Snowed/Iced In
We have been snowed/iced in here in the DFW metroplex for a couple of days now. And it is bitter cold outside still. A few more days until the temperature rises above freezing. Here a few of my reflections while I have been "home-bound."

We are not in control. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are not in control of everything. This week is the biggest week in many years in the metroplex. The Super Bowl is here! Can you imagine the hours spent in planning for the events of this week? Or, the incredible amount of money invested in special things planned JUST for this week? And, guess what? We are not in control. Now, don't get me wrong. I want Arlington and the whole area to be great hosts to this event. Sure, I want our area to benefit economically from it all. And, I want us to have the chance to show people the love of Christ while they are in town. But -- I can't help but stop and think about how we can plan and plan and plan and plan -- and yet, we ultimately are not in control of everything.

Rest is good. Many of us have been off work or out of school for a couple of days now. For those of us who "go pretty hard" at life, rest is a good thing when it comes. Sometimes we are forced to rest. I'll admit that I have taken full advantage of some down time. I have rested. I hope you have!

Relationships are important. When we are "forced" to stay home, we have the opportunity to develop our family relationships a bit. Relationships are the stuff of life. We all need healthy relationships. It is good to sit and talk, listen and just enjoy each other's company. Our busy lives often are so full of activity that superficiality rules the day. So -- this is a great chance to deepen the connection you have with the people who are truly most important to you.

TV needs help. I'm not the biggest TV watcher in America anyway. I definitely am not an expert on daytime TV since I have a JOB. But - I have flipped through the channels a couple of times in the past two days. Lots of channels -- U-Verse channels. And . . . TV just needs some help. There are plenty of options for viewing -- just very few good options.

Nameless people keep things running. While I am at home, sitting by the fire, sipping coffee, reading, studying, hanging out with my family - whatever ---- there is a host of people working across the metroplex. For most of us, they are the nameless people. They are keeping the roads clear, keeping the electricity working (even with the occasional outages), handling traffic problems, keeping the natural gas flowing, keeping telephone service intact, etc. Yeah, the nameless folks are making it all happen everyday -- and particularly today.

God is good. If you are reading this blog, you are blessed. If you have a warm house with a roof over your head, you are blessed. God is just good, y'all. He just is. He has provided so much for us. We take Him for granted so often. He is good. All the time.

Space Shuttles

I remember where I was when the first Space Shuttle launched back in 1981. I was working for a funeral home in Alabama and I had been dispatched to the crematorium on Birmingham's south side. The company I worked for at the time had 17 funeral homes in Alabama, but only one of them actually was equipped for cremation. Anyway, I was there to pick up the remains of the deceased -- and the morticians were all gathered around a TV to watch the launching of the Columbia. I remember that it seemed like a science fiction movie. Human beings were going to orbit the earth, return to the atmosphere and land the space craft at an airstrip. It was incredible.

I had just returned home from a seminary class in 1986 and switched on the TV in our apartment and watched the Challenger accident. It was surreal. Obviously, the fact that a school teacher was aboard the space craft heightened everyone's awareness of the launch and added to the grief of the whole experience.

I moved to Huntsville, Alabama in 1995 and became more knowledgeable about the space industry due to NASA's presence in that community. The NASA folks in Huntsville take all the space tragedys very personally. Generally speaking, the Marshall Space and Flight Center in Huntsville is in charge of each launch until the space vehicle leaves the atmosphere. Then, Mission Control in Houston takes over. So, the Challenger accident was principally connected to the Huntsville branch of NASA. It is a tough anniversary each year in Huntsville, to say the least.

Then, I was awakened early one Saturday morning in 2003 when something struck our roof. It was such a strange sound that I got up and went outside to look around. We then received a phone call from one of our friends to alert us to the fact that Columbia has been obliterated upon re-entry into the atmosphere. Parts of the shuttle were strewn across north Texas. Again, it was surreal.

We have certainly benefited from NASA's space exploration program. However, like most significant endeavors, it comes with risk and cost. Unfortunately the cost has been measured in more than dollars and man hours. It has actually resulted in the loss of several lives. These folks are heroes to us. They were willing to risk their lives to be involved in one of the most adventurous and daring enterprises in scientific discovery -- exploring outer space. Today, we remember them and pay tribute to their contributions.

Godspeed.

Should Old Guys be Blogging?

I think it is a legit question. I mean -- guys over 50 (that would be me) -- should we be blogging? The good bloggers all seem to be hip, cool and aware of the latest trends. They also have cool graphics and just good stuff on their blog pages.

What about us old guys? I don't really know how to put cool stuff on here. I'm not too good at adding links, photos and such.

But -- I'm going to try blogging for a while. See what happens. I guess I'll answer my own question -- at least for me.

Today, I preached on Ephesians 4. It is an awesome passage of scripture! So rich in meaning. The imagery is profound. Connecting "worthy" to the use of scales in the market was a brilliant stroke of Paul's pen (stylus or whatever he used). Recognizing our connectedness to one another is also a powerful word from this passage. And -- I love the challenge to progress toward maturity.

Yeah, Ephesians 4 is a great place to start the new year.

Goodbye 2010

So, 2010 is winding down. What a year!

On the personal side, this has been an eventful 12 months. Our kids are both in college ($$$). My Mom is doing well -- particularly for her 88 years! She is adjusting to life without my Dad. However, on Christmas Eve, my sister died. So, we are trusting God to care for all concerned.

Cindy's Dad is doing well over in Georgia. He is in his eighties as well -- but in pretty good health.

On the ministerial side, life is busy but productive. This year has been one filled with meaningful investments of our time and energy. We have sent cross-cultural workers to Asia (4) and Africa (2). Cindy and I have traveled to Africa (twice) and to Hawaii for the Baptist World Alliance meeting. I led a tour of Rome back in February (tough assignment, but someone has to do it). We have seen significant growth and maturity in our work across the world.

Cindy's leadership at GCPN has been amazing to observe. She tirelessly leads people in so many arenas toward the accomplishment of the Great Commission. I get tired just watching her! I'm blessed to have her as my life partner in ministry and my soul mate in life.

I have loved watching my church mature in 2010. We have been reading God's Word together in a daily reading plan that we call The Word of God for The People of God. We have been enriched by this experience of reading through both the Old and New Testaments. We have witnessed many spiritual victories because of the power of God's Word in the lives of His people. We had a rich and meaningful Lenten journey in 2010 as we learned more about Life on The Jesus Way.

Our church staff is growing both spiritually and in ministry. God has blessed us in 2010 with a sense of unity and purpose together as leaders for our church family. We had an inspiring and insightful retreat led by sociologist Michael Lindsay. We have been reading and studying together about leadership and the impact of the Gospel on the culture. We continue to reap benefits from the spiritual conversations, ministry planning and relationship building that we enjoy together.

2010 has been a very good year in many respects. I am truly blessed.

Blessings,
dw


Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Auburn is playing for the National Championship!!!

Transformed Along The Way

I've given a lot of thought recently to the essence of what it means to follow The Jesus Way. I have studied the New Testament and consulted various books and articles. I believe the crucial word that embodies what is supposed to happen to all followers is transformation.

At FBC Arlington, we have dedicated 2011 to an analysis of transformation. We are going to isoloate 6 spiritual growth areas and learn how our lives are supposed to be transformed by following The Jesus Way.

More to follow . . .

Spiritual Formation - cont'd

Although we can't completely categorize and measure everything, we have to provide enough organizational framework to give substance to our thoughts. This is particularly true with respect to spiritual formation.

I agree with John Ortberg's assessment:

"It's hard to imagine something more difficult to gauge or measure than spiritual growth. There is a mystery to it. It is intangible."

So -- measuring spiritual growth or formation is always going to be fraught with challenges. There will be some subjective bias involved in any process of accountability. With that said, we still have to do it!

Here is what I am planning to share with my church in 2010. We are going to evaluate ourselves in six basic areas:

1. Worship - seeking God in personal devotion

2. Knowledge - growing in knowledge of Biblical and spiritual truth

3. Obedience - we must integrate what we learn into real life

4. Selflessness/Stewardship - a diminishing selfishness is key to spiritual growth

5. Significant Spiritual Relationships - living in community with fellow believers

6. Evangelism/Missions - sharing Christ with neighbors and the world

We will be using these six areas to assist us in measuring our spiritual development as a body of believers seeking to follow The Jesus Way in the 21st century.

To be continued . . .

Spiritual Formation

What is spiritual formation? How does one know if he or she is spiritually formed?

According to George Barna, Christians are confused about spiritual formation. Jennifer Riley, in an article for Christian Post on Barna's latest research, reported that a "significant portion" of born-again Christians could not describe how "their church defines spiritual maturity."

Further, Barna's research concluded that pastors struggled to give definition to "spiritual maturity" -- which is the goal of spiritual formation.

So -- what is spiritual formation? How does it work? What are the components that lead people to become spiritually mature? And -- how do we measure spiritual maturity? Do you measure it by faithfulness in church attendance? How about tithing? Or serving? Or, is it measured by orthodox views on the Bible or theology?

It is a challenging enterprise -- this whole spiritual formation thing. I am working on a document right now for my church that addresses this relevant topic. It has been truly challenging for me. I am trying to be more specific than I have ever been in addressing this issue.

I'll keep you posted.

Glorifying God by Following The Jesus Way . . .

Our church is learning to embody the truths of this thematic statement. It is more than just a statement. In fact, I think it represents the essence of what Christianity is all about.

God has created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-28). Human beings have been given this precious gift! We can bear the image of God in His world. However, Genesis 3 relates the story of mankind's rebellion against God. Thus, the image of God has been marred in humanity as a result of sinfulness. Our ability to bear God's image has been damaged.

Further, Isaiah 43:7 reveals that we have been created for God's glory. Again, our ability to reflect God's glory in His world has been short-circuited by our sinfulness. Hence, Paul can say that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!

Enter Jesus. He fully manifested the glory of God (John 1:14; Hebrews 1:1-3). He perfectly reflects God's image. In fact, Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. He is the exact representation of His being.

Jesus is the Way (John 14:6). He is The Way to God. His Way is The Way to live. His Way is The Way to reflect God's glory. As we embrace the Jesus Way, we experience the power of God in our lives so that we can progress from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

Following the Jesus Way leads to true life. It leads to a life conformed to the image of God's Son. It leads to a life that can be truly connected to purpose and meaning.

I hope you will join us as we are Glorifying God by Following the Jesus Way!

The local church can . . .

. . . send missionaries - That's right, the local church can actually send missionaries! The local church is uniquely positioned to do just that. Our church has just commissioned our first missionary. We have set up a Sending Council. We have re-formatted our missions resources. We have developed a comprehensive approach to missiology. We have made a commitment to be a supportive, pro-active missional congregation.

. . . collaborate with others in missions - We haven't had to throw out the baby with the bath water to accomplish this. We are still supporting our traditonal missions enterprises. We still give financially to various boards and agencies that have historically received our missions dollars. We also have partnered with some key churches to develop a collaborative effort in this missions endeavor. We are committed to significant partnerships in order to pool our resources when possible in order to accomplish the advancement of the kingdom.

. . . develop glocal strategy - We also haven't had to sacrifice our local church and missions efforts in order to begin sending missionaries. As a matter of fact, our local commitments are growing. We are working to accommodate our church's growth in the midst of focusing our efforts on the world's needs. I believe this is the blessing of God!

. . . do whatever God leads you to do - Yes, I believe you can do whatever God leads you to do. The local church is the center of God's activity in the world. He has chosen to work through the church. What a privilege for us! We are "in on" what God is doing! That is an awesome truth and it brings serious responsibility with it. We must be good stewards of God's blessing.

Your local church is a special place. Your church can . . .!

Blessings,

Dennis R. Wiles

The Local Church - A Laboratory for Life

I love the local church!

I was born into a family that attended a local church. I had no choice in the matter. My parents took me to church. I learned to love the church at a very young age. I was led to Christ through the life and witness of my parents and through the faithful witness of a local church. I was discipled in a local church. I was called to preach in a local church. I was married in a local church. I was ordained to the ministry in a local church. I have been preaching in a local church since 1983. I love the local church!

As I think about it, the local church is like a laboratory for life. I have been equipped for life because of faithful Christians who gave their time, gifts and energy to people like me. As an adult, I am learning how to live the Christian life through my local church. I am learning about fellowship, maturity, love, grace, worship, friendship, vocation -- and many other things -- through the life and testimony of a local church.

I love this image of a laboratory. Ingredients are being mixed into my life that will enrich me and make be a stronger, better follower of Christ. As I invest my gifts through the local body of believers, I am growing in my understanding of applied Christianity. It is not a journey in abstracts -- it is a real journey in real life.

The church is the perfect place for these lessons. It is uniquely gifted by God for such a task. Praise God for the church!

Next time . . . The Local Church - A Laboratory for Missions

Blessings,

Dennis R. Wiles

The local church and the sent church

Do you remember the days when missions in local Baptist church life consisted of collecting three special offerings per year and giving a portion of the budget to missions through the Cooperative Program? Remember when we trusted the "professionals" to do missions for us?

Perhaps I am exaggerating to make a point. But -- you know what I mean. Many Baptist churches did missions vicariously. It was a 20th-century model that served us well in many regards. However, those days are over. The fundamentalist juggernaut that rolled through the Baptist family has forever changed the denominational landscape. Other factors contributed to the sweeping changes we have witnessed in the past 25 years as well. For many Baptists, the root system of the Cooperative Program (namely, trust) has been destroyed as we have seen too many bodies strewn along the road on the path to power and control.

As difficult as it all was to watch and experience, God remains enthroned and the Gospel of Jesus Christ remains empowered! God is raising up a different kind of local Baptist church in this generation. Many of us in the local church setting are embracing the changes and sensing the movement of God's Spirit among us.

What I am witnessing and experiencing is a revival of the doctrine of ecclesiology specifically as it relates to missiology. At the core of this discussion is the question: How does the local church relate to the sent church?

I would suggest you read Patrick Johnstone and Ralph Winter for helpful and wise insight in this area. I am finding myself studying Acts and the letters of Paul searching for clues to assist me as I lead my church to become increasingly personally invested in the Great Commission. Churches across the world are addressing this issue. I am encouraged by what I see and the conversations I am having in this regard. More and more churches are stepping up to the plate and sending missionaries, teams, businessmen/women across the world in the name of Jesus Christ.

I believe a new wave of missions is forming out in the sea of the not-to-distant future.

What do you think?

GCPN

There is a fresh new wind blowing in missions. It is not all that new, actually. Many church leaders are searching for more meaningful ways to involve their people in missions. The days of writing a check to a denominational agency and vicariously living out the Great Commission through that agency are over.

It is a new day in missions!

I believe we need a network of churches growing in community and partnership in the missions task. Global Connection Partnership Network (GCPN) is one attempt to create such a community. GCPN is a church-based approach that will offer churches an opportunity to become partners in a global strategy aimed at reaching the world for Christ.

How are we going to accomplish this? How are we going to launch this new network? How are we going to develop strategy? How are we going to create opportunities for community?

These questions -- and many more -- are being addressed right now through conversations between pastors and missions leaders in our state. We are supportive of what currently exists in Texas Baptist life -- e.g., WorldconneX, Partnership Missions. However, some of us believe we need a church-based entity that will assist churches in sending missionaries and developing global strategy.

One thing that is going to happen -- a group of Texas Baptist churches are going to be hosting a Missions Rally at First Baptist Church of Arlington on November 12, 2006. This rally is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the BGCT in Dallas on November 13-14. We will have several seminars that afternoon beginning at 3:00pm. The Rally will begin at 7:00pm in our Sanctuary. There is much to celebrate. God is at work through our churches as we are seeking to respond to the challenge of the Great Commission.

You are invited! Spread the word!