Tag Archives: transformation

Building Healthy Multi-Ethnic Churches – Reflections

I wrote a brief article recently for Mark Deymaz that will appear in a book he is writing on diverse, ethnic Churches (Zondervan). It forced me to think through our history and what we have learned. The following is most of the what I wrote: Twenty-one years ago, when my wife and I planted New Life Fellowship, we chose Elmhurst/Corona, Queens, as a strategic location for the church due to the fact that individuals from more than 120 nations live in the area. So while we recognized the benefits of such a location and desired to bridge the racial, cultural and economic barriers for the sake of Christ, we underestimated the suffering this commitment would require for all of us of in leadership. For instance, I soon realized that our evangelical discipleship/spiritual formation model was too superficial to bring about the kind of in-depth transformation we would need to live in authentic community. There. Read more.

Desert Fathers and Western Christianity

Over time I have become more convinced, not less, of the application of the radical simplicity of the Desert Fathers of the 3rd t0 5th centuries. They fled to the desert in order to seek God and eventually serve as a life raft for a church that had become almost indistingishable from the world. The church in the West is in a very similar state. The answer begins with us as pastors and leaders of God’s flock, I believe. As Tolstoy once said, “Everybody wants to change the world, but noone thinks of changing himself.” I think he was right. There is only one pathway – the pathway of Jesus. Ronald Rolheiser in The Holy Longing outlines this as the only way to profound transformation. We repeat it over and over again in our walks with Christ. 1. Name your deaths (Good Friday) 2. Claim your births (Easter) 3. Grieve for what you have lost and adjust to the. Read more.

Resurrection Without Crucifixion

I believe the central message of Christianity remains Good Friday, Easter, the Ascension and Pentecost. Death is God’s way to transformation and new life. I know it intellectually and dislike very much how it lives! My journey with Christ into what we now call “emotionally healthy spirituality” has three distinct, but overlapping, phases to it: 1994-96 – Emotional health and Spiritual maturity inseparable 2003-04 Contemplative spirituality integration 2007-08 Personal integrity/Differentiation. I don’t really understand this one very well since I am only now in its beginning, but I do know that it has involved, for me thus far, really grasping the crucifixion and death. As Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernal of truth falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (Jn. 12:24). Jesus is telling it like it is. If the seed does not die, there will be no fruit or grain.. Read more.

Emotionally Healthy Skills and Transformation

Geri and I have been leading a research and development small group on emotionally healthy skills (or practices) that we have been writing for the past year. So we invited 15 people, singles and marrieds, from a variety of ethnic and age groups to gather in our basement and be our “guinea pigs” Last Sunday we did our 12th practice (triggers that cause us to react immaturely rather than pausing in order to maturely respond). The power of this small group and transformation continues to both astound me and raise theological/pastoral issues for me. Every time Geri and I lead one of these experiential skill groups, people truly are changed – deeply. What is it? We also did a pre-conference on emotionally healthy skills at our pastors/leaders conference last week and that too was very impactful for them. A former rabbi once told me sermons are like dropping a drop of water from the Empire State Building and. Read more.

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