Renovator Ministries

Anyone who aspires to be a leader in ministry must first  be an “apprentice”, not an apprentice leader of a ministry but an apprentice of Christ. We all know what an apprentice carpenter or an apprentice electrician is and we know what they do. They apprentice under a “master”- master plumber or master electrician. Naturally it follows then what an apprentice of Christ does- he/she apprentices under the Master Christ.

Alan Hirsch notes in his classic book The Forgotten Ways, “the quality of the church’s leadership is directly proportional to the quality of {apprenticeship}…. If we fail in the area of making {apprentices} we should not be surprised if we fail in the area of leadership development…. And leadership, to be genuinely Christian must always reflect Christlikeness and therefore… {apprenticeship}.”

A church leader is not a leader because of position given but is a leader based on the outflow from the heart driven by an intimate and fresh relationship with the Father. Leaders within the church today know first and foremost they are apprentices of Christ. Leaders in the church today are those walking most closely with the Trinitarian presence of God TODAY. Being a leader is driven solely by one’s relationship with the Father not title or position.

georgea

For all the  RENOVARE DEEP RED  workshop attendees here is your blog. Love to hear your experiences with this new discipline. For those of you who do not know I’ll post a full explanation next week right here.

georgea

Have you ever looked upon the Spirit of the Living God within you as “The Candle of The Lord?” We often light a candle before spiritual direction sessions, retreats and Deep Red studies to symbolize His presence among us. This imaginery Dallas Willard uses in Hearing God is very meaningful for the reality of what we have in us as apprentices of Christ. To me it communicates guidance and direction as well.

The need to truly know how our human system functions is the centerpiece of our formation to Christlikeness. One process that fosters this process is a firm grasp and deep immersion into the Psalms as a mirror of ourselves. Calvin described the Psalms as an anatomy of all the parts of the soul. I like to look at our soul as our spiritual liver where everything we think, feel, choose  and do passes through hence a human system attuned to God’s will a healthy soul, a human system attuned to self a ruined soul.

Praying through the Psalms informs us to the fact that what we are experiencing is true to the human experience in general at any given point in time and helps us reorient to a life that consists in a trusting and obedient following of Jesus.

georgea

For the past two years I have been meditating on the thoughts of Thomas Kempis in his classic Imitation of Christ. I spend most weekend  mornings letting the authentic truth of how I am made(think, feel and act) sink in to me through his devotional writings most footnoted with scripture. It truly has changed the landscape of my soul as I walk the streets with Jesus. I know others who treasure these writings are out there.  Love to hear how they have impacted your formation to Christ.

georgea

Is being the church a Sunday kinda thing, you know , show up, endure, check the box go home, nap, eat dinner…….?

Recently I read a timely article in the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care - http://wisdom.biola.edu/sfj/ that discussed  current anxieties over Spiritual Formation the list of anxieties offered were:

• SF is just another passing fad
• SF is Catholic
• SF is New Age
• SF is contrary to the sufficiency of scripture
• What ever happened to old fashioned obedience
• SF encourages works righteousness
• SF is overly experiential
• SF neglects missions/evangelism

Let’s talk!

I have been spending many days in retreat on a beautiful parcel of land that runs by a river a few miles north of my home. I have done this with a handful of other people every time. After a day with Jesus in solitude, silence and study we come back together in community and talk about how His Trinitarian presence has marked us this day. What  incredible stories of God’s movement  in our lives we share. Even though that is what we leave greatly loved and encouraged by I also hear another movement from the participants- REST!

Many if not most highlight  as the most beneficial aspect of their time with Jesus as  A TIME TO REST.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Are you resting, engaging in a sabbath time as a scheduled regular part of your life?  If not what is keeping you from that? I can say unequivocally if you are not it is likely you are experiencing an atrophy of your soul and not the person Jesus came for you to be (John 10:10).

Love to retreat with Jesus for the day? We have opportunities for you no matter where you may live.

Let’s talk !

As I pop around the blogs and look at book titles these days I sense these are very dark times for the “church”. I wonder if we are a generation away from losing the church to the culture? If so why?

The restoration of the reputation of Jesus Christ in our culture has been a foundational pillar of the group Catalyst. (Isaiah 58:1-12) What are some ways we can accomplish this?