aaron brockett

Grace for Here...And There

O.K. I haven't blogged in a while...a real long while.  I've had several people jump me about it and all I have to say is that I just haven't had the time to blog because I've been too busy Facebooking!  Really sad commentary I know.  Anyway, I hope you had a great Christmas.  After TPCC's Christmas Eve service we loaded our 3 kids up in the van and drove 9 hours back to Missouri to visit our families.  We arrived at 4:00am on Christmas Day and it really wasn't that bad of a drive.  Partly because I drank three Monster energy drinks and partly because I was excited about how well the Christmas Eve service went.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that it was my favorite service out of any that I've experienced so far at TPCC.  We nearly packed the place out and when over 2,000 people are singing "Silent Night" while holding candles, it is pretty amazing.  For those of you who were out of town you missed something really great. 
Today, we are at my in-laws house in southwest Missouri and I'm getting ready to work on some sermon ideas for 2009.  I'm really looking forward to this coming Sunday.  If you were there yesterday then you know that we started a two week series of messages called Grace for Here and There.  We have something really special planned for this week that I've been looking forward to now for a while.  You won't want to miss it.  I'll see you then! 

It's Finally Over...

Well, it's finally over.  We have a new President.  Regardless of how you feel about Obama he is on his way to the Oval Office and the church is still the church and God is still on His throne.  I was going to give a few thoughts about the events of the past few weeks and then I read this post from another blog which I thought has some great insights.  I thought you might enjoy it to.  You can find it here: www.jdgreear.com under "Nov. 5th My Thoughts on the Election".

Pastor's Appreciation...

Alright, I haven't blogged for a while...the last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy.  That's a lame excuse I know, but I'm going to use it anyway.  This month is pastor's appreciation month and so I thought that I would express my appreciation to a few pastor's who have blessed and influenced me--so here goes in no particular order:

Monty Patton:  Monty was the pastor of my church when I was in middle school.  He was 27 years old when he became our pastor (which seemed awfully young:-) and he was the first preacher I can remember relating to.  I just ran into him by chance in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago in an elevator of all places.  I haven't seen him since I was 14 years old.  He is the pastor of a church he started in Phoenix, AZ now.  I always told myself if I ever got a chance to see him again I would tell him how much he influenced me.  I did in that elevator and it was very cool.

Ken Idleman:  Ken is the pastor of Crossroads Christian Church in Evansville, IN now, but I've known him for most of my life as the President of Ozark Christian College.  Since I was good friends with his son, I was in their house a lot growing up and Ken was one of the first ministry leaders to believe in me before I believed in myself.  I owe a ton to Ken: his encouragement, his counsel, his example, and his leadership.  He oozes integrity and leadership perhaps more than anyone I know.

Mark Scott: Mark was my preaching professor in college and ignited a passion and love within me for preaching.  He is one of the most gifted teachers I've ever had the privilege of sitting under and his humility is truly stunning.  I'm grateful to be an extension of his ministry within the local church.

Dean Pense: In my opinion, Dean is one of the most underrated leaders in ministry.  He is the father (and grandfather) to countless church plants, primarily on the West Coast.  He grabbed ahold of me as a dumb 25 year old and mentored me through the days of starting a church.  He is a pioneer and a "Paul" to countless younger pastors.  He now serves as a pastor in a church in Napa Valley, CA.

Tim Harlow: I first met Tim 4 years ago on a white water rafting trip with about 11 other pastors from around the country.  He pastors a large church outside of Chicago which has recently experienced incredible growth.  The first thing that struck me about Tim was his transparency, his "realness", and his undeniable passion for God and the Church.  I was the youngest pastor on that white water trip and he embraced me as a peer, but provided thoughtful counsel as a mentor.  He was one of my biggest cheerleaders when we were thinking and praying about coming to Traders Point.  I appreciate his friendship and enjoy learning from his ministry.

Howard Brammer:  Following a well-loved, long-term pastor is not an easy thing to do, but Howard has not only made this easy, but enjoyable.  I have already learned from him and am looking forward to learning more in the future.  His fingerprints are all over Traders Point and the legacy of his leadership makes my job a blast because of the healthy culture he created within this church.  He was the first one to call me my first day on the job and cheer me on.  Words can't express my gratitude for leaders like Howard.

Well, this list isn't exhaustive by any means, I could go on--and probably should.  Take a minute this month to make a list of your own and let these leaders know how much impact they've had in your life--trust me, they'll want to know.

Wall Street...

I must confess that here lately I have been a CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, junkie.  I need to stop.  Seriously, after an evening full of doom and gloom you have some of the craziest dreams.  I also have to admit that I am following the presidential election closer than I ever have in previous years.  I've always had an interest, but this time around things are different.  Have you ever noticed how much President's age while they are in office?  I think now I know why.  Think what you will about our current President, but imagine having to wake up in the morning to some of the issues he has had to face in the last 8 years.  How would you lead?  What call would you make?  Regardless of who becomes our next President in November, I am praying for him. 

One of the questions that I've received here in the last week or so is, "So, what do you think is going to happen with our economy?"  Fear is a legitimate emotion to have in times like these.  Some think it means Jesus is bound to show up now at any moment.  That's possible.  However, I can't help but think of Jesus' description of His return...something about it being like a thief in the night.  In other words--unexpected.  In all honesty I have no idea what is going to unfold in the coming weeks and months, however, I am at peace knowing that there is a God who does.  God never asks us to be secure as much as He asks us to be prepared and obedient.  If we have our sense of security in the right place, or should I say "right Individual", then whatever transpires could serve to be an opportunity in which the church really shines as a beacon of hope to a world that has put it's hope in something that can vanish literally overnight.  Materialism has been a pandemic in our nation for years now and I suspect has deafened our ears to a God who has never stopped communicating with us.  If what has provided a false sense of stability for us is shaken, we might begin to hear once again...
"In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.  Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."  Isaiah 29:18-19

Cutest boyfriend...

I was browsing through my hard drive this morning and I stumbled across an old picture I had almost completely forgotten about.  This is me from the summer of 1997.  Lindsay and I were dating at the time and I was doing an internship at a church in Los Angeles while she was 2,000 miles away in southwest Missouri.  She had been invited to Girls State, which is a political camp of sorts for teenage girls.  One evening they had a contest with all the girls in which they would submit pictures of their boyfriends and the judges would award the "cutest boyfriend" award.  And guess who won?  That's right--as if you had to guess--this is me believe it or not.  Take a look at that hair!  It wasn't easy creating that long-flowing wave of hair.  I think it was so long I could put it in my mouth.  At the time I thought that was really cool--now it just sounds gross.

Same kind of different as me...

I just finished a great book a few days ago that I highly recommend.  It is entitled Same Kind of Different As Me and is a true story written by two unlikely friends--one, a former slave from the South and the other a white art dealer from the city.  I started it and couldn't put it down.  I think I finished it in 3 days (but one of those days was Labor Day so I cheated).  Anyway, without giving away too much about the book, Denver Moore finally jumped onto a train out of the South and headed to the city where he would live on the streets as a homeless man for most of his life.  Ron Hall was coerced by his wife to leave their upscale neighborhood and begin serving in a dowtown shelter.  Ron and Denver meet in that shelter and the rest of the story is a record of their developing relationship with each other, their relationship with God, and how they overcome tragedy and discover how God can use two very unlikely men in a very similar way.  If you pick it up, let me know what you think...

Too Bright...Too Loud...

I'm a pastor.  I get asked from time to time why.  That's a good question, one I have to ask myself periodically if only to keep me refreshed and on target.  It's easy to get out of balance if you don't ask yourself solid, fundamental questions regularly.  I'm a pastor for two primary reasons:
1) God called me to it.
I know, I know...that statement is so common, especially within a church, but it really is true.  I wasn't a natural born leader growing up.  I was a quiet, shy, average little kid who preferred to stay below the radar.  God has a tremendous sense of humor to put me in the role that I have now.  It's actually a really good thing--I know that it's not from me.  I couldn't have fabricated or forced this if I wanted to.
2) People
I met with two young people in their twenties today--a guy and a girl--who are both young professionals and relatively new in their faith.  They've been coming to TPCC for a few months and God is moving in their lives.  I get pumped every time I have those kinds of conversations.  Both of these individuals had something in common--they have stayed at TPCC because our church has "engaged" them on some level.

That is why I am in ministry...to engage the disengaged with the love of Christ.
I looked up the definition of the word "engage" this afternoon.  It means: "to connect and to hold".  I love that.  I want our church to "connect and to hold" the attention of people who need to know Jesus.  It defines our campus, our ministries, my preaching, and our worship.

That leads me to something I really need to say.  Our creative and worship teams work incredibly hard to create "engaging" environments that will connect and hold all people--regardless of where they are spiritually--to a relationship with Jesus.  I give them a reasonable amount of freedom to come up with creative ideas to do this.  God is a creative God and has gifted us with some pretty creative people. 

Last Sunday I thought the team knocked it out of the park.  It was creative, but it wasn't over the top.  However, I'm reminded often that worship is just about the most subjective area within the church.  Two people can have the same experience and offer two completely different evaluations of it.  I've received a very small handful of emails complaining or expressing concern over the worship.  The two primary complaints are: 1) Too loud 2) Too much like entertainment

I should first preface my response by saying that the majority of those I speak with or receive emails from about this are incredibly gracious and it is obvious that they are communicating with a spirit of unity.  I want my response to be matched with that same grace and unity.  There are one or two emails that have disappointed me, but hey, they are people and I've been guilty of this at some time or another in my life as well.  Let me give a few responses:

• Guitars and drums sound loud even if they aren't even being played--that sounds crazy, but it's true--especially red ones.
• Everyone hears sound differently.  Our team has instruments that help them read how loud the sound levels really get.  I'm fully convinced that we could put the sound at every imaginable level and someone wouldn't like it.  This isn't a cop-out to keep blaring it--it's just reality that what one person hears, someone else hears differently...we need to take that reality into consideration.  The team is working hard to get and keep the sound at an appropriate level.  If they mess up, don't shoot em--love em. 
• Psalm 150 is a worship service.  Listen to what it says: "Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.  Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with the tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Maybe it's just me, but this description sounds loud.  How do you clash cymbals quietly?  However, I'm sure that someone will tell Gabriel to keep the trumpet down.   
• I think heaven will be filled with blinding lights--enough said.
• I've gone to a few Colts games and those people go nuts...I would love to see that kind of enthusiasm for God in a worship service.
• We shouldn't confuse "engaging" worship for "entertainment".  The verb form of "entertain" means, "to take into consideration".  Not such a bad thing in my mind when it comes to the gospel.  I think heaven will be way more engaging than any rock concert.  I can't think of one arrogant or showy personality on our worship team.
• Repeating the same words multiple times in worship isn't such a bad thing...it works in the Psalms.
• Worship isn't about me.  I dislike country music and gospel quartets, but I would still worship to it, because worship is primarily about bringing glory to God...not my comfort level.
• We are completely open to constructive critique...that's just a part of what it means to be the Body, but when offering a critique, let's be sure to tell the team often what they did do well.  They spend hours prepping during the week.  It would be kind of like me preparing a meal all week for some guests, only to have them complain about how much they disliked it all evening.  We can certainly have the freedom to express an opinion of dislike, but build them up by telling them often what you did enjoy. 
• Over the course of my life when it comes to the worship style debates I've heard some people make the comment that they will just skip worship and come later for the teaching...really?  WOW is all I have to say.  I think we need to read the Psalms and Revelation again. 
• Our team will work hard in the future to be sensitive to the feedback from people.  I tell them all the time to listen, respond with grace, and to never push complaints back in a disrespectful way.  Our goal is engagement...not distraction or disrespect.  In the future, some ideas will work and others will bomb.  But we'll keep trying.  I'm grateful for grace.  I might need it after you read this post... 

Junk Drawer...

We started a new series of messages yesterday called "Junk Drawer Theology".  The whole idea behind the series is that just as most of us have what we might call a junk drawer in our house or apartment somewhere filled with extra things we found lying around, we all have another type of junk drawer that is filled with beliefs and ideas that we've picked up from things we've seen, read, or heard from others.  Then, when we face a situation in life that calls for us to clarify what we believe or to choose how we will act, we run to the junk drawer and rummage around trying to find something that will fit and help us make sense of the situation.  So many of you have responded by inviting friends and family to church with you for this series.  I heard great feed back from many of you in how the entire service impacted people you invited who are predominately unchurched. 
Heading into this series, I've known that these topics aren't exactly easy to address and work through and may even illicit negative response from some.  Even within the church, especially among younger generations, we've blurred the lines between "relevance" and "tolerance".  Relevance is a biblical concept.  Tolerance, as defined by our culture, is not.  Webster’s Dictionary defines tolerance this way: "To recognize and respect other’s beliefs, practices, etc..without sharing them."
So according to this definition, tolerance values and accepts people whatever their belief or lifestyle without necessarily approving of their beliefs and behavior.  I support that 100%.  Jesus was the perfect model for this. Jesus as a Jew, spoke freely and respectfully to a Samaritan woman, shared meals with tax collectors and even touched the lepers – all of which were taboo for a Jewish man in those days.   
But here’s what we have to be aware of – in this postmodern era, the word tolerance is starting to take on a new meaning. 
According to the book The New Tolerance, About 80% of the time when you hear the word tolerance the understood definition is this:  "Every individual’s beliefs, values, lifestyles and perception of truth claims are equal." And so tolerance is being redefined. So when many people say practice tolerance what they are saying is that to believe that everyone’s religious beliefs are true as long as it true to them – and that all life-style and behavior choice are valid as long as it feels right for the individual.
The tension I live with week in and week out when it comes to preaching is communicating not only the parts of the Bible that feel warm and fuzzy, but also those parts that are somewhat difficult.  There is a natural "offense" that comes from the gospel message that is going to make some people uncomfortable.  My focus is to communicate that natural offense without being offensive--very different thing. 

I'd be interested to hear from you some of the different types of "junk drawer" belief statements that you are hearing at work, school, in your families, or neighborhoods.  Send them to me--you never know, we might do a series called "Junk Drawer Theology: Part 2"!

Leadership...

This past Thursday and Friday about 6 from our staff attended Willow Creek Community Church's annual "Leadership Summit".  This is an international 2 day conference focused on leadership mostly within a ministry context, however, they do have leaders from secular organizations in to talk.  Many of them happen to have faith so it is a rich experience hearing from both church leaders and those who lead large organizations.  The best way to describe it is a 2 day adrenaline shot of leadership principles.  The speakers and sessions that really jumped out at me were:
1.  Chuck Colson: Leader of Prison Fellowship
He's just written a new book entitled "The Faith" which covers the basic essentials of Christian orthodoxy.  Sounds kind of dry I know, but it isn't.  I read 75 pages yesterday and it is really great stuff.  I've always appreciated Chuck's writing and speaking, but especially his boldness.  He is 76 years old now and bolder than ever. 
2. Craig Groeschel: Pastor of Life ChurchTV.org
Craig gave us 4 questions to ask in creating environments for people to experience life change.  He is always gut-wretchingly honest, challenging, and humorous.
3. Wendy Kopp: CEO of Teach for America
After graduating from Princeton, she could have gone anywhere she wanted, but she chose to teach in one of the worst school districts in the Bronx after reading the statistic that only 6% of those students would graduate from college.  Today, she recruits some of the top graduates from U.S. Universities to spend the first 2 years after graduation teaching in some of the most challenging school districts.  Their mission is to offer every child a quality education.
4. Catherine Rohr: CEO of Prisoner Entrepreneurship Program (PEP)
Her story is truly phenomenal.  Catherine lived in New York City with her husband making $200,000 a year 6 years ago.  After becoming a Christian, she was invited to visit a prison with some friends.  What she saw broke her heart and an idea was birthed within her to start a program in which she would work with prisoners to teach them business and a trade.  She quite her job, they sold everything they had, and invested their entire life savings into the program that was almost shut down by the officials.  They literally gave everything to start PEP.  The results have been staggering.  The percentage of prisoners that go back to prison after being released is high.  With PEP the percentage of those being released, staying released, and living a productive life on the outside is even higher.  Even better, Catherine is excited and vocal about her relationship with Christ and shares it with the prisoners she works with.

Friday evening, Lindsay and I joined one of the small groups from church at Symphony on the Prairie over in Fishers.  Not being much of an orchestra person myself, I went for the company and the KFC!  However, it was very relaxing sitting outside under the stars listening to great music.  On the way home we stopped by Cold Stone for a treat--Mocha Mojo baby--speaking of which, I need to go run that off now... 

I Don't Want to be Edom...

It was really great to be back yesterday after being gone for most of the month of July.  Yesterday, Lindsay and I were talking on the way home from church and the entire morning just reaffirmed what we already know and believe about our church--far from perfect, TPCC is a really great church.  There was such and encouraging spirit among our people yesterday.  I love it when summer begins to wind down and everyone begins returning from their vacations...there is a sense of anticipation in the air.  I was also able to meet several people new to our church who were either traveling or checking us out.  All of them came from very different backgrounds and a couple of them have highly influential positions in society and culture.  It was great to talk with them about their faith journey as well as the sermon yesterday.  I believe our church is in a prime position to "influence the influencers" as well as serve the "down and out".

Speaking of the sermon yesterday...it was a challenging one in the sense that the application was so humbling for me personally.  Sometimes--O.K. a lot of the time--the application that comes out of a text causes me to do a gut-check over my own personal obedience to Christ.  As a communicator, the big question you ask yourself is, "am I already doing what I'm asking these people to do"?  A mentor of mine once told me that the big myth of preaching is that the "expert who has mastered this biblical principal shall now challenge others to".  While there is truth in this--and while we need to have integrity and authenticity in our message--we are all still in process and continue to deal with our own sin and inconsistencies.  The truth is that often God lays a message on our hearts, we communicate it and then He goes to work "pressing" it into our day to day lives. 
Yesterday we talked about the Edomites from the book of Obadiah, and how we often identify ourselves with the nation of Israel.  As Christ followers, if we can persevere through difficulties the justice of God will prevail.  While true, I also believe that we have more in common with Edom than what we may realize.  I've spoken with a couple of people since yesterday who have asked me, "So, do you think that there might be some sort of prophecy against America (similar to the prophecy against Edom) that we just aren't listening to today?  Is God's wrath coming against us?"
I have a tendency to feel both discouraged and encouraged by what I see happening in our world and culture right now.  Timothy Keller, who is a pastor in Manhattan, NY and who recently wrote a book entitled: "The Reason for God", spends the first part of his book explaining that our world is both becoming more secular and evangelical.  Each side wants to say that it is becoming the opposite of where they stand, but there is plenty of evidence for both.  I am discouraged by some things I see in culture today, but I am also encouraged by some things that I see.  I am encouraged by the fact that there are strong, Bible-believing Christians and churches who are seeking to make a difference in the world.  For all of the bad examples floating around, there are two more good examples (it's just that healthy churches don't make as good of news stories as church scandals). 
In short, I don't want to be Edom.  I don't want our church to be Edom.  I want us to be engaged in what God is doing in the world so that we can make a difference in the lives of people.   It requires a dramatic obedience to Christ and an irrational love for others.   And as we said yesterday, Jesus emphasized that these two things were a package deal--dramatic obedience without love will often lead to legalistic religion.  And irrational love without obedience will often lead to humanism.