done. May 31, 2009
Posted by rickhill in hidden heroes writings.add a comment
so all the publishing of my gathered thoughts over the past couple of years is over. my cynicism, questions, doubts and failures have been exposed!! and yet somewhere along the way, it’s been a really helpful process.
thanks for joining in the conversation. your thoughts have continued to help me ponder this stuff. and in some cases inspired me. in other ways challenged me. i need this.
i’ve thrown a lot of stuff up in the blog in a short space of time there. 12 lengthy posts in fact. so i’ll let them sit for a wee while before beginning a more normal blogging rhythm. in the meantime, please do keep joining the conversation in some of the areas below.
12. Everyone & Everywhere May 19, 2009
Posted by rickhill in hidden heroes writings.Tags: denominations, disciples, everyone, hidden heroes, jesus, labels
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A couple of years ago I had lunch with a man who was sharing with me the journey of how he recently came to plant a church. It was fascinating. And inspiring.
But something struck me as I listened. As I heard about the church, lots of terms were being used about its members. Charismatic yet reformed. New but not emerging. Outreach focused while remaining a teaching based community. Evangelical but not social action minded. So many labels. Lots of words. I didn’t really understand what they really stood for. But at least I knew what they weren’t.
But what were all these terms really about? Do we even know what they mean? Why do we need them? Do they make us feel better?
In the midst of my chicken and cheese baguette with this guy I felt myself longing to come back to what Jesus spoke of. Not in some simplistic way, but in a way that focused me on my calling: to go and make disciples of Jesus.
Not followers of the reformed way. Not disciples of the Charismatic movement. Not a bunch of social action evangelicals.
I mean, Jesus wasn’t a protestant. Or a Catholic. Not emerging. Or evangelical.
Yeah he was called many things, but none of the above.
So why do we waste our time on these labels, just to define where we stand? What’s wrong with just being a Jesus follower? A disciple of Christ? Is that too simple for us?
For too long I’ve tried to place people into categories. Are they a Christian? Are they a non-Christian? Are they going to heaven if the world ends today? Are they headed for hell if Jesus comes back now? And while these are important issues, they are not something that I need to have sussed out. While there is an eternity of 2 choices, Jesus never labelled people one or the other while He was on the earth. And neither should we.
Perhaps we need to be asking different questions. Questions like “regardless of whether they are headed for heaven or hell at this moment in time, how can I love this person more?”
To everyone we encounter, our focus should not be pushing them over this decision line, but instead walking alongside them no matter where they are at on their journey.
11. Creators & Carvers Part 2 May 17, 2009
Posted by rickhill in hidden heroes writings.Tags: hidden heroes, mission, purpose, representing jesus
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“Let the message about Christ in all its richness fill your lives…And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:16-17
Let’s make some simple observations about what Paul is saying here. First of all, verse 16.
The message about Christ is rich.
The message about Christ has the potential to fill our lives.
The message about Christ isn’t just about words, but about life.
The message about Christ is about more than times at church.
God is interested in our whole lives.
And verse 17?
You can represent Jesus by doing things.
You can represent Jesus by saying things.
Whatever you do can be done as a representative of Jesus.
We can represent Jesus in our jobs.
We can represent Jesus on the football pitch.
We can give thanks to God by doing what He has wired us to do.
Very simple observations but thoughts that can be revolutionary for our lives.
Paul is saying that we each have a mission, and that mission is to be a representative of Jesus in whatever we do and say. And that can come about by letting this rich message about Jesus Christ fill our lives and invade everything we do.
Things like designing websites, writing poetry or cooking food. Or by creating things, teaching children and cleaning toilets.
And how?
By doing our work as well as we can
By allowing our God given creativity to flow out of us
By modelling an attitude of Jesus
And when the moments come, representing Jesus in how we speak of Him.
But we all know how hard this is to live out in practice. It’s not easy for everything we do in life be to glorify God. This mission is a 24/7 mission. There are no holidays or days off but we are called to be Jesus’ representatives at all times. The body of Christ in every moment of every day. Maybe that’s why Jesus described it as the narrow way.
I know I can’t do this on my own. And anyway, it feels like this life wasn’t meant to be lived as a hermit. In light of this mission we need help, support, love, encouragement and inspiration. For me, that comes from a community of Christ followers. Some call it the church.
And so our times at church must build us up and equip us for our mission. It should be a time where people can come together in community to share how God is moving in all our various spheres of influence, support one another in it, pray for each other and learn together how we can represent Jesus better in whatever we do.
In our church communities we must spend time teaching and emphasising the true call of Christ to follow Him to the hard places and represent Him in all sectors of society with whatever we do and say.
And not just teaching it, but supporting people as they do.
As I write, I find the word ‘represent’ very interesting because in this instance I think it’s vital that the church (re) presents itself right in the midst of society. The church in the West used to be right at the heart and centre of society. People everywhere turned to it. Church leaders were listened to as the fount of all authority.
But now we seem to have been pushed to the fringes. Worse still, in some cases we’ve moved ourselves there.
And how we need a (re) presenter of Jesus in all the shops on our high street, all the businesses on our stock exchange and all the restaurants in our city. If we are the body of Christ, then are there parts of our society where Christ’s body is literally not there?
I once met a really passionate follower of Jesus who had applied for a job as a barman in one of Belfast’s gay bars. Now I’m not for one moment suggesting that this is for everyone, but surely it’s about time we recognised jobs like this as a mission from Christ.
Just like that church missionary going to the unreached people group in Africa. Or like the minister who will preach on a Sunday morning. Or the worship leader
Yeah this guy will be slated by many in the church for even being in that bar and associating with such places. But his purpose was to infiltrate the very roots of culture in order to influence for Jesus. Bringing the very presence of Jesus to a place so in need of it. (Re) presenting Jesus to those who are desperate for a touch of true love that only Christ can offer.
(Re) presenting Jesus in Africa. Not for everyone, just for those called by Christ to do so.
(Re) presenting Jesus in the business world and stock markets. Not for everyone, just for those called by Christ to do so.
(Re) presenting Jesus in gay bars. Not for everyone, just for those called by Christ to do so.
So where is He calling you to (re) present Him in?
10. Creators & Carvers Part 1 May 14, 2009
Posted by rickhill in Thoughts.Tags: anointing, creativity, hidden heroes, purpose
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I’ve spent a lot of time leading worship in different churches and events, and often people have come up to me afterwards and used encouraging phrases such as “I sensed a real anointing of God upon the music this evening” or “That was anointed worship tonight.”
All these words have always been very uplifting and encouraging to me, as well as appreciated. There are even times I believe them to be true. Not because I thought it was amazing, but because I know that’s how God works. Placing His hand upon things that are very ordinary, and using those who are weak.
However, one of my best mates is a joiner and as far as I know he has never had anyone tell him of how his woodwork is ‘anointed’ by God, or how he has a real sense of anointing over his career. Or have you ever heard of an anointed businessman? Or teacher?
Why not? Is God more interested in music than woodwork? (Not if the career of Jesus is anything to go by anyway!!) Does God just come down and touch the lives and work of those in full time ministry? Or those at the front? Or can He really anoint, touch and bless those every day jobs?
Step forward Bezalel and allow me to introduce you to the Bible’s first anointed joiner:
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘See I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri from the tribe of Judah…I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God and have given the skill, ability and knowledge to do all kinds of work. He is able to design pieces to be made from gold, silver and bronze, to cut jewels and put them in metal, to carve wood, and to do all kinds of work.” Exodus 31:1-6
Here is someone filled with God’s spirit. God has placed within him special gifts and talents. And what is Bezalel called to do? He is a designer, wood-carver and jewellery maker. Surely that’s not up God’s list of priorities?
I love the thought of God anointing craftsmen and builders and joiners. And musicians and artists and dancers. And teachers and leaders and businessmen. I have this image of God literally breathing His Spirit into people to provide them with the necessary skill, ability and knowledge to do their work. And not just do it, but do it with excellence.
A local worship leader said to me recently that the church was the most creative place on earth 200 years ago and at that time, the world was looking to the church for its lead.
Where has that gone to? Can we recover this?
Creative expressions of Christianity should be at the centre of our culture but we have allowed ourselves to be pushed to the margins by our lack of creativity.
We know personally the most creative designer the world has ever seen. The one who painted the skies and designed the stars. The one who created light and displays His glory throughout sunsets. The one who sang His song of love over humanity and wrote His message of hope to the world.
And this designer God lives and dwells inside us, and yet we have stopped short in our creativity, not allowing His genius and beauty to pour out of our lives.
There is literally brilliance on the inside of each of us. Our lives are bursting with potential. If only we would place our humble and tiny little gifts into the hands of this Almighty Creator our world may see Jesus (re)-presented in many fresh, relevant and beautiful ways.
Suddenly a joiner’s ability to build a table becomes every bit as holy as a speakers ability to restore faith or joy or love or acceptance in someone’s life.
Suddenly a follower of Jesus finds purpose in every job. Every meeting. Every conversation. Every day at work. Every table made. Every door hung. Every class taught.
It’s an opportunity to glorify God through the gifts we’ve been given. But more than that. It’s a chance to be a representative of Jesus in every place we are.
9. Encouragers and Enthusiasts May 12, 2009
Posted by rickhill in Thoughts.Tags: acceptance, friendship, grace, hidden heroes, jesus, sacrifice
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George never chose the easy route. Probably because he understood the concept of sacrifice.
And George is one of my heroes. And he’s my hero mainly because the word sacrifice summarises the last 10 years of his life.
George would want me to tell you that he’s a farmer. He would beg me to share how he doesn’t have a third level education. He would shout about how he is just an ordinary man.
And he is.
But I want to use him as an example of a sacrificial life.
George’s door was always open to us. You never had to knock and you never left without a big hug. He cared. He shared. He was there.
A decade ago, George converted his big double garage. When I was beginning to lead worship, he allowed us to come every week to practice. The sound must have been terrible and the noise difficult to put up with, but George didn’t just tolerate it, he loved it! He used to come into those practices to just stand and worship with us! What an encouragement!
And how we loved the toast and biscuits every week too!!
And then afterwards there were nights where we didn’t leave until 2am. This farmer, who would glimpse the morning in just 4 hours time, refusing to kick us out but giving us the message that he was here for us at any moment of the day.
How we need people to be encouragers and enthusiasts to us as we walk the narrow road of being a representative of Jesus.
And so in this mission of representing Jesus through our lives, we desperately need people who will spur us on and inspire about this Jesus were following, as well as reminding us constantly about our calling.
We need to invite these people around for dinner. We should allow them to speak truth and wisdom into our lives. And ask them to pray for us regularly. Their urging, cheering, inspiring and encouraging is vital to our survival on this narrow road.
But perhaps we also need to play the encouraging and enthusiast role to others around us.
You see, so many of us are delighted that Jesus walked the hard way of the cross but we refuse to follow His footsteps in it.
We celebrate how His pain replaces what we deserve but think that gives us an exemption from any pain in our own lives.
We rejoice in the sacrifice of Jesus but try and avoid it for ourselves at all costs.
“It’s too much hard work.”
“It’s tiring.”
“I haven’t had my dinner yet.”
“But I earned that money.”
“It will put my reputation on the line.”
I’ve just had lunch with someone whose life is sold out to following Jesus by being a friend of sinners. He shares his musical tastes with the punk rockers on the street corners. He spends holy time every week with school drop outs. He invites street footballers into the middle of his church Bible study to drink hot chocolate and eat donuts.
Nothing revolutionary. Nothing new. Nothing fresh.
Just love, friendship, grace and acceptance.
Sounds to me a bit like Jesus.
8. Saints & Sinners May 10, 2009
Posted by rickhill in hidden heroes writings.Tags: church, jesus, reaching out, saints, sinners
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Too often, I feel, the church has stopped short at just associating with those on the outside. Yes, we’ll reach out to them by inviting them to our events and programs…or creating a new scheme to stand outside our church on a Friday night…or invite the foreigners into our church once a year for a meal…
But Jesus didn’t just associate with sinners or make them projects. He didn’t start any new programmes or speak to them so he could bring God into the story within 2 minutes.
Jesus was a friend of sinners.
A mate.
And so if we are to take up the call of being like Jesus, then we need to hang out with people who don’t respect Jesus. We talk about being like Jesus but how many of us have friends who are prostitutes?
Go on…ask yourself.
Jesus did.
But that was okay for Jesus I hear you cry. It’s different for us.
But is it?
Is it too low for us to stoop? Too risky? Too potentially damaging to our reputation?
Are you a friend of sinners? Or do you just associate with them?
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus in Matthew 5:10-12
Jesus walked a hard road in life as well as in death. Slandered, abused, mistreated and misrepresented. Lonely, frustrated, misunderstood and laughed at. When He claimed to be the Son of God. But in the face of it all, Jesus knew His purpose and His calling, and He kept going, often without even a response.
What we forget sometimes is that Jesus faced all the same questions. In fact, his reputation was tarnished as someone who ate and dined with sinners.
And this reputation wasn’t gained by standing with them for 10 minutes, just long enough to get a tract into their grasp so He could tell people about His evangelism efforts to boost His reputation. He actually befriended them.
I was once told that if you were talking with someone for the first time and the conversation hadn’t come around to Jesus within 6 minutes that you had failed evangelistically.
What a load of rubbish.
6 minutes?
I thank God that He didn’t just associate with sinners. But He was called the friend of sinners. Prostitutes. Gamblers. Homosexuals. Tax men. Political revolutionaries. Fishermen. Teachers. Me. You.
And I thank God today that He still befriends sinners. And He does that through other sinners like me and you.
Unfortunately when we talk about befriending sinners it’s so easy to look at the perceived drop outs of society like the addict or the drunkard. But everywhere I look there are people who need someone to journey alongside them. Someone to love them. Someone to value them. Someone to model out a lifestyle that is different. Someone to be Jesus in their life if they don’t know Him for themselves. Someone to be a friend to them….someone to befriend them.
And not as some project. Not as some mere number for the church statistics. Not to inflate our egos. But to live out the command of Jesus to “love our neighbours as we love ourselves.”
For me, too much of my life is about associating with people rather than befriending. Too much of my life is spent talking about this stuff rather than doing it.
And why is that?
Because it costs us something. It’s costly to invest your time and energy into someone. It’s draining. It’s sacrificial.
It’s easier to talk the talk than walk the walk.
It’s easier to go on a 2 week mission trip to Africa than it is to model a life of Christ to someone for 50.
It’s easier to associate with a homeless man as part of a church program at Christmas time than it is to take him to lunch every Monday.
It’s easier to organise a youth event than sit at Starbucks with a 16 year old bloke who shares with you about how he’s being bullied at school for being a Christian.
It’s easier to relax with your wife and get to bed early rather than leave your door open and your phone on awaiting yet another young person to call on you in their hour of need.
7. Communities & Carriers: Part 2 May 8, 2009
Posted by rickhill in Thoughts.Tags: ancient celtic spirituality, community, culture, evangelism, next door, reaching out
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I once sat in a room having a conversation with a few folks from my church about how we can better reach out to the community around us. It was a fascinating discussion with some phenomenally creative and expressive ideas of outreach. The potential was mind-blowing and the possibilities endless! I love conversations like that…
At the centre of each of the ideas that were flowing forth was a desire to draw people to us so we could engage with them in meaningful ways and build meaningful relationships. And what an exciting thought! But there was something about the conversation that unsettled me and stirred something within me.
Someone in the midst of our discussion questioned about how we can reach the twenty-something working generation who think they’ve got life sussed. “They don’t want to go to church and are only interested in building their career,” we complained. “How could we ever reach them?”
That got me thinking. It was a fairly simple observation but I realised that the majority of this working generation go to work. I also observed that so did many of us in the room! That was a start anyway.
I kept thinking, wrecking my brain for other creative ways we could reach them. But then it hit me. That wasn’t a start. It was the start. That’s where the mission starts. That’s how we begin getting alongside them.
And if we were fulfilling our calling then there would be less need for setting up the sorts of cafes and events we were discussing.
One of these ideas we were dreaming up was setting up a coffee house environment in our church building. Fantastic idea! I loved it.
But the reason for this troubled me big time. It was simply to get people out of the pubs and into our building. And as the conversation continued, many questions were flooding through my head.
Why can we not bring light to people, rather than always asking them to come to the light?
Why do we create our own little subcultures instead of engaging with the dominant culture?
Why do we always want people to come to our turf? Can we not share the message of Jesus with people in our conversations in the pub or sports club?
Why don’t we all just go to the pub and integrate, infiltrate, be a presence and build relationships there?
Can the presence of Jesus inside us and our Christ-like actions not affect the environment of a pub or bar?
And so I’m sitting there thinking that there are 10 of us in the room. We are the church. Let’s, as the church, go and meet people where they are.
In fact, why do we even need to organise it and begin a brand new programme to reach out in this way? Surely if we as the body of Christ were truly living as salt and light in the midst of our culture and engaging with people, the need for formalised or organised outreach would be diminished.
But perhaps, that’s the problem. Perhaps we don’t feel equipped to do this. Or perhaps we feel that were doing it on our own.
Much of Celtic evangelism focused around cultural meeting points. They entered, engaged with and built community within the gathering points of the day. Maybe that’s why I love the Celtic way so much. Authentic communities who supported each other, shared together, prayed together, and then carried what they contained in their hearts out to the commoner.
Church communities should be an enabler for their hidden heroes to make an impact in their worlds. Perhaps this would drastically alter the way we do church as we fire people’s imaginations and courage to face their worlds head on, encouraging, building up and spurring on our hidden heroes.
Paul would have liked the Celtic approach too. In Acts 18 we see him living with some fellow Jews called Aquila and Priscilla. Community.
The very next verse we see how he’s working as a leather worker alongside others in his community. Carrier.
As well as spending time in his tentmaking work, Paul also finds time to speak in the synagogue once a week. However, this approach soon changes:
“From now on I will go and preach to the Gentiles. Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus…who…lived next door to the synagogue.” Acts 18:6b-7 NLT
The words “next door” strike me. Paul changes his tact, and instead of preaching in the synagogue, he goes to the house next door. Not content with keeping this good news within a building, he is determined to bring it to some of the cultural gathering points of the day.
So who lives next door to your church? Or in your street? Or what meeting place exists just down the road? Whoever and whatever they are, Peter Neilson lays down this challenge as he reflects on the ancient celts:
“It came naturally to take the positive aspects of culture and ‘baptise them’, even at the risk of something slipping…”
Are we too safe in our synagogues? Where are the modern day Celts, willing to carry their communities into the centre of their culture? Where are the church communities risking it all in order to reach the people next door?
6. Communities & Carriers: Part 1 May 5, 2009
Posted by rickhill in hidden heroes writings.Tags: ancient celtic spirituality, communities, formalised evangelism
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Before I go on, let me state in no uncertain terms that formalised evangelism is so necessary, amazingly fruitful and something that I have seen God use and bless on countless occasions. Hey, I’ve devoted a lot of my life to it!
But, as I’ve devoted so much of my time and life to it, I’ve also noticed that every single evangelism programme is nothing new. Instead, it is ancient! It was the heartbeat of Christianity, only wrapped up and disguised in the form of programmes, events and initiatives. And that’s why I was feeling uncomfortable.
Surely as the carriers of God’s message we should be personally doing what these programmes were being designed to do.
Drawing alongside.
Showing the light, love, hope and grace of Jesus.
Building relationships.
Engaging with people.
Every day.
So often in church we complain that not enough people are coming through our doors. We feel disheartened that we are just not reaching the same amount of people that we used to.
But as we lament this fact, we’re forgetting that our church body gathered on a Sunday or whenever, are rubbing shoulders with, reaching out to, relating to and engaging with literally thousands and thousands of people every day. Now that’s what I call a church outreach programme!
We as the church have a message that contains the cure to death. God has entrusted us to be the carriers of His hope and light to the world. And we seem content to sit back and wait for people to come to us looking for the truth and grace. Instead of taking this awesome news to the people in our society, we busy ourselves in setting up and creating our own little subcultures that are really just imitations of other things that already exist in our society.
In fact, perhaps we would do well to rediscover the nature of the ancient Celtic monastries. Centuries ago, these monastries acted as training grounds for mission, equipping people to be sent and to serve. Rather than attempting to draw people towards their buildings, these Celtic communities focused on worship, prayer, learning and service as they developed authentic relationships aimed at building up the saints. Not centred on buildings but devoted to building.
For them there was no distinction between the secular and the sacred. A dividing line didn’t exist. For them, everything was an opportunity to serve God, something that was shown through their worship vocabulary.
And thus this Celtic lifestyle swung between community and journey where these ancient celts took their passion, truth and faith into the different areas of their culture. Communities reaching communities.
In the same way, in our churches we desperately need times focused on building up the saints. Community.
And then we also need times to take what we have into the different areas of our cultures. Carrying.
I love the thought of us carrying the light of Jesus with us everywhere we go.
5. Natural & Noticeable May 3, 2009
Posted by rickhill in hidden heroes writings.Tags: evangelism, reflections, talking about jesus naturally
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I want to be more like Jesus in my friendships. Being there for people in every circumstance of their lives. Being real in every situation of yours. Spending time with them. Modelling out a lifestyle that is different. Talking about our relationship with God in a way that is natural rather than forced. After all, I have been created as a relational being.
A few years ago I was in the midst of a difficult decision regarding my future. I had a choice to make and I was desperate to hear God’s voice in it all. I spent much time praying about it, thinking it through and chatting with trusted friends about it to try to discern God’s will for my life.
After a while I took the decision and was busy sharing about it with people at my church for the next wee while. I was making sure I sounded really spiritual about it. I kept mentioning words like prayer, discernment, will, dreams, passion and listening to God. Everyone seemed pretty impressed with my decision…and the way I went about it!
Around the same time I was playing a few frames of pool with a mate. I love this guy and know I can be myself with him. Plus, he has a good pool table too as well as Sky Sports so I like going round to his house. We watch and play sport together all the time. I would count on him as one of my best mates. We always have a laugh together.
And so he was asking me about this decision I had just taken regarding my future. Now me and this mate don’t have those type of conversations that include words like fasting, prayer, meditation and discernment. Sport is our thing. So I found myself coming off with an answer which included none of those words. Instead I said something like “I just thought it through and it felt right mate. Wanted some security, ya know? Same as anybody really.”
I knew instantly that I had failed my friend. I hadn’t been honest with him as a mate. To be honest, I was worried what his reaction would be if I told him the truth. So I avoided it all together.
As we played on, I knew that I wanted to share what had really been going on in my head. I kept missing shots and wondered if God was speaking to me!!! I knew I should be as open with him as I had been with my minister, my mum and my mentors. And so I went for it. As openly and as naturally as I could, I shared about what God had been laying on my heart and how I felt He wanted to use me in this next stage of my life. I went on to talk about how prayer was an instrumental part in the decision and of how I believed this was where He was leading me. I spoke of passions, dreams and desires.
He listened intently and we went on to have a very open and honest conversation. And we had so many more in the months that followed. Friends openly and honestly sharing their lives with one another. I’ve been sharing the things that God has been teaching me. We’ve been helping each other along the way I reckon.
And from that point on, I was determined that Jesus would become such a natural part of my conversation with my mates, no matter whether they followed Jesus or not. I wanted my life to be more open and my friendships real.
And that has meant that I’ve been spending more time playing pool, or at the gym, or grabbing a kebab, or watching football. And in all these places I’ve been seeing God at work in really simple yet special ways.
I mean, we hear all these evangelism training sessions and methods about picking the right moment to share your faith. To me that just seems false. None of us have to build up to talking about the film we saw last night or the football team we love. We just go for it…naturally. And so if we get excited about these things and share them easily, then why should it be different when it comes to talking about Jesus?
Cos He means more to me than any earthly thing and so I shouldn’t need to pluck up the courage to share that with those around me.
For too long we’ve been chucking tracts at people and ducking away from meaningful relationships. Let’s begin to allow God to be part of our everyday lives so much that we begin to journey alongside those who need us the most.
So who needs your friendship? Who has God been calling you to journey alongside? Who needs you to model out a life of Christ that is different to all they ever encounter?
