A Blog by Jason Salamun

Not too long ago, I preached on fear and anxiety.

Weeks later, I was full of fear and anxiety.

As the neurologist looked at my MRI, he saw the problem.

“Looks like you’ve got a ruptured disc between your c6 and c7 vertebrae in your neck that’s hitting a nerve.”

He then went on to tell me,

“What we’re going to do is make an incision in your throat, take out the disc, fuse the two vertebrae together, and screw in some metal plates.”

He then began to talk about the risks and the slight potential of being paralyzed from the neck down.

This wasn’t exactly great news, but it was what he said next that caught me off-guard.

He began discussing the greater chance that I could experience the loss of my voice because of the procedure.

It could be permanent, it could be long-term, it could return raspy, or most likely, once the swelling dies down, it could return to normal.

Not what you want to hear when your voice is your livelihood.

Now, I could lie, act all super spiritual, and tell you that I immediately trusted God and left the neurologists’ office without a care in the world.

But the truth is, I walked to my car, closed the door, laid my head on the steering wheel, and wept.

I was afraid.

The idea of losing my voice felt like losing a friend.

It hurt.

I’m sure you, a reasonable reader, can probably determine that the odds of losing my voice is quite small, yet that’s the very thing I chose to focus on.

Worrying has a way of turning a pebble into Pikes Peak.

Not in reality, but in our minds.

And that’s what was happening to me.

Most of my hopes and dreams involve my ability to speak.

So I prayed.

I prayed that God would let me keep my voice.

As I prayed, the thought occurred to me, “What if God doesn’t want me to have a voice?”

Perhaps He doesn’t?

Perhaps He does?

Then a bigger question popped into my mind, or rather, my heart:

“Do you trust me?”

That’s the real question I’ve been wrestling with.

I know the right answer…

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6)

…and I’m learning to live in light of it.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll go in for the neck fusion surgery.

I’m ready to have this great pain in my neck, shoulders, and back removed.

I’m looking forward to the numbness in my left arm to be gone and to feel my fingers again.

And I’m hoping my voice returns.

Who knows, it might even be smoother and sexier than ever.

But the greater surgery is what’s happening in my heart.

God taking his rightful place.

My hopes resting in my Great Hope.

Not in my voice or anything else.

Just him.

I know He loves me.

I know He’s mighty.

I know He’s in control.

It’s time to live like I do.

One of my favorite musical artists is Leonard Cohen.

He wrote a song titled, “If It Be Your Will” (Listen)

I’ve always loved it, and in this moment of my life, it’s taken on a deeper meaning.

Perhaps it will resonate with you as well.

‘If It Be Your Will” by Leonard Cohen

If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before

I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will

If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you

From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing

From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing

If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice

Let your mercy spill
On all these burning hearts in hell
If it be your will
To make us well

And draw us near
And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light

In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be your will

If it be your will

Amen

Hugh Halter, author of The Tangible Kingdom (along with Matt Smay) posted this video for their upcoming book, AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church.

If it’s anything like The Tangible Kingdom, it’s a must read. Check out this clip.

“The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends will be an outsider at their celebrations.”  - Proverbs 14:10 (The Message)

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell

A friend will walk with you through a storm.

It’s the surest test of a friendship.

Those who care are there.

In person, in heart, or in prayer.

There are no shortcuts to building genuine friendships.

The only way I know of to have a friend is to be a friend.

Friendships are best slow baked, not microwaved.

If you’re a true friend, you’ll rejoice when your friend rejoices and weep when your friend is weeping. (Romans 12:15)

Most of us are so concerned with who is there for us that we forget to be there for them.

Friendships are a two-way street, not a one lane highway.

If all your friendships suck, look in the mirror.

It might just be because you’re self-centered.

Or you smell bad.

But hopefully you have a friend who would tell you.

Someone who will give it to you straight.

The person who doesn’t approve of your stupid decisions is often not your enemy, they’re your friend.

Even if you don’t like it.

Remember, the wounds from a friend can be trusted. (Proverbs 27:6)

Or as Oscar Wilde put it, “True friends stab you in the front.”

A real friend is someone you can call at 3am if needed.

Someone who has refrigerator rights.

Someone who has your back.

May God bless you with rich friendships…

And may you be a rich friend as well.

And to all my amigos – I love you all.

At Project Church, we hold a monthly event called Beer & Bible.  In short, it’s a casual conversation where folks inside and outside our church can connect and discuss current hot topics and theology around a frosty beverage.

I’ve received a number of emails from people wanting to do something similar where they live and I’m often asked what this time looks like.

Here is a simple guide to help those wanting to start a Beer & Bible in their cities.

Know
Know where you (and your church) stand as it relates to alcohol.  If you want to learn more about what the scriptures teach on alcohol, I recommend three books: God Gave Wine (Gentry), Drinking with Calvin and Luther! (West), and The Radical Reformission (Driscoll).

Here’s a brief blog post on where I stand in terms of Christians drinking alcohol.

Plan
Choose a regularly time and location.  Visit pubs and bars and see which is in the best location and is best suited for discussion.  If possible, get tables near the entrance so people can find you.

Invite
Invite your friends and encourage them to invite their friends. Social networking works great to get the word out.

Guidelines
We have just a few groundrules to guide our time.
1)  Keep it real (Honesty reigns)
2)  Keep it cordial (Respect one another’s opinions / Don’t be a jerk)
3)  Control your drinking  (Don’t get hammered)

Format
Here’s what our typical time looks like:

1. Open in prayer
2. Have one big question to explore related to culture, theology, whatever.
3. Allow anyone and everyone to give their take on that topic. This might go on for a bit.
4. After everyone’s given their thoughts on the topic, we have one passage of scripture that relates to the topic at hand.
5. Someone reads it outloud.
6. Then we ask this question: In light of what this passage says, how would you answer the one big question?
7. Allow time for robust dialogue and questions.
8. Let the conversation flow and people to have natural conversations as you end your time.

If the group gets too big, just split them up.  We tend to keep it to 6-12 people per discussion group.

Why Do This?
The idea is to allow people to think through life, culture, theology, etc. through a biblical lens. Sometimes people will answer the one big question with opinions. Then, as we look at the scriptures, we sometimes see that the Bible contradicts us (that’s a good thing), and we learn to live in light of what the scriptures say.

Also, understand that people are coming from different places. Some don’t believe. Some are exploring. Some are trying to live out what they believe.  Let this be a safe zone to doubt and ask questions.

Resources
To help you out, here is a graphic I created for Beer & Bible in png format. Below is an example of how we use it.

Download: Beer & Bible graphic (png)

(Note: It’s a take it or leave it sort of thing. Due to time constraints, I’m unable to provide other sizes, formats, etc. Thanks for understanding.)

In closing, remember 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Enjoy!

Really cool music video for the song “This Too Shall Pass” by OK GO.  We played it prior to the message I shared this week at Project Church as an illustration of what a chain reaction looks like.

Give it looksy.

This video by Sean Mullens is simple, inspiring, and full of goodness.

If you’re a church planter, check out this amazing experience being offered by the Ecclesia Network.

αγγελος 2010

Download the brochure here: αγγελος Brochure

αγγελος is church planting training that presents a theological and practical trajectory for missional church planting.

αγγελος is unique in comparison to other church planters training opportunities available.

First, there will not be hundreds of people here. More than likely, there will be somewhere between 20-30. This means plenty of room for dialog, conversation, and questions amidst all of the planned training.

Second, everyone stays, eats, and prays together for the week. Most people leave with better friendships, some of which will be life-long, because they started the church planting journey – in this way – together.

Third, there will be a host of different equippers with unique planting stories. This gathering (as in all we try to do) isn’t dominated by just a few individuals or models of church planting. You’ll hear from a variety of planters, both seasoned and new, and learn from their experiences and approaches.

Finally, we hope to provide a good balance of theology, theory, and practicality. Each component is vital
We hope you’ll join us in May!

Topics Covered:

• Planting Missional Churches
• Planting Equipping Churches
• Staying Healthy While Planting
• Developing a Philosophy of Discipleship
• Incarnational Ecclessiology: Reading Your City
• Developing Models & Approaches
• Developing Your Team
• Navigating Team Dynamics
• Fundraising for Church Planting
• Administrative & Legal Issues
• Keeping Heart Till the End ….

General Information

Location
Richmond Hill Urban Retreat Center (www.richmondhillva.org).
Richmond Hillis a former monastery, located in the heart of the city of Richmond. Most people will be sharing a room with one other person throughout the week. All meals are all included as part of our stay and will take place on the grounds.

Registration
Email info@ecclesianet.org to confirm your spot followed by payment. A 20% deposit is required within two weeks of registration to qualify for rate and space. Full payment due May 1st, 2010.

Arrival/Departure
You should plan to arrive at the Richmond Hill Urban Retreat Center (www.richmondhillva.org) between 4.00 and 4.30 on Monday, May 17th. Please be prompt because we will start with an orientation to the week around 5.00 that evening. We plan to finish on Friday at approximately 4.00 pm.

What to Bring:
Richmond Hill provides sheets and towels for each guest. You will need to bring all other toiletries with you. In addition, please bring along any relevant documents and resources related to your particular church plant. This could include vision pieces, working budgets, drafts of values, demographic information, etc. Obviously, you should bring a copy of the scriptures with you.

Preparing to Come:
Spend some time in prayer, perhaps asking specific people to pray for you during this week. This will be a very “intense” week with a full schedule, but our hope is that it will launch God’s church planting efforts through you in an effective way.

Pricing

• Super Earlybird – before Feb 1, 2010 – $499
• Earlybird – before Mar 1, 2010 – $599
• Regular – before May 1, 2010 – $699
• Late – after May 1, 2010 – $799

A Word from a previous participant:

From the moment I arrived, I began to realize – this is a room of like-minded individuals intent on seeing the Gospel spread and healthy, missionally-minded communities planted. And in the lonely world of church planting, I can think of few things more valuable than having a handful of friends like that.

The boot camp itself was a great mix of the theoretical and the practical, the motivational and the devotional. Times of prayer, times of discussion, lots of learning and lots of dreaming. This was a healthy mix of seasoned practitioners and newer church planters all sharing what they’ve learned. And everyone was invited and expected to do the same.

The setting of the Richmond Hill community was wonderful with its rhythm of prayer and contemplative atmosphere. Hard to imagine a better setting for listening to God and seeing what it is He might be birthing through you.

-Bob Hyatt, Portland OR

Here’s a simplified overview of the biblical model of church leadership as best as I can see it.

Jesus is the Head of the Church. The Senior Pastor so to speak. (Ephesians 5:23)

The scriptures are the ultimate authority because Jesus is the ultimate authority. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)

His agenda trumps the church’s…always. (Colossians 1:18)

In scripture, the church is not a business or even a non-profit organization.

The church is a family of believers who love God and people. (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Timothy 3:15)

The church is the very embodiment of Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:15)

The entire church are priests. (1 Peter 2:9)

Ministers of the gospel. (Ephesians 4:12)

Storytellers of the gospel. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

With their words and lives. (Matthew 5:16)

From the church body, a team of leaders are called to lead. (1 Thessalonians 5:12)

Key word: called. (Hebrews 13:17)

They are the elders/overseers/leaders of the church. (1 Peter 5:1-2)

They are all equal. (Acts 14:23)

But there is a leader of leaders. (Acts 15:22)

A first among equals.

Often their primary role is teaching and preaching. (1 Timothy 5:17)

Not just anyone can or should be an elder.

There are biblical qualifications. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

And biblical responsibilities. (Titus 1:9; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

In short, elders lead the church by following Jesus. (1 Peter 5:3-4)

And equip God’s people for works of service. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Taking on various forms and functions. (Ephesians 4:11)

There are other leaders called deacons. (Philippians 1:1)

Their role is serving by leading ministries. (1 Timothy 3:13)

They have biblical qualifications and responsibilities too. (1 Timothy 3:8-12)

The structure of a biblical church is marked by humility, service, cooperation, accountability, prayer, love, and gospel community. (Romans 8:9-18)

Followers of Jesus are to be in community and have a role in it. (Romans 12:4-8)

We usually call them members, owners, or partners. (Ephesians 2:19)

They aren’t to be spectators.

Here’s the deal:

They don’t just have a part, they are a part. (Ephesians 5:30)

If a healthy church is following Jesus they are joining him in the renewal of all things. (Revelation 21:5)

Together. (Acts 2:42-46)

Momentum grows. (Acts 2:47)

So do the people. (Acts 4:33)

And Jesus is made much of along the way. (John 12:32)

May your church (and mine) be a biblical, healthy, loving church.

Centered on the gospel; expressed in community; on a mission from God. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)

A shining city on a hill. (Matthew 5:14)

An unstoppable force. (Matthew 16:18)

Remembering Jesus is the hero and under him we are all equal. (Hebrews 12:2; Romans 3:23; James 2:1)

To the glory of God and for the good of our cities. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Jeremiah 29:7)

What do micro-breweries, indie artists, and church plants have in common?

They are the little guys.

For as long as I can remember I’ve always rooted for the little guy.

Rocky and Drago

It began when I read “The Little Engine That Could” in first grade which preached determination and perseverance against all odds. As a child of the 80’s, I was a huge fan of the Rocky movies and recall the profound effect it had on me when the underdog American hero Rocky Balboa defeated the unstoppable, cyborg-Russian Ivan Drago. I remember hearing the PG version of the David and Goliath story in church which further cemented my affinity for the little guy.

It seems it’s the little guy that’s on the verge of what’s next; who’s the catalyst for change; who’s always pushing the envelope and challenging the status quo. They are the outlaws, the mavericks, and renegades.  Ordinary people who aren’t content with ordinary lives. Pioneers driven by dreams and fueled with hope. Their passion is unmatched.

Perhaps it’s good to always be “the little guy” at something. To feel the odds stacked against you; to need help from another; to resist complacency.

Even when the micro-brewer has a large distribution, the indie-artist has a top 20 hit, or the new church grows in influence, it’s wise to continually put ourselves in position to be the little guy. We should always be striving for something that’s too big for us. As C.S. Lewis said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”

I guess the reason I root for the little guy is because I am the little guy.

May it always be so.

I recently had the opportunity to attend some conferences and learn from some amazing leaders and thinkers. Wish I could have captured a snapshot with everyone but I was able to get a handful. Here are some of the more familiar names that I connected with.

Spent several days with Dallas Willard at the Ecclesia National Gathering. So much wisdom packed into one person. He was a wonderfully gracious gentleman. His book, The Divine Conspiracy, helped shape how I view life in the Kingdom of God.

Dallas Willard and Me

One of my favorite authors of all time is missiologist, Alan Hirsch. This aussie’s work was very influential to me prior to starting Project Church and it was cool to chat about specifics now that concepts have become reality. Looking forward to giving his newest book, Untamed, a read.

Me and Alan Hirsch

Had the opportunity to have lunch with Rick Warren along with a handful of other church planters. Tremendous experience. It’s refreshing to see a Christian leader use his influence for good around the world.

Rick Warren and Me

Met one of my favorite bloggers, Pete Wilson. He’s the real deal. Pete has a book coming out titled, Plan B which is sure to be a hit.

Me and Pete Wilson