by others. Yes, there are many who are better. BUT God has given me, and everything other preacher, a unique voice.  He has not called us to be the next John Piper, Rob Bell, Perry Noble, or Rick Warren. He has called us to be the first us!  Preachers are to follow Jesus, discover and use our voice, and make disciples who listen to His voice.

Instead, I sounded like a Driscollpalian. A Mark Driscoll clone.

So I took a dramatic step. I went on a three month Mark Driscoll fast. Yep, I fasted from Mark Driscoll. I didn’t read his books, listen to his podcasts, or view his tweets.

I know it sounds funny, but I was (and still am) on a journey to find my voice. It wasn’t about him, it was about me. I needed to recalibrate and get on the track to finding my voice.

Driscoll (and other gifted leaders) have remarkable ministries and younger guys like me can learn a lot from them.  But let us put aside the desire to be them. We are not. We are us!

I will never be Leonard Sweet, Erwin McManus, Steven Furtick, or any other well-known preacher. I will be Jason Salamun. I will (by the grace of God) grow as a communicator of the gospel by opening my bible and pointing people to Jesus.

While I’m at it, Project Church will never be Mars Hill, LifeChurch.tv, Mosaic, or any other well-known church. We will be Project Church. And while we worship the same God as these wonderful churches, our fingerprint is our own.  So is yours.

So how do you find your voice?

I’m still learning but the only way I know of to find your voice is to preach and preach some more.  It doesn’t just happen, it takes work. “Swinging ’til your hands bleed” I heard someone say. Everyone starts somewhere.  (Ever notice how Driscoll’s early sermons in the mid-90’s aren’t even listed on their media page?)

It might also be helpful to listen to yourself (as painful as that might be) and ask people you respect to give you honest feedback.

We live in a funny time. Because of the availability of messages online today, people will compare you to their favorites and criticize you against that standard. Be cautious about who you listen to. I’m much more apt to listen to a wise mentor or trusted friend than some internet sermon savant who knows little about me or my community.  I’ve had my fair share of those know-it-all bible school students who want to haggle over secondary matters in a church they aren’t even connected to.  Don’t go down that road. You’ve got better things to do (like loving people).

If you’re a preacher, let me remind of this: you are called! Be humble and learn, be patient and grow, and be faithful and preach. You have a mighty task and stand in a line of imperfect people God has used to change hearts and history.

Find your voice my friend.  The world needs you to bring Jesus.

And if you’re the critic, cut the preacher some slack. They might be working a full-time job while planting a start-up church, leading a family of four, dealing with stress and burden of being a leader that you’ll never fully understand, while pouring their heart and soul into helping jacked-up people take their first and next steps in following Jesus. If they aren’t a straight-up heretic, then the least you can do is nut-up, pray them up, and offer up some freakin’ encouragement because trust me pal, they could really use it!

Great analogy from The Shaping of Things to Come by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost:

In the Australian Outback, it is impractical to build fences around ranches because the distances are so vast. Since water is rare, however, it isn’t necessary to build fences. Instead, ranchers dig wells which provide water, a precious commodity in the desert or semi-desert. The sheep and cattle are therefore “contained” by their attraction to the center rather than by clearly established boundaries. In the same way, an incarnational approach to ministry is “centered-set,” with Jesus and the Gospel being central, rather than bounded-set, which seeks to define “Who’s in and who’s out.”

Would you describe your church as a fence or a well?

I was standing before my church community, teaching on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, and came upon the phrase, “He saw the crowds.”

This small phrase is significant to understanding the Beatitudes and is repeated later in Matthew 9:36, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus didn’t just talk to a crowd.

He saw them, stepped into their story, and spoke directly to them.

Then it hit me!

My eyes were opened.

And I finally saw the crowd.

Suddenly, the mass of humanity became a sea of faces.

Faces I knew the stories of.

Faces I really care about.

Some are exploring Jesus for the first time.

Some are prodigals.

Some have suffered great heartache and pain due to broken relationships.

Some are giving love another shot.

Some have no clue as to how they’re going to pay their bills.

Some will blow their excess on a shopping spree on things they don’t need.

Some are drowning in confusion about their future.

Some know full-well what they’re to do but lack to courage to go for it.

Some have been neglected by those they love.

Some are neglecting those they love.

Some are oblivious to their self-righteousness.

Some can only see their depravity.

Some are theological snobs who think they know it all.

Some have never studied the scriptures at all.

Some are recovering from their addictions.

Some are denying they have one.

Some feel overwhelmed by life.

Some feel their life is empty.

Some desperately need the gospel.

Some desperately need to remember it.

In a moment, God took me from talking to a crowd to seeing them.

From speaking to a general audience to preaching to a particular people.

My heart melted.

My mind understood.

My soul awakened.

To preach like Jesus is to see the crowds.

And my preaching will never be the same.

Anyone else watch this cartoon as a kid?  There was nothing like the WWF (WWE) in the 80’s. Those were simpler times.

The only thing worse than no hope is false hope.

• A great day at Project Church.
• It was our third week in our new venue and its beginning to feel like home.
• I’m so thankful for all the people who give their time to make it feel at home.
• From the nursery, to the coffee bar, to the greeters, to the production booth, to the set-up & tear-down crew.
• Also, the musicians.  This week it was Tyler & Mary who were a joy. (see pic below)
• Next week, the music will killer once again.
• One thing I’ve learned: you can never have enough talented musicians. The more the better.
• The teaching was on the Beatitudes and titled, “A New Way To Be Human.”
• You can listen to it here.
• Set a challenge to our church: To have 300 people at our gatherings by the end of the year.
• It’s going to take us inviting and getting the word out (which we haven’t really done).
• Why? Because people matter to God.
• Met a young guy yesterday who told me he was going to be starting a church in Rapid City with another guy that was both sound theologically and culturally relevant.
• Then he found out about Project Church and discovered there was a new church in Rapid City striving to do the same thing and now he’s reconsidering.
• We’re discussing what that might mean moving forward. Regardless, he’s a bright guy and I like his heart.
• Overall, I’m thankful to be able to lead Project Church by following Jesus.
• I’m excited about what’s ahead.