Update on Building Negotiations

Today, we meet directly with the Bud Building realtor to iron out final details of the deal. As Creed said yesterday, their lawyers keep adding & deleting items in the contract; then, our lawyers add and delete items in the contract (because they're looking out for their clients best interests). So, the primary negotiators are sitting down today to work out the final contract face to face.

I'd ask you to pray for God to lead this discussion.

Our next steps will be to get final approvals for building use, and to work out finances. To purchase the building and to build out phase 1, we will need about $8 million ($2 million less than the original asking price for just the building, alone).

We will reach that goal by:
1) Raising funds internally
2) Renting the building for community use activities
3) Taking out a loan

Significant hills still lie before us. Taking them will demand intensified prayer, faith, and sacrifice. The great news is that God is for us! Hang on to your hats. God is doing more than we could ask or imagine.


Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

Growing Spiritually

We are often asked at New Life about how to grow spiritually. I have to admit, the answer to that question is both simple and yet so difficult.

You see, the basic process of developing any relationship (in this case with God) is to spend time and communicate with the person. The challenge is how can you do that with the God of the universe with whom you cannot sit down at Starbucks and chat about your life. The short answer is to listen to Him (options include listening to sermons, reading the Bible and quietly praying listening for Him to speak to your soul), to commune with other believers (small groups), and to serve the one you love (either at New Life or in the the community or both).

So the first questions are: Do you regularly attend worship services? Are you in a small group? Do you read the Bible on a regular basis? Do you talk to God in prayer? Are you serving Him and His cause?

If you can't answer yes to each of those I would encourage you to do what you aren't sooner than later. They pay off can be huge. As we interview people who feel distant from God we find those key things to be missing. Rarely do we find someone who is consistently doing them feeling distant from God.

Okay ... so by now you are thinking, thanks for the "church answer"... but really, how do I do those things?

• Find a small group. These are informal groups that meet in people's homes, often with dinner, that talk about God and how He is working in our lives.
• Read the scripture listed in the program each week (it is also sent out in our twitter feed - www.twitter.com/nlcc)
• Pray. It doesn't have to be a big deal, just find a quiet spot and tell God what you are thinking.
• Find a place to serve. We always need people to help as we impact the community around New Life, and many people find serving others the most therapeutic way to deal with their own lives and grow closer to God as they act as His hands and feet.
  

If you need help doing any of these please call or email us. If any of those make you nervous, queezy, or otherwise hesitant, rest assured, like all things New Life, it doesn't have to be this big, formal, scary deal. Trust us, the groups are safe, and serving can be real fun.


Pat Furgerson, Utility Guy

You matter to your coach!

Last night our AAA Nationals played our final game. I'm at work this morning wishing this team could stay together. We won a bunch; we lost a few; but that’s not why I am saddened the season is over.

Our kids and parents were the best! Win or lose, our parents were enthusiastic, positive, & supportive. The players reflected their good parents: well-behaved, disciplined, and respectful of coaches and each other.

Do you know how rare it is to find a team full of families like that?

I’ve experienced 3 kinds of players & families:

Type 1: After the season if you find out they are part of a church, you think, “I’d go to church with them.”

Type 2: After the season if you find out they are part of a church, you think, “Either they are part of a weak church, or they aren’t serious about their faith.”

Type 3: Those who claim no faith and bring no shame to Jesus.

In the heat of battle, I am the FIRST to forget this momentarily! My Nats families have reminded me how much our conduct matters more than what we claim. New Lifers, you matter to your coaches – more than you may realize.

Thanks AAA Nationals.

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

giving up

I think we like to give up. I look around and listen to people's stories, and it always seems to me that we look at our lives and figure it is easier to just give up than to keep pushing forward.

There are 2 places I have noticed this lately - in marriages and in ministry. Sure, the m&m's if you will. As I read stories and listen to people talk about their marriages, the phrase that seems to keep popping up is 'it would be easier to just make a change'. Wow! Make a change. Do things differently. Move on. How's that been working for people? Stats show that 50% of 1st time marriages end up in divorce and if that group remarries, their divorce numbers for marriage #2 shoots up to 80%. Hmmmmmm ... not good! Oh well, I'll give up anyway.

In ministry I see the same thing. Now, being in ministry I know it can be tough and hard and sometimes unrewarding, but so many guys I know are packing up, leaving ministry and going into other fields of work. And they love it! They jump from ministry to the work force and they tell me, I have more time for my family, I can relax on the weekends, I can leave my work at the office. I hear that and wonder, are they just giving up? (Or are they being smart?)

Both of these - marriages and ministry - are tough. But they are also so important to bringing the best out in the world. I hope less people will stop giving up and start giving in - to their marriage relationship and to impacting the world around us through ministry. Giving in to how God has made you and created you, giving in to the attention and love your spouse needs and wants. And in it all, putting Christ first.

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Special note from Brett

Laura and I watched the movie Fireproof again last night. Seeing this movie will challenge & bless your marriage.

Join us tonight at Westfield HS for our 7pm showing.

Read what the New York Times had to say about Fireproof:

Putting Out House Fires, Reigniting Passions

By NEIL GENZLINGER

Published: September 27, 2008

“Fireproof” may not be the most profound movie ever made, but it does have its commendable elements, including that rarest of creatures on the big (or small) screen: characters with a strong, conservative Christian faith who don’t sound crazy.

The movie is about a firefighter named Caleb (Kirk Cameron) whose loveless marriage to Catherine (Erin Bethea) is headed for divorce court until Caleb’s father (Harris Malcom) talks him into trying a 40-day caring-for-marriage regimen with a Christian underpinning. “The Love Dare,” it’s called.

The screenwriters, the brothers Alex Kendrick (who also directed) and Stephen Kendrick, give the story some pull by not making Catherine into the usual neglected wallflower of a wife. Instead she’s a publicist at a hospital who spends most of the film contemplating whether to hop into bed with one of the doctors.

For two-thirds of the movie, the filmmakers show a restraint rare in the movie-with-a-Message genre, so much so that the two most appealing characters are those nudging Caleb toward Christianity (Mr. Malcom and Ken Bevel as a fellow firefighter).

The story may be a bit gimmicky — yes, there are dramatic firefighter rescues that have little to do with the main plot — and the central couple is thinly drawn. It’s never clear what attracted these two to each other in the first place, and the hard-edged Catherine’s inevitable coming-around hinges, disappointingly, on some simplistic sensitive-male displays. (He does the dishes!)

But the cast of mostly amateurs (Mr. Cameron of “Growing Pains” being the exception) is surprisingly good. And the moments of comic relief are mildly amusing.

Only at the end do the filmmakers get heavy-handed, and they seem not to know when to wrap up, letting the movie run on for several smarmy scenes beyond its natural endpoint. Until then, though, this is a decent attempt to combine faith and storytelling that will certainly register with its target audience.

And maybe with other folks as well: among those caring-for-marriage tips are some that anyone could use to improve any type of relationship, with or without the God part.

Pray for this weekend and pray for relationships in the church!

See you soon!

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

I need to spend more time...

My Dad was in town this past weekend. Caleb & Logan had 4 baseball games scheduled between them. Dad drove the 6 hours from PA to see them play. Each game was cancelled because of rain, but the weekend wasn’t a total loss.

Dad grew up on a farm, so the school of hard knocks taught him how to repair almost everything. (He saved us over $400 in repairs this weekend. He needs to come down to watch baseball more often!)

While I was at work Monday, Dad took Logan golfing. As Laura tucked Logan into bed, he said, “Mom, do you know what spending time with Papa John has taught me?”

“What Logan?”

“It’s taught me that I need to spend more time with Dad.”

Hmmm.

I feel the same way. My Dad is 74 years old. Because he’s always been so vigorous and active, I’ve not appreciated that he’s not as young as he used to be. While he was here, I was struck in the heart by the thought, “I need to spend more time with my Dad.”

And, Logan, as your Dad, I enjoy every minute I get to spend with you. As you grow, it will be easy for me to not appreciate how quickly your time with me is passing. Whatever minutes we have together, I want to spend more of those minutes enjoying you, not distracted by all the things that clutter my time.


Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

shameless ask

I recently asked a church planter what exciting things were going on at his church, Velocity in Cleveland, OH, and wanted to pass along to you all just a small glimpse of how New Life is part of reaching lost people halfway across the country.

What's most exciting about Velocity right now is that we are in such a great new season of ministry here. We started back in April of 2009 and things have been absolutely crazy since then. We've had 21 baptisms in 30 weeks. The mayor of our city asked Velocity to start a youth program for our entire city. We are now the chaplains for the police and fire departments. Next week we are doing an event called "Serve the Servants" where we are serving lunch for the police department. The media got hold of what we are doing and they are sending a reporter to do a story on why Velocity is serving people. Things are so unbelievable - we just can't believe what God is doing in a city like Cleveland Ohio.

One of the things that I am really thankful for in this whole process are the things that Passion For Planting has done to help us get such a great start. We could have NEVER done all that we have done without being a part of the STADIA network. We are so thankful for the staff at P4P (Doug, Pat, Bradley) and all that they have done to help us get such a strong start. You guys are the best!

Scott Pugh

Lead Pastor

Velocity Church

Pat Furgerson, Associate Guy

next

Ran across this article online. It talks about the state of the church in America today. Very eye-opening and a bit disheartening. However...

It's why I love being a part of a church-planting church like New Life! Some people see the doom and gloom of religious organizations. I think we see opportunities! It is said that some of the best ideas and opportunities have come during the worst economic times in our country's history. Could this be true of churches?

Sometimes we forget that life is about birth, life, and death. Everything dies. Maybe we hold on too long to what we once had, or felt, or experienced, or hoped for. Maybe our best bet is to let things die off and new births happen.

Maybe it is a good thing that churches are dying. Maybe it allows church plants to come in and revitalize a town, a people. Statistics show the churches today making the biggest difference in communities are church plants. Are they perfect? Nope. Do they fail? Yep. Do they have all the answers? No way. But more often than not, they bring enthusiasm, hope, community impact, excitement and life to an area.

So I see opportunities that abound after reading this article, not doom and gloom. And maybe it's time to close a few church doors and open some new ones and see if that changes our religious landscape.

So where to next?

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Life Interrupted

Weird night at life group. Prayers going up for travel mercies for one of our number attending funeral in Atlanta, for another traveling to California to be with mom with stage 4 colon cancer, for one of our guys in pain who is awaiting knee replacement surgery and for a new couple in need of jobs.

And then. . .well, then something happened I didn't expect. One person shouted out a praise for having gotten cancer. She's just coming off chemo. But she talked of how cancer for her was a blessing, that it forced her to focus, get her priorities in line with God's, and that she's seeing God at work in new, more vivid ways. Ok, after that, it was hard to ask for prayer for my hangnail.

But this dealing with seeing God at work in the interruptions of life popped up in our scripture for the night--Acts 16. Paul and Barnabas determine to visit all the churches they started on their first journey. They can't even get packed before they split up over who would come with them. Rats. Interrupted.

We're sure Barnabas is doing great work, too, but the Holy Spirit zeroes in here on Paul. As he's about the work, we're told that he is forbidden by the Holy Spirit from going to Asia (verse 6). Rats. Interrupted.

Then Paul intends to go to Bithynia, but, again, the Holy Spirit did not permit it. Rats. Interrupted.

We don't know why or how the Holy Spirit communicated this. Did Paul fall ill? Could they not get correct change for the subway? Easy at this point for Paul to go "God, what's the deal? You are standing in the way of my well-conceived travel plans." Sounds like he didn't do that, since he then gets a vision to go to Macedonia and obeys.

Paul eventually ends up in Philippi, where there is this hilarious story. On the Sabbath, Paul and his troupe decide to go down to the river for a little peace and quiet, "supposing there would be a place of prayer" there. They supposed wrong. Instead, there were a bunch of women yacking it up. Rats. Interrupted.

Instead of rolling their eyes, they sit down and start talking to the women. One, Lydia, overhears, gets saved, and then her whole household gets saved. And the gospel is off and running in Europe! Who'd have thunk it?

So, here's one for ya. Are you actually about the business of God's work and purposes? Do you have a plan to be a minister of the gospel and are you pursuing it? As you pursue it, are you open to the Holy Spirit altering those plans without become bitter and thereby missing God's purposes? Yeah, some exciting things can happen. You get a promotion, you get engaged, you get some blessing. But God often directs through inconveniences. The loss of a job, a broken down car, a serious illness, a betrayal, or some other huge disappointment. Do you stop in those times to listen, to see what God might be up to?

He's probably leading you to your Lydia.

But we'll miss that if we're bummed that He interrupted our plans. But isn't that where we spend too much of our time? I mean, seriously, when's the last time you shared your faith outside the church walls? Is it really that there's just a lack of lost people out there, or are you just not listening?

Ok, I'm done. You can go back to what you were doing now. Sorry for the interruption.

Dwaine Darrah

McLean Campus Pastor

today

What do you have planned to do today? Eat some food, go to a meeting, drive to work, watch some tv, take care of the kiddos, workout, eat some more food, sleep?

What if, in the midst of all that we normally do, we began to ask ourselves each day - how can I make a difference in the world today?

I am sitting here drinking some coffee, doing some planning, catching up on emails, reading, writing, contemplating, daydreaming and that thought came into my head - how am I making a difference today? What phone call do I need to make, what note do I need to send, what email needs to be written, who do I need to have coffee with, what prayer do I need to make?

I don't know about you, but I want to look back at my life when I am lying on some freezing cold gurney about ready to breathe my last breath and say to those around me (if anyone is there), I made a difference in the world.

But that has to start today. And it is a question we need to ask ourselves each day when we wake up. We don't know when that gurney may come rolling by...

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Planting in San Fran

Sunday I was able to read an excerpt from an email I received from a church planter we are working with. I thought it would be worth sharing.

From Aaron Monts at Ikon in SF, CA

Sunday morning, Siobhan (the house manager of Mezzanine) pulled Taryn (the wife of one of our staff members) aside to ask permission to bring a friend on October 4th. This is the same girl that drug her heels, cursed the idea of church in a nightclub, and had plenty of reservations about IKON at Mezzanine ... and she's inviting a friend. To church. I watch her some times. Sitting in the corner. I wonder what she is thinking. What she is feeling. Does she wonder why we are singing? Who we are singing to? Is it just another gig for her? I'm beginning to think that it's not. I'm beginning to think that God's promise is true that where two or more are gathered, curiosity is sparked and beauty is manifest. No matter how the service goes or how we feel about the message, God is moving.

This past weekend we had a couple show up because of the IKON card they were handed at the Ferry Building by the missions team from Community Christian Church in Naperville. They were excited about what was taking place and "refreshed to see a church actually care about San Francisco!" They're looking forward to getting involved in our community to "make a difference!"

We had a homeless man, Shae, say "that its finally good to see a church doing something in this city". Meanwhile, the Mint Plaza security guard told one of our greeters that he sneaks close to our door so that he can hear the Word of God because "you can't really find that around here much".

Patrick Furgerson, Associate Guy

play-doh

For what to me seems like a decade (more like 2 weeks), I have been working on organizational structure for New Life. Like many churches, we ask people to serve in some capacity but do not have the right channels set up for success for them and our many areas to serve. Makes for fun chaos some days!

The good thing is that we recognize the need to organize and are moving in that direction (and others) to make sure we can help people grow and make the church a better place for people. Seemed to work back in the book of Acts pretty well too.

I sometimes wonder what is the real need for structure. I am not much of a structure guy. I like taking Play-Doh, throwing it on a table and instead of flattening it out and using cookie cutters, I like to mold and make my own designs. It seems easier and more fun.

What I have learned though is that any organization or organism needs structure. You can only go so far, grow so much, play with the doh for so long before the need for structure comes into play. My creation usually isn't as good as when I use the structures in place to make my 'art' (I use that term loosely).

Structure is good. It's healthy. It's not something I like or even like to think about, but it makes us all better in the end!

And it doesn't end at work. How can we be better at using structure as parents, in financing, in life?

Chad Simpkins, Haymarket Campus Pastor

Inching along

Lifegroup Tuesday. Acts 13. Came across an intriguing fella named Elymas. The description of him was clear, but it appeared to make no sense.

He was a false prophet.

He was a sorcerer.

He was a Jew.

Like the aptitute test that asks "Which of these things is not like the others?" these three descriptors do not go together naturally. Why? Well, the Old Testament clearly states that if you were a Jew, you were not to be a false prophet. The result? Big rocks dropped on ya. How about if you thought sorcery would be a good career choice? Result? Big rocks dropped on ya.

And that got us to thinking about how this could happen. Does a good little Jewish boy just wake up one day and think to himself, "Yeah, today it's gonna be sorcery and false prophesying. That's the ticket." And then we asked, "Does the high school teacher arrested for having child porn on his computer just wake up one day and go there and get nabbed right out of the chute?" Probably not. In fact, 15 years ago, if you had told that high school teacher, fresh out of college, that he'd lose his job, his family, his reputation, and his friends because he got caught doing child porn, he'd have told you you were nuts.

No, the path was probably long and twisting. Long because it took a whole lot of steps to get there. Twisting because each step had to occur with the final destination concealed. Had he seen it coming, he might have changed course. Makes sense. Proverbs tells us that it's the little foxes that ruin the vineyard, not one big fox. Lots of little things add up. Add up for good or for ill. Romans tells us that ending up in a good place is the result of little steps, too--little steps of faith that build on each other.

So, what to do? We sought to evaluate our lives right now. Where are we, in little things, in seemingly inconsequential things, in "what's the big deal?" things, taking little steps leading to righteousness? And where are we, in little things, in seemingly inconsequential things, in "what's the big deal?" things, taking little steps that are taking us to utter destruction currently hidden by the twists in the road?

For some, it was the need to bow a head and pray publicly for that meal in the restaurant. For others, it was talking to that family member who asks the question that forces us to profess what we really believe about Jesus. For me, it was not just saying I'll pray for ya, but actually stopping and doing it. Or, seeing the need of a brother in pain and stopping from my so-called busy schedule to hang out with him at the doc's. A lot of the time, I'm impatient for the big rush, the major accomplishment. But today. . .today some mighty good stuff flowed from what would appear to be just dinky little things.

Liked it enough, I'm thinking about trying a little step of faith again tomorrow. Who knows where this might lead?

Could be bailing someone out of the adult detention center who's taken too few of them, I suppose.

Dwaine Darrah

McLean Campus Pastor

The Greatest Compliment

Saturday afternoon and evening Laura and I kept a little girl so her parents could celebrate their anniversary. At one point Emma asked, “Can I just ask you questions about the Bible?” (Is the Pope Catholic?)

“Tell me about the princess who found Moses in the river.”

“What was Joseph’s wife’s name? Was she beautiful?”

“Do you think Eve was beautiful?”

After 30 minutes of questions, Emma asked a question that demanded that we look in the Bible. As she got up to look on our bookshelf, she said, “Mr. Andrews, I see Jesus in you.” (Causing me to wonder, “How many times she’s thought, ‘I don’t see Jesus in him’?”)

Historic Christianity calls the challenge to live like Christ the imitatio die, the imitation of God. Imitatio die is our highest calling. That’s why we encourage everyone to read the Bible and pray daily. Walk near to God and He will be near you. Want a good book recommendation? Consider Charles Sheldon’s 1896 classic, In His Steps.

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

Looking Like Jesus

Next week, “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers” opens in our area. If you haven’t heard, this film is a documentary about a guy who traveled America interviewing people about Jesus and his followers - Christians. My immediate response is, “Why do we need another reminder that Christ followers don’t act like Christ?” Later, I realized the answer is clear: because we live in the same world as people who don’t give a flip about anything. Or could it be something else? Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” I’m guilty! I’m guilty of the same looking-down-my-nose, Bible-thumping, beat-you-over-the-head philosophy of Christianity. My guess is that if you have been a follower of Jesus for any length of time you are probably guilty too. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. So here’s the good news: you can change that today. You can slow down, look around and talk to someone you don’t know or meet someone's need, and you can do it without telling them you are a Christ follower, just letting people see Jesus in you.

This is the very reason that I think we need to occupy the Bud building. Imagine a place where people come every day to take their children to a sporting event and happen to bump into someone who is willing to share a cup of coffee and just be nice. Imagine a place where you could take your kids knowing they would be safe, where you could hang out with people who need Jesus, and they could see Jesus in you. Imagine almost 2 acres under roof where children are playing basketball, lacrosse or baseball, or where adults are working out while they are watching their kids doing all of these things. The size and scope of this facility is limited only to our imagination.

I can imagine such a place. I can! It's on Lee Road, and it's available to the Centreville/Chantilly area. You can be part of telling people about Jesus through your behavior; and, if necessary you could use words. BTW, that last line is centuries old. I think Augustine said it first.


Creed Branson, Executive Guy

Boldness Revisited

I was out in Indiana a couple of weeks ago. Didn't want to be there. Oh, I like Indiana just fine. All the family is there. But I was in town to do the funeral for Bill, my brother-in-law. Tough stuff. But I find it's easy when I'm doing my "minister" thing to spot the moments for boldness, for speaking out. For example, we couldn't stay with family members because other family was packed in there, so we stayed with John and Jeannie, long-time friends of Bill's. I'm sitting at midnight at the computer working on the funeral message when John walks in and tries to look over my shoulder at what I'm writing. After just standing there for a while, he just says, "Well, I know I'm going to hell." You don't have to be brilliant to know "Hey, here's a opportunity for boldness."

At life group yesterday, we were kicking around Psalm 139 and Ephesians 1 and talking about boldness. Here's another reason to be in life group--my understanding got broadened as we kicked this around. It struck us that boldness might not look the same for everyone. Depending upon how God has fearfully and wonderfully made us, it might look like a funeral message, but it also might look like cooking a meal for a neighbor. It might look like letting someone in front of you in traffic, especially if you've got a fish on your rear fender. It might look like asking if you could pray for someone at work whose family member has taken ill. It might look like offering to babysit a neighbor's kids so they can go out and talk. It might look like paying for another couple's meal that you don't know sitting across the room at a restaurant, or maybe a huge tip to bless the wait staff. Maybe it looks like raking a neighbor's leaves or cutting their grass. Maybe it's saddling up to the outcast at work that no one else likes and being a friend.

Maybe it's not always talking, but maybe it's doing life in a way that will make people ask you what the deal is with you, make them ask why you're different, why you're being nice to them. And when they do, you can talk then.

Ephesians tells us that we've been saved, we've been wiped clean, we've been given the Holy Spirit for a reason, for a purpose, to accomplish an end. And that end is amazingly not so we can just do our thing and "be happy." It's all for the purpose that we would be "to the praise of His glory."

It changes things a bit when you walk out the door in the morning if you consider that your purpose today, no matter what the day holds, is to testify to the glory, the beauty, the majesty, the might, the awesomeness of the One who made you. That testimony can be as varied as the stars, as God has put you together uniquely.

Want to go to sleep tonight fulfilled? Live, exist, operate to bring praise to His glory.

Oh, and have a nice day.


Dwaine Darrah, McLean Campus Pastor

Big Week - Pray Big Prayers!

Since the Bud Building has come back on the market, we've been scurrying like... really intense scrurriers. Every week is huge. Every meeting is weighty. So, everyone praying every day matters!

This week we will be meeting with bankers about a loan. The banker we are working with is a Christian man with long time connections to New Life. He knows our church. He knows the Bud Building (he made the first loan on the building when it was initially built). And, he is more excited about our potential with Bud than I am! His words last week, "If you can get this building at that price, it will be something that only God could have done." That's been our prayer!

Pray for God's blessing on our meeting with the bankers.

Thursday, we have a meeting scheduled with the Bud building owners. We are confident that with God's blessing, we can get this deal done. In that meeting, we will present to them our situation: opportunities, obstacles, and options. Our prayer is that the building owners will resonate with one of the options, so we can move forward as quickly as possible.

Pray for God to bless our negotiations.

Hold on to God's promise to do more than we could ever ask or imagine through His power that is at work within us!

Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

The Civility Project

Weary of the harshening of discourse in America? So are Lanny Davis, former Clinton Administration adviser, and Mark DeMoss, president of the DeMoss group. Feeling the same need for change, they have started The Civility Project.

Self-described on their website, The Civility Project is a voluntary, grassroots movement of people from diverse backgrounds who agree that, at this critical time in America’s history, solutions to our most pressing problems will be found only through a more civil exchange of ideas.

Want to read more? Go to http://www.civilityproject.org/index.php.

Jesus followers are called to be salt & light. What better way than with the way we use our tongues, which the Bible says is powerful enough start a powerful fire, or to steer a massive ship – for good or for destruction?


Brett Andrews, Lead Guy

New Life: A Place to Belong

Our mission at New Life is to “create safe places where people discover God.” So, for me to say that we are a place to belong makes sense. If you visit New Life and aren’t a Christ follower we want you to discover God – God wants you to discover God. We also want you to discover God every day through prayer, study and Bible meditation. In fact, we can find God everywhere we look once we have that first experience of what God has done to be with us. However, many people that visit New Life are on a journey to discover God for the first time. This is why we make a concerted effort to be creative and fun. It is also why we play music that you'll find on a non-Christian radio station. I use “non-Christian” because I think some over use “secular” as a description of the music we play. Perhaps I am being a little defensive in this regard but there is a lot of music that glorifies God that isn’t “Christian.” This past Sunday we played an Eric Clapton song, “If I could change the world.” Before time was created God chose people to be his instruments in changing the world. People like you and me.

This past Sunday someone told me that the music we play isn’t Christian music. It would be real easy to disregard this statement as lacking merit but I decided to hear them out. I’m not sure how much success I had in helping this person realize that New Life is a place first to belong, and then to find God. There are many examples of people who came to New Life because they needed the music or the laughter – the escape from the world on Sunday morning. Some needed friends or needed to serve others. In the process they discover God. Many turn their lives over to God and some go into full-time ministry. Many realize that they were created to change the world in God’s name. My hope is that Christ followers would be the kind of people that are really impacted by God to make a difference in helping people find a place to belong. It is in this safety of belonging that people can truly discover God.

Creed Branson, Executive Guy

Who You Talking To?

It's Tuesday. It's life group. It's God using His word to give us a little shot across the chops.

Acts 11. Yeah, we were there last week, but at least we're in the second half of the chapter. Now, Peter has just reported to the folks in Jerusalem about this Gentile fella, Cornelius, who has gone and done the unthinkable--accepted Jesus Christ and received the Holy Spirit without becoming a Jew first. How dare he. And even though the Jewish Christians seemed to offer no resistance to Peter's account, it doesn't seem that they really get what's going on. Why do I think so?

Well, in the very next verse, verse 19 actually, it says that, as the Jewish believers were scattered from Jerusalem because of the persecution there, they ended up in various places--Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch--and decided to talk to no one except other Jews about Christ. No way were they going to reach out to those dirty Gentiles.

This cycle was amazingly broken by Jewish believers from Cyprus and Cyrene. Those ne'er- do-wells show up in Antioch and started sharing the gospel with the Greeks (a highly classified euphemism for "non-Jews"). Not only that, but a bunch of these "Greeks" accepted Christ, causing such a ruckus that the folks in Jerusalem hear about it and sent Barnabas to check it out.

Now, Barnabas is very impressed by what he sees, but he appears very concerned, too, that these new believers might be tempted back to their old ways. Good reason to be worried. Worship of Venus and Apollo in that area included some serious sexual depravity. We found it interesting that, rather than go and report back to Jerusalem what he had seen, Barnabas goes looking for Paul. That verb "look for" doesn't do justice to the sentiment here. It really means that he went searching frantically, like you would if your child got separated from you in the mall. Its the same verb used to describe Mary and Joseph's search for Jesus when he was left behind in Jerusalem. You get the drift. Barnabas was absolutely determined to get Paul, bring him to Antioch, and have him teach these new believers.

There's a lot to glean from this account, but one thing we were challenged with is whether we come to church on Sunday determined to speak only to "Jews", i.e., the people we already know, our friends, people we're comfortable with. I read a list of some new people who've been coming to the McLean campus over the last couple of months to see whether everyone in the group knew them. We didn't. So, we challenged ourselves to be about the business on Sunday mornings of reaching outside our circle of friends and to meet anyone whose name and story we don't know.

McLean is a pretty friendly campus, but keeping it that way requires reminding ourselves from time to time what we're all about. How sad would it be if someone walked in who didn't know Christ and was able to walk out not knowing anyone else in the room, either.

So, the goal is to remember this not just next Tuesday, but on Sunday morning at 11:00. Should be fun to see what happens.

By the way, these guys make life group a highlight of the week!!



Dwaine Darrah
McLean Campus Pastor

Why do I need a study break?

While sitting in the Westfield service yesterday, I was struck by two other reasons for me to take a study break:

1) Leading a church like NL and preaching to many people every Sunday can be a heady experience. People actually sit and (act like they?) listen. I lead a staff that respects what I say and follows where I lead. If a preacher is not careful, it's easy to start believing he is more important than he is.

During the month of August, I experience reality more than usual. I get to be a regular person. I am not the head of the office, the most influential voice in a staff meeting, or the center of focus on Sunday morning. During August, my voice is small on everything. I'm not the center of our family's focus. In our marital staff meetings, my voice (how can I say this?) is appropriately proportioned.

My study break humbles me.

2) Yesterday, I was reminded how much NL needs me to get away. Healthiest churches are not about one leader. One of our goals is that NL will be stronger after I leave/die/waste away in Margaritaville. When the preacher backs off, the church realizes how the church is led and blessed by God, not by one person. (True story: over the past couple years, I have heard more stories of ministers getting fired after returning from their study breaks. Apparently, they discovered they didn't need their ministers at all!)

So, as my study break comes to a close, thanks for giving me this opportunity. Ministry life is a marathon, not a 100-meter dash. Changing speed for a month has helped me plan, refresh, and re-engage in my 17 years of leading NL.

Brett Andrews
Lead Guy

Justing thinking...

by Gary DeMar, Aug 31, 2009

Before Jeff Foxworthy made a fortune telling redneck Jokes, Jerry Clower had developed his own brand of Southern humor. Born and raised in Liberty, Mississippi, Clower had a talent telling stories that went a long way to help him sell seed and fertilizer. Many of his comedic stories revolved around the non-fictional Ledbetter family. While the stories he told were embellished, they were based on actual events and served as informal chronicles of early 20th century rural Southern life.

Clower often told the story of a church meeting where the members were voting on the purchase of a new chandelier for the church. It seemed like it would be a routine meeting until Uncle Versie Ledbetter got word of the meeting and decided to attend so he could learn more about this new fangled chandelier. Being up there in years, he called on his grandson to take him to the meeting. As the deacons were about to vote, Uncle Versie asked to be heard. He noted “that no one among them could spell it, certainly no one among them could play it and what was [really] needed instead was lighting for the sanctuary.” I suspect that the word “worldview” carries a similar amount of ambiguity as the word chandelier did for Uncle Versie, and yet having a well-defined and comprehensive biblical worldview is necessary to shed light on the world.

Brett Andrews
Lead Minister

Westmoreland Campus $1 Car Wash

Give it a Rest

This blew me away at lifegroup the other night. Hacking through the 1st half of Acts 11. Peter returns to Jerusalem after the Gentile, Cornelius, has the Holy Spirit fall on him and gets baptized. He is immediately set upon by Jewish Christians for daring to mingle with a Gentile. So Peter recalls the whole story, and it says at the end of his telling of it, his critics "quieted down."

What we found interesting is that this same Greek word is used in Luke 14. Jesus is out walking around on the Sabbath, following by a bunch of lawyers and religious leaders looking for Him to make a mistake. Jesus sees a man suffering from dropsy in front of him. He turns to the religious types and asks them whether it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. The scriptures say that they kept silent. "Kept silent" is the same word as "quieted down" in Acts.

In Luke 23, after Jesus' crucifixion, the women saw Jesus' tomb and how His body was laid. And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath, it says, they rested according to the commandment. The word "rested" is the same word translated "kept silent" and "quieted down."

Putting these all together, what do you get? Maybe resting in the Lord has a lot more to do with shutting up for a change. Before the God of all the Universe, the Creator of all things, the One who sees the end from the very beginning, the Merciful and Just God who knows us better than we do, perhaps we'd be wise to be as savvy as the Pharisees and just give it a rest. Realize we have nothing to say that really matters. There's no defense we can make. No excuse that works. No argument that sounds wise. No plans or strategies that impress.

Maybe we should just give it a rest. Maybe if we shut up, He'll have a chance to talk to us. Maybe He'll tell us what to pray for. Maybe He'll tell us how to pray for it. Maybe He'll rip our hearts open, as He did mine last night, and show us areas of us He doesn't yet posses but wants to.

So, for 13 minutes last night, we just allowed Him the opportunity to have His way, to have the floor, our hearts a quiet pool to stir with his finger. To be truthful, we didn't find it easy. Maybe the joy of transforming lives will give us perseverance. So, we're writing down what we heard. Our boldness move next week is to share that.

Dangerous stuff.


Dwaine Darrah
McLean Campus Pastor

Stick it in your eye!

Recently, I was criticized for following people on Twitter that are unbelievers. I admit that some of the language they use is awful! One example of a tweet that showed up was, "She's dying, the buff chick is gonna die. Damn the writers of this stupid program!!!." Quite frankly I am flattered that I would receive criticism for another person’s behavior. I am reminded of those criticizing Jesus for associating with prostitutes and tax collectors. I can't say that I think this language is appropriate for a bunch of Christians but it is appropriate for the author. It is something they learned and could even be cultural. I would also think that if we are to be like Jesus and associate with unbelievers we should expect this kind of behavior. Jesus died for them too. After all, why would someone who is not a Christ follower ever be expected to act like one? We should love them. We should not look down on them or even expect our attempts to address their behavior to be successful. Until they are transformed in their thinking we should not expect change. Regarding Twitter, Christ followers should post things that our followers might see and therefore be drawn to Christ. Sorry for the rant. By the way, the author of this tweet was commenting on a scene from an episode of “House” where someone was inserting a needle into a woman’s eye.

Creed Branson, Executive Guy

What do you do on your study break?

Great question. I get asked that every year during my annual study break in August.

One lesson I learned from a mentor was to see the ministry as a marathon, not a 100 yard dash. For that reason, he has encouraged all of his mentees to take an annual study break. Why?

1) Worship

Almost every Sunday for over 2 decades, I have been responsible for leading worship services. Even when I’m not preaching, I attend our services as an overseer – and I love it! I am passionate about helping people discover God on Sundays. It is an honor to feel entrusted by God to lead people to connect with Him every week! That’s one reason I love being in ministry!

However, its not healthy for me to be in that role all the time. During my study break, I get to participate. Undistracted by responsibilities. Undistracted with the constant thoughts like: “What are newcomers thinking? How can we do this better next time? What’s that on Tim’s T-shirt?”

So, one purpose of my break is to worship God unfettered by distractions.

2) Benevolent Rest

Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. In other words, God built one day of rest into every week and commanded one year of rest every 49 in ancient Israel, not to be legalistic, but because we need rest. As old Native American proverb says, “You will break the bow if you keep it constantly bent.”

I am called to ministry & blessed to get paid to do what I do. Still, the each year as the study break approaches, I can feel it. Less creative. Less patient under stress. More frustrated by mountains that won’t move.

The study break is a time for me to refill the tanks. So, I read books, listen to lectures and sermons, and talk with other ministers. Sometimes, I go to seminars.

Sometimes, I just make time to think. That’s one reason I like going to the lake as much as I can on my break. Nothing clears my head more than rigging the sunfish and sailing around the lake. And, there’s no better place in the world for me to get perspective and dream than on the front porch swing… or, the front yard hammock… or, in front of the fire as the sun sets across the lake.

This summer, I’m reading books on Elijah and church growth, as well as my favorite Leadership to Leader magazines.

3) Sermon Work

It’s hard to be spiritual and busy. So, study break is the best time for me to look out and the year ahead, pray, and plan all the sermon series through Fall 2010. Do you know how fun it is to think through the needs of the church, seek God, and prepare series? So far, I’ve worked on sermon series about Joseph, Elijah, Jonah, Practical Proverbs, 1 John, Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Habakkuk, just for starters. All of them won’t make the cut for this year, but within the next five years, we’ll use the material.

Oh, wait. It’s not really fun. It’s awful. Horrible. You don’t know how difficult it is! (I don’t want you to think this is too easy!)

To get ahead for the fall, my goal is always to have 4 new sermons written by September. That allows more flexibility in my schedule (and less tension and anger, making me a nicer person to live with).

4) Visit Churches

Last week, we visited J10, the church NL started in Ashburn 8 years ago. Every year we try to visit as many churches that NL has started as we can. We’re planning to visit Common Ground and Momentum. It’s always rewarding to go and encourage former staff members!

This year, I want to visit a large church in Akron, OH to see how they use their building & do multi-site. We’ve also talked about a trip to visit a church in Idaho with Creed.

Think I’m going to run out of Sundays before I run out of churches?

5) Family Time

Sometimes, I think my family needs my study break more than I do. Many of you work on-call 24 hours a day. That’s the nature of our work. And, its great to work knowing what you are doing is needed all the time.

At the same time, the schedule and stresses of ministry can take a toll on the family. (My college roommate, a Christian college professor’s son, always said, “You’re not really in ministry until you’ve neglected your family.”)

I try to honor God, my family, and the ministry every week. But, study break is a break for my family, because I’m not being pulled in so many directions, I’m more relaxed, and we’re able to spend a little more time together away from the stress, as well.

My mentor took at least 4-6 weeks for a study break every summer for the last 30 years of his life. He retired at 65, still climbing. He’s probably more effective in his retirement years than most people are in their work years. One reason he’d tell you: he ran like a marathon, not a sprint. Thanks for allowing me to do the same.

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Blind Spots

I delivered the same message to each campus beginning 3 weeks ago at Centreville. My focus was on “Leading by Example” and I referred to a Bible verse, which I realized was the wrong reference after the fact. The reference provided in each sermon was Numbers 22 when referencing Solomon’s sin, which he was apparently unaware of. I said that God despised the high places created for false gods and had commanded the Israelites to tear them down. I said that Solomon offered God his sacrifice on one of the high places. The correct reference is Numbers 33.52: “Drive out all the inhabitants in the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.” See 1 Kings 3.4.

Now if you want to read a good Old Testament story you really should read Numbers 22. It’s the story of Balaam’s donkey – a talking donkey no less.

We all know another word that refers to a donkey. Frankly this is kind of how I feel when I do these kinds of things. So please accept my apology if you were looking for the reference in Numbers 22. I hope you had a good laugh and accept that our mistakes can make a “donkey” out of all of us.

Creed Branson, Executive Minister

Read this if you get tired of the journey

John Wooden, Basketball's Coaching Legend once wrote:

It's the road to getting there is the very important part. The end in some ways, it's exhilarating in some ways, it's a let-down. It's the getting there.

I think Robert Louis Stevenson said, "It's better to travel hopefully than to arrive." Once you arrive, the journey is over in a sense. It's the journey that's the important thing. Yes. The fact that it is an accomplishment for which you've been working gives you a feeling, maybe the best feeling from a coaching point of view, when you just see the thrill it is giving the youngsters under your supervision.

My teams got to the National Championship ten times, the National Championship game, and we happened to win every one of those that we got there. Before the end of each game none of them were determined in the last seconds. We had them won within the last minute or so. And there would be a time-out. There was in every one. Each time, I told my players, "Now I'm very proud of you. You've had a great achievement. But now, when this is over, don't make a fool out of yourself. Let our alumni do that. Feel good. Cut the nets down if you want to, but don't get carried away. This is something for us to enjoy for the moment, and let's not get carried away. But it's been a great accomplishment and I'm very proud of you."

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Thinking Out Loud

Our life group hit on Acts 8 last night, but I wasn't there. Heading for the beach. Getting some of the R&R everyone says humans need from time to time. Looking forward to a little crab. Crabs probably looking a little less forward to it. We always enjoy the porpoises skimming along, aware of us, but not close enough to touch.

But, I digress. I was thinking, as I said, about the life group and how much I would be missing by not being there. So, I pretended I was going to be there and zeroed in on Acts 8.

Here's one thing that struck me. After Stephen's martyrdom, this huge persecution breaks out, and the Christians in Jerusalem have to beat feet. I talked about this last week. But I was struck that Philip heads to Samaria. It doesn't say whether he opted to go there on his own in the confusion or whether all the apostles and the elders got together and directed people to various places. But Samaria. Tough mission field, what with all the hatred between Jews and Samaritans. But Philip sees this revival break out. Was wondering whether he tapped into what could have been a growing number of believers there from Jesus' time with the Samaritan woman at the well. Dunno. Just thinking out loud.

And it made me wonder.

Why Samaria? Why Philip? Why does Philip have only one "L"?

And it made me remember.

Jesus had commanded His followers to preach in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and everywhere else. So, to be obedient, someone had to go to Samaria.

Philip was a Jew, alright, and the Samaritans would have viewed him with suspicion. However, he was not a Jew from Palestine, where the greatest animosity towards the Samaritans existed. As a Jew from outside Palestine, could he have bridged the gap easier because he would have had fewer barriers to climb over. Dunno if that's the case. Just thinking out loud.

Philip was already a bridge builder, a peacemaker. He was one of the seven overseers chosen back in Acts 6 to resolve disputes between Palestinian Jews and Jews who had come from outside Palestine. A good guy with proven skills who lived the life and had success in crossing cultural lines.

Philip went in the power of the Holy Spirit. Things happened that awed folks. And, he preached Christ and the kingdom of God.

And it made me convicted.

Am I faithful every day in sharing the good news in one of the locations Jesus commanded: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, everywhere else?

Am I building bridges? Making connections?

Are there people out there that I may be the absolutely best person in the whole world to share the gospel with because of my upbringing, life experiences, life's disasters, training, whatever? If not me, then who?

Is there a power of the Holy Spirit operating in my life sufficient to cause people to ask "What is the deal with you, man?" (Or, in Bible parlance "What is the reason for the hope that is in you?")

Am I really proclaiming Christ and the kingdom, or am I proclaiming something else that sounds good, but isn't, in the end, Christ?

And it made me determined.

I'm coming back in a few days with answers to the questions.

Feel free to join me, or, like the porpoises, sail on by without being touched.

Dwaine Darrah

McLean Campus Pastor

Wasting Time

Every 4^th of July, my family spends a week together back home at Conneaut Lake. One of our favorite annual traditions is the neighborhood softball game.

It’s never the best played ball you’ll ever see, but we have a great time.

If you are like I am, you have lots of deadlines, important meetings, and demanding responsibilities that make you feel like any non-productive time is a waste of time. Last week as we spent time playing together with our extended family, I kept thinking of the question my wife, Laura, sometimes asks me: “Who will cry at your funeral?”

I’m not sure how many people I’ve ever ministered to will show up at my funeral. But, I’m confident the people in this picture will cry at mine.

Who will cry at your funeral? Need to play some softball soon?

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

On That Day: A DocuDrama

Stephen and I have a lot in common. We grew up in the same town. Went to the same church growing up. Came to believe in the same Jesus. Saw the same miracles.

Died on the same day.

That day began like most others in Jerusalem. Job was going fine, had my health. I also was a new Christian. In fact, my whole family had come to know this Jesus guy and call him Lord. And He was changing us from the inside out in amazing ways. And the teaching. . ..AWESOME. Best sermons on the planet. The church was happening, man. We were seeing incredible things. Like, some days, thousands of my friends and neighbors became followers of Jesus. It was pretty sweet.

Well, mostly sweet. Up to that day. Should have seen it coming. Just wasn't looking. Man, they got Stephen the same way they got Jesus. Had some dudes invent lies about what he was saying, stirred up a mob, and just murdered him. Not cool at all. So, I think it's right that Stephen gets written up in the bible. What he laid on the religious leaders in his defense was for the ages.

Me? I don't make it through the day, either. I'm just a footnote, like everyone else who bought the farm on that day when all hell broke loose against the church.

I had a lot of questions, for sure. You would have, too. I mean, to stop breathing on that day was not in my five-year plan. I double-checked. Not there. There were still more people with whom I wanted to share the gospel, more things to learn, more changes to make, more tithes to give, more impact to have. Dying on that day? Just didn't seem to make a lot of sense. Why did this happen? Why would God allow it? Does He know what He's doing? Is He really in control? If not, can I trust Him?

Things happened so fast after Stephen's death that I didn't have a chance to get good answers to these questions. The mob just turned immediately on anyone who was a Christian. It looked like leaving town would be the only option, but we didn't have time to pack before they dragged us off.

So, here I am. Looking down on the earth I used to walk, trying to figure it out. I've got this incredible eternity to look forward to. Not particularly bitter. Just wanting to make sense of why I was at all. What purpose was there in my life down there, and what good did I accomplish? I was only a Christian for a couple of months. Seems like such a waste.

But sitting here, I'm reminded that Jesus told us we would be His witnesses not only in Jerusalem, but in Judea, in Samaria, and in the remotest parts of the earth. While I thought I'd leave Jerusalem someday and spread the gospel, seems God's idea was that I was to serve as the catalyst for others to make that journey. Wasn't easy to accommodate, but it seems I was supposed to die there in Jerusalem. It wasn't some fluke, an accident. My death forced those whose job was to move out and spread the gospel to get on with it.

Ok, I'm still pretty sure I would have written a different role for myself in this saga, but I'm getting it that God knows exactly what He's doing. I also got it just how much of my relationship with Jesus revolved around my expectations of what He'd do for me, how He'd make me happy, and how He'd give me this or that thing or experience, how He'd make me notable or great or something. You know, I thought my mindset was eternally focused, but in reality I had way too much stock in life down there. Maybe I'd have seen things more clearly if my life revolved less around my happiness and more around seeing how every situation was an opportunity to give Him glory.

So, for those of you still down there, maybe you're wondering about hard times, illnesses, disappointments, whatever. Maybe there's something bigger afoot. Are you looking for it? Maybe it's not going badly. Maybe it's just going godly. And, on that day--you know, when you get here--it'll be fun to compare notes.

Wanna read some more about this stuff, cull through Acts 1:1-8; Acts 6:1-8:4.

Dwaine Darrah

McLean Campus Pastor

What should you do next?

Instead of focusing on what's next , let's get back to what's first .

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/66/mylife.html

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Seeing growth

Sometimes growth is easily measured. Our son, Caleb, turned 13 last week. He played his last game of regular season baseball. Overnight, he’s shot up to be as tall as his 15 year old sister!

Other times, growth happens underground. The roots grow deeper, but tree appears the same. Logan, our youngest, played another season in AA league baseball. He’s at baseball camp this week. He’s having fun, but he’s celebrating no dramatic milestones this season.

Sometimes, God works as in Springtime—with lots of obvious, measurable growth. Sometimes, God works underground, and the growth is not so noticeable on the surface.

This is another reason I value my daily personal time of prayer and Bible study with God. In times of obvious growth, this time keeps me grounded. In times when the tree shows no blossoms, this time with God reminds me that He is still at work in me.

Brett Andrews, Lead Minister

Why Jesus Spoke in Parables, Final Part

The solution to our understanding the parables is first to hear them and secondly to understand them in the context which they were originally meant. When the parables “were originally spoken, they seldom needed interpretation” (Fee and Stuart, page 160), thus the first part of the solution is to hear them. They were written by the authors to transmit the message found in the parables. The reader of the time would have immediately understood the meaning. The second part of the solution is to place them in context either by understanding the context of the day or to place them in the context of today. For example, the parable of the Good Samaritan could be understood in the historical perspective of the day or it could be paraphrased to bring understanding in today’s culture. To understand the historical perspective of the day requires an intimate understanding that Samaritans and Jews had a hate for each other much like many might find between extreme Islamists and legalizing Christians. The reason for this began when the Jewish nation was taken into captivity to Babylon. The Jews left behind inter-mingled with non-Jews, and those left behind by Babylon. Later when Nehemiah and Ezra returned to re-build the temple these same Samaritans harassed the Jews in their building process.

The Samaritans were despised by the Jews for establishing a rival offshoot of Judaism – a heretical sect. The Samaritans despised their despisers. A centuries-long running feud resulted, with provocative acts on both sides. The Samaritans protested the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls after the Babylonian exile, making a precarious political situation much worse. In turn, John Hyrcanius, a Jewish governor and priest, marched on the Samaritan sanctuary at Shechem in 128 B.C. and destroyed it. (Fickett 1999, page 107)

Approximately two years before Jesus told this parable, a group of Samaritans had defiled the Jewish celebration of Passover by throwing human remains into the temple courtyard during the celebration. And again, in our understanding of Jewish orthodoxy, we need an awareness of the significance of this act to truly understand the interpretation. Once this is understood it is easy to understand why the Jews despised the Samaritans. The point is this: the parables need to be placed in context to allow us to be truly moved by them. Another solution would be to bring the parable into today’s cultural understanding. For example, one could substitute the characters in the parable of the Good Samaritan with modern day characters. The expert in the Law could easily be characterized as a lawyer. The Priest could be replaced with a Cardinal or Bishop; the Levite could be replaced with a conservative Christian, and the Samaritan could be replaced by a Muslim extremist. In fact, read Luke 10:30-36 and replace the names to understand context. The point of the parables is to evoke a change in the person hearing the story. As Frederick Buechner has said, “A parable is a small story with a large point.” As Jesus told parables, their meaning was unlocked in the mind of the recipient. In our endeavor to understand parables this should be our primary objective - to get to the meaning of the parable as we understand it in our particular culture. Without this unlocking of the mind the parable is just a useless story.

Creed Branson, Executive Minister