Prayer for Last Day of the Year

As we approach the end of 2007, we are often prompted to reflect over the past year. Almost without exception, we are filled with thankfulness for the Lord's protection and grace in the face of dangerous situations and/or other challenges. From Operation World I found a different approach for ending the year -- one with a heartbeat for missions.

The last prayer in the Bible is "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). Peter tells us that we should be "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:12). How better can we do it than by praying for the fulfillment of Genesis 12:3, Revelation 7:9-10 and Matthew 24:14? Pray for:

1 The speediest possible evangelization of the world — of every unreached people group, area, city and nation.

2 The Great Commission to be restored to its rightful centrality in the ministry of the Church worldwide.

3 Your part in achieving this. What is God's will for your life? In the coming year are you willing to do whatever He commands regarding the needs of the world? Is it possible God is calling you to a specific ministry in praying, supporting, or going to the ends of the earth for your Master?

4 Your local church's part. Pray that your fellowship may grow in missionary zeal and commitment in the coming year.

Christmas Eve in Germany

Christmas traditions differ from country to country. And things are a bit different here in Germany than back in the States.

• In contrast to the States, all stores close in the early afternoon (2 pm). There's no mid-night shopping at Walmart for Santa's gifts.
• Church service at 5 pm. Many Germans regard the Christmas Eve service as the most special in the year. Even though they never attend church throughout the year, they will probably still attend on Christmas Eve. (Easter services, on the other hand, are poorly attended).
  
• Families gather for dinner and the opening of gifts. The Weihnachstman (Santa Claus) arrives during the evening of the 24th, giving the kids plenty of time to play with their gifts before going to bed.
  

Our family had our Christmas dinner before church. As I mentioned in our previous post, our church rented the community auditorium for tonight's service. I'm guessing that we had about 200 in attendance.

Then we came home, read the Christmas narrative, and Brianna handed out the gifts. This year was special because both Claudia's parents and my parents were with us for Christmas. (Yep, my parents made the trip to Germany for the holidays.)

Royal Rangers in Germany

Today, our church in Germany held its annual Royal Ranger worship service. It is an opportunity for the Rangers to lead the service and invite their parents and other family members to come to church. After the service, we held our church's Christmas dinner -- albeit in German Ranger fashion with Saitenwürstchen, Spätzle and Lentils.

As was the case last year, our church had to rent the local community auditorium and we estimate that 240 people came to the service -- which is no small feat for our young congregation. And as our goal, many people from the community came to the service who normally would never enter a church. And then many stayed on for the dinner afterwards.

Tomorrow we will hold our Christmas Eve services also in the community hall -- since everything is already set up. So...I'll have a report later this week.

Mason Taylor

It may be old hat to our friends in the States, but this video and the clips of Mason Taylor are simply hilarious. Enjoy!

A Slice of Americana

Yesterday I spent the day traveling to US Consulate in Frankfurt in order to renew a passport. Although it is always a hassle to make the trip (125 miles one-way) and work through bureaucratic forms and procedures, I always enjoy the chance to experience a little bit of America. Not only is there the Consulate in Frankfurt, but there used to be a sizable US military presence in the city; and Frankfurt is the economic center of the German economy.

Some impressions from the day

• I take the train from Rudersberg to Frankfurt. The stretch between Stuttgart and Frankfurt was on the ICE (InterCity Express). We traveled at a meager 250 km/h (ca 155 mph).
• The consulate personnel was professional, yet friendly and warm. (This is not always the case with German governmental offices). I was finished within an hour, which is pretty fast for this sort of thing.
• For lunch I found Kentucky Friend Chicken - complete with coleslaw and Pepsi
• Went back to the train station and waited at the local Starbucks - vanilla bean frappuccino and NYC cheese cake.

Okay, I probably spent more than I should have at Starbucks. But something like this comes only once a year or so. When did you last go to Starbucks?

The Politically Correct 12 Days of Cxxxxxmas

I got this beauty in an email today. Enjoy.

On the 12th day of the Eurocentrically-imposed midwinter festival, my potential acquaintance gave to me,

TWELVE males reclaiming their inner warrior through ritual drumming.

ELEVEN pipers piping (plus the 18 member pit orchestra made up of members in good standing of the Musicians Equity Union as called for in their union contract even though they will not be asked to play a note...)

TEN melanin-deprived, testosterone-poisoned scions of the patriarchal ruling class system leaping,

NINE persons engaged in rhythmic self-expression,

EIGHT economically-disadvantaged female persons stealing milk products from enslaved Bovine Americans,

SEVEN endangered swans swimming on federally-protected wetlands,

SIX enslaved fowl-Americans producing stolen, nonhuman animal products,

FIVE golden symbols of culturally-sanctioned enforced domestic incarceration, (NOTE: after a member of the Animal Liberation Front threatened to throw red paint at my computer, the calling birds, French hens and partridge have been reintroduced to their native habitat. To avoid further animal American enslavement, the remaining gift package has been revised.)

FOUR hours of recorded whale songs,

THREE deconstructionist poets,

TWO Sierra Club calendars printed on recycled, processed tree carcasses,

and a Spotted Owl activist chained to an old-growth pear tree.

What is Spiritual Health?

Paul Pruyser argues that a healthy spiritual life consist of seven components. All seven dimensions combined provide us with a snapshot of a leader’s spiritual life.

1. Calling. Calling has to do with the sense of purpose. Calling, also known as vocation, has to do with the sense of purpose. In a spiritual context, vocation is not just a person’s career choice or occupation. There is a sense of calling that prompts leaders to make sure that all of their work aligns with their values, no matter how lowly the task may seem. A sense of vocation helps effective leaders put their talents to work as participants in the process that moves the universe toward increasing integrity.
   
   
2. Communion. Communion is has to do with one’s sense of belonging to a greater community. If there is any one bottom line found in all leaders, it is in changing lives. By being involved in social projects and building relationships with one’s neighbors, leaders begin to understand the real needs facing their communities. By virtue of their skills and connections, leaders can partner with civic and social groups to bring about change in their community.
   
   
3. Awareness of the Holy. The definition of holy is something that is “completely other.” What, if anything, is sacred to you? Can you love something / someone outside of yourself? Is there anything you consider as untouchable or unfathomable? Do you perceive yourself as a dependent creature, or are you preoccupied with yourself? If pushed by calamity, for what would you be willing to make any sacrifice? Ultimately the question is, “Is there anything or anyone whom you revere more than yourself?”
   
   
4. Providence. Do you believe that your life fits within a greater scheme of life? A sense of providence may be expressed by your desire for God's guidance. Providence is critically related to the ability to trust (and hope). Without trust, there is no sense of supernatural guidance. Instead, everything in life is happenstance, without rhyme or reason. In times of crisis, do you as a leader possess a calmness in knowing that your life and work fits in a larger scheme of things?
   
   
5. Faith. Faith relates to the leader’s stance in life. Do you embrace the ideals and general pattern of reality? Or do you tend to be a cautious pessimist, full of ifs, buts, and howevers? The question is not only to what a leader commits himself or herself, but whether the leader can commit at all. Faith impacts a leader’s perspective by opening the horizons to new opportunities. In other words, the leader's faith determines his/her view of the future, which in turn is an important factor in planning and vision casting.
   
   
6. Grace or gratefulness. Effective leaders have a sense of grace that finds expression in their kindness and generosity. Graceful leaders appreciate the beauty of giving and receiving, and “getting something for nothing.” People who acknowledge that their talents and abilities, including their physical health, are truly a gift of life – not something to be taken for granted – express their gratefulness by being good stewards of their endowments. They develop and build upon their “giftedness.”
   
   Related to the concept of grace and gratefulness is forgiveness. Effective leaders know when and how to forgive people who have disappointed them. Sometimes leaders focus on their own faults and consider themselves unworthy of forgiveness. As a result, they may work under a full load of guilt feelings. Subsequently, these leaders try to compensate by over performing in hopes of negating their past “sins.” Other leaders who insist on their own self-rejection may wallow in self-pity – almost to the point of narcissism.
   
   The result of this form of narcissism is the lack of feeling any need for grace or having any gratefulness whatsoever. “Who me? I don’t need anyone’s forgiveness.” Or “Well, yes, I have had much success, but I worked hard for every bit of it.” Not surprisingly, these people find it difficult to forgive others. Arrogance then drives the leader into a purely transactional understanding of relationships. Everything is a matter of rights or exchanging wares.
   
   
7. Repentance. Repentence refers to a process of changing one’s behavior. It is more than just feeling sorry and having feelings of regret. Rather, it is what Robert Quinn refers to as "deep change" – a turning away from an ineffective attitude, a shift of mind. Effective leaders know how to turn away from actions and attitudes that treat others unfairly and cause them harm. As a result, we change our ways and commit to a new actions and attitudes that builds and develops others, and ultimately our organizations/ministries. There is a direct relationship between repentance and the ability to learn something new.
   

Newsletter Now Available

The long awaited, not-to-be-forgotten Rosson family newsletter is now available for downloading. In order to view the newsletter, you will need the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader. To save to your computer, right mouse click on the following link. Feel free to print and distribute this among your friends and in your church.

http://www.cog-europe.de/rosson/dec2007.pdf

Divorce and Remarriage

I don't know why it always, but it happens. We have a team of five preachers at our church. But somehow I (along with the pastor) get the more "sensitive" topics. My next sermon will be no different: Divorce. I can't say that I speak from personal experience. But unfortunately it is a major problem in Germany, just as it is in America.

In my research, I came across a book (and subsequently an article based on the book) by David Instone-Brewer. His article, which appeared in Christianity Today's website, has caused quite a stir in some evangelical circles. Indeed, if Instone-Brewer's conclusions are correct, it should cause many of our churches to reconsider their stance on divorce / remarriage -- particularly for those who later desire ministerial credentials.

Below is a snippet of Instone-Brewer's article.

One of my most dramatic findings concerns a question the Pharisees asked Jesus: "Is it lawful to divorce a wife for any cause?" (Matt. 19:3). This question reminded me that a few decades before Jesus, some rabbis (the Hillelites) had invented a new form of divorce called the "any cause" divorce. By the time of Jesus, this "any cause" divorce had become so popular that almost no one relied on the literal Old Testament grounds for divorce.

The "any cause" divorce was invented from a single word in Deuteronomy 24:1. Moses allowed divorce for "a cause of immorality," or, more literally, "a thing of nakedness." Most Jews recognized that this unusual phrase was talking about adultery. But the Hillelite rabbis wondered why Moses had added the word "thing" or "cause" when he only needed to use the word "immorality." They decided this extra word implied another ground for divorce—divorce for "a cause." They argued that anything, including a burnt meal or wrinkles not there when you married your wife, could be a cause! The text, they said, taught that divorce was allowed both for adultery and for "any cause."

Another group of rabbis (the Shammaites) disagreed with this interpretation. They said Moses' words were a single phrase that referred to no type of divorce "except immorality"—and therefore the new "any cause" divorces were invalid. These opposing views were well known to all first-century Jews. And the Pharisees wanted to know where Jesus stood. "Is it lawful to divorce your wife for any cause?" they asked. In other words: "Is it lawful for us to use the 'any cause' divorce?"

When Jesus answered with a resounding no, he wasn't condemning "divorce for any cause," but rather the newly invented "any cause" divorce. Jesus agreed firmly with the second group that the phrase didn't mean divorce was allowable for "immorality" and for "any cause," but that Deutermonomy 24:1 referred to no type of divorce "except immorality."

This was a shocking statement for the crowd and for the disciples. It meant they couldn't get a divorce whenever they wanted it—there had to be a lawful cause. It also meant that virtually every divorced man or women was not really divorced, because most of them had "any cause" divorces. Luke and Matthew summarized the whole debate in one sentence: Any divorced person who remarried was committing adultery (Matt. 5:32; Luke 16:18), because they were still married. The fact that they said "any divorced person" instead of "virtually all divorced people" is typical Jewish hyperbole—like Mark saying that "everyone" in Jerusalem came to be baptized by John (Mark 1:5). It may not be obvious to us, but their first readers understood clearly what they meant.

Within a few decades, however, no one understood these terms any more. Language often changes quickly (as I found out when my children first heard the Flintstones sing about "a gay old time"). The early church, and even Jewish rabbis, forgot what the "any cause" divorce was, because soon after the days of Jesus, it became the only type of divorce on offer. It was simply called divorce. This meant that when Jesus condemned "divorce for 'any cause,' " later generations thought he meant "divorce for any cause."

Germany: One in Five Protestant Worshippers Charismatic or Pentecostal

The following is an article from Idee:spektrum, the German equivalent of Christianity Today.

Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians are among Germany’s keenest churchgoers.

Although they make up only slightly more than one percent of all 26 million Protestants, they account for 20 percent of the worshippers on an average Sunday.

These figures were released during the annual gathering of the “Circle of Charismatic Leaders” meeting December 3 – 5 in Kassel. The 35 leaders represent approximately 300,000 Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians from main line, evangelical and independent churches.

The main line Protestant Churches have 25 million members on their rolls. About four percent worship on a regular Sunday.

Catholics in Luther’s home country attend church in greater numbers. 14 percent of the 26.6 million Catholics go to mass on Sunday.

Three Signs of a Miserable Job

I finished reading Patrick Lencioni's latest, Three Signs of a miserable job. As the title suggests, Lencioni presents a model for developing worker satisfaction, which in turn leads to lower worker turnover and improved organizational performance. Although written for the business environment, Lencioni's principles are just as valid in church ministry. What follows below is a summary of Lencioni's model (pp. 221-222). He also gives a visual summary that can been seen here (and scroll down to the video).

Anonymity
People cannot be fulfilled in their work if they are not known. All humans need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by someone in a position of authority. People who see themselves as invisible, generic or anonymous cannot love their jobs, no matter what they are doing.

Irrelevance
Everyone needs to know that their job matters to someone. Anyone. Without seeing a connection between the work and the satisfaction of another person or group of people, an employee simply will not find lasting fulfillment. Even the most cynical employees need to know that their work matters to someone, even if it's just the boss.

Immeasurement
Employees need to be able to gauge their progress and level of contribution for themselves. They cannot be fulled in their work if their success depends on the opinions or whims of another person, no matter how benevolent that person may be. Without tangibe means of assessing success or failure, motivation eventually deteriorates as people see themselves as unable to control their own fate.

Do I have a miserable job? No.... Mine's fine. But what about those who serve under my leadership? Well, it's time to do some reflecting.

He Reigns

I stumbled across this video recently from the Newsboys. Great song! Somehow I got to get our praise team to do this in church. Enjoy!